I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 7

To understand why Kang Woo-jin chose the role of ‘Manager Park,’ we need to retrace his actions in the subspace. It began, of course, when Kang Woo-jin checked the white rectangle labeled ‘Profiler Hanryang’ in the subspace.

-[5/Script (Title: Profiler Hanryang Part 1), Grade A]

-[*This is a very well-made drama script. 100% reading is possible.]

Here, Kang Woo-jin, standing alone in the endlessly dark subspace, crossed his arms and stroked his chin.

“Grade A, huh?”

The short film ‘Private Investigator’s Office’ floating right next to it was Grade B. This was his first time seeing a Grade A script. Then, Kang Woo-jin voiced his curiosity.

“Hmm—if it’s Grade A… is it the highest grade? Or is there something above Grade A?”

Even if there was a higher grade, Grade A was still top-tier. In other words, writer Park Eun-mi’s new work, ‘Profiler Hanryang,’ had a promising future.

“‘Gangster Prosecutor,’ which was Grade C, had a viewership rating of about 7%, right? Then, since Grade A is two steps higher… does that mean it’ll get over 10%? 15%?”

It wasn’t certain. After all, he couldn’t know the exact difference between those grades. Because of that, Woo-jin quickly changed the subject.

“Well, anyway, this work will be an experiment too. To test the accuracy of this grade.”

To judge whether this ‘grade’ really hinted at future success or not. For now, it seemed likely to be a hint, but it wasn’t a guarantee.

Then, Kang Woo-jin’s gaze moved to the title.

“‘Profiler Hanryang.’ I don’t know much, but if it’s a profiler, then it’s a crime thing, right?”

He recalled the words of the big shot Song Man-woo PD from outside.

‘I mean, I want to cast Woo-jin-ssi as an actor.’

At the time, his thoughts had stopped, but Woo-jin, who had entered the subspace, was quite calm. Because of that, a suitable answer came to mind.

“It’s probably just a small role.”

He didn’t know much about the entertainment industry, but Woo-jin knew that newcomers or unknowns started as extras. Especially if it was a project by big shots like Song Man-woo PD and writer Park Eun-mi.

Of course, there were many small roles in a production, such as extras, supporting roles, or minor characters, but Kang Woo-jin had no way of knowing the specifics.

“Well—thinking about it, it’s not bad.”

A positive mindset began to form. This was his second time experiencing the ‘frightened man’ feeling he had first encountered in this subspace. It wouldn’t be bad to get properly evaluated by the big shots.

Soon.

-Swish.

Kang Woo-jin picked up the white rectangle floating in front of him. He had chosen ‘Profiler Hanryang.’ Then, familiar text appeared below the white rectangle.

-[You have selected 5/Script (Title: Profiler Hanryang Part 1).]

-[Listing characters available for reading (experience).]

-[A: Yoo Ji-hyung, B: Jung Sang-min, C: Bae Se-joon… E: Manager Park]

Here, Kang Woo-jin focused on the listed roles. About six of them.

‘Hmm—the ones at the front are the leads or the ones with a lot of screen time. Manager Park? Let’s go with that. The one with the shortest screen time.’

Kang Woo-jin already knew from his experiments that the roles had less screen time as they went down the list. Therefore, Woo-jin’s choice was the role of ‘Manager Park.’

-Tap.

He touched ‘Manager Park’ among the listed characters. Soon, a familiar female voice echoed throughout the subspace.

[“Preparing to read ‘E: Manager Park’…”]

The waiting time wasn’t long.

[“….Preparation complete. This is a very well-made script or scenario. The implementation rate is 100%. Starting the reading.”]

Soon, a large gray color enveloped Kang Woo-jin.

Someone’s loud voice was heard.

“Hey! Manager Park!! What are you doing instead of coming here!”

At that moment, the gray that had filled Kang Woo-jin’s vision slowly cleared. Little by little, he began to see clearly.

The place was in front of a park bench.

The weather was warm. Was it spring? The sunlight touched his skin, but it wasn’t hot. Rather, it was a pleasant temperature. He was wearing short sleeves. A short-sleeved shirt.

Around this time, Kang Woo-jin’s vision widened.

Around him, there were flower beds with flowers growing, and people jogging. In front of him, there were two men waving at Woo-jin.

Kang Woo-jin shouted at them.

“Go ahead!”

The instinct that had seeped in told him to say that. As soon as that shout ended, Kang Woo-jin felt it. That he was wearing a kind smile right now.

However, he knew that all the words and actions were just for show, that no sincerity was ever shown.

That his heart was very cold and indifferent.

However, the degree of that indifference was severe. Yes, it was fair to say that he had no heart. It was as if he was missing only the emotion among the things he had.

No, he didn’t have it.

Kang Woo-jin was already Manager Park. Kang Woo-jin had all of Manager Park’s traits. That’s why he could know.

‘Facial expressions are a means.’

For Manager Park, facial expressions and expressions were just a facade. He practiced facial expressions whenever he had time. He memorized lines to appear like a ‘good person.’

It was the same now.

Kang Woo-jin, who had a smile on his lips but madness hidden in his pupils, twitched the corners of his lips. He was practicing smiling.

Being genuinely happy, forcing a smile, being filled with joy, and so on.

It was his routine. A practice he usually did before returning to the company. Kang Woo-jin, who had been twitching like that, suddenly returned to a blank expression.

It was very instantaneous.

He had finished practicing, so he had returned to his default. As it was, Kang Woo-jin took a step. Still, there was silence in his heart, without a single ripple.

It was then.

“Ah.”

Kang Woo-jin, who had a faint smile on his lips as if he had already put it on, looked down at his shoes.

“I stepped in dog poop.”

The soft, mushy thing seemed like recently laid dog poop. At this moment, Kang Woo-jin, who stopped moving and looked down at his shoes.

“Dog poop…”

A faint madness flickered in his eyes. Because he had a goal. He had been harmed. By a mere dog. As it was, Kang Woo-jin slowly turned his head and looked around.

“Ah, there it is. The dog.”

It was easy for the dog to catch his eye.

Because the dog was pooping in a nearby flower bed. It was a dog with a leash, whether the owner had missed it or not. Kang Woo-jin stared at that dog.

It was then.

Suddenly, colors began to spread in the world Kang Woo-jin was seeing.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. His world, which had been ordinary until just now, was transformed into a fairy tale. The floor was purple, the trees were green. The sky was black, the clouds were blue, and the people were all different colors. It felt like he was filled with childlike innocence.

However, it wasn’t a bright fairy tale. It felt out of place. A childlike innocence that seemed somehow wrong.

‘….A dream?’

Yes, it was like being in a dream world. In addition, Kang Woo-jin’s non-existent emotions were being generated. His mood also changed.

Excitement.

Kang Woo-jin, who had been silent and emotionless, was now excited to the point of madness. Quickly, quickly, quickly, he felt like he had to do something quickly. That was the feeling.

And.

-Swish.

The dog that had been pooping in the flower bed, when did it come, was rubbing against Kang Woo-jin’s feet. In Woo-jin’s eyes, the dog was yellow.

“Cute. So fluffy. Makes me want to burst it.”

Kang Woo-jin looked around. There were many people. That meant there were many eyes watching. That’s why Woo-jin grabbed the dog’s leash and moved it.

Fortunately, the dog followed.

There was a public restroom nearby. The place Kang Woo-jin was going to was behind that restroom. Soon, Kang Woo-jin pulled the leash and held the yellow dog to his chest.

The dog licked Kang Woo-jin’s cheek.

“Cute. But you shouldn’t poop on the path where people walk.”

Kang Woo-jin, who was smiling, lightly tapped the yellow dog’s nose. Then, a red firework exploded where he tapped. Of course, only in Kang Woo-jin’s vision.

That further amplified Kang Woo-jin’s excitement.

A certain joy that made him restless. Quickly, quickly, quickly, he wanted to burst more. With that, Kang Woo-jin, holding the yellow dog in his arms, disappeared behind the restroom.

A few minutes later, Kang Woo-jin’s face, which came out again, was calm.

“Ah—I’m a bit late.”

His hands were empty.

After that.

Kang Woo-jin, who had finished reading Manager Park, returned to the conference room. At the same time, Woo-jin cursed inwardly.

‘Ah, shit.’

Because he felt a firmly established disgust. It was because Manager Park’s everything and his world were a bit too much. But Manager Park was already imprinted on Kang Woo-jin.

‘I feel terrible.’

What should he say, the experience or reading of Manager Park in the subspace was about 20 minutes in real time, but now Kang Woo-jin felt like he had endured motion sickness for 5 hours.

Manager Park was unfamiliar and familiar to Kang Woo-jin.

Now, both were the same as Kang Woo-jin himself, but for some reason, Woo-jin had a strong desire to abandon Manager Park.

At this time.

‘What is it? No, no, don’t come out.’

Kang Woo-jin barely suppressed the emotions of Manager Park that suddenly surfaced. It was instinct. A defensive instinct.

It was when Kang Woo-jin was a little dazed.

“Did you understand all the context?”

Writer Park Eun-mi’s voice, sitting on the opposite side, reached Kang Woo-jin’s ears. It was then that Woo-jin’s vision slowly widened. In the meantime, writer Park Eun-mi’s words continued.

“You can act out any role in the play with a few lines without any pressure. I just want to see Woo-jin-ssi’s tone.”

Woo-jin, who was a bit confused, barely maintained his composure.

‘Ah, right. That was the situation.’

As it was, Woo-jin looked down at the bundle of papers in his hand. ‘Profiler Hanryang’ Part 1 script.

‘It’s an overreaction to do it right away without reading it.’

He had already learned everything about Manager Park through the lines and so on, but for the peace of mind of those sitting in front of him, Kang Woo-jin spoke in a low voice.

“I’ll read it for a moment.”

Of course, he didn’t actually read the script.

-Flip, flip.

Kang Woo-jin was just pretending to read. For about 5 minutes. Then, Woo-jin’s eyes stopped at a phrase in the script.

-[S# 14]

-The world that Manager Park sees is covered in colors. It’s like expressing a crazy dream garden.

So that’s why those crazy colors were visible. Woo-jin, who was muttering inwardly, let out a small sigh.

-Swish.

He raised his head and said calmly to everyone.

“I’ll do the ‘Manager Park’ role.”

The funny thing was that as soon as Woo-jin’s answer ended.

“!!!”

Everyone across from him widened their eyes. Were they surprised? Why? Especially Song Man-woo PD and writer Park Eun-mi’s reactions were big.

“…Manager Park??”

However, Woo-jin first answered solemnly again.

“Yes, the ‘Manager Park’ role.”

Then, the bearded Song Man-woo PD stared at Woo-jin, then turned his head and looked at writer Park Eun-mi. Writer Park Eun-mi was already looking at him.

“…”

The two shared a look for a moment. Woo-jin thought that look was a bit strange.

‘What, are they communicating with their eyes?’

They were indeed big shots. They could communicate with just their eyes. It was after this. Song Man-woo PD, whose face had changed to a firm one, turned his gaze back to Woo-jin.

“Which scene of Manager Park’s role?”

Was there any need to go to the back? Manager Park’s role becomes more complex as it progresses. Therefore, Woo-jin chose a relatively light scene at the beginning.

“I’ll do the scene with the dog.”

Writer Park Eun-mi, who was wearing glasses, which she had put on at some point, asked Song Man-woo PD.

“PD-nim [PD-nim is a Korean honorific for a producer or director], please take the camera’s point of view, Woo-jin-ssi, please think of PD-nim as the camera and do it.”

In fact, there were already cameras in this conference room. Behind where Kang Woo-jin was sitting and on the window side in front of Woo-jin. Anyway, Kang Woo-jin, as if he understood, took the script he was holding.

-Swish.

He handed it to writer Park Eun-mi on the opposite side. Then, she frowned and asked back.

“Can you… do it without looking?”

It seemed like it would be more uncomfortable. This was an action that Kang Woo-jin did without realizing it. Rather than maintaining a tough act, it came out of his subconscious. For him, who already had Manager Park’s persona, it was more cumbersome to look at the script.

“Yes. It’s okay.”

However, this action amplified the misunderstanding of everyone, including writer Park Eun-mi.

‘In a few minutes… did he understand the lines, directions, and emotions in that short moment? That doesn’t make sense?’

It made sense. Of course, it only made sense to Kang Woo-jin. However, it was an incomprehensible action to everyone, including writer Park Eun-mi.

‘A bluff… no, it’s too nonchalant to see it that way.’

Around that time.

“Okay, let’s go with that. Then let’s start right away.”

Song Man-woo PD, who had leaned forward, threw the first line at Kang Woo-jin. A line that signaled the start of the scene.

“Hey, Manager Park. What are you doing instead of coming here.”

Then, Kang Woo-jin, who was staring intently at Song Man-woo PD’s beard, blinked once. At the same time, Song Man-woo PD’s eyes twitched.

Why?

‘His eyes have changed. Even the feeling.’

A faint madness that had not been in Kang Woo-jin’s still eyes had bloomed. The before and after he closed his eyes were completely different. He had drawn out the emotion in that short moment.

At least that’s how it looked in Song Man-woo PD’s eyes.

Whether he did or not, Woo-jin, who was staring at Song Man-woo PD, raised both corners of his mouth. There was a small tremor. However, the faint ominousness in his eyes was the same.

“Go ahead!”

As soon as the line he had spoken ended, the smile that had spread on Woo-jin’s lips disappeared. It was like watching the process of a blank expression in slow motion.

“…”

The completed blank expression. A smile appears again. A blank expression again. A smile again. This process was repeated several times on Kang Woo-jin’s face. Sociopath. The feeling of a sociopath was strongly emanating from Kang Woo-jin.

Here, for some reason, top actress Hong Hye-yeon’s skin crawled.

‘Each smile has a different texture.’

It was enough to give her goosebumps. Kang Woo-jin was giving a different meaning to each smile right now. With small tremors in the eye muscles, slightly tilting the head, the degree of the raised corners of the mouth, and so on.

‘Just with facial expressions… was that how it was expressed?’

Then, Kang Woo-jin, wearing the smile he had chosen, slowly got up from his chair. Then he paused. He looked down at his feet. A short silence.

About 10 seconds.

That short silence devoured the air of the entire conference room. Woo-jin’s unknown silence and indifference were transformed into a vague sense of fear. At this time, Kang Woo-jin bent his shoe up and checked the sole.

“I stepped in dog poop.”

Looking around. Kang Woo-jin glanced at writer Park Eun-mi once.

-Swish.

Finally, he made eye contact with Song Man-woo PD. By now, his eyes were filled with madness and excitement. Soon, a voice was heard from Kang Woo-jin’s chilling smile.

“Ah, there it is. The dog.”

That was it. Kang Woo-jin, who had stood up, sat back down in his chair. Then, he cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“It’s over.”

A low, cold tone. He had returned from Manager Park to the tough-acting Kang Woo-jin.

‘Well—I wonder what the evaluation will be.’

It was then.

-Thud.

Suddenly, across from Woo-jin, writer Park Eun-mi, who had her long permed hair tied up, stood up. Her gaze was fixed on Kang Woo-jin. She was approaching Woo-jin with a somewhat possessed expression.

Slowly, slowly.

At that sight, Kang Woo-jin slightly pulled his head back.

‘Why is that old lady like that? She’s a little scary?? Is she angry?’

Writer Park Eun-mi, who was already in front of Kang Woo-jin, suddenly grabbed Kang Woo-jin’s hands.

“Woo-jin-ssi.”

Of course, Kang Woo-jin was inwardly disgusted.

‘Why, why is she doing this!’

But writer Park Eun-mi. She, who was praised as a top writer in the country, recited to Kang Woo-jin, putting her face close to his, regardless of the surrounding gazes. Her tone was filled with earnestness.

“Please take the role of Manager Park. You must do it, Woo-jin-ssi.”

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