Kang Woojin, muttered in a low voice while observing the relatively clean kitchen. Hong Hye-yeon, sitting next to him, widened her eyes slightly at the sight.
‘What, did he prepare dish? When did he even find the time amidst his busy schedule- No, but I’m kind of looking forward to it?’
Hong Hye-yeon, who had previously been charmed by Kang Woojin’s cooking skills and taste during the prior shooting, felt her anticipation swell instantly, just like PD Yoon Byung-seon and the writers had. After all, Woojin had given the impression a professional chef with his skills.
Therefore.
“Wow! Of course!! It’s absolutely possible! Please use the kitchen!”
The writers were excited. Their faces seemed to say, ‘We’ll bow down to you, so please use the kitchen.’ Around this time, PD Yoon Byung-seon was whispering to the main writer.
“We have to capture this on film, you know?”
“Of course, we can’t miss this.”
“Since it’s just us here, you go attach the action cam and film. From beginning to end. Without disturbing.”
“Got it, but I didn’t expect Woojin~ssi to actually come prepared, definitely has that tsundere quality, huh?”
“Me neither. I heard he was backed up with shooting schedules, so I honestly didn’t have high hopes. Anyway, let’s go.”
“Okay.”
Soon, the main writer began operating the handcam, and PD Yoon Byung-seon, who had pushed up his glasses, looked at Kang Woojin standing up and smirked.
“What about the ingredients? We have some seasonings here, but we’ll need to buy anything else that’s needed.”
“Understood.”
Woojin responded lowly and started searching around the kitchen. Naturally, the ‘recipes’ and ‘techniques’ of a chef were at work in his mind. After roughly three minutes, he calmly recited his conclusion.
“First, we need buckwheat noodles, anchovies, kelp, green onions, onions, ginger, garlic, and we have soy sauce. So, we’ll need sesame oil and more······”
Kang Woojin indifferently listed numerous ingredients. A few writers quickly noted them down and hurried out of the officetel. Soon, PD Yoon Byung-seon, who was tying an apron around Kang Woojin, asked with a tilt of his head.
“Buckwheat noodles? Woojin~ssi, what dish are you thinking of?”
Kang Woojin’s answer was brief.
“I haven’t decided on a name, but it’s roughly like soy sauce buckwheat noodles.”
“······Oh- Buckwheat noodles.”
PD Yoon Byung-seon’s eyes sparkled immediately. Hong Hye-yeon and the remaining writers felt the same. Some even swallowed their saliva, remembering the ramyeon and spaghetti Woojin had made before.
That moment.
“Woojin~ssi, please look here!”
The main writer, holding the action cam, waved her hand. Kang Woojin naturally met her gaze. The main writer was quick to speak.
“Perfect! This is great. PD~nim, we must use Woojin~ssi wearing an apron for the teaser thumbnail.”
“Heh, come to think of it, have we not yet announced the cast teams to the press? It might be time to throw that out too, right?”
“Ah- Should we roll it out today?”
“Let’s do that. If Woojin~ssi is the main of the kitchen team, the fans are going to go crazy, right?”
Things were rolling on their own. Regardless, it was a scene all too familiar to Woojin.
‘Well, they’ll handle it themselves. But using the image of me wearing an apron as a thumbnail- Ah, it’s a bit embarrassing.’
About 30 minutes passed since then. The writers who had gone to buy ingredients returned, and various vegetables and seasonings were now placed on the table in front of the kitchen. Woojin, who had washed his hands clean, began arranging them with smooth movements.
-Swish.
After gathering the necessary pots, woks, and knives, he started cooking without hesitation. At that moment, Hong Hye-yeon cautiously approached and asked quietly.
“Can I help with anything?”
Woojin’s answer was cold.
“Please chop the garlic and ginger over there.”
“Again??”
“It’s crucial.”
“Ah- Okay.”
Hong Hye-yeon, who had tied up her long hair, settled into her spot. Awkward but diligently progressing with the chopping. All of this was naturally being captured on camera, and Kang Woojin, who had placed green onions and onions on the cutting board, showcased his dazzling knife skills.
-Chop chop chop chop chop chop chop!
PD Yoon Byung-seon and the writers marveled once again.
“It’s really amazing to see every time.”
“It makes you stare blankly, doesn’t it?”
“This is going to win over the viewers on TV, a hundred percent.”
The main photographer, capturing the two actors, focused on the forearm of Woojin as he chopped.
‘Muscles, veins. Incredible.’
Indeed, the main photographer knew what needed to be captured. Regardless, after finishing with the ingredients, Woojin calmly shook the wok, slightly charring the vegetables.
Beside him, buckwheat noodles were boiling in a pot.
Behind, Woojin was preparing the broth. He added a bit of soy sauce and water to the sautéed vegetables. Finally, garlic and ginger chopped by Hong Hye-yeon were added. The finale was sesame oil.
The broth and buckwheat noodles were coming together beautifully.
The process was shorter than expected.
“······”
Woojin cooled the fully cooked buckwheat noodles. He also turned off the heat under the gently boiling broth. There was no hesitation in any of his movements, and soon everything was finished.
-Swish.
He took out a prepared concave bowl, filled it with the suitably cooled buckwheat noodles, and then poured over the fragrant broth. In the meantime, PD Yoon Byung-seon took a spoonful of broth to taste. Huh? He asked, seemingly puzzled.
“Woojin~ssi, this tastes a bit bland?”
Woojin’s voice was cool, unfazed.
“It’s the U.S., after all. The broth should be mildly bland.”
“Ah-”
“And the seasoning is this.”
Woojin murmured as he sprinkled some pre-cut perilla leaves and sesame seeds into the bowl.
“Perilla leaves are strong in flavor, so you can check and replace them if needed.”
Lastly, he took out a bag as big as a palm from underneath. It was seaweed flakes.
“The seasoning adjustment is with seaweed flakes.”
The seaweed flakes were lightly sprinkled. Soon, Kang Woojin’s dish was complete. The quality of the dish, hastily prepared, was considerable, and the main photographer, capturing the steam rising from the buckwheat noodles with the action cam, suddenly picked up the chopsticks.
“The smell is to die for??”
She stirred the hot broth with the buckwheat noodles, scooped a little into a small bowl, and slurped it up. The reaction was immediate.
“······Wow! Delicious! PD~nim, this is crazy good!!”
Soon, PD Yoon Byung-seon, Hong Hye-yeon, and the writers who had been waiting rushed in. After eating, they all were hit by a wave of emotional gratification. PD Yoon Byung-seon, somewhat reluctantly, made a sudden decision.
“This has to be sold! We can sell this!! Wow- perfect for a hangover cure and so delicious we definitely have to sell it!”
Around that time, Woojin, quietly observing their excitement, murmured.
“The name ‘Seaweed Buckwheat Noodles’ would be better.”
Afterward.
PD Yoon Byung-seon, enjoying Kang Woojin’s creation, ‘Seaweed Buckwheat Noodles,’ explained the upcoming plans for ‘Our Dining Table’ to both Woojin and Hong Hye-yeon.
“Considering it’s the end-of-year season, we were thinking of shooting in the U.S. next year, but starting from renting a place, there are many hurdles. So, it looks like we’ll have to divide the shooting into two phases.”
Dividing the shooting into phases is a common occurrence in the variety show industry. Especially for ‘Our Dining Table,’ like overseas shoots where actors’ schedules overlap even more.
“The first phase of shooting will be about a week. ‘Our Dining Table’ is scheduled to air a total of 10 episodes, and about 5 episodes worth of content will come from the first phase of shooting. We’ll start editing around the end-of-year, and the official premiere is planned for early next year.”
Though he spoke with a smile, for PD Yoon Byung-seon, it was almost a hellish schedule. He was one of the big shots who was extremely busy around the end of the year.
“We’ll depart for the second phase of shooting around the beginning of next year when the first episode airs, and you can think of it as starting to edit the latter half of the episodes while ‘Our Dining Table’ is airing. Uh- the Season 1 U.S. edition’s locations and stores are almost finalized, and we’ll send a clear plan to the agency. We’ll try coordinating with the food truck for about two days in a week, and the rest will be running the scouted stores. Easy, right?”
PD Yoon Byung-seon, chuckling mischievously, wrapped up.
“You’ve heard that the first phase of shooting starts from the end of November to early December, right?”
Meaning, Kang Woojin’s schedule would have no room for rest through the end of the year and into the next.
Following the completion of the preliminary shooting for ‘Our Dining Table,’ Kang Woojin once again boarded the hellish schedule train. His schedule, which had been holding its breath due to overseas location shooting and a two-day break, exploded.
Thus, everyone’s time, including Kang Woojin’s, melted away.
『[Exclusive] The outline of PD Yoon Byung-seon’s mega project variety show ‘Our Dining Table’ revealed, Season 1 starts in the US… Kang Woojin, Hong Hye-yeon in the kitchen?』
‘Our Dining Table’ side released the information they had gathered.
『Can we see Kang Woojin’s cooking on ‘Our Dining Table’? From food trucks to ‘Our Dining Table’ team trying Korean cuisine sales in the US』
Especially since fans were already numerous for PD Yoon Byung-seon’s project, and notably, this time ‘Our Dining Table’ was on a much larger scale than before.
『An Jong-hak, Ha Gang-su, Hwalin, Kang Woojin, etc., ‘Our Dining Table’ filming imminent! Public expectation explodes』
The variety show industry was abuzz in no time. Especially the fact that Season 1’s filming location was in the US, the food truck, the roles of the cast members, the Korean cuisine store, Kang Woojin’s cooking, etc., garnered attention.
Meanwhile, ‘Drug Dealer’ was also not quiet.
『’Drug Dealer’ approaching 3 million viewers… ‘Fastest R-rated record’』
『’Jin Jae-jun, Kang Woojin’ beaming… ‘Drug Dealer’ surpasses 3 million, setting new records』
‘Drug Dealer,’ with its sole dominance, was nearing 3 million viewers, starting like a runaway locomotive.
『[MovieTalk] No competition… ‘Drug Dealer’ runs solo, breaking all-time R-rated box office records』
『Already ‘3 million viewers’, film industry experts say, “Drug Dealer could easily hit 5 million”』
And ‘Island of the Missing.’
『[StarTalk] Starring top actors like Ryu Jung-min, Ha Yu-ra, Kang Woojin, ‘Island of the Missing’ finishes overseas location shooting / Photos』
『’Island of the Missing’ staff, “About 30% of filming complete, will continue shooting at domestic set locations”』
Various media outlets covered Kang Woojin’s stories.
『[IssueCheck] ‘Lee Sang-man’ Kang Woojin secretly goes to the cinema and took a selfie… posts current status on SNS』
『From ‘Male Friend’ to ‘Drug Dealer’ hitting jackpot! Issue monster Kang Woojin, spotted in cinemas right after ‘Island of the Missing’ overseas location shooting ends / Photos』
The public reacted immediately.
-WowㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠThis cinema is right next to my house!!!!
-Lololol Kang Woojin so cute lololol covered his face and went to watch a movie lolololol
-So what?? Still won’t surpass 5 million for Drug Dealer
-ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠWoojin oppa….please appear at this cinema too…..
-Lee Sang-man’s style is crazy!!!
-But reallyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋKang Woojin must be super busyㅋㅋHas to shoot so muchㅋㅋ’Male Friend’, ‘Drug Dealer’ doing wellㅋㅋ
-Honestly, ‘Drug Dealer’ wouldn’t have succeeded without Kang Woojin, right?
-But really….Lee Sang-man is an all-time great villain
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Nonetheless, amidst all this, rumors like ‘Kang Woojin’s drug scandal’ also spread around communities, but bw Entertainment did not sit idly by.
『[Official] bw Entertainment on the rampant Kang Woojin drug rumors, “Collecting information, will take strong action”』
『bw Entertainment considering legal action against rumors and gossip related to ultra rookie Kang Woojin』
They showed a quick feedback. Regardless, Kang Woojin didn’t really care.
“Woojin~oppa, just ignore all that nonsense.”
“What nonsense?”
“You know, the drug scandal stuff.”
“Don’t know, I haven’t really seen it.”
Although it was thanks to his ordinary citizen buff, Woojin’s team interpreted it as him having a steel mentality. Around this time, the first year-end casting request arrived at bw Entertainment.
-[Important] Hello, this is from the organizing committee of the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
The start was with the Blue Dragon.
Monday morning, after the weekend had passed.
At an advertisement filming site. With the return from ‘Island of the Missing’ shooting imminent, Kang Woojin was incessantly eating hamburgers at the advertisement set. Naturally. This was a commercial shoot for ‘Mxdonald’s.
“Nice!! Good job, Woojin~ssi! This time, chew more vigorously! Eh? As if you can’t resist!”
“Ah- Yes.”
Mxdonald’s was the first advertisement Kang Woojin took on after his debut, and since he became a model, sales had been steadily rising. Thus, he secured his place as a long-term partner.
Similar to Woojin’s struggle, Choi Sung-gun, sitting on a chair at one side, was also busy.
“Considering the award ceremonies in December- it seems we’ll have to push a bit.”
He was organizing Kang Woojin’s schedule with his diary open. The scheduled events were overflowing. Hence, he had to ignore the ringing phone for a while. Check the missed calls and call them back later.
Then.
“Hm?”
Scratching his head, Choi Sung-gun paused as he saw the caller ID on his phone that had just vibrated.
-Director Ahn Ga-bok.
There it was. The call he had anticipated. Still, it was somewhat unexpected for Director Ahn Ga-bok himself to call directly. Anyway, finding it a bit awkward to ignore, Choi Sung-gun stepped out of the set to answer the call.
“Yes, Director~nim. Hello.”
An elderly voice came through the phone.
“Yes, CEO Choi. I know you’re busy, but could you spare a moment to talk?”
“Please go ahead.”
“I want to give you a script. To be frank, I don’t mind if my movie serves as a stepping stone.”
“Excuse me?”
A stepping stone? Director Ahn Ga-bok’s 100th work, a landmark in the Korean film industry, serving as a stepping stone? Choi Sung-gun seemed to have difficulty understanding Director Ahn Ga-bok’s words right away.
On the other hand, Director Ahn Ga-bok, though his tone was relaxed, sounded quite desperate for some reason.
“I can come to where you are. The one who is free should make the move.”
Meanwhile, inside a major media company.
One female reporter who had been on the phone in the corridor just entered the noisy entertainment department office. Her face was noticeably excited, though it was unclear what information she had. Then she.
-Clunk!
Barged into the editor-in-chief’s office, passing by the busy reporters. The editor-in-chief sighed deeply.
“Ha- What now, huh? Did you eat your manners with soup??!”
Regardless, the female reporter immediately spoke to the editor-in-chief, who had a bit of a double chin, with a significant tone.
“Chief, it’s about Kang Woojin’s one-year contract?”
The editor-in-chief frowned immediately.
“Kang Woojin? A one-year contract? What kind of nonsense is that?”
Soon, the female reporter approached the editor-in-chief and lowered her voice.
“BW Entertainment and Kang Woojin only have a one-year contract.”
********
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