小火星

Chapter 299: Comeback (4)

‘CQC’? This had never happened before. Whether it was acquiring a foreign language or skills like vocals or cooking, Woojin had always expected it. After all, they were skills he had often encountered in his life.

But this time.

“‘CQC’??”

What on earth is ‘CQC’? Woojin, furrowing his brows deeply, shouted at the void space woman who, of course, wouldn’t answer.

“Hey!! What is ‘CQC’?! What is it?!”

But as expected.

[“……”]

There was no answer from her. Of course, Kang Woojin knew this, but still, it was frustrating.

Cold-hearted.

Ah, right, even if I don’t know, I’m just supposed to charge in headfirst, huh? Woojin welcomed it, but some caution was necessary. It was the first time he was imprinting an unexpected ability.

‘Since it’s derived from the script of Beneficial Evil—it must be action related, right?’

The female voice rang out again.

[“Preparing ‘CQC’ reading…”]

[“…Preparation complete. Starting ‘CQC’ reading.”]

For a moment, a massive gray object appeared before Woojin’s eyes. The void space seemed to be trying to engulf Kang Woojin. In that brief moment, countless thoughts crossed Woojin’s mind.

No, they were predictions.

‘CQC can’t be just a word, it must be an abbreviation of a longer term.’

The massive gray shape gradually transformed into something that enveloped Woojin’s body. It would take only a few seconds to be sucked in.

Soon.

“It feels like some kind of technique name.”

Just as the gray enveloped Woojin’s torso, his mumbling softly spread throughout the void space.

“Shit, is this some kind of killing technique or something??”

Kang Woojin was swallowed by the massive gray mass.

How much time had passed?

Once again, the robotic female voice reached Kang Woojin’s ears.

[“Ending ‘CQC’ reading (experience).”]

Then Woojin’s vision changed in an instant. A meeting room surrounded by glass walls, posters of works pasted everywhere, people seated around, and the goateed PD Song Man-woo continuing the briefing.

“It’s true that the action hurdle has been raised as much as cuts have been added, but since Woojin-ssi’s martial arts skills are already top-notch, it should be more than possible.”

Yes, this was the meeting room at Netflix Korea.

Woojin, who had just completed the ‘CQC’ reading (experience), had returned to reality. Kang Woojin’s face was stiff. Although his default poker face was still in place, his current state was slightly different from a normal day.

“……”

He was extremely calm. Cold. Cool. On the contrary, he was also sensitive. That’s how his mind felt. But neither Choi Sung-gun, PD Song Man-woo, Executive Director Kim So-hyang, Writer Choi Na-na, nor the Production Manager.

None of them noticed.

That the Kang Woojin before them was a real monster. It wasn’t a metaphor. Right now, Woojin was truly a monster.

‘Crazy.’

At this very moment, he was confident he could incapacitate everyone here. Confident? No, certain. Whether they passed out or died. He saw the people around him not as individuals but as targets.

The misaligned air conditioning further chilled Woojin’s heart.

His vision was wide. His sense of smell was keen. Sounds were loud and clear. The hairs on his skin stood on end. His whole body was in a state of readiness. His calculations were swift. His judgments were short. Decisions were unnecessary.

Act. Just do it.

It was the lingering effect. The lingering effect of the imprinted ‘CQC’.

‘Martial arts’ formed the foundation, and ‘CQC’ was layered on top. Although only a few seconds had passed for the people around, Kang Woojin had spent quite a long time in the void space.

‘Stay calm, and control it. I am the master, so I command it.’

First, Kang Woojin suppressed the ‘CQC’ that was surging through his entire body. This was a process he always went through. Whether it was a language or some other skill, whenever it was imprinted, a strong aftertaste remained for Woojin. Each time, Kang Woojin had to maintain a high level of master consciousness. They were merely one of his many skills, and it was he who commanded them.

The process of taming any ability or skill.

In the end, the void space exists because Kang Woojin maintains himself. That mindset was crucial. It wasn’t clear when he first had this thought, this stubbornness. Perhaps it was when Woojin experienced his first reading(experience). It was in the realm of the unconscious.

Thanks to that.

‘Phew—’

Kang Woojin was able to leash the newly imprinted ability this time as well. It was the same when he acquired ‘martial arts’. He was overwhelmed right after the imprinting, but from the moment Woojin put a leash on ‘martial arts’, he was able to handle it at will.

Then.

‘Alright, that should do it.’

Kang Woojin, recognizing that most of the aftereffect of ‘CQC’ had dissipated, tested the switch. Pulling it out and putting it back in. It was possible with everything that had been imprinted, starting from acting, and this ‘CQC’ was no different. In a brief moment, Woojin’s inner self shifted from normal to bleak and then returned to normal again.

This was proof that the switch was working properly.

But Kang Woojin thought.

‘Once more.’

Even as the conversations around him continued, he repeated the same process. The ability imprinted this time warranted it. It was the most dangerous after ‘martial arts’. However, ‘CQC’ was already subdued by Kang Woojin, and the switch was functioning normally.

At the same time, Woojin deepened his poker face.

The current act of toughening up was to strengthen his self-identity. Soon, outwardly, Kang Woojin seemed utterly solemn, but internally, he was half-surprised.

‘Wa—shit, what did I just acquire??! This is insane.’

He recalled the ‘CQC’ he had acquired in the void space. ‘CQC’ was closer to a technique than an ability. Moreover, it was a combat technique that included lethal force. Hand-to-hand combat, shooting, weaponry, situational judgment—it was a comprehensive collection of combat techniques. In a way, it could be considered more systematic and brutal than ‘martial arts’.

‘Isn’t this something an ordinary person could never come across, right??’

It was true. It was impossible for an ordinary person to experience. It was a skill that could only be acquired by special forces. Even then, it took a long period of training to use it freely, and it was a skill actually used by real-world special forces.

Kang Woojin had suddenly imprinted that through the void space.

‘This is on a completely different level from the bayonet training I learned in the military.’

Just moments ago, Woojin had killed dozens of people in the void space. To be precise, he had killed the human forms presented by the void space. Normally, after an ability was imprinted, Woojin would immediately return to the void space to read (experience) the script, but this time he needed to take a little time.

He intended to take a break.

He wanted to read the script for Beneficial Evil, but if he plunged into that world in this state and started killing people, it would leave a bad taste.

At that moment.

“Woojin-nim.”

Writer Choi Na-na, who had been quiet the whole time, called Kang Woojin.

“Have you by any chance heard of something called ‘CQC’?”

Woojin, with an indifferent expression, almost answered immediately. ‘I can show it right now.’ He could already use the technique freely. At this point, Kang Woojin reminded himself once more.

‘Just like with martial arts, I need to think of ‘CQC’ as nothing more or less than a technique necessary for acting.’

He responded in a low voice to Writer Choi Na-na, who was wearing round glasses.

“I’ve heard of it.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

Next to Woojin, Choi Sung-gun glanced at him somewhat seriously, and PD Song Man-woo chimed in.

“Well, considering you’re skilled in martial arts, you must have heard of ‘CQC’ at some point.”

“Yes.”

Writer Choi Na-na opened her mouth again. She became slightly timid at the thought of explaining.

“‘CQC’ is… broadly speaking, it can be seen as a comprehensive close-quarters combat technique or combat system, and that technique has been incorporated into the additional cuts of ‘Beneficial Evil’ this time.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. If you look at the script for episodes 1 and 2, where the cuts have been added, you’ll definitely get a clear sense of it.”

“So, it’s about the male lead ‘Jang Yeon-woo’s’ past, right?”

“That’s right. It’s a flashback of ‘Jang Yeon-woo’s’ past. It’s a device that solidifies his abilities and gives the audience something to anticipate. The viewers will see that ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ is proficient in ‘CQC’, and viewers can vaguely guess his past.”

It was a technique often used in drama production. First, show the protagonist’s abilities, then reveal the past in a hazy way. This way, the audience, after witnessing the protagonist’s extraordinary abilities, would try to piece together his past.

‘When it comes to ‘Jang Yeon-woo’—they’ll probably think he’s from some special forces background or something like that.’

Around this time, PD Song Man-woo, who had been quietly observing Woojin, spoke up.

“Woojin-ssi, the pre-production period for ‘Beneficial Evil’ has been slightly delayed due to the large-scale auditions and the large-sized set construction. But this level of delay was somewhat expected from the beginning. Since it’s a pre-produced drama, it’s only natural to focus on quality. Anyway.”

He leaned forward slightly.

“Starting with today’s character shoot, we’re aiming to wrap up the pre-production period. By the end of July, we’ll finish scouting overseas locations, and we’ll also wrap up the script reading. In the meantime, Woojin-ssi and the other actors will dive into intense training, mainly focusing on martial arts.”

This was something that had already been discussed. Apart from the other schedules Woojin had to manage, he would be dedicating most of his time to martial arts training for the action scenes in ‘Beneficial Evil’.

“Whether the first official shoot takes place on location in Bangkok, Thailand, or in a domestic set hasn’t been finalized yet.”

Then, exchanging glances with the Production Manager, PD Song Man-woo continued.

“Whatever the case, we’ll definitely start within August.”

The next morning, at Kang Woojin’s officetel.

Woojin’s home, neatly organized. The current time was around 5:30 AM. Given the hour, Woojin was lying in bed. At a glance, he seemed almost lifeless, but fortunately, he was breathing, indicating he was in a near-unconscious state of deep sleep.

About 5 minutes later.

“……Ugh—”

Suddenly, Woojin, who had been lying down, sat up abruptly with a faint groan. Although today’s work time was set for 6:30 AM, which was quite early, something else was occupying Woojin’s mind more than going to work right now.

-Swoosh.

Woojin, scratching his tousled hair, walked out into the living room. He immediately grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and gulped it down. After starting the day with a refreshing drink, Woojin stretched and then turned his gaze. On the living room table, covered with a gray rug, lay two books.

They were the new scripts for episodes 1 and 2 of ‘Beneficial Evil.’

Woojin had already read them in between schedules as soon as he received them yesterday, and even after returning late at night, he read the new scripts again. Since he had already thoroughly read the existing content of ‘Beneficial Evil’, he only needed to focus on the newly added scenes. After reading everything, Woojin’s impression was simple.

‘This is insane.’

It was more intense and bolder than he had anticipated. Somehow, Woojin wondered if this was really a drama. The scale was comparable to that of a blockbuster film. Moreover, it was surprising that shy writer Choi Na-na had written this script.

In any case.

-Woosh.

Kang Woojin picked up the script for episode 1 of ‘Beneficial Evil’. As expected, the black square was swirling. In fact, Woojin had made up his mind. On this morning, the day after, before heading to work, he planned to read (experience) the additional cuts of ‘Beneficial Evil’.

In other words, he intended to live in the world with ‘CQC.’

It meant he would take on the past of the male lead ‘Jang Yeon-woo’. Woojin tilted his head slightly from side to side, then, without much thought, he raised his index finger.

-Poke.

He was calmer than expected. Before he knew it, Kang Woojin had entered the entirely dark void space and moved towards the white rectangles lined up in front of him. He clicked on ‘Beneficial Evil’.

-[You have selected 9/Script (Title: Beneficial Evil).]

Soon, the robotic female voice was heard.

[“Preparing to read ‘A: Jang Yeon-woo’…”]

[“…Preparation complete. The script or scenario is of extremely high quality. Implementation is at 100%. Starting reading.”]

Unlike yesterday, the massive gray mass instantly engulfed Kang Woojin. It meant he had entered the world of ‘Beneficial Evil’. Time in reality was almost at a standstill, but Kang Woojin, who had been sucked into ‘Beneficial Evil’, would have to live through countless hours and days.

And then, at some moment.

-Sss.

The world that Kang Woojin, or rather Jang Yeon-woo, was seeing started to distort. No, it would be more accurate to say it was darkening. Then, everything Woojin sensed with his five senses began to change.

The first thing he heard was.

“$$(*&(*!(*%&(*!%”

It was an incomprehensible language. It wasn’t Kang Woojin speaking. It was someone close to him. A frivolous male voice. Kang Woojin was walking. He wasn’t alone. Two men were holding onto Woojin’s arms, dragging him along.

‘There are two more in front.’

Correction. It was a group of four in total. Gradually, Woojin’s vision became clearer. Clearer? Although his eyes were open, his view was obstructed. His face was covered by a dirty cloth. It reeked of bodily fluids—blood, spit, and breath from different people had soaked into the fabric.

‘It’s damp.’

And it was hot. He estimated the temperature to be over 35 degrees. The ground was uneven. There were parts where he could feel the soft dirt, and other parts were muddy. His hands were bound in front of him. He couldn’t see what was used to bind them, but the crackling noise when they were tied and the texture on his wrists suggested thick cable ties.

It wasn’t difficult.

To free himself from the restraints or to subdue these men. Hot wind brushed against Woojin’s upper body. He felt his thin, worn-out shirt fluttering. At this moment, as Woojin was being dragged along, his mind had already made a decision. All that was left was to execute it at the precise timing.

‘The guy on the left is the target.’

Of the two men holding his arms, the one on the left was limping. Whether he was injured or sick didn’t matter. Woojin’s mind grew cold. He became utterly still. His breathing was short. He lowered his gaze. He could see the handgun tucked into the man’s side.

‘Glock 17.’

The sound of a truck approaching grew louder. When the truck was almost right beside them.

-Swish.

Woojin raised his left foot. Simultaneously, vroom! The truck sound was heard right beside them. He stomped down with his lifted foot onto the left guy’s foot.

“Argh!!”

The man’s posture crumbled. In an instant, the grip on one side loosened. Woojin didn’t miss the opportunity. As the man leaned slightly to the left, Woojin swiftly pulled the handgun from the man’s waist. His hands were bound, but his fingers were free.

-Thud!

Woojin stuck to the falling guy, and thanks to his struggling, the cloth covering Kang Woojin’s head came off. The gun was immediately pressed under the man’s chin. Of course, it was the chin of the guy with dark, burnt skin. The eyes of the man wearing a bright red tank top grew wide in terror.

In that moment.

-Bang!!

The top of the man’s head shattered as his brains splattered.