Chapter 189: United States (4)
Translator: Dreamscribe
Three months. Seo Hyun-mi, Kang Woojin’s mother, briefly reminisces about Woojin’s childhood. Then, she focuses again on the large TV mounted on the wall. Although Woojin’s image had disappeared from the news, Seo Hyun-mi still murmured softly, her eyes still lingering on the memory.
“…..Three months. Is that enough time to take down such a bad guy?”
Kang Woo-chul, who bore a similar face to Seo Hyun-mi, shook his head seriously.
“Do you think it’s possible?”
“But, just now on the news, they were saying something about Woojin fighting off some assailant or something like that.”
“I saw it too.”
Soon, Seo Hyun-mi’s eyes widened even more as she exclaimed.
“Could it be! Was Woojin a hapkido genius?!!”
It was an absurd conclusion, but Seo Hyun-mi’s brain was full of errors at the moment. However, her husband, Kang Woo-chul, corrected her.
“Does that make any sense? It’s strange to even bring up hapkido here.”
“Why, why??”
“Hyun-mi, Woojin took hapkido lessons decades ago. At most, he was 12-13 years old. Plus, do you not remember?”
“…Huh?”
“Was it on the parents’ observation day at Woojin’s hapkido studio? When Woojin was performing forms or something. While other kids had sharp moves, our Woojin was almost dancing. You said it looked like a dance.”
“Did, did I say that?”
“You did.”
With her husband’s reminder, the idea of hapkido was erased from Seo Hyun-mi’s mind as she recalled her son’s face again.
“Then… how did Woojin manage to take down that assailant?”
At that moment.
-Snap!
As if a lightbulb went off, Kang Woo-chul suddenly clapped his hands together and raised his voice.
“That’s it, that’s it! Actors practice martial arts for action scenes, right? I saw in a documentary that action movie actors learn martial arts, almost to the point of vomiting blood. Woojin must have learned martial arts before his projects.”
“Ah.”
“If he took down that assailant, he must have put in a bloody effort!”
It was a likely possibility. In the current situation, it was the most plausible explanation. Or rather, a misconception. Seo Hyun-mi was quick to agree.
“Oh, that’s right, that’s right!”
Suddenly, Seo Hyun-mi began to sob.
“Oh- how hard must he have practiced…”
Kang Woo-chul’s expression hardened.
“He’s using it in real life, so he must have dedicated months to it. But it’s okay, our son is strong.”
“Still… ah! Woojin is alright, isn’t he?”
“Yeah. We talked on the phone before he left for the U.S. If something had happened, they would have let us know right away. Either his agency or Woojin himself.”
Seo Hyun-mi, who had just calmed down, hesitated with her phone in hand.
“Ah, Woojin is in the U.S.”
She then complimented her son to Kang Woo-chul.
“But still, Woojin saved Hwalin? That girl. I’m proud, that’s our son indeed.”
“Hm. Our Woojin is going to be a hero.”
Dad, Kang Woo-chul, was also full of pride.
“He’s got guts, just like me, that guy.”
“Ha- guts?”
However, Seo Hyun-mi’s comment quickly cooled the mood.
“A guy who tiptoes around street cats out of fear talking about guts?”
Meanwhile.
Around 9 AM. In the meeting room of the newly established DM Production, there was frequent mention of Kang Woojin. In fact, they were projecting Woojin’s dashcam footage onto the front screen with a projector.
“…”
“…”
The dozen or so attendees were watching the footage, spellbound. Among them was PD Song Man-woo, indicating that this meeting was related to “Beneficial Evil.” The attendees were obviously key staff.
At that moment.
“Wow-”
Watching Kang Woojin swiftly subdue the assailant on the screen, PD Song Man-woo mumbled as if enchanted.
“What in the world…”
He mulled over the comments made by the martial arts staff during the first production meeting of “Beneficial Evil.” Then, he turned to his staff and asked.
“Is Woojin ssi weak in martial arts? Weak? A noob?”
“Ah, no- that’s… wow.”
Soft gasps and deep misunderstandings poured out among the key staff.
“Is that video real?? How can anyone be so calm when an assailant with a weapon charges at them? Woojin ssi has always been a bit… cold, but that’s like a professional.”
“Look at those hand movements. It’s like he was waiting to twist and trip them. It wasn’t by chance; he’s trained. And for years, at that.”
“Ah! Didn’t they say Woojin ssi studied abroad? Did he learn some kind of martial arts while he was in the U.S.??”
“Yeah! Maybe he picked it up while learning acting??”
Suddenly, recalling Kang Totem’s face, PD Song Man-woo’s eyes widened.
‘Right. It’s possible. With such an absurd level of self-taught acting, what’s stopping him from martial arts? I don’t know the details, but he must have started learning from the past. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.’
He chuckled, a smile mixed with misunderstanding.
‘Acting and that crazy instinct. And languages. But martial arts too?? He’s got it all. In terms of acting, he’s got everything. Locally. No, there wouldn’t be an actor globally to match Woojin ssi.’
There was only one thing lacking.
‘Time. It’s just a matter of time.’
Then, PD Song Man-woo called out to one of the key staff who had been captivated by Kang Woojin on the screen since earlier, sitting in the middle of the room.
“Director Park.”
He was a muscular martial arts director.
“What do you think of that video as a expert?”
Slowly shifting his gaze, he met eyes with PD Song Man-woo and answered simply, with shock in his pupils.
“Just from the video… he seems better than me?”
“That much?”
“If he said he was special forces, I’d nod without hesitation. Kind of like, real combat martial arts. Look at that, that. Do you see any tension in Woojin ssi’s expression?”
“No.”
“Even his movements, not a hint of hesitation or clumsiness, which you’d expect in a dangerous situation, but it’s just clean. An ordinary person couldn’t possess that posture. Usually, when attacking or being attacked, thoughts get complicated, slowing down actions.”
“Woojin ssi doesn’t have that?”
“Yeah. It feels neat, to the point. The guards standing around him in the first place can’t even use such techniques.”
The martial arts director, with confusion in his eyes, scratched his head as if finding it hard to comprehend.
“What exactly is this guy’s identity? Why can a first-year actor perform like that?”
“I have no idea, I’ve given up trying to understand.”
“Huh? What?”
PD Song Man-woo laughed lightly and changed the subject.
“So, Director Park, based on what you’ve seen, will there be any changes in the martial arts training period?”
“Of course. What I mentioned about three months was when I thought Woojin ssi was clueless about martial arts, but with that level of skill… Hmm, but I’d need to see more on the martial arts line test day to be sure.”
“I know. I’ll obviously watch too, but just give me a rough guess.”
“Just from that video.”
The martial arts director was almost certain.
“In a month, maybe even in a few weeks, he might be able to pull it off.”
This meant the production period would be significantly shortened.
United States, LA.
While it’s around 7 a.m. in Korea, it’s the afternoon of the 6th in LA. The location was near North Hollywood Park, north of the bustling Hollywood district. Around a two-story house, many Koreans were spotted.
It was the team from “Our Dining Table.”
Having arrived in LA early on the 6th, the “Our Dining Table” team finished filming the local scenery and food trucks, then moved straight to their accommodation. This two-story house was where the male cast members of “Our Dining Table” were staying. Accommodations for the female cast members and staff were also nearby.
Anyway, Kang Woojin could be found on the second floor of the male cast’s accommodation.
Currently, he was.
‘Wow- the vibe here is insane. No matter how many photos I take, there’s always something new.’
He was hanging by the room’s window, completely engrossed in the view around the accommodation. He looked fresh out of the shower, wearing a casual hoodie and comfortable pants. It was now his time to relax.
The room where Woojin was, was quite spacious.
The size of two Korean one-room apartments combined? It came with a bed, a sofa, various pieces of furniture, a TV, etc. The layout was similar to Korea’s, but the atmosphere screamed foreign. Regardless, Woojin was completely absorbed in the view outside the window, forgetting all about maintaining his persona.
‘Indeed, there are no apartment buildings visible in the United States. Or is it just this area? It’s all houses like these.’
Rows of houses that seemed to have been lined up with a ruler, American-style street lamps, a city view in the distance, and more. For Woojin, who was in the U.S. for the first time, everything was fascinating.
‘When I ordered chicken at some restaurant earlier, the size of the chicken was like a phoenix. I was honestly scared, but it was delicious.’
There were a few crises in maintaining his persona along the way. As a native Korean, it wasn’t easy to hide his astonishment. But somehow, he managed.
Soon.
-Swish.
Woojin stretched and moved around. He needed to organize the suitcases and bags around the bed and check his phone, which he hadn’t looked at due to the busy shooting schedule.
‘Should I check out the map of the area around the accommodation while I’m at it?’
Knowing roughly would reduce the crises of maintaining his persona. Just as Woojin was murmuring to himself and took out his phone from his bag.
“Woojin, are you sleeping??”
Choi Sung-gun’s voice came from outside the door. Thanks to him, Woojin put down his phone and quickly equipped his persona before opening the door.
“No, I’m fine.”
Huh? Why does the CEO look so odd? As if reading Woojin’s mind, Choi Sung-gun, with a serious expression and his hair tied back, showed him a phone.
“You were filming, so I couldn’t tell you, but a few hours ago, you were on the morning news in Korea. 8 AM on public broadcast.”
“……”
Woojin barely maintained his poker face internally screaming.
‘Whaaat??!’
Externally, he calmly asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Moreover, after that morning news, it’s been chaos in Korea. A dashcam video of you subduing the assailant who attacked Hwalin has spread.”
“Dashcam?”
Crazy?? For real? Those words almost slipped out of Woojin’s mouth. Why did a dashcam video suddenly surface? Although Woojin became agitated suddenly, thanks to his habitual persona maintenance, Choi Sung-gun seemed to see him as emitting a cold aura.
Because of that.
“Honestly, I can’t stop things like dashcams or citizens’ cell phones, even if I can handle other things.”
Woojin, looking indifferently at Choi Sung-gun, replied lowly.
“I suppose so.”
“Let’s think positively, positively. For now, look at this. Look at the articles pouring out. Before this situation, Hwalin’s side had drawn a lot of attention, so the firepower is several times stronger. Plus, right now, your video is ranked number 1 on real-time on YouTube.”
As Woojin internally screamed ‘No!!’, Choi Sung-gun, who had lowered his phone, asked.
“What will you do? The water’s been spilled, and we need to make a decision. Make a statement? Admit it or stay silent. But since it’s already come to this, it’s better to respond coolly.”
“I understand.”
“So are the people around you……ah, but didn’t you receive calls? I think there would have been a lot.”
Woojin, assuming his phone was flooded with a tremendous number of contacts, resigned himself.
‘Ah- this is driving me crazy. Tsk, aaah whatever.’
All he could do in this situation was to coolly lower his voice.
“It’s better to acknowledge it.”
“Right? But it’s better to go through the company channel than you doing it directly.”
“Understood.”
“Okay- then we’ll officially announce it in a few hours.”
At that moment.
“Woojin ssi! Can I come up??!”
A woman’s voice came from downstairs. A familiar voice. It was Hong Hye-yeon. Then, Choi Sung-gun sighed.
“She must have seen it now too. What do you think? Do you want her to come upstairs?”
“…It doesn’t matter.”
He called out to downstairs.
“Come up if you want.”
Hong Hye-yeon quickly came up the stairs. Her steps were urgent. So much so that her long tied hair fluttered messily. What was peculiar was that Hwalin was with her. Anyway, Hong Hye-yeon, wearing a white hoodie with the ‘Our Dining Table’ logo, said.
“Woojin ssi, why do I always have to find out about things like this through articles first??”
Hong Hye-yeon confronted Kang Woojin., or rather, it was similar to whining. Meanwhile, Hwalin, wearing the same hoodie as Hong Hye-yeon, had an indescribable expression. With her hair rolled up, she had a face halfway between calmness and a smile, as if forcibly holding back pleasure.
Her favorite hero’s story had finally been revealed. Regardless, Hong Hye-yeon’s grumbling intensified.
“I nearly fainted when I saw the article! Really, both Hwalin ssi and Woojin ssi!”
Resigned, Kang Woojin responded with a slightly deflated solemnity.
“I didn’t intend to reveal it.”
“Ah? You were going to keep hiding it??”
“Yes. If possible, until I die.”
At this point, Hwalin couldn’t help but turn away, trying to hide her smile, and Hong Hye-yeon, who had been looking at Woojin in disbelief, suddenly whispered to him.
“That’s all good and well. But how did you subdue that assailant? What’s with that flashy martial art?”
Woojin simply answered.
“A bit of hapkido.”
“…What?”
Choi Sung-gun joined in.
“Hapkido, he said. Didn’t you hear?”
“No, I heard but… really, hapkido? The hapkido I know?”
“What else would it be?”
Right then.
“Woojin ssi! Is this true??!”
“Is Kang Woojin ssi up there??!”
“You’re not just a chef but a complete hero!!”
Shouts came from downstairs. They were cries of astonishment from key members of the ‘Our Dining Table’ team, including PD Yoon Byung-seon, the writers, An Jong-hak, Ha Gang-su, Yeon Baek-kwang, and others.
Quietly, Woojin clenched his eyes shut, internally screaming.
‘Ah- This is why I kept it a secret!! This is why!!’
Back in Korea, a few hours later, around lunchtime.
A large black van speeding through the streets of Seoul caught attention. Inside the van sat two legends side by side. One was the veteran director Ahn Ga-bok, with a suit jacket draped over his knees, wearing a white shirt.
“Hmm-”
Sitting to his right in a navy suit was the legendary actor Sim Han-ho, who, despite having his grey long hair tied back, still exuded a tiger-like aura, and he was also looking at a phone, just like Ahn Ga-bok. Interestingly, both were wearing similar outfits and being together raised questions.
Why were two legends of the film and acting world together?
Anyway, the first to break the silence was director Ahn Ga-bok.
“A flood has broken loose. But when did he learn this?”
The phone screen Ahn Ga-bok was looking at showed Kang Woojin. Specifically, it was a dashcam video attached to an article, while Sim Han-ho’s screen was on YouTube.
“Senior, you didn’t know either?”
Asked in a deep voice, director Ahn Ga-bok replied with a wrinkled smile and his gruff voice.
“How would I know this? I’ve only met Kang Woojin recently. Anyway, this is a rare video.”
“It’s probably beyond rare. It’s an event that’s hard to come by. It’s a scene that can only happen when many events and coincidences mix.”
“It came out because Woojin was prepared.”
“…Quite an intriguing fellow. Not just for his high-level martial arts, but also the issues never seem to stop with him. Influence that’s impossible for a debutant of just a year.”
“But it’s happening.”
The man sitting in the passenger seat joined in the conversation. He was a film company CEO.
“The point is Kang Woojin isn’t in Korea right now. He’s away, but his absence isn’t felt.”
“Heh, now that you mention it, that’s true.”
“The Hwalin incident became so big it’s like a booster was attached.”
At that moment.
“Director~nim.”
The driver spoke up.
“We’ve arrived at the hotel, just past this signal.”
A large, famous hotel was visible ahead. In fact, a significant event was scheduled to take place in that hotel in an hour – the ‘Night of Stars’ award ceremony held by the Korean Actors Association. Though it was called an award ceremony, it was more like a big party towards the year-end. The party was enjoyed in the banquet hall, and towards the end, the award ceremony took place.
It was one of the relatively prestigious parties held at the end of the year.
Thus, famous directors like Ahn Ga-bok, influential entertainment industry insiders, and several top actors, including Sim Han-ho, were attending. It was quite a large event, after all.
“Ah- As expected, the journalists have formed a line right from the entrance.”
Journalists were stationed, and a cable broadcast team, in consultation with the Korean Film Actors Association, was also prepared. Probably by now, actors and directors might have already arrived at the hotel’s banquet hall.
At this point, director Ahn Ga-bok, who was closely observing the dozens of journalists stationed at the hotel entrance, mused.
“Hmm…”
He pondered over the ‘Night of Stars’ party happening today and then looked again at Kang Woojin on his phone.
“Even though he’s absent, his presence isn’t missed-”
At that, Sim Han-ho, sitting to his right, asked calmly.
“What?”
With a wrinkled smile, director Ahn Ga-bok mused aloud.
“Should we throw in some logs? I had planned to do it after you joined anyway, and since we’re together now, this might be a good place. They’re going to bombard us with questions about ‘Leech’ anyway.”
“…Are you going to do it?”
“Yes.”
To Sim Han-ho’s deep question, director Ahn Ga-bok pointed at him with his index finger.
“I’m talking about announcing an actor who’s going to be starring alongside you.”
*****
