I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 214

The martial arts storyboard for ‘The Righteous Evil’ arrived for Kang Woo-jin at the photo shoot around lunchtime. Woo-jin, in full makeup and a long coat, sat with an indifferent expression, checking the storyboard.

-Flap, flap.

The actions in the storyboard were movements his body already remembered, since he had imprinted the first episode of ‘The Righteous Evil.’ Still, there were new routes and directing added.

‘Oh—this looks like it’ll be pretty cool?’

However, no black square appeared on this action storyboard. So, Woo-jin had to grasp the routes with his eyes and senses. But Kang Woo-jin didn’t feel any difficulty.

“······”

Rather, he was amazed. Just looking at the action storyboard with cut drawings, something was vividly drawn in his head, and the movements were permeating his entire body. He could execute them without any problem if told to do so right now.

It wasn’t just imagination.

This must be one of the sub-space abilities.

Just as the world of the role becomes clearer and the role becomes easier to handle the more you repeat it, the ‘martial arts’ you’ve acquired must feel similar. When did it start? When he acquired ‘martial arts’ with ‘The Righteous Evil’? No. Perhaps the power of ‘martial arts’ implanted in his body during ‘Last Kill 3’ was greater.

Whatever it was, how to use the sub-space’s gift was Kang Woo-jin’s domain.

-Swoosh.

He closed his eyes.

Late morning, the 12th.

In a slightly remote area of Seoul, a large black van carrying Kang Woo-jin stopped in the outdoor parking lot of a rather tall action school. Soon, the van’s rear door opened automatically, and Woo-jin, wearing a long padded coat, stepped out. He had put effort into his makeup and hair, as if he had a schedule in the morning.

He stared at the action school building with a blank expression.

“······”

He looked calm, but inside, he was exclaiming.

‘Ooh—this is the action school. I’ve only heard about it, but it’s huge? Is it about the size of a school auditorium?’

Inside Woo-jin’s long padded coat, he was dressed in suitable workout clothes. His shoes were running shoes. Because there was an action test for ‘The Righteous Evil’ scheduled from now on. Perhaps that’s why there were already a couple of vans with ‘The Righteous Evil’ nameplates in the outdoor parking lot.

Around this time, Choi Sung-gun got out of the passenger seat and stood next to Woo-jin.

“PD Song and the staff must have arrived already. They’ll need to set up the test cameras too.”

When Woo-jin nodded without a word, Choi Sung-gun spoke to the stylists and other staff.

“You guys stay in the car. It doesn’t look good if we all go in at once.”

“Ah—really? That’s a shame. Okay, I understand······”

In the end, only Kang Woo-jin and Choi Sung-gun moved. Well, it wouldn’t matter if they all went, but since ‘The Righteous Evil’ itself wasn’t a publicly known project yet, they were only going in two as a courtesy.

Anyway, Kang Woo-jin entered the action school.

Woo-jin immediately let out an exclamation. Of course, only internally.

‘Wow—damn, it’s huge??? Is that thing on the ceiling a wire or something??’

Several cameras were already set up inside the action school. There were many people visible too. Dozens of martial arts team members who looked fit at a glance, and the ‘The Righteous Evil’ production staff, etc. Among them, PD [Production Director] Song Man-woo and the martial arts director quickly approached Woo-jin.

“Woo-jin, you’re here early??”

“Hello, PD-nim. My previous schedule finished sooner than I thought.”

Soon, PD Song Man-woo, with a beard, who had finished greeting Woo-jin, introduced the martial arts director. He was essentially the first key staff member of ‘The Righteous Evil’ that Kang Woo-jin was meeting. The martial arts director smiled and shook Woo-jin’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, Woo-jin. It’s nice to finally meet like this. I’m the martial arts director for ‘The Righteous Evil.’”

Woo-jin was startled by the martial arts director’s unusual grip, but he put on a firm face.

“Hello, Director-nim.”

Around the time they were exchanging greetings, Woo-jin was receiving many gazes. The ‘The Righteous Evil’ production team staff, who were seeing Kang Woo-jin in person for the first time, were among them.

“Wow—Woo-jin’s real-life visuals are insane.”

“Yeah. He definitely has that actor aura. He’s got a different vibe all on his own.”

“His physique is better than I thought······Is it too much to ask for an autograph? I’ve been a fan since his ‘The Carefree’ days.”

“It’s too much. Do you want to get chewed out by PD Song? But there’s a reason why they call him Kang Woo-jin. He’s got a total gangster vibe??”

“From ‘Blue Dragon,’ he seemed kind of—really intense, but he’s more composed than I thought? And handsome.”

“Just say he’s handsome. Why add unnecessary words?”

The dozens of martial arts team members were also glancing at Woo-jin or whispering among themselves. Half curiosity, half strange tension.

Anyway, PD Song Man-woo asked the moving Kang Woo-jin.

“Okay—shall we start right away? How much time do you have, Woo-jin?”

The answer came from Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail. A polite smile was a bonus.

“I’m sorry, but I think about an hour is the maximum, PD-nim.”

“Hahaha, no need to apologize. We’re just starting our pre-production. And Woo-jin, you have many projects you’re preparing for, right? One hour, okay. If we hurry, it’s enough.”

PD Song Man-woo, who laughed heartily, fixed his gaze on Kang Woo-jin, who was silently scanning the entire action school.

‘It’s his first martial arts reading for his first action project, but he’s so calm. I knew he’d be composed, but I thought he’d have a few questions.’

Kang Woo-jin was so cool-headed that he even felt cold. He was more composed than usual. That poise, that boldness, was what most rookies needed the most.

‘Maintaining your own pace without getting distracted in any unfamiliar environment.’

He was wrong. Right now, Woo-jin was enthusiastically distracted.

‘Whoa—there are nunchucks of all sizes? Wow! A sword, a sword. Is that real? It’s probably plastic??’

PD Song Man-woo, who had no idea, called out to Woo-jin.

“Woo-jin, take off your long padded coat and get ready. Warm up lightly.”

Woo-jin, who had been distracted, nodded solemnly.

“Yes, PD-nim.”

Woo-jin, having taken off his long padded coat, was in his workout clothes. A select dozen or so members from the dozens of martial arts team members lined up in front of him. The first to speak was the martial arts director with a fit body. He explained to Kang Woo-jin.

“First, I’ll show you according to the storyboard. You can watch it once and get a feel for it, Woo-jin. Then we’ll start.”

“Please do.”

While answering, Woo-jin’s attention was fixed on one of the martial arts team members. A giant of a man who stood out. It was Park Cheol-gyu.

‘Whoa—he’s huge? Is he a level above Kim Dae-young?’

The man was ahead of Kim Dae-young both in height and width. Of course, since he was an athlete, he was several times more muscular. Woo-jin suddenly recalled a large black man in LA. It was Joseph Felton, who was considered a giant. He thought they were about the same size. But he didn’t show it outwardly.

He just pretended to look at the martial arts team cynically.

On the other hand, the martial arts team preparing for the action scene glanced at Kang Woo-jin and whispered quietly.

“He’s putting on a big act?”

“I know. His eyes are like… is he just trying to look cool?”

The huge Park Cheol-gyu was also included.

“He’ll be panting in a few minutes. Let’s see how big his guts are.”

“B-but is it really okay?”

“What? No, we’re just giving him a little tension, just a little tension.”

The martial arts preparation took about 10 minutes. The dozen or so martial arts team members who had been warming up gathered, and the fit martial arts director stood in front of them. It was at this moment that PD Song Man-woo, who was standing next to Kang Woo-jin, checked the camera angles and gave the signal.

“Hi—shoot.”

Soon, the dozen or so martial arts team members rushed at the martial arts director at a moderate speed. Currently, the martial arts director was showing Kang Woo-jin the routes. In other words, he was ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ from ‘The Righteous Evil.’ This action scene was from the beginning of ‘The Righteous Evil,’ where ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ overwhelms a tattooed man with a bear-like physique.

The cut where the tattooed man, who had been slapped, calls his colleagues to rush at ‘Jang Yeon-woo.’

“Hup!”

-Whack!

The martial arts director easily dodged the punch that was thrown. He kicked the second opponent’s knee with his foot. At the same time, he grabbed the punch coming from the right and struck the face. The martial arts director proceeded with the martial arts meticulously, as if he was explaining rather than showing off. But it was by no means slow.

It was swift and clear.

Woo-jin, who had watched it silently, and who was on par with Hollywood’s stunt coordinator, Gary Peck, felt it.

‘Is it a little slow?’

That he had to do it slower than he thought. But that didn’t mean this side was inferior compared to Hollywood. Looking at the overall volume, it was better than ‘Last Kill 3.’ Kang Woo-jin, who had experienced both sides, felt that way. And he grasped the extent.

‘Well, it’s a reenactment and for show, so it’s natural that it’s slow. I’ll have to do it like that for now too.’

After a few dozen minutes.

“Cut.”

PD Song Man-woo stopped the martial arts that had been going on for several dozen minutes. Then he turned his gaze to Woo-jin.

“How is it? Can you do it right away? If it’s ambiguous, you can watch it one more time.”

With everyone watching, Woo-jin answered without hesitation. It was his honest feeling and his usual self.

“No, I think I can.”

PD Song Man-woo, who was familiar with such Woo-jin, smiled.

“Haha. Of course, right?”

But there were more people here who were unfamiliar with Kang Woo-jin. The martial arts director and the production staff were slightly surprised, and a few of the martial arts team members narrowed their brows. The giant Park Cheol-gyu was the same. Regardless, PD Song Man-woo flipped a page of the martial arts storyboard and continued.

“Okay. Then we’ll do the group shot after warming up. Let’s start with the 1:1 cut first.”

“Yes, PD-nim.”

Woo-jin, who had answered, was already drawing out ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ and ‘martial arts’ from ‘The Righteous Evil.’ Countless senses spread through his veins in an instant.

-Swoosh.

Kang Woo-jin casually stepped on the gray mat laid on the floor.

‘Is it a little soft?’

He was checking the condition of the mat. It was similar to a soccer player recognizing the state of the grass. Then, Kang Woo-jin stood in front of the dozen or so martial arts team members. The man who would be Woo-jin’s opponent this time was the ever-conspicuous giant, Park Cheol-gyu.

He smiled slightly and approached Woo-jin.

“I’m a fan.”

He was even more enormous up close. His arms were so hard that you could see it with your eyes. He was in great shape.

‘Crazy. His physique is insane.’

Woo-jin, who was genuinely impressed inside, lowered his voice more than usual. There was also a feeling that he didn’t want to lose.

“Thank you.”

After a brief greeting, the martial arts director approached and reconfirmed their routes. It was like a rehearsal. The routes weren’t that long. When the giant Park Cheol-gyu rushed in, he would penetrate his embrace and then trip him. When Park Cheol-gyu knelt and fell, he would strike his neck and then punch his face.

There were more routes after that, but for now, just a short chapter.

Soon, Kang Woo-jin and Park Cheol-gyu faced each other. Woo-jin wasn’t short, but the difference in size was significant. But PD Song Man-woo smiled wryly as he looked at the image on the camera.

“Good, the balance.”

Looking at the giant in front of him, Woo-jin was scanning his weaknesses and the areas where he could inflict fatal damage, other than his obvious groin or neck. This was similar to a habit that arose because of the ‘martial arts’ switch being turned on. Then, Kang Woo-jin calmed his mind simply.

‘A staged performance or acting. Relax and just make it look realistic.’

At that moment.

“Let’s start lightly—hi, cue!”

PD Song Man-woo gave the signal. Soon, the giant Park Cheol-gyu, who was standing in front of Woo-jin, rushed at him with his arms raised, as per the storyboard. A bull? A bear? Either way, it was power that could kill if you were crushed.

However, Woo-jin was calm now.

“Hoo-”

He let out a small breath and dodged Park Cheol-gyu’s lasso-like arms, and instead, penetrated his embrace.

-Whoosh!

Then, coming out to Park Cheol-gyu’s side, he pulled his upper garment. Next was the nape of his neck. Using the force in reverse to trip him. But was it because he did it lightly? There was a dull thud! sound. In an instant, Kang Woo-jin felt like he had been caught on a large tree. Park Cheol-gyu was supposed to kneel.

But.

“Ah.”

Park Cheol-gyu, who let out a short groan, stood there. He didn’t act as planned. A mistake. But for some reason, a few of the martial arts team members chuckled subtly, and Park Cheol-gyu bowed his head seriously to the martial arts director.

“I’m sorry, Director-nim. I was nervous because Woo-jin was in front of me.”

The martial arts director, with a coldness in his eyes, answered in a low voice.

“Get a grip.”

“Yes, Director-nim.”

Park Cheol-gyu roughly bowed his head to Woo-jin.

“I’m sorry, Woo-jin. I guess I was too nervous and it didn’t feel right.”

No, why even apologize. Kang Woo-jin shook his head indifferently.

“It’s okay.”

Everyone makes mistakes, right? Kang Woo-jin stood calmly in his place again. The giant Park Cheol-gyu was the same. PD Song Man-woo gave the signal again.

“Hi—action.”

Park Cheol-gyu rushed in again with great momentum. It seemed like he had put more force into it than before, but Kang Woo-jin didn’t care. He just penetrated his embrace, avoiding those huge arms.

-Whoosh!

Again, the timing was perfect.

‘Next is the side.’

Kang Woo-jin, who had slipped out to Park Cheol-gyu’s side, tried to pull his upper garment as planned. But.

-Swish!

Park Cheol-gyu straightened his back more than planned. It was intentional, but because of that, the target of Woo-jin’s outstretched hand changed. It was so sudden that he couldn’t retract his hand. As it was, force was applied to Woo-jin’s hand.

As a result.

-Whack!

‘Ah.’

Kang Woo-jin had smoothly pulled down Park Cheol-gyu’s workout pants to just above his calves. Fortunately, Park Cheol-gyu was wearing another pair of pants underneath. Tight pants commonly called ‘sweatpants.’ But it was an accident that his pants were pulled down so ridiculously.

Woo-jin was clearly flustered.

‘This is crazy!! I’m sorry!!’

While maintaining his habitual poker face, he quickly moved his hand to pull up Park Cheol-gyu’s pants that had been pulled down. But Park Cheol-gyu, whether he judged that hand as an attack or not.

‘W-what is this!! Did he notice?!’

With his brows furrowed.

-Whoosh!

He tried to grab Woo-jin’s arms. It was aggressive. But Kang Woo-jin already had ‘martial arts’ spread throughout his body. His instincts kicked in. Reflexively, he grabbed Park Cheol-gyu’s right wrist. Then, using the force being applied in reverse, he tripped Park Cheol-gyu’s leg as smoothly as flowing water.

A ‘thud’ sound echoed.

The giant Park Cheol-gyu, with his pants pulled down, knelt down in what is commonly called the ‘OTL’ pose [a pose where someone is kneeling with their head bowed, often used to express despair or defeat]. It was a miraculous feat. Park Cheol-gyu’s current appearance was the very end of the martial arts route he was supposed to do. Except for the pants being pulled down, everything was perfect.

A strange silence spread throughout the action school for a moment.

“······”

“······”

“······”

A few of the dozen or so martial arts team members in the back had severely darkened expressions. It was common for sweatpants to be exposed in an action school, but for some reason, everyone had a look of ‘what do we do’ on their faces.

Kang Woo-jin, who had witnessed Park Cheol-gyu in the ‘OTL’ pose, had a solemn face. His brain had stopped working.

‘I’m screwed.’

The martial arts director’s face, who was looking at such Woo-jin, was firm. It was somewhat shocking.

‘It wasn’t a coincidence or a mistake. It was precise and natural. In the middle, Cheol-gyu’s movements went strangely wrong, but in that urgent moment, Woo-jin changed the route.’

The martial arts director recited seriously inside.

‘But the result is the same. Could he have changed the route… realistically and reasonably? To match the character of ‘Jang Yeon-woo,’ the real villain, the male lead of ‘The Righteous Evil’?’

PD Song Man-woo with the beard had sparkling eyes.

‘The mischievous aspect is naturally melting in—the image is amazing?’