Chapter 374: Overwhelm (3)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Kang Woojin emerged from the arrival gate. As he exited the airport lobby, dozens of foreigners began to swarm toward him. It was a sudden situation. When Woojin first appeared, it had been quiet.

“Hello! You’re that Korean actor, right? I saw you in an article!”

“That’s right! The actor from Miley Cara’s music video!”

“I really enjoyed your piano performance!”

"Who is he? Who?"

"He's that Korean actor who's been in the news a lot lately!"

“Huh? Really?”

“Autograph! Please, can I have your autograph?”

It wasn’t quite a chaotic mob, but the number was enough to draw attention in this crowded LA airport. Dozens of foreigners shoved their phones toward Woojin. As a result, the burly guards’ hands became busy.

“Excuse us, please make way.”

The strange flow quickly spread through the airport lobby, and foreigners, whether they knew Kang Woojin or not, kept joining in real-time out of curiosity. Though Woojin maintained his cynical expression and remained calm.

‘What, what is this??! Suddenly, what's all this!'

Inside, he was slightly surprised. One or two people would have been understandable, but the sudden crowd of onlookers was unexpected.

Still, it wasn’t exactly an unexpected scene. Miley Cara’s new album, which Kang Woojin had participated in, was an enormous hit, and the title track’s music video had already easily surpassed hundreds of millions of views. On top of that, his acceptance speech at the Cannes Film Festival, Miley Cara, and 'Beneficial Evil' articles had spread quite extensively throughout Hollywood. While he wasn’t quite a famous actor, he had become somewhat of a trending figure.

On top of that, there might even be fans of 'Kang Woojin’s alter ego'.

Anyway.

“To the car, quickly!”

At Choi Sung-gun’s shout, Kang Woojin and his team barely managed to climb into the waiting van. Even with the car door closed, the foreigners crowded in the airport lobby were busy snapping pictures of Woojin. Woojin watched this with curiosity. Of course, while his expression didn't change, internally he was amazed.

‘They ran up so suddenly- wow, damn, that was a surprise.’

The vans departed immediately. Although it was brief, the somewhat noisy commotion had left Choi Sung-gun, sitting to Woojin’s right, exhaling a small sigh of relief.

“Whew- I felt something coming from the start. It was quiet, then they suddenly swarmed in, so I was surprised. Woojin, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Whew, but still, if this is the response from just a few buzz-worthy moments...... If you make a proper Hollywood debut, it’ll be quite something to see, huh?”

Woojin's staff members made a fuss in agreement. Woojin had been surprised inwardly, so how could they not be? Although LA was a place they had frequented since ‘Our Dining Table’, this was the first time such a thing had happened, so the excitement was palpable. The atmosphere only began to settle down after about ten minutes.

Now, the vans carrying Woojin were driving on a road slightly outside the city.

-Vroooom!

Gradually, the dense buildings, cars on the road, and even the pedestrians walking along the sidewalk began to thin out. The view outside the window exuded a peaceful atmosphere.

Before long.

-Screech!

The moving vans came to a stop one after another on the roadside. Soon, Choi Sung-gun stepped out of the first vehicle, followed by the staff, and lastly Kang Woojin. A few foreigners jogging nearby glanced at Woojin’s group. Regardless, Kang Woojin with his stern face.

“......”

Was staring straight ahead. What he was looking at was a two-story house with a spacious yard and parking lot, and even a swimming pool at the back, showing off its imposing appearance. Just at a glance, it was clear the scale was no joke. Woojin silently looked at the grand house. Inside, his thoughts weren’t much different from his exterior.

'......Crazy. It really exists.’

After about ten seconds or so?

“Alright, Woojin.”

Choi Sung-gun, who had been talking with the staff, placed a hand on Woojin’s shoulder.

“You’ve got to check out your house, right? You need to get familiar with it, don’t you?”

The grand house was Kang Woojin’s LA home.

Meanwhile, back in Korea.

Unlike LA's early morning, it was past midnight in Korea. Despite the late hour, news of Kang Woojin’s arrival in LA spread quickly through domestic media.

『Kang Woojin, who left the country in secrecy, arrived in LA early morning local time!』

『‘Kang Woojin’ arrives at LA International Airport early morning, surrounded by foreigners with a troubled expression / Photos』

The unexpected crowd of foreign onlookers was an added bonus. Most articles used photos uploaded on social media, but it was enough to inform the domestic public of Kang Woojin’s presence in LA.

Meanwhile, at a massive set complex in Yeoncheon, the lights were bright.

It was the 'Beneficial Evil' team. As the shoot approached its final stages, PD Song Man-woo and the hundred or so staff members were showing near-manic levels of determination.

“Next set!! Move immediately to the next set!!”

“Hurry up with the cleanup!”

“PD-nim!! Please check this set over here!”

“Alright! I’m coming!”

The 'Beneficial Evil' set was growing increasingly heated as time went by.

“Cut!!! OK!! Prepare for the next scene immediately!”

“Got it!! Standby in 10 minutes!”

Not only PD Song Man-woo, who was in charge, but all the staff moved in perfect sync. What about the actors? Even their expressions showed a certain fierceness. It wasn’t nervousness, it was resolve.

“Just a bit more! We’re almost there!!”

“Let’s push a little harder!!”

“Five minutes to standby!!”

Though it was dawn, the actors’ performances and PD Song Man-woo’s OK and cut signals were repeated over and over. Normally, they would have wrapped up filming long ago to prepare for tomorrow, but the 'Beneficial Evil' team clearly had no intention of stopping.

Time melted away.

One hour, two hours.

It was exactly around 2 a.m.

Half of the hundred or so staff members were watching the set, while the other half stared at the back of PD Song Man-woo’s head. PD Song Man-woo, without any movement.

“......”

Quietly stared at the monitor. His face was practically halfway buried in it. Underneath the boom mic hanging in the air, many actors in full costumes and makeup stood in place. Around them were the installed lights and cameras. One of the cameras slowly began to move.

-Swoosh.

From the front to the side. Brief lines of dialogue were exchanged among the actors. Cut. Then, Action again. The same scene, but with different angles and framing.

The actors repeated the same lines again. Because the set was so quiet, their voices rang out clear as day, reaching not only PD Song Man-woo but also all of the hundred or so staff members.

About 30 seconds later?

“......Hoo.”

PD Song Man-woo let out a small sigh and turned his gaze away from the monitor. After looking at the actors on the set, he raised his head and stared at the ceiling. He closed his eyes for a moment, and an image flashed through his mind, someone who wasn’t at the set now but whose influence still lingered. It was the monstrous actor, Kang Woojin.

PD Song Man-woo slowly returned his gaze.

-Swish.

He stood up slowly and shouted into the megaphone.

“Cut!! OOOK!!”

And then.

“Everyone, great work! It’s not over yet, but you did well! Please keep up the effort for Part 2!”

With the megaphone lowered, PD Song Man-woo began clapping.

-Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

The actors on set bowed to PD Song Man-woo.

“Thank you for your hard work, PD-nim!”

“Good work, everyone!!”

As if they had been waiting, the hundred or so staff members swarmed the set.

“Waaahhhhh!”

It was the moment 'Beneficial Evil' Part 1 wrapped filming.

December 6th, LA. Late morning.

In a large agency in LA. In a mid-sized meeting room inside a towering building entirely occupied by the agency, a familiar female face could be seen. With her long blonde hair tied back and dressed modestly in a black zip-up hoodie, it was Miley Cara. She was looking down at her phone with her characteristic cold expression.

“......”

On either side of Cara sat her main manager, Jonathan, and about four agency staff members. All of them were either looking at tablets or organizing transparent files, as if waiting for someone.

At that moment.

“Hm-”

Miley Cara, who had been sitting with her legs crossed, lowered her phone and murmured.

“Do you think Kang Woojin liked the house?”

The response came quickly from Jonathan, the burly man with a buzz cut sitting right next to her.

"Didn't you receive his call?"

“I did, but his voice didn’t sound all that enthusiastic.”

“That’s just Kang Woojin’s character. He probably liked it. After all, the entire house was managed before he arrived.”

"Maybe we should have put in more than just basic furniture?"

"That's something Kang Woojin's side can handle themselves."

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Cara, who let out a faint sigh as if disappointed.

“Either way, you’ll see him tomorrow at the YouTube shoot and the talk show filming, so you can ask him then.”

“Yeah, I was planning on that.”

It was then.

-Slide.

The glass door of the mid-sized meeting room opened, and several foreigners entered. Their appearances and ages ranged from their 30s to 50s, and there were five of them in total. As they appeared, Miley Cara and her entire team stood up and extended their hands.

A brief exchange of handshakes and greetings followed.

It took about ten minutes for everyone to settle into their seats. Opposite Cara, who sat in the center, was a short but strikingly handsome foreign man. He smiled and broke the ice.

“Miley, this is our first meeting since last year, right?”

Cara replied in a businesslike tone.

“I believe so.”

“Haha, last time was a bit disappointing. I really wanted to work with you.”

“But we’re meeting again sooner than I expected. Did you take on a new project?”

“That’s right. This time it’s with 'World Disney Pictures'.”

At the words 'World Disney Pictures', Cara flinched slightly. It didn’t show, but her ears perked up. 'World Disney Pictures' was an entity that any Hollywood actor would instinctively focus on.

‘'World Disney Pictures'? They’re working on a project? I haven’t heard anything about it. Not even rumors.’

Meanwhile, the man opposite her remained relaxed.

“Thankfully, 'World Disney Pictures' entrusted me with this project, so I’ve been working on it in earnest recently.”

From the way he spoke, he gave off a strong producer vibe. After chatting briefly with the others around him, he placed a bundle of papers onto the table.

“I know you’re busy, so I’ll get straight to the point. The project I’m producing this time is a live-action film from 'World Disney Pictures'.”

“......Live-action. That means.”

“Yes, it’s one of 'World Disney Pictures’ most iconic animations, and the title is 'Beast and the Beauty'. Of course, it's still being kept strictly confidential."

Cara’s blue eyes wavered slightly as she sat opposite the male producer.

“'Beast and the Beauty'?”

“Yes.”

“You’re turning that... into a live-action film?”

"Yes, didn't you mention in a past interview that you liked 'Beast and the Beauty'?"

“......That’s true.”

“I’m sure many people around the world, not just you, love the animation 'Beast and the Beauty'. Because of that, I expect the news of this live-action adaptation to cause quite a stir.”

The male producer who had been speaking slid the stack of papers on the table towards Cara.

“Miley, I'm offering you the role of ‘Belle’, the Beauty in 'Beast and the Beauty'.”

“......”

“Of course, there will be screen tests regarding casting, but I want you to know that you’re the first person we’re offering the role of ‘Belle’ to.”

In short, the individuals sitting across from Cara were the 'Beast and the Beauty' team, and they had just offered Miley Cara with the lead female role.

Cara, who had been quietly looking down at the script in front of her, raised her head and calmly asked the male producer.

"Besides me, how many candidates are there for the lead female role?"

The male producer smiled faintly and replied.

“Four.”

Including Cara, that meant there were a total of 5 candidates. Among them, Cara was the first to receive the script. At this moment, the male producer leaned forward slightly and spoke to Miley Cara.

"However, I want you the most. Because you're almost identical to the Beauty 'Bella.'"

At that moment, a storm of thoughts was swirling in Cara’s mind.

Meanwhile, at the same time.

While Miley Cara was meeting with the 'World Disney Pictures' team, Kang Woojin had just arrived at a place not too far away. Inside the van, Kang Woojin was wearing a blazer, appearing quite formal.

'Wow......this is freaking huge??!'

Contrary to his inner thoughts, his outer appearance remained stoic as ever. The sheer scale of the film studio was enough to make anyone’s jaw drop. Just the entrance, which his vehicle had passed through moments ago, was overwhelming. It looked like the gateway to a massive castle. Alongside the iron gate, a towering building bore the studio’s name proudly in bold English letters.

- ‘Columbia Studios’

But the entrance was just the beginning. What stretched out before Woojin’s eyes was an expansive, breathtaking sight. A city? How to put it, the internal scale of 'Columbia Studios' was like they had built an entire city. It was certainly worthy of being called one of Hollywood's 'Big Five' film studios.

Kang Woojin took his first steps into ‘Columbia Studios’.

‘Holy shit, this place is ridiculously huge! And they call this a film studio? This is a damn city. How can this possibly be a studio??’

Of course, this was all for 'Pierrot'.