I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 123

One hour. That’s how long Kang Woo-jin spent getting his hair and makeup done at the salon. Of course, it didn’t end in just one hour, but it was nearing the final stages.

Kang Woo-jin, sitting in front of the mirror, was quite calm.

‘Yeah, my face looks good today too. It’s practically magic, magic.’

He was just praising his transformed appearance. However, unlike its calm owner, the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel, which had launched about an hour ago, was undergoing a rapid transformation. The ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel, which had a soft launch, had about 100 subscribers.

Even those were from people who subscribed out of curiosity.

But now it was different. In just one hour, a noticeable change had occurred.

[Channel Name: Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character]

[Subscribers: 5,858]

[Videos: 2]

Over 5,000 subscribers had joined. In just one hour. Of course, the subscriber count was just the tip of the iceberg. The changes in the two videos uploaded to the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel were even more dramatic.

The first video, featuring the channel owner Kang Woo-jin’s greeting, was the first to gain traction.

-【Greeting】Hello, I’m actor Kang Woo-jin. No, I’m Kang Woo-jin’s sub-character. Do you have a moment?｜Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character

-Views 12,000 / 2020. 8. 19

It already had over 10,000 views. However, the first video was just a taste. The real draw was the second video. Kang Woo-jin’s first cover song, ‘Elani’s’ ‘Ballerina’ Japanese version video.

-【(1)Elani/’Ballerina:ballerina’】Cover [Japanese.Ver]｜Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character

-Views 23,000 / 2020. 8. 19

This one had over 20,000 views. Even without any promotion. This was purely Kang Woo-jin’s influence. Including the issues he had built up, and even the recent Kyotaro director incident. The public’s curiosity had likely led to searches on YouTube. In other words, this was proof of Kang Woo-jin’s high current recognition.

They were probably confused at first.

They probably searched on YouTube for Kang Woo-jin after seeing the Japanese movie, and then suddenly, his sub-character channel and a cover song he sang himself popped up.

Thanks to that.

-Kang Woo-jin’s sub-character LOLOLOLOLOL is insane.

-WTF is this real???????!! How is this real????

-…..I thought it would be a fake, but why is the real Kang Woo-jin showing up?? And why is he so handsome??

-Hey, how is Kang Woo-jin so good at Japanese??

-His tone is crazy!!! It’s not just sub-character level; he could do this as his main job!!!

-Wow… his Japanese pronunciation is amazing… Did he live in Japan???

-LOLOLOL I was just curious and searched it up LOLOLOL The video was uploaded at the perfect time LOLOLOL

-So, is Kang Woo-jin the rookie actor that Director Kyo took with him???

-↑I searched it up because of this too.

The comment section exploded.

-Oppa!! Why have you been hiding this vocal talent all this time!!! Huh?!! Anyway, thank you!!

-Kang Woo-jin LOLOLOL As soon as he thought it would become an issue, he uploaded what he had been preparing LOLOLOL

-Wow, when he hits the high notes, his voice cracks a little, it’s so raw ㅠㅠ

-This is a tone that even most idols can’t even compare to.

-It’s his first video upload and he already has over 5,000 subscribers LOLOLOL The power is amazing LOLOLOL?

-I’m a Japanese language major passing by. This person’s Japanese is practically native.

-Is he going to debut in Japan?

-Hey vocal cords, *that’s* what singing sounds like, got it?

-Manager Park: Upload one more song, one isn’t enough to get me hooked.

-The arrangement is insane, and his vocals are killer. So he’s not just good at acting? He’s a cheat character [a character with overpowered abilities].

-I really wish this would be released as a digital single……….

It was a mess. Just like that.

And then.

The news of ‘Kang Woo-jin’s side-channel’ spread like wildfire. It was first shared within Woo-jin’s fan club, ‘Strong Heart,’ and then quickly spread to various blogs, online communities, social media, and messaging apps.

The speed at which the news spread was unusual.

-Breaking! Kang Woo-jin opened a YouTube channel (link)

The entire Korean internet was in an uproar due to Director Kyo Taro’s ‘Korean rookie actor’ issue. There had been endless debates. Therefore, the newly emerged Kang Woo-jin YouTube channel instantly became a hot topic.

-Cheat character Kang Woo-jin’s vocal skills + Japanese skills.GIF

Posts called ‘rekkas’ [content aggregator sites] multiplied in the blink of an eye, and countless netizens were drawn to ‘Kang Woo-jin’s side-channel’ as if they were possessed. It was impossible to estimate the number.

Fireworks were exploding everywhere.

The newcomers were generally in a similar state of mind. Who the heck is Kang Woo-jin? An actor with twist after twist, surprisingly high-level vocal ability, Japanese proficiency at a native level, and so on. It was an understandable reaction. Kang Woo-jin’s path from the beginning was anything but ordinary.

What was peculiar was:

-Kang Woo-jin seems to be Korean-Japanese.

-Isn’t he actually someone who learned acting in Japan and then came to Korea?

Massive confusion and misunderstandings were rampant.

-I figured it out. Kang Woo-jin definitely has an identical twin. The actor Kang Woo-jin and the singer Kang Woo-jin are separate people.

This was unintentional for both Kang Woo-jin and Choi Sung-gun. Regardless, the snowball effect was accelerating.

Meanwhile, offline was not yet accurately grasping the situation.

For example, many actors, including top stars gathered at a large Japanese restaurant in Seoul, were like that. It was a pre-meeting for the next work, ‘Freezing Love,’ by star writer Lee Wol-sun, with a script reading scheduled for two days later. The pretext was a pre-meeting, but it was no different from a company dinner. Kang Woo-jin was also invited to this gathering, but he did not attend due to scheduling conflicts.

Whatever the case.

“I wonder how Kang Woo-jin’s sign language is coming along? I hope he’s been practicing well.”

“It’s already a difficult role, but I’m sure the writer is managing it well.”

“By the way, is that thing about Kang Woo-jin and Director Kyo Taro true?”

For some reason, the actors’ conversation topic was Kang Woo-jin. Well, it wasn’t strange. Woo-jin was currently turning the entertainment industry upside down in many ways. They were also scheduled to meet soon.

“Ah, that rookie actor that Director Kyo Taro picked? Isn’t it just the reporters’ wishful thinking that it’s Kang Woo-jin?”

“It doesn’t seem confirmed yet.”

“Is this the first time there’s been such a fuss in this industry? I don’t think it’s true. Isn’t it just that the rookie is hot these days, so he got pointed out?”

-But, looking at some of the posts, there’s some credibility. Kang Woo-jin received the Best Actor award at Mise-en-scène [a Korean film festival], and it was Director Kyo Taro who presented it.

-You don’t think he’d pick him just because of that one moment, do you?

Looking deeper, there was a mix of jealousy and genuine curiosity. Anyway, the actors’ debate was quite heated.

-Honestly, looking at the projects Kang Woo-jin has been in or is scheduled for, isn’t it already too much? Just analyzing the projects and memorizing lines would take over half a year, so when would he learn Japanese and go to Japan?

-Yeah, I found that strange too. Sometimes when I see articles about Woo-jin, I think he’s amazing. It’s only been half a year since his debut, and he’s handling all that.

-He’d be making waves just by continuing as he is, but even going to Japan? It’s impossible unless he’s an alien.

-He’s already alien enough with what he’s achieved.

-But if Kang Woo-jin is really that ‘rookie actor,’ it would be legendary, no different from writing an unprecedented history.

It was a fifty-fifty split of conflict and curiosity. This atmosphere wasn’t just among the ‘Freezing Romance’ actors, but also in the media and various broadcasting companies—the entire Korean entertainment industry.

Then, as the afternoon waned, Kang Woo-jin’s name crossed over from Korea to Japan.

It was a similar pattern to the wave of issues spreading from Japan to Korea.

-That rookie Korean actor that Director Tanoguchi mentioned? It seems like in Korea, it’s narrowed down to an actor named Kang Woo-jin.

-Kang Woo-jin? Who’s that? Never heard of him. Is he really a rookie in Korea?

-Ah! Kang Woo-jin! That actor! The one from ‘The Vagabond’ who’s popular on Netflix!

-I watched ‘The Vagabond’ too, you’re talking about the villain actor in the first episode, right?

-Kang Woo-jin! I looked him up out of curiosity, and he’s scary in the drama but so cute on social media!

-But it’s not confirmed in Korea either, right? It’s just a rumor, not a fact.

To the Japanese public, who were just buzzing about a ‘rookie Korean actor’.

-Kang Woo-jin has social media?

Gradually, ‘Kang Woo-jin’ began to stick in their minds. Though it wasn’t confirmed, curiosity drove them to search further, moving from portal sites to Kang Woo-jin’s social media.

-@Wooji_n

Posts: 71

Followers: 1.838 million

Following: 9

Even on YouTube, searching for Kang Woo-jin yielded numerous results.

There was even an official channel that appeared to belong to Kang Woo-jin. It had two uploaded videos. The second video, in particular, perfectly catered to Japanese netizens’ tastes.

-【(1) Elani / ‘Ballerina: ballerina’】Cover [Japanese Ver.]｜Kang Woo-jin’s Alternate Persona

It was a Japanese cover of a K-pop song.

[Channel Name: Kang Woo-jin’s Alternate Persona]

[Subscribers: 24,000]

[Videos: 2]

The number of subscribers began to skyrocket.

The next day, August 20th.

The location was an event hall in a Seoul hotel. The hall was filled with tables, and dozens of reporters with large cameras were seated around them. There seemed to be at least 50 of them.

On the front stage, where the reporters were focused:

-[Netflix ‘My Best Friend’ Production Presentation]

A large poster was displayed, featuring still images of Kang Woo-jin and Hwa-rin, with the title ‘My Best Friend’ prominently featured. The reason was simple: the official production presentation for ‘My Best Friend’ was underway in the hall.

The main cast was seated at the center of the stage in front of the poster.

First was Director Shin Dong-chun, followed by writer Choi Na-na, Kang Woo-jin, and Hwa-rin. They sat in a row, each with a microphone. Director Shin Dong-chun appeared relaxed, accustomed to these events. Writer Choi Na-na, wearing round glasses,

“······Hoo-”

was completely frozen. Naturally shy, this was her first production presentation, so her discomfort was understandable. Next to her, Woo-jin caught the eye. Kang Woo-jin, in a neat navy suit with his hair slicked back, maintained a stoic expression throughout the presentation. However, internally, he was struggling to keep up the act due to the overwhelming number of reporters.

‘This is crazy. How many are there? Ugh, the camera flashes are blinding.’

Hwa-rin, in a white dress, was as relaxed as Director Shin Dong-chun. Overall, the production presentation for ‘My Best Friend’ felt more casual than usual.

It had been over 30 minutes since it began.

“As you know, our ‘My Best Friend’ is the start of Netflix’s short-form project, and its launch has been confirmed for Netflix in Japan and Korea…”

Director Shin Dong-chun, with his square jaw, was introducing the project according to the cue sheet. Next, he would share his ambitions. Then it would be writer Choi Na-na’s turn, followed by Kang Woo-jin.

“I worked hard on it, and even if it’s a bit lacking, I hope you enjoy it.”

It was a bit indifferent, but sincere. Hwa-rin’s ambition, which followed, was also brief, so it balanced out.

Soon.

“Okay! Now, let’s take questions from the reporters.”

At the host’s signal, dozens of reporters raised their hands, eager to ask questions. The format was to select a reporter to ask a question. Director Shin Dong-chun opened the floor.

“Yes. The reporter with the perm in the front.”

“Ah, hello, Director. A few years ago, you suddenly left the drama scene to make movies, right? And after that, you received the Mise-en-scène Award [a prestigious South Korean film festival award] for ‘Errand Boy.’”

“That’s correct.”

– “I heard you’ve been getting tons of offers from the entire film industry, so why the sudden comeback to dramas? And a one-act drama at that?”

– “Haha, that’s a pretty loaded question to start with.”

Director Shin Dong-chun, with an awkward laugh, glanced at Kang Woo-jin, who was sitting in the third seat, before answering.

– “I’ll answer by saying, ‘I have a debt to repay to Woo-jin.'”

Immediately, the eyes of dozens of reporters all turned to Kang Woo-jin. In truth, all the reporters present had other things on their minds. Naturally, they were extremely interested in Kang Woo-jin, who was a hot topic.

But they were holding back for now.

After passing the question to writer Choi Na-na, it was Kang Woo-jin’s turn, who was sitting with his legs crossed, looking cynical.

– “Next, a reporter to ask Mr. Woo-jin a question!”

– *Swish.*

As if they had been waiting for it, all 50-plus reporters raised their hands at once. Their eyes were full of eagerness. Almost too much. To this, Woo-jin thought.

‘What is this, if I say I won’t take questions, I’ll get mobbed.’

Though inwardly he was annoyed, he put on a solemn face. It was hard, but let’s pick one. A reporter who looks as gentle as possible. Kang Woo-jin’s choice was a female reporter sitting at the far right, who had a kind look in her eyes.

Soon, Woo-jin gestured to the female reporter.

– “Yes, the reporter in the shirt at the end.”

As soon as she was called, the female reporter smiled faintly and stood up. Woo-jin thought he had succeeded. But that thought was shattered in just one second.

It was because of the question the kind-looking female reporter suddenly threw out.

– “Mr. Woo-jin, there’s talk about launching ‘My Best Friend’ in Japan. There’s a lot of speculation that the ‘Korean rookie actor’ chosen by the Japanese master director Kyotaro for the lead role is you. What do you think about that?”

– “······”

– “There’s been a lot of back-and-forth in the press and public opinion, but recently, public sentiment seems to be leaning towards the theory that it’s you, Mr. Woo-jin. What are your thoughts on this?”

The female reporter’s question piqued the interest of dozens of other reporters. They all felt similarly. However, this question was too sensitive. Therefore, Director Shin Dong-chun subtly shook his head, signaling to the host.

It was a signal to cut off the question. Such scenes were common at production presentations, so the host quickly understood and was about to speak to the dozens of reporters when…

“Ah—about that question.”

“Yes, reporter.”

Kang Woo-jin, who had calmly raised the microphone, murmured in a low, indifferent tone.

“I am the ‘Korean rookie actor’.”

No backing down.

“……”

“……”

“……”

A moment of silence fell over the wide hall. Everyone, from Hwa-rin’s ‘guy friends’ team to the over 50 reporters, was stunned, staring at Kang Woo-jin.

That lasted for about 10 seconds. Then, all eyes turned towards Kang Woo-jin.

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

-Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!

A barrage of camera flashes erupted.