I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 13

The short film ‘Private Investigator’ was a 45-minute movie, quite long for a short film. It depicted the sudden events that befell a man named Kim Ryu-jin, who barely made a living running a private investigation agency alone.

One day, a man in his 40s came to Kim Ryu-jin as a client.

His request was to confirm if his wife was having an affair. Cases involving infidelity were common for Kim Ryu-jin, so he accepted the request without much thought.

The next day, Kim Ryu-jin immediately began observing the client’s wife.

As Kim Ryu-jin requested, the husband left home pretending to go on a business trip. As soon as he left, the wife went out as if she had been waiting for it. Sure enough, the wife met a man with a smart appearance at a subway station. Up to this point, it was just suspicion.

In Kim Ryu-jin’s mind, who was observing, he took dozens of photos. Unaware of this, the wife and the man got into the same car and arrived at a secluded villa deep in Gangwon Province. Kim Ryu-jin parked his car on the shoulder of the road in front of the villa and looked inside with binoculars.

Fortunately, the villa had a large window where the living room was clearly visible.

After lunch until the early afternoon, nothing much happened. The man and the wife spent time together like a married couple. They talked and drank tea in the living room, or watched TV. From this point, the signs of infidelity were strong.

The problem occurred in the late afternoon.

The man and the wife were having a peaceful meal. That was all. There were no signs of anything. But suddenly, the man buried his face in the soup bowl. There was no way he was drinking the soup with his nose. It was such a sudden change. Kim Ryu-jin, who was watching, was slightly taken aback. What was that? Could he be dead?

As Kim Ryu-jin was going through countless thoughts, the wife, who was poking the man with his face in the soup bowl, made a phone call. Then, a man with a sturdy build appeared. The wife and the man dragged the motionless man and moved him to a car. Then, the wife and the man got into the car and disappeared.

What was that? What just happened?

Kim Ryu-jin was very bewildered. He had just come to take a case, but he had witnessed a possible murder scene. Therefore, Kim Ryu-jin instinctively approached the villa and looked inside. Then, he saw a window opening and carefully stepped inside the villa.

Five minutes later, Kim Ryu-jin found a door leading to the basement.

Slowly, Kim Ryu-jin went down the stairs leading to the basement. There was an iron door at the bottom, and the door was open. Kim Ryu-jin carefully looked inside through the gap. He saw a man lying on the floor. He was trembling slightly.

He’s alive. That man is alive.

Kim Ryu-jin, with his eyes wide open, quickly entered the basement and shook the man. But his condition was not good. His pupils were dilated, and his whole body was weak.

It was at this moment that a thud was heard, and noise came from upstairs. The wife and the large man who had disappeared had returned. Convinced of this, Kim Ryu-jin hid in a corner of the basement where broken furniture was piled up.

From here, Kim Ryu-jin was a fugitive inside the villa.

Thus, the short film ‘Private Investigator’ was a mix of tension, thrill, and twists in a space as narrow as a villa. From the protagonist Kim Ryu-jin’s point of view, the villa felt like hell.

Of course, Kang Woo-jin felt that hell in advance. No, only he could. Because he had entered and exited the world of ‘Private Investigator.’ He had directly experienced it.

-[4/Scenario (Title: Private Investigator), B-grade]

-[*This is a very well-made movie scenario. 100% reading is possible.]

Becoming the protagonist Kim Ryu-jin.

[“Preparing to read ‘A: Kim Ryu-jin’······”]

[“······Preparation complete. This is a very well-made script or scenario. The implementation rate is 100%. Starting the reading.”]

The beginning was inside a beat-up car. As soon as Woo-jin recognized it, he felt various sensations. The car seat touching his back, the musty air mixed with the smell of cigarettes, the breath coming out of his mouth in the winter, and the view of the parking lot through the front window.

And.

-♬♪

A loud trot song [a genre of Korean pop music] was playing from the car audio. The sound was too loud. As Kang Woo-jin turned down the volume, the client husband sitting in the passenger seat spoke to him. His eyes were full of anger.

“Can you kill those bastards? How much does it cost to kill them?”

Kang Woo-jin replied indifferently.

“500 million per head.”

“That’s expensive.”

“I’m kidding, pal. There’s no way I’d do that.”

“No discounts? Like a telecom or credit card discount.”

“Hey, are you listening to me? Do I look like someone who makes pizza or hamburgers?”

“You make meat, human meat.”

“I’m not killing people. Get a grip.”

After a conversation that was a mix of brutality and wit, Kang Woo-jin accepted the request. Thus, Kang Woo-jin suddenly found himself desperately erasing traces and hiding like crazy in the villa. Later, when Woo-jin returned to his studio apartment, Kim Ryu-jin from ‘Private Investigator’ was already firmly imprinted on him.

Along with the real experience of the suffocating tension inside the villa.

Kang Woo-jin’s visit to Blue Vision Film was next.

He had to put on a tough and pretentious act. Since it was the same entertainment industry, he thought it wouldn’t hurt to be careful. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. He had visited without any prior contact. What if they told him to get lost, calling him a crazy bastard?

So what? He’d just go home. It’s not like there’s only one short film in the world.

At the moment, his mindset wasn’t that strong. But the square-jawed man who greeted Kang Woo-jin inside Blue Vision Film acted like he knew Woo-jin as soon as he saw him.

“You said you’d come at 3? You’re a bit late.”

‘Late or not, you never contacted me in the first place.’ So, Woo-jin asked back, “Are you talking to me?” Regardless, the square-jawed man arbitrarily guided Woo-jin into the film company.

‘Okay? If they’re telling me to come in, I guess I will.’

What was interesting was the way the square-jawed man treated Kang Woo-jin. It was somehow friendly yet unfriendly. Whatever it was, Kang Woo-jin stepped into the shabby film company office, and when the square-jawed man across from him told him to sit, he followed his words.

At the same time, the square-jawed man said to Woo-jin,

“While we wait for Manager Park, shall we see some acting? You did prepare, right? You didn’t just come to show your face.”

‘Manager Park?’ At this, Kang Woo-jin had a hunch.

‘This guy seems to be confusing me with someone else.’

The square-jawed man was clearly confusing Kang Woo-jin with someone else. It was obvious from his words and actions. The square-jawed man was even asking Kang Woo-jin to act. Was he a member of this film company? Woo-jin was slightly hesitant, but.

‘Well, does it matter?’

He quickly came to a conclusion. The current situation matched what he wanted. He could tell the truth after the acting was over.

So, Kang Woo-jin casually showed the Kim Ryu-jin he had experienced firsthand and was firmly imprinted on him.

Honestly, he tried to keep it light, but due to several recent role readings, his emotions came out a bit too intense. For reference, Woo-jin had recently realized that he could also control the intensity of his acting. If he experienced the subspace a little more, he would be much more free than he was now.

Anyway.

“······??”

When Kang Woo-jin’s acting was over, the square-jawed man’s eyes were wide open. They looked like they were about to pop out. Woo-jin, who was muttering to himself, finished appropriately.

“That’s it for here.”

A satisfied, solemn voice came out. ‘Yeah, good. This concept is getting better and better.’ However, the square-jawed man just stared at Woo-jin without any reaction. It was like that for several tens of seconds. Then, the square-jawed man opened his mouth.

“So, um, how long were you at GGO Entertainment?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than.

-Thud!

The closed iron door of the film company opened, and a fat man suddenly appeared.

“Hahaha, Director Shin! I’m a bit late!”

His voice was incredibly loud. The fat man was very cheerful. At least, that’s how Kang Woo-jin saw it. As soon as he saw him, Kang Woo-jin realized.

‘That bulky guy is the one who was supposed to come.’

Behind him were a young man and woman. ‘Maybe they confused me with them?’ As if to prove this, the fat man pointed at the expressionless Kang Woo-jin and asked,

“Who is the person in front? An actor?”

The square-jawed man added a question to Kang Woo-jin.

“Manager Park… doesn’t know you?”

The time had finally come. Kang Woo-jin maintained his poker face as much as possible and answered calmly.

“My name is Kang Woo-jin.”

It wasn’t Woo-jin’s fault. The misunderstanding was on their side. What was interesting here was that as soon as the square-jawed man heard Kang Woo-jin’s name, he frowned.

“Kang… Woo-jin?”

It was as if he had heard the name Kang Woo-jin somewhere before, and the fat man interjected with a slightly annoyed face.

“Director, what should we do? Are we going to keep standing here??”

It implied that although he was late for the appointment, he was still the one with the prior engagement. On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin.

‘Ah, is this guy the director?’

From the word ‘director,’ he was sure that the square-jawed man in front of him was the director of ‘Private Investigator.’ The square-jawed director replied to the fat man with a slight anger.

“No! Manager Park, the appointment was at 3, and now it’s!”

At this moment.

-Thump.

Kang Woo-jin got up indifferently.

“I’ll be going now.”

He felt slightly annoyed by the escalating situation. It felt like he might get caught in the crossfire. He had shown all the acting he needed to. More than anything, he was also bothered by the young man and woman standing behind the fat man.

‘Looks like the leads and supporting roles were already decided.’

As Kim Dae-young had said, short films usually had the leads and supporting roles confirmed. Kang Woo-jin thought that was a bit of a bummer.

‘It’s a bit ambiguous if it’s not a lead or supporting role.’

‘Private Investigator’ was a small project, a short film. It wasn’t about being greedy for a role, but about the experience as an actor. Below a supporting role, why bother? Although it was a shame, Kang Woo-jin let go of his lingering feelings. He could always find another scenario.

Then.

-Swish.

“Then.”

Kang Woo-jin, who had greeted them appropriately, left the film company without hesitation. Of course, the bearded director, no, Director Shin Dong-chun, tried to stop Kang Woo-jin awkwardly.

“W-wait a minute.”

But Woo-jin had already disappeared. Around this time, the man called Manager Park placed the new male and female actors he had brought in front of Director Shin Dong-chun.

“We’re sorry for being a bit late. Haha, but please take a look at the kids’ looks. They’re in good shape, right?”

At that very moment.

“Ah!”

Director Shin Dong-chun, who was looking at the faces of the newcomers, suddenly remembered something. The older brother he had met yesterday.

‘But the one I’m trying to recommend isn’t one of those top stars, it’s someone else.’

The words that came out of Song Man-woo PD’s mouth.

‘It’s someone we cast in our drama. It was hard to get him. His name is Kang Woo-jin, he’s a newcomer, so you wouldn’t know him.’

Kang Woo-jin. It was definitely the same name as the guy who had just left. Soon, Director Shin Dong-chun, with his brow furrowed, muttered to himself.

“Could it be… the same person?”

About an hour later, at a high-end Korean restaurant in Cheongdam-dong [a wealthy neighborhood in Seoul].

In a large VIP room with model trees placed here and there, many people were visible. By the window were a total of five people, including the bearded Song Man-woo PD, writer Park Eun-mi, and the production manager. On the opposite side were four of the most famous actors in the country.

The reason why such high-profile figures had gathered in one place was simple.

It was the first dinner meeting with the main actors who had been confirmed to appear in the drama ‘Profiler Hanryang.’ Of course, only the leads were gathered. Usually, at such gatherings, they get to know each other before the script reading and talk about the project.

Even if the actors knew each other, private and public matters were different.

Whatever the case, Song Man-woo PD, holding a water glass, looked at the actors sitting in front of him and smiled contentedly.

“Haha, it feels so reassuring to see you all gathered like this? It’s a magnificent sight, a magnificent sight.”

The quickest to react among the actors was Hong Hye-yeon, who had long, flowing hair.

“Aww-”

She smiled at Song Man-woo PD and writer Park Eun-mi on the opposite side.

“You guys are much more grand than us over here?? I don’t know if we’re even allowed to sit across from you.”

“That’s a bit too much for lip service, isn’t it?”

“Don’t you all think the same as me?”

When Hong Hye-yeon asked the surrounding actors, the other actors also smiled and agreed with her. It was at this moment that Song Man-woo PD’s phone rang.

-♬♪

Song Man-woo PD, after changing the ringtone of the phone next to his water glass to silent,

-Swish.

He picked up the phone. The caller was his close younger brother, Director Shin Dong-chun. ‘Why was the guy he had met yesterday calling?’ He tilted his head slightly and answered the phone.

“Hey, Dong-chun. I’m in a meeting right now, I’ll call you back later.”

“Hyung [older brother].”

However, the words of the bearded Song Man-woo PD were cut off by Director Shin Dong-chun on the other end of the phone.

“Did you talk about it?”

“What?”

“The actor Kang Woo-jin you talked about while eating chicken feet yesterday. Is he perhaps over 180 cm tall, with a somewhat intense look and a cynical vibe? And a rather low voice?”

“······How do you know that?”

“Did you talk to him about my movie?”

“I told you not to, would I have?”

“Then how did he find out and come?”

“Who?”

“The actor Kang Woo-jin.”

“He went there? Kang Woo-jin?”

When the name Kang Woo-jin came up, some of the people around Song Man-woo PD reacted. Like writer Park Eun-mi and Hong Hye-yeon on the opposite side. They stared intently at Song Man-woo PD.

Regardless, Song Man-woo PD’s face slightly crumpled.

“······”

‘No, how did Kang Woo-jin know about that place and go there? It was too sudden.’

‘Did Dong-chun… did he find out that he’s my acquaintance and go there? No, that’s impossible.’

Song Man-woo PD had met Shin Dong-chun yesterday. More than anything, Song Man-woo PD’s encounter with Kang Woo-jin was recent. What was going on?

With his thoughts all jumbled up, Song Man-woo PD got up from his seat and spoke into his phone.

“Hey, I didn’t say anything. He’s just an unpredictable guy. Wait a minute.”

Song Man-woo PD, who had left the VIP room, continued to speak to Director Shin Dong-chun on the phone.

“So. What did Kang Woo-jin do when he went to see you?”

“He acted.”

“Huh?”

“Hyung. What’s with his acting?”

Director Shin Dong-chun asked abruptly without any context. Anyone else would have asked for the reason, but Song Man-woo PD, who had already experienced Kang Woo-jin intensely, immediately sensed it.

‘That guy must have turned things upside down there too.’

Soon, Song Man-woo PD smiled slightly.

“What was your impression of his acting?”

“…It was like he was the character I wrote.”

“He was a spitting image, right? Rather, the way he acted was more vivid.”

“I was shocked. It was the first time I was stunned by an actor’s acting.”

“Yeah. That’s usually how it is when you see Kang Woo-jin’s acting. Would you believe it if I told you he learned that all by himself?”

“Huh??”

At the question, Song Man-woo PD lowered his voice.

“That guy went there himself – Hey, Dong-chun. I don’t know the exact situation either, and I’ll have to contact Woo-jin, but for now, I’ll just tell you one thing since I’m in the middle of a meeting.”

“What is it?”

“I told you I had a hard time getting Kang Woo-jin, right? I even raised his price to get him. Writer Park also fell for him. He was an actor to the point where she grabbed his hand and asked him to do the drama together.”

“······What, that’s nonsense. He was a face I’ve never seen before? That means he’s unknown, right? But you and Writer Park did that???”

“Yeah. Me and Writer Park. Well, it’s a long story. That’s the kind of actor I was going to introduce to you. But out of the blue, Kang Woo-jin came to you himself, right?”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

Then, Song Man-woo PD, recalling Kang Woo-jin’s face, chuckled.

“The phoenix flew in on its own, are you really going to let that gem go?”

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