Translation: Dreamscribe
Kang Woojin looked around the kitchen set and muttered in a low voice. Sitting beside him, Hong Hyeyeon's eyes widened slightly as she watched him.
'Wait, he actually prepared something to cook? With a schedule that packed, how did he even make the time? Still… I can't help looking forward to it.'
Hong Hyeyeon had already been captivated by Kang Woojin's cooking skills and his palate during their previous shoot, so just like PD Yoon Byeongseon and the writers, her anticipation rose in an instant. Back then, Kang Woojin had shown the kind of skill you would expect from a professional chef.
So—
"Wow! Of course!! Totally possible! Please, use the kitchen as much as you want!"
The writers were thrilled. Their expressions looked as though they were saying, We'll bow to you, so please, use the kitchen however you like. Around that point, PD Yoon Byeongseon was whispering to the head writer.
"We have to keep this on video, got it?"
"Of course. There's no way we can miss this."
"It's just us here, so strap on the action cam and film everything from start to finish. Don't interfere."
"Got it. But I really didn't expect Mr. Woojin to come this prepared. He really does have a tsundere streak, doesn't he?"
"Same here. Since his shooting schedule's packed, honestly, I didn't expect much. Anyway, let's go."
"Right."
Soon, the head writer started adjusting the handheld camera, and PD Yoon Byeongseon, pushing his glasses up, grinned as he looked at Kang Woojin standing there.
"What should we do about the ingredients? We've got some seasonings, but I think we'll have to buy the rest."
"Understood."
Woojin answered quietly and began looking around the kitchen. Naturally, the cook's recipe and skills were already working away inside his head. About three minutes later, he calmly listed his conclusion.
"First, we'll need buckwheat noodles, anchovies, kelp, green onion, onion, ginger, and garlic. Since there's soy sauce already, that's covered. We'll also need sesame oil…"
Kang Woojin casually listed one ingredient after another. A few of the writers hurriedly wrote them down and rushed out of the officetel. A little later, while tying an apron around Woojin, PD Yoon Byeongseon tilted his head and asked,
"Buckwheat noodles? Woojin, what kind of dish are you thinking of?"
Woojin's answer was brief.
"I haven't decided on the exact name yet, but it'll probably taste like soy sauce buckwheat noodles."
"...Oh. Buckwheat noodles."
PD Yoon Byeongseon's eyes sparkled at once. Hong Hyeyeon and the other writers reacted the same way. A few of them were already swallowing hard as they remembered the ramen and pasta Woojin had made before.
At that moment—
"Mr. Woojin, could you look over here for a second?"
The head writer holding the action cam waved her hand. Kang Woojin naturally met her gaze, and she quickly spoke up.
"Perfect! This is amazing. PD-nim, we absolutely have to use Mr. Woojin in an apron for the teaser thumbnail."
"Hmm. Come to think of it, we still haven't officially announced the cast lineup to the press, have we? I guess it's about time."
"Ah, should we release it today?"
"Sure, let's do that. If Woojin is the main figure for the kitchen team, fans are going to go crazy for it, right?"
The situation rolled ahead however it pleased. In any case, it was a scene Woojin had become far too familiar with.
'Well, they'll handle it however they want. Still… using me in an apron for the thumbnail is kind of embarrassing.'
About thirty minutes passed like that. The writers who had gone out to buy ingredients came back, and all kinds of vegetables and seasonings were laid out on the table in front of the kitchen. After washing his hands clean, Woojin began organizing the ingredients with practiced efficiency.
After gathering the pot, the wok, and the knives he needed, he started cooking without hesitation. Around then, Hong Hyeyeon carefully approached him and quietly asked,
"Is there anything I can help with?"
Woojin answered coolly.
"Please mince all the garlic and ginger over there."
"Again?"
"It's very important."
"Ah, okay."
With her long hair tied back, Hong Hyeyeon sat down. She looked awkward, but obediently started preparing the ingredients. All of it was naturally captured on camera, and once Kang Woojin placed the green onions and onion on the cutting board, he showed off dazzling knife work.
PD Yoon Byeongseon and the writers gasped in admiration again.
"Every time I see it, it's seriously amazing."
"You just end up staring blankly, don't you?"
"This is definitely going to hook the viewers."
The head writer filming the two of them shifted the focus to Woojin's forearms as he chopped.
'The muscles, the veins. Wow.'
In truth, the head writer knew exactly what she needed to capture. In any case, once the ingredients were prepped, Woojin calmly tilted the wok and lightly charred the vegetables.
At the same time, the buckwheat noodles were boiling in the pot beside him.
At the back, Woojin was preparing the broth. He added a little soy sauce and water to the stir-fried vegetables. After that came the minced garlic and ginger Hong Hyeyeon had prepared. Finally, he drizzled in the sesame oil.
The broth and the buckwheat noodles came together with surprising harmony.
The process itself was shorter than anyone expected.
"..."
Woojin cooled the fully cooked buckwheat noodles. Then he turned off the heat under the broth, which had been simmering gently. There was not the slightest hesitation in his movements, and before long, everything was finished.
He took out the deep bowls he had prepared in advance, placed the slightly cooled buckwheat noodles inside, and poured the fragrant broth over them. While he was doing that, PD Yoon Byeongseon scooped up a spoonful of broth and tasted it.
"Huh?"
Looking puzzled, he asked,
"Woojin, isn't this a little bland?"
Woojin's voice stayed calm and steady.
"We're in America. The broth should be a little mild."
"Ah—"
"And the seasoning comes from this."
Woojin murmured as he sprinkled the perilla leaves and sesame seeds he had sliced beforehand into the bowl.
"Perilla leaves have a strong aroma, so depending on the condition of the leaves, they can be replaced if necessary."
Lastly, he pulled out a small pouch from below, about the size of his palm. Inside it was shredded seaweed.
"The seasoning is adjusted with shredded seaweed."
The seaweed was lightly sprinkled over the top. Soon, Kang Woojin's dish was complete. It had been made in a hurry, but the quality was excellent, and the head writer, who had been filming the steam rising off the buckwheat noodles with the action cam, suddenly grabbed her chopsticks.
"It smells so good I'm going to lose it."
She mixed the noodles into the hot broth, scooped a little into a small bowl, and slurped it down. Her reaction came instantly.
"...Wow! It's delicious! PD-nim, this is seriously incredible!!"
As if they had all been waiting for permission, PD Yoon Byeongseon, Hong Hyeyeon, and the writers rushed over. Once they tasted it, every one of them was filled with overwhelming satisfaction. PD Yoon Byeongseon, although slightly hesitant, made a sudden declaration.
"This has to be sold! You could actually sell this!! Wow, it's perfect for a hangover, and it tastes way too good. We absolutely have to sell this!"
Around then, Woojin, who had been quietly watching their excitement, muttered,
"I think Seaweed Buckwheat Noodles would be a better name."
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After that, while happily eating the Seaweed Buckwheat Noodles Kang Woojin had made, PD Yoon Byeongseon explained the future plans for Our Dining Table to Kang Woojin and Hong Hyeyeon.
"Since it's the year-end season, we did consider filming in America next year, but there are a lot of complications, starting with location rentals. So I think we'll have to divide the shoot into two phases."
In the variety industry, splitting filming into several stages was common. Especially for something like Our Dining Table, where overseas shoots had to be coordinated with the cast's schedules, it was even more unavoidable.
"The first round of filming will probably run about a week. Our Dining Table is planned as a ten-episode series, and the first shoot should give us enough material for around five episodes. Editing will likely start near the end of the year, and the official broadcast is planned for early next year."
PD Yoon Byeongseon said it with a smile, but for him, it was practically a schedule straight out of hell. He was one of the key people whose workload became impossibly heavy near the end of every year.
"We'll probably move into the second filming phase around the time the first episode airs next year. Think of it as starting the edit for the back half while Our Dining Table is already airing. The locations and stores for Season 1 in America are nearly locked in, and we'll send the detailed plans to your agency. We'll probably work with food trucks two days a week, and for the rest, we'll film in stores we've already lined up. Simple enough, right?"
PD Yoon Byeongseon chuckled as he finished the explanation.
"You heard that the first filming phase will probably start sometime between late November and early December, right?"
In other words, Kang Woojin was being told that he would have to endure another relentless schedule from the end of this year into next year.
After finishing the pre-shoot for Our Dining Table, Kang Woojin immediately climbed back aboard the train of his packed schedule. The timetable that had briefly given him some breathing room after the overseas location shoot and two days of rest exploded all over again.
And just like that, time sped by for Kang Woojin and everyone around him.
『[Exclusive] Overview revealed for PD Yoon Byeongseon's mega-project variety show Our Dining Table, Season 1 to begin in America… Kang Woojin and Hong Hyeyeon in the kitchen?』
The Our Dining Table side released the information they had gathered.
『Will we finally see Kang Woojin's cooking skills on Our Dining Table? From food trucks to selling Korean food in America, the Our Dining Table team takes on the challenge』
PD Yoon Byeongseon's productions already had a large fanbase, and that was even more true now because Our Dining Table was operating on a much larger scale than anything he had done before.
『Ahn Jonghak, Ha Kangsoo, Hwarin, Kang Woojin and more, filming for Our Dining Table approaching! Public anticipation explodes』
The variety world was shaken up almost instantly. In particular, the fact that Season 1 would be filmed in America, the use of food trucks, the cast members' roles, the Korean restaurants, and Kang Woojin's cooking all became major talking points.
Meanwhile, Drug Dealer was not quiet either.
『Drug Dealer closes in on 3 million viewers… "Fastest ever for an R-rated film"』
『Jin Jaejun and Kang Woojin smiling brightly… Drug Dealer breaks records as it pushes past 3 million viewers』
Drug Dealer surged ahead like a runaway locomotive, pulling in overwhelming numbers and pushing toward three million viewers.
『[Movie Talk] With no real competition… Drug Dealer dominates alone, breaking the all-time record for an R-rated film』
Industry experts predicted that Drug Dealer, which had already passed 3 million viewers, might even reach 5 million.
And then there was Island of the Missing.
『[Star Talk] Top actors including Ryu Jeongmin, Ha Yura, and Kang Woojin wrap overseas filming for Island of the Missing / Photos』
『Island of the Missing production team: "About 30% of filming completed, domestic shoot to continue next"』
Various media outlets also covered Kang Woojin himself.
『[Issue Check] "Lee Sang-man" Kang Woojin secretly visits a theater, takes a selfie, and posts a personal update on social media』
『From Boy Friend to Drug Dealer, hit after hit! Problem child Kang Woojin spotted at a theater right after finishing overseas filming for Island of the Missing / Photos』
The public reacted immediately.
[Wowㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ that theater is literally right next to my house!!!!]
[lol Kang Woojin is so cute lol, he covered his face and went to the movies lol]
[So what? Drug Dealer still won't pass 5 million.]
[ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Woojin oppa…. please come to this theater too…..]
[Lee Sang-man's style is seriously insane!!!]
[But seriously lol Kang Woojin must be crazy busy lol he films way too much lol Boy Friend, Drug Dealer, he's doing great lol]
[Honestly, Drug Dealer never would've succeeded without Kang Woojin, right?]
[But honestly… Lee Sang-man is the greatest villain of all time.]
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Even in the middle of all that, ridiculous rumors like a Kang Woojin drug scandal began spreading all over the place, but BW Entertainment did not stay still.
『[Official] BW Entertainment on the spread of drug rumors involving Kang Woojin: "We are collecting information and will take strong action"』
『BW Entertainment reviewing legal action against rumors and gossip involving rookie Kang Woojin』
Their response was quick. Kang Woojin himself, however, barely cared.
"Woojin oppa, just ignore nonsense like that."
"What nonsense?"
"You know, that drug scandal rumor."
"I'm not sure. I haven't really looked at it properly."
Although it really came from nothing more than the instincts of an ordinary citizen, the people at his agency interpreted it as Woojin's iron mentality.
Around that time, BW Entertainment received a casting notice near the end of the year.
-[Important] Hello, this is the Blue Dragon Film Awards organizing committee.
It started with Blue Dragon.
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Monday morning, after the weekend.
An advertising shoot set.
With filming for Island of the Missing nearing its end, Kang Woojin was on set steadily eating hamburgers. That was only natural. It was a McDonald's commercial shoot.
"Good!! Nice, Woojin! That was great! This time chew with more force, okay? Like it's just too good to resist!"
"Ah, yes."
McDonald's had been the first brand to cast Woojin as an advertising model after his debut, and once his campaign had steadily boosted sales, he secured a long-term partnership with them.
Just like Woojin's own relentless grind, Choi Sunggeon, seated off to one side, was busy as well.
"There are award ceremonies scheduled for December, so we're going to have to make even more time somehow."
He had his planner open, sorting through Kang Woojin's schedule. There was so much lined up that he sometimes had to ignore incoming calls, check the missed calls afterward, and plan to return them later.
Then—
"Hm?"
Choi Sunggeon scratched his head, checked the caller ID of the phone that had just vibrated again, and paused for a moment.
-Director Ahn Gabok.
At last, that call had come. It was one he had already expected. Even so, it was a little surprising that Director Ahn Gabok himself had called directly. In any case, pretending not to see it would have felt awkward, so Choi Sunggeon stepped out of the shoot and answered.
"Yes, Director. Hello."
An older voice came through the line.
"Yes, Representative Choi. I know you're busy, but do you have a moment to talk?"
"Please, go ahead."
"There's a script I'd like to give you. To be honest, I wouldn't mind if my film became a stepping stone for you."
"Excuse me?"
A stepping stone?
Director Ahn Gabok's hundredth film, a project already considered a landmark in Korean cinema, was offering itself up as a stepping stone?
Choi Sunggeon looked as though he could not immediately understand what Ahn Gabok meant.
By contrast, Ahn Gabok's tone remained calm, but somehow it carried a strong sense of urgency.
"I can come to where you are. The one with freedom to move should be the one who moves first."
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Meanwhile, inside a major media company—
A female reporter who had been taking a call in the hallway came striding into the noisy entertainment news office. Her face was visibly excited, though there was no way of knowing yet what kind of information she had brought.
Then—
bang!
She pushed past the busy reporters and barged straight into the editor-in-chief's office. The editor let out a deep sigh.
"Ha—what now? Did you eat your manners along with soup?!"
Even so, the female reporter immediately addressed the editor, a man with a bit of extra flesh around his chin, in a serious tone.
"Chief, it's about Kang Woojin's one-year contract."
The editor frowned at once.
"Kang Woojin? One-year contract? What kind of nonsense is that?"
The reporter stepped closer and lowered her voice.
"BW Entertainment and Kang Woojin signed a one-year contract."