Chapter 128: Departure (2)

Translator: Dreamscribe

The first thought that crossed Kang Woojin’s mind when he heard Jung Jang-hwan’s ad-lib and felt his body stiffen was:

‘Ah, damn, it seems like I need to do something.’

The stage was set, and dozens of eyes were watching. It would be odd to abruptly stand up and leave, and doing nothing or ignoring it would look bad. In a way, Woojin’s poker face was intense, but he was in a crisis.

What to do? What should I do?

Kang Woojin’s heart began to race, and then suddenly it struck him.

‘…Oh. Right. My character doesn’t have any lines, does he?’

His previously clouded mind due to the rising tension started to clear. The character Woojin played, ‘Mysterious Man Next Door,’ had no lines. To be precise, the ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ couldn’t speak.

Meaning, he didn’t necessarily have to ‘speak.’

Hmm? Isn’t this something I can try? However, the crisis wasn’t completely averted. After all, ‘acting’ isn’t just about lines.

And then there was sign language.

‘My hands, expressions, gestures – they need to be stronger than usual.’

Since there were no spoken lines, the other aspects had to be maximized. At this moment, he had to respond to the ad-lib not with the power of the void space, but as ‘Kang Woojin’ himself, who had learned sign language.

The interesting thing was…

‘Somehow – um, I can’t quite define it, but. Somehow, it feels like it’s going to work? Yeah, I feel like I can do something.’

As his thoughts cleared, Kang Woojin felt a strange confidence rising within him. He felt like he could handle the top actor Jung Jang-hwan’s ad-lib. Was it bravado? Numbness of senses? Recklessness? Hard to say.

Knowing nothing for certain, Woojin moved.

-Swish.

First, Kang Woojin met eyes with Jung Jang-hwan, who was sitting opposite him. Managing his expression. Next, he thought about what sign language to use. The answer came quicker than expected.

‘A reversal, some kind of a twist would be good, right?’

The ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ ultimately triggered the first change in ‘Song Tae-hyung,’ played by Jang-hwan. So, in this situation, an ad-lib that would leave ‘Song Tae-hyung’ speechless was fitting for the current situation. Currently, Song Tae-hyung didn’t know the true nature of the ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ and his feelings were not particularly good.

Soon, Kang Woojin slowly raised his hand.

He had more or less decided on his lines. Thanks to the grace of the void space, the sign language would be perfect. What remained were facial expressions and gestures. Then, Woojin threw an ad-lib at Song Tae-hyung. His final sign language gesture was placing a clenched fist near his nose.

‘I like you.’

His expression? Yes, a smile. The sign for ‘like’ needed a smile to clearly convey the emotion. Woojin slowly lifted the corners of his mouth. What should he think about? His first job? When the void space appeared? When he first met Hong Hye-yeon? The last day of shooting ‘Hanryang’? His beloved car? The first kiss scene?

Regardless of the memory, Kang Woojin managed to wear the happiest smile in the world.

Though rooted in acting, his smile was so flawless that it was impossible to find a fault. His current expression and portrayal were impeccable. That perfect.

That was it, Kang Woojin was ‘acting’ at this moment.

An acting that he achieved on his own, without the aid of the power of the void space. It worked. How did this happen? Woojin pondered over the process while showing his ad-lib acting as the ‘Mysterious Man Next Door.’ But it had been so hectic that he couldn’t remember well.

‘Is it because I’ve been pretending for too long? Or is it because the roles I’ve learned through the void space have accumulated?’

It was most likely a coincidence. It was premature to conclude. Well, whatever the reason, he had grown a bit? Of course, without the void space, acting as a career was still a stretch. Kang Woojin, with his ordinary civilian core, lacked experience. It was also impossible to act in works of great directors like Kwon Ki-taek or Kyotaro.

But still.

‘It’s definitely a bit different from before.’

It was hard to say that Kang Woojin from a few months ago, during ‘Profiler Hanryang,’ and now were the same. The ad-lib, which seemed like a mistake or a coincidence, was not accidental. He showed an ad-lib intentionally, and that sudden act of performance was…

‘He’s good, but the way his expression changes so quickly is kind of creepy?’

‘I don’t really know sign language, but it doesn’t feel awkward. It feels natural, like something he’s been doing continuously. How much practice did he put into this?’

‘That smile. If we do a close-up, add some sound effects and a filter, it would be like a perfect movie shot.’

‘No wonder he’s called a monster rookie. His acting is incredible, really.’

A great tension enveloped the actors gathered there.

“……A minor role with brief screen time, performing complex sign language alone – its impact is tremendous, but still, he’s a rookie. Any slip in acting would be immediately noticeable and criticized. It’s imperative.’

Kang Woojin’s very existence posed a crisis for the other actors. Especially for Jung Jang-hwan, who was the only one to have direct interaction with Woojin.

‘Curiosity be damned. My pride is at stake here, I’ve been careless to be in the same scene with such a guy… Wait a minute. My line. What was my next line?’

And now, writer Lee Wol-seon, scanning the entire reading hall, realized something.

‘Aha, that’s it. This atmosphere.’

She understood why writer Park Eun-mi insisted that Kang Woojin had to be included in the reading. Just now, the entire cast’s will had changed. Their postures and attitudes were corrected, their faces full of seriousness.

‘There’s no comparison.’

If they are compared to that minor character, effortlessly doing sign language as a rookie, they would be immediately placed on the chopping block.

‘He’s a true scene stealer, indeed.’

Writer Lee Wol-seon smiled as she watched Woojin.

‘The ability to assert presence in any role, in any project. That’s what a real top actor is.’

She softly asked the sign language expert sitting to her right.

“How do you find Woojin’s sign language? Please evaluate it purely from an expert’s perspective.”

“As I mentioned earlier, he’s impressive. There’s nothing to criticize. I don’t know much about acting, so when I first saw Woojin, his bland expression worried me – but once he started acting, he changed 180 degrees.”

That was something writer Lee Wol-seon felt deeply, and the sign language expert met her eyes, slightly excited.

“Did you see that troubled, contemplative look in his eyes? And Mr. Woojin’s movements are very smooth. His facial expressions change with his hand movements, showing a wide range of emotions. It feels like he might even be better at sign language than me?”

Upon hearing this evaluation, writer Lee Wol-seon’s gaze returned to Woojin, who was still acting in the far corner. Her eyes held a mysterious look.

‘…What is he? When did he learn to perform sign language that even an expert can’t stop praising?’

Kang Woojin seemed like he always had the qualities that a director or a writer wanted in a project. The problem was that acquiring those skills seemed almost devilishly difficult.

‘He doesn’t look like he’s staking his life on learning them. It’s just like an everyday thing for him.’

Lee Wol-seon then turned to the sign language expert again.

“If viewers were to see this scene, what would they think?”

“If I were purely a viewer, I would be so surprised by Mr. Woojin’s sign language skills that I’d be shocked, and then grateful. Despite his brief role, he clearly put in a great effort.”

“Right. It’s brief, very brief indeed. Yet, impactful.”

Naturally, writer Lee Wol-seon also guessed the viewers’ hearts.

‘They’ll be astounded by Woojin’s constantly changing masks in every work.’

Perhaps something like ‘Suddenly sign language from Park Dae-ri?’ Moreover, Kang Woojin had many more projects planned besides ‘Freezing Love.’ Star writer Lee Wol-seon felt a chill on her arms.

‘It’s too narrow for him to spread his wings in Korea; expanding his stage to Japan was the natural next step.’

Regardless of how short or long his screen time in a role was, this monster rookie would always appear in the best condition and captivate the audience.

And then.

‘A man of a thousand faces.’

As an actor, his spectrum of performance was immeasurable.

Writer Lee Wol-seon,

-Swish.

shifted her body to the left and whispered to the directing PD. The PD cleared his throat softly and announced,

“Ahem! Excuse me, everyone.”

The ongoing reading was interrupted. As a result, the attention of dozens of actors, including Kang Woojin, and the staff was fully captured. However, the PD looked at writer Lee Wol-seon, passing the focus to her. Soon, Lee Wol-seon, who had been twirling her pen, spoke up, her expression somewhat stern.

“Some of you have experienced this directly, and some may have only heard rumors. At the beginning of readings, I usually just observe. I’m curious to see how the actors have analyzed my script. Ad-libs are okay too.”

She then locked eyes with top actor Jung Jang-hwan, sitting right beside her.

“Jang-hwan.”

“…Yes, writer.”

“Just now, the ad-lib based on the situation wasn’t bad. I understand your analysis.”

Her directing tone, though calm, was heavy, almost oppressive.

“However, wasn’t that ad-lib more about personal curiosity rather than fitting for a senior actor?”

“…”

“Was that really a line from ‘Song Tae-hyung’? It sounded more like an experiment from actor Jung Jang-hwan.”

The reading hall fell into a deep silence. Amidst the strange atmosphere, Woojin for now…

‘What’s this, suddenly a scolding atmosphere?’

Maintained a solemn expression. Unaware of this, Lee Wol-seon pointed at Woojin while looking at Jung Jang-hwan.

“I was asking if that ad-lib came from pure curiosity of Jang-hwan, not ‘Song Tae-hyung.'”

The straightforward fact hit Jung Jang-hwan hard. He replied in a tone that quickly acknowledged his mistake.

“Sorry… I went overboard.”

“That’s right. Why risk walking a tightrope as such a senior actor?”

Then Lee Wol-seon said,

“Listen, everyone, Woojin is practically volunteering for this project. He didn’t even need to come to the reading, but he did. I understand. It’s hard to gauge Woojin’s role since it’s brief. You must be curious. How capable is he to turn the Korean entertainment world upside down?”

She spoke softly to all the actors.

“But still, do it in moderation. It’s good for an actor’s curiosity to turn into a challenge. But if it turns into jealousy or envy, that’s not so great.”

Jung Jang-hwan, scratching his chin, reflected on his earlier self.

‘I was curious, but there was jealousy too.’

The desire to see more of Kang Woojin’s acting mixed with some malicious intent. Realizing this, Jung Jang-hwan genuinely apologized to Woojin, who was sitting across from him.

“Sorry, Woojin. I went a bit too far driven by curiosity.”

“It’s fine, it was fun.”

Fun? At Woojin’s response, Jung Jang-hwan inwardly chuckled.

‘He’s quite relaxed, that means his ad-lib performance just now was effortless.’

Woojin, maintaining a forced poker face, calmed his racing heart.

‘Phew- Whatever that was, I’m glad it’s over. If more ad-libs had come out, my brain would have shut down.’

Writer Lee Wol-seon then called out to Woojin.

“Woojin, about that ad-lib just now?”

“Yes.”

“Even if we make some changes to the context, the situation is this: ‘Song Tae-hyung’ doesn’t know that the ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ can only communicate through sign language, and the ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ doesn’t understand ‘Song Tae-hyung’s’ words. The sign language that clearly expresses the disconnect in this situation, ‘I like you’, I really want to use that. What do you think?”

This was a suggestion to formally include the sign language ad-lib that Woojin had improvised into the script. Woojin simply responded calmly.

“If the writer wishes, I have no objections.”

The next morning, August 22nd, at bw Entertainment.

The location was the CEO’s office. CEO Choi Sung-gun, several staff members, and Kang Woojin were seated opposite each other. Before starting the schedule, they were having a briefing about upcoming events, including a schedule in Japan in a few days.

During the meeting, CEO Choi Sung-gun, looking at Kang Woojin wearing a cap across from him, recalled his conversation with ‘Drug Dealer’ director Kim Do-hee from the day before. He remembered discussing the film’s impending release.

The conversation had started with Choi Sung-gun questioning over the phone.

“So, a blind preview means that the editing for ‘Drug Dealer’ is already complete?”

Director Kim Do-hee’s response from the other end of the phone.

“No, it’s not completely finished yet. But I would say about 90% is done. Originally, the plan was to finish editing by mid-September and then hold a blind preview, but the actors’ schedules were all over the place, so the earliest we could arrange was next week.”

“So you’re holding a blind preview with the film 90% complete?”

“Yes. While it’s 90%, the main editing is done to the extent that there won’t be any issues in viewing. It’s just minor things like sound effects and ending credits that are left.”

The crank up for ‘Drug Dealer’ was in June. By mid-September, it would be about four months of work, which was quite fast.

“Wow, that’s incredibly fast, isn’t it? Originally, you aimed for an early winter release, right?”

“That’s right. We had a large editing team, and I personally pushed really hard. I practically spent every day working until late at night. Of course, the release will likely be earlier than early winter. Maybe mid or late October? At the latest, we’ll launch by early November.”

Director Kim Do-hee unexpectedly congratulated at this timing.

“Oh! That’s right! Woojin! I sent a message, but please convey my congratulations. A debut in Japan already… and even a lead role with Director Kyotaro? You have no idea how surprised I was when I read the news.”

“Haha, thank you. I’ll make sure to pass it on.”

“Please do. Our entire ‘Drug Dealer’ team was ecstatic. They’re saying Woojin is making history, becoming a legend – thanks to Woojin, our project is also gaining attention.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed our work is being mentioned more frequently.”

“That’s not all. With this momentum, the public’s expectations for ‘Drug Dealer’s release will be several times higher!”

“Ah, but Director, you mentioned that ‘Drug Dealer’s’ release might be in mid or late October, or early November?”

“Yes, that’s the plan for now. But it could change.”

Back in the present, in the CEO’s office, CEO Choi Sung-gun looked at Woojin and smiled wryly.

‘…..’Male Friend’ has also finished shooting. Let’s assume about a month for editing, including promotion and other miscellaneous tasks. Then the launch of ‘Male Friend’ should be around October too -‘

Then CEO Choi Sung-gun addressed Kang Woojin across from him.

“Woojin.”

“Yes, CEO.”

To Woojin’s response, CEO Choi Sung-gun replied.

“It looks like ‘Male Friend’ and ‘Drug Dealer’ might be released almost simultaneously.”

He was referring to the stories of ‘Lee Sang-man’ in the cold bath and ‘Han In-ho’ in the warm bath.

TL Notes:

1) Cold bath and Hot bath here refers to the two different roles one is for rom-com other is a villain role.