小火星

The question of whether Kang Woojin had been a singer in the past had Choi Sung-gun’s confusion spread to everyone in the studio, including Director Kim So-hyang.

“Huh? CEO Choi, what are you talking about? Are you saying he was or he wasn’t?”

Everyone in the room was staring intently at Choi Sung-gun. Meanwhile, Choi Sung-gun seemed captivated by Kang Woojin, who was singing passionately inside the booth.

‘I’m not sure myself. Whether it’s true or not.’

Giving a clear answer was difficult. There was no hint that Kang Woojin had ever been a singer, but there was no guarantee he hadn’t either.

Above all, that insane singing ability.

‘… If he’s that good, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had some history in singing-‘

Eventually, Choi Sung-gun, regaining his composure, turned to the people staring intently at him.

“No. Well… let’s listen a bit more for now.”

For now, he wanted to hear more of Kang Woojin’s singing. Despite the frustrating expression, Director Kim So-hyang and the rest shifted their gaze back to Woojin in the booth.

-♬♪

Before they knew it, Woojin had already finished the first verse and was moving into the second. It was a melodious yet somehow melancholic song, perfect for winter. Watching Woojin, Choi Sung-gun crossed his arms slowly.

‘Did he work as a background singer? Or maybe did some busking overseas?’

Choi Sung-gun’s mind was filled with far-fetched assumptions. He recalled videos of foreigners busking freely on the streets abroad. Whether singing Korean or foreign songs, given Kang Woojin’s current performance, it seemed entirely plausible.

‘Nothing is unnecessary in acting. Any experience can be helpful.’

Music demands emotion. If designing helped in fostering creativity and reverse thinking for acting, maybe he engaged with music to fluidly express various emotions?

‘…If he pursued design for acting, then perhaps singing had a similar reason.’

Choi Sung-gun increasingly lost himself in his imagination.

‘But with that level of skill, he could’ve genuinely been a professional singer, right?’

He sneaked a peek at Hwalin in front of him. She, an ultra-popular singer in her eighth year, was completely captivated by Woojin’s song.

‘If even Hwalin, who didn’t seem close to Woojin, is reacting like this, that says everything.’

Choi Sung-gun almost laughed out loud. He found the whole situation absurd and unbelievable—just like Kang Woojin himself.

‘What kind of life have you lived? Did God create you with special attention?’

He was self-taught to the level of overshadowing top actors and fluent in foreign languages. That alone would have required an unthinkable amount of time and effort. But to also possess a professional singer-level voice?

It was beyond imagination. Hence, Choi Sung-gun gave up trying to comprehend.

Meanwhile, Kang Woojin in the booth…

-♬♪

He was approaching the chorus of the second verse. His voice was slightly deeper, but the intensity was increasing. It was like… scratching one’s throat? The high notes were clear, but the slight raspiness captured everyone’s attention.

Soon, Woojin was completely immersed in the song.

Gradually, he began to channel deeper emotions from within the song. As a result, his voice grew richer, more profound. These emotions enhanced the delivery and expression in Woojin’s voice.

Maybe it was the ability of his void space.

After enhancing his singing skills, it helped with voice projection in acting. Conversely, when singing, his emotions intensified. Woojin, performing the song like an act, seemed like a fish in water. He interpreted the lyrics, channeled his emotions, and let his performance explode with passion. He controlled his voice as he wished. Kang Woojin was getting increasingly engrossed in the song.

-♬♪

As he continued, the members of the ‘Male Friend’ team were lost in admiration. Soon, Woojin’s voice began to fade, reaching the end of the song, sounding both poignant and tragic.

“…”

After finishing, Kang Woojin put down his phone and complimented himself.

‘I nailed it. I’ve never been able to sing this song in karaoke before. Heh, with this, I can probably sing any song.’

He almost let out a smirk, but stopped himself, reminding himself of his concept and putting on a poker face. Removing his headphones, he looked up. Huh? For some reason, people outside the booth were crowded right in front of the window. What were they doing?

It looked like a scene from a zoo.

Why were they making those faces? There was only one answer: his singing was phenomenal. Kang Woojin felt an odd satisfaction as he leaned in and spoke into the microphone.

“I’m done.”

However, no one outside the booth responded for a while.

“…”

“…”

The first to react was Hwalin, whose cheeks had oddly reddened for some reason.

-Clap clap clap.

She started clapping slowly. And that initiated a ripple effect.

-Clap clap clap clap!

-Clap clap clap clap clap!

Everyone joined in with applause. Thanks to this, a scene unfolded where everyone showered praise upon Kang Woojin, who seemed trapped like an animal in a cage. Why all the fuss? Although Woojin tried to maintain his indifferent demeanor, he couldn’t deny that it felt good.

‘Ugh, hold on, shoulders! Don’t go up.’

Kang Woojin calmly exited the booth. At the same time, the surrounding crowd bombarded him with questions.

The first was from Director Shin Dong-chun.

“Woojin! Wow – I’m shocked. You sing so well, huh?”

Then came a barrage of simultaneous questions from all directions, too many to name individually.

“Exactly! Wow, who would’ve known? You should be really proud!”

“That was incredible, truly. Not just saying it, but I really didn’t expect you to be that good.”

“Where did you learn to sing like that?”

“Woojin, did you ever secretly work as a singer?”

What are they talking about? Woojin sternly shook his head.

“No, not at all.”

“Then…?”

“It was just a hobby.”

At this, Choi Sung-gun’s eyes widened in shock.

‘Are you kidding me? A hobby? If that’s a hobby, what about the aspiring singers out there??’

Kim So-hyang, who had asked the question, let out a wry laugh.

“A hobby…? That’s beyond hobby-level.”

“Is that so?”

“Honestly, have you ever tried auditioning for a singing competition or something?”

“Not really.”

Throughout this noisy exchange, Hwalin, who had been silent from the start, was flooded with indescribable emotions. Her heart was pounding. She saw a radiant glow that emanated from Kang Woojin.

‘So this is… what being a fan feels like.’

In that moment, she truly understood the feelings of her fans. This fervent desire to do anything for him, the endlessly pounding heart. Right now, Hwalin didn’t really care about Woojin’s singing skills.

‘What should I do? I feel like I’ll be his fan for life.’

It was at this moment that Director Kim So-hyang tapped Hwalin’s shoulder.

“Hwalin, what did you think, from a professional’s perspective?”

Only then did Hwalin manage to pull herself together. She locked eyes with Kang Woojin. In her heart, she wanted to jump around, giving him a big thumbs up. However, she couldn’t let Woojin see her as some crazed fan.

“Hmm, he’s good.”

“That’s all?”

“He’s talented. His emotions are sufficient when he sings.”

Though it sounded like a lukewarm compliment, for some reason, Kang Woojin still gave Hwalin a slight nod in gratitude.

“Thank you.”

Regardless of the reactions, Director Kim So-hyang proceeded with the session.

“For now, Woojin can take a break and it’s Hwalin’s turn. Sing whatever you like, even one of your own songs is fine.”

She needed to match Woojin’s tone and song from earlier. Soon, Hwalin took a deep breath and headed to the booth, while Kim So-hyang whispered to writer Choi Na-na and Director Shim Dong-chun.

“This scene in episode 2 of ‘Male Friend’, where ‘Han In-ho’ gives a surprise… it’s going to be a hit, right?”

Then.

-♬♪

Hwalin’s song began. It was her solo track. Everyone quickly focused on her singing, including Kang Woojin.

‘Wow, I get to see this live.’

At this point, Kim Sohyang leaned in and whispered to Kang Woojin.

“Woojin, if this goes well, we might sweep the charts in both Korea and Japan.”

Her smile was radiant.

“The harmony of your voices, both yours and Hwalin’s, is just spectacular.”

About an hour later.

After settling his studio schedule, Kang Woojin boarded the van in the parking lot.

-Thunk!

The vehicle took off immediately. There was no time to waste. They had to head to Incheon for the ‘Drug Dealer’ shoot. Woojin, having taken off the cap he’d been wearing, rotated his head side to side.

‘Am I a bit tired?’

Even though it was fun, being in a recording studio was still unfamiliar, which probably added some stress. Well, it’s alright. In the van, Woojin reached for the seat pocket. Scripts and scenarios were stacked there.

-Swish.

He picked up ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ by Director Kyotaro, which he had been frequently reading lately. At this point, Choi Sung-gun, who had been sneaking glances at Woojin from the co-driver’s seat, asked,

“Woojin, did you finish reading that?”

Woojin, who was pointing with his index finger, looked up.

“I’ve read about half.”

“What do you think?”

Regardless of everything else, the rating of ‘The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger’ was already A-grade. It was thrilling, a mix of mystery and suspense, and it was entertaining.

“I view it positively.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Ah- Did you know that the original story is by author Akari Takikawa?”

“Akari Takikawa? Ah- that super famous one.”

“Yes. It’s one of her bestsellers.”

Choi Sung-gun was slightly surprised. He thought it was impressive that the renowned director Kyotaro was adapting it, but he didn’t realize that the original was by the globally famous Akari. Especially since reading the original Japanese scenario had been difficult for him.

Suddenly.

“Ah.”

A news article that Choi Sung-gun had glanced at recently flashed through his mind. Akari, who was currently in Korea. And Director Kyotaro, who entered the country secretly. The scenario’s original was by Akari. Connecting the dots, Choi Sung-gun quickly came to a conclusion.

‘They must have entered Korea together. The guest Director Kyotaro mentioned who will visit the set today must be Akari.’

In other words, today, two major figures were visiting to see Kang Woojin. However, Choi Sung-gun didn’t tell Woojin this. It was confidential after all.

‘Today is going to be monumental.’

Meanwhile, Han Ye-jung with her yellow bob hair was asking Kang Woojin a question.

“Oppa, where did you learn to sing?”

“Nowhere.”

“Then why are you so good?”

Next, Choi Sung-gun turned from the co-driver’s seat.

“Woojin, did you ever perform overseas or do street performances, like busking? I’m not asking about your past, just curious.”

Busking? What busking? I’ve taken buses daily before. Kang Woojin answered honestly.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Is it really just a hobby?”

“Yes.”

“Like with design, did you take up singing as a hobby because it helps with acting?”

Even though it felt like a deepening misunderstanding, either way, it helped his acting, so Woojin simply nodded.

“Yes, it’s similar.”

Upon hearing the answer, Choi Sung-gun seemed to become more serious. Thoughts raced in his mind.

“For now, just asking out of curiosity – have you ever thought of becoming a singer?”

No? Not at all. Kang Woojin was already overwhelmed as an actor.

‘I barely know the acting industry, and now singing too? That’s too much.’

If he went down that route, he felt like his head might explode. With all the misunderstandings and misconceptions, the chances of that were high. So, Woojin answered shortly and calmly.

“No, I haven’t considered it.”

“Really? There are versatile talents in the market who both act and sing. They switch activities every year. One year as an actor, the next as a singer.”

“That sounds intense.”

“But how would you feel if your influence as an actor increased? Maybe using a secondary career to your advantage. Your singing talent is too good to be wasted.”

That doesn’t sound too bad? Having acquired such a skill and not using it seemed a bit wasteful.

“That doesn’t sound bad. Do you have something in mind?”

“Yeah, I do. Your foreign language skills, singing, and acting. Mixing these well, I can think of two things right now.”

Choi Sung-gun, with a meaningful grin, said,

“Starting your own YouTube channel and doing musicals.”

Around late lunchtime, near Incheon Port.

Rows of large warehouses were built around the area with a vast view of the sea at Incheon Port. In front of a warehouse painted in gray, the filming crew of ‘Drug Dealer’ had set up.

“Launch the drone!”

“Just a moment!”

“We’ll be filming the sea inserts first in 10 minutes!”

“Can those spectators move back? We don’t want an accident to happen to you.”

The filming equipment was already set up. Dozens of onlookers surrounded the filming crew. Not many actors were in sight. The lead, Jin Jae-jun, was not there either. Among them, a middle-aged male actor sat at a makeshift plastic table in front of the warehouse.

He looked to be in his late 50s.

Though his face bore deep wrinkles, he had a rather subdued aura. At a glance, he had an energy reminiscent of a tiger. He was the actor Park Pan-seo, known in the industry as the ‘workhorse’ for his prolific roles in the acting community.

In ‘Drug Dealer’, he played the role of Kim Hyun-soo, and was mostly referred to as ‘Professor Kim’.

He appeared in the early part and exited in the latter half of the film. According to the script, he’s a character who manufactures drugs. Of course, it was a pivotal role. Nevertheless, his expression seemed somewhat gloomy.

Perhaps because of that?

“Senior.”

Director Kim Do-hee, whose hair had grown rougher, approached Park Pan-seo, who was seated alone.

“Are you alright?”

Soon, Park Pan-seo, who had been flipping through the script, slowly nodded.

“I’m fine. Just a bit of stomach trouble.”

“Then you should rest. Today we can just shoot Woojin’s solo scenes. We can film your scenes with him tomorrow.”

“It’s fine. Go on with the shoot.”

“······ Alright. If you feel unwell, please let me know.”

“Okay.”

Director Kim Do-hee, who had been watching Park Pan-seo for a moment, walked among the crew members. Meanwhile, Park Pan-seo resumed reading his script. Suddenly, he clenched and unclenched his fist.

His palm was damp with sweat.

The nervousness of a veteran. Park Pan-seo’s mind was filled with thoughts about acting. It was because of the rookie actor he had seen a few days earlier, who had delivered a mesmerizing performance alongside Jin Jae-jun.

“Heh, to think I’d be this nervous because of a rookie at this age.”

It was then.

“Kang Woojin has arrived!!”

Among the dozens of crew members, the rookie actor whom the veteran had been thinking of arrived. It was Kang Woojin. As soon as he arrived, he was congratulated by Director Kim Do-hee and the crew members.

“Look who it is, our star Kang!”

“Haha, I saw the news! Congratulations! Wow – a lead role in Director Kwon Ki-taek’s film!”

“The film industry is in chaos! It’s an unprecedented feat.”

“It’s amazing, truly amazing! Debuting with a lead role, and in a film by Director Kwon Ki-taek!”

After about 10 minutes of being congratulated by everyone, Kang Woojin calmly approached Park Pan-seo, who was at the makeshift table.

“Hello, sir.”

Park Pan-seo, rising from his seat, smiled slightly.

“Yes, it’s good to see you. I heard the good news. Congratulations.”

Park Pan-seo reached out his hand. Internally, Kang Woojin exclaimed,

‘What an overwhelming aura! Must show the utmost respect.’

Thanks to that, Kang Woojin’s expression became even colder. In that state, Kang Woojin took Park Pan-seo’s hand.

“Thank you.”

The veteran’s tension heightened.

‘Indeed, his gaze is different from other rookies.’

Today, Park Pan-seo, or rather,

“I look forward to working with you, sir.”

‘Professor Kim’ was scheduled to die at the hands of Lee Sang-man.

“Likewise.”

And it was to be a particularly gruesome death.

*****