A lot of people thought there was no way a global superstar like Miley Cara would be in Bangkok, Thailand. Why would she be here when she was supposedly busy working on a new album? The foreign members of the group, including the massive Joseph Felton, thought the same thing.
That was why Joseph, Megan, and the others tried to calm down the pot-bellied executive from the film distributor, Universal Movies.
"Hahaha, Miley Cara? That came out of nowhere. We're in Bangkok."
"Exactly. The flight must've been too long. I think you need to get some rest as soon as possible."
"Are you hallucinating?"
"Where? Where did you see Miley?"
Joseph and the others spoke half-jokingly, but the heavyset executive only frowned, utterly humorless.
"No, I'm sure of it. It was her."
When he pointed in one direction, everyone turned to look. Unfortunately, the woman he had seen was already gone.
"Are you really okay?"
"I think we need to hurry and get you checked in. I've got a feeling this could actually be dangerous."
"You okay?"
The joking mood quickly shifted into one of genuine concern. Megan patted the man on the shoulder.
"Sit down on the sofa first and take a few deep breaths."
"…Ah, alright."
"But why does Miley Cara keep coming up all of a sudden?"
"The blonde woman who just passed by had a vibe similar to hers. I know that sounds ridiculous, but…"
"You must really be dying to cast Miley Cara if you're imagining things now. You must be exhausted."
The pot-bellied executive glanced up at Megan Stone's face, then slowly lowered his head again. He pressed his thumb and forefinger firmly against his eyes.
"Whew, I think you're right. Miley Cara, seriously…"
He admitted that what he had seen must have been a mistake. They had just gotten off a long flight, he still needed to adjust to the time difference, and someone like Miley Cara was the sort of actor every Hollywood studio would covet. If necessary, they would practically beg on their knees to cast her. If they could actually land her, the gain would be enormous.
Soon, the people around the executive chimed in as well.
"Still, hearing Miley Cara's name come up was kind of unexpected."
"Haha. Miley Cara is famous for being difficult to cast. Isn't she busy with her new album right now?"
"Right. She'd be incredibly busy."
"If Miley were in Bangkok, both this place and Hollywood would already be in an uproar."
The executive forced a smile.
"Sorry. I think I need some rest."
Megan answered quickly.
"Understood. I'll help you get checked in as fast as possible."
And then it happened.
"Joseph."
Someone called out to Joseph Felton from the wide hotel lobby behind them. It was a man's voice, speaking in English. Joseph, large as ever, and everyone else turned their heads. A tall foreign man with a prominent nose was walking toward them with a smile.
It was Ethan Smith, the stunt team leader for Beneficial Evil.
Everyone except Joseph and Megan reacted immediately.
"Oh, Ethan."
They all knew Ethan was the stunt coordinator for Beneficial Evil, and as he approached, he exchanged handshakes with Joseph, Megan, and the rest of the group. The odd thing was that the people with Ethan were not members of his stunt team.
They were Korean.
Naturally, Ethan introduced them.
"These people are part of the Beneficial Evil production team."
The Koreans accompanying him were members of the Beneficial Evil staff, and that included an interpreter.
Joseph, Megan, and the other foreigners were there to observe the filming of Beneficial Evil. They had already exchanged some information in advance, but the schedule and other details still needed to be shared again on-site. Of course, that was only possible because PD Song Manwoo had made the arrangement.
The Beneficial Evil staff gave them a brief explanation of the shoot, and about five minutes later, relevant documents were handed out to Joseph's entire group.
They were nondisclosure agreements.
The document contained strict clauses forbidding them from discussing anything related to the shooting, the incidents, or the location. The moment Joseph received the NDA, a thought crossed his mind.
They're taking security very seriously.
Still, it did not feel strange. This was common in Hollywood. If any kind of secret related to filming leaked outside, it could negatively affect the project. It would not only hurt publicity and marketing, but also the final outcome of the production itself.
It was a serious problem.
That was why anyone who broke an NDA would face severe penalties. The agreement Joseph and the others had just received was no different. Megan, who already knew Kang Woojin, understood it easily.
Kang Woojin's action scenes and close-quarters combat scenes must be getting a lot of effort if they brought in a Hollywood stunt team… There are probably going to be a lot of major stunt sequences too.
But Joseph's team members, the stunt crew, and even some of the Universal Movies executives were thinking something else.
Is all this really necessary?
They're investigating everything this thoroughly. Is there some special reason for it?
Signing an NDA just to observe a drama shoot feels a bit excessive.
Their expressions showed a fair amount of confusion.
──────────
Meanwhile, inside a suite in the same hotel.
A blonde woman sat on the living room sofa with her legs crossed. It was Miley Cara. On the table in front of her lay the hat and mask she had just taken off. She was talking to her manager, Jonathan, who sat across from her.
"Did you see him? Joseph Felton was in the lobby."
At Cara's characteristically cool tone, Jonathan looked slightly startled.
"What? Joseph?"
"Yeah. I'm not completely sure, but I saw a lot of familiar faces. I saw people from Universal Movies too."
"Huh? I heard they were preparing a film, so maybe that's why?"
"That seems too small-scale if they're only here for location scouting. There has to be another reason."
"What on earth… Don't tell me it's because of Beneficial Evil*?"*
"If Joseph's involved, it's definitely possible. He's obsessed with Kang Woojin too."
"Joseph came all the way to Bangkok just to see Kang Woojin? That's ridiculous. Kang Woojin is barely known in Hollywood."
Cara shrugged and smiled softly.
"Who knows? We'll find out for sure once the shoot starts. But if they really did come here to see Kang Woojin, I think things are going to get interesting."
Kang Woojin's acting had already been impressive, but what kind of reaction would Joseph and the others have if they saw him in action and close-combat scenes, especially with Miley Cara taking part too? Cara herself was already excited to the fullest, and she was thoroughly pleased by the thought.
"The house I bought for Kang Woojin in LA might end up being used sooner than I expected."
"What?"
"Kang Woojin is starting to look more and more like a Hollywood person."
Cara suddenly changed the subject.
"By the way, Jonathan, could you look into the film Joseph is working on? Can you find out what the atmosphere around it is like?"
──────────
Early the next morning.
As dawn broke on the 20th, Kang Woojin left the hotel and spent time with the Beneficial Evil team. The Bangkok sun was already scorching hot, and as PD Song Manwoo walked beside Woojin, he explained the day's plan.
"Today will mainly be rehearsals, checks, and practice. We have to coordinate the action scenes with the Thai extras, and since there's also a car chase and explosion scenes, we won't be able to take anything lightly."
Their first destination was a village about an hour outside central Bangkok. It was fairly large, but not many Thai people actually lived there.
The atmosphere feels completely different in the morning. It's exotic, but somehow it also feels a little like South America.
The village had once prospered, but now it was quiet. As a result, empty buildings, abandoned factories, and dilapidated structures remained scattered throughout the area. Still, there were enough buildings that the village's overall layout remained intact, and visually, it was quite striking.
They planned to film all kinds of scenes there—long takes, car chases, explosions, and gunfights.
Of course, they had secured the location long ago.
Thailand's film industry infrastructure was extremely well developed.
Because of that, Hollywood often used Thailand as a shooting location too. The local infrastructure was highly developed, with plenty of local businesses, abundant equipment, easy filming permits, and flexible government cooperation. Since so many productions had been filmed there over the years, the overall system was already well established.
In any case, Kang Woojin, PD Song Manwoo, and the Beneficial Evil team gathered at a large abandoned factory on the outskirts of the village.
The Beneficial Evil team alone numbered around one hundred people.
Even that was already a huge crowd, but roughly fifty local Thai people were also gathered in the open area in front of the abandoned factory. Woojin had already heard about them.
Ah, so those must be the Thai staff members.
It was impossible to carry out an overseas location shoot with only the domestic team. Local staff and officials were essential. More than fifty local Thai workers had all been hired by the Beneficial Evil production team. About half of them were part of the shooting staff, while the other half had been hired as extras.
Thanks to Thailand's well-developed infrastructure, casting actors had not been difficult.
On top of that, most of them had been selected based on their extensive filming experience.
In any case, most of them were destined to be killed by Kang Woojin—that is, by Jang Yeonwoo—so it was crucial to make their roles feel alive. PD Song Manwoo had collected nondisclosure agreements from every Thai staff member and extra, regardless of role. The same had been done for the hundred or so members of the Beneficial Evil production team.
As a result, the open lot in front of the abandoned factory was packed with people.
There had to be around two hundred in total.
Soon—
"Shall we begin?"
At PD Song Manwoo's signal, the hundred-plus staff members started moving all at once. It was only a rehearsal, but it was not something they could afford to treat lightly. The camera team installed multiple cameras, while the lighting and props departments quickly began preparing as well. The making-of film crew had already started capturing the environment around the abandoned factory and the 모습 of the large-scale production crew.
One team after another took its place in the open lot.
In an instant, the whole area was filled with shouts and bustling movement.
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin was busy too.
"Nice to meet you, everyone."
He greeted the fifty or so Thai staff members and actors. Of course, he spoke in English, and the local actors looked at him with curious eyes.
Naturally.
He was already fairly famous in Thailand.
On the outside, Kang Woojin remained calm, but inwardly, all these Thai locals felt both unfamiliar and fascinating.
Wow, damn, I think this is my first time filming with this many foreigners. And there are action scenes too. I'm kind of nervous.
PD Song Manwoo, unaware of what was going on inside Woojin's head, wiped away his sweat and started issuing instructions. He directed the Thai staff and actors to get ready, and they too moved with perfectly coordinated teamwork.
At that moment, the costume and makeup team rushed over to Kang Woojin, who was standing beside Song Manwoo.
It was time to touch up his makeup and change his clothes.
A few minutes later, Kang Woojin had completely transformed.
He wore a worn-out white shirt and jeans, and his skin had been darkened slightly. His black hair was styled to look disheveled. He looked perfectly immersed in the character of Jang Yeonwoo, who was hiding out in Bangkok. Woojin glanced at himself in the mirror a staff member held up for him and felt a quiet sense of satisfaction inside.
Oh, nice.
He looked almost exactly like the real Jang Yeonwoo. And that was not just Woojin's opinion. The people watching him from a distance thought the same thing. Writer Choi Nana in her safari hat, Executive Director Kim Sohyang, Choi Seonggeon with his ponytail, and many others all shared that thought.
"Wow, he looks exactly like the Jang Yeonwoo I imagined! The synchronization is no joke… Haha, honestly, I'm nervous too."
"Writer, didn't you originally create Jang Yeonwoo with Woojin as the model?"
"That's true, but seeing it like this makes it feel even more identical."
"Hahaha, our Woojin's face is seriously versatile."
"Oh! Woojin is holding a gun now!"
At that very moment, Kang Woojin received a rifle from one of the staff members. It was the M4 carbine that Jang Yeonwoo frequently used in the show. Soon, PD Song Manwoo, stunt coordinator Ethan Smith, and members of the stunt team gathered around him. Two Thai staff members were there as well.
PD Song Manwoo pointed at Kang Woojin.
"Mr. Woojin, go ahead and fire freely."
Woojin gave a calm nod, naturally shouldered the M4 carbine, and fired forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
In an instant, the hundred or so staff members froze as they stared at Kang Woojin. The gunfire rang out like it was tearing through their eardrums. Muzzle flashes burst from the M4 carbine, and shell casings scattered everywhere. The recoil was tremendous. It felt like a real weapon had just been fired.
Even Kang Woojin himself was startled by the gun he had just fired.
Of course, he did not show it.
What the hell, why is the quality this insane??!!
The Beneficial Evil production team had made the prop guns with such detail that they were almost indistinguishable from real ones. It had been one of the most important parts of the production process. The prop guns could not fire live rounds, but from the muzzle flashes to the ejected shell casings, they reproduced the look of real firearms almost perfectly.
Naturally, they were less powerful than real guns, but they were realistic enough to fool viewers completely.
The various prop guns they used had all been produced in consultation with local Thai firearms specialists.
It was part of PD Song Manwoo's firm determination to minimize the use of CGI.
And at that very moment—
Vrooom!
Two vans came to a stop a short distance away from the open lot in front of the abandoned factory. Several vehicles belonging to the Beneficial Evil team were already parked there. Foreigners climbed out of the vans. There were around twenty of them, including Joseph, Megan, and executives from Universal Movies.
The moment they stepped outside, they were struck by the scale of the set.
"Wow! There are a ton of staff here."
"Seriously. Looks like more than two hundred people."
"There are so many. Look over there. It seems like they hired local Thai staff too."
"This shoot is much bigger than I expected. Is it some kind of major production?"
Right then, another burst of loud gunfire exploded.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Kang Woojin had fired the gun again. But for Joseph and the other foreigners, it was the first time hearing it, so their eyes widened in surprise.
"Wow, there's definitely a gunfight scene in this."
"Looks like they did an excellent job preparing the firearms."
"Look at that guy firing the gun. Doesn't his stance look extremely professional? Did they hire people like that too?"
"Of course. Hiring professionals is essential."
"No."
The giant Joseph scoffed and muttered,
"That man is an actor."
"…An actor??"
At that exact moment—
"He really is an actor."
A woman's voice suddenly came from beside them. It was in English as well. Joseph and everyone else quickly turned their heads. A blonde woman wearing sunglasses was approaching with a group of around ten people. As she drew closer, Joseph, Megan, and the rest of them all widened their eyes in shock.
"Oh my god."
The blonde woman—no, Miley Cara—walked up to the group of foreigners as if it were nothing and stopped right in front of them. Then she took off her sunglasses.
"That man really is an actor."
Everyone stood there with their mouths hanging open, as if they had just seen a ghost. Among the Universal Movies executives, the pot-bellied man was the first to react.
"I was right!! I knew what I saw yesterday was real!"
Megan, her short hair swaying slightly, hesitated before asking Cara,
"…Miley, why are you here?"
Cara casually pointed at Kang Woojin inside the filming site with the hand holding her sunglasses.
"Of course. I'm here because of the shoot."
"What the hell?!"
"Yes. Actually, I'm here one hundred percent because of that actor."
In an instant, everyone's gaze snapped toward Kang Woojin.
And then—
"Doesn't that blonde woman look kind of familiar?"
A few members of the Beneficial Evil crew on set had finally noticed.
"Huh? Where?"
"Over there, near the parking area."
At last, they recognized Miley Cara.