Episode 440 Emi (2)

This year's Primetime Emmy Awards were broadcast live around the world, including in Korea, Japan, France (where Cannes was held), and the United States. The broadcast began as celebrities—other than actors—started walking the red carpet. While the Emmy Awards kicked off in the afternoon in LA, people from all over the world tuned in to watch the ceremony live, despite the time differences.

As the most prestigious broadcasting awards ceremony in the world, the Emmys always attract enormous attention. This year, the buzz was even greater, with not only the public but also industries outside the entertainment and media world closely watching. As in previous years, the 2025 Emmy Awards had more than double the usual impact, thanks to the excitement surrounding various issues, including the korean drama; 'beneficial evil.'

One of the most exciting aspects was the response from Korea, where the entire country was buzzing with anticipation.

["Best Actor Nominee Kang Woo-Jin + 10 Category Nominees in 'Beneficial Evil' at the Primetime Emmy Awards; Live Broadcast Kicks Off with a Grand Red Carpet!"]

From the day before the Emmy Awards started, articles have been pouring in nonstop, and social media platforms, communities, and YouTube have been chaotic, as if a nuclear bomb had exploded. The entire country was in an uproar over the event.

In Jinju, Gyeongnam Province, a house that had become famous as Kang Woo-jin's hometown, the excitement was palpable.

"Wow, this is crazy! Look at the scale of this awards ceremony! Is my brother there??" Kang Hyun-ah, Woo-jin's younger sister, exclaimed excitedly.

This was Kang Woo-jin's parents' house, and both his father, Kang Woo-chul, and mother, Seo Hyun-mi, sat next to her, their faces serious.

"Where's Woojin? Where's Woojin?" Kang Woo-chul asked, his voice filled with anxiety.

"Dad! Hold on, it's not out yet!" her daughter reassured her.

"...How, why am I shaking?" Seo Hyun-mi muttered, clearly overwhelmed by the moment.

"Mom! Take a deep breath!"

The three were glued to the TV, watching the live broadcast of the Emmy Awards. The screen showed a jaw-dropping red carpet, with foreign reporters, broadcasting teams, and excited onlookers. Kang Woo-jin's family had been watching for several minutes, eagerly waiting for their son or brother to appear.

"Why isn't he on yet? Did he already walk by? Maybe that camera didn't catch Woojin."

"No way! My brother is way too hot right now at the Emmys. There's no way they can ignore him!"

The family had already attended many award ceremonies with Woo-jin, from various film festivals in Korea to the Cannes Film Festival. However, every time was a new experience. Woo-jin's fame and prestige grew with each event, and this time it was the Emmy Awards.

And then...

"Oh my! That actor is wearing something really unique!"

Seo Hyun-mi pointed at the TV with her index finger, while Kang Woo-chul nodded, arms crossed.

"Well, it's Hollywood. I heard America is full of very unique people. But still, it's strange. All the Hollywood actors who've walked the red carpet so far have worn tuxedos."

"Isn't that a little weird? Why is he dressed like that? His jacket and pants are red, his shirt is blue, and he's wearing a yellow vest! His socks are a mix of blue and red! And his long hair, which looks almost like short hair, is wet and red... Did they just get a weird person barging in?"

Kang Woo-jin's parents continued chatting, curious about the unusual sight on TV. It was understandable; the live broadcast of the Emmy Awards had just featured a man in a wildly colorful costume.

Kang Hyun-ah, who had been staring at the TV with narrowed brows, suddenly gasped.

"...Huh? Huh?? Huh, huh?? Dad, Mom, that crazy guy... No, that guy looks like older brother?!"

Kang Woo-chul and Seo Hyun-mi laughed in disbelief.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you suddenly saying that our Woojin is that crazy guy? Get a grip!"

"No, no, no... Isn't that my brother? Oh, wait, it's not? No, it is! It's him!"

Just then, the man on the TV swept back his long red hair, partially covering his face. Kang Woo-chul and Seo Hyun-mi's eyes widened, mirroring Kang Hyun-ah's reaction.

"...uh?"

"Ah!"

They both quickly rushed towards the TV as the image became clearer.

"Woojin!"

"Son??"

The "crazy guy" on the red carpet at the Emmy Awards was, in fact, Kang Woo-jin. His family stood there for a moment in stunned silence at the unexpected turn of events. After about 10 seconds, they locked eyes, mouths open, and shouted in unison.

"That crazy guy was our son??!"

"That crazy guy was my older brother?!!"

This moment wasn't just happening in Woo-jin's parents' house—it was the same across all of Korea. At BW Entertainment, Kang Woo-jin's agency, chaos broke out as well. Executives and entertainers, who had free time, were buzzing with excitement.

Among them was Hong Hye-yeon.

"Wh-what the heck! What is that guy wearing?! Is that Kang Woo-jin?!"

Ryu Jeong-min also joined in the discussion.

"...If you look through all of Hollywood history, Kang Woo-jin would be the only actor who went to the Emmy Awards dressed like that—hahaha."

"No! Oppa, are you actually laughing?!"

"Why? Just like Woojin, he looks like an alien, and it's fun! But me? I'm the one who really grabs attention."

"You're so attention-grabbing! I'm seriously going to curse you!"

The reactions from actors in Korea who knew Kang Woo-jin, including Hong Hye-yeon and Ryu Jeong-min, were similar. Even the renowned actor Han Ha-ho from Leech couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

"What kind of performance is that?"

Director Kwon Ki-taek and other high-profile producers were also shocked by Kang Woo-jin's bold red carpet look.

Japan was just as excited as Korea.

"H-hehehe??!! What's that?! Woojin-ssi... has become strange!"

Japanese actors, including top actresses Mifuyu Uramatsu and Kosaku Mana from The Stranger, and writer Akari Takikawa, were equally shocked by Woo-jin's behavior.

And then...

"Hehehe, right. As soon as you show up at the 'Emmy Awards,' you instantly become the center of attention."

Hideki, the chairman of Kashihi Group, one of Kang Woo-jin's main supporters, smiled with satisfaction.

What about the public?

The public in both Korea and Japan went wild as soon as Kang Woo-jin appeared live on the Emmy Awards broadcast. Media outlets were quick to react, spreading the news. It wasn't just in those two countries, though—France, where Cannes was held, and the United States also buzzed with shock and amusement.

"Has that Korean actor finally lost it??!"

The image of the "crazy" Kang Woo-jin spread quickly.

On one side of the world...

Kang Woo-jin had shocked the global public.

"······"

Kang Woo-jin stood with a face of complete indifference. He was positioned in front of the 'Microsoft Theater' on the red carpet, surrounded by thousands of reporters, broadcast teams, and onlookers.

"%(&%(#%&%(!!!" "@)@%@%(@((@!!" "&^@&$*$$@!!!"

The air was filled with screams and shouts.

- Pavababak!* - Pavabavabavabak!!*

Flashes from cameras went off nonstop. Thousands of cameras, along with at least dozens of broadcast cameras, surrounded him. The onlookers were dwarfed by the number of mobile phones recording the event.

Despite the chaos, Woojin maintained a poker face.

'Wow, this is insane. I feel a little nauseous...'

The situation before him was overwhelming, even surpassing the grandeur of the Cannes Film Festival. The Cannes red carpet had been magnificent, but the Emmy red carpet was so much more enormous, it felt suffocating. It was double the size. To be honest, Kang Woo-jin had experienced plenty of film festivals and award ceremonies before, so he had initially let his guard down.

'Wait... My feet won't move.'

It was at this moment that Woo-jin once again appreciated the sheer prestige of the 'Academy Awards.'

'If the Emmy Awards—already the most prestigious in broadcasting—are like this... How much more grand is the Academy Awards?'

His ears rang from the shouts of hundreds of reporters around him. He felt dizzy. The heat was stifling.

And then, it hit him.

'Ah.'

In his slight disorientation, Woo-jin suddenly realized something—he was acting like the Joker. He wasn't wearing makeup, but his appearance was unmistakably reminiscent of the iconic villain. It was part of his performance, the real teaser for Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain.

'I can't be weak.'

Woo-jin steadied his nerves, cranking up his performance. His body radiated the energy of the Joker as he brushed back his chin-length red hair. Since his hair was wet, it swayed with every movement.

At the same moment:

- Pavabavabak!!*

The surrounding crowd's screams intensified as the flashes from cameras grew more intense.

'I don't know... Let's just walk now.'

Kang Woo-jin, embodying the Joker, began to walk with one hand in his pocket. Thousands of cameras followed his every move, capturing the strange figure marching down the red carpet. Foreign reporters and broadcasting teams from all over the world were both shocked and in disbelief.

"What is he trying to do??" "A performance? But this is the Emmy Awards!" "Kang Woo-jin—I've heard rumors, but he really is crazy!?"

The chat rooms of the live broadcast, which was being streamed around the world, exploded like a nuclear bomb. Messages in countless languages flooded the screen.

-Kang Woo-jin? But why is he wearing such strange clothes? Why is his hair long and red??

-Is that really Kang Woo-jin? Even the socks are mismatched!

-Huh? That's strange. Was that actor always like this?

-Has he finally lost it??

-Are you serious? That's the Emmys! And you're wearing that outfit? What on earth were you doing with no one stopping you?!

-Clown? Doesn't the long hair and the costume give off a clown vibe?

-It's clear that Hollywood's expectations are so high, it's driving him insane!

-Sometimes, when you get too narcissistic, that's where it leads, especially in Hollywood.

-With that half-crazy hair, that outfit, and that cynical expression, he looks even more dangerous!

The chat was updating nonstop. At this point, Kang Woo-jin was thinking calmly while the world—including everyone at the 'Emmy Awards' red carpet—was in shock. He had crossed about a third of the red carpet.

'Is this okay?'

Something about the moment felt bland to him.

'Just looking at the reporters and the people around them going crazy, it's probably shocking enough. But doesn't it need more of the Joker impact?'

He tried not to overdo it, but he was determined to make a performance worthy of the Joker. If that was the case, he couldn't let it end like this. Woo-jin paused for a moment to think.

He suddenly stopped walking. Then, with a relaxed look, he reached into the inside pocket of his red jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes—the kind Joker would smoke daily. He placed one in his mouth.

The reporters around him went wild.

"!!!" "Hey, that crazy guy!" "A cigarette? Did he just light a cigarette?!"

It was a first for the Emmys. A first for any awards show in the United States. It was also a first for a nominated actor to walk the red carpet in a Joker costume with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

That's why the buzz was explosive.

"What is that actor doing? Has he really lost his mind?!"

Foreign reporters, broadcasting teams from around the world, and live broadcasting teams were all stunned but focused their cameras entirely on Kang Woo-jin. The spectacle was so explosive that even a top Hollywood actor appearing behind him hardly drew any attention.

Ouch.

With the cigarette still in his mouth, Woo-jin casually rubbed his head again, then moved toward the red carpet fence. He reached out to one of the reporters, who was still holding a camera.

"······?"

The reporter, stunned, absentmindedly handed over the camera. Woo-jin then began to take photos of the surroundings. It was hard to call it anything but a "clown" moment. He even turned the camera around to take pictures of himself, with the fence in the background and hundreds of reporters behind him.

He repeated this a few times.

At that moment—

- Bam!*

Amid the screams of the onlookers, a foreign woman suddenly threw her cell phone onto the red carpet. Woojin, who had been staring at the phone lying right in front of him, frowned and glanced at the woman who had tossed it.

"······"

Without a change in expression, Kang Woojin calmly kicked the phone back toward the crowd. Outwardly, he remained composed, but inside, he felt a flicker of nervousness.

'Ah shit, did they catch that just now? I don't know... I guess it'll work out somehow.'

Turning away, Kang Woojin resumed his walk. But 'Joker' wasn't just walking now—his steps had a rhythm, almost like a dance. His red jacket and vibrant hair fluttered with each movement, and the contrasting red and blue socks peeked out distinctly as he moved.

And the crowd noticed.

"Gyaaaah!!!"

"@()@)%(*%()!!"

The screams and roars grew louder, the noise reaching a deafening level.

'But is that the end?'

Kang Woojin's eyes caught sight of a photo zone ahead, surrounded by a sea of reporters. It was positioned in front of the main building of the Microsoft Theater, its backdrop adorned with the Emmy Awards logo. Numerous foreign hosts, both male and female, stood there holding microphones, while broadcasting cameras from various networks focused on him. The hosts, dressed in elegant tuxedos and glamorous dresses, eagerly waved him over.

'Come here. Right now please.'

With thousands of eyes fixated on him, Woojin confidently stepped into the photo zone, embodying the red-haired 'Joker' without a hint of hesitation. The male host was the first to greet him, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Wow! Kang Woojin! It's Kang Woojin, everyone! The hottest man in Hollywood right now! Mr. Woojin, do you want to tell us about today's outfit?"

The female host jumped in enthusiastically.

"It's so intense!!"

The male host continued, highlighting Woojin's dramatic entrance and his earlier performances, including the moment he lit up a cigarette. Cameras from live broadcasts and international media zoomed in, capturing every detail of Kang Woojin's presence.

When handed the microphone, Kang Woojin, still deep in character as the 'Joker,' responded in a quiet, leisurely tone.

"I showed you the 'terrible villain'... or simply, 'the villain.'"

"A villain? What do you mean by that?" the male host pressed.

With a sly smile, Woojin offered a cryptic explanation.

"It's a teaser. For Pierrot: Birth of a Villain, the start of the cinematic universe."

"Ah."

A murmur spread through the crowd of reporters. But Kang Woojin ignored the buzz. Instead, he fixed his gaze directly on the live broadcast camera, his voice laced with the chilling tone of the 'Joker.'

"This is the villain. Watch it... or don't."