Chapter 186: United States (1)
Translator: Dreamscribe
A man checking the dashcam footage on his phone was wondering what exactly this was. He had replayed the same video more than three times and was still not tired of it. It was that novel of a scene.
Beyond novel, it was miraculous.
“Wow- this isn’t staged, right?”
Each time he checked, it had always been just cars passing by or people walking past. But suddenly, it contained action movie scenes, making his eyes widen. Then, the smart-looking man checked the beginning and end of the video he was watching.
-Swish.
“Wow, crazy.”
His eyes grew even wider. The reason was simple. Some crazy guy with a weapon attacking a woman, or being subdued and then arrested by the police, could be seen. Despite it being late, the man forgot about going home and focused on his phone screen.
‘No, if it was such a big incident, it would have been all over the internet by now, right?’
The man speculated that this incident must have been reported in the news.
Then.
“Uh? Wait a second.”
He focused on the woman in the video who was attacked. The victim. When she was a bit far away, her face was slightly ambiguous. However, as he watched the part where she was helped by other women and passed in front of the car, the man was certain.
“This is… Hwalin.”
The woman who was attacked was the very famous Hwalin from ‘Elani’. A celebrity? Wait, then? The man meticulously reviewed the videos again. Soon, he recognized the handsome man who subdued the assailant in an instant.
“Is, is this Kang Woojin?? This is Kang Woojin, right?”
He was someone who had no interest in male celebrities, but he couldn’t not know Kang Woojin’s face. He had recently watched ‘Drug Dealer’ with his wife, and Kang Woojin was such a hot topic.
Was that Kang Woojin subduing the assailant?
The man replaying the cut where the man in the video, presumed to be Kang Woojin, was subduing the assailant. Realizing the man in the video was the actor Kang Woojin made it all the more like a movie.
‘So cool, what the heck. So Kang Woo-jin saved Hwa-rin, is that it?’
This was definitely a big deal. There’s no way it hadn’t spread on the internet. Given the fame of Hwalin and Kang Woojin and the fantastic storytelling, it was bound to. The man closed the dashcam app and quickly accessed a search engine.
The search term was Hwalin.
Just as expected.
“Right, it’s out there.”
Searching for Hwalin brought up news articles about the incident captured by the dashcam exploding online.
『[Breaking News] Elani’s ‘Hwalin’, Attacked by a Strange Assailant』
It was chaos. Not just articles, but Youtube videos, forums, blogs, SNS, were all flooded. The comments section was overflowing too. It was indeed a shocking incident. The man spent a few minutes grasping the flow.
“The dashcam footage was from yesterday… So, when did this incident become known to the public, roughly a few hours ago?”
He felt odd. An incident captured on his car’s dashcam was shaking the world.
That was when.
“Hm? What’s this?”
As he was browsing through the articles, the man felt something off.
『Guards subdued it, fortunately… Hwalin attacked by an assailant with an awl』
No matter which article he read or Youtube videos he checked, the hero wasn’t mentioned.
“Where did Kang Woojin go?”
Kang Woojin was nowhere.
What? His name wasn’t in any of the numerous articles. He had to be there, and it was impossible for him not to be. Kang Woojin was the one who subdued the assailant, wasn’t he? Given the movie-like coolness, it should have been known. But the articles only had a vibe that the guards took care of it. Even the official statement released by Hwalin’s agency didn’t mention Kang Woojin.
Of course, everything spewed by the media was indeed factual.
But, somehow, it was as if the dashcam footage owned by the man had Kang Woojin erased from it. Moreover, nowhere in the articles was the CCTV footage seen. At best, there were only pictures that seemed to be snapshots from the video.
“……”
The fingers of the man touching his phone screen sped up. And then, he was certain.
‘My dashcam footage… is it a massive scoop?’
Realizing that he was the only one who possessed the complete footage of the incident, including the hidden existence of Kang Woojin, the man speculated that revealing this video could attract tremendous public interest. It was nearly an exclusive scoop, driven more by instinct than calculation.
In a moment, various thoughts flashed through the man’s head about how to handle the dashcam footage, now turned gold.
‘Youtube? News tip? Community?’
The next day, the 4th, late morning.
Despite the night and dawn passing, the incident of Hwalin’s attack by a strange assailant hadn’t died down.
『The issue of ‘sasaeng fans’ resurfaces with Hwalin’s recent attack incident』
It had worsened, in fact. Because the news broke last night, people checking in now were joining in droves, including the media and those related to the entertainment industry.
『[Issue Pick] JML Entertainment’s homepage, Hwalin’s fans demand, “Expose that stalker XX’s personal information!”』
The incident had grown several times larger than the previous night, skyrocketing public interest to the extreme. Naturally, the outrage remained.
And, of course, there was no mention of Kang Woojin whatsoever.
Everyone related to Hwalin was on high alert, including her agency and the various programs she was involved in. Among them, PD Yoon Byung-seon and the ‘Our Dining Table’ team were particularly shocked.
『Will Hwalin, who ran into trouble before departing for the U.S., leave PD Yoon’s ‘Our Dining Table’?』
It was inevitable. The variety show ‘Our Dining Table’, which Hwalin was a part of, was scheduled to depart for the U.S. on the 6th. However, given the current circumstances, it was uncertain whether Hwalin could participate even in the first round of filming due to the psychological shock. Filming a variety show wouldn’t be easy.
As a result,
“Has there been any contact from Hwalin’s side or her agency?”
“No, PD. Shouldn’t we adjust the schedule to exclude Hwalin for now?”
“That seems best.”
PD Yoon Byung-seon, along with the ‘Our Dining Table’ team, was on alert. They had expressed their concerns to Hwalin after hearing about last night’s incident, but reality is reality, and ‘Our Dining Table’ couldn’t just stop without Hwalin.
“For now- contact the other cast members. And let’s think about Hwalin joining during the first filming or, if that’s too difficult, skipping this time and joining from the second filming next year.”
“Understood, PD!”
At that moment,
-Woong, woowoong.
A call that PD Yoon Byung-seon had been anxiously waiting for appeared on his phone. It was Hwalin. Soon, Hwalin’s calm voice was heard as he quickly answered the call.
“PD, I’m sorry for contacting you late.”
“Oh? No, no, no, not at all! But are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief, really.”
“And there will be no problem with the departure on the 6th.”
“You don’t have to push yourself.”
“No, it’s not a hassle.”
Hwalin was a professional. Despite the massive incident, she seemed intent on not missing the first shooting of ‘Our Dining Table’.
“I’ll see you on the 6th, PD.”
Hwalin was currently at home.
Precisely, in front of the sofa in the living room.
Dressed in white pajamas with a bare face, her beauty and the mole under her eye still managed to draw attention despite the lack of makeup. After finishing the call with PD Yoon Byung-seon, Hwalin slowly put down her phone. Her expression was slightly melancholic, a reaction that wouldn’t be unusual under the circumstances.
She then turned her gaze to the laptop placed on the table right in front of her.
-Click, click.
After a few mouse clicks, she was purchasing something while recuperating at home.
‘I haven’t bought perfume in a really long time.’
It was perfume. What else could it be? Amidst the chaos of being attacked by a stranger, it was the perfume that Kang Woojin had silently recommended. Whether it was due to the Kang Woojin effect or not, Hwalin found some solace in that fragrance.
‘I’ll buy two, no, three bottles.’
Hwalin, having purchased three bottles of perfume, moved her mouse to check the articles about herself that were exploding online. Then, she let out a small sigh.
“……Woojin-nim, people should have seen your awesomeness.”
Even in these circumstances, she was indulging in her fandom. But what could she do? If Woojin didn’t want it to be known.
Then.
-Woong.
-Woong.
Hwalin’s phone, placed next to her laptop, vibrated briefly, not just once but multiple times. In fact, it hadn’t stopped since yesterday. Calls of concern from fellow celebrities had been pouring in. She had talked to her close friend Hong Hye-yeon yesterday. Calls were still coming in, but Hwalin didn’t answer them.
She felt powerless.
However, she did convey news to several people via the chat on her laptop.
Again, the phone vibrated.
-Woowoong, woowoong.
This time, it was a long vibration. It was a call. But Hwalin, with no intention of answering, only checked the caller ID on her phone’s screen. Interestingly,
“Ah!”
The energy suddenly returned to her eyes, which had been drained of strength. Naturally, she picked up the phone.
“Ahem! Ah!”
She cleared her throat for the caller, indicating it was someone special. It was a call from her favorite, Kang Woojin. Hwalin then put the phone to her ear.
“……Hello?”
Woojin’s voice from the other side was as deep as ever.
“Hello, Hwalin-ssi.”
“Ah? Ah, hello.”
“Did you buy the perfume?”
“What?”
“The perfume.”
For some reason, Hwalin chuckled.
“……I just bought it. Three of them.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Good, then.”
As Woojin seemed about to hang up, Hwalin quickly threw in another remark.
“I’m fine, Woojin-ssi.”
“……”
“It’s that you called to ask, not about the perfume, right?”
“Glad to hear, have your meal.”
“Yes, thank you.”
-Click.
After ending the short call, Hwalin laid her head back against the sofa. Naturally, she saw the ceiling and exhaled sharply.
“Ha-”
In a moment, Hwalin recalled the scene of the assault by the stranger. It was as vivid as the incident a few minutes ago. What was peculiar was that Hwalin focused not on the horror of the assailant but on herself, who had seen only Kang Woojin amidst the exploding fear.
“He was really so cool.”
A strange emotion spread.
“If Woojin-nim keeps doing this……I might become more than just a fangirl.”
In the afternoon of the 5th, at Writer Choi Nana’s studio.
Around the central living room table, roughly six people were seated. Writer Choi Nana with round glasses, her assistant writers, PD Song Man-woo looking at a stack of papers, a production manager, and staff from DM Production, and a newly arrived casting director.
They were all part of the ‘Beneficial Evil’ team.
The atmosphere was neither too high nor too low. They were in the midst of discussing the script for episode 3, nearing the end. PD Song Man-woo closed the script he was reading, and Writer Choi Nana, swallowing nervously, asked hesitantly.
“How, how do you find it, PD?”
PD Song Man-woo smiled.
“It’s interesting. Especially the pace has really picked up, which I like.”
“Really?”
Writer Choi Nana’s face lit up immediately. Then, the production manager chimed in.
“Definitely- PD’s decision was a stroke of genius. Reducing from 16 episodes to 12.”
Indeed. There had been a change in the planning of ‘Beneficial Evil’. Originally set for 16 episodes, it was cut down to 12 to tighten the narrative tension and speed up the pacing, also with a second season in mind.
Anyway.
“Let’s take a break. Writer, you have something to drink in the fridge, right?”
PD Song Man-woo headed towards the fridge, and Choi Nana quickly followed.
“Yes, yes! I have! I bought mango juice since you like it.”
“Was it Park writer who told you?”
“Right.”
“I’m sick of it, Park writer kept giving that all through Hanryang.”
“Then there’s cola.”
“Zero? I find it quite bland.”
In the midst of casual conversation, the production manager, who was looking at his phone, brought up a different topic.
“The incident with Hwalin is getting bigger.”
The casting director chimed in.
“It’ll probably last at least a week. Sasaeng fans are common for female celebrities, but it’s rare for someone to attack with a weapon like that.”
“It was an awl, right?”
“Reading the articles, I was like, what kind of crazy person does this? Hwalin was really close to a big disaster. If she had gotten hurt…ugh, if I were Hwalin, I would have retired.”
“It was lucky there were guards around.”
PD Song Man-woo, holding a cola, rejoined the conversation.
“Despite such an incident, Hwalin is continuing her schedule. She’s a pro, a real pro. The newcomers could learn a lot from her.”
“Oh, ‘Our Dining Table’, right? She’s leaving for the US tomorrow. She’s been active from a young age, right- Hwalin is really something.”
As the conversation shifted to ‘Our Dining Table’s trip to the US, the casting director quickly changed the subject.
“PD-nim, isn’t Woojin also leaving for the US tomorrow?”
“……Right.”
“You haven’t received a definite response for our project yet, have you?”
“Hmm.”
“I think the shooting for ‘Our Dining Table’ in the US is supposed to last more than a week. Woojin might be taking his time deciding…but it’s unlikely he hasn’t read the script yet.”
His words quickly dampened the mood. Writer Choi Na-na’s expression darkened with gloom, and PD Song Man-woo appeared to be deep in thought, scratching his head. In the meantime, the realistic casting director spoke up again.
“I think we should move forward with Plan B, which excludes Woojin, instead of the best-case Plan A. After sending out the scripts, we need to give actors time to read them. Dragging this on isn’t going to help, as we need to finalize the cast to proceed with the pre-production at a good pace.”
It wasn’t wrong. Gradually, as the overall head, PD Song Man-woo needed to make a decision. Hesitation could slow down production, and the combativeness of the already assembled key staff or Choi Na-na could wane.
At this point, the production manager, making a regretful face, reopened the script for episode 3.
“Sigh- Maybe Woojin was burdened by the ‘martial arts’ part?”
“Well, it’s either the content or the action. Since the script turned out well, it’s probably the martial arts aspect he was hesitant about.”
“The action scenes get more intense and rougher as it goes on, so he might have been considering his image.”
“That might include what the martial arts director said. Considering Woojin’s packed schedule, it might have been tough for him to manage martial arts practice on top of that. It could also be a decision made by his team, not Woojin himself. What do you think, PD-nim?”
“Woojin doesn’t seem like the type to shy away from challenges or find things difficult.”
At that moment, anxiety washed over PD Song Man-woo.
‘He definitely said he found it interesting…’
But that was just after briefly looking at the first episode’s script. Could it have been the totem activating? Or perhaps after reading the rest of the scripts, he felt it wasn’t right. The expression of PD Song Man-woo, who almost religiously revered Kang Woojin, darkened.
“……Sigh- Let’s proceed with Plan B for now, but I’ll contact Woojin myself tomorrow.”
That was when it happened.
-♬♪
The ringtone from PD Song Man-woo’s phone in his pocket went off. Without thinking, he took out his phone, and his pupils dilated.
Why?
“He’s calling.”
The caller ID showed it was Kang Woojin. Consequently, everyone’s mouth fell open, and PD Song Man-woo placed the phone in the center before answering the call on speakerphone.
“Ah, Woojin-ssi.”
Soon, Kang Woojin’s deep voice was heard by everyone.
“I’m sorry, PD-nim. My response was a bit delayed.”
“No, not at all. Did you read the entire script?”
“Yes.”
“Ha, that- There’s quite a bit of martial arts, right? If there’s anything you’re uncomfortable with, we could consider reducing it a bit.”
“No. That would take away from the essence of ‘Beneficial Evil.'”
“Well, that’s true but.”
“I don’t mind if there’s even more martial arts.”
Kang Woojin’s bursting confidence caused the production manager and casting director to furrow their brows. Was he serious? On the other hand, writer Choi Na-na’s breathing quickened. It was anticipation, and PD Song Man-woo, slightly surprised, asked Woojin over the phone.
“More martial arts is fine with you?”
“Yes. If it enhances the vision of ‘Beneficial Evil.'”
As expected, Kang Woojin’s response was unwavering.
“PD-nim, I’ll take the role of ‘Jang Yeon-woo’.”
