小火星

Chapter 302: Autumn (3)

Of course, the words Ethan said to Woojin, “I’d like to check your current condition” were true. It was also true that he couldn’t make a judgment based on the martial arts practice video he had received beforehand. However, there was no need to make such a rushed request.

He could have seen Kang Woojin’s form when they started proper practice.

But Ethan Smith was an impatient man. Since he had seen Kang Woojin, he was eager to get a preview. If he could assess his skills in advance and analyze them, it would help in adjusting the body’s movements or the storyboard during later practice stages. There was also a hint of curiosity. After all, Gary Peck, a colleague he respected in the same industry in Hollywood, had highly praised Kang Woojin.

What exactly did Gary Peck see in Kang Woojin to make a man of his caliber offer such compliments?

‘Honestly, I also wanted to test his guts.’

Naturally, acquiring and practicing ‘CQC’ requires determination. Things like courage, boldness, and grit. If one approached it half-heartedly, accidents or injuries were 100% guaranteed. The sudden, direct request Ethan made to Woojin was partially a test to gauge these qualities.

However, in his eyes, Kang Woojin was unusual.

‘…At first glance, he seemed a bit taciturn and gruff, so I thought he’d be cautious with his body- but his energy isn’t bad. Still, why is he so confident?’

Moreover, Kang Woojin’s last response was,

‘Let’s do it then, but with a cut that includes all of your team members.’

It was akin to saying that the entire Ethan team should come at him, not just one member. It was peculiar. A response that was oddly arrogant yet brimming with energy.

Was it just bravado? That was a possibility.

What Ethan had requested didn’t seem feasible without having learned ‘CQC’. After all, it was a martial arts storyboard based on ‘CQC’. Soon, Ethan gazed intently at Kang Woojin right in front of him, and a significant murmur spread throughout the action school.

Around that time, Ethan calmly asked Woojin.

“Sounds good, thank you. But as I heard from the director, you haven’t formally learned ‘CQC’. The cut that includes all of us will be quite high-level. Are you sure you want to choose a scene with more than four opponents?”

Because he had taken off his blazer, Woojin was now in a white long-sleeve shirt, rolling up the sleeves to his forearms.

“…”

His expression was stiff due to the intense concept, but internally, there was a slight thrill.

‘Of course, it’d be way easier to do a scene with just one opponent.’

Kang Woojin scanned the foreigners in the stunt team, who were either large or well-built.

‘Up close, they’re like Terminators.’

In person, the stunt team’s builds was quite substantial. They looked like they wouldn’t bleed a drop even if stabbed with a knife. If he had nothing, this would be a situation where he should definitely back off. Hence, Woojin’s response of “you all come at me” carried some bravado. However, it also contained his curiosity and sincerity.

‘I’m not doubting the Void space, of course. It’s just that I’m curious since I’ve learned the ability. I want to see how it works in reality. To see properly, having all those Terminators come at me is definitely the way to go.’

There was also a slight irritation.

‘I don’t like his tone, this big-nosed guy. It must be proof of his skills. But so what?’

Whatever, he was ready. Kang Woojin gave a rough answer to Ethan.

“It’s fine. Any scene will do.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’ve taken a quick look the added ‘CQC’ choreography.”

At this moment,

“…Quick look?”

Ethan, with a brief furrow of his brows, asked again.

“Are you saying you’ll execute the ‘CQC’ choreography after only an adequate review?”

“That’s right, isn’t that what you were hoping for?”

“There’s no need to push yourself. A simple cut is fine, too. The request was also for the purpose of checking and adjusting your posture as we go through the movements.”

Perhaps due to the words ‘quick look’, the big-nosed Ethan’s voice turned cold. Regardless, Kang Woojin’s straightforward approach didn’t stop.

“I understand, but let’s still go with a cut that includes your entire team.”

At this point, even the foreign members of Ethan’s team showed some changes in their expressions. They must have felt the same as Ethan. Then, Ethan Smith looked at Woojin and quietly spoke again.

“By any chance, did you have the same attitude when you met Gary Peck?”

Gary Peck? Who’s that? Kang Woojin inwardly tilted his head at the unfamiliar foreign name. He couldn’t immediately recall the face. Still, he maintained his poker face, and about five seconds later, Woojin finally remembered who Gary Peck was.

‘Ah- he’s that agile uncle from Last Kill 3.’

He was the stunt coordinator who was in charge of the overall martial arts for the screen test. He had a short haircut and a angular face.

“It was similar.”

“He spoke very highly of you. Said you had considerable skill.”

“Is that so?”

“But the words ‘quick look’—are you perhaps underestimating ‘CQC’?”

Woojin, with his indifferent expression, shook his head.

“Not at all. I was just being honest.”

“……”

In the brief silence, the martial arts team at the action school, watching Kang Woojin and Ethan, began to murmur conspicuously.

“What are they talking about? And why is Kang Woojin so good at English?”

“He’s always been good at it. Anyway, I don’t know what they’re saying, but doesn’t it seem like the mood is about to get heated?”

“Yeah, it does.”

As if affirming this observation, Ethan addressed Kang Woojin with a cold voice.

“Understood. Choose the scene you want, and we’ll start in 10 minutes. We’re fine with any cut.”

“Yes.”

Both Woojin and Ethan turned away at the same time. Ethan Smith blended in with his team members who exuded presence, and Kang Woojin joined PD Song Man-woo, the martial arts director, and Choi Sung-gun’s group.

PD Song Man-woo was the first to break the silence.

“Woojin-ssi, are you really okay with this? This is… something we didn’t anticipate at all.”

The martial arts director agreed.

“Exactly. From their perspective, testing your movements is essential for you too, Woojin-ssi, but there’s no need to go in like this without any preparation.”

The most surprised of them all was Choi Sung-gun.

“Are you really going to do it?”

Kang Woojin, on the other hand, remained calm.

“Yes. I’m curious as well.”

“About what?”

“About myself and them.”

“What do you mean?”

Without further explanation, Woojin firmly stated,

“It’s the right thing to do.”

A few minutes later.

The big-nosed Ethan approached Kang Woojin, who was loosening his neck.

-Swish.

He showed Woojin the storyboard for the newly added ‘CQC’ scene in Beneficial Evil.

“What scene do you have in mind?”

Without a second of hesitation, Kang Woojin pointed to a specific scene.

“This scene seems appropriate.”

“…Are you sure?”

“No problem.”

“Alright.”

The reason Ethan hesitated was simple. The scene Woojin chose was one of the most challenging cuts in the storyboard. To briefly explain, Kang Woojin, as the main character, had to single-handedly take down four opponents.

Soon after, Ethan turned to PD Song Man-woo and spoke in English.

“We’ll start now. If you need to film, feel free to do so.”

PD Song Man-woo, who had the meaning translated to him, gave instructions to the assistant director and the martial arts director. The two quickly moved. The martial arts director pushed the dozens of martial arts team members who filled the action school to the outer edges, while the assistant director brought the set cameras and the making-of team a bit closer.

The foreign team, bulky and towering, gathered together. Their leader, Ethan, held the storyboard and briefed them.

“Kang Woojin wants to do this cut. There’s no need to overexert, but I think we should give him a bit of a surprise.”

It seemed Ethan wouldn’t be participating in the test.

“Is that okay?”

“…I don’t think Kang Woojin is underestimating ‘CQC’, but he does seem to be taking it lightly. While it’s important to observe his form, it’s also necessary to show him upfront how difficult this really is.”

“Hmm. I heard that this actor Kang Woojin is currently extremely popular in Korea. Maybe his ego’s gotten so big that his judgment is clouded.”

“Use only half your strength, just enough for him to feel in his body how high the difficulty of learning ‘CQC’ is.”

“Understood.”

Ethan’s thinking was simple. First, clearly recognizing how tough ‘CQC’ is would solidify Kang Woojin’s learning attitude and stance. If it’s unclear, accidents or injuries are inevitable. In simpler terms, Ethan intended to broaden the overly confident Kang Woojin’s perspective.

It was a form of consideration, in its own way.

Soon after.

-Swish.

Four members of Ethan’s team stood at the center of the action school. Not only were they large, but the natural aura they exuded was extraordinary. Surrounding them, dozens of martial arts team members, actors, and staff, who had moved to the outer edges, all had faces filled with excitement. This was not a spectacle one could easily witness.

At this point, Kang Woojin approached the four members of Ethan’s team.

Among them, the largest foreigner man asked Kang Woojin in English.

“…Are you okay with your current clothes?”

Kang Woojin glanced down at his long-sleeved shirt and slacks for a moment before answering in a low voice.

“They’re sufficient.”

Soon, Kang Woojin and the four members of the Hollywood stunt team took their positions. Woojin stood at the center of the action school, and the four stunt members stood around him, positioning themselves in a slightly unconventional manner. It felt like they were surrounding Woojin in a somewhat disorganized fashion.

This was how the scene itself was designed to be implemented.

Of course, in the storyboard, the positions of the four opponents were entirely different—some sitting, for instance—but for the test, they just needed to create a rough formation and move accordingly.

Soon after.

-Swoosh.

Plastic props were handed to the four men surrounding Kang Woojin. They received knives and guns. Seeing this, the dozens of martial arts team members filling the outer edges whispered to each other.

“Whoa—look at them. Even though those weapons are just props, don’t they look terrifying when those big guys hold them?”

“Even though Kang Woojin looks calm, he’s probably a bit scared.”

As the saying goes, nothing’s more entertaining than watching someone else’s fight, but the spectators had significant doubts about Kang Woojin. After all, wasn’t he up against a Hollywood stunt team? The same went for Choi Sung-gun, PD Song Man-woo, and the martial arts director. However, their concern was much greater.

But for now, they decided to wait and see.

They believed there must be a reason for the usually silent Kang Woojin’s actions.

At that moment, Kang Woojin was…

‘Hoo-’

…relaxing his body, amplifying his flexibility. He reminded himself to control the balance of strength. And he summoned several things within him. The beginning was the male lead ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ from Beneficial Evil. Everything about ‘Jang Yeon-woo’, who received his master’s orders, spread through Woojin’s veins. On top of that, he layered ‘martial arts’. But it didn’t stop there. Finally, he pulled out the recently imprinted ‘CQC’.

In that instant.

-Sss.

The air surrounding Kang Woojin, who slowly swept back his black hair, changed. No, to be precise, the breath he exuded changed, becoming calm yet cold. The emotion in his eyes partially disappeared. Instead, a cold and calculated determination took over. His body didn’t move an inch. An indescribable aura, a chill, enveloped Kang Woojin.

Kang Woojin’s perspective was completely different from just moments ago.

The dozens of martial arts team members watching him, the staff from Beneficial Evil, the key staff, the actors, their teams—everything disappeared. His bodily senses were the same. He no longer felt the soft mat under his feet or smelled the faint scent of sweat permeating the action school.

The background Woojin saw now was the interior of a run-down building.

Somewhere, a faint noise was heard—a soft hissing sound. It was raining. A strange scent lingered in the air, the smell of a rundown building soaked by the rain. The background of the storyboard scene materialized in Kang Woojin’s vision.

At that moment.

“Action.”

PD Song Man-woo gave the signal. The four men surrounding Kang Woojin assumed their stances. Their movements were a blend of acting. The man with a bear-like build stood still, glaring at Woojin, while the buzz-cut man with a knife at his waist kept one hand in his pocket. The man with tattoos covering his neck and both forearms, and the man with a thick beard, slowly approached Woojin from diagonal positions.

PD Song Man-woo, arms crossed, swallowed nervously.

‘Indeed—those guys are on a different level just from their stances. But… why isn’t Woojin-ssi making any moves?’

Even though his opponents had begun to corner their prey, Woojin remained in the same spot. His eyes were different from an ordinary person’s. In truth, the real prey was not Kang Woojin, but the four foreigner men who had started to corner him. Every movement they made appeared in slow motion to Woojin.

Time was same for all of them, but in Kang Woojin’s vision, it was evidence that he was making quick judgments.

The bear-like guy is the leader. His stance is the most relaxed, but his aggression is intense. The buzz-cut guy has a knife at his waist. It’s short and flashy, but sharp.

Kang Woojin’s gaze shifted slightly.

‘Right diagonal, the tattooed guy is holding a gun. He’s tense.’

The guy’s index finger kept twitching. If he sees even the slightest movement, he’ll raise the gun immediately. It’ll take 2 seconds to notice, aim, and shoot. That guy’s arm is long. I can use that. Woojin’s eyes moved again.

‘Left, the bearded guy is holding a knife. But he’s clumsy.’

The fact that he kept fidgeting with the hand holding the knife was proof. He’s familiar with the technique, but he’s recently switched to a new knife. Information about his opponents was rapidly feeding into Kang Woojin. The answer came quickly.

“Under 3 minutes.”

As soon as Kang Woojin finished muttering to himself.

-Swish.

He suddenly moved his feet. He walked straight ahead with his usual stride, though not hurriedly. His destination was the bear-like man standing furthest away, beyond the subordinates. The bear-like man furrowed his brow as he watched Woojin approach with a blank expression. But Woojin didn’t stop.

-Thud, thud.

Naturally, this wasn’t reality.

It was a simulation similar to reality. Moreover, it was a scene being recreated based on the martial arts storyboard. Thus, while the gun mattered, martial arts and technique were crucial. In fact, the stunt team intended to deviate from the storyboard from this first move. If they followed the storyboard where ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ effortlessly overpowers them, they wouldn’t be able to demonstrate the difficulty of ‘CQC’ to Kang Woojin.

They needed to easily overpower Kang Woojin.

Even if he noticed, making his legs give out and forcing him to kneel wouldn’t be difficult.

The bear-like man remained motionless. Meanwhile, two of the three men surrounding Woojin began their attack. The first to reach Woojin was the tattooed man, gripping a gun with both hands.

-Whoosh!

Suddenly, Kang Woojin turned his body toward him. And with a stride, he closed the distance in an instant. The tattooed man flinched. Kang Woojin’s movement had deviated from the plan, from the storyboard.

The tattooed man instinctively,

“Hup!”

raised his gun. But before he could lift it, Woojin’s left hand intercepted him. The tattooed man was startled. Kang Woojin was a beat faster. Woojin’s right hand wrapped around the man’s left hand—the hand holding the gun. Naturally, Woojin twisted his arm behind his back.

In a flash.

Kang Woojin hooked his leg behind the man’s, toppling his stance.

The tattooed man dropped to his knees.

‘Ugh.’

This wasn’t acting. It was real. At the same time, Woojin wrenched the gun from the man’s hand, which was twisted behind his back.

-Thud.

The gun touched the top of the tattooed man’s head.

At that moment, the tattooed man’s face was filled with question marks.

“???”

Because he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened to him.