William White and the Wizard's Stone
S&W was a global studio.
What that meant was, whenever they announced a new project, not just American media but outlets worldwide paid attention—and the home countries of its two CEOs went wild, banging gongs like madmen.
Needless to say, they were numb to the nonsense spewing from crappy reporters. Kim Cheol, the CEO of S&W, even had the leisure to laugh it off and fire back.
But this time, it wasn't easy.
"There's an interpretation going around that Steel&Wiztone has officially endorsed the Democratic candidate Jackson. What are your thoughts?"
"......What?"
Kim Cheol blinked dumbly.
What the hell is this bullshit?
But unfortunately, the reporter didn't look like he was spouting bullshit at all.
"Jackson's been pushing for complete gun control lately, clashing with the Republicans, right? With public opinion split down the middle, some are saying S&W is backing that push."
"Ahem, look. We were just making a general point. Just two months ago, wasn't there a school shooting? We were simply cautioning about that—"
"So you're claiming this campaign poster was used unilaterally by the Jackson camp?"
"?"
The poster the reporter held up depicted William White heroically facing an assault rifle with arms and legs, while the Republican candidate Mason cowered and trembled in the corner, caricatured to the extreme.
It was a fairly common negative ad.
But the content wasn't common at all.
...And the Democratic candidate's speech video that the reporter pulled up next was even more so.
"WHO DOES WILLIAM WHITE SYMBOLIZE?!"
"HE'S SUPERMAN! HE CAN BEAT ANYONE! HE'S INVINCIBLE! EVERYONE FELT THAT, RIGHT?!"
"WHO IS HE? THAT'S RIGHT! WILLIAM WHITE IS OUR FATHERS! THE FATHERS WHO CAN DO ANYTHING IN THEIR KIDS' EYES—THAT'S WILLIAM WHITE!"
Kim Cheol's mouth hung open at this killer interpretation.
But! Jackson slammed the podium.
"OUR FATHERS CAN'T WIN AGAINST GUNS! THEY CAN'T PROTECT OUR KIDS FROM GUNS! THE INVINCIBLE MAN WILLIAM WHITE IS POWERLESS AGAINST GUNS!"
"THE MESSAGE FROM S&W'S NEW STORY COULD NOT BE CLEARER!"
"EVEN S&W—EVEN DIRECTOR KIM, WHOM EVERYONE KNOWS, AND COUNTLESS OTHER GREAT DIRECTORS—BELIEVE AMERICA CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS!"
No...!
Kang Min did that on his own...!!
But before Kim Cheol could even open his mouth, massive cheers erupted.
Jackson rode the momentum and shouted.
"LET'S MAKE WILLIAM WHITE PROTECT OUR KIDS!"
"LET'S CREATE A WORLD WHERE OUR KIDS DON'T HAVE TO FEAR BULLETS—WITH WILLIAM WHITE!"
"ONLY BY UNITING ALL US WILLIAM WHITES CAN WE ACHIEVE IT!!"
Thunderous applause and cheers exploded.
The voices varied, but the chant was one.
William White!!
William White!!
William White—!!!!!
WAAAAAAAAAAH—!!!!!!
It was pure madness on-site.
And Kim Cheol, a legend of the film industry who prided himself on having seen it all, thought blankly.
What the hell.
Has the world gone insane?
#
But as always, that wasn't the end.
While Director Kim Cheol was dazed, the situation only snowballed.
For instance, just hours later, Republican candidate Mason issued an official rebuttal.
"THIS IS ALL BULLSHIT! WILLIAM WHITE IS THE VILLAIN!"
"HE ATTACKED THE POLICE! HE UNLEASHED BRUTAL VIOLENCE ON THOSE UPHOLDING SOCIAL JUSTICE! JACKSON IS SO BLINDED BY HIS IDEOLOGY HE CAN'T GRASP THE VIDEO'S TRUE MEANING!"
"WHAT TOOK DOWN THAT THUG? ARMING YOURSELF! IF YOU CAN'T ARM YOURSELF, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU MEET A VILLAIN LIKE WILLIAM WHITE?"
He slammed the podium too.
"LAST YEAR ALONE, OVER 20,000 JUSTIFIABLE DGU—DEFENSIVE GUN USE—INCIDENTS OCCURRED SUCCESSFULLY! THOSE 20,000 WOULD'VE BEEN SLAUGHTERED BY VILLAINS LIKE WILLIAM WHITE! THE RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE IS AN ANCIENT AMERICAN RIGHT TIED DIRECTLY TO THE RIGHT TO LIFE! S&W RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT GUNS BUT DIDN'T DENY THEIR NECESSITY—WILLIAM WHITE REPRESENTS THAT! WILLIAM WHITE ISN'T US; HE'S THE MAFIA THREATENING US FROM THE SHADOWS!"
"I DECLARE HERE: WE MUST STAND JUSTLY AGAINST EVERY WILLIAM WHITE!"
Massive cheers erupted once more.
In American political history, characters gaining symbolic weight in elections wasn't rare. From government icons like Uncle Sam or Rosie the Riveter to Johnny Appleseed or the Democratic donkey that started at Disney and became a party symbol—they'd all been roped into campaigns.
But this was unprecedented.
The ad was already causing a storm with its insane action, visuals, and bonkers ending. With both major candidates pouring fuel on the fire, it was inevitable.
Fervent debates over William White ignited across America like wildfire.
"Republicans are all the same! Gun lobby money's sweet, but it has limits! If we don't regulate now, we Whites lose!"
"Bullshit! The ones making noise are the mafia illegally trafficking guns! That's their world coming! They're the Whites! Idiot...!"
"Hey, you got kids? Don't you know dozens died in that school shooting?!"
"Ha, going emotional like that fixes what? William White's a total scumbag!"
"What'd you say?!"
"?"
"Wait, Miller, you're a Republican!"
Miller, father to a K-pop-obsessed daughter, punched his opponent in rage—and similar incidents broke out nationwide.
Who was William White?
Did he represent good citizens—or the opposite?
What were actor Kang Min and S&W's real intentions?
Everyone scrambled for answers or to smash their opponent's face, sparking fierce debates and even fiercer fists.
And naturally, reporters dutifully fueled the citizens' wishes.
In other words, they camped outside S&W Studios, bombarding CEO Kim Cheol with questions.
"How was this video made?!"
"Is it true it took over half a year?!"
"...Honestly? I had no big thoughts, and neither did the crew. The actor went wild alone, we polished it up, and released it. Took three days."
"?"
"...?"
After much deliberation, Director Kim Cheol came clean—but there was one small problem.
Nobody believed him.
Democrats and Republicans alike condemned the statement in unison.
"S&W's cowards! William White is angry!"
"Scared now, huh? You William White bastards!"
"What?!"
"What!"
Whether Kim Cheol's stomach churned or not, things didn't improve.
Nope—when a big brawl in Texas sent several to the hospital, it escalated to the extreme.
Reporters swarmed S&W HQ, politicians backing each candidate joined, and even passersby piled on for the fun.
Cameras broadcast it, drawing more crowds. It was starting to look like brigade-scale.
A vicious cycle of horror—the worst mess in company history.
"S&W, clarify who William White is!"
"Pick a side clearly!"
"Does William White symbolize citizens or the mafia?!"
How the fuck should I know, damn it!!!
Kim Cheol could only clutch his head. He genuinely wanted to ask them.
Kang Min's rogue stunt and Han Ye-seul's abandonment of sanity had set a global studio ablaze and thinned a world-class director's hair.
Even MBS's higher-ups felt the shared pain.
All from a 50-second video? Bonus fact.
Does this make any sense...!
Even the great Director Kim Cheol had never faced such insanity.
Well, maybe once—but not in the last decade.
William White.
Days passed with that name blanketing America—no exaggeration—and everyone at S&W floundered in bewilderment.
Finally, the culprit visited Kim Cheol.
"Hello."
Kim Cheol greeted Kang Min with slight relief. Finally thinking of damage control?
But the words that came were different.
Completely unhinged, in fact.
"Think I'll head back home soon."
"What...?"
Kim Cheol stared at Kang Min like a pigeon hit by a BB gun.
What the hell is this guy saying?
Causing this shitshow and now bailing?
Kim Cheol gaped blankly, but Kang Min was dead serious, as always.
"As you know, Must Die to Live is in production. They say there's time, but staying longer isn't ideal. So—"
"You have no conscience...!"
"Pardon?"
"Ahem, ahem. No, I mean, it's not that urgent, right?!"
Kim Cheol cleared his throat awkwardly.
He instinctively knew this lunatic wasn't making excuses. The madman Kang Min truly saw this insanity as no big deal.
Kim Cheol stammered.
"Uh, y'know. Americans seem really into the William White character. Don't you think it needs some... commentary?"
"Heh, an actor speaks through performance, doesn't he?"
"What?"
"Once the shoot's done, interpretation's up to the audience. Tacking on actor commentary isn't cool. It's kinda lame, right?"
"Well, that's true... No, that's not what I—!"
"As expected! I knew Director Kim Cheol would get it! A true world-class director!"
"No, wait, I—"
Kang Min beamed, feeling validated in his 'aesthetic(?)'.
Meanwhile, cold sweat beaded on Kim Cheol's forehead.
Lunatic... This guy's the real deal...
With S&W under massive pressure, interest in Kang Min in America was equally insane.
He topped search rankings repeatedly; famous talk shows, broadcasts, stages—even international events—were clamoring for him.
Naturally, his existing trends like Hui-yul or Unbelievable exploded beyond compare.
But even amid this, Kang Min stayed silent, driving people nuts. Kim Cheol thought it was basic sanity—gauging the situation.
Nope.
This madman was holing up purely because it 'wasn't cool'...
And his face was dead serious.
"Hm, I can share my true feelings with someone of Director Kim Cheol's caliber."
"Your goal?"
"Truth is, I love death acting. Mastering it is my dream."
"......."
Kim Cheol squeezed his eyes shut at Kang Min's heartfelt confession.
Madman...! How did we end up with this lunatic...!
But madman or not, he couldn't let Kang Min go. Sending him off with 'Fine, never see you again' meant S&W—no, he—would shoulder everything ahead.
Kim Cheol desperately brainstormed.
By heavenly luck, a good idea struck.
"Ahem, y'know. I watched your Must Die to Live, and some parts were hard to grasp."
"...I'll humbly accept your insights."
"No, no—what I mean is, even with brilliant acting and script, some things don't click. Planning and casting flowed too... smoothly, so the setup's bound to creak."
"Mm."
Kang Min's heart stirred slightly at the world-class director's desperate advice.
He too had qualms about Yoo Ji-yu's 'How do we even do that?!' 'No, I hate it now...' 'Hic... sob...', and the oddly passive staff.
But no sharp fixes so far...
Kang Min asked hopefully.
"Does Director Kim Cheol have any wisdom on this?"
"Ahem, of course! Easy!"
"Ooh..."
Kang Min listened intently, dead serious, to the world-class director's feigned nonchalance.
#
Hours later, back in Korea.
MBS's higher-ups were gloomily clinking glasses at a street food stall.
"Seeing the mess in America lately... doesn't feel like someone else's problem."
The vice president sighed.
"Bet it's that lunatic going rogue again."
"Yes... Even the great Director Kim Cheol couldn't escape his curse..."
"Monster of a guy."
"Yes......."
MBS profited big from the William White fiasco. Rights to Unbelievable and King and Sovereign were sold, no extra cash, but visibility was everything for modern broadcasters.
Kang Min's dramas drew renewed eyes; even WebFlix MBS views spiked meaningfully—huge gains.
But they couldn't purely celebrate...
"If that Kang Min Special goes his way, we'll be in deeper shit..."
"...Is that really the name?"
"Who knows. But his fan cafe's MinLovesMe. Why wouldn't it get cheesier?"
"Mm."
Director Kim Kang-hyun suspected Han Ye-seul's influence but kept quiet.
Anyway, it hadn't hit them yet.
Vice president and director savored brief peace, nibbling modest snacks with their drinks.
Until the sudden call.
"S-sorry, VP. Seems urgent..."
"If it's urgent for you, it's urgent for me. Why hesitate? Answer it."
"Yes."
Director Kim Kang-hyun took the call; the VP listlessly chewed pricey dried squid.
Worst case, the problem kid's in America—what's the big deal?
...That thought held.
If it didn't involve Kang Min, it wasn't serious.
"Yeah, it's me."
"What?"
"What'd you say?"
"No, I didn't get it—say it again."
"Yeah, yeah..."
"...What?"
Director Kim Kang-hyun asked twice more, still not grasping what he'd heard.
The VP asked impatiently.
"What is it?!"
"Well, uh..."
"Don't beat around the bush! Just spit it out! What's so shocking you're 'what-what'-ing like an idiot?! You're a director—act with some dignity—"
"...S&W wants to send a production support team to Must Die to Live."
"...What?"
"Not taking money—they're giving it."
"......What?"