I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 152

The 24th, night.

The Korean restaurant in Gangwon Province that hosted the ‘Our Table’ one-day restaurant. It was past 11 PM. The rush of customers had ended, and filming had wrapped up about 30 minutes ago. As a result, many of the ‘Our Table’ staff were busy with cleanup.

‘The table settings need to be returned to their original positions!’

‘Here are the original photos for reference!’

‘Kitchen staff, can someone check which props belong to us?!’

‘Have all the small cameras been collected?!’

‘Only the annex is left to clean!’

The filming had been quite long, so the staff looked tired, but they were all energetic, perhaps because it had been a satisfying day. Among the various buildings, Yoon Byung-sun PD [PD stands for Production Director], wearing glasses, was visible in the main hall.

And at the table in front of him.

‘Everyone, you’ve worked hard.’

‘Ugh—I’m exhausted.’

‘Thank you for your hard work!’

‘Everyone, you’ve really, really worked hard!’

The cast of ‘Our Table’ were huddled together. Of course, Kang Woo-jin, with his calm face, was also among them. They were all wearing aprons with the ‘Our Table’ logo, and each held a can of beer, ready to unwind after a long day.

It seemed they had all become quite close, as conversations flowed freely.

Meanwhile, Kang Woo-jin was thinking.

‘Damn, how many dishes did I churn out today? I can’t even remember. I think I’ll throw up just smelling ramen now.’

His expression was firm, but he was secretly suffering. The intensity had been very high. It reminded him of his part-time job at a bar when he was around 20. If it weren’t for his habitual stoic act, he would have collapsed on the table long ago.

‘Why is this a variety show! It’s just a real-life endurance test!’

Around this time, Yoon Byung-sun PD, who had been talking with Ahn Jong-hak, addressed everyone.

‘Well, there were a lot of mistakes and some missteps, but that’s natural since it’s the first time. Overall, it was good. If we can refine the format a bit more, it seems like it could work overseas too, right?’

Ahn Jong-hak took a sip of his beer and replied to the wishful thinking.

‘The menus came out without any major problems, but honestly, there was a lot of chaos in the hall and other areas, wasn’t there? If the food hadn’t come out on time, it would have all fallen apart.’

Hwang Kang-soo, looking haggard, and the rest of the crew readily agreed.

‘That’s right… If there had been a problem with the orders, we wouldn’t have been able to pull it off today.’

‘There were a lot of order mistakes too! I’m sorry!’

Yeon Baek-gwang, a fresh-faced pretty boy who was full of energy, bowed his head and gave Kang Woo-jin a thumbs up.

‘But the customers today said the food was incredibly delicious! As expected of Woo-jin hyung [older brother or male friend]!’

Ahn Jong-hak also seemed to agree, crossing his legs and asking Woo-jin.

‘I heard that a lot too. What happened? I thought you were just cooking at a basic level, but you’re practically a chef. I heard even Chef Lee Yang-woo praised you? But Hye-yeon, all I saw you doing was chopping garlic?’

‘Ah! What can I do if a lot of garlic is needed? And I chopped a lot of other things too, you know? I flipped kimchi pancakes too.’

While the two were bickering, Yoon Byung-sun PD placed several sheets of paper on the table.

‘These are the one-line reviews from today’s customers, and the common theme is that the food is delicious.’

Indeed, the reviews that filled the papers all mentioned that the food was delicious. There were also frequent comments about seeing a new side of Kang Woo-jin. Soon, Hwa-rin, who was handing the papers to Woo-jin, murmured softly.

‘But it was really delicious.’

Inside, she wanted to give a double thumbs up and act all giddy, but.

‘It wasn’t just delicious, it was super duper amazing!’

There were too many eyes watching, so she held back. Just having tasted the cooking of Kang Woo-jin, her object of fangirling, was enough. Anyway, Yoon Byung-sun PD started to wrap things up.

‘This concludes the domestic filming with all the members, and we’ll all see each other overseas next! There might be some short filming sessions by team before we go, and we’ll coordinate the schedules and let you know.’

After a short get-together, the cast members left the Korean restaurant one by one, and Kang Woo-jin also moved to a van after saying goodbye to the staff.

That’s when it happened.

‘Woo-jin-ssi [a polite way to address someone]!’

Yoon Byung-sun PD called out to Kang Woo-jin from behind. He quickly approached and said something a bit unusual.

‘Could you possibly think of developing a dish before the filming in the US?’

‘A developed dish, you mean?’

‘Yes. Well, if it’s too much of a burden, you can just pass on it. But seeing your cooking skills, I think it’s possible. Any Korean dish is fine, so if you’re okay with it, think about it. We’ll try it, have a meeting, and if it’s good, we’ll sell it in the US.’

He was talking about a Korean recipe unique to Kang Woo-jin. Well, it didn’t seem like it was mandatory, so Woo-jin simply nodded.

‘Okay, I understand.’

‘Okay! You worked hard today!’

Yoon Byung-sun PD walked away. Then, Kang Woo-jin got into the van without much thought. Only after the stylists, including Han Ye-jung, had all boarded did the van depart.

At the same time.

-Swish.

Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned his body and spoke to Woo-jin.

‘Woo-jin, you know Director Ahn Ga-bok, right?’

Director Ahn Ga-bok? Who was that? He had heard the name somewhere, but it was unfamiliar. But since he was a director, Woo-jin pretended to know him.

‘Yes, CEO.’

He naturally started searching on his phone, pretending not to. After seeing the face that came up in the results, Woo-jin remembered who Director Ahn Ga-bok was. But it still wasn’t clear.

‘Ah—that director, what was it, a living legend of the film industry or something? I think I saw it on YouTube.’

Any Korean actor would revere Director Ahn Ga-bok, but to Kang Woo-jin, he just felt like an old man who was a director. Therefore.

‘Director Ahn Ga-bok said he wanted to see you. He called.’

Although he was moderately surprised, Woo-jin wasn’t very impressed by Choi Sung-gun’s words.

‘That old man. No, that director wants to see me? Why? Ah—maybe he’s trying to offer me a role?’

It was subtle, but he just felt like any other director. Thanks to that, Woo-jin’s answer didn’t have much force.

‘Me, you mean?’

‘Yeah. But as expected… your reaction is lukewarm. I expected it, but aren’t you surprised? I almost popped my eyes out when I got a call from that guy?’

‘I was surprised.’

‘Yeah right. Anyway, I’m digging up information on Director Ahn Ga-bok, so just be aware.’

‘Yes, CEO.’

‘If you get involved with Director Ahn Ga-bok, the film industry will be turned upside down again.’

Really? Okay. However, Kang Woo-jin’s mind was currently full of other thoughts.

‘Ha—I’m going back to Vietnam tomorrow. I’m already suffocating!’

It was hell with the heat included.

After that.

The 24th, when the first filming of ‘Our Table’ was completed, came to an end, and the next day, the 25th, dawned. But Kang Woo-jin was already on a plane. He was returning to the overseas location of ‘Island of the Missing’ after finishing about a week of schedules in Korea.

The destination was Da Nang, Vietnam.

And he wasn’t alone.

『[Star Photo] Hong Hye-yeon and Kang Woo-jin Spotted at the Airport! Departing Together for ‘Island of the Missing’ Overseas Location/Photo』

Hong Hye-yeon, who was scheduled for a special appearance, was also with him.

At this time, Kang Woo-jin’s OST [Original Sound Track], which had been released a few days ago, was still holding the number one spot on music platforms.

-[1(-)] Male Friend/Kang Woo-jin (‘Male Friend’ OST Part. 1)

Currently, it was number one on various platforms, not just ‘Melon’ [a popular Korean music streaming service]. It was a testament to the popularity of ‘Male Friend’.

『’Male Friend’ OST is Doing Well… Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Male Friend’ Sweeps Music Charts, Tops Melon』

‘Male Friend’ was achieving unprecedented success as a one-act drama. As they often say, it was close to ‘unrivaled’.

『Vocal Skills Proven on 5 Million ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ Channel, Kang Woo-jin Sweeps Various Music Platforms』

『[Chart] Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Male Friend’ Tops Chart… Joo-ah 2nd, DKM 3rd… Pushing Out All Music Powerhouses』

『Kang Woo-jin’s OST Tops Music Charts… Kang Woo-jin Syndrome Continues』

Perhaps that’s why?

The first OST of ‘Male Friend’ sung by Kang Woo-jin, that is, ‘Male Friend’, was heard quite often everywhere. On the car radio.

‘Okay! Before we move on to the second part, let’s listen to a song. Uh—what’s the current sensation? We’ll listen to ‘Male Friend’ from ‘Male Friend’ sung by Kang Woo-jin, and I’ll be back shortly.’

-♬♪

From the earphones people wore, from their phones, and so on. This popularity of the OST was adding strength to the momentum of ‘Male Friend’. Later, around the afternoon of the 25th, the OST sung by Hwa-rin, following Kang Woo-jin, was released to the public.

-[(new!)] Female Friend/Hwa-rin (‘Male Friend’ OST Part. 2)

Looking at the current popularity of ‘Male Friend’, it was clear that Hwa-rin’s OST would also quickly rise in the rankings. Moreover, there was still a duet song left. Of course, ‘Male Friend’ was still the undisputed number one on Netflix in both Korea and Japan.

『’Male Friend’ Holding the Number One Spot for Almost a Week, Kang Woo-jin and Hwa-rin’s Brand Value and Popularity Rise Exponentially』

In particular, the popularity in Japan was skyrocketing. While interest was dispersed in Korea due to Woo-jin’s various issues, in Japan, the focus was on ‘Male Friend’.

『Twitter is Buzzing with Talk About ‘Male Friend’』

The power of the Korean Wave [Hallyu], Kang Woo-jin, and Hwa-rin had worked perfectly. The Japanese public was enthusiastic about ‘Male Friend’.

-Kang Woo-jin!!! Hwa-rin!!! I love you!!!

-This is the first drama that I’ve ever felt so… emotionally invested in… Now, only the last episode is left… It’s painful…

-Why can’t Japan make dramas like this?? The drama is so fun, I’m angry at the Japanese dramas that are losing to just 4 episodes!

-Are there friends like Kang Woo-jin everywhere in Korea? I want to go to Korea so badly.

-It’s a drama with very beautiful colors. And it reminds me of my school days. A beautiful and enjoyable drama.

-Warning: Male friends like Kang Woo-jin in Male Friend do not exist in reality

-The two actors are lovely and act well

-I want to have such a beautiful romance too… It was so much fun…

-I’ve fallen into a swamp! I’ve rewatched it for the second time, but I’m playing Male Friend again now!

·

·

·

This continued even on the 26th, after the weekend. However, in Korea, it wasn’t just news about ‘Male Friend’ that was spreading. Many sources were exploding.

『’Freezing Love’ First Episode Date Confirmed, Can Be Seen on Friday, November 27th』

『’Freezing Love’ Confirmed to Premiere on November 27th, Production Team Says ‘Kang Woo-jin Will Show Sign Language Acting’』

『From Murderer to Lover and Sign Language Acting… ‘Acting Monster’ Kang Woo-jin’s Endless Image Transformation』

Teasers for ‘Freezing Love’, or.

-Sign language?? He’s doing sign language?? Didn’t they say Kang Woo-jin was just making a special appearance in the drama???

-That’s amazing… Sign language acting in a very short appearance… Actors usually avoid disability roles… I’m honestly impressed

‘Our Table’.

『[Issue Check] Yoon Byung-sun PD’s Large-Scale Variety Show ‘Our Table’… First Filming Completed Domestically, Who Will Cook Among the Star-Studded Cast?』

And ‘Drug Dealer’, which was about to be released.

『[Movie Talk] ‘Drug Dealer’ Recently Finished Screening Schedule… Ticket Reservations Open at Movie Theaters Nationwide』

『Until the Very End! Jin Jae-joon Enthusiastically Promotes to Fans at the Screening/Photo』

Bombardment. Yes, the current situation was fitting for the word bombardment. Various snowballs that had grown large were exploding at the right timing.

『’Drug Dealer’ Rated ‘Restricted’ [equivalent to R-rated], What Kind of Character Will Kang Woo-jin, Who Made a Cameo Appearance, Play?』

The fragments of the bombardment that spread out brilliantly were mixed or fused again, and were reborn as larger snowballs, clearly expanding their territory in the minds of the public. The process was quick and rapid.

Even as time melted away, new bombardments were targeting the public.

『[Planning] ‘Drug Dealer’, Rated R, with Jin Jae-joon and Monster Rookie Kang Woo-jin, How Many Viewers Will It Attract as an R-Rated Movie?』

As if not giving them any time to adapt.

Early morning of the 28th.

The time was around 8 AM. The place was a multiplex movie theater in Seoul. A woman who had just gotten off the elevator caught the eye. She was wearing a black mask, a hat pulled down low, and round glasses.

It felt like she was intentionally hiding her face.

She turned her gaze to the movie theater lobby.

‘Ugh—there are quite a lot of people.’

Even though it was a weekday morning, there were quite a few people for some reason. Well, it wasn’t overflowing, but it was enough to make her pause. The types were varied. Couples, friends who came with men or women, etc. They glanced at the woman wearing a hat and mask, but didn’t pay much attention.

At this time.

-♬♪

From the billboard above, the movie trailer started playing with a loud sound! The title appeared first.

-‘Drug Dealer’

In the fast-paced trailer, a glimpse of an actor with a tattoo near his neck flashed by. The woman wearing the hat flinched at this.

‘That was him, right? Woo-jin-nim. Wow, his image is so different, I almost didn’t recognize him.’

Soon, the woman who had been staring blankly at the ‘Drug Dealer’ trailer came to her senses and moved. She took pictures of the small posters and standees of ‘Drug Dealer’ with her phone.

-Swish.

She printed out the ticket she had reserved at the self-ticketing machine. The title of the movie ticket she had pulled out was ‘Drug Dealer’. There were about 30 minutes left until the start time.

‘Caramel popcorn—ha, I shouldn’t eat it.’

The woman, who seemed to be hesitating about something, went to the concession stand and bought a small popcorn, and moved to the theater with light steps. There were more viewers inside the theater than expected. For an early morning showing, 10 people would have been a lot, but there seemed to be over 30. Whatever the case, the woman wearing the hat carefully looked around at the people and sat in her assigned seat.

Just in time.

-♬♪

Advertisements started playing on the large screen in front. But since the overall lighting in the theater was still bright, the woman looked down at her phone while wearing her mask. This went on for about 5 minutes.

Finally.

‘Okay!’

As the woman raised her head, the lights in the theater dimmed overall. She slightly lowered the mask she had been wearing all along. Not all of it, but a little of her face was visible.

A mole under her eye.

The woman was Hwa-rin, who was rising in popularity with ‘Male Friend’. Although she was without makeup, she still exuded a celebrity aura, and Hwa-rin, who had put a piece of caramel popcorn in her mouth, looked at the screen in front and shouted inwardly.

‘It’s starting, it’s starting!’

The reason she came to the movie theater this morning? It was very simple. She came to see her most, most, most favorite actor’s first commercial film. It was also meaningful. To see his first commercial film on the first day of its release, at the first showing of the day. Soon, Hwa-rin’s heart pounded rapidly as she chewed on the popcorn. Her large eyes, looking at the screen, sparkled.

Soon.

-‘Drug Dealer’

The title of the movie ‘Drug Dealer’ was largely displayed on the large screen in the dark theater. About an hour later, in Hwa-rin’s eyes, who had already finished her popcorn.

-Swoosh!!!

‘Lee Sang-man’ appeared with a downpour. The cigarette in his mouth, the scar on his left cheek, the rough skin, the low, violent eyes, the tattoo that was barely visible on his body covered by a suit.

Lee Sang-man, who appeared on the large screen, spoke in a rough and low voice.

[‘Come closer. You’ll get all wet.’]

The whispers of the audience increased.

‘Wow—what? That’s Kang Woo-jin.’

‘That’s crazy. Doesn’t he look like a gangster?’

At the same time, Hwa-rin, who had slightly opened her mouth and whose eyes had widened, looked at her favorite actor on the screen and whispered to herself.

‘Wow—the impact… it’s insane. He’s so cool.’

At this time, articles about ‘Drug Dealer’ were pouring out on the internet.

『[Movie Talk] ‘Drug Dealer’ Released Today, ‘Number One in Ticket Reservations’ Despite Being Rated R』

End