Chapter 422: Appearance (5)

Translator: Santos

 

After the completion of all filming for *Beneficial Evil* Part 2, news of the official date for the Primetime Emmy Awards spread across the set, just as many of the crew members were already celebrating.

“PD! The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) announced the Emmy date!”

The announcement came from an assistant director, and it wasn’t long before the news reached PD Song Man-woo, the hundred-plus crew members, and even Kang Woo-jin.

“August 1st! It’s set for August 1st!”

The already excited staff erupted with even more energy.

“Whoa!! August 1st?! That’s less than two months away!”

“Wow, PD! Are you really going to the Emmys this time?!”

“Amazing! Who’s going? Is there a guest list yet?”

“Does anyone know where the Emmys are held?”

“What, were you all celebrating without even knowing that?”

“Of course! I’m going too!”

The post-filming mood quickly shifted to focus entirely on the Emmys. This excitement was no less intense among Woo-jin’s team. The stylists and team members were busy checking their phones, while Choi Sung-gon swiftly dialed the company’s PR department.

Meanwhile, Woo-jin remained calm.

“······”

He didn’t feel much different. While he acknowledged that the Emmys were prestigious, he saw it as somewhat similar to the Cannes Film Festival.

“Being nominated for Best Actor was a bit of a surprise, though.”

Writer Choi Nana and Executive Director Kim Sohyang arrived on set, further elevating the excitement.

*Beneficial Evil* had been nominated for a total of ten categories.

The nominations included Best Actor, Best Series, Best Director, and more. In other words, PD Song Man-woo, Writer Choi Nana, Woo-jin, the music director, the art director, and the cinematographer, among others, were all headed to the Emmys, with Netflix Korea accompanying them. This large-scale delegation would be the first Asian production in Emmy history to receive so many nominations.

So, it was understandable that everyone was nearly losing their minds.

Later on:

- *Vroom!*

The news spread across Korea by the time Woo-jin got into the van to head back.

“Journalists sure are quick, really quick.”

The Emmy news was already taking over the main sections of various portal sites.

『[Issue Talk] Primetime Emmy Awards Confirmed for August 1!』  
『*Beneficial Evil* Nominated in 10 Categories at the Emmys – A Global Celebration to Take Place August 1』  

The news of *Beneficial Evil*, the first Asian production to set such a record, was already a major topic nationwide.

『With Emmys Set for August 1, What Are Woo-jin’s and *Beneficial Evil*’s Chances of Winning?』  

Though there were still about two months left, the domestic media was covering the event as if the Emmys were happening in just a few hours.

『[Issue IS] About Two Months Until the Emmys – Will Kang Woo-jin Have to Juggle Hollywood Filming to Attend?』  
『A Big Win Awaits! Global Spotlight on *Beneficial Evil* and Its 10 Nominations』  

Netizens eagerly shared their thoughts:

- “OMG, it’s finally announced!! Rooting for him!!”  
- “Haha, there’s still time, but why am I so nervous? LOL”  
- “Where can we watch the Emmys? Will it be streamed live?”  
- “Most award shows stream on YouTube these days.”  
- “Ten categories? That’s legendary...”  
- “So Woo-jin is hitting all the major film festivals, from Korea and Cannes to the Emmys.”  
- “If *Beneficial Evil* sweeps the awards, I’m gonna freak out!! LOL”  
- “Holding my breath till August 1.”  
- “Woo-jin could be the first to go to Cannes, the Emmys, and the Oscars all within three years!”  
- “LOL people are acting like he’s already won an Oscar. You think it’s a small-time shop?”  

The intense buzz continued well into the night and even into the next morning. Then, Netflix Korea added fuel to the fire with an additional announcement.

『[Official] Netflix Korea Confirms Completion of *Beneficial Evil* Part 2 Filming, Launch Expected as Early as September』  

This news of *Beneficial Evil* Part 2’s wrap caused an explosion of excitement.

Early June in Korea was abuzz with media, public attention, and endless chatter across social media, YouTube, and various platforms. The information was everywhere and selling well.

『Filming Wraps for *Beneficial Evil* Part 2, with Emmys in August and Part 2 Launch in September. Fans Say, “Winning an Award Before Release Would Be Epic!”』  

Whatever it was, the main topic of both *Beneficial Evil* and the Emmys was Woo-jin. However, he was quietly fulfilling his remaining schedule without causing much of a stir. June 11 was only a few days away, and he was set to depart on the 8th.

Yet, there was still no official announcement.

Two days later:

- *Hello, this is Columbia Studios. We have an update regarding *Piero: Birth of a Villain*. The first shoot is set for June 11, with Director An Gabok and his team preparing fervently...*  

Columbia Studios officially announced the start of filming for *Piero: Birth of a Villain* to the world. Using their official social media channels and YouTube, the news quickly transformed into articles spread by international media outlets.

『CNM/Columbia Studios’ Cinematic Universe Begins with *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, Officially Starting Filming on June 11! Where’s the First Location?』  

Since the project had already garnered immense interest and Woo-jin’s involvement amplified the excitement, the volume of articles was staggering.

『NT/Korean Actor Woo-jin, Drawing Global Interest, Set to Begin Filming *Piero* on June 11, and Social Media is Buzzing』  

As a result, Hollywood was abuzz all day with talk of *Piero*, and the excitement quickly crossed over to Korea, already hyped about the Emmys.

Woo-jin’s agency made an official statement around this time.

- “Whoa... Woo-jin’s leaving on the 8th. Him leading a major Hollywood project is so impressive.”

It confirmed that Woo-jin, having completed filming for *Beneficial Evil*, would depart on the 8th, have a few days in LA, and begin filming on the 11th.

This major news was quickly picked up by domestic news outlets and YouTubers eager to join the conversation.

And so, two days flew by.

On the morning of the 8th, Woo-jin appeared at Incheon Airport. Given the announcement, dozens of guards and staff were positioned in the airport lobby, where an overwhelming crowd of reporters, spectators, and fans had gathered.

“Kang Woo-jin! Woo-jin, please!”

“Woo-jin! Just one word, please! Woo-jin!”

“How do you feel right now? Are you nervous?”

“Hey, don’t push! Woo-jin, look this way!”

“Do you think you’ll win Best Actor at the Emmys?”

“What did Director An Gabok say?”

The airport turned into chaos the moment Woo-jin appeared, with reporters shouting, fans screaming, and guards trying to keep order.

But Woo-jin’s poker face remained unchanged.

“······”

He waved casually at the gathered fans and reporters, only saying a few simple words.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Soon after, Woo-jin’s private jet took off.

A few days later, on June 10, in LA.

Inside the vast Columbia Studios set. The area looked almost like an amusement park, filled with buildings of different themes.

In a section resembling a city.

This part of the set was clearly modeled after New York, with countless film equipment and hundreds of foreign staff bustling along the streets.

“Camera! Camera test!”

“Drone’s going up!”

“How much longer for audio setup?”

“Ten minutes!”

“Lowering the mini jib!”

Teams were busy setting up and testing equipment at their respective positions. The general scene was somewhat similar to Korean sets, but distinctly different. For one, the equipment was on another level: crane-mounted or vehicle-mounted cameras, advanced audio and lighting gear, and other expensive devices not commonly seen in Korea.

And the number of staff was staggering. Hundreds of them, along with mini-bus-like trailers lined up in designated areas. Most of these international crew members held scripts with the title emblazoned on the cover.

- *Piero: Birth of a Villain*

In other words, all these hundreds of staff members belonged to the *Piero* team. At the center of the core staff was Director An Gabok, wearing headphones around his neck and issuing instructions while looking over the shot list.

So, was the first day of *Piero*’s filming happening today, on June 10? Not exactly. Today was meant for final preparations, testing, insert shots, and the first poster shoot.

“Director! Drone setup is complete!”

While certain standard practices exist in Hollywood, last-minute changes can be made based on the director’s discretion. Luckily, Columbia Studios placed great trust in Director An, accommodating most of his requests.

About an hour later.

“Hi—action.”

Director An’s first command echoed across the sprawling set. No actors were present, as the focus was on capturing background shots of buildings, roads, and stores. The team worked seamlessly, quickly completing each insert shot under Director An’s cue

.

“Cut, let’s go again.”

A female crew member clapped the slate before each camera, and Director An’s “cut” signals came in rapid succession. As they captured the insert shots, they synchronized their workflow and performed a full equipment test before the actual shoot.

Then—

“Move!”

At the call of a male staff member, the crew shifted in unison to a nearby location with faded crosswalks at an intersection. This spot was chosen by Director An for the first poster shoot for *Piero*. Reviewing the poster layout, Director An spoke in English.

“Bring him in.”

Several foreign crew members nodded and ran toward a row of gray trailers parked nearby. One female staff member knocked on the door of the first trailer.

*Knock, knock.*

A low voice responded from inside.

“Yes, are we going?”

The staff member nodded and called out loudly.

“Yes! Please stand by!”

“Understood.”

After her response, the staff returned to the set. Exactly five minutes later, the trailer door opened.

- *Swoosh.*

A man with black hair stepped out.

Looking over the bustling set filled with hundreds of foreign staff, he said nothing as he began to walk. As he moved, the waiting staff joined him, and the hundreds of crew members and Director An turned to look. The waiting actor, the male lead of *Piero*, was approaching.

Finally—

- *Swoosh.*

He stopped in front of Director An.

It was none other than Kang Woo-jin.

“Director.”

“Yes, we’re going to do a test poster shot.”

“Got it.”

Both spoke in English. Since reuniting, Woo-jin and Director An had rarely used Korean. Woo-jin moved into the crowd of hundreds, while Director An directed the camera angles.

At the center of the crosswalk.

After about 30 minutes, Woo-jin reappeared among the staff, now dressed in an outlandish costume. Although his face wasn’t painted, he wore an incredibly eye-catching suit.

A red jacket and pants, a blue shirt, a yellow vest, and worn-out brown shoes.

The sight made Director An shiver slightly.

“······Is this goosebumps?”

It was less a chill than a thrill. Woo-jin, unaware, maintained a cynical expression as he walked past Director An and moved to the focal point of several cameras.

Then—

- *Swoosh.*

With his hands in his pockets, he turned, facing the array of cameras, Director An, and the hundreds of staff.

Soon, even the foreign staff were captivated.

“Wow!”

“He’s not even in makeup—”

“He looks like the real thing.”

A wave of awe swept through them, just like it did for Director An.

Because “Joker” was speaking.

“Is this good enough?”