Chairman Hideki's proposal came from the center seat of the five-person sofa. It was delivered through the interpreter sitting across from ponytailed Choi Sunggeon, and the moment Choi Sunggeon understood exactly what it meant, his eyes widened.
'An overseas branch??'
He looked slightly flustered. It was understandable. The proposal had come out of nowhere, and far too abruptly.
At present, Chairman Hideki was both a major investor in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice and a strong supporter of BW Entertainment. That was not because of his authority as chairman of the Kashiwa Group, but because of the powerful network he had built as an individual.
All authority had been entrusted to Choi Sunggeon.
Because of that, Chairman Hideki only checked Choi Sunggeon's reports from time to time.
It was the sort of attitude that said everything would run just fine on its own.
This time, when Choi Sunggeon had personally come to Japan for a briefing, Chairman Hideki had suddenly made a proposal for the first time.
He wanted BW Entertainment to establish an overseas branch.
It was so sudden that Choi Sunggeon had to steady himself.
'I really can't control this old man's sudden acceleration. For now, I should watch the situation a little more.'
He quickly regained both his composure and his posture. He had a feeling that something big was approaching.
"You mentioned an overseas branch. Which branch are you referring to?"
Choi Sunggeon was somewhat fluent in Japanese, but for the sake of precise communication, he spoke in Korean, and the interpreter relayed his words to Chairman Hideki.
A moment later, Chairman Hideki, who wore a faint smile, spoke in his rough voice.
"If not Hollywood, then where else would it be?"
"Ah."
He was serious.
Chairman Hideki was not saying it lightly. At least, that was how Choi Sunggeon read it. There was a smile on the chairman's lips, but his eyes were sharp.
Choi Sunggeon was already calculating in his head. He was good at grasping a situation and reading the atmosphere.
'Wait. If he really means this, then I need to hear every detail I can.'
BW Entertainment was already expanding smoothly in Korea. It had secured top stars like Kang Woojin, Hong Hyeyeon, and Ryu Jungmin, as well as many other A-list names, and it was steadily broadening its rookie recruitment business as well.
At present, BW Entertainment's growth rate in the domestic entertainment industry was by far one of the highest.
But still—
'This feels a little too fast.'
Its domestic business had not yet fully stabilized.
In that state, expanding overseas had a very high chance of creating problems somewhere.
'If he pours money into it, that's great. But if we can't handle that money, it'll become a problem.'
Of course, BW Entertainment would have to move overseas someday. But for now, it was a burden.
At the same time, rejecting an investor's investment outright would also be foolish.
Choi Sunggeon decided it would be better to hear a clearer answer first.
'You could call it a kind of advance payment. Or we could accept the money and move the business more slowly.'
Just then—
"But wouldn't that be difficult right now?"
Chairman Hideki, who was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, spoke in calm Japanese. He looked as though he already understood the situation well.
He had not only reviewed the reports and materials Choi Sunggeon had brought, but considering he was the chairman of the giant Japanese corporation Kashiwa Group, there was no way he would not know.
"Considering BW Entertainment's current situation, I believe it would be more appropriate to solidify your foundation in Korea rather than expand overseas."
Choi Sunggeon acknowledged that, while still leaving room.
"Yes, that's true. As you can see from the settlement statements I regularly send you, BW Entertainment is currently in the stage of expanding its business fields, so there is no need to expand recklessly. Still, it is not impossible to establish an overseas branch. That is, as long as we do not rush it too much."
After listening to the interpretation, Chairman Hideki slowly nodded. Choi Sunggeon, whose expression had grown more serious, asked another question.
"May I ask why you suddenly began thinking about an overseas branch?"
Chairman Hideki answered while recalling Kang Woojin on the set of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
"You've already secured a great deal of excellent talent, so now it's time to broaden the scope of the business. A branch is also the face of a company. More importantly, Mr. Kang Woojin is not someone who will remain confined to Korea or Japan alone."
"He is already drawing major attention in Hollywood. The same is true in Japan. Since Mr. Kang Woojin has already opened the road, it would be best to expand into a Japanese branch as well, starting with an overseas branch."
Kang Woojin, that monster, was walking ahead, clearing a dense mountain path.
Those who followed behind him could walk in comfort thanks to the trail he had opened.
Every region needed a superstar capable of shaking the market.
Chairman Hideki continued.
"If The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice does well, there will be no problem opening a Japanese branch first. But I think opening an overseas branch first is the right move. There's Kang Woojin's Leech, his album work with Miley Kara, and even though he turned them down, there were love calls from Hollywood as well. He has already established a foothold in Hollywood, and before long, he'll expand his activities there."
"It could happen as early as next year."
"If Leech performs well at the Cannes Film Festival, the growth will become even faster. The overseas branch I mentioned is meant to create a base for Kang Woojin to be active in Hollywood. For now, even if it is only for show, that is fine."
"But we need to take proper care of Woojin as he makes his mark in Hollywood. Besides, the agency itself will be promoted in that process, so having a foothold in Hollywood will matter."
"Well, of course. It looks far more impressive to have the headquarters in Korea and a branch in Hollywood than to keep everything in Korea."
"It also means we need to pay attention to managing Mr. Kang Woojin's condition."
In their conversation, there was no concept of Kang Woojin failing.
In their plans, Kang Woojin shaking Hollywood was already included as a certainty.
That was only natural.
He was already in the stage just before taking over Korea and Japan.
Choi Sunggeon answered with a faint smile.
"We'll handle the overseas branch issue as quickly as possible."
──────────
Several hours later, during a late lunch.
After filling himself up at a Korean restaurant, Kang Woojin got into a van driving through downtown Tokyo. His destination was A10 Studio, the production company of the animation Boy Friend: Remake, located near Tokyo Station.
Today was the day of the first meeting, where the entire voice cast would gather for a simple script reading.
The actual recording was scheduled for a few days later.
In any case, the inside of Kang Woojin's van was lively.
It was even more so because Choi Sunggeon, who normally led the mood, was not there. Even Han Yejung, who was usually cool-headed, was trying to hold back her excitement, but it was not easy to calm them down.
Woojin could understand why.
'Everything's booming, whether it's Japan or Korea. Ah, but in the end, the important thing is still me, right?'
For an actor's staff, an actor's success was joy itself. If the actor did well, the staff's filmography also grew stronger.
Right now, Woojin was enjoying enormous popularity not just in Japan, but in Korea as well, and even in the online world, including social media and YouTube channels.
There was not a single area where he was not being talked about, so it was only natural for them to be happy.
Of course, Kang Woojin himself was extremely excited on the inside.
Still, staying calm was more important.
To be honest, he felt like tap dancing right then and there, but Woojin held it in.
Meanwhile—
Bzzz.
Bzzz.
Kang Woojin's phone had not had a moment's rest.
It had been vibrating since the morning. No, lately, it had been vibrating like mad. Messages were pouring in endlessly.
DMs, texts, and messages came in like a bombardment. In the group chat with his close friends, real-time reactions and videos of Island of the Missing were flooding in one after another.
Thanks to all that communication, even while in Japan, Woojin felt as though he were in Korea.
'Do these people not work? Everything looks way too easy for them.'
After sending a few appropriate replies, Kang Woojin opened a portal site.
He had been trying not to look too much in order to maintain his concept, but this time, curiosity won out. Huge issues filled the screen right away. Among the many topics pouring in, the most eye-catching one was the controversy surrounding Island of the Missing.
'Wow, this is insane. The press has completely gone wild.'
Kang Woojin skimmed the article headlines packed tightly across the entertainment section. The interesting part was that most of the articles had been posted only a few minutes earlier, which made it obvious that the news was coming down in waves.
Given the state of the media, it was easy to guess what public opinion looked like.
[Wow, seriously lol is the number one movie really going to change??!]
[Still, it deserves it lol. I watched Island of the Missing today, and even during prime time it was sold out lol.]
[The momentum is insane;;;]
[It's fun and the acting is amazing. Especially actor Kang Woojin, he's seriously the best.]
[Midas touch Kang Woojin's hand.]
[No, aren't you guys overdoing it lol? I was seriously bored.]
[Yeah, I think the current hype around Island of the Missing is too much.]
[By the way, what's the most successful movie in our country?]
[Just google it, idiot.]
[↑ The number one film is Naval Battle, which drew 16.7 million viewers and set the highest box office record in our country's history.]
[What? Island of the Missing is trying to beat that? But 16.7 million… that won't be easy.]
[But Kang Woojin and Ryu Jungmin keep hitting home runs back to back, don't they? Especially Kang Woojin, his form has been insane lately.]
[When it comes to choosing projects, Kang Woojin seriously feels like he's being guided by God.]
·
·
·
The mouths and hands of the public grew busier and louder.
And so, Island of the Missing steadily raced toward ten million viewers.
『Island of the Missing surpasses 8 million sales, Naval Battle record just ahead… already two days faster』
『[Big Issue] Will the Naval Battle record be broken?… Island of the Missing begins countdown toward 10 million』
『Aiming for 10 million viewers, Island of the Missing challenges the highest-grossing film in Korean history!』
But its rise did not seem likely to stop at ten million.
──────────
Meanwhile, in Incheon, Korea…
Near Hwasu Pier in Incheon.
Compared to other places, Hwasu Pier was small. Nearby there was a fairly wide mudflat, and across from it, small houses and shops stood tightly packed together. The shops varied widely, from homes and restaurants to hardware stores. Between them were many narrow alleys. The road in front was a mix of dirt road, unpaved stretches, and paved road.
Dozens of people had gathered there.
Some were setting up cameras. Some were raising lights. Some were unloading tables and all kinds of audio equipment. Others were placing the necessary props where they would stand out clearly. Beyond the filming area, vans and minibuses were parked along the roadside.
Anyone could tell it was a filming crew.
At that moment—
"Hmm."
An old man in a neat black knit appeared on the set.
It was the veteran director Ahn Gabok, who was surveying the location. His short white hair and deeply lined face looked unchanged. No, if anything, the wrinkles seemed deeper than before, probably because he had been working late into the night so often.
As he looked over the busy filming site, he gave instructions to the assistant director standing beside him.
"Do we really have to flatten that dirt road over there? It actually looks unnatural. I think it would be better to restore it to its original state."
"Ah! Yes! Understood!!"
It was the outdoor set of the film Leech.
Beyond Director Ahn Gabok, top actor Jin Jaejun was getting his makeup done. It looked as though it would soon be Jin Jaejun's turn to film.
Seated at a table lined with several monitors, Director Ahn Gabok picked up the storyboard spread across the tabletop and let out a light sigh.
Filming now had about thirty percent left.
Slowly crossing his legs, he muttered in a low voice.
"...It looks like we're in the mid-to-late stage. We may need to pick up the pace a little more."
Even within an already suffocating shooting schedule, Ahn Gabok still felt pressed for time.
'It'll already be June in a few days.'
Thankfully, they could always do preliminary editing during breaks in the shoot.
But no matter how he looked at it, there was not enough time.
At least, that was how the experienced Ahn Gabok saw it.
At that moment—
♬♪
Director Ahn Gabok's phone rang. The caller was the head of the film company producing Leech.
"Yes, this is me."
From the other side came the slightly excited voice of the film company's CEO.
"Director, the official opening date for the Cannes Film Festival has just been announced."
──────────
Around 2 p.m. Japan time.
Kang Woojin, who had just arrived at A10 Studio, one of Japan's top three animation studios, got out of the van. With a solemn face, he looked around the building.
The A10 Studio building was still enormous, and the various animation character statues and life-sized standees near the entrance were just as he remembered them.
'Wait, did they add a character? I don't think I've seen that female character before.'
In any case, as Woojin started walking, his team quickly gathered around him.
At the same time, a slight sense of tension rose inside him.
'Japanese voice actors… I've never met them before. I wonder what they'll be like.'
Before long, he would be meeting the full cast of voice actors participating in Boy Friend: Remake.
In Japan, where the influence of animation was enormous, voice actors were treated more like celebrities than in Korea. Popular voice actors held fan meetings and autograph sessions, and they even appeared on variety shows.
But for Kang Woojin, it was still a very unfamiliar experience.
At that moment—
Bzzzzzz.
Woojin stopped walking. The phone in the pocket of his denim jacket was vibrating nonstop.
It was a call.
After briefly signaling to Jang Suhwan and the other staff members, Woojin checked the caller.
'Not that old man… Director Ahn Gabok?'
The call was from Director Ahn Gabok.
With a firm expression, Woojin raised the phone to his ear.
"Yes, Director. Hello."
The aged voice rang out from the other side.
"We're both busy, so I'll get straight to the point."
"Yes, go ahead."
"The opening date of the Cannes Film Festival has been confirmed as September 30. The festival will run for ten days starting from opening day."
The Cannes Film Festival would open on September 30.
"I see."
That meant Kang Woojin would be heading to France around that time.