번역: 드림스크라이브
Thud. Thud. Thud.
It was the sound of Iyota Kiyoshi walking down the stairs.
No—
it was the sound of Kang Woojin walking down the stairs.
He looked calm and composed. He had presence, but no expression. There was nothing about the way he descended the stairs that drew attention.
To be honest, he did not look Japanese at all.
His face remained blank as he went down, but Woojin could feel a chill creeping along his forearms. This was reality. Yes, at this very moment, he was living inside Kiyoshi's life, experiencing every part of it for himself.
He had lost the one thing that had been his, and erased one more among the countless ordinary things in the world.
In other words, one person had died, and another had been killed.
One by choice.
The other by force.
Even after witnessing all of it with his own eyes, Woojin looked unchanged.
"..."
His emotions were still faint, and nothing showed on his face.
But—
"What is this?! What is this!!!"
"Aaaahhh!!"
"Police!! Call the police!!"
"Waaahhh!!"
The school had been thrown into complete chaos. Screams rose from below, grotesque shouting echoed through the nearby corridor, and the stairs leading down to the first floor looked like they were about to explode into total pandemonium. Students ran past and slammed into Woojin's shoulders, while teachers rushed after them in panic.
It was understandable.
Two students had suddenly died. But it was not unheard of. In recent years, students in Japan taking their own lives was no longer especially rare. Even so, directly witnessing something that belonged in the news was an entirely different matter.
──────────
Instead of heading to the crowded first floor, Kang Woojin stepped into the second-floor hallway lined with classrooms.
Then he paused for a moment.
He looked down at his own hands.
As always.
The same heartbeat.
The same trembling.
Even his breathing was no different.
"It's fine."
That murmur was not meant to comfort himself. It was confidence. Confidence that he would not be pointed to as the culprit.
So he started walking again.
But the classroom he arrived at was not his own. It was Misaki Toka's classroom.
There was no one inside.
It seemed everyone had gone to see what happened. Only the familiar atmosphere unique to an empty classroom greeted Kang Woojin.
He sat down in a chair.
It was Toka's seat.
The desk was covered in every kind of scribble.
Die.
You're filthy.
You stink.
Idiot seat.
Things like that.
Woojin stared down at the graffiti without expression.
For about five seconds.
Then he pulled a notebook and a pencil case from the desk drawer. Both had the name Misaki Toka written on them. Kang Woojin opened to a blank page in the notebook and began to write something.
Tsugumune Shinnosuke.
It was a name.
But he erased the one he had just written. That person's head had already been crushed open.
Below it, he wrote a total of nine names, male and female mixed together. After writing all of them down, Woojin tore out the page. Then he folded it in half, and folded it once more.
The folded paper disappeared into his pocket.
"Not now."
He was talking about the past. About the time when he had been able to erase those nine people without any trouble, without any regret.
Then Woojin muttered to himself and slowly stepped out of the classroom, walking down the hallway.
"One might be manageable, but all nine is too much. I don't have the stamina, I don't have the intelligence, and I don't have the experience."
He lacked everything.
And lack led to failure.
More than anything, if he acted now, he could easily become a target of revenge.
"I have to be forgotten."
He had to become a stranger in this world.
So forgotten that no one remembered him at all.
He had to become an even quieter, even more invisible nobody.
Kang Woojin and Kiyoshi needed to choose a long-term strategy.
It did not matter whether it took one year or five.
When everything about him had faded from people's memory, and when he had finally acquired everything he lacked, then it would begin.
An unpredictable disaster.
There would be many victims.
And it would become a truly horrifying sacrifice.
Soon, Kang Woojin stopped walking in the hallway.
Then—
"..."
He looked out the window.
There were so many people outside. Hundreds of students. Police who had just arrived. Frightened teachers. And those nine, huddled together in a tight cluster, whispering among themselves.
Kang Woojin's dim eyes settled on them.
There was no hatred there.
No intent to kill.
Only—
"Homework."
Just something that had to be done.
·
·
·
·
How much time had passed?
["A: Ending Iyota Kiyoshi's reading (experience)."]
Kang Woojin, who had been living under the name Iyota Kiyoshi, returned.
Naturally, he was back inside the van, and although years had seemed to pass, in reality only a few seconds appeared to have gone by. Perhaps that was why the van he was sitting in felt so unfamiliar to him now.
He let out a quiet sigh.
It was always like this. After experiencing a role, the actual place where that role was supposed to exist always felt uncomfortable. At the same time, the vividness of the role became even more intense.
Of course, Iyota Kiyoshi was no exception.
It had already been an engraved role, but now its outline had become several times sharper.
Kang Woojin calmly gathered his thoughts.
It felt like the process of solidifying his own identity even further. Out of all the countless roles that had been engraved into him so far, he was putting a final period to the name Iyota Kiyoshi.
By now, Woojin had grown quite used to controlling that process.
"It's finished."
The color, the smell, and everything else vanished in an instant.
The essence of the master itself.
That was Kang Woojin.
He immediately grasped the Leech script. To anyone watching, it might have looked as though he was studying for some other project, but that was not the case at all.
"Next time… yeah. I should rest."
That was the real Kang Woojin.
An ordinary citizen.
──────────
Thanks to the buff from the void space, Woojin, who in reality had briefly reviewed The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice and gotten quite a bit of rest, threw himself right back into filming Island of the Missing.
"Stand by—cue."
Only a little while ago, he had been Kiyoshi, but now Woojin switched his role without the slightest difficulty and focused as Corporal Jin Suncheol instead. In particular, with filming in Japan only a few days away, there were a lot of scenes he needed to complete.
Meanwhile, the Island of the Missing staff whispered among themselves.
"The press is making a huge fuss, but Mr. Woojin looks completely calm. It doesn't seem to affect his acting at all."
"He's always been the type who doesn't get shaken easily."
"Still, do you think he's planning to change agencies? It feels like he must be in contact with a lot of them."
"I'm not sure. Personally, I think he'll stay with Choi Sunggeon."
Most of the staff, even if they could not say it openly, were quietly thinking the same thing.
"Wow, if someone could sign Woojin, that'd be unbelievable. Doesn't he have close to six million YouTube subscribers already? And his social media followers are insane too."
"But aren't both of those technically owned by Woojin himself?"
"Even so, his recognition, influence, and promotional value are on a level you can't compare with other actors. He has strong connections across dramas, films, and variety too."
"Come to think of it, every project Woojin has joined has done well."
Director Kwon Gitaek, on the other hand, thought things over together with the actors but took no action at all to ask Kang Woojin anything.
Meanwhile—
Buzz. Buzz.
Messages kept pouring in on the phone resting by Kang Woojin's seat. There were messages from acquaintances, of course, but the number of calls and contacts from agencies had exploded.
Even if Woojin himself had not looked, a veteran like Choi Sunggeon could not possibly fail to notice.
"..."
With his arms folded, he watched Kang Woojin inside the filming zone and sorted out his thoughts. More precisely, he was calculating Kang Woojin's current value.
'The other companies know far too little.'
The entertainment agencies eyeing Kang Woojin, along with the world surrounding him, had no idea what his real worth actually was. That meant the current estimates of Kang Woojin's value were badly off. Of course, the amount they could offer even now was already unimaginable for a rookie singer, but in Choi Sunggeon's view, it would not have been strange at all if Woojin commanded something far higher than that.
For one thing, they still had not realized the existence of Director Ahn Gabok.
Nothing had been finalized yet, but the fact alone that Kang Woojin was a leading candidate for the hundredth film of a giant production house already pushed his status up another level.
And that was not all.
'Kang Woojin is aiming for the Academy Awards.'
Setting everything else aside, that monster Kang Woojin had his sights set on the Academy Awards. Anyone who truly knew him could not bring themselves to think that was impossible.
His future value was enormous.
And this was where the ability Choi Sunggeon coveted most in Woojin became clear.
'That absurd intuition.'
Woojin's unbelievable instinct was enough to steer an uncertain future to some extent. It was a talent worthy not just of amazement, but of respect. And it was something none of the domestic entertainment agencies knew about.
Kang Woojin had already used that intuition to enter Japan and catch the eye of Ahn Gabok, the legendary director of Korean cinema.
Next would come Cannes.
And after that, the Academy Awards.
For now, Choi Sunggeon was the only one who knew everything, which meant he held the advantage when it came to weighing his choices.
"It's time to move."
He made up his mind. He would not simply pour diligence into this. He would pour in far more than that.
Meanwhile, baseless rumors about Kang Woojin began spreading across the internet.
『[Star Talk] Kang Woojin expected to enter the FA market… reportedly in contact with major agencies…』
『GGO Entertainment admits, "We are very interested in Kang Woojin"』
They were desperate attempts to attract clicks, but scenes like that were all too common.
Even Japanese companies had begun appearing.
『[Issue Check] Are Japanese agencies sending love calls to Kang Woojin too? Expected signing bonus of at least several hundred million won』
Rumors spread recklessly about who he had met, who he had held deep conversations with, enormous signing bonuses incomparable to those of rookies, and even the possibility of setting up a one-man agency. Some articles were unfairly spread by the press, while others were intentionally leaked by agencies themselves.
Either way, it helped raise Kang Woojin's recognition.
It was something fairly close to noise marketing.
Among the many notable people reviewing those articles was Director Ahn Gabok, who had sent Kang Woojin a script about a week earlier.
He said this.
"Hmm, has Woojin still not replied?"
He was simply waiting at home for the rookie's answer. It was the first time he had ever done such a thing since entering the film world, and the CEO of the production company beside him felt the same way.
"Yes, Director. Still… there isn't much time left, and it makes me anxious."
"He's probably reviewing the script carefully. And he must be busy too. Let's wait a little longer."
"What if… I hope it doesn't happen, but what if Woojin can't come?"
A rejection?
A normal rookie would have accepted it gladly, but because it was Kang Woojin, Director Ahn Gabok only gave a faint smile.
"Hmm. In that case, I may have to beg."
──────────
Late at night.
It was already past eleven.
The place was a familiar filming studio—more precisely, a studio arranged to look like a kitchen. It was where the Our Dining Table team practiced the kind of restaurant filming they would do throughout a day.
Kang Woojin was there, captured on camera with a cap pulled low over his face.
He had come there immediately after finishing the shoot for Island of the Missing, but not a trace of exhaustion showed on his blank face. The concept from the shoot was still on the outside, but inwardly, he was as energetic as ever.
And not just him.
The same was true for Choi Sunggeon and the rest of his team.
"Okay!! Camera settings are all done!"
The main PD and the filming crew from the YouTube channel Kang Woojin's Alter Ego had gathered there. There were around ten people. Lighting and camera equipment had already been set up all over the place.
The reason Woojin and the others had gathered that night was simple.
"First, shall we start with an interview about the cooking content, Mr. Woojin?"
That night's filming was a test shoot for a new cooking content series that would soon be added to Kang Woojin's Alter Ego. Along with that, they also needed to film scenes for Woojin's interview and teaser footage. Since Kang Woojin had to leave for Japan soon, they needed to start shooting before that so that everything would be ready by the time he came back.
The recently uploaded video had exploded in views and become a major hit.
-[(6) Miley Cara / "Absolute"]Cover [Korean Version]｜Kang Woojin's Alter Ego
Views: 10,050,000
A post teasing new content had also gone up in the channel community. Naturally, the cover videos on Kang Woojin's Alter Ego continued to get strong responses every single day, both from old viewers and new ones.
Since the teaser had already drawn interest, they needed to release it quickly.
Even so—
"Yes! Great! I think the interview is enough at this point!"
Once the interview with Kang Woojin ended, he immediately began cooking. The menu had been chosen according to what Woojin wanted. The purpose of the interview was to introduce a simple, clear recipe to the subscribers. He also asked the staff what kind of food they wanted and cooked it for them.
Naturally, he did not hesitate in the slightest.
Before long, a plate of bulgogi with a smoky aroma was set down in front of a male staff member sitting at the table. The chatter of the guests blended into the scene, and the overall atmosphere came together.
Then came the final segment.
"Who wants to try Avatar Cooking?"
"Me!"
"Ah! I'll do it!!"
Woojin began a test for the Avatar Cooking content, where the avatar would do the cooking. In this format, Woojin only gave instructions while the avatar completed the dish. Out of the many staff members, Han Yejung, with her short blue hair, was chosen. The PD thought her cold image mixed with Kang Woojin's dry attitude would make for an interesting teaser.
"Okay, let's start comfortably."
Soon, the kitchen studio staff stepped out, and the setup was arranged so that Woojin remained outside the kitchen while Han Yejung stayed inside. Standing there idly in the kitchen, Han Yejung asked him something.
"Oppa, what should I do first?"
With his usual blank face, Woojin was not very shaken at first.
'This might actually be kind of fun.'
He was genuinely interested.
"Wash your hands first, then put on the apron."
"Okay."
"What do you want to eat?"
"I want to try making that spicy pork dish you made last time. Is it hard?"
"It's simple."
"Good. Let's do that. I'm tired of delivery food now. I want to make something at home myself."
"Fine."
Standing outside the kitchen, Kang Woojin pointed toward the fridge.
"Let's start by preparing the ingredients."
"What should I take out?"
Woojin was already slightly irritated, but calmly listed the ingredients one by one. Han Yejung followed the instructions sincerely, even if not perfectly.
Then Woojin pointed out a mistake.
"No. That's ginger, not garlic."
"Really? I got them mixed up."
Seriously, how do you mix those two up?
Woojin slowly began to understand the true horror of this content.
"Why did you take out the bell peppers?"
"Do we not need those?"
"...Put them back."
"Okay, oppa. Are you mad?"
"No. Just start stir-frying the ingredients."
"How? Like frying eggs?"
She was a complete beginner when it came to cooking.
For Woojin, it became literal hell.
"It's too hot, Yejung. Lower the heat."
"Ah, but doesn't it have to be like this to get that charred flavor?"
"…It should be charred, not burned black."
"You know, I saw on YouTube that people actually burn it on purpose."
Right now, you're basically playing with fire.
It genuinely seemed like she thought cooking meant turning ingredients into kindling. Woojin clenched his fist inwardly and felt himself getting extremely irritated.
"Unless your goal is to make charcoal, lower the flame."
"Okay."
"No, don't turn it off. Just lower it."
"Huh? Why did it go out?"
Wow, damn it, this is genuinely infuriating.
Han Yejung burned the ingredients, and Woojin was thrown into a rage. Completely unexpectedly, this content ended up smashing his concept to pieces. He was intensely frustrated and angry. It was becoming difficult to stay calm.
'Woojin, calm down. This is part of the learning process too.'
He comforted himself with the lie of growth.
Then—
"This is great. CEO-nim, this might actually explode in response. It's seriously hilarious."
Choi Sunggeon, the PD, and the rest of the staff were all giggling. Kang Woojin's suffering had become the core charm of this Avatar Cooking content.
Whatever the case—
"It's done."
Han Yejung's spicy pork.
Or rather, something that merely looked like spicy pork.
At the end of the shoot, there was a scene where Woojin, the one who had given the cooking instructions, had to taste the final result.
"..."
He picked up his chopsticks with the face of a man sinking into deep contemplation.
'This isn't pork. Is it some kind of seaweed chip? No, if I eat this, I might actually die.'
He skipped over the pieces of meat that had been burned black and picked out a few onions that looked relatively safe. He tasted them, and immediately Han Yejung asked,
"Oppa, how is it?"
Woojin answered honestly.
"From now on, you should only order delivery."
"Is it that serious?"
"It tastes like it could damage your health."
"Ah."
Everyone except Woojin burst out laughing. Woojin needed time to calm both mind and body. But the teaser footage was fantastic.
After that, while the studio was being cleaned up, Woojin sat down in a chair off in the corner.
'It was a long day.'
It was midnight.
Even after such a packed day, the sense of accomplishment was impossible to deny.
Then—
"Good work."
Choi Sunggeon brought Woojin a bottle of water.
"I tried what Yejung made too, and that wasn't spicy pork. That was total slaughter."
"It tasted like seaweed crackers."
"Ha, yeah. That's exactly it."
"Crunchy on the outside, crunchy on the inside."
Choi Sunggeon burst out laughing.
Then, while gulping down water, Woojin suddenly said something in a low voice.
"I'll do Leech."
The smile vanished from Choi Sunggeon's face in an instant.
"Really? You read the whole thing?"
"I've read about half of it. It's interesting."
"...Was it your intuition? Or is it because it's Director Ahn Gabok?"
"Even if it were Director Ahn Gabok, I wouldn't do it if I didn't like it."
"Well… that does sound like you."
"I have a good feeling about it. Make sure you tell him I'll do it."
Choi Sunggeon's eyes widened slightly.
"Understood. It's late now, so I'll let him know first thing tomorrow morning."
Woojin, who had been nodding slowly, got up from his chair.
Director Ahn Gabok had said the Cannes Film Festival would be in September next year.
For reference, Kang Woojin's contract ran only until March.
"Yeah, I heard. It'll be tight."
"Yes."
Maybe it was the timing.
While Choi Sunggeon organized the remarks he had prepared in advance, Woojin lowered his head slightly and said in an indifferent tone,
"Please take good care of me at next year's Cannes too."