Translator: Dreamscribe
As soon as Kang Woojin saw the photo of the mansion with a swimming pool on the tablet held by Choi Sung-gun, sent by Miley Cara, he almost let out a gasp. It was so shocking that he barely managed to stop his reaction from breaking through his usual stoic facade. If he hadn’t been practicing his concept all this time, he would have surely burst out already.
‘Wo- damn, seriously. That really surprised me.’
In truth, the house displayed on the tablet from LA was closer to being a regular house, but for Kang Woojin, who had never seen such a large house before, it looked like a mansion. I mean, there’s a swimming pool attached to the house? That’s not something you see often in Korea.
Even more so.
‘The house itself is freaking huge.’
The house behind the swimming pool was two stories tall and massive. It was a home that deserved the word ‘grand’. Isn’t this the kind of house you only see in movies? Woojin, while calming his startled heart, continued to gaze at the house on the tablet.
“……”
Kang Woojin stared at the house for a while. Watching him, the ponytailed Choi Sung-gun next to him spoke up.
“You done looking? Should I move to the next one?”
Move on? Move on to what? Ah- right. Only then did Woojin remember that it wasn’t just one house Choi Sung-gun was going to show him.
‘The list. Right, he said it was a list of houses in LA.’
Woojin, trying hard to remain calm, lowered his voice.
“Yes, CEO~nim. I’ve seen it.”
The moment he answered, Choi Sung-gun moved his fingers. The house photo on the tablet changed. Soon, a new photo appeared. This house also had a swimming pool, but it wasn’t two stories tall. However, it felt just as wide as the two-story one.
One thing was for sure.
‘Damn, this one’s crazy too.’
This house was just as incredible. Then, Choi Sung-gun moved his fingers again. Once, twice, three times. In total, he showed five houses. Of course, all of them were the kind you’d expect to see only in movies. Each time Woojin saw a new house, he internally gasped in awe, but outwardly he did his best to maintain a cynical demeanor.
Still, he was shocked.
‘What? She is really giving me a house like this? Have she gone crazy?’
Sure, Kang Woojin had saved Miley Cara’s life, but still, was this really appropriate? Honestly, who else could ever experience something like this? The officetel near Samsung Station that he had received from Choi Sung-gun in the past had felt like something he earned through his work.
But this time, it was different.
“…CEO~nim.”
Woojin forced himself to speak in a voice that buried his excitement.
“You’re saying she want to give one of these houses as a gift. Is that what you heard?”
Lowering the tablet for a moment, Choi Sung-gun let out a small chuckle, as if he found it a bit ridiculous himself.
“Yeah, that’s what they said. The email that came to the company clearly said that. Even I was a bit taken aback.”
“Is that so?”
Choi Sung-gun lifted the tablet again.
“Look at the size of these houses. Sure, there are plenty of big houses like this in LA, but each of these would cost at least 1 billion won, right? Of course, there are plenty that cost even more.”
“……”
How much? 1 billion? Even a few hundred million won is a lot, but 1 billion? Woojin was momentarily at a loss for words. Is this what being a global superstar is like? Their scale is mind-blowing. At this point, Woojin and Choi Sung-gun, who had boarded the hotel elevator, fell silent for a moment. There were quite a few other passengers in the elevator.
A few minutes later.
After entering Kang Woojin’s suite room, Choi Sung-gun spoke again.
“Well, considering the amount of money Miley Cara saved by you rescuing her, 1 billion is pocket change. If she had been seriously injured, it would have cost many times that. But still, Cara’s quite straightforward.”
To Woojin, who was fiercely agreeing in his mind, Choi Sung-gun waved the tablet in his hand.
“You hadn’t heard anything about this?”
At that moment, some of the things Miley Cara had said flashed through Woojin’s mind.
‘I owe you a debt, and quite a large one at that.’
And another.
‘I’m going to repay you in some form, but that’s separate. Is there anything you want right now, Woojin?’
What Woojin wanted had already been settled with her appearance in Beneficial Evil. So, was this separate reward supposed to be a house? And not just any house, but a huge mansion in LA? Kang Woojin, who had been silent, locked eyes with Choi Sung-gun and murmured in a low voice.
“Miley Cara did mention a reward when I was in LA.”
“Besides appearing in Beneficial Evil?”
For reference, Choi Sung-gun was also aware of Cara’s appearance in Beneficial Evil.
“Is this that additional reward?”
“It seems so.”
“Huh- From what I can tell, it looks like she wants to give you a house to stay in when you make your Hollywood debut… No wonder she was asking all sorts of questions during the afterparty at her place.”
“What did she ask?”
“Well. She asked where our overseas branches are and when you’d be starting your Hollywood activities, among other things. I gave her rough answers, but then this came through.”
In other words, there had been some build-up to this. Anyway, Kang Woojin had calmed down somewhat, and as he handed the tablet back to Woojin, Choi Sung-gun casually asked.
“Of course, I’ve been preparing for your overseas debut in various ways- but what do you want to do? If Miley Cara offers you a house, will you accept it?”
Why would he refuse it? Sure, the size was unexpected, but there was no reason to decline. While Kang Woojin hadn’t gone to extreme lengths to save Cara, it was still a big debt to her.
‘It’s definitely better to take it. It’ll make things easier if we see each other later, too.’
The more Woojin thought about it, the more he realized there was no reason to refuse. So-
Swoosh.
He pointed his index finger at the two-story house with the largest swimming pool among the five houses in the tablet and muttered.
“I’ll take this one.”
A wide grin spread across Choi Sung-gun’s face as he nodded.
“Hehe, okay. I’ll let Miley Cara’s side know.”
At that moment, Kang Woojin had acquired a house- no, a mansion in LA.
The next day, the 21st.
From the morning, the Japanese entertainment industry was in quite a stir. Many reporters from various media outlets were on the move.
“Did you pack everything?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s head out right away!”
“Ah-but we weren’t even invited. Are we sure we should go?”
“It’s a shame we weren’t invited, but we can at least try to get some B-roll photos around the hotel. There are going to be plenty of big shots, right?”
“That’s true.”
“We might even get to see Director Kyotaro Tanoguchi, Writer Akari Takikawa, or if we’re lucky, Chairman Hideki Yoshimura. And as for actors-other top stars aside, Kang Woojin! Make sure to get a shot of him, even if it’s just his back. Those photos will sell.”
Various agencies and broadcasters were all in a similar frenzy.
“It’s chaos, absolute chaos. Articles are already flooding in.”
“About Eerie Sacrifice press conference?”
“Yeah, just look at this. Most of the entertainment news is about The Eerie Sacrifice.”
“Hmm- it’s understandable. Isn’t it the live-action adaptation of Akari’s original work? The moment Kang Woojin got involved in The Eerie Sacrifice, things got noisy. And with the Kashiwa Group getting involved, it’s blown up even more.”
“…A Korean actor playing the male lead in Akari’s most iconic work, no wonder there’s been so much controversy and buzz.”
“With all the uproar and debates, it’s no surprise things are getting so wild. I heard there are close to 200 reporters gathering for today’s press conference?”
“I also heard they’re also doing a live stream.”
“Why are they going so big with this? Even if they kept it low-key, the backlash would not have been this intense.”
Of course, the topic of the day was the Eerie Sacrifice press conference, set to take place at noon. Since its early production announcements, The Eerie Sacrifice had sparked numerous controversies and issues, so it wasn’t strange that the press conference introducing the movie before its release was a hot topic.
The news was already spreading like wildfire.
『Kang Woojin finally stands before the public. The large-scale press conference for 「The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger」 is about to start!』
『Netizens are flocking! With live streaming included, interest in 「The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger」 press conference is exploding on SNS and online communities.』
Many people in the Japanese entertainment industry, and regular citizens alike, couldn’t stop talking about The Eerie Sacrifice. Naturally, the online world was no different. Communities and social media were buzzing about the upcoming press conference, fueled further by the excitement of a live stream.
And so, about two hours passed.
About 30 minutes before noon, the ‘Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel’ in Tokyo was packed with people. It was already a busy hotel with plenty of guests, but today, the crowd included over a hundred people who had come for reasons other than just being guests. The hotel’s surroundings and lobby were packed with people holding cameras.
They were the reporters invited to the press conference.
“Are those guys outside the ones who didn’t get an invitation?”
“Yeah, they’re desperately trying to get shots.”
“Haha, we’re lucky then, aren’t we?”
Including the reporters gathered outside the hotel, the number easily exceeded several hundred. These reporters began to gather in the largest hall of the Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel. The expansive hall had an interior with plenty of wood accents, and the ceiling was remarkably high. The space was filled with desks for the reporters to sit at.
From the entrance of the hall all the way to the front stage, it was packed.
More than 80 reporters began to take their seats at the desks provided. They were setting up their laptops and cameras, preparing for the start of the press conference. Once the event began, the remaining reporters outside would also flood in. At that point, the number would reach close to 200.
“There are more cameras here than at a typical press conference.”
“They’re doing a live stream, and the Eerie Sacrifice team probably has to film for their YouTube channel too.”
There were over 10 cameras set up throughout the hall. At the very back of the hall, the team responsible for the live streaming was hurrying to finish their preparations.
About 20 minutes later.
“We’re going live!”
With 10 minutes left before the press conference, the live streaming team opened the broadcast. Soon, as if they had been waiting, Japanese netizens started flooding in. And within just a minute:
– [The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger Press Conference Live Streaming!]
– [Live Broadcast]
-[3854 people watching]
Nearly 4,000 netizens joined. The chat window was more than just lively-it was buzzing.
– Wowwwwww there are so many reporters!!
– Eerie Sacrifice is gonna flop!!
– I’m here to see Kang Woojin!
– Get a grip, people!! Ugh! Too many people!
– If it’s this crazy now, it’s going to explode when the press conference beginswwww
– I came here to rant
·
·
·
There were all sorts of reactions-excitement, hate, anticipation, nonsense. The chat was moving so fast it was hard to keep up with each message. Regardless, the number of netizens connecting to the live stream was increasing rapidly with each passing second, and as the press conference drew near, Japanese reporters began to completely fill the hall.
Eventually.
-Swoosh.
When nearly all 200 reporters were seated, a woman in a neat beige jacket entered through the side door next to the stage at the front of the hall. She was a famous Japanese comedienne who would be the host of today’s press conference. She gestured to the large The Eerie Sacrifice title hanging behind the podium.
“The press conference is about to begin. Reporters outside, please enter the hall.”
In clear, articulate Japanese, the host signaled the start. She briefly chatted with the staff around her. They were staff members from the Eerie Sacrifice team. After roughly five minutes of final coordination, the host turned her gaze forward again. With all 200 reporters now watching her, she held up her cue card.
“We will now begin the press conference for the highly anticipated movie, The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger!”
The reporters, as if by habit, applauded, while about half of them raised their cameras to capture the front. Flashbulbs went off like lightning as the number of netizens connected to the live stream skyrocketed.
– [The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger Press Conference Live Streaming!]
– [Live Broadcast]
– [32,114 people watching]
The number of people watching had surpassed 30,000. While each viewer had their own reasons for tuning in, the figure was undeniably impressive. The host glanced down at her cue card again, then spoke once more.
“First, let’s welcome the main cast of The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger!”
As soon as she finished speaking, the staff standing near the side door began to move. The door opened, and the big names started to enter.
At the same time-
-Pabababababak!
-Pababababababak!
The flashes filled the hall even more intensely. The first person to enter alone was the master director of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, Kyotaro Tanoguchi.
Swoosh.
Following right behind him, wearing makeup heavier than usual, was Writer Akari Takikawa. Soon, the reporters pressing their shutters like crazy became even more excited at the sight of the third person to enter.
“Kang Woojin! Kang Woojin!!”
“Third? Kang Woojin is coming in third?”
The main male lead of The Eerie Sacrifice and the man currently shaking up Japan. It was because Kang Woojin, dressed in an all-black suit, was making his entrance. Immediately, a blinding storm of flashes exploded around him. However, Woojin’s face remained completely cold.
“……”
Meanwhile.
-[39,887 people watching]
The number of viewers surged to nearly 40,000 right after Kang Woojin appeared. Dozens, even hundreds of new chat messages popped up every second. It was difficult to make out what the viewers were saying because the chat was moving so fast, but thanks to the constant shutter sounds, the reporters’ comments could faintly be heard.
“Kang Woojin looks nonchalant.”
“Considering how many reporters and the general public in Japan are watching- Is this actor’s personality normally this cold?”
“From what I’ve heard, yeah. He’s known to be pretty quiet.”
“Isn’t he only in his second year of acting? There have been cases like this, but he’s too calm, don’t you think?”
“…But with that presence, he could stand toe to toe with any top actor.”
As the hundreds of reporters assessed Kang Woojin’s all-black suited appearance, Woojin himself had no time to pay attention to their remarks.
‘Whoa!! I can’t see, I can’t see!’
He was so overwhelmed by the relentless flashes going off that he was losing his focus. He had to put all his energy into maintaining his poker face.
‘Ugh, I feel like throwing up!’
After Director Kyotaro, Writer Akari, and Kang Woojin, the rest of the key figures from The Eerie Sacrifice-Mana Kosaku, Mifuyu Uramatsu, Ogimoto Yasutaro, and the other top Japanese actors-made their appearances. Starting with Director Kyotaro, they all lined up in a straight row in front of the stage.
It was time for the photo session.
-[43,313 people watching]
The streaming viewership had surpassed 40,000. Just then, the back door of the closed hall opened, and an old man in a suit entered. Accompanied by a few secretaries, with some white hairs in his eyebrows, it was Chairman Hideki. He entered so quietly, and with the hall being in such a frenzy, no one noticed him.
“Hmm-”
Chairman Hideki crossed his arms as he looked beyond the hundreds of reporters, fixing his gaze on the front stage. More specifically, his eyes were on Kang Woojin, with a smile tugging at his wrinkled lips.
‘A declaration of war. No, how can I resist watching this bomb drop?’
The chairman was indulging in his own delusions.
In any case, the The Eerie Sacrifice press conference began with the introduction of the cast and crew.
But then.
“Kang Woojin!!!”
In the midst of the blinding flashes, a shout rang out in Japanese, almost like a scream. It was from a reporter sitting toward the front of the hundreds, who had taken the lead in calling out.
“Your recent lead role in the Korean project was a massive hit, and Male Friend: Remake was also a huge success!”
His voice cracked slightly from excitement, but the question was clearly directed at Kang Woojin and had an almost confrontational tone.
“With these back-to-back successes, you’ve even been nicknamed ‘Midas’s Touch’!! Do you personally believe that the controversial The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger will also succeed?!”
The host and staff immediately tried to stop the reporter.
But.
“Yes.”
Kang Woojin, in his all-black suit, responded calmly, his low voice cutting through the chaos.
“I expect it to easily surpass 20 million.”
The first bomb had been dropped.
****
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