I Was Mistaken As A Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 189

Currently, two actors were confirmed for ‘Leech’: Kang Woo-jin, a rookie of one year, and Shim Han-ho, a veteran actor of 30 years. The two actors had a significant difference in presence at first glance. It was a pairing that would normally be difficult to achieve. However, that’s precisely why it was so eye-catching. The gap between the two actors intensified the sense of excitement. It piqued interest.

Thus, attention was amplified.

Whether it was the media, public opinion, or the countless unspecified masses of the entertainment industry, this would likely be an unprecedented lineup in the history of the Korean entertainment industry, beyond just a hot topic. At least, the veteran actor Shim Han-ho thought so.

‘…An actor like Kang Woo-jin doesn’t come around often.’

For decades, Shim Han-ho had been active for a long time. But he had never seen an actor like Kang Woo-jin. He hadn’t seen his acting directly, but he had never seen anyone display this much energy, impact, and influence in just one year.

Even beyond the country, reaching Japan.

Conversely, Shim Han-ho was the type who had steadily built up his acting skills and filmography. It took him roughly five years just to become known to the public. He was the complete opposite of Kang Woo-jin. That’s why Shim Han-ho had a deep interest in Kang Woo-jin.

Along with a certain degree of jealousy.

Such Kang Woo-jin and Shim Han-ho were to meet in ‘Leech,’ and director Ahn Ga-bok had declared that he would announce the lineup at today’s ‘Night of the Stars’ party.

Soon, Shim Han-ho spoke in a deep voice. He asked director Ahn Ga-bok, who had a faint smile on his face.

“If you do it here, it’ll become chaotic.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, nodding as if he understood, turned his gaze out the window. Dozens of reporters with cameras were visible around the entrance of the ultra-luxury hotel. Additionally, there would be many actors, directors, and staff in the banquet hall.

“Yeah—they’ll make a fuss.”

“You don’t like noisy things, do you?”

“As you get older, you prefer things to be quiet. But if you’re going to throw fuel on the fire, it’s better if it catches well, right?”

“If you’re trying to increase the heat.”

“You have to throw fuel when the fire is blazing, haha.”

Shim Han-ho, who had been looking at the short, white-haired director Ahn Ga-bok for a moment, crossed his arms.

“You seem a bit excited, senior.”

“Well. It’s been a while since I’ve had fun. Isn’t it good? You and I both had our time, but not with the same impact as Woo-jin.”

“…”

“To be honest, it’s an old man’s meddling. But I’m curious. Just how far will that kid go?”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had been muttering, turned his gaze to Shim Han-ho, who was sitting on his right. Then, he made his wrinkled smile even deeper.

“He’ll easily surpass an old geezer like you.”

“Your jokes have improved, as always.”

“Half joke, half truth. You haven’t seen Kang Woo-jin’s acting directly yet, have you?”

“…Well, that’s why I feel a surge of excitement for the first time in a while.”

“Good, that’s a very beneficial attitude for a director.”

Shim Han-ho, shrugging his shoulders, changed the subject.

“So, at what point in the party will you announce it?”

“Hmm—it’ll be chaotic from the start, so… how about after everyone’s had their fun, during the after-party? I can just announce it to any noticeable reporter around that time.”

“I understand.”

“You stick around too.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, turning his head back to the window, continued calmly.

“That’ll make the picture better.”

Meanwhile, at Netflix Korea in Seoul.

It was a bustling lunchtime at Netflix Korea.

The unusual thing was.

“Woo-jin is amazing!!”

“Yeah! He looks different now.”

“I was so surprised when I saw the video this morning that I spilled my coffee.”

“The twist was intense, right?”

“I never thought Kang Woo-jin would be involved in that incident—”

“But Woo-jin is surprisingly agile? Judging by his image, he seems like the type who hates moving around.”

“Could he have learned self-defense?”

“Even if you’ve learned something like that, can you really use it so calmly in a real situation?”

The topic of conversation among the employees was all about Kang Woo-jin.

“I still see Woo-jin as ‘Han In-ho’… I was drooling while watching it.”

“Ah-young, aren’t you being too obvious?”

“He’s so cool! I actually joined ‘Strong Heart’ [a fictional fan club] after ‘My Best Friend’.”

“You’ve fallen for him, you’ve fallen for him. But even as a guy, I have to admit that video was something else. But how did Woo-jin do that? I wouldn’t have been able to.”

“No one would have been able to? He’s a real-life hero!”

“Anyway, the media is going crazy right now. Thankfully, they’re even mentioning ‘My Best Friend’ again, you know?”

They already had a connection with Kang Woo-jin through ‘My Best Friend,’ and they had been able to see Woo-jin everywhere when they came to work a few hours ago.

Of course.

“Huh?”

Kim So-hyang, the plump general director, also had wide, surprised eyes. What could be the reason?

“I still can’t believe it, even after seeing it again.”

She was sitting at her desk, continuously watching Kang Woo-jin’s black box video on her laptop.

After rewinding the video about five times, Kim So-hyang unknowingly opened her mouth. It was a natural reaction for her. She had been watching him since ‘My Best Friend,’ but she never imagined he could do martial arts at such a professional level. Soon, she took her hand off her mouth and expressed her pure feelings.

“No, isn’t Woo-jin… too amazing for a coincidence? It’s like he’s an actor chosen by the heavens?”

Come to think of it, unexpected things had happened quite often during ‘My Best Friend’ as well. Hwa-rin’s sudden joining, Kang Woo-jin’s unexpected vocal skills, the advancement into Japan, and so on.

But was that just the tip of the iceberg?

Kang Woo-jin was like a random box. At least, that’s how Kim So-hyang felt.

“Martial arts… I really didn’t expect that. He’s like an onion. There’s always something new when you peel it.”

At that moment.

-Knock knock.

A knock sounded on the office door, and then the door opened. A female team leader entered. She had a tablet tucked under her arm, and Kim So-hyang, the general director, spoke first to the approaching team leader.

“Oh, oh, Kang Woo-jin’s video? I saw it a while ago.”

The female employee then held out the tablet and replied.

“Yes. I saw it too, but this is something else. Well—it’s related to Woo-jin.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“A request came from a major animation production company in Japan. They want to remake ‘My Best Friend’.”

“…Huh? Really? What?”

Kim So-hyang, who was quickly checking the tablet, muttered softly while reading the email.

“This production company… isn’t it one of the top three in Japan?”

At this time.

Around noon. Countless people in the country were explosively searching for ‘Kang Woo-jin’ on portal sites. In fact, it had been chaotic since dawn a dozen hours ago, but the number had skyrocketed as it passed the commute time and reached lunchtime.

Of course, the news this morning also contributed greatly.

Currently, people on the subway or bus were mostly looking at their phones, and most of the screens were showing a lot of content related to Kang Woo-jin.

It wasn’t intentional, but the build-up was perfect.

The issue of stalker fans, or simply stalkers, was already a problem. The victim was none other than Hwa-rin. This became a huge social issue, and after that, an interview with the stalker was released, which further fueled public outrage. People must have felt frustrated and furious, as if they had eaten 100 sweet potatoes [a Korean expression for feeling extremely stifled or frustrated].

The twist that was revealed at this time was none other than Kang Woo-jin.

Woo-jin’s coolly subduing the stalker was like giving the public endless doses of refreshing cider, and the fact that an unexpected person popped up and caused an explosion of interest was a bonus. More than anything, Kang Woo-jin’s current influence was incredibly strong.

Therefore.

『[Breaking News] It was ‘Kang Woo-jin’ who saved ‘Hwa-rin’ from the ‘Awl Assailant’』

The volcano erupted with a roar.

『[Issue Pick] ‘Kang Woo-jin Black Box Video’ Uploaded on a Famous Online Community, the Contents Reveal…』

『“He wasn’t a bodyguard?!” The monster rookie ‘Kang Woo-jin’ protected and saved Hwa-rin』

『The image of ‘Hero’ Kang Woo-jin clearly captured in a black box video posted by a citizen / Video』

The media caught wind of this incident and started releasing articles at dawn. Therefore, the erupted lava had already engulfed the entertainment industry.

『[Star Talk] Netizens on ‘Kang Woo-jin’s Video Subduing the Stalker’ “How did he do that?”』

『Real-life ‘Male Best Friend,’ Kang Woo-jin actually saved Hwa-rin… Black box video spreading like wildfire』

The impact was several times greater than when the Hwa-rin incident first broke out. The situation had completely flipped 180 degrees with the appearance of Kang Woo-jin. Articles were being updated every second. If you refreshed, new articles would pour out. No matter which portal site you went to, Kang Woo-jin’s name was on the main page.

『Kang Woo-jin, who shook up the entertainment industry this year, is now appealing to fans with a heroic tale?』

『[Entertainment] Kang Woo-jin went to the US with ‘Our Dinner Table,’ but his absence is not felt… Why didn’t Hwa-rin reveal the truth?』

『Kang Woo-jin created a heroic tale beyond a good deed but hid everything… Why?』

Reporters were also constantly producing speculations mixed with misunderstandings and errors.

『‘Kang Woo-jin Black Box Video’ Shakes Up the Nation, Some Communities Even Claim ‘Fabrication’ or Manipulation』

『[Issue Check] From ‘Male Best Friend’ to ‘Our Dinner Table,’ ‘Kang Woo-jin’ who saved Hwa-rin this time… The scent of their romance is getting stronger』

Of course, the public was several times more excited than the reporters.

“Did you see what’s trending on your community? They’re saying Kang Woo-jin saved Hwa-rin.”

Kang Woo-jin’s name was being shouted everywhere. In high schools and universities.

“Huh? Seriously?”

“Ah! Dude! I saw the video too! It’s insane!”

“What! I want to see it too! Where can I watch it? YouTube?”

“No, no, wait a sec.”

“Wow, but Kang Woo-jin is crazy awesome! At first, I thought it was just a fake!”

“Amazing!! What is this? Is that really Kang Woo-jin?! So cool!”

“At this point, I’d believe it if they said Kang Woo-jin was from the National Intelligence Service [South Korea’s primary intelligence agency]?”

Office workers gathered at the restaurant for lunch.

“I told you, right? I said it was Kang Woo-jin who saved Hwa-rin, Mr. Kim.”

“Huh, is this the real black box footage from the Hwa-rin incident?”

“Ah! I told you it’s real! It was on the news this morning too!”

“······Kang Woo-jin is cool. But, did he originally learn some kind of martial art? His movements are like Bruce Lee.”

“Looking at the video, it seems like he’s a master of something?”

“Yeah, or maybe he learned it in the military. Ah! Kang Woo-jin, he was in a special forces unit!”

“Huh? What’s that?”

Random guesses and misconceptions were rampant. The public’s excitement was overheating. Around this time, the original video that sparked the current situation was hitting record numbers.

-Super super super daebak [Korean slang for ‘amazing’] This was filmed right in front of my car’s black box (not clickbait).avi

The video posted on a large online community hit 100,000 views, and the comments exceeded thousands.

-Lololololololol what is Kang Woo-jin not good at???

-Manager Park is on fire

-???: Bring a longer awl, that small one isn’t enough to get me excited

-Why are you guys making a fuss? It’s obviously a fake lol

-↑Why does this guy always leave stupid comments everywhere??

-Lee Sang-man: It’s not a fan’s eyes, are you a stalker fan?

-So satisfying lololol my hands feel so refreshed!!! Kang Woo-jin is so cool!!!

-Hwa-rin must be seriously smitten lol I bet they’re already dating

-No….why am I watching this video on repeat today….I think I’ve increased the views by about 1000……

-But Kang Woo-jin lololol he’s so calm lololol he would have killed it if he played soccer……

-It’s Kang Woo-jin again lololol I’m tired of it

-Does anyone have a military buddy who served with him? His movements are seriously professional? It looks like he properly learned martial arts

-He acts well…sings well…his physique is above average…he has everything seriously….that’s why people fall for Kang Woo-jin

-I’m a martial arts person passing by, the movements shown by Kang Woo-jin in the video are clean and without any unnecessary actions. My pants are wet [slang for being impressed or excited]

-Oppa!! Save me too!!!!!!! [Korean term used by females to address older males]

Was that all?

-[Video] A major accident could have happened with just a slight mistake, Kang Woo-jin saved Hwa-rin!!｜Big News

-!Legend! Video of Kang Woo-jin saving Hwa-rin ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ [Korean onomatopoeia for trembling or excitement]｜Honest Reca TV

The black box video was spreading everywhere, including YouTube and various video platforms. At this point, it was impossible for Kang Woo-jin’s acquaintances not to know.

Woo-jin’s close friends’ group chat was already in turmoil.

-Kyung-sung: Yo!! Kang Woo-jin!! Answer me!!!!!

-Hyung-gu: Dude, did you see it??? Our company is in chaos talking about Kang Woo-jin

-Hyung-gu: But did this guy used to do some kind of exercise? I don’t remember him doing anything

-Kyung-sung: He played basketball a bit lololol

-Hyung-gu: Then he should have shot hoops, why is he filming a martial arts movie

-Dae-young: Kang Woo-jin is in the US right now

-Hyung-gu: Dude, are you crazy! You didn’t go?? Weren’t you there when Kang Woo-jin was filming his martial arts scene?

-Dae-young: I’m not going to the US, I’m at work now, I was so surprised when I saw the black box video I almost threw up

-Kyung-sung: Where did Kang Woo-jin serve in the military? Marines? Special Forces?

-Dae-young: As far as I know, he was a regular infantryman

-Hyung-gu: But why is he so good lololol ah, Kang Woo-jin, this guy is going silent again