I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 111

“Instead of the leads—let’s invite the villains?”

The idea, thrown out so casually, prompted serious expressions from the main PDs [Program Directors] and writers at the meeting.

Then,

“Yuki-san, have you seen that drama?” the gaunt main PD asked in Japanese. As expected, the small-eyed female writer who had suggested the idea nodded.

“Yes, I watched ‘Han Ryang’ as soon as it was released on Netflix. Actually, I’m a fan of Ryu Jung-min.”

“Haha. Is that so? What did you think of the drama?”

“It’s great. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I binge-watched a drama like this. PD-nim, haven’t you seen it?”

“I need to find the time to watch it.”

“Um—honestly, once you watch the first episode, you’re hooked. Is there a reason why it exceeded 25% viewership in Korea?”

The main PD, already aware of the numbers, clicked his tongue as if newly shocked.

“…25%. In this day and age, 25% viewership—that’s enviable and amazing. What’s the basic information on ‘Han Ryang’?”

“A star drama writer in Korea wrote the script, and a big-name director helmed it. What’s unique is that it follows the original Korean drama format, but there are a total of four villains in the drama.”

Another broadcast writer chimed in.

“Four?”

“Yeah. Four villains, with their stories woven into a total of 16 episodes.”

“Indeed. So, even with many episodes, our audience didn’t find it overwhelming.”

“That might be one of the reasons for its success.”

Here, the small-eyed female writer, Yuki, turned her gaze back to the PD.

“‘Han Ryang’ has been number one on Netflix for over ten days since its release, and its popularity is still growing. The momentum is quite unusual. Just looking at online communities and social media, there’s a lot of buzz about the ‘Han Ryang’ drama. It doesn’t seem like a passing fad, but something that will last for a while?”

“Hmm, among those four villains, which actor is getting the most mentions right now?”

“It’s the first villain who appears in the early part of the drama. Kang Woo-jin, who plays ‘Manager Park.’ He’s getting the most praise for his acting and visuals.”

The gaunt PD, as if the name was unfamiliar, scratched his cheek.

“The name is coming up a lot?”

“I looked him up because I was curious. He’s incredibly popular in Korea right now.”

“Really? How long has he been acting? If he had some experience, I wouldn’t have missed him.”

“He seems to be a rookie. Most of the villains in ‘Han Ryang’ are B-list or rookie actors.”

“Is that so? Then the cost is somewhat reduced. Except for that actor, Kang Woo-jin.”

The female writer nodded.

“It might be difficult to cast Kang Woo-jin, he seems to have a lot of projects going on. But aside from the cost, we should make him the main focus.”

“That’s right. If the main focus is missing, it’s a meaningless project.”

The title of the Japanese talk show they were producing was ‘Ametalk Show!’

It was a long-running talk show, having been around for over 10 years, and it had undergone many changes. The entire production team was replaced, and the format was changed, etc. But fortunately, it didn’t fail. The reason was simple: it consistently maintained a 10% viewership rating. It also benefited from being broadcast during prime time.

The viewing age range was diverse.

Currently, ‘Ametalk Show!’ was broadcast in two formats. The first 30 minutes of the approximately 1-hour runtime was a talk show, and the latter 30 minutes showed viewers a skit with comedy elements. However, the two sections had completely different teams. In other words, it was fair to say that two programs were mixed within ‘Ametalk Show!’

Anyway, the guests on this show were mostly top stars.

There were many Japanese stars, but there were also occasional appearances by overseas stars, including those from Korea. Therefore, the power to create buzz was decent. ‘Ametalk Show!’ had a special feature once a month. Last time it was about Hollywood, and now, with the broadcast writer’s idea, it was leaning towards ‘K-Drama Week.’

Anyway.

“The Korean Wave [Hallyu] has been going on for several years, and ‘K-Drama Week’ is riding that wave—” the PD muttered, looking into the air.

“Well, it’s not as big as K-Pop, but K-Dramas are also hot. ‘Han Ryang’ is one thing, but just focusing on K-Dramas can pique viewers’ curiosity—good, let’s start the investigation with ‘K-Drama Week’ as the first option.”

“Yes!”

“First of all—check with Netflix about how popular that drama ‘Han Ryang’ is right now, and collect all the data from articles, social media, portal sites, communities, etc.”

“Including Korea?”

“Of course, we need to check. Everything from the first broadcast to the end of ‘Han Ryang.'”

The workload increased instantly.

“Also, find out about the four villain actors, both in Japan and Korea. Among them, Kang Woo-jin should be the focus.”

The PD, who was giving instructions, got up from his seat and suddenly added something that came to mind.

“Ah, and we’ll need an interpreter too.”

About an hour later, back in Korea.

The bustling filming set of ‘My Guy Friend.’ Director Shin Dong-chun was showing Kim Dae-young the script and giving a brief scene explanation. Kim Dae-young was absorbing the explanation with utmost seriousness. However, if Kim Dae-young’s acting was lacking, he would naturally be replaced. Kim Dae-young was surely aware of this.

Still, the recommendation from ‘lead’ Kang Woo-jin carried weight.

No one on set raised any objections. Anyway, Woo-jin, with his arms crossed, was quietly watching his best friend, Kim Dae-young. As if he was seeing that side of him for the first time.

‘He’s so serious, I guess I’ve never seen him working before.’

At that moment,

“What’s up? All of a sudden,” Choi Sung-gun tapped Kang Woo-jin’s back indifferently.

“Even though you seem distant with your friend usually, you suddenly recommended him for a minor role?”

Woo-jin answered the question with a question.

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Problem? What problem could there be? Dae-young-ssi was just here to help out anyway. But it’s a bit out of the blue? Is there a reason?”

“…That was his dream. I don’t know if it still is.”

“Dream? Ah—right, he said he was in an acting club or something?”

“Yes.”

When Woo-jin, who had answered blandly, turned his gaze back to Kim Dae-young, Choi Sung-gun, whose smile had deepened for some reason, grabbed Kang Woo-jin’s shoulder and shook it lightly.

“Haha, you remembered your friend’s dream? You’re such a tsundere [a person who is initially cold but later shows warmth]. You do things you wouldn’t normally do.”

“No, it just fit the situation, so I made the offer.”

“That’s what they call a tsundere, you know.”

“…Is that so?”

Around this time, Hwa-rin’s fan heart, who had been watching the current situation from a few steps behind Kang Woo-jin.

‘Casually taking care of things with a nonchalant face.’

It was growing even bigger. To the point where she would nod vigorously if asked to be a fan for life.

‘That’s what really captivates people.’

Of course, Kang Woo-jin didn’t intend it.

Right at that moment,

“Alright! Let’s start with rehearsals when Dae-young-ssi is ready!” Director Shin Dong-chun announced the start of filming.

Having finished the rehearsals, the ‘My Guy Friend’ team began the actual filming. The scene was set in a secluded area behind a building. There were piles of full trash bags and discarded school supplies. Some were added by the props team, and some were actually discarded by the school.

Then,

“Actors, stand by!” At the assistant director’s shout, the actors stepped in front of the set cameras. All of them were minor actors wearing school uniforms. Of course, the burly Kim Dae-young was included. A total of six people. Three men and three women.

They all exuded a rowdy atmosphere.

The six minor actors were playing the school bullies. So, the men had their summer uniforms unbuttoned haphazardly, and the women had thick makeup and tight-fitting uniforms.

Finally,

“‘Lee Bo-min’ is done!” Lee Bo-min, that is, Hwa-rin, with her makeup touched up, wearing a slightly oversized uniform and her long hair tied in a single braid, moved in front of the six bullies. Her appearance completed the actor placement, and Director Shin Dong-chun, in his seat with the monitor, gave a signal to the key staff.

“Camera!!”

“Okay—”

“Audio!”

“No problem!”

Director Shin Dong-chun, having checked the lighting and everything else, shouted into the megaphone.

“High—Action!!”

As soon as the signal dropped, the ordinary expressions of the six bullies turned into various expressions of meanness. The three men, including Kim Dae-young, stepped back with sneers, and the three women, with their faces full of venom, approached the blankly standing Lee Bo-min.

“Hey, Lee Bo-min,” the one leading the female bullies had a pointy nose. Her voice was full of provocation.

“Just because people say you’re pretty, do you think everyone likes you?”

It was clearly aggressive, but Lee Bo-min just stared at the pointy-nosed woman. However, a spirit of not backing down was evident on her face.

“……”

“Look at this? Ignoring me? Unbelievable. You’re annoying. Don’t keep getting in my sight.”

The woman, who had been frowning, suddenly smiled and held up the chocolate milk she had brought. Then, she tore open the milk’s opening. Just as she was about to drink it, she poured the chocolate milk over Lee Bo-min’s head.

-Swish.

Thanks to that, the brown milk flowed down Lee Bo-min’s head, face, and uniform. The camera, starting from Lee Bo-min’s face with wide eyes, gradually pulled back to capture her whole body. Her face was full of bewilderment. Even though she was malicious, she didn’t expect this situation to unfold.

Here, the camera moved again. A close-up of the bully woman’s face, who had thrown the empty milk carton on the floor.

“Why? Don’t you like it? I shared it because I thought you couldn’t drink it all.”

The bully woman and her friends giggled. And the male bullies in the back were also smirking. The situation was extremely uncomfortable.

It was at that moment.

-Whoosh!

From somewhere, a milk carton flew like a baseball and struck the bully woman’s side.

-Thwack!!

The milk carton made a cheerful noise and sprayed white liquid like fireworks. It seemed to be white milk. But that wasn’t the end. A series of milk cartons flew and struck her head.

Again, the liquid sprayed spectacularly.

This time, it was pink, not white, as it was strawberry milk, and the bully woman, whose face and uniform were covered in white and strawberry milk, let out a scream close to a shriek.

“Kyaa!!! What is it!!!”

The startled male bullies slowly turned their heads. The camera moved along with their gaze. In the direction the milk had come from.

“Hmm.”

Kang Woo-jin, with a blank expression. No, ‘Han In-ho’ was frozen in a pitching pose, as if he had thrown a ball. Then, a simple line.

“Strike.”

Here, Director Shin Dong-chun yelled cut! After regrouping, the scene was filmed again. From the moment Han In-ho threw the milk carton like a baseball. Soon, Han In-ho, who had released his pitcher’s pose, slowly began to walk. The camera was backing away in front of him.

“……”

Han In-ho approached Lee Bo-min without a word. The male bullies’ eyes were full of caution. The female bullies were yelling something. Regardless, Han In-ho.

-Swish.

He stood in front of Lee Bo-min, who was showered in chocolate milk, and looked down at her quietly. For some reason, he gave a faint chuckle. Then, he took off his summer uniform top and rubbed Lee Bo-min’s face with it. There was no hesitation in his actions, but there was consideration mixed in, and it was rough and clumsy, but there was affection in his purpose.

It was that kind of hand movement.

Soon, Han In-ho tilted his head slightly and threw a word at Lee Bo-min.

“Are you hot?”

“…What!!”

“No, I was just wondering since you took a shower with milk. If you were hot.”

“I don’t know.”

“Wipe it off.”

Han In-ho, who had handed his uniform top to Lee Bo-min, turned his body around. The male bullies were already standing in front of him, and Han In-ho gently scanned them, from the male bullies to the female bullies. His eyes were lifeless, and his face was expressionless.

“Hmm—”

However, a faint anger flickered in his calm eyes. It was just that level of intensity. But it wasn’t overly expressed. He was appropriately controlling the rage that was bubbling inside him with his usual demeanor.

The burly bully man, that is, Kim Dae-young, who witnessed it right in front of him, was newly impressed.

‘He’s meticulous… no, he’s incredibly meticulous. This guy is really good at acting—you can feel that he’s suppressing his annoyance and anger just by looking at his face.’

He even got goosebumps. Of course, this was the same for Director Shin Dong-chun, who was watching the monitor.

‘He’s controlling his emotions, but he’s clumsy, so you can feel the surge of emotions through his eyes. Yes, that’s Han In-ho. Clumsy in everything, but with nothing to be desired.’

At that moment.

-Whoosh!!

The pointy-nosed female bully threw the empty milk carton that had hit her hard at Han In-ho. But Han In-ho quickly pulled his head back and dodged the milk carton.

Naturally, the milk carton hit Lee Bo-min’s face.

“Ah!!!”

Lee Bo-min screamed. Han In-ho calmly raised his right hand slightly to her.

“Ah, sorry. I have good reflexes.”

“You crazy bastard!”

“Uh-huh. Okay. Thanks for accepting my apology.”

It was at this moment that the burly bully man appeared. That is, Kim Dae-young, and he grabbed Han In-ho’s shoulder and roughly turned him around. The burly man was smiling leisurely.

“You two are a couple, right?”

“No, we’re not.”

At Kim Dae-young’s first line, Director Shin Dong-chun stroked his chin.

‘Hmm—it’s not bad. His pronunciation and tone are appropriate.’

The burly bully man grabbed Han In-ho’s collar, who was slightly smaller than him. Thanks to that, the white t-shirt that Han In-ho was wearing underneath stretched out, and his subtly toned abs were slightly revealed.

Here’s Kim Dae-young’s line.

“Let’s test your husband’s toughness.”

Despite the crisis, the laziness didn’t leave Han In-ho’s face. Instead, he glanced at the burly forearm of the bully man right in front of him.

“Test? Not murder? Why are you carrying a weapon on your arm?”

“This guy’s crazy.”

It was when the burly bully man, who had muttered coldly, moved his huge fist.

-Swish.

Han In-ho, with an expressionless face, pointed his index finger upwards.

“Before you swing that weapon, look up.”

Soon, everyone except Han In-ho looked up. Of course, the camera did too. A window was open about halfway up the second floor. A bald head was floating in that window.

“……These guys.”

That is, the principal.

The next day, late in the morning, at BW Entertainment.

BW Entertainment, which had recently increased its staff, was generally a busy scene without a break.

“Yes, yes! Ah—Woo-jin-ssi? I’m sorry, but please send the details by email!”

“Hello, Manager Kim! This is BW Entertainment! Yes, yes, I’m calling about Hye-yeon-ssi’s interview?”

“No, how can you just post such ridiculous articles and then act like you don’t care? Reporter-nim, have you ever seen Woo-jin-ssi? No, you haven’t, have you?”

“Yes—casting? If you let me know the details, I’ll pass it on to the management team.”

They were frantically answering phones, typing on keyboards, and not resting for even a second. Recently, BW Entertainment was experiencing its best boom since its founding, thanks to Kang Woo-jin and Hong Hye-yeon. Among the public relations team of such BW Entertainment,

“……Hmm.”

The head of the public relations team, with his hair neatly combed back, muttered while looking at the laptop screen. Currently, he was monitoring social media and communities related to Kang Woo-jin. Monitoring the reactions of the agency’s actor, especially Kang Woo-jin, who had turned the country upside down, was a very important task. He collected anything and everything that caught his eye.

However, what was strange was that the public relations team leader’s expression was a mix of seriousness and anxiety.

The public relations team leader had paused at a post in a community.

‘There were a few similar comments, but another post like this—how many is this?’

The title of the post was:

-[I went to the same high school as Kang Woo-jin, and his personality is completely different now than it was back then ㅇㅇ]

The poster seemed to know Kang Woo-jin.