When people witness something unexpected, they sometimes freeze. Their words stop, or they become so shocked that they cannot even think. Whatever the reason, the 3,000-seat Lumière Theater inside the Palais des Festivals was in exactly that state.
"..."
"..."
"..."
It was the afternoon screening of Leech, the only Korean film invited to the Cannes Film Festival Competition section. Every seat in the 3,000-seat theater was filled. Even though it was packed with global stars, the theater was silent as the grave. The audience, regardless of nationality, all sat there in silence. Inside the grand theater, not even the sound of a cough could be heard.
It started right after Kang Woojin greeted the audience in a low voice.
"Bonsoir, Je suis très content d'être à Cannes."
French rang out through the entire theater. It was astonishingly fluent. The first person to react was the interpreter standing beside Woojin. His eyes widened as he stared at Kang Woojin.
'...What, what? Why is his French so good?! This isn't the kind of level you get from practice alone???'
Meanwhile, Woojin's greeting continued, full of calm detachment. Of course, his French remained perfectly fluent.
"It is an honor to be here to show you Leech and to present my acting to all of you."
The 3,000 audience members stared with their eyes wide in shock. There was bewilderment mixed in too. It was understandable. No one had expected a Korean actor—especially one they had never seen before—to suddenly greet them in French.
In that atmosphere—
"Wh-"
"...?"
"Wh-what is this?"
"Wow—"
Director Ahn Gabok, with his short white hair and wealth of experience.
'French? He speaks French? I thought he only knew English, Japanese, and sign language. Has he been here before?'
The veteran actors Shim Hanho and Oh Heeryeong.
'What on earth is he? There's no end to him. He already has so many talents, and now French too? If he hadn't been trained like an actor since childhood, this wouldn't even be possible.'
'…My god. Practice? No—even I don't know French, but this sounds far beyond expert level. What exactly is that man?'
Even Jin Jaejun and Han Sojin were left speechless.
'This is ridiculous. He speaks French too?? Was he educated abroad… in France?!'
The entire Leech team stood there blankly, staring at Kang Woojin beside them. Half of them looked as if their minds had gone blank. Naturally, the misunderstandings only grew, and each of them began inventing their own explanation in their heads. But Kang Woojin paid no attention to the shock around him and continued speaking in French.
"I'm nervous to be watching Leech together with so many people, but I did my best to act without leaving anything lacking."
By this point—
"Who is that Korean actor? His French is unbelievably fluent."
The 3,000 audience members had begun murmuring among themselves. The strongest reaction came from the French audience, who made up more than half the crowd.
"...That's incredible. Did he rehearse it? Even if he did, it sounds too natural."
"It doesn't sound rehearsed. He sounds like someone who actually lives in France. If it were rehearsed, we would have noticed immediately."
"Didn't he also speak English fluently on the red carpet?"
"Not only is the pronunciation perfect, he sounds like a native speaker. I think he must have lived in France before."
"He may even have studied acting here."
"Ah, that's possible too."
Cannes officials, actors, directors, and journalists were all stunned. Seeing a Korean actor from the other side of the world speak French that naturally was a truly unusual sight.
"Has there ever been a Korean actor—no, even an Asian actor—in Cannes history who spoke French this fluently?"
"There may have been people who practiced simple expressions, but this level is a first. We're witnessing something truly extraordinary."
"Remarkable. He must have some connection to France."
"Judging from his French alone, he must have spent at least a few years here, perhaps even longer."
"He could be mixed-race."
"Hm."
The murmuring only grew louder. Cannes looked like a global festival, but when you looked closely, a large number of the people attending were French. That only heightened the impact.
Kang Woojin finished his greeting in French.
"As the director said, every actor and staff member devoted themselves completely to completing this work. I hope you enjoy it."
Dressed in an all-black suit, he calmly handed back the microphone. Jin Jaejun, who had been staring blankly at Woojin, accepted it with a dazed expression. But the eyes of the Leech team and the 3,000 audience members were still fixed on—
"..."
Kang Woojin.
He maintained a flawless poker face. Miley Cara's blue eyes sparkled as she screamed inwardly.
'What the hell is this man?!'
Because she had witnessed so many things about Woojin already, she felt that shock even more intensely.
'Yeah, exactly. I knew he could speak English, but wasn't his Japanese fluent too?? And he can sing, play piano, knows CQC, and his acting is incredible too???'
Lost in thought, she remembered the dishes Kang Woojin had cooked for her. Come to think of it, his cooking skill had also been at chef level. Even Cara, a global star with both acting and musical talent, felt as though the physical specs of the cold Korean actor before her were simply impossible to keep up with.
'Monster, alien... those words aren't enough! How can he overturn an entire theater and still stay that calm?'
The expressions of the ten official Cannes jurors all differed, but they all shared the same amazement. Joseph and Megan frowned as if doubting whether what they had just witnessed was even real.
"Knowing French itself isn't strange, but... no, this is strange. Too strange."
"Most people struggle to properly handle even one language in real life, but Kang Woojin speaks multiple languages far too naturally. Could he be living a second life or something?"
"Even if he were, it would still be strange."
The stunt team and executives from Universal Movies had no words at all. One actor seemed to possess far too many talents. On the other hand, Danny Landis, the Hollywood heavyweight director who did not know much about Woojin yet, was relatively calm. He was surprised, yes, but unlike the others, he lacked the same background knowledge about him.
'His French is at a native level.'
With his arms crossed, Director Danny kept watching Woojin onstage and recalled what Joseph had mentioned that morning—that Kang Woojin's past was shrouded in mystery.
'I heard his English is also top-level. Seeing how fluently he speaks French, it feels like he refined his craft not in Korea, but in Hollywood and Europe.'
Errors and misunderstandings were spreading everywhere.
"That actor looks unbelievably at ease. Whether it's boldness or overflowing confidence, however you look at it, he doesn't seem like an actor with only two years of experience."
At that point, Director Danny was less focused on the fact that Woojin spoke French and more on the veteran-like energy and aura he radiated.
'That kind of composure and dignity is incredibly rare. It's not something you can imitate. It comes out naturally. How could someone acquire that in only two years?'
The overwhelming presence Kang Woojin displayed was something that should only come from more than a decade of acting experience. Realistically, it was not something one could gain in just two years. Even Danny, a giant in Hollywood, knew that very well.
In any case—
"...Hello, I'm actor Jin Jaejun."
With the heat in the room still burning hot, Jin Jaejun continued the greetings. Even then, Kang Woojin's blank expression never wavered in the slightest. But inside, his chest felt like it might burst from excitement.
'Wow, I pulled it off! I almost messed up because I was so nervous! Whew, it really felt like everybody was staring right through me. I was seriously tense. But honestly, if I'm not going to use French now, then when would I ever use it?'
Woojin's first official stage at Cannes had been a complete success.
'Well, who knows if we'll even win anything? So I might as well seize the chance now. Ah, my heart is going crazy!'
Ten minutes later.
After the lead actors of Leech finished introducing themselves, they took their seats in the designated front row. Even after that, the 3,000 audience members kept glancing at Kang Woojin.
The impact he had left was just that big.
Naturally, the whispers kept spreading. Among the ten jurors—
"He's an interesting actor, isn't he?"
"Hm, he's certainly unique. He seems like the sort who will attract attention."
"But what about his acting?"
"We'll know soon enough."
"If his acting doesn't live up to the expectation, this impact will vanish quickly."
"On the other hand, if his acting is good, then the influence he has right now will double."
"For now, let's focus on judging."
And among the reporters—
"That actor named Kang Woojin? Whether he's good or bad, I already like him. He's causing a stir, after all."
"True, but wouldn't it be even more interesting if his acting turns out a little lacking?"
"From what I've heard, his acting supposedly isn't bad."
"Oh, it's starting. Let's just watch."
At that moment, the lights inside the grand Lumière Theater dimmed. It meant the second screening of Leech was about to begin.
Soon, along with expressionless Kang Woojin—
'Ah, it's starting, it's starting.'
—the entire Leech team, Miley Cara, Director Danny, and every member of the audience fixed their eyes on the giant screen. A brief silence followed. The first thing they heard was sound.
-["Hoo."]
In the dark theater, the sound of someone exhaling filled the space. The black screen slowly turned gray. In an instant, the 3,000 audience members realized that grayness was cigarette smoke. The camera angle pushed through the smoke and shifted into a close-up.
A man's face appeared on the screen.
It was Kang Woojin.
And with that, his story began.
-["I don't know who I am anymore, or why I exist. I'm lost. Is the one speaking right now really me?"]
Kang Woojin's voice rang out across Cannes.
-["Or am I just making excuses to suit the situation? Like I said, I don't know either. Maybe tomorrow morning I'll be smiling."]
French and English subtitles appeared at the bottom of the screen, making it easy for everyone to follow.
-["Will the one smiling tomorrow morning still be me? I'm confused. Am I imitating someone, or am I the real thing?"]
On the screen, Kang Woojin—no, Park Haseong—was crouched down. Shown in a full-body shot, he kept blowing out cigarette smoke. His face looked indifferent, but there was a clear exhaustion to it as well. After a moment, Woojin crushed the cigarette butt beneath him and lifted his head to stare at the sky. The weather was clear.
But Kang Woojin did not smile.
He only clicked his tongue once, shortly.
Then his voice overlaid the scene again.
-["But now I can't find my real self anymore. I think I lost it somewhere. I don't think it'll be easy to find again."]
Just then, a voice was heard from offscreen.
"Hey! Hey!! Stop slacking off and get back to work!!"
"...Ah, yes."
Without much reaction, Kang Woojin rose to his feet. Wearing a cheap suit, he picked up a round tray resting nearby. The screen shifted to a wide lawn party filled with chaebol and people luxuriating in wealth.
-♬♪
Soft classical music began to play, creating a comfortable atmosphere. The camera slowly rose, following Kang Woojin as he moved among the people connected to the conglomerate, and between them, the title appeared.
-Leech
Up until that point, the 3,000 audience members had been watching fairly calmly.
But the reversal came soon after.
-["Are you looking for something?"]
Kang Woojin's meeting with the mute Madam Oh Heeryeong, and then his sign language conversation with her. In an instant, the audience's expressions twisted. It was as if another wave of shock had struck them. Just as when he had spoken French earlier, Woojin's sign language was astonishingly fluent. It blended naturally with his character in the film.
Then Shim Hanho appeared as Chairman Yoon Jeongbae. Soon after, they became entangled with Leech and dragged him into the abyss.
-["Honey, I'll stay here and keep this child company. The party is too boring."]
In no time at all, the 3,000 audience members were completely absorbed into Leech. The tension rose dramatically. Most of the audience had expected the story of success, but there was something strange and chilling about Leech that set it apart from everything else.
The actor who seized both the jurors' and the audience's attention most immediately was Shim Hanho.
'As expected, the moment he appears, his presence is extraordinary.'
Once the conversation between Kang Woojin and Shim Hanho began, the pace of Leech started accelerating.
-["The job is simple. I want you to become my wife's personal secretary."]
-["What exactly are you saying right now?"]
-["Calling it a secretary makes it sound nicer than it is. In reality, it's not much different from being a servant. You'll keep her company, entertain her, eat with her, even go shopping with her."]
-["..."]
-["The goal is simple. Make my wife trust you blindly."]
The beginning of the end.
By around that point, the audience began noticing subtle changes in Kang Woojin's expression and mental state. It was after he stepped inside the chaebol mansion. As he spent time with Madam Yoo Hyeonji, his emotions gradually shifted from merely work to something more real, into a faint and unsettling kind of possessiveness.
The first lie was told to Yoon Jimin, the youngest daughter of the chaebol family.
-["What did Mother just say?"]
-["She told me to get close to you."]
In truth, Madam Yoo Hyeonji had signed, Ignore my daughter. But Yoon Jimin believed Park Haseong's words.
She believed him?
She believed my words?
The Park Haseong on the screen—no, Kang Woojin—began to change little by little. He no longer saw Yoo Hyeonji and Yoon Jimin as people. He saw them as targets.
A lie becomes reality.
-["Then that must be true, right?"]
And if so, it was no longer fiction. Who could distinguish between lie and truth? In that house, Kang Woojin was the only one who could. Lies and truth were invisible. Only phenomena remained. A lie was like magic. Once it left the mouth, it became real.
Kang Woojin's psychology kept shifting in a darker direction.
And his influence kept growing.
Terrifyingly, Woojin's face was already completely different from how it had been in the beginning. Chairman Yoon Jeongbae sensed that something was wrong, but he was too busy to pay attention. That was also the day the eldest son, Yoon Jaho, made his first appearance.
The setting was the courtyard of the enormous mansion.
Yoon Jaho spoke first. With a crooked smile, he asked—
-["How has Mother been doing these days?"]
Kang Woojin did not answer immediately. He only stared at Yoon Jaho. The camera moved into a close-up of his eyes. The light had gone out of them. They were distorted and hazy.
They looked pure, and yet murky.
Close-ups of Kang Woojin's eyes appeared often throughout Leech. It was a device meant to reveal his interior state directly to the audience.
At that moment, he was a silent monster.
-["Madam—no. Mother has been doing very well."]
And then—
'...My god.'
Miley Cara's blue eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with both hands.
'It goes beyond method acting. It's something else. I can't even describe that performance.'
Because it was frightening.