I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 126

The reading session for ‘Frozen Romance’.

Actors, staff, stakeholders, even reporters. Dozens of people had gathered for the reading, yet the room was mostly quiet.

“……”

“……”

The actors who arrived early were reviewing their scripts, while the staff and stakeholders attended to their respective tasks. The reporters were looking at their phones.

However, they all had one thing in common.

-Subtly.

They were pretending not to, but they were all glancing at the rookie actor who had arrived a few minutes prior. They subtly rolled their eyes while looking at their scripts or phones. It was Kang Woo-jin, sitting almost at the end of the U-shaped table.

-[Role: Mysterious Man Next Door / Kang Woo-jin]

Because the role was more of a supporting or minor one, his seat was at the back. Anyway, since the initial greetings were over, Woo-jin, sitting in his seat, was looking down at his script with an indifferent expression. He gave off a strong vibe that he didn’t care about his surroundings at all.

Soon, the actors began to whisper.

“Woo-jin seems very serious, personality-wise. I heard rumors, but he’s more cynical than I imagined.”

“I know, right? Looking at him greeting everyone earlier, he doesn’t seem arrogant, does he? Is he just naturally shy?”

“He’s definitely the type that’s hard to approach.”

“But, maybe because he’s been making blockbuster moves since his debut? He doesn’t seem nervous at all?”

“That’s understandable. He’s shaken up both Korea and Japan by himself; would he be nervous at a reading session like this?”

The reporters’ murmurs spread.

“He’s so calm, that guy. After dropping a nuclear bomb in Korea and Japan.”

“It’s strange. Just looking at his aura, he’s like a top-tier veteran. It’s my first time seeing a rookie like him.”

“Everything related to him is usually a first. He’s so composed that we couldn’t even get an interview. It’s not easy to approach him. Usually, rookies have a softer side, but he’s too stiff. Is it just me?”

“Me too. Is he really different from the usual rookies? Look at him; he’s been looking at his script with a straight face since he arrived.”

“He’s the guy who even goes to Director Kwon Ki-taek’s set; would he be nervous about a reading of this size?”

“Huh? Hey, is this also the set of writer Lee Wol-sun?”

“No, I mean, that’s just an expression.”

On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin was currently battling his own racing heart.

‘Ugh—seriously. This quiet atmosphere is hard to get used to. It’s obvious that everyone’s glancing at me, ugh, whatever. Let’s just ignore it, ignore it.’

He felt more awkward than nervous. He didn’t know a single person at this reading session. Come to think of it, this was the first script reading session where Woo-jin didn’t know anyone. Even Choi Sung-gun, who was usually with him, wasn’t here, and writer Lee Wol-sun was nowhere to be seen.

‘Well, it might be better if writer Lee Wol-sun isn’t here.’

He felt suffocated. Was that why? Kang Woo-jin’s acting concept became even more intense. His poker face intensified. Then, perhaps to find some peace of mind.

-Thump!

Kang Woo-jin tapped the black square attached to the first episode script of ‘Frozen Romance’. Soon, Woo-jin entered an endlessly dark subspace. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew—I’m alive. Let’s rest here for a bit; the atmosphere at the reading session is so stuffy.”

Kang Woo-jin stretched. After spending some time like that, Woo-jin, feeling ready, moved towards the row of white squares. The reading was just around the corner, and he intended to do a reading (experience) right before it.

Of course, the one he chose was ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’.

It was not an ordinary role. It needed to be even more distinct, and therefore, repeating the reading (experience) was a given.

Soon.

-Swoosh.

[“Preparing for ‘P: Mysterious Man Next Door’ reading……”]

With the familiar robotic female voice, Woo-jin was pulled into the world of ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’.

Back.

When Kang Woo-jin returned to reality, that is, to the script reading session of ‘Frozen Romance’.

“……”

For some reason, it was hard to open his mouth. No, he could open his mouth, but it was difficult to produce a voice. His brain was giving instructions, but his body was refusing. It was because everything about the already imprinted ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ had grown in intensity.

‘……It’s pathetic.’

Kang Woo-jin closed his eyes for a moment and processed the emotions that were spreading through his veins. He understood and thought. The world of ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ expanded. And.

‘Sign language, I can see the sign language clearly.’

His mind was filled with sign language. It was sign language he had already mastered, but it became even more profound with repeated reading (experience). In addition, Kang Woo-jin felt it.

That his facial muscles had become very flexible.

His voice was blocked, but his sense of touch and smell had become more sensitive, and his whole body felt as light as a feather. No, not light, but soft. It was as if his whole body had turned from a hard solid into a soft liquid.

It was natural, since ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ had to use his body frequently for sign language.

It was at this moment.

“Hello—”

As the start of the reading approached, the main and supporting actors began to arrive. They all greeted each other with ordinary, business-like smiles.

Then.

“Wow—Woo-jin? Nice to meet you. Haha, I was really surprised about the Kyotaro director project in Japan.”

They flocked to Kang Woo-jin, who was sitting near the entrance. Almost all the actors did. Their eyes were all smiling. However, if you looked into their hearts, they contained a variety of emotions. Admiration, jealousy, envy, awe, curiosity, wonder, joy, and so on.

Among them.

‘He’s that… Kang Woo-jin. He definitely doesn’t seem like a rookie, but what does he have that makes him so special?’

The actor who had just shaken hands with Kang Woo-jin and moved to the first seat was filled with ‘curiosity’. It was Jung Jang-hwan, the top actor who played the male lead ‘Song Tae-hyung’ in ‘Frozen Romance’. Jung Jang-hwan, wearing a hat, was very tall. And his features were strong, giving him a masculine look.

His image was similar to Kang Woo-jin’s. However, he was 10 years older than Woo-jin.

Jung Jang-hwan was an actor who was ‘not successful in movies’. There are actors like that. They are a hit in dramas, but they flop in movies. Jung Jang-hwan was exactly like that. Still, it was certain that he was a legend in the drama scene. Everyone acknowledged that he was a top-tier actor. Of course, his acting was also top-notch.

That’s why writer Lee Wol-sun cast him.

Anyway, Jung Jang-hwan opened his script and pretended to have casual conversations with the actors who had arrived around him.

-Glance.

He glanced at Kang Woo-jin. By now, the reading session had become noisy with the arrival of many actors, but Woo-jin was sitting calmly, just as he had been at the beginning. Actors and stakeholders threw congratulations and questions at him, but he maintained his composure. There was no sign of embarrassment, joy, or even arrogance.

What should that be called?

‘He has no waves.’

There was no sign of wavering. Jung Jang-hwan was becoming increasingly curious about Kang Woo-jin.

The only two performances of Kang Woo-jin that he had seen were ‘Kim Ryu-jin’ and ‘Manager Park’. Everyone else at this reading session would be similar. Both works were huge hits, and Woo-jin’s acting in them was absurd. It was not the level a rookie should be at.

‘I know he’s good at acting, but is he really good enough to make Director Kwon and Director Kyotaro fall for him?’

It wasn’t just them. Writer Lee Wol-sun, PD Song Man-woo, and writer Park Eun-mi of ‘Frozen Romance’ as well. Why? How come so many big names are surrounding this rookie? Jung Jang-hwan felt a strange curiosity rising.

‘What would happen if I shocked that solid appearance? What kind of acting would come out in that unexpected situation?’

The reason was simple. In ‘Frozen Romance’, the only actor Kang Woo-jin would be working with was Jung Jang-hwan.

‘……Has he ever received ad-libs during a reading or on set?’

The role of ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ that Woo-jin was playing had a short amount of screen time, but the acting intensity was the highest in ‘Frozen Romance’. The difficulty was ridiculously high. At least, that’s what the male lead, Jung Jang-hwan, thought.

‘Sign language is not an ordinary language; even if you learn it, it’s impossible to do it naturally from the start.’

In other words, it was a role where you would only break even if you did well, and you would definitely get criticized if you were ambiguous. Even in the midst of that, expression was also required. There were no lines, but he had to make it seem like there were. How would this rookie show that damn difficult existence?

While Jung Jang-hwan’s attention was focused on Kang Woo-jin.

-Squeak.

The closed glass door opened, and the directing PD and writer Lee Wol-sun entered the reading session, which was full of actors. A woman in a suit was also with writer Lee Wol-sun. Soon, the actors and staff stood up from their seats.

The PD and writer Lee Wol-sun gave relaxed greetings.

Then.

“Woo-jin, it’s been a while.”

“Hello, writer.”

Writer Lee Wol-sun, whose sparkling earrings caught the eye, stopped in front of Kang Woo-jin.

“You’ve done some big things while I haven’t seen you?”

“It just happened.”

“Yeah, let’s congratulate you later. First, this person here is a sign language expert.”

Writer Lee Wol-sun introduced the woman in a suit who had come with her. She was probably a sign language interpreter. It was common for an expert to attend the set. Their job was to check for errors and give advice. At this, Kang Woo-jin’s heart beat slightly faster.

‘An expert—wow, I’m a little nervous? But still, the subspace is a cheat code.’

Then, a brief greeting between the sign language expert and Woo-jin.

“Hello.”

“Yes, nice to meet you. I really enjoyed ‘Hanryang’.”

“Thank you.”

Writer Lee Wol-sun grabbed him after that. She smiled and asked Woo-jin.

“Writer Park Eun-mi said that there would be a big change if Woo-jin attended the script reading. Do you know what that means?”

“I don’t know.”

“Really? Well, maybe we’ll find out when we see it in person?”

At this, the actors tilted their heads. Regardless, writer Lee Wol-sun moved to the head of the table with the sign language expert.

-Slide.

They sat down. At the same time, the directing PD.

“Okay—let’s start the reading.”

Took charge of the script reading for ‘Frozen Romance’. Meanwhile, writer Lee Wol-sun asked the sign language expert in the right seat a small question.

“What do you think of Kang Woo-jin, just by looking at him? You can just tell me based on your impression. Do you think there will be a disconnect?”

“……It’s hard to say anything right now. However, sign language is a language that combines hands, facial expressions, and gestures, right? You have to show emotions. But Woo-jin… he has such a strong poker face that he seems expressionless.”

“So, his face is the problem?”

The sign language expert shrugged.

“I don’t know. But if he does it in his current state, it’s going to be a problem.”

Shortly after.

The introduction of the actors of ‘Frozen Romance’ began. Following the female lead, the male lead Jung Jang-hwan stood up.

“I’m Jung Jang-hwan, who plays ‘Song Tae-hyung’. I hope this will be a satisfying project, as we’ve all worked hard to prepare.”

Applause poured out. The introductions continued. And.

-Slide.

“I’m Kang Woo-jin, who plays ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’. I’ll do my best.”

Kang Woo-jin’s impactful introduction. The applause was the same, but the actors’ gazes were filled with a strange feeling. After going around once with the actor introductions, the key staff’s greetings followed.

“Okay, then, writer?”

The PD sent a look to writer Lee Wol-sun, asking if she had anything to say, and writer Lee Wol-sun shrugged and replied simply.

“Let’s have a fun reading.”

Her words were light, but the underlying meaning was heavy. Writer Lee Wol-sun was known as a writer who was very involved in readings, even among star writers. Unlike writer Park Eun-mi, who worked with the director, writer Lee Wol-sun expressed her opinions to the actors without hesitation.

The unusual thing was.

“Then, let’s start the reading.”

-Flap, flap.

Writer Lee Wol-sun left everything to the actors in the early part of the reading. Even if the lines were wrong, if there were shortcomings, if the acting was different from the intention, or if the emotions were different, she would quietly observe the actors’ analysis and acting in the early part of the reading.

However, around the middle, her attitude would change 180 degrees.

To put it in a metaphor, it was like suddenly turning from a herbivore to a carnivore. That’s why many rookies cried at her work’s reading sessions. Because her criticisms were so sharp. The directing was the same for top actors, veteran actors, and rookies alike.

Whatever the case.

“Scene #1: A house with blackout curtains, mostly in black tones. At this time, Song Tae-hyung suddenly opens his eyes in bed.”

The reading of ‘Frozen Romance’ began with the PD’s stage directions. Overall, ‘Frozen Romance’ was a coming-of-age story of ‘Song Tae-hyung’, played by the male lead Jung Jang-hwan. He was over 30 years old and capable, but he was a man with severe mysophobia [fear of germs] who had no communication with people in the world.

‘Song Tae-hyung’ was trapped in his own cage, but he liked it.

He didn’t harm others, so there was no reason for him to receive harm, and he could do his job well enough without having deep relationships, so there was no inconvenience in his life. ‘Song Tae-hyung’ hated things being out of place.

Whether it was objects or his own mind.

‘Frozen Romance’ was a drama that lightly or heavily depicted the growth, love, and change of ‘Song Tae-hyung’, who was a ‘grown-up child’.

And the one who brings the first change to ‘Song Tae-hyung’ was.

“Scene #3: Song Tae-hyung grabs hand sanitizer and leaves the house. At the same time, the door from the next house opens, and Song Tae-hyung makes eye contact with ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’. They’ve already met a few times, so Song Tae-hyung doesn’t like him.”

It was ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’, played by Kang Woo-jin. Soon, Jung Jang-hwan glanced at Kang Woo-jin, who was sitting at the opposite end. He narrowed his brows.

“……”

Jung Jang-hwan, with his brows furrowed, only made brief eye contact with Woo-jin. Similarly, Kang Woo-jin, who was looking at him, had no lines. No, it was accurate to say that ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ couldn’t speak. Jung Jang-hwan, or rather, ‘Song Tae-hyung’, who didn’t know this yet, was bothered by the eyes of ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’.

That strange gaze was disturbing ‘Song Tae-hyung’s’ mind.

What was the hidden intention? Why does he keep looking at me like that? ‘Song Tae-hyung’, feeling upset, spoke his first words to ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’.

“Hey, do you have something to say to me?”

However, ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ did not answer.

“……”

“Okay. Are you going to take the elevator now? Then I’ll take it later.”

“……”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

In the script, ‘Song Tae-hyung’ goes back into his house, and ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’, who had been looking at the closed front door for a moment, gets on the elevator without a word. Here, the PD gave the stage directions again.

“Song Tae-hyung grumbles in the shoe rack and rubs hand sanitizer. As if he’s trying to wash away something unpleasant.”

Song Tae-hyung’s line.

“Every time I see him, I feel so disgusted. If you have something to say, say it. Ugh—I can’t take it. I need to move.”

After spending the day like that, Song Tae-hyung returns home again, and when he glances at the front door of the next house and quietly enters his door code.

-Thud!

‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ appears again. Again, he doesn’t speak; he just looks at Song Tae-hyung. The script says that ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’ is holding a plastic bag in one hand. The scene was supposed to end here. With Song Tae-hyung clicking his tongue briefly and quickly entering his house.

Camera, close-up on the calm ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’.

Therefore, Kang Woo-jin was just looking at Song Tae-hyung, who was sitting in front of him, in a strange way.

‘It ends here. Hmm—next is.’

But.

“Hey, you.”

Song Tae-hyung suddenly spoke to ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’. It was a line that wasn’t in the script.

“Why are you making me so uncomfortable? Either say something or ignore me. How many times is this? If you keep doing this, I’ll report you?”

Everyone’s eyes in the reading session were on ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’. No, on Kang Woo-jin. Woo-jin was looking at Jung Jang-hwan, but inside, he was clearly flustered.

‘Huh? What is it? Isn’t that line not in the script? Is it? No, it’s not there; it’s not in the script.’

Because it was a line he had never heard of. However, the actors in the reading session, except for him, were calm.

‘An ad-lib? Well, Jang-hwan hyung does create lines when he analyzes characters.’

‘He’s prepared an ad-lib again; he’s probably had quite a few lines adopted like that, right?’

It wasn’t that strange of a sight. Of course, writer Lee Wol-sun, who was twirling her pen, didn’t have any intention of intervening either.

‘He’s amplifying the awkwardness; is that how he analyzed it? It’s not bad.’

Because it didn’t stand out from the scene.

More than anything.

‘I’m also curious how he’ll react. Well, he’ll probably just brush it off lightly.’

She also wanted to see how Kang Woo-jin would receive the ad-lib. There was no doubt. He was Kang Woo-jin, who was hailed as a ‘monster rookie’. He wouldn’t be shaken by such a common ad-lib.

However.

‘Wow—crazy. Is this just going to go on? Why isn’t anyone cutting it?’

‘Mysterious Man Next Door’. Woo-jin’s thoughts stopped.

‘Wait, wait. What am I supposed to do? Huh?’

He tried his best to maintain a calm face, but in Woo-jin’s eyes, which were looking at the top actor Jung Jang-hwan in front of him, there was an unavoidable hint of embarrassment.

At this moment.

“Huh?”

The sign language expert to the right of writer Lee Wol-sun felt something in Woo-jin’s face.

“…Confusion? Or something similar. It’s clear, those eyes. It’s what people who use sign language show when they have difficulty communicating.”

At the whisper, writer Lee Wol-sun turned her gaze to Woo-jin. But she couldn’t find any confusion or embarrassment in Kang Woo-jin right now.

However.

‘There must be something that only the expert can see.’

The sign language expert would be more accurate here. Because Kang Woo-jin was currently playing ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’. That’s why writer Lee Wol-sun focused on something else.

‘Still… to be able to express such subtle eye expressions that only a sign language expert can notice—’

It was Kang Woo-jin’s acting.

‘It was an ad-lib that was suddenly thrown at him, but he can bring out such detailed parts in an instant? As expected, his skills are top-notch.’

At that time, Jung Jang-hwan’s ad-lib line was added.

“Don’t, don’t look at me like that. It’s creepy. Please?”

“……”

But Woo-jin still didn’t open his mouth with a calm expression. But there was a change. He was slightly moving his lips. It was similar to mumbling. His lips were also trembling slightly.

The sign language expert whispered immediately.

“Agony. He’s thinking about something.”

Jung Jang-hwan frowned and pretended to take out his phone to Kang Woo-jin at the opposite end.

“Okay, I understand. I don’t know why you’re doing this to me. But it seems like you’re going to keep doing it, so I’m going to report you now.”

Here, Kang Woo-jin, who had been mumbling, stopped. He tilted his head slightly and nodded. For some reason, it seemed like he understood the words.

Then.

-Slightly.

For the first time, Kang Woo-jin’s hands moved. It wasn’t a grand gesture. It was clear but short. It lasted only a few seconds at most. Soon, Woo-jin looked at Jung Jang-hwan, who was blinking his eyes, and made his last hand gesture. He made a fist with his right hand. He brought that fist to his nose. The direction was with his thumb towards his nose.

The actors who watched this.

‘It’s sign language. He’s good; it doesn’t look unnatural at all. Practice… no, wait a minute. Practice? This is an ad-lib that’s not in the script? What is it?’

Each of them muttered a faint admiration or question inside.

‘He does sign language so smoothly that it’s confusing. How much practice did he do? Amazing. But was that gesture something he came up with separately?’

‘He threw an ad-lib and sign language came out right away?’

Regardless, Kang Woo-jin, or rather, ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’, with his fist on his nose.

“……”

Smiled. It was a completely different smile from before, a very bright one. The most happy smile a person can make when warm sunlight shines on their face, enough to show their teeth. It was the first time an expression had appeared on his stiff face.

At this, Jung Jang-hwan.

‘The first sign language, but it’s not in the script.’

He had no way of knowing the sign language that came out as an ad-lib from ‘Mysterious Man Next Door’, and as ‘Song Tae-hyung’, he spoke the words that he felt immediately.

“What, what is it? Why are you smiling? Putting your fist on your nose—are you mocking me?”

However, Kang Woo-jin’s smile with his fist on his nose became even more intense. Writer Lee Wol-sun was slightly distracted by Woo-jin’s smile.

‘That kid, he can smile so brightly.’

She suddenly asked the sign language expert sitting on her right.

“It’s sign language, right? What does that mean?”

The sign language expert, with her mouth slightly open, answered with a question.

“His sign language skills are amazing… Kang Woo-jin. Honestly, I didn’t expect such a beautiful smile to come out. Is this scene, perhaps, meant to show the gap between the two characters’ perspectives?”

“You can think of it that way. Like the difference in perspective that comes from a disconnected conversation.”

The sign language expert, who nodded slowly, followed the ad-lib sign language that Woo-jin had just done. The end was, of course, putting her fist on her nose. Of course, it was a smaller gesture than what Kang Woo-jin had shown.

“In this sign language, the last part, putting the fist on the nose, means ‘good’. Depending on how brightly you smile, you can show your feelings. Woo-jin smiled really beautifully just now, right? The overall meaning of that sign language is.”

Then, the sign language expert recited the meaning.

“‘I like you’.”

End