Chapter 54

< Park Doo (4) >

On the 9th, Kang Woojin's day off passed by at the speed of light. Days off usually fly by so quickly that you can't even remember what you did, but there was also the reason that the internet he was browsing was a complete mess.

"Whoa, there's so much of this?"

Recently, the time Kang Woojin spent holding his phone had increased. It wasn't that his name was directly mentioned, but...

"Oh! This is from the closing ceremony? What's my face like, did it get distorted?"

Most of the news currently buzzing on the internet was deeply related to Kang Woojin. The film industry was still in a state of turmoil with follow-up reports on the 'Mijangsen Film Festival,' which had been quite noisy a few days ago.

"Finally, the Grand Prize is out, this year's Mijangsen Short Film Festival concludes successfully [Comprehensive]"

Due to its long-standing tradition and the success of this year's festival in terms of issues and interest, the festival committee had been continuously promoting it.

"‘Detective Agency’ wins the Grand Prize at this year's Mijangsen Short Film Festival! Grand Prize winner after 4 years"

"[Star Talk] Short Film Festival's Surprise 'Hong Hye-yeon' wins Best Acting Award, smiles with ease / Photo"

To implant a good impression in the public's mind for next year. Additionally, since the Grand Prize for a work hadn't come out in a few years, and 'Detective Agency' swept the newly established acting award.

"Mijangsen Short Film Festival, this year especially overflowing with stars, 'Detective Agency' stands out with three awards"

"[Photo] 'Detective Agency' Director Shin Dong-chun, on winning three awards: 'It was a great honor, will continue to contribute to the film industry.'"

The committee and the film industry media kept emphasizing 'Detective Agency.' In any industry, a superstar is needed, especially in the niche short film sector. A clear example is sports; even if a sport is unpopular, when a star player emerges, people start to watch.

In other words, 'Detective Agency' was a superstar that included various issues.

Meanwhile, Park Jeong-hyuk, who had intended to use the 'Mijangsen Film Festival' as a scapegoat, was quietly buried. The only mention was a brief one at the beginning of the award ceremony.

"Where is Park Jeong-hyuk, who declared he would start from the bottom? Park Jeong-hyuk's side remains silent about his absence from the award ceremony"

Interestingly,

"Who is the winner of the Best Acting Award at the 'Mijangsen Film Festival'? Judges: 'He is the future of Korean cinema' / Photo"

Despite being unknown and overshadowed by Hong Hye-yeon, some attention began to shift towards Kang Woojin, who had won the Grand Prize but had low recognition.

Why? Why is this actor, who beat even Hong Hye-yeon to win the Grand Prize, so quiet? While not all film industry media highlighted it, a few journalists started to cover Kang Woojin.

"[Movie Talk] Unknown actor Kang Woojin wins Best Acting Award by unanimous decision of the judges, conversing in Japanese with renowned director Kyo Shiro / Photo"

The entertainment section was naturally hot due to the drama war.

[@__19yy__]

[(Article Link) Ah... What should I watch? I want to see all three! But it doesn't seem like they're all on Netflix at the same time... 😢]

With the first episode of 'Profiler Hanryang' just around the corner, SBC, MBS, and TVM were putting all their efforts into promotion. The media also responded accordingly.

"[Drama IS] First episode approaching, SBC, MBS, TVM engage in fierce promotional war!"

Public opinion also enthusiastically joined in. Advertisements were placed wherever the public could see them, from portal sites to any platform.

"The public is already moving, netizens promoting their favorite dramas on various communities / Photo"

Among these, the most stimulating news was the 'Profiler Hanryang' production press conference on the 8th. While SBC, MBS, and TVM all held production press conferences, 'Profiler Hanryang' emerged as the winner.

"[Star Talk] Ryu Jeong-min at the production press conference: 'Drama war? I acted hard and am confident'"

"Led by writer Park Eun-mi, the 'Profiler Hanryang' team exudes confidence"

There were many juicy stories, and the smell of excitement drew journalists to expand their coverage of 'Profiler Hanryang.' Thus, the internet remained a mess as the day ended.

However, the next day wasn't quiet either. It was even noisier than the previous day.

"Writer Park Eun-mi: 'The scene-stealer I chose will overshadow everyone'"

Especially today, there were many stories about the scene-stealer mentioned at the end of the 'Profiler Hanryang' production press conference and the clash between Hong Hye-yeon and a journalist.

"‘Will display unprecedented acting skills,’ who is the scene-stealer praised by Director Song Man-woo and Writer Park Eun-mi?"

"[Photo] Top actress Hong Hye-yeon sharply responds to journalist's question: 'Watch 'Detective Agency'' / Photo"

Indeed, looking at the overall picture, the articles were more exaggerated than truthful. What could be done? Sweet and sour is the best. This was the mindset behind the flood of articles. Of course, it was a desperate attempt by journalists to boost their click rates, but for the 'Profiler Hanryang' team, it wasn't a bad situation.

No, it was exactly the intended outcome.

Thus, by the 10th, after about two days of media hype, public opinion began to fuel the fire on the 11th, a Monday.

- Hong Hye-yeon's scene-stealing at the production press conference.jpg

Dozens of edited videos from the production press conference were uploaded to YouTube, and people were excitedly discussing them on SNS and various communities. Initially, 'Profiler Hanryang' seemed to have the upper hand, and naturally, the drama teams from SBC and TVM were aware of this.

"Director! 'Profiler Hanryang' is dropping a lot of teasers, and the community reactions are all about 'Profiler Hanryang'!"

"I know, man! I'm monitoring it continuously!"

"Hong Hye-yeon's clash with the journalist is one thing, but the teaser about this scene-stealer mentioned by Director Song and Writer Park, is it real??"

"Fake news! I never saw Writer Park like this, pulling such a stunt?"

"But, isn't it really a top-tier actor?"

"Hey, don't you know 'Profiler Hanryang' has a huge production budget? It has to be fake! Hey! We need to drop something too! Even if we get some backlash later!"

Thus, other drama teams quickly joined the attention-grabbing war.

The next day, the 12th.

With the first episode on the 15th, exactly four days away, the 'Profiler Hanryang' team and others saw this as the perfect moment.

"'Drama War,' official trailers from each drama released simultaneously! What about the quality?"

They almost simultaneously released their main trailers. While teasers had been released multiple times before, this time the uploaded trailers, over a minute long, were sufficient to raise public expectations.

In a way, it was a chaotic scene.

Meanwhile, inside Kang Woojin's minivan.

At the moment the main trailer for 'Profiler Hanryang' was released, Kang Woojin was heading to a studio for an interview to be featured in the latter part of the trailer.

"..."

As usual, his expression was cynical. However, the manager team, including the ponytailed Choi Sung-geun, was not calm.

"Wow, the quality of the main trailer is top-notch! Director Song must have put his life into it?"

"Yeah. It's a bit disappointing that Woojin isn't in it."

"Haha! Isn't it more painful when you're not expecting anything and then get a surprise?!"

Everyone was praising the main trailer. Thanks to the concept, they couldn't dance with joy like other teams, but Kang Woojin was watching the trailer too.

'Wow, this scene looks like this in the video. It's amazing.'

Comparing the shots he had filmed with the edited video, he couldn't help but be amazed. Although he had dabbled in video editing while working at a design company, he realized this was on a different level.

'This is a whole different level.'

At this moment,

'Ah, right.'

While watching the trailer, Kang Woojin suddenly remembered something, turned off the video, and accessed his mobile banking. Despite his expressionless face, a faint sense of anticipation was mixed in.

-Tap, tap.

After a few touches, Kang Woojin's poker face slightly wavered as he saw the balance in his account.

'...Crazy. It's in.'

The keen-eyed stylist Han Ye-jung asked Kang Woojin,

"Bro, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

With her brown short hair, she asked, and Woojin solemnly shook his head.

"No, I'm fine."

After giving a suitable answer, Kang Woojin turned his gaze back to his phone screen. Inside, he was almost doing a victory dance.

The reason was simple.

'60 million, 60 million in one go!'

Tens of millions of won had been credited to his previously meager account. It was the signing bonus from his agency and the first installment of his acting fee for 'Profiler Hanryang.' In fact, the signing bonus had come in earlier, and the first installment of the acting fee was credited today. Kang Woojin had just checked it late.

It had been a busy period.

Regardless, two months after starting his acting career, his first paycheck of over 60 million won was credited to his account. Moreover,

'They said more payments will come in for 'Profiler Hanryryang' after the first installment?'

There were still several installments to be paid. Of course, he would earn even larger sums in the future. While Kang Woojin himself hadn't fully realized it yet, 60 million won was a significant amount. For a commoner like Kang Woojin, it was a sum he had never seen before.

'Wow, what should I do with this? I've never handled such a large amount. I should give some to my parents first.'

Lost in thought about what to do with his first large sum of money,

'Ah! Should I save more and move to a new place?'

The next day, Wednesday, the 13th. Kang Woojin's studio apartment.

It was morning, around 9 a.m. With the weather warming up, Kang Woojin, wearing a comfortable hoodie, stood in front of his shoe rack. However, he didn't immediately put on his shoes.

"Hmm, it's beautiful."

He was admiring the trophy on the shoe rack shelf with satisfaction. What else could it be? It was the Grand Prize trophy from the 'Mijangsen Film Festival.'

"Bro, I'm going out."

In a way, Woojin was cherishing the Grand Prize he had received for the first time in his life. It was his first award, received just two months after becoming an actor, so it was understandable.

Soon,

-Click.

After saying goodbye to the trophy, Kang Woojin left the studio apartment. As usual, a black minivan was waiting in front of his building. However,

"Bro, good morning!"

"Bro, hello."

Jang Su-hwan and Han Ye-jung were the ones picking him up. Choi Sung-geun was nowhere to be seen.

"Yes, hello."

"Hey, bro! It's time to start speaking more casually, right?!"

"Right, bro. We feel uncomfortable."

"Okay, got it."

The reason was simple.

"Bro, we're heading straight to the company! Oh! You know the company is in chaos, right?!"

Kang Woojin's agency, bw Entertainment, was currently a battlefield. The representative, Choi Sung-geun, was so busy he couldn't leave his seat. It was peak season. When Kang Woojin got into the minivan, all the employees of bw Entertainment were busy non-stop.

"Yes, bw Entertainment! Ah, Hong Hye-yeon's interview? I'll check it out!"

"Excuse me, reporter. What do you mean by that? Are you asking to take down the tabloid article?"

"Ah, there's nothing decided for Kang Woojin yet. Yes. Could you send it via quick service? A meeting? I'll check with the representative."

"Could you send the advertisement inquiry for Hong Hye-yeon via email?"

Actually, it had been like this since right after the 'Mijangsen Film Festival.' While it was already busy due to Hong Hye-yeon's influence, the recent issues and the addition of Kang Woojin had increased the workload. Of course, Hong Hye-yeon was dominant, but there were also inquiries about Kang Woojin.

As a result, the five or six public relations teams had to answer calls frantically.

"Quick service! Where should I put it?"

In the chaotic bw Entertainment, quick service was quite frequent. The content was mostly scripts and screenplays. They used quick service when meetings were difficult, but the pile on the operations team's desk looked about four times larger than usual.

At this point, the leader Choi Sung-geun was

"Okay, then we'll continue as planned for Hye-yeon, and for Woojin, we'll keep it under wraps until after 'Profiler Hanryang.'"

He was having a simple meeting with the senior staff.

"And since Woojin is also here, we need to increase the number of employees. What's the most urgent?"

"I think the public relations team is the most urgent."

"Hmm."

"The management team is also struggling a bit."

"Let's increase the number as soon as possible after assessing the personnel."

About 30 minutes later, the new recruit Kang Woojin entered the company. Since he was still unfamiliar with the employees, quite a few people looked at him curiously.

In any case, Woojin sat across from Choi Sung-geun in the representative's office. Choi Sung-geun took the lead in starting the conversation.

"Woojin, I know you can see the company's situation. It's chaotic everywhere. Especially, the number of scripts and screenplays coming to you has increased sharply, and you have quite a few interview schedules. How do you feel about it?"

Interviews? Well, not yet. Silently looking at Choi Sung-geun, Kang Woojin was negative. Of course, he would have to handle such schedules eventually, but

'I'm not mentally prepared yet.'

Honestly, he still felt a bit uncomfortable. As a result, Woojin answered in a low voice.

"It feels a bit premature."

"Right? Honestly, I think it's better for you to maintain a mysterious image for now. Even if you do a few rounds of interviews on YouTube or in the media, the reaction won't be significant yet. It would be a waste to just consume your image."

"I agree."

"I think the timing to maintain a mysterious image should be after 'Profiler Hanryang' ends."

Leaning closer to Kang Woojin, Choi Sung-geun briefed him sincerely.

"First, the media and public are curious about you, but there's almost no information. Meanwhile, the Grand Prize at the 'Mijangsen Film Festival' and 'Profiler Hanryang' are connected. More question marks will arise. Then, with the Director Kwon Gi-taek project, it will be a big bang. That's the general plan."

I see, hmm, I'm not sure. While he could hear it, Kang Woojin didn't understand most of it. However, he could sense that Choi Sung-geun was setting up a proper plan.

"Yes, it sounds good."

"Since the first episode of 'Profiler Hanryang' is only two days away, let's keep it under wraps as much as possible. Be careful with what you say to people close to you."

"Yes, representative."

Choi Sung-geun smiled in satisfaction, got up, and moved to his desk, placing dozens of books in front of Kang Woojin. Despite the violent amount, Woojin flinched internally but maintained a dry expression as he looked at Choi Sung-geun.

Smiling, Choi Sung-geun shrugged.

"These are the scripts and screenplays that have come to you, including some romances and romantic comedies I looked into separately."

In other words, the dozens of books piled in front of Woojin were scripts and screenplays. So many? Internally shocked, Woojin maintained his expressionless face.

'Wow, crazy. Are these all for me? So many. When will I have time to read them all?'

At this moment, Choi Sung-geun derived the wrong answer from Woojin's expression.

"Disappointed? Haha, don't be. The company has already filtered out the meaningless ones in the first round. But, it's a bit less than expected. Probably because of the lack of information about you."

Nodding slowly, Woojin refocused on the pile of scripts and screenplays. As expected, all of them had a black square attached to the side. Picking up the one on top, Woojin flipped through it, and Choi Sung-geun added with a smirk.

"Take a look and choose. It doesn't have to be a romance or romantic comedy. If you're okay, you can add another romantic comedy. There's some time. The Director Kwon Gi-taek project is in the early stages, so there's time for a few short ones. It's your choice."

"Isn't this a good time to take