I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 16

At Hong Hye-yeon’s response, the CEO, who had stopped in the entryway, covered his face with one hand, looking utterly exhausted.

‘Aish, I suddenly crave something sweet.’

Then, Hong Hye-yeon, with her arms crossed, whined slightly.

‘Why? No, I’m just saying I’m a little tempted, okay? It’s not like I said I’d do that short film, so why the overreaction?’

‘……Overreaction, my foot. Hey, you say you’re tempted, and you usually end up doing it. Do I not know you?’

Soon, the CEO, having half-heartedly taken off his shoes, said,

‘No, a lead actress from ‘Profiler Hanryang’ suddenly doing a short film? Unless a major project falls through, I wouldn’t understand. Huh? You’re getting offers from medium to large projects across all genres, why a short film of all things?’

He grumbled but moved to sit on the living room sofa. The CEO’s reaction was less dramatic than expected, probably because he’s used to Hong Hye-yeon’s sudden whims. Anyway, Hong Hye-yeon, in her pajamas, sat next to him, and the CEO let out a small sigh.

‘Wait a minute, let me sort things out.’

The CEO was suddenly organizing his thoughts. His name was Choi Seong-geon. He was the CEO of bw Entertainment, a startup and the agency of top actress Hong Hye-yeon. He was in his late 30s with long hair tied back.

He wore rimless glasses, but his demeanor had a hint of a carefree spirit.

‘Hmm-‘

At first glance, he seemed to be the epitome of laziness, but Choi Seong-geon had been in the entertainment industry for over 10 years and was quick-witted. He was not only perceptive but also exceptionally resourceful.

Thanks to Choi Seong-geon’s unique affability, he had a wide network of contacts.

Hong Hye-yeon and Choi Seong-geon had been together since her debut, and it was no exaggeration to say that he had made Hong Hye-yeon who she was today.

Their relationship was quite famous in the entertainment industry.

Hong Hye-yeon also acknowledged his abilities, so she readily joined bw Entertainment when it was founded. Moreover, Hong Hye-yeon had invested a considerable amount of her own funds into bw Entertainment. In other words, Hong Hye-yeon was both an investor and the main face of bw.

At this point.

‘That short film, its title is ‘Detective Agency’?’

CEO Choi Seong-geon leaned back into the sofa, asking again, and Hong Hye-yeon crossed her legs and replied.

‘Yeah, ‘Detective Agency’.’

‘You want me to look into the current situation. Does that mean you just want me to find out the background of the movie?’

‘Yeah, yeah. Down to the smallest details.’

‘Well, it’s not hard to gather information if you check around a few independent and short film companies. Ah, suddenly it’s a pain. But if it’s a scenario with nothing to it, even I’d have a hard time?’

‘No, no, it’s something that Song PD [PD stands for ‘Program Director’ in Korean broadcasting] mentioned, so there must be something to it. Oh, and you remember Shin Dong-chun PD, right?’

‘I know him. The guy who was doing well with dramas and suddenly went off to make movies and disappeared… Ah, could it be?’

‘That’s right. ‘Detective Agency’, he wrote it.’

CEO Choi Seong-geon’s eyes widened slightly.

‘Really? It’s a bit surprising that even Song Man-woo PD is involved.’

‘Right?’

‘So, if I look into it for you, what will you do for me?’

‘What are you talking about? Don’t you know I’m the one who keeps you afloat?’

‘That’s not entirely your doing, is it? How about this, that shampoo commercial you turned down this time. How about renewing that contract?’

Hong Hye-yeon immediately grumbled.

‘Ah, that marketing manager there is a bit of a nutjob.’

‘I’ll push for a renewal with the condition that the manager is removed from the deal. Deal?’

‘Aish, what kind of agency CEO is so arbitrary?’

‘It’s because the agency’s artist is so full of quirks.’

Hong Hye-yeon, after hitting the CEO’s shoulder, clicked her tongue softly.

‘Fine. But make sure that manager is gone, okay?’

‘Okay- So, now explain it.’

‘What?’

CEO Choi Seong-geon, who had already finished his calculations in his head, pushed up his rimless glasses and smiled.

‘Why are you suddenly interested in ‘Detective Agency’? Don’t try to make it about Song Man-woo PD or Shin Dong-chun director. It won’t work. Tell me the real reason.’

‘……Hoo.’

Hong Hye-yeon, after sweeping back her long hair, rested her chin on her hand with a slightly sulky expression.

‘There’s this kid named Kang Woo-jin.’

‘Who is he? Your new boyfriend?’

‘Are you crazy? Where would I get a boyfriend! He’s an actor, an actor.’

‘An actor? I’ve never heard of him. Tell me about him.’

After that, Hong Hye-yeon unleashed the story she had been hiding. From the moment she met the oddball Kang Woo-jin until now. What was interesting was that while listening to her, CEO Choi Seong-geon’s face was filled with shock.

About 10 minutes passed.

‘Done??’

Hong Hye-yeon had finished reciting the entire story, and CEO Choi Seong-geon scratched his tied-back long hair and let out a soft exclamation.

‘That Song PD and Park Eun-mi writer went that far?? For that Kang Woo-jin kid? No, why would Park writer, who even top stars are wary of, be so eager?’

‘It’s not about status. They’re just crazy about making good work.’

‘……Even so, that’s quite interesting.’

To Choi Seong-geon, the CEO of an entertainment company, Song Man-woo PD and Park Eun-mi writer were like huge mountains. No, not just him, most people in the industry would see them that way.

That’s why Choi Seong-geon became even more curious about the actor named Kang Woo-jin.

‘His filmography from the start… it’s quite unique, that guy.’

‘He’s self-taught in acting, and he might have been overseas. Song PD said it must have been incredibly tough.’

‘Overseas? Hmm- Well, if someone like that was in a theater group, I would have heard about it for sure.’

Choi Seong-geon, after muttering, made eye contact with Hong Hye-yeon and smiled.

‘So, you’re eyeing Kang Woo-jin’s acting. It’s not so much that you’re interested in ‘Detective Agency’ itself.’

‘Ah, no, I’m not??!’

‘Don’t try to fool me. You haven’t even read the ‘Detective Agency’ script yet, have you?’

‘……’

At that moment.

‘Oppa [an honorific term used by a younger female to address an older male].’

Hong Hye-yeon, who had been glaring at CEO Choi Seong-geon sitting next to her, suddenly changed the subject.

‘How much money do we have?’

‘Suddenly? What kind of conversation is this?’

‘Are we doing okay? If not, we should prepare some. Preparation is more than half the battle, right? It’s unusual for a rookie to get a signing bonus, but he’s already a bit unusual, so it doesn’t matter. And you should also picture yourself going to the set as a manager for the first time in a while. Like, sticking close and taking care of him.’

‘Hey, hey, you don’t mean…’

Hong Hye-yeon, as an investor, shouted at the CEO, who was frowning.

‘Ah, I’m telling you, 100% someone will snatch him up as soon as he does the script reading.’

Thursday morning, the 20th, around the Oryi Station movie theater.

It was around 9 AM. Because it was the early morning showtime, the movie theater was very quiet. Among them, Kang Woo-jin was seen sitting on a waiting sofa. He was alone. He was wearing a long padded coat and a hat.

So, why was Kang Woo-jin alone in a movie theater at this time?

The answer was simple. Since he had recently embarked on the path of an actor, he had developed an interest in various content that he hadn’t had before. Therefore, Woo-jin had come to see a movie alone for the first time in his life. Even an early morning show.

Anyway.

-Swish.

Woo-jin, waiting for the movie time, was looking down at his phone.

‘It was the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival, right?’

Kang Woo-jin, holding his phone, searched for something. In fact, Woo-jin had searched for the same thing even after meeting Director Shin Dong-chun yesterday. However, since he had some time to spare, he felt like checking it out in more detail.

‘It’s the most prestigious award ceremony in the short film market – the largest in scale and the most credible film festival.’

Woo-jin, checking the search results for the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival,’ recalled his conversation with Director Shin Dong-chun, who had come to see him yesterday morning.

It started with Director Shin Dong-chun, whose eyes were red.

The part where he asked Kang Woo-jin to play the lead role in ‘Detective Agency’.

‘Please take on the role of Kim Ryu-jin, the lead in ‘Detective Agency’.’

At this, Woo-jin was a bit dazed. It was because the man who had been teary-eyed was suddenly asking him to play the lead role. Therefore, Woo-jin remained silent, and Director Shin Dong-chun continued his explanation on his own.

‘Actually, ‘Detective Agency’ is not a movie intended for the public. It’s a work to be submitted to a film festival.’

‘A film festival, you say?’

‘Yes. It’s called the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’. If you compare it to commercial films, it’s like the Blue Dragon or Baeksang Awards [two of the most prestigious film awards in South Korea], but in short films, the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’ is considered the best. It has a long tradition. It will be held in mid-April, two months from now. I’m aiming for that. The situation is a bit urgent.’

‘……’

‘Among filmmakers, its recognition is almost on par with the Blue Dragon Awards, so almost no one doesn’t know about it. Ah, of course, you know about it too, Woo-jin-ssi.’

No? Not at all. It was a film festival he had never heard of in his life. But Woo-jin maintained the most solemn expression possible and nodded.

‘Yes, roughly.’

‘As you know, the judges for the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’ are renowned master directors in Korea, and new directors who win awards at this festival have a smooth path. Many of the master directors and successful directors who judge are also from the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’.’

Woo-jin roughly understood it as a film audition reality show. There were quite a few celebrities who had appeared on audition reality shows in the past and are now top stars.

At this point, Director Shin Dong-chun’s expression became a bit dark.

‘But the competition is fierce. More than 600 works are submitted every year. Short films that seem good are all swarming. Even getting into the top 40 in the main competition is like winning the lottery.’

‘It’s a war.’

‘Ah, that’s right. It’s a battlefield for directors who are known for making movies. It’s a gateway for film directors. Many top actors also attend as honorary judges, and quite a few industry celebrities are involved. So, if you win the grand prize, you immediately become a popular star as a new director.’

Although Director Shin Dong-chun omitted it, there were quite a few cases where actors also rose to fame through this film festival. It was not uncommon for short films to be remade into commercial films.

However, if there are no good works, the grand prize itself is not awarded.

Although its history spans over 20 years, there have only been 10 grand prize winners, not including other awards. That’s why winning the grand prize at the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’ brings fame in the industry. However, it was still considered niche.

Because it was a short film festival, many people in the public didn’t know about it.

‘The evaluation criteria are very strict. It’s natural since master directors are judging. The script, direction, and acting of the cast, etc. Among them, the direction and the acting of the actors get the highest scores.’

Even just listening to it, it was an incredibly difficult playing field. At least in Kang Woo-jin’s opinion. The difficulty of passing through a narrow needle hole. Woo-jin thought that even dozens of rejections from a design client were a hundred times better.

‘That’s one impressive film festival.’

At this point, Director Shin Dong-chun, with his eyes wide open, said,

‘Actually, the production situation for ‘Detective Agency’ is not very good right now.’

He summarized all the history of the short film ‘Detective Agency’.

Then.

‘But now, none of that matters. I’m going to scrap all the film companies, investments, and actors that were being discussed. I’m going to start over from scratch. Of course, with Kang Woo-jin as the standard. So, please take on the role of Kim Ryu-jin.’

‘……’

No, even to the point of resetting the whole board? Is this because of me? Things are getting bigger. Woo-jin tried to stop him while struggling to maintain his poker face. That square-jawed director was too excited right now.

‘Director, there’s no need to overdo it.’

‘It’s not overdoing it!’

However, it had the opposite effect. Director Shin Dong-chun, encouraged by Woo-jin’s attempt to dissuade him, became even more determined. As if his adrenaline was exploding.

‘This is something I absolutely have to do. I’ll bear all the inconveniences. Don’t worry, I’ll somehow get it back to the starting point. So, please, Woo-jin-ssi, just focus on acting.’

‘Ah.’

‘Please take on the role of Kim Ryu-jin. A character breathes when an actor who loves and is attached to the character plays it. Let’s run together, Woo-jin-ssi.’

It was too much. Director Shin Dong-chun’s adrenaline was overflowing. The man who had been teary-eyed just before. Because he was so adamant, Kang Woo-jin felt it was impossible to stop him.

Well, does it matter?

The scale of the situation had become more intense than expected, but either way, Woo-jin had achieved his initial goal. Film festival, grand prize, whatever, he just had to act.

Kang Woo-jin, having come to a reasonable conclusion, extended his hand to Director Shin Dong-chun, whose eyes were blazing. Quite coolly.

‘Please take good care of me, Director.’

Up to here.

Kang Woo-jin, who was recalling the situation up to this point, returned to the reality of the movie theater. And then he immediately checked the time.

‘Ah, it’s about time.’

It was time to move. Because the movie time was near. Soon, as Woo-jin was moving towards the theater.

‘Hmm- but.’

Suddenly, he thought about ‘Detective Agency’.

‘Is that actor named Park Jung-hyuk, who was originally cast as the lead, going to be a bit screwed? He might be a little pissed.’

He muttered nonchalantly.

‘Well, it’s none of my business.’

A few hours later, Nonhyeon-dong, GGO Entertainment.

Around early lunchtime. The CEO’s office of the large GGO Entertainment. Suddenly, a loud shout erupted in the CEO’s office, where flower pots were scattered here and there.

‘What?! They dumped us?!’

The person who shouted was Seo Gu-seop, the CEO of GGO Entertainment. He was short and had a face like a bulldog. He shouted again at the male employee standing in front of him.

‘No, what kind of dog-like nonsense is this!! You said everything was going smoothly until yesterday!’

At his shout, the employee shrank back and barely managed to answer.

‘……Th-that’s. I just got the call. The Pure Vision Film Company also made a decision this morning.’

‘What?!’

‘The director of ‘Detective Agency’ wants to undo everything that was in progress. So, it seems like he’s cut ties with the actors, investments, and even the Pure Vision Film Company.’

It was a story that the ongoing project had been overturned in a big way. With just one word from the director of ‘Detective Agency’. In other words, GGO Entertainment had been thoroughly dumped by Director Shin Dong-chun.

At this, CEO Seo Gu-seop, who resembled a bulldog, gritted his teeth.

‘How dare… me. Dump GGO Entertainment?’

CEO Seo Gu-seop was more furious about the fact that he and GGO Entertainment had been rejected than the fact that the project had been overturned. His pride had been scratched.

‘I even took care of Shin Dong-chun since I knew him from his PD days, from the scenario contact, and that bastard is a terrible person?’

‘……’

‘He’s acting like he’s a big deal with a lousy scenario. Tsk!’

Soon, CEO Seo Gu-seop, after hitting the desk hard, turned his head to the right. He saw a man sitting on a luxurious five-person sofa, with an impression that was just like a nobleman. CEO Seo Gu-seop shouted at him.

‘Hey, Jung-hyuk! Forget about ‘Detective Agency’ or whatever! Pick another scenario! Damn it, there are tons of short films going to the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’!’

The man was none other than Park Jung-hyuk. The very person who was trying to clean up his image with ‘Detective Agency’. An actor who had risen to the top in the past. Although he wasn’t as popular as before, he still had a high level of recognition.

He crossed his legs and replied.

‘No, I know there are many alternatives for short films. But, CEO, isn’t it a bit sudden that we got dumped? There was nothing wrong until yesterday?’

‘……’

CEO Seo Gu-seop, after making eye contact with Park Jung-hyuk, suddenly put on a serious expression. Then, he sat heavily on his chair and picked up a pack of cigarettes on the desk.

‘Director Shin Dong-chun, who was on the brink, suddenly changed his attitude overnight – even to the point of forcibly overturning everything that was in progress, including investments and Jung-hyuk…’

After thinking for about 10 seconds, CEO Seo Gu-seop, who had been pondering deeply, put a cigarette in his mouth and uttered a confident conclusion.

‘Isn’t there another lead actor attached to Shin Dong-chun’s side now?’

He added to that conclusion.

‘A-list or higher, maybe even a top star?’