I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 86

Lee Sang-man was smiling faintly. He blew out a long stream of cigarette smoke towards the camera directly in front of him, close enough to touch. The thick smoke covered the camera before dissipating.

Lee Sang-man’s expression, which had been hidden, changed.

The bizarre smile he had been wearing transformed into a stiff, expressionless face. The monitor that Director Kim Do-hee was watching was filled with Lee Sang-man’s rigid face. Although his face was darkened by age spots, the red blood splatters from Professor Kim added a strange vitality.

Director Kim Do-hee held her breath and stared at Lee Sang-man on the monitor.

‘That’s it, the visuals are killer. The clown-like transformation and emotional shifts. It’s electrifying every time I see it, damn it.’

Compared to his first appearance, Lee Sang-man now seemed like a madman. The drugs he was addicted to had eaten away at his mind. However, even as he descended into madness, Lee Sang-man occasionally showed glimpses of his past self, his past expressions.

A fleeting moment.

He could no longer escape the swamp of addiction.

‘His true desire to break free, his reason to live, is pushing through his instincts. In a fleeting moment.’

Although she had written it herself, Director Kim Do-hee felt a thrill seeing something beyond her words. How could he express such contrasting emotions?

‘His eyes are a mix of venom and solitude. And it’s even more absurd that they harmonize.’

This kind of expression wasn’t written in the script. It was purely created by the emotions that Kang Woo-jin had brought forth.

However, his eyes were closer to despair than hope.

Everyone on set sensed the end in Lee Sang-man’s fleeting moments. An acting performance that suggested his approach to death through his gaze alone. The audience watching Lee Sang-man on the big screen would probably feel the same way.

Then.

-Swish.

Only after Lee Sang-man exhaled another long stream of cigarette smoke and downed a shot of soju [a Korean distilled spirit].

“……”

Director Kim Do-hee, whose face was practically glued to the monitor, shouted into the megaphone.

“Cut!! OKOK!! That’s great! Fantastic!”

Satisfied, Director Kim Do-hee rushed into the filming zone.

“Wow, Woo-jin! Your tension right now is insane! Let’s do one more take, we focused on the rear view, so this time let’s go with the front.”

“Yes, I understand, Director.”

Woo-jin, who had quickly shed Lee Sang-man’s aura, was immediately surrounded by the makeup staff. They needed to fix his makeup for the reshoot.

He calmly allowed the staff to work on him, while inwardly sighing in relief.

‘Whoa, that was close. That brick was lighter than I thought, I almost sent it flying.’

The brick that had finished off Professor Kim was made of styrofoam by the props team.

‘I need to put more force into my grip, if it flies off, it’s a real disaster. It’ll be an instant NG [No Good, meaning a failed take].’

At that moment, Park Pan-seo, who had removed his blood makeup, approached Woo-jin.

“Woo-jin.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

“When you were hitting my head on the floor, how about after hitting it about three times, you grab my hair and lift my face up?”

Suddenly? Woo-jin looked at Park Pan-seo and asked.

“You mean to check if I’m dead or alive?”

“Yeah, with that kind of vibe.”

Park Pan-seo nodded and turned his gaze to Director Kim Do-hee, who was standing next to him.

“After doing it, I think it would be more impactful if Lee Sang-man glanced at my face right before I die. Is that okay?”

“Of course. I think that would be great. Let’s try it your way this time.”

“Hmm. And Woo-jin, when you come up behind me…”

Park Pan-seo and Kang Woo-jin discussed various aspects of the previous scene. It wasn’t so much a teaching session as it was a discussion to coordinate their ideas and create a better scene.

Director Kim Do-hee, who was watching them, smiled faintly.

‘He’s always been someone who’s very ambitious about scenes… but he seems quite excited. And he’s not seeing Woo-jin as a rookie, but just as an actor.’

In fact, Park Pan-seo even said that he wanted to learn from Kang Woo-jin.

“When Lee Sang-man’s emotions fluctuate, how do you switch your emotions so quickly? Do you establish a connection beforehand?”

“…No. I don’t.”

“Then?”

Here, he added a dash of bravado.

“I just imagine it and let it spread through my body.”

“…That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. I’m learning a lot. Please take care of me this time as well.”

He felt good. Woo-jin was completely immersed in the sweetness of ‘recognition.’ Whether it was a delusion or not, he had received a lot of recognition so far, but the recognition related to acting was the best of all.

‘Wow, the sense of accomplishment is amazing.’

It was an addiction completely different from Lee Sang-man’s. And so, Kang Woo-jin and Park Pan-seo resumed filming. The scenes became increasingly raw and realistic, but the quality was exceptionally good. Park Pan-seo’s development, and Woo-jin’s Lee Sang-man becoming several times clearer with each repetition.

“Or you guys can steam it and eat it. It’s tender because it’s minced.”

Cut and action were repeated a couple of times. With each take, Lee Sang-man’s madness intensified, and the staff couldn’t help but be amazed by Woo-jin’s trance-like acting.

And then.

‘Yes, this is what I wanted.’

Director Kyotaro, who had been watching Kang Woo-jin’s acting from the beginning, had already stood up.

‘I’m glad I came to see it in person. It’s dozens of times different from watching it on video.’

No, it had been like that since Woo-jin’s acting had begun. Although his face was covered by a mask, his sparkling eyes were clear.

‘A rookie in a cameo role, but his acting is making the great Korean actors and the entire staff speechless. An explosive power that makes you lose yourself when you watch it.’

Director Kyotaro, with his gray hair, looked around the entire filming set and then stared at Director Kim Do-hee, who was sitting in front of the monitor. He was greedy.

‘I want to sit down right now and touch that acting directly.’

He believed that this rookie actor, who was finally seeing the light after wandering through short films, would stir up the numerous Japanese actors and the Japanese acting scene.

Here, Director Kyotaro lowered his gaze. To look at writer Akari on his left.

She was wearing her glasses on the tip of her nose.

“……”

Unlike Director Kyotaro, she was sitting down. But she wasn’t calm. Why? Because her pupils were several times more dilated than his.

“Oh my god…”

Writer Akari murmured in Japanese. It was as if Kang Woo-jin’s acting was a new kind of acting she had never seen before.

Of course, it was.

‘Experience? Intensity? Lack? No, it’s different. Nothing is lacking. Rather, it’s overflowing. How does that actor… why does he possess such depth?’

It was the ideal that writer Akari, who had created countless characters, had always wanted. A wish that if the character she wrote were alive, they would be exactly like that.

At that moment.

“Writer.”

Director Kyotaro whispered to writer Akari.

“How is it, seeing it in person?”

Writer Akari, who couldn’t take her eyes off Kang Woo-jin in the scene, answered as if she were possessed.

“…Later. Let’s talk later.”

She didn’t want to be disturbed.

Several hours later.

As the filming continued, the sun was setting. However, the filming fervor for ‘Drug Dealer’ was only getting hotter as time went on.

“Water truck! Let’s spray some rain!!”

“OK!”

The location was the same place where Professor Kim’s head had been smashed. However, the props and the surrounding atmosphere were different. It was slightly darker because the sun was setting, and a water truck was prepared to pour rain, like in Lee Sang-man’s first appearance.

And then.

“Prepare the extras!”

“Yes! Here! Gather over here!”

Additional extras in black suits, who would play Lee Sang-man’s subordinates, were also added. About a dozen of them. Among them was a supporting actor who played Lee Sang-man’s right-hand man. They were all given sharp sashimi knives.

This scene was the cut that would mark Lee Sang-man’s end.

It was going to show a very miserable end. In the scenario, after Lee Sang-man killed Professor Kim, Jung Sung-hoon couldn’t stand to see Lee Sang-man becoming increasingly insane. Until then, Lee Sang-man had been walking a tightrope, but after killing Professor Kim, he was no different from a runaway madman.

On top of that, he spent half of his days high on drugs.

Lee Sang-man was already beyond control. On the other hand, the size of the Sang-man gang had more than doubled compared to the past. Jung Sung-hoon decided that things couldn’t continue like this. His own life was also in danger. Therefore, Jung Sung-hoon decided to eliminate Lee Sang-man.

Of course, he had no intention of doing it himself.

The target was Lee Sang-man’s right-hand man. He called him out and subtly scratched at Lee Sang-man’s recent problems, while also throwing out the bait that he would work with him if Lee Sang-man was eliminated. The right-hand man accepted this very quickly. Unlike in the past, Lee Sang-man’s condition was very poor. There was no ferocious beast, only a drug-crazed lunatic.

Now was the right time to strike.

Soon, the right-hand man coordinated with Jung Sung-hoon to set a trap. They made an appointment with Lee Sang-man to talk about the domestic market in Korea, not Japan.

The location was in front of the warehouse near the port where Professor Kim had been killed.

It was raining cats and dogs on the day they were supposed to meet. The car was filled with sticky humidity and an unpleasant dampness.

“……”

Kang Woo-jin, whose age spots had become darker than before, was sitting in the back seat. His eyes were wandering aimlessly. There was no vitality. No life. Just a dumb doll that was breathing. For some reason, his vision was like a roller coaster. Woo-jin had already brought out everything about Lee Sang-man.

At that moment.

“Hi- Action!”

Director Kim Do-hee’s signal was given. Soon, Lee Sang-man lowered his eyes, which had been wandering aimlessly. He moved his slightly trembling hand and took out a cigarette pack from his inner pocket. It was sweet. Lee Sang-man thought the cigarette tasted good.

“Hoo-”

Was it because he had taken drugs a little while ago? Or was it because of the rain hitting the car? Lee Sang-man took the longest drag he could. The cigarette smoke circled his entire body. That was the sensation.

At that moment.

-Click.

The back door of the car opened. The right-hand man, holding an umbrella, said amidst the sound of the pouring rain.

“Boss, Jung Sung-hoon has arrived.”

Lee Sang-man, who was stuck in his seat, barely moved his head.

“……”

He didn’t say anything in particular. No, he couldn’t. He had no strength. His body wasn’t the same as before. The elasticity of his flesh was gone, and his muscles had wasted away. Perhaps just standing was all he could manage. All of that was reflected on Lee Sang-man’s face, and the camera captured his face head-on.

-Swish.

Lee Sang-man moved somehow. What was moving him now was the faint remaining sense of purpose. And his position as the boss. However, the little reason that remained was on the verge of being consumed by the instinct to blindly crave drugs.

Then, Lee Sang-man slowly extended his hand out of the umbrella.

The heavy rain lashed at his emaciated hand. It was a stark contrast to his first appearance.

Here, the dozens of staff members who were watching Lee Sang-man felt a chill for some reason.

‘His energy is 180 degrees different from his first appearance, he’s a bastard but he looks pathetic. His acting is insane, really.’

‘Seriously… every single movement catches my eye. He’s a legendary character.’

Some were involuntarily impressed.

“The visuals… are killer.”

Others covered their mouths. At this moment, Lee Sang-man, who had extended his hand out of the umbrella, said quietly.

“It’s going to get wet.”

At his short words, the right-hand man’s face hardened even more.

“Are you talking about the sea?”

Lee Sang-man smiled weakly, a deathly look on his face.

“Yeah. The sea.”

“You’ve lost a lot of weight.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Lee Sang-man slowly lowered his hand and looked at his rain-soaked hand. He chuckled. It seemed like there had been a similar scene before.

“Damn it, let’s finish this quickly and get some drinks.”

Lee Sang-man and his group of subordinates moved towards the warehouse. The downpour was getting stronger. It was enough to obstruct the view, and Lee Sang-man took out his cigarette pack again and slowly scanned the area around the warehouse. The camera also showed the warehouse from behind Lee Sang-man.

He wasn’t there. Jung Sung-hoon, who should have been there, was nowhere to be seen.

The camera zoomed in on Lee Sang-man’s profile again. It was at this moment that Lee Sang-man, who was exhaling a long stream of cigarette smoke, spoke in a weak voice. He was speaking to the right-hand man standing next to him.

“Did he disappear, or was he never here to begin with?”

“……”

He was calm. He was neither a ferocious beast nor a crazy lunatic. He was just a drug addict who had given up on everything, sensing his miserable end in a few minutes.

“He was never here to begin with.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Boss.”

“Bullshit. Don’t be so cheesy with the farewells.”

The right-hand man slowly lowered the umbrella he was holding. At the same time, the dozen or so subordinates did the same. Soon, they were all soaked in the pouring rain. Then, Lee Sang-man looked up at the falling rain and slowly put the wet cigarette in his mouth.

At this moment.

-Thud!!

A large man among the subordinates stabbed Lee Sang-man in the abdomen with something. However, Lee Sang-man didn’t move much. He just stared at the man with a listless gaze. Although his aura was weak, the man felt fear and backed away from Lee Sang-man, trembling.

Lee Sang-man, looking at the subordinate, looked down at the sashimi knife stuck in his stomach.

It was a familiar knife.

“You bastard. Why did you stop halfway?”

It was the sashimi knife that he had stuck in Jung Sung-hoon’s eye, the one he had given him as a gift. Lee Sang-man pulled it out of his stomach and threw it at the large man.

“Put it back in.”

Whether this was the starting shot or not, the right-hand man shouted to the dozen or so subordinates.

“Finish him off!!”

The subordinates, who had been hesitating, rushed at Lee Sang-man at once. The camera pulled back slightly to show the group shot. Sounds like thuds or swishes weren’t clearly heard. There was only the sound of the heavy rain hitting the ground. However, only red rain flowed at Lee Sang-man’s feet.

And so.

-Thud!

Lee Sang-man, who had been stabbed repeatedly, knelt down. His abdomen was a mess. Red liquid gushed out. The right-hand man kicked Lee Sang-man, who had lost his strength.

“…Ugh-”

Blood flowed from Lee Sang-man’s mouth as he fell to the ground. At this moment, the right-hand man scattered something he had brought around Lee Sang-man. It was the equipment that the drug addict used. The transparent granules that Lee Sang-man had hoarded. No, even the diamond bags were included.

“Ugh- Cough.”

Lee Sang-man, who had fallen over, had blurred vision. In the midst of it, he started to crawl. Squeak, squeak. He squeezed out all of his remaining life to crawl. There was only one thing he was looking at. A syringe. Although death was right in front of him, he crawled like a zombie and picked up the syringe. His hands were trembling, but he somehow managed to lift it.

And then.

-Thud.

He stabbed it somewhere. The right-hand man, who was watching him, cursed quietly.

“Idiot.”

Lee Sang-man started to laugh.

“Heh, heh heh.”

He was confused. He was confusing reality with death. The sensation of death taking over his body and the drugs entering his bloodstream wasn’t much different.

The scene of drugs and death was no different.

The problem was.

“Heh heh heh- Heh heh.”

The syringe he had stabbed was empty. He had just made another hole in his already stabbed body. Lee Sang-man, who was trembling, muttered softly at the brink of death.

“The high… is amazing, damn it.”

Lee Sang-man’s heart stopped beating right there.

Afterward,

Director Kyotaro and writer Akari had left the ‘Drug Dealer’ set and were on their way to Seoul in a van. Of course, they didn’t meet Kang Woo-jin as planned. No, they wanted to meet him, but they couldn’t.

They didn’t want to disturb his amazing acting.

“……”

“……”

The atmosphere inside the van was heavy. Both Director Kyotaro and writer Akari were silent. They were just looking out the window or lost in thought. One thing they had in common was that they kept getting goosebumps.

After about 30 minutes of silence in the van.

“Writer.”

The first Japanese words were heard. Director Kyotaro spoke first.

“After seeing actor Kang Woo-jin… what role came to your mind?”

Then, writer Akari, who had been looking out the window, slowly took off her glasses. And then, she thought of Kang Woo-jin. In fact, after seeing Woo-jin’s ‘Lee Sang-man,’ only one role had been deeply imprinted in her mind.

“…The role of Kiyoshi.”

As soon as he heard the answer, Director Kyotaro smiled faintly.

“It’s the same role I had in mind.”

It was one of the main roles in ‘The Bizarre Sacrifice of a Stranger.’

End