I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 222

About an hour later.

The first scene was okayed after six takes. Of course, the fifth take, where Yasuta had suddenly improved, was of sufficient quality to be okayed, but Director Kyotaro tried a sixth take just to be sure.

In the end.

‘Good, I’ll go with either the fifth or sixth take.’

He managed to get the exact scene Director Kyotaro wanted. And so, the rather difficult first scene of ‘Strange Geisha’ was completed. However, the dozens of staff members of ‘Strange Geisha,’ including Director Kyotaro, became even busier.

Because they had only just finished the first scene.

“More sea fog! More sea fog!”

“Yes, sir!”

“The director wants one more light attached!”

“We’re installing it now!”

“Props team! Where’s the other wooden boat?! We need to add another camera!”

“We’ll get it ready!”

It was already past 8 PM. The reporters, film company, distribution company personnel, and almost all the onlookers from the village had left, except for the actors. The fishing village ‘Inehunaya’ had become even gloomier overall.

Due to the filming cooperation, the village’s lights, except for the streetlights, were turned off, making it practically dark.

Especially around the pier, which was the filming location.

Only the soft lighting for the filming was present.

It was then.

-Clack!

The sound of the slate was heard again. Then, Director Kyotaro’s loud signal echoed through the filming location.

“Action!”

At the same time, Kang Woo-jin embodied Iyota Kiyoshi on the wooden boat. In an instant, the life in his eyes vanished. His expression? It was already like a mannequin, but now it was several times more difficult to read. Darkness had fallen on Woo-jin’s face.

Of course, Ginzo, who was bowing on the opposite side, also brought out an improved Ginzo.

Unlike the early scenes where he was just yelling, the current Ginzo was filled with the feeling of a grown child forcibly suppressing fear.

Kang Woo-jin looked around the sea filled with sea fog and spoke in a withered voice.

“Do you remember Toka? Misaki Toka.”

“…Toka. Misaki Toka. Th-that’s right. You! You are Kiyoshi. Iyota Kiyoshi?”

“That’s right. You remember now.”

“A-are you really that Iyota Kiyoshi? You?”

“It’s been a while.”

A greeting without expression or emotion. On the other hand, Ginzo’s breath was ragged, as if he was shocked to the point of his eyes popping out.

“Why… why did you do this to me?”

‘Made me like this?’ was the completed sentence, but Ginzo couldn’t finish the words. Kang Woo-jin, breathing calmly, kept his mouth shut. However, in his heart, which had become barren due to the drought, a wind was blowing.

Anger? Resentment? It wasn’t that.

It was closer to analysis. Ginzo had recognized me and changed his thinking. As proof, the sense of crisis in his voice had slightly diminished. In every moment, you have to notice every change the other person shows. A moment’s hesitation ruins everything. Kang Woo-jin became more lukewarm than ever.

He lowered the temperature of his calm mindset even further.

Then he became cold.

The camera captured Kang Woo-jin from the chest up, and Woo-jin slowly opened his mouth.

“Ginzo. This is a fishing village near Chiba.”

In reality, ‘Inehunaya’ was in Kyoto, but in the movie setting, it was changed to Chiba.

“And it’s also Misaki Toka’s hometown.”

“K-Kiyoshi. You’re not doing this because we bullied her a little back then, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Haha, right, right. You were magnanimous. It’s just a prank after all. Right?”

“But Toka is dead.”

In an instant, the forgotten past unfolded like a panorama in Ginzo’s mind. Everything with Toka. And her death. Even his own relief.

But he didn’t show it. He had to hide it at all costs.

“…Th-that’s!”

“That’s right. She threw herself. But it’s no different from being pushed by many.”

Ginzo’s lips trembled as he looked at Kang Woo-jin in front of him, then at the homeless-looking man on the boat next to him. The expressionless Kang Woo-jin stared at Ginzo and asked dryly.

“How much of that pushing force was yours?”

“…”

A moment of silence spread. Here, Director Kyotaro called cut. It was okay, but they changed the composition and started the action again. One page of the shooting script was turned.

The next scene.

Starting with Ginzo slowly lowering his head at Iyota’s question. His eyes rolled incessantly. He was calculating in the meantime.

‘That crazy bastard. What the hell is he talking about? Revenge? For that Misaki Toka?’

‘Why now?!’

More than that, does this bastard know everything? No way. There’s no way.

‘We had that girl’s weakness, and she didn’t have the courage to say anything.’

Ginzo, who was looking down at his bare feet, slowly raised his head. Kang Woo-jin’s dry face was visible. It was a little clearer because his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness.

Ginzo made up his mind.

“Kiyoshi. You’re misunderstanding something!”

He decided to deny it.

“I! I was actually good to Toka! Of course, it’s true that the kids bullied her a bit. No! It was bad. Yes, that’s right. But I felt sorry for her. So I even tried to stop them.”

“…”

“It’s unfair. If Toka were alive, I would have told her to spare me.”

“Yes.”

“R-right. Ah! How about this? I’ll help you.”

“No, if it were Toka, she would have chosen forgiveness rather than hatred for you.”

“…Huh?”

Kang Woo-jin let out a listless sigh.

“Ginzo. You’re still smart.”

“What do you mean.”

“Because you’re still calculating even at this moment. Whether I know everything or not. Yes, you can keep denying it.”

“W-wait a minute. Kiyoshi.”

“Do as you think. It’s okay.”

It’s okay. This one word was too terrifying for Ginzo, or rather, for Yasuta, who was faithful to his role. It wasn’t clear why. It was just a dry tone, but death was visible. The same was true for Kang Woo-jin’s hazy eyes.

‘Damn it. How can he act like that?’

Yasuta, who felt envy in the back of his mind, returned to Ginzo’s mind. There was no front or back. Only the sea. What is the depth of the sea full of sea fog? Is it deep? It’s scary. I want to live. But there was no glimmer of hope in Kiyoshi’s appearance.

The camera filmed Yasuta, whose anxiety had increased, from the side. He suddenly turned his body around and shouted at the gloomy village.

“Help me!!! Here!! Here!! There’s someone here! Please help me!!”

His voice echoed from the mountains behind the village.

“…”

But there was no response, only his own voice returning like a boomerang. Instead, there was Woo-jin’s expressionless answer.

“You’re the only one who’s suffering, Ginzo. There’s no one here. Do you remember the bubble crisis from decades ago?”

“…What?”

“This place aimed to expand as a tourist destination back then. They built accommodations, restaurants, and so on indiscriminately. But the bubble burst and it went bankrupt. Now, no one comes here.”

It was like an abandoned village.

“They’ll find out soon if they investigate tomorrow, but no one knows you’re here yet.”

“H-how did I get here?”

“By car.”

Kang Woo-jin pointed to the homeless man on the boat next to him.

“He drove. I sent a message to your wife using your phone.”

“Hey.”

“You often meet women under the guise of business trips. You’re often away from home. Your wife won’t suspect anything. That means the three of us will be together until tomorrow morning.”

“…”

“Are you hungry?”

“K-Kiyoshi. I am.”

“If not-”

Woo-jin moved after finishing his words. He took out his phone from his pocket. It was Ginzo’s.

“Call.”

“…What? Who to?”

“To ‘Horinochi Amie’. She’s the owner of the karaoke bar you were at right before you came here, and one of the nine classmates. She is also one of the nine people on the crumpled paper that Iyota Kiyoshi had.”

In the scenario, before coming to this sea, Ginzo had been drinking at a karaoke bar run by ‘Horinochi Amie,’ who was also a classmate. And she was also one of the nine people on the crumpled paper that Iyota Kiyoshi had, the homework.

“I’ll tell you the lines. Just say them and hang up.”

“Amie… W-wait a minute. Kiyoshi, are you really taking revenge for Misaki Toka?”

Woo-jin, who was shaking his head quietly, said dryly as if he was innocent.

“No. It’s just something I have to do.”

“Something… you have to do.”

“Homework.”

Ginzo, whose body was trembling more severely, frowned deeply.

“Hey, if you’re joking, stop it. Why? Why are you, Kiyoshi, taking revenge for Misaki Toka… You were nothing to Toka, right?”

“That’s right. I’m just a ‘stranger’.”

Around this time.

“Cut! OK!”

Director Kyotaro’s signal spread again. This time, it was okayed in one take without two takes. Everyone was so focused that dozens of staff members swallowed hard and watched the two’s acting.

Then, the reorganization was finished again.

Compared to the first filming, the current filming pace was very fast. This was because the quality of Kang Woo-jin, as well as Yasuta and the supporting actor playing the homeless man, had increased rapidly. In the meantime, Yasuta felt the process of ‘getting out’ of a role for the first time since becoming an actor.

The difference between when he was ‘Ginzo’ and now was stark.

He had to control and maintain his intense emotions. No, he didn’t want to let go of the clear thread of Ginzo on his body.

‘Has this ever happened before?’

It was the first time for Yasuta to be so immersed in a role as an actor. So he became greedy. Because he felt the fun of acting. When Director Kyotaro’s action signal sounded, the cynical Kang Woo-jin from before instantly drained the moisture from his face. Kiyoshi, who had disappeared, appeared in one second. It was at a speed that made his mouth drop open.

From the dry lines that such Woo-jin spat out, Yasuta realized that his current acting skills were.

“Call, Ginzo.”

Not purely his own.

‘Iyota Kiyoshi. Yes, Kang Woo-jin. It was because of this Korean actor… that I could do it.’

He was dyed by Kang Woo-jin. He was dominating this vast filming location like a solid beam. Yasuta’s acting ability was just a buff from Woo-jin.

‘It’s so realistic. Because it’s Kiyoshi himself, I feel like I’m in the world of Strange Geisha.’

‘Strange Geisha’ was Kang Woo-jin, and Kang Woo-jin was ‘Strange Geisha.’ Yasuta, who was witnessing Woo-jin in front of him, felt that way. And Director Kyotaro, who was watching on the monitor, and the original author, Akari, must have felt the same way.

It was as if the filming location of ‘Strange Geisha’ was spread out on Kang Woo-jin’s hand.

Usually, if the co-star couldn’t act, the actor had to somehow create the character’s appearance alone. Then, naturally, the camera would capture the two’s appearances differently. That’s what they call a scene that stands out. The Japanese actor Yasuta had experienced that countless times so far.

But it was okay. There was no problem.

‘I just had to focus on my own part.’

All he had to do was say the lines without making a mistake and act a little exaggeratedly, and it was okay. More than the harmony between actors, more than the quality of acting, what mattered was the eye-catching picture. That was the current market in Japan. But ‘Strange Geisha’ was not like that at all.

In this place where Kang Woo-jin was the center, Yasuta had no need to exist if he wasn’t ‘Ginzo’.

‘Hehe, Kang Woo-jin. This actor’s presence is too huge.’

-Creak.

Soon, Kang Woo-jin’s withered voice echoed again from the slightly swaying wooden boat.

“What Ginzo has to say to ‘Horinochi Amie’ is simple.”

“…Wh-what is it?”

“Just say, ‘Misaki Toka has returned’.”

“Toka has returned?”

“Yes, that’s it. Then I’ll send you home.”

“Really?!”

“Of course. I’ll really send you home.”

The expressionless Woo-jin handed Ginzo his phone.

“Just in case. Mistakes.”

“No! Mistakes, I won’t make any. Absolutely.”

“It’s okay, Ginzo. It’s okay to make mistakes.”

“It’s okay?”

“Like telling ‘Amie’ about the current situation. Or asking for help. It’s okay to do that.”

“N-no! I have no intention of doing that at all!”

“That’s okay too. The scenario will just change a little. However, you’ll be raped and found naked tomorrow morning.”

Ginzo’s arms trembled at Woo-jin’s emotionless words. But he somehow took the phone. Then he called ‘Horinochi Amie’ from the list. Ginzo’s hands, holding the phone to his ear, were polite.

“…A-Amie.”

His gaze was on Kiyoshi across from him.

“Misaki Toka has returned.”

It sounded like there was a noisy woman’s voice on the other end of the phone, but Ginzo slowly lowered the phone. Woo-jin took it. Then he moved to the wooden boat of the homeless-looking man next to him.

“You did well, Ginzo.”

The homeless-looking man moved to the wooden boat where Kang Woo-jin had been sitting. A change of seats. Ginzo’s eyes blinked anxiously, and it was then that Woo-jin’s quiet words were heard.

“I’ll send you home now. It’ll be hard to keep you alive though.”

A little later.

Kang Woo-jin could be found on the rooftop of the tallest building in the fishing village. Two cameras filming him were behind him. And on the rooftop railing stood the homeless-looking man who had been with him since earlier. It was a familiar composition, just the location was different.

Yes, it was the same as the end of Misaki Toka and Kiyoshi.

Soon, the homeless man, who looked to be over 60, looked down at the bottom of the building. He could see the pier and the moonlit sea. On top of it were two wooden boats. On one of the boats, a naked man was lying down. It was Konakayama Ginzo.

For some reason, he wasn’t moving. Was he asleep?

Regardless, the homeless man’s gaze turned to the moon in the distance.

“By tomorrow, the world will be turned upside down. The arrogant detectives will be chasing you like crazy. Don’t be careless just because you’re hiding in the fog.”

Kang Woo-jin. No, Iyota Kiyoshi replied with an expressionless face.

“You don’t have to go that far, Misaki Shutoku-ssi.”

The man’s name was Misaki Shutoku. He had the same surname as Misaki Toka. He smiled with wrinkles.

“That’s right. But I want to see my daughter now.”

“Death is death. Seeing her after that is superstition.”

“Haha. You’re the same as when I first saw you. Iyota Kiyoshi, I’m sorry for entrusting you with a heavy burden.”

“It’s not a burden.”

“Yes, yes, homework. You said it, right? That if I keep my mouth shut, the detectives will be greatly confused. I don’t have the courage to keep my mouth shut even though I’m sane. I’m asking you, my daughter’s ‘strange’ friend.”

Kang Woo-jin didn’t answer anymore. It wasn’t that he ‘didn’t answer’. It was that he ‘couldn’t answer’. The homeless man who had been standing on the railing had already disappeared. It was the same as Misaki Toka.

“…”

The homeless man. No, he was Misaki Toka’s father.

End