Chapter 80

< Reinforcement (1) >

"Vocal Reinforcement?"

Jang Woojin, who had just heard the robotic woman's voice, smirked.

"Reinforcement is possible?"

The results exceeded his expectations. Honestly, Woojin had somewhat predicted this situation. He didn't expect things to get this big, though.

The hint was the cigarette.

Woojin, who had never put a cigarette in his mouth since birth, first experienced it when he played 'Kim Ryu-jin' in the early stages of the subspace. What was interesting was that he felt no hesitation at all. When someone who has never smoked starts smoking, they will 100% have a physical reaction.

But Jang Woojin didn't even cough.

In other words, it was the ability of the subspace.

Transplanting the characteristics of the role into Woojin's body. Therefore, when he played 'Lee Sang-man,' Woojin found cigarettes completely familiar. Addiction? There was no need to worry at all. When he brought out 'Lee Sang-man,' he craved cigarettes, but once he put 'Lee Sang-man' back, he didn't think about cigarettes at all.

This is where Jang Woojin had a sudden realization. Could singing be learned in the same way as smoking?

That said, Woojin wasn't hoping for anything big. He just wanted to be able to sing well enough for the scene. One line or one song, maybe. It was a bit different from language. Anyone can study a language, but singing requires a certain level of talent and physical aptitude.

However.

["'Vocal' Reinforcement Preparing..."]

The subspace was even reinforcing 'vocals.' Was it really going to install singing skills as straightforwardly as a language?

"Wow, subspace? - Just amazing."

What is the limit of this bizarre subspace ability? But that didn't really matter now. For Jang Woojin, it was just a matter of enjoying it.

Then, suddenly.

"Ah, but did I even need my singing skills reinforced?"

Jang Woojin chuckled awkwardly. He was confident in his singing, but apparently, the subspace found it insignificant. If he had the same level of skill as 'Han In-ho' from 'Nam Sachin,' there would have been no need for reinforcement.

"Just thinking about it, I would have become a laughingstock if I had gone into filming, - just thinking about it is embarrassing."

At that moment.

["...Preparation complete. Starting 'Vocal' Reinforcement."]

The robotic woman's voice echoed through the subspace, and the familiar massive gray space swallowed Jang Woojin. A brief pause. Soon, when Woojin opened his eyes again, he was in a different space.

'Huh? It's a bit different.'

There were differences from the place where he had read the language. First, his body wasn't floating. The entire space wasn't gray. Jang Woojin was standing upright in a space that was dark at the far end, unlike the subspace.

Suddenly.

"Oh."

A white line of light flickered in the dark space, stretching from Jang Woojin's feet to the far end. Something was coming along that line. It was a musical note. A silver note. The note smoothly approached and then suddenly sped up.

Then it climbed Jang Woojin's body.

The note stopped near Jang Woojin's neck. The note seeped into his neck like melting snow. At the same time, Jang Woojin felt a tingling sensation. This sensation spread throughout his body.

"Ugh."

The tingling sensation became more intense. But the approaching note wasn't just one.

"Another one."

The second, the third. Countless notes were approaching in a line along the white line.

How long did this go on?

Before he knew it, Jang Woojin was back in the hotel room. He vaguely remembered the robotic woman's voice, but the experiences he had just had were so stimulating that he couldn't remember much.

"..."

Jang Woojin, standing by the small table, was slightly dazed. Then he raised his hand and rubbed his neck. The tingling sensation persisted. Soon, he spoke.

"Aaaah-"

Hmm? Something changed. The resonance is different, maybe?

"The voice is the same, but..."

It's hard to express in words. Jang Woojin immediately went to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

- Shower.

The bathroom quickly filled with the sound of water. Jang Woojin hummed for a moment and then opened his mouth. He sang a random song he remembered.

-♬♪

Just one line. As soon as he sang a line from the 18th ballad he always sang at karaoke, Jang Woojin felt:

"I've improved."

He could vividly feel the reinforced 'vocals.'

After that.

Around 7 PM, Jang Woojin returned to the filming of 'Drug Dealer.' No one in the world knew about the bizarre events that had taken place in the hotel room, and Jang Woojin didn't show any outward signs.

He just smiled inwardly.

'Hmm, my diction seems to be even more clear, doesn't it?'

In reality, Jang Woojin's diction as 'Lee Sang-man' had been upgraded. His already realistic diction had gained more power. As a result, the production team, including Director Kim Do-hee, were impressed.

"Mr. Woojin, your diction and tone seem to be even more clear, right? Am I wrong?"

"It was good before, but it feels like it's even more engaging now."

Regardless, Jang Woojin performed in a state of complete immersion. With such a pleasant experience, there was no way he could feel tired. The scene being filmed now was a meeting between 'Lee Sang-man' and Japanese yakuza. According to the script, it was the situation after 'Jeong Sung-hoon' had killed the drug king, Choi Jun-ho.

"Raw materials from China, manufacturing in Korea, and the market in Japan."

'Lee Sang-man's' Japanese was fluent. The actors playing the yakuza were extras, but they were actual Japanese people. However, 'Lee Sang-man's' Japanese had no sense of foreignness. It felt like a conversation among Japanese people.

"Haha, don't worry about sales. But is the manufacturing side okay?"

"Brother, do you not trust me? I'll supply the best quality without any interruptions, so just run the market properly."

Of course, Jang Woojin wasn't just good at expressing 'Lee Sang-man's' Japanese. He vividly portrayed the gradual addiction. As time passed, his declining energy, deepening dark circles under his eyes, gaunt skin, and hoarse voice all became more pronounced.

Jang Woojin realistically depicted the death caused by drug addiction.

While makeup played a role, Jang Woojin's increasingly hazy gaze as time passed was exceptional. The praise from the gathered actors was proof of this.

"The intonation is gradually weakening, and the gaze is becoming weaker. It's definitely different from the morning shoot. It's a natural progression, but the details are exceptional."

"Look at how he looks at his arm every time he speaks. He's a complete drug addict. Honestly, I've never seen a newcomer pay attention to such details."

"Mr. Jang Woojin definitely doesn't have the feel of a newcomer. He's hard to get close to and a bit cold, so it's hard to talk to him."

"Hmm... I heard he learned acting on his own."

"Huh? What do you mean, sir?"

"I don't know exactly. I heard it from Mr. Park, a talent agent. In any case, he probably lacked practice with other actors because he learned on his own."

As the question marks grew among the actors, Choi Sung-geun, with his ponytail, was waiting a bit away from the shooting area.

- Vroom, vroom.

His phone vibrated. He moved a few steps to answer the call.

"Yes, this is Choi Sung-geun-"

The person on the other end of the phone was a man.

"Hello, Mr. Choi. I'm a staff member from Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro's agency."

"Ah! Yes, yes!"

Choi Sung-geun moved a few more steps away.

"I received the script you sent."

"That's good to hear. I'm calling because Director Kyotaro is currently in Korea."

Choi Sung-geun's eyes widened.

"Really? Now? In Korea?"

"Yes. Of course, he's not here to meet Mr. Jang Woojin immediately. He has his own schedule."

"Ah, I see."

"However, the guest who came with him has requested to see Mr. Jang Woojin's acting. Is Mr. Jang Woojin currently filming?"

Choi Sung-geun looked at the shooting area. Jang Woojin was giving a passionate performance. At this moment, Choi Sung-geun's mind started working.

'I knew Director Kyotaro was coming back to Korea, but isn't it a bit early?'

Something was up. Most importantly, the word Choi Sung-geun focused on was 'guest.' Director Kyotaro, a renowned director from Japan, had brought a guest who was clearly not an ordinary person. It would be more beneficial to show it openly rather than hide it.

Choi Sung-geun, who had quickly made a decision, organized the upcoming schedule in his mind and spoke again.

"Actually, Mr. Woojin is currently filming a movie."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. It's a cameo, but it has a significant amount of screen time, so there shouldn't be a problem in seeing his acting. However, the timing needs to be coordinated."

"Can you tell me the schedule?"

"We will be done with today's filming and will rejoin in about two days."

Around that time, Jang Woojin's filming was expected to end. The final scenes of 'Lee Sang-man's' brutality and tragic death. A schedule to shoot two contrasting scenes in succession. From a certain perspective, these were very impressive scenes.

"So, you can come in two days?"

"Yes."

The sound of a paper being flipped was heard from the other end of the phone, and the man spoke again.

"Understood. I'll try to arrange it for two days from now. However, both the director and the guest will only watch Mr. Jang Woojin's acting quietly."

"Understood. I'll keep it a secret from Mr. Woojin. It might interfere with his performance. But I need to get the approval of the on-site director."

"Of course. If the on-site director disagrees, there's nothing we can do."

The conversation was coming to an end.

"I'll get the on-site director's approval first and contact you again."

"Thank you. Oh, and by the way, is Mr. Jang Woojin reading Director Kyotaro's script?"

"I don't interfere with Mr. Woojin's personal decisions, but I believe he is reading it properly."

Choi Sung-geun smirked, recalling Jang Woojin's usual habit.

"He might have already made a decision."

The next morning, June 10th, at the cable TV station HTBS.

It was just past 9 AM. At this time, Jang Woojin and Choi Sung-geun were walking through the corridors of the entertainment department at HTBS. They were dressed casually, in a white T-shirt and jeans, because the weather had become very hot as June approached.

Anyway.

"Then, I'll go in."

In front of a meeting room, Choi Sung-geun patted Jang Woojin's shoulder. It seemed that Jang Woojin would be going in alone. As a result, Jang Woojin's expression was very composed, but inside, he was a bit anxious.

'Shit, I've been to a TV station before, but this is my first time in the entertainment department. I don't even know why I'm here.'

Despite his significant growth, Jang Woojin still found many things unfamiliar. However, his toughness had also increased. Jang Woojin knocked on the meeting room door and opened it. The first person he saw was Yoon Byung-sun PD, a giant in the entertainment industry, wearing glasses.

"Oh- Mr. Woojin, you're here?"

Yoon Byung-sun PD stood up to greet Jang Woojin. A few female writers were also present. Jang Woojin maintained his stern demeanor and shook hands with Yoon Byung-sun PD.

"Hello, PD."

He briefly greeted the surrounding writers. Then he noticed the meeting room's setup. A large table with several small cameras on top, and cameras were also placed around the room. Soon, Jang Woojin looked at Yoon Byung-sun PD, who smiled reassuringly.

"Haha, don't be nervous. If you're confirmed, we'll write it into the script, but if not, we won't. Many viewers also enjoy this preparation stage."

Confirmed? What confirmation? Jang Woojin sat down, and Yoon Byung-sun PD, sitting opposite him, continued with a smile.

"Are you busy these days? I saw the news. Congratulations on the ad. Your popularity is just skyrocketing, right?"

"Thank you."

"Your value is rising every day, Mr. Woojin. Now, I have something to show you."

Yoon Byung-sun PD handed Jang Woojin a thin stack of papers he had received from a writer.

"It's the planning for a new entertainment show. It's still in the early stages, but production is confirmed."

"..."

"The timing is set for the second half of this year, and the scale will be among the largest of the shows I've produced. Would you like to take a look at the planning document?"

"Ah- Yes."

Jang Woojin took the papers and silently looked down. Inside, he was shouting.

'Entertainment show?! What is this? Is PD Yoon Byung-sun trying to cast me?'

Unaware of Jang Woojin's thoughts, Yoon Byung-sun PD continued explaining.

"As you can see, the main stage will be overseas. One location in an English-speaking country like Europe, Japan