novelburst
Chapter 469
Chapter 469
Chapter 469: Encroachment (5)
Translator: NovelBin
Miley Cara, one of the most popular figures in Hollywood, both as an actress and a singer, was reaching new heights in her career—almost a second golden age. It was no exaggeration to say that this resurgence started after she met Kang Woo-jin in Korea. Since then, many things had happened, each one becoming a significant topic in the media. One of those things was Cara's confession to Woo-jin. Of course, this was strictly confidential. But the media caught the scent of a possible romance and spread rumors, bringing it partially into the public eye.
Recently, she hadn’t had the chance to meet Woo-jin, nor could she even manage the usual casual contacts, as they were both too busy. While she found herself with a bit of downtime, Woo-jin had none at all. But truthfully, that wasn’t the only reason she held back. In reality, Cara wondered:
*How will he react?*
Ever since the rumors broke out, she had been waiting to see how Woo-jin would handle the situation. She decided not to make any statements, and even restrained herself from reaching out to him, just observing his reaction from a distance.
The problem was—
*Why isn’t he doing anything?!*
There was no response from Woo-jin. Though she knew he was incredibly busy, Cara couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t at least make a short statement for the press. She had, after all, confessed her feelings to him. For her, a response—either accepting her feelings or gently deflecting them—would have at least shown her where they stood. But, nothing came.
Waiting on edge, Cara felt increasingly uneasy. *Could he really not care that much? Is he not even thinking about it?* The fact that he kept charging through his schedule without batting an eye only made her feel more and more foolish. And as Woo-jin’s *Piero* premiered and he became an even bigger force in Hollywood, any expectations Cara held that he would respond eventually seemed increasingly silly.
So she convinced herself, *It’s fine. I’ll let it go.*
Suppressing her emotions, she kept up her composed and calm exterior. Yet, an inevitable twinge of disappointment lingered in her heart. By the time the *Beauty and the Beast* press event rolled around, Cara found herself seeing Woo-jin again after what felt like ages.
Seeing him in person triggered feelings of frustration that she hadn’t intended to show, and when she greeted him in the waiting room, her tone came off colder than she meant.
“It’s been a while. Good to see you’re still alive.”
“Yes, thankfully.”
“Right. Let’s talk after the event if you have time.”
“Sure.”
Their brief exchange was icy, and their surrounding staff sensed tension, assuming the rumored romance had put a wedge between them. But inside, Cara was scolding herself. *What are you doing, being all frosty?* This wasn’t how she wanted things to go, but her pride had flared up unexpectedly. She stole glances at Woo-jin throughout the event, her gaze brushing over his well-dressed figure.
*He’s acting as if nothing has changed.*
As usual, he was calm and collected, showing no signs of the turmoil that she was feeling inside. It was her who was caught up in emotions, and she was embarrassed by her own eagerness. She began to realize, yet again:
*I’ve fallen way too hard for Kang Woo-jin.*
The thought was both sobering and humbling. She couldn’t seem to move on, even with all the misunderstandings and distance between them. With the growing realization, she resolved herself.
*Starting today, I need to think of him less.*
Just as she was convincing herself, a journalist asked a pointed question about her relationship with Woo-jin during the press Q&A. Snapped back to the moment, Cara’s heart thudded, her face nearly betraying her frustration. *Why does this guy keep bringing it up? Just let it go!*
Feeling irritated, she braced herself, expecting Woo-jin to brush off the rumor. But then—
"No, we are dating."
Stunned, Cara almost sighed, about to brush it off herself. *Of course, we’re not really… Wait, what did he just say?*
She looked up in shock, her blue eyes wide. Had he really just said they were dating? She searched Woo-jin’s face for any sign that she had misheard, but he was looking straight at her, his expression as steady as ever.
The room fell silent for a moment.
The director, Bill Roettner, and the other cast members looked at Woo-jin in surprise, their faces mirroring the shock that Cara felt. Finally, one of the journalists blinked and asked, "Pardon? Mr. Woo-jin, could you repeat that?"
Woo-jin’s face remained composed as he repeated, "We are dating."
The silence shattered as the room erupted into chaos. Journalists who had been dumbfounded seconds before now shouted questions at the top of their lungs, and the camera flashes became blinding. Yet Woo-jin’s gaze never wavered from Cara’s, his calm face hiding the wild excitement within.
*I said it! Finally!* He thought. *What now? I’ll just go with the lines I prepared and play it cool!*
For a moment, Cara’s thoughts were just as scattered. She couldn’t believe what she’d heard. But hearing Woo-jin say they were together brought her a sense of relief, along with a thrill she hadn’t felt in years. Surrounded by flashing cameras, Woo-jin leaned in and whispered softly.
“Sorry for the delayed response.”
Stifling her emotion, Cara responded, “You really are something... Thank you.”
This close-up of Woo-jin and Cara, gazing into each other’s eyes, was perfectly captured by dozens of cameras, creating an instant media sensation.
The *Beauty and the Beast* press event, meant to introduce the cast and characters, had turned into a whirlwind of media frenzy, dominated by Woo-jin and Cara’s relationship confirmation. Director Roettner let out a laugh and commented, “Well, it looks like our Beast and Belle are a real-life couple too!”
As other actors whispered their congratulations, Disney staff moved swiftly but appeared far from upset. After all, Woo-jin had given them a heads-up. He hadn’t ignored Cara’s confession; he had simply waited for the right moment, which was today. Disney, recognizing the potential publicity boon, was entirely on board and had even offered their congratulations beforehand. This was the Hollywood way, after all.
Everything had gone exactly as Woo-jin planned. Now, looking at Cara, he tried to maintain his calm façade but inwardly celebrated. *Success! Nailed it!*
The realization struck him: *Wait, is Miley Cara really my girlfriend?* The thought seemed almost surreal. Her smiling face in front of him was proof enough, and he was momentarily struck by memories of his past.
*Just a while ago, I was working long hours at a design firm. Now, I’m dating Miley Cara…*
Imagining the reactions of his family and friends, especially his childhood buddies, made him want to laugh. But as he was lost in thought, Cara leaned in, filling the air around him with a soft fragrance.
“You really know how to make things memorable,” she teased.
“You don’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
The journalists quickly turned to Cara, shouting, "Ms. Miley! Are you really dating?"
Cara turned to the crowd and, with her first real smile of the day, replied, “Yes, we’re seeing each other. I hope you all wish us well.”
The room exploded with excitement, and with the event spiraling out of control, the team decided to wrap things up quickly. As Woo-jin and Cara exited the stage, holding hands, the moment was caught by every camera in the room, fueling the whirlwind of gossip.
As they walked off the stage and onto the backstage hallway, Cara looked up at Woo-jin, laughing softly. “Didn’t expect me to hold your hand, huh?”
Woo-jin, caught off guard, replied with a calm expression, though his heart was racing. “A little surprised.”
“Oh, come on. I bet you were popular even before you started acting,” she teased.
“Not particularly.”
Maria Armas, their co-star, chimed in with a grin, “Yeah, right. A face like that and not popular? That’s hard to believe.”
Cara scowled playfully at Maria. “Back off. He’s mine now.”
Watching them, Director Roettner chuckled, placing a hand on Woo-jin’s shoulder. “You've gotten so much out of *Beauty and the Beast*. Now, all that’s left is for your fans to adore you as the Beast.”
With the event officially over, Woo-jin and Cara had to part ways for their respective schedules. Before they did, Woo-jin wracked his brain, trying to figure out how to say goodbye. But Cara simply smiled and said, “I’ll call you.”
It was refreshingly simple.
An hour later, as Woo-jin got into his van with his team, he was met with claps, cheers, and congratulations. His manager, Choi Sung-geon, grinned as he handed Woo-jin a tablet.
“Look at this—Hollywood’s in a frenzy over the ‘Couple of the Century’ already. They’re head over heels.”
The international press was already flooded with news about Woo-jin and Cara’s relationship, a story that had instantly captivated the world.