To be honest, when Kang Woojin first arrived at the theater where the audience preview screening for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice was being held, what he wanted more than anything was to peek inside for a second and immediately run away.
The reason was simple.
"You call this a movie?! You completely ruined the original!!"
The furious shouting of the hundreds of angry viewers inside the theater rang out loud and clear. The theater employee guiding Woojin, along with a distributor representative from The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, glanced at him and came to a hesitant stop, trying to dissuade him.
"Um, going in right now is probably... not a good idea..."
"Yes, it might be better to wait until things calm down a little, or just skip this screening altogether."
The tone of the representative's voice made it obvious he was used to situations like this. In fact, he was. The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had held more than twice as many preview screenings as an ordinary film, and every single time, the journalists and most of the attendees had reacted intensely. Of course, the general audience previews were far noisier than the press screenings.
But all of that had happened when Kang Woojin wasn't there.
This time, he was.
"Mr. Woojin, if you go in now, things could get worse."
Woojin's face remained indifferent, but inwardly, he strongly agreed.
That's right. Absolutely right. Who knows what'll happen if I go in there now.
Still, in a situation like this, showing weakness would be a mistake if he wanted to maintain his image. Suppressing the pounding in his chest, Woojin answered with practiced calm, though inwardly he was tense.
"It's fine."
"...I'm sorry?"
"I said it's fine."
"Ah."
It absolutely was not fine.
Even so, Kang Woojin boldly stepped into the theater, where the air itself seemed taut with tension. But once he was actually inside, he felt far less nervous than he had expected.
Hey, I've already walked the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. This is nothing.
Even so, he made a greater effort than usual to reveal absolutely no emotion. After all, the atmosphere inside the theater was especially hostile.
As expected, the director of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, Tanoguchi Kyotaro, along with the Japanese cast, looked startled by Woojin's sudden appearance. That reaction made sense. His arrival in Japan at this point had been decided rather suddenly. To be honest, it would have been fine even if he had not shown up at all.
But Kang Woojin had felt that he had to come.
As the lead actor, it would not have looked good if he failed to show his face at even a few of the stage greetings.
Naturally, the moment Woojin appeared, the movement and shouting of the hundreds of audience members came to an abrupt stop. His appearance had been completely unexpected.
And on top of that—
"...Kang Woojin?"
"Didn't they say he wasn't coming?"
"Wow, that startled me."
The overwhelming reputation of Cannes Best Actor, the title that had shaken the world, also played a major role. Whatever the reason, Kang Woojin lowered his voice and addressed the hundreds of viewers.
I'll put in even more effort than usual.
Of course, his calculated coldness was entirely deliberate.
"Hello. I'm Kang Woojin. I played Iyota Kiyoshi in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice*."*
With the exception of the most die-hard fans of the original The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, the hundreds of audience members all lost their voices. Dozens of them simply stood there with their mouths open, as if they could not believe Kang Woojin was really standing in front of them.
In the middle of that stunned silence, murmurs began spreading through the crowd.
"Kang Woojin... he really is different from other actors."
"He's not doing anything flashy, but doesn't his presence feel... incredibly heavy?"
"Exactly. What do they even call that? Top of the top or something?"
"His presence doesn't even feel real."
Everyone was overwhelmed by Kang Woojin's charisma. On top of that, the theater, which had been in complete uproar just minutes before, fell silent in an instant.
"..."
"..."
Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro let out a small laugh, as if he could not believe what he was seeing.
It looked like a war was about to break out, but the moment Kang Woojin appeared, everything settled down so easily?
Even for a veteran director with decades of experience, this was the first time he had ever seen anything like it.
He has already become a global star.
The Japanese cast of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice felt the same way as Kyotaro. They had already stood in awe of Kang Woojin's performance themselves, so what would the audience feel? Kosaku Mana, wearing a serious expression, muttered inwardly,
How can a rookie actor turn out like that?
At that point—
-Swish.
After greeting the audience, Kang Woojin handed the microphone in his hand to Kosaku Mana. Mana, whose features left a strong impression, gave Woojin a small nod and thanked him.
"Thank you."
He stepped aside and made space for Woojin right beside Director Kyotaro, giving him the first position among the actors.
Naturally, Kang Woojin, the male lead of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, more than deserved that spot. Once Woojin took his place there, the lineup of the film's lead cast was complete.
"Hello, I'm Kosaku Mana. I played Detective Mochio Yoshizawa in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice*."*
As if nothing had happened, the stage greeting continued smoothly. By now, the hundreds of audience members had adopted an attitude completely different from the one they had shown just minutes before.
-Swish.
They were all too busy pulling out their phones to take pictures of Kang Woojin.
About thirty minutes later.
The team of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice finished their stage greeting and left the theater. Almost immediately, the Japanese cast crowded around Kang Woojin and bombarded him with questions. But once Director Kyotaro stepped in, the mood calmed somewhat.
Turning to Woojin, Kyotaro asked,
"Woojin, are you really alright? I heard your schedule has been unbelievably packed, whether in Korea or overseas."
Kang Woojin gave a silent nod and answered,
"It's tight, but I think I can manage. I have to return to Korea this afternoon."
"Did you come during the filming period for Beneficial Evil*?"*
"Yes. But I already got permission. As long as I keep it short and impactful, it won't be a problem."
"Haha, thank you."
"No, it's nothing. I couldn't exactly skip the stage greetings for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice*."*
"By the way, if you're here, why is the press so quiet?"
"I slipped in quietly."
As a result, Woojin decided to do stage greetings at a total of four theaters, including the one he had just finished. Right after that, he would have to return to Korea without a break.
At moments like this, the distance between Japan and Korea felt as light to Kang Woojin as commuting between Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
As Kang Woojin busied himself finishing the stage greetings for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice—
[[Kang Woojin, Cannes Best Actor winner, makes a surprise appearance at an audience preview for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice / Photo]]
—the news exploded across the Japanese media. The reason was obvious. The viewers who had just attended the screening had already begun spreading Woojin's photos and videos all over social media.
[[Kang Woojin makes a surprise visit to Japan. Did he enter the country in secret?]]
[[Kang Woojin makes an unexpected appearance at The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice audience screening, eyewitness accounts pour across social media]]
[[With one week until the release of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, is Cannes hero Kang Woojin feeling nervous?]]
It was an absurdly hectic half day.
After finishing all the stage greetings, Woojin headed straight for Haneda Airport without resting for even a moment. Inside the car on the way there, Kang Woojin called Choi Seonggeon. No matter how busy he was in Korea, Choi Seonggeon always answered Woojin's calls.
"Woojin, are you done with your Japan schedule? Ah, I should've gone with you after all."
"It's alright. Everything wrapped up well, CEO."
In his usual low voice, Kang Woojin began explaining the decision he had made.
"And I declined all the scripts and screenplays that came in from overseas this time."
"...All of them? Even Jurassic Land 4*?"*
"Yes. All of them."
Kang Woojin had rejected every offer, including Jurassic Land 4.
On the other end of the line, Choi Seonggeon did not sound especially surprised.
"Understood. I'll handle the rest."
Not long after, Kang Woojin arrived at Haneda Airport. His entry into Japan had been done quietly and in secret, but his departure was the exact opposite.
-Flashflashflash!
-Flashflashflashflash!
Hundreds of Japanese reporters, along with even more fans and onlookers, had gathered at the airport to catch a glimpse of Kang Woojin. But he had no time to linger there. After giving a brief wave, Woojin completed his departure procedures and headed toward the terminal where the plane was waiting.
What stood out here was his internal reaction.
He had arrived in Japan on a regular commercial flight, but this time, things were different.
Wow, holy crap, this is insane! Is that... a private jet?!
For the first time, Kang Woojin saw with his own eyes the private plane Chairman Hideki Yoshimura had given him.
Damn!! This is really my private jet?!
Even seeing it in person, he could barely believe it.
Meanwhile, back in Korea...
At the exact moment Kang Woojin was standing in Japan, overwhelmed by an entirely different kind of emotion, Korea was boiling over with one issue after another surrounding him. The aftereffects of Cannes and Leech were still raging.
[[Leech confirms October 27 release, theaters competing to secure advance screening slots / Photo]]
Leech was still an enormous issue overseas, and Korea was no exception. On top of that, there was the whole Miley Cara situation, followed by everything involving The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
At that point, Kang Woojin's brand power in Korea was imperial.
Naturally, every single project connected to him was receiving attention.
[[Star Talk] Kang Woojin's Beneficial Evil, drawing global attention after Cannes]]
[[Is Netflix going all in on the global rollout of Beneficial Evil by riding Kang Woojin's influence?]]
Major domestic media companies and mid-sized outlets alike had all turned their attention toward Korea's biggest star, Kang Woojin. Among them was Power Patch, the large entertainment media outlet that had a long history with him.
When the chief editor of Power Patch's entertainment division entered the office, it looked like absolute chaos.
-Swish.
Without even reacting to the deafening chatter of the reporters, the editor walked straight to a nearby desk. Sitting there was a reporter with heavy dark circles under his eyes and square glasses. The editor lightly tapped him on the shoulder and gestured.
"Come to my office."
The reporter grumbled a little, but followed him. This was the same reporter who had attended Cannes and even interviewed Kang Woojin there.
Once inside the editor's office, the editor leaned against his desk and spoke first.
"Have you seen this before?"
He held out his phone. On the screen was a photo that looked as though it had been taken at a filming set. Tilting his head, the reporter answered with a puzzled expression.
"What is this?"
"It's from Bangkok. Don't you recognize it?"
"No, not really."
"Hmm. It looks like it started spreading on Bangkok social media and community sites. I found out through an acquaintance there."
"Alright. And?"
"Look more closely, idiot."
The reporter scratched his chin and leaned closer to the phone. The photo showed multiple cameras, filming equipment, and dozens of staff members. It had clearly been taken from a distance, with a wide angle, so it was obviously a filming site. The editor pointed to one man in the photo with his index finger.
"Can't you tell who that is?"
Examining the photo carefully, the reporter suddenly exclaimed,
"Ah!"
"Kang Woojin?"
"That's right. It's Kang Woojin."
"..."
After a brief silence, the reporter clapped once.
"This is a behind-the-scenes photo from the overseas shoot of Beneficial Evil*, right? That's it, isn't it? The* Beneficial Evil team was filming in Bangkok recently."
"Correct."
"So? These kinds of screenshots are going to be officially released by Beneficial Evil sooner or later anyway. It doesn't seem like a huge deal. Though I guess it could help stir up interest in advance."
"Hear me out to the end."
Frowning slightly, the editor moved his finger across the screen. This time, he pointed to a blonde woman standing a little distance away from Kang Woojin.
"Who do you think that blonde woman is?"
"...Wait a second."
The reporter's face turned serious as he leaned in even closer. The photo was somewhat blurry, and the woman's face wasn't fully visible, but her distinctive blonde hair, silhouette, and overall aura felt strangely familiar.
He stared at her for a moment, then hesitated before murmuring her name under his breath.
"No way... is that Miley Cara?"
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles...
In Japan and Korea, it was early afternoon, but in Los Angeles, it was late at night. Despite the late hour, the city lights of LA still gleamed brightly as two large vans sped down the road. In the front seat sat a familiar blonde woman.
It was Miley Cara, who had been making headlines recently with the release of her new album.
"..."
Her blonde hair loose around her, she had just finished another packed day and was now heading to a recording studio. Sitting by the window, silently looking down at her phone, she lifted her head slightly and smiled faintly.
She was looking at Jonathan, who sat opposite her.
"Three hundred million views."
In a low voice, Cara showed Jonathan her phone. On the screen was the music video for her latest song, uploaded to her YouTube channel.
-[Alcoholism (feat. Woojin)] | Miley Cara
-300 million views
Jonathan grinned and raised his thumb.
"It was at two hundred ninety million around lunchtime. Congratulations, Cara."
"This isn't just something for me to celebrate. It's something all of us should celebrate. But it's been a long time since a video passed hundreds of millions this quickly, hasn't it?"
"Yes. About five years. It's all thanks to working with Kang Woojin."
"Even giving him a house doesn't feel like enough. Anyway, I should send him a DM."
She lowered her gaze back to her phone, and Jonathan, arms folded, asked another question.
"But are you really not going to read any of the incoming scripts?"
Still focused on her phone, Cara brushed her blonde hair back and replied,
"Right. I'll wait until Joseph writes something. If I read something else and end up liking it, I'll just feel disappointed. Better not to look at any of them at all."
"Hmm."
At that moment, Miley Cara turned the phone toward Jonathan again.
"Do you think he'll react if I send him this?"
"Probably. His international name value, YouTube subscriber count, and social media followers are all going to rise even more."
"He's the type who rarely shows emotion."
On Cara's phone screen was this week's updated Billboard chart.
[Billboard Hot 100]
-1. Alcoholism (feat. Woojin) / Miley Cara (new this week!)
·
·
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Kang Woojin's name had now been engraved at the very top of the Billboard chart.