Writer Choi Nana had already finished the script for episode 12 of Beneficial Evil. Lately, most of her time had gone either to attending production meetings for Beneficial Evil or checking the updates shared by the animation team working on Boy Friend: Remake.
Of course, she had also been attending meetings requested by various production companies.
No matter how anyone looked at it, writer Choi Nana had struck it big with her debut work Boy Friend, and her next project, Beneficial Evil, had already entered large-scale production. It was only natural that so many production companies wanted to secure her.
But still—
"Hmm."
After watching all kinds of martial arts videos on YouTube, Choi Nana shut herself back inside her office.
There was a reason for it.
The overseas shoot for Beneficial Evil, which had been discussed so often, had finally been confirmed, and at PD Song Man-woo's suggestion, she now had to restore a portion of the protagonist's setup that had previously been cut.
Because of that—
"Yeah, this scene works. If I tweak it a little, I can use it."
It was now confirmed that the scripts for episodes 1 and 2 of Beneficial Evil would be revised.
More precisely, it was less a revision than an addition. PD Song Man-woo had originally hinted that the two episodes, which had been planned at around one hour each, would be extended by roughly twenty minutes.
There was no need to overhaul the entire work. These were simply additions meant to make the opening of Beneficial Evil more dramatic.
As a result, Choi Nana had to set aside all the little side tasks and focus on Beneficial Evil again.
It was not as though she were starting from scratch. This had originally been part of the setup she had conceived in the early stages of writing the Beneficial Evil scenario, but after multiple production meetings, it had not been adopted.
Now, it had come back to life.
The word "twist" was used all the time in drama and film production. In other words, there was plenty of material she could use, and the parts she had already written could serve as a storyboard.
What Choi Nana was focusing on now was making an already completed script more intense and more dazzling.
"Wow, the filming location is Bangkok. An overseas shoot. There's no way this will turn out flat."
Big names like the famous PD Song Man-woo and a veteran action director were involved, but in the end, the foundation was still the script written by the writer.
Choi Nana kept researching and researching. She needed a massive amount of material in her head to write scenes freely.
While she was doing that—
She pulled her gaze away from the video and looked down at the notebook beside her. Then she checked the notes she had written there once again.
Close combat / CQC (Close Quarters Combat) system
That was the skill that would be given to Jang Yeonwoo, the male lead of Beneficial Evil.
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Sunday the 27th, late morning. Jinju.
Kang Woojin opened his eyes at his parents' house. His black hair was a mess, and he was sprawled out on the mattress.
"Ugh—"
Letting out a small groan, Woojin checked the time.
It was past eleven in the morning. A late start.
When was the last time he had slept in this much?
Woojin stretched and stepped out into the living room. He was completely relaxed, not caring at all about maintaining any sort of image.
The house was quiet.
His parents had already gone to work, and his younger sister Kang Hyuna was not home either.
"Didn't Hyuna say she was going to that charity event today?"
Muttering to himself, Woojin headed for the kitchen.
There was a plate on the dining table covered with a lid. When he lifted it, he found several side dishes neatly laid out underneath. It seemed his parents had prepared them before leaving.
All he needed was rice and soup, and it would make a simple breakfast.
Smiling to himself, Kang Woojin sat down at the table and started eating.
Even while he ate, he kept checking his phone in between bites.
"There are a lot of messages."
They had piled up in huge numbers. Texts, notes, DMs, and more.
Naturally, these were not messages for the ordinary Kang Woojin.
They were for Kang Woojin the monster actor.
Then—
"Ah, today's the last day?"
After checking the date, Woojin let out a small sigh.
Today marked the end of his sweet break.
Starting tomorrow, he would be throwing himself back into that hellish schedule again. Still, he had gotten plenty of sleep, so it was manageable.
'Anyway, I'm starting to get a little nervous now.'
Today, Woojin wanted to take it easy and go over the additional Beneficial Evil script again.
For reference, the scripts for episodes 8 through 12 of Beneficial Evil had been delivered around the time he returned to Korea from Japan. Naturally, he had already finished reading them and had gone through the review process as well.
But the analysis was still ongoing.
The current Kang Woojin was different from the Kang Woojin of the past, so there were a lot of things he had to consider, from the harmony of a role to the freedom within a role.
That was especially true for this project, since it had far more action scenes than any of his previous works.
A little later—
After finishing his meal, Woojin flopped down onto the living room sofa and, as usual, started checking the latest news.
After reading a few articles, it seemed even more banners and billboards related to Kang Woojin had been installed all over Jinju. Woojin let out an embarrassed sigh.
"Seriously, please take those down."
Of course, Jinju was not the only thing he checked.
He looked into the current situation in Japan, Parasite, and the flood of Beneficial Evil articles that kept increasing by the day.
And then—
[All-time Korean Box Office]
[Overall Film Rankings]
Island of the Missing / Total Audience: 19,395,119
Lying on the sofa, Kang Woojin clapped once after seeing that Island of the Missing had officially surpassed nineteen million viewers.
Still, it seemed realistically difficult for Island of the Missing to break twenty million.
Its momentum had dropped sharply, and with so many new films being released one after another, it was unavoidable. It was disappointing, but understandable.
On top of that—
"Ah, the number of theater screens is gradually dropping too."
The number of screens in domestic theaters was limited, so once Island of the Missing lost momentum, it was only natural for the number of screens showing it to be reduced sharply as well.
A decline in audience numbers was an inevitable result.
"Well, whatever. It's already an insane hit anyway."
Island of the Missing had gone beyond being a mere blockbuster.
The record of ranking number one of all time might remain unbroken forever.
Even so—
"Should I take a shower?"
Woojin let out a huge yawn and started toward the bathroom, but then he stopped.
He had just remembered that his younger sister was attending an event as the president of Kang's Heart. Even though he had already said he would not go, the thought would not leave his head.
"Ah, whatever. I'll shower first."
──────────
It was past noon.
A meaningful event was being held that day at a fairly large children's center near Jinju City Hall. It was a charity event for underprivileged children in Jinju.
Various groups and individuals had gathered with good intentions, and the event had been carried out successfully, with prepared meals and refreshments provided as planned.
Naturally, the highlight was the photo session.
People posed while holding placards that listed how much they had donated or how much their organization had contributed. Those photos would naturally appear in articles under the name of Jinju City.
So—
"Thank you to everyone who participated in today's event. Lastly, let us introduce the mayor of Jinju, who has joined us here today."
The event was in full swing inside a hall as large as an auditorium within the children's center.
More than thirty people were seated, and beneath a large banner, the children's center staff had gathered on the stage. The balding mayor of Jinju then appeared on that stage.
"Ahem, ah, it's nice to see all of you. I'm truly moved that so many people have gathered for such a meaningful occasion."
While the mayor gave his speech, a few of the children's center staff members standing below the stage quietly whispered among themselves.
"Was the mayor supposed to come today?"
"Yes. He was originally scheduled to come, but I heard he'd just show his face briefly and leave. I didn't know he'd even give a speech."
"I heard Kang Woojin might come, so it seems he's staying longer."
"Really? I thought it was the fan club coming today, not Kang Woojin himself."
"Maybe the report was wrong."
"Shh, he might hear you."
About ten minutes later, the mayor's speech ended and the photo session followed right after.
The mayor, the children's center staff, and the donating groups and individuals came up one by one to have their pictures taken.
Then, for the third turn—
"Next, the members of 'Kang's Heart'!"
A familiar-looking young woman stepped forward.
It was Kang Hyuna, Kang Woojin's younger sister.
She had attended together with several Jinju-area members as the representative of the official fan club Kang's Heart. Kang Hyuna was dressed suitably for the event, wearing light makeup and an unusually solemn expression.
"..."
Her face was visibly tense.
It was only natural. It was her first time in a situation like this, and even with the fan club members beside her, there was no way she would not feel nervous.
A donation placard, the kind often seen at such events, was handed to Kang Hyuna.
Donation for underprivileged children in Jinju
Amount: 10 million won
Source: Actor Kang Woojin's fan club, 'Kang's Heart'
Standing in the center among the others, Kang Hyuna held the placard and posed.
She was forcing a smile.
The photos were taken about three times, and when the shooting ended, the mayor of Jinju, who had been standing to her right, spoke to her in a soft tone.
"You're doing something truly wonderful."
"…Yes? Ah, yes. Thank you."
"Hehe, but… Kang Woojin isn't coming, is he? Since this is the official fan club, I thought you might be in touch with him."
Still tense, Kang Hyuna shook her head stiffly.
"I'm not completely sure, but I don't think he'll be able to attend."
At that answer, the mayor of Jinju gave a faint smile.
"I see. Well, he must be busy. It can't be helped."
That was what the mayor said, but disappointment was clearly written in his eyes.
At the very least, he had wanted to exchange greetings. Of course, it would have been even better if he could have taken a picture together with him.
And that disappointment was not limited to the mayor of Jinju alone.
The children's center staff and the various groups and individuals who had attended the event all seemed to feel the same way.
"It looks like Kang Woojin really isn't coming today."
"Honestly, I had just a tiny bit—really just the tiniest bit—of hope."
"Well, that's understandable. He came back to his hometown to rest, not to do any activities. Something like this could probably feel burdensome to him."
"Still, the mayor seems pretty disappointed."
The photo session ended exactly thirty minutes later.
What remained after that was free time.
Participants could enjoy the meal and refreshments or mingle and chat with one another. Of course, if they wanted to, they could leave at any time.
Looking around the crowd, about eighty percent of the attendees had stayed behind.
Among them were Kang Hyuna and several management-related members of Kang's Heart, who were seated at a square table near the entrance of the hall.
Originally, they had planned to leave as soon as the event ended, but since the mayor of Jinju was present, they decided to stay a little longer.
Kang Hyuna chatted with the management members over snacks and coffee.
"Judging by everyone's reactions, it really seems like they were hoping Woojin would show up."
"I think they misunderstood or got confused. We never said Woojin would come. We only told them the fan club would be attending."
"By the way, doesn't that man keep staring at us?"
"Ah, he's apparently the representative of one of the official sponsors of this children's center."
As they talked, quite a few people were glancing their way.
The mayor of Jinju, who had been speaking with several local dignitaries, was one of them.
"It seems Kang Woojin really won't be coming after all."
"Hmm… in the end, I guess I won't get to see his face even once."
"Well, what can you do? It wasn't as if he was officially invited."
Filled with disappointment, the mayor of Jinju let out a long sigh, but there was also a certain degree of satisfaction in his expression.
"Still, since Kang Woojin came back to his hometown of Jinju to rest, Jinju has been mentioned a lot in the media and in public discourse. I suppose I should be satisfied with that much."
About thirty minutes passed.
Kang Hyuna and the members of Kang's Heart who had been seated with her left the hall.
Out in the hallway, Kang Hyuna brushed back her brown hair and greeted the management members. Relief was visible on her face.
"You all worked hard."
"Ah, we just came along."
That was when it happened.
"This is a bit much."
A man's voice came from the right, accompanied by the smell of cigarette smoke.
Kang Hyuna turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a slightly flushed face staring at them.
He looked to be in his sixties.
Instinctively, Kang Hyuna recognized him as the representative of one of the children's center's official sponsors. One of the executives had mentioned it earlier.
Because of that, she kept her manners.
"Pardon? What did you say?"
With a frown on his face, the sponsor company CEO spoke.
"With local dignitaries like us here, and even the mayor of Jinju present, does it make any sense for Kang Woojin not to show up? Is he really that busy?"
"…And why are you speaking casually to me?"
The sponsor company CEO glanced toward the hall without changing his expression, as though conscious of the mayor and the other high-ranking figures still inside.
Then he looked back at Kang Hyuna and lowered his voice slightly.
"You people are members of Kang Woojin's official fan club, right? Then you must be able to reach him. No matter how busy he is, how could he ignore something like this?"
"Why are you saying that to us?"
Kang Hyuna was starting to get irritated.
"We're just Kang Woojin's fan club. You should take that kind of issue to his agency."
"What?"
"And please don't speak casually to us."
"Ha, seriously. I'm an official sponsor here."
"So what?"
He really was the sponsor company CEO.
For reference, he came from a kimchi company that was not huge but had a solid foothold in the area, and he had been participating as a sponsor for quite a long time.
"Young people these days, honestly… Anyway, pass this along to Kang Woojin. Everyone, including the mayor of Jinju, is waiting for him."
Mixing smugness and sarcasm into his tone, the sponsor CEO continued.
"And that supposedly great Kang Woojin fan club only donated ten million won. We donate thirty to fifty million every year. If I stop donating, this place can't keep running."
"Wow. Seriously."
Kang Hyuna was on the verge of exploding.
The members of Kang's Heart beside her grabbed her and held her back. It was obvious that fighting with a local big shot in a place like this would get them nowhere.
It was like avoiding filth because it was filthy.
Then, as if trying to wrap things up on his own terms, the sponsor company CEO muttered one last thing to Kang Hyuna.
"Make sure you tell Kang Woojin this. Next year, try earning enough to give a lot more than a measly ten million."
The moment Kang Hyuna bit down on her lower lip—
"You can say it to me directly."
A low, quiet male voice came from behind.
At that sound, Kang Hyuna, the members, and the sponsor company CEO all turned their heads at once.
A black-haired man wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and no jacket approached them with an indifferent expression.
Thud. Thud.
When he came close enough, the man looked down at the sponsor company CEO and spoke coldly.
"To me."
The sponsor company CEO's eyes widened as he looked up at the man, and he stammered without meaning to.
"K-Ka-Kang Woojin?"
The man who had suddenly appeared was none other than Kang Woojin.
In contrast to the sponsor CEO, Woojin remained calm and cold, showing no emotion as he looked straight at him and repeated himself.
"Say it to my face."
"…N-No."
"Go on."
The sponsor company CEO was completely overpowered by Woojin's calm pressure.
'What kind of presence is he giving off?'
Kang Hyuna and the Kang's Heart members were equally stunned.
Kang Hyuna in particular looked utterly shocked, both hands covering her mouth. But Woojin's eyes never left the sponsor company CEO.
"One hundred million."
"W-What?"
"I'll add another one hundred million on top of the ten million. Then it won't be something you can 'justify,' right?"
"..."
"And you said you're an official sponsor of the children's center."
Woojin's voice dropped even lower.
"You said if you stop sponsoring them, this children's center won't be able to operate. How much do you donate every year?"
The answer came from Kang Hyuna, who was standing beside him.
"Between thirty and fifty million won."
Woojin's gaze returned to the sponsor company CEO.
"Ah, so it's just that much."
"Hk."
"Then step down as an official sponsor."
The sponsor company CEO tried to say something to the indifferent Woojin, but he could not.
Woojin had already pulled out his phone and placed it to his ear.
The call went through to Choi Sunggeon, and he picked up almost immediately.
Woojin's low voice rang out.
"CEO, I'm at a children's center for underprivileged kids in Jinju right now. I'd like BW Entertainment to become this center's official sponsor starting today. We'll donate around one hundred million won annually."
From the other end of the phone, Choi Sunggeon answered without even asking for a reason, and without a second of hesitation.
"Alright. Let's do it."