I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 205

The 23rd, afternoon.

Around 6:30 PM. The area in front of the ‘Plaza,’ the mega-hall of ‘Paradise S City,’ was a complete madhouse, with a red carpet adding to the chaos.

The red carpet stretched from the end of a long photo zone to the entrance at the top of the hall’s stairs. On both sides, advertising boards and rope fences were lined with dozens of lights. The crowd gathered between the lights numbered at least several hundred. Broadcasting staff, reporters, and journalists were frantically snapping photos with their large, professional cameras.

Who were they photographing?

“Kim Heo-tae!! Kim Heo-tae is here!!”

“Heo-tae-ssi!!! Hello!”

“Look this way and wave once!!!”

The actors, appearing one by one.

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

-Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!

Even though the sky was dark, the flashes made it feel like morning. Behind the reporters, a similar number of onlookers and fans were screaming and shouting.

“Kyaaaaak!!! Oppa [term of endearment for an older brother or male friend]!”

“Hello!! This is crazy! Gifts!! Gifts!!”

“Waaah!! So cool!!!”

“Ugh!! Stop pushing!!”

From above, there were just a massive number of heads.

“Hee-jung-ssi! You’ve been nominated for the Popularity Award this time!! How would you express your feelings in one word??”

“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“Hahaha! Thank you!”

The frequency of actors arriving and walking the red carpet gradually increased. Along with that, the flashes of light were non-stop.

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

-Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!

It was natural. The Blue Dragon Film Awards were starting in two hours. Because of that, the shouts of hundreds of onlookers and reporters increased in decibels. Clearly, there were more people gathered than last year. The reason was simple. This year, the Blue Dragon Film Awards had put a lot of effort into the venue and scale.

And this year, the main focus of the film festival was also the actresses.

“Ji-min-ssi!!! You look so beautiful today!!”

“Thank you-”

“What’s the concept? The dress concept!”

“Nothing much? I just wore what they gave me!”

“Hahaha! You wore whatever they gave you?!”

Despite the cold weather, the actresses who appeared one after another walked the red carpet without minding their thin dresses.

“Jung-ah-ssi!!! We’re from ‘Today’s Entertainment’!!”

“Oh my, hello.”

“The dress suits you so well?!”

“Right? I like it too!”

The actors who passed the red carpet posed for about 30 seconds in the photo zone at the entrance of the hall, then entered the hall with the guidance of the film festival staff.

That was repeated. But the excitement was at its peak.

Various types of actors were noticeable. There were actors who were awkward in this kind of setting, and actors who quickly passed through the red carpet. Well, most of them were very relaxed. The film festival veterans responded with just smiles, hand greetings, and expressions.

Like that, for about 30 minutes.

Even in the winter weather, the air around the red carpet became heated, and hundreds of reporters suddenly got excited.

“Hong Hye-yeon! Hong Hye-yeon!!”

“She’s here?! Where?! Ah! Hye-yeon-ssi!!”

“Hello, Hong Hye-yeon-ssi!!!”

Because Hong Hye-yeon, wearing a red dress, had just gotten out of a white van. Supported by a large guard, she walked the red carpet very comfortably. But the reporters and fans, packed tightly on both sides, screamed like they were going crazy.

“Hye-yeon-ssi!! Just one word, please!!”

“Congratulations on ‘The Vagabond’ doing so well!!!”

“When will we hear about your next project?!!”

“Kyaa!! Unnie [term of endearment for an older sister or female friend]!! You’re so pretty!!! Your face is so small!!”

“Isn’t Kang Woo-jin-ssi coming with you???!”

“Hong Hye-yeon-ssi! This way!! This way!!!”

Hong Hye-yeon was the type to wave to everyone without answering. Making eye contact while carefully looking around was a bonus. After her appearance, the speed of the flashes went crazy.

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

-Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!

Because actors with increasingly high profiles were appearing. Hong Hye-yeon, Ryu Jung-min, Jin Jae-joon, and the actors from ‘Island of the Missing,’ and so on. There were actors who had worked with Kang Woo-jin, and top actors who had nothing to do with him.

Around this time.

“Ugh! It’s cold!!”

Among the hundreds of reporters, one reporter wearing a thick long padded coat looked at her wristwatch and said.

“When is he coming?”

The cameraman who came with her answered.

“Who?”

“Who else? Kang Woo-jin, Kang Woo-jin.”

“Ah, I see.”

“All the reporters here have been saying Kang Woo-jin, Kang Woo-jin since earlier.”

By now, about 60% of the actors invited to the film festival had arrived. Hundreds of reporters were eagerly anticipating the hottest actor. The fans were the same.

It was Kang Woo-jin.

That’s when it happened.

-Screech.

A black van arrived at the end of the red carpet where the most reporters were gathered. It was a familiar car. Soon, many reporters shouted.

“Who is it!! Who!!”

They pressed the camera shutters before even checking.

-Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!

The flashes were so intense that the black van looked white. Anyway, the guard in charge of the guidance moved towards the back door of the arrived van. At the same time, the car door opened.

-Click.

The actor’s face was immediately visible, and the gathered reporters and fans let out tremendous shouts.

“Kang Woo-jin!! Kang Woo-jin-ssi!!!”

“He’s here! Woo-jin-ssi!! Hello!!!”

“We’ve been waiting!! Woo-jin-ssi, please say something!!”

“Kyaaaaak!! Oppa!! We’re your Kang Heart [fan club name]!!”

“Ugh!! Don’t push!!”

Woo-jin, who was inside the van, slowly got out. From the shoes he received as a gift from Hong Hye-yeon, to the black tuxedo, the unique bow tie, and even the watch he received as a gift from Hwa-rin.

-Swish.

Flashes of light, blinding as if they would melt his eyes, burst on Kang Woo-jin, who stood at the beginning of the red carpet. On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin’s face was a poker face itself. No, it was several times more intense than usual.

This was partly a concept, but it was also genuine.

‘Wait! Wait, wait, wait. Wow, crazy! What is this??! What is this place?? My, my feet won’t move!’

Exploding tension, a pounding heart, rapid breathing, slightly trembling hands and feet. Kang Woo-jin’s soul was currently escaping on its own.

It was a crisis.

His body had stiffened in a situation where he should have been at his most conceptual. The light was so blinding that he couldn’t see anything.

‘Ugh! It’s blinding!’

His blood wasn’t circulating. His thoughts stopped. After getting out of the van, Woo-jin stood at the beginning of the red carpet without moving at all.

Hundreds of reporters were happily taking pictures.

-Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!

Gathered reporters? Fans? It wasn’t like Kang Woo-jin had no experience with them. He had been through Japanese events and various production presentations. Moreover, he had handled them all with composure back then. So why was he frozen now?

It was because of this grandeur and magnificence.

The hall entrance in the distance looked like a door to another world, and the atmosphere of Korea’s largest film festival enveloped Woo-jin’s body. No matter how much of a master of concept Kang Woo-jin was, this moment couldn’t be ordinary.

“······”

What on earth is this place? Why am I here? Just a few months ago, he was lying down watching YouTube after work. But now, hundreds of reporters and fans in front of him were all taking pictures of him.

Ah—no, no. Get a grip, Kang Woo-jin.

Woo-jin suddenly recalled his forgotten position. But the tension that had spread throughout his body like an epidemic did not subside.

I don’t know, just walk.

His vision was narrow. It was so noisy that his ears were ringing. His hands and feet were still trembling. But Kang Woo-jin focused all his concentration on one thing.

Walking.

Let’s walk towards the finish line without being swayed by anything. There’s no time to do anything else.

-Step, step.

What was peculiar was that his state of mind looked like an aura to others. A strange force was emanating from him. The reporters couldn’t help but whisper.

“Wow—what is it? Kang Woo-jin, that guy is solid?”

“Look at that swag. He’s more relaxed than most of the top stars??”

“Is this his first film festival? He doesn’t change his expression at all······”

“I heard he’s a bland guy, is it true??”

Around this time, Kang Woo-jin’s vision, who was walking the red carpet, gradually widened. Strangely, once he threw himself into it, his mind became more comfortable than he thought.

‘······Huh? Maybe it’s not so bad after all?’

Having gained courage, he slowly turned his head to the right. A huge crowd and cameras were visible. Let’s raise a hand, calmly raise a hand.

-Swish.

Kang Woo-jin turned his head to the left this time. The same scene unfolded. Then he raised his hand in the same way. There was no smile. Only calmness was present, but Kang Woo-jin was satisfied.

Like that.

‘Phew—arrived.’

Woo-jin, who barely stepped into the photo zone at the entrance of the hall, turned his body. The red carpet he had just passed, which made his eyes widen, was visible. Mission clear. Woo-jin felt his heart rate gradually subside.

‘Kind of feels like riding a roller coaster? There’s a thrill to it—this.’

He was getting used to the film festival.

And the reporters who had been filming Kang Woo-jin’s walk until just before checked the results.

“It was a short moment, but his form is the best among the actors.”

About an hour later, inside the large hall ‘Plaza.’

The interior of the ‘Plaza,’ where the Blue Dragon Film Awards would be held, was exactly what one would call magnificent. An incredibly wide hall, an audience seating area with over a thousand seats divided into the first and second floors, a very high ceiling, dozens of lights hanging from the ceiling, an interior reminiscent of an opera, three large screens on the left wall, and filming crews placed everywhere.

Above all, the large stage in front was impressive.

In contrast to the generally dark atmosphere of the hall, the stage was glowing orange. Stage structures shaped like exploding fireworks, a huge screen, the emcee’s seat with the Blue Dragon Film Awards logo, a stage with a subtle light emanating from the floor, and a life-sized statue of the film festival trophy on one side of the stage.

It was amazing. At least, Kang Woo-jin, who was sitting in his seat, thought so.

‘This is awesome, wow······really.’

Woo-jin was attending as an actor, but his core was that of an ordinary citizen, so his gaze was similar to that of a tourist. He was still confused as to why he was sitting here.

Even.

‘There are so many top actors.’

Numerous actors who were leading the Korean acting scene were sitting around Woo-jin. It was like, there were so many that he wondered if they were just mannequins, not actors. Yes, that was it. Kang Woo-jin had stepped into this glamorous world, and he had been causing shocking issues to everyone here.

Kang Woo-jin was realizing how amazing all those things were.

Honestly, it was the first time he had seen so many actors. All these countless actors know me? He felt a strange tingling sensation. In fact, the actors around Woo-jin had been glancing at him since earlier.

Moreover.

“Okay—let’s scan the actors sitting down, ah! Get an insert of Kang Woo-jin!”

The broadcasting team filming the Blue Dragon Film Awards live was also paying attention to Kang Woo-jin. Kang Woo-jin’s seat was about halfway up the first floor, and top actors Jin Jae-joon and Park Pan-seo, as well as director Kim Do-hee, were visible nearby. The key staff who had worked with him on ‘Drug Dealer’ were also there. It was natural. Kang Woo-jin was mixed in with the ‘Drug Dealer’ team.

Around this time, Jin Jae-joon, wearing a gray suit, whispered to Kang Woo-jin.

“Woo-jin-ssi, have you been to a film festival before? Why are you so calm?”

The veteran actor Park Pan-seo, who was sitting to Woo-jin’s right, added.

“Haha, that’s right. Anyone would think you’ve been to film festivals like it’s nothing. This is your first time at the Blue Dragon, right?”

Woo-jin, who had been looking around the interior and had come to his senses, lowered his voice.

“Yes, it’s my first time at the Blue Dragon.”

“It’s your first time, but you’re starting as a star to watch. Look, the actors are glancing at you.”

Jin Jae-joon chimed in.

“When you entered earlier, they were all asking about you.”

“Is that so?”

“Didn’t they stick to you? They’ll probably talk to you a lot after the film festival. If you’re tired, just run away.”

The lights in the hall dimmed further. Noticing this, Park Pan-seo looked at the stage in front and said.

“Is it starting soon? Let’s see—what’s the order?”

The answer was naturally given by Jin Jae-joon.

“The Blue Dragon is the same every year, isn’t it? The Newcomer Award to start, then the Most Audience Award? After that, a quick look at the short films and a congratulatory performance.”

“Ah, after the performance, is it the key staff’s awards?”

“Yes.”

“Haha, Woo-jin-ssi, you should get ready right away?”

Kang Woo-jin silently lowered his head, but his sense of reality was also fading. He had seen and heard a lot, but when it was right in front of him, it felt awkward. They were rattling off a bunch of awards, but none of it registered in his ears.

At that moment.

-♬♪

The lights in the entire hall were directed towards the stage, and cheerful music began to play. The broadcasting team PD [Production Director] with an intercom around his neck gave a signal to the stage. Then, the lights on the stage floor began to move. Changes also occurred on the huge screen in the back.

A pre-determined promotional video was playing.

Soon, two familiar figures appeared at the emcee’s seat on the left side of the stage. They were famous broadcasters. Their brief greetings. Although he was seeing it live in person, Kang Woo-jin felt like he was watching TV. Regardless, the emcees continued the proceedings while looking at their cue cards after a suitable banter.

“Now! Let’s begin the first part of the Blue Dragon Film Awards!”

“It’s a segment for the most shining new actors of the year, right? The announcement will be made by Go Seong-jin-ssi and Park Yu-min-ssi, who received the Newcomer Award last year!”

As the announcement ended, music played again, and two actors wearing a navy tuxedo and a beige dress walked onto the large stage. Standing in the center of the stage, the two greeted the many audience members and then spoke into the standing microphones.

“I received the Newcomer Award on this stage last year, and I’m nervous to be here to make the announcement myself. How about you, Yu-min-ssi?”

“Me too. Should I say it feels new?”

“Yes. This year, there are also very competitive actors nominated, and I don’t know if I’m worthy to make this announcement.”

“But you have to. Let’s brace ourselves.”

“Haha, I understand.”

Soon, the male actor, looking down at his cue card, continued.

“Then, the first segment of the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards. The Newcomer Award, starting with the New Male Actor Award. Let’s meet the nominees.”

As soon as his words ended, videos were displayed on the huge screen installed on the stage, as well as on the monitors all over the hall. Short movie scenes, the actors’ passionate performances and lines, and the actors’ names quickly alternated.

Among them, a familiar role was visible.

[“Your eyes aren’t those of a junkie? They’re a cop’s eyes, you’re a cop.”]

Lee Sang-man from ‘Drug Dealer.’ That is, Kang Woo-jin. As a result, a total of five nominees appeared.

[‘Gloomy Man’ Park Tae-woo / ‘Manipulated Hand’ Ha Sang-il / ‘Betrayal Keyword’ Ahn Il-hoon / ‘With You’ Kim Geon / ‘Drug Dealer’ Kang Woo-jin]

Every time a nominee was announced, the person in the audience was shown on the monitor. The last one was, of course, Kang Woo-jin, and Woo-jin’s poker face was displayed on the large monitor.

Meanwhile.

“Who do you think it will be? Kang Woo-jin, of course?”

“I’m not sure. It’s true that Kang Woo-jin is hot—”

“The judges’ scores were also important, right?”

“Yes. But Lee Sang-man’s acting was amazing.”

“Are the judges still the same?”

“That’s right.”

The actors filling the audience were busy whispering.

“I’m betting on Kim Geon.”

“Hmm—his acting was good, but isn’t Kang Woo-jin more noticeable?”

“Are you all expecting a twist? It’s definitely Kang Woo-jin.”

“‘Drug Dealer’ was rated R, right? Doesn’t that also reflect in the evaluation?”

“I think it will be Park Tae-woo. He acts calmly and well.”

There were cold evaluations and jealous thoughts. Whatever the case, an envelope was handed to the actor in charge of the New Male Actor Award. It was clear that the results were inside.

“Then, I will announce it.”

At this point, Kang Woo-jin had no thoughts. No, should he say his mind was blank? He was just looking straight ahead. But somehow, a thrill was running through him. He vaguely realized that it was a momentous moment.

There were many who shared Kang Woo-jin’s feelings at this moment.

Kang Hyun-ah from the closed porridge shop and Woo-jin’s parents.

“Please······please!!”

“Hyun-ah, be a little quiet. Woo-jin is standing so confidently.”

“Please, my son!”

“Honey!”

Woo-jin’s close friends, gathered in a bar, were anxiously watching TV.

“Shout it out! Shout it! Call my friend’s name!”

“Ah, crazy. Why am I so nervous about this!”

“It’s, it’s okay. He’s definitely going to get it.”

“Kim Dae-young, why are your hands shaking?”

Of course, many influential figures at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and many people watching TV were also feeling the same way.

Finally, on the stage of the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

“The New Male Actor Award!!”

The male actor, who had been looking down at the results, changed his expression to an excited one.

“This person was truly amazing this year, right? He’s causing a sensation in the year of his debut! Congratulations!!”

He shouted loudly into the standing microphone. His gaze was directed towards the many actors in front.

“The 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards! The New Male Actor Award! Kang Woo-jin-ssi from ‘Drug Dealer’!!”

At the same time, tremendous applause poured into the hall.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!

Hundreds of actors all turned to look at one place. All the cameras of the broadcasting team also focused their angles on the actor who was called.

Soon, a man silently stood up from the center of the magnificent audience seats.

“······”

It was Kang Woo-jin, with a calm face.

End