I Was Mistaken As A Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 180

It was morning, around 10 AM. A familiar van driving down the road caught the eye. It was Kang Woo-jin’s car. However, inside, while Woo-jin’s usual team, including Choi Sung-gun, were visible, Woo-jin himself was not there.

It was only natural.

They were on their way to pick up Kang Woo-jin. Because Woo-jin had gotten off work so late yesterday, his commute was a bit delayed. Therefore, the van’s destination was Kang Woo-jin’s officetel [a studio apartment often used as both a living and working space]. For reference, Woo-jin’s schedule was also completely full today. In the morning, a meeting with the ‘Our Table’ team, including PD [Production Director] Yoon Byung-sun, was scheduled.

There were only four days left until their departure to the United States.

After that, he had a few interviews to do, and then, for a late lunch, he would head to Buyeo for the filming of ‘Island of the Missing.’

At that moment.

“Huh-”

Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail and a tired look on his face, let out a soft exclamation while looking at his phone. Then, Han Ye-jung, the main stylist among the several stylists in the back, reacted. She leaned over the passenger seat and asked.

“What’s wrong, Representative?”

“Oh, there’s just a random article that popped up.”

“Really? Let me see.”

At Han Ye-jung’s question, with her blue bobbed hair, Choi Sung-gun held up his phone. The article was immediately visible.

『[Exclusive] Director Ahn Ga-bok, Who Had Not Shown Himself, Suddenly Spotted Having Dinner with Top Actor Shim Han-ho… Is Shim Han-ho Chosen as the Lead for the Legendary 100th Film? / Photo』

Two of the biggest names in the country were pictured side by side. Director Ahn Ga-bok and top actor Shim Han-ho. The two were originally close friends, so there was no problem, but the title the reporter wrote caught the eye. Soon, the other stylists crowded around Han Ye-jung to check the article.

“Wow- daebak [amazing]. S, Shim Han-ho-nim??!”

“What is this? Is Shim Han-ho sunbaenim [senior] really doing ‘Leech’?”

“Nah. They just took a picture of them eating and the reporter wrote the title however they wanted.”

“But the timing is perfect, isn’t it? Director Ahn Ga-bok started his 100th project! If the person he picked after Woo-jin oppa [older brother, used by females to address older males they are close to] is actor Shim Han-ho…”

The women got excited. This was because Shim Han-ho’s influence on the acting scene was enormous. With Director Ahn Ga-bok and Shim Han-ho, Kang Woo-jin, who was in between them, seemed small. However, Woo-jin’s casting for ‘Leech’ was still confidential, and Choi Sung-gun stroked his chin, leaving the chattering stylists behind.

‘Actor Shim Han-ho? Hmm- I didn’t expect this. No, should I have expected it? The two are close… This article seems like just a rumor for now. But if it’s real-‘

‘Leech’ was already a work with a lot of meaning attached to it. Director Ahn Ga-bok’s 100th work, which would mark a milestone in the history of Korean cinema, the Cannes Film Festival, Kang Woo-jin’s debut at an international film festival, and so on.

What if top actor Shim Han-ho was added to this?

‘The stakes become incredibly high.’

Here, Choi Sung-gun first considered all the possibilities. What he had to think about was the chemistry between Kang Woo-jin and Shim Han-ho. Shim Han-ho was a 30-year veteran actor, and Kang Woo-jin was a rookie of one year. How would the public view this picture? Everyone in the entertainment industry? What about their acting synergy?

And what about Kang Woo-jin’s thoughts?

Woo-jin had always been someone who wasn’t swayed by others, but Shim Han-ho was on a completely different level from ordinary top actors.

‘Woo-jin might feel a bit pressured.’

If that were the case, could Director Ahn Ga-bok give up on Shim Han-ho? While Choi Sung-gun was pondering these thoughts, the van, which had been driving down the road, arrived at Kang Woo-jin’s officetel.

-Screech.

It stopped in the underground parking lot where it always stopped.

-Slide.

As soon as the door opened, Kang Woo-jin, wearing a hat, appeared. Today, his cynicism was at its peak as well.

“Hello.”

Woo-jin, who received greetings from the stylists except for Han Ye-jung and Jang Su-hwan, got into the car, and as the van started, Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail, told Kang Woo-jin the news.

“Woo-jin, I sent you an article on KakaoTalk, take a look at that first.”

“Yes, Representative.”

Woo-jin, who answered silently, checked his phone. He read the article for a moment. There was no change in his firm expression.

However.

‘Wow- seriously, is this real?’

Internally, he was startled. Shim Han-ho? Shim Han-ho, of all people?? He was a top actor that no Korean could not know. In the past, Woo-jin had often watched Shim Han-ho’s movies and thought, ‘His acting is amazing-.’

‘Shim Han-ho is like a god, isn’t he? But I’m going to be in the same movie as him??!’

His sense of reality faded again. Pressure built up. At this point, Choi Sung-gun asked a question.

“It’s not confirmed, but if it’s true, what do you think?”

Kang Woo-jin, who raised his head, answered coldly and simply.

“It doesn’t matter.”

He was suppressing the pressure inside.

‘I don’t know, man. I’ll just think of him as another old man.’

It was extreme mind control.

Meanwhile, at the ‘Our Table’ office.

The ‘Our Table’ team, gathered in the officetel office, was truly busy.

“PD-nim! Are you packing the props??!”

“Of course, I am. Ah- but if it’s something we can buy in the US, take it out. It’ll just make the immigration process longer.”

“Yes, yes! I did see a lot of Korean markets when I went to the US for the location scouting.”

Dozens of people, including writers and the directing team, were busy packing. Yoon Byung-sun PD, wearing glasses, was the same. Half of his team had already gone to the US. This was because the organization in Korea was being handled by Yoon Byung-sun PD’s team, while the pre-preparations in the US were being handled by the main writer’s team.

“Has the accommodation issue in the US been resolved??”

“Yes! I called and they said it’s all sorted out!”

“Double-check it, and start contacting the cast members! Send them the list of things to pack too.”

“Understood!!”

“If the departure route is messed up from the morning of the 5th, it’ll be a disaster?? And where is Woo-jin-ssi?”

“They said he’s almost here!”

The reason why Yoon Byung-sun PD was having a meeting with Kang Woo-jin today was because he was the core of ‘Our Table.’ In other words, the cooking. If cooking was missing from ‘Our Table,’ it would be no different from an empty can.

“Let’s hurry! We’ll have the meeting with Woo-jin-ssi while having lunch!”

At the same time, in Incheon.

‘Paradise S City,’ a huge resort hotel located in Incheon. With a large hotel, a large swimming pool, a casino, and a club, ‘Paradise S City’ was more like a resort than a hotel.

In ‘Plaza,’ the huge hall in ‘Paradise S City’ that was in charge of events, construction was in full swing.

“The stage!! Please look at the stage area here!”

“Just a moment!”

“I’ll turn on the lights! Section A! Yes- it’s good! Section B!”

“When will the screen next to this be installed?!”

“I’ll check it!!”

There were dozens of people who seemed to be from the facilities team, and dozens more who were leading the construction. There were a lot of people, but the space was so large that it didn’t seem like that many. Then, a man with a name tag around his neck and a walkie-talkie in his hand shouted from the front of the stage. Above him were several large screens.

“Start with the logo! Output the prepared logo!!”

Soon, the dark screens above turned on and a video started playing. Black and gold swirled, and then a trophy and a title were displayed below it.

-[The 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2020]

That’s right. This ‘Paradise S City’ was the venue for this year’s Blue Dragon Film Awards. The Blue Dragon Film Awards were only a few weeks away.

“Okay!! Next, the promotional video! Let’s hurry!!”

The end of 2020 was less than a month away.

Around late afternoon.

At the time when the news of ‘Leech’ was continuing to grow, the main conference room of DM Production, where Song Man-woo PD was the general manager and representative, was bustling. It was the first time this conference room had been full since the production company was founded.

The people filled the U-shaped table.

Some faces looked familiar, while others were new. Among them, the person sitting at the head of the table near the entrance was a very familiar face. It was Song Man-woo PD, a big name in the drama industry. With him as the center, dozens of people were seated on both sides. Soon, Song Man-woo PD, with his beard, took off his light padding and announced to everyone.

“Okay- let’s start.”

If Song Man-woo PD was the main, what could it be? It was the production meeting for Choi Na-na’s new work, ‘Beneficial Evil.’ Of course, it was the first time they were doing this. In other words, the people sitting around were the key staff of ‘Beneficial Evil’ and also Song Man-woo PD’s team. That’s why there were familiar faces. They had worked together on ‘The Vagrant’ as well.

Then, Song Man-woo PD, who was stroking his beard, let out a small breath and started the conversation.

“First, shall we talk about casting?”

The key staff all picked up the tablets prepared in front of them, and a man with a sharp face sitting next to Song Man-woo PD opened his mouth. He was the casting director.

“Um- before we start, PD-nim, how is Kang Woo-jin-ssi’s casting going?”

When Kang Woo-jin’s name came up, all the key staff looked at Song Man-woo PD, and he scratched his chin and gestured for them to wait a bit.

“I’ve already given him the script, and I heard that Woo-jin-ssi said it was interesting. You can look at it positively.”

Exclamations like ‘Oooooh’ came from the key staff. Song Man-woo PD poured cold water on that.

“But I haven’t received a confirmation yet. Well, let’s wait a little longer. He’s a fast reader, so he’ll make a decision soon.”

The casting director, who was slowly nodding, replied.

“Understood. But as you know, ‘Beneficial Evil’ must have the male lead confirmed first. The rest of the roles should be done after that.”

“I know.”

At this time, a chubby cinematographer chimed in. He had also been in charge of the camera for ‘The Vagrant.’

“Wow- Woo-jin-ssi is amazing. It feels like yesterday when he was doing Park Dae-ri [a junior employee], and now he’s already the lead in Song PD’s work? And that’s only one year after his debut?”

The art director, who had also been seen in ‘The Vagrant,’ chimed in.

“What’s Woo-jin-ssi’s market value these days?”

The casting director’s answer was quick.

“The market evaluation is usually up to 60 million. But it will go up more. Did everyone see the situation with ‘Freezing Romance’ this time? The overall viewership rating was 12%, but do you know how much it fluctuated when Kang Woo-jin-ssi appeared?”

“The peak momentary viewership was around 19%, right?”

“That’s right. Now, Kang Woo-jin-ssi has established himself as a solid actor with ticket power. And all the works that Woo-jin-ssi has already joined are all huge projects.”

At this moment, Kang Woo-jin’s price rose in Song Man-woo PD’s mind, who had his arms crossed.

‘Sixty million- or more? Maybe seventy million?’

The casting director, who was looking down at the tablet, got back to the topic.

“What you’re seeing now is Plan A when Kang Woo-jin-ssi is confirmed. The one next to it is Plan B that I made. The version without Woo-jin-ssi.”

“It would be nice to go with Woo-jin-ssi if possible.”

“That’s right, more than half of the people here worked together on ‘The Vagrant.’ We have good chemistry.”

It was at this time.

“But Song PD-nim?”

A muscular man sitting in the middle called out to Song Man-woo PD. He was the martial arts director.

“Is Kang Woo-jin-ssi’s ‘martial arts’ okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you mean? ‘Beneficial Evil’ has a lot of action scenes. I’m looking at the script and making the martial arts storyboard, and just looking at the rough drafts, it looks like it’ll take more than 3 months of practice. But can Woo-jin-ssi handle this? I heard his schedule is at an over-the-top level?”

“Ah- hmm.”

“I know, but when you start martial arts practice, it’s not just a few weeks, you have to do it for at least 3 months, and Woo-jin-ssi’s schedule is so tight, can he handle that?”

Song Man-woo PD and the key staff quickly understood. Song Man-woo PD answered.

“Three months? Is that enough?”

“That’s the minimum, the minimum. Of course, not all day, but he has to do it for at least 4 hours a day. As far as I know, Woo-jin-ssi hasn’t done any action works yet.”

“That’s right. It’s his first time doing it openly.”

“I know Woo-jin-ssi’s acting is amazing, but martial arts is a different area, so we need to check it out, right?”

It was a valid opinion. Soon, concerns began to arise among the key staff.

“Yeah, Woo-jin-ssi might be surprisingly weak in martial arts.”

“But wasn’t his stamina amazing during the filming of ‘The Vagrant’? He was the only one who was fine when all the actors were struggling.”

“That’s different. Martial arts is a skill. You know how it is? There are actors who are good at acting but terrible at martial arts. For example, Jung Jang-hwan from ‘Freezing Romance’?”

“Ah- Jung Jang-hwan is weak in martial arts, so he doesn’t sell well in the movie industry, right?”

“We definitely need to check with Woo-jin-ssi.”

The concerns deepened. However, Song Man-woo PD’s expression was very firm.

“It’s okay if Woo-jin-ssi is a bit awkward in martial arts. He can make up for it with his acting.”

December 2nd, morning.

Inside Kang Woo-jin’s van. The van was driving along the roads of Seoul. Inside, as expected, Kang Woo-jin and his team were full. Currently, Woo-jin was wearing a hat pulled down low, and the destination of the van was a shop in Cheongdam-dong. His first schedule today was filming for the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel. It was a new content about cooking, and there was also a guest.

It was Hwa-rin.

Anyway.

-Flip.

Kang Woo-jin, wearing a hat, was silently reading something with a calm face. It was the script for ‘Beneficial Evil’ that Song Man-woo PD had given him last week. He had already read it in his spare time, and he was now past episode 1 and into episode 2.

Moreover, he seemed to have almost finished reading episode 2 as well.

“······”

Exactly 10 minutes later, when the van stopped on a congested road, Kang Woo-jin closed the script he was reading. His expression was cynical, but inside, he gave a thumbs up.

‘So fun. Wow- seriously, did Choi Na-na writer-nim really write this?’

Soon, Kang Woo-jin checked the situation outside the window and the time. He also checked his condition. It seemed like it would take quite a while, and he was feeling refreshed.

‘Shall I just take a quick peek?’

Woo-jin, who muttered to himself, secretly poked the black square attached to the side of the ‘Beneficial Evil’ script. His vision changed quickly. He quickly entered a completely dark subspace, and while stretching, he released the concept he had firmly put on.

Then, he walked towards the lined-up white squares.

“Let’s just go to episode 1 of ‘Beneficial Evil.'”

Kang Woo-jin moved his hand.

-[9/Script (Title: Beneficial Evil), S+ Grade]

-(Episode 1)/(Episode 2)

-[*This is a very high-quality drama script. 100% reading is possible.]

Of course, what he chose was ‘Beneficial Evil.’ Soon, the letters in front of Woo-jin’s eyes changed.

-[You have selected 9/Script (Title: Beneficial Evil).]

-[Lists the characters that can be read (experienced).]

Woo-jin confidently chose the name of the male lead, which was at the very top. And a brief moment of silence spread.

[“······”]

Then, a very familiar robotic female voice echoed in the subspace.