The slightly balding mayor of Jinju showed no sign of his widened eyes returning to normal.
"...Kang Woojin is in Jinju? Right now?"
It wasn't so much shocking as it was unexpected.
"Are you serious? I haven't heard anything about this. No notice, and suddenly this happens? Where did you confirm it?!"
The staff member who had rushed in quickly pulled out his phone and opened social media, scrolling straight to Instagram. After typing "Kang Woojin" into the search bar, he tapped one of the most recent posts.
There, unmistakably, was Kang Woojin.
The photo had been taken about an hour ago at a porridge restaurant in Jinju, and the tags made it clear.
"It's confirmed he stopped by the porridge shop run by his parents! There are a lot of posts like this."
"I see! Is he still there now? That shop is run by his parents, right?"
"Yes, that's right! From what I can tell, it looks like he's already left."
"Damn it! We should've caught this earlier!"
"I'm sorry! It was a sudden and unexpected visit!"
"…Well, that's true."
The mayor swallowed, his expression caught between regret and frustration. Still, that wasn't the main issue right now.
"What do you think? Does it look like he just stopped by and left?"
"From what I've checked, it doesn't seem that way."
"What's your reasoning?"
"According to the news, filming for the movie Leech wrapped up yesterday. If he came to his hometown the next day, he's probably here to rest for a bit."
"Hmm."
The mayor slowly nodded.
The reason he was so concerned about Kang Woojin was simple.
His influence was overwhelming.
It went beyond popularity, shaking both Korea and Japan. At present, there was no celebrity who surpassed Kang Woojin in terms of recognition, buzz, and brand power. The near nineteen million viewers for Island of the Missing alone proved that.
And Kang Woojin was from Jinju.
As the mayor of Jinju, missing this opportunity would be unthinkable.
"So, how are things around that porridge shop these days?"
"It's already become a famous tourist spot. For people visiting Jinju, it's practically a must-see location. Recently, the number of Japanese tourists has also been increasing."
Given Woojin's explosive popularity in Japan, that was only natural.
"Jinju is being mentioned frequently on social media, mostly by Japanese tourists who've visited."
Woojin's presence alone had already driven promotion and marketing forward. One of the mayor's core responsibilities was revitalizing the region, and he had consistently put effort into organizing festivals and events each year. These days, leveraging YouTube and social media had become essential.
And among all strategies, one thing mattered most.
Inviting celebrities.
They captured public attention instantly. The fact that nearly every regional ambassador was a popular celebrity proved it.
Which meant that to the mayor, Kang Woojin wasn't just a priority.
He was the top priority.
"Even if he only mentions it a few times, the number of articles will explode."
Since last year, Kang Woojin had reigned as the center of public attention. The amount of buzz he generated—past and future—was immeasurable. On top of that, the influence of his channel, Kang Woojin's Alter Ego, and his social media was enormous.
He had once been an ordinary citizen.
Now, he was something entirely different.
Of course, Jinju had produced its share of notable figures.
But none of them matched Woojin's current momentum.
Naturally, the mayor had already made several attempts to reach out—offers for him to become a promotional ambassador, invitations to major festivals, even requests for a simple meeting.
'I even said I'd go to Seoul myself.'
He had been that serious.
Those efforts had started last year, around the time Profiler Hanryang became a hit.
But every attempt had failed.
The reason given by bw Entertainment was always the same.
Kang Woojin's packed schedule.
It wasn't an unreasonable explanation. In fact, Woojin hadn't visited Jinju even once since his debut.
And now—
That same actor had suddenly appeared here.
The mayor couldn't let this opportunity slip.
"What's the media saying right now? If it's on social media, reporters must've picked it up already."
"Yes, they have. There are already articles reporting that Kang Woojin is in Jinju."
"Of course… this is incredible publicity."
The mayor muttered as he searched "Jinju" on his phone. Articles quickly filled the screen, many of them mentioning Woojin.
『[Star Photo] Kang Woojin, who reached 19 million viewers, suddenly spotted in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do… has he returned to his hometown to rest?』
When was the last time Jinju received this much attention?
There probably wasn't one.
Even during festivals or events, interest usually faded quickly. But now, with just Woojin's visit, the city was drawing massive attention.
"This… is brand power."
The mayor suddenly stood up and shouted.
"What are you doing right now?! Gather everyone!!"
It was an emergency call.
It might not look like one, but to him, it absolutely was.
"Unless it's urgent, everything else can wait! Focus on this!"
The staff member rushed out and quickly returned with key personnel. About a dozen gathered in the room as the mayor issued rapid instructions.
"First, the media! We need twice as many articles as there are now!!"
"Yes, sir!"
"What about our YouTube channel?"
"What should we upload?"
"Don't overthink it! Just spread the word! The content doesn't matter—just put 'Kang Woojin' in the title! And get banners up anywhere people can see them!"
The staff hurriedly scribbled notes.
"Include something like 'Welcome Kang Woojin to Jinju!' in the message!"
With just his visit alone, Jinju had begun to stir.
──────────
The next day, Saturday the 26th, around 8 a.m.
In Jinju, inside a modest apartment complex made up of four buildings, Kang Woojin's parents lived on the tenth floor of the front building.
The apartment was fairly spacious, with three rooms.
The master bedroom was used by the couple, while the other rooms were for when Kang Woochul or Kang Hyun-ah visited, each filled with clothes and belongings.
In the master bedroom, Kang Woochul and Seo Hyunmi lay side by side on a large bed.
Both were awake.
They said nothing.
Instead, they stared at their phones.
More specifically, they were searching for their son.
They often did this out of boredom, but today was different.
The results were overwhelming.
From his polished profile photo to blogs, communities, social media, and YouTube, his presence was everywhere. The sheer volume of information alone made it obvious—he was a top-tier actor.
And the articles kept coming.
『[Issue IS] Kang Woojin appears in Jinju despite busy schedule… revealed to be his hometown』
『'King of Issues' Kang Woojin makes surprise visit to parents' shop, taking photos with customers and showing top-tier fan service』
『[Photo] "Even his casual shots are handsome" Kang Woojin spotted on SNS in Jinju』
There were plenty of other articles too, but his parents only focused on those related to Jinju.
In every photo, Woojin looked stylish and charismatic, radiating the aura of a top actor.
They still weren't used to it.
Seo Hyunmi lowered her phone and muttered softly.
"…Is that really my son in those photos?"
Kang Woochul nodded in agreement, but quickly steadied himself.
"I know. But we should get used to it. Woojin came to visit."
Right then—
"Oh!"
Seo Hyunmi suddenly sat up.
"I need to make breakfast for him!"
"Ah, right! The spicy braised chicken!"
"You clean the chicken we bought yesterday."
"Alright, alright."
They quickly left the room after making up their minds.
But—
A slurping sound echoed from the living room.
They froze.
"…Woojin?"
Kang Woojin was already awake, sitting at the table, eating instant ramen straight from the cup.
He looked at them while chewing, a playful grin spreading across his face.
"Hey. Sleep well?"
There was no trace of the composed actor they had seen online.
He grabbed some kimchi with ease, dressed in a worn short-sleeved shirt with a bear print and gray sweatpants with holes at the knees, his hair sticking up messily as he scratched his head between bites.
This—
Was the real Kang Woojin.
"Still this affectionate? Planning to give me a younger sibling or something? Heh."
His parents blinked, caught off guard.
The charismatic actor from the articles had vanished.
Only their familiar, odd son remained.
They exchanged glances and spoke quietly.
"…Yeah. This is definitely our son."
Seo Hyunmi let out a long sigh, then suddenly smacked him.
"Eating ramen first thing in the morning?!"
Later, despite getting hit, Woojin finished his ramen and devoured the braised chicken his parents prepared.
"Mm. This is really good."
"Are you eating properly? I know you're busy, but try not to skip meals."
"Dad, why are you lowering your voice like that? It's giving me trauma."
"What are you talking about?"
"It reminds me of that acting you did."
"He's trying to maintain his image because of you these days."
Even so, Woojin brought up something he had been thinking about.
"By the way, I told you to look for a new house, right? I checked while eating ramen, and there are a lot of new apartments. Or would you prefer a house?"
"You brat, what's wrong with this place? We expanded the shop, changed the furniture, even bought a new car. Spend your money on yourself."
Woojin had more than enough money.
Every project he touched succeeded, and with advertisements, photo shoots, and income from his channel, his earnings had skyrocketed.
Yet he barely had time to spend it.
'Am I saving money without even trying? I should be spending more. Even the CEO told me to spend more because of taxes.'
After finishing the meal, Woojin went to shower, while his parents left for the shop.
After washing up, Woojin checked messages from his younger sister, Kang Hyun-ah, who was also the president of his fan club.
At that moment—
His phone vibrated.
It was a call from Choi Sunggeon.
Woojin cleared his throat and answered.
"Yes, sir."
A low voice came through, tinged with amusement.
"Heh, as expected from problem-maker actor Kang Woojin. What kind of grand entrance did you make in Jinju for the media to go this crazy?"
"I just said 'I'm back.' That's all."
"You barged in without considering anything and said that, right?"
"…More or less."
"Well done. It's a short break, but stirring up this much buzz isn't bad. Just don't go around too much. You went alone, after all."
"Understood."
"You only have three days anyway. Forget everything and rest. I pushed all your schedules back."
After expressing his concern, Choi Sunggeon continued.
"I have a few things to ask and some updates to give. First, Jinju City Hall contacted us again—same as before, about being an ambassador. Interested?"
"No."
"You won't take on any short schedules while you're there, right? There was a proposal for a charity vlog."
"No."
"Alright. Just checking. It's your hometown, after all. Honestly, just you being there is already enough to generate buzz. I'll handle it. Oh, and is it okay if the city puts up banners?"
Woojin blinked but nodded.
"That's fine."
"Miley Kara's side sent over schedules and details. Album materials and guide tracks too. I'll explain everything when you're back. It looks like you can go to LA before starting full work on Beneficial Evil."
"Really?"
"Yeah. About a week in LA for the album. It's not finalized, but there might be an interview too. Once things are set, take a few more days off before coming back."
Choi Sunggeon's voice carried weight as he added one last thing.
"There's something I want to show you in LA."
──────────
Meanwhile, in Seoul.
Inside a large conference room at DM Production, more than twenty people had gathered.
At the head of the table sat PD Song Man-woo.
A presentation filled the screen at the front.
"Next, we'll discuss location scouting."
This wasn't a meeting to check progress—it was to finalize it.
Images rendered in 3D appeared one after another.
They were storyboard scenes from Beneficial Evil.
Among the many figures displayed, one stood out in blue.
The protagonist.
Jang Yeonwoo.
Kang Woojin's role.
From the scenes shown, it was clear they were action-heavy sequences.
Song Man-woo, who had been quietly watching while stroking his beard, muttered under his breath.
"…As expected, domestic locations and sets alone won't be enough."
He spoke again, more decisively this time.
"Let's confirm an overseas location."
A brief pause.
Then—
"Start coordinating with Bangkok, Thailand as planned."