Although it was morning in Korea, it was already past midnight on the 4th in Cannes, France, where the film festival was still in full swing. It was around one in the morning. In that brief lull, when the festival that had the whole world buzzing finally quieted down for a moment, Kang Woojin was in his hotel room.
"Hmm."
He was lying on the bed in comfortable clothes. He had showered not long ago, so his face and hair looked relaxed and natural. Needless to say, the usual blank expression he wore to hide his emotions was nowhere to be found.
Judging by his condition, he did not seem ready to sleep just yet.
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Still sprawled across the bed, Woojin looked down at his phone. He had been checking French local news just moments ago, but now he switched over to see what was happening in Korea. The first search term he looked up was Cannes Film Festival. It was already one of the hottest trending keywords, and related articles were pouring out by the minute. Among them, one article in particular caught his eye.
[The Cannes Film Festival closing ceremony and awards ceremony will be held at 7 PM on October 10 Cannes time, and 3 AM Korean time... YouTube livestream confirmed!]
It was an article about the closing ceremony and awards ceremony, and it matched the official schedule.
"Oh, so it's going to be livestreamed. I should let Mom and Dad know."
The festival would continue through the 9th, and that night the ten official Cannes judges would make their final decisions before everything came to an end. Then, at 7 PM on the 10th, the long-awaited finale would begin. The closing ceremony and awards event would include another red carpet, and afterward an after-party in the form of a celebration had already been confirmed.
Woojin soon scratched at his chin.
"They call it an after-party, but isn't it really just some huge gathering to lavish praise on the winners?"
That was not far from the truth. The Cannes after-party, attended by tens of thousands of invited guests, was essentially nothing more than a celebration for the year's winners. It would include countless interviews with reporters, photo sessions, and conversations with famous people from all over the world.
Just imagining the situation made Woojin feel short of breath.
"Ugh, damn, that sounds insanely hectic. I should leave early if I can. But if Leech wins something, do I have to stay?"
There were roughly seven award categories in the competition section. If Leech won even one of them, it would be a huge deal. At least, that was how Woojin saw it. Still, he did not expect much when it came to winning anything himself. It was not that he had no expectations at all, but this was not a domestic stage. This was the world stage, and world-famous actors were all gathered here.
More importantly—
'Aren't we in a slightly unfavorable position?'
That was what Choi Sunggeon had explained. It was impossible to completely rule out the possibility of bias or subtle discrimination. Compared to the past, it had become much less severe, but according to Choi Sunggeon, it could never be erased entirely. For reference, in the Cannes competition section, the ten judges selected the candidates for Best Actor and Best Actress. If twenty films were in competition, then one lead performer from each film would be considered, and from those, the final candidates would be narrowed down.
After that, the final winner would be chosen.
Of course, at the awards ceremony, they would not call out every single nominee one by one. Usually, one of the ten judges would simply announce the winner. Strictly speaking, Kang Woojin was also in a friendly rivalry with Shim Hanho from Leech. Between the two of them, only one would effectively represent the film in the Best Actor race.
A showdown between Korea's veteran actor Shim Hanho and rookie actor Kang Woojin.
On top of that, he would be competing against nineteen formidable actors from around the world. The choice rested entirely with the judges, and because of that, Woojin decided to let go of his expectations.
"Tch, whatever. I'm just going to sleep."
It was already two in the morning, so Woojin closed his eyes. He had been tired, and he fell asleep almost instantly.
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Eight hours later.
"...I really slept well."
It was around ten in the morning when Kang Woojin opened his eyes again. Ever since coming to Cannes, he had been able to sleep in a little. Compared to the hellish schedule he had endured back home, this was relatively comfortable. He soon got out of bed, stretched, and looked out the window.
"The weather is so nice."
Cannes was bright and sunny once again, and the streets outside were already crowded with people. About an hour later, Choi Sunggeon and a few staff members entered Woojin's room. Aside from the things they actually had to do, this trip was practically a vacation for them, and Choi Sunggeon seemed to have put on a bit of weight.
"Woojin, let's start by picking out the tuxedo you'll wear to the closing ceremony."
Han Yejung and the rest of the styling team had prepared a range of tuxedos for him to wear to the closing ceremony and awards event. They all differed in color and detail. Maintaining his usual concept look, Woojin carefully inspected each one with a serious gaze.
'Hmm. Black feels a little boring now.'
Kang Woojin's final choice was simple.
"This one."
A white tuxedo.
Han Yejung, her blue bob framing her face, gave him a thumbs-up with a satisfied expression.
"Nice. Honestly, this was the one I wanted to recommend to you anyway. It's the final round, so you need to stand out."
Woojin had thought the same thing.
"Good. Then let's settle on this."
The styling team hurried out carrying the selected tuxedo. In the meantime, Choi Sunggeon, who had been sitting with one leg crossed over the other, rose from his seat.
"Aside from a few short interviews, Leech doesn't have any official schedule until the closing ceremony and awards night. What are you planning to do today?"
"I was thinking of looking over the Beneficial Evil script this morning."
That was a lie. But Choi Sunggeon could not see through Kang Woojin's shameless poker face.
"Ah, I was actually going to tell you the same thing. It's now confirmed that Beneficial Evil will air in two parts. Writer Kim Soyang called me a little while ago. Episodes one through six will be Part One, and they're pushing production speed to air it as quickly as possible. Part Two will air after that."
"Really?"
"Aren't you excited?"
"I am."
Choi Sunggeon grinned and gave Woojin's shoulder a light pat.
"This trip to Cannes is going to create a huge promotional effect both domestically and internationally. You can already feel the aftershocks. Do you have any idea how many articles have come out over there about you walking the red carpet with Miley Cara at the opening ceremony?"
He was genuinely thrilled. Woojin felt the same way, but that was exactly why he lowered his voice even more.
"I saw them."
"It's already incredible that Leech was invited to compete at Cannes, but if it actually wins something, the attention will multiply several times over. The foreign press will go all in, and of course I'll be under the spotlight too."
"And that will also benefit Beneficial Evil."
"Heh, exactly."
Still grinning, Choi Sunggeon added:
"If Leech wins the Palme d'Or, it'll be the first time in Korean film history. It would be a real explosion of success."
He gave a thumbs-up to the completely composed Woojin.
"And if you win Best Actor, it'll be a full-blown nuclear blast. Of course, for now that's still just wishful thinking."
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At the same time, rumors about Kang Woojin were spreading like wildfire among the people invited to Cannes. In particular, they had become a major topic among French reporters and festival personnel.
"You saw Leech yesterday, right? How was it?"
"It was incredible. Ah, I'm talking about one of the leads in Leech, the actor Kang Woojin."
"Why is everyone talking so much about that actor? What's the story with Kang Woojin?"
"Hmm. I get the impression he must have lived here before. His French was flawless when he greeted the audience before the screening."
"French? Couldn't he have just practiced?"
"No. It was at the level of a native speaker. If you closed your eyes, you'd never think he was a Korean actor."
Strictly speaking, it was less a rumor and more a fast-spreading misunderstanding. The influence of the three thousand audience members who had attended the second screening of Leech had likely played a major role.
"Ah, I keep thinking about Leech."
"It made that strong an impression?"
"The film itself was excellent, but the actors' performances were especially memorable. Kang Woojin's acting in particular left a strong impression."
"I heard a rumor that he speaks French. Is that true?"
"That's right. That actor must have studied abroad in France, or actually lived there."
The source of all that was simple. Kang Woojin had suddenly started speaking French. Since it came from the Void Space, his French was practically native-level, and so it was only natural for that misunderstanding to spread all across the Cannes Film Festival.
But not every conversation was based on a misunderstanding.
There were sincere discussions too.
Directors from various countries who had seen Leech kept bringing Kang Woojin up.
"That actor Kang Woojin I saw yesterday... was that really his first time at Cannes? For an actor with that level of skill, it feels strange that this would be his first appearance."
"Apparently it really is. That's what the Korean press is saying too."
"...I've never seen acting that unnerving before."
"He definitely stands out."
"Find out more about Kang Woojin."
There were directors from France and many other countries, but it was the Hollywood directors in particular who caused the biggest stir.
"Check the Korean situation regarding Kang Woojin."
"Understood."
"So the Korean actor who worked on an album with Miley Cara is Kang Woojin? Does he really have no connection to Hollywood at all?"
"At the moment, none."
"...Yesterday, Director Danny shook hands with him. He must have left quite an impression."
"I'll confirm everything as soon as possible."
In Leech, Kang Woojin had delivered a performance that went beyond method acting. It felt as if an actual living person had been transplanted directly onto the screen, and that had left a deep impression on many directors.
"Find me a way to watch Kang Woojin's earlier works. I want to see with my own eyes what kind of performances he's given before."
Of course, it was not just Kang Woojin's acting skill that left a strong impression on the directors attending Cannes. His unique aura had struck them just as hard.
"It's not only his acting. There's something special about his aura. He has a magnetic pull that seizes the audience. He gives off the energy of a star."
Still, this was only the response to a single film, Leech. If more directors ended up seeing either his past work or his future projects, their interest in him would only continue to grow. Judging from the current situation, that seemed highly likely.
But when one considered the Cannes Film Festival as a whole, there were still far more people who had not seen Leech than those who had.
Even combining the two screenings of the film, the total audience came to only around six thousand people. In contrast, Cannes had tens of thousands of official invitees, and if tourists were counted as well, the number reached into the hundreds of thousands. That was precisely why even more people became curious about the rumors surrounding Kang Woojin.
"Wasn't Leech the only Korean film in competition? It's making quite a lot of noise."
"Hmm. It's not just the film. People are talking a lot about an actor named Kang Woojin too."
"Kang Woojin? Who was that again?"
"The one who walked the opening ceremony red carpet with Miley Cara."
"Ah, that man? Why has he suddenly become so noticeable?"
"I'm not sure. I just heard he's rather unusual."
Whatever the reason, Woojin's popularity was undeniably on the rise.
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As Cannes passed its midpoint and moved closer to its final stretch, expectations only continued to rise. Not only in Cannes itself, but also in Hollywood and film industries around the world, stories about Cannes kept pouring out.
Korea was no exception.
In Korea, where several issues had already become major talking points:
[Miley Cara, who walked the Cannes opening ceremony red carpet alongside Kang Woojin, surpasses 70 million views on her new album teaser video]
[Issue Talk: What kind of appearance will Kang Woojin make in Miley Cara's new album music video, set for release on the 12th?]
Naturally, Cannes-related stories exploded across the country. It had already been enough of a sensation for Leech simply to make it into Cannes. But as news of Woojin's activities in Cannes and various other developments quickly reached Korea, the heat only intensified.
In fact, since the opening ceremony, the Korean press had been in a constant frenzy.
[The ten judges who will determine the fate of Leech at this year's Cannes Film Festival stand on the red carpet / Photo]
[Cannes Film Festival: The giant Leech poster hanging across a building wall, with Kang Woojin's face shining brilliantly in Cannes! / Photo]
["We worked on the album together." Kang Woojin and Miley Cara walking side by side on the Cannes opening ceremony red carpet / Photo]
It was already the fifth day of the festival, but the Korean media's excitement only kept growing. Other broadcast channels and media platforms were the same.
[Kang Woojin poses for reporters ahead of the official screening of competition film Leech / Photo]
[Film Festival: Miley Cara hurries over to watch Leech]
[Hollywood heavyweight directors including Danny Landis enter to watch Leech / Photo]
By this point, not only the Korean entertainment industry but Korea as a whole had become fixated on Cannes. Every day the news covered it, and on YouTube, social media, and every kind of online community, Cannes remained at the center of attention.
[Wooooow, Woojin oppa on the red carpet... he looks insanely handsome...]
[LOL this weirdly feels like watching the World Cup.]
[It's honestly amazing seeing world-famous directors going to watch a Korean film.]
[He's just an extra anyway.]
[Idiot. The fact that there's even one Korean film in the Cannes competition is already a huge deal...]
[But seriously LOL, doesn't Kang Woojin look really close with Miley Cara??? Are they dating???]
[I want to watch Leech too... isn't it getting released in Korea?]
[At this point I really hope it wins something.]
[I'm cheering for it!!!]
[The Cannes closing ceremony starts at 3 AM here. I guess I'm staying up all night...]
[Kang Woojin really looks incredible;;;;]
[Please, please, please win the Palme d'Or!!]
[That's too much LOL. Let's not get too hung up on national pride.]
In short, Korea had become completely consumed by Cannes fever.
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And on the morning of the 5th, back in Korea.
Inside a spacious conference room at a large distribution company in Seoul, around twenty people were seated around a U-shaped table. A projector cast an image onto the wall at the front. Notably, the screen displayed the poster for Leech along with Cannes-related materials.
Of course, this was only to be expected.
This was the official distributor of Leech. Naturally, some of the executives from both the production company behind Leech and the distribution side were currently in Cannes. But not everyone could go. The distributor, in particular, had more things to handle in Korea than in Cannes.
At that moment, among their many important tasks, they were discussing one issue in particular.
Soon, one executive wearing glasses glanced over the papers in front of him and spoke.
"Regardless of how Leech performs at Cannes, it is already drawing major attention, so it would be wise to release it as quickly as possible."
The other executives began adding their thoughts one after another.
"Agreed. As Director Ahn said, this was something we prepared from the early stages of Leech's production."
"We should target a domestic release within two weeks after Cannes ends on the 11th, and at the latest within three weeks."
"I understand we began securing theaters quite some time ago. How is that progressing?"
A team leader responded immediately.
"Yes. We began securing screens before filming on Leech was even complete."
"Good. Then it seems there will be no issue releasing Leech within three weeks after Cannes. In terms of promotion and marketing, Cannes itself is essentially doing our campaign for us already. The attention is enormous."
"And during the three weeks leading up to the domestic release, we plan to pour in as much advertising as possible."
The glasses-wearing executive turned to the next page of his documents and continued.
"If we give it a maximum of three weeks after Cannes, then October 27th seems like an appropriate release date."
At that moment, another executive, as though suddenly remembering something, muttered:
"Wait, isn't the Japanese release around that time too?"
"What do you mean?"
"Kang Woojin's The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. It isn't finalized yet, but it's reportedly scheduled for late October too, so the timing is nearly the same."
Leech and The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice.
"Ah, then both films would be opening around the same time?"
It would be a simultaneous launch.