Three months.
Kang Woojin's mother, Seo Hyunmi, briefly recalled Woojin's childhood. Then her gaze settled once more on the large TV hanging on the wall. Woojin had already disappeared from the news, but Hyunmi kept staring at the screen as she muttered softly.
"...Would three months really be enough time to take down a thug like that?"
Kang Woochul, who resembled Hyunmi, shook his head with a grave expression.
"Do you think that's even possible?"
"But the news just said Woojin subdued some attacker."
"I saw it too."
Hyunmi's eyes widened even further, and she suddenly blurted out:
"No way! Was Woojin actually a hapkido genius?!"
It was a ridiculous conclusion, but her thoughts had become a complete mess in that moment. Her husband, Kang Woochul, quickly corrected her.
"Do you hear yourself? Bringing up hapkido right now doesn't make any sense."
"Why, why??"
"Hyunmi, Woojin learned hapkido decades ago. He was, what, twelve or thirteen at most back then. Don't you remember?"
"...What?"
"Wasn't it during the parents' observation day at his dojang? When Woojin was doing forms or whatever. The other kids all looked sharp, but you said our Woojin looked like he was dancing. You said it looked more like dancing."
"D-Did I say that?"
"You did."
At her husband's reminder, Seo Hyunmi pictured her son's face and pushed the thought of hapkido out of her mind.
"Then... how did Woojin subdue that attacker?"
At that exact moment—
Snap!
As if a lightbulb had gone off, Kang Woochul clapped his hands and raised his voice.
"That's right, that's right! Actors train in martial arts for action scenes, don't they? I saw it in a documentary once. Action movie actors train so hard they practically cough up blood. Woojin must've learned martial arts while preparing for his projects."
"Ah."
"If he managed to subdue that attacker, then he must've put in a terrifying amount of effort!"
That sounded likely enough. Under the circumstances, it was the most plausible explanation.
No, more accurately, it became the new misunderstanding.
Seo Hyunmi nodded quickly in agreement.
"Ah, right, right!"
Then, out of nowhere, she started sniffling.
"Ah, how hard must he have practiced..."
Kang Woochul's expression hardened.
"If he's using it in real life, then he must've thrown himself into training for months. But it's fine. Our son is strong."
"Still... Ah! Woojin is okay, right?"
"Yes. I talked to him before he left for the States. If something had happened, the agency or Woojin himself would've told us right away."
Only then did Seo Hyunmi finally calm down. She fidgeted with the phone in her hand.
"Ah, right. Woojin is in America."
Then she turned to praising her son.
"Still, Woojin saved Hwarin? That girl? I'm so proud. He really is our son."
"Hm. Our Woojin is going to be a hero."
His father, Kang Woochul, was just as full of pride.
"That kid's got guts, just like me."
"Ha. Guts?"
But Seo Hyunmi's next remark instantly cooled the mood.
"The man who tiptoes around stray cats because he's scared of them is talking about courage?"
──────────
Meanwhile.
Around nine in the morning, Kang Woojin remained the nonstop topic of conversation inside the conference room at the newly established DM Productions. In fact, they had projected Woojin's black box footage across the entire front screen.
"..."
"..."
The ten or so people gathered there stared at the screen as if they were under a spell. Song Manwoo PD was among them, which meant this meeting was obviously related to Beneficial Evil. The attendees were clearly the core production staff.
Right then—
"Wow..."
Song Manwoo PD, watching Kang Woojin on screen subdue the criminal in an instant, muttered as though he were entranced.
"What in the world is this..."
He slowly turned over in his mind what the stunt staff had said at the first production meeting for Beneficial Evil. Then he asked the others:
"Wasn't Woojin supposed to be weak at martial arts? Weak? A beginner?"
"Ah, no, that's... wow."
Low gasps and deeply mistaken assumptions spread among the key staff.
"Is that footage even real?? An armed attacker rushed him, so how can he stay that calm? Woojin does have a cold side to him, but that's on a completely different level. That's professional."
"Look at that hand movement. It's like he waited for the exact moment to twist the guy and drop him. That wasn't luck. He trained for that. For years."
"Ah! Didn't they say Woojin studied abroad? Maybe he learned some kind of martial art while he was in the States?"
"Right! Maybe he picked it up while learning acting?"
The moment Kang Totem's face flashed through his mind, Song Manwoo PD's eyes widened.
'Right. That's possible. If he can teach himself acting to that extent, then why wouldn't he be able to learn martial arts too? I don't know the details, but he must've started a long time ago. Otherwise none of this makes sense.'
A quiet laugh slipped out of him, and that smile was mixed with misunderstanding.
'Acting, instinct, language skills... and now martial arts too? He really has everything. If we're talking pure acting alone, not just in Korea, there might not be anyone in the world who can rival Woojin.'
There was only one thing he lacked.
'It's just a matter of time.'
Then Song Manwoo PD called out to one of the core staff seated in the middle of the room, someone who had been completely captivated by Kang Woojin on the screen from the beginning.
"Director Park."
He was the muscular action director.
"As an expert, what do you make of that footage?"
The man slowly turned his gaze and met Song Manwoo PD's eyes. Surprise was still written across his face, but his answer was simple.
"Just from the footage alone... he looks better than me."
"That much?"
"If someone told me he came from special forces, I'd nod right away. It looks like practical combat training. Look at that. Do you see any tension in Woojin's face?"
"No."
"There's no hesitation in his movements, none of the awkwardness you usually see in dangerous situations. It's just clean. A normal person couldn't move like that. When people attack or get attacked, their thoughts get tangled, so their body naturally slows down."
"And Woojin doesn't have that?"
"No. It's clean and decisive. To begin with, even the bodyguards around him wouldn't know how to use a technique like that."
The action director scratched his head with a baffled look, as if he genuinely couldn't make sense of it.
"What exactly is this guy? How is a rookie actor doing something like that?"
"I have no idea. I gave up trying to understand a long time ago."
"Huh? What?"
Song Manwoo PD gave a light laugh and smoothly changed the subject.
"Director Park, based on what you've seen so far, are there going to be changes to the martial arts training schedule?"
"Of course. What I told you three months ago was based on assuming Woojin knew nothing about martial arts. But if he's at that level... hm. To be sure, I'll need to take a closer look on the practical action test day."
"I know. I'll definitely be there too. But just give me a rough estimate."
"You can already tell just from that footage."
The action director sounded almost certain.
"He could pull it off within a month. Maybe even in a few weeks."
That meant the production period could be shortened considerably.
──────────
America, Louisiana.
It was around seven in the morning in Korea, which meant it was the afternoon of the sixth in Los Angeles. The location was near North Hollywood Park, north of the busy Hollywood district. Quite a few Koreans had been spotted around a two-story house there.
They were the team from Our Table at Home.
The team had landed in LA early that morning on the sixth, finished filming local scenery and food truck footage, and then headed straight to their accommodations. The two-story house was where the male cast members were staying, while the female cast and staff were lodging nearby.
And Kang Woojin was in the second-floor room of the men's house.
At the moment—
'Wow, this atmosphere is insane. No matter how many pictures I take, I keep noticing something new.'
He was leaning against the window in his room, completely absorbed in the view outside. He looked like he had just showered, dressed in a comfortable hoodie and pants. It was supposed to be his time to rest.
Woojin's room was huge.
It was about the size of two Korean studio apartments put together. It had a bed, a sofa, various pieces of furniture, a TV, and more. The layout was similar to Korea, but the atmosphere was unmistakably foreign. Even so, Woojin was so taken by the scenery outside that he forgot to maintain his persona.
"Seriously, there aren't any apartment buildings in America. Or is it just this neighborhood? It's nothing but houses."
The perfectly lined-up homes, the American-style streetlights, the distant cityscape—everything fascinated him. Since it was his first time in the United States, every little detail felt interesting.
"A while ago I ordered chicken from some restaurant, and the chicken was so huge it looked like a phoenix. Honestly, it was a little scary, but it was really good."
He had almost slipped out of character several times during the trip already. As a Korean, it was not easy to hide his amazement, but somehow he had managed.
Soon—
He stretched and started moving. He needed to sort out the suitcases scattered around the bed, and he also had to check his phone, which he had not looked at even once because of the hectic schedule.
'While I'm at it, maybe I should check the map around the house too.'
Even a little basic information would help reduce the number of times his image nearly cracked. Woojin muttered to himself as he pulled his phone from his bag.
"Woojin, are you asleep?"
Choi Sunggeon's voice came from outside the door.
Because of that, Woojin set his phone back down, quickly put his persona back on, and opened the door.
"No, I'm fine."
Huh? Why does the boss look like that?
As if he had read Woojin's thoughts, Choi Sunggeon, his hair tied back and his face serious, held out his phone.
"I couldn't tell you while we were filming, but you were on the Korean morning news a few hours ago. Public broadcast, eight in the morning."
"..."
Woojin nearly screamed inside, but somehow managed to keep his face composed.
'What??!'
Outwardly, he asked calmly:
"What do you mean?"
"After that morning news report, Korea went into an uproar. Dashcam footage of you subduing the attacker who came after Hwarin spread everywhere."
"Dashcam?"
'Are you kidding me?? Is that real?'
He almost said it out loud. Where had dashcam footage suddenly come from? Woojin's insides jolted in shock, but Choi Sunggeon, who was as composed as ever, seemed to sense the cold aura coming off him.
That was why he said:
"To be honest, there are some things we can deal with, but there's no way to stop dashcams or bystanders' phone videos."
Woojin looked at Choi Sunggeon with a detached expression and replied in a low voice.
"I suppose not."
"Let's think positively. Positively. Focus on this for now. Look at all the articles pouring out. Even before this, Hwarin's side was getting a lot of attention, so the impact is much stronger now. On top of that, your video is currently number one on YouTube's live trending."
At the exact moment Woojin was screaming 'No!!' inside, Choi Sunggeon lowered his phone and asked:
"What are you going to do? The water's already spilled, so we have to decide. Are we releasing a statement? Acknowledging it? Staying silent? But since it's gone this far, it's probably better to respond calmly."
"I understand."
"It'll be the same for the people around you too... Ah, but didn't you check your phone? I'm sure a lot came in."
Woojin immediately gave up, already imagining the flood of missed calls and messages on his phone.
'Ah, this is driving me insane. Damn it... well, whatever.'
In a situation like this, the only thing he could do was keep his voice low and stay composed.
"It would be better to acknowledge it."
"Right? But it'll be better if the company handles it through official channels instead of you doing it yourself."
"Understood."
"Good. Then we'll make the official statement in a few hours."
Right then—
"Mr. Woojin! Can I come upstairs?!"
A woman's voice rang up from downstairs. It was familiar.
Hong Hyeyeon.
Choi Sunggeon let out a sigh.
"She must've seen it too. What do you think? Should we let her come up?"
"...I don't mind."
Then he raised his voice toward the first floor.
"You can come up if you want."
Hong Hyeyeon came rushing up the stairs. She was moving so fast that her long tied hair had already come loose. The unusual part was that Hwarin was with her.
In any case, Hong Hyeyeon, wearing a white hoodie with the Our Table at Home logo on it, spoke first.
"Mr. Woojin, why do I always learn about things like this from the news first?"
She sounded as though she were scolding him—or maybe just grumbling.
Meanwhile, Hwarin, wearing the same hoodie as Hong Hyeyeon, had an indescribable expression on her face. Her hair was pinned up, and her look was a strange mix of calmness and a smile, like someone desperately trying to suppress her delight.
At last, the truth about the hero she liked most had come out.
And yet Hong Hyeyeon's complaints only grew louder.
"I seriously almost fainted when I saw that article! Both because of Hwarin and because of you!"
Kang Woojin replied with a solemn face that looked slightly worn out, as if he had simply accepted his fate.
"I never intended to reveal it."
"What? You were really going to keep hiding it?"
"Yes. If possible, until the day I die."
At that, Hwarin unconsciously turned her head, trying to hide a laugh, while Hong Hyeyeon stared at Woojin in disbelief and suddenly lowered her voice.
"By the way, how did you subdue that attacker? What was that flashy martial arts move?"
Woojin answered simply.
"I learned a little hapkido."
"...What?"
Choi Sunggeon joined in.
"He said hapkido. Didn't you hear him?"
"No, I heard him, but... actual hapkido? The hapkido I know?"
"What else would it be?"
That was when—
"Mr. Woojin! Is that true?!"
"Is Kang Woojin really up there?!"
"You're not just a cook—you're a real hero!!"
Shouts burst out from downstairs. It was the core Our Table at Home staff, including Yoon Byeongseon PD, Ahn Jonghak, Ha Kangsu, Yeon Baekgwang, and the others, all crying out in shock.
Woojin quietly shut his eyes and screamed inwardly.
'Ah, this is exactly why I kept it a secret!! This right here!!'
──────────
A few hours later, back in Korea, around lunchtime.
A large black van speeding through downtown Seoul caught the eye. Inside it sat two legendary figures side by side. One was the veteran director Ahn Gabok, dressed in a white shirt with his suit jacket draped over his knees.
"Hm."
To his right sat the legendary actor Shim Hanho in a dark navy suit. Even with his long gray hair tied back, he still radiated a tiger-like charisma. Like Ahn Gabok, he too was looking at his phone. The sight of the two of them together in such similar attire naturally raised questions.
Why were two legends of film and acting traveling together like this?
In any case, the first to break the silence was Director Ahn Gabok.
"It's become a full-blown flood. When do you think he found out?"
Kang Woojin was on Ahn Gabok's phone screen. More precisely, it was the black box footage attached to a news article, while Shim Hanho's screen was playing YouTube.
"Senior, you didn't know either?"
At the low-voiced question, Director Ahn Gabok answered with a wrinkled smile and his rough voice.
"How would I know? I only met Kang Woojin recently. Either way, this is rare footage."
"Probably extraordinarily rare. Not the sort of scene you get to see often. It's the kind of thing that only becomes possible when several incidents and coincidences overlap."
"It happened because Woojin was prepared."
"...He really is an interesting man. Not just because of his martial arts skills, but because things never stop happening around him. That sort of influence isn't something a person with barely one year since debut should have."
"And yet it's happening."
The man in the passenger seat joined the conversation. He was the CEO of a film production company.
"The key point is that Kang Woojin isn't even in Korea right now. He's overseas, but his absence doesn't feel like an absence at all."
"Heh. Now that you mention it, that's true."
"The Hwarin incident was covered so heavily that it's like it came with its own amplifier."
Right then—
"Director."
The driver spoke.
"We've passed this light. The hotel is right ahead."
In the distance stood a large, famous hotel.
In fact, an important event was scheduled to be held there in an hour. It was the Star Night awards ceremony hosted by the Korea Actors Association. Even though it was called an awards ceremony, it was closer to a major year-end party. A banquet would come first, and the award presentation would be held at the end.
It was one of the more prestigious year-end gatherings.
That was why famous directors like Ahn Gabok, powerful entertainment industry figures, and top actors including Shim Hanho were attending. It was a fairly large-scale event.
"Ah, just as expected, the reporters are lined up from the entrance onward."
Reporters had already taken positions at the venue, and cable broadcast crews were there as well after coordinating with the Korea Film Actors Association. By now, the actors and directors had probably already arrived in the hotel banquet hall.
At that moment, Director Ahn Gabok, who had been quietly observing the dozens of reporters gathered near the hotel entrance, fell into thought.
"Hm..."
He pondered the Star Night party being held today, then lowered his eyes once more to Kang Woojin on his phone.
"Even when he isn't there, you don't feel the absence."
Then Shim Hanho, seated beside him, asked calmly:
"What do you mean?"
Director Ahn Gabok gave a wrinkled smile and muttered almost to himself.
"Should we raise the log a little? I was going to do it after you joined anyway, and since we're together now, this feels like a good opportunity. They'll bombard us with questions about Leech no matter what."
"...You're going to do it?"
"Yes."
At Shim Hanho's deep question, Director Ahn Gabok pointed at him with one finger.
"I'm talking about announcing the actor who'll be appearing alongside you."