I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 147

Since Kang Woo-jin’s emergence in the Korean entertainment scene, he’s been tagged with numerous titles: ‘Monster rookie,’ ‘acting genius,’ ‘Chungmuro’s blue chip’ [a promising investment in the film industry], ‘rising star,’ and so on. Among them, words like ‘one and only’ or ‘first’ stood out the most. After all, the impact he created in the industry was significant.

That was also true for Kang Woo-jin himself.

As an ordinary person, everything he did in the entertainment industry was new and a first for him. And now, he had achieved another first, a pretty significant precedent, both in the entertainment industry and as Woo-jin.

[Today’s TOP 10 Contents in Korea]

1. My Guy Friend

The fact that ‘My Guy Friend,’ just a one-act play, had taken the top spot, just one day after its release, pushing aside all the big-name productions and Netflix’s major content, was incredible. Of course, Woo-jin had already reached number one with ‘The Playboy.’ However, ‘My Guy Friend’ was different. ‘The Playboy’ had a cast of top actors, and Kang Woo-jin played a supporting role.

But this time, it was his first achievement as a lead.

Therefore, Kang Woo-jin was internally freaking out.

‘Number one… crazy! Number one?! Did I really get number one?!’

Looking at the overall Netflix ranking, he was internally going wild. His face maintained a stoic expression, looking indifferent to the world, but in his heart, he wanted to hug all the staff, like Han Ye-jeong and Choi Seong-geon.

‘Wow—seriously!! I wasn’t expecting it! But seeing it… ah, no. Don’t smile. Don’t smile, you idiot!’

He felt like doing a shoulder dance, or even a mask dance [traditional Korean dance]. At that moment, Kim So-hyang, the general director, spoke again from the phone attached to Woo-jin’s ear.

“Huh? Woo-jin, are you listening?”

Woo-jin, startled, forcibly suppressed the excitement burning within him. Calm down, calm down. Then, a surprisingly low voice came out.

“Ah, yes. I’m listening.”

“Aren’t you happy? It’s a first, you know?”

“Yes. I’m happy. That’s great.”

“…You don’t sound like you’re happy?”

“No. I am happy.”

“Hmm? Ah, right. There’s still the OST release and the Japan premiere left, so it’s too early to be happy, right? I guess.”

What? What are you talking about? Regardless, Kim So-hyang ended the call with another congratulatory message. At the same time, Choi Seong-geon, as well as Jang Su-hwan, Han Ye-jeong, and all the other staff, went wild.

“Awesome, awesome!! Congratulations, oppa [term used by younger females to address older males]!”

“Hyungnim [term used by younger males to address older males]! Seriously, I’m so happy for you! Yeah!”

“Number one! Number one!!”

Seeing them acting on his behalf, Woo-jin smiled contentedly inside. Soon, Choi Seong-geon, having calmed everyone’s frenzy, made eye contact with Woo-jin and smiled.

“Okay, okay, calm down, everyone. Look at Woo-jin, huh? He’s so composed, like he expected it all. Let’s act like this was easy for us too.”

Kim So-hyang and Choi Seong-geon were making their own assumptions, but Kang Woo-jin, used to it, dealt with it calmly.

“A lot has happened. Everyone, including Hwa-rin, worked hard.”

“That’s right. Honestly, it would be weird if ‘My Guy Friend’ didn’t do well.”

Choi Seong-geon, grinning, patted Woo-jin’s shoulder.

“Soon, the media and public opinion will be all over it. You know?”

After that.

Kang Woo-jin, hiding his excitement, began post-recording for ‘Frozen Romance.’ Although it was a role without lines, Woo-jin’s voice was to be inserted into the translation and subtitles related to sign language, like a narration.

Of course, congratulations poured in here too.

“Wow—Woo-jin, I heard the news, that’s great!!”

“Congratulations! Haha!”

“It’s the first time a one-act play has reached number one on Netflix, right?? It’s going to be noisy again!”

The key staff, such as the directing PD [Production Director], were genuinely happy. If Kang Woo-jin did well, it would also help ‘Frozen Romance.’

About an hour later.

While Woo-jin was focusing on post-recording, the media, having confirmed the success of ‘My Guy Friend,’ were churning out articles.

『[Issue Pick] ‘My Guy Friend’ Reclaims Number 1 on Netflix for the First Time as a One-Act Play!』

『’My Guy Friend’ Did It… Surpasses All the Big Productions and Rises to Number 1 in Just One Day』

『’Netflix One-Act Project’ Successful, Kang Woo-jin♥Hwa-rin’s ‘My Guy Friend’ Off to a Huge Start』

Since it was a project that had a lot of hype even before its release, the media was all over it.

『’Kang Woo-jin’s New Face’… ‘My Guy Friend’ Receives Rave Reviews Immediately After Release』

『[Drama Issue] ‘My Guy Friend’ Was Not Your Typical Rom-Com, Captivates Viewers with a ‘Deep Kiss Scene’ from the Start』

The combined power of Kang Woo-jin and Hwa-rin themselves, the two actors’ agencies, and Netflix Korea resulted in an overwhelming amount of coverage.

『’My Guy Friend’ Is Not Boring or Bland… Deep Skinship Scenes Are Another Point to Watch in the Drama』

『Netizens on Number 1 ‘My Guy Friend’: “Kang Woo-jin and Hwa-rin Look So Good Together,” Pink Vibes All Around?』

It was a hot topic, and ‘My Guy Friend’ had many connections.

『Kang Woo-jin and Hwa-rin to Show Chemistry in Yoon Byung-sun PD’s ‘Our Table’ as Well, Following ‘My Guy Friend’』

『Kang Woo-jin Shows ‘Tsundere’ Boyfriend… What Will He Look Like in ‘Drug Dealer’ Releasing Next Week?』

Thanks to this, by lunchtime, ‘My Guy Friend’ had taken over the entertainment sections of various portal sites. Furthermore, there was a lot of talk about Kang Woo-jin’s acting transformation.

『[Star Photo] Kang Woo-jin of ‘My Guy Friend’, Captivates Hearts with a 180-Degree Different Performance from ‘Manager Park’』

『Proved ‘Thousand Faces’… Kang Woo-jin Makes an Impression on the Public as a Lover, Not a Killer / Photo』

It was natural since it was a completely different role than before.

『”Different in Every Work” Praises Pour in for Kang Woo-jin’s Acting, What Kind of Acting Will He Show in ‘Island of the Missing’ and ‘Drug Dealer’?』

The intensity of the mentions was unusual. It wasn’t just about the issues. With the added charm and the new image, his popularity was growing.

He was rising as the character ‘Han In-ho’ from ‘My Guy Friend’, rising even more. His recognition was expanding.

Whatever it was, it was just… well.

『[Feature] ‘My Guy Friend’ Shows the Potential of One-Act Plays in the Intensifying OTT [Over-the-Top, streaming media] War』

‘My Guy Friend’ was following the path of a successful project. It was spreading by word of mouth through various media. At this point, the public’s reaction was more intense than the media’s.

Numerous online communities were already buzzing.

-I watched up to episode 2 of My Guy Friend, and it’s fun

-No, seriously, My Guy Friend is really good, no cap?

-Kang Woo-jin is going to get even more popular with this lol, his acting transformation is insane lol

-Hwa-rin is so pretty.JPG

-Is My Guy Friend worth binge-watching?

-My Guy Friend is the first one-act play to reach number 1 on Netflix (article)

-My Guy Friend episode 1 early no-filter kiss scene.GIF

-Manager Park: I wish it was a bit more intense, it’s not hot enough

-The only disappointing thing about My Guy Friend (feat. the main character’s presence)

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‘My Guy Friend’ began to be immortalized on the internet, including cafes, blogs, and social media. In fact, there were signs of it since yesterday, but today it was openly and overwhelmingly prominent.

The offline world was also amazing.

‘My Guy Friend’ was almost always included in people’s conversations. On the streets, in the company’s break room, cafes, etc.

“Anyone here watched ‘My Guy Friend’ yesterday??”

“I did! As soon as I got home! It was fun, wasn’t it?”

“I saw it on the subway on my way to work today because it was number one on Netflix, and Kang Woo-jin’s acting was so different? I really enjoyed ‘The Playboy’, but I couldn’t see Manager Park at all.”

“Yeah, yeah. It was like, how do I say it? He really captured the heart-fluttering moments, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, yeah! He’s like a tsundere [a character who is initially cold but later shows warmth], but the way he looks at Hwa-rin is so tender! He acts so delicately. Ah, when Kang Woo-jin sang in the middle…”

“First of all, he’s handsome. But his vibe is completely different, I thought his image was going to be stuck with tough roles.”

“Ha—I wish I had a guy friend like that.”

“Kang Woo-jin as a guy friend? That’s just a fantasy.”

The reach was rapidly expanding. It was openly appearing in BJs’ [Broadcast Jockeys, online streamers] broadcasts, and on YouTube, which is sensitive to popularity and issues, videos related to ‘My Guy Friend’ were already all over the place.

-《My Guy Friend》A drama that shows a sweet yet subtle emotional war!!｜Drama Land

-Is it CG [Computer Graphics]? A collection of Kang Woo-jin and Hwa-rin’s skinship scenes that are too real (My Guy Friend)｜Issue Issue Fruit TV

-‘My Guy Friend’ Kang Woo-jin Acting Collection｜Report Issue

The ‘My Guy Friend’ wave was bombarding the entertainment industry like crazy. For 20 days straight.

What was interesting was that by the afternoon, it was also causing a stir in Japan.

-My Guy Friend is doing really well in Korea right now??

-Ah!! Please release it on Netflix Japan soon!!

-Why… are you releasing it in Korea first… release it for us right now

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·

Japan was eager to have it released on the 22nd, two days later. All of this lasted for 20 days. Did it cool down on the next day, the 21st?

Not at all.

『Super Hit ‘My Guy Friend’ Maintains Number 1 Ranking on Its Second Day』

‘My Guy Friend’ was not a flash in the pan. It had a solid core. Thanks to this, it maintained the number one spot in the overall Netflix Korea ranking on the 21st, its second day of release.

And at noon on this day, the first OST [Original Soundtrack] of ‘My Guy Friend’ was released on all music platforms.

-[(new!)]My Guy Friend / Kang Woo-jin (‘My Guy Friend’ OST Part. 1)

A song by Kang Woo-jin. The remaining OST songs were scheduled to be released over time. Anyway, the OST song sung by Woo-jin garnered excessive interest upon its release. It was the same for the top three music platforms in Korea.

The number of comments on the song’s detail page.

-???: I wish you would release a few more songs, it’s not hot enough

-Seriously… is there anything Kang Woo-jin can’t do??

-Damn lol, he sings so well

-Kang Woo-jin is becoming more and more perfect in acting, singing, looks, YouTube, etc.

-The song is really good… especially Kang Woo-jin’s tone is a real killer… the slight rasp in the high notes is so captivating

-Please!! Kang Woo-jin!! Be my guy friend!!!

·

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·

It was as popular as a hit song from the start.

On the same day, late in the afternoon. Kang Woo-jin’s house.

It was around 9 pm. Even though the world was buzzing with ‘My Guy Friend,’ Woo-jin was at home. His schedule had ended relatively early. What was funny was that there were quite a few guests at Woo-jin’s house: Choi Seong-geon, Jang Su-hwan, Han Ye-jeong, and two stylists. A total of six people, including Kang Woo-jin. They had gathered because of the cooking-related matter they had talked about before.

“Wow—Woo-jin, you keep your place so clean?”

“Yeah, yeah! Amazing! Oppa, you’re really clean!”

“Do you like minimalist interior design??”

“No, is it because you’re too busy to make a mess??”

Choi Seong-geon and the staff, having placed various gifts on one side, looked around Woo-jin’s clean house and then gathered around the dining table in the kitchen.

“We’re finally having a housewarming party. We should have done it a long time ago.”

“Today, let’s make it a housewarming party and a ‘My Guy Friend’ celebration party!”

Since it was originally for four people, Jang Su-hwan, who was quite large, had to be at the table in the living room. At this point, Kang Woo-jin calmly put on the apron hanging in the kitchen. It was a gray and black apron. His expression was blank.

Here.

“Oppa, just a moment.”

Cold Han Ye-jeong took a picture of Kang Woo-jin wearing the apron with her phone for filming. Not just one, but about five shots.

“I can’t miss this precious moment. It came out well; if this goes up on oppa’s social media, there will be a lot of comments again.”

Choi Seong-geon, who was checking the results together, instructed Han Ye-jeong.

“Ye-jeong, you have a tripod, right? For phones.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Let’s set it up and capture everything Woo-jin is cooking now. We’ll use it as a teaser video for the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel.”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

It was like the guests were creating work on their own. Kang Woo-jin, who had stopped putting on the apron, looked at the people in front of him and felt tired.

‘These workaholics. It’s just a bit of cooking. Take a break!’

Still, since filming had started, he couldn’t just do it half-heartedly. Woo-jin put on an even more intense concept than usual and opened the refrigerator. The ingredients he had bought on the way were ready, and Choi Seong-geon’s question was heard from behind.

“Kang Star, so what’s on the menu?”

Woo-jin, taking out the packaged pork, answered in a low voice.

“Jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork).”

Immediately, the staff let out a saliva-filled exclamation.

“Ooh!”

“It sounds so delicious just by the name, I’m hungry!”

“I love it! But oppa, didn’t you say you were going to make something simple?? Jeyuk bokkeum isn’t easy, is it?”

“Oppa… are you sure you’re okay?”

Kang Woo-jin, taking out a pot similar to a wok, answered briefly.

“It’ll be edible.”

Kang Woo-jin was always the same, no matter what he did. But this time, the staff like Choi Seong-geon and Han Ye-jeong were a little worried. Would he really be good at cooking? What if it tasted a bit ambiguous, how should they react? Should they be honest if it’s not good?

The staff whispered quietly.

“But CEO, if it’s going to be uploaded on YouTube, shouldn’t the recipe be solid??”

“That’s right.”

“What if it doesn’t taste good?”

“…I don’t know, let’s just trust Woo-jin for now.”

Then, everyone looked at Kang Woo-jin’s back wearing the apron, and Woo-jin pulled up two things that were engraved in his mind. No, in fact, they were already scattered in his head.

The chef’s techniques and recipes.

‘Yeah, it’s coming to me right away. Seriously, it’s a cheat. I, who only knew how to boil ramen, am now cooking!’

Kang Woo-jin, admiring himself anew, neatly arranged the meat and ingredients. Just the right amount to use. This was also part of the chef’s technique. Soon, Kang Woo-jin.

“Shall we make it a little spicy?”

“Good! I like it!”

“Good.”

Following the ‘Jeyuk Recipe’ that came to mind in an instant, he moved his hands.

-Swish.

He poured cooking oil into a pot similar to a wok. First, he added soy sauce and scraped it, then added the pork and a spoonful of sugar. A little more cooking oil. Then he stir-fried it. Clang, clang. He used his wrist appropriately.

At this sight, Han Ye-jeong, with her blue bobbed hair, was slightly impressed.

“Wow. Oppa, the way you move your hands is a bit… unusual.”

That’s when it happened.

-Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap!

Kang Woo-jin was cutting the cabbage, onions, and carrots placed on the cutting board. But his knife skills were dazzling. Consistent and fast. No matter how you looked at it, it was a skill that couldn’t come from home cooking. From this point, Choi Seong-geon and the staff had a feeling.

‘Wow!!’

‘What, what is it? Just by looking at his knife skills, he’s a pro??!’

It was different from ordinary or average.

Regardless, Woo-jin silently continued cooking. After taking out the meat that was cooked to a certain extent, he put the vegetables into the same wok. Woo-jin, who was stir-frying them with soy sauce as well, combined the wilted vegetables and meat.

-Sizzle!!

A savory smell quickly spread throughout the house. Then, Kang Woo-jin added minced garlic, gochujang [chili paste], fine chili powder, corn syrup, oyster sauce, and cooking wine. There was no hesitation in his moving hands. No worries.

Lastly, even the Cheongyang chili peppers to add more spiciness.

‘Ah, I should have had sesame seeds. Tsk. I should buy the ingredients later when I have time.’

Leaving the regret behind, Kang Woo-jin finished cooking. It didn’t take long either. Woo-jin took out a large bowl and put the finished jeyuk in it. He didn’t just put it in.

-Swish.

Starting with the meat, he placed the colorful vegetables on top. It was plating. Soon, the finished, steaming jeyuk was placed in the center of the table where Choi Seong-geon and the staff were sitting.

The jeyuk with a reddish, glossy sheen.

Just looking at it made your mouth water, and you thought of white rice and a shot of soju [Korean distilled beverage]. A color that Koreans couldn’t resist. That jeyuk was being vividly captured by the phone set up by Han Ye-jeong. Of course, the same was true for Kang Woo-jin’s cooking process so far.

“Eat.”

As Woo-jin murmured in a low voice while scooping rice, all the wide-eyed staff turned their gaze to the head of the company, meaning to eat first. In response, Choi Seong-geon slowly picked up his chopsticks with a shocked face.

‘First of all, the color and smell are amazing—’

What about the taste? Choi Seong-geon picked up the meat and vegetables at once, put them in his mouth, and chewed.

Soon, his eyes widened, and lightning struck in his pupils.

“Wh, what the hell.”

Choi Seong-geon suddenly cursed and involuntarily exclaimed.

“The taste… why is it like this? It’s amazing? It’s different from the jeyuk I knew. Anyway, it’s amazing. It’s several times better than what my mom made? What is it, Woo-jin, what did you put in here?”

No sooner had he finished speaking.

“Re, really??!”

“Is it that good??”

“Ah! Wait a minute! Me too!!”

The staff rushed to the jeyuk, like beasts.

End