Episode 469: Encroachment (5)



Miley Cara. She is the most successful actress and singer in Hollywood. But her high point was not the end. It is no exaggeration to say that Miley Cara has recently enjoyed a second heyday, and it all started after she met Kang Woo-jin in Korea.

A lot has happened since then.

Everything became a huge issue, but one of the biggest was Cara confessing to Kang Woo-jin. Of course, this was kept secret from the public. Still, the media, sensing something, broke the dating rumor, bringing it to the surface. Recently, Miley Cara, who had been seeing Kang Woo-jin, hadn't been able to contact him often.

First of all, they were both too busy.

Well, Cara had some leeway, but Kang Woo-jin didn't have any. But that could have been an excuse. In reality, Cara was thinking:

'How will he react?'

She was curious about how Kang Woo-jin would respond to the sudden dating rumors. That's why she didn't make any statements and refrained from contacting Woo-jin, choosing instead to observe his actions.

The problem was—

'Why! Why isn't he doing anything?!'

There was no reaction from Kang Woo-jin. They understood that he was incredibly busy, but Cara thought he would at least release a brief statement to the press.

Miley Cara, who had already confessed, was honestly a little nervous. Right? She could have done anything—whether it was rejecting him or giving him some leeway. Since Cara confessed first, she thought Kang Woo-jin would give her a formulaic answer.

But there was no such thing.

Kang Woo-jin, who was busy, remained busy with his schedule. Naturally, the dating rumors didn't die down and only continued to grow, but Miley Cara missed the timing to contact Woo-jin.

'Ha—damn it!'

If she had done it right after the dating rumors broke out, it would have been different, but since they just kept their distance and observed, it became ambiguous for Cara to contact him first.

'If I contact him first and ask something, won't I seem really clingy?'

She told herself that it would be fine to cling a little since she was the one who confessed first, but she worried that if she kept nagging, she would seem desperate, and Kang Woo-jin might not like it. Plus, the thought of both of them pestering each other for an answer while being so busy wasn't a great look.

'Ha—seriously, I've never dealt with anything like this before! This is a total first for me!'

Until now, when men rushed at her, she either brushed them off or entertained them, but this was the first time Miley Cara herself was waiting anxiously. She had no experience with this, so she felt completely lost. In the meantime, Kang Woo-jin's Pierrot was released, and his influence in Hollywood grew several times stronger.

At that point, asking for an answer seemed foolish.

'Let's endure it. What's the big deal? Just endure it.'

Cara, who had calmed herself down, pretended to be relaxed while hiding her feelings. However, the resentment that had settled deep in her heart inevitably grew. By the time that resentment had reached a certain level, Cara met Kang Woo-jin again today at an event related to ' Beast and the Beauty'.

It had been a long time since she had seen him.

Cara tried to greet Kang Woo-jin warmly, but for some reason, when she saw him in the waiting room, her tone turned cold.

"It's been a while. You're still alive."

"Yes, fortunately."

"Okay. Let's talk after the event if you have time."

"Yes, sure."

The conversation was short and cold. Because of this, the staff around them thought the two actors had fought. 'Why? Oh, because of the dating rumors? So, they're distancing themselves from each other? 'However, Miley Cara's feelings were a little different.

'You idiot! Why on earth did you do that?! Why did you treat him so coldly?! Did I let my pride get in the way without realizing it?!'

Miley Cara scolded herself for pretending to be relaxed and not expressing her true feelings. However, Kang Woo-jin remained indifferent, showing no real reaction.' What on earth is with this guy?' Because of this, Cara was in a bad mood throughout the event, and she kept sneaking glances at Kang Woo-jin, who appeared as flashy as ever.

'...He's the same as always.'

Kang Woo-jin, who was sitting right next to her, had the same quiet tension that he always carried. Cara felt bitter knowing that she was the only one feeling restless. And once again, she admitted to herself:

'Whew... I guess I fell too hard for Kang Woo-jin.'

They had already crossed the point of no return. Even though she was being treated like an afterthought, even though the temperature difference between them was so stark, Cara couldn't easily let go of Woo-jin.

'But... from today onwards, I need to think about him less.'

At that moment, Cara made a promise to herself.

"...The atmosphere has already shifted to a misunderstanding between colleagues, but the public still wants a definitive answer! Isn't that right?"

A reporter attending the event asked Kang Woo-jin a sensitive question. Cara, who had been lost in thought, suddenly snapped back to reality.

'What the hell is that crazy reporter saying now?! Stop making things worse!'

She had barely managed to calm down, but now this reporter was fanning the flames again.

'Kang Woo-jin, who is straightforward about everything, will definitely answer bluntly! And then I'll be upset all over again!'

Just as Cara furrowed her brows—

Kang Woo-jin, with a blank face, turned his head. Looking directly at Cara. Miley Cara, startled, tried to hide her excitement. Their eyes met briefly. Cara thought Kang Woo-jin had just said something with his gaze.

'He must be annoyed. He'll probably just say something neutral or deny the rumors outright.'

That's what Cara expected.

There were over 200 reporters here, along with the 'Beast and the Beauty' team. There was no reason to put weight on such a question.

Still, for some reason, she sighed.

'Well... I guess I should just accept reality.'

Cara resigned herself to the inevitable.

At the same time, Kang Woo-jin's low, calm voice echoed through the microphone.

"No, we are dating."

Miley Cara sighed again, as if she had been waiting for those words, then smiled bitterly.

'That's right. We're not together. We're just dating... wait, huh?'

Then, Miley Cara's blue eyes widened. She quickly raised her head from where it had been lowered. Her expression was filled with disbelief.

'Did he just say we're dating? Did Kang Woo-jin really just say that? No, no—did I mishear him?'

Kang Woo-jin slowly met Cara's gaze as her blue eyes wavered. His poker face remained unchanged, but Woo-jin did not look away.

The hall, which was filled with over 200 reporters, fell silent for a moment.

"······"

"······"

All the actors of 'Beast and the Beauty', including director Bill Lautner and Maria Armas, turned their eyes toward Kang Woo-jin. Their expressions were filled with shock. Then, the reporter, who barely managed to regain his senses, blinked and asked again.

"Huh?? Mr. Woo-jin, what did you just say?"

Kang Woo-jin, whose gaze remained fixed on the dumbfounded blonde Cara, answered again indifferently.

"We are dating."

And that's when it happened.

"······Whaaaat?!!"

"Huh? Huh??! Ah!!!"

"Did Kang Woo-jin just say they're dating?!"

"Oh, oh, oh! I almost lost my mind!!"

"Mr. Woo-jin!! Mr. Kang Woo-jin!! Since when have you two been together?!!"

The over 200 reporters gathered in the hall snapped out of their daze. Suddenly, they erupted into screams and shouts, their cameras flashing wildly as they took frantic pictures of Kang Woo-jin and the blonde Cara sitting together on stage.

—Pavabavabavabak!!*

Blinding flashes exploded in bursts. However, despite the chaos, the eye contact between Kang Woo-jin and Miley Cara remained unbroken.

Woo-jin maintained a calm expression outwardly, as if it was all part of his plan—but inside, he was on the verge of losing it.

'I did it!! Oh my god, I did it!! This is insane! What do I do now?! What should I do?! I don't know! I'll just stick to the prepared comment and wait!!'

Miley Cara, on the other hand, was just as shaken inside as she was outside.

"······"

Complete shock.

Kang Woo-jin's answer, delivered so abruptly and without any warning, threw Cara's mind into turmoil. The endless screams and flashes from the reporters only made it worse.

Meanwhile, Kang Woo-jin—his poker face unwavering—seemed completely unfazed.

Cara, still sitting beside him with her wide blue eyes, leaned in and whispered softly into his ear.

"Sorry for the late reply."

Then, after a moment of recovery, Miley Cara finally smiled.

"You're such a weirdo... and thank you."

The intimate exchange between them was captured on camera by countless reporters.

Backstage–

Following Kang Woo-jin's shocking declaration, the 'Beast and the Beauty' event hall had turned into pure chaos. Reporters continued to shout, and camera flashes fired endlessly.

But director Bill Lautner remained completely unfazed, smiling as if he had expected this all along.

"Haha, so does this mean that 'Beast' and 'Belle' will be dating in real life too?"

Meanwhile, Maria Armas, who had been the first to suspect something between Woo-jin and Cara, smirked to herself.

'I knew it!'

The actors sent their congratulations to Kang Woo-jin and Cara. The staff at World Disney Pictures were busy, but they didn't seem flustered.

The reason was simple.

Because Kang Woo-jin had already laid the groundwork with World Disney Pictures. In fact, he hadn't ignored Cara's confession—he had simply been waiting for the right moment. And that moment was today. Of course, he had informed Disney beforehand, and if they had rejected the idea, he had been prepared to set up another day.

However, World Disney Pictures had given their approval without hesitation.

They even said this would put 'Beast and the Beauty' on an even more favorable track.

They had even congratulated him.

'Is Hollywood just built differently?'

Whatever the case, Kang Woo-jin had officially admitted to dating Cara, just as he had planned. And, as always, he had done it with his signature no-fucks-given attitude.

The result? A massive success.

So, as Kang Woo-jin locked eyes with Cara, he maintained his usual calm exterior, but inside, he was celebrating.

'Success! But wow, I'm seriously exhausted?!'

Then, a strange thought hit him.

'...Wait. So this Miley Cara in front of me is really my girlfriend??'

The whole thing felt surreal. But when he saw Miley Cara smiling at him, it finally started to sink in. For a brief moment, Kang Woo-jin's past life flashed through his mind.

'Holy crap. I used to work overtime at a design company... and now I'm dating Miley Cara.'

The faces of his family and friends popped into his head. He didn't even have to imagine their reactions.

'You're dating Miley Cara?!?'

He already knew they'd lose their minds.

Just then, Cara, sitting beside him, leaned in close, her voice a soft whisper in his ear. A faint, sweet scent drifted toward him.

"You really—nothing ever goes by quietly with you, does it?"

"So, do you hate it?"

"No. Not at all."

At this point, the reporters, who had been chattering nonstop, switched their focus. This time, they turned to Miley Cara.

"Miley!! Are you two really dating?!!"

Cara, her blonde hair styled into a single braid, flashed a radiant smile at the reporters. It was the first genuine smile she had shown all day.

"I'll see you soon. Please be kind to me."

That was all it took.

The press exploded. The event hall became so chaotic that it was nearly impossible to maintain order. As a result, the 'Beast and the Beauty' event had to be wrapped up earlier than expected.

Soon, the entire cast, including Kang Woo-jin and Miley Cara, exited the stage.

And then—"There! Over there!!"

"Ohhhh!!"

Some reporters, still frantically snapping pictures, suddenly pointed at Woo-jin and Cara.

They had just spotted a golden moment.

"Hands! Hold hands as you leave!!"

Naturally, Kang Woo-jin and Cara complied, intertwining their fingers as they walked offstage together.

—Pavabavabak!*

Over 200 reporters captured the scene in rapid succession.

As the 'Beast and the Beauty' team, including Woo-jin, exited through the hallway, Cara—still holding Woo-jin's hand—leaned in and quietly murmured to him.

"Surprised? You suddenly grabbed my hand."

Oh, absolutely. Kang Woo-jin's heart had nearly exploded. Internally, he was screaming. But with so many eyes watching, he maintained his usual indifferent expression. Still, he let a little bit of honesty slip through.

"Yeah, I was surprised."

"Liar. Be honest—you were popular even before you became an actor, weren't you?"

"Not really."

At that moment, Maria Armas joined the conversation, her curiosity piqued.

"What? You don't exactly look humble. With that face, there's no way you weren't popular."

Miley Cara immediately frowned, her tone turning sharp.

"Don't bother me. And don't even think about bothering Woo-jin."

"Yes, yes—got it."

Director Bill Lautner, who had been observing the scene with amusement, patted Woo-jin on the shoulder and whispered.

"You've gained a lot from 'Beast and the Beauty'. Now, all that's left is for you to receive the love and recognition of the fans—as the Beast. I'd better hurry up with the editing."

With that, the director walked off, and one by one, the actors also dispersed.

Kang Woo-jin and Miley Cara had to part ways. Their schedules were packed. Woo-jin, completely inexperienced in situations like this, kept a straight face, but inside, he was panicking.

'What do I even say here? Should I text her? No, wait—that's just a standard Korean farewell!'

Luckily, Miley Cara spoke first.

"I'll call you."

Simple. Direct.

And then, about an hour later—

Kang Woo-jin, having wrapped up a discussion with World Disney Pictures, got into his van. The moment he stepped inside—

"Yoohoo!!"

"Okay~~~~~!!"

"He's a man! He's a real man!!!"

His team erupted in cheers, congratulating him with exaggerated enthusiasm. Choi Sung-geon, who had already been briefed on everything in advance, clapped Woo-jin on the back before handing him a tablet.

"As expected—Hollywood is turning pink. Just look at how much they're talking about it."

The foreign press had gone absolutely wild over the couple of the century.