Chapter 434: Beast (3)

Translator: Santos

 

July 7th.

Kang Woo-jin was in a van, heading to the set of *Piero: Birth of a Villain*. It was a typical morning ride, but today, the mood inside the van was electric. His team, especially his stylist, was buzzing with excitement.

“Oh my gosh! This is huge! Why is this coming out now?!”

“Right?! I’d almost forgotten about it! But the articles are everywhere!”

“Wow—seeing it again reminds me of how intense that moment was! Look, there are pictures too!”

“Pictures? Did someone actually take photos back then?”

“There’s even a video, apparently!”

Even Choi Sung-geon had a serious look as he scrolled through his phone. Actually, everyone in the van was glued to their screens, visibly excited. Woo-jin was also checking his phone, though his reaction was much more restrained.

“…”

He maintained a composed expression, but internally, he couldn’t help but wonder what all the fuss was about.

*What’s going on here? Why is this such a big deal all of a sudden?*

The articles they were all reading were international ones.

**[LA Times] Last Year, Miley Cara Nearly Died on a Music Video Set—Her Savior? None Other Than Media Sensation Kang Woo-jin.**

The story was about how Kang Woo-jin had saved Miley Cara’s life. During the shoot for her last album, a crazed woman had tried to attack Miley, but Woo-jin had intervened and saved her. It had happened a while ago, so the incident had faded from Woo-jin’s memory, but suddenly, the international media was revisiting it with fervor.

Hollywood and other major outlets were pushing out stories nonstop.

But this was just the beginning.

When Woo-jin arrived at the *Piero: Birth of a Villain* set within Columbia Studios, the moment he stepped out, a massive round of applause erupted from the crew.

**Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!**

It was like an awards show atmosphere. Many of the foreign crew members gave him a thumbs-up, their admiration evident.

“Haha, Woo-jin! You really did something incredible!”

“Bringing *Beneficial Evil* to life in reality, huh? Why keep such a heroic story under wraps?”

“Exactly! Saving Miley like that? You’d have been a Hollywood hero from the start if this had come out earlier!”

“Well, at least it’s out now! It’s great timing too—swept away all the negative comments overnight! You’ve got guts, Woo-jin!”

“A Joker saving lives—it’s ironic, don’t you think?”

Amid the noisy chatter, Woo-jin managed to keep his cool.

*Ugh, my ears are ringing…but yeah, this reaction was pretty much expected.*

He’d had experience with this before, so he wasn’t too fazed. Director Ahn Ga-bok approached him quietly, commenting with a knowing look.

“You have a knack for being the center of attention, Woo-jin, both in Korea and Hollywood. I remember something similar happening back home, right?”

“Yeah…that incident with Hwa-rin.”

“Ah, yes, that’s right. You really do attract all kinds of trouble. Be careful, and stay vigilant.”

“Yes, sir.”

Even though Woo-jin was the “hero” for the day, he took a quick break in his “Subspace” to ground himself before focusing on the intense filming schedule ahead. His influence soon helped to bring the chaotic atmosphere on set back to a calm, focused energy.

“Action.”

That evening, after a full day of filming, the *Piero: Birth of a Villain* team was busy preparing for the next day’s shoot. The set was abuzz as equipment was moved and staff discussed their plans. In the midst of this, Woo-jin, his Joker costume vibrant with color and his hair styled wet and unruly, approached Director Ahn and producer Nora Foster.

Director Ahn held the shooting script in one hand, thick with handwritten notes, and pointed to a specific scene on the storyboard.

“Tomorrow, we’ll start with solo shots in the morning, but after noon, we’ll be focusing on two-shots.”

Woo-jin nodded calmly.

“Yes, Director.”

“There’ll be a lot of scenes with Chris.”

Recently, despite working on the same movie, Woo-jin hadn’t had many interactions with Chris Hartnett. It wasn’t unusual, though—actors often only meet their co-stars for script readings or post-shoot gatherings. However, in *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, Woo-jin had a substantial number of scenes with Chris, so it was only a matter of time before they’d film together.

“Understood.”

Just then, a man with a deep brown gaze and a baseball cap pulled low joined them—it was Chris Hartnett. His scenes had wrapped a couple of hours ago, yet he’d stayed on set. Chris smiled and turned to Woo-jin.

“We’re finally getting to work together.”

Until now, Chris had only appeared as a background character in scenes featuring Woo-jin’s Joker or Henry Gordon. Tomorrow would be the first time they’d actually interact on camera. Woo-jin observed the excited Chris with a calm expression, silently thinking:

*Why does this handsome guy seem so excited?*

He replied with composure.

“Looking forward to it.”

“Same here.”

Chris’s gaze held a look that said he was ready for the challenge. He recalled their conversation back in the trailer, feeling like tomorrow would be the fulfillment of a promise.

Of course, Woo-jin didn’t quite pick up on the sentiment and merely returned Chris’s stare with curiosity.

*Why is he looking at me like that?*

To Chris, however, Woo-jin’s expression conveyed a different message.

*Bring it on, anytime.*

At that moment, Director Ahn interjected, directing his comments at both actors.

“The two of you have a challenging scene tomorrow. It’s a pivotal moment, one that delves into the Joker’s chaotic influence. This is where we first see someone becoming a devoted follower of the Joker, capturing the core theme of *Piero: Birth of a Villain*. So—”

With a reserved tone, he continued.

“As I mentioned before, if you want to add improv or creative touches based on the script, feel free. I’m expecting something unique and liberated.”

“…”

However, Producer Nora Foster, who had been watching with a slight frown, suddenly spoke up.

“Director Ahn, may I have a word?”

A short while later, she pulled him aside and lowered her voice.

“Director, I think we should steer away from too much creativity or freedom in the performances.”

Nora was challenging Director Ahn’s approach to directing.

*Avoid creative freedom?* Director Ahn looked carefully at Nora, sensing her seriousness.

*Hmm…*

He sighed inwardly.

*It was bound to happen eventually. There’s been tension from the start.*

Nora Foster was one of Hollywood’s top producers, often compared to Joseph Felton. While Joseph managed multiple projects simultaneously, Nora focused solely on Columbia Studios’ productions, including *Piero: Birth of a Villain*. In other words, she was deeply invested in the Cinematic Universe that Columbia was building, almost treating it as her personal mission.

Columbia Studios had invested heavily in this project, so it was no surprise that Nora, along with the studio’s executives, visited the set frequently. Nora was practically there every day, serving as a bridge between Director Ahn and the studio. However, this time she had openly questioned his directorial style.

It wasn’t the first time they’d disagreed, but this time, Nora seemed particularly resolute.

In Korea, no one would dare to defy Director Ahn, revered as one of the industry’s legends. But here, in the vast expanse of Hollywood, things were different.

*This is going to be a pain.*

In Hollywood, producers wielded far more power than directors. If there was a conflict, the director would have to compromise.

“You want me to limit improvisation and creative freedom…Nora, may I ask why?”

After a pause, she responded.

“You’ve told Chris Hartnett, Woo-jin, and the other actors the same thing. It sounds great in theory, but if we let things get too loose, it could steer the film in the wrong direction. Creativity is good, but I think the script needs to stay as the foundation. Otherwise, we might lose focus.”

She wanted the production to adhere closely to the script. Director Ahn replied thoughtfully.

“Of course, I agree. The actors’ improvisation will still be rooted in the script, and my direction will be based on it.”

“I know that. But there’s been a bit too much improvisation lately. If this keeps happening, things could get out of hand.”

Nora’s concern wasn’t unreasonable. She was a seasoned producer with over a decade of experience, and she’d seen projects go off the rails when given too much freedom. With *Piero: Birth of a Villain* being the starting point of Columbia’s ambitious cinematic universe, it was only natural for her to be cautious.

“The current script is already high-quality and engaging, so I think sticking to it won’t hurt.”

She wasn’t wrong, but Director Ahn had a different vision.

“I accepted the role of director because I believe this film has explosive potential. However, if we stick too rigidly to the script, it may lose its impact. I want to give the actors room to express what we might not anticipate.”

“I understand that, which is why I agreed to allow some improvisation, especially with Woo-jin. I’m not dismissing your vision, Director. I just think we need to keep it balanced.”

The director and producer were at an impasse. In Hollywood, the

 producer usually had the final say, but Director Ahn, a veteran with over a hundred films under his belt, chose to negotiate instead of giving in.

“Here’s an idea, Nora.”

He had his reasons for wanting to push through this.

“Let’s allow Woo-jin and Chris to freely interpret their scenes for tomorrow’s two-shot. If their performance deviates too much from the script or doesn’t work well, we can reshoot and follow your suggestion.”

“Director, there are people at Columbia who aren’t exactly fans of your style. Is this really necessary?”

“Absolutely. Even if it means they find someone else for the job.”

The message was clear: he wasn’t going to back down easily.

Director Ahn’s resolute stance left Nora no choice but to take a step back. She realized that if she continued to press the issue, it could disrupt the set and spread rumors among the cast and crew.

*Fine. Let’s at least get through the shoot before doing anything drastic.*

After a brief pause, she nodded.

“We’ll go with that. But just so you know, there might be people from Columbia Studios observing tomorrow’s shoot.”

Director Ahn, unbothered, gave a slight smile.

“Excellent.”

With that, he returned to Woo-jin and Chris. Woo-jin maintained a calm exterior, but inside, he couldn’t help but wonder:

*Were they just arguing? Is everything okay?*

Unaware of the tension, Director Ahn addressed the two actors with a grin.

“Give it your all tomorrow.”

July 8th, early morning, in a large van.

Sitting by the window was Chris Hartnett, quietly looking out as the van moved toward Columbia Studios’ vast set complex. As they approached the lot, Chris closed his eyes, not out of fatigue, but to center himself, taking slow, steady breaths.

*Stay focused. Today, I’m facing the Joker.*