Translator: Dreamscribe
When Kang Woojin first spotted the assailant rushing at Hwalin, his instincts were quick. The situation was urgent, after all. His brain and body worked reflexively. However, reason quickly intervened.
‘Is that enough? I can stop it. If I just grab the arm with the awl first.’
Kang Woojin quickly assessed the posture, size, and weapon of the rushing assailant and soon had his answer. The assailant was just charging. No technique was evident. Woojin blurred the assailant’s vision for a moment by physically protecting Hwalin. Every human has a moment of hesitation. The assailant was no exception.
Hiding? What to do? Stab Kang Woojin first?
Woojin did not miss the brief wavering of the assailant’s pupils. He immediately snatched the hand holding the awl and subdued him in an instant. There was no hesitation in what to do next; it was clear in Woojin’s mind, thanks to the ‘martial arts’ ingrained in him.
And now.
“Ah! My, my arm!! Let go!! Let me go!!”
The assailant was writhing on the ground, face planted down. Woojin quietly looked down at the back of the head of the assailant he was pressing down.
Only then did he realize.
‘Wow, crazy, isn’t it? That was surprising.’
What he had just managed to do without much trouble.
‘Did it work?? It really did. That was awesome just now.’
He wasn’t flustered. He was simply amazed that his abilities worked so well in reality. ‘Martial arts’ was different from languages or vocals. It could strike and attack the opponent. Moreover, the ‘martial arts’ ingrained in Woojin was not just an ‘imitation’.
What Kang Woojin possessed was the real deal.
But imagining something and seeing it in reality were worlds apart. Such incidents were not common, after all. Kang Woojin had acquired ‘martial arts,’ but he did not expect to use it right away like this.
Therefore, Woojin’s heart thumped belatedly.
At that moment.
-Swish.
The subdued assailant struggled even more on the ground. The assailant’s strength, the feel, the screams. A fine shiver ran up Kang Woojin’s forearm. A sense of wonder and accomplishment enveloped him. Perhaps it was a sensation similar to pleasure.
But Kang Woojin was different.
‘But… I don’t feel good about this.’
He did not take pleasure in violence. He was proud of the situation, but did not wish to experience it again. That was the honest feeling of the real Woojin.
But well, since the situation had been taken care of, was that enough?
Then Kang Woojin firmly built his persona, ensuring his identity remained solid. Now was the time to hide his pounding heart and lower his voice, given the circumstances. A deep voice, surprising even to Woojin, emerged.
“Call the police.”
Soon, several burly guards rushed over. One grabbed the arm of the assailant Woojin had caught, while the others grabbed the fallen assailant’s body and legs. The assailant, already unable to move just by Kang Woojin’s hold, now seemed as impenetrable as a fortress.
“Ah! Let go!! Let go me!!!”
But the mad struggle of the assailant showed no signs of ending. Then, Choi Sung-gun and the chubby manager rushed to Woojin.
“Woojin! Are you okay??!”
“Are you all right??!”
The stylists, arriving belatedly, clung to Hwalin, wondering what had happened.
At this point, Kang Woojin, who had slowly risen,
-Swish.
Imbued his face with even more coldness.
‘Is Hwalin okay???’
He spoke to the shocked Hwalin in front of him.
“Hwalin, are you okay?”
Hwalin, still covering her mouth with both hands, stared blankly for a moment before managing to open her mouth.
“…Ah, yes?? Ah. Yes, I’m okay…”
Only then did Woojin calmly nod to Choi Sung-gun and the others around him.
“I’m fine.”
With a demeanor devoid of any disturbance, the chubby manager of Hwalin marveled slightly.
‘What, how can he be so calm? Everyone else is freaking out, but he’s just… And what was that movement just now?’
Choi Sung-gun, standing beside Woojin, also momentarily drifted into other thoughts.
‘That’s why he pretended to be ordinary and lived his life. If not, would people have approached him? No, but what did I just see?’
Then, Choi Sung-gun snapped back to reality.
“Ah!”
His eyes filled with concern and he started to feel Woojin’s forearm and other parts of his body.
“Hey! Are you okay?! Look! Do you have any pain or anything?!”
Hey, where are you touching? Woojin lowered his voice.
“CEO~nim.”
“Here? How about here?”
“CEO~nim, I’m fine.”
“Ahhh- really, you!”
Choi Sung-gun looked down at the subdued assailant. Anger simmered in his eyes.
“Who are you!! What’s with this bastard! Are you a stalker??!”
Choi Sung-gun had experienced something similar a few years ago. The victim was Hong Hye-yeon. Besides her, quite a few celebrities had experienced similar incidents. Surprisingly, such incidents occur somewhat frequently in the entertainment industry.
For example, sasaeng fans. (TL: A sasaeng or sasaeng fan is the South Korean term for an obsessive fan who acts in ways that invade the privacy of Korean idols, drama actors, or other public figures in the entertainment industry.)
Regardless, Woojin approached Hwalin, who was shocked. Supported by the stylists, she was shivering slightly, and Kang Woojin, making eye contact with Hwalin, didn’t add any words of comfort or worry.
‘What should I say at times like these…? I really have no idea.’
Since he didn’t know, would saying anything calm her startled heart? Eventually, unable to find an answer, Kang Woojin turned his gaze to the surrounding stylists.
“It would be better for Hwalin to go to the car.”
The stylists quickly nodded and moved slowly with Hwalin. At that moment.
“Hwalin ssi.”
“…Yes?”
As Hwalin brushed past, Woojin spoke to her softly.
“It’s Chanel Allure.”
“Ah?”
“You asked about the perfume.”
Woojin then gestured for her to show her wrist, took out a perfume bottle from his pocket, and lightly sprayed it on her wrist.
“The perfume, it’s Chanel Allure.”
Soon, Woojin, after looking at Hwalin for a moment, walked towards Choi Sung-gun. Hwalin, while boarding a white van, also sniffed the scent on her wrist.
“…It smells good.”
She felt slightly calmer.
Behind.
The atmosphere in the underground parking lot, where the assailant had appeared, was in utter chaos. The police had already been called, and the assailant was subdued by the guards, unable to do anything but breathe. The screaming had stopped, seemingly out of energy.
Then, Choi Sung-gun, scratching his head, asked Hwalin’s chubby manager.
“What’s with this bastard?”
The chubby manager, with a mix of panic, irritation, and apology in his voice, replied.
“I’m sorry, it seems like Hwalin’s stalker.”
“Ah-”
“It’s been quite dangerous recently. We’ve been receiving weird letters at the company. Sasaeng fans are nothing new to Hwalin or ‘Elani,’ but… to think this madman would come out wielding an awl.”
The manager trailed off and clenched his teeth before turning his head quickly towards Woojin.
“Woojin, are you really okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Hearing the answer, the manager respectfully bowed to Kang Woojin.
“Thank you so much. I can’t imagine what would have happened without Woojin. If you feel any pain later on, please let us know right away.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The chubby manager, heaving a long sigh, seemed to have thought of something and asked Kang Woojin.
“But how did you do that?”
“Hm?”
“You know, just now. How you caught the assailant and subdued him.”
“…”
Ah, that? I received it as a gift from the void space. But since he couldn’t say that, Woojin cynically changed the subject. Pointing his index finger at the assailant on the ground.
“More importantly. Shouldn’t we search this person’s pockets?”
“Yes?”
“Maybe he came here by car. If he did, there might be some evidence inside.”
“Ah!”
The manager’s eyes widened as he rummaged through the pockets of the assailant lying on the ground. A real car key emerged. Then, Kang Woojin pointed towards the end of the parking lot with his index finger.
“Press it.”
-Beep!
An alarm sounded from somewhere. It was a gray compact car parked in a corner of the parking lot. Many things were discovered inside the car. Among them, the most notable were the posters and merchandise of Hwalin filling the back seat, and a camera whose memory was entirely filled with images of Hwalin. The chubby manager became furious as soon as he checked inside the car.
“This son of a bitch!!!”
Several guards had to hold back the chubby manager as he rushed at the assailant. Watching the situation quietly, Woojin finished his thought.
‘Not many witnesses, right?’
Then he casually spoke to Choi Sung-gun standing next to him.
“CEO~nim. I’d like to be left out of this incident.”
He was asking for his story of subduing the assailant to be omitted.
“It would be troublesome if it gets noisy. It’s not a good thing.”
Honestly, Woojin had no intention of using the ‘martial arts’ ingrained in him outside of acting, and he never expected such an incident to occur. However, the incident had happened. Kang Woojin’s thought was simple.
‘It smells of misunderstanding.’
He sensed that another misunderstanding of a different kind could arise at any moment. Misunderstandings were already overflowing around Woojin. Well, even if it’s too late to correct them, there’s no need to add fuel to the fire, right? If this gets out, acquaintances who know me will surely bombard me with questions.
In short, it was bothersome.
Kang Woojin was already struggling through enough turmoil. So, let’s not make it bigger. He slightly wished for some peace.
Just that much thought.
However, Choi Sung-gun, looking at Woojin, couldn’t have known this.
‘He probably finds it uncomfortable to use such a grim incident for fame.’
With that thought, he shifted his gaze from Woojin and scanned the inside of the parking lot. The CCTV cameras on the ceiling and several parked cars.
‘Witnesses and CCTV footage can be dealt with by talking to Hwalin’s side. However, dealing with those cars is going to be difficult.’
If Kang Woojin, the person involved, disliked it, then Choi Sung-gun had to agree and take action.
‘Well, we should follow Woojin’s wishes for now, and let things naturally take their course afterwards.’
Exploiting this incident would indeed cause a stir. However, unnatural intentions wouldn’t really help the current Kang Woojin. There was nothing to regret.
‘There could be a slip-up. Like with his relationship with Hwalin.’
After calculating appropriately, Choi Sung-gun met Woojin’s gaze again.
“Got it. I’ll handle the aftermath. I’ll go over there and talk to them. But the incident itself will likely be widely reported. Hwalin’s company has to deal with the incident, but it’s also necessary to issue a general warning. It’s important to raise public awareness.”
“That’s fine with me.”
“Alright, for now, just stay in the car.”
A few minutes later, the police arrived at the scene, and Choi Sung-gun climbed into the passenger seat of the van. Inside, only Kang Woojin, looking at his phone, was visible. The rest of the staff were outside. Soon, Choi Sung-gun, making eye contact with Woojin in the back, let out a small sigh.
“Whew- Woojin. It’s mostly settled.”
“Is that so?”
At the question, Choi Sung-gun sighed more deeply.
“Honestly, it’s great that Hwalin is unharmed, but you’re more important to me.”
Wow, how touching. Woojin hid his emotion and responded softly.
“Yes, CEO~nim.”
“Next time, use me as a shield instead. I’d rather my body get hurt 100 times than seeing you injured. Got it?”
Woojin slightly ignored his words. There wouldn’t be such an occasion.
“How did the handling go?”
“What handling? The evidence is irrefutable. Hwalin’s side is ready to punish that stalker bastard properly, and the incident will probably be reported by tomorrow or the day after at the latest. I did convey what you said, but that manager over there said he has to report it to the CEO. The CEO of JML Entertainment is a decent person. I’ll take care of that part myself.”
“Understood, CEO~nim.”
Suddenly, Choi Sung-gun opened and then closed his mouth, seeming hesitant to ask. Then, scratching his head in frustration, he spoke with a look of resignation.
“But… how did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“What do you mean, dude? How you subdued that assailant.”
“Ah.”
“It feels crazy even asking this, Woojin. Are you some kind of secret agent or something… Ah, really. What is this.”
Hearing the question, Woojin was genuinely taken aback. Excuse me? What? A secret agent? He almost lost his composure. But he managed to keep it together, somewhat understanding where the question was coming from.
‘It could seem that way, couldn’t it?’
Fluent in several foreign languages, even various sign languages, divine acting skill, and now the displayed martial arts ability. What about Kang Woojin’s cold personality? Even his past is shrouded in mystery.
‘Wow- what is this? Straight out of a spy movie protagonist’s backstory?’
Misunderstandings were indeed swirling around. This moment solidified the reason to keep today’s event under wraps. Therefore, Woojin earnestly denied it.
“Not at all, not in the least.”
“Hahaha, okay, okay. Just forget it. Consider it nonsense.”
“I am nothing more than an actor, nothing more, nothing less.”
“Yeah, but how did you manage to subdue that guy? It might have been brief… but that’s not something easily done.”
Woojin chose the truth as his answer.
“I practiced a bit of Hapkido when I was young.”
“…Hapkido? A bit?”
Indeed, Kang Woojin had taken Hapkido classes during his childhood. Choi Sung-gun decided to just accept this ludicrous answer.
“Ah- Hapkido, right. Yes, Hapkido. Hapkido it is.”
There’s no point in trying to understand further.
The next morning, December 3rd, inside a meeting room.
In a medium-sized meeting room, Choi Sung-gun, dressed in a black blazer, which was quite formal for his usual casual style, was present.
Before him was.
“Hehe, my movie has become quite the talk, hasn’t it?”
Director Ahn Ga-bok, with his short white hair, was sitting there. Of course, he wasn’t alone. Around Director Ahn were the film company’s CEO and employees.
In other words, this was a meeting related to the movie ‘Leech.’
However, Kang Woojin was not present. The reason was simple. Currently, Woojin was busy with his schedule, and this meeting was expected to involve very realistic discussions. Although Woojin had expressed interest in ‘Leech,’ it was only a verbal agreement so far. Therefore, this meeting was scheduled to finalize Kang Woojin’s official contract and discuss his fee, among other details.
Then, Choi Sung-gun responded with a business smile.
“I was a bit surprised. Sim Han-ho… It was so sudden, seeing the article without any prior word.”
Director Ahn Ga-bok showed a wrinkled smile, as if understanding.
“You must have been. But I was surprised, too. I didn’t know there was a reporter at the restaurant.”
After some superficial conversation, Choi Sung-gun took the lead.
“Director, is there really interest from actor Sim Han-ho? Or was it just a false alarm by the journalist?”
“Sim Han-ho and I are close friends. But it wasn’t just a meal for the sake of eating. CEO Choi, it’s good for you to know. Of course, I gave Sim Han-ho the script too.”
“…I see. Did you also talk to Sim Han-ho about our Woojin?”
“I explained everything to him. He was the second person I gave the script to.”
For a moment, Choi Sung-gun internally groaned.
‘Did he really have to say that?? Shouldn’t Sim Han-ho be the first and only choice?!’
But veteran Director Ahn Ga-bok didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, maintaining his wrinkled smile.
“Well, shall we get started?”
As Director Ahn directed his gaze to the film company’s CEO, the CEO began to outline the core content.
“Let’s start with this.”
A transparent file was handed to Choi Sung-gun.
“This is the preliminary estimate of Woojin’s appearance fee from our side. We plan to finalize it today.”
“Yes, I’ll take a look.”
Choi Sung-gun saw several figures, but the essence was this:
-Kang Woojin/ Appearance Fee: 150 million/ Running Guarantee: an additional 100 won per audience member beyond the break-even point
“!!”
A fixed appearance fee of 150 million with a running guarantee of 100 won. Simple math indicated that if the audience exceeded 5 million, the money falling into Woojin’s lap would exceed 600 million. For a first-year newcomer, this amount was absurd, and compared to the previous ‘Island of the Missing’, his value had skyrocketed immensely.
He was being well compensated.
However.
‘We can inflate this further. This isn’t the limit.’
Choi Sung-gun was confident he could raise Woojin’s value even more.
*****
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