Inside the recording booth, Kang Woojin stood with his headphones on, still focused entirely on his vocals.
♬♪
He could feel it himself.
'Something about the emotion feels stronger now.'
He realized his understanding of Kara's hit song "Absolute" had deepened. He had already sung it countless times, but now it felt different. The color had grown richer, and the more intense emotions had started seeping into his voice.
It would not have been an exaggeration to say that Kang Woojin's singing had improved even further.
Technique and vocal control mattered, of course, but emotion played just as important a role. Emotion shaped the tone of the voice. And through the countless roles he had taken on, along with all the emotions that came with them, Woojin had learned and absorbed a great deal.
There was no question that his voice had changed.
And it had changed for the better.
His voice rang out clean and fresh. But it was not a cheerful sound. From the moment he moved into the second verse, Kang Woojin began layering anger into his singing. It was not a scream, though.
It was more like he was getting angry on behalf of the listener.
Kang Woojin sank deeper and deeper into the song. Outside the booth, the people watching him had all gone still, eyes wide, unable to do anything but stare. That went for his own team as well as the staff from the Kang Woojin's Alter Ego channel. Some of them had heard him sing before, while others were hearing him for the first time that day.
"...Wow."
"..."
Either way, they had all frozen as if their souls had been drawn out of them.
Among them, stylist Han Yejung stood there with her eyes wide, staring at Kang Woojin, before quietly asking CEO Choi Seonggeon, who was beside her,
"CEO, I don't know if I'm the only one hearing it this way, but I think Oppa Woojin's vocals got even better. He was already incredible before, but now he feels way more overwhelming."
Choi Seonggeon, who was also watching Kang Woojin inside the booth, slowly nodded.
"...Yeah. That's how it sounds to me too."
None of them were experts, but the change was obvious. It was much more intense now. The question was when and how he had changed that much. They had never once seen him doing vocal practice. So how had his skill improved?
This was not some biased judgment born from favoritism or affection.
Just look at Miley Kara.
'Kara's out of it, and so is her whole team. That says everything.'
And it was true. Miley Kara and all of her foreign staff were watching Kang Woojin closely. Kara in particular, with her blonde hair, looked intensely focused. It almost felt like blue lasers might shoot from her eyes.
Then—
Whoosh.
Inside the booth, Kang Woojin let out a short breath. The song was nearing its end. The rushing vocals and melody that had been charging forward without restraint paused for a moment. It was then that Woojin's eyes met Kara's, the one person who had been staring straight at him the whole time.
It was only for a brief instant, but Miley Kara felt her heart pound hard in her chest.
It was not the flutter of romance.
It was a different kind of thrill altogether.
'Singing with this much intensity... watching it in person is way stronger than seeing it on video. Then what about acting, the thing he actually does for a living? What would it feel like to see that up close?'
Part of it was her reaction to Kang Woojin's appeal and presence, but it was closer to craving than simple admiration.
'I still don't fully understand how he managed to achieve that much in just one year, but I think I understand a little now. Even if you only watch him for a moment, you can't look away.'
Whether it was singing or acting, she wanted to work closely with him and experience that strange tension for herself. In any case, Miley Kara's interest in Kang Woojin was just about to explode.
At that moment—
"Miley?"
Kara, who had been standing there in a daze, finally heard Kang Woojin's voice. By then, he had already finished singing. Only then did she snap back to her senses.
"Ah, yes. Sorry."
As if trying to hide her own feelings, Kara brushed back her long blonde hair and cleared her throat.
"Ahem. That was amazing. It was far more powerful and impressive than it looked in the video."
Her overseas staff quickly chimed in with enthusiastic agreement, and Kara rolled up her sleeves and got ready. There was no reason to delay anymore. She wanted to blend her voice with Kang Woojin's as quickly as possible.
Whoosh.
After tying back her blonde hair, Kara stepped into the recording booth where Woojin was standing. Soon enough, the two of them were standing side by side. At her height, Kara's blonde head came up a little above Woojin's shoulder. Without making it obvious, Woojin stole a quick glance at her.
'Her aura is seriously unreal. Is it because she's like some kind of alien? Calling her just pretty feels weird, doesn't it?'
That was when he made up his mind.
He would just think of her as an alien.
Naturally, Kang Woojin had no idea that among the dozens of people in that recording studio, he was the one who seemed closest to an alien himself. Kara, catching the faint scent of his cologne from up close, was thinking exactly that.
'Isn't his talent completely ridiculous? He really does feel like someone from another planet. Yeah, maybe he actually is an alien. But why does he smell so good?'
They both looked at each other with oddly similar thoughts and similar eyes. Then Woojin leaned in slightly and spoke to Kara in a low voice.
"Miley, how about you keep your parts in English, and I do mine in Korean?"
In other words, he was suggesting a duet in both English and Korean. Kara met his eyes and nodded without hesitation.
"I like it. I'm excited. It feels like we're about to make a completely new song."
The two of them quickly sorted out their parts. Now all they had to do was wait for the signal from the staff outside the booth.
Right then, Miley Kara suddenly asked him,
"Mr. Kang Woojin, have you ever worked on an album before? Something like featuring, maybe?"
"No."
"Then what about appearing in a music video?"
"Not yet."
Then the song began.
Later.
After Kang Woojin and Miley Kara spent roughly two hours filming inside the large recording studio, the original version of "Absolute" had been reborn as a fantastic duet.
Of course, both Woojin's team and Kara's team got more than just the duet song out of it.
The process itself had produced excellent footage.
There were delicate two-shots of Hollywood superstar Miley Kara and rookie Kang Woojin. Shots of the two of them talking, focusing on their work, and sharing subtle moments had been captured in detail. That alone was enough material for at least five separate videos.
Naturally, that was true for both Woojin's side and Kara's.
But the two teams' schedules were not over yet. They still had to move to the cooking studio they had rented. Since Kara had a departure schedule to keep, they had to hurry. Skipping lunch entirely, Woojin's team and Kara's team headed straight to the next filming location.
From that point on, the main focus would be conversation and cooking.
"The cameras are all set up. Once Mr. Woojin and Miley just touch up their makeup a little and change clothes, we can start right away!"
After Kang Woojin and Kara finished getting their hair and makeup done, filming resumed.
The setup was similar to the one he had done with Hwarin. Woojin, wearing an apron, stood in the kitchen area, while blonde-haired Kara sat across from him. The questions and answers had already been prepared.
Naturally, the entire conversation was in English.
"Miley Kara has joined Kang Woojin's Alter Ego. Hello, Miley."
"It's nice to meet you. And Mr. Woojin, that apron looks really good on you."
"Does it?"
"Yes. I want that apron as a souvenir."
"Then I guess I'll have to give it to you. Do you usually enjoy cooking?"
"Not at all. Ah, but there's a Korean restaurant near my house that I go to often."
"What do you usually eat there?"
"Budae-jjigae. The one with lots of ham. You told me to pick what I wanted to eat today, right? Then let's go with budae-jjigae. But Mr. Woojin, are you good at cooking?"
"It's just a hobby."
At his answer, Kara was suddenly reminded that singing had also apparently been one of his hobbies.
"...A hobby. Somehow this doesn't feel like just a hobby either, but I'm looking forward to it."
"I'll do my best. Before that, I heard your new movie is coming out soon."
"That's right."
"What kind of film is it?"
The filming went smoothly. There was nothing in particular to cause trouble. If there was one thing worth mentioning, it was that both Kang Woojin and Kara naturally gave off such cool, detached energy that, at a glance, they almost looked like they were bickering.
Later—
Whoosh.
Once the planned conversation ended, Kang Woojin began cooking. Watching him from behind, Kara found it hard not to laugh in disbelief.
Taktak-taktaktaktak!!
From the dazzling knife work as he prepped the ingredients to the flawless confidence in the way he handled the cooking itself, everything about him was impressive.
'Seriously... what exactly is he?'
Even at a glance, he looked like a professional. Miley Kara had already been surprised again and again that day. Hollywood was on a much larger scale, of course, and yet to Kara, who reigned there as a megastar, Korea suddenly felt like a strange new world.
The Korean actor right in front of her was simply too unpredictable.
Only moments ago, he had been a singer whose voice felt like it could melt your ears. Now he was captivating her attention all over again as a chef with outstanding skill.
Then a steaming pot of budae-jjigae was placed in front of her, and Woojin's low voice followed.
"Please, try it."
Blinking her blue eyes, Kara looked down at the budae-jjigae. But the dish in front of her looked completely different from the versions she had eaten at Korean restaurants in America. Soon, she awkwardly picked up a spoon, scooped up some broth and ham, and put it into her mouth.
"...Ah. I knew it."
The exclamation escaped from Kara before she even realized it.
"How can you call something this incredible a hobby?"
That same night, on the plane.
Miley Kara sat in her first-class window seat with her long legs crossed. Her blonde hair, which fell to her chest, was tied back, and the faintly tired look on her face only made her cool, detached image stand out more.
It made sense.
After finishing the shoot for Kang Woojin's Alter Ego, Kara had headed straight to the airport and boarded the plane immediately. That was probably why she was staring blankly out the window.
Then—
"Kara."
Her manager, seated in the empty seat beside her, spoke up.
"It was your first time visiting Korea. How was it?"
Kara shrugged and rested her chin on one hand.
"You know how packed the schedule was. I didn't have any time at all to actually enjoy it."
"That's true."
"But today was really fun. It was the most memorable day. I was honestly shocked."
"...Kang Woojin?"
At her manager's question, Kara let out a quiet laugh.
"Honestly, since he acts and sings, I thought he'd be similar to me in some way. But after seeing him today, he's completely different."
"Yeah, I was surprised too."
"Does that even make sense? A person like that feels like the kind of character you'd only see in a superhero movie. It doesn't even feel possible in real life."
"Hahaha, a hero?"
"He's a truly bizarre actor. There isn't anyone in Hollywood with that kind of energy."
"No one comes to mind right away."
"That's because there isn't anyone. That's what makes it even more frustrating."
"Huh? What do you mean by frustrating?"
Kara uncrossed her legs and crossed them the other way before replying.
"Everything I saw today was just one of his hobbies. I still haven't seen him doing the thing he actually does for a living—acting."
"Ah, but you said you watched his drama."
"Didn't you hear him sing today? It felt completely different from watching it on YouTube. Acting would be the same."
Miley Kara folded her arms and reached a firm conclusion.
"I've made up my mind. No matter what, I want to work with him."
A fierce determination filled her blue eyes.
Meanwhile—
After finishing the shoot with Miley Kara and then having a meeting with the YouTube team, Kang Woojin finally appeared in the underground parking lot. On the outside, he wore his usual calm expression, but inside he was quietly soaked in fatigue.
'Ah, so it's finally over. It was so hectic I didn't even get a chance to rest in the void space. I should just go home and collapse.'
Right then, Choi Seonggeon, who had been walking behind him, spoke up.
"You look lively, huh? A schedule like this is probably nothing for you. So what do you say? Since everyone worked hard today, I want to buy some beef. You're coming, right?"
Choi Seonggeon's misunderstanding was the result of many accumulated misunderstandings. So although Woojin was tempted by the offer of beef, he calmly shook his head.
"No. I'm going home to read a script."
"Really? Hmm, I guess you really do have a lot to look at. But that's so like you. Going home and rereading a script, I mean."
As Choi Seonggeon kept talking, Woojin muttered inwardly,
'No, actually, I'm just going home to sleep like the dead.'
Still, Choi Seonggeon went on.
"Anyway, we climbed another huge mountain today. Good work. Just like we expected, things are probably going to get noisy tomorrow because of the Miley Kara situation. There'll be some publicity work too. By the way, it looked like you and Miley were messaging each other on Instagram earlier. Was that right?"
"Ah, yes. She said we should."
"Haha, wow! You might be the first Korean actor to get close to Miley Cyrus at this level. Articles will be out soon. Reporters are always good at digging this kind of thing up."
It was then that—
"Oppa."
Han Yejung, with her short blue hair, was standing in front of the parked van. Without warning, she opened the rear door as if to reveal something inside and, in her usual cool voice, said,
"Ta-da."
Or maybe it was just that her voice had too little emotion for the word to land properly. Either way, several suits were hanging on the seats inside the van, each on its own hanger, creating an unmistakably luxurious atmosphere.
Kang Woojin looked at them and calmly asked,
"What is this?"
The answer came not from Han Yejung, but from the stylists climbing out of the van.
"What do you mean, what is it? Oppa, they're tuxedos!"
"The fit and the style are both insane! We were super careful picking them!"
"There are four suits in total! You need different ones for each film festival and awards ceremony!"
"Ah—"
So these were the tuxedos he had only ever heard about.
The kind top actors wore when walking red carpets. The kind he had only seen on TV or YouTube. Han Yejung added a short explanation.
"They're all luxury brands. So we didn't have to make sales calls or lift a finger."
Then she gave Kang Woojin a thumbs-up as if it were no big deal.
"Every brand was desperate to work with us. All we had to do was choose."
Choi Seonggeon broke into a huge grin and patted Woojin on the shoulder.
"You've already got a lot of sponsorship offers, but I've never seen luxury brands rush in like this for a rookie actor. That's how strong your brand power is."
"..."
Without saying anything, Woojin stepped closer and looked down at the tuxedos lined up there. His expressionless face made it impossible to tell what he was thinking, so Han Yejung added another explanation just in case.
"At first, we picked the colors and designs that suited you best. But if you don't like them, we can change them."
"Mm."
"Still, since these are mainly for red carpet events, black and navy are the best options."
Only then did Kang Woojin start to feel reality set in.
'Wow. My God. A red carpet? Me, in this?'
He was really going to walk one himself.
And then, the very next morning—
the Blue Dragon Film Awards officially announced it.
[Official] This year's Blue Dragon Film Awards to open on December 23... Organizers say, "Please look forward to a grand event."
With the ceremony set for the 23rd, there were only four days left.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles—
It was morning in Korea, but afternoon in Los Angeles. Around that time, inside a large van racing down a Hollywood road, a giant Black man sat staring at a tablet in his hands with a deep frown on his face.
It was the famous Hollywood producer Joseph Felton.
He turned his head and looked at the bald foreigner sitting beside him. His brow was still furrowed.
"Robert, I think there's some kind of error in the data."
"...There can't be."
"Having a filmography like this is impossible."
"And yet that's exactly what you're looking at."
Joseph Felton's face was full of confusion.
"You're asking me to believe that an actor who hasn't even debuted for a full year has already entered Hollywood?"