'Just imagining it makes me uneasy already.'
Joseph smacked his lips lightly as he watched Kang Woojin talking with Choi Sunggeon outside the diner.
'His acting was worth watching, his martial arts were worth watching, and CQC is no exception.'
Joseph Felton had already taken note of Kang Woojin's acting ability and his martial arts skills. To a producer of Joseph's standing in Hollywood, what he had seen had been deeply impressive. That was precisely why Joseph had become fascinated with Kang Woojin. It was no accident that Joseph had risen to become an influential producer in Hollywood. His eye for talent, his instinct for discovering stars, and his ability to predict the explosive potential of a project were what set him apart from everyone else.
In other words, Joseph's assessment of Woojin was already, for all practical purposes, complete.
From here on, it was less about evaluating him and more about enjoying the process. What kind of actor was Kang Woojin, really? Even now, only a tiny handful of people in Hollywood knew who he was. To the general public, he was still close to a complete unknown, but Joseph had already sensed something special in him.
'His special forces background was unexpected. But his martial arts, and even the shooting I saw today, were genuinely astonishing. Seeing Kang Woojin's CQC with my own eyes is essential for our project too.'
Whether it was martial arts, close combat, or acting, everything an actor did made a far stronger impact when seen in person than when watched on a screen. The energy an actor gave off was inevitably diluted in the editing process.
Exceptional talent revealed itself on set.
On top of that, Joseph and Megan were still in the preparatory stage of film production, so what kind of movie it would ultimately become remained uncertain. Of course, the production company already had storyboards and ideas in place, but those would pass through multiple writers and screenwriters and be reborn as different scenarios. Joseph and the studio had not yet decided which final script they would choose.
Whether it turned out to be a thriller, an action film, or a romantic comedy did not matter.
That was why, as executive producer, Joseph kept every possibility open and considered anything that caught his eye or sparked his interest. Sometimes the element that gave a film its explosive force came from somewhere completely unexpected.
Kang Woojin might be one of those unexpected elements.
Ethan Smith had now joined up with Kang Woojin.
This Korean actor, a monster who excelled not just in martial arts but even in shooting—what form would his CQC take? Even veteran Hollywood actors struggled with that skill. Would he be different from them? Or the same?
Little by little, a smile spread across Joseph's face.
"The more I get to know him, the more he feels like some kind of alien, but that's exactly what makes him interesting. It only amplifies my anticipation."
At Joseph's muttering, Megan Stone, seated beside him, nodded in agreement. Of course, her own gaze was fixed on Kang Woojin outside as well.
"You're thinking of going to Bangkok too, aren't you, Joseph?"
"...Of course I'll need the production team's approval, and Ethan's too. But if I have to, I'll make it happen with money."
"Kang Woojin really is a mysterious actor. I still can't believe he's making us move from Korea to Japan, and now even Bangkok."
"That's not all that rare. I've gone to four countries just to meet one actor before."
"I've done something similar myself."
Megan smiled faintly and added,
"Make sure to bring me along on the Bangkok trip too."
"Naturally. I can't exactly leave out the project's CD."
Joseph agreed without hesitation, his thick forearms standing out as he crossed his arms.
"And while we're at it, if possible, I'd like some of the studio people and the stunt coordinator to come as well."
Right at that moment—
Joseph and Megan saw Choi Sunggeon and Kang Woojin, who had been talking outside, returning. Woojin sat back down and apologized calmly.
"Sorry about that."
Megan and Joseph both shook their heads.
"No, it's fine."
At that point, the food they had ordered arrived, and Joseph was the first to break the silence.
"Kang Woojin. I've recently taken on the role of executive producer for a film being made by Universal Movies."
The eyes of Choi Sunggeon, seated beside Woojin, widened slightly. He was clearly shocked inside.
'Universal Movies??!!'
That was only natural. Universal Movies was one of Hollywood's top film distributors. Choi Sunggeon had known Joseph Felton wielded considerable influence, but he had never expected Universal Movies to come up so suddenly.
'Wait a second… this is starting to feel strange. Don't tell me… is this actually happening?'
Just yesterday, he had shown Kang Woojin BW Entertainment's overseas branch for the first time, and before even a full day had passed, a famous producer like Joseph was already bringing up Universal Movies. There was no reason for Choi Sunggeon not to smile broadly.
Joseph soon continued his explanation.
"I can't go into detail yet, but we're considering Kang Woojin for this project. To be honest, I haven't stopped thinking about him since I first saw him in Last Kill 3*."*
Under the table, Choi Sunggeon quietly clenched his fist. Without noticing, Joseph's smile widened further.
"Nothing has been finalized yet, but would you be willing to seriously consider it?"
Up to that point, Woojin's face had revealed almost no emotion at all.
"..."
Inside, however, he was fairly shaken.
'What is this? Am I being offered something right now?'
Outwardly, though, he kept his cool.
"The script comes first."
──────────
That afternoon, at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.
After finishing his shooting-range outing and his meeting with Joseph and Megan, Kang Woojin returned to the luxurious five-star Beverly Hills Hotel. Passing through the grand lobby crowded with foreigners constantly coming and going, Woojin took a seat in the immense lounge, living up to the hotel's reputation.
Among the scattered sculptures and sofas placed throughout the space, Woojin sat in one spot.
Of course, the rest of his team, including Choi Sunggeon, were nearby as well, and Woojin looked down at his phone as though waiting for someone.
Meanwhile—
A large van came to a stop at the entrance, where hotel staff were already standing by. Strangely enough, more than twenty foreign photographers carrying cameras with massive telephoto lenses were gathered around it. Anyone could tell at a glance that they were paparazzi. The hotel security staff were busy blocking them off and controlling the crowd.
Soon after, several large bodyguards stepped down from the van.
Then—
a woman with long blonde hair, wearing a pale blue shirt and blue eyes that stood out immediately, stepped out. The paparazzi surrounding her behind the bodyguards erupted in excitement and began hammering their shutters without pause.
The reason was simple.
"Miley! Miley!! Why are you at the hotel?!"
"Cara! Nice to see you, Cara!!"
"Miley Cara!!"
She was Miley Cara, a global superstar famous not only in Hollywood but around the world. Naturally, the paparazzi followed her every move. Her arrival instantly stirred up the hotel staff and the guests alike. But Cara paid no attention to the commotion. After quietly speaking with her manager, she walked straight into the hotel.
Her appearance immediately drew the attention of the foreigners inside as well.
A few foreign women gasped as though their souls had almost left their bodies, and people called out toward her like children overwhelmed by her presence. Most of the guests who spotted her were already busy taking photos on their phones. Meanwhile, used to this kind of chaos, Cara kept a slightly cool expression and headed directly for the hotel lounge.
And then—
the moment Cara stepped into the lounge, someone rose from one of the sofas.
It was Kang Woojin.
Until then, Cara's face had remained cool and unreadable, but the instant she saw Woojin, she smiled for the first time and held out her hand.
"Woojin, it's been a while."
As expected, Woojin kept up his usual aloof front.
"It has."
Before long, curious onlookers began gathering around Kang Woojin and Cara in the middle of the high-end lounge. As more and more attention focused on them, Cara brushed back her blonde hair and spoke to Woojin again.
"You're still so calm."
"You too."
"Me? How so?"
"I don't know…"
Cara tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled, and inwardly Woojin answered the question for her.
'She's seriously beautiful. Beautiful enough that she probably knows perfectly well how dazzling she is.'
But no matter what, he could not let that show on the outside. Miley Cara only gave a small shrug and went on.
"Sorry I couldn't come sooner. My schedule got tangled up. Is the hotel okay?"
"Yes. Thanks to you, everything's comfortable."
"While you're working with me, I want you to stay comfortably without worrying about anything. If anything feels inconvenient, tell me right away. Hmm… the official meeting and the album work will probably start tomorrow afternoon, so today I just came by to say hello."
"Really?"
"Yes. Once this is over, I have to head straight to my next schedule."
Cara checked the time briefly, then looked back at Woojin with her blue eyes.
"By the way, Woojin, do you have any plans before tomorrow afternoon?"
Plans?
Kang Woojin glanced at Choi Sunggeon standing beside him, then shook his head. In other words, he did not.
Then he answered Cara in his usual calm tone.
"I don't."
As if everything had fallen perfectly into place, Cara smiled softly.
"Then how about coming with me to a fashion show tomorrow and greeting the fans? A lot of Hollywood celebrities will be there, and of course the media too. I think it would help raise your profile over here."
From her explanation, it turned out to be a fashion show for a famous luxury brand. In a way, it could become Kang Woojin's debut in that world. And if he went together with Miley Cara, it would naturally attract attention. Quickly grasping the situation, Choi Sunggeon subtly raised a thumbs-up, and Kang Woojin replied with his usual indifferent face.
"That sounds fine."
Cara swept back her blonde hair and smiled even brighter.
"Then shouldn't we both dress the part?"
──────────
The next day at noon.
In front of a fashion show venue packed with crowds, celebrities, and reporters, an elegant sedan came to a stop. Cara stepped out first, wearing a body-hugging luxury dress. Then a man with black hair and a black trench coat stepped out after her.
It was Kang Woojin.
In an instant, the two of them were surrounded by more than a hundred reporters and bombarded with a frenzy of photographs. About thirty minutes later—
『Who is the Korean actor who appeared with Miley Cara at the fashion show?』
Kang Woojin's name began appearing in overseas news articles.
Not long after that, news of the famous luxury brand's LA fashion show spread rapidly through Korea.
『[Star Photo] Kang Woojin appears with Miley Cara at a famous luxury brand fashion show / Photos』
『Global superstar Miley Cara and Kang Woojin strike confident poses in front of countless reporters / Photos』
The album project involving Woojin and Cara had already been a major issue drawing huge anticipation, but once word spread that their schedule also included a large-scale fashion show attended by countless Hollywood celebrities, the attention only exploded further.
『Actor Kang Woojin, who surpassed 20 million viewers, attends fashion show with Miley Cara before album work… now firmly establishing himself as a Hollywood actor』
Photos of Kang Woojin and Cara together flooded the Korean media in an instant.
Of course, the exact same thing happened in Japan.
The Japanese media, which had already been keeping a close eye on Woojin's activities in LA, moved quickly to report it. But in Japan, there were already all kinds of ongoing discussions surrounding Kang Woojin.
Especially in the anime industry.
The reason was, naturally, Boy Friend: Remake.
As Kang Woojin once again became the center of attention in Japan's animation industry, all kinds of people—animation studios, broadcasters, entertainment agencies, and every other related party imaginable—analyzed and discussed him nonstop. To put it simply, wild speculation and assumptions were flying everywhere.
"Doesn't Boy Friend: Remake air tomorrow? What do you think it'll be like?"
"Who knows? But honestly, I don't think it'll be easy. Rom-coms have been struggling lately, haven't they?"
"The original is Korean, right?"
"That's part of it, sure, but A10 Studio poured way too much into this project. When people overdo things, it usually becomes a problem."
"There are already a lot of popular shows this quarter too."
"Right. No matter how strong Kang Woojin's influence is, it'll be hard for that to overcome the original work's baggage."
The evaluation of Boy Friend: Remake was half criticism and half pessimism.
"How high do you think the ratings will go? These days people say an anime is successful if it even hits five percent… would three percent be okay?"
"There's so much interest in Kang Woojin that I think the first episode will at least go over three percent. In the end, though, the important thing is the content."
"What was the highest-rated anime recently?"
"It was hovering somewhere around nine to ten percent."
The other half showed a degree of anticipation instead.
And so, several days after Kang Woojin arrived in LA, July 12th finally came.
From the morning onward, Korea's online communities were boiling over.
The anime-related communities were especially noisy.
[Ah, isn't today the first broadcast of the anime Kang Woojin is in?]
[Yeah. I'm curious what the quality will be like.]
[lol I think Kang Woojin's voice acting is gonna be awful and people are gonna tear him apart lol]
[It airs in Japan today, and I think we'll probably be able to watch it in Korea tomorrow.]
[I live in Japan, so I'll watch it and leave a review lol]
[What's the reaction from Japanese viewers like right now?]
[It's really split lol. If you look on Twitter, there are a lot of complaints lol]
[Putting Kang Woojin's voice acting aside, the studio is A10, so the quality should at least be decent, right?]
[But there are so many anticipated shows this quarter that it might still flop in ratings lol]
Similar scenes were unfolding across various Japanese social media platforms. That atmosphere continued all day, and by around 9:50 that night, a great many people had gathered in front of their televisions. Among them were Sayaka Asami, who had a connection to Woojin and had taken part in Boy Friend: Remake as a voice actor, and her daughter Yusako Asami, who sat beside her in a wheelchair.
The channel broadcasting it was the private network TBE.
Before they knew it, the anime's opening theme was already playing through the TV.
Woojin's voice—his singing—was echoing across all of Japan. Yusako Asami's face flushed red, and she covered her mouth with both hands.
"Ah—my heart's racing so much."
A moment later, along with the opening, the anime's Japanese title appeared on the screen.
Boy Friend: Remake / Episode 1.