A black producer who looked well over 190 centimeters tall was standing in front of Kang Woojin, even handing him a business card.
Because Joseph Felton was built like a giant, Woojin and the foreign producers standing behind him looked relatively small by comparison.
Almost immediately, Woojin flinched inwardly.
'Good grief, that startled me. Up close, he's enormous. Even Kim Daeyoung probably wouldn't reach his shoulders.'
He had seen him once in the studio, but seeing Joseph's thick frame from this close was genuinely overwhelming.
Still, Woojin had already sunk deep into his concept, so he accepted the card as calmly as possible.
"Yes. I'm Kang Woojin."
Joseph, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, suddenly reached out and shook Woojin's hand with cheerful energy.
"Haha. Your test up there was impressive. I've been working as a producer for a long time, but that was the first time I've seen something so fresh. I think I'll remember it for quite a while."
What was this?
A compliment?
For the moment, Woojin accepted the greeting appropriately.
"Thank you."
Just then, Choi Sunggeon, who was standing behind him, smiled and muttered toward Woojin in a low voice.
"Who is that? A bodyguard?"
"No. He was one of the producers present during the screen test."
"Ah! A producer? Him?"
Joseph Felton noticed Choi Sunggeon's reaction and pulled out another business card.
"I'm producer Joseph Felton. Are you Mr. Kang Woojin's manager?"
The moment he accepted the card, Choi Sunggeon took out his own. His English was a little awkward, but there was plenty of force in his voice.
"Yes. I'm the CEO and representative director of Kang Woojin's agency."
"Oh! Really? A CEO! Nice to meet you. You're taking very good care of an excellent actor."
"Yes. I think so too."
"Hahaha. CEO, you really should've seen the test process. This actor completely turned the whole situation upside down."
Whether it was playfulness or pure energy, Joseph Felton led the conversation naturally.
Watching him, Choi Sunggeon kept smiling on the surface, but inwardly he was serious.
'Are all Hollywood producers like this? No hesitation at all. Completely bold. Well, I guess that's only natural if you're a producer in a market this huge.'
He could vaguely feel Joseph Felton's influence. In Hollywood, where everything moved systematically, producers sat at the center of real power. On top of that, Hollywood producers did not handle only one project at a time. The more capable they were, the bigger and more numerous the projects they took on.
'If he's a producer on the Last Kill series, then he has to be one of the better-known producers in Hollywood.'
Choi Sunggeon's guess was correct.
At present, Joseph Felton was involved in three Hollywood projects at once, and there were very few people in Hollywood who did not know who Producer Joseph was.
Soon, the tall Joseph turned back to Kang Woojin with a smile still on his face.
"I'm not a casting director, but I can recognize an actor's aura and energy. The energy and confidence you showed in that test aren't common."
Kang Woojin answered calmly.
"Is that so?"
Joseph stepped a little closer and lowered his voice.
"The Chinese actors in that audition were carefully selected representatives, and the opinion of the director and the studio executives was unanimous. That role was almost certainly going to a Chinese actor. You were practically an extra."
"..."
"But you completely overturned the situation. With a single scene. You didn't just 'take' the role away from the Chinese actors. You made them 'agree' with the result. Not a victory. Agreement. And the one who made that happen wasn't the director. It was you."
As if whispering a secret, Joseph raised a thumb.
"That was not something you see often. Your martial arts skills and your energy were both outstanding."
At that moment, one of the production staff behind him signaled that it was time, and disappointment flickered briefly across Joseph's face. He was probably busy.
"I'd love to share a beer and talk about this feeling properly, but that's a shame. Mr. Kang Woojin, if you come to Hollywood again next time, make sure you remember the card I gave you."
"I will."
"Are you going back to Korea now?"
"Ah, no. I have a little time before my flight, so I was thinking of looking around."
Joseph hooked a thumb behind him and smiled even wider. Behind them stood one of Hollywood's landmarks, a massive film studio set up almost like a theme park.
"I'll make a call so you can take a closer look inside. If you mention my name at the entrance, a staff member will guide you. I hope you enjoy your time in Hollywood."
After shaking hands with Woojin one more time, Joseph Felton turned and headed toward the elevator. It seemed he still had remaining work related to Last Kill 3.
Meanwhile, some of the foreign staff who had come with him exchanged whispers as they looked at Kang Woojin.
"Did that Korean actor just get Joseph's business card?"
"Yeah, I was surprised too. I'd understand if it were one of Hollywood's top actors."
"He says things like that even to a Korean actor he just met today?"
By contrast, Kang Woojin, still dressed in his suit, shoved the card into his pocket without much thought. Then he made eye contact with Choi Sunggeon.
"Should we go where he mentioned?"
"Of course, my friend. We should bring the filming team from the hotel too. If there's actually shooting going on, it'll be a great opportunity."
Around then, the van Kang Woojin and Choi Sunggeon had been waiting for pulled up by the curb.
Meanwhile—
The moment they stepped into the elevator, Joseph Felton gave an instruction to the bald foreign man standing beside him.
"Robert, dig thoroughly into an actor named Kang Woojin. I want everything. His past, his reputation in Korea, the rumors around him, his projects, the people around him. We can't let a mistake like today happen again."
"Understood. But why are you so interested in him? Sure, he was impressive in the test, but… is it because of the spread of Hallyu? Or are you thinking in terms of marketing?"
"Hallyu… yes, we can't ignore that part. But that's not all. At this point, I can only call it intuition."
"Intuition?"
"That actor feels like someone who could multiply the scale of Hallyu several times over in a very short period of time."
The tall black man, Joseph, let out a low laugh.
"Today's business card was for the future."
Some time later—
Around noon on the 17th, after a fairly long schedule, the Our Table team arrived back in Korea. The airport was packed with hundreds of reporters and fans. The crowd was overwhelming. While the cast of Our Table had been promoting Korean food in LA, news about the program had already spread back home, which only made the reporters more excited.
"PD Yoon!! We heard you were featured in an LA local paper!! Is there any other news?!"
"How did people in LA react?!"
"Over here!! Please look this way!!"
"Hwarin! What was it like being in LA with Kang Woojin? He subdued that attacker!!"
"I read an article saying a chef in LA praised Kang Woojin's cooking highly!! Hong Hyeyeon! Did you happen to meet that chef?!"
Even with security trying to hold them back, hundreds of reporters kept firing questions, while the gathered fans endlessly waved gifts and called out greetings. The airport arrival hall turned into chaos almost instantly.
In the end, the Our Table team had no choice but to get out as quickly as possible.
Then, within the crowd, some people noticed that something was off.
"Huh??! Oppa Woojin! Oppa Woojin's not here!"
"What? Really??"
"Kang Woojin! He's the only one missing??"
That mood spread through the reporters in an instant too.
"Kang Woojin is missing!"
"PD Yoon! Where is Kang Woojin?!"
"Is he staying in LA?!"
"Was there a problem with immigration procedures?"
But without giving any proper answer, the Our Table team left the airport.
This was because there was concern over a certain issue.
The matter quickly spread online through news reports.
[Feature This Issue] The Our Table Team Returns from LA / Photo
[Our Table Cast Waves to Reporters Looking Exhausted After Return]
The news mainly focused on the cast's return and the airport photos, but the fact that Kang Woojin was absent also became a major topic.
[The Our Table Team Returned to Korea Today… But Where Is Kang Woojin?]
[Star Photo] The Only Star Left Behind in LA Is Kang Woojin?]
Naturally, rumors and gossip spread in no time. Reporters had every reason to find it strange that only Kang Woojin had not returned.
[The Our Table Team Came Back, So Why Is Kang Woojin Missing? Did He Have Another Schedule in LA?]
The issues that had surfaced while Woojin was in LA began rising back to the surface once again.
[Where Did the Hero Who Saved Hwarin Go… Why Did Hwarin Return to Korea Alone? / Photo]
[There Are Concerns That Filming for the Kang Woojin's Alter Ego Channel with Global Superstar Miley Kara Could Be Canceled Because Kang Woojin Has Not Returned to Korea ↑]
Amid all the noisy speculation around Woojin, bw Entertainment released an official statement.
[[Official] bw Entertainment: "Kang Woojin's delayed return to Korea was due to a short break in LA"]
The only thing missing from the real story was any mention of Last Kill 3.
At the same time, people inside a large van speeding along a Seoul highway were also talking about Kang Woojin. They were Miley Kara and her team, who were scheduled to wrap up their Korean itinerary late on the night of the 18th.
Kara, with her blonde hair, sat with one leg crossed over the other, looking down at a tablet. More precisely, she was reading printed articles displayed on it.
"Are we certain Kang Woojin will return to Korea before tomorrow?"
At her somewhat cool question, the manager beside her answered in English.
"Yes. I spoke with his agent. He's scheduled to arrive in Korea tonight, and there should be no issue with the shoot tomorrow morning."
Kara slowly nodded and brushed back her blonde hair while thinking of Kang Woojin. His remarkable filmography, the many issues surrounding him, and of course his acting.
"Hm. I wonder what kind of person he'll be in real life."
"I've been thinking the same thing. And did you check the proposal that came from the Kang Woojin's Alter Ego channel?"
"You mean the filming content?"
Kara switched the screen on the tablet she had been viewing. It was the explanation of the shoot concept sent over by Kang Woojin's Alter Ego. Sitting there with her legs crossed, she looked down at it and changed the angle slightly.
"He said we'd sing one of my songs as a duet. I expected that anyway. Then after the conversation segment, he said he'd cook for me. That's the sort of thing they usually do for film promotion, right? If he's the one who got featured in the LA local paper, then he must be good at cooking too, so I thought it sounded fine."
"According to the article, a Michelin-star chef praised him highly."
"Exactly. But they also said he'd do whatever I wanted. Do you think I can really ask for anything?"
"Probably not literally everything. Kang Woojin's actual job is being an actor, not a chef."
"...Then what's 'avatar cooking'? It says I cook while Kang Woojin gives instructions, but I can't picture it at all."
"Exactly what it sounds like. Some kind of fun content where you cook following Kang Woojin's directions. If it makes you uncomfortable, we can refuse it on our end."
After hearing the explanation, Kara's blue eyes lifted upward for about five seconds as she thought it over. Then one corner of her mouth curled up slightly, and she shook her head.
"No. Doesn't it sound fun?"
"Kara, think about this seriously. You can't cook."
"But he said he'd make it work, didn't he?"
"The victim is going to be Kang Woojin. Please think carefully. Korean fans and the media are all watching this closely."
For reference, Miley Kara had attended various events, luxury brand parties, and interviews during her stay in Korea, but she had never appeared on a YouTube channel before. Tomorrow's appearance on Kang Woojin's Alter Ego would be her first YouTube appearance ever.
"Yeah, I know. Anyway, tell them I'll do everything. I'm looking forward to it."
The manager let out a sigh.
"Alright, understood. Just think over the lines you'll need for the conversation and cooking parts."
"Okay."
That was when it happened.
A short ringtone sounded from her phone. It was a message. After checking the sender, Kara's blue eyes widened slightly.
'Joseph??'
The message had come from the famous Hollywood producer Joseph Felton.
Kara instantly pictured the tall, dark-skinned Joseph and opened it.
[Joseph Felton: Kara, how's life in Korea? I got curious while looking through social media. I heard you're appearing on a YouTube channel run by a Korean actor. I've recently become interested in Korea, so I'm looking forward to it.]
When Kara replied to let him know she had seen the message, another one came almost immediately.
[Joseph Felton: Call me when you get back. Let's grab a beer and talk about how your trip to Korea was.]
After reading it, Kara furrowed her brow and turned to the manager beside her.
"...By the way, have you heard anything about Joseph getting interested in Korea lately?"
The manager, who had also been looking at his phone, shrugged.
"Not at all. I heard he's involved with the production of Last Kill 3 among his other projects. He's so busy he shouldn't even have time to care about Korea."
"Right?"
Kara lightly scratched at her blonde hair.
"What kind of scheme is he plotting now?"
That same night—
One man stood out as he emerged from a crowded airport.
He had a hat pulled low and a mask covering his face.
It was Kang Woojin.
Quietly, almost like a thief, he slipped into Korea without the reporters or fans noticing him.
'Whew… ah, this air. There really is nothing more comfortable than home.'
Doing his best not to show any emotion, Woojin climbed into the waiting vehicle. The dozens of loud reporters were nowhere in sight, but he actually preferred it that way.
'That was a seriously long trip.'
Right now, he just wanted to enjoy the feeling of being back in Korea.
At that moment, Choi Sunggeon, who sat in the passenger seat looking visibly exhausted, turned around and held out his phone to Woojin.
"Ah, Woojin. The Blue Dragon Film Awards nominees have been announced."
On the phone screen was the official list of this year's nominees released by the Blue Dragon Film Awards office, and the film industry press had immediately picked up the story.
[Film Awards] Blue Dragon Film Awards Office Reveals This Year's Major Nominees… Kang Woojin Draws Attention Among Best New Actor Nominees
[Kang Woojin Not Only Nominated for Blue Dragon Best New Actor Within One Year of Debut, but Also Earns Nods in Other Categories]
Not to be outdone, the Grand Bell Awards released their nominee list just a few minutes later. Both ceremonies were scheduled for about ten days later.
[Movie Talk] After the Blue Dragon Awards, the Grand Bell Awards Too… Kang Woojin Nominated for Best New Actor at Both Major Film Awards]
What stood out most was how explosively often Kang Woojin was being mentioned.
It was almost as though Kang Woojin himself were decorating the end of the entertainment year.
[Already a Strong Contender for Two Wins at the Blue Dragon and Grand Bell Awards ↑ If You Add the Broadcast Acting Awards Too… Can Kang Woojin Create Yet Another Sensation in His Debut Year?]
He truly looked like the biggest star of the season.