Chapter 396: Full Bloom (2)

Translator: Dreamscribe

“Pierrots’ ‘Joker’ is mine?” With his phone pressed to his ear, Kang Woojin thought for a brief moment, ‘What is he talking about?’

Then it hit him.

‘Ah.’

He understood the meaning behind Director Ahn Ga-bok's words on the other end of the phone. By saying “Pierrots’ Joker” he was implying that Henry Gordon's role belonged to Woojin.

In other words.

‘Mine? So, I landed the role of ‘Henry Gordon’?'

It meant he had passed the audition and screen test. Otherwise, there was no reason for Director Ahn Ga-bok to call him out of the blue early in the morning. Unless it was some kind of prank. But the ever-serious Ahn Ga-bok was not the type to joke around.

At that moment, Kang Woojin thought.

'Fuck! I passed!!'

Silently cheering inside, he raised one hand high in the air. Normally, it should have been a full victory pose, but his other hand was holding the phone, making it difficult. Still, Woojin started doing a silent celebratory dance. He even jumped up and down noiselessly. The news of landing the role of 'Joker' had him overwhelmed with excitement. That excitement felt like it was about to escalate into outright euphoria.

At this moment.

“Hm?”

Perhaps noticing the lack of a response, Director Ahn Ga-bok spoke again through the phone.

“I said, ‘Pierrot’s’ ‘Joker’ is yours. Did you hear me?”

Woojin, barely stopping himself from going wild, forcibly poured cold water over his heated emotions. He wanted to lose himself in excitement, but now was the time to maintain his poker face. Soon, with a grin that reached his ears, Kang Woojin deliberately lowered his voice.

“Yes, Director-nim. I heard you.”

"...You understand what this means, right?"

Of course, old man. Kang Woojin’s smile deepened.

“You mean I passed the final audition for ‘Pierrot’s’ ‘Henry Gordon,’ correct?”

“That’s right. It’s yours. Actually, you’re the only one who could do it. You practically brought ‘Henry Gordon’ to life on set.”

“......”

“But are you not happy? You’re so calm that I’m taken aback.”

“I’m happy.”

“For someone who’s happy, you’re awfully quiet. I know your personality, Woojin, but I thought you’d at least raise the decibel level this time.”

Kang Woojin decided to amplify his stoicism.

“I was waiting for this. Though, I must admit, the call came a bit earlier than I expected.”

“Haha. Waiting for it? So, you were certain you’d land the role of ‘Henry Gordon'. Well, you had good reason to think so. Your portrayal of ‘Henry Gordon’ left such a strong impression on everyone here. It’s unforgettable.”

With a soft chuckle, Director Ahn Ga-bok continued.

“They said it’s unprecedented.”

“What is?”

“The casting. Even for a lead role with top-tier Hollywood actors as candidates, it’s unheard of to make a decision like this in just a few days. ‘It’s never happened before.’ That’s what the executives at ‘Columbia Studios’ are saying.”

To be fair, it was quite fast. It had only been a week since the audition, after all. Kang Woojin had assumed it would take at least two weeks. But whether it was fast or slow didn’t matter. What mattered was that he had secured the role. Smirking, Woojin responded casually.

“Is that so?”

“Mm.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, letting out a small hum, shifted the topic.

“Sometime today, the folks at ‘Columbia Studios’ will contact CEO Choi. However, I wanted to be the one to inform you of your acceptance first.”

“Thank you, Director-nim.”

“And.”

After pausing for a moment, Director Ahn Ga-bok exhaled softly and lowered his voice.

“The fact that you’re the lead in ‘Pierrot’ will shock the world, not just Korea. But that’s not all. There’s something even bigger. I can’t reveal it now, but you’ll find out soon.”

Woojin, having no way of knowing that this referred to ‘Columbia Studios’ staking everything on their 'Cinematic Universe' project, tilted his head slightly in confusion but nodded nonetheless.

“Yes.”

“With you and me, Kang Woojin, we’ve created a historic moment. The first Koreans to properly shake up Hollywood. I’m overflowing with anticipation, from the filming of ‘Pierrot’ to that even bigger thing.”

It was no surprise that excitement was running high. After all, a Korean director and actor had been entrusted with igniting the spark for Columbia Studios’ Cinematic Universe project. Wrapping things up, Director Ahn Ga-bok concluded.

"We'll see each other soon. As director and actor."

“Understood, Director-nim.”

-Click.

The moment the call ended, Woojin tossed his phone onto the bed and shouted.

“Phew- this is insane!”

He started dancing again, shoulders and hips swaying with enthusiasm. His face was full of a genuine smile. How could it not be? Woojin had landed many roles before, but this was Hollywood, a new challenge, and the thrill was several times greater.

For several minutes, Kang Woojin was caught up in his excitement, but then,

- Knock, knock.

A short knock on the door snapped him out of it. Woojin flinched and immediately shifted back into his poker face mode. When he opened the door, he saw Choi Sung-gun, dressed casually with his hair tied in a ponytail, waving his hand.

“Were you asleep?”

“No.”

Entering Woojin’s room, Choi Sung-gun waved his phone.

“I sent you some killer news on KakaoTalk, but you weren’t checking, so I came.”

KakaoTalk? Oh- right. Woojin did have a bunch of unread messages. He had forgotten because of Ahn Ga-bok’s call. Woojin quickly picked up the phone lying on his bed. Among the pile of messages, he checked Choi Sung-gun’s first.

- CEO-nim: Check this when you wake up. Love ya.

- CEO-nim: (link)

When Woojin looked up at him, Choi Sung-gun gestured for him to hurry up and check it. Woojin tapped the link, and soon, his phone screen displayed a list of movie titles and long numbers.

[South Korea All-Time Box Office]

[All-time Movie Rankings (Combined)]

- 1. Leech / Total Audience: 20,483,558

- 2. Island of the Missing / Total Audience: 20,321,451

- 3. The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger / Total Audience: 16,833,712

- 4. Sea Battle / Total Audience: 16,715,955

- 5. Unstoppable Force / Total Audience: 15,557,118

.

.

.

Woojin’s arms nearly shot up again as he read it. This, too, was an exhilarating sight. The top three all-time Korean box office films, 'Leech', 'Island of the Missing', and 'The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger', were all dominated by Woojin. As he processed this achievement, Choi Sung-gun gripped Woojin’s shoulder firmly and exclaimed.

“Isn’t it insane? I danced for a few minutes when I saw that too.”

“...Yes, it’s exciting.”

“Hahaha, come on, you can celebrate a bit more. What other actor could create this kind of history? Korea is in an uproar right now. You’ve taken over the top three spots in the all-time box office rankings. Japan is just as crazy.”

“What about 'Leech' in Japan?”

“Huh? Oh- yeah, that broke records too. Over 17 million tickets sold. It’s the first Korean film to do that.”

How many “firsts” were there today? Kang Woojin struggled to contain his growing excitement. On the other hand, Choi Sung-gun saw no reason to hold back.

“With records like these, your name will go down in history, no doubt about it.”

“CEO-nim.”

At this point, Kang Woojin interrupted Choi Sung-gun’s monologue.

“I just got a call from Director Ahn Ga-bok. He told me I’ve been confirmed for the role of ‘Henry Gordon’ in 'Pierrot'.”

“Ahhh- really? Well, of course, it had to be you, wait. Hold on.”

Choi Sung-gun, who had initially brushed it off, suddenly changed his expression to something much more serious and asked again.

“What did you just say?”

“I’ve been confirmed for the role of ‘Henry Gordon’ in 'Pierrot'.”

“......”

For a moment, Choi Sung-gun stared at Woojin with a dazed expression, blinking rapidly.

“...Y-you got the role?”

“Yes.”

“And Director Ahn Ga-bok called you?”

“Yes.”

“So, you’re saying you’ve landed the role of ‘Henry Gordon’ in 'Pierrot'? You’re officially entering Hollywood? Is that right?”

“That’s correct.”

It took exactly five seconds. That’s how long it took for Choi Sung-gun, who had been frozen in shock, to let out a scream.

“Waaaah!!! This is insane!!!”

He staggered backward.

It took over 10 minutes for Choi Sung-gun, who had been shouting at the top of his lungs like his soul had left his body, to finally calm down. Thankfully, he managed to regain his composure, but his face was filled with something that surpassed joy.

“Well done, seriously, well done, Woojin. Damn, I’m getting emotional here.”

However, they couldn’t recklessly break this news to the public right away.

“Since Director Ahn Ga-bok personally called you, it seems like we still need to keep this under wraps, right?”

“Probably. He said ‘Columbia Studios’ would contact you soon.”

Exactly two hours later, 'Columbia Studios' reached out to Choi Sung-gun. The conversation was long, but to sum it up: Kang Woojin was confirmed for the role of 'Henry Gordon' in 'Pierrot', and they wanted to schedule the first meeting as soon as possible, likely in the first week of February. They also emphasized keeping the announcement a secret for now.

This first meeting referred to the negotiation table for signing the official contract.

There was now a lot to decide. The most important thing was Kang Woojin’s pay. There would also be discussions about future schedules and key deliverables. Of course, Woojin didn’t need to handle any of this personally.

“Leave it to me. Woojin, you’ve done your part brilliantly. From here on, it’s my turn.”

From this point forward, Choi Sung-gun had to take control of everything.

The next day.

With the addition of the 'Pierrot' project, the duration of Woojin’s stay in LA had increased. Meanwhile, another of the Big Five film companies sent something to Kang Woojin. This time, it was 'World Disney Pictures'. Though the date for the screen test hadn’t been finalized, materials related to it had arrived for Woojin to start practicing.

Various soundtracks and piano pieces related to the role of the 'Beast'.

Unlike 'Pierrot', which was focused primarily on acting, 'Beast and the Beauty' required acting, vocal, and piano skills. The acting component involved rehearsing a designated scene from the 'Beast and the Beauty' script.

Meanwhile, back in Korea, the country was bustling with numerous issues.

The main topic, of course, was Kang Woojin.

『Kang Woojin has done it! 'The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger' rises to 3rd place in Korea’s all-time box office rankings, claiming the top 3 spots entirely!』

『[Issue Talk] 'The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger' ranks 3rd in Korea’s all-time box office, while 'Leech' surpasses 17 million viewers in Japan.』

Though he was physically in LA, the impact he was having in Korea was as strong as if he were still there. In particular, the buzz surrounding 'Beneficial Evil', which was only days away from its official global release, was immense.

『Just ahead of its worldwide launch, 'Beneficial Evil' drops its third trailer... Overseas netizens flood the comments section with excitement.』

January came to an end, and February 1st dawned. On this day, the production press conference for 'Beneficial Evil' took place. Though Kang Woojin wasn’t one of the leads attending, it was still a major event that had to proceed. At the press conference, the hundred or so reporters bombarded the team with numerous questions. Topics included Kang Woojin, Miley Cara, the content of 'Beneficial Evil', whether they expected it to be a hit, when Part 2 would begin filming, and so on.

Unsurprisingly, over half of the questions revolved around Kang Woojin and Miley Cara.

『At the 'Beneficial Evil' press conference, PD Song Man-woo revealed, “Viewers will see a new side of Kang Woojin in this project, and Miley Cara has significant screen time.”』

Currently, 'Beneficial Evil' was generating explosive interest not just in Korea, but internationally as well. While Miley Cara’s presence played a role, it was primarily due to Kang Woojin, whose reputation had skyrocketed since Cannes with projects like 'Pierrot' and 'Beast and the Beauty', captivating global audiences. International curiosity about Woojin was enormous.

In Korea and Japan, expectations for 'Beneficial Evil' were at an all-time high.

- >｜IssueTalkerTV

Globally, however, there was a mix of intrigue and skepticism. Many were waiting to see just how impressive this “great actor” really was.

『International audiences react coldly to the trailer for 'Beneficial Evil': “It looks like an action film, but we’ll wait and see.”』

Regardless, the 'Beneficial Evil' team, including PD Song Man-woo and Executive Director Kim So-hyang, pushed the promotion and marketing efforts relentlessly. Whether it was in Korea or overseas, they went all out.

With the official launch day just around the corner.

『Just two days left until the highly anticipated 'Beneficial Evil' releases worldwide! Official release set for February 3, 12 PM KST!』

『'Beneficial Evil', available in 80 countries worldwide via Netflix starting February 3 at noon! / Photo』

Only two days remained.

Two days later, February 3rd. LA.

It was nearing noon in Korea, but in LA, the clock had passed 7 PM. In a quieter part of the bustling city of LA, where houses were sparsely scattered, one particular house was full of commotion.

It was Kang Woojin’s two-story house in LA.

The spacious living room on the first floor, still somewhat barren due to the lack of much furniture, was lively with activity.

Around the sofa in front of the large TV, at least 20 people had gathered. Among them were Choi Sung-gun, holding a beer, members of the stylist team, and employees from bw Entertainment’s overseas branch. They were all sitting or standing, staring at the large TV in front of them, beer, pizza, or chicken in hand.

The excitement in the room was at its peak.

All 20-plus people were talking nonstop, unable to contain their anticipation.

Amidst the chatter, a man sat on the sofa across from Choi Sung-gun, staring at the TV with an indifferent expression.

“......”

It was Kang Woojin.

‘Damn, why am I so nervous?’

At that moment.

“It’s live!!”

One of the staff members shouted and started operating the remote control. Soon, the Netflix main screen appeared on the TV. After a few more clicks, the poster of a familiar newly launched project came into view. And then.

-♬♪

The iconic Netflix logo appeared on the TV, accompanied by its famous sound effect, which echoed throughout the living room.

Shortly after, the TV screen went black, and a title appeared in the center.

- Beneficial Evil Part 1

- Episode 1

The EX-grade 'Beneficial Evil' had just been unleashed upon the world.