Chapter 310: Autumn (11)

“Just imagining it for a moment already makes me anxious.”

Joseph smacked his lips as he watched Kang Woojin, who was talking with Choi Sung-gun outside the store.

“His acting, his martial arts. They were all worth watching, and his ‘CQC’ is no exception.”

Joseph Felton had already caught glimpses of Kang Woojin’s acting and martial arts. For a renowned Hollywood producer like him, it was indeed a striking sight. That’s why Joseph was captivated by Woojin. Joseph didn’t become a powerful Hollywood producer by chance. His eye for talent, his ability to discover stars, and the skill to foresee a project’s impact were what set him apart.

In other words, Joseph’s evaluation of Woojin was already essentially complete.

From here on, it was more about enjoyment rather than evaluation. What kind of performer is Kang Woojin? As of now, only a handful in Hollywood knew of him. No, if we include the general public, he was close to an unknown actor, but Joseph had already sensed something special about Kang Woojin.

‘His special forces background was unexpected. But his martial arts, and now his shooting skills I saw today. Seeing Kang Woojin’s CQC firsthand is necessary for our project too.’

Whether it was martial arts or ‘CQC’ or acting, everything an actor does is much more impactful in person than on screen. The energy that an actor emits inevitably gets diluted when editing comes into play.

Clear talent is demonstrated on set.

Moreover, Joseph and Megan were still in the preparation stage for the movie, so it was uncertain what kind of film it would become. Of course, there was the storyboard and ideas provided by the film company. However, those would pass through several writers and scriptwriters, being reborn into various scenarios. Joseph and the film company had yet to decide which scenario they would ultimately choose.

Whether it would be a thriller, action, or romantic comedy.

Thus, as the Executive Producer, Joseph kept all possibilities open, taking in everything that caught his attention or piqued his interest. Sometimes, the elements that boost a film’s explosiveness are born from unexpected places.

Kang Woojin might just be one of those unexpected elements.

Ethan Smith had joined that Kang Woojin.

What form would the ‘CQC’ of this acting monster, the Korean actor who excelled not only in martial arts but also in shooting, take? It’s a technique that even many veteran actors in Hollywood struggle with. Would he be different from them? Or the same?

Gradually, a smile spread across the black man Joseph’s face.

“The more I get to know him, the more he feels like an alien, but that’s what makes it so fun, this amplification of anticipation.”

At Joseph’s murmuring, Megan Stone, who was sitting next to him, nodded in agreement. Of course, her gaze was also fixed on Kang Woojin outside the store.

“You’re thinking of visiting Bangkok, Joseph.”

“……Of course, I’ll get approval from the production team. And from Ethan. If it’s difficult, I’ll just spend money to make it happen.”

“Kang Woojin really is a mysterious actor. To think he’d make us move from Korea, not just to Japan but all the way to Bangkok.”

“It’s not that unusual. I’ve gone to at least four countries just for one actor.”

“I’ve done something similar too.”

Megan, who was also smiling softly, said.

“Include me on that trip to Bangkok.”

“Of course. We can’t leave out the project’s CD.”

Joseph easily agreed, folding his arms. His thick forearms stood out.

“Additionally, if it’s alright, it would be good to have the film company representatives and our stunt coordinators accompany us.”

At that moment.

– Swish.

Choi Sung-gun and Kang Woojin, who had been talking outside, returned. Woojin sat down and apologized calmly.

“I’m sorry.”

Megan and Joseph shook their heads.

“No, it’s fine.”

At this point, the food they had ordered came out, and Joseph broke the silence.

“Kang Woojin, recently, I’ve taken on the role of Executive Producer for a film primarily produced by ‘Universal Movies.’”

The eyes of Choi Sung-gun, sitting next to Woojin, widened slightly. Naturally, he was startled inside.

‘‘Universal Movies’??!!’

It was natural. ‘Universal Movies’ was one of the top-tier film and distribution companies in Hollywood. Choi Sung-gun knew Joseph Felton had considerable influence, but he hadn’t expected ‘Universal Movies’ to suddenly pop up like this.

‘Wait—this situation is turning sweet? Could it be… a deal?’

Just yesterday, he had shown Kang Woojin the overseas branch of bw Entertainment for the first time, and in less than a day, a renowned producer like Joseph brought up ‘Universal Movies’. There was no reason for Choi Sung-gun not to be smiling from ear to ear.

Soon, Joseph continued his explanation.

“I can’t reveal too much yet, but I’m considering Kang Woojin for this project. Actually, I’ve been thinking about it ever since I saw you in ‘Last Kill 3.’”

Choi Sung-gun discreetly clenched his fist. Joseph, unaware of this, smiled even wider.

“Nothing is set in stone yet, but would you seriously consider it?”

Woojin’s face, which had been maintaining a strong poker face until now, showed little change.

“……”

However, internally, he was quite flustered.

‘What is this? Am I getting a offer right now?’

On the surface, he remained icy calm.

“The script should come first.”

In the afternoon, at the Beverly Hills Hotel in LA.

After finishing the shooting range experience and meeting with Joseph and Megan, Kang Woojin had returned to his luxurious 5-star accommodation at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Passing through the still magnificent lobby where numerous foreigners were coming and going, Kang Woojin could be found in the enormous lounge that truly deserved to be called massive.

Among the various sculptures and sofas scattered around, Woojin was seated in one of the spots.

Of course, surrounding him were Choi Sung-gun and other team members, while Woojin, looking down at his phone, seemed to be waiting for someone.

Meanwhile.

– Screech!

A large van pulled up at the entrance, where hotel staff were stationed. The strange thing was that around the van, foreign photographers wielding cameras with lenses as big as cannons had gathered. A rough count showed more than 20 of them. It was clear they were paparazzi. The hotel guards were busy holding them back and controlling the crowd.

Soon, large bodyguards got out of the van. Following them.

– Thunk!

A woman with long blonde hair, wearing a light blue shirt, and blue eyes stepped out. Immediately, the paparazzi blocked by the bodyguards went crazy, pressing their shutters non-stop.

The reason was simple.

“Miley! Miley!! Why are you here at the hotel?!”

“Cara! Nice to see you, Cara!!”

“Miley Cara!!”

She was Miley Cara, a global superstar, not just in Hollywood but all around the world. Naturally, the paparazzi were trailing her every step. Soon, the appearance of Cara stirred up the hotel staff and guests alike. But, indifferent to the commotion, Cara quietly chatted with her manager before walking straight into the hotel.

Her arrival caused a surge of attention from the foreigners inside the hotel.

Some foreign women, as if their souls had left their bodies, gasped in shock, while groups of people called out to Cara like children thrilled by her presence. Most of the hotel guests who spotted her were busy taking pictures with their phones. Meanwhile, Cara, used to this kind of situation, maintained a slightly cold expression as she walked directly towards the hotel lounge.

And then.

– Swoosh.

When Cara entered the lounge, someone stood up from the sofa. It was Kang Woojin. Despite her cold demeanor the whole way, Cara smiled for the first time when she saw Woojin and extended her hand.

“Woojin, it’s been a while.”

As expected, Woojin maintained his thick persona.

“It’s been a while.”

Soon enough, curious onlookers began to gather around Kang Woojin and Cara in the upscale lounge. Despite the growing attention, Cara, brushing back her blonde hair, spoke to Woojin again.

“You’re still as calm as ever.”

“You too.”

“Me? How so?”

“Well…”

Cara tilted her head slightly, puzzled, and Woojin answered in his mind.

‘That you’re beautiful, beautiful. She must know she’s drop-dead gorgeous.’

But no matter what, it was something he could never express outwardly. Miley Cara shrugged her shoulders slightly and opened her mouth.

“Sorry I couldn’t come straight here. My schedule got messed up. Is the hotel alright?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

“While you’re working with me, I want you to stay without any worries. If anything’s uncomfortable, let me know right away. Um—our official meeting and album work will probably start tomorrow afternoon, so I’m here today just to say hello.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. After this, I need to head straight to my next schedule.”

Cara checked the time briefly before locking her blue eyes back on Woojin.

“By the way, Woojin, do you have any plans before tomorrow afternoon?”

Plans? Kang Woojin glanced at Choi Sung-gun, who was standing next to him. He shook his head—meaning no. Woojin then replied calmly to Cara.

“I don’t.”

Cara gave a subtle smile, as if things were working out perfectly.

“In that case, how about joining me at a fashion show tomorrow, to greet the fans as well? Many Hollywood celebrities will be attending, and of course, the media will be there too. I think it would help boost your recognition in this scene.”

After hearing the explanation, it turned out to be a fashion show for a famous luxury brand. In a way, it could serve as Kang Woojin’s debut into this world. Plus, accompanying Miley Cara would certainly draw attention. Choi Sung-gun, quickly grasping the situation, subtly gave a thumbs-up, while Woojin, with his usual indifferent expression, answered calmly.

“That sounds fine.”

Cara’s smile deepened as she brushed her blonde hair back.

“Then we should dress up a little, don’t you think?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Later, the next day at noon.

In front of the packed venue for the fashion show, filled with crowds, celebrities, and journalists, a sleek sedan came to a stop. From the car emerged Cara, dressed in a tight-fitting luxury brand gown. Following her, a man with black hair wearing a black trench coat stepped out.

– Swish.

It was Kang Woojin.

The two of them were immediately swarmed by more than a hundred reporters who frantically took photos. About thirty minutes later.

『Who is the Korean actor that appeared with Miley Cara at the fashion show?』

Kang Woojin’s name began to appear in international news articles.

Soon after.

The news of the famous luxury brand’s fashion show held in LA quickly spread to Korea.

『[Star Photo] Kang Woojin appears alongside ‘Miley Cara’ at the famous luxury brand fashion show / Photo』

『Global superstar Miley Cara and Kang Woojin, posing confidently in front of hundreds of journalists / Photo』

The album project involving Woojin and Cara was already a highly anticipated issue, and now the first news of their schedule being a massive fashion show packed with Hollywood celebrities naturally grabbed attention.

『20 million viewer actor ‘Kang Woojin’ attends a fashion show with Miley Cara before their album work… He’s officially a Hollywood actor now』

The shots of Kang Woojin and Cara together spread like wildfire in the Korean media.

Of course, the same happened in Japan.

Japanese media were also closely watching Woojin’s activities in LA and quickly reported on it. However, in Japan, there were already many other discussions surrounding Kang Woojin.

Especially in the animation industry.

It was because of ‘Male Friend: Remake’.

In the Japanese anime industry, Kang Woojin, who had once again become a hot topic, was being dissected and discussed thoroughly. Animation studios, broadcasting stations, and entertainment companies were all involved. In short, there was a flood of speculations and wild guesses.

“Isn’t the airing of ‘Male Friend: Remake’ tomorrow? What do you think it’ll be like?”

“I don’t know, but honestly, it’s going to be tough. Rom-coms haven’t been doing well lately.”

“And the original work is Korean, right?”

“That’s part of it, but ‘A10 Studio’ put too much effort into this project. When you overdo it, things tend to go wrong.”

“There are also a lot of popular shows this quarter.”

“Yeah, no matter how strong Kang Woojin’s influence is, it’ll be hard to surpass the original work’s impact.”

It was half criticism, half pessimism about ‘Male Friend: Remake’.

“How high do you think the viewership ratings will be? These days, an anime with a 5% rating is considered a success… maybe around 3%?”

“Come on, with all the buzz around Kang Woojin, the first episode should get more than 3%. Anyway, the content will be what really matters.”

“What was the highest rating for a recent anime?”

“It fluctuated between 9% and 10%.”

The other half showed some expectations.

As such, July 12th dawned, a few days after Kang Woojin’s arrival in LA.

The online communities in Korea were in an uproar since the morning.

Specifically, the anime-related communities were buzzing.

– Ah, isn’t today the first airing of Kang Woojin’s anime??

– ㅇㅇ Curious to see how the quality turns out.

– ㅋㅋㅋㅋ, I bet Kang Woojin’s voice acting will be terrible and he’ll get bashed for it ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.

– It will be aired in Japan today, and probably be available in Korea tomorrow.

– I live in Japan, so I’ll watch it and post a review ㅋㅋㅋ

– What’s the reaction from people in Japan right now??

– It’s mixed ㅋㅋㅋ. If you look at Twitter, there are lots of complaints, ㅋㅋㅋ

– Setting aside Kang Woojin’s voice acting, since the production is by A10, the quality should be decent, right?

– But there are a lot of anticipated shows this quarter, so the ratings might struggle ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Various SNS platforms in Japan showed similar trends. This continued throughout the day, and by 9:50 PM on the night of the 12th, many in Japan gathered around their TVs. Among them was Asami Sayaka, who had a connection with Woojin and voiced a role in ‘Male Friend: Remake’. Naturally, her daughter, Asami Yusako, who was in a wheelchair, was with her.

The TV channel was the private broadcaster, TBE.

Before they knew it, the opening song of the anime was playing on the TV.

-♬♪

Kang Woojin’s voice, his vocals, were being broadcast across all of Japan. Asami Yusako, her face flushed, covered her mouth with both hands.

“Ha- I’m so nervous.”

Soon, with the opening, the Japanese title of the anime appeared.

– ‘Male Friend: Remake’ / Episode 1.

****

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