Bab 314: Musim Gugur (15)
Pernah nggak sih kamu berhasil menyelamatkan sesuatu tanpa sengaja? Begitulah Kang Woojin menyadarinya — hampir tidak sengaja, memperhatikan wanita yang agak gemuk itu ternyata sedang memegang pisau.
Woojin, yang sedang berdiri dekat pintu masuk kubah studio besar, baru saja mengenakan pakaian tuxedo-nya. Sekitarnya ada campuran tim stilisnya sendiri dan staf asing.
Mereka berkumpul untuk memberi rambut dan rias.
Hingga saat itu, Kang Woojin belum terlalu memikirkan hal itu. Dia hanya tersenyum lega sambil diam-diam teruja di dalam.
‘Wow—berapa banyak orang yang berkumpul hanya untuk riasku?? Kalau seseorang melihat ini, pasti akan mengira aku bintang Hollywood.’
Tim stilisan Woojin saja ada 5 orang, sementara tim asingnya ada 7. Tak lama kemudian, setelah rias Woojin selesai dan dia sedang menyesuaikan tuxedo-nya, Cara—yang sedang berlatih koreografi bersama penari pendukung—memasuki tengah kubah studio. Saat itu, tim rias asing di sekitar Woojin mulai berlari menuju Cara.
Di tengah kekacauan itu, Kang Woojin menyadarikan sesuatu.
‘Hah?’
Wanita yang agak gemuk di tim rias asing sedang memegang sesuatu yang aneh. Tentu saja, dia hanya menyalipkannya dengan cepat sambil melihat mereka berlari. Sesuatu yang berkilau.
Itu sebuah pisau.
Dia tak tahu kapan wanita asing yang agak gemuk itu mengeluarkannya, tapi nyata—wanita yang agak gemuk itu sedang memegang pisau. Pada saat itu, Kang Woojin mengerutkan kening sambil menyaksikan mereka melarikan diri.
’Tunggu dulu, sebelumnya dia nggak memegang pisau kan?’
Wanita itu hanya beberapa menit lalu berada dekat Kang Woojin. Meskipun tak terlalu mencolok, dia pasti tidak memegang pisau sebelumnya. Apa artinya? Apakah rias juga butuh pisau? Woojin merasa bingung. Timnya tidak pernah menggunakan pisau.
‘Kayaknya ukuran pisau dapur kecil.’
Melhat wanita agak gemuk yang kini berjarak lima meter, Woojin merasa terkejut. Ya, di Hollywood mungkin ada peralatan yang tidak dia kenal, ya? Mungkin dia salah lihat. Tapi yang membuat Woojin merasa lega justru terbalik—
“!!”
—senyum wanita yang gemuk itu saat berlari. Dari situ, Kang Woojin tidak ragu sedetikpun.
- *Dum!*
Tiba-tiba, Kang Woojin lari. Entah masuk akal aturannya—apakah itu ‘martial arts’ atau ‘CQC’—yang penting baginya hanya melihat wanita gemuk itu meluncur ke arah Miley Cara. Teriakan dari timnya terdengar di belakang.
“Hah?! Oppa! Kemana kamu melaju?!”
“Woojin oppa!!”
Sebentar kemudian, teriakan staf asing yang berlari bersama wanita gemuk itu pun bertambah.
“Aieee!!”
Mereka pasti telah menyadari pisau yang ada di tangan wanita gemuk itu.
‘Sial! Aku terlambat!’
Kang Woojin, yang kini k Embunya tuxedo, berlari dengan tujuan tunggal. Seperti gerbong kereta api yang beredar.
‘Memberi tahu orang lain tak akan membantu—aku harus sampai lebih dulu!!’
Meski dia memberi tahu seseorang, mungkin tak akan dipercaya. Justru Kang Woojin yang sampai terlebih dahulu untuk mengendalikan situasi adalah pilihan terbaik. Ini benar-benar saatnya mati-matian.
Tujuh langkah, lima langkah, tiga langkah.
Ketika wanita gemuk itu tiba di dekat Cara yang giginya, dia mengangkat pisau, dan Miley Cara baru saja buka mata. Adegan itu terlihat seperti perlahan dalam visi Kang Woojin yang sedang berlari.
Berkat penglihatannya yang tajam dan pertimbangannya, berkat ‘CQC’.
Kang Woojin dengan cepat menyelesaikan perhitungannya. Dia perlu tidak hanya menjinakkan wanita itu, tapi juga menggiringnya jauh dari Cara. Dia hampir sampai. Cukup dekat untuk mendengar bisikan rendah wanita itu dalam bahasa Inggris yang mencapai telinganya.
“Selamat tinggal, Miley Cara.”
Apa sih keluar dari kemaluankya.
Dalam sekejap, Kang Woojin sudah di sisinya. Dia mengangkat betisnya. Target: sisi tubuhnya. Dia harus mengendalikan kekuatannya. Jika menendang terlalu keras, dia bisa jatuh ke arah orang lain di sekitar. Ada staf-staf di sekitar. Dia butuh jarak yang tepat untuk menjauhkan wanita itu dari Cara dan langsung menjinakannya. Woojin mengendurkan betisnya setengah jalan.
- *Wuuush!!*
Pisau tiba-tiba jatuh menuju Cara. Wanita gemuk itu mengeluarkan suara serak dan jatuh satu langkah. Panjangnya betis Woojin melintasi di depan Cara. Mata biru Cara melebar, mengikuti gerakan Woojin.
“......Hah?”
Wajah yang cukup tenang namun mengandung ancaman. Namun, Kang Woojin tak meluangkan sekutu untuk melihatnya. Cara.
- *Thud!*
Kemudian, dia melangkah lagi. Melintasi Miley Cara dengan santai, dia berkata dengan singkat tapi tegas.
“Hubungi penjaga.”
Lalu, Kang Woojin dengan cepat mendekati wanita gemuk yang kepalanya hanya berjarak dua langkah. Wanita itu mengeong pendek, mengoyak wajahnya dalam rasa sakit.
“Kyaak!”
Dia menggigit gigi dan melonjakkan kepalanya. Ia belum bisa memahami apa yang terjadi. Kenapa aku bisa terbang begitu? Itulah ekspresi yang ada di wajahnya. Di sa yang sama, suara tajam Cara terdengar di ruang itu.
“Di sini!! Di sini!!!”
Baru kemudian, banyak orang di dalam kubah studio mulai memperhatikan arah ke Cara. Puluh-puluh penari pendukung, staf, dan bahkan penjaga berkibul pun.
“Cara? Apa yang terjadi di sana?”
“Hey, hey!! Pindah!”
“Miley!!!!”
Sekira lusin penjaga yang kaget mulai bergegas. Mespiun tubuhnya yang besar, mereka cukup cepat, dan dari berbagai arah, teriakan dan teriak pun mulai berseruknya. Dalam sekejap, kubah studio berubah menjadi tempat yang dipenuhi ketakutan. Kebingungan dan panik menyebar ke mana-mana.
Tapi hanya satu orang saja—
— *swoosh.*
Kang Woojin, yang berdiri di hadapan wanita gemuk yang jatuh, tetap—
“......”
—tenang dan sejuk. Tak ada ketegangan di mata Woojin saat dia menatapmu wanita yang gemuk. Wanita yang gemuk itu sedikit gemetar lalu bangun dengan cepat. Matanya penuh amarah dan kegilaan. Dia tahu dia gagal.
'Gila!! Aku gagal membunuh Miley Cara!!!'
Mata wanita itu bergulat-gulat. Jika dia tak bisa mencapai Cara, dia harus membunuh seseorang—siapapun. Jika tidak, dia merasa seperti akan gila. Waktu semakin menipu. Begitu penjaga berkibul yang sedang berlari mencapai dia, dia tak bisa melakukan apa pun. Masalahnya adalah wanita asing yang sedang berdiri di depannya. Karena sebab yang satu ini, dia tak bisa bergerak dengan cepat. Jaraknya terlalu dekat.
Kemudian, pikirannya berubah.
“Bagaimana pun, kubunuh kamu!!”
Dengan berteriak kencang, wanita gemuk itu mengludungi sang pria Asia. Bukan—ia melontarkan diri ke arah Kang Woojin yang diam dan sunyi. Dia merasa beruntung ketika ia ditendang, mengira tubuhnya pasti mengerut karena kaget. Kamu juga kaget, kan? Bukankah kamu??
Dia salah pilih lawan. Benar-benar salah.
Sepertinya, Kang Woojin sama sekali tidak ingin menyentuh wanita itu. Wanita ini—atau lebih tepatnya, kriminal ini—tidak bisa diprediksi. Kamu tak pernah tahu apa yang akan dilakukan seorang kriminal yang terprovokasi. Tapi, dengan serangan seperti itu, tak ada pilihan lain. Sejujurnya, menjinakkan wanita ini bukanlah hal sulit bagi Kang Woojin.
— *swoosh.*
Woojin menurunkan pandangannya. Wanita itu bahkan tidak tahu cara memegang pisau dengan benar. Jika dia menyerang seperti itu, tangannya yang akan hancur lebih dulu daripada musuhnya. Apa artinya? Wanita itu menancapkan pisau lurus ke arah Kang Woojin. Woojin dengan mudah menghindar, melangkah ke samping, lalu memegang pergelangannya. Menariknya ke dalam, ia menggulingkan jalasangapannya. Perempuan yang gemuk itu jatuh dengan tak berdaya.
Namun—
— *swoosh.*
Kang Woojin tidak melepaskan pergelangan tangannya. Wanita itu tergantung tidak nyaman, tergantung hanya dengan lengan sahaja. Ia meraungkan suara aneh dan mencoba berdiri, tapi Woojin meraih pergelangannya ke depan. Wajah dan perutnya terguling di lantai. Tanpa ragu-ragu, Kang Woojin menekan pergelangan tangannya ke lantai dan menumpuk tangannya di bawah kaknya.
“Krrrkk!!”
Pisau itu jatuh dari tangan wanita yang berjuang. Kang Woojin mengusir pisau itu tanpa ragu. Selesai. Benar, ini bisa disebut penjinakan? Agaknya terasa seperti wanita ini sedang menari sesuai dengan keinginan Kang Woojin, dan ekspresi datanya—Kang Woojin yang datar—hanya menatap wanita yang gemuk itu yang gemetar di bawahnya, tenang dan sejuk.
Di momen singkat itu, Cara yang menyaksikan semuanya menutup mulutnya dengan kedua tangannya.
‘......Ya Tuhan.’
Anehnya adalah, pandangan Cara tak bisa beralih dari Kang Woojin sama sekali, dan hatinya berdebar kencang. Sebagian karena kejadian tadi, setengahnya lagi karena Kang Woojin sendiri.
Kubah studio yang biasa ribut tiba-tiba sedikit tenang.
Dan kemudian—
- *Dum!*
Mobil patroli L.A. tiba-tiba mengepak di depan kubah studio. Melihatnya, Kang Woojin tak bisa tidak mengamati hal itu. Tentu saja, hanya di dalam hatinya.
‘Wah—ini terlihat seperti film.’
Kira-kira dua jam kemudian. Di dalam sebuah van yang besar.
Di antara banyak mobil yang parkir di halaman luar depan kubah studio, Miley Cara sedang duduk sendiri di dalam van yang sangat tinggi dan luas.
“......”
Riasnya sudah pudar, dan rambut pirangnya yang biasanya terikat kemudian longgar. Ekspresinya gelap. Bukan— lebih seperti kenshu. Biasanya dia selalu memiliki aura yang agak sejuk, tapi kini terasa lebih intens. Dia pasti sedang tersipuluk dalam pikiran.
Saat dia duduk seperti dalam keadaad kelam, kenangan saat hampir diserang tadi muncul di pikirannya.
Senyum mengerikan dan suara yang menakutkan dari wanita itu, pisau yang hampir menusuk tubuhnya, dirinya yang beku tak berdaya. Semakin dia mereka, semakin menakutkan adegan itu terasa. Merasa sedikit mual, Cara menutup matanya.
“Haaah.”
Tidak aneh jika ia mengalami gangguan mental setelah kejadian seperti ini. Tak peduli berapa kali kejadian-kejadian seperti ini terjadi di Hollywood, melihatnya di koran dan menghadapiinya langsung itu benar-benar berbeda. Bahkan jika dia mengambil beberapa bulan libur, tak akan ada yang mengapa-muka.
Tapi Cara adalah profesional.
‘Kamu harus tenang. Jika kamu runtuh di sini, kamu akan selalu ditemani olehnya untuk sisa hidupmu.’
Miley Cara yang telah bertahan di puncak dunia Hollywood selama lebih dari satu dekade sebagai penyanyi dan aktris. Meskipun ini pertama kalinya dia menghadapi situasi seperti ini, dia tumbuh sama witness segala-galanya. Dia pernah berjuang untuk mencapai puncak, menanggung segala-macam cobaan di sepanjang jalan. Cara menilai bahwa jika dia runtuh di sini, semuanya akan sia-sia.
‘Aku takut, tapi harus bertahan. Harus mengatasinya.’
Dia sudah pernah diserang oleh paparazzi, pernah kehilangan konsentrasi saat berakting, pernah diintip, dan bahkan pernah terlibat dalam rumor absurd. Tapi Cara selalu mempertahankan kekuatannya, terus melangkah dengan tekad yang kuat.
Kejadian ini juga akan berlalu.
Itu hanya akan dilaporkan sebagai satu kejadian yang aneh. Cara yang telah menutup matanya, perlahan membuka kelopak mata. Matanya yang dalam biru dipaparkan, masih berwarna gelap, namun agak lebih tenang sekarang. Ia mengambil napas dalam-dalam, berusaha menstabilkan pikirannya.
Di saat yang sama.
— *
Chapter 314: Autumn (15)
Translator: Dreamscribe
The first time Kang Woojin noticed the plump woman holding a knife was, in fact, almost by chance. Woojin, standing close to the entrance of the massive studio dome, had put on his tuxedo costume, and around him were a mix of his own stylist team and foreign staff members.
They had gathered to do his hair and makeup.
Up until that moment, Kang Woojin hadn't thought much of it. He was simply maintaining his poker face while secretly marveling inside.
'Wow- how many people are gathered here just for my makeup?? If someone saw this, they'd think I was a Hollywood star.'
Woojin’s stylist team alone had 5 members, while the foreign team had 7. Soon after Kang Woojin’s makeup was finished and he was adjusting his tuxedo, Cara, who had been practicing choreography with backup dancers, stepped into the center of the dome. That’s when the foreign makeup team around Woojin rushed towards her.
In the midst of this, Kang Woojin noticed something.
'Huh?'
The plump woman in the foreign makeup team was holding something strange. Of course, he had only caught it by chance while glancing at them rushing off. It was something silver.
It was a knife.
He didn’t know when she had taken it out, but the plump foreign woman was definitely holding a knife. At that moment, Kang Woojin furrowed his brows as he watched them run.
'Wait a minute, was she holding a knife before?'
That woman had been close to Kang Woojin just a few minutes ago. Even though she hadn’t left a deep impression, she definitely wasn’t holding a knife earlier. What’s going on? Does makeup require a knife too? Woojin was puzzled. His own team had never used a knife.
'It looks like the size of a small kitchen knife.'
Looking at the plump woman now about five steps away, Woojin felt a sense of disbelief. Well, in Hollywood, there could be equipment he didn’t know about, right? He might have just seen it wrong. But what completely overturned Kang Woojin’s sense of relief was—
"!!"
—the smile on the face of the plump woman who was running. From here, Woojin didn’t hesitate for even a second.
-Wham!
Kang Woojin suddenly sprinted. It didn’t matter what had kicked in—whether it was 'martial arts' or 'CQC'—what mattered was that Woojin could only see the plump woman lunging towards Miley Cara. The shouts from his team members echoed from behind.
“Huh?! Oppa! Where are you going?!”
“Woojin oppa!!”
Soon, the screams of the foreign staff running alongside the plump woman mixed in.
“Eek!!”
They must have noticed the knife in the plump woman’s hand.
'Fuck! I’m late!'
Kang Woojin, dressed in his tuxedo, ran with a singular focus. Like a runaway train. The entire studio dome was chaotic.
'Telling someone won’t help—I need to get there first!!'
Even if he told someone, they might not believe him. Right now, Kang Woojin arriving first to control the situation was the best option. This was truly a do-or-die moment.
Seven steps, five steps, three steps.
By the time the plump woman reached the blonde Cara, she was raising her knife, and Miley Cara was only just opening her eyes. The scene played out in slow motion for the sprinting Kang Woojin.
Thanks to his vision and judgment, courtesy of 'CQC'.
Kang Woojin quickly finished his calculation. He needed to not only subdue the woman but also get her away from Cara. He was almost there. Just close enough to hear the plump woman’s low whisper in English as it reached Woojin’s ears.
“Goodbye, Miley Cara.”
What bullshit.
In an instant, Kang Woojin was upon the woman. He lifted his leg. The target: her side. He had to control his strength. If he kicked too hard, she could crash into someone nearby. There were staff members around. He needed just the right distance to knock her away from Cara and immediately subdue her. Woojin relaxed his leg halfway.
-Whoosh!!
The knife was about to stab down towards Cara. The plump woman let out a choking sound and fell forward a step away. Woojin’s long leg had swept past in front of Cara. Cara's blue eyes widened, following Woojin’s movement.
"......Huh?"
A face that somehow exuded both indifference and aggression. However, Kang Woojin didn’t spare Cara even a glance.
-Thud!
He immediately took his next step. Brushing past Miley Cara, he muttered a short but firm command.
"Alert the guards."
Then, Kang Woojin quickly closed the distance between himself and the plump woman sprawled just two steps away. The woman let out a short groan, scrunching her face in pain.
“Kyaak!”
She gritted her teeth and jerked her head up. She couldn’t quite grasp what had happened. Why did I just go flying? That was the look on her face. At the same time, Cara’s sharp voice echoed through the space.
“Here!! Over here!!!”
Only now did the many people in the studio dome turn their attention toward Cara. Dozens of backup dancers, staff members, and even the large-bodied guards.
“Cara? What’s going on over there?”
“Hey, hey!! Move!”
“Miley!!!!”
A dozen or so startled guards began to dash over. Despite their bulky frames, they moved quickly, and from all around, screams and shouts started to ring out. In an instant, the dome transformed into a space filled with terror. Confusion and panic spread everywhere.
But only one person—
—swoosh.
Kang Woojin, standing before the fallen plump woman, remained—
“......”
—calm and cold. There was no tension in Woojin’s eyes as he looked down at the woman. The plump woman trembled slightly and suddenly sprang to her feet. Her eyes were filled with rage and madness. She knew she had failed.
‘Damn it!! I couldn’t stab Miley Cara!!!’
The woman’s eyes darted around. If she couldn’t get to Cara, she had to stab someone—anyone. If not, she felt like she would lose her mind. Time was running out. Once those bulky guards running her way reached her, she wouldn’t be able to do anything. The problem was the Asian man standing right in front of her. Because of this bastard, she couldn’t move hastily. The distance was too close.
Soon, the woman’s thoughts twisted.
“Fine, then I’ll just stab you!!!”
Screaming furiously, the plump woman charged at the Asian man. No, she lunged at the still, silent Kang Woojin. She thought she got lucky when he kicked her away, believing his body must have stiffened from shock. You were surprised too, right? Weren’t you?
She had picked the wrong opponent. Very wrong.
If possible, Woojin had no intention of touching the woman. This woman—or rather, this criminal—was unpredictable. You never knew what a provoked criminal might do. But with her charging like that, there was no choice. Honestly, subduing this woman was nothing for Kang Woojin.
—swoosh.
Woojin lowered his gaze. The woman didn’t even know how to properly hold a knife. If she stabbed like that, her own hand would get torn up more than her opponent. Does that matter? The woman thrust the knife straight toward Kang Woojin. Woojin easily dodged it, sidestepping, then grabbed her wrist. Pulling her in, he tripped her with his leg. The plump woman collapsed helplessly.
However—
—swoosh.
Kang Woojin did not let go of her wrist. The woman dangled awkwardly, suspended by her arm. She screamed a bizarre shriek and tried to stand up, but Woojin yanked her wrist forward. Her face and stomach dragged against the floor. Without hesitation, Woojin pressed her wrist down to the ground and pinned her hand under his foot.
“Krrrk!!”
The knife slipped from the hand of the struggling woman. Woojin kicked the knife aside without a second thought. Subdue complete. Actually, can this even be called subduing? In a way, it felt as though the woman was dancing according to Woojin’s intent, and the expressionless Kang Woojin simply stared down at the trembling woman, calm and cold.
In that brief moment, Cara, who had witnessed everything, covered her mouth with both hands.
‘......Oh my God.’
The strange thing was that Cara’s gaze was fixed solely on Kang Woojin, and her heart was pounding wildly. While the recent incident was certainly a factor, half of it felt like it was somehow because of Kang Woojin.
The noisy studio dome suddenly grew a bit quieter.
And then—
-Wham!!
A dozen guards quickly restrained the plump woman sprawled on the ground.
Afterwards.
After the woman who had attacked Cara was restrained, the massive studio dome had turned into complete chaos. Half of the hundred or so staff members were either screaming or shouting, while the other half surrounded Miley Cara, checking on her. The dozens of people on Cara’s team were no different.
They were all focused on making sure Miley Cara was alright.
As her main manager, Jonathan, checked on her physical and mental state, he shouted to those around him.
“Did someone call the police?! When the hell are they getting here?!”
As expected, amidst the chaos, most people were agitated. Emotionally, that is. The dome was filled with screams as people yelled at the top of their lungs. Meanwhile, Cara’s manager Jonathan and the staff were looking for Kang Woojin. He stood near the bound, plump woman with an indifferent expression. Choi Sung-gun and Woojin’s team were already sticking to him, bombarding him with worried questions, while Jonathan and dozens of staff members expressed their gratitude to Woojin.
Even so, the atmosphere was still frantic.
The staff appeared as if their souls had been drained from them. After all, if not for Kang Woojin, Cara would have been in serious danger, so their reaction was understandable. On the other hand, Woojin remained calm. Well, it was more like he was pretending to be calm, with a bit of bravado mixed in. On the surface, he had his poker face on, but inside, he was feeling immense relief.
‘Wo—seriously, that was so fucking close! This is crazy for real.’
Subduing the woman hadn’t been particularly difficult, but seeing such an absurd situation unfold right before his eyes was still unsettling.
At the same time, he felt a bit of disdain towards Hollywood.
‘Is terrorism in Hollywood just a normal, everyday thing or what??’
Woojin felt a chill at the mere thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t noticed in time. Lowering his gaze, Woojin looked at the plump woman being pinned down by the massive guards. The woman was squirming, letting out strange groans. There was even some foam forming at her mouth. What gave him goosebumps was how the woman, with madness in her eyes, was still glaring at Miley Cara.
Internally, Kang Woojin cursed.
‘Is she seriously a lunatic?’
At this point, the massive guards who were restraining the woman kept glancing at Woojin.
‘That movement just now—what was that? It was fast and precise. No unnecessary motions.’
‘It didn’t seem like a coincidence. He’s definitely learned something.’
‘Without a second’s hesitation… He could’ve been in danger himself. So he wasn’t worried about that at all?’
Of course, Miley Cara, surrounded by numerous staff members, was also staring at Kang Woojin.
“......”
Why is my heart still racing? She had a peculiar expression on her face.
Just then—
—screech!
L.A. police cars arrived aggressively at the front of the studio dome. Watching them, Woojin couldn’t help but make a pure observation. Naturally, it was internal.
‘Whoa—this looks just like a movie.’
About two hours later. Inside a large van.
Among the numerous cars parked in the external lot in front of the studio dome, Miley Cara was sitting alone inside an unusually tall and spacious van.
“......”
Her makeup had faded, and her previously tied-up blonde hair was now loose. Her expression was dark. No, it was more like she was in a state of shock. She always had a somewhat cold atmosphere, but now it felt even more intense. She was likely lost in deep thought.
As she sat there in a daze, the moment when she was almost attacked earlier flashed through her mind.
The woman’s creepy smile and voice, the knife that had almost lodged itself somewhere in her body, her own frozen self, unable to do anything. The more she replayed it, the more terrifying the scene became. Feeling a bit nauseous, Cara closed her eyes.
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