Chapter 296: Comeback (1)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Kang Woojin received the transparent file handed over by the ponytailed Choi Sung-gun. His expression remained quite indifferent, but inwardly, he noticeably tilted his head. Adding scenes to the script of episodes 1 and 2 of ‘Beneficial Evil’?

‘Well, that means there are modifications, right?’

Moreover, even the running time of the episodes has been extended. Doesn’t that mean there’s going to be quite a significant overhaul? Since Woojin had already read (experienced) the script of episodes 1 and 2 of ‘Beneficial Evil’ a long time ago, it was only natural for him to be puzzled.

Why are there modifications at this timing?

However, expressing his slight confusion now, with his usual concept, would be an overreaction. Kang Woojin casually opened the transparent file and asked Choi Sung-gun. Of course, his voice was as low as possible.

“Adding scenes. Isn’t this way too late?”

Although his tone had a hint of toughness, Woojin’s question was generally reasonable. No matter how much ‘Beneficial Evil’ was a pre-produced drama, if the script gets revised during the late stages of pre-production, it would extend the production period. And that inevitably meant more money would be spent.

From the beginning, ‘Beneficial Evil’ was an expensive drama.

Since it’s pre-produced, it needs to stand out in terms of quality and meticulousness more than a live drama, and the production costs invested up until now were already quite substantial. Not only that, but dozens more actors and staff than usual were involved. If the production period extends, it means more money would continuously be wasted.

However, Choi Sung-gun smiled as if it was no big deal.

“You’re right, under normal circumstances, it would be very late. But fortunately, it doesn’t seem like they’re heading into this blindly.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. From what I heard from PD Song, these were originally scenes included in the early drafts of episodes 1 and 2 of ‘Beneficial Evil’. It feels like they completed the script by removing those scenes and are now adding them back in.”

“So naturally, the running time of episodes 1 and 2 will increase.”

“Exactly. But this time, Writer Choi will be refining and upgrading the quality even more, it seems. She’s been doing some intensive research lately.”

In other words, they are adding back the originally planned scenes but in an upgraded form. If that’s the case, it shouldn’t have a significant impact on the production period. Woojin, who had been nodding indifferently, lowered his gaze to the transparent file in his hand. The content included the storyboard drafts of the additional scenes, as well as information and materials about the filming.

As he looked at the storyboard drawings, Kang Woojin was surprised, though only inwardly.

‘Wow- crazy. This is intense. Just from looking at the storyboard, it looks like a scene from movie, doesn’t it?’

‘Beneficial Evil’ already had a lot of action scenes, but the action in the storyboards he was looking at now seemed, how should he put it- much more intense? It truly reminded him of several scenes from a Hollywood movie.

Moreover.

‘But this… a gun? They’re using guns too?’

It seemed to include some techniques he had never seen before. He even saw a gun. Woojin, who was now somewhat serious both outwardly and inwardly, turned a page. He saw quite a lot of text. The added information and materials related to the scenes were listed, but there was one thing that caught Kang Woojin’s attention.

– Planned filming location: Bangkok, Thailand.

Bangkok? Bangkok, Thailand? So, they’re planning to shoot overseas? At that moment, Woojin was reminded of Da Nang, Vietnam, where they had filmed ‘Island of the Missing’.

But more than that.

‘Bangkok? That’s pretty unexpected, huh?’

It was a place he had never thought of. The name Bangkok had only come up in jokes like ‘Bangkok-bangkok’ with friends, and Woojin had never seriously considered going there.

Whatever it was, he felt a strange sensation.

‘This is crazy. Are we going all the way to Bangkok to film this?’

Half excited, half worried. Of course, if anything, he was more worried. Though he had filmed abroad in places like Japan and other countries, this would be his first time doing full-scale action scenes. But outwardly, Woojin had to maintain an indifferent demeanor as he slowly nodded his head.

“Bangkok, not bad.”

Choi Sung-gun suddenly gave a thumbs up.

“I skimmed through it, and the visuals are killer. The added scenes seem to be giving strong hints about the male lead’s past, so they’re going all out with it. From the start, it’s all about breaking, smashing, and blowing things up—it’s a total frenzy.”

“Yes.”

“The main character needs to show his strength in episodes 1 and 2 to keep the momentum going for the later episodes. Well, since it’s you, I doubt you’re nervous. How does it feel?”

“The same as always, moderately exciting.”

“Hehe. Anyway, the revised script should be coming over soon, and before that, there will be some promotional shoots and meetings with the ‘Beneficial Evil’ team.”

Choi Sung-gun then began to explain more about ‘Beneficial Evil’. This went on for about 10 minutes. Once the briefing was over, with both of them now sitting across from each other at the central table in the CEO’s office, Choi Sung-gun quickly switched topics.

“So, what happened with that thing in Jinju? I need to know the situation too.”

It was a natural question. Kang Woojin, who clearly understood this, explained in a low tone what had happened at the Jinju Children’s Center. He didn’t go into great detail, just the key points. After hearing the story, Choi Sung-gun let out a dry laugh.

“What’s up with that sponsor company CEO? Is he nuts? Anyway, good job.”

Taking out his phone, Choi Sung-gun continued.

“I was already planning to pay some attention to Jinju. It’s your hometown after all, and Jinju City Hall has been persistently trying, only to get cut off every time. If we go the donation route, it’ll have a good impact and look good too. I’ve already received contact from the Children’s Center, so I’ll handle it.”

“Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for? You just fired the starting gun for something we were going to do anyway. And about your personal donation—you’re doing that too, right? We’ll just handle it through the company, so don’t worry about it.”

Oh wow, as expected of the CEO. On the outside, Woojin remained stoic, but inwardly he was deeply touched by Choi Sung-gun’s actions, though Choi Sung-gun was, of course, unaware of this.

“It’s your first year, so including what you’re doing personally, we’ll make it a bit substantial. Let’s go with 300 million won. That’ll get the media all fired up.”

As he typed something into his phone, he spoke again.

“Oh, and the PR will be handled jointly by Jinju City and us.”

After that.

Choi Sung-gun added that this year’s donation-related PR would be noisy, but starting next year, it would be done quietly. Since Kang Woojin’s trip to Jinju had already become quite a hot topic in the media and public opinion, it was only right to maintain that momentum with this donation.

Anyway.

“That’s about Jinju. Um- next is about your schedules.”

Choi Sung-gun opened a thick diary and began listing Woojin’s packed schedule. After enjoying some sweet rest, it was now time to run full speed again. Endless schedules flowed from his mouth. Meanwhile, Woojin.

“……”

Maintained his poker face but zoned out. He felt something akin to ‘Water is water, and a mountain is a mountain’. If he let his mind wander, he might even doze off. Woojin usually didn’t bother thinking too much about his planned schedules. After all, what’s the point of knowing them? He just had to do them. Regardless, Choi Sung-gun continued his passionate briefing.

“In two days, ‘Mifuyu Uramatsu’ will arrive in Korea for the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ video shoot. This will be your first time seeing her since finishing the ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, right?”

“Yes.”

“She mentioned that aside from vacations, this is her first time in Korea for work. Anyway, since a top Japanese actress is coming, this will also be covered in the news.”

It wasn’t until about 30 minutes later that Choi Sung-gun’s briefing finally ended.

“So, you’ve returned today, do you want to rest and start from tomorrow?”

Kang Woojin shook his head as he slowly stood up.

“I can start right away, no problem.”

Thus, Kang Woojin, who had just returned, boarded the train to hell once again. He immediately stopped by the salon shop and cleared out some small-scale schedules, such as interviews and photo shoots, that had been postponed.

Then, early the next morning.

Kang Woojin, with his cap pulled down low, got into the van. He had to head to the salon shop again. As he did, he picked up his phone. It was to grasp the current internet situation.

‘Let’s see, let’s see—’

On the internet, various issues were raging. A scandal involving an idol that broke out a few days ago, a popular variety show that aired yesterday, news about a top actor’s comeback project, and so on.

Among them, as expected,

『Japan’s major anime production company ‘A10 Studio’ releases recording scenes for ‘Male Friend: Remake’… Only Kang Woojin stands out/ Photo』

The issues related to Kang Woojin were the strongest.

『‘Kang Woojin’s’ hometown Jinju is currently full of banners welcoming him/ Photo』

『[Issue Pick] ‘Beneficial Evil’ targeting the global market, insider says “Overseas location shooting is planned” Where will they go?』

Given that these were the most provocative keywords, it was only natural that Woojin’s issues were the most marketable.

『Has it reached its limit? The number of viewers for ‘Island of the Missing’ stops at 19 million, film industry experts say “20 million is impossible”』

And just as Kang Woojin, all dressed up, began the scheduled advertisement shoot, Choi Sung-gun logged into Woojin’s ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel.

[Channel Name: Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego]

[Subscribers: 15.66 million]

[Videos: 71]

Woojin’s YouTube channel, which had long surpassed 15 million subscribers, had just uploaded a fresh new video. It announced his return after a brief break and shared the news of an upcoming shoot with Japan’s top actress, Mifuyu Uramatsu, who had worked with Woojin on ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.

Of course.

-@Wooji_n

Posts: 241

Followers: 22.31 million

Following: 81

The news of his comeback was also shared on Kang Woojin’s Instagram and other social media platforms. On all fronts, fans flooded the comment sections like crazy. From Korea, Japan, and beyond, the multilingual chaos served as proof of Woojin’s current impact.

Around this time, on the ‘Beneficial Evil’ side—or more precisely, Writer Choi Na-na—

“……It’s a shame. I wish it could be a bit more intense.”

She was passionately adding the scenes to the scripts for episodes 1 and 2 of ‘Beneficial Evil’. Of course, it wouldn’t take long. She was merely adding layers to the already drawn pictures. Nevertheless, her fingers moved swiftly across the laptop.

-Tap! Tap tap!

She needed to finish the revisions as quickly as possible so that PD Song Man-woo could confirm it, after which it would be passed on to the actors. Especially for Kang Woojin, the script needed to reach him faster than anyone else. After all, the key to the upcoming overseas shoot in Bangkok, Thailand, was Kang Woojin.

“I wish Woojin-nim could be a bit more—how should I say, dazzling? No, more overwhelming would be better.”

More than 80% of the added scenes would be carried out by him.

Later in the afternoon.

During a break in the fashion brand advertisement shooting, Kang Woojin.

-Swish.

Sat down in the waiting chair. His face showed no signs of fatigue, as usual, and behind him, Jang Su-hwan handed him a bottle of water.

Interestingly, Jang Su-hwan wore a broad smile.

“Hyung-nim, the donation articles from Jinju just broke!”

Indeed.

『[Official] Kang Woojin, who visited Jinju, donates 300 million won to help underprivileged children/ Photo』

『Unparalleled brand reputation rank 1 ‘Kang Woojin’, donates 300 million won to his hometown Jinju… “His class is different!”』

『“Even the donation size is extraordinary”, Kang Woojin makes multimillion-won donation in his second year』

The internet, already buzzing with various issues, was now flooded with news of Woojin’s donation. The sheer volume of articles made it obvious how strong the reaction was.

『[Issue IS] Kang Woojin’s 300 million won donation, Jinju City says “We express our infinite gratitude to Kang Woojin-ssi”』

It was undoubtedly a collaboration between Jinju City and bw Entertainment.

『[Star Photo] ‘300 million won donor’ Kang Woojin, snapped side by side with Jinju City mayor at children’s center!/ Photo』

The total donation of 300 million won was more than enough to stir both the media and public opinion. Why wouldn’t it? He went on a trip to rest and suddenly donated millions of won? Given that Kang Woojin had already solidified his position as the number one brand power, it was natural for this to cause a sensation.

– Wow….. Kang Woojin is seriously so refreshing.

– Damn ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ  his class is on another level ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 300 million right after going back to his hometown ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– Regardless of the amount, just the fact that he donated is something to be respected and admired.

– Kang Woojin is seriously so cool… Honestly, even though his impact is huge right now, donating 300 million in his second year since debut is incredible…..

– Goes to rest in his hometown and just casually mentioned 300 million!

– Is it even possible for the idiots who leaves hate comments here to function in daily life??? You bitches, donate even 300 won before you talk shit

– The fact that he’s donating at all is so awesome!!!!

– Isn’t Kang Woojin still pretty young? If his personality is this good too, what on earth is he lacking????

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Photos of Kang Woojin taken at the Jinju Children’s Center, the news that bw Entertainment became the official sponsor, and the interview with the mayor of Jinju all added to the momentum of Woojin’s donation story.

300 million won was no small amount. No, rather, it was an enormous sum.

It was certainly not an amount that a second-year actor could easily give. In any case, this kind of flow naturally led to more promotion for the projects Woojin was currently involved in or had worked on in the past, as well as for his social media and ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel.

『Japan’s top actress ‘Mifuyu Uramatsu’ comes to Korea for ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ filming! Reuniting with Kang Woojin from ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’』

The buzz around Kang Woojin’s massive donation didn’t cool off immediately.

On the 29th, the next day, when ‘Mifuyu Uramatsu’, the top Japanese actress who played ‘Horinochi Amie’ in ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, arrived in Korea, the buzz was still hot. The same was true when she and Woojin filmed content for the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel.

For several days, various media outlets and press extensively covered it noisily.

Numerous issues intertwined and tangled.

『From the ‘300 million won donation’ to Japan’s top actress ‘Mifuyu Uramatsu’, is ‘Issue King’ Kang Woojin back in action again?』

As a result.

“Whoa.”

On the morning of the 30th, the last day of June, Kang Woojin, who was about to leave his house for work, suddenly raised both hands in the air after looking at his phone.

He wasn’t crazy.

“This is insane.”

But it was entirely justified. Something that seemed realistically impossible had been achieved.

[All-time Box Office in South Korea]

[All-time Movie Rankings (Combined)]

-1. Island of the Missing / Total Audience: 20,013,889

In other words.

『[Official] South Korea’s No. 1 movie in audience numbers, ‘Island of the Missing’, surpasses 20 million viewers, a monumental achievement in Korean film history!』

『‘Island of the Missing’ hits 20 million viewers!! ‘Kang Woojin’s’ influence has defied the impossible!』

It would have been impossible if it weren’t for Kang Woojin.