Kang Woojin stood beside the shoe cabinet, staring down at the new record displayed on his phone screen.
"Wow… damn."
Instead of breaking into a joyful dance right away, he could not react at all. He just stood there frozen, as if time itself had stopped.
That was understandable.
As of today, Island of the Missing had broken the all-time box office record in Korean film history and created a brand-new legend.
Twenty million viewers.
[All-time Korean Box Office]
[Overall Film Rankings]
Island of the Missing / Total Audience: 20,013,889
Woojin had never even imagined a number like that.
No, not just him. No one in Korea had expected a result like this.
In fact, when Island of the Missing passed nineteen million viewers, the whole country had already gone wild. It had been a performance far beyond expectations, and everyone had been certain that nineteen million was a record no other film would ever surpass.
That it would never, ever be broken.
But now, the number had gone past nineteen million and reached twenty million.
"My god… I've got goosebumps."
Goosebumps rose all over his body, and Woojin instinctively brought the phone closer to his face. When the final pace of Island of the Missing had started dropping, the entire entertainment industry had declared that twenty million was impossible.
But all of that had turned out to be meaningless speculation.
A premature judgment.
Whatever the case, Kang Woojin had now become this kind of actor.
"I'm not just an actor who brings in ten million viewers anymore."
He had become an actor with twenty million viewers.
And this was his first lead role.
With that, Island of the Missing had not only left countless legends behind in Korean film history, but had also delivered several clear messages. First, the value of names like Director Kwon Gitaek and lead actors such as Ryu Jungmin would rise sharply.
Of course, Kang Woojin's nuclear-bomb-level influence would be amplified several times over.
Naturally, there would be a massive celebration party later.
On top of that, the film industry, which had entered peak season with tremendous momentum, had been handed a blunt message. If they simply made a good movie, success was still possible, so they should stop whining.
For years, the entire film world had been filled with complaints about how hard things were.
Now the industry's attention would inevitably gather around Kang Woojin.
Domestically, things were still quiet for the moment, like the eerie calm before a storm, but in a few hours a typhoon with wind and rain was bound to hit. His phone would obviously be flooded with congratulatory messages.
At that moment—
The corners of Woojin's mouth suddenly lifted, and his shoulders began to bounce.
It was a silent dance, but the way he moved to his own rhythm made him look like a veteran dance singer. It was closer to spontaneous dancing than anything choreographed, but it was overflowing with excitement.
'Twenty million!!'
Since he had to leave soon, Kang Woojin forcibly suppressed the excitement surging through him. He shoved his phone into his back pocket and let out a long breath.
It felt like he needed to calm his pounding heart first.
Only after forcing his expression back into perfect concept mode did Woojin leave the house.
The place he arrived at was the underground parking lot.
As always, the large van was parked in its usual spot. But today, there was something different.
"Oh, come on."
Not only Choi Sunggeon, but team members like Han Yejung were also standing around the van. Just then, Choi Sunggeon opened the back door, grinned, and gestured toward the vehicle.
"Please get in, actor with twenty million viewers."
As Woojin approached, Choi Sunggeon grandly delivered the line, and the team lightly applauded. It was a little embarrassing, but everyone looked genuinely happy.
Kang Woojin climbed into the van with an outwardly calm face, while inwardly greeting them warmly.
'Hehe, thank you. Seriously, thank you.'
The moment Woojin got in, the atmosphere inside the vehicle turned into something like a club. Only Kang Woojin, the man at the center of it all, remained calm, while the rest of the team chattered nonstop.
"This is insane! Seriously insane!! No, even seeing it myself, I still can't believe it!!"
"What do you mean you can't believe it? It's right there!"
"Woojin oppa! The articles are exploding! The whole main page is about you!"
"Of course twenty million is huge!"
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin responded at the right moments while secretly checking the articles. The press, as if it had been waiting for this exact moment, was pouring out coverage in a frenzy.
『[Official] Island of the Missing surpasses 20 million viewers! Expands the scale of Korean cinema severalfold』
『Island of the Missing, the twenty-million-viewer phenomenon, a miracle created by Kang Woojin / Photo』
『[MovieIS] "Was this really even possible?!" Island of the Missing surpasses 20 million viewers, public interest burns hotter than ever!』
It was even hotter than when Island of the Missing had first become the all-time number one film.
『As expected, Kang Woojin's "Midas touch" worked its magic again, not only setting the highest record in Korean history but creating the new milestone of 20 million viewers』
From domestic portal sites to online communities, the news spread across the internet in an instant.
『In an era when even reaching 10 million viewers is difficult, Island of the Missing achieves the monumental feat of 20 million! Expectations for second-round distribution rise as well』
In every headline and article, the same words appeared without fail: Island of the Missing, twenty million viewers, and Kang Woojin.
That was only natural.
It was impossible to deny that Kang Woojin had been the one who lit the final flame under Island of the Missing. His presence and influence had been the driving force that carried the film to the summit.
『[Feature] Island of the Missing surpasses 20 million viewers — how much will actors like Kang Woojin earn? It varies greatly depending on contract terms』
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Two hours later.
By the time Kang Woojin was fully buried in his packed schedule, morning news programs on most of the major public broadcasters were already pouring out reports about Island of the Missing.
"It seems there truly is no such thing as impossible. The recent all-time box office champion, Island of the Missing, has as of today become the first film in Korean history to surpass 20 million viewers. Film industry experts are praising this as a record that may never be repeated. Reporter Go Moonju has the story."
Naturally, the news sent the domestic public into a frenzy.
Whether people had watched Island of the Missing or not, it was still an astonishing event.
"Hey, did you hear? Island of the Missing passed twenty million viewers."
"Wow—my god. Seriously? I can't believe it."
"The related articles are causing a huge buzz right now."
"It was a fun movie, but I honestly never thought it would go past twenty million."
"I'm so jealous… the actors, including Kang Woojin, must be making a ridiculous amount of money."
Island of the Missing stayed constantly on people's lips.
Of course, the entertainment industry was no exception.
Among them, Harmony Film, the production company behind Island of the Missing, had fallen into full celebration mode.
"No way!!! Twenty million??!! Is that real?!!"
A little over ten people, including Director Kwon Gitaek, were gathered in a conference room. They had already seen the signs of a possible twenty-million breakthrough the day before and stayed gathered until today, and the moment the result was announced in the morning, they could not contain themselves and burst into cheers.
In the end, the one who calmed them down was Director Kwon Gitaek.
"This was only possible because of Mr. Woojin. If it hadn't gained momentum from the recent issues and the late-stage promotion, it would've been difficult."
"Of course! Absolutely!! Hahaha!"
Everyone in the room agreed enthusiastically.
Then the great director Kwon Gitaek stroked his chin with an unreadable smile.
"Anyway, he really is an alien. He practically dragged a whole film to twenty million by himself."
──────────
After that, time in Korea flew by amid one issue after another, led by Kang Woojin's massive donation and the record-breaking event of Island of the Missing surpassing twenty million viewers.
『Kang Woojin, the star behind the "20 million viewers" milestone, thanks fans through social media, saying, "I love you all"』
Woojin had gained new nicknames like "Donation King" and "Twenty-Million-Viewer Actor," but he did not even have time to enjoy them. Many shoots had already wrapped, but new projects were waiting for him, and he had to keep pushing through nonstop schedules involving ads, pictorials, and YouTube content filming.
Beep-beep-beep! Click!
"Looking great!! Mr. Woojin! Should we try the next shot without the coat?"
"Sure."
Around that time, word about Woojin had spread to Japan as well, and two of his works were currently in motion there.
『Island of the Missing, starring Kang Woojin and creating a miracle in Korea, surpasses 20 million viewers』
On top of that, Our Table had recently been officially released in Japan. Naturally, it premiered through Netflix Japan, and the moment it dropped, Our Table shot straight to the top of the charts.
『The Kimjaban Makguksu craze from Kang Woojin's variety show Our Table explodes, taking first place the moment it hits Netflix Japan』
At the center of that overwhelming momentum was Kang Woojin. The Kimjaban Makguksu craze sweeping through Japan also contributed heavily to that flow.
The Japanese success of Our Table produced several results.
Woojin's existing Japanese fans became even more passionate, while brand-new fans increased rapidly.
As a result—
Watching Kang Woojin cook is still way too cool no matter how many times I see it…
– Ah! So Kang Woojin was the one who made this Kimjaban Makguksu??
Our Table is seriously so fun. Why can't Japan make variety shows like this?
Because Japan doesn't have Kang Woojin.
I only meant to watch a little before bed, but I ended up binging Our Table all night… I'm exhausted…
The scene where Kang Woojin gets mistaken for a chef is so cute!!
– The moment I saw him, I honestly thought he was an insanely skilled chef!!!
Isn't Kang Woojin an actor? Why is he this good at cooking too?
As Kang Woojin's popularity exploded even further, that same momentum naturally carried over into two other works as well.
Those were Boy Friend: Remake and The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, both scheduled for official release in July. After airing, the two works spent several days ranking near the top of tag charts on Japan's major social media platforms.
──────────
And then, on July 2 in Korea—
"Whew! It's done! It's finally done!!"
Writer Choi Nana, who had been shut up in her studio, suddenly threw both hands into the air and shouted. She had just finished working on the added scenes for the Beneficial Evil script.
As soon as he heard the news, PD Song Man-woo visited Choi Nana's studio around lunchtime.
Flip, flip.
There was no need to reread the full scripts for episodes 1 and 2. He only needed to check the added scenes, so it did not take long for Song Man-woo to finish going through them.
Thunk.
After reading every additional scene Choi Nana had carefully crafted, Song Man-woo lifted his head. Writer Choi Nana, wearing her round glasses, swallowed nervously.
"Is it okay?"
Without giving any special reply—
"..."
Song Man-woo was smiling broadly.
That same day, late in the afternoon, Woojin was in a recording studio shooting preliminary content related to Kang Woojin's Alter Ego when a message came in.
More precisely, it was Choi Sunggeon's phone, as he was keeping an eye on Woojin, that rang.
"Yes, yes. Ah, understood, PD-nim."
The caller was Song Man-woo.
After hanging up, Choi Sunggeon jotted something down in his planner. When Woojin came out of the recording booth during a break, Choi Sunggeon walked over to him.
"Woojin."
Even after such a long recording session, Kang Woojin had not let his concept slip for even a moment.
"Yes, sir."
Choi Sunggeon relayed what had been said on the call.
"The character shoot for Beneficial Evil has been confirmed. PD Song plans to head out on an overseas location scout once this shoot is finished."
It would probably be the first time the full cast of Beneficial Evil gathered in one place.
──────────
Saturday morning, July 3.
It was a massive set complex located in Ilsan.
The studio grounds looked like a cluster of warehouse-like buildings, and every single one of them was enormous. Each one felt even larger than a school gymnasium.
Inside one of them—Studio 1—the shooting team was busy setting up.
"Turn on the ceiling lights!!"
"Doesn't the center lighting feel a little weak?!"
"I'll check it right away!"
"Where are the standby chairs?!"
"They're outside! How many do you need?"
"Bring all of them for now!"
Around a hundred people were bustling around preparing for the shoot. Some were handling props, some were installing lights, some were setting up cameras, and others were checking audio equipment.
Everyone was deeply absorbed in their own work.
The inside of the warehouse-style studio was simple. Multiple lights hung from the high ceiling, and half the space was covered in white fabric across the walls and floor.
The other half still retained the studio's original warehouse look.
Around a hundred staff members were positioned there, and most of them were familiar faces.
They were staff from Beneficial Evil and Netflix.
Naturally, that was because the first official promotional shoot for Beneficial Evil was taking place in this warehouse-style studio today. It was a character shoot, specifically an early promotional filming focused on introducing the actors.
In other words, a large number of the actors appearing in Beneficial Evil would be here today as well.
Of course, not everyone had come.
Only the lead actors with major roles and the actors appearing in the first episode had been called in. Those actors were seated in temporary chairs arranged along one side of the wide warehouse studio.
There was still some time left, so the chairs were not completely full yet, but among the dozens of seats, more than ten male and female actors were already sitting there.
Every face was unfamiliar.
"Uh—ah, hello."
"…Yes, hello."
"Just sitting here like this already feels awkward for some reason."
"Same here."
"You're nervous, right? It's my first time doing a shoot like this."
"Yeah, I feel like my heart's going to burst."
They were all unknown actors or rookies.
Calling them rookies was not even enough. For most of them, this was their first time participating in a shoot at all.
They were either actors who had made it through the large-scale audition process or actors directly picked out from the theater world by Song Man-woo himself.
"By the way, they said all the actors are coming today, right? Does that include the lead actors too? Like Kang Woojin? Or is it just us shooting today?"
"I'm not sure either. I asked earlier because I was curious, and they said Kang Woojin is coming."
"…That's seriously amazing. Wow, honestly, I never even imagined I'd get to see Mr. Woojin. Even if you appear in the same project, if you don't actually shoot together with the leads, you don't even get a chance to see their faces."
"Exactly. That's why I'm looking forward to it so much."
Right at that moment—
More actors began arriving in the waiting area one after another.
Among them were the petite actress Lim Hae-eun, who gave off a cute and lovely vibe, and the handsome actor Jo Moochan, whose image was soft and gentle. A few more unknown actors also entered.
Since they did not know each other, they exchanged awkward greetings.
Little by little, the dozens of chairs began to fill up.
Meanwhile, as the actors started talking among themselves, the topic naturally shifted to the lead actors of Beneficial Evil.
"Kang Woojin breaking twenty million viewers really is incredible, isn't it?"
"I hope our project becomes a huge hit too."
"This is going to be my first time seeing Kang Woojin in person… do you think it'd be okay to ask for an autograph?"
"Ah, if it's not too much, do you think I could even ask for a photo?"
Lim Hae-eun, whose mother was a shaman, stared ahead in silence for a while before her expression stiffened.
"..."
Jo Moochan, the direct disciple of one of Korea's top veteran actors, a man who idolized Kang Woojin and had a fresh appearance that contrasted with Woojin's image, was no different.
'Wow! Finally! I'm finally going to see Kang Woojin?! What do I do? I feel like I'm going to freeze up!'
He could not sit still in his seat and kept squirming with nervous excitement.
Overall, the dozens of unknown and rookie actors were all tense, just like Jo Moochan. They fidgeted, shifted, and could not keep still.
Their anxiety was written all over them.
Then, a loud shout rang out through the massive warehouse studio, where around a hundred staff members were spread out.
"Kang Woojin is here!!!"
In an instant, most of the staff turned their heads toward the entrance.
Through the open doorway, Kang Woojin walked in wearing a black-and-blue jacket, his face expressionless.
Swoosh.
The gaze of dozens of unknown rookie actors snapped toward Kang Woojin at once. His aura was quiet and composed, yet at the same time, it radiated powerful energy.
Just the arrival of the monstrous Kang Woojin alone changed the atmosphere of the entire set one hundred and eighty degrees.
The hundred or so staff either fixed their eyes on him or ran toward him.
The unknown rookie actors could only stare blankly at the serious-faced Kang Woojin.
Meanwhile, the indifferent Kang Woojin was thinking something completely different.
'Ah, I want bossam and soju.'
He was starving.
That alone had made him slightly irritable.
But to the unknown rookie actors, it looked completely different.
"…His aura is incredible."
"Wow…"
"Amazing."
"…His presence is overwhelming."
It really was an overwhelming presence.