Chapter 136: Backer (4)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Why suddenly an S+ grade? Kang Woojin was staring at the white rectangle of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ and was slightly dazed. That lasted about 5 seconds. Suddenly, Kang Woojin blinked his eyes and –
-Swish-
raised his hand to hit the white rectangle. It was somewhat like that. Something like hitting it roughly when something breaks. But, of course, no sound came from the white rectangle.
“……What? Is this correct? Is it a glitch?”
Panic and absurdity gradually spread in Kang Woojin’s eyes. It made sense, considering the rating of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ had plummeted to C.
“The situation got worse, but it got upgraded to S+?”
It had explosively increased. It was reasonable for him to feel that something was strange. With this in mind, Woojin narrowed his eyebrows and shouted into the pitch-black void space.
“Hey! Something’s weird here?! Is this for real?”
It was a conversation thrown at the robotic female voice. But, as always, no response was heard in the vast void space. Damn, can’t you just answer? Kang Woojin muttered quietly while stroking his chin.
‘When there was a problem with the investment, it dropped to C, and when that blew up, the situation would have gotten worse. But now, S+ grade.’
Currently, S+ grade was the highest in the void space. For reference, ‘Hanryang’ was at S grade and ‘Island of the Missing’ at S+ grade. This was his third appearance following them. However, ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ was completely different from ‘Hanryang’ and ‘Island of the Missing’.
‘This has to be a mistake.’
On the other hand, he also thought it unlikely that this bizarre void space would make a mistake. Soon, Kang Woojin, just in case…
“Exit.”
After exiting the void space, he re-entered. However, the rating of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ displayed by the white rectangle remained the same. Still S+ grade. Woojin scratched his head.
“What’s going on here-”
He couldn’t understand it. The more Kang Woojin thought about it, the more he felt like he was sinking deeper into the mire. Perhaps that’s why.
“Sigh- Damn, let’s just leave it and see. I can’t do anything about it right now.”
He decided to stop trying to figure it out. Simply accepting things as they were. If there was a problem, it might change tomorrow. He lightly dismissed his concerns, thinking unconsciously.
Maybe something I don’t know about is happening somewhere.
The likelihood of the void space making a mistake seemed low. Well, if it stays at S+ grade, that’s great in its own way, although he felt a bit uneasy.
“Exit.”
Kang Woojin left the void space and returned to the reality in the van. Then he sighed softly and muttered to himself.
“Let’s check the grade again tomorrow. But it’s best if it doesn’t change.”
At the moment, he had no idea that a huge backer in Japan, a foreign country, was in motion.
It was at this moment.
-Vrrrm, vrrrrrm.
His phone placed next to him vibrated. Thanks to that, Woojin turned his head and saw the caller. The caller displayed on the phone screen was.
“Director Kyotaro?”
It was Director Kyotaro, who should be in Japan. Woojin was certain the call was about the worsened situation of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.
Anyway, he had to answer the phone.
-Swish.
Kang Woojin cleared his throat and then put the phone to his ear.
“Yes, Director~nim.”
Meanwhile, at ‘Toega’ Film Company in Japan.
Director Kyotaro Tanoguchi, full of gray hair, was seen in the conference room of the film company producing ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’. His face carried a faint smile on his face, but the overall feeling of his face was filled with worry. He had just called Kang Woojin.
“Woojin-ssi.”
From the other end of the phone, he heard Kang Woojin’s low voice from Korea.
“Yes, please speak, Director~nim.”
It was hard to judge. Director Kyotaro tried to discern Woojin’s mood from his voice but failed. After letting out a light breath, the director slowly opened his mouth over the phone.
“…Woojin-ssi. Currently in Japan, ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’…”
“Yes. I’ve heard about it, Director~nim. The investor issue you mentioned before has blown up big.”
Following Kang Woojin’s response, Director Kyotaro’s bitter explanation continued.
“Yes, it’s worse than we thought – the situation isn’t good. Major newspapers are featuring it on their front pages… and the smaller ones are quickly copying them.”
“Have you found out where the leak came from?”
“I’m not sure. It’s spreading too quickly to pinpoint. I was careless. Probably the investors who pulled out. Although we had a confidentiality agreement, it seems that agreement wasn’t kept.”
Director Kyotaro, who had been speaking, turned his gaze to the tablet in front of him. The screen showed a series of articles about ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ lined up on a portal site. The titles were all provocative.
“The media is pouring out numerous sensational and abusive articles, starting with rumors of discord. It seems too late to cover up as they’re too quick.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Of course, I’m not sure if it will die down after some time.”
“More rumors might worsen the situation.”
“That’s right. It’s hard to predict the future at the moment. A bigger problem is, in addition to the investors who pulled out, the remaining investment is also shaky. They haven’t said it outright yet but…”
Director Kyotaro’s voice trailed off. If the controversy over ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ continued to grow like this, it was likely that even the remaining investors would pull out. The same was true for the actors. As time passed, the situation seemed to be getting grimmer. That’s why Kyotaro’s face was gloomy.
Finding new investment would only become harder as the hole got deeper.
“The delay I mentioned last time might stretch not just to early next year, but to mid-next year.”
Director Kyotaro, sweeping back his gray hair, added with difficulty.
“In this situation, Woojin-ssi’s image might take a big hit. It seems the media and public opinion would be most stimulated by Woojin-ssi.”
On the other hand, Kang Woojin’s Japanese response from the other end of the phone was still calm and dignified.
“That might be the case.”
“Your name is mentioned a lot in the articles already out. That’s why… I wanted to ask for your opinion, Woojin-ssi. The situation is rolling toward a worse direction. The cast members are also starting to get wary. It’s okay to say you’re pulling out now, Woojin-ssi, the fault lies with me.”
It was as if he was saying, ‘I want you to be safe before the situation worsens further.’ Of course, Director Kyotaro still needed Kang Woojin. Or it wouldn’t matter if he was there. They could always reassemble the cast.
But that was just Director Kyotaro’s greed.
He couldn’t ignore the arrows that would be aimed at Woojin just because of his own greed. Holding him back due to his own stubbornness was arrogance.
“It’s not acceptable for Woojin-ssi’s image to suffer because of the ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ controversy. So don’t hesitate to say it, if you want to pull out now then right away-”
“No.”
However, Kang Woojin on the other end of the phone didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so. He was very composed.
“I’ll wait.”
“…”
“Besides, if I pull out now, it’s like admitting to all the nonsense the media is saying.”
“That’s true but…”
“It’s okay if my image takes a hit.”
“But still… Woojin-ssi, you’re just starting to shine after a long period of obscurity.”
“I’m not too concerned about that. I just want to do ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.”
Director Kyotaro was moved.
“Thank you, really.”
“It’s nothing. I’ll be waiting, if that’s okay with you, Director.”
“I am more than grateful.”
“Alright, I have a schedule to attend to now.”
“Sure. I’ll contact you again.”
-Click.
Director Kyotaro slowly put down the phone. At that moment, a woman’s voice in Japanese came from across him.
“What did Woojin-ssi say? Is he… pulling out? It’s understandable, given the situation is quite bad.”
A woman in her 60s, a middle-aged lady. No, it was Akari Takikawa, the original author of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.
“The media has already started targeting Woojin-ssi just a few hours after the controversy erupted.”
Behind Akari Takikawa, who was filled with a deep sense of regret, Director Kyotaro slowly shook his head.
“No, Writer~nim. Woojin-ssi says he will wait. He said he really wants to shoot ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’.”
Akari Takikawa’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Really? Did Woojin-ssi really say that?”
“Yes. He said he doesn’t care about the damage to his image. He just said he’ll wait and not to worry about him.”
“Kang Woojin-ssi is really… Ah, I don’t know. He’s so steadfast for a newcomer.”
“That’s true. I’ve only seen him briefly, but even from our first meeting for ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, Woojin-ssi has this undeniable resolve. I’ve been a director for decades, but I’ve never seen an actor like Woojin-ssi, at least not in Japan.”
A smile appeared on Akari Takikawa’s lips.
“It’s not the time for us to sit here foolishly.”
“Yes, Writer-nim.”
Then, Director Kyotaro stood up smoothly from his seat.
Although it was a conversation filled with misunderstandings.
“The fact that such an actor is willing to wait somehow gives me strength.”
At this moment, Director Kyotaro felt a surge of courage.
Meanwhile, in Japan, the situation for ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ was…
『Was it all just for show? ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ struggles to maintain investments.』
『Director Kyotaro Tanoguchi’s stubbornness led to this result; he should have listened to the original fans.』
It was fair to say that the situation was plummeting. The investment controversy that erupted on the 8th had rapidly escalated.
『The never-ending issues of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, was it too bold a challenge? Investors are pulling their funds.』
Although there had been small news about it before, this time the major media outlets were involved, making their firepower quite different.
Perhaps because of that?
Soon, even the smaller media outlets followed suit.
The bait had occupied the front page of Japan’s top portal site’s entertainment news, shaking Japan throughout the 8th. ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, already a strong issue, saw the media and public opinion quickly turn hostile as soon as the bait was thrown. They began to attack.
『’The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, funds leaking, insiders suggest “There might be a problem with the script”』
『The risky venture of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ leads to investors withdrawing!』
In reality, the media just jumped at the opportunity, while the opposition that had been hiding till now openly showed up.
By the 9th, a day later, even baseless rumors began to emerge.
Rumors of discord among the actors, differences in opinion between the investors and Director Kyotaro, the original writer Akari pulling out, fabricated scandals about Kang Woojin, and more.
『Differences of opinion among Kang Woojin and the cast of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’? Will the movie production be cancelled?』
‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ was being rocked by numerous abusive articles. The Japanese public was also agitated.
-I knew this would happen! It was ridiculous to cast a Korean newcomer as the lead! Despite the original fans’ opposition!
But on the flip side.
-It’s all about ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ movie in the news! Ah! I wasn’t interested, but now that I keep seeing it, I’m getting curious!
The level of interest was like a nuclear bomb. It was a strange picture. Despite being in its greatest crisis, ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ had extreme recognition. It was several times more intense than when Kang Woojin was announced as a ‘newcomer actor from Korea’.
This was the power of sensationalism in the media world.
Salty and spicy things have a much stronger hook than bland ones. In any case, by the 10th, two days later, ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ was still benefiting from unintended ‘noise marketing’. Mentions of Kang Woojin were pouring out like a waterfall.
Realistically, this wasn’t entirely a bad situation for Woojin.
『The fluctuating attention on ‘Kang Woojin’ is like a rollercoaster ride, what stance will he take?』
Even if ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ fails, for Kang Woojin, it would only mean the loss of one of the projects he had prepared. Good or bad, his recognition in Japan had grown enormously.
At this point.
“PD-nim! Have you seen these articles about ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’?! The situation is getting too big??”
After recently finishing the recording with Kang Woojin, a state of emergency was declared at ‘Ame-talk Show!’, which was in the midst of editing. However, the thin PD Shinjo said,
“I know, I’ve seen it.”
“Shouldn’t we observe the situation for a while??”
“Why?? From what I see, if we air it as it is, we might hit the highest viewership ratings?”
He seemed to think it was a good idea. Whatever the case, as days passed, the noise around ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ naturally reached Korea. In Korea, unlike Japan, the situation was observed from a slightly third-person perspective.
『[Exclusive] Monster Rookie ‘Kang Woojin’s’ First Japanese Leading Role in ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’, Suddenly Facing Investment Blockade… Crisis Strikes Unexpectedly』
『’The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ already lost half of its total investment funds, more investors expected to pull out following the controversy』
Similar to Japan, all kinds of speculations were rampant, but the tone was somewhat lighter? The public reaction was similar. Comments on articles and SNS were swift, but the nuances were consistent.
-Eh? What’s this? Is that Japanese movie falling apart? Disappointing…
Regardless, Kang Woojin, at the center of all these events, was.
『[Star Pick] Japan’s ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ in Existential Crisis? But ‘Kang Woojin’ Shows No Reaction』
He was remarkably quiet.
On the morning of September 12th, at an shooting location.
Around 9 AM. Dozens of staff were busy setting up for the shoot. Among them, an advertising director at a desk surrounded by monitors said,
“This is the vibe – here, here, the shot of running in jeans. I was wondering if it’s possible to have the top off.”
He was showing the storyboard to a man with a ponytail. Of course, it was Choi Sung-gun.
“Hmm, well, I’m not sure. That wasn’t discussed initially.”
“I know. I’ll talk to the ad client’s staff when they arrive, but I wanted to know Woojin-ssi’s thoughts first. In my opinion, going topless would highlight the jeans much more.”
Naturally, the main focus of the shoot was Kang Woojin. But at the moment, Woojin wasn’t at the set. He was in a van parked in the parking lot. He wasn’t alone. It was the rare sight of a bearded man, meaning PD Song Man-woo, a drama heavyweight, was with him in the van.
-Flip.
Kang Woojin had just opened the first of two thin bundles of paper given to him by PD Song Man-woo. The cover of the bundle read:
-Synopsis.
Woojin, with an indifferent face, was reading the first line of the content and suddenly met the gaze of PD Song Man-woo, who swallowed a bit of nervous saliva.
“PD-nim. The protagonist in this is.”
“Yes, yes.”
PD Song Man-woo quickly nodded and spoke in place of an answer.
“The protagonist is a chef, a chef.”
*****
