Chapter 403: Full Bloom (9)

Translator: Santos

 

The grand ballroom set was filled with over a hundred crew members and countless filming equipment, with Kang Woo-jin seated at a white piano decorated with golden patterns. This was the scene witnessed by the foreign staff gathered around.

But Woo-jin’s view was different.

-♬♪

As he played the keys with a smile, he saw no cameras, no lights, no audio equipment, and none of the foreign crew. To Woo-jin, this set was something else entirely.

A place brimming with elegance and old-world charm.

The chandelier-filled ceiling glowed with countless candle flames, casting a warm hue across the ballroom. Tables were laden with delicious-looking food, and nobles in colorful gowns and formal attire danced to the piano's rhythm, filling the vast hall with their laughter.

For Woo-jin, this wasn’t an audition stage anymore.

It was a party, bursting with rhythm and joy.

And of course, it made sense. At this moment, Woo-jin *was* the Beast. Or more precisely, he was the prince before the curse took hold. From the moment he stepped into the ballroom set, he summoned the essence of the Beast and the prince. His thoughts and life shifted in an instant, and the reality around him dissolved into mere set dressing. Woo-jin wasn’t playing the piano.

He was sharing the world of the Beast with everyone.

This wasn’t acting. It was bringing the Beast from *Beauty and the Beast* into reality, portraying a snippet of his life. The piano was simply the medium.

I was never a monster, never just a Beast.

See? Could a beast play this tender piano melody? Could the nobles in this ballroom smile with such genuine happiness? Woo-jin, as the prince, filled the scene with pure, unbridled joy.

The audience, however—

“...Oh my.”

“Has he already started acting?”

“It looks like it.”

Director Bill Rotner, the executive producer, the *World Disney Pictures* executives, and the entire foreign crew of over a hundred took this as intense acting. It was unavoidable. The expression on Woo-jin’s face, as shown on the monitors, was markedly different from the beginning. His gaze shifted across the seemingly empty ballroom as if it were crowded with people. Even the emotions in his piano performance were palpable, enough to melt the ears of anyone listening.

It was 100% acting.

What stood out was the reaction of the *Beauty and the Beast* production team. Some widened their eyes, others parted their lips or furrowed their brows. All their eyes reflected a touch of bewilderment. The reason was simple.

“Did anyone ask him to incorporate acting into the piano performance?”

“No, not at all. Even in the audition documents, it was clearly stated that we wanted only a focus on the piano, with no acting required.”

No one in the *Beauty and the Beast* production team had asked Woo-jin to act while playing the piano. The audition required only three things from the candidates:

Piano, singing, and acting.

The piano and singing were key to determining how comfortably the candidates could handle the various OSTs central to the live-action *Beauty and the Beast*. While acting would be integrated during actual filming, this audition phase focused on gauging raw musical talent. The candidates had only recently received the sheet music, so they hadn’t had much time to practice. Just showcasing musical ability alone would be impressive.

Integrating acting meant a deeper process involving script analysis and extensive practice mixing acting with piano and OST performances—something *World Disney Pictures* had observed countless times before.

But now—

Seated at the piano in his blue and beige formal attire, Woo-jin—

-♬♪

—was weaving acting seamlessly into his performance. And it didn’t seem forced or fabricated. The reactions from Bill Rotner and the gathered staff were proof of that.

“It really feels like we’re in the ballroom scene from *Beauty and the Beast*.”

“Same here. Is it because of his smile? Or the piano melody?”

“Probably both. He’s portraying the prince and infusing the piano with the emotions of that prince. The music is lively and smooth, not rough at all.”

“...This is unbelievable. I almost see the dancing nobles in this empty hall. This is the first time I’ve experienced this. How can he pull off something so difficult so effortlessly?”

Bill Rotner, with his widened eyes, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses.

“Even the piano performance surpassed our expectations. How on earth? How did he master both the piano and acting to such an extent in such a short time?”

It felt as if Woo-jin were showing the production team a pre-recorded video. Almost as if to say, *This is what a live-action adaptation should look like*.

Then, the atmosphere shifted.

“Hmm? Is it just me, or is the tempo speeding up?”

“You’re right, and there’s an edge of irritation in the music.”

The cheerful, playful piano melody Woo-jin had been playing gradually sped up and turned harsh. His once-smiling face darkened, a shadow creeping across it. This transformation was captured perfectly on the monitors, showing his expression change in real-time. The bright music was now tinged with pain.

And then—

-♬♪!!

With splayed fingers, Woo-jin struck the piano keys with force. The music, which had filled the ballroom, suddenly stopped.

“...”

“...”

“...”

The warm, inviting atmosphere of the ballroom instantly turned bleak. The forgotten chill of winter seeped into the clothes of the hundred crew members. It was cold. A subtle fury flickered across Woo-jin’s expression on the monitor.

Silence took hold.

Dressed in his formal attire, Woo-jin simply looked down at the golden piano, motionless. Ten seconds passed. Bill Rotner and the executive producer began to speculate.

‘Is it... over? Did he only practice up to the midpoint? Even so, he played it as if it were his own composition. Beyond expectations.’

‘He’s not playing the full piece. Well, it’s understandable—acting and playing together must have been exhausting. Still, it was incredible, far beyond what anyone anticipated.’

They assumed that this was the limit of what the enigmatic Korean actor had prepared. Bill Rotner stood from his seat, ready to address Woo-jin at the piano.

“...Mr. Kang Woo-jin.”

At that moment—

-♬♪

The halted piano melody resumed, filling the ballroom once more. Woo-jin’s fingers were moving again, and Bill Rotner froze in place.

‘It wasn’t... over?’

The eyes of the executive producer and the hundred crew members widened in unison. All eyes were on Woo-jin, who now played with an intense ferocity that was evident from the first note. Though the melody was a continuation of the earlier piece, it felt like a completely different song. Everyone present shared the same thought.

‘What... is happening? The atmosphere just shifted 180 degrees.’

Woo-jin’s perspective shifted too. The warm, elegant ballroom with its inviting meals and laughing nobles was gone. The bright chandeliers with their candles were extinguished. The nobles in their gowns and suits had disappeared.

Now, only darkness remained.

A biting, icy wind swept through the empty hall. There was no warmth, only a stale, damp chill. His formal attire was torn and ragged, and his hands, playing the piano, were now covered in thick brown fur.

The Beast.

At this moment, Woo-jin was no longer the prince; he was the Beast.

The cursed monster he had become.

The seasons in his heart shifted from spring to winter. The laughter in his soul was ripped apart by the beast within, clawing, biting, roaring. He was empty, anxious, irritated. Restless.

-♬♪

Every one of these emotions was laid bare in the piano’s angry, raw melody. It was rough, full of rage, unmistakably the Beast’s. The face displayed on the monitor echoed these feelings. Woo-jin’s expression was that of a Beast, annoyed and irritable, growing more intense as the performance went on.

It made sense.

He had fully summoned the Beast and amplified the essence of the transformation.

Why did it come to this? Where did my warm past go? When will I be able to return? Will I die like this? Please, anyone, show up.

Ah, this loneliness—this is hell.

Woo-jin didn’t utter a single line. His tightly shut lips didn’t part. But his eyes, his expressions, and the piano told the Beast’s story more vividly than a hundred lines of dialogue could.

And then—

-♬♪

As the angry, raw music reached its climax, Woo-jin’s playing ceased. He closed the piano lid, meeting the camera’s gaze beyond.

“...”

His eyes were filled with the raw, vulnerable emotions of a child.

Five seconds passed.

-Swish.

With a face that returned to its indifferent mask, Woo-jin stood and spoke to the foreign crew in low English.

“It’s over.”

But no one responded immediately.

“...”

“...”

The presence of the Beast lingered too strongly.

Minutes later.

Kang Woo-jin exited the warehouse set of the 50,000 square meter *SPT Studio*, where the *Beauty and the Beast* audition had taken place. He was out of his formal attire. Understandably, the audition and screen test were over.

Looking back at the massive set, Woo-jin’s face held a firm expression. But internally, he sighed in relief.

‘Phew—it’s done! That was more intense than I thought. But I feel great now that it’s over.’

He had given everything, showcasing his piano, vocal, and acting skills without holding back. Afterward

, Bill Rotner, the executive producer, and the *World Disney Pictures* executives had surprisingly few questions. Just a couple about his preparation for the audition. Woo-jin found it odd.

‘Did they not like it? Well, whatever. It’s done, and now it’s just a waiting game.’

He brushed it off, knowing that nothing would change no matter how much he dwelled on it. Next to him, Choi Sung-geon gave him a thumbs-up.

“You killed it again. Seriously, you’re insane. When you stopped playing the piano and then changed the tone completely—it gave me chills.”

“Was it okay?”

“More than okay. You blew them away. Didn’t you see the looks on the director and producers’ faces? They were soulless. I even heard them murmuring in amazement.”

Was that so? Woo-jin felt relieved as Sung-geon continued.

“Four Hollywood heavyweights are still in the running after you, but honestly, I can’t see you losing to them.”

“...”

“But then again, this place is full of surprises, and there was that controversy when you were announced as a contender for the Beast. Let’s just wait calmly for now.”

This meant that, regardless of talent, *World Disney Pictures* might have other considerations. There was also the fact that Woo-jin had just been confirmed for the lead in *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, and there were still murmurs about his sudden rise. Not to mention potential subtle biases that might come into play.

As Woo-jin nodded—

-Swish.

A group of foreigners passed in front of him. Among them, a man with curly brown hair glanced at Woo-jin. His appearance alone signaled that he was no ordinary actor. As they moved away, Sung-geon muttered.

“The next candidate is going in.”

One of the other contenders, a Hollywood actor. Woo-jin recognized him as the actor Miley Cara had mocked for being loose-lipped at a fashion show when discussing Woo-jin. Not that Woo-jin would know this—he only regarded the man with curiosity.

‘That actor... I don’t remember his name, but in person, he’s seriously impressive. Great looks and tall, too. Whoa—’

The curly-haired Hollywood actor entering the audition room looked back and muttered.

“So, that’s Kang Woo-jin—”

He recalled what Miley Cara had told him.

*‘If you go in with that attitude, you’re going to get crushed. And it’ll be brutal.’*

He scoffed.

“Crushed by that guy? Ridiculous.”

Twenty minutes later—

-♬♪

The piano music once again filled the grand ballroom set of the *Beauty and the Beast* audition. A man in a blue formal suit was seated at the golden piano. But it wasn’t Kang Woo-jin. It was the curly-haired Hollywood actor, the next candidate, passionately performing at an expert level.

Bill Rotner and the foreign crew watched, their expressions serious. They seemed impressed by his performance, but—

“...”

“...”

Behind their closed mouths, their minds weren’t filled with admiration, but bewilderment.

The reason?

“Whew—starting with something that incredible was a mistake.”

Director Bill Rotner, now with his black-rimmed glasses off, muttered as he listened to the Hollywood actor’s piano performance.

“It’s child’s play.”