Chapter 435: Beast (4)

Translator: Santos

 

Chris Hartnett was just two hours away from confronting the “real” Joker, the character he had always aspired to embody. The heat coursed through his entire body, excitement boiling over.

How long had it been since he last felt this rush?

After over a decade of reigning at the top of Hollywood, he had forgotten what it was like to face such ferocious competition, a battle of acting skills. Back when he was a rookie, he’d had this fire, but somewhere along the way, things had become lukewarm. His looks, and the favorable projects that kept coming his way, had carried him up the ranks. Once he was established at the top, everyone praised his performances.

It was around then that he began to relish improvisation.

It had been like giving his slightly bored acting style a shot of adrenaline.

Chris had assumed he was at the top. And to be fair, he was—by reputation and impact, Chris was a first-tier name in Hollywood.

But that was all before he met Kang Woo-jin.

*It was all an illusion.*

The moment he saw that “Joker” in the audition, everything shattered. Not his confidence but his complacency. For the first time, he was here on set as a *challenger*. Chris blinked, moving his hand to grab the script, which was a mess of notes.

*Flap.*

His script was filled with scribbles and analyses. But today, he knew he needed more than notes. He would need flexibility, creativity, and raw instinct.

Chris’s character in *Piero: Birth of a Villain* was Robert Franklin, a journalist consumed with ambition, greed, and a thirst for the next sensational scoop. Franklin also happened to become the Joker’s first disciple.

Of course, Franklin’s true intention was to use the Joker to his advantage.

This led to an early clash of personalities. While the Joker wreaked havoc on society, Franklin tried to profit as much as possible from it. Today, Chris was filming their first encounter. He recalled the Joker from the audition, an image still vivid in his mind.

*The real Joker was here, mocking the actors who tried to imitate him.*

*Damn, it’s giving me chills.*

Chris felt the goosebumps rising on his arms as he looked at the script.

He was *nervous*. Not afraid exactly, but tense in a way he hadn’t felt in years—a competitor on the edge, ready for a test.

Just then, he heard a noise.

*Screech.*

A van stopped in the external parking lot, and he saw foreign crew members bustling around. They had arrived at the set. Chris headed, not to his own trailer, but to another actor’s.

*Knock, knock.*

The door opened slowly, revealing a cold-looking Kang Woo-jin. This was Woo-jin’s resting place. Chris greeted him with a characteristic smile, though his inner resolve was fierce.

“So, you’re here, just as expected.”

Woo-jin’s response was short and to the point, as if unaware of the intensity Chris felt.

“I’ll leave it to you.”

“Likewise.”

Chris’s mind flashed back to Woo-jin’s words, the challenge he had thrown at him:

*“But it won’t be easy. You’ll need to be prepared.”*

It was a warning: go in unprepared, and you’d be torn to shreds. For a top-tier actor like Chris, the wisest move might be to avoid the full impact of Woo-jin’s intensity.

*But avoiding that would be boring. I want to test myself, to push my limits.*

Chris was now fully immersed in his character as Robert Franklin, staring at Woo-jin and already seeing the Joker. Camera or no camera, he was ready to analyze, to break down, to carry this surge of excitement and tension all the way to filming.

With a grin, Chris spoke to Woo-jin.

“I’ll show you what I’ve got today. Let’s make this a memorable shoot.”

“...”

Woo-jin sighed internally, watching Chris brimming with enthusiasm.

*Man, this guy is intense. It’s a bit much.* 

But outwardly, Woo-jin remained as cold as ever.

“As you wish.”

---

Two hours later.

Today, the *Piero: Birth of a Villain* set had a charged atmosphere—almost oppressive. Director Ahn Ga-bok stood surrounded by monitors and key crew members.

“Let’s start with a close-up,” he directed.

“Understood.”

The set was buzzing with activity, with nearly a hundred crew members setting up, bustling around like a miniature city. Background actors and extras were scattered around. And overseeing it all, her arms folded, was Producer Nora Foster, with several Columbia Studio executives by her side.

Snatches of conversation reached Nora.

“Ahn Ga-bok’s getting more ambitious.”

“We all are.”

“But the actors are becoming too loose. It’s unnecessary.”

“Do you really want a rigid *Piero: Birth of a Villain*?”

Opinions were divided, but everyone shared a common concern: they cared deeply about this project. Nora listened but refrained from engaging.

*Talk is wasted energy. The answer will come in the filming.*

Just then—

“Kang Woo-jin is ready!”

A small group made their way through the crowd, and there was Woo-jin, looking ghastly white, with long, wet hair falling to his jaw, blood-red lips, and smeared eyebrows. He wore a bright red jacket and pants, a blue shirt, a yellow vest, scuffed brown shoes, and mismatched socks—one red, one blue.

He was the Joker.

As Woo-jin walked to his mark, he exuded an unshakable calm, seemingly oblivious to the heavy atmosphere around him.

*Why is everyone so serious? Or is it just me? Well, whatever. I’ll just focus on my role.*

Then he heard another announcement.

“Chris, on set!”

Chris entered, dressed as Robert Franklin in a brown jacket, slightly worn jeans, disheveled brown hair, and round glasses. The two actors took their places on the city street set, exchanging a brief look, but no words.

A silent tension crackled in the air.

Chris thought, *It feels real now that he’s right in front of me.*

Woo-jin thought, *This eye contact thing is intense.*

Director Ahn Ga-bok approached, storyboard in hand, giving the actors some final direction and encouragement.

“Do whatever feels right. Let’s start this scene that way.”

Both Woo-jin and Chris nodded. As the director stepped away, the boom mics and cameras were set in place. The camera crew had allocated two cameras to capture both actors, while a larger camera on a crane swung into position. The monitors showed both actors simultaneously.

Then, Ahn Ga-bok signaled from his chair, with Nora and the Columbia executives standing behind him, observing intently.

“Ready.”

Foreign crew members quickly cleared the set. Woo-jin stood at his mark, while Chris positioned himself on the opposite side of the street. The clapperboard snapped in front of Woo-jin’s camera.

*Clack!*

Director Ahn Ga-bok’s voice echoed through the set.

“Action.”

At once, Woo-jin unleashed every aspect of the Joker he had crafted. He grinned wildly at the camera.

“Hee-hee-hee!”

And then he was off, running down the street. The camera stayed still, but two burly men—his pursuers—bolted after him. Finally, the camera jolted into action, following them with a tense, immersive shake on the monitor.

Across the street, Chris as Robert Franklin darted across the road, ignoring a screeching yellow taxi. The driver shouted obscenities at him.

“Hey! Are you crazy?!”

Chris, in character, flipped him off.

“Shut up!”

He spotted the Joker disappearing between two buildings and hurriedly pulled his camera from around his neck, chasing after him. He pressed himself against the wall, peering cautiously around the corner into the alleyway.

Suddenly—

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Gunshots echoed, and Chris flinched, slipping to the ground, his body tense with fear. He held his breath, clinging to the wall, visibly trembling.

*Do I run? What if I get shot? But... I want to see him. I’m dying to see that monster.*

Chris’s face was filled with this very emotion.

Slowly, still pressed against the wall, he leaned around the corner again. His gaze fell on scuffed brown shoes, mismatched socks—red and blue.

The camera followed his low angle, tracing up from the shoes, to the red pants, the blood-smeared white face, and the wild, wet hair concealing cold eyes.

The Joker.

Kang Woo-jin as the Joker stared down at Chris, head tilted in a twisted angle. With his thickly painted lips, he looked like he was smiling, but his face was expressionless, and a silver gun dangled from his hand.

Chris froze, his body stiffening at the sight of the grotesque clown inches away.

“A…”

The script didn’t call for this shot. Originally, Chris’s character was meant to approach the Joker quietly. But Woo-jin had decided to turn the tables and confront Chris’s character instead.

Director Ahn Ga-bok leaned forward, enthralled by the scene.

*This is what the Joker should be—unexpected and chilling.*

Behind him, Nora frowned.

*This feels like a horror movie. I’d be screaming if I saw this in a theater.*

Finally, Woo-jin spoke his first line. Originally, it was supposed to be, “Were you following me?” Instead, he lifted the gun to wipe blood from his cheek, smiling wider.

“You know…”

The Joker’s broken smile grew as Woo-jin spoke.

“Why do you look so sad?”

Chris, sitting frozen on the ground, was speechless—both in character and in real life. After a beat, he stammered.

“B-because you scared me?”

“Hee-hee, ah, I see… Thought you were grieving or something.”

Woo-jin tucked the gun into his waistband and slicked his blood-streaked hair back with both hands. Somewhere in the distance, a scream echoed, but he ignored it, looking down at Chris again.

“Wanna see something fun?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Stand up, stand up. Let’s go see it together.”

Woo-jin helped Chris up, the gun still visibly tucked into his waistband. They walked side-by-side, looking almost friendly on camera.

“What’s your name?” Woo-jin asked.

“I-I’m Robert. Robert Franklin.”

“Robert Franklin. Nice to meet you, Robert.”

“And you?”

“Me? I’m the Joker.”

“Joker?”

“Yeah.”

Woo-jin’s gaze dropped to Chris’s camera.

“You’re a reporter?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“So, you’ve been following me?”

Chris hesitated, eyeing Woo-jin cautiously.

“No, it’s just a coincidence.”

Sticking to the script, Chris added an ad-libbed line.

“Do you have a real name besides ‘Joker’?”

Woo-jin suddenly stopped. He leaned in, placing his hands on Chris’s shoulders, and forced a wide smile on his face by pressing on his cheeks with both hands.

“I *told* you, it’s Joker, friend.”

Chris’s eyes wavered, feeling genuine unease. Together, they moved toward two bodies sprawled on the ground, their foreheads blown open. Chris’s eyes widened in horror as Woo-jin spread his arms in a grand gesture.

“Look! Isn’t it fun?”

Chris began to tremble. His scripted line was, “Did you… kill them?” But he changed it.

“How often… have you done this?”

Woo-jin’s Joker laughed, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

“Ha-ha-ha.”

As he inhaled and laughed, Chris, frowning, couldn’t help but ask.

“Why… why are you laughing?”

Woo-jin’s laughter turned to a wild, ecstatic grin as he looked straight at the camera.

“I just thought of another prank.”

Chris’s body went cold. This Joker was unpredictable, and something dangerous was coming.