Chapter 114: Multi (2)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Huh? No, that’s not it. I never said anything about a package deal from the start, did I? Kang Woojin sensed a misunderstanding in Choi Sung-gun’s question. He knew that if he let it go, it would just roll on as is, so Woojin quickly opened his mouth.
“No, that’s not what I mean.”
“It’s okay. I don’t like being treated as part of a bundle deal either.”
As if to reassure him, Choi Sung-gun cut him off.
“If the meeting goes forward, I’ll push for you to go solo. Actually, if everyone appears together, there’s nothing good in it for you. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up taking all the responsibility, right? Becomes too much responsibility. A bundled deal has no merit for someone like you, who is on the rise.”
Choi Sung-gun spouted some hard to understand words, and Woojin, sensing a slight crisis, tried to speak again. But then,
“Woojin! Standby!!”
His standby time was over.
Afterward.
The days were long, but somehow time flew by incredibly fast. It was Kang Woojin’s story. Busy schedules. Shooting, shooting, shooting. To others, his work schedule was enough to make them gasp, but Woojin stubbornly endured.
No, more accurately, that’s how it appeared to others.
“Look at Woojin, why does he look so unfazed?”
“Right! I’ve noticed that too! Isn’t Woojin really busy these days? Plus, with such a tight shooting schedule, but I haven’t seen his expression change once.”
“Even his acting hasn’t deteriorated at all.”
“What the? Normally, you’d be chugging energy drinks to keep yourself going?”
Eventually, when his concept and stamina reached their limits, Kang Woojin would quickly retreat to the void space. Arriving in the endlessly dark void, Woojin would commence his own form of recovery.
“Is it night already? Time seems to be passing so damn slowly, but before I know it, another day is gone. Crazy.”
He clicked his tongue at the fleeting nature of time. Especially since Kang Woojin’s days were unavoidably longer than others’. After all, it included the time in the real world and the time in the void space. Yet, his days flew by like an arrow.
Is this the life of a trending celebrity?
In the midst of his chaotic schedule, Woojin focused on the ‘Male Friend’ shoot and, handled by the capable Choi Sung-gun, he had to proceed with minor tasks in between. Projects to shoot, additional casting calls, commercials, and other miscellaneous schedules.
Even a rough estimate was mind-numbing, but Choi Sung-gun was handling both his role as a CEO and taking perfect care of Woojin as his manager.
Of course, all this was possible because Kang Woojin was holding up well.
In the meantime, Choi Sung-gun didn’t neglect networking, including with director Shin Dong-chun.
“Oh my, Director Shin. I hear rumors that you’ve already signed a contract for your next film? And that it’s with a major film company?”
“Hahaha, as expected of CEO Choi. Your information network is faster than light.”
“If you need any information about that film company, let me know. I’ll tell you what I know.”
As the shooting of ‘Male Friend’ reached its halfway point, Netflix put even more effort into its promotion. They didn’t just circulate articles but also posted promotional interview videos on YouTube.
Naturally, the videos included greetings from Kang Woojin and Hwalin, and the public’s excitement was building.
– They’re shooting ‘Male Friend’ at our school right now ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I saw Kang Woojin and Hwalin!! They both are insanely good-looking in real life ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Gradually, stories and sightings about ‘Male Friend’ began to circulate. Additionally, unlike the beginning, ‘Netflix Japan’ joined in too.
『Kang Woojin, Hwalin’s ‘Male Friend’, Launching Beyond Netflix Korea to Japan!』
The news began to spread that ‘Male Friend’ would be launching on Netflix Japan, going beyond Korea.
Also,
『The momentum is terrifying, ‘Profiler Hanryang’ has been holding the top spot on Netflix Japan for two consecutive weeks/ Photo』
As it entered its second week on Netflix Japan, ‘Profiler Hanryang’ was still solidly holding the top spot in the overall content rankings for two weeks straight. It was a sign of its growing popularity.
Around this time, Kang Woojin met the team who would manage his YouTube channel.
“This is the PD, and PD, you’re familiar with our Kang Woojin, right?”
“Of course. Hahaha, hello.”
“Yes, hello.”
The meeting led by Choi Sung-gun was in progress, with staff like PDs and editors participating. There were about five people in total. There was a profound discussion about starting a new YouTube channel. At this moment, Kang Woojin was just amazed
‘A team is being formed just to start a YouTube channel?’
He was surprised that a team was formed just to start his channel. Then, Woojin glanced at a member of the design department. He was reminded of his past self.
Unaware of this, Choi Sung-gun wrapped up with a smile.
“Now that the team has been formed and we’ve completed renting the studio for shooting, we’re pretty much set.”
What had been mere talk of Kang Woojin’s YouTube channel was now practically all set up.
“Oh, additionally, Woojin. I’ve been told that the arrangement and lyric modifications are almost done. We can go listen to the guide soon.”
He was referring to the recording, editing, and uploading process.
And that night.
“Wow. This is my first car.”
After finishing his late-night schedule, Kang Woojin was admiring his first car. A foreign car from company B, white with brown interiors. With the management team, including Choi Sung-gun, already gone, he was left alone in the underground parking lot, openly expressing his excitement.
“This is insane. Look at this shine, this gloss. Wow-”
Fuck the concept. Woojin rubbed his body against the car, filled with the smell of a new car and plastics. It was a feeling of overwhelming joy.
“I thought I’d spend my whole life without a car.”
Now, he too was what they call a ‘foreign car owner’. He hadn’t even had time to test drive it yet, but what did it matter?
“Should I just sleep here tonight?”
In the midst of this hectic life, such a bit of joy was permissible. Especially since his bank account was also steadily getting fatter by the day.
If things continued like this, owning a house wouldn’t be a dream.
A few days later, in the morning of the 30th, Tokyo.
A man stood out as he exited a high-end hotel lobby. Amidst the Japanese, he exuded a distinct Korean vibe. He wore plain glasses and exhaustion was evident on his face.
It was PD Yoon Byung-seon, a star PD in the variety show industry.
“Let’s see—where should I have breakfast?”
Hungry, PD Yoon Byung-seon headed towards a restaurant. He had been extremely busy recently, not only managing the ‘Sports Day’ channel but also working on a new variety show, leaving him almost no days off.
The reason he was in Japan was also for the new variety show.
After finishing his work in Japan, he had to form a team to leave for Europe next week. The casting of participants was already complete, and he now needed to decide on the best locations to highlight them.
Having had a hearty breakfast, PD Yoon Byung-seon left the restaurant.
-Thump!
He and his writers and staff got into the van waiting outside the hotel. Soon, the van smoothly departed, and while it was driving down the road, PD Yoon Byung-seon, who was looking at his mobile phone, asked the writers.
“Isn’t it time to move?”
“Yes, yes. You said Osaka is not good, right?”
“Yes. It’s too noisy there.”
“Then, we can move to Kyoto tomorrow.”
“What about the food trucks?”
“Team 2 is looking into it.”
PD Yoon Byung-seon, nodded slowly, a serious expression on his face, deep in thought. Then,
-Swish.
Without thinking, he turned his gaze outside the window and saw an . It was a billboard situated on top of a building.
“Oh-”
Seeing the , PD Yoon Byung-seon was quite surprised.
“‘Profiler Hanryang’ is being advertised here?”
Then, the other writers also looked outside. The main writer immediately responded, knowing the situation.
“’Hanryang’ is hot in Japan now, so that kind of is expected.”
“Then Woojin’s and Hye-yeon’s popularity in Japan must have increased, right?”
“Definitely. While Hye-yeon was already a top star, Woojin’s popularity is noticeable. You can see from the increase in Japanese comments on the ‘Sports Day’ videos and Woojin’s SNS.”
It was difficult to grasp every situation in Japan. However, PD Yoon Byung-seon was clearly aware of the trends in Korea, especially the news about the actors who would appear in the new variety show.
Soon, Yoon Byung-seon, who was smiling faintly, said,
“Now, Woojin, Hwalin, and Hye-yeon are the most talked about?”
“Yes, mainly because of ‘Male Friend’ and ‘Island of the Missing’. They’re the hottest topics.”
“Woojin is.”
He took out his phone and opened his calendar, filled with various appointments.
“Let’s start revealing about our project too.”
And then he muttered briefly.
“Everything from the title, the purpose of the project, to the participants.”
Late that night, the same day, at Kang Woojin’s apartment.
After a day full of shooting, Kang Woojin, with a backpack full of scripts and other belongings, got out of the van. His expression was stern, showing no signs of fatigue, but internally, he was screaming.
‘Bed, bed, bed!’
He was longing for the comfort of his soft bed. He then softly said his greetings to the team in the van.
“Good work today.”
It was then that he turned around.
-Thump.
The passenger door opened, and
“Woojin.”
Choi Sung-gun got out. It was unusual. It was rare for him to get out of the car to greet Woojin. What’s more,
“Uh- Su-hwan, Ye-jung, you guys go on ahead.”
“What about you, sir??!”
“I have some things to do around here. I’ll take a taxi.”
“Ah! Understood.”
Choi Sung-gun sent off the van first. In one hand, he held a clear file folder. Kang Woojin was puzzled internally. What’s going on? The atmosphere felt different than usual. Woojin asked Choi Sung-gun as he approached.
“Is there something going on?”
As if nothing was amiss, Choi Sung-gun gave a wry smile.
“Nothing much. More importantly, you got the car, right? Let’s take a look.”
“···This way.”
“Hmm.”
Although it was strange, Woojin led Choi Sung-gun to where his new car was parked, and upon seeing the shiny white foreign car, Choi Sung-gun gave a thumbs up.
“Wow- it’s killer. Have you driven it yet?”
“Not yet. Haven’t had the time to take it out.”
“That’s true. But once you get some break, you should drive the hell out of it. You know, cars perform better in the long run if they’re driven regularly?”
Then, out of the blue, Choi Sung-gun gestured towards the passenger seat.
“Come on, let’s take it for a spin.”
“······”
As Kang Woojin approached the car, the door opened and the rearview mirror automatically adjusted. It seemed that the car keys were in Woojin’s backpack. Soon, Choi Sung-gun got in the passenger seat, and Woojin got into the driver’s seat. Choi Sung-gun started the conversation.
“You haven’t even peeled off the vinyl yet?”
“No need to.”
“That’s true, haha. Nice car! Still, in just one more year, you’ll be able to afford a car several times more expensive than this.”
Choi Sung-gun, who had been fiddling around with various parts of the car, made eye contact with Kang Woojin in the driver’s seat. Woojin’s face was expressionless. Choi Sung-gun took this as a sign to get down to business.
Scratching his head, Choi Sung-gun’s expression became ambiguous.
“Hmm- Woojin, let’s first take a look at these.”
He handed over the clear file he had brought with him. Confused, Woojin calmly began to check the contents. Inside the clear file were printed papers of various comments and posts. As Kang Woojin slowly read through them, he realized what they were.
‘Ah, this.’
These were posts and comments from people he barely remembered from the past. There weren’t just one or two. There were four pages in total, and dozens of them, including comments that Woojin had seen before.
‘…Did they find out?’
The outlines of his carefully maintained concept were beginning to reveal itself, signifying that the time had come.
Of course, Woojin had occasionally seen these kinds of posts himself. He felt slightly nervous at the time but had moved on without much trouble. He had also prepared himself for this. The more famous he became, the more people would surface who knew his ‘real self’.
The real, ordinary person hidden behind his persona.
Certainly, the disparity between Kang Woojin’s real persona and his public image was vast. It was to the extent that his parents wouldn’t recognize him as their son. Hence, these kinds of posts kept surfacing.
He could have simply brushed them off.
He could have feigned ignorance. Being shamelessly thick-skinned was Kang Woojin’s specialty now.
At this point,
“Some of these have already been deleted, and some have not. We’ve just collected them. As you’ll see, they’re from middle and high school days and, there are even community posts from your recent colleagues from the design company you recently worked at.”
“······”
“The posts are quite varied, from a long time ago to recent acquaintances who know you. Hmm— I’m not trying to dig into your past, absolutely not. There aren’t many posts with this nuance, but since they keep coming up, I have to confirm with you, hence I’m bringing it up. The agency needs to be prepared for anything, right?”
Choi Sung-gun continued, a faint smile on his lips.
“Actually, these kinds of cases aren’t frequent, but they do happen from time to time. Your case is a bit unique. Comments about you becoming a different person and such, it’s ridiculous.”
He scoffed with a mix of absurdity.
“Anyway, you know how it is in this industry, right? Making a big deal out of it will definitely lead to trouble. If reporters latch onto this, it could become a bit annoying. They’re experts at making up stories, true or not, that is their basic strategy.”
These tricks of entertainment reporters weren’t new.
“It’s not like it’s going to cause a huge uproar, but given your timing is sensitive right now and if unnecessary fuel is added to the fire, it might create some noise. Depending on how it unfolds, we may have to respond aggressively, ignore it, or find another way. That’s all I have to decide.”
While explaining, he posed a question to Kang Woojin,
“Is there a specific reason these posts are coming up? Do you think they’ll continue? Feel free to talk openly.”
Kang Woojin thought about it. Maybe he could be honest with the CEO? He had been struggling alone all this time, after all. There was more to him than met the eye, hidden under many layers. Right now, Choi Sung-gun was entirely on Woojin’s side.
And his capabilities? They were beyond imagination.
Perhaps it was better to tell him. Being so openly confronted, it was awkward to just brush it off. Of course, there was no need to explain every misunderstanding in detail. That ship had already sailed.
‘I don’t know, geez.’
‘Let’s just tell the truth about the ‘concept act.’ Just how he ended up in this situation.’
Then, Kang Woojin let out a small breath. His heart was faintly racing at the prospect of finally talking about it, but he managed to open his mouth.
“CEO, the truth is, I’ve been acting… no, putting on a persona all this time.”
Upon hearing this, Choi Sung-gun’s eyes widened slightly.
“Wait… You mean you’ve been pretending to be ‘ordinary’ all this time?”
“Yes.”
Wait, what? After responding, Kang Woojin sensed something was off. ‘Pretending to be ordinary’? Then, Choi Sung-gun suddenly covered his face with one hand, lamenting.
“Ha— Damn it, that means you’ve been using your life for acting practice.”
A question mark appeared on Kang Woojin’s indifferent face.
‘Huh?’
His sincere confession had been grossly misinterpreted.