小火星

Chapter 309: Autumn (10)

To meet Kang Woojin.

The decision was finalized earlier that morning when Joseph and Megan met at a cafe, and following the old adage of ‘strike while the iron is hot’, Megan contacted Choi Sung-gun. Surprisingly, the reply from Choi Sung-gun came quickly.

‘We have time until the afternoon.’

The unique thing was that they were informed that Kang Woojin was heading to the shooting range. Joseph suggested to Megan that they drop by the range around lunchtime. Naturally, Megan agreed. And so, the visit to the shooting range was arranged.

Anyway, Joseph and Megan got out of the car. Among the two, Joseph spotted Kang Woojin through the window of the range. Then, he stopped Megan, who was about to move.

“Hold on.”

The tall Megan tilted her head in curiosity.

“Why?”

“Let’s not interrupt him for now.”

“Ah.”

They were nothing more than unexpected visitors. Joseph, out of politeness, intended to wait until Kang Woojin finished what he was doing before making an appearance. Megan nodded in agreement. Soon, as Megan watched Woojin’s team through the window, she spoke.

“But suddenly, shooting? That’s a bit unexpected.”

The giant Joseph shrugged his shoulders.

“Yeah, I guess it looks a bit that way. But there probably isn’t a big reason. Maybe he just wants to try it out because of a shooting scene in a project.”

“Ah, true. It wouldn’t be easy to do in Korea.”

While they were talking, they saw Kang Woojin inside moving toward the shooting range. Joseph and Megan moved quietly inside, trying not to draw attention. Joseph Felton signaled to the chubby owner that he was with Kang Woojin. He then spotted Woojin from outside the shooting range entrance.

The gun Woojin had chosen was a Glock 17.

There wasn’t any awkwardness in Woojin’s handling of the pistol. If anything, it seemed quite familiar.

‘As expected-’

The misconception in Joseph’s mind grew larger. Around that time, the foreigners next to Woojin, who were preparing to shoot, sneered.

“Is he Chinese?”

Upon hearing their voices, Joseph’s brow furrowed immediately.

‘What idiots.’

Just from overhearing their conversation, it was clear to Joseph that these three foreigners were mocking Woojin. However, what Woojin proposed to them was novel.

“Let’s make the game between you and me. You guys versus me, whoever gets the higher score.”

A casual challenge tossed out nonchalantly. Joseph quickly became intrigued. Naturally, Megan did as well.

And so.

“I’ll go first.”

Wearing his earmuffs, Kang Woojin was the first to raise the Glock 17.

-Bang!

Following the first shot, four more gunshots rang out in succession.

-Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Not only the three foreigners who had been dismissing Woojin, but also Joseph and Megan’s faces hardened. Their eyes widened involuntarily. And it was only natural. The bullets Woojin fired seemed to be sucked into the target, each hitting the red dot on the chest area of the human-shaped target. No practice, hitting the mark immediately? That wasn’t a beginner’s level by any means.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

-Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

Five more gunshots followed. This time, Woojin aimed for the red dot on the head. Once again, the red dot was completely erased. Not a single miss.

At that moment, Joseph muttered unconsciously.

“Oh my gosh……” (TL: This is in english in orignial text)

Megan had a similarly dumbfounded expression. By now, Joseph recalled the cafe meeting earlier that morning with Megan. More precisely, the part of the conversation about Kang Woojin when the word “special forces” came up.

It was Megan who started.

“……Did you hear? Apparently, Kang Woojin was in the special forces.”

“Special forces? What do you mean?”

“Gary told me.”

She was referring to Gary Peck, the stunt coordinator who worked with them on ‘Last Kill 3’.

“He said he finally understands why Kang Woojin was so effortless during the martial arts screen test for ‘Last Kill 3’.”

The giant Joseph’s eyes widened.

“That’s too sudden? Where did Gary hear this from?”

“Ethan is currently in charge of the stunt team for a Korean drama, and of course, it’s the one starring Kang Woojin. Gary said he got the information from Ethan.”

“……Ethan? Ethan Smith?”

Joseph knew Ethan. He had worked with Ethan Smith in the past.

“Ethan and Kang Woojin are working on the same project in Korea right now?”

“That’s right. It’s probably just a coincidence.”

“Kang Woojin was in the special forces?”

“He said he nailed ‘CQC’ perfectly.”

“……‘CQC’?”

The snowball of misconception and misunderstanding started rolling in Hollywood, and there was no sign of Joseph’s wide eyes shrinking. ‘CQC’ was a skill considered top-tier even in Hollywood. It appeared in many Hollywood movies, and countless Hollywood actors underwent intense training to master ‘CQC’.

In reality, only a handful of actors could freely use ‘CQC’.

And now, a Korean actor mastering ‘CQC’ out of nowhere?

Joseph, who had spent many years in Hollywood, couldn’t help but be intrigued. What kind of ‘CQC’ would Kang Woojin be able to perform? Immersed in his misconception, Joseph locked eyes with the brown-haired Megan and muttered.

“I’m dying to see Kang Woojin’s ‘CQC’.”

That was it.

Joseph, who had been recalling the conversation from a few hours earlier, returned to reality. He refocused on Kang Woojin, who had just erased the red dots with 10 shots. Woojin was casually lowering the Glock 17, as if it was no big deal. Joseph ran a hand over his slightly open mouth.

‘That posture and shooting skill. More than anything, there’s no hesitation when he fires. Yeah, even though it’s just a glimpse, he’s definitely got ‘CQC’ ingrained in his body. Special forces…… honestly, when I first heard it, I was half-doubting, but now- it seems certain.’

Megan’s wide eyes conveyed a similar meaning. By now, Kang Woojin had finished shooting and turned his head. He was looking at the three men who were in a daze.

“It’s your turn.”

The three foreigners, who were spacing out.

“……”

“……”

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, they exchanged nervous glances but didn’t say anything. One of them, the man wearing sunglasses, barely managed to move.

-Swish.

With slightly trembling hands, he raised the pistol he had been handed earlier. His face was stiff, likely because the tension was high.

-Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Soon, the gunfire echoed loudly. He fired 10 shots in total, but when the target in the shape of a person was pulled forward automatically, there were only five holes. In other words, half of his 10 shots had missed entirely.

It was clearly a victory for Kang Woojin.

However, the foreigner who had just fired showed a kind of stubbornness.

“L-Let’s do it again!!”

Kang Woojin nodded calmly.

“Go ahead, this time you can go first.”

The foreigner, slightly gritting his teeth, took off his sunglasses and perched them on top of his head. Then.

“……”

A brief pause. About 10 seconds passed. Soon, he fired his gun again.

-Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Another 10 shots. This time, the result was better than before. Eight holes had been made, and of those, six had hit the red target. Now it was Kang Woojin’s turn.

-Swish.

Once again, Woojin shot the Glock 17 without a second thought. What was unusual this time was.

-Bang!

His first shot didn’t hit the chest or head of the target, but instead pierced the number 7 drawn on the side. It naturally looked like a mistake. The proof was in the faint smile that appeared on the foreigner with the sunglasses.

‘Got it! I knew his first time was just luck!’

But his smile didn’t last long.

-Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Woojin’s consecutive shots began erasing the number 7 on the target. In other words, the 7-point shot Woojin had fired wasn’t a mistake.

-Bang, bang, bang, bang!

All nine of his bullets pierced the same spot. Before anyone knew it, the number 7 on the target had been completely erased. For his final shot.

-Bang!

The red dot on the head was pierced. The target moved forward automatically. Woojin’s target had only two holes. One in the head and one thick hole in the side. Lowering his gun, Woojin spoke softly to the foreigners.

“500 dollars.”

After that.

Without any objection, the three foreigners pooled their money and handed 500 dollars to Kang Woojin. It was clear to anyone that the Kang Woojin was the winner. His skill was impressive enough to earn applause from the shooting range staff, and after receiving the 500 dollars, Woojin handed the money back to the foreigners.

“Buy yourselves some beer with this, my treat.”

Their expressions grew even more twisted. Their pride had been utterly crushed. On the other hand, the nonchalant Woojin turned around without any particular emotion. He saw Choi Sung-gun and the bw Entertainment employees standing there, their mouths agape. Woojin, maintaining a poker face, slightly regretted inwardly.

‘Agh- shit, I got pissed off because of those idiots and went overboard. I was just planning to hit a few shots and be done with it.’

He had decided to put on a front and act tough. As Woojin approached, Choi Sung-gun hesitantly asked him.

“…Hey, Woojin. You shoot like a pro, huh? Did I see that right??”

Of course, the skill came from the ‘CQC’ training Woojin had pulled out, but he answered as casually as possible.

“I’ve shot a few times before.”

“……”

At Woojin’s endlessly low-key response, Choi Sung-gun closed his mouth. The staff, however, didn’t hold back their amazement, exclaiming things like “Incredible!” and “Amazing!”

It was at that moment.

“Mr. Kang Woojin.”

The giant black man approached Woojin, who was standing facing Choi Sung-gun. It was Joseph Felton, and beside him stood Megan Stone. Woojin, who had already heard about their visit from Choi Sung-gun, was calm.

“Hello, it’s been a while.”

Joseph and Megan responded with similar greetings. Soon, the giant Joseph glanced at Woojin before shifting his gaze. He looked at the section where Woojin had just fired the Glock 17. The thrill from a moment ago still lingered.

“……”

Joseph was itching to ask something, but he held back for now. There were too many eyes on them, and it wasn’t the right place for a conversation.

“Woojin, if you have time, would you join us for a meal?”

At the question, Kang Woojin exchanged glances with Choi Sung-gun. When Choi nodded, Woojin gave a simple reply.

“Sure.”

A few dozen minutes later.

Kang Woojin could be found in a restaurant near the shooting range with a sign reading “Diner”. The diner was comparable to a highway rest stop in Korea. It served a variety of food and was a chain spread throughout LA.

Their table was by the window. Joseph and Megan sat across from Woojin.

Choi Sung-gun was outside, on the phone, and the bw Entertainment staff were seated at a nearby table. A waiter came by and placed coffee cups in front of Woojin, Joseph, and Megan. After roughly placing their orders, Joseph Felton took a sip of coffee and started the conversation with Woojin, who wore an indifferent expression.

“……I watched your shooting earlier, it was impressive.”

Megan nodded vigorously in agreement.

“Exactly! I was really surprised, honestly.”

Woojin, his face unchanged, responded in a low voice.

“It’s not that impressive.”

After staring at Kang Woojin’s indifferent face for a moment, Joseph, finally managing a smile, ran his hand through his hair.

“The more I see you, Woojin, the more you seem like an alien. I dare say, out of all the Hollywood actors I’ve seen, there’s no one like you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, 100%.”

Muttering to himself, Joseph raised his coffee cup again and spoke once more.

“How much time do we have to talk?”

“Not long. Maybe about an hour or so.”

“Hmm, got it.”

Rather than jump into the topic of the project he was preparing, Joseph brought up something else first.

“I heard you’re working with Ethan Smith on your current project.”

At this, Woojin was slightly surprised. No, he was quite startled.

‘Damn, news travels fast.’

He hadn’t expected to hear Ethan’s name as soon as he arrived in LA.

‘As expected, that big-nosed guy is pretty famous in Hollywood, huh?’

Woojin, feeling a sense of newfound wonder, doused his chest with cold water. He needed to maintain a solid poker face.

“That’s right.”

“He’s a skilled stunt coordinator, even in Hollywood. He’s close with Gary, too. You’ll have great synergy.”

“I think so too.”

“Is ‘CQC’ being included in the work?”

While details like specific direction or storyboards for Beneficial Evil were under wraps, the fact that ‘CQC’ was included wasn’t exactly a secret. Even though the domestic media hadn’t used the term ‘CQC’, they were aware of Ethan’s involvement, and plenty of people had already seen Kang Woojin’s ‘CQC’. It would’ve been impossible to hide the fact altogether.

Thus, Kang Woojin answered without much concern.

“Yes. It’s not the whole thing, just a part.”

“Ethan is known for his ‘CQC’ design skills here too. Hmm— I’m looking forward to it.”

At that moment, as Joseph combined his imagination of the countless ‘CQC’ scenes he’d witnessed in Hollywood with Kang Woojin’s earlier display of shooting skills, he swallowed lightly and spoke.

“I checked a bit and found out that the work you’re currently on has overseas location shooting. Is that overseas location for the ‘CQC’?”

“Something like that.”

“Can you tell me where?”

The location wasn’t a secret either. It had already been revealed to the media.

“Bangkok, Thailand.”

“……Bangkok.”

At that moment.

-Swoosh.

Choi Sung-gun, having finished his phone call, approached Woojin and said,

“Woojin, a moment.”

It seemed he had something to discuss privately, so Kang Woojin excused himself to Joseph and Megan before standing up. Soon, in the brief silence that followed, the two of them were left alone.

“……”

“……”

About 15 seconds passed. The one who first broke this quietness was.

“Bangkok. It’s worth going.”

It was the giant Joseph Felton.

“It’s Kang Woojin’s ‘CQC’, after all, right?”

It meant he couldn’t resist.

****

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