I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 212

Kang Woo-jin, bundled in a long padded coat, scratched his ear. It had suddenly become itchy, making him wonder if someone was talking about him, though he figured someone probably was anyway.

‘I did cause a stir at the Blue Dragon Awards, too.’

Wasn’t there more than one issue that had blown up? Even at this moment, countless people were likely talking about Kang Woo-jin, whether in praise or criticism.

Just then,

-Swish.

Choi Sung-gun, his ponytail bouncing, who had been walking beside Woo-jin while talking on the phone, adjusted his short padded jacket and asked Kang Woo-jin,

“What’s wrong? Did something get in your ear? Should I take a look?”

Woo-jin, surprised by the excessive concern, hardened his expression and replied cynically, his breath forming a cloud in the cold air.

“No, it’s just a little itchy.”

“Really? Lower your head, I’ll blow on it.”

‘Why are you doing this?’ Woo-jin shook his head, declining.

“It’s okay.”

This time, Han Ye-jung, her bobbed hair now reddish, coldly interjected from the right.

“Isn’t it a bug? Should I take a look?”

“It’s fine.”

Just then,

“Hyungnim!!” [Korean term for older brother, used by males]

“Woo-jin oppa is here!” [Korean term for older brother, used by females]

The staff members standing in front of the van in the outdoor parking lot greeted Kang Woo-jin. Jang Su-hwan and the stylists were waving their hands enthusiastically. As Woo-jin approached, they all showered him with congratulations.

“‘Island of the Missing’ filming is done! You’ve worked so hard!”

“Congratulations! Really, really! Ah—but is it right to congratulate you on this?”

“Of course! You’ve wrapped up a huge project!”

“Oppa! You must feel so relieved!”

“Ah—but there’s still a lot left to do.”

It seemed they were more excited than Kang Woo-jin, the one who actually did the acting. It was understandable. Most of the filming for ‘Island of the Missing’ took place in Buyeo, and the schedule of going back and forth between Seoul and Buyeo was grueling.

Woo-jin could just go in and out of the subspace, but it must have been hell for the staff.

‘If they think of it as an escape, they have every reason to jump for joy.’

Of course, Kang Woo-jin was also doing a little shoulder dance inside.

‘Hehe, whatever, one thing is done! It feels like I’ve finished an assignment.’

However, he couldn’t hug the staff and throw a party. Woo-jin maintained his poker face and accepted their greetings appropriately.

“You guys worked hard too.”

He looked back at the large ‘Island of the Missing’ set complex behind him. He was the only one leaving; the filming was probably still in full swing.

“······”

Woo-jin, who had been silent, realized that he had adapted a little. A few months ago, he would have felt a bit emotional after finishing a project, but now he was thinking about the next one.

‘Is it true that humans are creatures of their environment?’

He was still a newbie who had only been acting for about a year, but he was definitely blending well into the entertainment industry. Well, no one knew the real Kang Woo-jin yet.

Anyway.

-Thump!

Kang Woo-jin, Choi Sung-gun, and the staff quickly got into the van, and Jang Su-hwan, who was behind the wheel, stepped on the accelerator. At the same time, Choi Sung-gun, who had opened his diary, looked at Kang Woo-jin through the rearview mirror.

“Woo-jin.”

Woo-jin, who had been silently looking out the window, met his gaze.

“Yes, CEO.”

“The ‘Strange Gisaeng’ [Gisaeng: Female entertainers in Korean history] crank-in date has been set.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. The first day of filming is the 21st, and the actors are called in on the 20th.”

Kang Woo-jin wasn’t too surprised since he had already expected it.

“The 20th. That’s a little over ten days away.”

“Right. From then on, you’ll have to go back and forth between Japan and Korea. Well, it’s similar to ‘Island of the Missing,’ but the location has changed from Buyeo to Japan.”

‘Crazy, that’s going to be tough.’ According to Choi Sung-gun’s explanation, the filming for ‘Strange Gisaeng’ would be done as close together as possible. And Kang Woo-jin’s existing Korean schedule would be crammed into one or two days. Either way, there would be no time to rest.

The staff’s expressions quickly darkened.

Regardless, Choi Sung-gun continued his briefing.

“But we’ll have to go in on the 18th, not the 19th. There’s an advertising meeting related to the Kashih Group, and there are also interviews with Japanese media and a photoshoot.”

The schedule in Japan was also increasing. He knew about the Kashih Group advertisement, but when did they schedule the interviews and Japanese photoshoots? As Kang Woo-jin tilted his head in thought, Choi Sung-gun spoke again.

“It might seem a bit tight, but this is after filtering out most of the offers coming from Japan. This is what we’ve carefully selected.”

He closed his diary and turned his body back.

“Woo-jin. Do you know how many variety show offers you’re getting from Japanese broadcasters right now?”

‘No, not at all.’ Choi Sung-gun conveyed the important parts, but Woo-jin had no way of knowing the minor details that he handled himself.

“Are there quite a few?”

“Haha. Quite a few? No. If we only count from a month ago, it’s over ten. To give you an idea, you know that Hwa-rin’s group, Elani, is almost a top-tier idol in Japan, right? Right now, it’s more than that.”

In other words, it was safe to say that Kang Woo-jin was the most talked-about person in Japan right now.

“But you’re not going to do Japanese variety shows, are you? Why are you interested? Should I accept them?”

At the question, Kang Woo-jin solemnly shook his head. ‘Our Table’ was enough for variety shows. Honestly, variety shows were more draining than acting.

“No, please cut them all as before.”

Kang Woo-jin was more composed than ever.

Back then,

Articles from Japan were spreading rapidly on the domestic internet.

『[StarIS] “His form is insane” Has he conquered the Japanese advertising world beyond Korea? Kang Woo-jin confirms advertising contract with Japanese conglomerate Kashih Group』

『Kang Woo-jin, selected as the advertising model for Japanese giant ‘Kashih Group,’ how much is the contract fee?』

This was already acknowledged by Japan’s Kashih Group and BW Entertainment. In other words, it was a fact that Kang Woo-jin was in charge of advertising for the Japanese conglomerate Kashih Group.

『‘First again,’ Kang Woo-jin expands to become an advertising model for a Japanese conglomerate···‘Kashih Group’ is the first Korean model in history』

Naturally, the media and public were excited because it wasn’t a common occurrence.

-Crazy lololol Kang Woo-jin is really doing so well lololol Even a Japanese conglomerate ad model???

-Kang Woo-jin again??? Ah, I really don’t like him… I don’t want to see his news… I’ve disliked him since the Blue Dragon Awards

-Wow… It’s the first time I’ve seen someone other than an idol shoot an ad in Japan…

-But it’s understandable lololol Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Male Friend’ was a huge hit in Japan lololol It’s still in the top 10 on Japanese Netflix

-He’s crazy lololol He’s really something lololol He won 8 awards in Korea and has started conquering Japan lololol

Kang Woo-jin’s form is insane lololol

-↑No, no, he’s already conquered it. He blew up with ‘The Layabout’ and ‘Male Friend,’ and ‘Strange Gisaeng’ is also waiting.

-These comments are so over the top lololol After all, it’s all just luck lololol?

-Is it luck that he has a fan club in Japan?? There are idiots everywhere?

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However, starting at the end of the year, the atmosphere of criticizing Kang Woo-jin also increased significantly. It was clearly growing in size.

It was similar in Japan.

Although Japanese fans were steadily growing, conversely, as Woo-jin’s recognition in Japan increased, there were also many who looked at him with disdain, whether on social media or in comments. Japanese companies also kept Kang Woo-jin in check. No, to be precise, it was aimed at the Korean Wave [Korean pop culture boom].

『Japanese mid-sized company vice president mentions Kang Woo-jin in an interview, “We should focus on our own actors rather than Korean actors”』

This wasn’t a situation limited to Kang Woo-jin. It was the law that if you were famous, you had to bear the weight of the crown. Thanks to this, the number of malicious comments on the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel and Woo-jin’s social media also increased. For a normal celebrity, it would be at least stressful, and in severe cases, they might fall into a panic.

In fact, many celebrities took medication or went to psychiatrists at this point. So, how was Kang Woo-jin?

“Woo-jin oppa, don’t look at the social media comments today. There are some insults.”

“Okay.”

“Are you okay?”

“About what?”

“No… the number of malicious comments has increased compared to before.”

“I don’t think anything of it.”

‘So what? Is it my business?’ That was exactly his mindset.

Meanwhile, the views of Kang Woo-jin in the Korean acting scene weren’t favorable either.

There were already many actors who were jealous of Kang Woo-jin’s crazy moves, but Woo-jin’s declaration of war at various awards ceremonies at the end of the year added fuel to the fire. The Blue Dragon Awards were the most powerful. Perhaps because of this, Kang Woo-jin was frequently mentioned among actors, whether on set or at private gatherings.

“Kang Woo-jin? That kid has no backing. His expression is bland, and he seems a bit rude.”

“Honestly, what he’s shown so far is amazing, but—is he the type to go down in one blow if one incident happens?”

“Thinking about it again, it’s absurd. There are so many teachers and seniors there, how could he so naturally say that he would receive the Best Actor award?”

“It’s because he’s young. Otherwise, how could he do such a thing at the Blue Dragon Awards where all the big names are gathered?”

Of course, they didn’t know. The speed at which Woo-jin was growing.

“He’s just for Asia, just for Asia. His advancement into Japan is honestly because ‘The Layabout’ did well.”

What kind of performance Kang Woo-jin would show this year.

10th. Early morning in an officetel [A studio apartment building] in Seoul.

Outside, the morning sun was rising, but the atmosphere inside the 203rd unit of the spacious officetel was gloomy. The blackout curtains on each window were blocking the sunlight. Moreover, the interior of 203 was a little different from where people usually lived.

There was almost no furniture.

All that could be seen were a refrigerator, a small dining table, and a bed mattress in the living room. It was practically a wasteland. Meanwhile, a man who had been sleeping on the bed mattress got up groggily. He looked to be in his 30s. He had a buzz cut and small eyes. As soon as he got up, he looked for the glasses that were placed nearby and put them on.

“Ugh-”

He stretched and got up. His height was average. Then, the man yawned and took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and gulped it down.

Then, he checked the time.

“7:40-”

He scratched his stomach while wearing his winter pajamas and moved to a nearby room. As soon as the man opened the closed door, a different scene unfolded from the living room. There were two computers and a laptop on a long desk.

The room had a professional feel.

Computer towers with visible interiors, an expensive multi-function printer, a professional-looking keyboard and mouse, and a large monitor, etc. All the computer equipment in this room was definitely top-of-the-line.

-Swish.

The man turned on the power of the sleeping computer. Then, he left the room and opened the door to the next room. This side was also unusual. The desk and chair were normal, but the things installed in front of the desk were strange. An expensive camera on a tripod, and lights around it.

Wasn’t it obviously a filming room?

Here, the man picked up a wolf mask from among the various masks hanging on the wall near the door.

“Today is the wolf.”

The reason was simple. He was a YouTuber.

[Channel Name: Fact Guys]

[1.88 million subscribers]

The 1.88 million subscriber YouTuber, Fact Guys, covered random topics. Anything that could catch the public’s attention, whether it was news, incidents, or accusations. Perhaps because of this, the views of his videos always exceeded 500,000 to 1 million.

However, the frequency of uploading videos was long.

About once a week? He did everything alone, from filming to editing. It was for his anonymity, and he found the material himself or received tips. A unique point was that the videos uploaded by YouTuber Fact Guys weren’t just about Korea.

There were quite a few from other countries as well.

Recently, he covered a scandal in Hollywood.

Anyway, the man who was preparing for filming yawned again and moved to another room, to the place where the computer was. Soon, he sat in front of the turned-on computer and accessed his email. He wanted to see if there were any new tips.

“······”

He rested his chin on his hand and clicked the mouse several times. Many tips had piled up overnight. Of course, more than half of them were trash.

Then.

“Huh?”

The man narrowed his brows. It was because he had found an eye-catching tip email. Then, he read the title of the email.

“Kang Woo-jin secretly had a screen test for the Hollywood movie ‘Last Kill 3’?”

He checked who sent the email.

“Who sent this?”

It was anonymous.

At this time, at Kang Woo-jin’s house.

Kang Woo-jin, who had left his house to go to work, appeared in the underground parking lot. Wearing a hat, he found the van that had come to pick him up, as always. But.

‘Huh?’

Kang Woo-jin felt a change. The van had changed. It was a foreign-made van that had become wider, both up and to the side. The color was black. Slightly impressed, Woo-jin walked to the van as inconspicuously as possible. Then, Choi Sung-gun, wearing a long padded coat, got out of the passenger seat.

“You’re here?”

His expression was dignified. On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin, who already had a strong concept, just greeted him.

“Hello, CEO.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Choi Sung-gun nodded and gestured to the large van behind him, as if asking for a word. In response, Kang Woo-jin murmured in a low voice.

“It’s big.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Did you change it?”

“Your team has grown, and your influence has increased. Well, the previous van was fine, but this industry values appearances so much.”

After speaking, Choi Sung-gun suddenly changed the subject.

“And there’s something you need to decide before we leave.”

“What is it?”

“Around yesterday, you got a contact from a Japanese animation production company.”

‘Animation? What suddenly?’ Kang Woo-jin was internally flustered, but he replied calmly.

“Animation, you say?”

“Yeah. The production company is ‘A10 Studio,’ one of the top 3 largest in Japan. Of course, they want you to voice act in the animation they’re producing.”

‘Voice acting.’ Woo-jin was curious. It was amazing that these things happened when you were an actor. Kang Woo-jin had seen a few Japanese animations.

‘Ah—it might be kind of fun?’

Then he paused.

‘Wait a minute. Doesn’t animation also have scripts or scenarios?’

Woo-jin’s curiosity was piqued.

‘Then… will the subspace appear for animation too?’

If it did.

‘How will the reading (experience) work?’

A new genre other than movies or dramas. The curiosity that had sprouted was growing. For now, Kang Woo-jin calmly lowered his voice.

“Before I say yes or no, I need to see the script.”

Choi Sung-gun, who had been smiling, suddenly took something out of the passenger seat. It was a stack of paper of moderate thickness.

“I knew you’d say that, so I brought it. ‘A10 Studio’ also sent the first episode’s draft script. So, you can think of it as a rough draft. It’s before revisions. A sketch, you could say?”

“······”

Kang Woo-jin received the stack of paper without a word. The cover only had the production company ‘A10 Studio’ written on it, not the title of the animation.

And.

‘It’s appearing.’

Next to the stack of paper, black and gray were swirling. In other words, the passage to the subspace was attached. Even at this moment, Choi Sung-gun was saying something, but Woo-jin instinctively placed his hand on the black rectangle.

Soon.

-Swish.

Kang Woo-jin’s world instantly changed from the parking lot to a completely dark subspace. Arriving at the subspace that looked like a house, Woo-jin quickly moved his feet. He arrived in front of the white rectangle that had increased in size and checked what had just been added.

-[10/Script (Title: Unknown), Grade D]

-[*This is an animation script with average completion. 50% reading is possible.]

Woo-jin, who had been reading the text for a moment, casually selected the white rectangle. The text quickly changed.

-[You have selected 10/Script (Title: Unknown).]

-[Lists the characters available for reading (experience).]

-[A: 1, B: 2, C: 3······]

The character names are numbers. Is it because it’s a draft? Woo-jin murmured quietly and selected one at random.

[“Preparing to read ‘A: 1’······”]

[“······Preparation complete. This is a script or scenario with average completion. The implementation rate is 50%. Starting the reading.”]

Soon, a large gray color covered Kang Woo-jin.

Up to this point, it was the same.

However, the world that unfolded before Kang Woo-jin’s eyes now was not normal. It was far from a normal reading (experience).

-Honk honk!

The blaring noise of honking and cars, the city with tall buildings, the people walking or passing by on the sidewalk, the blue sky, the moving clouds.

They were clearly things that Kang Woo-jin knew, but they were unfamiliar.

“······”

Because the entire world he saw was an animation.

End