I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 160

November 3rd. Da Nang International Airport.

October had ended, and a few days into November, Vietnam was still sweltering. After wrapping up the overseas filming for ‘Island of the Missing,’ Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had taken two extra days to rest, was boarding a plane.

Of course, he was heading back to Korea.

-Swish.

Director Ahn Ga-bok, comfortably seated in business class, still in shorts and slippers, removed his safari hat. Then,

“······”

With a composed expression, he pulled out a thick stack of papers: the ‘Island of the Missing’ screenplay he’d received from Director Kwon Ki-taek.

-Flap.

He planned to study the screenplay during the flight or even after arriving back in Korea.

“Hmm.”

Partly, he wanted to compare the actual filming locations with the script, but more importantly, he wanted to vividly recall the performance of Private First Class Jin Seon-cheol, played by Kang Woo-jin.

-Flap.

“······”

Director Ahn Ga-bok fell into deep thought, his mind focused on Kang Woo-jin.

‘Sometimes, I see something fleeting or unfamiliar—a hidden core. But when he embodies a character, it’s all about the role. Why does it feel so unsettling?’

The more he interacted with Kang Woo-jin, the more certain he became, yet he also felt like he was being led into a fog. It wasn’t just his acting; it had been a long time since he’d been this intrigued by a person. Director Ahn Ga-bok, who always valued what an actor possessed beyond their acting skills, was now in deep contemplation.

Why was this? What was the aura that this strangely captivating rookie actor was emitting?

‘What does the fog surrounding that kid mean?’

Director Ahn Ga-bok had done his usual background check on Kang Woo-jin before coming to Vietnam, the standard investigation casting directors do. However, information about Kang Woo-jin’s past was scarce. No university, no theater group, no acting academy. There was no trace of him in the domestic acting scene.

However, there were quite a few rumors circulating in the entertainment industry.

‘I heard he worked at a design company right before his debut, right?’

There were also rumors that he was from overseas. Yet, his acting was self-taught. Kang Woo-jin’s recent controversy also caught his attention. His past and present personalities seemed like night and day, like two completely different people, a split personality, or even identical twins. It was a brief moment, and now it was buried.

‘Testimonies from those who know Kang Woo-jin’s past.’

Most of it was nonsense, but piecing together the fragments, Kang Woo-jin seemed to have lived a very ordinary life. But that was even stranger. How could such a talent have lived an ordinary life? The current Kang Woo-jin possessed too much: incredible acting skills, fluency in various languages, including sign language, vocal talent, and more.

‘A needle in a bag,’ they say [meaning something that cannot be hidden].

A needle in a bag. No matter how hard you try to hide your greatness, it will eventually be revealed. If Kang Woo-jin had such extraordinary abilities, he must have been outstanding since childhood. It would have been impossible to live quietly.

No matter how much he tried to conceal it, even if he tried to live an ordinary life, it would have eventually surfaced.

But why was he only now coming to light?

Why did no one know? Why did he keep such a low profile? Even now, as an actor, he revealed so much at once.

At that moment.

‘······Could it be.’

Something clicked in Director Ahn Ga-bok’s mind.

‘What if everything was intentional?’

What if it wasn’t a chance revelation, but he had waited for this moment to showcase his abilities? To that end, he had lived with a smokescreen to hide his extraordinary nature?

‘Like a chameleon, blending into the environment with a casual demeanor that could be seen anywhere—’

If that was the premise, everything made sense. He had dedicated his life to appearing ordinary to conceal his extraordinary nature. He had used his life as a stage for acting practice. That was still ingrained in him.

In other words, camouflage.

There was definitely a core, but it had never been seen by anyone. A rookie actor who memorized and recorded methods and used a variety of personas. It was almost impossible for an ordinary person, but if he had dedicated his life to it, it wouldn’t be difficult.

‘The fleeting, unfamiliar things or the core that I see from time to time. Was that also a shell?’

Indeed, a rare talent. Director Ahn Ga-bok’s insight was top-notch. The veteran’s keen intuition.

‘He hid the real thing by confusing it with a shell that looked like a core.’

But it was just a keen delusion.

The next day, Wednesday the 4th. Kang Woo-jin’s officetel [a studio apartment].

Late morning. As soon as Kang Woo-jin, who had finished the overseas filming for ‘Island of the Missing,’ arrived home.

“Ugh—Home is so good!”

He threw himself onto the bed. Organizing the luggage in the large suitcase could wait. With his hat still pulled down, Woo-jin closed his eyes, sinking into the bed. The overseas filming for ‘Island of the Missing’ had ended yesterday, but there was a company dinner that night, held in a large hall at the hotel.

About a hundred staff members and dozens of actors had let loose.

Thanks to that, Woo-jin had burned the last night in Da Nang, Vietnam. Well, of course, he didn’t touch a drop of alcohol, but it was intense. Regardless, Kang Woo-jin, who hadn’t moved, suddenly smiled.

‘It’s so sweet to have a day off until tomorrow.’

He had two days off. At the same time, the entire ‘Island of the Missing’ team also decided to take about a week off, and from next week, they would continue filming at the large set complex in Buyeo.

Whatever, that’s all for later.

Kang Woo-jin was about to fall asleep without even washing up. It was like a company worker taking a monthly leave? Woo-jin, about to indulge in that unusual, pleasant change, suddenly.

“Ah—”

He suddenly remembered something he had to do.

‘The ‘Drug Dealer’ 인증 shot [a photo taken to prove you’ve seen something].’

He had to see ‘Drug Dealer,’ which was currently dominating the domestic film industry. Woo-jin had already seen ‘Drug Dealer’ through a blind preview, but this was different.

Kang Woo-jin’s promotion and communication with fans?

Kang Woo-jin would take a picture of himself at the movie theater and upload it to the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel, the ‘Strong Heart’ fan cafe, Woo-jin’s SNS, and the BW Entertainment official website. It was a very simple task, but.

According to Choi Seong-geon’s request.

‘Doing that will make the fans feel closer to you, and it will greatly help the box office success of ‘Drug Dealer.’ The reporters will drool while writing articles, right? You can just take a picture and leave; you don’t even have to watch the movie.’

According to Han Ye-jeong’s explanation.

‘Oppa [a term used by younger women to address older men], you know that the buzz is crazy right now, right? If you upload it at this time, the fans will go crazy.’

The results seemed to be significant. Ah, was this the attitude of a professional? It was hard, but Kang Woo-jin had to move.

-Swish.

“Hoo—”

Woo-jin, letting out a small sigh, checked the time. Around 11 o’clock. Then, he sat on the bed and seriously pondered.

“Should I go now? Or late at night?”

Which time would have fewer people? At this point, Woo-jin chuckled without realizing it. He found it funny that he was even thinking about this.

‘I’ve changed a lot.’

His brain circuits were gradually operating as a ‘popular actor.’ Then, Kang Woo-jin slowly got up from the bed. He figured it would be better to go now than late at night. Well, this ambiguous time would be better than a weekday late night.

Several tens of minutes later.

A slightly suspicious man appeared at a nearby movie theater. It was Kang Woo-jin. He covered his face with a hat, a mask, glasses without lenses, and a hoodie. Was this too much? He thought, but.

‘No, the manager said it’s better to overdo it when covering up.’

He nodded and started walking. Kang Woo-jin was immediately surprised when he stepped into the movie theater lobby.

“Wow—So many people.”

There were more people in the lobby than he had expected. All adults. Was it always like this? He should have come to the movie theater on a weekday. Slightly surprised, Woo-jin scanned the inside of the movie theater. The large TVs on the ceiling, the posters, the standees placed here and there, and the billboards in the waiting area.

Indeed, it was all ‘Drug Dealer.’

The reason was simple. It was a popular movie. Movie theaters were markets, and movies were products, so it was natural to promote the best-selling ones. It was clear that the same scene would be happening everywhere in the country, not just in this movie theater where Woo-jin was.

Kang Woo-jin became more and more interested.

‘This is amazing, ‘Drug Dealer’?’

There was also a sense of wonder. To see the movie he had filmed, the movie that was at its peak with just the buzz, dominating the market. He already knew about the crazy congratulations from the people around him and the state of the media, but offline had its own unique vibe.

Soon.

-Swish.

Woo-jin, who had been subtly looking around, slowly moved towards the billboard near the elevator. Some people looked at him strangely, but he didn’t pay much attention. They probably wouldn’t think that Kang Woo-jin would appear at this time.

Then, Woo-jin.

“······”

He stood awkwardly right next to the billboard and quickly took a few selfies. He didn’t bother adjusting the angle or pose, so it was over faster than he thought, and since no one recognized him, Woo-jin became bolder.

‘Hmm—Well, I guess I could even watch the movie? I’ll go in around the time of the advertisements and quickly come out 5 minutes before it ends.’

He was also curious about the appearance of ‘Drug Dealer’ on the big screen and the reactions of the actual audience. Okay, decided. Woo-jin, who had decided to watch the movie, slowly headed to the restroom. Meanwhile, in the waiting area next to him, couples and other people were waiting for their movie times.

He could hear various conversations.

“Oppa, how many minutes left?”

“20 minutes. But are you really okay? You can’t watch anything gory.”

“Is ‘Drug Dealer’ really that gory?”

“The movie reviews are great, but some comments say it’s a bit disgusting.”

“Ha—But I can’t give up on Kang Woo-jin. They said his acting in ‘Drug Dealer’ is amazing.”

“······Hey? Min-ji? I’m sitting right here?”

“Why! You watch girl groups like crazy when they come out. You like Hwa-rin, right?”

It seemed like they were mostly waiting for ‘Drug Dealer.’ At this, Kang Woo-jin, with a smile under his mask, went into the restroom.

-Swish.

He settled into a toilet stall.

‘Ugh, don’t laugh, you bastard. Why are you grinning?’

As always, the fans’ reactions were still embarrassing and awkward for Woo-jin, and as he turned on his phone to kill time, something came to his mind.

‘Ah, right.’

He checked the message that Director Kim Do-hee had sent him a few days ago again. Specifically, the link she had given him.

-[KOPIC Movie Theater Ticket Integrated Network]

As soon as he touched the address, various figures began to appear on Woo-jin’s phone.

[Audience Count Inquiry for November 3, 2020]

[Daily Domestic Box Office]

1. Drug Dealer / Release Date: October 28 / Audience: 277,124 / Screens: 1002 / Cumulative Audience: 2,500,227

2. Monster Priest / Release Date: October 28 / Audience: 77,005 / Screens: 998 / Cumulative Audience: 901,787

3. Crazy Sunshine / Release Date: October 1 / Audience: 32,018 / Screens: 1011 / Cumulative Audience: 3,399,358

.

.

.

1 million was a thing of the past. After the weekend, ‘Drug Dealer’ had already surpassed 2.5 million viewers. In just one week.

“2.5 million??! When did it get like this?”

It was an unprecedented record for an ‘R-rated’ movie.

At the same time, inside a large van.

While Kang Woo-jin was about to watch the movie, the familiar faces in the van had already seen ‘Drug Dealer.’ Director Ahn Ga-bok with his white, bushy hair, and the film company’s CEO and staff.

The film company’s CEO cautiously spoke to Director Ahn Ga-bok, who was silently looking out the window.

“Ahem, Director. Have you made a decision regarding Kang Woo-jin?”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, still looking out the window, replied quietly.

“How did you see that friend’s acting, whether it was in ‘Island of the Missing’ or ‘Drug Dealer’?”

The film company’s CEO let out a small breath and scratched his head.

“······Honestly, in terms of acting tension, I think that friend is currently at the top in the country.”

For the film company’s CEO, Kang Woo-jin’s influence had become very large. It had multiplied several times thanks to ‘Lee Sang-man’.

“He stands out even among the top actors, so what more can I say? His acting in Da Nang is still… vivid.”

“Yes, that’s not something you can see often.”

At this, Director Ahn Ga-bok raised his head and crossed his arms, and the film company’s CEO, who let out a long sigh, spoke with a sense of regret.

“But why did Kang Woo-jin say that he ‘doesn’t have much interest in Cannes’? In my eyes, he was good enough to dominate overseas.”

Soon, Director Ahn Ga-bok, who was breathing lightly, tilted his head and recalled Kang Woo-jin’s voice.

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

‘No, I’m not particularly interested.’

He began to make some arbitrary assumptions.

“I was amazed by his audacity.”

“Au, audacity? In what way was he audacious?”

“His lack of interest was genuine. He’s not particularly interested in the Cannes Film Festival. The important thing to note here is ‘particularly.’ In other words, he’s interested in something higher than Cannes, and he doesn’t think much of the Berlin or Venice Film Festivals, which are below Cannes.”

“Aren’t Cannes and all… the top three international film festivals in the world? Places that most top actors are desperate to go to.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok chuckled as if he knew that.

“Yes, as you said, if it’s something above Cannes, the best of the top three international film festivals, what would it be?”

“Su, surely the Academy Awards!”

“Hmm. What else would it be other than the Oscars or the Academy Awards ceremony?”

The Oscars or the Academy Awards ceremony. The most prestigious awards ceremony in the world, and arguably the number one international film festival. A stage that is the dream of filmmakers all over the world. Director Ahn Ga-bok, thinking about that glamorous awards ceremony, made eye contact with the film company’s CEO.

“That guy Kang Woo-jin declared that he was only interested in the Academy Awards ceremony within a year of his debut, isn’t that audacity?”

It was not audacity but a misunderstanding. A very problematic error. The film company’s CEO, who had no way of knowing this, stammered.

“N-no. That’s insane.”

“Usually, those kinds of crazy people cause trouble or accidents.”

“Ha… Still, it’s realistically impossible.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, whose wrinkled smile deepened, rested his chin on his hand and spoke again.

“That’s right. So, I was going to advise him to use Cannes as a stepping stone—”

Then, he let out an absurd, old voice.

“Heh, Cannes as a stepping stone. I must be going crazy because of that crazy guy.”

Meanwhile, in an unfamiliar, large conference room.

About 10 people were sitting in a conference room that could easily hold 50 people. An old man in a suit was seated at the head of the table, and younger people were seen on both sides.

The atmosphere was solemn, and everyone was staring at the tablets in front of them.

At that moment.

“Okay, then. Uh—”

The old man raised his head and spoke to everyone.

“Like last year, let’s start contacting the award nominees.”

“Understood.”

They were the members of the organizing committee for the ‘Blue Dragon Film Awards’ [a prestigious South Korean film award]. The old man sitting at the head of the table was the chairman of the organizing committee, the representative. The end of the year was already just around the corner.

The Blue Dragon Film Awards were usually held around the end of December.

So, it was right to start contacting the actors, including the top ones, from now on, and the chairman, who was slowly nodding, suddenly.

“Ah, right.”

He told the organizing committee staff what had suddenly come to his mind.

“Send an invitation to Kang Woo-jin now.”

Soon, all the staff members were slightly surprised. Leaving aside the top actors, Kang Woo-jin first? Regardless, the chairman slowly crossed his arms.

“Kang Woo-jin’s invitation must not be overturned; he’s a must.”

His eyes gleamed.

“Clearly, Kang Woo-jin will sweep everything this year.”

End