Chapter 327 - Bangkok (3)

Translator: Dreamscribe

‘Jang Yeon-woo’, or rather Kang Woojin, was walking through a forest path with an M4 carbine rifle in one hand. He was still in his military uniform and bulletproof vest, but the radio he had worn on his ear was nowhere to be seen. His pace was neither slow nor fast. It was an ordinary speed. Like he was out for a casual walk.

– Rustle, rustle.

The wild grass under his boots made a faint noise. A cold wind struck Woojin head-on. The chill seeped into him. At that moment, a small smile spread across Kang Woojin’s otherwise expressionless face.

“I enjoyed it, so that’s enough.”

His senses of sight, smell, and hearing sharpened. The path forward was dark but familiar, the scent of grass typical of the forest, and the cold winter air. The rustling noises and the faint sounds of insects and other creatures. Everything was vivid, and the emotions of ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ overwhelmed Woojin even more.

The thrill that had been so intense started to gradually fade.

Kang Woojin looked up at the sky.

“……”

It’s bright.

The moon was bright.

For a moment, Woojin, who had been gazing at the sky with a faint smile, looked down at the rifle in his right hand. His fingers felt stiff with something dry and hardened. It was dried blood. Not his own, but someone else’s. Now that he thought about it, his cheek and other parts of his face felt rough too. It was blood as well.

Kang Woojin started walking again.

With his other hand, he scraped the dried blood off his cheek. There was an emptiness. Not because he had just killed some nameless beings. Guilt? Regret? Those kinds of things didn’t exist for him. He was just a bit bored.

“Hoo-”

His life was one drenched in violence and slaughter. However-

“I’m sick of it.”

When stimuli become excessive, they become natural. The body adapts, and the brain gets used to the stimuli. As a result, the fun disappears. The conclusion was that a break, a period of emptiness was needed. Sometimes, random thoughts would creep in, like wondering about the lives of those who had just died by his hand.

Worthless.

Both them and I are.

Idle thoughts cloud judgment. They are meaningless. Whether it’s them or Woojin, it’s just kill or be killed. The weak are judged, and the survivor is merely the judge. To exist is to be strong. But that judge is not righteous.

Evil.

The surviving judge is by no means just, and is only evil to everyone else. Just choosing whom to judge. ‘A nice bastard’. That was how ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ or Kang Woojin could be described. He looked ordinary, but deep inside, he was vicious.

But if this sickening boredom continues, the one being judged won’t be them, but me.

Woojin decided to disappear without a trace.

To quietly disappear without anyone noticing.

– Thud!

Before he knew it, Kang Woojin had emerged from the forest. A road appeared before his eyes. On one side of the road was an old, beat-up truck. Naturally, it was the one Woojin had prepared.

– Thump!

Climbing into the truck, Kang Woojin tossed the rifle onto the passenger seat and started the engine. The coughing truck let out a rather noisy exhaust sound.

And then-

– Vroom!

Without a second of hesitation, Woojin began to drive. The truck’s speed gradually increased, and Woojin’s view changed with each passing second.

His front view, which had been illuminating the dark road, and the temperature transformed in an instant.

Because years had passed.

Kang Woojin, now seated in the truck, found himself standing in a bustling market. The blazing sunlight was hot. It was scorching enough to make his forearms sting. Slowly, Woojin’s vision became clearer. Tanned-skinned people were moving around noisily, blending together in a chaotic mix.

“……”

A man shouting loud enough to split eardrums, a woman’s shriek that sounded like she was describing what she was selling, bicycles and motorcycles weaving through the crowd, horns blaring every second, and dozens of people brushing past, bumping into Woojin’s shoulders and arms as they passed by.

But such scenes did not seem unfamiliar to Kang Woojin. His mind was calm at the moment.

It was only natural.

Woojin had been living in Bangkok for years now.

Sweat trickled down his cheek.

Kang Woojin’s appearance had changed quite a bit. His beard had grown a little on his chin, and his skin tone had tanned slightly. His brown shirt and jeans were as ragged as could be.

-Swish.

He put a cigarette in his mouth. With a lighter in hand, Woojin stepped into the bustling crowd.

“#*()%(*#)%@((@($!!!”

“)(#$%&*#(%%@(*@*!!!”

– Beep! Beep! Beep!

Despite the loud, deafening noise, Kang Woojin walked through the chaotic market without much reaction. Eventually, he reached a drink stall in the middle of the market and sat down at one of the tables outside. After ordering a coffee in casual English from the approaching owner, Woojin threw away his finished cigarette.

“Tsk, should’ve bought more on the way.”

He put his last cigarette into his mouth again. But this time, the lighter was the problem. All it made was a clicking sound without producing a flame. Woojin clicked his tongue in annoyance and shook the lighter.

-Swish.

Suddenly, a hand reached toward Woojin’s right ear. Instinctively, Kang Woojin grabbed the hand, ready to twist it, but then a calm voice stopped him. It was a woman’s voice, speaking in English.

“J, calm down.”

The tone and voice were not unfamiliar. Woojin paused and turned his head. A foreign woman, wearing a tight-fitting gray tank top and sunglasses, was standing there. Her blonde hair was tied up in a bun. She pointed her chin at the hand that Woojin was gripping.

“You need a light, right?”

In the woman’s hand was a square, silver lighter. Woojin smirked, took the lighter, and lit the cigarette in his mouth. Then, he slipped the lighter into his pocket and said.

“Alright, now get lost.”

The blonde woman shrugged.

“I’ll go when you give me back the lighter.”

“This is mine, isn’t it? I just left it with you.”

Taking off her sunglasses, the woman sat in the chair across from Woojin and crossed her legs.

“You hid yourself too well. It took me a while to find you.”

She was a former colleague of ‘Jang Yeon-woo’, or rather, Kang Woojin.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“L, how did you find me?”

“Finding people is my specialty. My main task was desk work, remember? Of course, finding someone like you, J, wasn’t easy.”

Woojin, exhaling a puff of cigarette smoke, leaned back in his chair and responded.

“Cut the nonsense. Why are you looking for me?”

“J, you’ve had enough fun, haven’t you? Come join my team. After you disappeared, I formed my own team.”

“What kind of team?”

“We do whatever. If we get a job and the money’s wired, we do anything.”

“How many people in the team?”

“Come and see for yourself.”

“No thanks, I want to play a bit more.”

The blonde woman kicked Woojin’s foot as he yawned.

“I don’t need trash like you. I just need your skills. It’s a waste for you to rot away in a place like this. Become a mercenary.”

“My skills probably turned to trash too.”

“Fine, then.”

The woman paused for a moment, put her sunglasses back on, and stood up from the chair.

“How about trying just one job here in Bangkok before you decide?”

“What is it?”

“It’s rescuing a girl, easy, right?”

“A girl?”

“Yeah.”

The blonde woman, known as L, pulled out a new pack of cigarettes and handed it to Woojin with a sly smile.

“She’s the daughter of a drug kingpin here. She’s been kidnapped.”

And so.

Kang Woojin, who had been living as ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ for what felt like an eternity, was suddenly back in the airplane high above the sky. In other words, he had returned to reality. Although he had lived as ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ for years, only a few seconds had passed in the real world. Moreover, in the previous world, there had been countless explosions and gunfire going off.

“……”

But inside the airplane, it was dead silent. Peaceful, to say the least. Most of the passengers were fast asleep. Right next to him, Choi Sung-gun, Writer Choi Na-na, and the others were all dozing off. The only person still awake was PD Song Man-woo, who was quietly reading the script, his chin covered in stubble. Woojin, who had quickly shed the scent of ‘Jang Yeon-woo’, laughed inwardly a bit incredulously.

‘This drastic change in atmosphere is something I’ll never get used to.’

The world of the imprinted role and Kang Woojin’s world coexisted yet were completely different. It was something he experienced every time, but when the contrast was this stark, it was only natural to feel a bit dumbfounded.

Anyway.

-Swish.

Kang Woojin lowered his gaze to the script for Episode 1 of Beneficial Evil in his hands. It wasn’t to enter the Void Space again.

-Flap.

It was to read the script. No, to analyze it. This had become Woojin’s routine since acquiring abilities like ‘Role Synthesis’ and ‘Freedom of the Role’. To make things clearer, to make it more explosive, and more vivid than expected. By now, Kang Woojin’s attitude as an actor was becoming firmly established, and…

‘Would Jang Yeon-woo really be like this? He’d probably just charge in without a second thought.’

Not just the Jang Yeon-woo in the script, but also the Jang Yeon-woo who would come alive in reality was becoming clearer.

After several hours had passed like this.

At some point, the plane Woojin was on was descending toward Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. Woojin had finished analyzing the script and had rested in the Void Space. Now, he threw a glance outside the window, fully back in his concept mode.

Bangkok was starting to come into view. But it wasn’t as fascinating as he had thought. Something similar came to mind.

‘It kind of looks like Da Nang.’

He was referring to Da Nang in Vietnam. There were some differences, though. Da Nang, where they had gone for the overseas shoot of Island of the Missing, had more of a resort vibe, while this trip to Bangkok had a stronger urban feel. Still, the most obvious similarity was:

‘It’s already hot, damn it.’

That it was going to be scorching hot. Just as Kang Woojin was inwardly grumbling complaints hidden behind his concept act while looking out the window, the seats around him were becoming quite noisy. Familiar figures. Key staff including PD Song Man-woo, Executive Director Kim So-hyang, Writer Choi Na-na, the stunt team including Ethan Smith, and many others from the core staff.

The reason was simple.

“It’s going to be crowded! Just like we briefed earlier, move in order!! Head to immigration as planned!”

“Okay!!”

“And as soon as each team gets off, make sure to check your luggage and equipment thoroughly!”

“Whew-It’s starting now!”

Most of the people on this plane, including Kang Woojin, were part of the Beneficial Evil production crew. Naturally, they were here for an overseas shoot. The plan for today, the 19th, was to handle preliminary checks and adapt to the environment. The official shoot would begin tomorrow, the 20th.

So everyone was both excited and a bit on edge.

After the plane landed safely, the nearly hundred-member Beneficial Evil crew started moving en masse. There weren’t many actors. There was Lim Hae-eun, with her cute yet gloomy appearance, and a few supporting actors.

Of course, the main focus was:

“Woojin-ssi!! Over here!! Move with the guards!”

Kang Woojin. He was flanked by Choi Sung-gun and his team, surrounded by more than twice as many guards. The procession of the Beneficial Evil team heading toward the immigration area easily attracted the attention of the crowds. It was a massive group, after all.

They did divide themselves up to move, though.

The actors’ team, the staff team for the actors, and the Beneficial Evil production crew. If they all moved together at once, it would’ve been too chaotic, increasing the risk of accidents. The Beneficial Evil team gradually walked toward the immigration area of Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Kang Woojin moved with the flow of the procession. His stiff expression remained unchanged.

But.

‘Why do I feel… strangely nervous? Is it because the shoot is about to start??’

Inside, Kang Woojin’s heartbeat was gradually intensifying. The more it did, the colder and more composed he made himself appear. Meanwhile, the actors around him, that is, the supporting and minor role actors who had been selected for this overseas location shooting, whispered while looking around at Kang Woojin and their surroundings.

“Aren’t there- too many guards?”

“That’s what I’m saying. We’re really drawing a lot of attention.”

“It must be because of Kang Woojin-nim.”

“In Japan, it’s obvious Woojin-nim is a big deal… but does he have the same impact in Thailand? I haven’t heard anything.”

“Who knows. But it’s definitely not because of us, so it has to be for Woojin-nim. Maybe it’s just precautionary?”

“Probably for preventive reasons. But still, there are a lot of guards. It’s a bit much.”

For them, it was treatment they had never experienced before.

“Still… doesn’t it kind of give you a bit of a boost? When would we ever get to experience something like this if not for Woojin-nim?”

“True. I’ve been taking tons of pictures myself.”

“Whether it’s precaution or not, it feels amazing. Seriously, it’s like we’re living in a completely different world.”

“When will we ever see something like this for ourselves?”

“Kang Woojin-nim did it in just two years, so… it’s not impossible for us, right? No, actually, it probably is.”

“Well, at least we’re getting to witness something cool.”

Before long-

-Srrrk.

The actor group, with Kang Woojin at the center and the guards leading the way, entered the immigration area of Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

At the same time, a blinding burst of camera flashes exploded.

-Pababababak!

-Pababababababak!!

The eyes of the actors, except for Kang Woojin, widened in shock.

“What??!!”

“Whoa!”

“Wow… this is crazy!!”

“Wh-what is this?!”

“G-geez!!”

The reason was simple.

A massive crowd had gathered in front of the immigration area.

“%&)*%#**%&*)%*)Kang Woojin!!”

“@$*&$(*%*(Kang Woojin!! Kang Woojin!!”

Hundreds of people, including Thai reporters, were all shouting Kang Woojin’s name. The deafening decibel level was almost ear-splitting. Though it was hard to make out anything due to the loud screams, the name “Kang Woojin” was crystal clear.

“Kyahhh!! Kang Woojin!”

“Woojin!! @()@$*)$(@!!”

It was quite unexpected. Kang Woojin’s face, upon witnessing this, was…

“……”

Remarkably calm.

‘Crazy??!’

Of course, only on the outside.

****