"!!!"
They wanted to see Woojin?
Startled, Choi Sunggeon's eyes flew wide open, and he hurried back into the lodging. Did Winner Movie Pictures know Woojin somehow? He scanned the sofa in the living room. There were two men there, both from BW Entertainment, staff members who had come along for the LA schedule.
The two employees looked as though they had only just woken up. They greeted Choi Sunggeon, then quickly lowered their heads when they realized he was on the phone. Choi Sunggeon pulled a chair out from the kitchen, placed it in front of them, and sat down before switching his phone to speaker mode.
The reason was simple.
One of them was an interpreter from BW Entertainment's overseas team. Choi Sunggeon could communicate to some extent on his own, but not at a professional level.
It was a precaution.
After signaling the situation to the interpreter with his eyes, Choi Sunggeon spoke into the phone lying on the table. Naturally, he used English.
"Sorry. Please continue."
"Yes. This is Megan Stone, casting director at Winner Movie Pictures. We're currently working on a project called Last Kill 3, directed by George Mendes."
Choi Sunggeon caught part of it on his own, then listened as the interpreter quietly explained in Korean.
'Last Kill 3?'
It was a film title he already knew.
Even George Mendes was famous enough for Choi Sunggeon to recognize the name instantly. His excitement kept rising, but he forced himself to keep it down.
"Ah, yes. I understand."
"Actually, Director George Mendes has seen actor Kang Woojin before. He showed interest in him. Is actor Kang Woojin currently in LA?"
The moment Choi Sunggeon heard that they even knew Woojin was in the US, he realized how serious this was. He nodded to himself and answered carefully.
"...That's right. He's currently near Hermosa Beach."
At the mention of Hermosa Beach, the woman on the other end let out a faint laugh.
"Oh, Hermosa Beach? That's a beautiful area, and it's quite close to where I am. If possible, would we be able to meet actor Kang Woojin?"
"Is this meeting request related to Last Kill 3?"
"Yes. I can't go into detail, but we're currently looking for an Asian actor. It's a role that requires martial arts, and I happened to see a video of Kang Woojin on YouTube. The footage of him subduing a thug was impressive."
"Ah."
"The director was impressed as well, and that eventually led to the suggestion that Kang Woojin should attend a screen test that had already been scheduled."
"...When is the screen test?"
"There isn't much time left, so it is a bit rushed. But since he's already in LA, there's no need to panic. We'll also be looking at his martial arts, but the important thing is how the actor comes across on camera."
A chance to take a screen test in Hollywood.
It was the sort of thing that felt impossible to believe.
Even Hollywood stars went through screen tests. And yet that opportunity had landed in the lap of Kang Woojin, who had been a complete unknown in Hollywood. It was, quite literally, a massive chance.
'George Mendes saw Woojin, and this casting director saw his dashcam footage...'
It was obvious that this situation had only come about because several incidents had tangled together in exactly the right way. Otherwise, something like this could never have happened.
But that was not what mattered right now.
"Understood. I'll speak to Kang Woojin first."
"Okay. I'll send over the exact schedule and a short sample script by message. Please check them and decide. The sooner, the better."
Once the call ended, Choi Sunggeon just stared blankly at his phone.
He could not believe this was real.
Meanwhile, the interpreter, who had heard the whole thing, looked at him with open shock and asked,
"CEO! Winner Movie Pictures contacted Woojin-ssi?!"
Right then, a short alert chimed from Choi Sunggeon's phone.
♬♪
It was a message from Winner Movie Pictures.
──────────
About an hour later.
Kang Woojin came out of the bathroom, shaking the water from his hair. Since he was alone, there was no reason to dress himself up. He looked completely natural as he checked the time right away.
'Ten o'clock.'
The rest of the schedule was simple.
In thirty minutes, he had to head out, get some light makeup done, and return to filming Our Dining Table. The cast was set to gather at eleven and prepare to open the restaurant at twelve-thirty in the afternoon.
Soon, Woojin dried his hair with a dryer and let out a yawn.
"I was just starting to get used to this, and now it's ending."
His voice carried both disappointment and relief.
From the brutal time zone adjustment to the hellish filming schedule, the shoot for Our Dining Table was finally nearing its end. Once today and tomorrow were over, the first round of filming would be done.
The second round would take place the following year.
"It was exhausting, but it was fun in its own way."
Cooking all day had been the main job, but Woojin had gotten a lot of enjoyment out of watching foreigners eat the food he made and genuinely enjoy it. Their expressions, the way they took photos of the dishes, and the occasional flood of enthusiastic praise were moments ordinary Kang Woojin could never have experienced in regular life.
'I wonder how it'll look on TV.'
Looking forward to the first broadcast of Our Dining Table, he picked up the phone that had been tossed onto the bed. Among the many messages, Choi Sunggeon's name was right at the top.
The message was simple.
Tell me when you wake up.
"Hm? What is it?"
Woojin tilted his head, replied to Choi Sunggeon, and exactly three minutes later, Choi Sunggeon appeared. He must have already been waiting nearby. He was wearing a white hoodie with the Our Dining Table logo on it, and there was a thin bundle of papers tucked under his arm.
Click.
The moment the door shut, Choi Sunggeon spoke.
"Woojin, filming starts soon, so I'll only tell you what you absolutely need to know."
His explanation was short and clear, but his eyes were brimming with excitement.
Winner Movie Pictures.
Last Kill 3.
Screen test.
And so on.
Woojin listened with an indifferent face.
"..."
He showed no particular reaction. Nothing on the surface, and not even an inward sigh. It was not that he was unimpressed. If anything, he seemed to pause in thought, as though he was trying to make sense of it all.
'Hold on. So what? This Hollywood production company called Winner is interested in me?'
Kang Woojin had trouble fully processing it, even as his heart began to pound faster and his head filled with questions.
'What?? Why???'
This was on a completely different level from the usual kind of event. No, it felt more like a story from a different world entirely. The Korean entertainment industry had become familiar enough, but Hollywood, the place that dominated the global film market, was another universe.
For one thing, he had not even fully adapted to Korea yet.
Whenever a Korean actor entered Hollywood, whether in a leading role or a supporting role, the Korean entertainment industry practically turned upside down. Even Ha Yura, Korea's top actress, was treated like a rookie there.
To actors all over the world, Hollywood was a dream stage.
And now that dream stage was reaching out to Kang Woojin.
But for the Woojin of the present, it did not stir him that deeply.
Or rather, it felt like someone had splashed cold water over him.
Maybe Hollywood felt too distant and unreal, because his enthusiasm cooled almost immediately. Other actors would have rushed headfirst into a chance like this, but Woojin, who still had not grasped the gravity of it, felt no particular urgency.
"Wow, that's amazing. But nothing's confirmed yet. It's just a test, right? So it's basically like an audition."
The more serious and clearly defined a situation was, the more time most people needed to make decisions. But Kang Woojin was nothing like most actors. His way of thinking, his background, and his perspective were all completely different, so he interpreted the situation in a totally different way.
'So I just go there and act? Hm. It's like the audition pool changed from Koreans to foreigners.'
He decided to take the chance lightly, regardless of how important it was supposed to be.
After all, imagination needed experience before it could feel real.
Choi Sunggeon could not read Woojin's reaction at all.
That blank face.
What on earth was going on in that lunatic's head?
In the end, Choi Sunggeon swallowed quietly so it would not show.
'It's hard to read what he's thinking, but he does seem to be taking it seriously, right? Well, it is Hollywood. Maybe that's why he's thinking more deeply than usual.'
He was wrong.
Kang Woojin had already reached a very simple conclusion.
'Could be nice to go sightseeing too. And if it fails, then I just don't do it. Either way, I can decide once I'm there.'
To put it simply, what difference did it make whether he did it or not?
It was the kind of ridiculous thought only Kang Woojin could have in a situation like this. The pressure and urgency vanished. Soon enough, while still trying to maintain his strong image, Woojin carefully chose his words.
Acting tough still mattered, after all.
"Not bad."
"...Not bad?"
"Yes."
"Hey, hey. Aren't you nervous? This is Hollywood. Or have you just gotten used to this sort of thing?"
"So am I the only one taking the screen test?"
"Huh? Ah, no, I don't think so. It sounds like actors from other countries are coming that day too. From the look of it, they squeezed you into an audition that was already planned. The role is probably, at best, a minor or supporting one."
"I see."
"But still, you know? This is an insane opportunity. Getting even a supporting or minor role in Hollywood is a completely different matter."
"Yes, I understand."
"And the project itself is huge. The Last Kill series. Just getting a chance like this could send your value soaring. If you actually land the role, it'd be like making history."
At that point, Woojin poked Choi Sunggeon in the side with his index finger.
"Then what's this?"
Choi Sunggeon glanced down at the script he had brought and answered.
"This is the additional script Winner Movie Pictures sent over. Looks like they'll use it for the screen test."
"Really?"
"I skimmed it, and it's mostly action scenes rather than dialogue. They said the actor just has to understand the material and do as much as he can without feeling too pressured. Apparently they only want to see how the actor looks on screen."
"Hm."
Fwap.
While Woojin opened the script, Choi Sunggeon checked the time and kept going.
"The test is on the 16th, and luckily it looks like we can make it. If we finish the first round of Our Dining Table filming today and tomorrow, we should only have to delay the flight back to Korea by one day."
Woojin slowly nodded and murmured in a low voice,
"Understood. One day is manageable. Let's do it."
Choi Sunggeon's face brightened instantly.
"Good! I'll contact Winner Movie Pictures right away!"
Then he pointed to the script Woojin was reading so intently.
"What do you think? Is it difficult? It looked kind of complicated to me. If you go to the audition and get compared to other actors for no reason... well, that'd be annoying, wouldn't it?"
"No, it's not especially difficult."
"Oh, really?"
Woojin answered in a low, confident voice. His tone was completely firm.
"No matter what country they're from, I don't think I'll be overshadowed by them."
The reason was simple.
'It's been a long time since I've seen a script this short, hasn't it? Not since Super Actor?'
There was a black square beside the writing.
──────────
Later.
As Kang Woojin returned to his chef role and resumed cooking, word of the first shoot for Our Dining Table reached Korea.
『Kang Woojin, making waves even in America? Our Dining Table team featured in local LA newspaper』
『[Star Talk] Kang Woojin mentioned in LA local paper... praised by local chefs for his cooking skills?』
Some of the reports were the result of press releases intentionally distributed by the Our Dining Table team, but many of them came directly from reporters doing their own work.
Either way, Korea was now able to follow the progress of the LA project.
『[Photo] Our Dining Table production team releases photos of Kang Woojin focused on cooking, along with supporting cast member Hong Hyeyeon』
『Food truck and interior photos released on official Our Dining Table website, netizen anticipation surges↑』
『Korean restaurant drawing crowds of foreigners, Our Dining Table... is it really that good?』
Just like that, the two days passed in the blink of an eye.
As a result, the Our Dining Table restaurant near Hermosa Beach in LA arrived at its final day of business. For about a week it had welcomed countless foreign guests while introducing them to Korean food. Many had become interested in Korea through Hallyu already, but actually visiting a Korean restaurant through a variety show was meaningful in its own way.
In front of the Our Dining Table restaurant.
"Alright! So this is closing time now?"
The cast, including Kang Woojin, had gathered outside with dozens of production staff around them. Soon, executive producer Ahn Jonghak hung a CLOSED sign on the front door.
Ahn Jonghak, Kang Woojin, Hwalin, Hong Hyeyeon, Ha Gangsu, and Yeon Baekgwang, all of them dressed in uniforms with the Our Dining Table logo, stood together. PD Yoon Byeongseon, who looked as though he had just barely survived the filming marathon, shouted to them.
"Everyone, great work!! Before we leave, let's take a few group shots in front of the restaurant! We're going to use them for the poster!"
Everyone, including Ahn Jonghak, joined in.
"Alright, alright. Hey, Woojin? Why are you standing there? Get to the center, the center. You're the leader, aren't you?"
"Ah, that really is Ahn Jonghak."
"A hero can't stand on the edge!"
"Ah, okay."
As a result, the entire cast of Our Dining Table gathered together with Chef Kang Woojin right in the middle. Soon several cameras were set up in front of them, and the cast members moved into position.
Chef Kang Woojin crossed his arms with a solemn expression.
If they put the title Our Dining Table under this photo, it really would make a perfect poster.
Then PD Yoon Byeongseon shouted for them to hold still.
"Okay, here we go! One, two!"
Click!!
And just like that, the first shoot of Our Dining Table came to an end.
──────────
The morning of the 16th.
Hollywood.
The HOLLYWOOD sign hanging over the hills behind the buildings immediately drew the eye. Even just walking along the pavement, all the foreigners seemed busy. True to its name as the home of film, the roads were thick with traffic, packed with blaring car horns. The buildings lining both sides of the street were crowded with people.
Among them, one building stood out in particular.
It almost looked like a palace, and huge letters were fixed on the rooftop.
Winner Movie Pictures
Winner Movie Pictures, a mid-sized company among Hollywood's countless film production houses, used the entirety of a six-story building. They also owned the white four-story building next door.
That four-story building served a different purpose from the main headquarters.
Every floor in it was made up of indoor sets and studios.
All the floors were staffed, but the fourth floor was especially busy at the moment.
At first glance it looked like a huge empty hall, but it was in fact a studio. It was not fully prepared yet. Before long, countless foreign staff members carrying different types of cameras filled the space. Near the entrance, a long desk had been set up, and curtains had been installed to block the windows.
Meanwhile, a female staff member with large eyes placed a tablet, several files, and a stack of papers onto the front desk, then tilted her head as she glanced through them.
"Hm? They added an actor to the screen test? I thought it was only Chinese actors today."
A bald male employee standing behind her answered,
"I heard Director George added a Korean actor."
There were thirty minutes left until the screen test.