Translator: Dreamscribe
Kang Woojin returned to the character-filled meeting room at ‘A10 Studio’. It was a return from the void space to reality. However, Woojin’s mind was still not quite back to reality.
A dream? Or a delusion?
In this meeting room only a few seconds had passed in real time, but in that brief moment, a new ability was imprinted on Kang Woojin.
It was the piano.
His mindset and senses were distinctly different. Numerous piano melodies from that gray space were still ringing in Woojin’s ears. If he saw a piano, it felt like he could play anything right away. His fingers were flexible. His head was filled with sheet music that hadn’t been there before.
And.
‘…… Is this an emotion?’
No matter what song it was, the sensation spreading throughout his body was vastly different. Some were intense, while others were light-hearted. There were desolate and also magnificent ones. There were even pieces fraught with such overwhelming emotion that they caused restlessness.
Various rhythms and tempos danced in Woojin’s mind.
Soon, like a system, they slowly combined with Kang Woojin’s other ability. It was ‘singing ability’. The emotions similar in texture between Woojin’s vocals and piano were merging, enhancing each other.
‘It’s growing.’
It felt like the volume of emotion was growing in size. That was the feeling. In fact, Kang Woojin’s emotional expression had thickened compared to when he had only his vocals, becoming much more profound. What about the body’s reaction? Like during ‘martial arts’, the tension was high but not rough. It was soft, smooth, and nice.
Though these two were inherently contradictory, it seemed they could be mixed depending on the situation. At least Kang Woojin thought so.
‘Something- that seems to be able to be attached and detached depending on the situation.’
The imprinted abilities would shine even alone, but when matched with the situation, they would create synergy. By now, the employees at A10 Studio were saying something, but Woojin’s slightly dazed eyes just moved his fingers.
In his hand was the script for episode 1 of the ‘Male Friend Remake’.
“······”
Why wasn’t there a ‘piano’ last time, but there is this time? It couldn’t be the whim of the void space. Then, there was only one answer. Changes in the script. That female executive at A10 Studio had mentioned it. Several settings had been removed or added.
Soon, Kang Woojin slowly unfolded the first page of the script.
He understood immediately.
‘Ah- that’s why.’
The first scene of the ‘Male Friend Remake’ had changed. It now showed the male lead’s childhood. A large hall, hundreds of audience members, a piano on stage, and the young male lead sitting in front of it. The term ‘musical genius’ was also attached to the young male lead. The young male lead performed an impressive piano recital in front of hundreds and received tremendous applause.
After such a past scene, the present is shown.
Having checked the script, Woojin raised his expressionless face and asked the A10 Studio executives across from him. Naturally, it was in Japanese.
“There is indeed a difference from the initial draft script I received, starting from the first scene? Was the piano setting added?”
The response came quickly from the female executive introduced as the planning team leader.
“Yes, that’s correct. Of course, it was done in communication with the original writer. While ‘Male Friend’s original ‘Han In-ho’ has hidden vocal abilities, if translated into animation, there’s a slight feeling of insufficiency. As you know, animation differs from drama in direction, so the inserted conflicts need to be more highlighted.”
“So you mean the deprivation of the male protagonist, who is a musical genius, has been added?”
“That’s right. Deprivation and scars. But it’s not apparent on the surface. Although he gradually heals as the episodes progress, the male protagonist avoids conflicts with characters and with himself. That was the setting decided for the beginning.”
I see. So, he heals through the female lead and those around him and spreads his wings again, or something like that? Certainly, the basic framework of the original ‘Male Friend’ is maintained, but the settings have been further expanded. They’ve ensured the unique fun of the animation.
However, it wasn’t just the settings that were added.
According to the female executive’s words, the overall script story was also under rework. Well, that was to be expected. If the initial setup changed, the latter parts would have to be completely overhauled as well.
Then, with a poker face, Woojin slowly nodded his head.
And he thought.
‘Huge win.’
It was sweet. This piano ability was totally unexpected, considering Kang Woojin could only whistle using his lips as his only instrument-handling skill. And now, suddenly, he could play the piano.
Once again, he praised.
The void space is the best.
On the other hand, the executives at A10 Studio exchanged glances after seeing Kang Woojin’s composed expression. They wondered if this Korean actor was feeling pressured. Soon, the female team leader, exchanging looks with others, opened her mouth with a business smile.
“Woojin-ssi, just to mention, you don’t need to worry about the piano part at all. Apart from taking on the role of the male lead’s voice actor, the piano will be recorded separately. You don’t have to learn to play the piano directly like in movies or dramas.”
What, I wouldn’t mind doing it? However, since Kang Woojin hadn’t confirmed his role as the voice actor yet, he responded lowly.
“I am aware, but in cases like vocals, doesn’t the male lead’s voice actor need to handle them?”
“That’s right. Honestly, Woojin-ssi’s fantastic vocal ability is also a huge merit for us. Ah! I really enjoy the cover songs you upload on Youtube.”
The female team leader sincerely recited the planned items.
“If you take on the role of the voice actor for ‘Male Friend Remake’, we would like you to cover a few songs from the OP or EP among the OST.” (TL: OP = Opening Part and EP = Ending Part)
For reference, animation OST sales occupy a significant portion in Japan. So much so that over 30% of the Oricon charts are dominated by anime OSTs. (TL: If you forgot Oricon Chart is like Billboard Chart but for Japan)
“Surely, many people who watch ‘Male Friend Remake’ will love your vocals.”
About an hour later, inside Kang Woojin’s van.
Having finished the meeting with ‘A10 Studio’, Kang Woojin was on the move for his next schedule. Beside him in the passenger seat, where the script for episode 1 of ‘Male Friend Remake’. At this point, Choi Sung-gun glanced at the rearview mirror before speaking to Woojin.
“What do you think? I think it’s not bad.”
Han Ye-jung and Woojin’s team also nodded their heads. Looking out the window, Woojin initially remained silent.
“······”
It wasn’t because he was pondering. He was just producing an air of solemnity. After about 10 seconds, Woojin aligned his gaze with Choi Sung-gun and spoke in a low voice.
“If the schedule allows, I think it’s okay.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes.”
The reason he chose to do it? Simple. Not only was the S-grade rating undeniable, but the genre of animation itself was novel. The more experiences, the better, right? Such opportunities were not abundant.
Woojin was also curious about how it would proceed and about voice acting.
Soon, Choi Sung-gun grinned and gave a thumbs up.
“Okay. I’ll start discussions with ‘A10 Studio’, so don’t worry about it.”
Negotiations. He must be talking about fees or schedules. Things like contracts could just be tossed to the CEO. Now Woojin could think about something else.
Like the next meeting for the ‘Kashiwa Group’ advertising model.
At that moment, Han Ye-jung said in a chilly tone.
“Oppa, the Miley Cara video has gone super viral.”
She pushed her phone towards Woojin. On the screen was a video from the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel.
-【Duet + What do you want to eat? + Cooking Avatar (ep1)】 guest/ Miley Cara｜Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego
-Views: 9.67 million
The video featuring Miley Cara, uploaded just yesterday afternoon, had nearly reached 10 million views in less than 24 hours. Kang Woojin opened his mouth wide in pure astonishment, though only internally.
‘Views have exploded, this is working???’
It seemed quite possible to not only reach 10 million but even 15 million views. It had truly gone viral.
‘Cara is really amazing.’
The power behind this surge could be attributed to Woojin’s issues, the firepower of ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’, promotions, and so forth, but the biggest reason was, quite literally, the Miley Cara effect. She had millions of subscribers on her channel, which had posted a similar video around yesterday.
However, on her side, only the duet part with Kang Woojin was uploaded.
But the ripple effect was tremendous. Although comments in Korean and Japanese were seen on the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ video, the majority were in English. It was clear that more than 30% of the 10 million views were due to Cara’s influence.
Then Kang Woojin.
– Swish.
He casually checked some of the thousands of English comments piled up. There was a lot of praise. The duet with Cara was fantastic, love it, subscribed out of curiosity, do another duet, curious about you, and so on.
All the international comments were curious about Kang Woojin.
Who wouldn’t feel thrilled at this sight?
While somewhat bewildered, Woojin secretly enjoyed the pouring attention. For a moment, he felt like he had become a global star.
‘Hehe, well, most of it is Cara’s buff though.’
Woojin, with a satisfied smile inside, moved his thumb. Soon, his phone displayed the information for ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’.
[Channel Name: Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego]
[Subscribers: 10.8 million]
[Videos: 39]
He had surpassed 10 million subscribers. They were still increasing crazily.
That’s when it happened.
– Buzz.
– Buzz.
Kang Woojin’s phone vibrated briefly. Simultaneously. The incoming messages were chats. Woojin slightly tilted his head slightly as he checked the senders.
‘Huh? What’s this?’
Personal messages from Hwalin, Hong Hye-yeon. And the group chat for ‘Our Dining Table’ was buzzing. Woojin intuitively knew. It was because of the premiere of ‘Our Dining Table’ that was uploaded yesterday. Unfortunately, Woojin was in Japan and busy with his schedule, so he hadn’t watched it.
Just then, as Kang Woojin was about to tap the group chat.
– Buzz, buzz.
This time, a longer vibration stopped his movement. It was a call, and the caller ID showed it was PD Yoon Byung-seon. Woojin cleared his throat slightly and placed the phone to his ear.
“Yes. Hello, PD-nim.”
At the same time, Choi Sung-gun and Han Ye-jung, along with the whole team, focused their attention on Woojin. Regardless, PD Yoon Byung-seon on the other end of the phone cheerfully exclaimed.
“Woojin-ssi! The overall viewership ratings for the first broadcast of ‘Our Dining Table’ is out! It hit 15.6%!”
The momentum was exceptional.
Afterwards, having arrived at the headquarters of the ‘Kashiwa Group’, Kang Woojin continued his meeting about the advertising model deal. He didn’t meet Chairman Hideki this time, but Lili, the secretary-general, took care of the guiding. Since negotiations had been ongoing since he was in Korea, the contract process was swift. Eventually, he secured a two-year contract for advertisements with three subsidiaries.
Naturally, his fee was substantial as well.
The shooting itself was scheduled to take place in Japan during Woojin’s stay for the filming of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. Now, the marketing teams of each subsidiary would be busy. Well, Kang Woojin’s schedule was becoming even tighter. While not quite as hectic as in Korea, Woojin sensed that life in Japan would not be smooth.
‘I guess I have to give up on sightseeing, hmm- doesn’t matter. Being busy is better than idling.’
Having finished a major part of today’s schedule, Team Kang Woojin moved to have dinner. The menu was a famous fried food restaurant searched by the stylist team.
However, Kang Woojin chose the void space over the anticipated gourmet spot.
-Thud!
Although rehearsals start tomorrow and filming for ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ is to begin, he had to perform in front of many unfamiliar Japanese actors and staff.
It wasn’t a burden.
Still.
“Something- I have to crush it as I’m the only one from Korea.”
If possible, it’s better to be the best than to be just adequate. He didn’t have any bad feelings towards them. However, whether it was a misconception or whatever, the declaration of war he spat out had to be followed through by Kang Woojin himself.
Therefore.
– Swish.
[“‘A: Iyota Kiyoshi’ reading preparation in progress······”]
Kang Woojin had entered the world of ‘Iyota Kiyoshi’ in ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. Already, he had extensively read (experienced) about the bullying and the death of ‘Misaki Toka’.
And his resolution.
Before he knew it, Kang Woojin’s view was that of ‘Iyota Kiyoshi’, the ‘stranger’, standing in front of Tokyo Station.
“······”
It was serene. His mental state and attitude were calm, without fluctuations. Countless people passed by, but Woojin, with an expressionless face, was watching just one person across the street.
“Konakayama Ginzo.”
‘The restart of a disaster without warning’. He was the eerie sacrifice.
“You are the second.”
It was the beginning of a sacrifice without murderous intent.
Gray. That was the color of the quiet ‘Iyota Kiyoshi’s heart. It wasn’t white, but it wasn’t dark either. It might seem okay to call it gray, but in truth, it was not easy to gauge its color.
What about his thoughts?
Though a firm conclusion hadn’t been set, the judgments he made moment by moment were definitive. They seemed infinite yet were finite. However, his emotions were endlessly light. Like air, they existed but were invisible.
Kiyoshi was following ‘Konakayama Ginzo’.
His steps were neither urgent nor tense. They were indifferent. Yet, his blurry eyes did not lose sight of ‘Konakayama Ginzo’.
– Thud, thud.
Kiyoshi. Or rather, the current appearance of Kang Woojin, was such that it had nothing that stood out. He looked 100% like anyone else in the Japanese subway. His unkempt hair seemed uncared for, his expressionless face tired from fatigue, his ordinary suit like everyone else’s, a bag slung to the side. It was like a copied and pasted appearance.
At a glance, he was unmemorable to the extreme.
It was natural. As the ‘Stranger’, Kang Woojin had to blend into the ordinary. He never crossed that basic line.
‘But it shouldn’t be too low either.’
He embodied a clear middle ground. Expression, actions, breathing, thoughts, even down to the gaze. He emphasized a lack of distinct features and uniqueness throughout his body and expressed this externally. Thus, no one paid any attention to Woojin walking behind ‘Konakayama Ginzo’.
There was no reason to take notice.
Meanwhile, Ginzo, walking about five steps ahead, was elegant. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say flamboyant. He was a good-looking person. People turned around to look at him as he passed by. And he knew well that his appearance was his strength.
‘He improves because he is aware.’
The silent Kang Woojin. Or, Kiyoshi knew it well. Humans, when they recognize their strengths, want to maximize them. They polish them even more to stand out to others.
In the case of ‘Konakayama Ginzo’, it was about ‘maintenance’.
Thanks to this, he had good skin and looked younger than his age. He paid attention to his hair and was sensitive about odors. Appearance for him was like a weapon in battle.
Look now.
‘He’s skilled at making moves.’
He easily struck up a conversation and exchanged contact information with a woman he made eye contact with on the street. Kang Woojin, pretending to look at his phone, observed him. Ginzo was also wearing a suit like Woojin, but the fit, fabric, or perhaps the price was different.
That subtle difference created a disparity.
At that moment, Ginzo laughed heartily while talking to the woman.
Is he having fun?
Indeed, he might be. He approached the woman because he liked her, and she seemed to quite like Ginzo as well. It was not easy for people to connect with each other. It was a moment worth its value.
But Ginzo, you shouldn’t be laughing, right?
*****
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