Chapter 429: Joker (7)

Translator: Santos

 

Kang Woo-jin gazed indifferently into the distance, lost in thought, while Choi Sung-geon, oblivious to his distraction, tightened his ponytail and repeated his suggestion.

"Wouldn't it be easier to leave everything to Yejung if you're too busy?"

“…”

“Yeah, that's probably best. With your packed schedule, there's no reason for you to worry about tuxedos or suits, colors, or brands. I’ll just assign everything to Yejung and the styling team.”

Choi Sung-geon grabbed a bottle of water from the trailer’s fridge and handed it to Woo-jin.

"Considering how much you cared about tuxedo designs for Cannes and the Blue Dragon Awards, I thought you might want to choose for this, too. But with your schedule, it's probably too much. I’ll inform Yejung; just focus on your filming."

As Choi Sung-geon finished speaking and turned to leave the trailer, Woo-jin’s low voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Representative, how about something that’s not so ordinary or dull?”

Pausing, Choi turned back with a curious look.

"Ordinary or dull? You mean tuxedos or suits? Sure, I get that, but what else is there? Don't tell me—you want something custom-designed? Not a bad idea, but I’m not sure we’d have the time."

“No, that’s not it.”

Woo-jin responded cynically, meeting Choi's gaze with an even colder expression, intensifying his “serious” act. But internally, he was amused by the idea.

‘This’ll be entertaining, at the very least.’

Outwardly, though, he remained stoic, only letting a hint of his boldness shine through.

“Representative, to me, the ‘Emmys’ is more of a stopover.”

“A... stopover? Are you serious? The *Emmys*? That’s the *Academy Awards* of television—prestigious and renowned! Sure, the *Academy Awards* may be the ultimate goal, but—”

Choi’s voice trailed off as he remembered something. Right, this was Woo-jin, who treated even Cannes as a mere stepping stone. So, would it be strange for him to think of the *Emmys* as just another pit stop?

‘No, it’s not strange at all.’

Yes, this was the same Woo-jin who spoke casually about the “final boss,” the *Academy Awards*. So it only made sense he would feel similarly about the *Emmys*. The typical actor might faint at the thought, but not Woo-jin.

‘Because he’s Kang Woo-jin.’

Setting aside his conventional thoughts, Choi responded.

"All right then, so to you, the *Emmys* is just a stopover. Got it."

Woo-jin casually ran his fingers through his black hair, continuing.

“For me, Cannes and the *Emmys* are similar. But to the world, they’re different.”

“Of course. Not only is this your first invitation, but you’re nominated in ten categories. The attention on you is going to be massive.”

“Yes, and that creates a gap—a gap between what the *Emmys* mean to me and what they mean to the world.”

“…”

“Boring things aren’t interesting to me.”

“Boring? The *Emmys*?”

“Yes, it’s on the dull side. That’s why I came up with an alternative.”

Choi swallowed nervously. Knowing Woo-jin, nothing he proposed was ever ordinary. Slowly, Woo-jin walked over to the rack of clothes.

“A performance. It could benefit *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, and, personally, it would make things a bit more enjoyable.”

“Huh?”

Woo-jin reached out, picking up the red jacket of the Joker.

“Coincidentally, the Joker’s costumes are formalwear too. Although the colors are a bit… insane.”

“Just a bit insane?”

As he watched Woo-jin, Choi quickly caught on.

“You… You’re not thinking—”

But Woo-jin responded swiftly.

“A Joker walking down the red carpet would be one of a kind.”

Choi’s mouth fell open as he processed this bold idea before snapping back to reality.

“You’re saying… you’ll go to the *Emmys* dressed as the Joker?”

“Is that strange?”

“It’s not strange—”

Wait. On second thought, Choi’s shock transformed into composure. The mere idea of the Joker crashing the *Emmys* was guaranteed to draw unprecedented attention.

‘A nominee for Best Actor shows up dressed as a madman? Curiosity will explode.’

And there was more to it than that.

‘Even if Woo-jin doesn’t win Best Actor… he’ll be the talk of the night as the Joker, guaranteed.’

The morning after the *Emmys*, his presence as the Joker would eclipse the award winner’s fame.

Breaking into a grin, Choi asked, “That’ll definitely be interesting. Are you planning on doing the full makeup?”

Woo-jin shook his head, unfazed.

“No, just the outfit and hair should be enough.”

“Right.”

Choi concluded, “Of course, we’ll need permission from the director and Columbia Studios.”

---

Hours later, back in Korea.

While it was past lunchtime in LA, it was the early dawn of the next day in Seoul, around 5 a.m. Despite the hour, the editing room at DM Production was brightly lit as if the night didn’t exist here.

Inside, the air was slightly smoky, and five people worked tirelessly, their eyes dark with exhaustion from sleepless nights. Among them, a particularly disheveled man with a thickening beard sat at the central editing station: PD Song Man-woo.

He was pouring his heart into editing *Beneficial Evil* Part 2. Filming had wrapped in early June, and they were three weeks into post-production, aiming for a September release. Song Man-woo was sacrificing sleep to meet the deadline.

“...There was a full shot just now, wasn’t there?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s try that one.”

The conversation was minimal. PD Song was too busy focusing on the monitor, his fingers moving constantly as he watched Woo-jin’s performance.

“No, a bust shot is better.”

“I agree.”

“Phew—this is tough. The footage is all so good, which makes it harder to cut.”

“Woo-jin’s incredible acting is both a blessing and a curse for the director.”

“A happy curse, though.”

But the work was progressing slower than usual for PD Song, who had decades of experience in this industry. The global attention was creating a pressure he hadn’t felt before, amplified by Woo-jin’s jaw-dropping performance in every frame.

‘This is the most challenging edit of my career.’

For a moment, PD Song marveled at the man on screen.

‘Here I am, stressed over one project, but this guy has had hit after hit without breaking a sweat.’

PD Song, lost in thought, refocused on Woo-jin’s face on the monitor.

“...Definitely going with the bust shot.”

A few hours later, around 9 a.m., PD Song paused the editing and sent his exhausted team to the lounge for a break. But he stayed behind, determined to keep working.

*Tap, tap, tap.*

At that moment—

*Knock, knock.*

Startled, he turned to see a familiar woman holding a paper bag from a sushi restaurant.

“PD Song, how about breakfast?”

It was Kim So-hyang, the lead director.

“Sushi for breakfast?”

“I figured you’d be working hard. The least I can do is bring you some food.”

“Haha, let’s eat, then.”

“I also have news to deliver.”

“News?”

“Well, I’ll be briefing the whole team soon, but I thought you should know first.”

“Yes?”

As they walked to PD Song’s office, Kim continued.

“The *Emmys* departure date has been set—July 20th. The venue will be the usual, the Microsoft Theater in LA.”

July 20. Less than a month away.

“Right around the corner.”

Just then—

*Ring, ring.*

PD Song’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and looked surprised.

“What the—?”

Kim raised an eyebrow.

“What is it? Who’s calling?”

PD Song answered, “It’s Woo-jin.”

Back to the evening of the 21st in LA.

After the day’s filming, a few figures gathered near Woo-jin’s trailer: Director Ahn Ga-bok, executive producer Nora Foster, a couple of key staff, and Choi Sung-geon. Woo-jin was currently inside, likely removing his makeup.

In fluent English, Choi addressed the group, his eyes on Director Ahn.

“This is Woo-jin’s idea, but he wants to attend the *Emmys* dressed as the Joker.”

Director Ahn and the rest of the group reacted instantly.

“What? Come again?”

Everyone’s eyes, including Nora’s and the key staff, widened.

“...The *Emmys*, dressed as the Joker?”

“Did I hear that right? Why would he go to the *Emmys* as the Joker? It’s the *Emmys*, after all.”

“Wait, are you saying Woo-jin himself suggested this?”

Nora seemed the most stunned, momentarily at a loss, before raising her voice.

“Wait—what sense does that make? Why would we show the Joker costume at the *Emmys*?”

“Hold on.”

It was Director Ahn who interrupted her.

“Mr. Choi, let’s hear Woo-jin’s reasoning.”

Though surprised himself, Director Ahn knew Woo-jin well enough to understand that he wouldn’t make a suggestion like this without a purpose. As the room calmed, Choi

 relayed Woo-jin’s thoughts from the previous morning. Although he added his own insights, the core message was clear:

Woo-jin wanted to make his *Emmys* entrance as the Joker.

As Director Ahn mulled over the idea, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“A Joker appearing on the *Emmys* red carpet…”

He murmured, digesting the concept, while Choi added.

“Of course, he’ll only wear it for the red carpet. According to Woo-jin, that alone should make an impact. No full makeup—just the hair and outfit.”

Imagining the scene, the key staff fell silent. Director Ahn’s analytical mind then offered an assessment.

“...Starting as the Joker and transforming back into Kang Woo-jin. It ties in with the essence of *Piero: Birth of a Villain*.”

Oh, so that’s it! Choi recognized Director Ahn’s insight.

‘Woo-jin wasn’t just thinking about fun; he was considering the core theme of *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, too.’

Not quite. Woo-jin’s real motive was purely for the thrill.

As they grasped the idea, Director Ahn spoke, sharing his understanding with the group.

“It’ll undoubtedly create a buzz—more than just a small one. Woo-jin’s global influence will amplify it.”

With a satisfied smile, Director Ahn continued.

“A Joker at the *Emmys*—there couldn’t be a more perfect teaser for the world.”

The promotional power would be monumental. Just then, Nora, her expression stern, spoke up.

“I’m against it. In *Piero*, the Joker is a central character, the first villain of the cinematic universe. He’s part of a major project; we can’t just spoil him so casually. It’s a reckless idea.”

That’s when it happened.

“These days, holding back doesn’t generate hype.”

A low, male voice interrupted. Everyone turned to see Woo-jin, wearing a cap pulled low, walking toward them with a nonchalant expression.

“Revealing a bit is far more explosive.”