Chapter 250: Sprint (6)

At the end of the dark alley. Kang Woojin or Kiyoshi calmly looked down at the recorder placed on his hand.

“······”

There was no expression on his face. His breathing was steady. On the other hand, the pretty faced Eishi, who was looking at Woojin, kept glancing nervously backward. For several tens of seconds in this state. The quiet alley was interrupted by Director Kyotaro’s signal.

“···Cut!!”

It was OK. But this scene wasn’t concluded just like that. They adjusted the lighting once, and adjusted the camera angles and the position of the characters again. During this, Kang Woojin’s indifferent face remained calm, but he felt a slight embarrassment.

‘Aren’t the number of spectators continuously increasing?’

The number of eyes watching was gradually growing. In the end, there were a total of four retakes.

In the meantime, many actors joined the dozens of staff and the filming team facing the alley. Mana Kosaku, playing Detective Mochio, Mifuyu Uramatsu with disheveled makeup as Amie, as well as minor and supporting actors. And even the numerous extras to fill the background volume.

Although it wasn’t their scene, the actors chose to watch rather than wait.

Especially the extras had a strong mentality.

“Kang Woojin, I heard he also does anime voice acting.”

“Ah- I saw that too. But looking at his pronunciation and diction, there’s no problem at all.”

“Right. I was really curious, and my wish was fulfilled. Seeing Kang Woojin’s acting right in front of me.”

“······It’s really beyond expectations. Honestly, with so much buzz, I thought there might be some hype.”

“Regardless of the hype, he’s the first Korean actor to blow up in Japan like this, right?”

There were some whose dream was acting, but quite a few were just there for a short part-time job. Either way, Kang Woojin, in the center of that filming zone, was a fascinating, unbelievable presence.

“Lately, all our theater troupe actors talk about is Kang Woojin.”

“Ah- really? Well, even in our group, the number of people practicing Kang Woojin’s roles has increased. They just change the lines a bit from scenes in ‘Hanryang’ or ‘Male Friend’.”

To both unknown actors and ordinary people, Woojin just appeared as a star. Especially since he came from Korea and was shaking up Japan, it was even more astonishing. In the history of Korean and Japanese entertainment industries, Kang Woojin was unique.

A few minutes later.

After the filming site was organized, the ‘Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ team started filming the next scene.

“Action!”

Of course, Kang Woojin was currently Iyota Kiyoshi himself, and the pretty supporting actor in front of him was Horyo Eishi.

-Swoosh.

Woojin or Kiyoshi, with a lifeless face, fiddled with the recorder in his hand. Then he slowly raised the recorder to his ear and played the stored recording. A woman’s voice was heard. But the volume wasn’t loud. It was the voice of Horinochi Amie, who was mentally confused and drunk.

It wasn’t clearly audible.

It wasn’t recorded distinctly on the audio device either. It was an intended direction. Of course, the recorder contained something like Amie’s confession. The things she did in the past, and the deeds committed by the same group.

“······”

Expressionless, Kang Woojin listened to Amie’s voice for a moment. The camera captured Woojin’s calm demeanor in a bust shot. Then, satisfied, he lowered his hand and nodded slightly.

“Well done.”

Eishi, who was trembling with anxiety, raised his voice slightly.

“You’re sure you’ll give me the money, right?”

Woojin replied in an emotionless tone.

“Quiet.”

“Ah! Ah-”

Eishi glanced backward again. At the same time, Kang Woojin, while putting the recorder into the bag slung over his shoulder, took out a bundle of money tied with a rubber band from the bag.

“I’ll give you 10% first.”

The camera captured Eishi’s astonished face.

“That’s not what we agreed on.”

“The money will be given to you monthly.”

“······Monthly?”

“If it’s inconvenient, I’ll return the recorder. The deal can be off.”

“Give it to me!”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Eishi snatched the bundle of money from Woojin’s hand, and Kang Woojin calmly said.

“Now disappear for about half a year.”

Horyo Eishi. It was quite some time ago that Kang Woojin or Kiyoshi discovered him, Amie’s hidden lover. It was when he was tailing Amie like a dead mouse. Interestingly, despite Eishi’s pretty face, his behavior was despicable. He pretended to be upright in front of Amie, but behind her back, he frequented gambling and gaming parlors, and had considerable debt with the Kabukicho yakuza.

He even dabbled in drugs.

Kabukicho, as flashy as it was, was a street of pleasure. A thug of Eishi’s caliber was common in this street. It was nothing for Kang Woojin to grab hold of and shake such a weakness of his.

First, he put a leash on him with money.

‘But you must not quench his thirst.’

Eishi had already crossed the line. At this rate, he would be abandoned by either Amie or the yakuza, whichever side it might be. Especially if he fell into the hands of the yakuza, he could be killed without a trace. In other words, to Eishi, Kiyoshi was both a transaction partner and a hope right now.

That hope handed Eishi a key and a note.

“I’ve arranged a house in a fishing village in Chiba. The paper has the directions.”

With trembling hands, Eishi received the key and the note. Then he looked again at Woojin’s expressionless face. Kang Woojin lightly pointed behind him with his index finger.

“What are you doing, disappear.”

“You can call me.”

“I will.”

“······”

Soon, Eishi stuffed the money and key into his pocket and ran out of the alley. Kang Woojin watched his retreating figure indifferently. The camera slowly captured his face, and Woojin murmured quietly.

“It should be fine for a few months.”

But that man will go crazy at some point. It doesn’t matter. There’s a way for that too. After all, Eishi is destined to fall into the yakuza’s hands. Having gotten what he wanted and having bought some time, that was enough.

Step, step.

With dead eyes, Woojin calmly walked out of the alley. Then he recalled the recorder in his bag. Of course, he had no intention of handing it over to the police.

This recorder was merely an excuse to control another ‘homework’, not Amie.

Standing still and organizing his thoughts, Kang Woojin or Kiyoshi moved his gaze. According to the scenario, he was supposed to look at the bustling Kabukicho street, but right now, Woojin was staring directly at the camera in front of him.

“······”

The eyes of the ‘stranger’ reflected on the monitor were dead, and more people would die soon. But Kang Woojin nonchalantly moved on to the next step.

“Should I eat some ramen?”

He was hungry.

Afterward.

Returning to the Japanese set of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger,’ Kang Woojin focused solely on filming without any other schedules. There had been about a week’s gap, and the ‘Eerie Sacrifice’ team itself had picked up speed.

“Cut, cut! Let’s go again!”

“Yes! Director!”

The ‘Eerie Sacrifice’ team, set up in Kabukicho, continued outdoor filming in a similar location on the 13th, the day after.

Meanwhile, the news of the ‘Male Friend: Remake’ that caused a commotion yesterday had already expanded as much as it could. Not only the Japanese public but also people from any industry knew about it.

『Following ‘The Eerie Sacrifice’, even ‘Male Friend: Remake’? Fans of Kang Woojin, who has expanded into anime voice acting, are excited, the voice acting industry is worried』

There was no stopping Kang Woojin, who was crowned the king of issues, from being attached to the newly released articles. It was indeed the moment when the nuclear bomb that A10 Studio had initially expected hit its target.

Of course, as time passed, the interest in ‘Male Friend: Remake’ continued to grow endlessly.

On the 14th, the day after, and the next day, the 15th.

Dominating social media, it deeply ingrained itself among the tremendous fans of anime. As expected, being an anime powerhouse, the fans’ firepower was extraordinary.

Meanwhile, in Korea on Monday, along with the talk about ‘Our Dining Table’ from the day before.

『It rose again! ‘Our Dining Table’ breaks its own viewership record with 20.7%』

The recently confirmed teasers had been released.

『[Official] Kang Woojin’s creative dish ‘Kimjaban Makguksu’ from ‘Our Dining Table’ to be released as a cup noodle in collaboration with Nongsin』

Maintaining a viewership rating in the 20% range, it was a double celebration. The food company ‘Nongsin,’ with whom they finalized a contract, released the issue as quickly as possible. Thanks to this, not only the viewers of ‘Our Dining Table’ but also many netizens poured out excessive interest.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Wow, is Kimjaban Makguksu really coming out as a product??ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Kang Woojin…. seriously seems to have massive influence in every areaㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Shit, I drooled every time I watched ‘Our Dining Table,’ I’m buying Kimjaban Makguksu as soon as it comes out

-Kang Chef’s form is awesome

-Wasn’t there something like this before?? But this time, Kang Woojin’s might even cause an open runㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Nongsin is doing a good job

-ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜHahaha please let me eat the real thing, not just cup noodles…..Woojin oppa….

-The amazing thing about Kang Woojin is that even while doing YouTube, cooking, and variety shows, he doesn’t neglect his acting work. He’s really something

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Around lunchtime when the buzz was intensifying, PD Yoon Byung-seon’s side released another official announcement.

『PD Yoon Byung-seon’s side, “Our Dining Table second filming is set to start at the end of February”』

It was about the second filming of ‘Our Dining Table’. Of course, the articles gained quite a bit of traction. However, for some reason, another issue was rapidly gaining momentum in various domestic communities.

-Recent update on Kang Woojin’s venture into Japan…. confirmed as an anime voice actor.jpg

The issue of ‘Male Friend: Remake’ shaking all of Japan had started to spread. Kang Woojin, who never walked the set path, was an actor who always triggered surprises, and since this voice acting issue was also not typical, many communities instantly caught fire.

-Kang Woojin is doing anime voice acting in Japan???

-Is it true that Kang Woojin is confirmed as an anime voice actor?

-(Leaks) Brought over the feed from the anime production company that confirmed Kang Woojin

-Wow… crazy, isn’t it A10 Studio? Aren’t they known for top-tier anime quality?

-Current situation on A10 Studio’s SNSㅋㅋㅋㅋ Japanese people are going crazy

-A10 is one of the top 1 or 2 anime production companies in Japan

-Looking up the anime that Kang Woojin is voicing, it seems the original is Netflix’s ‘Male Friend’

-The anime title is ‘Male Friend: Remake’

-Is Kang Woojin doing it alone?? What about Hwalin?

There were quite a lot of fans of Japanese anime in Korea as well. With Kang Woojin overlapping, the news spread at an astonishing speed. In less than an hour, articles spread not just across communities, but on YouTube and various portal sites.

-But is it really possible for Kang Woojin to do all this alone or he definitely have a twin?

It was quite common for actors or comedians in Korea to take on dubbing work. However, this ‘Male Friend: Remake’ involving Kang Woojin was a first. Adding to this was the story involving Asami Sayaka and piano performances, causing the snowball to roll even more vigorously.

Kang Woojin truly kept coming up with new things endlessly.

Perhaps that’s why? Surprisingly, directors, PDs, actors, and various officials in the Korean entertainment industry who knew Woojin weren’t as shocked as expected.

“Kang Woojin is taking the main role in a Japanese anime as a voice actor?”

“Ha- really? But why doesn’t such absurd news surprise me? Is it because it’s Kang Woojin?”

It was because he had established himself as an icon of a monster. If it were another actor, it would be ridiculous, but since it was Kang Woojin, the response was one of understanding.

Another day passed.

“Hi- Action!”

While bombardments continued in Korea, Kang Woojin indifferently continued filming ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. It was currently a set shoot, not an outdoor one.

The main actress was Mifuyu Uramatsu, playing ‘Horinochi Amie.’

The story after her lover, Horyo Eishi, disappeared.

With the sudden disappearance of Eishi, her only support, Mifuyu’s mind was crumbling endlessly.

“Eishi······where is Eishi?”

Her brain was deteriorating. The symptoms of hallucinations and auditory hallucinations were getting severe. Mifuyu passionately expressed such an Amie.

“Toka! Disappear!! I told you to fuck off!! Why do you keep appearing!! Don’t look at me!!”

It was all a situation orchestrated by Iyota Kiyoshi. But Kiyoshi did not leave her alone. He continuously muddled her mind. He had graduation photos delivered to Amie’s house, sent photos of Ginzo’s death, or texted her from an unknown number.

One week, two weeks, three weeks.

As Amie deteriorated, she eventually turned to drugs. It was something left behind by her lover, Eishi. She held out for a while, but in the end, she avoided reality and threw herself into a hideous, non-existent escape route.

It was around that time.

-♬♪

Another phone of Amie’s started ringing. The caller was a man.

“Hey, Amie. Are you alright? Why haven’t you been opening the store lately?”

He was one of Kang Woojin or Kiyoshi’s ‘homeworks.’

At this point, the filming location changed.

Inside a luxury sedan, a man dressed in a suit and a deteriorated Amie were sitting side by side in the driver’s and passenger’s seats. The camera was positioned outside the front window.

The man in the suit was the one who had called Amie.

He wore glasses and had a smart-looking face. He seemed very capable. His name was Tsuzuki Itsuma. Known as the brain of the group back in high school, he was from a well-off family that owned a mid-sized company.

Itsuma managed the members from school days.

As the heir to a mid-sized company, any unnecessary problems could cause him headaches. Recently, the incident of Ginzo’s death occurred. Additionally, the frantic calls from Amie had increased. Although it was a separate phone, too many messages could lead to being tracked.

Therefore, Itsuma had to meet Amie.

The problem was.

“Save me, Itsuma······Toka is alive. She comes to me every day. I can’t endure it anymore···I’m going to the police and tell them everything. If I confess, Toka will forgive me.”

“Amie. Calm down, Toka is dead.”

“No! She’s alive! Yesterday, today too! I saw her!! A few days ago, a detective came by, I’m going to tell them everything and get protection. Itsuma, you should run away far. Toka will find you soon.”

Amie was already half, no, completely insane. The conversation was not making sense.

“Ha- Alright, just in case, let’s go to the school.”

Itsuma, as if making a decision, started the car.

Regardless, Amie kept muttering about ‘Misaki Toka.’ Itsuma gave up trying to persuade her. But he couldn’t just leave her like this.

As Itsuma stepped on the accelerator, he put one hand into his pocket and touched something.

A recorder.

It was something sent by an unknown person a few days ago.

*****

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