Chapter 404: Full Bloom (10)

Translator: Santos

 

It was around the afternoon of the 12th.

Kang Woo-jin, who had wrapped up the morning audition for *Beauty and the Beast*, was now sitting inside a moving van. He was wearing a thick gray blazer, with full makeup and styled hair. This was because he had just finished an interview with a major Hollywood media outlet.

-Vroom!

Woo-jin's team was on their way to get some food after an hour-long interview. The choice was pizza, suggested by Han Ye-jeong, who knew of a popular spot nearby. Woo-jin, who had one leg crossed and was gazing out the window while maintaining his signature stoic demeanor, pondered silently.

‘Hmm... Is the audition for the Beast role wrapping up by now? Or is it still ongoing?’

He was curious. Unlike the public audition for *Piero*, *Beauty and the Beast* was held privately, making him even more intrigued. Soon, Choi Sung-geon, sitting to his right, glanced at his phone’s clock and muttered as if echoing Woo-jin’s thoughts.

“There were four actors after you. Considering the time, the Beast auditions should be done by now. If not, they’re on the final one. I wonder what the director and the production team’s reactions were like at the end.”

The stylists and other team members chimed in, expressing their own curiosity and talking about the impressive scale of the *Beauty and the Beast* set. Woo-jin, though just as curious, masked it with an air of nonchalance.

“They’ll get in touch soon.”

“Heh, a call saying you got the part?”

“Yes.”

“Man, you never have a reverse gear, do you?”

“Probably not.”

Just then—

-Brrr, brrrr.

Woo-jin’s phone vibrated. The caller was Miley Cara. He pressed the phone to his ear and spoke in his usual calm English.

“Hello.”

Cara’s slightly excited voice came through the line.

“Hey, I just thought of you and decided to call. You auditioned for the Beast role, right?”

“Yes.”

“How did it go?”

“What do you mean, specifically?”

“I mean, how do you feel about it? Do you think you did well?”

“Probably.”

“...You’re hard to read. Anyway, a friend of mine told me they saw you there. You didn’t see them?”

Cara elaborated, and Woo-jin recalled seeing the curly-haired Hollywood actor earlier.

“I saw him. We didn’t talk, though.”

“That’s probably because he sees you as competition. He’s aware of you because of how I mentioned you last time. Well, I hope you get the role of the Beast. This would be groundbreaking, even for Hollywood, you know that, right?”

“I’ve heard that.”

Cara, who was a candidate for the role of Belle, chuckled lightly and changed the topic.

“They say the Belle auditions will happen after the Beast role is confirmed.”

Really? That’s news to me. Woo-jin answered nonchalantly.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. The actor playing the Beast will likely observe the Belle auditions. They’ll match the candidates with the Beast. You’ll probably get to see me and all the Belle candidates.”

“...It’s not confirmed yet, though.”

“Oh right, that’s true, isn’t it?”

Cara laughed and then spoke again.

“Personally, I’d love to sing while you play the piano as Belle.”

Meanwhile.

At the 50,000 square meter *SPT Studio* set complex, where the live-action *Beauty and the Beast* would be filmed, a hundred foreign crew members were busy clearing up one of the warehouse-style stages where the auditions had taken place since the morning.

Cleanup was in full swing.

All the lights, cameras, and audio equipment that had been set up in the ballroom set were being packed into trucks. By the golden piano adorned with intricate patterns, Director Bill Rotner stood, looking contemplatively at the instrument.

“...”

Unlike the bustling crew, his face was serious as he stared down at the piano, likely replaying the morning’s audition scenes in his mind. The executive producer approached him.

“Director, what’s on your mind?”

Bill Rotner removed his black-rimmed glasses and chuckled lightly.

“It’s not so much that I’m thinking as it is the thoughts forcing their way out, almost violently.”

“...Kang Woo-jin?”

Rotner didn’t respond immediately but instead took a sweeping glance around the elaborately crafted ballroom set. It was so well-made that it could have been a real ballroom. Forgetting the performance Woo-jin had given here, or rather, the Beast’s performance, would have been unthinkable for a director. At least, that’s what Bill Rotner believed.

“His piano performance alone conveyed the Beast’s appearance, personality, and life. I’ve never seen anything like that. And his vocal and acting skills were just as...”

He trailed off, making eye contact with the executive producer.

“Now I understand why he unexpectedly won Best Actor at Cannes, why he mentions the Oscars so nonchalantly, why he was cast as the lead in *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, and why he’s causing such a stir in Hollywood.”

“...I feel the same way. Even Disney executives are calling him a ‘monster’.”

“I’m dying to see him with full Beast makeup.”

“Excuse me?”

Bill Rotner’s gaze was lost in thought as he envisioned Woo-jin.

“I mean, I want to see Kang Woo-jin fully transformed into the Beast. To be honest, the other actors today weren’t bad. We’ll have to gather later for an in-depth discussion about the auditions. I understand that Disney also needs to consider public opinion and the controversies surrounding him.”

“...”

“But I’m telling you now, openly.”

Director Bill Rotner shared his true feelings with the executive producer of *Beauty and the Beast*.

“Right now, I can’t think of anyone but Kang Woo-jin as the Beast.”

Meanwhile.

The news that the auditions for the Beast role had concluded spread through Hollywood by the next day, the 13th. Given the global popularity of the project, the international media was quick to pick up on it.

『LA TIMES: “Live-action *Beauty and the Beast* by *World Disney Pictures* concludes Beast role auditions”』

This issue spread rapidly, fueling discussions across global online communities. Naturally, Kang Woo-jin’s name was prominent. From the moment he was announced as a contender for the Beast role, it had made waves, but the hype had intensified after he secured the lead in *Piero: Birth of a Villain*.

What was it about him that made Hollywood so captivated?

There was one noticeable change, though. The reactions of international audiences had softened a bit.

-“It’s not entirely far-fetched for Kang Woo-jin to be cast as the Beast. Everyone should watch *Beneficial Evil* to understand.”

-“I agree. He’s handsome and a great actor. I think he could pull off the Beast role quite well.”

The sudden global success of *Benevolent Evil* had changed perceptions. After its launch about ten days ago, *Beneficial Evil* was now—

『“Started watching one episode and ended up binge-watching all night”… The world is hooked on *Beneficial Evil*』

It was taking the world by storm.

『[Video] The mixed reactions to *Beneficial Evil*: A whirlwind between freshness and familiarity, still ranked #1 in the U.S.!』

『Global popularity of *Beneficial Evil* leads to massive follower growth for Kang Woo-jin and co-star Hwa-rin on social media!』

Contrary to expectations that it would only make a brief splash, *Beneficial Evil* had maintained its #1 spot in the U.S. and many other countries for over ten days.

In fact—

『*Beneficial Evil* sweeps the globe, holding the #1 spot in 22 countries including the U.S.』

It had reached the top of Netflix in over 20 countries.

People around the world were talking about *Beneficial Evil*.

-“I didn’t know much about Korea, but after watching *Beneficial Evil*, I want to visit!”

-“When is Part 2 coming out? Netflix, do your job!”

-“I’m trying to find another Korean drama on Netflix that matches up to *Beneficial Evil*, but nothing comes close.”

-“The action scenes are good, but I don’t really get the hype around the story.”

-“I couldn’t really stay focused either.”

-“This is the first time I’ve been interested in a Korean actor... Kang Woo-jin is amazing.”

It was a global phenomenon.

『The world is raving about *Beneficial Evil*, breaking records in Korea… Kang Woo-jin’s global fame skyrocketing exponentially!』

Then, on the 14th—

『[Issue Pick] “*Beneficial Evil* rewriting the playbook for Korean dramas,” maintains #1 in the U.S. and more; achieves #1 worldwide for the first time for a Korean drama!』

『*Beneficial Evil* makes history... #1 on Netflix globally!』

The first global ranking was released.

『Kang Woo-jin conquers the world, *Beneficial Evil* takes #1 on Netflix worldwide… A record for Korean dramas』

『[Summary] *Beneficial Evil* takes the #1 spot in 22 countries including Korea, the U.S., and Japan; ranks in the top tier in over 50 other countries… A world-first achievement』

『Only ten days after its release, *Beneficial Evil* hits #1 globally; could this trend continue for an unprecedented outcome?

』

It was the first time a Korean drama had ever reached #1 worldwide.

At that time, in a building located just a bit outside downtown LA.

A large, two-story structure came into view. It was mostly gray, surrounded by transparent glass windows. A wide garden full of trees encircled the building. In expansive LA, it wasn’t particularly huge, but there was one prominent feature.

A giant statue stood in front of the building.

The statue, over three times the height of a person, depicted a winged woman holding a globe while gazing skyward. It resembled a trophy.

And it was indeed a trophy.

A giant version of the original design.

This statue, with the winged woman holding a globe and looking up, was world-famous, not just in America. In cinema, there was the Oscars; in theater and musicals, the Tony Awards; and in television, there was the Primetime Emmy Awards. Often just called the “Emmy,” this statue represented that award.

The Emmy Awards were as prestigious in television as the Oscars were in film.

It was no wonder that the global television industry would do anything to participate. The Emmys included not only broadcast networks but cable and various OTT platforms. Like Cannes, it had multiple sections, with the Primetime Emmy Awards as the main event, commonly referred to as the “Emmys.” Of course, there was a Best Actor award.

The reason this giant Emmy trophy statue stood proudly in front of this building was simple.

This was the headquarters of the Emmys.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), which organized the annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Interestingly, in one of the meeting rooms in this building, a group of foreigners of various ages were having a conversation.

“*Beneficial Evil*... Its momentum is remarkable.”

They were discussing the Korean drama *Beneficial Evil*.

“I agree. It topped the U.S. Netflix chart just a day after release. A first for a Korean production.”

“And that’s not all. It’s currently #1 in over 20 countries, and in the top tier in at least 50 others.”

“It’s more than just an unusual trend now. It keeps breaking records.”

The discussion among these dozens of people was quite serious.

“It’s currently #1 globally on Netflix. That’s a record only a few American shows can claim.”

“With proper analysis, you’d probably find it’s a short list.”

“The show itself is entertaining and well-made, with standout direction and especially the action scenes.”

“Kang Woo-jin—he’s definitely causing a storm. Winning at Cannes, securing leads in *Piero: Birth of a Villain* and *Beauty and the Beast*, and now *Beneficial Evil* is blowing up globally. How is this even possible?”

“It’s possible because it’s happening.”

“Anyway, it’s clear that *Beneficial Evil* and Kang Woo-jin have pulled off a miracle.”

“Kang Woo-jin’s miracle is still unfolding.”

For context, the Primetime Emmy Awards collected candidate shows from April of the previous year to April of the current year, with a voting process by countless jury members, leading up to a grand event in August. It was February now, a prime period for gathering candidates.

A foreigner with a thick mustache spoke up.

“*Beneficial Evil*—should we consider it as a candidate?”

A foreigner with a protruding belly and crossed arms replied.

“We’ll need to keep watching it a bit longer. But if it maintains this momentum, I think it’s more than qualified.”

Most of the gathered people nodded in agreement. The portly man then added,

“If *Beneficial Evil* officially gets nominated—it would be the first non-English work to do so.”

*Beneficial Evil* had made its mark on the Emmys’ radar.