Chapter 146: Artillery Fire (1)
Translator: Dreamscribe
At 10 a.m. on the 19th, Netflix Korea officially released ‘Male Friend’. Despite it being morning, many people were watching the beginning of ‘Male Friend’, which started in a park where cherry blossoms were fluttering down. The park was bustling with people, giving off the vibe of a cherry blossom festival.
Along with that angle, a bouncy OST starts playing.
-♬♪
Initially filled only with music, the sound gradually mixes with the noise of a noisy crowd, and then, the screen shows the backs of Kang Woojin and Hwalin walking side by side among the overflowing crowd. Suddenly, Hwalin’s narration overlays.
[“Yes, that’s right. This is exactly where it all began.”]
As her words end, the angle swiftly turns, showing the front view of the two characters. Woojin and Hwalin’s expressions were in stark contrast. Hwalin, wearing a light blue jacket, looked bright and cheerful, whereas Kang Woojin was full of annoyance.
At that moment.
– Tat!
Hwalin ran off somewhere, causing her long hair to flutter. Kang Woojin, dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, lets out a long sigh. Then, Hwalin, who had been hopping around alone, returns to Woojin, her hands full of cherry blossom petals.
[“Hey! Han In-ho!”]
The angle shows the side view of the two. Hwalin extends her hands full of cherry blossom petals towards Kang Woojin. Suddenly. The cherry blossom petals are zoomed in, and the banter between Kang Woojin and Hwalin continues.
[“Look at this!”]
[“So what?”]
[“Ah! Smell it, the fragrance!”]
[“It doesn’t smell like anything to me.”]
The two banter quite freely. Eventually, Kang Woojin puts his nose close to the piled cherry blossoms. At that moment.
– Click.
The OST and the screen that had been playing all along suddenly stop. It was as if the world had come to a halt. Then once again, Hwalin’s narration overlays.
[“That’s the moment, that moment! Ah- I should have just stuffed cherry blossom petals into Han In-ho’s nostrils and run away!”]
As soon as her narration ends, the paused screen starts moving again. Kang Woojin and Hwalin, now closer with the cherry blossom petals between them, exchange a mysterious glance. Their faces are shown in alternating shots, with a sticky gaze clearly visible.
The distance between their eyes was no more than a fist’s length.
-♬♪
Even the OST changes to something softer. The two, now close enough to hear each other’s breathing, are captured in a single frame. The shot is enhanced with sunlight filtering through, and the playback speed is set to slow motion. At this point, Kang Woojin, who had been gazing at Hwalin with an ambiguous expression, makes his move.
He pressed his lips against Hwalin’s, through the cherry blossom petals.
The screen shows the back of Kang Woojin’s head and Hwalin’s expression, eyes wide with surprise, and as Woojin slowly pulls away from the kiss, Hwalin, who had been looking at him, suddenly hiccups.
[“Hic!”]
Once again, the world stops and Hwalin’s narration resumes.
[“Stupid! Why did I hiccup?”]
However, Hwalin’s hiccups do not stop.
[“Hic!”]
After a brief eye contact, Hwalin, still hiccupping, bit her lower lip and cursed at Kang Woojin right in front of her.
[“······Crazy bastard.”]
And then.
[“Shit!!”]
As if she couldn’t stand it anymore, Hwalin flung her arms wide and rushed towards Kang Woojin. The angle gradually widens. The two are shown in a full shot, with the cherry blossom petals gently fluttering down.
She pounced on him. That was the most fitting description.
Hwalin clinging to Kang Woojin, him lightly catching her, their lips overlapping in the situation, as if they were devouring each other’s lips. It was sultry, yet peculiar, almost as if they were both wild beasts. At this point, the crowd, sneakily glancing at the two lost in their own world, is briefly shown, then the angle captures the two rubbing against each other again.
Then.
[“Ahh! No! Stop for a moment!”]
Following Hwalin’s narration, the screen abruptly stops again.
[“How······ did it end up like this??”]
Suddenly, the scene rewinds. Woojin and Hwalin move backwards quickly, and so do the people. It’s as if the world is being rewound, even the earth spinning back.
Then.
– Sss.
The OST changes, and the overall color tone shifts. Fluttering curtains, a chalkboard and teacher’s desk, and students running around appear one after another.
[“······”]
A boy in a school uniform, lying on a desk, is shown. Of course, it was Kang Woojin. Then, a female voice calls out to him.
[“Hey! Han In-ho!!”]
It was Hwalin, too, wearing a school uniform. Kang Woojin lifts his disheveled head, but as soon as he sees Hwalin, he flops back down, and Hwalin runs over and smacks him on the head. Kang Woojin jumps up.
[“Ah! Lee Bo-min! Have you gone crazy?!”]
Soon, the alternating faces of a scowling Kang Woojin and a radiantly smiling Hwalin are shown, followed by the title appearing.
-‘Male Friend’
Up to this point, Kang Hyun-ah and her friends, munching on snacks, were immersed in watching episode 1 of ‘Male Friend’, and they all chorused in unison with exaggerated sincerity.
“Crazy······ So damn fun.”
Meanwhile.
About an hour after ‘Male Friend’ officially released on Netflix Korea, Kang Woojin’s close friends’ group chat was ablaze.
-Hyung-gu: Crazy? Hey hey, is it true ‘Male Friend’ starts with a kiss scene??!!
-Hyung-gu: Damn, I’m jealous
-Kyung-sung: What? A kiss? Right from the start? Wait a minute, I’m at work but gonna go to the restroom to check it out
-Hyung-gu: Did Kang Woojin save the country like 40 times in his past life!!!! Ahhhhh, really so damn jealous
-Dae-young: Guys, you saw it, didn’t you? But I witnessed it firsthand
-Hyung-gu: ??? For real?
-Dae-young: I saw it with my own eyes
-Kyung-sung: Fuck, it starts off so real??! Hey!! Kang Woojin! Did you enjoy it?! Did you?!
-Hyung-gu: Death penalty! Why? Don’t know, just death penalty!
-Kyung-sung: With Hwalin… with that Hwalin…
-Dae-young: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ morons ㅋㅋㅋ but how was it? Fun? I’m still at work, haven’t seen it
-Hyung-gu: Yeah yeah ㅋㅋㅋㅋ It’s fun ㅋㅋㅋ I usually don’t watch this stuff, but it’s interesting, right?
-Kyung-sung: Yeah, agree. Gotta watch it properly when I get home
-Woojin: Hehe
-Hyung-gu: Hey! This guy is laughing??!!
Even though it’s a weekday Monday morning, Kang Woojin’s close friends were fervent. They were not the only ones. Despite it being work hours, the live viewer chat room for ‘Male Friend’ was in turmoil.
-So fun ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Ah!! Kang Woojin and Hwalin look so good in school uniforms????
-Kisskisskisskisskisskisskisskiss!!
-Which episode do they kiss in?
-↑ Right from the start
-This is what I wanted… Kang Woojin… a total hottie in ‘Male Friend’….
-Hwalin looked so pretty in the interview scene….
-What’s this ㅋㅋㅋㅋ as expected, boring ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-The drama’s color scheme is crazy…… so pretty
-Wow Kang Woojin’s image transformation is killer!! Totally forgot about Park Dae-ri!!
-Entrance ceremony ㅋㅋㅋㅋ the principal speaking looks just like my high school principal ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Seems like it’s gonna shine and then flop ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-When is the OST they both sang coming out????
-Why does Kang Woojin look so perfect in a school uniform, why is he so handsome, why is his smile so cute
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ With a kiss like that, they should just go straight to a motel
-Is that all you have in your head???
-Omg… the kiss scene is too intense….. I actually like it
-Kang Woojin acts so well, this is gonna attract a lot of female fans!
The posts were updated every second, all giving the feeling of watching ‘Male Friend’ live. The atmosphere was unusually charged. Not to be outdone, the community side also started to show activity. A dedicated ‘Male Friend’ gallery was created in a famous community, and already hundreds of posts had been made.
But this was just the beginning.
『[Issue Check] ‘Male Friend’ just opened, stirring up the community within an hour』
By the time the evening came, the uproar was expected to multiply several times over.
『Despite being morning, ‘Male Friend’s official viewer chat room is ablaze / Photo』
Like a volcano erupting.
On the same day, around lunchtime. In Japan.
The news of ‘Male Friend’ releasing in Korea had spread to Japan as well. However, Japan was still more interested in ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ and the Kashiwa Group. There were continuous new topics, but facts were nowhere to be found.
『[Kashiwa Group] Is ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ the first step into the untouched cultural industry?』
Even though a considerable amount of time had passed since the issue erupted, it was still frequently covered on various Japanese variety shows.
Regardless, the recognition of both matters was extremely high at the moment.
Mentions of Kang Woojin were numerous too. Of course, the aftermath of his appearance on ‘Ame-talk Show!’ was still roaming the Japanese YouTube market.
In the midst of all this.
– Vroom!
Inside a luxury sedan speeding down the road, an elderly man asked a question related to Kang Woojin. It was Chairman Hideki Yoshimura, his eyebrows sprinkled with white hair.
“How is the situation with ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’?”
At his gruff-toned question, the neatly-dressed woman in the passenger seat, Secretary Lili, turned towards him.
“Everything is flowing as you predicted, Chairman. Curiosity is amplifying, and both our interest and that of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ continue to be maintained.”
“Good. What about Director Kyotaro Tanoguchi?”
“Since the problems caused a halt, currently, he is putting extra effort into speeding up the production. I heard that the casting of the actors has recently been completed.”
“And Kang Woojin?”
“He has been confirmed to have started shooting for his next film. Currently, he is in Vietnam for an overseas location shoot.”
Chairman Hideki slowly nodded his head, evidently pleased. Things were rolling out as he desired. Above all.
‘Shingo has also become remarkably cheerful, unlike before.’
His grandson’s condition was improving day by day. Perhaps his dreams and hopes were growing? Then, Chairman Hideki, who was folding his arms, turned his wrinkled face towards the window.
‘Indeed – It would be better to get involved in the cultural industry, not just as a one-off.’
He then called out to Lili in the passenger seat.
“It seems we need to meet Kang Woojin sometime soon.”
“Shall I arrange a meeting?”
“No, it’s a bit premature to meet him so openly. It could burden Kang Woojin. Wouldn’t it be better to make it look like a coincidence?”
After pondering for a moment, Lili met eyes with the chairman.
“How about during ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’s script reading?”
“Script reading?”
“Yes, it’s done during movie production preparation. It’s a time when the director, actors, and staff all gather to synchronize their performances in advance.”
“Ah- Yes, I’ve heard about that.”
“Kang Woojin will be there for ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’s script reading, so you could meet him then.”
Seemingly satisfied with the idea, Chairman Hideki stroked his chin.
“Hmm, when and where is it happening?”
“Now that the casting of the actors is complete, it should be happening soon. I will check the schedule. The location is usually inside the film company.”
Chairman Hideki, slowly stroking his chin, did not speak right away. He seemed to be thinking. After about several seconds.
“Then, about the location for that script reading.”
He instructed Lili in a low, gravelly tone.
“Let’s offer my hotel for it. Renting out one hall should be sufficient, right?”
At this time, back in Korea.
Inside Kang Woojin’s moving van. Having apparently visited a salon, Woojin was in full makeup. He was now looking down at his cell phone.
Or, more precisely.
‘Ah! The kiss scene! Crazy! It’s so embarrassingly cute seeing it finished!’
He was watching ‘Male Friend’, which had opened that morning. At the same time, he felt peculiar. Was it because he was watching himself on his phone? Or because his work was featured on the famous Netflix? Regardless, he was feeling amazed.
At that moment.
“Oppa.”
Han Ye-jung, sitting next to him with her blue bobbed hair, spoke to Woojin.
“‘Male Friend’ is really fun, isn’t it?”
Her brusque tone was filled with sincerity, and, as a result, the other stylists all agreed.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s really fun, not just because it’s Woojin oppa’s work.”
“The first intense kiss scene definitely played a big part.”
“Oppa and Hwalin-nim’s chemistry is great, you guys look so good together! Is this going to spark a scandal?”
All of them, like Woojin, were watching ‘Male Friend’. Watching these women, Woojin nodded inwardly.
‘So, it looks good in the eyes of women?’
Han Ye-jung called out to Choi Sung-gun, sitting in the front passenger seat with his ponytail.
“Have you seen it, CEO? What do you think?”
Choi Sung-gun slowly turned around, smiling. His smile was excessively deep. The funny thing was that the words he uttered were not related to ‘Male Friend’.
“‘Male Friend’ is ‘Male Friend’, but Woojin, there’s another piece of good news, isn’t there?”
Huh? What? What’s with that suspicious smile? Regardless, Choi Sung-gun pointed at the cellphone in Woojin’s hand with his index finger.
“See for yourself, I just forwarded it to you. Open the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel.”
He was talking about the YouTube ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel. Soon, Woojin turned off Netflix with a nonchalant face and opened YouTube. The main page of the ‘Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego’ channel was immediately visible. Kang Woojin internally gasped.
[Channel Name: Kang Woojin’s Alter Ego]
[Subscribers: 5.02 Million]
[Videos: 13]
It had surpassed 5 million subscribers. Even the size of the YouTube channel was becoming monstrous. It was a figure worth a round of applause from the entire Kang Woojin team, and Woojin maintained his poker face while inwardly cheering raucously.
‘Wow!! Am I a YouTuber with 5 million subscribers?!! Amazing! Yes, it’s amazing!’
Then something occurred to Kang Woojin.
‘Ah, right.’
He suddenly called out to Choi Sung-gun, who was sitting in the passenger seat with his ponytail.
“CEO~nim. Speaking of the channel, there’s something about the YouTube content.”
“Oh? Ah- Yes.”
“Is it okay to add something new?”
“Sure. What? Got an idea related to singing?”
Kang Woojin’s reply was unexpectedly different.
“No, it’s about cooking.”
A moment of silence followed. Then Choi Sung-gun blinked his eyes in surprise and asked.
“······Cooking??”
*****
