Chapter 409: Roaring sound (4)

Translator: Santos

 

When Kang Woo-jin first saw Maria Armas, he was intrigued. She was standing near the massive 50,000-square-meter “spt studio” where Woo-jin had just arrived. Choi Sung-geon reacted first.

“Oh—that actress.”

Then Woo-jin’s eyes followed. He couldn’t recall her name at first. She was just another familiar Hollywood face, like Chris Hartnett. But one thing was certain:

‘Wow, she’s stunning. Her presence is something else.’

Her aura was definitely sophisticated, and her deep brown eyes left an impression. Soon, Choi Sung-geon provided her name.

“You know her, right? Maria Armas. She’s one of the candidates for Belle, just like Miley Cara. People often compare the two because of their vibe.”

Maria Armas? The name didn’t strike a chord, even after hearing it. Still, Woo-jin played along with a low-toned acknowledgment.

“Yes, I’ve seen her.”

“She doesn’t actively pursue a music career like Miley, but she’s famous in Hollywood for her singing skills. She’s pretty good at musicals too. And looks-wise, she’s considered on par with Miley.”

“...”

Woo-jin examined Maria’s face from a few steps away. Both actresses were undeniably beautiful, but comparing them seemed pointless. They had different types of beauty. That was just Woo-jin’s opinion. Choi Sung-geon patted Woo-jin on the shoulder.

“Let’s go say hi.”

Then, Woo-jin heard it.

“I don’t like him.”

Maria’s backhanded comment, spoken in Spanish. The timing was so absurd that it almost made him laugh. Of course, Choi Sung-geon wouldn’t understand Spanish.

“Huh—did she just switch from English to Spanish? That is Spanish, right?”

Only Woo-jin could understand what she was saying. He had picked up Spanish while working on *Jurassic Land 4*.

“He’s not fit for the Beast. No, he’s even less suited for the prince. A prince should be more handsome.”

Oh, really? That ticked him off. Woo-jin’s “no-holds-barred” nature started to emerge. Hearing someone talk about him right in front of him was not something either his on-screen or real-life persona could ignore. So, Woo-jin responded—in Spanish, naturally.

“You’re not as pretty as Miley Cara.”

Maria Armas visibly flinched at the unexpected comment. Her face contorted slightly, mostly out of surprise at hearing flawless Spanish from a Korean actor.

‘What the—why does he know Spanish?’

This surprise wasn’t limited to Maria. The foreign staff and even Choi Sung-geon shared the reaction.

‘...Spanish??!’

Everyone looked at Woo-jin with wide eyes. He remained unfazed, staring at Maria from a step away. Maria narrowed her eyes.

“What did you just say?”

She spoke in Spanish, trying to maintain her dignity. Though she regretted getting caught gossiping, Woo-jin’s words irked her. Am I less attractive than Miley? But Woo-jin, showing no intention of smoothing things over, repeated himself without a hint of emotion.

“I said you’re not as pretty as Miley Cara.”

“...Excuse me?”

“In Korea, we have a saying: ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’”

“???”

As confusion spread across Maria’s face, Woo-jin explained it simply.

“It means paying back what you’ve been dealt.”

“...”

Maria bit her lower lip. Her instinct was to snap back, but knowing she was in the wrong, she forced herself to swallow her irritation. Her gaze was intense, but Woo-jin extended his hand, breaking the tension.

-Swish.

This time, he spoke in English so everyone could hear.

“I’m Kang Woo-jin. Let’s do well today.”

With eyes still on them, Maria had no choice but to shake his hand.

“Yes. Nice to meet you.”

After a brief handshake, Woo-jin moved on, with Choi Sung-geon and the team following. Choi glanced back at Maria, then asked Woo-jin,

“What was that about? What were you talking about in Spanish?”

Woo-jin, still with a poker face, kept his response brief.

“We just complimented each other’s looks.”

“...Didn’t look like compliments to me.”

“Couldn’t be.”

“Yeah? Hmm—wait! Hey, Woo-jin, when did you even—”

Choi Sung-geon started to ask something but sighed instead, flashing a fake smile.

“Never mind. It’d probably be a wild story anyway.”

Meanwhile, Maria, who was glaring at Woo-jin’s retreating back, muttered,

“Annoying.”

It had been a while since she felt such defeat.

“How in the world... does he know Spanish?”

About 30 minutes later.

Now participating as the confirmed Beast rather than a candidate, Kang Woo-jin entered the grand set for the auditions. The hall, with its chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, intricately decorated columns, and marble floors adorned with ornate paintings, was as stunning as ever.

Dressed in his blue formal wear for the role of the Beast, Woo-jin stood among the foreign staff.

He was deep in conversation with the half-bald Director Bill Roettner.

“Mr. Kang, no need to overdo it. Just play the piano piece from the previous audition, but with the feel of the Beast.”

“Yes, Director.”

“You don’t need to play the full piece. We’ll start with a two-shot of you and Belle, then move on to close-ups of the Belle candidates.”

Woo-jin wasn’t doing this for free; he had a deal in place. Negotiations between Choi Sung-geon and Walt Disney Pictures had secured fair compensation for his involvement.

Just then—

-Swish.

A young actress in a light yellow dress entered the set. It was Maria Armas, her hair transitioning from brown at the roots to blonde, tied back elegantly. A large gold necklace adorned her neck. Director Bill Roettner immediately approached her to give a briefing. Maria listened, though her eyes kept darting to Woo-jin.

“...”

Although he noticed, Woo-jin ignored it.

‘Feeling nervous, are we?’

Ten minutes later, the cameras and lights were set up, and the director and key staff were in their places. Woo-jin walked to the golden piano positioned on the stage.

“Ahem!”

A cough came from behind him. Woo-jin, with his usual stern expression, turned to see Maria standing there in her dress, looking slightly aloof. She spoke in Spanish.

“Earlier—”

Inside, Maria was still simmering.

‘Ugh, how did it come to this?’

But for now, she needed to clean up the mess she’d made.

“I’m sorry about before. I didn’t mean it.”

Woo-jin replied in a low tone, also in Spanish.

“It’s fine. I know you meant it.”

“What?”

“But it won’t affect the audition. We’re professionals, after all.”

Without waiting for a response, Woo-jin strode off to the piano. Maria, left staring at his back, felt a mixture of shock and frustration.

‘What a maniac!’

She realized Kang Woo-jin was beyond unconventional.

But as Woo-jin said, the audition proceeded smoothly.

-Swish.

The “Beast,” or Woo-jin, sat at the golden piano while Maria stood in the center of the hall. Director Bill Roettner signaled for them to begin. Woo-jin’s piano music soon filled the set.

-♬♪

In the initial audition, he had started as the “prince,” but now the music had a rougher, more Beast-like quality.

Then—

“!!!”

Maria’s eyes widened momentarily, surprised by Woo-jin’s piano skills. But soon,

“...”

She took a deep breath and began to sing, matching the melody. Her usual blunt voice transformed into something clear and pure. She was already deep in her performance, glancing at Woo-jin as if he were the Beast she was confronting, struggling to keep singing. Director Bill Roettner observed the two, stroking his chin as if assessing their chemistry.

‘Hmm—this is good.’

It was no surprise that Maria, considered the top pick for Belle by many, fit the scene well. After singing for a while, she began to dance in sync with the music.

After a few more minutes—

“Cut.”

At the director’s signal, Maria stopped dancing. Woo-jin stepped away from the piano, and it was now her solo scene. Woo-jin watched her performance among the staff.

‘She’s good.’

It made sense why she was a top actress in Hollywood. Maria’s acting was captivating. When she finished, she bowed to the director and staff and exited the set, catching Woo-jin’s eye as she passed.

“...”

There was no reaction from either of them, just a brief, complex exchange of glances before Maria left.

Ten minutes later, the next candidate took her place.

“Hello—”

It was a familiar voice. A blonde woman with blue eyes entered. Miley Cara. Unlike Maria,

“Look at that.”

She greeted Woo-jin with a soft smile and was very warm.

“I told you, didn’t I? You’d be playing piano for my audition. And congratulations on being cast as the Beast.”

The atmosphere relaxed instantly. Woo-jin felt a silent ‘I knew it’ sort of relief.

‘Miley Cara is the real deal!’

Outwardly, he maintained his persona.

“Looking forward to it.”

“It’s my second time in this dress, right? Let’s do well.”

Fifteen minutes

 later, Miley Cara appeared in her light yellow dress on the set. Woo-jin was already seated at the golden piano. The setup mirrored Maria’s audition, but the vibe was different.

‘Maybe it’s the true blonde hair? The dress suits her better.’

Director Bill Roettner, watching from the monitor, felt the same. Maria was good, but Miley Cara’s presence was mesmerizing.

‘The scene fits her several times better. It’s not about appearance; it’s the energy she radiates.’

Above all—

‘The chemistry with Woo-jin...’

The two actors on the set, both in real life and on the monitor, were perfect together. That was Director Bill Roettner’s first impression.

Finally,

“You may begin when ready.”

At the director’s cue, Woo-jin, in his blue formal wear, started playing the piano, and Miley Cara began her performance as Belle, glancing at Woo-jin hesitantly, as if reading the Beast’s mood.

-♬♪

Her singing was clean, though there was a faint tremble at the end of her notes. A mistake? No—watching from the monitor, Director Bill Roettner no longer saw the set. He was seeing the true, cold castle of the Beast.

‘...Wow.’

Director Bill Roettner found himself watching *Beauty and the Beast* unfold before him.

Later that day, in the late afternoon.

Time had flown by. After finishing the Belle auditions, Kang Woo-jin found himself at Walt Disney Pictures, along with Director Bill Roettner. Once again, Woo-jin had to listen to jaw-dropping news—the figures to be included in his contract, his salary.

‘Insane!!!’

It took all of his acting skills to keep a straight face. The amount of money being discussed was beyond his imagination. ‘Does that kind of money even exist?’ he wondered. But the negotiations happening in front of him were very real.

The meeting lasted about two hours.

Not everything was finalized, but a lot had been ironed out. The next stop was Columbia Studios. It was like Woo-jin was flying back and forth across Hollywood. During the ride, he had to approve decisions Choi Sung-geon brought up.

“Woo-jin, after *The Jamie Show*, offers are flooding in. It’s crazy.”

Requests were pouring in from American media outlets, broadcasters, and even massive YouTube channels. But attending everything wasn’t feasible.

‘And there’s no need to.’

Woo-jin decided there was no need to overexpose himself. The media would talk about him whether he was there or not, so why rush around? It was a rough thought, but close to the truth.

International news outlets continued to publish articles about him daily.

『LA Times: The World Reacts to Kang Woo-jin’s Casting as the Beast』

『BBX: Columbia and Disney’s Leading Man, Kang Woo-jin, Sparks Intense Interest Amid Mixed Opinions』

『CNM: “Criticize Me After Watching,” Kang Woo-jin’s Confidence or Arrogance?』

A few days later, in the morning, Choi Sung-geon and the team gathered at Woo-jin’s home. They were eating a light breakfast when Choi Sung-geon closed his planner and said,

“Looks like we’re wrapping up here in LA and heading back to Korea.”

It marked the end of a long schedule in LA. Woo-jin, maintaining his usual stoic demeanor, nodded just as his phone buzzed. It was a call, and the caller ID showed it was Miley Cara. Woo-jin signaled to Choi for a moment’s privacy and answered in a deep voice.

“Yes, hello.”

On the other end, Miley’s voice sounded slightly excited.

“Good morning, Mr. Beast. I’m calling as Belle today.”

And at the same time, Walt Disney Pictures made an official announcement.

『CNM: Following Kang Woo-jin’s Casting as the Beast, Disney Confirms Miley Cara as Belle』

The moment *Beauty and the Beast* was complete.