In one of Columbia Studios' meeting rooms, the discussion about Kang Woojin shifted almost instantly into a conversation about Miley Cara. It happened because one executive casually mentioned that the rumor about Miley Cara appearing in a Korean production seemed to be true.
"Hmm? Wasn't that already dismissed as a baseless rumor?"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"The press is still making noise about it, but the public doesn't believe it at all."
The foreign executives tilted their heads in confusion, and the man who had brought it up shrugged as he pointed at his laptop screen.
"But this article sounds far too certain to be dismissed as speculation."
The executives who had been talking about Pierrot quickly gathered around the laptop. The article was still open on the screen.
『LA Times / "Miley Cara Confirmed to Appear in Korean Production!"』
The headline boldly declared it as though it were an established fact.
"Hmm, if this was written on pure guesswork, it wouldn't be surprising if Miley Cara filed a lawsuit."
"Wait, let's read the actual article first."
The executives skimmed through it. While reading an article that was neither too long nor too short, a foreign man with a brown beard read one section aloud.
"Excited Korean reporters? At an event held in Korea, 'The Man of Cannes,' Kang Woojin, directly announced that Miley Cara would appear in the drama Beneficial Evil!"
"Does that mean Kang Woojin personally confirmed it? Is it true?"
"At the very least, there are photos."
"Hold on, let's keep going."
Another executive read aloud from a different section of the article.
"The project is the Netflix original drama Beneficial Evil, currently in production and led by Kang Woojin. It became a talking point not only in Korea but even in Hollywood after overseas set photos from the Bangkok shoot were leaked, because the blonde woman in the images resembled Miley Cara. All kinds of speculation swirled, but no one believed it until Kang Woojin himself officially confirmed Miley Cara's appearance in Korea..."
The article was filled with references to Kang Woojin, Beneficial Evil, and Miley Cara. In particular, it made it very clear that Miley Cara was involved with Beneficial Evil. The accompanying photo showed Kang Woojin speaking to hundreds of reporters. It was the first time a Korean actor who had not even officially debuted in Hollywood had been covered on such a large scale.
In any case—
"Wait. If Kang Woojin himself said that..."
"What about Miley Cara? Did she say anything herself?"
"No. There's no mention of Cara confirming it."
"Then this could still be false reporting."
"I don't know. Kang Woojin isn't an idiot. Would he really make such a ridiculous joke?"
"Are there other articles?"
One of the shocked executives quickly searched for other articles related to Miley Cara.
"Wow. It's already spreading."
Similar reports were already pouring out across foreign media.
『CNM / Kang Woojin directly confirms in Korea: "It's true that Miley Cara appears in my project."』
All of them were citing Korean sources.
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Meanwhile, in New York.
The spacious waiting room of a major broadcasting station in the city was filled with foreign guests. Among them, one familiar blonde woman stood out. With her long blonde hair tied back and a black dress that exposed her shoulders, it was none other than Miley Cara, her makeup flawless as always.
She was waiting to record a famous American talk show.
While talking with her team, Cara lowered her gaze to the phone in her hand.
"It was reported in Korea not long ago, but it spread incredibly fast. I think Kang Woojin chose the timing and setting perfectly."
Jonathan, the large-built man standing beside her and serving as her manager, replied,
"It was a luxury brand event, and there were probably plenty of foreign industry people there in addition to Korean reporters. That's what allowed the press here to move so quickly."
Miley Cara crossed her long legs and faintly smiled as she skimmed through the foreign articles.
"This kind of strategic media play is actually pretty interesting."
"It isn't common. The only reason this escalated so quickly is because the setup was right and several different factors overlapped."
"But Kang Woojin's movie is in theaters right now in Korea and Japan, isn't it?"
"That's what I heard."
"I've heard the reaction is already strong, so after this, even more people are probably going to flock to it, right?"
"That was definitely one of the intended effects."
Cara slipped on the jacket hanging over the chair beside her and spoke again.
"Our side is joining this media play too, right?"
Jonathan, who already had his phone pressed to his ear, nodded.
"Of course. This benefits us too."
It meant the situation could strongly boost Miley Cara's newly released album, which was already sweeping the Billboard charts, among other things. Before long, Cara sent Kang Woojin a DM. The message was simple. It started with: "That interview was great." After sending it, Cara opened her social media and began drafting a new post.
"Now it's my turn."
She intended to push the situation even further after Kang Woojin's move.
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Later.
After finishing the luxury brand event, Kang Woojin got into the van with his usual impassive face, though inwardly he was feeling quite drained.
'Ah, damn. This is exhausting!'
Throughout the event and even after it ended, he had been bombarded with countless questions from hundreds of reporters and the celebrities attending. Most of them, of course, had been about Miley Cara. Even so, the vehicle carrying him set off for the next schedule, and while Kang Woojin maintained his composure, the more than ten staff members around him were in complete chaos.
"Oppa! The shock is insane!!"
"Look at this!! Overseas media already started publishing articles too!!"
These were people who had already known Kang Woojin was going to make this explosive announcement, and they had been monitoring the domestic and international response the entire time, so their excitement was only natural.
"Ah! Miley Cara just posted on Instagram too!"
"The timing is perfect! Did you two plan this in advance?"
Doing his best to ignore the staff members running around in excitement, Kang Woojin quietly picked up his phone. First, he checked the post Miley Cara had uploaded to social media.
'She posted that fast? Were they monitoring this in real time too?'
The post roughly said that it was true she had appeared in Beneficial Evil, and that because of various circumstances they had not been able to reveal it earlier. She also added that working with Kang Woojin had been enjoyable. The post instantly triggered an explosive reaction, with passionate fans rushing into the comments.
'Why are there this many comments?? This is insane.'
Comments in countless languages flooded the post like a tsunami. Woojin skimmed through them briefly, then moved his fingers again to check the foreign articles.
『LA Times / "Miley Cara Confirmed to Appear in Korean Production!"』
As expected, Miley Cara's name alone was enough to shake Hollywood and the rest of the world. Related articles were pouring out nonstop. Her massive influence, her globally successful new album, and the attention she had received at Cannes had all contributed to this result. But more than anything else, the power of the reversal had played the biggest role.
After all, when something people had thought impossible turned out to be true, it was bound to attract even more attention.
Quietly taking in the situation, Kang Woojin smiled inwardly in satisfaction. The picture he had imagined was unfolding perfectly. The overseas press was kindly introducing Beneficial Evil to the world for him.
'Of course my name is being mentioned too, but the concept of Beneficial Evil is coming up constantly. That plan really was excellent.'
The articles emphasized specific points: that the project starred Kang Woojin, who had just stormed Cannes and thrown down a challenge to the Academy Awards; that it was produced by Netflix Korea; and that it was aimed at both the domestic and global markets.
Global promotion for Beneficial Evil was happening for free.
The same was true of Kang Woojin's own name.
And how could the domestic situation be any different amidst an international uproar? Ever since Kang Woojin attended the luxury brand event, the news portals had been completely flooded with articles about him.
『[Breaking] Hollywood superstar "Miley Cara" confirmed for Beneficial Evil... personally acknowledged by Kang Woojin!』
『Kang Woojin attends luxury brand event: "It's true Miley Cara appears in Beneficial Evil, and filming has already wrapped."』
『Did Miley Cara really appear in Beneficial Evil? Kang Woojin calmly confirms it / Photo』
The hundreds of reporters who had witnessed it firsthand, along with major and minor media outlets that had belatedly grasped the situation, all rushed forward like mad.
"What the hell is this?!! It's real?!"
"Judging by the content, Kang Woojin really did confirm it himself???"
"Damn it!! Why is there never a quiet day because of Kang Woojin!! What is he even doing?! Just cobble together every related article and throw it out there!"
"Understood!"
As the articles spread at tremendous speed, huge numbers of people instantly saw the news. Broadcasting stations, film companies, production houses, management agencies—every corner of the entertainment industry focused on the topic.
"Wow, this was just supposed to be a rumor, wasn't it? They really cast Miley Cara?"
"How in the world did they land her...? Her appearance fee alone would be astronomical."
"Was this Netflix's doing? Not even the headquarters, but Netflix Korea? How does that branch have enough influence to make something like this happen?"
"Kang Woojin had to be involved, right? They looked close at the Cannes red carpet. Do those two have something going on?"
"...Or maybe they made some kind of arrangement while working together on the album. Either way, this is Miley Cara. Beneficial Evil is going to explode both domestically and overseas."
The public mood could best be described as ferocious and ecstatic.
"Whoa, did you see this? Miley Cara is in Beneficial Evil?"
"Are we getting fooled again? That's fake, right?"
"No, Kang Woojin himself confirmed it."
"What?? Let me see. Wow—this is insane?? Miley Cara is really in Beneficial Evil??"
"Cara posted about it on Instagram too! She confirmed it herself!"
The firecracker thrown in late morning had scattered sparks in every direction by the afternoon of the very same day. The news spread everywhere: articles, social media, YouTube, radio, blogs, and online communities.
[Breaking] Miley Cara officially confirmed for the drama Beneficial Evil.
Kang Woojin and Miley Cara latest update.jpg
Overseas media reaction after Kang Woojin's announcement!!
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Because it was an unprecedented situation, the public frenzy was hardly surprising. It was the first major event to happen after Kang Woojin had become a legend at Cannes, and once again, he was at the center of it.
[(link) This is insane lol]
[Isn't this the first time a Hollywood actor has appeared in a Korean production???]
[↑ Yeah. And Miley Cara is top-tier even in Hollywood.]
[I still can't believe I'm seeing a top Hollywood actor appear in a Korean project...]
[Beneficial Evil is going to blow up lol]
[Wow... I'm seriously excited, but I'm also curious how much Miley Cara got paid.]
[So the leaked photos were really Miley Cara? How did they keep this secret for so long? lol]
[Kang Woojin and Cara must really be close. They walked the Cannes red carpet together and worked on the album too. This probably happened the same way.]
Some of the comments acted as though it were no big deal, but in truth it was enormous. Why would a global superstar like Cara go out of her way to film a Korean project?
Her participation alone had massively boosted the global awareness of Beneficial Evil.
And right in the middle of that blazing controversy, as though they had been waiting for the perfect moment, the production team of Beneficial Evil made an official announcement.
『[Official] Netflix Korea: Beneficial Evil to be released in two parts... Part 1 scheduled for early next year』
It was clearly intentional.
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The next day, Friday, November 12.
The location was BW Entertainment. Early in the morning, while the domestic mood surrounding Kang Woojin, Beneficial Evil, and Miley Cara was still in full swing, a meeting was underway in one of BW Entertainment's conference rooms. Ponytailed Choi Sunggeon was there, along with several team leaders. It was still before working hours, but the meeting had been called urgently. BW Entertainment, which had recently become busier than ever, had no choice but to gather like this.
In any case, the meeting was about Kang Woojin.
From The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice and Leech to Beneficial Evil, the Hollywood project, and even the year-end season fast approaching, Woojin's schedule was endless. In the end, they had no choice but to call an emergency meeting.
The meeting, which had started before 8 a.m., did not end until after 9:30. The team leaders hurried out of the conference room and immediately summoned the staff members who had already started arriving, then scattered in all directions.
Choi Sunggeon was the last one to leave.
The entire BW Entertainment office was in chaos. Phones rang nonstop. Dozens of employees spoke urgently into headsets. Keyboards clattered without pause. Teams ran around exchanging information. The whole office felt more like a marketplace than a company. Watching the disorder for a brief moment, Choi Sunggeon thought to himself,
'I need to move now too. There's no time to stand around blankly.'
He headed first for the CEO's office. He planned to organize what he needed, hold several meetings with companies, and then leave to see Kang Woojin in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.
Slash.
The moment he stepped into the CEO's office—
"CEO!"
A man's urgent voice called out from behind. When he turned, he saw the head of the overseas team hurrying toward him. The man came right up and showed him the tablet he had brought.
"We got a request from Columbia Studio."
Columbia Studio, the Hollywood giant producing Pierrot, had begun to move. They wanted to meet Kang Woojin as soon as possible. Director Ahn Gabok had probably already conveyed this news, but from this point on, communication between Columbia Studio and BW Entertainment would be necessary.
At that exact moment—
"And one more thing. A script came in."
"A script? Ah, Pierrot? Did Columbia Studio send another one?"
"No, it's not that."
The overseas team leader's expression turned serious.
"This one came from another Hollywood film company, World Disney Pictures."
"Ah, World Disney Pictures? Right, right. Another impressive place..."
Choi Sunggeon answered casually, then suddenly stopped and blinked.
"...Wait. From where??"