LA International Airport.
Amidst Kang Woojin taking a screen test, one airplane was largely occupied by a Korean filming crew.
It was the team from ‘Our Dining Table’.
Just before returning to Korea. Perhaps because of this, the atmosphere in the seating area occupied by the production crew of ‘Our Dining Table’ was quite lively.
“Ah- we’re finally going back!”
“Man, if someone heard us, they’d think the shooting is all done, hahaha.”
“Right? When we return, we only rest for exactly two days before it’s back to hell, you know??? Editing the footage, not to mention preparing for the next shoot! And above all, the end of the year is just around the corner.”
“Ugh… Looks like we’ll have to spend the remaining December on year-end events, parties, awards ceremonies.”
“It’s the same with the global entertainment industry around this time. The film sector is also in chaos with awards ceremony preparations. I heard PD Yoon Byung-seon is preparing for a pilot broadcast?”
“Still! I’m happy just returning to Korea!”
The uplifted mood was the same for the leadership of ‘Our Dining Table’, including PD Yoon Byung-seon, the directing team, and the writers. However, for them, planning the editing of this shoot was a priority over sounding the fanfare.
“Ah- Now that I think about it, we didn’t get the interview from the reporter who posted about ‘Our Dining Table’ in the local newspaper.”
“Oh dear, guess I’ll have to call them once we’re back? Even a voice message would do.”
Suddenly, the conversation turned to Kang Woojin.
“But why did Woojin stay in LA? He didn’t board the plane, right?”
PD Yoon Byung-seon, who was looking at his phone, answered quickly.
“Oh, he didn’t. According to CEO Choi, he had remaining business, but who knows.”
“Huh?? What business does he have? Oh, maybe he’s taking a day off for sightseeing in LA?”
“That might be the case.”
“Well… Woojin will really be busy once he returns to Korea, with entering new projects and preparing for film festivals and awards ceremonies. Oh? But Hye-yeon boarded the plane, right?”
“Hye-yeon must have a schedule.”
At this, the main writer chuckled and joined in.
“Maybe, Woojin has a meeting related to Hollywood??”
The other writers quickly responded.
“Eh- No way. Woojin is incredibly amazing now, but, even so… Hollywood so soon?”
“Right. And doesn’t Woojin already have a ton of projects lined up?”
“Yeah, plus commercials and Youtube among other secondary schedules, right?”
“But imagine if he really did audition for a Hollywood project!”
“Knowing Woojin’s personality, even if he passed the audition, he’d be like, ‘Ah- This doesn’t suit me.’”
“I can imagine it. But even for Woojin, that would be too much.”
In the front section, where the cast of ‘Our Dining Table’ was seated, An Jong-hak overheard the writers’ conversation. Soon, he, wearing an eye mask, asked Hong Hye-yeon.
“What’s Woojin doing staying back in LA? Hye-yeon, do you know anything?”
Hong Hye-yeon, wearing a hat pulled down over her long hair, looked up from her phone and shrugged.
“I don’t know either.”
“Really an audition for Hollywood?”
“Doubt it.”
“Aren’t you and Woojin in the same agency?”
“Maybe not? I mean, we’re technically in the same agency, but honestly, we hardly see each other’s faces.”
“Well- I guess so.”
An Jong-hak took it lightly, and Hong Hye-yeon sighed softly to herself, grumbling inwardly.
‘What’s so secretive that they leave me out… Is it something really important?’
Hong Hye-yeon was truly unaware of Woojin’s situation. After all, Choi Sung-gun had kept silent. Meanwhile, her seatmate, Hwalin, wearing large glasses, was also thinking about her favorite, Kang Woojin.
‘I could also postpone my work for a day to stay. This week… went by too quickly. It was a real blessing to see Woojin every morning.’
Ha Gang-su, who had been looking at his phone, suddenly spoke up as if he remembered something.
“Aha- Didn’t they say Woojin studied abroad? Maybe he went to see something nostalgic.”
As a result, his words were given the highest probability. Even Hong Hye-yeon, from the same agency, inwardly agreed.
‘Is that so? Hmm, maybe if it’s a place related to acting, LA would make sense? A Hollywood audition would be too out of the blue.’
But her curiosity mattered little.
‘Ah- I’m curious. What the heck is it!’
The airplane began to ascend into the sky.
At the same time, at the ‘Last Kill 3’ studio.
The studio, where a fierce martial arts exchange had just taken place during the screen test and was filled with numerous foreign staff, was now quiet.
“……”
“……”
Director George Mendes, who was in charge of this test, his surrounding film company executives, the casting director team and their leader Megan Stone, and for some reason, the tall black producer Joseph Felton, who was desperately holding back his laughter, camera operators, and so on. Everyone was looking at the Korean actor standing in the center of the studio with a dazed expression.
Specifically, at Kang Woojin in a suit.
Generally, their eyes mixed with shock and absurdity, but Kang Woojin’s face displayed on the monitor was utterly unfazed.
By now.
“Wh, what did that actor just say?”
The dozens of foreign staff who had been dazed began to regain their senses and started murmuring among themselves. Whispered English words were exchanged. There were too many unfamiliar scenes. A Korean actor with martial arts skills surpassing Chinese actors, Director George announcing his casting unexpectedly, Kang Woojin rejecting it in just 5 seconds.
“Did I hear that right?”
“Definitely… It’s difficult? He said it was difficult, right?”
“Right. He said it was difficult. He also said something like, ‘Let’s see next time.'”
“Next time? What does he mean by next time? He already got a chance in Hollywood, what next time??”
“He must have misspoken. Maybe he didn’t understand the director?”
“But for that, the actor’s English is too good.”
“It’s rare to even get a role in a screen test, let alone rejecting it on the spot is unheard of.”
The shock among the foreign staff deepened. Director George Mendes, resembling Santa, seemed to share similar feelings and asked Woojin again while sitting at the table, his voice full of confusion.
“Did, did you understand what I said correctly?”
Kang Woojin answered calmly in a low-toned English.
“Yes, Director. The shooting starts around next June, and the role I tested for today joins the team in August, you said.”
“That’s right. But before that, we need to practice action sequences with the team, and personally, I’d appreciate it if you could join us from April…”
“I remember you saying this role suits me perfectly and is ideal.”
Director George Mendes slightly narrowed his brows, glanced over the film company executives around him, and spoke again.
“That’s correct. The role now is a supporting character but not a minor one. That’s why we need to have a meeting after the test, and after possibly a second or even a third test, it was supposed to be decided. However, deciding to include Mr. Woojin without such processes… means it’s final. Do you understand that clearly?”
“Yes. I consider it an honor.”
“But you said it would be difficult?”
“That’s correct, I apologize.”
Director George Mendes slightly tilted his head, frowning, a look of utter confusion on his face. The surrounding film company executives felt the same. Then, from behind the director, the tall black producer Joseph who had been holding back his laughter, still with twitching lips, chimed in.
“Mr. Kang Woojin, I’m Joseph Felton, the producer of ‘Last Kill 3’. Your answer is impressive. I’ve been working in Hollywood for a long time and it’s my first time hearing such a thing. You passed the test for ‘Last Kill 3’ straight away, but may I ask why joining us would be difficult?”
Given his tall stature and solid build, Woojin had already noticed Joseph.
‘He’s huge. Wow- Shit, really, really big. Look at the size of his hands? If that guy slapped me, my head might pop off.’
Internally marveling, Woojin deepened his voice even more.
“The timing doesn’t work out.”
“……The timing?”
“Yes.”
“So, you’re declining because the timing doesn’t work out?”
It was far from a common response.
“Yes, I am already involved in other projects and have commitments to others.”
“In Korea?”
“That’s correct.”
“Is your schedule filled up until next year? Are all these contracts finalized?”
“Some are finalized, and some are just promises.”
At this point, Director George Mendes chimed in again.
“Promises? Doesn’t that mean there’s room to adjust schedules? But… are you really declining? Even forsaking the opportunity you’ve seized?”
Black Joseph added an explanation.
“That’s right. It’s usual to adjust promises or schedules. It’s not an opportunity that comes by easily, after all.”
Woojin’s response was firm and cold.
“I have prior commitments.”
For some reason, Joseph again suppressed a laugh.
“Aah- Prior commitments. Right. They’re important.”
At this moment, Woojin’s feelings were surprisingly calm and straightforward. He wasn’t particularly conflicted, resentful, or overly anxious. It was just simple.
‘It’s regrettable, but what can I do? It’s not a good fit.’
He wasn’t sure about the skills of the Chinese actors before him, but the Hollywood director, who resembled Santa, had chosen Woojin straight away. So, he had beaten everyone to first place, and the competitive spirit or desire for victory he had before the test was satisfied.
‘At least I can go back to Korea and stretch my legs and sleep.’
The tension and nervousness that had risen in the unfamiliar environment and in front of Hollywood’s notable figures had disappeared at some point. For Kang Woojin, this test was something he could take or leave. It was a crazy notion only Kang Woojin could afford.
He kept reinforcing that thought through mind control.
Hollywood? Impressive. Just looking at the quality of this studio was overwhelming.
Cameras like he’d never seen before, the scale of the audition hall, props of unknown purposes, and foreigners who seemed to carry a certain aura. He could faintly sense the enormous opportunity. However, during this screen test attended by many famous Hollywood figures, Kang Woojin assessed the ‘level’ and ‘extent’. It wasn’t intentional. It was just something he naturally felt after all the tests were done.
The conclusion he reached was singular.
‘I can make it here. I can definitely make a mark.’
Hollywood or whatever didn’t seem so tough after all. It’s just using more expensive equipment, delivering lines in another language, the actors being foreigners, and the system being somewhat different. Obviously, what Woojin saw was just the tip of the iceberg.
But it was clear that shooting scenes here weren’t much different.
Above all, his concept worked well here.
‘No, maybe it’s even more comfortable than in Korea? I like the American mindset.’
Nobody knew Kang Woojin here. Maybe that’s the advantage of being in a foreign land? The open-minded aspect of America was also a plus for Woojin. While Woojin himself might not have fully realized it, he had acquired something even Korea’s top actors found difficult to possess.
Experience and pride. In other words, dignity. Or self-esteem.
A strong belief in himself emerged, and with it, his perspective on the high and mighty world of Hollywood changed. It seemed worth trying, nothing to be afraid of. My acting can make an impact, and my martial arts are useful.
Thus, Woojin found himself at ease.
His thoughts, which had been vague, became flexible, and he remembered many things. From the ongoing shooting of ‘Island of the Missing’ to upcoming projects, Youtube schedule, advertisements, and even ‘Beneficial Evil’, which he had promised to PD Song Man-woo before coming to the US.
Honestly, it wasn’t impossible to adjust his schedule.
He could have canceled the verbal agreement for ‘Beneficial Evil’ for ‘Last Kill 3’ and made time somehow, even at the expense of other projects. But for Kang Woojin, it was a mere shrug.
Why bother?
‘Well, I’m already appealing to Hollywood now. If I come back later when I’ve grown more, I’ll do even better.’
Disrupting all his connections in Korea for a minor role in Hollywood was not appealing to him. So, what was the remaining option? Rejection, of course. Director George Mendes, unaware of Kang Woojin’s inner thoughts, had a stern look on his face.
Then, with a calmer voice than before, he asked Woojin again.
“……I understand you have prior commitments. Then why did you come here?”
What is this Santa-looking guy talking about? Woojin responded quietly.
“You were the one who invited me, Director.”
“Ah.”
Indeed, it was a valid point. Seemingly caught off guard for a moment, Director George Mendes chuckled involuntarily. Then, he sighed softly and said to Woojin.
“I understand. It’s a pity, but you did well.”
“Thank you.”
“You may leave.”
Exit permission was given to Kang Woojin, who was dressed in a suit. It was a very strange situation. Although he had passed, the Korean actor declined the role. If the Hollywood press got wind of this, it would be quite the laughing stock, and the film company executives around Director George did not find this pleasing.
“It’s fine for you to go, but today’s screen test will be as if it never happened for both of us. You understand, right?”
A directive to keep quiet. Likely, all the staff present in the studio would be cautioned to keep their lips sealed. In other words, today’s test would not be known in Hollywood or Korea.
However.
“I understand.”
As Kang Woojin left the studio with a calm response, he had quite a bit to gain. For example.
“Mr. Kang Woojin.”
Stunt coordinator Gary Peck called out to Woojin as he was about to leave.
“Do you use social media?”
“Yes.”
“Your martial arts today were very impressive. I’d like to see the Korean works you’ve done and look forward to working together in Hollywood someday.”
The memory of Kang Woojin deeply impressed upon a renowned stunt coordinator in Hollywood, akin to a martial arts director.
“Thank you, I look forward to it as well.”
Shortly after.
As Kang Woojin left the studio and brushed off the remaining dust on his suit, he also sneakily glanced back.
‘Phew- Crazy. Somehow it ended.’
It was chaotic. He remembered what he had done in that studio, but not everything in detail. Anyway, Woojin was guided back to the waiting room by a staff member. The spacious waiting room no longer had the Chinese actors and their staff.
Just one person.
“Woojin! How did it go??!”
Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail and an excited face, was the only one to greet Woojin. Watching him approach in a rush, Kang Woojin scratched his chin. Well, it seemed right to honestly tell everything that happened in the studio here.
Soon, Kang Woojin shared all the key points of what had occurred in the studio.
Listening to Woojin’s calm explanation, Choi Sung-gun’s eyes gradually widened. What to say, the story he was hearing felt almost like a fairy tale. Really? Such a thing happened?? After Kang Woojin finished explaining in a low tone.
“I said, ‘Let’s see next time.'”
Staring at Kang Woojin in front of him, Choi Sung-gun blankly asked.
“……Next time?”
“Did I make a mistake?”
Suddenly, he burst into laughter.
“Kkk, next time? Is it a lottery? You’re probably the only actor in Hollywood who rejects them like that.”
“Is that so?”
“Ah, my sides. Well, you did well. It’s not like today is the only day. Honestly, being with you, I’m also confused about what’s what, considering the past times I took Hye-yeon to several Hollywood auditions.”
“……”
“But, it’s satisfying to know you outperformed those Chinese guys. I was quite pissed seeing them glare earlier.”
“Ah- I was told to keep today’s test a secret.”
As if already aware, Choi Sung-gun nodded.
“Yeah, I know. When you were taking the test, the staff came and had me sign a confidentiality agreement. It’s a pity, though. Ignoring everything else, just spreading the news about you beating those Chinese guys would cause quite a stir.”
Soon, Choi Sung-gun checked the time and gestured that they should leave.
“We have some time before our flight, let’s grab something to eat and look around this area. Take a look at some of the major film companies around here.”
Thus, Kang Woojin and Choi Sung-gun took the elevator down to the lobby on the first floor. The van they had arrived in was parked in the outer parking lot nearby, and they had to wait about 5 minutes. Thanks to that, Kang Woojin and Choi Sung-gun got to look around the neighborhood as many foreigners passed by on the sidewalk.
At that moment.
“Mr. Kang Woojin!”
Someone called Woojin from behind a building. Turning around, he saw a group approaching him, led by the tall black producer, Joseph Felton.
With a deep smile, he said.
“We briefly said hello upstairs, right? I’m Producer Joseph Felton.”
He extended his business card to Kang Woojin.
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