Translator: Dreamscribe
It was an emergency. The first thought that came to Kang Woojin’s mind was the unusual situation around the food truck.
‘What’s happening? Is something going on around here?’
No, that seemed a bit of a stretch. After all, Americans were all lined up in front of the ‘Our Dining Table’ food truck. It’s strange. Clearly, there was something wrong with this picture. Woojin was obviously flustered, but he forced himself to maintain a poker face.
However, everyone in the ‘Our Dining Table’ cast, except for Woojin, visibly expressed their shock and confusion.
“Why is the line so long?!”
“Did the line from another food truck spill over to ours?!”
“No! The other places haven’t even opened yet!!!”
“Just by looking, it seems like there are more than 30 people!!!”
Everyone except Kang Woojin was panicking. Of course, this scene was vividly captured by the mini-cam installed inside the car, and also filmed by two VJs holding cameras. Amidst this, An Jong-hak, who had neatly combed his hair as usual, shouted to Ha Gang-su, who was driving.
“Gang-su! For now, just pass by!”
“Should I just go past?”
“Yeah, yeah, just drive past! What if we stop there and people swarm us?”
“Ah! Understood!”
The driver, Ha Gang-su, drove past the food truck and stopped the van a few hundred meters away on the shoulder of the road. Simultaneously, everyone turned their bodies towards the van’s rear window. The long line was still visible. Fortunately, the Americans in line didn’t pay any attention to the van.
They were just waiting for the food truck to open.
At this point, both Kang Woojin and everyone else were certain. Those people were waiting for ‘Our Dining Table’ food truck, and something had changed. Otherwise, the situation made no sense. After all, when they opened yesterday, they only attracted flies. Of course, they did have some customers during the business, but there were a lot more people just passing by.
Soon, An Jong-hak, who was trying to calm down by running his hands through his hair, picked up his phone.
“Are the staff around? Has PD Yoon seen this?”
Amid the emergency, An Jong-hak quickly tried to call PD Yoon Byung-seon. But there was no need for that.
-Slide!
Suddenly, the van door opened, and PD Yoon Byung-seon, wearing glasses, appeared. A mischievous smile spread across his lips as he stood in front of the car door.
“Hey, with all these customers gathered, what are you doing not opening up?”
Hwalin and Yeon Baek-kwang asked almost simultaneously with surprised voices.
“Do we just open now??”
Following them, An Jong-hak, the figurehead boss, joined in.
“How can we open in this situation? And who are all these people? PD Yoon, do you know something?”
“Hyung, it’s obvious they’re customers.”
“But, that’s what I’m saying. Why are there customers here from the morning? They’re even lined up.”
“Well?”
“······You know something. Spit it out.”
Soon, PD Yoon Byung-seon, who had been smirking, showed everyone something he had been hiding behind his back.
“Look at this.”
What he brought into the van was a newspaper filled with English text. The peculiar thing was.
“Here, here. Do you see our truck featured on the front page?”
A very familiar photo was printed on the first page of the newspaper. It was the ‘Our Dining Table’ food truck. PD Yoon Byung-seon, pointing to that part with his index finger, began to explain.
“This newspaper is a local one, and our truck was featured in an article. We were surprised because people gathered here since the morning. So, we asked around, and this happened.”
“······So, we were featured on the front page of a local newspaper.”
“That’s right. But the more interesting part is.”
PD Yoon Byung-seon, maintaining his smile, called out to Kang Woojin, who was looking down at the newspaper indifferently.
“Woojin, do you remember the elderly couple from yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Well, of course. They were our first customers. Anyway, it turns out the grandfather is quite famous around here.”
Hong Hye-yeon, with her long hair tied up, joined in.
“Ah, I heard. He’s a chef who runs a restaurant. I was surprised to hear that.”
As if that wasn’t the end of it, PD Yoon Byung-seon took over the conversation.
“When I looked into that restaurant, it turns out it received one Michelin star. It’s a very famous and well-known restaurant among the locals here.”
“Michelin!”
“Wow- awesome. So, does that mean Woojin hyung received high praise from that chef?!”
By the time Yeon Baek-kwang was getting excited, Kang Woojin almost ended up joining in the shoulder dance. Woojin barely managed to suppress that urge and lowered his voice as much as possible.
“Did that person spread some rumors? Is that why there was an article?”
“Something like that. The chef gave his contact information, asking to be notified when the store opens? After talking to him, it seems he recommended our food truck to his acquaintances on his way home yesterday. Among them was a journalist for a local newspaper.”
“Did that journalist come to our truck yesterday?”
“Exactly! But it’s not just the newspaper; the article was also published online. It even appeared on the local newspaper’s SNS.”
“······”
Woojin closed his mouth after grasping the situation, while PD Yoon Byung-seon was thrilled.
“With that kind of attention, it’s only natural for people to flock here!”
PD Yoon Byung-seon tapped the newspaper title with his index finger and showed a deep smile to Woojin.
“Woojin, you don’t have to translate everything. Just this title here.”
“···’Korean food that even a Michelin 1-star chef fell in love with, the taste of the food truck from Korea was fantastic.’”
“Do you see the very end of the article? There’s an interview with that grandfather chef from yesterday.”
Then, PD Yoon Byung-seon, who folded the newspaper, irritatingly asked all the ‘Our Dining Table’ cast members who were still stunned.
“Eh? What are all of you doing here? We need to open. Are we going to keep the customers waiting? They’ve been taking pictures of the closed food truck since a while ago. Now that we’ve grasped the situation, let’s quickly go and guide the customers?”
“······”
“Those customers are just the beginning. It’s before opening, so that’s the crowd, but more may flock in after we open! Come on! Move move!”
In that moment, Kang Woojin remembered the white-haired American grandfather who had smiled kindly yesterday. His smiling face somehow overlapped with Director Ahn Ga-bok’s face in Woojin’s mind.
‘······Why do all the grandpas around me, both in Korea and America, love to stir up trouble? Why, exactly??!’
And then he had a feeling. Today, that food truck would become
‘Ah- I’m screwed.’
A train bound for hell.
Several hours later, in Korea.
It was early morning on the 10th. The location was a huge house in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. At a glance, it seemed like a place where a chaebol might live, but currently, the house was bustling with foreigners instead of a chaebol. They were the team of the world-renowned star ‘Miley Cara’ who had recently come to Korea.
Her team had rented this house.
Although hotels are the norm, Miley Cara’s accommodation was changed for her safety. Regardless, Miley Cara, who had been in Korea for three days, was currently engulfed in sleep. Meanwhile, the rest of her foreign staff were busy preparing for today’s schedule.
As a result, the first floor’s living room was bustling.
Among them, a foreign man with a huge physique and a buzz cut, sitting on the living room sofa, was noticeable. He was Cara’s main manager, and foreigners of various sizes around him were busy reporting something to the buzz-cut manager. Then, a slim foreign man posed a question.
“Jonathan, but why is Cara only interested in ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ among many Korean Youtube channels?”
The buzz-cut manager crossed his arms, highlighting his muscles.
“Who can know what’s inside Cara’s mind?”
He briefly answered and momentarily reminisced about a few days ago.
Before arriving in Korea, it was a conversation that Miley Cara had on the plane. It began after Cara declared she would only appear on the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel, and the buzz-cut manager was checking the channel’s information.
[Channel Name: Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego]
[Subscribers: 7.88 million]
[Videos: 31]
The main description of the channel was in Korean, but below that, English and Japanese were also kindly listed. It was a considerable channel size, and it naturally had a lot of international fans. Anyway, the buzz-cut manager, who was looking at the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel, lifted his head and met Cara’s blue eyes, who was seated.
“Cara, this channel was also in our schedule.”
To which Cara coldly replied.
“But why was it left out? It wasn’t on the list you showed me.”
The buzz-cut manager’s explanation followed immediately.
“It was definitely there when we first researched. The subscriber count is impressive, and the views per video are remarkable.”
“But?”
“There’s a problem with appearing for promotional reasons. The channel’s main content is song covers, of course, occasionally there are videos where the channel owner communicates with subscribers. However.”
“More than 90% of the videos are covers?”
“Right. What we want is a proper mix of talk, movie promotion, and showcasing your charm, Cara. It was decided that it makes sense to contact channels that have such a character.”
It wasn’t wrong. No matter how many subscribers there were, if the channel’s concept was solid, promotion would lose its effect.
“For your information, there are quite a few channels of that size in Korea. Not many, but they exist. What we, or the film company, want is a channel that is openly promotional.”
“Then find a way.”
“······Sigh-”
As if accustomed, the buzz-cut manager scratched his head and continued.
“Alright, I’ll first try contacting this channel. I’ll ask if they can create content specifically for us. If the channel is not interested in anything beyond song covers, then have other channels in mind. Of course, because it’s you, Cara, the channel owner might go out of their way to create a segment, but if we find it lacking, it’s out.”
“Hmm-”
“This isn’t something that can be fixed just because you’re stubborn. There’s your image and the film company’s position to consider.”
“Of course. But do you know the owner of that channel is a Korean actor?”
“Of course, I’ve done my research, and that’s a bit of a concern too. It feels like a channel opened as a hobby that luckily grew big.”
“A hobby? That vocal talent isn’t just a hobby. And Kang Woojin? He might not be a professional singer, but I like him because he’s similar to me. He covered my song beautifully too. Watching his videos, it seems he’s somewhat capable in English.”
Miley Cara laid out her explanation coldly. Watching her, the manager chuckled.
“You’ve been watching that channel often.”
“Occasionally. This actor, Kang Woojin, has a nice voice. I even want to see his main job, acting.”
“······I see.”
The buzz-cut manager, sensing something, sighed again.
“You want me to find works of that Korean actor? Of course, the ones with English subtitles.”
“Right, to watch during my schedule in Korea. And also about this actor, Kang Woojin.”
“Okay, if it works out that you appear on that channel.”
Blonde Cara smiled faintly.
“Thanks in advance, Jonathan.”
That was it. Recalling Cara’s smile, the buzz-cut manager returned to reality, to the sofa in the living room of the house.
Then he asked the foreign staff seated next to him.
“How much have we researched about this Korean actor, Kang Woojin, and ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel?”
The quick reply came from a freckled woman.
“It was rushed, so I can’t be sure, but it should be enough for Cara to see.”
She passed the tablet to the buzz-cut manager.
Then.
“But there’s something strange about this Korean actor, Kang Woojin.”
“Hm? Why. Did he commit a crime in the past or something?”
“Hardly. It’s not that, but the more you know, the more absurd his filmography seems. Take a look at the material, Jonathan.”
The buzz-cut manager looked at the tablet for a while, then lowered his gaze to the screen. It displayed a brief research chart about Kang Woojin. However, the content was not simple. Even considering the difference between Korea and Hollywood, Kang Woojin’s complete filmography was comparable to that of a seasoned Hollywood actor.
Soon, the buzz-cut manager, stroking his chin in admiration.
“Wow- he’s an actor with a more solid filmography than I thought. I’ve heard of Director Kwon Ki-taek. And Director Kyotaro Tanoguchi too. Did he expand to Japan as well? That’s impressive. He’s worked with Korean masters.”
“All the Korean works he’s been in have been home runs.”
“Having such a large YouTube channel on top of that. Is he a top-tier?”
The freckled woman changed the atmosphere in an instant.
“All of that was achieved within just 1 year of his debut.”
Interest was etched on the buzz-cut manager’s face, and it quickly turned to shock.
“What, what did you say?”
Meanwhile, in the largest room on the second floor of the house.
Even at a glance, the opulent room lacked nothing. Bed, TV, refrigerator, dining table and table, sofa, bathroom, etc. It was more than enough for one person to live in.
A woman with long blonde hair was lying on the bed in that room, sprawled on the sofa.
It was Miley Cara. However, she wasn’t immersed in sleep but was lying, watching TV. Specifically, the Korean drama ‘Profiler Hanryang’. Apparently, it was connected to Netflix. Of course, it included English subtitles, and the current scene displayed an interrogation of ‘Park Dae-ri’.
Cara, with a somewhat cold expression, couldn’t take her eyes off ‘Park Dae-ri’ on the TV.
Why?
Because the acting skills of Kang Woojin, the Korean actor with the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’, were beyond imagination.
‘······Is that really him? It feels completely different from the cover videos.’
At that moment.
-Knock knock knock.
A knocking sound echoed in the room. As a result, Cara, who had paused Hanryang, tidied her long blonde hair and got up to open the door. Standing there was the burly buzz-cut manager.
“Yes, Jonathan.”
The buzz-cut manager handed Cara a tablet and spoke in a seriously toned English.
“Cara, take a look at this.”
“What is it?”
“About Kang Woojin.”
“Already?”
“Kang Woojin, this Korean actor, has many interesting points. Before I explain, watch this video first.”
Cara narrowed her eyebrows and lowered her gaze to the tablet screen. The video displayed was, of course, about Kang Woojin. As Cara watched the video for a while, her usually composed face became puzzled. She asked the manager, keeping her gaze on the video.
“What’s this? Is this an action movie scene?”
The buzz-cut manager shook his head.
“No, it’s real. And it happened just a few days ago.”
A few days later, on the 13th, in Hollywood, LA.
Late morning. The location was Hollywood, known as the heart of the movie industry. The Beverly Hotel, a 5-star hotel located at the center of Hollywood, truly lived up to its 5-star luxury status, with impressive figures filling the lobby from the entrance, and the atmosphere changed dramatically behind the hotel.
Decorated like a beach, the outdoor garden overflowed with leisure. Many foreigners were seen enjoying swimming in the pool or sunbathing.
Among the numerous beach benches in the middle.
“······”
A pot-bellied man wearing sunglasses stood out. It was because he reminded us of Santa Claus. His hair color was somewhere between yellow and white. The man appeared to be lounging on the bench, enjoying the sunbathing.
That’s when it happened.
“Director.”
A woman’s voice reached the man resembling Santa. Soon, the man, who had only turned his head, saw a foreign woman with short brown hair dressed in a suit. As soon as he saw her, the Santa-like man resumed his sunbathing.
“You woke up early.”
“Did you throw your phone into the pool?”
“Of course not. It must be in the locker.”
“Why not stay where you can be seen at least?”
“If the casting directors spot me, it only increases my workload.”
The woman sighed and shook her head but changed the subject.
“As you said, director, we’ve been continuously monitoring actors from Asia.”
“See, this is exactly why my workload increases.”
“······As expected, there are many martial artists from China.”
“That makes sense.”
“But do you remember the Korean actor you mentioned before?”
“Hm? Who was that?”
“The one who stood out at the ‘Mise-en-scène International Film Festival’ in Korea. The actor Kang Woojin.”
“Ah- yes, I remember.”
“Recently, regarding that actor-”
The short-haired woman took a step closer to the lounging Santa and said,
“There’s an interesting video circulating on YouTube, him subduing a thug.”
*****
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