I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 129

Kang Woo-jin was flustered. For a moment, he forgot his carefully crafted persona and made a dumbfounded expression. ‘What am I even looking at right now?’

‘……This is insane! What is this?!’

He was familiar with the blinding flash of cameras.

Most recently, it was at the production presentation for ‘My Guy Friend,’ where Kang Woo-jin’s no-holds-barred attitude was on full display. But this was several times more chaotic than that.

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

-Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!!

There were far more cameras than before. To the right of the arrival gate where Kang Woo-jin had emerged, a rope fence stretched all the way to the end, and reporters were packed tightly into that space—roughly a hundred or so. Behind them, a sea of Japanese onlookers. The reporters held cameras, while the general onlookers all had their phones out.

‘What else would they be for?’

Over 500 people were frantically taking pictures of Kang Woo-jin and Hwa-rin, who had just appeared. And what was interesting was…

“Are they crazy?! Kyaa! Did all these people come to see our oppa [a Korean term for older brother used by females, often for male celebrities]?!”

Among the hundreds of onlookers, there was a familiar face. It was Woo-jin’s younger sister, Kang Hyun-ah. Of course, not just her, but also her friends. They were there as representatives and staff of the fan club ‘Strong Heart.’

“Hyun-ah!! Grab his hand, grab his hand!”

“Did you get a picture of Woo-jin oppa?!”

“He’s too far! I can’t see him well!”

“Just take a picture! We need to share it on the fan cafe!”

“There are ‘Strong Heart’ people here too!”

It was hard to spot them, but among the crowd, there were members of Woo-jin’s fan club, ‘Strong Heart.’ Including them, the onlookers surged like an angry wave.

“Is that guy Kang Woo-jin?! Wow! He’s cute?”

“Please look over here just once!!”

“Korean actors are so handsome after all!!”

“Doesn’t he look much better in person?!”

“He looks good with Hwa-rin!”

Kang Woo-jin’s eyes hurt from the flashing lights, and his ears felt like they would fall off from the cacophony of Japanese mixed with shouts.

“Over here!! Over here! Mr. Kang Woo-jin!”

“What are your thoughts on coming to Japan!!”

“Mr. Kang Woo-jin! Will you be meeting with Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro during your stay in Japan?!”

“Please pose with Ms. Hwa-rin!!”

“When were you confirmed for the cast of ‘The Bizarre Sacrifice of a Stranger’!!”

“Did you learn Japanese separately!! When is the recording for Ametalk show [a popular Japanese talk show]! Mr. Kang Woo-jin!”

“Is ‘The Bizarre Sacrifice of a Stranger’ your first leading role as a rookie??!”

“Are you starting your Japanese activities in earnest with this opportunity?!”

“Please give a brief comment about ‘My Guy Friend’!!”

The questions, almost screams, were overlapping and hard to hear. Judging by the Korean mixed in, it seemed that some Korean reporters were among the hundred or so Japanese reporters. At that moment, Kim Dae-young, standing stalwartly to Kang Woo-jin’s right, thought:

‘……Crazy. I’ve never seen anything like this. I didn’t know the Japanese would be this enthusiastic. This is insane.’

He was so distracted by the jaw-dropping scene that he lost his focus, then he turned his gaze to his best friend Woo-jin’s face. It made him realize that this guy had really made it.

‘This bastard really became a star?’

He wanted to shout, ‘Damn, you’re amazing, you crazy bastard!’ But Kim Dae-young held back. Instead, he decided to make a fuss in their best friend group chat later.

Regardless, Woo-jin was thinking:

‘I feel like throwing up, I really want to run away?!’

His mind began to blur. That’s how much pressure he felt.

From another perspective, it meant that Director Kyotaro, writer Akari, and the name value and interest in ‘The Bizarre Sacrifice of a Stranger’ were this high. In any case, this was a first for Kang Woo-jin, and it was unprecedented for a rookie to receive this much attention in the entertainment industry.

‘Wow—crazy.’

It wasn’t like Woo-jin hadn’t expected it. Choi Sung-gun had given him a heads-up on the plane.

‘Woo-jin, there will probably be some reporters at the airport. There were articles about your and Hwa-rin’s schedule in Japan. It’ll be a bit noisy, but just act as you normally do. Just wave your hand calmly.’

But he didn’t expect it to be this much. Kang Woo-jin glanced at Choi Sung-gun behind him and shouted internally:

‘A bit??! Is this a bit?!’

A scene that he’d only seen on TV was unfolding in reality. Woo-jin felt his legs trembling. But the guards around him and Hwa-rin seemed unfazed, as if it was nothing. Kang Woo-jin forcibly grabbed his out-of-whack mind.

‘No, get a grip. Grit your teeth and walk! Kang Woo-jin, let’s go forward.’

As Woo-jin was doing more mind control than usual, the guards surrounding him started to move, as if the time was right. Kang Woo-jin, Hwa-rin, and the entire team began to walk. At the same time, the fans behind the reporters reached out their hands. They also threw gifts of some kind.

But Woo-jin, maintaining his poker face, couldn’t easily approach them.

‘It’s kind of—scary. Yeah, it’s scary.’

He was scared. Well, in the end, it was the right thing to do. If he had approached them when they were this excited, it could have led to an accident. Therefore…

-Swoosh.

Kang Woo-jin glanced at Hwa-rin and copied her. He waved his hand at the cameras and the Japanese onlookers appropriately. Meanwhile, the team including Kang Woo-jin quickly exited the arrival hall. At that moment…

-Whoosh!

Someone quickly jumped out, crossing the surging reporters and the fence line. It was a man of average build. He charged straight at Hwa-rin. He was probably a fan of Hwa-rin.

“Hwa-rin!!”

But he was blocked by the surrounding guards, and Kang Woo-jin reflexively shielded Hwa-rin on his left. It was something instinctive. His body moved automatically rather than intentionally. Then, Woo-jin looked at the blocked man and muttered internally:

‘What the hell, that crazy bastard. That scared me.’

He slowly turned his head towards Hwa-rin. Hwa-rin’s eyes met Woo-jin’s. Unlike the expressionless Woo-jin, Hwa-rin’s pupils were dilated, her shoulders held. Only then did Kang Woo-jin realize what he had done.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Woo-jin said lowly, taking his hand off her shoulder, and Hwa-rin replied in a daze:

“No… It’s okay, thank you.”

At that moment, Choi Sung-gun called out to Kang Woo-jin, and Hwa-rin, who glanced at Woo-jin’s profile as he turned his head, quietly placed her hand on her chest.

‘What’s with Woo-jin-nim’s charisma??? Huh??’

Her heart was beating several times faster than when she saw the 500 people gathered at the arrival hall.

‘I, I almost hugged him too! No—I should have just casually hugged him.’

After.

Kang Woo-jin, who had barely escaped the chaotic airport, got into a van that was prepared on the side of the road. There were a total of three vans and a mini-bus. When traveling by car, Woo-jin and Hwa-rin traveled separately, and as soon as the van started, Choi Sung-gun, who was sitting next to Woo-jin, opened his diary and smiled.

“Was it about—500 people? It was a bit less than I thought.”

‘What did he say? Less? That was less?’ If it had been more than twice that, Woo-jin might have genuinely fainted. Of course, the stylist team, including Han Ye-jeong, who didn’t know this, chimed in.

“That’s right, it was a bit disappointing. It should have been more packed! Since Ms. Hwa-rin was there, there should have been at least 2000 people!”

“Maybe the airport had some control. I saw airport guards blocking the onlookers at the end.”

“Still, that’s about average, right?”

“It’s average. The articles and the onlookers’ SNS will be buzzing soon.”

“Oppa Woo-jin was disappointed too, right? That’s why your expression was more calm than usual.”

Woo-jin chose silence at the arbitrary evaluations. ‘What kind of scene were these people looking at? 2000 people.’ At this point, Choi Sung-gun, who was looking down at the confirmed schedule, let out a long sigh.

“Hoo—Woo-jin. I expected it, but the schedule is hell.”

Woo-jin braced himself internally and added a bit of bravado on the outside.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“You’re the only one who’s fine even with full filming. Me and the others are dying. Anyway, let’s go straight to the accommodation first, then have a simple meal at the hotel, go to the salon for hair and makeup, and then move to the ‘My Guy Friend’ event venue. Oh, of course, the Netflix Japan staff will be there too—and…”

‘Stop. I’ll just go with the flow. Hearing more will only make things darker.’ After reciting today’s schedule for about 10 minutes, Choi Sung-gun said:

“There’s been a slight change in the meeting schedule. First, some promotional schedules and a few press interviews have been added in between.”

He quickly changed the subject.

“And originally, we were supposed to see Director Kyotaro on the 27th, Director Shinjo on the 28th, and then record the ‘Ametalk show!’ on the 30th, but since the timing didn’t work out with Director Kyotaro, we’ll see Director Shinjo tomorrow and the recording is on the 29th. We’ll see Director Kyotaro on the 30th.”

“Ah, yes. I understand.”

Kang Woo-jin nodded indifferently. Choi Sung-gun, who was closing his diary, smiled at him.

“That’s about it for the Japanese schedule. As you know, you’re getting flooded with offers for various broadcasts, YouTube, and advertisements, right? It’s almost double what it was during your ‘Free Spirit’ days. Thanks to you and Hye-yeon, we’re even considering expanding the company. Anyway, I’m filtering through them and only taking the big ones, but what about the projects that are coming in?”

Projects. Kang Woo-jin was currently the hottest topic in the Korean entertainment industry. There was no way that scenarios or scripts wouldn’t be coming in. Already, there were dozens of scenarios and scripts sent to BW Entertainment just for Woo-jin.

‘Wouldn’t it take months just to read them all?’

Of course, that calculation was only applicable to ordinary actors, and if Kang Woo-jin started with a plan, it would be a job that could be finished in a week. Because he had the subspace. He could just read the projects in order of their ratings.

But…

‘Apart from the projects, considering the schedules that come with them, isn’t it too much right now?’

Woo-jin now was not the same as before. Even if it was subtle, he had seen some things. He didn’t want to overdo it, and he had a lot to do.

‘They say, don’t try to chase a stork and split your legs [a Korean proverb meaning don’t overreach].’

But a whiny, weak appearance didn’t fit his persona. Therefore, Woo-jin expressed his opinion with a touch of ‘my way’.

“I’ll focus on the scheduled projects for now, please keep the incoming projects on hold.”

“Okay, let’s do that. I think the same way. Honestly, your schedule right now isn’t normal. No, other guys can’t handle this. But since you’re handling it so easily, I just asked in case.”

“It’s not that hard.”

“I know, I know, you rascal. It’s obvious just by looking at you.”

That was wrong. Even though Woo-jin had the subspace, his stamina was at its limit. Still, he had to maintain his persona. ‘Geez, Kang Woo-jin felt like each day was a struggle.’

‘Is it true that humans grow when they’re pushed to their limits?’

At that moment, Choi Sung-gun, who was holding his phone, spoke again.

“Let’s talk about projects again after ‘My Guy Friend’ and ‘Drug Dealer’ are released. Anyway, after October, it’ll be busy again with the end of the year.”

‘Ah—is it already the end of the year?’ Usually, the entertainment industry gets extremely busy from October. There are countless event broadcasts, events, award ceremonies, film festivals, etc., until the end of the year.

“It’s been a while since Hye-yeon’s rookie days that I’ve felt like this. Woo-jin, you’ll be called everywhere because of ‘Free Spirit’ and your movies, huh—I’m looking forward to it.”

There was no way Kang Woo-jin would be left out of all of that.

Several hours later.

After finishing his meal at the hotel near Tokyo Station, Woo-jin stopped by the salon and arrived at Netflix Japan near Tokyo Tower. The interior of Netflix Japan was similar to Netflix in Korea.

However…

“Nice to meet you, I’m John Craig from Netflix Japan.”

The general director of Netflix Japan was a foreigner. Woo-jin, who shook hands with him in the meeting room, was a little surprised. But that was only for a moment, and he had to proceed with the event-related meeting right away.

“Okay—then, shall we move?”

The Netflix Japan staff, Kang Woo-jin, and Hwa-rin’s team moved to a nearby event venue. It was a smooth process, following the schedule without any unnecessary detours. The event venue prepared by Netflix Japan for ‘My Guy Friend’ was in a building with event-specific studios.

“Mr. Kang Woo-jin, Ms. Hwa-rin! Let’s start with a photo time on stage!!”

The production presentation and event started with commemorative photos. The studio wasn’t that big, but the setup was decent. About 30 reporters invited by Netflix Japan, a ‘My Guy Friend’ poster behind the stage, a hired emcee, etc.

‘Whatever it was.’

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

-Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!!

Despite it being his first overseas schedule, Kang Woo-jin just moved mechanically. Well, he didn’t have the time to think about anything else. Occasionally, he would look at the refreshments placed on the reporters’ seats.

‘What is that? It looks delicious.’

He would drool, but that was it. Kang Woo-jin’s outfit on stage was a casual suit, and Hwa-rin was wearing a checkered two-piece. The photo time where the two of them posed lasted about 10 minutes.

Soon, the two of them…

-Swoosh.

Sat down on the chairs prepared on the stage. The layout was emcee, Kang Woo-jin, Hwa-rin, and interpreter in that order. Woo-jin was relatively calm.

‘Fortunately, the scale is smaller than what we did in Korea.’

Except for the Japanese being spoken, it wasn’t much different, and he could handle it. Soon, the emcee in the first seat on the stage moved. The hired emcee was a Japanese announcer.

“Shall we start? First—Mr. Kang Woo-jin, Ms. Hwa-rin, hello.”

“Hello, I’m Kang Woo-jin.”

“I’m Hwa-rin—nice to meet you.”

As the Japanese Netflix launch event for ‘My Guy Friend’ officially began, the Netflix Japan staff behind the event venue began to murmur quietly. Some people were subtly pointing at Woo-jin on stage.

On the other hand, Choi Sung-gun, who was a little further away from them, thought:

‘Hmm—I should have put Woo-jin in something other than a suit.’

He was just concerned about Kang Woo-jin’s outfit. At that moment, a team leader-level executive from the bustling Netflix Japan spoke excitedly in Japanese while looking at Woo-jin. It naturally reached Choi Sung-gun’s ears.

“What, did he get over 1 million subscribers? In just a week?!”