When Kang Woo-jin first discovered the strange man rushing at Hwa-rin, his instincts were quick. It was so urgent. His brain and body worked reflexively. However, reason also quickly intervened.
‘Is that enough? I can stop it. First, I have to grab the arm on the awl side.’
Kang Woo-jin quickly figured out the posture, size, and weapon of the approaching stranger, and the answer came to his mind right away. The stranger just rushed at him. He didn’t show any technique. Woo-jin briefly protected Hwa-rin with his body, blurring the stranger’s vision. Every human being has moments of worry. The stranger was no different.
Hide? What should I do? Stab Kang Woojin first?
The strange man’s pupils shook briefly. Kang Woo-jin did not miss that moment. He immediately grabbed the hand holding the awl and subdued it in an instant. What he would do was already clear in Woo-jin’s mind, so he had no hesitation. It was thanks to the ‘martial arts’ that were imprinted on him.
And now.
“Ahhhhh!! Papapal!! Get out of the way!! Get out of the way!!!”
The assailant was struggling with his face on the floor. Woojin looked down at the back of the assailant’s head, which he was holding down.
It was only then that I realized it.
‘Wow, are you crazy? This is amazing.’
What have you done that seems insignificant now?
‘Is this real?? This is real. That was awesome just now.’
He wasn’t flustered. He was just amazed that his ability worked so well in reality. ‘Martial arts’ were different from things like language or vocals. He could strike and attack his opponent. Furthermore, the ‘martial arts’ imprinted on Woojin was not ‘imitation’.
What Kang Woo-jin had was also a real exhaust.
But what you imagine and what you see in reality are worlds apart. In the first place, this kind of thing wouldn’t happen often. Kang Woo-jin also learned ‘martial arts’, but he didn’t know he would be able to use it right away.
So Woojin’s heart started pounding belatedly.
At this time.
-Sweep.
The subdued villain struggles even more on the floor. The strength, touch, and scream of the villain are felt. A slight goosebump appears on Kang Woojin’s forearm. A sense of wonder and accomplishment. And a strange excitement envelops him. Perhaps a feeling similar to pleasure.
But Kang Woo-jin was different.
‘But this doesn’t feel good.’
He didn’t like violence. He was proud of the situation itself, but he didn’t want to experience it again. This was Woojin’s honest feelings.
Well, now that the situation has been sorted out, is that okay?
Then, Kang Woojin solidified his concept and solidified his ego. Now was the time to hide his pounding heartbeat and lower his voice. Given the circumstances, a deep voice came out that surprised even Woojin.
“Call the police.”
Soon, several large guards came running. One of them grabbed the arm of the man Woojin was holding, and the others grabbed the body and legs of the man who was lying down. The man who had been unable to move even when Kang Woojin was holding him was now like an iron fortress.
“Ahhhhh! Get out of the way!! Get out of the way!!!”
But his crazy tantrums show no sign of ending. Then, Choi Sung-geon with his long hair and the fat chief came running towards Woo-jin.
“Hey, Woojin!! Are you okay??!”
“Are you ok??!”
The stylists who arrived late clung to Hwarin with faces wondering what was going on.
Kang Woo-jin slowly got up around this time.
-Ugh.
While putting more coolness on his face.
‘Are you okay, Hwarin???’
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I spoke to the shocked Hwarin in front.
“Hwarin, are you okay?”
Hwarin, who still had both hands over her mouth, stared blankly for a moment before finally opening her mouth.
“······Ah, yes?? Ah. Yes, I’m okay···.”
Only then did Woojin calmly nod to the people around him, except for Choi Sung-geon.
“I’m fine.”
A cool, unwavering look. Hwarin’s fat manager was slightly impressed by this.
‘What, why are you so calm? Everyone’s excited, but you’re the only one who doesn’t seem to care… And what was that movement just now?’
Choi Sung-geon, who was standing next to Woo-jin, also had other thoughts for a moment.
‘That’s why I pretended to be normal and lived like that. If I hadn’t, people would have approached me. No, but what did I just see?’
Then, Choi Seong-geon suddenly came to his senses.
“ah!”
He felt Woojin’s body from his forearm to here and there with worry in his eyes.
“No, Emma! Are you okay!! Look! Are you in pain or anything?!”
Oh, where are you touching? Woojin asked in a low voice.
“Representative.”
“Here? How is it here?”
“Sir, I’m fine.”
“Ahhh- Really you!”
Choi Sung-geon, with his hair tied up, looks down at the subdued man. His eyes are filled with anger.
“Who are you!! What the hell are you! Are you a stalker??!”
It was Choi Sung-geon who had a similar experience a few years ago. The victim was Hong Hye-yeon. There are quite a few celebrities who have experienced similar incidents, other than her. Surprisingly, such things happen quite often in the entertainment industry.
For example, sasaeng fans.
Whatever it was, Woojin approached Hwarin, who was shocked. She was slightly shaking as she was supported by the stylists, and Kang Woojin, who locked eyes with Hwarin, did not add any comfort or concern.
‘In a situation like this······what should I say? I really don’t know the slightest thing.’
Because I didn’t know. Would my surprised heart calm down if I just blurt out something? In the end, Kang Woo-jin, who couldn’t find the answer, turned his gaze to the stylists around him.
“You’d better go to the car, Hwarin-sin.”
The stylists nodded quickly and moved slowly with Hwarin. At this time.
“Ms. Hwarin.”
“······yes?”
Woojin spoke quietly to Hwarin, who was passing by.
“Sanelle Allure.”
“ah?”
“You asked about perfume.”
Woojin motioned for Hwa-rin to show him her wrist, then took out a bottle of perfume from his pocket and lightly sprayed it on her wrist.
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“Perfume, Chanel Allure.”
Soon, Woojin, who had been looking at Hwa-rin for a while, walks towards Choi Sung-geon. Hwa-rin sniffed the scent of his wrist as she managed to get into the white van with difficulty.
“······It smells good.”
She was a person whose heart was slightly calmed down.
back.
The atmosphere in the underground parking lot where the mysterious man appeared was chaotic. The police had already been called, and the mysterious man was subdued by the guards, unable to do anything but breathe. The screaming stopped, perhaps because he had lost strength.
Then, Choi Sung-geon, who was scratching his head, asked Hwarin’s fat manager.
“What is it, you punk?”
The fat manager gave an answer mixed with embarrassment, annoyance, and regret.
“I’m sorry, but I think Hwarin is a stalker or a sasaeng.”
“iced coffee-”
“It’s been a bit scary lately. We’ve been getting strange letters to the company. As for the sasaengs, it’s something that always happened to Hwarin or ‘Elani’······I didn’t think a crazy guy like this would come out with an awl.”
The director, whose words were trailing off, clenched his teeth and turned his head towards Woojin.
“Woojin, are you really okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
After hearing the answer, the director bowed politely to Kang Woo-jin.
“Thank you so much. If it weren’t for Woojin, what would have happened… If you feel any pain or discomfort anywhere, please let me know right away.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The fat manager, who was letting out a long sigh, suddenly remembered something and asked Kang Woo-jin.
“But, Woojin, how did you do that?”
“hmm?”
“No, that’s it. I caught that weirdo and subdued him by swinging him around.”
“······”
Oh, that? I got it as a gift from A-Space. Woojin couldn’t say that, so he cynically changed the subject. He pointed at the strange man on the floor with his index finger.
“More than that. Shouldn’t we check this guy’s pockets?”
“yes?”
“Maybe he came by car. If he did, there would be evidence inside.”
“ah!”
The director, his eyes wide, searched through the pockets of the stranger who had fallen on the floor. He found a real car key. Kang Woo-jin then pointed to the end of the parking lot with his index finger.
“Press it.”
-Tiddick!
An alarm sounded from somewhere. It was a gray compact car parked in the corner of the parking lot. Many things were found inside the car. Among them, the most notable were the posters and goods of Hwarin that filled the backseat, and the camera that filled the entire memory with Hwarin. The fat manager got angry as soon as he checked inside the car.
“이 개새끼가!!!”
The fat director was rushing at the stranger, and several guards had to stop him. Woojin, who had been quietly watching the situation, finished his thoughts.
‘There aren’t many witnesses, are there?’
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Then he spoke quietly to Choi Sung-geon, who was standing next to him.
“Sir, I would like to leave out my part of this matter.”
He asked me to leave out his story of subduing the assailant.
“It’s a bit awkward to make a fuss for no reason. It’s not a good thing either.”
To be honest, Woojin had no intention of using the imprinted ‘martial arts’ for anything other than acting, and he didn’t know that something like that would happen. However, the incident happened. Kang Woojin’s thoughts here were simple.
‘I smell a mistake.’
I had a feeling that if I made a mistake, another misunderstanding would arise. Misunderstandings were already rampant around Woojin. No, even if I had already corrected it, there was no reason to add more flesh to it. If this were to blow up, it was obvious that people who knew me would ask me questions again.
In other words, it was annoying.
Anyway, Kang Woo-jin was already struggling through many ups and downs. So, that’s okay. Let’s not make things worse. I want to feel a little bit better.
Just this kind of thinking.
However, Choi Sung-geon, who is looking at Woo-jin, has no way of knowing this.
‘······It must be awkward to use such a gruesome incident to gain fame.’
He turned his gaze away from Woojin and scanned the inside of the parking lot. The CCTV attached to the ceiling and several parked cars.
‘We can sort things out if we talk to the witnesses, CCTV, or the victim, Hwarin. However, it will be difficult to deal with those cars as well.’
In any case, if Kang Woo-jin, the person involved, didn’t like it, Choi Sung-geon had to accept it and take action.
‘······Yeah, maybe it’s better to do as Woojin says for now and let the rest flow naturally.’
If you hide your face and use this, you will be able to cause trouble. However, unnatural intentions are not of much help to Kang Woo-jin right now. There is no need to regret it.
‘There might be a problem. For example, your relationship with Hwarin.’
Seong-geon Choi, who had finished calculating appropriately, met Woo-jin’s gaze again.
“Okay. Leave the aftermath to me. I’ll go over there and talk to them. But the incident itself will probably be widely reported. Hwarin’s company will have to deal with the incident, but they also have to spread a warning overall. They have to keep the public alert.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Okay, you get in the car too.”
A few minutes later, the police arrived at the scene, and in the meantime, Choi Sung-geon got into the passenger seat of the van. Only Kang Woo-jin was seen inside the car, looking at his cell phone. The rest of the people were outside. Soon, Choi Sung-geon let out a small sigh as he made eye contact with Woo-jin behind him.
“Whew- Woojin. It’s almost sorted out.”
“Is that so?”
Choi Sung-geon’s sigh deepens at the question.
“Honestly, it’s great that Hwarin is okay, but you are more precious to me.”
Wow, I’m touched. Woojin answered quietly, trying to hide his emotion.
“Yes, sir.”
“Next time, use me as a shield. It’s 100 times better for me to get hurt than for you to get hurt. Got it?”
Woojin let his words slip away. That won’t happen.
“How did it go?”
“What can I do? The evidence is solid. Hwarin’s side is ready to punish that stalker properly, and the incident will be reported in the morning at the latest, tomorrow at the earliest. I relayed what you said, but the manager over there said I have to report it to the CEO. The CEO of JML Entertainment is fine. I’ll take care of that part.”
“Understood, sir.”
Here, Choi Sung-geon suddenly opens and closes his mouth. It seems like he is having trouble asking. Then, he scratches his head and opens his mouth with a look of ignorance.
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“But······what on earth did you do?”
“which.”
“What the heck, you subduing that weird kid.”
“ah.”
“I feel like a jerk for asking this. Woojin, are you some kind of- a secret agent or something… Seriously. What the heck?”
Woojin was genuinely dumbfounded after hearing the question. Huh? What? A secret agent? The concept almost fell apart. But he barely held himself back. Thinking about it, he seemed to understand his question.
‘It could seem that way, right?’
He is fluent in several foreign languages and even various sign languages, and he has the acting and ability to devote his life to it, and even the martial arts skills that were shown earlier. What about Kang Woo-jin’s cold personality? Even his past is shrouded in mystery.
‘Wow- What is this? It’s like the protagonist of a spy movie.’
As expected, the illusion was clear. It was the moment when the reason to hide today’s incident became clear. Therefore, Woojin sincerely denied it.
“No, not at all.”
“Hahaha, okay, okay. Just forget about it. Think of it as nonsense.”
“I’m just an actor, nothing more, nothing less.”
“Uh huh. But how did you subdue that kid earlier? It was short, but… It’s not something that can be done easily.”
Woojin chose the truth as his answer.
“I did a little bit of Hapkido when I was young.”
“······Hapkido? A little?”
In reality, Kang Woo-jin had taken Hapkido classes when he was young. Choi Sung-geon decided to just accept this ridiculous answer.
“Ah- yeah, Hapkido. Yeah, it was Hapkido. Hapkido. Yeah, it was Hapkido.”
Trying to understand would be futile.
The next morning. December 3rd. In a meeting room.
Choi Sung-geon was seen in a medium-sized meeting room wearing a black blazer. For someone who usually wears a casual style, he looked quite formal.
In front of him like that.
“Hehe, my movie got pretty noisy, huh?”
Director Ahn Ga-bok, with short white hair, was sitting there. Of course, he wasn’t the only one. Director Ahn Ga-bok was surrounded by film company representatives and staff.
In other words, this is a meeting related to the movie ‘Leech’.
However, Kang Woo-jin is not there. The reason is simple. Woo-jin is currently busy with his schedule, and there will be very realistic discussions here. Woo-jin expressed his intention to appear in ‘Leech’, but it was only a verbal confirmation. Therefore, Kang Woo-jin’s official contract was going to be confirmed here. In addition, Woo-jin’s salary.
Then, Choi Sung-geon responded with a businesslike smile.
“I was a little surprised. Mr. Shim Ha-n-ho, I saw the article so suddenly without saying anything.”
Director Ahn Ga-bok showed a wrinkled smile as if he knew what was going on.
“I guess so. But I was surprised too. I didn’t know there was a reporter in that restaurant.”
After some cursory conversation, Choi Sung-geon was the first to bring up the topic.
“Director, does actor Shim Ha-jin really have a point? Or is this just a reporter’s empty thoughts?”
“I and Sim Ha-jin are close friends. But we didn’t just meet for a meal. I think CEO Choi would like to know. Of course, I gave the script to actor Sim Ha-jin.”
“······I see. Mr. Shim Ha-rin, can you tell me something about our Woo-jin?”
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“I explained everything. I even gave you the second scenario.”
At that moment, Choi Sung-geon let out a curse. Inwardly, of course.
‘Did you really have to say that?? It’s definitely the painting that Sim Ha-ho should receive first?!’
But veteran director Ahn Ga-bok didn’t care. He just kept a wrinkled smile.
“Okay, shall we begin?”
When Director Ahn Ga-bok looked at the film company president, he blurted out the key message.
“Let’s look at this first.”
The transparent file was handed over to Choi Seong-geon.
“This is a tentative estimate of Woojin’s appearance fee that we have decided. We will finalize it here today.”
“Yes, I will take a look.”
There were many letters in the eyes of Choi Sung-geon, the one with the most hair, but this was the main point.
-Kang Woo-jin/ Appearance fee: 150 million won/ Running guarantee: 100 won per additional audience member if break-even point is exceeded
“!!”
A fixed appearance fee of 150 million won and a running guarantee of 100 won. If we do a simple calculation, if the audience exceeds 5 million, the total amount of money that will fall to Woojin will be over 600 million won. It is an absurd amount for a rookie in his first year, and compared to the previous ‘Island of the Missing’, the price has increased tremendously.
I am well treated.
but.
‘This can be inflated further.’
Choi Sung-geon was confident that he could raise Woo-jin’s price further.
