Chapter 58: Torrent (3)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Kang Woojin was slightly stunned as he looked at his SNS account. 30,000? 30,000 people followed my account? Since it was his first time trying SNS, it didn’t feel real.

Anyway.

‘30,000 in one day?’

Kang Woojin realized that it was not a small number. Well, for top actress Hong Hye-yeon, 30,000 might not be much, but Kang Woojin was a complete unknown until yesterday. Moreover, he’s still an ordinary citizen at the core.

Yet, as many as 30,000 people followed Kang Woojin.

“······”

Kang Woojin slowly moved his hand and opened one of the photos Han Ye-jung had uploaded. Sure enough, there were a good number of likes and comments.

– I enjoyed the drama!!

– Your acting is so good that I followed you….hehe

– What? Did this actor win an acting grand prize?? I need to look it up!

– You… you succeeded in bewitching me, but Park Dae-ri is scary hahaha

– Huh? Why is this guy not Park Dae-ri in real life? If you dress him up, he’s just super handsome, why????

– ㅠㅠㅠㅠ So handsome ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– I’m sorry to say this when we’ve just met, but I love you

– You’re really good at acting, I support you!

·

·

·

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There were over a hundred comments. As Woojin skimmed through the comments, he felt something.

‘Ah- so this is why people use SNS. It resonates!’

The feeling was different from the comments he read all night on news articles or YouTube videos. It felt as if people were cheering for him right in front of him.

At that moment.

“Woojin.”

Choi Sung-gun opened his mouth as if he was annoyed by Kang Woojin, who wasn’t watching the drama.

“Why? What’s up? Is something wrong?”

Kang Woojin slowly lifted his head.

‘It happened, it really happened.’

Then he muttered in a low voice.

“No, I just looked at my SNS.”

“Oh- I thought something happened. When I looked at lunch, you had about 20,000 followers, but how about now?”

“30,000.”

“okay, not bad.”

Is that okay? Is that your answer? Why are you so calm? Contrary to his inner feelings, Woojin spoke calmly.

“Isn’t that quite a lot?”

“Huh? It is a lot. But by tomorrow, there will be many more?”

Jang Su-hwan and Han Ye-jung nodded as if they agreed, and Choi Sung-gun tied his hair back up.

“You saw the company today, right? The phone was blowing up, right? Half of them were inquiries about you, you know? And if you look at our company’s official homepage now, the message board has exploded with questions about who you are. It was usually chaotic just with Hye-yeon, but with you included, the administrator couldn’t handle it.”

“I saw the message board.”

“When I changed your profile picture on the search site to match Hanryang, it played a part, too. When people were curious about Park Dae-ri and searched, the real character was completely different. Did you see the chat board on Hanryang’s side? It’s exploding too. And the first episode even hit 20%.”

Choi Sung-gun, who had been grinning, pointed to the TV with his index finger.

“You, Woojin, are controlling the pace of such a huge hit drama. People can’t help but search and follow you.”

“······”

“The process of your fans appearing is very natural. Of course, you are indeed a special case. It’s rare for a debut drama to be such a hit. No, it doesn’t happen. It’s safe to say it doesn’t happen.”

Fans. Among the explanations, Kang Woojin focused on the word ‘fan’. Is it really happening that real fans are being created? It was incredibly fascinating. Fans, who he only saw in the media, were growing in real-time.

‘···Does this mean I will also have a fan club soon??’

As if reading Woojin’s inner thoughts, Choi Sung-gun’s smile deepened.

“At this rate, your fan club will be created soon.”

Crazy. So things like autograph sessions or hugging fans will happen too? Gradually, Kang Woojin’s life as an ordinary person was deepening into life as an actor. All this change happened in a single day. Then there will be more drastic changes tomorrow or in the future.

At this moment.

“Ah! Brother Woojin!”

Jang Su-hwan, with chicken sauce around his mouth, exclaimed and pointed at the TV.

“Park Dae-ri is appearing!”

On the second episode of ‘Profiler Hanryang’, Park Dae-ri appeared.

It was the situation after Yu Ji-hyeong announced to the world the possibility of an unidentified serial killer. The police and prosecutors were thrown into disarray, and all the citizens trembled at the re-emergence of a serial killer.

The monster that had disappeared reappeared after several years and resumed killing people, requiring Yu Ji-hyeong and Detective Jeong Yeon-hee to cooperate.

But.

[“I came to confess.”]

The situation changes rapidly as Park Dae-ri goes to the police station near his house to confess. The middle part of ‘Profiler Hanryang’, which was moving a bit slowly, suddenly sped up due to Park Dae-ri. The tension that was slightly loose also surged.

From there, the scenes quickly alternated, showing the states of each character.

The confession of the serial killer, the police quickly spreading the news, the startled prosecutors, and the eager attempt of prosecutor Yu Ji-hyeong to see Park Dae-ri. Following that, Park Dae-ri calmly sat in the interrogation room. Many people are watching that.

Episode 2 of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ felt like the final episode.

It was that intense and climactic. Especially, Park Dae-ri’s appearance was very impressive. The editing often included close-ups of Park Dae-ri’s face, and he managed to express emotions even without many lines. The viewers couldn’t help but notice.

[“Oh right. I killed him. But aren’t you going to give me food?”]

It was a perfectly blended persona of a psychopath and a sociopath. At first, he was clearly a psychopath, but over time, Park Dae-ri showed signs of sociopathy. Not a sudden change, but gradually, as if subtly ensnaring the viewers watching the drama.

Later, in the middle and latter half. The confrontation between Prosecutor Yu Ji-hyeong and Park Dae-ri.

The scene in the interrogation room was a silent war. The apt background music (BGM), the eye battle between the characters, the concise lines.

And.

[“The reason I confessed is to prove that I didn’t kill him.”]

Ending with Prosecutor Yu Ji-hyeong’s line following Park Dae-ri’s.

[“Is there another real criminal?”]

Episode 2 of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ ended.

At the same time, the official website’s talk board and various communities were ablaze.

-Omg!!!!

-But I was 100% sure that Park Dae-ri was the murderer, he’s not???!!!

-Shit, it’s really fun

-I got chills when Park Dae-ri confessed lol. He’s so good at acting

-Wow~ From the first appearance of Park Dae-ri in episode 1, I thought he was different, but today Park Dae-ri totally nailed it.

-Why is Hong Hye-yeon so pretty?? Even with a scar on her face, she’s still pretty

-What? How am I supposed to wait until next week after ending like this? Give us episode 3! Give it!!!!

It was beyond a blaze.

-The actor who played Park Dae-ri, Kang Woojin? This person will definitely be popular

-But the murder method was the same as Park Dae-ri’s, right? Then, did some real criminal mimic Park Dae-ri’s method?

-The interrogation scene was insane…. The psychological warfare between Prosecutor Yu Ji-hyeong and Park Dae-ri was so…

-↑Park Dae-ri is truly insane

-I couldn’t believe it was just 1 hour 1 minute lol. It’s great to have something to watch after such a long time lol

-Ryu Jung-min’s acting has improved a lot but the actor who played Park Dae-ri was just too good lol

-Now, Park Dae-ri is the key. He’s controlling the pace all by himself.

-I admit it gets a little dragged but whenever Park Dae-ri appears, it suddenly becomes so fun

-All the actors of Hanryang have no acting holes, so it’s even more fun. Give us episode 3

It was like a disaster.

Then, the next morning.

On Sunday morning, the 17th, the ratings of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ episode two, which overwhelmed Friday and Saturday, were announced.

『[Official] ‘Profiler Hanryang’ Episode 2 Overall Ratings 23.2%, Rewriting Drama History』

Over 23%.

It was unstoppable. However, PD Song Man-woo, who was in SBC Drama Department, was happy, but quickly instructed the staff, including the assistant director.

“Okay! For today, the reporters will take care of the news on their own. So, leave it be. From tomorrow, start uploading the edited YouTube videos with a time gap!”

“Yes!”

“Also, run the prepared promotional articles! Also, proceed with the planned SNS events right away!”

In order to maintain this momentum until Episode 3, which will be aired next week, and to attract even more recognition than now. Originally, maintaining a drama is a more difficult task than starting it.

PD Song Man-woo knew this very well.

“And contact the actors! Confirm the promotion schedule for next week again!”

Currently, the whole internet is talking about.

『[IssueTalk] In just two days, ‘Profiler Hanryang’ has shaken the whole nation, how far can it go?』

It was safe to say that ‘Profiler Hanryang’ had taken over.

The following Monday morning.

Inside a large black van, a woman who obviously seemed to be a celebrity kept looking down at her phone. Long hair reaching her chest, long legs, a mole under her eye, she was in her early to mid-twenties?

In fact, she was the leader of a famous girl group.

Her name was Hwalin. She was in charge of the acting part in the 8-year-old girl group ‘Elani,’ and all four members of ‘Elani’ were doing well in their respective fields. Among them, Hwalin was very popular both as a girl group member and as an actress. Currently, she was focusing on her solo activities.

What she was looking at on her phone now was.

『[ActorIS] A newbie, really? In-depth analysis of Kang Woojin who played ‘Park Dae-ri’』

It was an article about Kang Woojin. After thoroughly reading the article, Hwalin checked another one, which also included Kang Woojin.

At that moment.

“Sigh- Hwalin.”

The chubby man sitting in the co-driver’s seat sighed deeply. He seemed to be a senior manager.

“Are you not looking at the ad storyboard?”

“Ah, just a moment.”

“It’s driving me crazy. Ever since you came back from the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’, you’ve been out of your mind. You kept begging to see the short films, and now that you’ve seen them, why are you acting like you’ve got a screw loose.”

“My screws aren’t loose. I’m perfectly fine.”

“Sigh… I knew you were serious about watching movies, so I let you go, but I’m starting to think it was a mistake.”

Hwalin genuinely enjoyed watching movies, whether they were art films, shorts, independent, or commercial. Nevertheless, the chubby manager shook his head.

“You’ll get caught by the CEO again. Oh! And don’t tell the CEO that I let you go to the Mise-en-scène, okay? The CEO will kill me.”

“I won’t tell. Don’t worry.”

“So, instead of the storyboard, what are you looking at?”

“‘Profiler Hanryang’ articles.”

“Ah! That show is a hit, right? The ratings exceeded 20%? Wow – you should’ve been part of that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Did you congratulate Hong Hye-yeon? You two meet up for drinks when you’re bored, right?”

In response to the question, Hwalin, who had been staring at her phone, answered.

“I called sis on the first broadcast day. Ah, be quiet for a moment.”

The previously talkative manager pointed at the pile of papers stacked beside Hwalin.

“Why should I be quiet? Don’t you want a big break? Have you checked the scripts you’ve received?”

“Later, later.”

“Ha, what? Are you saving those scripts to use as toilet paper? The CEO is urging, you need to find a work fast. Ow, my head.”

“…”

Soon, Hwalin once again fell silent and started reading the article thoroughly.

‘So, it’s confirmed that ‘Exorcism’ and Hanryang’s Park Dae-ri are the same person, Kang Woojin?’

For some reason, she felt like she was investigating Kang Woojin. Why? Because she had watched ‘Exorcism’ and ‘Kim Ryu-jin’, and then she came to know about the actor Kang Woojin. However, there was practically no information about him.

Her curiosity began from there.

‘I’ve never seen acting like this. The character portrayal is so vivid. He seems like a rookie, but seeing that crazy detailed acting, he must have been acting for a long time, definitely. Was he in the theater for a long time? Right. That must be it.’

Hwalin had also watched ‘Profiler Hanryang’, which featured her close friend Hong Hye-yeon. But it was actor Kang Woojin, who played the scene-stealing role of Park Dae-ri, who piqued her interest. Hwalin felt a thrill. The coincidence also seemed like fate.

‘Kim Ryu-jin, Park Dae-ri. Their acting styles were completely different, right? Why is there nothing in the article about how cool he was? He was really, really cool.’

So, since yesterday, she started searching for everything about the actor Kang Woojin. Anything, any information.

It was less of a rational feeling and more of,

‘Is he from a theater troupe? Which school did he attend? How old is he?’

Close to being a fan, a feeling Hwalin had never experienced before, so she didn’t really know herself.

‘There are no previous works at all. Are there any unknown short films? Damn it. But why is there so little information?’

This was the beginning of ‘fandom’.

Meanwhile, in a large officetel.

It looked like a place where people lived, but this officetel was an office. A desk was set up in the living room and a large whiteboard could be seen on the wall. Various miscellaneous items were scattered all over the place.

It resembled the atmosphere of a variety show office.

Well, it wasn’t wrong. Because this office was the meeting room of the large YouTube channel ‘Sports Day’. The ‘Sports Day’ channel had over 3 million subscribers.

And the head of this channel was,

“Hmm-”

A man who just sat down at the desk and sighed.

One of the few titans in the Korean variety show industry, PD Yoon Byung-seon. The entertainment shows filmed by him, who is considered a legend in the entertainment world, were brilliant. His shows have always achieved respectable viewer ratings, and the shows he organized always became a hot topic. PD Yoon Byung-sun was also active, going back and forth between the ‘Sports Day’ channel and the broadcasting station.

He was currently watching TV with several writers. It was more like monitoring.

They were watching ‘Profiler Hanryang’ again to create content and conduct research according to a predetermined schedule. PD Yoon Byung-seon watched the drama silently, and the writers sitting around were busy writing something.

Then,

“Hey.”

PD Yoon Byung-seon, who was wearing glasses, pointed at the TV with his index finger.

“What’s the name of that psychopath actor?”

One writer showed him a research chart.

“It’s actor Kang Woojin. He is a newcomer.”

“Why isn’t he on ‘Hanryang Team’ shoot this time? He’s not in the cast list?”

“Yes. Um- Ryu Jung-min, Hong Hye-yeon, Lee Do-jung… Kang Woojin is not there.”

“Why was he left out?”

Another writer answered.

“It’s not that he was left out, we didn’t even think about him. When we were discussing with the Hanryang team, his name didn’t come up at all. Upon searching, he won the grand prize at the Mise-en-scène, but at that time we didn’t even know that actor was in Hanryang.”

“Did the Hanryang team hide it?”

“It must have been. He’s a real scene-stealer, so they probably had to hide it to make it more impactful?”

Slowly nodding, PD Yoon Byung-seon looked closely at Park Dae-ri on TV. Or rather, Kang Woojin playing Park Dae-ri. Very carefully.

For about three minutes or so.

“His act is quite convincing. I get the feeling that his life is also full of twists and turns.”

PD Yoon Byung-seon, with his arms crossed, softly recited to the writers, his eyes gleaming.

“Let’s include actor Kang Woojin as well, try to contact him.”