Chapter 103: Short Drama (3)

Translator: Dreamscribe

As soon as it launched on Netflix Japan, ‘Hanryang’ took the number one spot. Upon hearing this news, Choi Sung-gun, sitting in the co-driver’s seat, turned toward Kang Woojin.

-Swish.

He locked eyes with Kang Woojin in the back. Before he knew it, a smile had spread across Choi Sung-gun’s lips. In contrast, Kang Woojin’s face was indifferent, but inside, he was quite elated.

‘Oh- number one? Awesome. It climbed up so fast??’

Honestly, he didn’t understand how the system worked, but whatever it was, being number one was good news, right? Some reporters had recently spewed doubts about the show’s prospects these past few days, but surely those doubts were dispelled now? As Woojin wondered internally, Choi Sung-gun spoke to him.

“You can be more excited, you know. Let’s do a high five.”

Woojin, feeling like he could high five dozens of times, but acting enthusiastic didn’t fit his concept. So, he calmly high-fived Choi Sung-gun’s outstretched palm. At the same time, Choi Sung-gun gave an instruction to someone over the phone.

“Okay, got it. Please gather some reactions from Japan about Hanryang and send them over. Mm-hmm.”

When Choi Sung-gun ended the call, Han Ye-jung, with her newly dyed purple hair, showed her phone to Woojin.

“It’s real. Number one.”

On Han Ye-jung’s phone screen was a blogger’s page. The blogger, who updated the Netflix Japan rankings every week, had just posted a fresh chart, and ‘Profiler Hanryang’ was prominently displayed in first place.

[Japan’s Real-time TOP 10 Contents]

1) Profiler Hanryang

2) Tokyo Flood 2

3) Cyberpunk Spy

4) Detsuya-san’s Dining Table

5) Steel Road

…

..

.

Seeing the actual rankings, Woojin’s amazement doubled. People from another country were watching a drama he was a part of? And it was number one? His curiosity grew.

‘How are the reviews like? Are there many negative comments?’

How did the Japanese audience perceive Hanryang? What did they think of Woojin’s character, ‘Park Dae-ri’?

At that moment.

“Well, it might have been a shot in the dark, but it’s pretty successful for a first overseas expansion, isn’t it?”

Choi Sung-gun’s smile deepened as he looked at something that had just arrived on his phone.

“The reactions from Japan are amazing, Woojin.”

Simultaneously.

Just as Choi Sung-gun had mentioned, Profiler Hanryang’s popularity in Japan was no joke. In fact, there had been buzz on social media even before Hanryang launched in Japan.

A Korean drama that was a huge hit is coming to Japan, and so on.

It started primarily among Japanese fans who were big fans of the Hallyu. But word of mouth spread fast, partly thanks to well-known actors like Ryu Jung-min and Hong Hye-yeon.

As a result, it hit number one upon launch.

There had been many Korean contents on Netflix Japan, but Hanryang was the first to achieve number one in such a short period. And this wasn’t just for dramas; it was across all content.

Reviews of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ were also explosive.

Most of the noise was on various Japanese community sites and portals.

-Profiler Hanryang! I watched the new Korean content on Netflix, and I loved it!

-The villains’ acting… I think I won’t be able to sleep…

-Clearly, Korea is ahead in the content market compared to Japan. You see the difference in many aspects when you watch Hanryang, especially the acting!

-Ryu Jung-min’s baby permed hair is so cute!

-Hanryang is so fun! As expected, Hong Hye-yeon was pretty even in a detective role. But who’s the villain at the beginning? So impressive.

-Not as fun as I expected… But the acting was fantastic, as always!

-Does anyone know the name of the Korean actor who played Park Dae-ri?

-I looked it up out of curiosity; he’s a newbie named Kang Woojin!

-I didn’t like it much…

-Are you talking about your face? Maybe you should look in the mirror.

-I love mystery shows! It was 16 episodes, so a bit long, but I stayed up all night watching!

-All the villains were scary, but especially Park Dae-ri from episodes 1 to 4 was really, really… handsome.

-Does anyone have more info about this new actor Kang Woojin?

…

..

.

On social media, there was a lot of talk about Hanryang.

[@rrruu_45652]

[The new show on Netflix! Profiler Hanryang! Everyone must watch (link) It’s really fun! Especially up to episode 4, you can’t take your eyes off it.]

The drama styles of Japan and Korea were distinctly different. Yet, the Japanese fell deeply for ‘Hanryang.’ There could be various reasons, but the most influential factor was the ambiance of the work. It was structured into four episodes with four villains, focusing on themes of mystery-solving and detectives.

It wasn’t intentional, but ‘Hanryang’ had a flavor familiar to the Japanese audience.

In Japan, ‘detective’ or ‘mystery’ dramas were still popular every quarter. The exploding Hallyu added momentum. It would have been strange if it hadn’t succeeded.

What was peculiar:

– The first villain in Hanryang, he’s terrifying when he smiles. Why why am I shivering?

– I felt the same. I watched it multiple times even though it’s scary.

– Know why? Because he’s handsome.

Among Japanese viewers who watched Hanryang, mentions of Park Dae-ri were frequent. The name Kang Woojin also came up often. And it made sense.

– I found this Korean actor Kang Woojin’s SNS. From today, I’m going to keep tabs on him.

Whether they had high expectations or just out of curiosity, the impact of Park Dae-ri on the Japanese viewers who saw the first episode of ‘Hanryang’ must have been significant.

Perhaps because of this?

There was a noticeable increase in Japanese comments on Hanryang-related YouTube videos.

Especially, the edited videos focusing on ‘Park Dae-ri’ were significantly noticeable. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, it was still minimal, but an increase was inevitable. After all, it had only been a few days since Hanryang was released on Netflix Japan.

Soon after:

『[Official] ‘Profiler Hanryang’ is also a hit in Japan, taking the number one spot on real-time Netflix Japan.』

Domestic media, sensing a story, began reporting news about the situation in Japan.

『‘Profiler Hanryang’ hits no.1 on Japanese Netflix upon launch, continues its successful streak in Japan.』

And then,

@Wooji_n

Posts: 58

Followers: 1.02M

Following: 7

Kang Woojin’s followers exceeded one million. Certainly, the speed of increase had noticeably sped up compared to a few days ago.

-大好きです! 本当に大好きです! ずっと応援してるよ! (I love you, I really do! I will always support you!) (TL: This Japanese is MTL’ed)

Japanese comments from users, which weren’t seen before, started to increase.

Around late lunchtime,

A production company’s conference room was bustling. Dozens of staff were busy setting something up.

“Alright! Get the drinks and snacks ready!”

“We’re short on chairs, where are the extras??!”

“Outside! In the hallway!”

“I’ll lay out the name tags!”

On the glass door of the meeting room, a piece of paper read:

-<Male Friend> Script Reading Venue.

Indeed, this conference room was being transformed into the script reading venue for ‘Male Friend.’ The director, writers, and actors would be sitting at a ‘ㄷ’ shaped table, with dozens of chairs arranged around it in a ‘ㅁ’ shape. These seats were for Netflix representatives, production company staff, and actors’ managers.

Several minutes later.

Actors began to enter as the setting for the reading was roughly complete.

“Hello!!”

A very enthusiastic newcomer and,

“Hello- hello.”

A supporting role actor with some recognition. Today, for ‘Male Friend’s’ reading, including Kang Woojin and Hwalin, a total of thirteen actors were expected to come. About half of them were newcomers. Overall, the cast lineup wasn’t very high-profile.

Well, even the male lead, Kang Woojin, was essentially a newcomer.

For a short series, this lineup was expected. It was already unusual from the start to have a star of Hwalin’s caliber in such a short series.

However, what was strange was,

“Hello, I’m the manager of the newbie, Ku Sang-hyun. That guy over there.”

“Ah, nice to meet you. I manage Song Hee.”

“Haha. Song Hee is getting a good vibe these days, isn’t she?”

“No big deal compared to our lead actor here.”

“Kang Woojin? Yeah, he’s something else. Our Sang-hyun is also a newcomer, but the difference is just—wow.”

“Don’t they all start the same? Making a debut and in just a few months working with director Kwon Ki-taek and PD Yoon Byung-seon. It’s unbelievable.”

“On my way here, I saw that ‘Hanyang’ topped Netflix Japan?”

Among the actors’ managers, who were slowly filling the seats, there was overwhelmingly more talk of Kang Woojin than of Hwalin.

“Have you ever seen Kang Woojin in person?”

“No, it’s my first time seeing him today. So, I plan to strike up a conversation during the break.”

“I wish he’d share some of his explosive luck, haha.”

“I heard he’s not the approachable type.”

“Well, he’s been dominating the entertainment scene since he appeared; it’s only natural he’s a bit haughty.”

By experience, he was way far below Hwalin, but Kang Woojin’s notoriety was at quite a high level.

“‘Exorcism’ aside, this is Kang Woojin’s first lead role in a commercial work, right?”

“I heard it’s his first rom-com as well.”

“I wonder why Hwalin is doing this. She should have gotten plenty of scripts for big projects.”

“I don’t know. Somehow, it doesn’t seem like it will go well, does it? With Hwalin and Kang Woojin. But are the two of them close?”

“I heard they’re not at all. From the staff here.”

The actors felt similarly.

They hadn’t become friendly yet, so while there wasn’t much chatter, everyone was eyeing the lead roles. Envy or jealousy was inevitable. Naturally, they were curious about the monstrous newcomer in the rumors. What kind of person is he? How is his acting? Is there something different about him?

What exactly makes him different from me?

In the increasingly buzzing reading room, each actor imagined Kang Woojin in their minds. He was the youngest in terms of career on set, but the most impactful newcomer. How amazing is he to have turned the domestic entertainment industry upside down in just a few months?

It was at that moment.

“Hello-”

A woman’s voice spread throughout the reading room. It was a relaxed greeting. Thanks to that, the gazes of dozens of actors and staff members shifted. Hwalin, with her long hair tied back and wearing a tight t-shirt and loose jeans, had arrived.

Instantly, all eyes were on her.

Upon entering the reading room, Hwalin greeted several people.

‘This is- awkward.’

Perhaps because they were practically strangers, a bit of awkwardness was unavoidable.

‘The atmosphere is also a bit heavy. But where is Woojin?’

Scratching near the mole under her eye, Hwalin immediately started looking for Kang Woojin.

– Swish.

At that moment, she sensed a presence behind her. Soon, a man’s deep voice infiltrated Hwalin’s ears.

“Hello, Miss Hwalin.”

Startled, Hwalin swiftly turned her head. There stood Kang Woojin, expressionless. Unconsciously, a faint smile formed on her lips.

“Ah- ahem.”

She struggled to calm her fan’s heart as she greeted Kang Woojin.

“Have you arrived?”

For the record, Hwalin had recently fallen hard for Kang Woojin’s voice. To be precise,

‘Ah, his voice sounds like music to my ears!’

She was smitten with Kang Woojin’s vocals, especially since the day of the OST recording. As a result, her fangirling only deepened. Then, Hwalin congratulated Woojin on something else.

“I heard ‘Hanryang’ hit number one on Netflix in Japan?”

“Yes.”

“That’s great. Suddenly you’re gaining popularity in Japan as well…”

Soon, her voice trailed off. The reason was simple. She realized that all eyes in the reading room were fixed on Kang Woojin.

“Oh. I’ve been talking too much.”

“No.”

With a cynical tilt of his head, Kang Woojin took a step and swept his gaze over the entire reading room.

“……”

His face was impassive. However, Woojin’s heart hadn’t been calm since he arrived at the reading room.

‘Ah, shoot. Why are they all looking at me? Let’s see. A strong overall greeting would be appropriate, right?’

Turning his rising nervousness into a burst of energy, Kang Woojin bowed slightly to everyone in the reading room.

“Hello, I am Kang Woojin.”

His deep, calm voice resonated throughout the reading room. However, there wasn’t a significant reaction. It wasn’t that they were ignoring Woojin. They were momentarily stunned by Kang Woojin’s heavy impact, especially the actors who had reflexively stood up.

‘…He’s so imposing.’

‘He definitely feels different, I don’t know why, but he is.’

‘What is that? His aura is just insane?’

On the other hand, Kang Woojin was slightly perplexed.

‘Their reactions seem lukewarm?? Why?’

The one who broke the tension was a familiar man with a square jaw.

“Hey, why is everyone standing?”

It was Director Shin Dong-chun, overseeing the production of ‘Male Friend.’ Beside him, with a shy expression on her face, was the writer, Choi Na-na. With Director Shin Dong-chun’s arrival, the awkward tension in the reading room lightened a bit.

“Did all the actors arrive? Woojin and Hwalin, please take your seats. Let’s get started.”

Director Shin Dong-chun moved towards the table’s head seat, followed by writer Choi Na-na and Hwalin. Hwalin sat on the first seat to the right of Director Shin Dong-chun.

-[Role of Lee Bo-min: Ms. Hwalin]

Kang Woojin took the first seat on the left. However, he paused for a moment when he saw the nameplate on his spot.

-[Role of Han In-ho: Mr. Kang Woojin]

He wasn’t exactly sure why, but he felt a sudden surge of emotion.

‘In ‘Hanryang’, Ryu Jung-min sat here.’

Among many actors, he was the first. The main lead actor’s primary seat. Of course, ‘Hanryang’ had twice the number of actors, but the lead role remains the lead role. And Kang Woojin would be sitting in this spot many times in the future.

Anyway.

– Swish.

As Woojin took his seat, trying to contain his emotions,

“Um- Woojin, Hwalin, before we start the reading, there’s something I’d like to convey.”

Director Shin Dong-chun suddenly spoke up.

“You know our ‘Male Friend’ starts with a kiss scene, right? Not in the shooting, but in the script. We’re thinking of making some adjustments to that.”

Huh? What’s he talking about? Woojin’s stern demeanor twitched slightly. At the same time, Hwalin from across the table chimed in.

“What?! Why??”

Oops. Realizing she had raised her voice, Hwalin sneaked a glance at Woojin, trying to gauge his expression. It was hard to read.

‘Does he not mind? Ugh- I overreacted.’

Clearing her throat, Hwalin turned her gaze to the slightly surprised Director Shin Dong-chun.

“Um… Why? It’s so sudden. Are you deleting the scene or something?”

In response to her question, Director Shin Dong-chun looked at writer Choi Na-na beside him and then replied,

“No, to be precise, we’re thinking of emphasizing the characters’ emotions more and making it more detailed.”

He met Hwalin’s gaze again as he continued.

“I’m considering a deeper concept.”