I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 188

Three months.” Seo Hyun-mi, Kang Woo-jin’s mother, briefly recalled his childhood. Then, she turned her gaze back to the large TV on the wall. Woo-jin’s image had already disappeared from the news, but Seo Hyun-mi, still seeing it vividly, murmured softly.

“…Three months. Can you take down a bad guy like that with just that?”

Kang Woo-cheol, who looked similar to Seo Hyun-mi, shook his head seriously.

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“But just now on the news, our Woo-jin was just whooshing and taking down that thug or whatever.”

“I saw it too.”

Soon, Seo Hyun-mi, her eyes widening even more, exclaimed.

“Ho, maybe! Was Woo-jin a Hapkido genius?!!”

It was an absurd conclusion, but Seo Hyun-mi’s brain was currently full of errors. However, her husband, Kang Woo-cheol, corrected her.

“Does that make sense? It’s strange that Hapkido is even coming up here in the first place.”

“Why, why??”

“Hyun-mi, it’s been decades since Woo-jin did Hapkido. At most, it was when he was 12 or 13. And don’t you remember?”

“…Huh?”

“The day of the parent observation at Woo-jin’s Hapkido dojang [martial arts studio]? When Woo-jin was doing some form or whatever. All the other kids were sharp and precise, but only our Woo-jin was doing something like a dance. You said it looked like a dance.”

“D, did I?”

“You did.”

With her husband’s information, Hapkido was erased from Seo Hyun-mi’s mind, and she recalled her son’s face again.

“Th, then how on earth did Woo-jin take down that thug?”

At that moment.

-Clap!

Kang Woo-cheol, as if suddenly struck by an idea, clapped his hands and raised his voice.

“That’s it, that’s it! Actors practice martial arts for action scenes. I saw a documentary where action movie actors were learning martial arts while spitting blood? Woo-jin must have learned martial arts before the project.”

“Ah.”

“If he took down a thug, he must have put in a lot of bloody effort!”

It was highly likely. In the current situation, it was the most plausible reason. No, a delusion. Even Seo Hyun-mi quickly bought into it.

“Oh, oh, oh, that’s right, that’s right!”

Then, Seo Hyun-mi suddenly became tearful.

“Oh my, how hard must he have practiced…”

Kang Woo-cheol’s face hardened.

“He even used it in real life. He must have been at it for months. But it’s okay, our son is strong.”

“Still… Ah! Woo-jin is okay, right??”

“Yeah. I talked to him before he left for the US. If something had happened, we would have known by now. Either his agency or Woo-jin would have told us.”

Seo Hyun-mi, who had barely calmed down, picked up her phone and then paused.

“Ah, Woo-jin is in the US.”

She praised her son to Kang Woo-cheol.

“Still, Woo-jin saved Hwa-rin? That child. I’m proud, that’s my son.”

“Yeah. Our Woo-jin is going to be a hero.”

Kang Woo-cheol, the father, was also filled with emotion.

“He got his guts from me, that guy.”

“Ha- guts?”

However, Seo Hyun-mi’s one word instantly cooled him down.

“You’re the one who slowly avoids even the stray cat in front of our house, what guts?”

Meanwhile.

Around 9 AM. Kang Woo-jin was frequently mentioned in the conference room of the new production company, DM Productions. No, they were projecting Woo-jin’s black box video onto a screen at the front.

“…”

“…”

More than a dozen people were watching the video, mesmerized. Among them was PD [Production Director] Song Man-woo, so it seemed this meeting was related to ‘Beneficial Evil.’ The dozen or so people were obviously key staff.

At that moment.

“Huh-”

PD Song Man-woo, watching Kang Woo-jin subdue the thug in an instant on the screen, murmured as if possessed.

“What the heck is that…”

He recalled the lines that the ‘martial arts’ key staff had said during the first production meeting of ‘Beneficial Evil.’ Soon, he turned and asked the staff.

“Is Woo-jin’s martial arts skill a joke? Is he weak? A total novice?”

“Ah, no- that’s… wow.”

Small exclamations and deep delusions poured out among the key staff.

“Is that video real?? How can he be so calm when a thug with a weapon is attacking him? Woo-jin is usually a bit… cold, but that’s a professional mindset.”

“…Look at his hand movements. He twists and trips as if he was waiting for it. It’s not a coincidence, he’s trained. And for more than several years.”

“Ah! I heard Woo-jin is a student who studied abroad? Did he learn martial arts or something when he was in the US??”

“Yeah! Maybe he acquired it while learning acting??”

In an instant, PD Song Man-woo’s eyes widened as he thought of Kang To-tem’s face.

“Right. It’s possible. He learned such absurd acting on his own, so why not martial arts? I don’t know the circumstances, but he must have started learning it in the past. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.”

Then he chuckled. A smile mixed with delusion.

“Acting and that crazy sense. And language. But even martial arts?? He has it all. As an actor, he has it all. Domestically. No, there won’t be an actor in the world who can compete with Woo-jin.”

If there was anything lacking, it was only one thing.

“Time. It’s just a matter of time.”

Then, PD Song Man-woo called out to one of the key staff members sitting in the middle, who had been unable to take his eyes off Kang Woo-jin on the screen.

“Director Park.”

He was a martial arts director, mostly muscular.

“What do you think of that video from a professional’s point of view?”

He slowly moved his gaze and met PD Song Man-woo’s eyes. Then, with shock in his pupils, he simply replied.

“Just from the video… it looks like he’s better than me?”

“Is it that good?”

“If he said he was in a special forces unit, I’d nod my head. It’s kind of like, real practical martial arts. Look at that, look at that. Do you see any tension in Woo-jin’s expression?”

“No.”

“Even his movements don’t have a hint of hesitation or unnecessary action. It’s a dangerous situation, so he should show at least a little pause, but it’s just clean. It’s a posture that ordinary people can never have. Usually, when you’re attacked or whatever, your thoughts become complicated when you strike the opponent. That slows down your actions.”

“Woo-jin doesn’t have that?”

“Yeah. It feels so clean. In the first place, the guards around him can’t even do that technique.”

The martial arts director, with confusion in his eyes, scratched his head as if he couldn’t understand.

“What the heck is that guy’s identity? Why can a one-year rookie actor do something like that?”

“I don’t know either, I’ve given up on understanding it.”

“Huh? What?”

PD Song Man-woo chuckled and changed the subject.

“So, Director Park, do you think there will be a change in the martial arts practice period with that level?”

“Of course. In the first place, the three months I mentioned was when Woo-jin was ignorant of martial arts, and with that level of skill… hmm, but I need to see it in detail on the martial arts movement test day to be sure.”

“I know. I’ll definitely see it too, but just give me a rough guess.”

“If I only look at that video.”

The martial arts director was almost certain.

“He might be able to pull it off in a month, maybe even a few weeks.”

This meant that the production period would be very short.

America, LA.

It was morning on the 7th in Korea, but it was afternoon on the 6th in LA. The location was near North Hollywood Park, north of the Hollywood downtown area. Among them, many Koreans were seen around a two-story house.

It was the ‘Our Table’ team.

The ‘Our Table’ team, which arrived in LA early in the morning on the 6th, finished filming the surrounding scenery and food truck introductions, and then immediately moved to their accommodations. This two-story house was where the male cast members of ‘Our Table’ stayed. There were also accommodations nearby for the female cast members and staff.

Anyway, Kang Woo-jin could be found on the second floor of the accommodation for the male cast members.

He was currently.

“Wow- the atmosphere here is crazy. No matter how many pictures I take, something new keeps popping up.”

Hanging on the window of the room, he was completely immersed in the scenery around the accommodation. He looked natural, as if he had just finished showering, and his clothes were a hoodie and comfortable pants. It was now break time.

The room that Woo-jin was in was quite large.

About the size of two Korean studio apartments combined? It had a bed, sofa, various furniture, and a TV. The structure was similar to Korea, but the vibe was distinctly overseas. Whatever it was, Woo-jin forgot about his concept and was purely absorbed in the view outside the window.

“There are definitely no apartments in America. Or is it just this area? It’s all houses like this.”

Numerous houses lined up as if they were drawn in a straight line, American-style streetlights, and the city view in the distance. For Woo-jin, who was in America for the first time, everything was naturally amazing.

“Earlier, when I ordered chicken at some restaurant, the chicken size was like a phoenix. I was honestly scared, but it was delicious.”

There were a few crises of concept on the way here. As a native Korean, it wasn’t easy to suppress his surprised emotions. Of course, he managed to do it somehow.

Soon.

-Swoosh.

Kang Woo-jin stretches and moves. He organized the suitcases and bags placed around the bed and had to check his phone, which he hadn’t been able to look at due to the hectic filming.

“Should I also check the map around the accommodation while I’m at it?”

Knowing the area would reduce the risk of a concept crisis. Woo-jin, who murmured to himself, was about to take out his phone from his bag when.

“Woo-jin, are you sleeping??”

Choi Sung-gun’s voice was heard from outside the door. Thanks to that, Woo-jin put down the phone he was holding and instantly put on his concept, then opened the door.

“No, I’m fine.”

Huh? The CEO’s expression is a bit strange? As if he had read Kang Woo-jin’s mind, Choi Sung-gun, with his slightly serious face and ponytail, held up his phone.

“You couldn’t talk because you were filming, but a few hours ago, you were on the morning news in Korea. The 8 AM public broadcast news.”

“…”

Woo-jin, who barely maintained a blank expression, screamed internally.

“Eeeeee?!”

Outwardly, he calmly asked.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Even after that morning news, Korea is in an uproar right now. A black box video of you subduing a thug who attacked Hwa-rin has spread.”

“Black box?”

Crazy?? Real true? Kang Woo-jin almost blurted out that line. No, why did a black box video suddenly pop up? Woo-jin’s excitement was suddenly rising, but thanks to his habitual concept, Choi Sung-gun thought he was exuding a cold aura.

Thanks to that.

“Putting aside everything else, we can’t stop black boxes or citizens’ phones.”

Woo-jin, looking at Choi Sung-gun indifferently, replied in a low voice.

“I suppose so.”

“Let’s think positively, positively. Let me show you the situation. Look at the articles pouring out. Before this situation, Hwa-rin’s side had already drawn a lot of aggro, so the firepower is several times higher. And your video is also number one in the real-time rankings on YouTube right now.”

When Woo-jin was internally screaming ‘No!!’ and other things, Choi Sung-gun, who was putting down his phone, asked.

“What are you going to do? The water has spilled, and we have to make a decision. A statement? Whether to admit it or just stay silent. But since it’s already like this, it’s better to react coolly.”

“I understand.”

“Your people too… Ah, but haven’t you received any calls? You must have received a lot.”

There must be a huge number of calls piled up on his phone. Woo-jin, thinking it was obvious, resigned himself.

“Ha- I’m going crazy. Tsk, ah, I don’t know.”

All he could do here was lower his voice.

“It’s better to admit it.”

“Right? But it’s better for the company channel to do it than for you to do it directly.”

“I understand.”

“Okay- then we’ll make an official announcement in a few hours.”

At that moment.

“Woo-jin! Can I come up??!'”

A woman’s voice was heard from downstairs. A familiar voice. It was Hong Hye-yeon. Then, Choi Sung-gun sighed.

“She must have seen it too. What do you think? Should I tell her to come up?”

“…It doesn’t matter.”

He said to the downstairs.

“Come up.”

Hong Hye-yeon quickly came up the stairs. Her feet were hurried. So much so that her long, tied-up hair was scattered messily. What was unusual was that Hwa-rin was with her. Anyway, Hong Hye-yeon, wearing a white hoodie with the ‘Our Table’ logo.

“Woo-jin, why do I always find out about these things from the news first??”

She stuck to Kang Woo-jin and demanded. No, it was more like whining. On the other hand, Hwa-rin, wearing the same hoodie as Hong Hye-yeon, had a strange expression. Her hair was rolled up, and her face was somewhere between calm and smiling.

Suppressing a good feeling.

Because her favorite’s heroic tale was finally revealed. Regardless, Hong Hye-yeon’s grumbling intensified.

“No, I almost fainted when I saw the article! What is it, really, both Hwa-rin and Woo-jin!”

Kang Woo-jin, who had given up, responded with a slightly weakened solemnity.

“Revealing it was not intentional.”

“Ah? You were going to keep hiding it??”

“Yes. If possible, until I die.”

Here, Hwa-rin turned her head as if she couldn’t hold back her smile, and Hong Hye-yeon, who was looking at Woo-jin in disbelief, suddenly whispered to him.

“Okay, that’s all good. How did you take down that thug? And what was that flashy martial arts?”

Woo-jin simply replied.

“A little Hapkido.”

“…What?”

Choi Sung-gun chimed in.

“Hapkido. Didn’t you hear?”

“No, I heard… really, Hapkido? The Hapkido I know?”

“Then what else would it be?”

Right then.

“Woo-jin!! Is this real??!'”

“Is Kang Woo-jin upstairs??!'”

“You’re not a chef, you’re a complete hero!!'”

Many shouts were heard from downstairs. It was the screams of the main members of the ‘Our Table’ team, including PD Yoon Byung-sun, the writers, Ahn Jong-hak, Ha Kang-soo, and Yeon Baek-gwang.

Soon, Woo-jin, who subtly closed his eyes tightly, cried out internally.

“Ha- that’s why I hid it!! That’s why!!'”

Back in Korea, a few hours later, around lunchtime.

A large black van was seen driving along the roads of Seoul. Inside the van, two legends were sitting side by side. One was the veteran director Ahn Ga-bok, wearing a white shirt with a suit jacket draped over his knees.

“Hmm-”

The man in a navy suit sitting to his right was the great actor Shim Han-ho. Shim Han-ho had his long gray hair tied up, but he still exuded an aura like a tiger, and he, like director Ahn Ga-bok, was looking at his phone. What was interesting was that these two were together and wearing similar outfits.

Why were two legends of the film industry and the acting world together?

Anyway, among the two looking at their phones, it was director Ahn Ga-bok who spoke first.

“A flood has broken out. But how on earth did he learn this?”

On the phone screen that director Ahn Ga-bok was looking at, Kang Woo-jin was visible. To be exact, it was the black box video attached to the article, and Shim Han-ho was looking at something similar, but his was on YouTube.

“Didn’t even you know about it, senior?”

When he asked in a deep voice, director Ahn Ga-bok replied with a wrinkled smile and a rough voice.

“How would I know? I only met that friend Kang Woo-jin recently. Anyway… this is a rare video.”

“It’s probably more than rare. This is something that’s hard to happen. It’s a cut that can only come out with a mix of many events and coincidences.”

“It’s a performance that came out because Woo-jin was prepared.”

“…He’s a very strange friend. Putting aside this high-level martial arts, he strangely never runs out of issues. It’s also an influence that a one-year rookie actor can’t have.”

“But it’s happening.”

A man sitting in the passenger seat, who had been listening to the conversation, chimed in. He was the CEO of the film company.

“The point is that Kang Woo-jin is not in Korea right now. Even though he’s away, it doesn’t feel like there’s an empty space.”

“Haha, now that I hear it, that’s true.”

“The Hwa-rin incident was so big that it also gave him a boost.”

At that moment.

“Director.”

The driver opened his mouth.

“We’ve arrived at the hotel, it’s right after this signal.”

A huge, famous hotel was visible in front. In fact, a very large event was about to be held at that hotel in an hour. The ‘Night of the Stars’ awards ceremony hosted by the Korean Film Actors Association. It was more like a big party held at the end of the year than an awards ceremony. It felt like enjoying a party in the banquet hall and then holding the awards ceremony at the end.

It was one of the relatively prestigious parties held at the end of the year.

Therefore, famous directors like Ahn Ga-bok, influential figures in the entertainment industry, and several top actors other than Shim Han-ho would attend. It was a relatively large event.

“Ah- as expected, the reporters are already camped out at the entrance.”

The reporters were also stationed, and the cable broadcasting team that had agreed with the Korean Film Actors Association was also ready. Perhaps, in the hotel’s banquet hall, actors and directors had already arrived.

Around this time, director Ahn Ga-bok, who was carefully observing the dozens of reporters stationed at the hotel entrance.

“Hmm…”

He pondered over the ‘Night of the Stars’ party that would be held today. Then, he looked at Kang Woo-jin on his phone again.

“Even though he’s away, it doesn’t feel like there’s an empty space-”

At that sight, Shim Han-ho, who was sitting on the right, calmly asked back.

“Yes?”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had a wrinkled smile on his face, murmured.

“Shall we throw some firewood? I was going to do it after you joined anyway, and you happen to be with me. Since the stage is set, this is a good place. Anyway, they’ll be asking loudly about the ‘Leech’.” [referring to a movie]

“…Are you going to do it?”

“Yes.”

In response to Shim Han-ho’s deep question, director Ahn Ga-bok pointed at him with his index finger.

“The announcement of the actor who will stand shoulder to shoulder with you.”