小火星

The name Kang Woojin was shouted to the world from the tables in front of a convenience store. Four women were seated there, and one of them, seemingly in her mid-20s, stood up hesitantly. With wide eyes, she pointed her index finger at a man wearing a hat who was about to enter the convenience store.

Who could it be?

“…Huh?”

It was Kang Woojin, who had just taken out his wallet. Woojin, looking slightly surprised, was genuinely taken aback. It was the first time in his life he’d heard his name called out so loudly.

In any case.

-Whish.

A brief eye contact between the woman and Kang Woojin. Soon, the woman who shouted Woojin’s name and her friends were all staring at him. Their gaze was contagious.

“What, what’s going on?”

“Did something happen? Who is he? I can’t see because of the hat.”

The people at the nearby tables also became interested in Kang Woojin. The total number of onlookers was about 15. Groups of women, groups of men, mixed groups, elderly, etc.

Suddenly, all eyes were on Woojin.

At this moment, Woojin slowly put down the hand holding his wallet.

‘Who is she? Do I know her? She looks unfamiliar.’

He wondered if the woman who recognized him was an old acquaintance. But no matter how he looked, she was a total stranger. Why was she acting as if she knew him? It was a bit awkward to ignore and walk away.

Woojin had forgotten that he was now an actor.

He’d never encountered fans in real life before.

‘Why does she act like she knows me? I guess I should greet her first.’

With a hint of confusion, he greeted the woman.

“Hello, but who are you?”

He maintained a composed demeanor. In response to his casual greeting, the woman lowered her finger and said,

“…I can’t believe it. What do I do?”

She covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes filled with admiration.

“Oh, wait. You’re really Kang Woojin, right? Why are you here? No, I mean. Wow, I’m a huge fan. Ah! I just watched your drama here. And right after it ended, you appeared in front of me… Is this real?”

From her perspective, she had just watched the fourth episode of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ at a table in front of the convenience store. Then, just ten minutes after it ended, Kang Woojin appeared before her. It was enough to make her flustered.

And only then did Woojin realize.

‘Ah.’

This woman recognized him as an actor. Wait, I’m an actor, right? Seriously? They’re so excited to see me? Woojin was astounded.

‘This is so fascinating.’

It was a funny situation. Both the fan and the actor seemed to be experiencing a surreal feeling. Soon, Woojin asked the still dazed woman in a indifferent tone,

“Are you okay?”

The woman fidgeted with her feet as if she were feeling chills.

“Ahhh, I’m okay. I’m really okay. I don’t know! What do I do-!”

As her excitement peaked, she hid behind her friends. They all approached Woojin.

“Wow, you look amazing in person.”

“Are you really Kang Woojin?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Amazing. Why are you here?”

Why? To buy ramen. But they seem out of stock. Woojin decided to act cool.

“I’m here to buy chicken breast.”

“Chicken breast?! At this hour?”

“I ran out, so I came urgently.”

“You must work out a lot!”

There was a commotion. About ten people nearby noticed him too. They seemed to realize that the man was a celebrity. They all took out their phones and approached Woojin, making his heart race as he saw the crowd coming closer.

‘Wow. What should I do? Should I just run away? Isn’t that a bit too much?’

In the midst of this, the first woman who recognized him shouted to the others,

“Hey! It’s rude to take pictures without permission!”

A few reluctantly put down their phones. However, some women who were already close to him softly requested,

“Could you… give us an autograph?”

An autograph? Kang Woojin hesitated for a moment, but then nodded.

“Ah, yes. But I don’t have a pen.”

“Just wait a second!”

“Hey, hurry up!”

“Wait!”

Two women quickly ran into the convenience store and came back with a pen and paper. Soon, an impromptu autograph session began in front of the store.

“Please write Jo Eun-joo! That’s my name!”

“I’m Nam Hee-jung!”

“Can we also take a picture together??!”

Kang Woojin complied with the flurry of requests, as if he were in a daze. His sense of self was blurry, simply carrying out tasks with a blank expression. Meanwhile, the crowd continued to grow.

“Is that really Kang Woojin?”

“I watched Hanryang just yesterday!”

“Bro, that drama is so good!”

“Wow! Isn’t that Kang Woojin?”

“Where? Where?”

Those who were already there, passersby who were attracted by the commotion, and people who were going to the convenience store all stopped. The crowd that was originally ten had now grown to at least 20, a testament to Woojin’s rising popularity.

At this point, Kang Woojin was,

-Whoosh-

hugging each person, regardless of gender, as if he were offering free hugs.

‘Why am I hugging these people?’

Even Woojin didn’t know why. It just happened.

“Wow! Me too! Please hug me too!!”

“Kang Woojin looks amazing in real life, totally different from Park Dae-ri.”

“He has such a unique character. He looks cold, but he’s so kind!”

“He must be a natural actor; he’s so charismatic.”

Praises poured in. Of course, Woojin’s makeup, done for his schedule, played a part too. Anyway.

“Hey, what’s happening over there? Is that a celebrity?”

The crowd kept growing.

“Oppa! Here’s some chicken breast! I bought several types!”

“I bought a chicken breast salad!”

Kang Woojin received his first gift from fans.

“…Thank you.”

His late-night snack turned into chicken breasts.

The next day.

From the morning, sightings of the popular actor Kang Woojin were posted everywhere. Well, to be precise, it started at dawn.

-Guys, I saw Kang Woojin at the convenience store when I went to buy a lunch box. He’s insanely handsome in person!

The reactions, primarily on social media and community cafes, exploded.

– [Live] Drama ‘Hanryang’ Kang Woojin surrounded by fans in front of a convenience store.jpg

– Sharing my story of buying ramen for Kang Woojin at a convenience store!!

Reporters picked up on the story and it spread through the news.

『Rising actor Kang Woojin, known for ‘Park Dae-ri’, gets surrounded by fans at a convenience store/ Photo』

Especially as the results of the fourth episode of ‘Profiler Hanryang’, which aired last night, were explosive, reporters were even more eager.

At that moment.

“Hey! Kang Woo-jin! You!”

Inside a van, Kang Woojin, was being scolded by Choi Sung-gun who had untied his hair.

“If you wanted to go to the convenience store, you should’ve sent Su-hwan! It’s a good thing people were polite. What would’ve happened if there was an accident?”

It was a valid point. Woojin calmly acknowledged and apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

“Even if you don’t care about people’s attention, you’re not an unknown actor anymore! You’re the actor of a drama that’s surpassed 20% in ratings! You can’t just wander around, you’re a proper celebrity now!”

“I’ll keep that in mind, I’m sorry.”

Of course, Woojin had made the same resolve internally. Just yesterday, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now, he realized he had to be more careful about his behavior.

‘Who would’ve thought this would happen in my life?’

At that moment, Han Ye-jung, who had changed her hair back to a green bob cut, was browsing through online communities full of sightings of Kang Woojin. She coldly suggested something to Choi Sung-gun.

“CEO, if you’re going to scold, you can scold later. As it looks like Woojin oppa also received gifts yesterday. Shouldn’t we post a thank-you note on SNS?”

“Oh, yes. Post it!”

“Woojin, did you take pictures of the gifts you received yesterday?”

“Uh- yes. It’s chicken breast.”

“Chicken breasts? Why did you buy them at that hour?”

“I just needed them.”

“Ah, you started working out, right? Awesome, but you went to buy them immediately? You’re really passionate.”

Misunderstandings kept piling up. Regardless, Kang Woojin’s SNS now had a thank you post to his fans posted.

@wooji_n

Posts: 13

Followers: 94k

Following: 3

Kang Woojin’s SNS was nearing 100k followers after yesterday’s events.

At that moment…

“Look! The ratings are out!”

Choi Sung-gun, who was looking at his phone, exclaimed in excitement. The official ratings for the fourth episode of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ had been released.

『[Official] Unstoppable ‘Profiler Hanryang’ Episode 4 achieves 25.2% viewership, peaking at 25.8% during Park Dae-ri’s murder scene.』

In just four episodes, ‘Hanryang’ surpassed 25% in ratings. It was setting legendary records in real-time. The entertainment media was abuzz.

『Can ‘Profiler Hanryang’, which surpassed 25% in just four episodes, achieve 30%?』

『Astounding ratings! ‘Profiler Hanryang’ is becoming a legend not just this year but in broadcasting history.』

The momentum of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ was overwhelming. The viewership had more than doubled since last week. Countless reporters produced articles like a waterfall, vying for even a small increase in clicks.

Public sentiment was even more heated than the media coverage.

“Hey, did you watch Hanryang yesterday? Damn, Park Dae-ri’s acting was insane.”

“Yeah, I did. But order a bulgogi rice bowl today, okay? I ate spicy pork yesterday, and they were not satisfying enough.”

“What are you talking about, idiot?”

“Don’t you know this meme?”

From the conversations among people and the flood of comments on articles, one could feel the boiling enthusiasm.

-Please Bring him back! Don’t tell me you’re not bringing Park Dae-ri back?

-Don’t kill him off. Without Park Dae-ri, it’s not the same.

-…Just say it was all a dream and bring Park Dae-ri back… I promise I won’t complain…

-??? : My erectile dysfunction is because of Park Dae-ri. If he weren’t there, I wouldn’t be aroused, you know?

-Honestly, this time, Writer Park Eun-mi, outdid herself with the character of Park Dae-ri this time.

-After Park Daeri’s death, I noticed my morning tent has gotten smaller…I feel less enthusiastic.

-Kang Woojin brought in more than half of the Hanryang viewership, carrying the show from build-up to climax.

-Lol, knew the comments would be overflowing with ‘Not satisfying enough’ memes.

-I mean… Park Dae-ri was a jerk, but the acting made him so endearing!

-Director: Act like a likable jerk! (Huh? It actually worked?)

·

·

·

From dawn, YouTube was flooded with Hanryang videos, from regular videos to shorts. Everyone was jumping on the trend.

『[Issue Check] YouTube is currently obsessed with ‘Profiler Hanryang’.』

Perhaps because of the impact of Park Dae-ri in episodes 3 and 4, Kang Woojin’s name was everywhere. It felt like a ‘Park Dae-ri Syndrome.’

Soon, the public had started using ‘Park Dae-ri’ as a meme.

『[Photo] ‘Park Dae-ri’ phenomenon. His lines are starting to spread like catchphrases.』

By Sunday afternoon, the focus shifted.

『Beyond rising to typhoon level, what’s next after ‘Hanryang’ for ‘Park Dae-ri’ Kang Woojin?』

Among all this:

-Brrrr, Brrrrrr.

As expected, Kang Woojin received numerous calls. Congratulations from his parents, friends, and even distant acquaintances who suddenly remembered him. The new chat group for ‘Profiler Hanryang’ actors was also buzzing about Woojin.

-Ryu Jung-min: Seriously, should we ask the writer to bring back Park Dae-ri?

-Jang Tae-san: The response is insane lol.

-Ryu Jung-min: There’s more talk about Woojin than about me

-Hong Hye-yeon: Jealous?

-Lee Do-jung: Seems like he is

-Kang Woojin: Thank you.

-Jang Tae-san: Out of the blue??

In this way, Woojin spent his entire Sunday in a surreal state. The fervor continued well into Monday.

But the good news didn’t stop. The first piece of news came from CEO Choi Sung-gun of bw Entertainment.

“Woojin, let’s start preparing to move. I’m more worried about you staying in that one-room apartment.”

“Moving? But it’s still early.”

“I’ll get you a leased apartment near the company, so pack up as soon as possible.”

Near the company, so near Samseong station? A house in Seoul? Kang Woojin was stunned. It was something he could never have dreamed of. But from the company’s perspective, Woojin was now a valuable actor worth the investment.

Why refuse when they’re offering? Hiding his excitement, Kang Woojin agreed with a stern tone.

“Yes, CEO.”

At that moment, the head of the PR team rushed into the CEO’s office.

“CEO! Woojin has an official fan club!”

It was true.

-[Official/Kang Woojin’s official fan cafe ‘Kang’s Heart’ welcomes you!]

-Members: 1,209.

-Chief Manager: BloodSister.

Kang Woojin’s official fan club was established.

On Tuesday morning, the 26th, in an editing rooms.

In one of the numerous editing rooms, it was the editing room for the YouTube channel ‘Sports Day.’ The space was a bit cramped. Here, PD Yoon Byung-seon, wearing glasses, was giving instructions to a junior PD while looking at the main monitor.

“Ah, right there, right there. Keep the cut where Woojin first appears. Emphasize it with a caption saying, ‘His entrance has a different aura.\'”

“But wouldn’t that make it seem overly bland?”

“We need to start off lukewarm so that Woojin’s charm can explode later on. I thought he’d be super serious, but he unexpectedly gets the name wrong and reacts a bit sloppily. That’s the twist, isn’t it?”

“Haha. True, Woojin gets funnier as time goes on. He’s trying so hard and seriously, but that intensity becomes the comedic point.”

They were editing the episode that they had filmed a few days ago with the ‘Profiler Hanryang’ team. Since the fourth episode of ‘Hanryang’ received over 25% in viewership ratings, they had to speed up their work.

“First, pick out the preview by tomorrow. Right now, the trend is focusing on Woojin, so make sure the content revolves around him.”

“Yes, senior.”

“How many main episodes do you think we can produce?”

“Given the content we have, I think at least 3 episodes?”

“Can we get one out by the end of this week?”

“… If we pull an all-nighter, sure.”

“Let’s push for it no matter what. We need to ride the current momentum for a surge in views.”

PD Yoon Byung-seon, after encouraging the junior PD, left the editing room and picked up his phone. He was so busy that he couldn’t solely focus on this. He called the writers from HTBS.

“Hey, I’m heading over to the station now, let’s have our final meeting. Did we narrow down the foreign language actors?”

“Ah- yes, about three.”

“Okay, set up the meeting immediately. Add one more person.”

“Who?”

“Kang Woojin.”

“Huh? Kang Woo-jin?”

“Yes.”

Soon after, PD Yoon Byung-seon chuckled.

“His proficiency is good enough that he could pass as an American or Japanese.”

Meanwhile, outside Kang Woojin’s house.

Exiting his messy one-room apartment due to moving preparations, the poker-faced Kang Woojin got into the waiting minivan.

“Hello.”

The members inside the van were the same, but for some reason, including Choi Sung-gun, everyone smiled when they saw Kang Woojin. Even the cold Han Ye-jung. Woojin tilted his head in confusion.

Simultaneously.

“Woojin.”

Choi Sung-gun in the co-driver’s seat closed his diary with a snap and gave a thumbs up.

“You’ve got your first commercial, a hamburger .”

*****