At the very moment news outlets all over Korea were making noise about Island of the Missing surpassing ten million viewers, Kang Woojin was still in the lobby of the Kashiwa Tokyo Hotel, where the party marking the start of filming for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice was being held.
And all because of the comment Kang Woojin had just made.
"I think it would be better to expand the scale even further."
The expressions of the senior figures gathered in the reception room were far from ordinary. That was only natural. He had just suggested pouring even more fuel onto the flames of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, a project that already seemed destined to walk straight into hellfire.
It was an unexpected remark, but after seeing Woojin's calm face, everyone arrived at the same conclusion.
Yes, that did sound like exactly the kind of answer that actor would give.
Choi Sunggeon, sitting beside Kang Woojin, quietly laughed to himself.
'I knew Woojin never hesitated, but the more time passes, the more relentless he gets. Ha, well, that side of him is nice too.'
Across from Woojin, writer Akari widened her eyes slightly in surprise, feeling newly impressed.
'That kind of nerve… it doesn't come from simple bravado or a need to show off. It's a color rooted deep in Kang Woojin's veins. It's part of him.'
Every time she saw him, she came away with a different impression. He feared nothing. In Kang Woojin's gaze, there was only the future. His past remained unclear, but one thing was obvious—he had crossed countless steep mountains to reach this point.
At least, that was how the world-famous writer Akari saw it.
Then—
"Hmm."
Chairman Hideki, whose brows were threaded with white, rubbed his chin as though he found this all rather interesting.
"Nerve? No, this would take a certain degree of madness."
Realistically speaking, considering the data they had accumulated so far, the correct choice would have been to avoid Woojin's conclusion. Unless, of course, he was insane. But Chairman Hideki liked Kang Woojin's proposal that they should never back down.
With his arms crossed, he glanced at Director Kyotaro on his right. Director Kyotaro gave a serious nod.
"I agree. Only a tree that stands firm survives a violent storm. The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice is exactly that kind of tree."
All throughout the heavy atmosphere, Woojin had kept a rigid expression, though inwardly he was a little flustered.
'Ah, damn it, the mood is way too heavy. I didn't even think that deeply before saying it. But are they actually approving this?'
Still, all he could do now was wear an expression of firm resolve. There was no other choice. The conversation among the gathered people continued for about ten minutes, and in the end, Kang Woojin's suggestion was accepted.
"Very well. Then we'll put in several times more effort than originally planned."
The moment it was finalized, the distribution company and film company staff all pulled out their phones and began moving busily. Chairman Hideki met Woojin's eyes and spoke in his rough voice.
"Once The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice enters its full promotional schedule during the latter half of post-production, would you be willing to join us as well, Woojin?"
"Yes. We agreed on about a week, including the production presentation and stage greetings."
"Hmm, understood."
Chairman Hideki nodded slowly, then suddenly smiled, the wrinkles on his face deepening.
"Ah, right. There was something I should have congratulated you on earlier, but I was late. I heard your starring film released in Korea is doing very well. Congratulations."
Director Kyotaro and writer Akari added their own words.
"I saw that Island of the Missing passed ten million viewers today. Congratulations, Woojin."
"It truly is wonderful news. I heard the Korean film industry has been struggling like Japan's, so for your very first leading film to surpass ten million viewers… that's remarkable."
The production company and distribution company executives of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice reacted quickly to the news and joined in.
"At this rate, I think the rankings of Korea's top films might actually change."
"Congratulations, Woojin. Wow, then The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice will do well too."
Woojin, who already knew that The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had received an SSS rating, was itching to say something, but he simply accepted the congratulations with composure.
"Thank you."
A few minutes later, Kang Woojin and Choi Sunggeon were the first to leave.
"We'll be heading out now."
It was because of Woojin's schedule.
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A little later, Kang Woojin and Choi Sunggeon left the reception room. Without stopping to greet the other actors or staff from The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice in the hall, they headed straight for the parking lot.
They were pressed for time.
The moment they stepped into the elevator, Choi Sunggeon jabbed at the button and then asked Woojin, who was blankly watching the floor numbers climb.
"But Woojin, I know what your personality's like, but was there some special reason you suggested making it bigger? To be honest, there's no need to pour more oil on the fire."
There wasn't any real reason, though.
If he had to give one, it was that the whole thing had annoyed him a little. It had felt too much like running away. Kang Woojin's thoughts were light enough, but Choi Sunggeon had no way of knowing that.
And besides—
'Nothing changed in any special way when I went into the Void Space, either.'
No one knew it, but the moment Woojin left the reception room, he had slipped into the Void Space and checked the rating for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. The script in his hand, meanwhile, had been for Boy Friend: Remake.
In any case, Kang Woojin kept up his heavy, solid front.
"It just seemed like the right thing to do."
Choi Sunggeon's eyes widened slightly, and he muttered,
"...Ah, it's that strange intuition of yours again? I can't ignore that."
Because he trusted Woojin's instincts so firmly, Choi Sunggeon quickly let go of his doubts as soon as they stepped out of the elevator and changed the subject.
"The official dubbing for Boy Friend: Remake starts at 12:30, so if we leave now, we should arrive just in time."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And now you've ended up voicing the male lead in an anime. This is a first."
"For me too."
"At first, you were just too... Ah, forget it. Even if I explained it, you probably wouldn't get it. Anyway, someone from the Boy Friend: Remake production team called."
Scratching at his tied-back hair, Choi Sunggeon shrugged.
"He said the atmosphere among the voice actors changed after they read the script with you."
Meanwhile, back in the reception room Woojin had just left—
The atmosphere remained heavy. Chairman Hideki and Director Kyotaro both wore serious expressions and sat in silence, as if lost in thought.
Then—
Chairman Hideki, who had been sitting at the head of the table with one leg crossed over the other, shifted slightly in his seat. He stared for a moment at Kang Woojin's now-empty chair before speaking again in his characteristic rough voice.
"...Every industry needs a superstar."
In an instant, every eye in the room turned to Chairman Hideki. Among them, writer Akari, who had been tidying the bag hanging off her chair, looked up and asked,
"What?"
For some reason, the smile on Chairman Hideki's wrinkled face deepened.
"It's the same in business, politics, sports, entertainment—every field. If there's even one star, that alone pulls in public attention and makes everything move more smoothly in countless ways. Money flows toward the market too."
"Ah—"
"Writers are the same, aren't they? Because Akari is here, money flows in your direction. The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice has many of Japan's top actors in it, but the one who'll anchor the center of it all will be Kang Woojin."
Writer Akari and Director Kyotaro showed little outward reaction. It was more like silent agreement. Chairman Hideki, meanwhile, recalled the response Woojin had shown just moments earlier.
"For him to suddenly suggest expanding the scale like that, he must be aiming for something enormous."
"A massive hit?"
"Kang Woojin is the icon of a declaration of war. From what I've looked into, that was his image at Korean film festivals and production presentations, and it was the same in several places in Japan as well."
No one said anything.
"If he weren't trying to score another major success and draw even more attention to himself, there would've been no need for him to talk about expanding the scale even further. He must clearly have something planned."
He did not.
In fact, Kang Woojin had no particular plan at all. But the misunderstanding began to snowball, and before long, everyone had etched a new image of him into their minds: an actor who would never retreat, even if he had to become the sacrifice himself.
"That's the mindset of a businessman. If he weren't an actor, I would have hired him long ago."
And with that, Chairman Hideki finished speaking.
"Whether it's at the production presentation or somewhere else, I'm truly looking forward to seeing what kind of surprise announcement he makes."
A phantom bomb had just been armed.
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A few hours later, at A10 Studio near Tokyo Station.
The excitement of the team members riding in the van with Kang Woojin remained at its peak for the entire trip.
"Wow!! I never imagined Island of the Missing would make the news like this!!"
"Ten million viewers in just twelve days! Seriously, it was worth recommending!!"
"The way the articles are pouring out is completely insane!!"
"Hahaha! The team behind The Naval Battle must be nervous as hell right now!"
"Woojin oppa! You got a ton of congratulatory messages, didn't you? Your phone's been going off nonstop!"
That part was true. Kang Woojin stared silently out the window while alerts kept ringing from his phone without pause. Starting with long KakaoTalk messages from his parents, there were countless calls and messages pouring in from all sorts of high-ranking figures.
Naturally, Woojin was thrilled inside.
'Hehe, an actor from a ten-million-viewer film. Wow, that's a seriously cool title.'
This was no longer just a possibility. It felt almost certain now. Island of the Missing had always been the center of attention, but the news that broke today created a much bigger wave than anything before it.
Still, Woojin cared about maintaining his image, and he couldn't afford to act carelessly.
Besides—
'Whew. Calm down first. I still have to do the dubbing.'
The official recording for Boy Friend: Remake was right in front of him. If he got swept up in his excitement and made a mistake, it could become a serious problem. So Woojin forced himself to settle his racing thoughts. It wasn't easy, but thanks to all the experience he had piled up, he managed it somehow.
Soon—
The van came to a stop, and Kang Woojin, Choi Sunggeon, and the team members got out in the parking lot. The moment they entered the massive A10 Studio building, several visitors and employees in the lobby glanced toward Kang Woojin.
"That's Kang Woojin. They said he looks way more handsome in person, and it's true. Wow, his aura is really..."
"I heard the dubbing for Boy Friend: Remake starts today."
"Isn't this his first time doing voice acting? Will he be okay?"
"I heard he was so good during the Boy Friend: Remake script reading that the other voice actors were breaking out in cold sweats."
"No way."
They were all whispering in Japanese.
"After The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, now Boy Friend: Remake too—this is the first time a Korean actor has taken this many leading roles in Japan, right?"
"That's why the media and entertainment industry are paying attention. Becoming a film actor is one thing, but who would have expected him to do voice acting too..."
"I'm curious to see how both works turn out."
Of course, Kang Woojin heard every word.
'I can hear everything, all of you. Every single voice.'
He could vaguely make out their conversation, but ignored it. Before long, the production staff from Boy Friend: Remake came out to greet him warmly. After a brief exchange of greetings, Woojin followed their guidance toward the studio where he would be recording.
As he walked, Woojin felt a trace of tension.
'I never thought I'd end up becoming a voice actor. What does a dubbing studio even look like?'
This too was his first time experiencing it. In any case, the official dubbing studio for Boy Friend: Remake was located almost at the very top of the building. There were other studios on the same floor as well. It seemed to be a floor dedicated to recording and similar work.
Soon—
"Over here, Woojin."
A staff member opened the thick studio door. Woojin cast a detached glance around the recording space, and his eyes widened slightly at how huge it was.
'Wow, it's enormous.'
At the front of the spacious recording booth was a giant monitor, and several microphones stood in a row. Inside the booth were various sound devices and chairs that had been set up temporarily. Beyond the glass wall was a workspace for the director and related staff, where several more monitors were installed. In the back, sofas and chairs had been arranged so others could wait there comfortably.
It was similar to a music recording studio, yet different.
At first, the sheer scale of it took Kang Woojin by surprise.
'Wow, so this is where anime dubbing gets done. The scale is crazy.'
More than ten staff members were already gathered inside, including the chief director of Boy Friend: Remake and the female team leader from the planning department. As soon as Woojin appeared, the people standing in front of the booth quickly approached him.
"Woojin, you're here?"
"Welcome. How are you feeling?"
After reluctantly answering several questions, Woojin looked into the booth. He wasn't late, but more than half of the Boy Friend: Remake voice cast had already arrived. Among them were Sayaka Asami, who played the female lead and had a distinctive snaggletooth, and Natsumi Umi.
The moment Kang Woojin appeared, tension spread visibly across all the voice actors' faces.
'...He's here.'
'That cold, handsome guy is really here. But why does he look so relaxed?'
'Today I need to make as few mistakes as possible. If people start saying I'm worse than him, I won't be able to show my face.'
'Whew... how is an actor better at this than actual voice actors? No, how is his posture even better than ours?'
"Well, the script reading and the official recording are a little different. He could still make mistakes today."
The shock they had felt during the script reading was still vivid in their minds. They had prepared themselves thoroughly.
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin completely misunderstood the tension on their faces.
'Ah, this is kind of scary. Since it's the official dubbing session, everyone seems really on edge. It looks like it's going to be a serious atmosphere.'
In that case, he would have to strengthen his own concept even more.
Looking cold and composed, Kang Woojin stepped into the wide booth and greeted the voice actors in a low voice.
"Hello."
The startled voice actors returned the greeting, but their stiff expressions did not soften in the slightest. Only Sayaka Asami, who already had some connection to Woojin, smiled warmly.
"Woojin, I saw the good news from Korea. Congratulations. My daughter has been begging to see that movie."
"Thank you, Sayaka Asami."
"I got permission from the team, so my daughter and her father are planning to come later. Would it be all right if you signed an Island of the Missing poster for her? I'm not sure where she got it from, though..."
Why would that be difficult?
Woojin answered in a low but gentle voice.
"Of course. That's fine."
"Ever since she saw you in uniform in Island of the Missing, my daughter has been completely obsessed with the military these days."
About thirty minutes later, every voice actor from Boy Friend: Remake, including Kang Woojin, had arrived. All of them put on headphones and stood before their assigned microphones inside the booth. The director, standing outside the booth, addressed them.
"We'll start with the rehearsal for episode one. As you've all heard, today's goal is to finish through episode five."
He gestured to a staff member handling the equipment. Soon, episode one of Boy Friend: Remake began playing on the large monitor inside the booth.
The voice actors all stared at the screen, headphones on and scripts in hand.
But Kang Woojin had no need for that.
The moment he summoned the male lead, Sengoku Toru, the space around him transformed from a recording booth into the animated world of Boy Friend: Remake.
Then—
"Ready. Start."
The director's signal.
And at the same time—
At the entrance stood a girl in a wheelchair with an Island of the Missing poster resting on her lap. No—Asami Yusako was staring at Kang Woojin inside the booth, her mouth slightly open as she whispered,
"Wow... wow. Mr. Woojin is really... incredible."
And just like that, the official dubbing recording for Boy Friend: Remake began.