The first screening of ‘Drug Dealer’. To be precise, it was a test and blind preview. Thanks to this, Kang Woojin, who made a cameo, along with Jin Jae-jun, the male lead of ‘Drug Dealer’, lead actors, Director Kim Do-hee, the director of photography, key staff members, film company officials, and others. Over 30 people all focused their eyes on the screen at the front of the sound studio.
-[And Kang Woojin]
Right after Kang Woojin’s name, which had just appeared on the screen, vanished like smoke, a grand musical score suddenly switched to a strong beat that one might hear in a club.
-♬♪
The screen, which had been black, now displayed a nightclub. It wasn’t the present but a glimpse of the past. Numerous people were dancing to the music, similar yet distinct in their old-fashioned looks and attire. This made sense, as ‘Drug Dealer’ was set in the year 1999.
The location was Busan.
Soon, the angle followed a waiter carrying drinks, leading to a private room. The screen showed a group of men and women, intoxicated by alcohol. But it wasn’t just liquor they were set up with in this room. It was alcohol mixed with drugs circulated in Busan.
Naturally, the men and women in the room were out of their minds. (TL: out of their minds = high)
Then, suddenly, the door of the room burst open.
[“Idiots, having a blast, huh.”]
A man with a cigarette in his mouth appeared. He was a detective. The protagonist of ‘Drug Dealer’, ‘Jeong Seong-hoon’, played by Jin Jae-jun. The Seong-hoon on the screen had a distinct, sharp and cunning aura, and he suddenly yelled loudly after taking a long drag of his cigarette.
[“Where is the boss?! Dong-tae! Hey, Kim Dong-tae!”]
The angle swiftly changed. From the back of a man in a suit hurrying over, the scene quickly merged to Seong-hoon in front of the room. The man arriving began to grovel before Seong-hoon.
[“Ah, Detective! if you came, you should’ve come straight to me, Why are you bothering with nonsense? Come this way. Let me get you a pack of cigarettes.”]
The man stuffed something into Seong-hoon’s pocket. What else could it be? It was money. The angle then close-upped on Seong-hoon, smirking wickedly.
[“Why does it feel a bit light?”]
The man stuffed more money into the other pocket.
[“There, nice and heavy – Let’s go have a coffee, shall we? I’ve called over some girls with nice butts.”]
Seong-hoon was forcibly dragged away by the man. Or rather, he pretended to be. At this point, the screen went dark. Suddenly, a news anchor’s voice filled the room.
[“Drug dealing is rampant in Busan.”]
Following that, a news clip appeared on the screen with white subtitles scrolling underneath, explaining the situation in 1999. From here, ‘Drug Dealer’ gradually picked up speed.
And so, ‘Drug Dealer’ accelerated.
As more characters were introduced from Jeong Seong-hoon’s perspective, events exploded here and there.
A feeling of intense suspense and urgency.
‘Drug Dealer’ reached its midpoint with a story so engaging that it was hard to look away. Around this time, the screen showed a darkening sky and soon, rain began to pour down. The sound of heavy rain was amplified through the audio.
-Ssshhhhhhh
Then the screen changed. The driver opened the door of the last sedan in a row of four, and a man in a suit got out. His top button undone, revealing a glimpse of a tattoo on his chest – it was ‘Lee Sang-man’, the boss of the ‘Sang-man Faction’.
Kang Woojin’s first appearance.
-♬♪
Lee Sang-man’s theme music played immediately. A film score that was heavy, brutal, and yet, somehow melancholic. In that moment, Woojin, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the studio, was expressionless but internally freaking out.
‘Eek! That’s me!’
He had seen it before on the director’s monitor during shooting, but watching the finished product on screen made him feel embarrassingly self-conscious.
And then,
‘…Hmm, it’s kind of cool, isn’t it? Or not.’
Falling into a bit of self-admiration, Woojin was the only one unaffected while the rest of the attendees began to whisper from the moment Lee Sang-man first appeared.
“Definitely – the character Lee Sang-man is killer.”
Especially the film company officials were non-stop in their remarks.
“In the beginning, the pacing was fast then slow, but as soon as Lee Sang-man appeared in the middle, the immersion skyrocketed.”
“It must have been the director’s intention to set it up that way.”
These evaluations of ‘Drug Dealer’ morphed into shock as the film progressed into its middle and later stages. This was due to the transformation of Lee Sang-man, who gradually lost his charisma and edged towards death.
“The acting is insane.”
“It might be due to makeup, but the way the Lee Sang-man goes crazy is just… wow.”
“Considering how hot Woojin is right now, he might become an all-time great villain character if this goes well.”
“With that level of acting, wouldn’t there be controversies after the movie’s release, asking if Woojin has actually tried drugs?”
The impact was undeniably overwhelming.
“Ah- come on.”
Meanwhile,
Following the blind preview, the distributor of ‘Drug Dealer’ immediately started gearing up for the film’s release.
『[MovieTalk] Final post-production stages, Jin Jae-jun and Kang Woojin’s ‘Drug Dealer’ might release as soon as October! / Photo』
They began the planned promotional schedule along with securing theaters. Simultaneously, trailers and related videos for ‘Drug Dealer’ were released all at once.
-【’Drug Dealer’】Official First Trailer｜ENG SUB
Of course, Japan was still buzzing about ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger.’
『‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, What is Kang Woojin’s lead role? Rumors spread through communities.』
Time melts away. Kang Woojin’s time, that is.
Though partly due to his schedule in Japan, the increasing number of events added to the already growing issue also played a role. Thus, even though the blind preview of ‘Drug Dealer’ went well, Kang Woojin had no time or leisure to relax. His schedule was inundated like a tidal wave. First, there were backlogged advertisement shoots.
『[StarTalk] Kang Woojin significantly boosts ‘Mxdonald’s advertising effectiveness, “Extension contract with Kang Woojin confirmed”』
Not just a short-term but a long-term model for ‘Maxsnald’, along with new contracts for clothing ads and more. The advertising industry couldn’t just ignore Woojin, currently the hottest topic in the country.
『’Ad World’s Blue Chip’ Kang Woojin achieves 1st place in brand reputation for August!』
Combining both long-term and short-term deals, Kang Woojin had contracted for more than ten advertisements. Even more so.
『[Fact Check] Clothing brands target ‘Monster Rookie’ Kang Woojin, sold out as soon as he wears them?』
The response to products modeled by Kang Woojin was excellent, especially in clothing. This was a result of Han Ye-jung’s efforts. The jackets and jeans advertised or sponsored on Woojin’s social media saw phenomenal sales.
Therefore,
-Kang Woojin’s jeans seem like good quality lol
-Yesterday’s Kang Woojin jeans jacket real-life pic.jpg
Among the public, the phenomenon of attaching ‘Kang Woojin’s’ name to products was occurring everywhere. In fact, searching for ‘Kang Woojin jeans’ would bring up those products.
『From his first appearance to now, ”insane progress’, how many ads? Estimated earnings of Kang Woojin?』
Consequently, Woojin’s bank account was inevitably growing. However, Kang Woojin had no time to even think about spending money.
“Today we’ll record two songs, and with English and Japanese versions, we’ll produce four in total! Please do it comfortably as you always do!”
“Yes, PD-nim.”
“If we have time, we’ll also shoot a casual video for uploading.”
Filming reserve videos for Kang Woojin’s alter ego channel, which had surpassed a million subscribers, and post-sync recording for ‘Male Friend’, which was currently in its final editing stages.
『[DramaPick] Netflix’s short drama project ‘Male Friend’ is creating a buzz in both Korea and Japan』
There were countless promotions related to ‘Male Friend’, including online and offline promotional schedules, magazine photoshoots, promotional fan signing events, and more.
『‘Male Friend’ Kang Woojin waving to fans at a related event / Photo』
And so, a week vanished in the blink of an eye.
September 8th, Monday, Tokyo, Japan.
The location was the headquarters of the large corporation, Kashiwa Group, in the office right next to the Chairman’s office at the very top. This was the secretary’s office. A woman sitting upright at a solitary desk in the secretary’s office caught the eye. She was Lili Tetsugawa, the Chief Secretary to Chairman Hideki. With her large eyes and generally neat image, she stood out.
In her mid-thirties, she had been assisting Chairman Hideki for over a decade. Thus, there were few in the Kashiwa Group who didn’t know her.
Before her were.
“Hmm-”
Transparent files laid out. These were documents about Kang Woojin and Director Kyotaro Tanoguchi, researched under Chairman Hideki’s orders. However, she had not made any moves yet, even though a week had passed since the instructions were given.
The reason was simple.
Chairman Hideki had changed his instructions. Lili tapped the transparent files with her index finger and crossed her legs, recalling when Chairman Hideki had reversed his orders. It all began when she reported to Chairman Hideki about the investment issues of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.
Strangely, Chairman Hideki was sensitive about the issues of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, but he quickly regained his composure when he realized it was about money.
Then he remarked,
“If it’s about money, that’s hardly a problem.”
Chairman Hideki calmly began to assess the problem.
“But what caused this issue with the investment?”
“’The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ team is keeping it quiet, and it’s not public, so I’m not certain.”
“I know, tell me what you think.”
“…It seems to have started with Kang Woojin, whom you asked me to look into.”
“Are the investors wary of him? Well, as much as he’s controversial, there would be opposers.”
“Yes. Plus, there’s a noticeable increase in complaints from the original fans of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. It was unusual to use a Korean actor, especially a newcomer, in the lead role.”
“They might not have liked the idea of a Korean actor from the start. Hurt pride, perhaps. A resistance to change.”
Chairman Hideki clicked his tongue, seemingly displeased.
“They don’t understand that the more they resist, the more they actually fuel it.”
“But considering Director Kyotaro Tanoguchi’s high status in Japan, the power of the original work of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, and the overlapping issues, I believe they can resolve the investment issue.”
“How long do you think that resolution will take?”
“At the shortest, a few months, at the longest, about half a year.”
“Hmm. It’s certain that this has disrupted their plans. There’s also a chance of it falling through.”
Chairman Hideki stroked his chin, then recalled his grandson’s smiling face.
“He’ll be disappointed.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind, how much is the total production cost of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’?”
“According to what I’ve checked, it’s just under 20 billion won.”
“And the shortfall?”
“Estimated around 10 billion.”
“I see.”
Chairman Hideki slowly nodded, then muttered to himself about Kang Woojin.
“This should suffice as a thank you. You, quietly contact the film company behind ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ and tell them we’ll cover the money.”
Lili blinked in surprise.
“…Are you considering expanding into the entertainment sector?”
“Well, not immediately, but business often grows in unexpected directions.”
Lili found it hard to understand, but knowing Chairman Hideki’s eccentric nature, she quickly closed the subject.
“Understood, I’ll proceed immediately.”
Just then,
“Ah, wait a moment.”
Chairman Hideki, stroking his white-mixed eyebrows, called Lili back.
“Rather than intervening directly, it’s better to give it some time and create some ups and downs. After all, it’s a token of gratitude, so it’s better to amplify the outcome several times.”
Chairman Hideki then started to mutter to himself with a slight smile, thinking of a different plan.
“Since it’s a film by Director Kyotaro Tanoguchi, investors will come even if it’s late. But that would make the situation too bland for me. It needs to be singular, focused.”
Indeed, despite his age, the brain behind the rise of the Kashiwa Group was very sharp.
“A twist that will make my mark firmly imprinted, but also increase the firepower of the ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ and insert a bigger background than now, creating ups and downs. No, a method.”
He then slowly raised his head to meet Lili’s eyes. His voice was calm.
“We should just release the news of this hushed-up investment issue to the world from our side.”
“What?”
“Stir up controversy around ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. The media and public opinion love a crisis.”
“You’re thinking of noise marketing.”
“Something like that. But it mustn’t be obvious. Let it trickle out quietly. Just add fuel to the fire a little. Once ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ is on the fire, it will naturally blaze up.”
It made sense. The momentum of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ was already sky-high.
“With that, the investment gap will be even more likely to close.”
“Surely, they will be more scared than they are now.”
“Right. Let it mature in that state for a while. We’ll wait until the controversy is at its peak. When the time is right, we’ll step in to save ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ out of the pit.”
Only then did Lili start to form a clear picture in her mind.
“And after that, you plan to announce that we will take over the investment in ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’?”
Chairman Hideki replied with a voice tinged with ease.
“No, not exactly. Anything definitive is risky. Just leak vague rumors that Kashiwa Group might be, or might not be, backing ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. Just create confusion. Even that will have many times the promotional power we have now, both for us and ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.”
“Are we keeping it under wraps continuously?”
“Well, it depends. We’ll decide after seeing the outcome of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. If it doesn’t do well, we bury it; if it does, we can announce it. Investing in a challenging entertainment industry – not a bad image.”
Chairman Hideki let out a faint smile as he gave his revised instructions.
“Watch for a week or so. In the meantime, solidify our information on ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ further. You can start leaking next week at your discretion. Focus on major media outlets. Just enough to cause a stir.”
Returning back to reality, Lili checked the date on her laptop. Exactly one week had passed since the chairman’s instructions.
She then picked up her phone.
-Swish.
She contacted the major media outlets she had prepared in advance.
“Now would be the right time.”
Later that same day around lunchtime, a related article about ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ appeared on Japan’s top portal site’s entertainment section.
『[Exclusive] Buzzing ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, 10 billion pulled out of a 20 billion investment? Why?』
It was featured on the main page.
Two hours later, in Buyeo, Korea.
Around 2 PM. On the large set of ‘Island of the Missing’, many staff members were bustling about. Although not as many as during the script reading, there were at least 40 people. Additionally, all the main and supporting actors of ‘Island of the Missing’ had gathered.
Because today was the teaser poster shoot.
A teaser poster was different from an official poster. It could be seen as a preview of the poster. A poster to be used for promotion during the movie shooting. The teaser poster was very important. It would be the poster the public would see until the end of the movie shooting.
In any case, Kang Woojin was at this time sitting in the van.
‘I’ve been waiting for about 30 minutes – how much longer do I need to be here??’
He was waiting due to the ongoing shooting setup. Naturally, Ryu Jung-min and all the other actors were in the same situation. Interestingly, Kang Woojin was currently wearing a military uniform.
‘But seriously, this military uniform is really uncomfortable. Ugh, it makes me nauseous.’
Woojin was familiar with military uniforms like the one he was wearing; he had one at home. As he frowned at the uncomfortable sensation of the stiff military boots and scratchy uniform fabric,
-Rattle!
Suddenly, the rear door of the van opened and Choi Sung-gun poked his head in. His expression was somewhat serious.
“Woojin, something’s happened.”
“What’s going on?”
“There’s a huge article in Japan about investment money being pulled out of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.”
Immediately, Kang Woojin internally cursed.
‘Ah, damn. Didn’t I say it would be a mess if that got out?’
At the same time, Choi Sung-gun continued,
“The additional articles are spreading, and it’s a mess right now. Just be aware for now. We’ll have to see how things unfold. Anyway, the poster shoot starts in 10 minutes, so get ready.”
After finishing his comment, Choi Sung-gun closed the door. Woojin quickly picked up the script nearby. It was ‘Island of the Missing’. Whatever the case, he tapped the black rectangle on it.
-Poof.
Instantly entering the void space, Kang Woojin swiftly moved towards the white squares.
“Ah, isn’t this going to drop the grade even more?”
When he was in Japan, he had checked ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’s rating, which had plummeted from A+ to C. And now with the investment issue being exposed to the world.
“D? Or could it even drop to F if things go worse? Tsk, this is tricky.”
With his mind increasingly tangled, Woojin immediately checked the white square of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. But then.
“Eh?”
Woojin blinked his eyes in surprise.
“Huh? What’s this?”
It was understandable. He had anticipated a drop from A+ to C, even D or F for ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’s’ grade, but now it was.
-[7/Scenario (Title: The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger), Grade S+]
Unexpectedly, it had skyrocketed to an S+ grade.
********
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