Episode 448 Villain (5)

A heavy silence filled the Columbia Studios conference room. Though the room was packed, no one spoke.

Because the bald executive had just asked:

"Are you going to give up Kang Woo-jin's Joker?"

They had seen it. They had felt it. And now—They couldn't unsee it.

'No way. I don't care about anything else, but we can't lose Kang Woo-jin.'

'Who else could possibly do better? Replacing him? Impossible.'

Had they never witnessed his Joker, maybe they wouldn't know.

But they had. And now—They were hooked. A version of the Joker so raw, so terrifyingly real—That if Woo-jin was gone, No matter who stepped in, it would be nothing more than an imitation.

The bald executive took it all in. The tension. The realization settled into their bones.

'Good. It's working.'

A faint smile curled at the edge of his lips. Then, he delivered the final blow.

"You're all so afraid of failure." His voice was calm—piercing.

"But why aren't you afraid of this failure?" He let the question linger.

"The failure of losing Kang Woo-jin." The room grew colder.

"If he walks away from the sequel—" The bald executive's tone dropped lower.

"That is an irreparable failure." The silence that followed— Was absolute.

"······"

"I don't know about other films, but how many 'Jokers' do you think we'll see in the future?"

The bald executive's voice was calm but firm.

"Kang Woo-jin's 'Joker' will be fiercely loved. That's a fact. And as you all know—"

He paused, letting his words settle.

"When an audience loves a character, there's always backlash when the actor changes. But when a villain is loved? That's a different kind of power. A villain can carry an entire franchise."

Silence. Because they knew he was right.

Villains weren't just hated—they were feared, respected, and immortalized. If an actor was exceptional, the audience wouldn't just despise the character—

They would be obsessed.

"Let's trust our 'Joker.'" The bald executive continued.

"Yes, it's a risk. A big one. But we've already thrown the dice for this 'cinematic universe.' If we get scared now, we'll be staring at the trees while missing the forest."

Then—One voice finally spoke up. "Yeah... I think so too."

Another followed.

"Honestly, I don't see 'Perriot: Birth of a Villain' flopping at the Academy Awards."

"There's no way the Academy wouldn't recognize that performance."

"The bigger the risk, the greater the reward."

The momentum was shifting.

The bald executive nodded, sensing the tide turning. It was time to push.

"Kang Woo-jin has been in the conversation since Cannes. From the Emmy Awards to Hollywood's biggest names—his influence is already bigger than we could have predicted. And it's still growing."

He exhaled, then leaned forward.

"If we push the momentum now, it won't just catch fire—"

He let the weight of his words sink in.

"It will explode."

A pause. Then— "If Kang Woo-jin wins at Cannes, the Emmys, and the Academy Awards—"

Even he felt goosebumps as he said it.

"Can you imagine what happens next?" His gaze swept across the room.

"It won't just be about 'Perriot: Birth of a Villain.'"

A beat.

"It'll be about the birth of the world's greatest actor."

Silence.

Then, a murmur.

A spark.

A realization.

The world wouldn't just watch Woo-jin's Joker. They would cry out for it.

And no one in this room could afford to look away.

Two Days Later – The 20th. Late Morning.

Inside Columbia Studios, the set for Perriot: Birth of a Villain was alive with movement.

Today's schedule was tight—half a day on set, half a day outdoors. No room for delays.

"Actors, standby!"

"I'll pass it on right away!"

A hundred staff members moved in sync, a perfect Hollywood machine.

Near the monitors, watching it all unfold, stood Nora Foster. Arms crossed, observing.

"······"

Her sharp gaze took in every detail. Then—

-♬♪

Her phone rang. She glanced at the screen.

Columbia Studios.

She exhaled, stepping away before answering.

"Yes, it's me."

A man's voice came through.

"Nora."

She recognized it instantly. The bald executive. Her breath caught slightly.

And then—Her eyes widened.

"Wait... really?"

The conversation continued for a few beats. Then, slowly, she lowered her phone.

But her expression remained stunned.

A few seconds passed. Then a dozen more. Her mind raced.

'What the hell just happened?' Then, without hesitation— She turned.

Striding across the set. Fast. Determined.

Her eyes locked onto someone in the crowd—Director Ahn Ga-bok.

And then—She grabbed his arm.

"Director."

Ahn Ga-bok turned around, surprised by the urgent voice.

"Nora? What's going on?"

Nora took a breath, trying to steady her voice.

"It happened."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I didn't think this would be real."

A beat of silence. Director Ahn Ga-bok's eyes sharpened.

"······No way."

Nora nodded, a slow smile breaking through her initial shock.

"Yes. Columbia Studios just called. They're moving forward with your proposal."

Ahn Ga-bok stared at her, processing the words. Then, without making it obvious— He clenched his fist. A quiet victory. Nora, unaware of his small gesture, continued, her excitement building.

"They even said they'd spare no expense. Additional funding, full studio support—whatever we need. Their only request?"

Director Ahn Ga-bok raised a brow. "Just focus on filming. They'll handle the rest."

For the first time in a while, the director let out a wrinkled smile.

"···It's going to be busy." He exhaled, nodding to himself.

"But it'll be a passionate kind of busy."

Ahn Ga-bok wasted no time.

Before producer Nora made the official announcement, he gathered the key staff.

Clearing his throat, he faced the group.

"Listen up."

Silence fell.

"First off, our film—Perriot: Birth of a Villain—is officially challenging for the Academy Awards."

A wave of murmurs. A few gasps.

"Oh!"

"Wait... really?"

But before the excitement could fully take over, he dropped the real bombshell.

"Not for the year after next."

A pause.

"We're challenging this year's Academy Awards."

The reaction was immediate.

"······Huh?"

"What?"

Faces shifted—first from excitement, then to shock. Every veteran in the room knew exactly what that meant.

The Academy Awards were in April next year. That meant— They had barely any time.

At first, some thought he was joking. But Director Ahn Ga-bok's serious expression crushed that thought immediately.

Then, he laid it all out. His entire proposal to Columbia Studios. The strategy behind it. The timeline. The insane conditions they had to meet.

The room fell dead silent. Half of them were fired up. The other half? Still stunned.

One person finally spoke up, voicing what they were all thinking.

"Director... is that even possible?"

Ahn Ga-bok met their gaze. His voice is calm. Certain.

"It will be.--"

"I can do it."

Director Ahn Ga-bok's voice was steady.

"I already saw the potential in Leech—but I'll need all of you."

Slowly, he laid out his reasoning. The why behind this ambitious push. The ripple effect if they pulled it off. The initial shock faded. One by one, the crew's expressions shifted.

From doubt. To determination.

"Yeah, hell—why not give it a shot?"

"Come on, this is the Academy Awards we're talking about. If we want to win, we better be ready to suffer for it!"

"Hah! So you're telling me the 'Joker' who just walked the Emmys red carpet is gunning for the Oscars next?"

"First, we need a nomination."

"If it's this Joker? I think we'll get it."

The room buzzed with energy. Ahn Ga-bok glanced at Nora. She met his gaze and gave a firm nod. This wasn't just his battle anymore. The real work started now.

The set was a storm of motion.

Crew members rushed to adjust lighting, prep equipment, and tweak final set pieces.

Then, the actors arrived. Among them, one stood out.

Kang Woo-jin.

Dressed as Henry Gordon. Unfazed. Indifferent. Nora watched him carefully. A slow smile spread across her lips.

'Who would've thought?'

That Columbia Studios—a titan in the industry—would gamble everything on his 'Joker'?

No, this wasn't a gamble. This was all-in. With the Academy Award campaign confirmed, everything shifted into high gear.

The filming schedule tightened. Deadlines moved up. Every single day saved was an advantage. But none of this was possible without them.

The crew. The actors. And above all—Kang Woo-jin.

Chris, one of Woo-jin's closest co-stars, clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Woo-jin! You're finally gonna win an Academy Award, huh?"

He smirked.

"Damn, if that happens, I better get something out of it too!"

The other actors laughed and joined in. Yet—beneath the excitement—one rule was set in stone.

Top secret. Until the very last moment, the plan would stay under wraps. Even a single leak could ruin everything.

On the surface, Woo-jin looked calm. But inside? He was on edge. He had been through this before. Expectation was dangerous.

Best to keep his head down and focus. Still—he couldn't deny it.

The Academy Awards were only a few months away. A tight deadline. A high-stakes gamble. And yet—he had never felt more ready. Tomorrow, Beast and the Beauty will start filming.

For now? He had a Joker to perfect.

Days blurred into nights. One day passed. Then another.

Pierrot: Birth of a Villain surged forward, fueled by an unstoppable energy.

Minutes, hours, days—all lost in the whirlwind of passion. And yet—Hollywood wasn't standing still. As Pierrot neared its climax, another production geared up for its grand beginning.

Headlines flooded in.

[CNM – Controversial and hotly anticipated: The live-action 'Beast and the Beauty ' set to begin filming September 1st!]

[LA TIME – One week to go! How will Kang Woo-jin, Miley, and Cara bring the fairy tale to life?]

With Hollywood buzzing, production was reaching its final prep stage. And yet—on the other side of the world, another storm was brewing.

In Korea, a legendary drama was making a comeback.

[[Issue Talk] – The Miracle of Six Emmy Wins! 'Beneficial Evil' Part 2 confirmed for September 19th release!]

[Global Media – Can Kang Woo-jin, the Emmy-winning Best Actor, mesmerize audiences once more?]

Netflix went all in. Trailers flooded every platform. Woo-jin's SNS exploded. Even his side-character channel saw a promotional boost.

The hype? Unreal. And all of it was packed into one month.

Time Flies at the Speed of Stardom. Lying in bed at dawn, Woo-jin blinked at his phone.

A groggy thought crossed his mind.

'Wait—September already? The year's almost over.'

Time was slipping away. And it hit him hardest in moments like this.

The screen glowed back at him.

September 1st | 5:11 AM

The first morning of a relentless new chapter.

The countdown has begun.