I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 170

Kang Woo-jin looked towards the arrival gate he had visited before during his ‘guy-friend’ days. It was his second visit, but it still felt unfamiliar.

Moreover.

‘Hwa-rin isn’t here today either.’

Unlike when he came to Japan for the ‘guy-friend’ schedule, Kang Woo-jin was alone now. The difference between having a colleague and not was evident in his heartbeat.

‘Ugh, I feel a bit nauseous.’

The tension was high. Choi Seong-geon had said that the media and fans would gather similarly to last time. A lot had changed in a short period. ‘Guy-friend’ and ‘Ametalk Show!’ were huge hits in Japan, and ‘Strange Geisha’ had shaken the entire country.

What about Kang Woo-jin’s ‘alter ego’ channel with 6 million subscribers?

Kang Woo-jin was now a popular actor, contributing to the Korean Wave in Japan. Anyway, before entering the arrival gate, Woo-jin checked his appearance. Thanks to visiting the salon since dawn, his makeup and hair were perfect. His outfit was a black trench coat.

‘It feels so awkward.’

Regardless, Kang Woo-jin, buried among dozens of staff and guards,

-Swish.

passed through the arrival gate.

At the same time.

‘……Wow, what the hell! This is crazy!’

Woo-jin’s mouth dropped open internally. The reason was simple.

“Mr. Kang Woo-jin!! Mr. Kang Woo-jin!!!”

“Are you going straight to the ‘Strange Geisha’ script reading?!!”

“How do you feel about ‘Guy-friend’ being so popular?!!”

“Over here!! Please look over here!!”

“Mr. Kang Woo-jin! How do you think your chemistry with the Japanese actors will be?!!”

Hundreds of reporters crowded at the fence, their Japanese pouring out like crazy.

“Is it true that you’ve been in contact with a Japanese agency regarding a transfer?!!”

Of course, camera flashes were going off like crazy too.

-Flash! Flash!

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

He had experienced it before, but Woo-jin, with his stoic expression, felt his mind go blank. Honestly, he hadn’t expected this much. But he had to pull himself together. He had to remember his concept. If he fell here, it would be a disaster.

Woo-jin, putting on a serious poker face,

-Swish.

gave a relaxed hand wave to the reporters. It was a slightly awkward gesture, but it didn’t look too bad to others, and as proof, the enormous screams of the fans surrounding the reporters engulfed the arrival hall.

“Kyaaaa!!”

“Kang Woo-jin! Kang Woo-jin!!!”

“‘Guy-friend’ was so much fun!!”

“Please look over here!! I’m a BJ [Broadcast Jockey, a live streamer], say hi to my viewers! Kyaa! Don’t push!”

“I’m watching your YouTube channel!!”

It was all in Japanese, but occasionally, awkward Korean could be heard.

“Oppa! I love you, oppa!!”

The fans were a mix of men and women, but there were definitely more women. Of course, this was the aftermath of the still-popular ‘Guy-friend’. Kang Woo-jin’s name was constantly appearing on Japanese social media and communities, and his OST [Original Soundtrack] was proudly ranked high on Japan’s Oricon charts, which was enough to understand the current situation.

Whatever.

“Hello- Thank you.”

Kang Woo-jin briefly greeted the reporters and fans, then quickly left Haneda Airport and got into the van waiting on the side of the road. Even then, the reporters and fans followed the group Woo-jin was in.

Soon.

-Vroom!

Three vans parked in a row started one after another. In the van Kang Woo-jin was in, stylists like Han Ye-jeong were exclaiming.

“Wow! What’s with Woo-jin oppa’s firepower??!”

“I admit it!! At this rate, he’s really on par with any idol??!”

“Did you see the BJs among the fans? ‘Guy-friend’ is seriously popular in Japan!”

“Wasn’t it similar to when he came with Hwa-rin??”

“There were a lot of Korean reporters too!”

They were celebrating instead of the calm Kang Woo-jin. Well, Woo-jin was also doing a lively shoulder dance internally. He was just maintaining a solemn exterior.

Around that time.

“Woo-jin-ah.”

Choi Seong-geon, with his ponytail, turned from the passenger seat and called out to Kang Woo-jin. It was for a briefing.

“While we’re doing the ‘Strange Geisha’ script reading, I’ve added a few Japanese schedules, remember I mentioned it before?”

“Yes, I remember.”

Choi Seong-geon flipped a page in his diary.

“Okay. After the ‘Strange Geisha’ script reading, there’s a short interview with Director Shinjo about ‘Ametalk Show!’. This will be uploaded on ‘Ametalk Show!’ and YouTube, and for ‘Guy-friend’, we’ve scheduled a 1-hour shoot at Netflix Japan Studio. ‘Guy-friend’ has blown up more than we expected in Japan.”

It was a schedule of at least 3 days. Even though it was close, Japan was a foreign country, and it was right to handle everything at once when coming here.

“And there’s also a fan signing event hosted by Netflix Japan. Well, it’s not huge. But I think at least a hundred fans will come.”

Ah? Japanese fans? Come to think of it, it was his first time meeting Japanese fans face-to-face. He had mastered Japanese, so there wouldn’t be a big problem, but Woo-jin felt a bit nervous thinking about the fan signing with Japanese fans.

‘Are Japanese fans a bit different from Korean fans? Or will they be the same?’

Many questions popped up inside, but Woo-jin’s external solemnity deepened.

“No problem.”

“Haha, yeah. You can handle that easily. Oh, and.”

Choi Seong-geon, who was closing his diary, changed the subject.

“Woo-jin, about your transfer, we haven’t made an official announcement yet, right? So the media and public are still talking about it as they please—I think we should hold off on that for a bit.”

“Are you saying to maintain the issue?”

“Exactly. These kinds of issues help raise your profile. Well, we won’t drag it out for too long. We’ll open it when it’s heated up enough.”

“Understood.”

“Okay, leave it to me.”

Choi Seong-geon, along with Jang Su-hwan and Han Ye-jeong, and the rest of Woo-jin’s team, which had grown quite a bit, smiled faintly. They had heard the news that they would continue to work together. But they were still keeping it a secret.

Then.

-Swish.

Choi Seong-geon handed Woo-jin a transparent file he had prepared. Kang Woo-jin immediately asked.

“What is this?”

“You know, in ‘Strange Geisha’, you’re the only Korean actor, and we’re the only Korean staff. The rest are all Japanese. Well, even though you’re always solid, it might feel unfamiliar. This is a summary of the ‘Strange Geisha’ cast members you’ll be meeting soon.”

“Ah.”

“As you can see, there are many top actors. It’s natural, though. The director is that Tanoguchi Kyotaro, and the original author is Akari. There are many familiar actors, right?”

No, not at all. The Japanese actors in the transparent file Woo-jin was looking at were all complete strangers. They were said to be top Japanese actors, but they were completely unfamiliar to Kang Woo-jin.

‘Just—yeah, handsome and pretty Japanese people.’

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous, but honestly, it was less than during ‘Island of the Missing’. At least, that’s how Kang Woo-jin felt. Then, Woo-jin looked out the window of the moving van at the Japanese cityscape. A scenery subtly different from Korea.

‘It’s kind of absurd. I’m going to film a movie by a Japanese master director.’

Even though it was just a script reading, now that it was right in front of him, the reality felt distant. But it wasn’t a dream. Many Japanese fans were already enthusiastic about Kang Woo-jin.

He was starting to get greedy.

‘How many Japanese fans will I have when ‘Strange Geisha’ is released?’

At that time, at the Kashihi Group headquarters.

Executives in suits were coming out of a conference room. The last one was an old man with white hair on his eyebrows. It was Chairman Hideki. He buttoned his suit jacket and spoke in an old voice to his secretaries behind him.

“What time is it?”

The answer from the head secretary, Riri, who stood straight, was quick.

“It’s 10 o’clock.”

“What time is the ‘Strange Geisha’ reading?”

“It starts at 11 o’clock. We can leave right away.”

“Hmm, okay. Let’s go right away.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

Chairman Hideki slowly moved his feet. He was probably going to the ‘Strange Geisha’ script reading. However, there was a hint of worry in Riri’s eyes, who had her long hair tied back.

“Are you sure you’re okay? I heard there are many reporters at the venue.”

Chairman Hideki, with a wrinkled smile, replied softly.

“It doesn’t matter, does it? I’m just the landlord going to say hello.”

At the same time.

Like Chairman Hideki, there were many people moving to the Kashihi Tokyo Hotel, the venue for the ‘Strange Geisha’ script reading. Especially noticeable were the movements of the Japanese actors. The top actors who were officially cast in ‘Strange Geisha’.

Among them.

“Kang Woo-jin? It seems like Haneda Airport was a mess this morning because of that Korean actor?”

The car of Mana Kosaku, a famous Japanese band member and top actor, was filled with talk about Kang Woo-jin. Kosaku, who had long hair tied back with a headband, was the actor Director Kyotaro contacted after Kang Woo-jin. That meant he was recognized in Japan.

However, his staff seemed worried.

“Kang Woo-jin—honestly, even if they say he’s fine in Korea, I’m still worried.”

“Is that so? He seemed to speak Japanese well on ‘Ametalk Show!'”

“Speaking Japanese well and acting in Japanese are not the same thing.”

“True, the acting styles in Korea and Japan are a bit different.”

“Director Kyotaro is really eccentric. To suddenly cast a Korean actor as the lead in ‘Strange Geisha’.”

Their worries were understandable. Even though Kang Woo-jin’s recognition in Japan had increased exponentially, he still lacked proper verification. Acting in a foreign language was very difficult. That was the concern.

The stakes for ‘Strange Geisha’ were already enormous. And Kang Woo-jin was the only Korean actor.

It was natural that attention was focused on him.

‘Hmm—’

Mana Kosaku, with his arms crossed and lost in thought, also agreed. But at the same time as his concern, an unknown sense of crisis was also rising.

‘It’s the first time I’m seeing his face today, so why do I feel danger?’

It was because of Kang Woo-jin’s momentum and the recognition from Director Kyotaro and writer Akari. A rookie Korean actor that the Japanese big shots had gone to Korea to scout. And the words Director Kyotaro had used to evaluate Kang Woo-jin.

‘It has to be him.’

Mana Kosaku was a veteran in the Japanese entertainment industry. Yet, a strange tension wrapped around his body.

“Why—does it have to be him?”

Of course, he wasn’t the only actor expressing curiosity about Kang Woo-jin. There were over 5 top-tier actors participating in ‘Strange Geisha’. There were also many A-list actors, and the reactions to Woo-jin were varied.

Some actresses showed extreme affection.

“I’m excited! I want to see him soon!”

“Mifuyu, why are you so excited? Calm down a bit.”

“Because Kang Woo-jin is handsome!”

“……There will be a lot of reporters at the venue. Be careful what you say. Do you want to get into another scandal?”

“So what? But I wonder what Kang Woo-jin smells like?”

“Hey! You!”

“I wonder if I can shake his hand and hug him??”

There were also male actors who quietly evaluated Kang Woo-jin’s acting.

“His acting is amazing.”

“What do you mean?”

“He seemed like a different person for each role. It was that extreme.”

“Really?”

“It’s uncertain whether he’ll show the same level of acting in Japan.”

Everyone was like guests before a party.

About an hour later, at the ‘Kashihi Tokyo Hotel’.

The outside and lobby of the ‘Kashihi Tokyo Hotel’ in Tokyo became incredibly noisy. Most of them were the enormous number of reporters, but hotel guests and staff also gathered around a hall.

Why?

Because many celebrities were entering the hall one after another. Therefore, the reporters’ flashes were going off like crazy.

-Flash! Flash!

-Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!

Looking at the scene, it was reminiscent of a huge party rather than a script reading. Inside the hall, many people had already taken their seats. A square table was placed in the center of the spacious hall. The actors’ name tags were placed on the table, and the actors, their staff, and the film crew filled the surrounding area.

In addition, there were a dozen reporters and staff members.

Even though not everyone had arrived yet, there were well over a hundred people. At the front of the square table.

-[Iyota Kiyoshi Role/ Mr. Kang Woo-jin]

Kang Woo-jin was not yet visible.

At that moment.

-Swish.

Two big shots entered the hall, where many people were gathered.

“Director! Hello!”

“Writer, it’s nice to meet you!”

It was Director Kyotaro, with his gray hair, and Akari, the original author of ‘Strange Geisha’, with glasses perched on the tip of her nose. With their appearance, many actors and staff who were sitting stood up to greet them. The reporters’ focus also increased significantly.

“Hahaha, yes. How have you been? Writer. This is Mr. Mana Kosaku, whom I mentioned.”

“Of course, I know. Nice to meet you, Mr. Mana.”

“It’s an honor, Writer.”

Introductions and greetings were exchanged dozens of times. But it didn’t last long. The reason was what a dozen reporters said.

“Oh—oh, he’s here.”

“Huh?”

“Chairman Yoshimura Hideki! He’s here.”

“What?!”

Chairman Hideki, who resembled an old lion, appeared with his secretaries. His appearance quickly turned the hall upside down. It seemed like a commotion outside too. A barrage of flashes, top actors with wide eyes, frozen staff, whispering production crew, etc.

They hadn’t expected Chairman Hideki to actually show up.

On the other hand, Chairman Hideki, who was calmly looking around the entire hall, was full of composure. He exuded a calm aura and gave a wrinkled smile to Director Kyotaro, who approached him.

“How have you been, Director?”

“Of course. Thank you for coming.”

Next, Chairman Hideki made eye contact with writer Akari.

“I really like your works, Writer. It’s an honor, Writer.”

“The pleasure is mine. Thank you for lending us the venue.”

“I also enjoyed reading ‘Strange Geisha’ as a book, so I have high expectations.”

Then, Chairman Hideki shook hands with the main actors. It was like, he didn’t intend to, but he was overwhelming everyone. He had that much presence. As expected of the owner of a conglomerate ranked in the top 10.

At that moment.

“Excuse me.”

A strange but fluent Japanese voice was heard from the entrance of the hall. A low and atmospheric male voice. Thanks to that, the eyes of everyone in the hall, including Chairman Hideki and Director Kyotaro, moved.

Kang Woo-jin, with a calm face, was standing at the entrance.

“I was a bit late because of traffic from the airport.”

Woo-jin, who had instantly captured attention and gaze, and Director Kyotaro moved his feet. What was interesting was.

-Swish.

Chairman Hideki, ahead of Director Kyotaro, was the first to extend his hand to Kang Woo-jin.

“I’ve been waiting.”

Waiting? Why was Chairman Hideki waiting? Director Kyotaro showed a subtle smile, as if saying ‘as expected’, and the eyes of everyone in the hall, including Akari, widened. It was incomprehensible that the head of a large corporation would wait for a Korean actor he was meeting for the first time.

Then, Kang Woo-jin, with a poker face,

“……”

shook hands with Chairman Hideki and muttered calmly. Of course, internally.

‘Who the hell is this old man?’

End