The rating of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had originally been SS, but it had now risen to SSS. It was clear that the change in the ending was the reason. Kang Woojin soon let out a small grin and muttered.
"Look at this. Changing the ending was the right choice. Damn, I can't even brag about this anywhere."
He wanted to tell the entire world, but he held it in. At the same time, a sharp thrill ran through him.
"This feels really amazing."
There were two reasons for that. First, this result had not come from the void space, but from Kang Woojin's own effort. Second, he felt relieved that he had escaped a situation where the rating might have dropped to A or even B.
Outwardly, he acted as if he did not care, but inside, he had been worried.
In the end, Kang Woojin gained three things. He protected Kiyoshi, achieved an SSS rating, and raised his self-esteem as an actor. He did not realize it himself, but it was a considerable achievement.
In particular, his attitude as an actor had grown significantly.
In any case, The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had received an SSS rating today. But what did that mean? Woojin tilted his head slightly as he smiled.
'The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice is being released in both Korea and Japan at the same time, right?'
'Are the ratings combined, or calculated separately? This is confusing.'
Kang Woojin stopped thinking. No matter how much he thought about it, he could not understand the void space anyway.
"It'll work out somehow."
He quickly brushed the thought aside and suddenly clapped his hands. Something he had been waiting for came to mind.
"Ah! The result of Island of the Missing!"
Today was Sunday the 23rd. That meant that yesterday, Saturday the 22nd, had been the first weekend screening of Island of the Missing. By now, the results should have come out.
Then—
"Exit!"
Woojin's vision instantly returned to the hotel room. Ignoring his messy hair, he quickly grabbed the phone beside his pillow.
"There are a lot of messages."
There were already quite a few missed calls, messages, and texts. He could roughly guess their contents without even checking them.
However, Kang Woojin noticed something else.
It was the official domestic box office site.
-[KOPIC Integrated Film Ticket System]
Soon, the results appeared before his eyes.
[May 22, 2021 Audience Count]
[Daily Domestic Box Office]
Island of the Missing / Release Date: May 19 / Audience: 971,558 / Screens: 1,159 / Total Audience: 3,254,234
The Saturday results for Island of the Missing had been released, and the daily audience number was astonishing. Kang Woojin widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Seriously?!"
Even though it was the weekend, the daily audience count had reached nearly one million.
"One million in a single day?!"
Island of the Missing was rewriting the history of the Korean film industry.
──────────
Later, after finishing his shower, Woojin lightly moved his shoulders in excitement before smoothly switching into concept mode. He then checked the messages that had flooded his phone.
They were all congratulatory messages or expressions of amazement.
Naturally, congratulatory messages had also flooded Kang Woojin's official SNS and the Kang Woojin's Alter Ego channel. However, it had only been five days since release, and there was still a long way to go. Even so, Woojin struggled to suppress his smile, but it was not easy.
'Is this what it feels like?'
Thinking that he might actually achieve the prestigious title of a '10 million audience actor,' something he had only seen on TV, his mood rose even further.
Around that time, Choi Sunggeon came to pick him up.
Woojin tried to maintain a calm expression, but Choi Sunggeon was already smiling brightly.
"Hehehe, you saw it too, right? Almost one million in just one day yesterday."
"Yes, CEO. I saw it."
"You brat! Breaking one million daily audience is rare even in Korean film history! You should be happy! Come on, at least try a shoulder dance! Want me to show you?"
Choi Sunggeon suddenly started dancing in the hotel hallway. It looked like a mask dance, or perhaps just freestyle dancing. Kang Woojin suppressed the urge to laugh and dance along.
"CEO, people are watching."
"That's because you're too calm! I'm doing this for you!"
Gradually, the team members gathered around Woojin. Including the sturdy Jang Suhwan and short-haired Han Yejung, about twelve people gathered and, as soon as they met him, began expressing their amazement at the rapid success of Island of the Missing.
"Three million in just four days? That's insane! This is huge!!"
"Korea is completely flipped right now. Our company said the same thing—no matter what community or YouTube you check, it's all Island of the Missing."
"Can this really surpass the total audience of Naval Battle? What was that number again? Around 16 million?"
"I think it was exactly 16.7 million, right? But the current daily growth rate is already surpassing that, isn't it?"
"It's like a long-distance marathon, so we need to wait and see, but it's already incredibly popular!"
Choi Sunggeon, who had been quietly listening with a grin, cut in.
"Three million is just the beginning. All tickets for Island of the Missing are sold out today, Sunday. Something much bigger is about to happen. I guarantee it."
"Wow!! I'm really looking forward to it!"
Even as the noise continued behind him, Woojin tried hard to suppress the urge to dance from joy. He had already jumped around in his hotel room earlier that morning, so honestly, it was a bit difficult now.
His lips kept trembling.
'Hold it in. Mind control is the only way.'
However, Han Yejung noticed it immediately.
"Oppa, the corners of your lips are shaking. You must be tired. CEO, we should find some magnesium before filming."
She even mistook it for magnesium deficiency. However, Kang Woojin responded calmly.
"No, it's not that bad."
"Really?"
"It's just a temporary tremor."
──────────
Before he knew it, Kang Woojin arrived at the filming set of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice without any issue. He first greeted Director Kyotaro.
The roughly one hundred staff members were already full of energy. It was difficult to describe, but today, in particular, the atmosphere felt especially lively.
"Props! When are the props coming?!"
"They're on the way!"
"Lighting! We need a few more reflectors here!"
"Got it!"
"Kang Woojin has arrived!"
"Get him into costume first!"
Intense Japanese conversations filled the wide set, and the pace of filming gradually sped up. Japanese actors also began arriving one by one.
Even so, the staff and actors did not forget to whisper among themselves.
The main topic of conversation was the same.
"Did you see the new ending?"
"Huh? It's changing? Suddenly?"
"The director announced it this morning."
"How is it changing?"
"I don't know… I was surprised too. I've never seen an ending like this."
The ending of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had suddenly changed.
While script revisions were common, it was extremely rare for the ending to be completely overturned at the final stage of filming. Moreover, this was not a minor adjustment; the ending itself had been entirely replaced.
In addition, since most Japanese dramas and films were adaptations, changing the ending of a live-action work was almost unprecedented.
Given that the original author was Akari, it was not strange at all that the staff and actors reacted strongly.
In particular, the actors involved in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice showed clear signs of confusion.
"Still… Kiyoshi living happily… is this really okay?"
"If the director decided, we just follow. But… this is… no, it's really worrying. It'll be noisy when it's released."
"Noisy? That's lucky! Fans will flood in! Of course, the new ending suits Kiyoshi better… but it's still scary. Japan has never done this before."
"This might become a one-of-a-kind work, past or future. Just enjoy it."
"But is Kang Woojin okay? Why does he look so calm? Once it's released, the backlash will hit him and the director directly."
"He's always like that, isn't he? But it's surprising that he doesn't waver at all."
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin was busy preparing for filming, yet he appeared calm.
Among the hundred people present, he was the only one who remained composed. There was no sign of tension, fear, distress, or anxiety.
"..."
Inside the set, Kang Woojin was no different from yesterday.
He was no different from a month ago, or even from several months ago.
Soon, all preparations were completed, and filming for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice resumed.
"Action!"
Kang Woojin entered the first scene of the day.
It was a solo scene connected to the previous cut, where short dialogue and subtle eye acting were important. At the same time, he had to express an even deeper sense of 'emptiness' on his face.
It was a difficult scene, but Kang Woojin handled it effortlessly. As a result, he quickly received an OK, and after a few angle changes, filming proceeded rapidly.
It was always like this for Kang Woojin.
"No NG again today."
"Sometimes it's scary. How can someone be this perfect?"
"As an actor, his attitude and manners are already world-class."
As the Japanese-speaking staff whispered, there were almost no NG scenes in Kang Woojin's filming. Even if there were, they were usually due to staff mistakes or issues with other actors.
Next, Kosaku Mana stepped forward.
He had perfectly transformed into Detective Yoshizawa Mochio.
──────────
"Action!"
Mochio sat in front of the computer, folded his arms, and let out a long sigh.
"Hmm— Iiyota Kiyoshi."
He took a long drag from his cigarette, and the smoke lingered in his lungs before slowly leaving his mouth.
The camera, which had been filming Detective Mochio's face, followed his gaze and focused on the monitor. On the screen appeared the side profile of Iiyota Kiyoshi.
Detective Yoshizawa Mochio had sensed the existence of the 'stranger.'
Of course, it had not been easy.
He realized that Kiyoshi's existence had originated in the past. It was connected to the past of those who had died one after another in a chain reaction.
As if following a predetermined script, people had died in sequence.
Konakayama Kinjo, Misaki Shutoku, Horinochi Amie, and most recently, a woman named Iiya Saki, who had been found inside a car submerged in the sea. All of them were connected, not by the present, but by the past.
The common point was school.
Except for Misaki Shutoku, they had all graduated from the same high school. Because of this, Detective Mochio felt uneasy. People from the same school were dying one after another, which meant there had to be a hidden story.
Mochio focused even more on the past.
And then he found it.
"A female student took her own life."
It was the suicide of a female student that had occurred at that high school. Her name was Misaki Toka. And Misaki Shutoku was her father.
The deeper he dug, the more absurd the truth became.
Everything was connected to Misaki Toka.
The bullied students.
The deaths.
And—
'But… something is strange.'
Toka was dead. Her father was also dead.
Then who was behind all of this?
At that moment—
"Actually, the first one who was bullied was Iiyota. I don't remember the exact name, but it was probably Iiyota Kiyoshi."
"Who?"
"Kiyoshi Iiyota. I remember he was somewhat close with Toka."
It was the moment the 'stranger' revealed himself to Detective Mochio.
──────────
After the weekend ended, on the night of the 24th.
On the rooftop of a tall building not far from Tokyo Station, the filming team was busy moving under the dark night sky. Rails were being laid, lights were being installed, monitors were being set up, and reflectors were being positioned.
It was the production team of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, and there were only a few days left until filming was completed.
"Careful! Be careful!"
"If there isn't enough space, don't force it! Move as safely as possible!"
Because the space was limited, not all staff could be present. About thirty core members had gathered. Director Kyotaro, wearing a cap, checked the filming progress while looking at multiple monitors.
Two actors appeared on the monitors.
One was Kang Woojin, who was receiving makeup touch-ups under the lights, and the other was the Japanese actor playing the chaebol heir Tsuzuki Itsuma.
This scene marked the final point for both characters.
More precisely, it was the final destination of Iiyota Kiyoshi.
Nearby, Choi Sunggeon was showing his phone to several Japanese staff members with a bright smile, as if he were bragging.
And in fact, he was bragging.
The article on his phone read:
『[Film] Island of the Missing surpasses 1 million viewers in a single Sunday… total audience exceeds 5 million!』
He explained the contents in clumsy but understandable Japanese.
"Yesterday alone, on Sunday, it reached one million viewers. Including today, it looks like it will exceed five million."
"Didn't it just come out?"
"Today is the sixth day."
The staff's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What?! Five million in six days?!"
"No way! Is that real?!"
At that moment—
"Stand by!"
The signal spread across the set, announcing the start of filming.
About three minutes later—
"Action!"
Kang Woojin, or rather Kiyoshi, silently looked down at Tsuzuki Itsuma, who had collapsed on the ground.
Itsuma was already dead.
This corpse was the final result of the 'task.'
In other words, the 'grim sacrifice' had ended.
"It is all over."
In the end, everything returned to the starting point.