308 - Autumn 9

< Autumn (9) >

BW Entertainment's overseas branch in LA. Kang Woo-jin looked around the office that was not yet organized. There is no significant change in the solemn expression.

However, it was different on the inside.

'Wow – crazy! 'This is our agency's overseas branch??!'

surprised. Of course, he'd heard about it, but he never thought it would be ready so quickly. There's even a well-stocked office with his own large poster on the wall.

'No, why did you put that on so embarrassingly??'

It's not even recognized in Hollywood, so seeing that poster in LA made him feel even more embarrassed. Although it wasn't noticeable at all due to the dark concept. And he's the main client?

At this time, pigtail-haired Choi Seong-geon, standing next to Woo-jin, smiled and asked.

"How do you feel?"

What do you think? It's so amazing. In fact, Woojin was feeling strange tremors. He was wondering how it got so big. It was Kang Woo-jin, who had never even thought of in LA until not long ago. But now he is witnessing the overseas branch in which he has become the main focus right before his eyes. He felt a slight sense of responsibility.

Choi Seong-gun spoke again while taking a picture of the Kang Woo-jin poster on the wall.

"I don't want you to feel any pressure, but let me tell you, that poster is a bit of a talisman for us. We will expand the Hollywood market starting with you! That kind of feeling. Are you fine?"

Woojin with a poker face nodded calmly.

"It's not bad."

"Kuk, yeah. If it looks a little small, we share an office next to it, so it will be useful once it starts operating normally. Let's start here for now, and when you become stronger, let's move to a bigger place."

Choi Seong-geon, filled with excitement, tapped Woojin on the shoulder. The burden is overwhelming??! Woojin, who was muttering to himself, reacted indifferently.

"It won't take very long."

Contrary to his true intentions, he added strength and bravado. Choi Seong-geon's smile deepened as if she was touched.

"You know, dude. Hehe, I can even dream of you taking over Hollywood? Everyone, come at us! This is it!"

It was Choi Seong-geon, whose combat power was significantly improved. It was definitely worth it. Originally, he started working in BW Entertainment with the dream of making it to Hollywood. However, the initial target was Hong Hye-yeon. She was determined to make it to Hollywood, whether it took 5 or 10 years.

That changed 180 degrees with the appearance of Kang Woo-jin.

Additionally, it only took two years to get to this point. BW Entertainment was already famous among the domestic entertainment industry and entertainment industry for its crazy speed. With the strong support of Chairman Hideki, he is able to accomplish things that would normally be impossible. At the root of it all was Kang Woo-jin.

"This Miley Kara thing, 'leeches', and even 'beneficial evil.' Soon, soon. Just thinking about that day makes me anxious? It's too exciting."

Woojin asked back.

"When will this place be operational?"

"ah? It should be sorted out by September. First, the head office needs to select people to transfer to overseas branches and hire new employees."

"Is that so?"

Kang Woo-jin and Choi Seong-geon, who were looking at the bustling office behind them, got into the van that was parked on the shoulder of the road again. Now their destination was a hotel prepared by Miley Kara.

-Boo!

Two vans driving through downtown LA late at night. Woojin, who was in the car in front, looked out the window in silence. Although he fell in love with the night view of LA, which was completely different from Korea, there was also a part of him that was dazed because he could vaguely imagine the future of working in this huge country.

'LA- is this right?'

Hollywood. I'm acting in this crazy, vast place? No, aside from acting, I also had a slight worry about whether I would be eaten. Choi Seong-geon and others may have mistaken or misunderstood him, but since he was an actor anyway, he had to rise to the top.

It's probably Hollywood.

'Ha-But Shiba, honestly, it doesn't feel realistic. What is this place? Why am I here?'

A huge change came to Kang Woo-jin in a short period of time, and the world he saw was turned upside down to the point where it almost felt like it was his second life. The unfamiliar emotions he felt now were not strange at all.

and.

'This is outrageous.'

Kang Woo-jin found it absurd that the beginning of all this was just an illusion. But that wasn't the only absurd thing.

-Squeak!

Before they knew it, two huge vans had arrived at the hotel and stopped. In an instant, Kang Woo-jin's eyes caught sight of the ridiculously enormous hotel.

'Whoa, crazy!!'

The Beverly Hills Hotel, one of LA's five-star hotels. Palm trees growing in abundance at the entrance, the building stretching sideways and upwards as if it were one body with the forest, hotel staff welcoming Kang Woo-jin's team from the entrance, and a red carpet leading from the entrance to the spacious lobby.

What can you say, it was a palace-like hotel located in a lush forest.

Kang Woo-jin muttered to himself again at that magnificent appearance.

'······Wow, this is really absurd.'

Choi Seong-gun, who was next to Woojin, gave a thumbs up.

"Miley Kara gave our entire team sweets. You have a private room. Kill me?"

Yes, are you tired? Kang Woo-jin had his mouth wide open on the inside, but on the outside he was extremely calm.

"It's not bad."

"I heard it costs over $500 per night, so I thought it was Miley Kara."

500 per night. Since Kang Woo-jin's team had more than 15 people, she must have booked at least three rooms, and since this schedule lasted about a week, the total cost was worth millions of Won. Choi Seong-geon muttered while holding the bag he had brought with him.

"Well, but for her, it's probably the price of business. We can just say thank you and have fun. That's courtesy, courtesy. Let's go, Woojin."

Kang Woo-jin, who had an indifferent face, made a faint promise in his heart.

'I'm behind, I'll aim to the point where I spend hundreds of millions of Won on business.'

The next day, morning. A large cafe in downtown LA.

The time is around 8 o'clock. The cafe selling bagels, sandwiches, and various types of coffee was overflowing with foreigners stopping by on their way to work. It's crowded with people trying to have a quick breakfast and people trying to buy coffee before work.

There were many foreigners in the hall with round tables.

There wasn't a single empty seat. To top it all off, you could often see pictures of people trying to join together when there was a space on the table. As a result, complete strangers can end up talking together. Well, it was a very familiar sight in LA.

A familiar figure appeared at a table in the corner of the hall.

"······"

A black man silently drinking coffee and looking down at his cell phone. It was Joseph Felton, a famous Hollywood producer with black long sleeves pulled up to his forearms, and it was hard not to notice him because he was so huge that he was just a giant. At Joseph's table, two foreigners he didn't know were in the middle of a conversation, and around this time, a female foreigner with brown bobbed hair approached. The caddy (casting director) was Megan Stone.

Joseph, who had been looking at his cell phone, raised his head at the sight of her. He then laughed.

"It's late."

Megan, who was sitting next to the tall Joseph, answered as she placed the coffee she had brought down on the table.

"I arrived on time, can't you see the line over there? I actually came early."

She muttered, tying her brown bob hair again and grumbling.

"Why did you ask me to meet you in such a crazy place?"

"I'm a regular."

Megan sighed softly and took out the tablet from the extra bag she had brought with her bag.

"I tried to select actors based on images alone."

"hmm."

Joseph nodded and answered while receiving the tablet.

"Did you hear that Kang Woo-jin is coming to LA? Ah, they've probably arrived by now."

"I also checked Miley's Instagram. I'm not really surprised because it was planned from the beginning."

Joseph nods slowly. A mysterious smile appeared on his face. Megan, who was looking at that scene, crossed her long legs and asked back.

"I'm thinking of meeting Kang Woo-jin."

"If he meets you. It's not a chance that comes often, so I'm curious about what he's been up to recently."

Joseph Felton looked down at the tablet again.

"It's Cannes in about two months. Before that, it's necessary to tell Kang Woo-jin about our work. You remember him from 'Last Kill 3,' right?"

"…he refused the role on the spot."

"He even cut it like a knife while looking at the director's face. Because there is no guarantee that our future won't be like that."

"Are you trying to give me a hint in advance?"

"That's the way it is."

Joseph put down the tablet and raised his coffee cup and continued.

"2 years. A Korean actor who rose to the position of surpassing Hollywood in just two years. He must have a solid plan in mind. Working on an album with Miley Kara before appearing at Cannes. "This can't be a coincidence."

"······Have you heard? Kang Woo-jin is from the special forces."

Joseph, who was drinking coffee, stopped.

"Special forces? What does that mean?"

Meanwhile, about 30 minutes later, at the Beverly Hills Hotel in LA.

Kang Woo-jin wakes up in a large hotel suite. After staring up at the ceiling for a moment, he suddenly woke up. He, his hair a mess, turned his head. The vast cityscape of LA unfolds through the large window right next to it.

"K-Jiri, really."

It was indeed the view from the suite. I had to take a picture of this. Woojin took dozens of pictures of the night view last night, but the morning view had a different sensibility from yesterday. As soon as he opened his eyes, Woojin, who took several pictures, stretched out and left the room.

An enormous living room unfolded.

The size of the suite was easily three times that of Kang Woo-jin's house. The living room had a luxurious sofa and various furniture, and the kitchen was spacious. There was an open window in front, a terrace with tables and chairs outside, and a large swimming pool with palm trees below.

Kang Woo-jin was using this absurd suite alone.

"Is this the life of the rich?"

Woojin, who was laughing because he had taken off his concept, made the optional morning coffee and sat down on the sofa. In front of the sofa, the wide expanse of LA spreads endlessly.

-Whoop.

Kang Woo-jin took some time to relax in this absurd situation. But it wasn't long.

-Knock knock, knock knock.

Because the rhythmic knocking sound spread. When Woojin, who immediately put on a poker face, opened the door, Choi Seong-gun, with his long hair tied tightly, was waving his hand.

"Are you awake?"

"Yes, CEO."

Choi Seong-gun entered the room and sat down on the sofa, and Kang Woo-jin served him coffee. After taking a sip of coffee, Choi Seong-geon took out his cell phone and said.

"I got a call from caddy Megan Stone a few minutes ago. "Do you remember?"

It was definitely a familiar name. There was no way he didn't know. Hollywood famous caddy Megan Stone. He saw her during 'Last Kill 3' and she also visited Kang Woo-jin during the filming of 'Unfamiliar Parasite'.

"Yes, I remember."

"Since you're in LA, she's asking if you have time to meet each other. It doesn't seem like it's just casual. Somehow, it feels like that. What should I do?"

"It doesn't really matter. As long as it fits my schedule."

"Okay, I'll talk about it."

Choi Seong-geon changes the subject.

"First of all, there's nothing special about today's schedule, right? Miley Kara decided to come to the hotel around afternoon."

In other words, until then, we were free. Of course, at this moment, Kang Woo-jin's schedule was going on in many ways, but that was Choi Seong-geon and the team's business, and Woo-jin had nothing to do.

In response, Choi Seong-gun put down his cell phone and asked.

"It's been a while, but I've been to LA for the first time in a while. Is there anything you want to do? Or you can just rest until the afternoon. Did you see the pool in front? The quality was crazy."

Kang Woo-jin, with an indifferent face, thought about something for a moment and answered briefly.

"Would you like to go shoot a gun?"

A few hours later, around late lunch.

The location was a shooting range about an hour away from the hotel. The building itself had a wide feel, and the signs and windows had pictures of various firearms. A large van stopped in the large parking lot in front of the shooting experience center.

Several people, including Kang Woo-jin and Choi Seong-gun, got out of the van.

Woojin wore a comfortable hoodie and a hat, but it did not cover his face. It was natural. To begin with, there were very few people in LA who recognized him. Well, unless you go to Koreatown. Soon, a calm-faced Woojin looked at the shooting range.

"······"

On the outside, it seemed like he didn't have any emotions, but on the inside, he was exploding with anticipation.

'Keukeu, it looks like fun.'

What he wanted to shoot was simple. He has fired a gun countless times through his reading experience in subspace, but in reality, Kang Woo-jin has never fired a gun since his military service.

Yeah, it was more of a curiosity.

Behind, Kang Woo-jin and Choi Seong-geon moved as scheduled. He entered the shooting range and listened to a 10-minute explanation from the fat owner. There were numerous firearms and props hanging on the walls inside the shooting experience center.

After completing the procedure, the owner asked in English.

"What gun are you going to shoot?"

Pigtail Choi Seong-geon looked at Kang Woo-jin. It means leaving the choice up to you. Woojin's fluent English was fast. Because he had decided something before he came.

"Glock 17."

"Oh – excellent choice."

The first firearm used by 'Jang Yeon-woo', the protagonist of 'Beneficial Evil', was a Glock 17. Soon, Woojin Kang was given a Glock 17 pistol and a box of bullets, and Woojin Kang and his team were guided to the inner experience area of ​​the experience center. There was about 10 spaces visible. In front of it, it was similar to a bowling alley. At the end of each alley was a piece of paper in the shape of a human being.

Just like a shooting range.

Kang Woo-jin's lane was the third. He even provided Woojin with earplugs for shooting. Afterwards, the employee gave an additional brief explanation and operated the human-shaped sight board. The sight board moved to the end.

About this time, Woojin.

"······"

Without saying a word, he touched the Glock 17 pistol. Obviously, it was his first time seeing a Glock 17, but it wasn't unfamiliar. It must be 100% the power of subspace. He felt like he could run away with a pistol at any moment. But the owner, Woojin, suppressed those feelings.

A BW Entertainment interpreter asked Choi Seong-gun, who was standing in the back.

"But why are you suddenly shooting-"

"well. Woojin wants to do it. Well, I guess I'm trying to experience something related to 'beneficial evil'. For both them and us, we only shot guns because of our military leave."

"ah······"

"While we're here, let's shoot. When are you going to shoot a gun?"

Meanwhile, Kang Woo-jin, wearing earplugs around his neck, was ready. Employees were also missing. It was when Woojin was trying to raise the Glock 17, which he held with both hands.

"Are you Chinese?"

English was heard next to him. He looked at three foreign men, a mixture of white and black, who appeared to be in their 30s and were grinning at Kang Woo-jin. They were customers who came first and were enjoying shooting, and judging by their appearance, they seemed like regulars.

"No, I think he's Japanese?"

"You're right. He's not Chinese."

"He's coming to LA to have fun and shoot guns. Judging by the expression on his face, it's his first time, he's very nervous."

"Good. Let's take a break and watch."

"How about playing a game while you're at it? How many shots will that Japanese hit? How about buying a beer?"

"good."

Judging by the laughter and whispering, it seemed like they thought that Woo-jin couldn't understand English. Low, solid English penetrated them.

"I am Korean."

The three foreign men were surprised. Anyway, Woojin, who had an indifferent face, spoke again in fluent English.

"Play games with me. Which one has the higher score, you or me?"

"······ah. Korean."

"If I lose, I'll give you $500. Conversely, if I win, I'll take it."

The foreigners were whispering to each other and then suddenly burst into laughter. They felt like they were looking at a fool. Among them, a man wearing sunglasses said.

"Okay, $500. Plus, you can even buy beer at the bar in front of here."

Kang Woo-jin nodded.

"I'll go first."

There was no mental preparation.

-bang!

Woojin, wearing earplugs, immediately grabbed the Glock 17.

– Bang bang bang!

From the expressions of foreigners who were confused.

"You shoot freely like you do in computer games."

"Hey, hey. that-"

"why? what?"

"!!!"

The smile started to disappear.

On the other hand, Woojin, with a stern expression, shot at his target without emotion. He took five shots back and fired the Glock 17 at a slight angle.

-Tang, bang, bang, bang!

Ten ear-piercing gunshots rang out. Soon, Woojin Kang lowered the Glock 17. The target, which was far away, automatically came closer. At the same time, the smiles on the faces of the three foreigners were completely erased.

"······?"

"???"

The reason was simple.

"Holy, oh my god."

Because the fairly wide red dots on the head and chest of the human-shaped sight board have disappeared. The bullets fired by Kang Woo-jin erased the red dot. Five bullets were fired into the head and chest, and there was not a single mistake. Everything was stuck in a red dot. At this, the staff at the shooting experience center also opened their blue eyes wide.

Then, Kang Woo-jin turned his head and spoke lowly to the three foreigners.

"You guys want tea."

Behind, at the entrance to the shooting range, he heard an unfamiliar man speaking English.

"Oh my gosh······"

It was Joseph Felton, a giant producer with an open mouth.

< Autumn (9) > End