Chapter 418: Appearance (1)

Translator: Santos

As Kang Woo-jin held his phone to his ear, he mentally calculated the date.

"Today is the 8th, right?"

It was May 8th, which meant May 17th was less than ten days away. The timing might seem tight, but Woo-jin didn’t mind. He’d already been informed that the script reading for *Piero: Birth of a Villain* would be sometime between the second and third week of May.

Woo-jin planned to depart for LA on the 12th, giving him time to attend to his LA schedule before the script reading. Though it would interrupt *Beneficial Evil* filming, his schedule was already set, and PD Song Man-woo, who understood Woo-jin's demanding calendar, would surely be accommodating. Woo-jin responded to Director An Gabok on the phone.

"The 17th. Got it, Director."

From the other end of the line came An Gabok’s warm laughter.

"Columbia Studio will be in touch with BW Entertainment as well, to finalize everything for the reading. It feels like it’s all coming together."

"Time really does fly."

"We’re all keeping busy, no doubt, but I’d say you’re handling the heaviest load. By the way, there’s nothing you need to prepare for the reading. We’ll provide the script here, though feel free to bring your own if you’d prefer."

"Understood."

"I’ll send over the exact location and time in the next few days."

Sensing the conversation was winding down, Woo-jin ended with a polite farewell.

"Thank you, Director. I’ll see you then."

As they were about to hang up, An Gabok added a parting thought.

“You may already know this, but you’ve made quite an impression here in Hollywood. The whole place was abuzz with *Universal Movies*, and since the Emmy news broke, you’re all anyone talks about.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, and if the crew’s this hyped, imagine how the other actors feel. During the reading, they’ll all be watching you.”

An Gabok chuckled, his voice brimming with amusement.

"There’ll be curiosity, envy, admiration, maybe even jealousy mixed in. Should make for an interesting experience. This is your first Hollywood script reading, right?”

As the call ended, Woo-jin lowered his phone, mulling over what the director had said.

“Oh, right. It’s my first Hollywood reading.”

Apart from Chris Hartnett, he hadn’t met any of the Hollywood actors cast in *Piero: Birth of a Villain*. This would be his first introduction to many of them, and vice versa.

"Come to think of it, it’s a pretty momentous day," he realized.

For Woo-jin, Columbia Studios, and the cast, it was a day of firsts—a fitting debut into Hollywood. In the past, he would have felt some nervousness, but now he only felt a steady confidence.

“If they’re expecting anything different, they’re in for a surprise.”

At this moment, Choi Sung-geon spoke up.

"Was that Director An? What did he say?"

Woo-jin’s tone was as composed as ever.

"The script reading is set for May 17."

Choi Sung-geon clapped a hand on Woo-jin’s shoulder with a grin.

"Alright, let’s do this."

---

The next day began with a commercial shoot for a new sports brand Woo-jin was endorsing. Meanwhile, *Beneficial Evil* and Woo-jin’s Emmy nomination dominated Korean media more than ever.

- **"*Beneficial Evil* Earns Ten Emmy Nominations - International Media Coverage Soars!"**
- **"Kang Woo-jin’s Thoughts on Best Actor Nomination: ‘Thanks to Fans Worldwide of *Beneficial Evil*’"**
- **"[Hot Topic] *Beneficial Evil* Takes Ten Emmy Nominations - Hollywood Director An Gabok Says, ‘Overcoming Language and Cultural Barriers’"**
- **"Will *Beneficial Evil* Sweep the Emmys? Korean Fans Are Already Predicting ‘At Least One Win’"**

Over the next two days, the intensity reached fever pitch. Newspapers, online communities, and social media platforms buzzed with endless discussions of Woo-jin and *Beneficial Evil*, creating a storm that swept through Japan and beyond.

- **"Japanese Fans Praise *Beneficial Evil*’s Emmy Achievement: ‘We Envy and Support You!’"**
- **"Japan’s Current Obsession - Kang Woo-jin Sweeps Through Media Outlets"**

The Emmy buzz continued to expand globally, with sites like Reddit discussing *Beneficial Evil* and Woo-jin’s accomplishments.

In response, Columbia Studios posted on social media:

- "Hello, this is Columbia Studios. We’d like to congratulate Kang Woo-jin and his remarkable work. We’re also pleased to announce the script reading date for *Piero: Birth of a Villain*..."

---

On the morning of May 12th, while the world was abuzz, Woo-jin quietly resumed filming *Beneficial Evil*.

- **"‘Asia’s First Emmy Best Actor Nominee’ Kang Woo-jin Departs for LA for *Piero: Birth of a Villain* Script Reading"**
- **"Woo-jin Bids Farewell to Fans at the Airport - The Nominee Exudes Aura as He Heads to LA"**

With over 200 reporters and countless fans at the airport, Woo-jin boarded his private jet, relieved to have a quiet space at last.

*Alright, time to work,* he thought, pulling out the *Piero: Birth of a Villain* script for a final read-through, hoping to internalize Henry Gordon’s character even further.

A few minutes later, the jet took off.

---

May 17th arrived. Columbia Studios in Hollywood, bustling with visitors and paparazzi outside, became the day’s focal point. The main building filled with staff preparing the conference room for the reading.

The room, set with a square formation of tables draped in black cloth, was arranged with scripts, water bottles, microphones, and name cards. Around the perimeter, dozens of chairs were prepared for journalists, studio executives, and actors’ teams.

Hollywood’s top five studios were involved, and the importance of this “cinematic universe” project elevated the event to a large scale.

Within an hour, the studio executives, foreign journalists, and other guests began to trickle in, filling the room with English chatter.

"Finally, the day has come. Did we arrive too early? None of the actors are here yet."

"There’s still an hour to go. I’m looking forward to seeing Woo-jin play the lead."

"Me too. I’ve heard so much about him—*Piero*, *Beauty and the Beast*, *John Persona*, and the Emmys, of course. It’s my first time seeing him in person."

Most of the gathered reporters and executives were similarly curious, and as time passed, actors cast in *Piero: Birth of a Villain* started to appear.

Supporting actors, extras, and leads began arriving in an array of greetings.

"Hey! Good to see you again, Bill."

"It’s been a while! Lost some weight, haven’t you?"

"Director An insisted we get in shape for our roles."

Gradually, the seats around the main table filled up. As the room’s occupancy surpassed a hundred, the excitement grew, especially among the cast members who hadn’t yet met Woo-jin.

"How much have you practiced your lines, Mark?"

"Enough to recite them in my sleep. What about you?"

"Same here. Still, I keep getting distracted thinking about Woo-jin."

"Yeah, me too. I mean, I understand Columbia wanting him, but Disney and Universal too? That’s wild."

"And he’s up for an Emmy. Talk about making waves."

The common topic of conversation was Woo-jin. Every actor, from the leads to the extras seated further back, couldn’t help but glance at the name card beside the director’s seat:

- **Henry Gordon / Kang Woo-jin**

It was the only Korean name in the room, sparking even more curiosity.

"I became a fan after watching *Beneficial Evil*."

"Really? I thought *Beneficial Evil* was a bit underwhelming. It’s strange that he outperformed Chris Hartnett in acting."

"Yeah, Chris really gave it his all in that film, but Woo-jin just outshone him."

"I heard a rumor that Woo-jin has connections with some powerful Hollywood insiders."

"Come on, that sounds like gossip."

"How else could he be causing such a stir?"

At that moment, a calm voice interrupted.

"Where do these rumors even come from?"

The deep brown eyes of Hollywood’s top actor, Chris Hartnett, scanned the room. His casual entrance drew everyone’s attention, and with a small shrug, he continued.

"And by the way, I didn’t even try to compete with him. I gave up after seeing his performance. It was like he completely knocked the wind out of me."

Despite his frankness, Chris’s manager sighed from the back row, covering his face with his hands.

But Chris didn’t stop.

"Well, in the end, I think I grew from the experience."

As every eye focused on Chris, a low voice sounded directly behind him.

"Hello, Chris."

Chris flinched, quickly turning around to find Woo-jin’s composed face looking back at him.

"Long time no see."

It was Woo-jin.

In an instant, the entire room fell silent. The lively chatter that had filled the space vanished.

With Woo-jin’s arrival, the main star of *Piero: Birth

 of a Villain* had made his entrance.