Without any teaser or advance promotion, the world-famous top star Miley Kara suddenly appeared in Bangkok, Thailand. What was this? A dream? A hallucination? It was exactly the kind of moment that made the phrase hard to believe even after seeing it with your own eyes feel real.
Her unexpected appearance threw the Hollywood crowd into complete confusion.
Famous producer Joseph and CD Megan.
"M-Miley is filming this project?"
"This is something we never could have imagined."
Joseph's team members and the stunt team traveling with them were no different.
"Ah… i-is that really Miley Kara?"
"Did they say Miley was going to appear in a Korean drama? I heard that's what it was."
"Me too."
"That makes no sense. Why would she film a Korean project?"
"That expert over there said it. No, he said it was because of that Korean actor."
"I heard that too! But what is that even supposed to mean?!"
Even the executives from the Hollywood giant Universal Movies were stunned.
"Miley Kara is appearing in a Korean production? We couldn't even afford her fee."
"Who exactly is this Korean actor? Who is the one Miley said she was acting for?"
The whispers rippling through the group of around twenty people gradually grew louder. Standing beside them, Miley Kara looked perfectly at ease. Lifting the sunglasses perched on her blonde head slightly, she said,
"Kang Woojin. That's the Korean actor's name. You all came to see that Korean actor too, didn't you?"
"What?"
The Universal Movies executives, who had been frowning, immediately turned their eyes to the black man, Joseph. Wearing a faint smile, Joseph nodded as if confirming it.
"Yes. We came to see Mr. Kang Woojin."
There had been a certain amount of information exchange beforehand, but aside from Joseph and Megan, the foreign group was seeing Kang Woojin's face for the first time. Joseph had pushed hard, but before heading to Cannes, most of the stunt team and Universal Movies executives who had made this stop had not expected much.
And that feeling had not changed.
It was understandable.
After all, Kang Woojin was still almost unknown in Hollywood. Even with Joseph and Megan recommending him, it was difficult to place huge expectations on an unproven Korean actor. And yet now Miley Kara herself had become involved because of that Korean actor.
'Does Miley Kara have some kind of personal relationship with that Korean actor? Otherwise, a ridiculous situation like this would never happen.'
Even if they denied reality, the truth would not change. Miley Kara had appeared right in front of them, and she had personally said she was participating in Beneficial Evil. The size of her role did not matter. The mere fact that Kara was involved was enough to shake Hollywood.
Soon, one of the Universal Movies executives, the slightly pot-bellied man, muttered quietly,
"...This is headline material anywhere, even in Hollywood."
At that moment, everyone, including Joseph, realized one thing. The reason for the strict confidentiality agreement enforced by the Beneficial Evil team, as well as the unusually tight security measures that had kept them curious until now, had finally become completely clear.
"They were trying to keep Miley Kara's participation a secret…"
What would happen if this news reached Korea? It would be more than a simple commotion. It would trigger an overwhelming tsunami.
Right then,
"See you later."
After giving them a brief farewell, Miley Kara headed toward the abandoned factory site where Woojin was. Everyone in the foreign group other than Joseph and Kara silently watched her back as she left. At that moment, one of the stunt team members, still staring wide-eyed, asked Joseph,
"Joseph, you didn't know?"
"Not at all. I never imagined Miley would be in this project. I truly never expected it."
"My god. How could something like this even happen?"
Meanwhile, in the middle of the drama Beneficial Evil filming set, where more than two hundred staff members were moving around nonstop, Kang Woojin stood holding a second firearm. This time it was a pistol, a Glock 17. Inside, Kang Woojin was full of amazement.
'Wow, doesn't this feel exactly like the real thing? The sensation is so vivid, and the grip is incredible. This is seriously amazing.'
But he could not show that shallow awe on the surface. Maintaining an indifferent expression, Woojin raised the Glock 17 with both hands.
"What?"
"Look over there, over there."
"What??"
"What's going on?"
"That blonde foreign woman, no way."
The noise around Kang Woojin kept growing louder. From the hundred-plus staff members of Beneficial Evil to the local Thai staff and actors, everyone who had been busy moving around suddenly began looking in one direction, as though they had all received the same signal. There, with more than ten large foreign bodyguards in tow, a blonde woman leisurely crossed through the middle of the set. It was Miley Kara.
At that very moment.
"Kara? Isn't that Miley Kara??"
Every one of the more than two hundred people at the set recognized Miley Kara. The excitement shot to its peak in an instant, and people looked ready to start screaming.
"What? No way. No! That really is her!!"
"Miley Kara?!"
"Oh my god!! That's actually Miley Kara!!"
"What?! Where?!"
"Over there, over there!! That's Miley Kara, right??!!!"
"Wow!!! Incredible!!"
The equipment that had been moving just moments ago ground to a stop as mouths fell open. Every staff member cried out and stared at Kara.
But not everyone was shocked. The people who already knew Kara was coming only smiled or stayed calm. Song Manwoo PD, writer Choi Nana, Executive Director Kim Sohyang, and the few core staff members Song Manwoo had informed in advance were among them. Ethan was one of them as well. Even so, the filming site packed with over two hundred people was still in total chaos. Shouts and screams echoed everywhere. Amid all that shock and confusion, Kara calmly walked up to Kang Woojin and smiled.
"That gun suits you."
Woojin answered in a low voice.
"Would you like to try it?"
"Anytime. I've used guns plenty of times. It would probably suit me better than you."
"We'll see."
"Give it here."
The set was in complete disarray, but Woojin and Kara chatted as lightly as if they were out on a relaxed stroll. Then Kara turned her gaze toward Song Manwoo PD and the other staff and gave them a simple greeting. After that, she raised the Glock 17 in her hand and fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots rang out. Kang Woojin, standing beside her, silently watched the situation unfold.
"..."
His poker face was as flawless as ever, but he could not help being completely captivated by Kara's profile. Her blonde hair fell all the way to her chest, her sunglasses were perched on top of her head, she wore a white tank top, slightly ripped hot pants, and black beaded sandals. And she was firing a handgun. It was not exactly something you saw every day. Without realizing it, Woojin muttered inwardly,
'This scene is seriously insane. Honestly.'
Completely unaware of what was going through Woojin's head, Kara lowered the pistol and asked him,
"Well?"
Woojin finally came back to himself and answered calmly,
"Not bad."
"Praise from you really is expensive, huh?"
"Not at all."
At that point, Song Manwoo PD stepped forward, a megaphone in one hand.
"Miley, I think it's time to calm the staff down."
His words were translated for Kara.
"Of course. I'm fine with that."
Once he got her agreement, Song Manwoo PD lifted the megaphone and shouted loudly.
"Everyone! Gather in front!"
Soon, the two hundred staff members came rushing in like a horde of zombies.
──────────
The next day, the 21st, in Bangkok.
It was early morning. The location was the Kempinski Hotel, one of the bustling five-star hotels in downtown Bangkok. It was not the same hotel where the Beneficial Evil team was staying. Perhaps because it was such a huge luxury hotel, the lobby with its fountain was already crowded with guests even though it was still morning. Beside the main building was a large restaurant, and it too was extremely upscale.
More than half the seats were already occupied. It was breakfast buffet time.
♬♪
In the quiet atmosphere, with soft classical music playing, familiar faces could be seen seated at the round tables by the windows. They were the roughly twenty Hollywood foreigners who had come to observe the filming of Beneficial Evil. They still looked unable to fully recover from the shock of seeing Miley Kara the day before. Joseph and Megan, however, were nowhere to be seen. Still caught up in their excitement, the others were busy talking about Kara.
The muscular stunt team members and the Universal Movies executives were the same.
"From what that goateed PD said yesterday, it sounds like Miley is playing a pretty important role."
Of course, they kept their voices so low they were almost buried beneath the classical music. And when referring to Miley Kara, they were careful to avoid using her name, sticking only to she or her.
"You saw her during rehearsal, didn't you? The gun handling, checking the storyboards. It didn't look like some tiny cameo."
"Based on what I saw in rehearsal, the production scale seems much bigger than expected."
"Given that they hired Ethan, it definitely looks like they're focusing on action. That vehicle explosion test yesterday was pretty impressive."
"Same with the rehearsal. There was that scene checking the vehicles in the city streets, so it looks like there'll probably be a car chase too."
"...It's nice that the filming feels more impressive than expected, but still, the fact that we got to see her here is unbelievable. How on earth did they persuade her?"
"Wasn't it Kang Woojin? It seems like she and that Korean actor have some kind of story."
Naturally, the conversation shifted toward Kang Woojin.
"Hm. Kang Woojin… now that I think about it, didn't Joseph say this whole schedule was arranged because of that Korean actor?"
"Yeah. Before heading to Cannes, he told us there was an actor worth seeing and insisted we stop by."
"...If he had some kind of Hollywood connection, it'd be easier to understand why she got involved, but he's a completely unfamiliar face. Though I heard he's pretty popular in Korea and Japan."
One of the Universal Movies executives, the pot-bellied one, added an explanation.
"Not just Korea and Japan. He seems to be quite popular in Thailand too. I looked at Kang Woojin's social media and YouTube channel, and it was honestly impressive. He already has considerable name value overseas."
One of the listeners, the leader of the stunt team, scratched his chin.
"This trip has been full of surprises, but I honestly never imagined this many people would get mobilized because of one actor named Kang Woojin."
"Hm."
"What I'm most curious about, though, is why Joseph brought the entire stunt team. Yesterday's filming was interesting, sure, but from a Hollywood point of view, even if it looks unique by Korean standards, that level is basically very standard, isn't it?"
"I agree."
That was true. Compared to Korean standards, Beneficial Evil might look fresh and large-scale, but from a Hollywood perspective, it was not all that extraordinary. At that moment, a few stunt team members chimed in.
"From the overall feel of the rehearsal, it seems focused on action sequences, and it includes CQC too. But no matter how involved Ethan is, the CQC and action choreography centered on a Korean actor… honestly, coming all the way here for that feels a bit disappointing."
Everyone there had already built significant careers in Hollywood. So it was only natural that they would not be impressed by ordinary action choreography.
"His shooting stance was excellent. Both the rifle and the handgun."
"Anyone could learn that in a few days with a professional coach."
"Even Hollywood's top actors struggle when it comes to acting out CQC scenes. The real issue is how perfectly they can perform it."
"Mm, I think the acting element matters too. Just judging from Kang Woojin's action scenes… there wasn't really anything new."
The shock of yesterday had been huge, but the reality in front of them now was cold and harsh.
"Anyway, we should be heading out soon. Wasn't the actual filming scheduled for noon? Call Joseph."
Meanwhile, at this exact time.
Many people across Bangkok were heading toward the Beneficial Evil filming site. A few minutes earlier, Miley Kara had left the hotel and boarded a large van along with more than ten bodyguards and the production crew.
"..."
"Miley, you can't get nervous before filming starts."
"I've got a strange feeling."
"Strange? What do you mean?"
"I've done countless projects before, and I've filmed in Bangkok too, but somehow today's shoot is making me nervous. Or maybe excited."
Her manager Jonathan tilted his head in confusion.
"Why? Is it because this is your first Korean project?"
"I'm not sure. That might be part of it, but it's also because of Kang Woojin. I've seen his acting before, but this is the first time I'll actually be acting with him. And somehow our chemistry came together much faster than I expected."
"So it's definitely true that the two of you work well in the same project."
Kara brushed her blonde hair back and smiled faintly.
"Of course, I don't want this to be the last time."
"...Joseph's project is still in its early stages. From what I understand, the team is still being assembled, but there isn't even a finalized script yet. At most, a synopsis is probably done."
"Really? Then I should talk to Joseph."
As Kara crossed her long legs, her manager asked again,
"You absolutely cannot overdo it during filming today. You know that better than anyone."
"I know."
"Is there something you're worried about?"
"Not exactly. I'm just really looking forward to Kang Woojin's action acting. Hah… it's the first time I've ever been this curious about another actor's performance."
"I'm the one who's worried. His movements when he saved you were impressive, but filming is an entirely different matter. And anyway, this is Woojin's first action project, isn't it? He's probably inexperienced. Things can go wrong."
"...For someone inexperienced, he looked very calm yesterday."
"That's probably just Kang Woojin's nature. If he lets his guard down, that's when accidents happen."
"I know, so stop nagging. How many films have I done?"
Kara answered in a somewhat chilly tone, then turned her blue eyes toward the window.
"The shoot starts with Kang Woojin's long take, right? I'll decide whether it's dangerous or not after I see that."
At the same time,
Kang Woojin was also on his way to the Beneficial Evil set in a van.
"Hm."
On his lap rested the script for episode one of Beneficial Evil and the action storyboard for the CQC sequence. After flipping through them and thinking for a moment, Woojin came to a decision.
'As expected, Assistant Manager Park fits best.'
He was making his final decision on role integration and freedom within the role.
'For freedom within the role, stay faithful to the storyboard, but emphasize a comfortable, loose atmosphere. Something with a slightly playful edge. Got it?'
There were three hours left until the first day of filming for Beneficial Evil.