I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 219

Kang Woo-jin returned to the character-filled conference room of ‘A10 Studio.’ He had returned to reality from the subspace. However, Woo-jin’s mind was still not fully present.

A dream? Or a delusion?

In this conference room, where only a few tens of seconds had passed in real-time, Kang Woo-jin had another new ability imprinted on him in that short moment.

It was the piano.

The mindset and senses were distinctly different. Woo-jin could still hear the countless piano melodies he had experienced in that gray space. If he saw a piano, he felt like he could play anything immediately. His fingers were flexible, and his mind was filled with sheet music he had never seen before.

And.

‘…Is this emotion?’

The sensation that spread through his body was different for each piece. Some were intense, others were cheerful. Some were desolate, and others were majestic. There were also pieces that made him restless with an indescribable sense of overwhelming emotion.

Different rhythms and tempos danced in Woo-jin’s mind.

Soon, they gradually merged with Kang Woo-jin’s other abilities, like a system. It was his ‘vocal ability.’ The emotions that were similar in Woo-jin’s vocals and piano merged and escalated.

‘It’s growing.’

The volume of emotion grew, and it felt like it was expanding. In fact, Kang Woo-jin’s emotional range was richer and several times more intense than when he only had vocals. What about his body’s reaction? Like with ‘martial arts,’ the tension was high, but it wasn’t rough. It was smooth, gentle, and refined.

These two were also opposites, but it seemed like they could be mixed at times. At least, that’s what Kang Woo-jin thought.

‘It’s like… something that can be attached and detached as needed.’

The imprinted abilities would shine on their own, but if they were combined according to the situation, they would create synergy. Around this time, the A10 Studio employees were talking, but Woo-jin’s slightly dazed eyes were just moving along his long fingers.

In his hand was the script for the first episode of ‘Male Friend Remake.’

“…”

Why didn’t he get it last time, and why did he get ‘piano’ this time? It couldn’t be the subspace’s capriciousness. Then there was only one answer: the change in the script. That female executive at A10 Studio had said that several settings had been removed or added.

Soon, Kang Woo-jin slowly opened the first page of the script.

He immediately understood.

‘Ah, that’s why.’

The first scene of ‘Male Friend Remake’ had changed. It showed the male lead’s childhood. A large hall, hundreds of audience members, a piano on stage, and a young male lead sitting in front of it. He was also described as a ‘musical genius.’ The young male lead gives a brilliant piano performance in front of hundreds of people and receives tremendous applause.

That past scene is followed by the present.

After checking the script, Woo-jin looked up with a solemn face and asked the A10 Studio executives across from him. Of course, in Japanese.

“The first scene is definitely different from the draft script I received. Was the piano setting added?”

The female executive, who introduced herself as the planning team leader, quickly replied.

“Yes, that’s correct. Of course, it was done in communication with the original author. ‘Han In-ho’ from the original ‘Male Friend’ has hidden vocal abilities, but if we were to transfer that to animation, it would feel a bit lacking. As you know, animation is different from drama in terms of direction, so the inserted conflict needs to be more emphasized.”

“So, you’re saying that the male lead’s deficiency as a musical genius was added?”

“That’s right. Deficiency and wounds. But it’s not outwardly revealed. He gradually heals as the story progresses, but the male lead avoids conflict with others and with himself. That’s how it’s been confirmed for the early stages.”

I see. So, he heals through the female lead and the people around him and spreads his wings again? It certainly takes the basic framework of the original ‘Male Friend’ but expands the settings further. It captures the unique fun of animation.

However, it wasn’t just the settings that were added.

According to the female executive, the overall script story was also under construction. Well, that’s to be expected. If the initial settings change, the later parts also have to be completely overhauled.

Then, Woo-jin, with a deep poker face, slowly nodded.

And he thought.

‘Jackpot.’

It was a honey pot. He hadn’t expected this piano ability at all. Kang Woo-jin could only whistle using his lips. But suddenly, he could play the piano.

He praised it again.

Subspace is the best.

On the other hand, the A10 Studio executives, having seen Kang Woo-jin’s calm expression, exchanged glances. Was the Korean actor feeling burdened? Soon, the female team leader, one of the executives who had been communicating with their eyes, opened her mouth with a business smile.

“Woo-jin, just in case, let me tell you. You don’t have to worry about the piano part at all. The piano will be recorded separately from the male lead’s voice acting. You don’t have to learn the piano directly like in movies or dramas.”

Well, I could do it myself? However, since he hadn’t confirmed that he would take on the voice acting role yet, Kang Woo-jin replied in a low voice.

“I know, but in the case of vocals, the male lead’s voice actor has to do it, right?”

“That’s right. Frankly, your fantastic vocal ability is a huge merit for us. Ah! I’m really enjoying the cover songs you upload on YouTube.”

The female team leader, who spoke sincerely, listed the projects that were planned.

“If you take on the voice acting role for ‘Male Friend Remake,’ we would like you to do some of the OSTs [Original Soundtracks], such as the OP [Opening] or EP [Ending].”

For reference, the sale of animation OSTs in Japan accounts for a significant portion of the market. Over 30% of the Oricon charts [Japanese music sales chart] are occupied by animation OSTs.

“I’m sure many people who watch ‘Male Friend Remake’ will love your vocals.”

About an hour later, inside Kang Woo-jin’s van.

Kang Woo-jin, having finished his meeting with ‘A10 Studio,’ was on his way to his next schedule. Next to him was the script for the first episode of ‘Male Friend Remake.’ At this point, Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail, glanced at the rearview mirror and spoke to Woo-jin.

“What do you think? I don’t think it’s bad.”

Han Ye-jung and Woo-jin’s team also nodded. Kang Woo-jin, looking out the window, remained silent for now.

“…”

It wasn’t because he was worried. He was just putting on a solemn act. It was about 10 seconds. Kang Woo-jin, making eye contact with Choi Sung-gun, lowered his voice.

“If my schedule allows, it’s okay to do it.”

“Oh? Really?”

“Yes.”

Why did he choose to do it? Easy. He couldn’t ignore the S-class rating, but the animation genre itself was new. The more experience, the better, right? These kinds of opportunities wouldn’t come often.

Woo-jin was curious about how it would proceed and what voice acting would be like.

Soon, Choi Sung-gun grinned and gave a thumbs up.

“Okay. I’ll start negotiations with ‘A10 Studio,’ so don’t worry about it.”

Negotiations. He must be talking about the fee and schedule. He could just pass the contract to the manager. Now, Woo-jin could think about other things.

Like the ‘Kashihi Group’ advertisement model deal, which was the next meeting.

At this time, Han Ye-jung said in a cold tone.

“Oppa, the Miley Cara video is a super, super, super hit.”

She pushed her phone towards Woo-jin. The screen showed a video from the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel.

-【Duet + What do you want to eat? + Cooking Avatar (ep1)】 guest/ Miley Cara｜Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character

-9.67 million views

The Miley Cara episode video, which was uploaded yesterday afternoon, had reached nearly 10 million views in less than 24 hours. Kang Woo-jin’s mouth dropped open in pure shock. Of course, only inwardly.

‘The views are insane, is this even possible???’

At this rate, it seemed like it could easily reach 10 million, even 15 million. It was a super, super, super hit.

‘Cara is really amazing.’

This kind of power was due to Woo-jin’s issue, the firepower of ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ itself, promotion, etc., but the biggest reason was, as it was, Miley Cara. Cara, who had tens of millions of subscribers, had also uploaded a similar video yesterday.

However, her side only uploaded the duet part with Kang Woo-jin.

But the spillover effect was enormous. Although there were Korean and Japanese comments on the Cara video of ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character,’ most of them were in English. It was clear that at least 30% of the 10 million views were due to Cara’s power.

Then, Kang Woo-jin.

-Swish.

He casually checked the English comments among the tens of thousands of comments. There were many praises. The duet with Cara was fantastic, they loved it, they subscribed out of curiosity, they wanted another duet, they were curious about him, etc., etc.

The overseas comments were all curious about Kang Woo-jin.

Who wouldn’t be thrilled by this sight?

Kang Woo-jin was wondering what was going on, but he was secretly enjoying the outpouring of attention. At this moment, he felt like he had become a global star for a brief moment.

‘Hehe, well, most of it is Cara’s buff.’

Woo-jin, who was internally smiling with satisfaction, moved his thumb. Soon, the information of the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel was displayed on his phone.

[Channel Name: Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character]

[Subscribers: 10.8 million]

[Videos: 39]

He had surpassed 10 million subscribers. And it was still rising like crazy.

That’s when it happened.

-Bzzzt.

-Bzzzt.

Kang Woo-jin’s phone vibrated briefly. Simultaneously. What arrived were messages. Woo-jin tilted his head slightly and checked the senders.

‘Huh? What is it?’

Personal messages from Hwa-rin and Hong Hye-yeon. And the ‘Our Table’ group chat was buzzing. Woo-jin had a hunch. It was because of ‘Our Table,’ which had its first broadcast yesterday. Unfortunately, Woo-jin was in Japan and had a schedule, so he couldn’t watch it.

Soon, just as Kang Woo-jin was about to tap on the group chat.

-Bzzzt, Bzzzzzt.

This time, a long vibration stopped his movement. It was a phone call, and the caller ID showed Yoon Byung-sun PD [Producer]. Kang Woo-jin cleared his throat slightly, put the phone to his ear, and lowered his voice.

“Yes. Hello, PD-nim.”

At the same time, the entire team, including Choi Sung-gun with his ponytail and Han Ye-jung, fixed their gaze on Kang Woo-jin. Regardless, Yoon Byung-sun PD on the other end of the phone shouted out of the blue.

“Woo-jin! ‘Our Table’s’ first episode got a total viewership rating of 15.6%!”

His energy was extraordinary.

Afterwards, Kang Woo-jin, who arrived at the ‘Kashihi Group’ headquarters, continued the meeting regarding the advertisement model deal. He didn’t get to meet Chairman Hideki this time, but Secretary Riri took charge of the guidance, and since the discussion had been going on since he was in Korea, the contract was finalized quickly. As a result, he confirmed a two-year contract for advertisements with three affiliates.

Of course, the fee was also high.

The filming itself was scheduled to take place while Woo-jin was in Japan for the filming of ‘Strange Guest.’ Now, it was the marketing teams of each affiliate that would be busy. Well, Kang Woo-jin’s schedule itself had become even tighter. Woo-jin had a hunch that his life in Japan would not be smooth, although it was a bit less than in Korea.

‘I guess I have to give up on sightseeing, well, it doesn’t matter. It’s better to be busy than to be idle.’

With that, Kang Woo-jin’s team, having finished the major task of today’s schedule, moved to have dinner. The menu was a tempura restaurant that the stylist team had searched for.

However, Kang Woo-jin chose the subspace rather than the anticipation of the restaurant.

-Thud!

Even though it was just a rehearsal from tomorrow, the filming of ‘Strange Guest’ would begin, and he would have to show his acting in front of many unfamiliar Japanese actors and staff.

It wasn’t that he was burdened.

Still.

“Somehow, I need to be good enough to overwhelm them, since I’m the only Korean actor.”

If possible, he thought it was better to be number one than just average. He didn’t have any ill feelings towards them. However, whether it was a delusion or not, Kang Woo-jin had to take back the declaration he had made himself.

Therefore.

-Swish.

[“Preparing for ‘A: Iyota Kiyoshi’ reading…”]

Kang Woo-jin entered the world of ‘Iyota Kiyoshi’ from ‘Strange Guest.’ The bullying he had already read (experienced) countless times. The death of ‘Misaki Toka.’

And the determination of the homework.

Before he knew it, Kang Woo-jin’s vision was of ‘Iyota Kiyoshi,’ a ‘stranger,’ standing in front of Tokyo Station.

“…”

It was calm. His mindset and attitude were calm without any fluctuations. Many people passed by, but Woo-jin was looking at only one person across the street with a blank face.

“‘Konakayama Ginzo’.”

‘The restart of a disaster without warning.’ He was the first bizarre victim.

“You’re the second.”

It was the beginning of a murder without malice.

Gray. That was the color of the quiet ‘Iyota Kiyoshi’s’ heart. It was neither white nor black. It was okay to see it as gray, but in fact, it wasn’t easy to gauge his color.

What about his thoughts?

Although a definite ending wasn’t set, the judgments he made in each moment were sharp. It seemed infinite yet finite. But his emotions were endlessly light. They existed like air but were invisible.

Kiyoshi was walking behind ‘Konakayama Ginzo.’

His steps were neither urgent nor tense. They were indifferent. Nevertheless, his hazy eyes did not miss ‘Konakayama Ginzo.’

-Step, step.

Kiyoshi, or rather, Kang Woo-jin’s current appearance, was hard to describe. He was 100% similar to the people in the Japanese subway. Messy hair that seemed like he hadn’t cared for it, a blank face that was exhausted, an ordinary suit that looked like it was copied from others, and a bag slung over his shoulder. It was like a copy-paste of ordinariness.

At first glance, it was an atmosphere that you could never remember.

It was natural. Kang Woo-jin had to blend in with the common things while being a ‘stranger.’ He never crossed the basic line.

‘But it shouldn’t be too low either.’

He maintained a clear middle ground in his body. His expression, actions, breathing, thoughts, and even his gaze. He emphasized the lack of any characteristics or uniqueness throughout his body and expressed it externally. Therefore, no one paid attention to Woo-jin walking behind ‘Konakayama Ginzo.’

There was no reason to take notice.

On the other hand, Ginzo, who was walking about five steps ahead, was graceful. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say he was flashy. He had a good figure. People who passed him would turn around. And he was well aware that his appearance was his strength.

‘Because he’s aware, he develops.’

Silent Kang Woo-jin, or rather, Kiyoshi, knew well. Humans, when they realize their strengths, want to maximize them. They would polish and refine them even more. To make themselves stand out to others.

In the case of ‘Konakayama Ginzo,’ it was ‘management.’

Thanks to that, he had good skin and looked young. He also paid attention to his hair and was sensitive to smells. Grooming was like a weapon of battle for him.

Look at him now.

‘He’s skilled at flirting.’

He casually talked to a woman he made eye contact with on the street and exchanged contact information. Kang Woo-jin pretended to look at his phone and observed him. Ginzo was also wearing a suit like Woo-jin, but it was different. The fit, the fabric, or the price.

That subtle difference created a gap.

At this point, Ginzo, who was talking to the woman, laughed heartily.

Was he happy?

Well, he had a reason to be. He liked the woman, so he talked to her, and the woman seemed to like Ginzo as well. It wasn’t easy for people to connect with each other. It was a moment that was worth it.

But Ginzo, shouldn’t you not be laughing?