A scene was being filmed in which Kiyoshi and Misaki Toka faced off on the school rooftop. This time, it was Kang Woojin and Toka's turn, with Toka played by the Japanese rookie actress Nakajo Kimi. The two of them were both rookies, even if they came from different countries. In fact, if you went strictly by career length, Kimi had more experience.
But the atmosphere between them was entirely different.
That difference was not only visible to the naked eye, but was also being clearly captured on the monitor Director Kyotaro was watching. Nakajo Kimi looked endlessly small in front of Woojin.
'It's okay. I can do this. Breathe, breathe.'
Part of it was because she was nervous, but the gap in acting ability between the two of them also played a part. Kang Woojin, on the other hand, remained calm from beginning to end.
"······"
Of course, as Woojin stared intently at her, he was inwardly worried about Kimi. It was similar to what had happened with Kinjo.
'Is it because we're on the rooftop? Does she maybe have a fear of heights?'
Meanwhile, Director Kyotaro sank briefly into thought.
'Kimi is doing well, but she seems too tense. Should we take a short break and start again? No… if I do that, it could become a problem before filming even properly starts.'
It was an issue of confidence and self-esteem. As a rookie, Kimi was especially unstable mentally. Before long, Director Kyotaro made a decision and calmly gave the signal.
"One, two! Ready—action!"
Their acting began.
It was a fairly important scene in The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. It was the moment Kiyoshi's "homework" revealed itself for the first time. Among the foreigners quietly watching Woojin's acting, Megan, who had her arms crossed, muttered softly,
"He already knows how to do it."
Megan murmured so quietly that she was barely audible, then signaled to the team around her. It was time for them to slowly withdraw. As she quietly left the set and headed down the stairs, Megan found herself thinking of the faces of great Hollywood actors. There were countless actors in Hollywood, but the number who won acting awards like the Oscars and truly made a name for themselves was small.
'He has the same kind of aura they do.'
That was the scent Megan had picked up from Woojin.
Perfect acting was a given.
But—
'If it's too perfect, sometimes it stops standing out.'
For an actor, being "taken for granted" could sometimes become poison. In cases like that, change was necessary. But there were not many actors capable of doing it. The ability to maintain outstanding acting while still injecting the kind of shock and stimulation that seized the attention of the director, the staff, fellow actors, and the audience alike—that was true talent.
The key here was that great acting had to come first.
Only when an actor could captivate the audience with flawless acting that no one could dispute, and then shatter that captivation in an explosion, would the audience be left seeing no one but that actor.
'Then his startling acting will stand out even more.'
By now, Megan had already stepped outside the school. A number of famous Hollywood actors' faces passed through her mind. She and her team climbed into the van parked outside. It was past six o'clock now, and the sky had grown dark.
-Vroom!
The van carrying the Hollywood casting team roared onto the road. Megan, the team leader, stared out the window with a grave expression. The foreign staff members around her wore similarly stiff expressions. It was not exactly a negative mood, but one closer to bewilderment.
Then the stocky man scratching at his short hair spoke up in English.
"Why exactly did Kang Woojin turn down Last Kill 3? He was nothing like the rumors. There's no way an actor who can deliver that kind of tension-filled performance ran away because he lacked ability."
The orange-haired man in the passenger seat agreed.
"It makes absolutely no sense. If Director George Mendes had seen that performance, he would have tried to hold on to him no matter what."
"That acting Woojin showed earlier… it was like he became a different person every moment. Have you ever seen anything like that before?"
"Not at all."
"Same here. My god, that means he really does have a unique acting style, doesn't it? So why would Kang Woojin give up on Hollywood? With acting like that and those martial arts skills, he obviously would've made it."
At that moment, Megan, who had been staring out the window the whole time, recalled everything from the moment she first saw Kang Woojin up to now, then made a sharp judgment.
"This is a declaration."
"A declaration?"
No. It was a serious misunderstanding.
"Yes. He's been flaunting his presence this whole time. From the beginning, he probably had no interest in a small role in Last Kill 3. In fact, I approached him first, and even though Kang Woojin had no interest in the role at all, he still showed up."
"······And then he confidently turned it down."
"He was showing that he could take on a small role like that whenever he wanted. Don't you understand?"
"Ah."
At that moment, the eyes of the team members, who had finally grasped Megan's hidden meaning, filled with realization. But Megan, brushing back her short brown hair, did not stop spreading her sharp misunderstanding.
"He isn't challenging Hollywood. He's sure Hollywood will come looking for him. You could tell just from today. He wasn't shaken by us at all."
"He was extremely calm. Usually, when actors hear from a Hollywood casting team, the reaction they show is excitement."
Megan crossed her long legs and stroked her chin.
"······Kang Woojin is preparing to enter Cannes with Director Ahn Gabok's Korean film."
"Ah, right."
"Director Ahn Gabok has a significant reputation at Cannes and in Hollywood. He's a veteran director who has directed close to a hundred films and has reached the level of a master. Just imagine it—if a film born from a collaboration between Director Ahn Gabok and actor Kang Woojin were entered into Cannes. Even people like us are paying attention, so don't you think the global power players at Cannes would do the same?"
The team members slowly nodded, as if they understood.
"Everyone will be watching. There won't be any need for a Hollywood audition anymore."
"If things go as expected, there'd be no reason for him to start with a supporting role."
Megan smiled faintly.
"A supporting role? If he places first at Cannes, he'd start in Hollywood with a supporting role? No—he could go even higher than that."
Then she added, in a somewhat meaningful tone,
"Joseph Felton figured that out early and moved first."
Her teammates tilted their heads, wondering what exactly she meant.
The next morning, the 24th. Korea.
It was Sunday, around ten in the morning. Today was the first official broadcast of Our Table. After the release of episode zero the previous week, expectations had risen to their peak thanks to the many teasers, issues, and preview clips released throughout the week by the Our Table production team.
The Our Table members had gathered in a studio in Gangnam.
The studio was busy with filming preparations. Countless cameras and lights had been set up around the shooting area, and posters related to Our Table were plastered here and there. The dozens of staff members somehow looked familiar.
That was because the crew filming in this studio was the Sports Day team led by PD Yoon Byeongseon.
Today's guests were the Our Table team. Since both teams belonged to the powerhouse variety PD Yoon Byeongseon, he had arranged this filming himself. Sports Day was also a popular variety program, and with Our Table steadily gaining attention, it seemed Yoon Byeongseon had pushed forward with the shoot even more aggressively.
Still—
"Check the camera focus!"
"Camera one is working properly!!"
"Camera two is working properly!!"
Several cameras from the production team were pointed at the Our Table members sitting side by side. Ahn Jonghak, Ha Gangsu, Hong Hyeyeon, Hwarin, and Yeon Baekgwang. All of them showed off their individuality with perfect makeup and stylish clothes. The only one missing was Kang Woojin, who was still in Japan.
Even though Kang Woojin was the chef, there was no helping it.
In any case, PD Yoon Byeongseon, standing in front of the members, was already chatting energetically before filming even started.
"But is the story about Woojin and Hollywood actually true?"
Naturally, the topic was Kang Woojin. Since the news of Kang Woojin's Hollywood debut had set Korea on fire the day before, it was no surprise that the Our Table members were all excited too.
"Hey, hey, Hong Hyeyeon. You don't know anything?"
At Ahn Jonghak's question, Hong Hyeyeon pushed back her long hair and frowned.
"How would I know? Just because we're from the same company doesn't mean I know every single thing, okay?"
"True. BW Entertainment has gotten so big that it makes sense."
Hong Hyeyeon lightly bit her lower lip.
'I was surprised too.'
The youngest, Yeon Baekgwang, dressed in a beige knit sweater, suddenly jumped in.
"But if it's true that Woojin hyung is going to Hollywood, that's seriously incredible, isn't it?"
Ha Gangsu crossed his long legs and agreed.
"It's unbelievably shocking. Going to Hollywood just one year after debut—there's never been anything like that before."
"If you look at the footage, those pictures really do look like a Hollywood movie. Wow, if it's true, that's seriously amazing. We'll get to brag that we're friends with a global actor."
"But Woojin-ssi still hasn't said anything himself, right?"
Meanwhile, Hwarin, who had been sitting quietly in a white hoodie, was fiddling with her phone.
'Should I contact him? But messages must already be pouring in. Ah, I just want to call him.'
The news that her favorite idol was debuting in Hollywood made her so happy she wanted to dance, but at the same time, Kang Woojin felt as if he were getting farther and farther away. Quietly, she opened Kang Woojin's fan café, Kang's Heart. Just like the day before, the fan café was still overflowing with activity.
At that moment, PD Yoon Byeongseon, who had been talking with Ahn Jonghak, shook his head.
"Still, Woojin really never stops making headlines. He's a mega-hit, the definition of one. From the first time I saw him, I had a feeling there was something special about him. Wow, seriously, this is amazing."
Ahn Jonghak waved the phone in his hand and joined in.
"Is the speed of the news even real? This is insane. It's like a flood."
"Of course it is. Winner Movie Pictures is a pretty big company in Hollywood, you know? Hyung, have you ever been there?"
"I've been there. Or rather, to be exact, I only passed by it. I didn't go inside."
"The very fact that Winner contacted him first, even though Woojin-ssi wasn't trying to contact them, raises his status by another level."
Ahn Jonghak glanced briefly at PD Yoon Byeongseon and changed the subject.
"But with that crazy schedule of his, how did Woojin-ssi even find time to do a screen test?"
"Hyung, are you really one hundred percent sure?"
"Hmm, there's evidence. I'm about eighty percent sure."
Right then, the youngest, Yeon Baekgwang, clapped his hands.
"Ah!!! Was it then?? After we came back from filming Our Table, Woojin hyung stayed in Hollywood for a while, didn't he!"
A brief silence fell, and then Ahn Jonghak nodded as though it were obvious.
"Right, that did happen."
At that time, the excitement throughout the media, public opinion, and the domestic entertainment industry had already reached its peak.
『[Star Talk] Kang Woojin, nearing a Hollywood debut?』
『High possibility that Kang Woojin passed a Hollywood screen test just one year after debut… first record for Korea』
News about advancing into Hollywood was not completely unfamiliar in the Korean entertainment industry, but it was extremely rare. The fact that Kang Woojin was now the one at the center of it created enormous waves.
『Korean entertainment industry in an uproar over rumors of Kang Woojin's Hollywood debut… Winner Movie Pictures remains silent』
The video uploaded by the YouTube channel Fact Guys, which had broken the exclusive story, recorded an absurd number of views in just one day.
-[Exclusive Scoop!!]Rising rookie actor Kang Woojin!! Secret Hollywood screen test?! Hollywood debut imminent! (Critical evidence obtained!) | Fact Guys
7.88 million views
Countless YouTubers were now continuously spinning off derivative videos based on the story. But every one of those videos sold, and the comments exploded.
Gradually, idle talk and rumors began to overflow everywhere.
The story had broken the day before, but today was even more chaotic than that. In particular, since Kang Woojin, representing Korea, was currently in Japan, the chaos had only intensified.
In a situation like this, there was no way Kang Woojin's parents would not know. But unexpectedly, Kang Woochul and Seo Hyunmi, who were at their shop, reacted quite calmly.
"······Hollywood? The Hollywood we know? The one in America?"
"Yes."
"Then it can't be our Woojin, can it?"
"Hmm?"
"No, first of all, Woojin hasn't contacted us about anything. And it's not like our son is that good at English."
Kang Woochul admitted it honestly.
"...Still, he was a good listener. He only listened, though."
A few hours later, in Los Angeles.
It was around noon in Korea and Japan, but late evening in Los Angeles. At that hour, on a Hollywood street lined with massive mansions, there was a familiar man inside a house with a glass-heavy interior and a large swimming pool in the yard.
A towering height, a massive build, a foreign Black man.
It was the famous Hollywood producer Joseph Felton.
Whew—
Joseph, who looked as though he had just gotten home from work, opened the refrigerator door as soon as he stepped into the spacious living room. He pulled out a green drink. Just by looking at it, it did not seem especially appetizing. As he swallowed it, Joseph grimaced, as though to confirm that it tasted just as bad as it looked.
"No matter when I drink this, it tastes awful."
Muttering to himself while forcing the drink down, he checked the time. It was already past nine o'clock. Joseph was currently producing three Hollywood films, and he had several meetings scheduled from early the next morning. He had been thinking he ought to go to bed early tonight.
Right then—
-♬♪
His phone, lying on an expensive-looking sofa, began to ring. Joseph picked up the call while muttering to himself, "So here it begins." But—
"Hmm?"
Seeing who the caller was, he tilted his head in surprise.
"Megan?"
The one calling him was the talented casting director Megan Stone. It was unusual for her to call at this hour. In fact, it had never happened before.
"Hmm—"
Whatever it was, Joseph set down the green drink and held the phone to his ear.
"Megan? What's going on at this hour?"
Megan Stone's voice came through, calm as ever.
"It's daytime here."
"Daytime?"
"I'm in Japan right now."
"Japan?"
Joseph looked momentarily confused before suddenly recalling something.
"Ah, right. You said you were going to a Japanese film festival. You're still not back yet?"
"No. I'll return in two days."
"You went there in person? You could've just sent the team."
"I only trust what I see with my own eyes."
"Haha, right. So, did you find any promising actors?"
"Yes. A real star."
"A star?"
It was a surprising answer, but Megan was eccentric enough that Joseph let it pass.
"That's good. So? What is it? This is the first time you've called me this late."
"Kang Woojin."
Joseph fell silent for a moment.
"Kang Woojin?"
"I met Kang Woojin in Japan."
"Ah."
Director Kyotaro and The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice immediately came to mind. It had been listed in Kang Woojin's profile. Come to think of it, Woojin had already started filming for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
"Wait… Megan, when you said you found a star, you don't mean Kang Woojin, do you?"
"I saw his acting. I saw it up close, with my own eyes."
Damn it. She got there before I did.
Even if it was only coincidence, Joseph felt a slight sense of defeat.
"How was he?"
"······"
"Megan?"
Joseph called out when Megan Stone suddenly fell silent. Then she asked him bluntly,
"Joseph, was it you who leaked the information about Kang Woojin's screen test for Last Kill 3?"