Kang Woojin had also heard that Director Ahn Gabok had boarded a plane to attend the Cannes Film Festival. Of course, Woojin himself was still in Bangkok. It was early morning, and he was on the move for the filming of Beneficial Evil.
'Looks like Director Ahn has left.'
Today was Friday the 24th. The moment Woojin heard that Ahn Gabok had departed, the tension he had almost forgotten surged back up inside him.
'I'm not far behind now either, right?? Whew—now that it's almost time to leave, I'm actually getting a little nervous.'
What did the Cannes Film Festival, the gathering place of world-renowned film directors, look like in real life? He had looked up photos and YouTube videos beforehand, but seeing Cannes with his own eyes would be a completely different experience.
'It's like the difference between reading a script with your eyes and reading it in that empty space—living it, experiencing it firsthand.'
Kang Woojin's official Bangkok schedule ran until September 30. Of course, depending on how filming went, that could shift by a day or two. Either way, the overseas location shoot for Beneficial Evil would continue from late September into early October, and after that, Kang Woojin would have to leave for France to attend the Cannes Film Festival.
The official opening day of Cannes was the 30th.
After that, the festival, including the screenings of invited films, would continue until October 10, and on the 11th, there would be a grand closing ceremony and awards ceremony. For the invited films and the countless actors involved, that closing ceremony was the most important event of all.
Naturally, that was true for Kang Woojin too.
Having perfectly settled back into his concept, Woojin was desperately suppressing the rising tension as he swept through search sites from all over the world. Japan was the closest, then Hollywood, and even France. Naturally, he focused on countries whose languages he understood.
As a result—
'Damn, Cannes is seriously insane—'
The whole world was already buzzing because of the Cannes Film Festival. French media had already dispatched reporters to the area where the festival would be held, and articles were pouring out nonstop. Report after report mentioned the arrival of countless stars and celebrities in Cannes. Woojin recognized quite a few of the foreign stars. Even if it was only around thirty percent of the total arrivals, the scale already felt overwhelming.
'No way... all these people really gathered because of the Cannes Film Festival?'
He kept seeing articles predicting that tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of people would gather. As he moved his finger across the screen, Kang Woojin found himself imagining what he would look like standing there among them. He was checking the domestic response now. When Leech had been announced last week as an official Competition entry at Cannes, the Korean press and public opinion had exploded in an instant.
Because Leech was the only Korean film to make it into the Competition section.
It had even been covered on multiple national television news broadcasts.
That heat had still not cooled even after a full week, and the moment Director Ahn Gabok boarded his plane to France, it only flared up again.
At that point, the domestic press was releasing articles in unison. Most media outlets had probably been waiting eagerly for this news too.
『Director Ahn Gabok's film Leech enters this year's Cannes Competition... Ahn Gabok heads to Cannes for the fifth time—can he finally take home a prize?』
『[Global] The only Korean film in Competition, Leech, starring Shim Hanho and Kang Woojin, confirmed for Cannes... Can it finally end Korea's long drought without a major award?』
That was exactly why the firepower behind it was so overwhelming.
『A legendary figure in Korean cinema, Director Ahn Gabok enters the race for the Palme d'Or against the world's greatest masters! / Photo』
The articles on Woojin's phone updated every second. Film-industry media, general news outlets, and all sorts of publications were celebrating the achievement, and naturally, they were also flooding the internet with questions and speculation.
『[Main Article] Seven major awards in the Cannes Competition section, and "Kang Woojin," who swept eight categories at domestic film festivals last year... Could he win Best Actor?』
『[Festival] Shim Hanho, Oh Heeryeong, Kang Woojin—going to war against world-class actors』
Overall, Leech being invited into the Competition section was receiving endless praise and support.
『Director Ahn Gabok departs for Cannes today... Shim Hanho and Oh Heeryeong to follow soon... When will Kang Woojin leave Bangkok?』
『[Photo] After Director Ahn Gabok, Jin Jaejun also spotted at Incheon Airport! / Photo』
At that point, Woojin could not resist his curiosity about the public's reaction. He quietly checked the comments under the articles.
The public was going wild too.
[Leeeech!! Fighting!! ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[I just hope it leaves a huge impact while it's thereㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[But seriously, Kang Woojinㅋㅋㅋㅋgoing to Cannes only two years after debuting is insaneㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Korea's lineup is ridiculous: Shim Hanho, Oh Heeryeong, Kang Woojin, Jin Jaejun]
And Kang Woojin's name came up again and again. Seeing his own name repeated so often made Woojin grin broadly.
Only inwardly, of course.
'Being called one of the representatives really doesn't feel bad at all.'
Naturally, the status of the actors appearing in Leech had skyrocketed into the heavens. They had already been influential actors to begin with, but Cannes had multiplied that influence several times over.
Especially Kang Woojin.
『[Issue Check] "A first for Korea!" Rookie actor Kang Woojin makes a bold Cannes debut through an unprecedented career path!』
Veteran actors like Shim Hanho and Oh Heeryeong had already been to Cannes several times, but Kang Woojin, only in his second year since debut, was walking a path so groundbreaking it felt almost absurd.
『Shim Hanho's fourth trip to Cannes is impressive, but the legend Kang Woojin is building feels even more powerful... Netizens say, "Kang Woojin is a real legend."』
Everything he had done was a first. Among Korean actors, no one had ever walked the same road Kang Woojin was walking now. That was why both the press and the public were even more frenzied.
Moments like this always made Koreans unite as one.
[Ughhhh!!! My patriotism is exploding!! I seriously hope Leech and Kang Woojin sweep Cannes!!]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋDamn, I can't even lose rock-paper-scissors to Japan anymoreㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[ㅠㅠㅠㅠWhen Leech was announced last in the Competition lineup, I got chills all over my body.....]
[Sweeping domestic film festivals last year and then going to Cannes this yearㅋㅋㅋ It's not normal, but since it's Kang Woojin... somehow it makes sense....]
Meanwhile, the Japanese media, which also had two films in the Cannes Competition section, showed a similar response.
『At the Cannes Film Festival, Japan has two entries and Korea has one, and the actor Kang Woojin from The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice will also attend Cannes.』
They were already feverishly searching the name of the now wildly popular star, Kang Woojin.
『"Japan vs. Korea" A massive showdown unfolds in the Cannes Competition section!』
They were framing it as a rivalry.
Later.
Kang Woojin returned to the set of Beneficial Evil. The production team, which had successfully completed the long-take sequence a few days earlier through the all-out efforts of the entire staff, had now moved fully into shooting the detailed scenes.
In other words, they had begun actively working through the schedule.
It was true that scenes in dramas and films could not always be shot exactly in script order, but in the case of time-limited overseas location filming, it was common to shoot in sequence as much as possible.
"Action!!"
Even so, the scenes being shot in Bangkok were somewhat scattered. At that moment, Kang Woojin was filming at a grand mansion located quite a distance from central Bangkok.
-Bangbangbangbang!!
They were filming the first appearance of Jang Yeonwoo in Beneficial Evil, along with the scene where he disappears. Several Thai actors appeared in that sequence too, and while it involved guns, knives, and explosions, it was not being filmed as a long take.
And on top of that—
"Cut!! Good! This time, let's go from Mr. Woojin's point of view!"
"The flower bed! We're changing the flower bed!!"
They had secured the safety of the mansion, but they could only use the overall appearance of the place without damaging it. So a similar garden had been built in the nearby forest, and the shoot continued there instead.
"Alright, cut, cut!! Ugh!!"
The same scene was being filmed repeatedly from multiple angles and points of view. Kang Woojin's action and martial arts in military uniform were dazzling, but the aura of Miley Cara, who had joined the set a few days earlier, was just as eye-catching. Even though it was not her own project, she threw herself completely into filming Beneficial Evil. She showed off top-tier Hollywood-level acting without holding anything back and captivated everyone watching.
Watching the set, Choi Seonggeon, with his hair tied back in a ponytail, found himself overtaken by emotion.
'Woojin... our Woojin is really on the same screen as Miley Cara this fast... Even seeing it with my own eyes, it still doesn't feel real.'
And it was even more striking when he realized that more than a hundred people on the Beneficial Evil set were all thinking the same thing.
"Wow... a shot with Mr. Woojin and Miley Cara in the same frame is seriously incredible."
"But don't Mr. Woojin and Ms. Cara look really good together? They honestly seem close."
"They worked on music together, didn't they? And Ms. Cara even appeared on Woojin's YouTube channel."
"No, seriously, just seeing Miley Cara on our camera feels like a dream."
"I really want to spill the secret. If people saw these shots, they'd lose their minds."
And then that night.
As the overseas filming schedule for Beneficial Evil passed its halfway mark, Joseph, Megan, and the foreign staff who had come from Hollywood finally met Kang Woojin. It was not a deep conversation. It was only a brief exchange of greetings.
"Hello. I work at Universal Movies."
"Yes, hello. I'm Kang Woojin."
"We're part of the stunt team. We were truly impressed by your long-take scenes, Mr. Woojin."
"Thank you."
There was a deep misunderstanding hanging in the air.
"The action overall was incredible. The martial arts and close combat were top level. I heard you used to be in special forces."
Kang Woojin briefly glanced at Ethan among the foreigners.
So he was the one who started it.
Even so, his expression did not change in the slightest. He was already used to situations like this.
At times like this, silence was the answer.
"..."
As expected, they completely misunderstood Woojin's rigid silence.
"Ah, sorry. I wasn't trying to pry. If there's a reason you don't want to talk about it, that's perfectly fine."
"Yes."
"I'm looking forward to Cannes. I'll get to see your work there first. Let's meet again in Cannes."
Most of the conversation flowed in that sort of direction. But Joseph, the famous Hollywood producer, quietly made Woojin an offer of his own.
"This group is made up of the people involved in the film I'm currently preparing. I wanted to show them Kang Woojin. Of course, I was curious about the action scenes too."
"I see."
"Haha, I'm serious. Woojin, every time I see you, you exceed my expectations. The energy you showed in Last Kill 3 looks like child's play when I compare it to what I've seen now. Woojin, I'm preparing a stage where you can take the lead. I think that stage will be complete by the time Cannes arrives. A lot of famous actors will probably try to cast you, but when the script for my next project is finished, will you read it first?"
Joseph and Megan had shown extraordinary devotion toward Kang Woojin, following him from Korea to Japan and now all the way to Bangkok. Woojin knew very well how persistent they were.
"Yes, I don't think that would be very difficult."
The giant Joseph did not forget to smile.
"I look forward to the day I can make something with you."
The next morning, the 25th, the team led by Joseph left Bangkok—not for Hollywood, but for Cannes, France.
And later that afternoon—
-Bangbang!!
Inside a specially rigged vehicle, Miley Cara was shot in the abdomen.
"Ugh!"
Judging from the situation in the scene, the vehicle was supposed to be making a desperate high-speed escape, and the special rig carrying Woojin, Cara, and the camera made it appear as though it were accelerating. In reality, vibration devices attached to the wheels were creating such violent shaking that the vehicle looked almost out of control.
-Crack!!
A bullet slammed into the windshield and shattered it. Ambushed in the middle of their escape, Woojin, gripping the wheel, clenched his teeth and pressed his hand hard against Cara's abdomen in the passenger seat.
"Stop the bleeding!"
The blonde Cara's expression gradually softened, and she laid a trembling hand on Woojin's forearm. She did not seem to have any intention of stopping the blood pouring out of her at all.
"Jay, I was really happy when I found you."
"Shut up and stop the bleeding!"
"What a shame. I wanted to enjoy a little more time with you. Take care of the rest yourself. You can keep the money I was supposed to get."
"Shut up!"
"Don't live stupidly, Jay. No matter what it is, do what needs to be done. Something more evil than evil suits you."
The car shook even more violently. The camera angle focused tightly on Cara's blue eyes as she released Woojin's arm and turned to look out the window.
"I'll take your guilt with me."
She lowered her head. But the violent shaking of the vehicle continued. A few more seconds passed like that. As soon as the dialogue ended, Song Manwoo's voice boomed through the speaker.
"Good!! Alright!!!"
And with that, Miley Cara's appearance in Beneficial Evil came to an end.
Kang Woojin immediately thanked her in a low voice, speaking in English.
"You worked hard. And thank you for being part of the shoot."
Cara lightly shook her head and shrugged.
"It was fun. I'm looking forward to the release of Beneficial Evil*."*
About an hour later, after briefly saying goodbye to PD Song Manwoo and the rest of the staff, Miley Cara prepared to leave for her night flight. Naturally, like Joseph and Megan, her destination was Cannes, France.
Before leaving the set, Cara called out to Kang Woojin.
"Here."
Standing in front of the van, Cara swept back her blonde hair and handed him a key card.
"I wanted to give this to you in person. I had the key to your house in LA prepared."
Woojin received the key calmly.
"...Thank you."
"Hm? You don't need to thank me. I'm only giving you what I owe you."
But inwardly, he was trembling with excitement.
'T-this key really is the key to that mansion?! I actually own a house in LA now?! This is real?!'
Of course, Cara had no way of knowing what was going through his head.
"You like it, right? Then I'll see you in Cannes."
A few days later, on Friday, September 29, in Japan—
a large number of people had gathered inside a major movie theater in Tokyo to watch a film. A closer look revealed that every one of them had a camera in hand. The reason was simple. The several hundred audience members were all Japanese reporters, and among them were a number of film critics as well.
A signboard had been set up facing the large screen at the front.
First Press Screening
It appeared to be a press screening for a film that was about to be released.
But the most striking thing was this.
"..."
"..."
Every reporter staring at the giant screen had their eyes wide open. The shock on their faces was unmistakable. It was at that very moment—
-♬♪
A grand piece of movie music filled the theater, and the Japanese title of the film appeared on the screen.
-[The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice]
The ending credits began to roll, and the names of the cast appeared one by one. At the very top was a name anyone would instantly recognize.
-[Iyo Ta Kiyoshi / Kang Woojin]
-[Yoshizawa Mochio / Kosaku Mana]
-[Horinochi Amie / Uramatsu Mifuyu]
·
·
·
Before long, among the hundreds of reporters, one journalist seated in the middle adjusted his thick glasses in a daze as he stared at the screen and muttered to himself.
"W-what is this? That's the ending?"