"Should we tease them a little with the Miley Cara angle from Beneficial Evil?"
Walking beside Kang Woojin, Song Manwoo PD suddenly came to a halt. Woojin stopped right after him. The two exchanged a look, almost as if they were speaking through their eyes alone. Around Song Manwoo PD, the dozen or so staff members looked puzzled, their faces clearly asking what was going on.
"For now, yes."
After a few seconds of silence, Song Manwoo PD finally spoke and gave instructions to the surrounding staff.
"You all go in first. I need to talk to Mr. Woojin."
"Yes, sir!"
The assistant directors and several members of the staff began walking toward the giant warehouse-like studio. Kang Woojin's team, including Han Yejung, followed after them. In an instant, only Kang Woojin and Song Manwoo PD were left behind, though the guards and staff stationed several dozen steps away still had their eyes fixed on them.
Then—
Song Manwoo PD, while keeping his composure, beckoned Woojin over.
He pointed to a quiet corner beside the studio where filming props had been scattered across the ground. Song Manwoo PD moved first, and Woojin followed.
It was not as if the Beneficial Evil team knew nothing about Miley Cara. But her involvement was still a top-secret matter, and the details of the ongoing negotiations were even more sensitive. It was better to talk where no one could overhear them.
A moment later—
Once they reached the corner, Song Manwoo PD, wearing a gray zip-up hoodie, looked more serious than usual. Without hesitation, he leaned in and stopped right in front of Woojin.
"When you say we should drop a hint about Miley Cara, do you mean publicly announcing that she's appearing in Beneficial Evil right now?"
Because he was standing so close, Woojin could feel his breath. Leaning back slightly, Woojin answered in a low voice.
"Something along those lines. Do you or Netflix already have a specific timing in mind?"
"The timing? No, nothing's been decided yet. But because Beneficial Evil is being split into parts, and Part 1 covering Episodes 1 through 6 has been pushed forward quite a bit, I've started thinking we may have to reveal the Miley Cara news earlier than originally planned."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. No matter how hard we try to keep it secret, there are limits. We can manage our own staff, of course, but controlling the local staff in Bangkok is much harder. Executive Director Kim Sohyang is already fully aware of that as well."
When Kang Woojin slowly nodded, Song Manwoo PD continued.
"Well, if you and Miley Cara have already come to some kind of agreement and think now is the right time to reveal it, then I can adjust accordingly. But... if I'm being honest, in my personal opinion, it still feels a little too early."
As a veteran PD who had spent decades in the Korean drama industry, Song Manwoo judged that the timing was still somewhat premature.
"Right now, you and Leech have already shaken not just Korea, but the entire world through Cannes. You can tell just by looking at the flood of articles. They're even running feature stories about you in France and Hollywood. Has there ever been an actor in Korea like you? Absolutely not."
"..."
"Because of that, there's explosive interest not only in your past projects, but in your future ones as well. Naturally, Beneficial Evil is no exception. And since Netflix has been pushing global expansion from the very beginning, our drama is drawing even more attention."
As he explained, Song Manwoo PD let out a small laugh.
"Honestly, it's something to be grateful for. I can't thank you enough. Publicity like this isn't something money can buy. And with Miley Cara's new album, you've become even more famous internationally. Wow, saying it out loud makes it feel even less believable. So what I'm trying to say is..."
"You mean the effect could get diluted if Cara drops a hint about Beneficial Evil while the current influence is already this strong."
"Exactly. Adding one piece of news on top of another is not always a good thing. To be frank, Miley Cara appearing in a Korean production? That's an enormous headline. That's exactly why it's so valuable. It just feels a little too soon to reveal it right now."
Hearing that answer, Woojin brought up Cara herself.
"Miley Cara's side said they'd be fine with releasing it whenever."
"Really?"
"Yes. They said as long as we let them know in advance, they'll prepare."
"That's very good to hear."
"PD-nim, I actually agree with you."
"Hm?"
Song Manwoo PD tilted his head, curiosity flickering in his eyes, and Kang Woojin lowered his voice even further.
"I was only suggesting that we tease it a little."
"..."
"It was just a joke?"
"Yes. The promotional effect right now is significant enough as it is. I think it would be better to funnel more of that energy toward Beneficial Evil."
The eyes of veteran PD Song Manwoo sharpened as if he had caught onto something.
"You mean create a passage for the momentum?"
"Exactly."
Woojin continued in the same calm tone.
"Not a direct announcement, but vague, ambiguous hints that can stir curiosity."
Song Manwoo PD slowly smiled as he stroked his beard.
"Ah, so you want us to start the snowball rolling. Not an official statement, but an intentional 'leak.' For example, quietly releasing a still cut from the overseas shoot in Bangkok, but making it impossible to tell for sure whether the person in the photo is Cara or not."
"That's not a bad idea."
"Since both you and Woojin are already drawing so much attention, the rumor will spread quickly. But we stay silent and let the anticipation build. Once a dry field catches fire, it burns fast."
'This old man really is something else.'
Even though Woojin had only explained it in a vague way, Song Manwoo PD understood the idea perfectly. If anything, he had taken it one step further. In truth, what Woojin had proposed was something he had learned by watching Choi Sung-geon.
He had only thrown it out there to see what kind of reaction he would get, and Song Manwoo PD had taken the bait immediately.
"Ha, yes. If we open that path, the tabloids will definitely exaggerate it on their own, and the current promotional heat will stay alive. This could be fun."
"You think so?"
"I'm not joking. It's nothing more than releasing one teaser image and waiting."
Even while Song Manwoo PD spoke with growing enthusiasm, Woojin kept his face expressionless and added another point.
"Because of the current level of attention, the news will spread internationally very quickly as well."
After that, Kang Woojin and Song Manwoo PD finished their conversation and entered the warehouse-like studio, which was filled with over a hundred staff members and dozens of actors. The studio was packed with Japanese-style sets. The moment they stepped inside, applause poured out.
The hundred-plus Beneficial Evil staff members all stopped what they were doing the instant Woojin appeared and burst into loud applause.
The studio quickly filled with cheers, praise, and cries of admiration.
"Congratulations!"
"I stayed up all night watching the live Cannes broadcast!"
"Mr. Woojin! Congratulations!"
"I got chills when you won Best Actor!"
"Please show us the Cannes trophy later!"
The situation was a little awkward, but Woojin kept his composure and simply dipped his head. Then the actors, including Hwarin, rushed toward him. Hwarin did her best to act casual.
"I already texted you, but seriously, congratulations. Watching the live broadcast felt like watching a movie."
"Thank you."
Ha Kang-soo, who had first met Woojin on Our Table, added his own thoughts.
"This is insane, seriously insane. Do you know the Our Table group chat is exploding right now?"
Soon after, the lead actors, supporting actors, and minor cast of Beneficial Evil all came one by one to congratulate Kang Woojin. Some, like Hwarin, seemed genuinely happy for him. Others could not quite hide their envy and jealousy.
But none of that mattered much to Kang Woojin.
For about thirty minutes, the studio remained noisy and festive. Once the excitement finally settled down, the more than one hundred staff members and actors resumed preparing for the shoot. Woojin joined in as well. Several staff members approached him to handle his outfit and makeup, and while they worked on him, Woojin silently looked around the enormous set.
'I heard about it, but the scale really is insane.'
This was Kang Woojin's first time returning to the Beneficial Evil set since the Bangkok shoot. The sheer size of it left him at a loss for words.
'There are six more warehouse-sized sets like this?'
The set Woojin was looking at was about twice the size of a normal warehouse. Half of it had been built up as Japanese houses and buildings, while the other half had been designed as fictional spaces set in Korea. And there were six more sets on this scale. On top of that, there were additional outdoor shoots depending on the scene.
'Ah, damn. This really feels like home.'
Whatever the case, from this moment on, Kang Woojin had to cast off Leech's Park Ha-seong and live for a while as Jang Yeonwoo from Beneficial Evil. His schedule was pure hell. Shooting Beneficial Evil, keeping up with existing schedules, catching up on delayed work, and on top of that, the packed schedules Cannes had caused or was about to cause.
Naturally, Song Manwoo PD was also doomed to grind himself to the bone.
To release Part 1 of Beneficial Evil on the scheduled date, he had to shoot and edit at the same time. In truth, the intensity of his workload might have surpassed even director Ahn Ga-bok's on Leech.
Just then—
"All right! Let's start rehearsing!"
Song Manwoo PD called out to Kang Woojin, who was now ready.
"Mr. Woojin, get into position!"
From that point on, Beneficial Evil began accelerating even more.
It was early the next morning.
By the time Kang Woojin arrived at the massive filming site for the drama Beneficial Evil in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, the press had already started publishing new articles.
[Feature Article: Legendary calls from French and Hollywood networks are pouring in for Kang Woojin and director Ahn Ga-bok, who left a historic mark at Cannes.]
[Kang Woojin appears in international news / Photo]
It was not just the Korean press that was in an uproar. The foreign press was just as loud, and it all felt like only the beginning. Every hour, new issues surfaced and pulled in more public attention.
[Exclusive: Kang Woojin, who became a 'global star' overnight, selected as a new Chanel ambassador.]
[Chanel names Kang Woojin, the star of Cannes, as its new ambassador.]
Meanwhile, the explosive popularity of Miley Cara's newly released album continued to shatter records day after day, about five days after its release.
[Issue Talk: Miley Cara's new album featuring Kang Woojin surpasses one million copies sold in just three days!]
[Miley Cara's new album breaks record for 'most-streamed album in a single day,' while Kang Woojin's YouTube subscribers and social media followers surge.]
With the Billboard chart update only a few days away, the views on Miley Cara's music video were also skyrocketing.
[Alcoholism (feat. Woojin) | Miley Cara]
Views: 200,000,000
It had surpassed two hundred million views.
A few days later, on Monday the 18th.
At around seven in the morning, Kang Woojin was at BW Entertainment near Samseong Station. Lately, it had become busier than any other entertainment company in Korea.
Woojin entered the empty office before regular hours, dressed in a hoodie and a cap, with Jang Su-hwan and the rest of his team beside him. As if he already knew the situation, he headed straight for the CEO's office without hesitation.
Sitting behind his desk, Choi Sung-geon let out a huge yawn.
"Ah, you're here?"
The moment he saw Woojin come in, he sprang to his feet. He looked a little disheveled, as if he had spent the night at the office, and seeing that, Woojin asked in a low voice,
"Did you sleep here?"
"Ah—"
Dragging out the sound, Choi Sung-geon tied his hair back again and grinned.
"Yesterday's meeting ran long, and I had an insane amount of work to handle. Honestly, sleeping here was way more efficient than going home."
"Is that so?"
"Don't worry. Compared to hell, this place is heaven to me. Anyway, sit down first. How much time do you have?"
He was asking how long it was before Woojin had to head to the Beneficial Evil set.
"About thirty minutes."
"Good. Then let's quickly go over a few important things."
Moving briskly, Choi Sung-geon grabbed a thick stack of papers from his desk and set it down in front of Woojin, who had quietly taken a seat. At a glance, there were more than five separate bundles, and judging by the way Choi Sung-geon had brought them, they were most likely scripts or screenplays.
And that was exactly what they were.
"These are scripts and screenplays."
It had been quite a while since Choi Sung-geon had handed Woojin any scripts or screenplays. Naturally, domestic scripts and screenplays still poured in for Kang Woojin without end, but most of them had been rejected. It was not just that he could not take on every script that came his way. There was also the matter they had discussed before about managing his workload.
That was why Kang Woojin found this a little strange.
'What is this? All of a sudden?'
Woojin asked Choi Sung-geon, who was yawning across from him,
"Why are you suddenly giving me these?"
With a grin, Choi Sung-geon gestured for him to take a look first.
"Just read through them."
Without saying a word, Woojin stared at him for a moment, then picked up the top bundle and opened the first page. He quickly noticed something different.
'Ah, this.'
The words on the paper were not in Korean, but in French. Right then, as though he had been waiting for that exact reaction, Choi Sung-geon cut in.
"Those didn't come from Korea. They're scripts sent in from overseas. Cannes only ended a few days ago, but it's already complete chaos. We've had over a hundred inquiries, and scripts are still coming in nonstop. Out of the five bundles you're looking at, two are French productions, two are Hollywood films, and one is an American TV series."
It was a sign that the offers from overseas had finally begun pouring in.
For a brief moment, Kang Woojin was genuinely startled, though he barely managed to keep his composure.
Choi Sung-geon spoke again.
"You prefer the originals, right? Then go ahead and look through them."
Since he already knew about Woojin's English and French ability, Choi Sung-geon had brought him the untranslated originals. Woojin said nothing as he looked over the covers of the scripts and screenplays one by one.
Then—
He paused at the third bundle.
It was a Hollywood film screenplay. The English title stood out, and for some reason it felt oddly familiar.
Jurassic Land 4
His face remained blank, but inside, Kang Woojin was suddenly electrified.
'No way. Damn. Dinosaurs? There's no way I can turn that down.'