I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 162

Kang Woo-jin murmured, glancing at the relatively clean kitchen. Hong Hye-yeon, sitting beside him, widened her eyes slightly at his words.

‘What is it? Is there a dish prepared? When did he have time to prepare it amidst all that—no, but I’m actually looking forward to it?’

Hong Hye-yeon had already been captivated by Kang Woo-jin’s cooking skills and taste during the previous filming. Similarly, PD Yoon Byung-sun and the writers were immediately filled with anticipation. After all, Woo-jin was skilled enough to make a professional chef mistake him for one.

Therefore.

“O-o-okay! Of course!! Absolutely! Use the kitchen!”

The writers were ecstatic. Their faces seemed to say, ‘We’ll bow to you, so please use the kitchen.’ Around this time, PD Yoon Byung-sun was whispering to the main writer.

“We absolutely have to film this, you know?”

“Of course, we can’t miss this.”

“Since it’s just us right now, stick to him with the action cam and film everything from start to finish. Without getting in the way.”

“Yes, yes, but I didn’t think Woo-jin would actually have something prepared. He definitely has that tsundere [a person who is initially cold but later shows a warmer side] vibe, doesn’t he?”

“I think so too. I heard the filming was delayed, so I honestly didn’t expect much. Anyway, let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Soon, the main writer picked up the handheld camera and started filming, and PD Yoon Byung-sun, who had pushed up his glasses, smiled crookedly at Kang Woo-jin as he stood up.

“What about the ingredients? There are some seasonings here, but you’ll need to buy what you need.”

“Understood.”

Woo-jin answered quietly and surveyed the kitchen. Of course, the chef’s ‘recipe’ and ‘technique’ were running through his head. It took about three minutes. After figuring it out, he murmured calmly.

“First, I need buckwheat noodles, anchovies, kelp, green onions, onions, ginger, garlic, and there’s soy sauce. So, sesame oil and also…”

Kang Woo-jin nonchalantly listed numerous ingredients. Some of the writers, who were quickly writing them down, hurried out of the officetel [a building with both office and residential units]. Soon, PD Yoon Byung-sun, who was tilting his head at Kang Woo-jin as he cynically put on an apron, asked.

“Buckwheat noodles? Woo-jin, what kind of dish are you thinking of?”

Kang Woo-jin’s answer was short.

“I haven’t decided on a name, but it’s roughly like soy sauce makguksu [a Korean cold buckwheat noodle dish].”

“…Oh—makguksu.”

PD Yoon Byung-sun’s eyes immediately sparkled. Hong Hye-yeon and the remaining writers were the same. Some even swallowed hard. They were reminded of the ramen and spaghetti that Woo-jin had made before.

At that moment.

“Woo-jin, please look here!”

The main writer with the action cam waved her hand. Kang Woo-jin naturally made eye contact with her. The main writer spoke quickly.

“Great! That’s perfect. PD, I think we should definitely use Woo-jin wearing the apron as the teaser thumbnail.”

“Hehe, come to think of it, we haven’t announced the cast teams to the media yet, have we? I think it’s about time to release that too, right?”

“Ah—shall we release it today then?”

“Let’s do it. If the kitchen team’s main is Woo-jin, the fans will go wild again, won’t they?”

Things were going their own way. But it was a familiar scene for Woo-jin.

‘Well, they’ll take care of it. But using me in an apron as a thumbnail—ah, that’s a bit embarrassing.’

About 30 minutes passed like that. The writers who had gone to buy the ingredients returned, and various vegetables and seasonings were placed on the desk in front of the kitchen. Woo-jin, who had washed his hands clean, began arranging them with smooth movements.

—Swish.

After taking out the necessary pots, woks, and knives, he started cooking without hesitation. At this time, Hong Hye-yeon cautiously approached and asked tentatively.

“Should I help too?”

Woo-jin’s answer was curt.

“Please chop the garlic and ginger over there.”

“Again??”

“It’s the key.”

“Ah—okay.”

Hong Hye-yeon, who had tied up her long hair, also took her place. She was awkward but diligently chopping. All of this was naturally being captured on camera, and Kang Woo-jin, who had placed green onions and onions on the cutting board, showed off his dazzling knife skills.

—Chop chop chop chop chop chop chop!

PD Yoon Byung-sun and the writers were once again impressed.

“That’s really amazing no matter how many times I see it.”

“Don’t you just stare blankly at it?”

“If this goes on TV, the viewers will fall for him, 100%.”

Here, the main writer, who was filming the two actors, focused on Woo-jin’s arm as he was chopping.

‘Lean muscles, veins. Crazy.’

As expected of the main writer’s experience, she knew exactly what to capture. Whatever it was, Woo-jin, who had finished preparing the ingredients, calmly shook the wok. He added a bit of smoky flavor to the vegetables.

In the pot next to it, the buckwheat noodles were cooking.

Behind him, Woo-jin was making the broth. He added the stir-fried vegetables, some soy sauce, and water. Finally, the garlic and ginger that Hong Hye-yeon had chopped were added. The finale was sesame oil.

The broth and buckwheat noodles were coming together nicely.

The process was not as long as expected.

“…”

Woo-jin cooled the cooked buckwheat noodles. He also turned off the heat for the simmering broth. There was no hesitation in any of his movements, and soon it was finished.

—Swish.

He took out a pre-prepared deep bowl, put the moderately cooled buckwheat noodles in it, and poured the savory broth over it. Meanwhile, PD Yoon Byung-sun took a sip of the broth with a spoon. Huh? He asked back as if he was slightly puzzled.

“Woo-jin, this is a bit bland, isn’t it?”

Woo-jin’s cold voice was nonchalant.

“Because it’s America, the broth should be moderately bland.”

“Ah—”

“And this is what adjusts the seasoning.”

Woo-jin murmured and sprinkled some pre-cut perilla leaves and sesame seeds on the bowl.

“Perilla leaves have a strong scent, so you can check and change it if you want.”

Finally, he took out a palm-sized bag from underneath. It was seasoned seaweed flakes.

“Adjust the seasoning with the seaweed flakes.”

The seaweed flakes were sprinkled. Soon, Kang Woo-jin’s dish was completed. Considering it was made in an instant, the quality was considerable, and the main writer, who was filming the buckwheat noodles and the rising steam with the action cam, suddenly picked up chopsticks.

“It smells amazing??”

She stirred the buckwheat noodles in the hot broth, took a little of the noodles in a small bowl, and slurped it down. The reaction was immediate.

“…Wow! It’s delicious! PD, this is crazy!!”

Soon, PD Yoon Byung-sun, Hong Hye-yeon, and the writers who were waiting rushed over. After eating, they all had waves of emotion in their eyes. PD Yoon Byung-sun, as if regretful, kept using his chopsticks several times before suddenly deciding.

“We should sell this! We can sell it!! Wow—it’s perfect for a hangover, and if it’s this delicious, we absolutely have to sell it!”

At this point, Woo-jin, who had been quietly watching the excited people, murmured softly.

“Kimjaban Makguksu [a type of makguksu with seasoned seaweed] would be a better name.”

After that.

PD Yoon Byung-sun, who was enjoying Kang Woo-jin’s developed dish, ‘Kimjaban Makguksu,’ explained the future plans related to ‘Our Table.’ Of course, to both Woo-jin and Hong Hye-yeon.

“Since it’s the year-end season, we were thinking of filming in the US next year, but there are many things to consider, from renting a store to various other things. So, I think we’ll have to divide the filming into the first and second parts.”

Dividing the filming into episodes was common in the entertainment industry. Especially in the case of overseas filming like ‘Our Table,’ it was even more so because the actors’ schedules overlapped.

“The first filming will be about a week. ‘Our Table’ is scheduled to air a total of 10 episodes, and about 5 episodes will come out of the first filming. We’ll start editing around the end of the year, and the official first broadcast is expected to be in early next year.”

Although he was speaking with a smile, it was almost a hellish schedule for PD Yoon Byung-sun. He was also one of the busiest figures at the end of the year.

“We’ll start the second filming around the time the first broadcast airs early next year, and you can think of it as the editing of the latter half of the episodes starting during the broadcast of ‘Our Table.’ Uh—the location and store for Season 1 in the US are almost confirmed, and the detailed plan will be sent to the agency. Roughly, we’ll try out the food truck for two days out of the week, and the rest of the time we’ll operate the store we’ve secured. Easy, right?”

PD Yoon Byung-sun, who was smiling mischievously, finished his remarks.

“You heard that the first filming will start in late November or early December, right?”

In other words, there was no room for leisure in Kang Woo-jin’s schedule until the end of the year and into the next year.

After all the pre-filming for ‘Our Table’ was over, Kang Woo-jin once again boarded the hellish schedule train. The schedules that had been suppressed due to the overseas location and two days of rest exploded.

Therefore, everyone’s time, including Kang Woo-jin’s, melted away.

『[Exclusive] Yoon Byung-sun PD’s massive project variety show ‘Our Table’ takes shape, Season 1 starts in the US… Kang Woo-jin and Hong Hye-yeon in the kitchen?』

The ‘Our Table’ side released the information they had gathered.

『Can we see Kang Woo-jin cooking in ‘Our Table’? From food trucks to ‘Our Table’ team trying to sell Korean food in the US』

There were already many fans of the program by the variety show giant PD Yoon Byung-sun, and above all, this ‘Our Table’ was much larger in scale than before.

『Ahn Jong-hak, Ha Kang-soo, Hwa-rin, Kang Woo-jin, etc. ‘Our Table’ filming imminent! Public’s anticipation explodes』

The variety show scene was quickly buzzing. In particular, the fact that the filming location for Season 1 was in the US, the food truck, the roles of the cast members, the Korean food store, and Kang Woo-jin’s cooking all garnered attention.

Meanwhile, ‘Drug Dealer’ was not quiet either.

『’Drug Dealer’ nears 3 million viewers… ‘Fastest R-rated record’』

『’Jin Jae-joon, Kang Woo-jin’ shine… ‘Drug Dealer’ surpasses 3 million and sets new record』

The runaway hit ‘Drug Dealer’ was about to surpass 3 million viewers after exceeding 2.5 million. Starting with the momentum of ‘Drug Dealer,’ which was like a runaway train.

『[Movie Talk] No rivals… ‘Drug Dealer’ runs solo, breaking all-time R-rated box office records』

『Already ‘3 million viewers,’ film industry experts say “‘Drug Dealer’ will easily reach 5 million”』

And ‘Island of the Missing’.

『[Star Talk] Ryu Jung-min, Ha Yu-ra, Kang Woo-jin, etc., top stars abound in ‘Island of the Missing,’ overseas location filming completed/Photo』

『’Island of the Missing’ official says “About 30% of filming completed, filming will continue at domestic set complex”』

Various media outlets covered Kang Woo-jin’s story.

『[Issue Check] ‘Lee Sang-man’ Kang Woo-jin, secretly goes to the movie theater and takes proof shot… Shyly posts recent updates on SNS』

『From ‘Boyfriend Material’ to ‘Drug Dealer,’ a huge hit! Issue monster Kang Woo-jin, appears at movie theater right after overseas location filming for ‘Island of the Missing’/Photo』

The public reacted immediately.

—OMG, that movie theater is next to my house!!!!

—LOL Kang Woo-jin is so cute LOL He went to see a movie all covered up LOL

—What?? But ‘Drug Dealer’ won’t surpass 5 million

—ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠWoo-jin oppa….please appear at this movie theater too…..

—Lee Sang-man is crazy!!!

—But seriously LOL Kang Woo-jin must be so busy LOL He has so much filming to do LOL ‘Boyfriend Material’ and ‘Drug Dealer’ are doing so well LOL

—Honestly, if it wasn’t for Kang Woo-jin, ‘Drug Dealer’ would have had a hard time succeeding, agree?

—But seriously….Lee Sang-man is a villain of all time

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Well, as that happened, rumors such as ‘Kang Woo-jin’s drug use’ spread mainly through online communities, but BW Entertainment did not ignore it.

『[Official] BW Entertainment on the rampant rumors of Kang Woo-jin’s drug use: “Collecting data, will take strong action”』

『BW Entertainment, considering legal action against rumors and gossip related to ultra-rookie Kang Woo-jin』

They showed a quick response. But Kang Woo-jin didn’t care much.

“Woo-jin oppa, it’s all just nonsense, so you can ignore it.”

“What?”

“No, I mean the drug rumors and stuff.”

“I don’t know, I haven’t really seen it.”

It was the effect of the commoner buff, but to Woo-jin’s team, it looked like he had a steel mentality. Around this time, the first casting request related to the end of the year came to BW Entertainment.

—[Important] Hello, this is the Blue Dragon Film Awards Organizing Committee Secretariat.

The start was the Blue Dragon [a prestigious South Korean film award].

Monday, the 9th, after the weekend, in the morning.

At an advertisement filming set. With the return to filming for ‘Island of the Missing’ imminent, Kang Woo-jin was constantly eating hamburgers at the advertisement filming set. Of course. Because this was the ‘Maxnald’ advertisement filming set.

“Nice!! Good, Woo-jin! This time, a little more munching! Huh? Like you can’t resist it!”

“Ah—yes.”

‘Maxnald’ was the first advertisement Kang Woo-jin had taken on since his debut, and sales had been steadily increasing since Woo-jin became the model. Therefore, it had established itself as a long-term partner.

Similar to Woo-jin, who was struggling, Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail, was also busy sitting on a chair on one side of the filming set.

“Considering the award ceremonies in December—we’ll have to push ourselves a bit.”

He was organizing Kang Woo-jin’s schedule while looking at his diary. There were more than enough things scheduled. Thanks to that, he had to ignore his ringing phone for a while. He’d check the missed calls and call back later.

Then.

“Hmm?”

Choi Sung-gun, who was scratching his head, paused after seeing the caller ID of the phone that had just vibrated.

—Director Ahn Ga-bok.

It had come. The call he had expected. Still, it was a bit unexpected that Director Ahn Ga-bok himself was calling. Anyway, Choi Sung-gun couldn’t ignore Director Ahn Ga-bok, so he left the filming set and answered the phone.

“Yes, Director. Hello.”

An old voice was heard from the other side of the phone.

“Yes. CEO Choi. I know you’re busy, but can you talk for a moment?”

“Please speak.”

“I want to give you a scenario. To be blunt, it’s okay if my movie is a stepping stone.”

“…Excuse me?”

A stepping stone? The 100th work of Director Ahn Ga-bok, a legend in the Korean film industry, was a stepping stone? What was he talking about? Choi Sung-gun seemed to have difficulty understanding Director Ahn Ga-bok’s words right away.

On the other hand, Director Ahn Ga-bok’s tone was relaxed, but for some reason, he seemed quite desperate.

“I can go to where you are, the person with free time should move.”

Meanwhile, inside a large media company.

A female reporter who had been talking on the phone in the hallway caught the eye as she entered the noisy entertainment news office. She had a rather excited face, though it was unclear what information she had. Then, she.

—Thud!

She passed the busy reporters and suddenly entered the editor-in-chief’s office. The editor-in-chief let out a long sigh.

“Ha—what is it, you? Did you eat the knock for soup [a Korean expression for not knocking before entering]??!”

Regardless, the female reporter spoke directly to the chubby editor-in-chief sitting at his desk. Her tone was meaningful.

“Chief, I heard Kang Woo-jin has a one-year contract?”

The editor-in-chief immediately narrowed his brows.

“…Kang Woo-jin? A one-year contract, what kind of nonsense is that?”

Soon, the female reporter approached the editor-in-chief and lowered her voice.

“BW Entertainment and Kang Woo-jin have a one-year contract.”