On Han Yejung's phone screen—or more precisely, in the YouTube video playing on it—Choi Sunggeon's tied-back hair and bewildered face appeared at once.
[Exclusive Scoop!!]Rising rookie actor Kang Woojin!! Secret Hollywood screen test?! Hollywood debut imminent! (Critical evidence secured!) | Fact Guys
Views: 410,000
It had only been uploaded an hour ago, and it had already passed four hundred thousand views. Why? How had it exploded this fast?
Kang Woojin and Choi Sunggeon had nearly forgotten about the whole thing, only for it to suddenly resurface. At that moment, Han Yejung asked in her usual cool tone,
"This is just tabloid gossip, right?"
Very few people knew about the Last Kill 3 screen test. Only Kang Woojin himself, Choi Sunggeon, and the two interpreters who had been there at the time. Han Yejung and most of Woojin's staff still had no idea.
It had been confidential, and back then, the fact that so few people knew had actually worked in their favor.
"······"
Whatever the case, Choi Sunggeon said nothing. He simply took out his phone, opened YouTube, and searched for the very video they had just seen. The YouTuber who had uploaded it had 1.95 million subscribers, which made him fairly major. Looking through the channel, it was a mix of attention-grabbing videos about various issues, scandals, and exposés.
He uploaded often, and each video usually pulled in anywhere from five hundred thousand to a million views.
Soon—
Choi Sunggeon, looking grave, tapped the screen and played the Kang Woojin video uploaded an hour earlier. As the video began to play smoothly, Han Yejung muttered again under her breath,
"Still, for tabloid gossip, it's weirdly specific."
"What is?"
"The details are pretty concrete. And there's even a photo of oppa Woojin taken inside some production company in LA. It doesn't look edited."
That was true. The video opened with a picture of Woojin inside a Hollywood production company, with numerous foreign staff members visible in the background. Underneath it was the caption Winner Movie Pictures. Then the screen changed, and a man in a wolf mask began speaking.
"We have exclusively obtained information that actor Kang Woojin, who caused a sensation in the Korean entertainment industry within just one year of debut, took part in an audition for a Hollywood film. According to the information we obtained, Kang Woojin did not approach them first. It appears that the Hollywood production company contacted him first."
As he watched, Choi Sunggeon thought,
'Hmm, so they really did get their hands on actual information.'
He concluded that this YouTuber had not made the video out of pure fantasy.
"Winner Movie Pictures, the film company that contacted Kang Woojin, is considered a mid-to-large studio even by Hollywood standards. Countless Hollywood stars have passed through there, and they are currently involved in several projects. The 'screen test' mentioned in this video is similar to an audition, but slightly different in nature. It is part of the process just before official casting, and even reaching the screen test stage is extremely difficult in Hollywood."
"Many famous Korean actors have attempted to break into Hollywood, but most failed to make it past even the screen test and returned home. There are only a handful of Korean top actors who have succeeded in entering Hollywood. But the fact that Kang Woojin was contacted directly by Hollywood and completed a screen test suggests that his Hollywood debut may be close at hand. For a rookie actor, this is almost unbelievable."
In the end, the Fact Guys YouTuber added that the reason Kang Woojin's side had not officially announced anything yet was likely because they were either keeping the Hollywood debut under wraps or had turned it down due to scheduling conflicts.
However, he did not seem to know that the film in question was Last Kill 3.
Even so, most of what he was saying sounded more like fact than wild speculation.
The comments were exploding.
[Holy crap, this is insane]
[Wait… is this real?? Kang Woojin is heading to Hollywood after just one year? Hahaha, that's insane]
[This is 100% nonsense]
[This feels like way more than just a rumor, though. That photo is straight-up Hollywood-style hahaha]
[Wow!!! Hollywood level!! Kang Woojin really is world-class!!! National pride exploding!!!]
[This makes zero sense…. Winner Movie Pictures is mid-tier even in Hollywood hahaha and they contacted a Korean actor who debuted only a year ago???]
[Wow, Kang Woojin is seriously incredible]
·
·
·
·
Overall, the reaction was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Of course, plenty of comments were practically patriotic in tone, but there were also quite a few people questioning the video's credibility.
Even so, Choi Sunggeon immediately opened a portal site to check whether any articles had been posted about the video yet.
'Not yet—nothing?'
Maybe because the video had only just been uploaded, no related articles were visible yet.
But it was only a matter of time.
After all, this was an exclusive scoop about Kang Woojin.
There was no doubt that the news would soon send shockwaves across the country.
Right then—
"CEO-nim."
Han Yejung asked Choi Sunggeon again.
"Will this cause problems?"
She did not show it on the surface, but the concern in her eyes was obvious. Choi Sunggeon lightly scratched his head, lowered his phone, and answered,
"No. There won't be any problem. Whether this video is true or not, honestly, it'll help Woojin."
He was referring to the rise in Kang Woojin's brand value. Woojin was already highly influential, and plenty of major figures surrounded him. If Hollywood was added to the picture, his current standing would only grow stronger.
'If we were the ones who leaked it, then sure, that'd be a problem. But we didn't do anything, did we?'
There was no way the normally composed Kang Woojin would have done something like that. Choi Sunggeon instructed Han Yejung to make sure the team kept quiet about the video. They probably knew nothing anyway, but still, they were told not to say anything outside. Of course, Choi Sunggeon also immediately called bw Entertainment and passed along the same message.
bw Entertainment's role was simple.
Stay silent.
Right then, Choi Sunggeon's phone began vibrating wildly. It was an editor from a media outlet. The local press had already caught on.
But Choi Sunggeon ignored the call, passed through the busy The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice staff, and entered the tent where the lead actors were gathered. The number of actors there had noticeably increased.
Woojin was standing quietly among them, talking.
"Woojin."
Choi Sunggeon whispered to him and motioned for him to come out. Woojin followed without any fuss and asked in a low voice,
"Did something happen?"
Choi Sunggeon moved a few steps away from the tent, glanced around, then held out his phone for Woojin to see.
"Watch this first."
A little later—
at the far end of the large tent on the school field, where dozens of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice staff bustled around, Kang Woojin stood there after watching the entire Fact Guys video and lowering Choi Sunggeon's phone.
Naturally, he had checked the comments too.
As he handed the phone back, Woojin's expression remained as cynical and detached as ever, but inwardly he was genuinely shaken.
'What the hell is this? How did this YouTuber find out?? I never told anyone about it. Did the Hollywood production company leak it? Wasn't it supposed to be top secret?'
No, seriously, it was ridiculous. Back then, they had made such a huge fuss about keeping it confidential during the audition.
Growing a little uneasy, Woojin asked the Choi Sunggeon standing in front of him,
"Is this something the CEO might have been involved in…?"
"Not me. And not you either."
"Really?"
If it was neither of them, then where exactly had the information leaked from?
Kang Woojin thought about it.
Then again, what did it matter?
It was not an act. It was simply Woojin's original disposition. His indifference had kicked in.
"Then there's nothing to worry about, right?"
"Ah, yes, that's right. I'm just trying to understand the bigger picture."
"If it wasn't us, then it must've been the Hollywood production company."
"Winner Movie Pictures? They wouldn't gain anything from that… although, aren't you being way too calm about this? You're so calm that it's making me feel calmer too."
"If there's no problem, just ignore it."
"Of course. But within an hour—maybe even sooner—Korea's going to explode over this."
"That doesn't matter to me."
So what?
Last Kill 3 had already rejected him anyway.
After spending time in the entertainment industry, Woojin had learned one thing about dealing with the press. If it was not worth responding to, silence was the answer.
That was when it happened.
'Huh?'
Among the foreign group standing off to one side of the schoolyard, part of the The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice crew, one woman caught Kang Woojin's eye.
To be exact, it was a woman with a short brown bob.
He definitely recognized her.
Woojin immediately pointed at her with his index finger.
"That woman—"
Choi Sunggeon, who had already felt she looked familiar, immediately nodded.
"Yeah. She showed up out of nowhere today. I kept thinking I'd seen her face somewhere before… do you know her?"
"She was at the Last Kill 3 screen test."
"Ah."
"She said she was the casting director. She spoke to me near the end of the audition, so I remember her."
At that instant, a thought flashed through Choi Sunggeon's mind too.
"Right. I saw her there too. She's definitely from Winner Movie Pictures. I spoke to her on the phone, but I only saw her face briefly, so my memory's a little fuzzy."
"Then why is she here?"
"That's exactly the question. Why would Hollywood people come all the way to Japan? And with your screen test video leaking right when they happen to be here—can that really be just a coincidence?"
Wasn't that strange?
It lined up too perfectly to dismiss as mere coincidence.
Muttering inwardly, Woojin quietly watched the foreign group for a moment, then suddenly started walking toward them. Choi Sunggeon called out to ask where he was going, but Kang Woojin did not stop.
Wasn't it obvious?
At times like this, the best thing to do was ask directly.
And so he walked forward with firm steps.
It was not simple bravado.
It was the most Kang Woojin-like response possible.
Then—
Kang Woojin, expressionless, passed through dozens of staff members and stopped in front of the foreign group. The foreigners, sensing someone approaching, turned and spotted Woojin standing there nearby. The short-haired brown-bob woman—no, casting director Megan Stone—wore an easy smile.
"Ah, Mr. Kang Woojin? It's nice to see you. I knew you were here, but I didn't want to greet you too early."
Woojin answered in fluent English, as calmly as ever.
"Hello."
At once, some of the nearby The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice staff glanced over at him. Megan Stone stepped a little closer and spoke more quietly.
"I think it would be better if no one knew about our connection. Let's talk separately later."
"You're the one who came here."
"That's true. I know the director here. I came to Japan for work and stopped by to see his set. Of course, I also knew you were here."
I see. Fine, then.
Woojin took out his phone and showed it to her.
"This video was uploaded to Korean YouTube just now."
Then he explained in a low voice.
"It contains information about the Last Kill 3 screen test I attended. Did your side share it? I was told it was confidential."
The moment the foreigners around them heard his fluent English, several of them widened their eyes.
Megan Stone most of all.
"...This video is exposing that?"
"Yes."
"No, that—that can't be."
"So it wasn't your side either?"
"No. Not at all."
Megan Stone looked visibly flustered. After a quick exchange with her team, she immediately placed a phone call. She looked genuinely rushed.
Woojin watched her in silence for a moment with a somewhat resolved expression, then turned around. A few steps behind him stood Choi Sunggeon.
"What did she say?"
Woojin's answer was calm and brief.
"Looks like we can just ignore it."
At that very moment, in LA—
it was morning in Japan, but afternoon there. The place was Los Angeles, Hollywood. More specifically, it was a major film production company. It was the sort of studio that looked almost like a giant amusement park, complete with huge internal offices and enormous sound stages.
A black van was parked at the entrance.
A man walked out through the entrance and instantly stood out. He was a tall, broad-built Black man.
It was the famous Hollywood producer Joseph Felton.
He seemed to have just finished work and got into the van waiting for him.
The van started immediately.
There were about six people inside. One of them, a bald foreigner who worked under Joseph, handed him a tablet and reported,
"Joseph, a video about Kang Woojin went up in Korea. About an hour ago."
Joseph gave a slight smile and nodded.
Later than expected, but the timing isn't bad.
"What's in it?"
"I still need to translate it properly, but it contains most of the information we sent over. But… Joseph, is this really okay?"
"What is?"
"I heard it was supposed to be confidential."
Joseph let out a low chuckle.
"There are no secrets in Hollywood. It's only ever a matter of time. Whether you make use of the secret, or the secret makes use of you."
"······"
"Things like casting actors or running screen tests aren't really secrets. They happen all the time. It's just that George Mendes and the Last Kill 3 production team are prideful, so they dressed it up that way. But as a producer, I judged that making this public would be more beneficial."
"What's the advantage?"
Joseph folded his arms and answered simply.
"Korea is a cultural powerhouse that can never be underestimated. People are even talking about releasing Hollywood films there first. Raising awareness for Last Kill 3 while also protecting Kang Woojin's standing will help increase his market value."
The bald foreigner scratched his chin after hearing the explanation.
"Why go out of your way for Kang Woojin?"
Joseph Felton shrugged.
"It's preparation for the possibility that I may meet him again."
Then he picked up the tablet again and muttered,
"Just in case, I'm opening the way for him in advance so he can step into Hollywood."
That same day, around early lunchtime in Japan—
preparations for shooting the high school scenes in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice were taking longer than expected. There had been a technical issue with the equipment, and some of Director Kyotaro's staging had also run into problems, resulting in roughly an hour of delay.
Even so, Director Kyotaro personally visited each filming area and called in the necessary actors for pre-rehearsals.
Dialogue, movement, direction, camera angles.
But since Kang Woojin had been called first, he was currently sitting alone in the tent. All he had to do was wait so he could join immediately when needed.
"Hmm—"
Sitting with one leg crossed over the other, Woojin checked the Korean media response on his phone.
'Just like I expected, articles are starting to pop up one by one. If you get too greedy, you trip over yourself? Ah, the reporters are having a field day.'
The reporters who had gotten wind of Kang Woojin's potential Hollywood move as an exclusive were pouring out articles, and Woojin's phone was being flooded with calls.
Meanwhile, the Japanese side remained quiet. Megan Stone, whom he had met earlier, had spoken with Choi Sunggeon and looked as though she might leave, but she was still staying on set.
Well, she can do whatever she wants.
Woojin stopped thinking about it and set his phone down, even though the group chat was still exploding nonstop. The tent, now that all the actors had left, was rather quiet. With no one around, he finally let his guard down for a moment and yawned.
Then—
"Hmm—resting comfortably in the void doesn't sound bad."
Kang Woojin picked up the The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice script from the table beside him and pressed the black square attached to it.
As always, entering the void to rest felt like stepping into endless darkness. But to Woojin, it was no different from home. Soon, he stretched and casually walked over to the rows of white rectangles. Before resting, he was checking whether there had been any rank changes.
Thankfully, everything was still the same.
After scanning the titles and role rankings written across the white rectangles, Woojin suddenly lay down. He was not sleepy, but he could still rest. Relaxing there in empty space, he drifted into thought. Naturally, roles from works he had already filmed or was currently filming floated through his mind, from Exorcism to The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice and Leech.
Then, all of a sudden—
"Hmm, could I mix roles that have already been imprinted?"
Kang Woojin muttered that to himself without much thought. It was a question born purely from curiosity. What would happen if it was not worlds, but roles, that could be fused together?
Would that be completely insane?
At that exact moment, a robotic woman's voice suddenly rang out.
[Acquiring understanding of role integration]