In the video, the bald foreigner—no, the current director of the Cannes Film Festival in France—announced the final title at the very end.
["The twentieth film selected for the Competition Section. Leech, directed by Korea's Ahn Gahbok."]
It was, of course, the final invitation, announced in French, but Woojin, who was already familiar with French, understood it immediately without any difficulty. On top of that, there were English subtitles beneath the video.
'It's finally here!! We did it! Wow, this is seriously insane.'
By sheer coincidence, the fact that Leech was announced at the very last moment made the excitement even more electrifying. Woojin nearly broke his expressionless mask and shouted, "Wow!" out loud, but somehow managed to hold it in. Outwardly, he looked calm to the extreme, but inside he was practically jumping up and down with joy.
'Ah, this is exactly the feeling.'
Director Ahn Gahbok had already built quite a reputation at Cannes in the past, so it had seemed likely that his film would be invited, but Kang Woojin had still been a little tense because it had been unclear which section the film would enter. Since they were going to Cannes anyway, wouldn't it be far better if it screened in the main section?
That was one reality that not even the void space could change.
That was why he had been even more uneasy. In any case, thankfully, Leech was now confirmed to be entering the Competition Section at Cannes.
In other words, Leech would now be competing against nineteen other films from around the world in the Competition Section. All of Cannes' highest honors—the Palme d'Or, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, and the rest—were awarded from within the Competition Section, which meant Leech now had a chance to win any of them.
In front of the most famous filmmakers in the world.
Woojin remained expressionless from start to finish, but inside, he could barely contain himself.
'What a shot!!'
Mr. Choi Sunggeon, seated in the passenger seat, and the rest of the team expressed the emotions on his behalf.
"They called us, right?!! They just called Leech*!!"*
"Yes, CEO-nim!! Look, look here, it says Leech in the English subtitles too!!"
"Ah!! This is seriously insane!! I was in a full panic because they hadn't called it all the way until the end!!"
"Seriously! I got so irritated when two Japanese films were called! And then—bam! Leech at the last second! I got chills!!"
"That was the film! Ah, right, this is a film festival. What am I even saying?! Anyway, I'm so happy!!"
Except for the composed Kang Woojin, the rest of the team was in a state of extreme excitement, almost feral with it.
"That bald guy is a real expert at building tension!! No wonder he's the Cannes director!"
"Wait, hang on! Then does that mean Leech is the only Korean film to make it into the Cannes Competition Section?!"
"I think so! Hold on, let me check the official Cannes website! The full list of invited films should be up there!"
The stylists were all busy fumbling with their phones. Some were checking the latest news, while others were opening social media or the official Cannes page.
*"*Leech is the only Korean film in the Competition Section this year! But there are quite a few Korean films in the other sections! Around four in total!"
"Whew! What would we have done if Leech hadn't made it?!"
"Just making it into Cannes is already incredible, but still! Getting into Competition is on a completely different level!"
"Exactly!! You can tell just by looking at how much more attention the Korean press is going to give this! And that's without even mentioning Cannes and the overseas media! The difference is literally night and day!!"
The team's excited frenzy did not die down easily. In truth, Woojin himself was also jumping up and down inside, so it was hardly surprising. In any case, at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Leech would be screened as one of the films representing Korea, alongside great actors like Shim Hanho and Oh Huiryeong, and Kang Woojin stood right at the center of it.
That was exactly how the Leech poster itself had been designed.
Choi Sunggeon, who had been animatedly talking with the others, retied his hair in the passenger seat and turned around. As expected, Kang Woojin remained completely calm, without the slightest emotional shake. Choi Sunggeon smiled broadly and murmured to himself.
'So we've finally reached this moment.'
He remembered what Kang Woojin had once said so casually in the past.
'I'll do my best to make it to Cannes next year, CEO-nim.'
It had been back when the issue of Kang Woojin's contract renewal first surfaced. Compared to the feelings he had at the time, the thrill he felt now was several times greater. Choi Sunggeon spoke to Woojin in a slightly trembling voice.
"We've finally reached the real starting line. Everything begins now. You know that, right?"
"Yes, I know."
"Let's turn the world upside down."
Woojin answered in a very low voice.
"If we're going there anyway, we might as well go all the way."
Meanwhile.
Whereas it was early afternoon on the 17th in Korea, it was late at night on the 16th in LA. At that hour, an important meeting was being held in a conference room at a major agency, with Miley Kara and several other foreigners in attendance.
"All right, then next week."
"Yes, I think that would be best."
The release timing for Kara's new album was finally approaching. The title track of this album, which had been painstakingly worked on for quite some time, was the song Kang Woojin had participated in composing. The main body of the album was already complete, and though there had been minor issues, even the music video edit had been finished.
Now all they had to do was finalize the release schedule.
"Kara, let's release it while you're in Bangkok. Pick the date you're most comfortable with. What do you think?"
Kara, her blonde hair tucked under a cap, folded her arms and thought for a moment before muttering,
"The 24th at noon. I'll be filming the Korean project by then."
"The 24th at noon? All right."
The release date for her new album was set for noon next Friday, the 24th. Of course, that was based on Los Angeles time.
At that exact moment.
Whoosh.
Kara's manager, Jonathan, leaned closer to her ear from the seat beside her.
"Kara."
Then he whispered the newly confirmed information to her.
"Kang Woojin's film Leech has been confirmed as one of the twenty films invited to the Cannes Competition Section. You can check it on the official page."
The moment she heard that, a slight smile touched Kara's face, one that mixed her usual coldness with amusement.
"As expected."
"As expected?"
"I told you, didn't I? I said something big was going to happen at this year's Cannes."
"Considering it was announced last, it felt pretty close, though."
"There's a lot to look forward to now—"
With her long legs crossed, Kara deepened her smile as she thought about everything she was about to experience or witness over the coming days.
"From the album release, to filming Beneficial Evil in Bangkok, and then Cannes. I get all of it."
"You know the album is the biggest event, right?"
"Of course. But now that I think about it, all of these fun things seem to be connected to Kang Woojin. I wonder what would have happened if I had never met him."
For Kara, this was turning into the most exciting second half of the year in her entire career.
"This many gifts? Is it Christmas already?"
Two days later, on Sunday the 19th. On the plane.
It was around eleven in the late morning when Kang Woojin was seen on the plane. For some reason, his hair and makeup had been done perfectly. He was dressed in a thin white shirt and jeans.
His seat was a window seat in business class.
Kang Woojin sat quietly, staring out the window with a grave expression. Before him stretched a landscape of clouds.
"..."
Woojin's destination was Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand. There were still several hours left before arrival. The reason? Naturally, he was on his way to the overseas filming location for Beneficial Evil.
After staring at the clouds outside for a moment—
Whoosh.
Woojin took a script out of the small backpack at his feet. It was the script for the first episode of Beneficial Evil.
'First, I should give Beneficial Evil a quick read, then get a little rest in the void space.'
With that, Woojin quietly raised his index finger—
Poke!
—and tapped the black square attached to the script. In an instant, his entire world changed. He stepped into the endlessly dark void space. The moment he set foot in that void, a place more comfortable than home, Woojin shed his usual intense persona in an instant and let out a huge yawn. Then, cracking his neck from side to side, he slowly walked toward the row of white rectangles.
"Let's see, let's see—"
Naturally, the one Kang Woojin chose was Beneficial Evil.
[9/Script (Title: Beneficial Evil), EX Grade]
[(Episode 1)/(Episode 2)/(Episode 3)...]
Recently, the scripts for episodes 1 and 2 of the drama Beneficial Evil had undergone many changes. At first, "martial arts" and "close combat" scenes were added, but after Ethan Smith's stunt team joined, the action choreography was upgraded even further. In addition, Miley Kara's character story was added, bringing significant changes to the overall plot as well.
Originally, Beneficial Evil began in the present, but the opening was changed so that it focused on the past of the male lead, Jang Yeonwoo.
The story began in Jang Yeonwoo's past, dropped several clues, moved into the present, then returned to the past again through the perspectives of other characters. In short, the first episode moved back and forth between Jang Yeonwoo's past and present, though the point of view shifted depending on the character.
In any case, the script added to the void space was the final version.
Of course, Woojin had already read it, or rather experienced it, many times.
Even so, Woojin still—
[You have selected 9/Script (Title: Beneficial Evil, Episode 1).]
—opened the final version of episode 1 of the drama Beneficial Evil. Most of the overseas location shoot would be included in episodes 1 and 2, and since he would be arriving in Bangkok soon, he wanted to relive the setting in advance and refresh his memory of it.
Soon after, the familiar robotic female voice whispered into Kang Woojin's ear.
[Preparing to read "A: Jang Yeonwoo"…]
[…Preparation complete. This script or scenario has an extremely high level of completion. Implementation rate is 100%. Please begin reading.]
A vast grayness enveloped him.
How much time had passed?
Woojin's empty field of vision gradually began to change. No, now it was Jang Yeonwoo's point of view. The gray had receded, but the colors around him were still faint.
'Darkness.'
It was a night lit only dimly by moonlight. It was cold. The temperature was brutally harsh. It was winter. In an instant, the cold dug into not only Woojin's skin, but every sense Jang Yeonwoo possessed. Now black-haired Kang Woojin was standing somewhere in the form of Jang Yeonwoo.
"Hoo—"
His breath rose like mist. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the pitch-black darkness. Somewhere in the distance, faint cries of animals could be heard. Trees and weeds grew thickly around him. It looked like a mountain or forest. And then, far away, he saw a bright light.
It was light spilling from a building.
Everything around him was drowned in darkness, but that one place alone shone with unnatural brightness. Keeping himself calm, Woojin slowly lowered his gaze. He was wearing combat boots, a uniform, and a bulletproof vest. Several magazines were attached to the vest, a radio was fixed in his ear, a pistol sat at his waist, and an M4 rifle was slung over his shoulder.
At that moment, a woman's voice came through the radio in his ear. It was in English.
"Proceed."
Woojin moved at once. Lowering his posture, he stepped forward slowly, but with certainty. With every step, his heart grew colder. His body temperature dropped sharply. His head spun. What tormented him was not the cold, but the endless chain of judgments and decisions.
Whoosh.
Without a word, Woojin approached the brightly lit building. Up close, it turned out to be a massive mansion. The light spilling from it gradually pushed back the surrounding darkness. Right then, the woman's voice came through his earpiece again.
"There's one target by the pool. Start there. The inside is exactly as we briefed. J, it's all yours."
Woojin turned his head slightly to the left. A broad-shouldered man was patrolling near the pool, a little apart from the mansion. He was carrying a rifle as well.
"..."
For a moment, Kang Woojin—no, Jang Yeonwoo—stared at the man. In an instant, he disappeared into the shadows. The man by the pool, completely unaware, yawned. And at that exact moment, it happened.
A decisive sound.
There was a noise from the woods to the man's right. His expression sharpened. Just as he was about to step forward—
"Mmph!"
A hand suddenly reached from behind and clamped over his mouth. A small sound followed. A blade stabbed into the man's throat. It was pulled out at once. Blood sprayed. Woojin was standing behind him. The man dropped to his knees with a faint, broken groan, but expressionless Kang Woojin naturally twisted his neck.
A voice came through the man's earpiece. It too was in English.
"Derek, how's your side?"
By then, Woojin was already gone. The radio buzzed again.
"Derek? Hey, Derek. Damn it!"
Soon after, four armed men guarding other areas ran over. The moment they confirmed the corpse, they raised their rifles and tightened their guard. Then one of them—
Thunk.
Something dropped to the ground with a heavy sound. One of the men saw it and his eyes widened.
"Grenade! Grenade!!"
The men moved quickly. One of them should have covered the grenade to reduce the damage, but they were too busy trying to flee. In the end, the grenade exploded before they could even get away.
Boom!!
With a deafening blast, the men's limbs flew through the air. Arms, legs, and heads were blown apart in a grotesque spray of blood. In an instant, five lives vanished. But their comrades were still alive. Thanks to the grenade blast, at least eight men began moving from the flowerbeds, the mansion entrance, and inside the mansion itself.
The two men in the flowerbeds on the right side of the mansion moved first.
"There!! By the flowerbed next to the pool!!"
"Fire! Fire!!"
In the darkness, they had caught a glimpse of someone in military uniform. While communicating over the radio, the two men opened fire toward the flowerbed by the pool. Bang, bang, bang! The deafening cracks echoed through the entire mansion. Soon all eight men were firing in that direction.
Ratatatatata!!
Bang, bang, bang!!
The wall of the flowerbed began to collapse. A moment later, the eight men stopped firing. One of them signaled to the others with his hand. Two of them started moving in slowly.
At that moment—
Whoosh!
Woojin, who had been lying along the edge of the flowerbed, suddenly rose up and swiftly raised the M4 rifle on his shoulder. Thanks to the suppressor, the gunfire sounded muted.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Four shots rang out. The heads and faces of the two approaching men exploded. The other six immediately returned fire toward the spot where Woojin had been, but he had already disappeared again. Then he appeared once more. Loud gunfire and dull, suppressed shots alternated in the air. Two more men had their foreheads and the backs of their heads shattered.
The remaining men hid behind the flowerbed wall, cursing wildly.
"Who the hell is that bastard?!"
"Where is he?! Where the hell is he?!!"
Bang, bang, bang!
The men fired blindly from behind cover without even peeking out. Then, all at once, someone appeared above them. It was Kang Woojin. The men noticed him too late and tried to move, but—
"Urgh!!"
As the faintly heard suppressed shots died away, they collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. The once chaotic courtyard of the mansion fell silent.
"..."
Woojin sat beside a corpse whose face had been horribly mangled and wiped the blood from his cheek without changing expression. Soon after, he picked up another corpse that was still relatively intact.
A little later.
Creak.
The front door of the mansion opened. The two armed men inside widened their eyes in shock and raised their rifles. Bang bang bang bang! Someone collapsed in the doorway. The body that was shredded by the barrage of bullets was not Woojin. It was the corpse he had thrown in first.
Thump!
The two men's attention shifted to the mangled corpse for a brief second. Right then, Woojin appeared from the right side of the entrance in a blur. Four shots rang out. The heads of the two men exploded one after the other as they fell. But Woojin, his eyes cold, was not satisfied. Passing calmly by the bodies, he fired several more rounds into them.
And finally—
Whoosh.
Woojin, now drenched in blood from head to toe, stepped into the mansion. The rifle was still slung over his shoulder, but most of the tension had drained from his face. Still, the coldness inside him remained unchanged.
"Please spare me! Please, spare me!!"
In the disordered living room, a foreign man was trembling on the floor. The moment he spotted Kang Woojin, he clasped his hands together and began begging.
"Please, I'm begging you!!"
But—
"Money! I can give you money! As much as you want!"
Thud-thud-thud!
Three holes opened in the foreign man's face before he could finish speaking.
Several dozen minutes later.
About five armed men entered the mansion full of corpses with rifles in hand. A woman came in last, following them with a pistol in each hand. Her blonde hair was tied up. She and the others searched the mansion thoroughly. After a moment, the blonde woman lowered her pistols and looked at the others.
"Where's J?"