Chapter 277: All Time (8)

The filming of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ has finally concluded. It felt both long and short at the same time. However, the hundreds of staff members were visibly moved and couldn’t hide their excitement in their respective positions.

“Everyone did a great job!!”

“Hahaha, it’s over! It’s finally over!”

“Ehhh?? Isn’t lighting director~nim too happy??!”

“Hey! It’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!”

“Ah- It’s bittersweet! Good job, everyone!”

“I think I’ll remember this work for a really long time!!”

“I’m sad it’s over! Everyone worked so hard!!”

Some were bowing deeply, others were laughing joyfully, some had slightly teary eyes, and some were clapping their hands.

-Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

Each team’s staff members were congratulating and praising each other. Especially, there were many cheers directed towards the actors. Although Kang Woojin was the only actor officially participating in the final scene, all the actors of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ were present to witness the last shoot.

“Woojin-ssi!! Thank you so much!”

“Thank you for showing us such great acting all this time!”

“You were the best today as well!”

The actors and staff mingled and exchanged their final greetings. The dozens of additional personnel and the actors’ staff teams were no different. With more than 150 people gathered, the rented subway station was bustling with noise.

Director Kyotaro, who was at the spot with several monitors, was busy shaking hands with the key staff members.

“You worked hard, Director~nim.”

“Hmm. The real work starts now, from editing to release, but everyone worked hard.”

“Haha. But you should take a few days off.”

The set of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ displayed the typical final scene of any movie shooting. Amidst this, Kang Woojin, who was slowly descending the stairs, was being greeted by numerous staff members and actors.

“Woojin-ssi! Can you feature me on your YouTube channel? I really want to appear on it!”

“If it’s Mifuyu Uramatsu-ssi, you’re welcome.”

“Really??!”

“Yes, I’ll confirm and let you know.”

“Yay! I’m so happy!”

While maintaining his poker face, he looked around at the bustling scene. The surging crowd. Though his face might appear to be playing along with the concept, his emotions were truly heartfelt.

‘Hmm- So, another project has ended like this?’

An indescribable emotion welled up. How to put it, he felt a bit good, yet there was a sense of discomfort preventing him from fully enjoying it.

Moreover.

‘This one was quite intense. Was it because it was filmed abroad?’

Even though the aura had long been removed, there was a lingering scent of ‘Iyota Kiyoshi’. Was it because the shoot was conducted in unfamiliar Japan? Maybe it was because many new elements were added in portraying Kiyoshi.

Piano, role synthesis, the freedom of the role, and so on.

Kiyoshi, who fully embraced all of these, and Kang Woojin too. This would remain deeply in his memory for a long time. When an actor finishes a project, many farewells await, but parting with the character stands out the most.

Especially, it was more so for Kang Woojin.

Because he was the only one in the world who lived in the world of the role. It had always been that way, and it was the same this time. Another world had ended.

At this point, Choi Sung-gun approached Kang Woojin’s team.

“Woojin-ah, you worked hard.”

“You all worked hard.”

“Oppa! You did great!”

“Another one finished!”

The team worked hard due to Woojin’s schedule. Kang Woojin spoke with a voice filled with sincerity. Of course, it was in a very low tone.

“Thank you all for your hard work.”

“Oh my? What’s this? It’s kind of touching?”

“Right. It’s a very common phrase from others, but somehow when Woojin oppa says it, it hits differently?”

Smirking, Choi Sung-gun placed his hand on Woojin’s shoulder and said.

“We’ve climbed one mountain. Now, let’s wrap up things related to ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ for a few days and then tackle the recording for ‘Male Friend: Remake’. Including the minor schedules, it should all be done within two weeks.”

The voice dubbing and recording of OST and piano for the anime ‘Male Friend: Remake’.

“Next, we have to wrap up ‘Leech’ after returning to Korea.”

Soon, the stylists started groaning.

“Ahhh- even though one movie is done, why doesn’t it feel like the work has decreased??”

“Woojin oppa, aren’t you tired? Honestly, after finishing all the remaining work, you should rest for at least a year.”

“Not really.”

“Wow- only you’re still energetic! Robot! Monster!”

Director Kyotaro approached Kang Woojin, who was chatting with the staff. The stylists made way, and Kyotaro, looking at Woojin, extended his hand.

“Although it’s not completely over yet. You did a great job, Woojin-ssi. And thank you. I enjoyed it a lot.”

Kang Woojin, who took his hand, bowed his head.

“I should be the one saying that, I learned a lot.”

After that, the bustling ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ set transitioned into a wrap-up atmosphere. In the meantime, Kang Woojin, looking at the set and the staff of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, murmured softly.

“It was fun.”

The next day, the 29th. Late morning. Japan.

From the morning, the Japanese broadcasting industry, production companies, and various fields within the entertainment industry were buzzing. Especially the film companies and production companies.

“‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ finished cranking up yesterday.”

“Ahh- really? It started with a bang and finally wrapped up, as expected from the great director Kyotaro Tanoguchi.”

“Yeah, despite numerous issues, it got wrapped up. Normally, it would have been halted due to public opinion and industry pressure.”

Rumors about ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, which finished filming yesterday, were spreading.

“……Since it just cranked up, it could be delayed to next year, but if everything went with usual pace, it should be released in the second half of this year. If the timing overlaps, it might clash with our release.”

“Possibly.”

In the entire Japanese entertainment industry, ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ was extremely famous. To begin with, it was the next project of the Japanese great director Kyotaro, based on the original work by the big-name author Akari. Then there was the sudden recruitment of Korean actor Kang Woojin, and so on. It had never been quiet from the start until now.

“CEO~nim! Did you hear?? ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ finished filming yesterday!”

“I know, I heard.”

“It was on the edge of collapse, but they managed to wrap it up. How will it perform? The public interest is high, so it seems the initial momentum will be strong.”

“Well. We won’t know until it’s released. The original work is by author Akari, and the next project of director Kyotaro, the cast involved, and the backing of the Kashiwa Group. Just with the background, it could easily surpass 10 million viewers-”

Reactions within the Japanese industry were mixed. Some viewed it as a competitor, while others anticipated it as a fellow industry member.

“……Wouldn’t 10 million be difficult? Considering the current trend.”

“Personally, I hope that movie hits 10 million. Even if not, I hope it achieves the highest possible results. It’s been roughly 10 years since a pure film, not an anime, achieved such results. It’s time for the market dynamics to shift.”

“I understand ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ is releasing in both Japan and Korea.”

“I hope it does well in both countries. That way, live-action films and anime theatrical releases might slow down a bit, giving some breathing space to pure films.”

Although ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ is also based on an original work, it has been adapted by the director, and the script has been properly refined to a genuine film. However, the Japanese drama and film industry was already dominated by anime theatrical releases. It was no exaggeration to call them the reigning champions.

It had been over 10 years since a purely Japanese film achieved decent results.

On the contrary, in the last three years alone, anime theatrical releases were soaring. Two years ago, there was even an anime that surpassed 18 million viewers.

‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ had to penetrate through this narrow gap.

Generally, the consensus was that the likelihood was very low.

Nevertheless, it was undoubtedly the hottest topic in Japan.

『The sensational “The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger” completed cranking up yesterday』

The Japanese media quickly reported the news of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ cranking up. This issue soon spread from the media to public opinion. The next topic of interest was on social media. Given the recent strength of ‘#KangWoojin’, sharing the news spread like wildfire.

YouTube also added fuel to the fire. Soon, countless Japanese individuals were busy typing away.

– I’ll definitely watch this movie when it’s released! We’ve only had anime theatrical releases lately, it’s been a while since a proper movie is coming out!

– So they finally finished filming…. As a fan of the original, I’m not happy about this movie being released

– I’m most curious about how Kang Woojin will perform! Voice acting in the anime is interesting too, but he’s an actor, after all!

– They pushed forward despite numerous fans of the original being against it, so the result better be good

– I hope it’s at least half as good as the original….

– Does it make sense for a Korean actor to play Iyota Kiyoshi in the first place?

– Why not? Kang Woojin is already a star in Japan.

– Judging by the reactions, this movie will definitely cause a stir in its first week upon release.

Arguments were already starting.

As ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ was quickly becoming a hot topic across Japan, Kang Woojin could be found at a Korean restaurant in Shin-Okubo.

His schedule today started from noon.

Therefore, Kang Woojin, along with his team staff, visited the Korean restaurant for a late breakfast. However, Choi Sung-gun was nowhere to be seen.

With Woojin’s appearance, the Japanese patrons already in the restaurant couldn’t help but stare.

“Wow! It’s K-Kang Woojin!”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Heee! It’s really him?? It’s really Kang Woojin!”

“イケメン!! (Roughly means “He’s so handsome, I’m shocked”)

Even after Woojin entered the room, the main hall of the Korean restaurant buzzed with his name. The place was packed with Japanese people, influenced by the Hallyu wave.

Soon.

“Wow- Woojin hyung!”

Jang Su-hwan, who was sitting on a chair, grinned and patted Kang Woojin, who was taking off his hat, on the shoulder.

“Hyung! At this rate, you’re doing better than most top Japanese stars!!”

Han Ye-jung and the stylists enthusiastically agreed.

“He’s already surpassed them.”

“Absolutely, completely!! Did you see in front of the KPOP goods store on the street we came from?! There was a poster of Woojin oppa!!”

“Really??!”

Of course, Woojin had noticed it out of the corner of his eye too, internally shouting, ‘Why is my photo there?!’. At this moment, Jang Su-hwan, who was looking at the menu, suddenly showed his phone to Kang Woojin.

“Hehe, Japan is Japan, but the real deal is Korea, right??! Wow- this sight is amazing no matter how many times I see it!!”

What else could it be? What he showed was the performance of the box office results of ‘Island of the Missing’, which was causing a sensation. ‘Island of the Missing’ had been out for ten days already, and the results up to Friday, yesterday, were announced today, Saturday.

[2021 May 28th Audience Count]

[Daily Domestic Box Office]

1. Island of the Missing/ Release Date: May 19th/ Audience Count: 780,115/ Screens: 1159 / Cumulative Audience: 8,364,234

.

.

.

8 million. It was beyond shocking; it was a massive upheaval.

The difference from other movies was clear. The winner of the ‘movie war’ was cemented as ‘Island of the Missing’. Now, the only real competitor for ‘Island of the Missing’ was the all-time top Korean movie, ‘Sea Battle’.

Even then, ‘Island of the Missing’ was about two days ahead.

But Kang Woojin remained composed. He had already secretly jumped for joy in the morning.

“What comes next is more important. It’s only been about 10 days.”

“Still, it’s an insane pace!”

“But oppa! Do you think ‘Island of the Missing’ will surpass ‘Sea Battle’?”

“Definitely.”

“Wow- such confidence.”

Han Ye-jung spoke in her characteristic cold tone.

“It makes sense, oppa can afford to be like this right now. You’ve probably heard, right? When asked who their role model is, most aspiring actors in the theater scene or acting academies mention Woojin oppa.”

“I’ve heard.”

“Even when our company recruited new talents recently, there was a huge crowd, and over 80% of them said their goal was to be like Woojin oppa. Right now, there are probably countless trainees going to watch ‘Island of the Missing’.”

It was indeed true. While Woojin couldn’t confirm it from Japan, in Korea, many acting trainees or aspirants were currently watching ‘Island of the Missing’.

No, it was overflowing.

In university acting departments, Woojin’s acting was becoming an essential addition to the curriculum, and many theater groups and acting academies were adopting Kang Woojin as a role model for their training. This approach ignited the trainees’ determination.

At this moment.

-Knock, knock.

Food started to enter the room. Braised short ribs, stir-fried pork, cold noodles, kimchi stew, and so on. Since there were many people, the amount of food was staggering. However, behind the two female employees serving the food, a middle-aged woman, who seemed to be the restaurant owner, entered with a smile.

“This. The spicy braised chicken is on the house! Woojin-nim, if you want anything more, just let us know. We’ll bring everything!”

Kang Woojin shook his head solemnly.

“No, you don’t need to do that.”

The woman responded with a gesture saying please.

“Thanks to Woojin-ssi, our business has increased several times since Woojin-ssi blew up in Japan! The ‘Kimjaban Makguksu’ also had a huge impact! Please enjoy!”

By now, Woojin was already an icon of national prestige in Japan.

At the same time. Kashiwa Group headquarters.

In the massive chairman’s office, a familiar man could be seen on a 5-seater sofa that looked incredibly expensive at first glance. It was Choi Sung-gun. Today, for some reason, he was dressed in a white shirt, and several transparent files he had brought were laid on the glass table in front of him.

Next to Choi Sung-gun, sitting in the main seat of the five-person sofa, was an elderly man. Or rather, Chairman Hideki Yoshimura, who looked like a lion with a thick white mane.

With his arms crossed, he looked at Choi Sung-gun and spoke in a gravelly voice.

“Considering Kang Woojin-ssi’s momentum, I think it’s about time to establish overseas branches for bw Entertainment. What do you think, CEO?”

In an instant, Choi Sung-gun’s eyes widened immensely.

*****

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