I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 157

Kang Woo-jin, in his room in Da Nang, Vietnam, checked the current status of ‘Drug Dealer’.

“He’s really gone crazy…”

He was genuinely in awe. His hair was a mess from just waking up, but his eyes were wide and bright. A thrill ran through him.

“Crazy, 1 million? 1 million viewers??”

Even when the number of viewers exceeded 250,000, and then the next milestone, they were all numbers Kang Woo-jin had never seen before, and he was surprised. But because he knew the grade of the subspace [a virtual world or dimension], there wasn’t a big outburst. However, seeing 1 million viewers with his own eyes was a different kind of impact.

“Wow—damn. That’s insane.”

His first commercial film. The box office success of that movie. The scenes he had always seen in articles or on TV were now a reality, and he was one of the main players in that reality. As Kang Woo-jin, the ordinary person inside, it was a situation that was enough to give him goosebumps.

Was that why?

-Swoosh.

Kang Woo-jin, who slowly lowered his phone, suddenly smiled faintly.

“This feeling. Is this why people become actors?”

The tingling sensation or the great sense of accomplishment he was feeling now. Woo-jin understood, at least a little, the feelings of many top actors around him. It was ridiculously tough, but at this moment, all the hardship had disappeared. Then, Woo-jin, who had been chuckling like a madman, recalled the subspace grade of ‘Drug Dealer’.

-[4/Scenario (Title: Drug Dealer), Grade A]

Grade A. The grade of ‘Drug Dealer’ set by the subspace was A, and although it was difficult to make a clear prediction because it was the first commercial film.

“3 million…no, maybe 5 million?”

Kang Woo-jin was imagining up to 5 million viewers. Maybe even more. In other words, more than 1 million, 3 million, or even 5 million people had seen Kang Woo-jin’s acting. Here, Woo-jin made one guess.

‘Ah, is it because ‘Drug Dealer’ is rated R that it didn’t go above A grade?’

‘Drug Dealer’ might have been even more amazing if it wasn’t rated R. Well, it was already showing great power. Here, something suddenly popped into Woo-jin’s mind.

“Wow—wait a minute. If A grade is over 5 million—”

If the A-grade R-rated ‘Drug Dealer’ hit 5 million or more, what would the higher grades be like? Woo-jin thought of the movies he was currently working on.

-[3/Scenario (Title: Island of the Missing), Grade S+]

-[7/Scenario (Title: The Bizarre Sacrifice of a Stranger), Grade S+]

They were currently the highest-grade S+ movies in the subspace, and Woo-jin, his eyes slightly widened, muttered to himself.

“How many viewers does S+ grade attract?”

Back.

Kang Woo-jin, who tried hard to suppress his intense excitement, left his room to be on standby for ‘Island of the Missing’. He met Choi Sung-gun in the hotel lobby, and the team, including Choi Sung-gun with his ponytail, Han Ye-jung, and Jang Su-hwan, were already waiting.

Of course, they had all just checked the news about ‘Drug Dealer’.

“Oh my, our Kang star is entering.”

They showered Woo-jin, who had put on a poker face, with congratulations.

“Hyung! Congratulations on your first million!!”

“Congratulations, oppa [a term used by younger females to address older males].”

“Totally! ‘Drug Dealer’ is going to be a huge hit!”

They were almost dancing. Of course, Kang Woo-jin also wanted to join their rhythm, but he held back. Instead, he exuded a cool aura.

“It’s all thanks to everyone’s hard work.”

Soon, Kang Woo-jin and his team got into the van waiting in front of the hotel. They would travel to the ‘Island of the Missing’ filming location in this car, and as soon as they started, the stylists, who were applying sunscreen, opened their mouths.

“Oppa! You’re happy, right?? I mean, 1 million in just 3 days of release!”

“That’s right! If it were me, I would have been glued to my phone, searching!”

Han Ye-jung, who was unfolding a styling book, interjected coolly.

“I’ll try to match oppa’s line. ‘I’m happy.’”

Kang Woo-jin agreed in a low voice.

“Correct.”

While they were all chatting, Choi Sung-gun, who was sitting in the passenger seat and had been looking at his phone, turned his head. The smile on his face was broad.

“Woo-jin. No, Kang star? When we go back to Korea after the overseas location, we’ll have to shoot a few more commercials, right?”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. Inquiries and offers are pouring in. When we get back, we’ll have to prepare for the end of the year, YouTube, and so on. Oh, but we’ll take a break for a couple of days.”

Clap clap clap. Woo-jin nodded vigorously inside, but on the outside, he acted tough.

“I’m fine with going straight back to the schedule.”

“You’re a monster, so you’re fine. Me and the others are half broken right now? Let’s rest a bit.”

“Yes, CEO.”

“And Director Kim Do-hee called this morning? She said that if ‘Drug Dealer’ continues this upward trend, it will easily surpass the BEP (break-even point) [the point at which total revenue equals total cost]. What’s BEP? From what I see, ‘Drug Dealer’ might be a money party. Anyway, Director Kim Do-hee seems like she’ll give you a hefty sum when she settles the accounts. It’s like a bonus, and you can expect more than double your original appearance fee?”

“Ah.”

“But even if Director Kim Do-hee hadn’t said anything, I was going to negotiate it.”

There was a negotiation about the fee when Kang Woo-jin signed the contract for ‘Drug Dealer’, and it was slightly different from a typical cameo contract. It was because Woo-jin had rescued ‘Drug Dealer’ when it was in a poor state, and Kang Woo-jin’s rising momentum at the time was also included. Therefore, the nuance was that of a supporting role.

In other words, Director Kim Do-hee was saying that she would give him a bonus of 100% or more on top of his existing appearance fee.

It was at least in the hundreds of millions.

Kang Woo-jin, whose head was quickly filled with excitement, desperately tried to hold back the twitching of his lips. Choi Sung-gun, who had no idea, suddenly changed the subject. His face turned serious for some reason.

“That’s that, Woo-jin. You know Director Ahn Ga-bok? It seems like he suddenly appeared in Vietnam to see you, no matter how I look at it?”

So that was it? Kang Woo-jin had honestly expected it a little. Because everything fit perfectly.

‘He contacted the CEO saying he wanted to see me, and then came to Vietnam.’

However, Kang Woo-jin’s excitement was faint. Even if it was Director Ahn Ga-bok, who was revered by top actors and the film industry, he just felt like the old man next door to Kang Woo-jin, and Woo-jin felt uncomfortable with him.

‘Old man. No, that old spirit’s eyes are a bit weird.’

The questions he had asked at the restaurant before were also very meaningful. A very dangerous person. Soon, Kang Woo-jin nodded nonchalantly.

“I thought that might be the case.”

“Hmm. You’ve probably already talked to Director Ahn Ga-bok, so you know, but it’s like a rumor among the actors that Director Ahn Ga-bok will probably show up at today’s filming.”

“Yes, CEO.”

“Regarding that, I’ve been digging around for Director Ahn Ga-bok’s recent activities.”

Choi Sung-gun, who lowered his voice slightly, muttered.

“It’s not certain, but it seems like Director Ahn Ga-bok is aiming for the ‘Cannes Film Festival’ with his 100th film.”

‘Cannes Film Festival’. The most prestigious of the world’s three major international film festivals. It was a film festival attended by monsters from the film industry all over the world, including Hollywood.

“You know, right? Director Ahn Ga-bok won the Best Director award at the ‘Cannes Film Festival’ in the early 2000s, and several of his works have been nominated since then. The actors who appeared in his films have also won awards from time to time. Well, Director Ahn Ga-bok is just a legend himself.”

No? It was information he was hearing for the first time, but Kang Woo-jin nodded nonchalantly.

“Continue.”

“There is no information about the script or content of Director Ahn Ga-bok’s 100th work, but aiming for the Cannes Film Festival probably means he’s aiming for the Palme d’Or [the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival], which is like the grand prize.”

“…Sign language.”

“Huh?”

“Director Ahn Ga-bok asked me about sign language.”

“Sign language?”

“Yes. It was a bit out of the blue, so I remember it.”

“Sign language—sign language…hmm.”

Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail, stroked his chin and opened his mouth.

“There’s no way Director Ahn Ga-bok would have asked a meaningless question.”

Then, Choi Sung-gun had a sudden thought.

“Recently, your sign language skills have been publicized in the media in Korea and Japan, right? Considering your acting skills, did Director Ahn Ga-bok get hooked on seeing your sign language? Then, it’s highly likely that sign language will be included in his upcoming work.”

“…”

“Well, an actor who does sign language is unique. No, there’s almost none in Korea. Moreover, Director Ahn Ga-bok is the type who puts his life on the line for everything that is inserted into his work. If all the guesses are correct, you’re someone he would want.”

Hmm, I don’t really like it? On the contrary, Kang Woo-jin wasn’t really interested in Director Ahn Ga-bok’s work. It was like, he hadn’t seen the script for his work yet, but his instincts were telling him. Director Ahn Ga-bok was dangerous.

‘I don’t know about Cannes or whatever, but let’s avoid that old spirit for now. Something about it—I don’t like the feeling of being seen through.’

Other actors would call him an idiot if they heard this, but for Kang Woo-jin, the concept was several times more important than the Cannes Film Festival.

Escape? Yes, that’s right.

Kang Woo-jin was starting to feel a slight aversion to Director Ahn Ga-bok, and Choi Sung-gun, who was watching Woo-jin’s expression for some reason, coughed and tied his ponytail again.

“Hmm! Uh—Woo-jin, I’m just asking just in case. You also have a desire to go to the Cannes Film Festival, right?”

Woo-jin, who was looking at Choi Sung-gun calmly, answered in a low voice. It was a strange answer.

“I don’t know.”

“Is there anything you don’t know?”

“There is.”

“…”

Choi Sung-gun, who closed his mouth, muttered to himself.

‘Ha—damn. Even if it’s one in a thousand, one in ten thousand, if Woo-jin rejects Director Ahn Ga-bok…it’s a real disaster.’

There was a mix of desperation.

Meanwhile, at the same time.

A group of people is seen moving to the ‘Island of the Missing’ filming location in a van, similar to Kang Woo-jin’s team. Inside the car, a familiar old man. Director Ahn Ga-bok, still wearing shorts, but today he was wearing sneakers instead of slippers.

“…Hmm.”

He was looking out the window with his arms crossed, and he took off the safari hat he was wearing, as if he was a bit stuffy. His short hair, covered in white hair, was revealed. Around Director Ahn Ga-bok were the film company’s CEO and five employees, all with red faces.

The atmosphere was quiet.

While everyone was looking at their phones or transparent files, the silence in the car was broken by the film company’s CEO.

“Director.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, whose gaze was still on the window, answered calmly to the CEO’s call.

“Yes.”

“After seeing Kang Woo-jin’s acting form today, will you talk about our project right away?”

“I don’t know.”

“At the very least, we should have him do sign language once. The atmosphere or balance might be different from what you think when you see it in person.”

It wasn’t wrong, but Director Ahn Ga-bok’s thoughts were different.

“Hey, you.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok called the film company’s CEO. It was a calm tone, but the charisma of an old master was thick within it.

“I understand your intention, but you’ve been too hasty since the last time. I’ve told you several times to fix that impatient personality.”

“Ah…I’m sorry. I got a little hasty thinking about seeing Kang Woo-jin.”

“Director Kwon has already given enough consideration. But to go to the filming location and have him do the sign language needed for my work? Is that an audition site?”

“…I misspoke.”

“A simple question is fine, but going too deep is a nuisance.”

“Yes, Director.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, who was staring at the film company’s CEO who had bowed his head, muttered to himself.

‘Today, it’s enough to judge Kang Woo-jin’s capacity as he mingles with the top actors, and to give him a proper hint. And to see his subtle core at the same time.’

The CEO, who coughed slightly, changed the subject.

“Kang Woo-jin’s side has probably figured it out to some extent. We gave him a heads up before meeting him in Vietnam. And that Choi Sung-gun is the CEO.”

“There aren’t many people like him in this industry.”

“The information about our movie is strictly confidential, but they probably have a rough idea that we’re aiming for the Cannes Film Festival. CEO Choi is very well-connected.”

“That much is fine. The rumors have spread to some extent.”

Here, the film company’s CEO laughed to lighten the mood.

“Still, if they hear that you’re interested in him as an actor in your work, wouldn’t Kang Woo-jin, that rookie, be completely surprised? He’ll jump at the chance, hahaha.”

He gave a signal to the surrounding employees. A signal to follow along. The film company’s employees quickly opened their mouths.

“Of course! I mean, even the top actors like Ryu Jung-min, Ha Yu-ra, and Hong Hye-yeon from ‘Island of the Missing’ would be begging to receive the script, so what more can we say about a rookie.”

“Haha, by the way, Kang Woo-jin’s luck is exploding this year. In less than a year since his debut, he’s working with Director Kwon Ki-taek, then Director Kyotaro. And above all, he’s even getting attention from Director Ahn Ga-bok.”

“Even if Kang Woo-jin is flying high right now, Director Ahn Ga-bok’s 100th work is something you wouldn’t want to waste time thinking about!”

The film company’s CEO, as if satisfied with the assist, finished with a closing remark.

“It’s even the Cannes Film Festival, I’m worried that Kang Woo-jin might even bow down to us. Hahaha.”

Several tens of minutes later, at the ‘Island of the Missing’ filming location.

In a dense forest in Da Nang, Vietnam. A place with frequent birdsong, insects flying around, tall trees, unknown plants, and a muddy ground.

Kang Woo-jin had just arrived at such a filming location.

The current time was 10 AM. Woo-jin was the first actor to arrive at the site. Of course, hundreds of staff were running around frantically to be on standby by 11 AM. In the meantime, the affable Director Kwon Ki-taek was also visible.

“That rail is crooked over there!! Pay attention!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Director! Director!! Please check the floor here!!”

“Okay, I’m going now.”

“Ugh, it’s so damn hot! Drone test starting!!”

“Okay!”

“One hour left until standby! I’ll hurry!!”

It was such a war zone that Woo-jin decided to greet them later. He had already notified several staff members at the entrance of his arrival, and it was a frequent occurrence. Soon, Kang Woo-jin and his team scattered. Choi Sung-gun went among the staff, and stylists like Han Ye-jung went to the art team. Only Jang Su-hwan remained by Woo-jin’s side. Even he.

“Hyung! The costumes are ready, so I’ll go call the makeup team!”

“Please do.”

He showed off his massive physique and ran off somewhere.

‘Ha—it’s really damn hot.’

Then, Woo-jin, who was groaning inwardly, wiped his sweat and moved his feet. It was inside the large tent where the actors were waiting.

‘I feel a bit better.’

Fortunately, it was relatively cool inside the tent thanks to the air conditioner. After a while, Woo-jin, who was now wearing a military uniform, sat on a chair inside the tent.

-Thud.

It was a plain military uniform now, but after makeup, it would be a rag covered in blood and dirt. Whatever it was, Kang Woo-jin placed the thick ‘Island of the Missing’ script on the table.

‘Rest before starting is essential, of course.’

It was at this moment.

-Swoosh.

The tent flap suddenly opened, and the face of a familiar old man popped in.

“Hmm? Are you the only one here?”

It was Director Ahn Ga-bok, wearing a safari hat and shorts. Kang Woo-jin paused at his sudden appearance and shouted inwardly.

‘What, what is it! This old spirit is like that at the restaurant too! Does he not have any turn signals?!’

On the outside, he stood up calmly with a cool mask and bowed his head.

“Hello, Director.”

“Yes, it’s good to see you again.”

When he gave a wrinkled smile, a few more men entered behind Director Ahn Ga-bok. About four people. The film company’s CEO and employees. Of course, Kang Woo-jin exchanged appropriate greetings with all of them. Meanwhile, Woo-jin.

‘Ah—damn. I don’t know, it’s dangerous. Let’s run away for now.’

In order to avoid the old spirit Ahn Ga-bok, he made up a solemn excuse.

“Please rest, I’ll tell Director Kwon Ki-taek. I need to get my makeup done soon.”

However.

“You.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok stopped Kang Woo-jin, who was moving, with a calm tone. There was an old master’s smile on his lips.

“Are you perhaps interested in the ‘Cannes Film Festival’?”

Given the timing of the question, it definitely smelled like an opportunity. But for some reason, Kang Woo-jin’s face became even more indifferent and firm, and his answer was dry and quick.

“No, I’m not particularly interested.”

At that moment, the old spirit Ahn Ga-bok’s brow twitched.

End