novelburst
Chapter 461
Chapter 461
Chapter 461: Prologue (4)
Translator: NovelBin
Kang Woo-jin screamed inwardly, barely managing to keep a calm expression. If his stylist and team members had been in the same car, they’d have caused a commotion. Fortunately, they were in a following vehicle, leaving him alone to contain his reaction.
‘Are you kidding me?!’
He turned to look out the window, taking a momentary mental escape. The weather was nice. After a brief respite, Woo-jin slowly turned back to look at Choi Sung-geon’s phone, hoping he’d seen wrong.
But there it was.
"CNM: Miley Cara Exits Kang Woo-jin’s House—The Two Are in Love [PHOTO]"
The article was boldly displayed. Woo-jin’s inner scream grew louder.
“Hmm.”
Feigning nonchalance, Woo-jin calmly took Choi Sung-geon’s phone. Then, without a word, he began to scroll through the shocking headline and article.
The article was short but straight to the point: it claimed Kang Woo-jin and Miley Cara were in love. Accompanying the text were two photos—one showing Miley Cara leaving Woo-jin’s house in LA late at night, and another capturing a close conversation between them in front of his house.
The photos were clearly taken without their knowledge, unfiltered and raw. Though Woo-jin managed to keep a straight face, he was boiling inside.
‘What the hell is this?! In love?! Not even a question mark, just a flat-out statement?!’
He remembered reading rumors in Korea that usually phrased it as “possibly in love” or “pink romance sparks.” But this article outright declared it as fact. Hollywood, he realized, had a different way of reporting—bold, no question marks, just exclamations.
Hollywood was as “no filter” as he was.
Though it was Woo-jin’s first experience with this kind of Hollywood rumor, he knew that it was common for the media there to make declarative statements without confirmation. Often, they’d follow celebrities, gathering evidence for days, but sometimes, like now, they’d simply run with speculation.
‘Who the hell is this journalist?!’
Woo-jin’s chaotic thoughts were turning into frustration. After all, it was a major story—Kang Woo-jin, the rising sensation shaking up Hollywood, paired with Miley Cara, a global superstar.
‘How should I handle this? What kind of approach should I take?’
Woo-jin had gained immense fame since his debut in both Korea and Hollywood, but he had managed to avoid scandals. This rumor breaking out in Hollywood, not Korea, threw him off.
After a moment, he quietly returned the phone to Choi Sung-geon. Choi, catching the peculiar look on Woo-jin’s face, realized which past event was connected to the photos in the article.
“That was the night you and Miley Cara had dinner together, right?”
Woo-jin’s expression barely shifted as he nodded.
“...Yes, that’s correct.”
“Ah, I knew paparazzi were following, but I didn’t think they’d follow all the way to your house. Damn it! I let my guard down because it was late. That’s my bad.”
“No, I didn’t notice it either.”
“Look at what these damn reporters wrote, beating their own drum.”
Choi Sung-geon clicked his tongue, trying to read Woo-jin’s expression. But Woo-jin’s face was impenetrable, his expression unreadable.
‘Hmm... Though to be honest, there’s something between the two of them. It’s not a complete lie, right?’
As the CEO of BW Entertainment, Choi needed to understand Woo-jin’s feelings to handle the situation properly.
“So, Woo-jin. I’m asking just for clarification—what exactly is going on between you and Miley Cara?”
This wasn’t suspicion, just a practical question. Woo-jin felt a twinge. “Love” was an exaggeration, but he couldn’t deny Miley had openly confessed her feelings to him. Although they hadn’t defined their relationship, they weren’t just colleagues anymore.
Sighing, Choi Sung-geon changed the topic.
“Let’s focus on addressing this rumor first. We’ll clarify the situation and issue a correction.”
“...No.”
Woo-jin shook his head firmly.
“Just leave the article as it is.”
Choi Sung-geon blinked in surprise.
“Leave it as it is?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
Because, to put it simply, Woo-jin didn’t feel like denying it. If they issued a correction, it would clearly state that the article was a misunderstanding and that they weren’t in a relationship. But for some reason, Woo-jin didn’t want that message going out.
“Let’s just keep quiet for now.”
“You sure? Whether it’s Hollywood or Korea, if we don’t respond, it’ll look like we’re confirming the story.”
Woo-jin understood the implications. But outright denying it felt wrong. Even if they weren’t in love, the mood between him and Miley wasn’t bad.
‘If I come out and deny it now, it’s like I’m rejecting her, isn’t it?’
Rejecting her in public didn’t sit right with him. While the practical response would be to deny it and talk to Miley, Woo-jin decided to go with his gut.
“Let’s not feed the media or public any more information. For now, we’ll remain silent.”
“...Understood.”
Choi Sung-geon squinted, a slight smile forming as he thought to himself.
‘There’s definitely something between them. Maybe the article isn’t too far off.’
Meanwhile, at Universal Movies, in a large script-reading room, producers and actors had gathered around a long, square table. Among the crowd was Joseph Felton, the producer of *John Persona*, scrolling through the very same article about Woo-jin and Miley on his phone.
“This can’t be real, can it?” someone muttered.
“With photos like these, it must be true,” another replied.
“Hah. So Miley Cara left Kang Woo-jin’s house late at night…”
“But it’s risky to conclude anything from just two photos, right? The media does overreact sometimes.”
“I agree. Some outlets just go straight to declaring things.”
“But they do look close in these photos. And to come out of his house so late at night…”
The buzz in the room grew as actors and key staff discussed the news about Woo-jin and Miley Cara. Since Woo-jin would be starring in *John Persona*, everyone was keenly interested.
Felton’s faint smile turned broader as he thought back. He had noticed a strange chemistry between the two, from Miley’s appearances on Woo-jin’s YouTube channel to her surprise collaboration with him on her album and their joint presence at the Cannes Film Festival. To him, it wasn’t just friendship.
‘Whether the article is true or not, there’s definitely a vibe between them. They make a good pair. I should give them my blessing.’
Then, an elderly man with round glasses approached Felton—Danny Landis, the legendary director of *John Persona*.
“What do you think of this article?” Landis asked, grinning.
“It’s hard to say, but they certainly look good together,” Felton replied, shrugging.
Landis chuckled. “Woo-jin’s already got plenty of attention, but this story will amplify it even more. I’ve never seen an actor with this much buzz.”
Surveying the buzzing room, Landis turned to Felton.
“Seems like we need to settle everyone down a bit.”
Felton agreed and stood, addressing the group. “I understand this is exciting, but let’s stay focused. And once Kang Woo-jin arrives, let’s avoid mentioning the article at all.”
Felton’s instructions were clear—no talk of the romance rumors. After all, they couldn’t risk putting Woo-jin in an awkward position.
Roughly twenty minutes later, Woo-jin arrived at the *John Persona* reading room, dressed in a brown jacket. He greeted the crowd indifferently, while secretly observing everyone’s reactions.
‘Hmm. They all seem to be acting, as if they’re hiding something. They’ve definitely seen the article, no doubt about it. They’re holding back, aren’t they?’
Everyone looked like they were itching to talk but were biting their tongues.
In the midst of this, Director Danny Landis began the session.
“Shall we start with the cast introductions? Woo-jin, you first.”
“Hello. I’m Kang Woo-jin, playing John Owen.”
And with that, the script reading for *John Persona* began.
---
Elsewhere, in a large agency meeting room in LA, raised voices echoed through the space. Several individuals were seated, including Miley Cara, who was looking at the same article on her tablet, and her manager, a man with a buzz cut.
“We need to issue a statement denying this nonsense immediately! Miley, call Woo-jin!” he ordered.
Others in the room looked equally outraged. But Miley simply smiled and shook her head.
“Jonathan, don’t do anything.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Just leave it alone.”
“Are you serious?”
“It’s true that I like him.”
“Yeah, we know you like him, but—wait, what?”
It was a shock.
“I already confessed to him,” Miley added calmly.
---
Meanwhile, across the world in Tokyo, Japan.
It was early morning, and a large concert hall was bustling with members of a Korean girl group preparing for their concert. Among them was Hwa-rin, who was casually dressed in a loose black hoodie. As she glanced at her phone, her iced Americano slipped from her hand, spilling across the floor.
“Hwa-rin, are you okay?! Are you sick?!”
The group members and staff rushed to her side. Hwa-r
in’s wide eyes were glued to her phone as she stared at the article.
“This… this has to be a dream…”
But it wasn’t a dream. News of Kang Woo-jin’s rumored romance was already spreading like wildfire in Korea and Japan.