I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 79

“Vocal ability enhancement?”

Kang Woo-jin chuckled at the robotic female voice.

“It gets enhanced?”

The results were beyond what he’d expected. Honestly, Woo-jin had somewhat anticipated this, but he hadn’t expected it to escalate this much.

The clue was the cigarette.

Woo-jin had never touched a cigarette in his life. However, after acquiring the subspace, he’d experienced smoking for the first time as ‘Kim Ryu-jin’ during the early days of the ‘Errand Agency.’ The strange thing was, he had no aversion to it at all. If someone who has never smoked before tries it, their body will almost certainly react negatively.

But Kang Woo-jin didn’t even cough.

That meant it was the subspace’s ability.

It was transferring the characteristics of the role to Woo-jin’s body. That’s why, when playing ‘Lee Sang-man’ this time, Woo-jin wasn’t at all unfamiliar with cigarettes. Addiction? There was nothing to worry about. When he embodied ‘Lee Sang-man,’ he craved cigarettes, but when he finished acting and put ‘Lee Sang-man’ away, he didn’t think about cigarettes at all.

That’s what sparked an idea in Kang Woo-jin. Could singing also be learned like smoking?

It wasn’t like Woo-jin was hoping for something grand. He just thought it would be enough to match the situation in the drama. Maybe a line or a song. It was a bit different from languages. Anyone can study languages, but singing requires a certain amount of talent and physical predisposition.

But.

[“Preparing to enhance ‘vocal ability’…”]

The subspace was even enhancing his ‘vocal ability.’ Just like with languages, was it really going to give him singing skills so blatantly?

“This subspace is insane? Wow—it’s just awesome.”

Where on earth does this bizarre subspace ability end? But that didn’t matter much right now. Kang Woo-jin just had to enjoy it.

Then, suddenly.

“Ah, but did my singing really need enhancement?”

Kang Woo-jin laughed awkwardly. He was quite confident in his singing, but it seemed the subspace thought it was pathetic. If Woo-jin had the same level of skill as ‘Han In-ho’ from ‘Male Friend,’ there wouldn’t have been any enhancement or anything.

“If I had just started filming, I would have been a laughingstock, ugh—just thinking about it is embarrassing.”

At that moment.

[“……Preparation complete. Starting ‘vocal ability’ enhancement.”]

With the female voice echoing in the subspace, the familiar giant grayness swallowed Kang Woo-jin. A brief blank. Soon, when Woo-jin opened his eyes again, he was standing in another space.

‘Huh? It’s a bit different?’

It was different from the place where he learned languages. First of all, his body wasn’t floating. And it wasn’t entirely gray. Kang Woo-jin wasn’t floating in a dark space like the subspace; he was standing upright.

Suddenly.

“Oh.”

A single white line of light flashed on in the dark space. It stretched from Kang Woo-jin’s feet to the far end. Something was coming along that line. It was a musical note. A silver, shining musical note. The note smoothly traveled along the white line, then suddenly sped up.

And then it climbed up Kang Woo-jin’s body.

The musical note stopped near Kang Woo-jin’s neck. It melted into Woo-jin’s neck like snow. At the same time, Kang Woo-jin felt a tingling sensation. It spread throughout his body.

“Ugh.”

The tingling sensation grew stronger. But the approaching notes weren’t just one.

“More are coming.”

Second, third. Numerous musical notes were approaching in a line along the white line.

How much time had passed?

Before he knew it, Kang Woo-jin was back in his hotel room. He had heard the robotic female voice one last time, but Woo-jin didn’t quite remember it. The things he had experienced just before were quite stimulating.

“……”

Woo-jin, who was standing near a small table, was slightly dazed. Then, he raised his hand and rubbed his neck. The tingling sensation remained. Soon, he spoke.

“Ah, ah, ah-”

Huh? Something had changed. Was it the resonance that was different?

“My voice is the same, but……”

It was hard to put into words. Woo-jin went straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

-Swish.

The bathroom was soon filled with the sound of rushing water. Kang Woo-jin cleared his throat for a moment and then opened his mouth. He just sang any song that came to mind.

-♬♪

Just one line. As soon as he sang a line from his go-to ballad at karaoke, Woo-jin.

“This is crazy.”

He could deeply feel his enhanced ‘vocal ability.’

After that.

Around 7 PM, Kang Woo-jin resumed filming for ‘Drug Dealer.’ The world had no idea about the bizarre things that had happened in the hotel room, and Kang Woo-jin didn’t show it on the outside either.

He just chuckled to himself.

‘Hehe, it feels like my vocalization is more powerful too?’

Kang Woo-jin’s vocalization, while playing ‘Lee Sang-man,’ had actually been upgraded. His diction was already realistic, but now it had more power. As a result, the production team, including director Kim Do-hee, were wide-eyed.

“Woo-jin’s intonation and diction seem a bit—more refreshing? Or is it just me?”

“It was good before, but… it feels like it sticks to the ear more.”

Regardless, Kang Woo-jin performed in a trance. With good things happening, there was no way he would feel tired. The scene they were filming now was the meeting between ‘Lee Sang-man’ and the Japanese Yakuza. In the scenario, it was the situation after ‘Jung Sung-hoon’ killed the drug lord Choi Jun-ho.

“The raw materials are from China, the manufacturing is in Korea, and the market is in Japan.”

‘Lee Sang-man’s’ Japanese was fluent. The actors playing the Japanese Yakuza were minor roles, and they had actually cast Japanese people. However, ‘Lee Sang-man’s’ Japanese was not out of place at all. It was just like a conversation between Japanese people.

“Haha, don’t worry about sales. But the manufacturing is not a problem, right?”

“Brother, don’t you trust me? I’ll deliver the highest quality without interruption, so you just focus on running the market properly.”

Of course, Kang Woo-jin wasn’t just good at expressing ‘Lee Sang-man’s’ Japanese. He also perfectly portrayed his gradual addiction. His declining energy over time, the increasingly dark circles under his eyes, his gaunt skin, his withering voice, and so on.

Woo-jin made the death from drug addiction look very realistic.

There was the power of makeup, but Kang Woo-jin’s fading gaze over time was a masterpiece. The praise from the gathered actors was proof of that.

“His intonation is losing strength, right? His gaze is also becoming weaker. It’s definitely different from the morning shoot. It’s a natural progression, but the details are extraordinary—”

“Look, look, he keeps looking at his forearm every time he speaks. He’s a complete drug addict. Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve seen a rookie take care of even those kinds of actions.”

“He definitely doesn’t have that rookie feel, Kang Woo-jin. He’s also hard to get close to. He’s a bit cold, so it’s hard to talk to him.”

“Hmm… I heard he learned acting on his own.”

“Huh?? Teacher, what do you mean?”

“I don’t know exactly either. I heard it from Mr. Park, the loafer. Anyway, he said that because he learned on his own, he lacks practice in interacting with other actors.”

While question marks were deepening among the actors, Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail, who was waiting a little away from the filming zone.

-Vroom, vroom.

His phone vibrated long. Thanks to that, he moved a few steps to answer the call.

“Yes, this is Choi Sung-gun—”

The person on the other end of the phone was a man.

“Hello, CEO Choi. I’m an employee from director Tanoguchi Kyotaro’s agency.”

“……Ah, ah! Yes, yes!”

Choi Sung-gun moved a few more steps away from where he was.

“We received the script you sent.”

“That’s a relief. The reason I’m calling is that director Kyotaro is currently in Korea.”

Choi Sung-gun’s eyes widened.

“Yes? Now? In Korea?”

“Yes. Of course, he won’t meet Kang Woo-jin right away. The director has a separate schedule.”

“Ah, yes.”

“However, the director and a guest who came with him have requested to see Kang Woo-jin’s acting in person. Do you have a schedule where Kang Woo-jin is currently filming?”

At the question, Choi Sung-gun turned his gaze to the filming zone. Kang Woo-jin was in the middle of a passionate performance. Here, Choi Sung-gun’s quick wit kicked in.

‘I knew that director Kyotaro was coming back to Korea. But isn’t it a bit early?’

Something was up. More than anything, the word Choi Sung-gun focused on was ‘guest.’ It was Kyotaro, a renowned master from Japan. The guest he brought with him must be an extraordinary person. If so, it was more advantageous to show them openly than to hide it.

Choi Sung-gun, having quickly come to a conclusion, organized his upcoming schedule in his head and then spoke again.

“Actually, Woo-jin is currently filming a movie.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. It’s a cameo, but it’s a pretty significant role, so there shouldn’t be any problem seeing his acting. But you’ll have to adjust the time.”

“Could you tell me the schedule?”

“As soon as today’s filming is over, we’ll be out and then rejoin about two days later.”

Around that time, Kang Woo-jin’s filming would be finished. ‘Lee Sang-man’s’ final ferocity and miserable death. A schedule to film two contrasting scenes in a row. In a way, they were very impressive cuts.

“So, we can visit in two days?”

“Yes.”

After the sound of paper turning over on the other end of the phone, the man spoke again.

“Okay, I’ll try to move around in two days. But the director and the guest will quietly watch Kang Woo-jin’s acting.”

“Yes. I’ll keep it a secret from Woo-jin. It could interfere with his acting. But I need to get consent from the director on set.”

“Of course. If the director on set objects, there’s nothing we can do.”

The conversation was slowly coming to an end.

“Then, I’ll get consent from the director on set first and then contact you again.”

“Please do. Ah, and is Kang Woo-jin reading director Kyotaro’s script?”

“Woo-jin takes care of that on his own, so I don’t interfere, but he’s probably reading it properly.”

Choi Sung-gun chuckled, recalling Kang Woo-jin’s no-nonsense personality.

“He might have already made a decision.”

The next day, the morning of the 10th, at the HTBS broadcasting station.

The time was a little past 9 AM. At this time, Kang Woo-jin and Choi Sung-gun were walking down the corridor of the HTBS entertainment department. Their attire was casual. White short-sleeved shirts and jeans. The weather had become very hot as June began.

Anyway.

“Then, go ahead.”

Choi Sung-gun patted Kang Woo-jin’s shoulder in front of a meeting room. It seemed that only Woo-jin was going to enter this meeting room. Thanks to that, Woo-jin’s expression was very firm with his concept.

“Yes, CEO.”

Inside, he was a little anxious.

‘Damn, I’ve been to a broadcasting station, but this is my first time in the entertainment department. I don’t even know why I’m here.’

Woo-jin had grown a lot, but there were still many things he was unfamiliar with. Still, his pretense of strength had also grown stronger. Woo-jin knocked on the meeting room door and opened it. The first thing he saw was Yoon Byung-sun PD [Production Director], a giant in the entertainment industry, wearing glasses.

“Oh, oh—Woo-jin, you’re here?”

He stood up to greet Kang Woo-jin. There were also several female writers included. Woo-jin maintained his solemnity and shook the hand that Yoon Byung-sun PD offered.

“Hello, PD.”

He also briefly greeted the surrounding writers. Then, the scene of the meeting room came into view. A fairly large desk with several small cameras on it. There were also cameras installed throughout the meeting room. Soon, when Kang Woo-jin stared intently at Yoon Byung-sun PD, he smiled as if to say not to worry.

“Hahaha, don’t feel pressured. If Woo-jin is confirmed, we’ll use it as footage, but if not, we’ll never use it. There are many viewers who like this kind of preparation stage.”

Confirmed? What confirmation? Kang Woo-jin tilted his head in confusion, but he sat down for now, and Yoon Byung-sun PD, with a smiling face, continued to speak.

“You’re busy these days, right? I saw the articles. Congratulations on the advertisement. Well, your momentum is just crazy, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Your value is going up every day, Woo-jin. Now—there’s something I want to show you.”

Yoon Byung-sun PD handed Woo-jin a thin stack of papers he had received from a writer.

“It’s the plan for a new variety show we’re preparing. Well, it’s still a draft, but production is confirmed.”

“……”

“We’re aiming for the second half of this year, and the scale will probably be among the top of the variety shows I’ve done. For now, would you like to read the plan, even roughly?”

“Ah—yes.”

Kang Woo-jin, having answered, silently lowered his gaze. And then he shouted inwardly.

‘Variety show?! What is this? Is Yoon Byung-sun PD trying to cast me right now??’

Yoon Byung-sun PD, who had no idea about this, continued his explanation.

“As you can see, the main stage will be overseas. One English-speaking country in Europe, Japan, and the last one is still under consideration whether it will be Korea or another country.”

Indeed, it was a mega-variety show.

“We’re planning a total of three series. Of course, we won’t go all at once, but we’ll divide it by quarter. If we film the first one in the winter, we’ll rest for a bit and then film the second one, and so on.”

Woo-jin’s heart was beating faster and faster, but he tried to answer calmly.

“I see.”

“We’re going to open a restaurant. We’ll be selling Korean food to foreigners. The goal is to capture both laughter and meaning at the same time. It also includes culture, foreigners’ reactions, and the promotion of Korea. Therefore, it would be good if the actors could speak foreign languages. At least one or two.”

Yoon Byung-sun PD, who had been briefing leisurely, took off his glasses and leaned towards Kang Woo-jin.

“And I’d like one of those one or two people to be Kang Woo-jin.”

“……”

“How about it? I’m making you a formal offer.”

This was crazy. Really crazy. Kang Woo-jin desperately maintained a blank expression. But inside, he was jumping for joy.

‘Me? That Yoon Byung-sun PD is casting me?!’

Kang Woo-jin was a fan of Yoon Byung-sun PD. No, to be clear, he liked his variety shows. But being cast in his variety show, which he enjoyed on TV and YouTube? This was completely different from ‘Sports Day.’ It was being cast in Yoon Byung-sun PD’s formal variety show.

Thanks to that, Woo-jin’s mind was in a mess.

But he couldn’t show it. Let’s be cynical and buy some time.

“Hmm-”

Kang Woo-jin let out a small cough. This seemed to be heard as a concern by Yoon Byung-sun PD.

‘Well, he probably doesn’t have anything to be sorry about right now.’

Yoon Byung-sun PD quickly spoke.

“It’ll be fun. You can also get some fresh air overseas after a long time.”

After a long time? It’s my first time, what do you mean after a long time? Ah—this smells like a misunderstanding. Regardless.

“But I didn’t make you an offer just because of your language skills. Your character is unique. You saw the reaction to ‘Sports Day,’ right? Your character is popular enough with the public.”

“Yes, I saw that too.”

“People like you. Ah—honestly, I thought about other people for your spot. I even had meetings. But you’re the most appealing. I’m greedy. I really want to work with you.”

Including the writers, Yoon Byung-sun PD stared intently at Kang Woo-jin’s indifferent face. However, Kang Woo-jin didn’t open his mouth right away. An inscrutable face. It was only after several tens of seconds that he spoke again.

“If there are conditions, would you listen to them?”

End