Chapter 396: Full Bloom (2)

Translator: Santos

 

“The Joker in *Pierrot* is mine?” With the phone pressed to his ear, Kang Woo-jin felt momentarily puzzled by the words.

Then, it dawned on him.

“Oh.”

He grasped the meaning behind Director Ahn Ga-bok’s statement. The “Joker” in *Pierrot* meant the role of Henry Gordon was his.

In other words:

“Mine? So, I got the part of Henry Gordon?”

This meant he had passed the final audition and screen test. Otherwise, Director Ahn wouldn’t be calling so early in the morning to share this news. Unless it was a joke—but Ahn Ga-bok was not the type to joke about such things.

In that moment, Woo-jin’s thoughts raced.

“Holy shit! I did it!!”

He silently cheered, raising one hand in the air. Ideally, he would’ve raised both hands in celebration, but one was still holding the phone. Regardless, he began a silent victory dance, bouncing without a sound. The excitement of claiming the “Joker” role had him nearly bursting with joy.

At that moment:

“Hmm?”

Perhaps because he hadn’t responded, Director Ahn spoke again through the phone.

“I said, the role of the Joker in *Pierrot* is yours. Did you hear me?”

Barely containing his excitement, Woo-jin forced himself to stay composed. He wanted to yell, but it was time to play it cool. A wide grin spread across his face as he lowered his voice as much as possible.

“Yes, Director. I heard you.”

“…Do you understand what that means?”

Of course, Grandpa. Woo-jin’s smile grew even wider.

“It means I passed the final audition for Henry Gordon in *Pierrot*, doesn’t it?”

“Exactly. It’s yours. Frankly, no one else could have done it. You brought Henry Gordon to life in the audition.”

“…”

“But aren’t you happy? You’re so calm, it’s throwing me off.”

“I am happy.”

“For someone saying they’re happy, you’re awfully quiet. I know your personality, but I thought this time you’d be a bit louder.”

Woo-jin upped the act.

“I was expecting it. Although, I must say, the call came sooner than I thought.”

“Haha, you were expecting it? Well, I suppose that makes sense. Your Henry Gordon left an unforgettable impression on everyone here.”

Director Ahn’s voice was tinged with a soft laugh as he continued.

“They say it’s a first.”

“A first?”

“Casting a lead role, with so many top Hollywood actors as contenders, decided in just a few days. ‘It’s never happened before,’ said the executives at Columbia Studio.”

It was fast, indeed. Woo-jin had expected it would take at least two weeks. But fast or slow, what mattered was that he secured the role. Woo-jin responded with a casual laugh.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Ahn Ga-bok’s voice shifted to a more serious tone.

“Today, Columbia Studio will contact your representative, President Choi. But I wanted to tell you first.”

“Thank you, Director.”

“And another thing.”

There was a brief pause as Director Ahn exhaled softly and lowered his voice.

“The news of you being cast as the lead in *Pierrot* will shock not just Korea, but the world. But that’s not all. Something even bigger is coming. I can’t say more now, but you’ll find out soon.”

This had to be about Columbia Studio’s high-stakes “Cinematic Universe” project. Woo-jin, unaware of this, tilted his head slightly but nodded anyway.

“Understood.”

“It’s set now. You and I—a Korean director and actor—are going to make a real impact in Hollywood. I’m looking forward to everything from shooting *Pierrot* to what comes after.”

Director Ahn concluded with an excited tone.

“See you soon, on set.”

“Yes, Director.”

The call ended, and Woo-jin tossed his phone onto the bed.

“Damn, this is insane!”

He broke into another celebratory dance, shoulders and hips swaying with excitement. A broad smile lit up his face. This victory felt even more exhilarating than any before, likely because it marked a new milestone—Hollywood.

Just as Woo-jin was getting lost in the moment, a knock sounded at the door.

“Knock, knock.”

Startled, Woo-jin quickly composed himself. When he opened the door, Choi Sung-gon stood there in casual clothes, waving.

“Were you sleeping?”

“No.”

Choi entered the room, waving his phone.

“I sent you some amazing news, but you didn’t respond, so I came to check.”

A message? Oh—right. Woo-jin hadn’t looked at any notifications yet, preoccupied with Director Ahn’s call. He picked up his phone from the bed and opened Choi’s message first.

-[President]: Check this when you wake up. Love ya.

-[President]: (Link)

Choi motioned for him to open the link. Woo-jin tapped the link, and a list of movie titles with impressive numbers appeared.

[Korean All-Time Box Office]

[Overall Movie Rankings]

-1. *The Leech* / Total viewers: 20,483,558

-2. *The Missing Island* / Total viewers: 20,321,451

-3. *The Strange Sacrifice of a Stranger* / Total viewers: 16,833,712

-4. *Naval Battle* / Total viewers: 16,715,955

-5. *Irresistible Force* / Total viewers: 15,557,118

…

Woo-jin almost spread his arms again in celebration. It was an exhilarating sight: he held the top three spots in Korea’s all-time box office rankings. Choi, noticing Woo-jin’s reaction, gripped his shoulder firmly.

“Amazing, right? I danced for minutes when I saw it.”

“…Yes, it’s thrilling.”

“Haha, it’s okay to show more excitement. What actor could pull this off? Korea is already going wild—you’ve taken the top three spots. Japan is just as amazed.”

“How did *The Leech* do in Japan?”

“Oh, it set records there too. Over 17 million viewers. The first Korean film to achieve that.”

How many records were being broken today? Woo-jin struggled to contain his excitement. Choi, on the other hand, felt no need to hold back.

“Achievements like these will be remembered in history.”

“President.”

Woo-jin cut in at this point.

“I got a call from Director Ahn Ga-bok earlier. I’ve been confirmed for the role of Henry Gordon in *Pierrot*.”

Choi Sung-gon’s expression changed from casual to serious in an instant as he processed the news.

“What did you just say? Repeat that.”

“I’ve been confirmed for the role of Henry Gordon in *Pierrot*.”

“…”

Choi stared at Woo-jin, eyes wide and unblinking. He blinked a few times as if trying to comprehend.

“You—you got it?”

“Yes.”

“And Director Ahn Ga-bok called to tell you this?”

“Yes.”

“So, you’re playing Henry Gordon in *Pierrot*, officially making your Hollywood debut? Is that right?”

“That’s correct.”

It took exactly five seconds for Choi Sung-gon to process this. Then he erupted into a yell.

“Whoa! No way!! This is insane!!!”

He staggered backward, shouting in sheer disbelief. It took him over ten minutes to calm down, and even then, his face was still flushed with excitement.

“You did it—really, you did it, Woo-jin. I’m honestly so proud I could cry.”

But they couldn’t share the news just yet.

“If Director Ahn Ga-bok called you directly, it’s best to keep this under wraps for now, right?”

“Probably. Columbia Studio will contact you soon.”

Two hours later, Columbia Studio reached out to Choi Sung-gon. The conversation was long, but to sum it up, the studio confirmed that Kang Woo-jin was cast as Henry Gordon in *Pierrot*, and they would schedule the first meeting as soon as possible—likely the first week of February. They also requested confidentiality until the official announcement.

This initial meeting was intended as a negotiation for the formal contract signing.

There was much to decide from this point forward. The most pressing matter was Woo-jin’s pay, as well as his upcoming schedule and key details to iron out. Woo-jin himself didn’t need to handle these matters directly.

“Leave this to me. You’ve done your part perfectly. Now it’s my turn.”

From here, Choi Sung-gon would manage everything.

The next day, with *Pierrot* now included in his projects, Woo-jin’s stay in LA was extended. During this time, he received word from one of the other major film studios—the legendary *World Disney Pictures*. Although a date for the screen test hadn’t been set, they sent materials for Woo-jin to prepare.

It included soundtracks and piano scores related to the role of the Beast.

Unlike *Pierrot*, which focused on pure acting, *Beauty and the Beast* required acting, singing, and piano skills. Woo-jin had to practice a designated scene from the *Beauty and the Beast* script for the audition.

Meanwhile, back in Korea, the media was buzzing with various topics, most of them revolving around Kang Woo-jin.

**“Kang Woo-jin does it again! Claims the top three spots in Korea’s all-time box office rankings!”**

**“[IssueTalk] ‘Stranger’s Sacrifice’ reaches No. 3 in Korea’s box office, while ‘The Leech’ surpasses 17 million viewers in Japan!”**

Despite being in LA, it was as if Woo-jin’s presence was still felt in Korea. The anticipation for the official launch of *Beneficial Evil* was particularly high.

**“Final countdown to the global release of *Beneficial Evil*; third trailer sparks a flurry of online comments from international fans”**

January ended, and February 1st arrived. On this day, the press conference for *Beneficial Evil* was held. Though Woo-jin was absent, it was a significant event. Hundreds of reporters bombarded the panel with questions about Woo-jin, Miley Cara, the movie’s plot, expectations for its success, and when part two would begin filming.

As expected, discussions about Woo-jin and Miley Cara dominated the event.

**“Director Song Man-woo reveals at the *Beneficial Evil* press conference: ‘Audiences will see a new side of Kang Woo-jin, and Miley Cara’s role is substantial’”**

The excitement for *Beneficial Evil* was spreading beyond Korea to international audiences. Although Miley Cara played a significant role in this, Woo-jin’s presence, fueled by his success from Cannes to *Pierrot* and now *Beauty and the Beast*, had captivated the world’s attention. International audiences were especially curious about him.

In Korea and Japan, expectations for *Beneficial Evil* were through the roof.

**“Kang Woo-jin’s global breakthrough! International community reacts!!” | IssueTalkerTV**

But reactions overseas were mixed, with some expressing skepticism about how good the movie really was.

**“Reactions from overseas audiences to the trailer for *Beneficial Evil*: ‘It looks like an action movie; we’ll wait and see’”**

Regardless of the mixed reactions, the *Beneficial Evil* team, including director Song Man-woo and executive director Kim So-hyang, went all out with their marketing efforts, both domestically and internationally.

The official launch was just around the corner.

**“Only two days left until the highly anticipated global release of *Beneficial Evil*! Premiering on February 3rd at noon KST!”**

**“On February 3rd at noon, *Beneficial Evil* will premiere on Netflix in 80 countries worldwide”**

And now, only two days remained.

On February 3rd in LA, it was already past 7 p.m., while in Korea, the clock was approaching noon. In a quieter residential area outside the bustling city, one house was alive with energy.

This was Kang Woo-jin’s two-story house in LA.

The ground floor, sparsely furnished, felt vast and open.

Over 20 people gathered around the large TV in the living room, including Choi Sung-gon with his hair tied back, the styling team, other team members, and staff from BW Entertainment’s international branch. They sat or stood with beers, pizza, and chicken in hand, eyes glued to the TV.

Excitement was at its peak.

Everyone was chattering non-stop.

Among them, seated casually on the couch opposite Choi Sung-gon, was a man watching the TV in silence.

It was Kang Woo-jin.

“Damn, why am I so nervous?”

At that moment:

“It’s live!!”

A staff member shouted and fiddled with the remote. The Netflix interface appeared on the TV screen. A few more clicks, and the newly released poster of a familiar movie popped up.

-♬♪

The iconic Netflix logo appeared on screen, accompanied by the familiar sound effect that echoed through the room.

Then, against a black background, the title appeared:

-*Beneficial Evil* Part 1

-Episode 1

The EX-level project *Beneficial Evil* had officially been launched worldwide.