I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 229

The scene between Kiyoshi and Misaki Toka on the school rooftop was underway. Kang Woo-jin faced Nakajo Kimi, the Japanese rookie actress playing Toka. Though from different countries, both were considered rookies, with Kimi having slightly more experience.

However, their auras were worlds apart.

This was clear to the naked eye and vividly captured on the monitor Director Kyotaro was watching. Nakajo Kimi seemed dwarfed by Woo-jin’s presence.

‘It’s okay, I can do this. Breathe, breathe,’ she thought.

Part of it was her own nervousness, but it was also a clear difference in their acting skills. Kang Woo-jin, on the other hand, remained completely calm.

“······”

Woo-jin, while staring intently at her, was also slightly concerned about Kimi. It reminded him of when he worked with Kinjo.

‘Is it the rooftop? Maybe she’s afraid of heights,’ he wondered.

Meanwhile, Director Kyotaro paused, considering the situation.

‘Kimi is doing well, but she’s too nervous. Should we cut and take a break? No… if we do that before the scene even gets going, it could cause problems.’

It was a matter of confidence and self-esteem. Kimi was already quite fragile mentally, being a rookie. Director Kyotaro made a decision and calmly gave the signal.

“One, two! Action!”

The two began acting. It was a crucial scene in ‘Naughty Life,’ where Kiyoshi’s ‘homework’ [a metaphor for a hidden ability or task] first manifests. Among the group of foreigners watching Kang Woo-jin’s performance, Megan, arms crossed, muttered quietly.

“He already knows how to do it.”

She glanced at her team, making sure they heard. It was a signal to slowly leave. As Megan quietly left the set and descended the stairs, she thought of the great actors of Hollywood. There were many amazing actors, but only a select few who won Academy Awards and became legends.

‘He has that same spark,’ she thought.

The feeling Megan got from Woo-jin was similar. It was a given that he would perfectly portray his role.

However.

‘Sometimes, being too perfect can make you go unnoticed.’

‘Obviousness’ could be a poison for an actor. In such cases, a variation was needed. But few could pull it off. The ability to maintain a ‘good’ performance while also injecting shock or stimulation to capture the attention of the director, staff, fellow actors, and the public.

The key was that being good at acting was the baseline.

Only a flawless performance that no one could criticize could hypnotize the audience, and when that hypnosis broke with a bang, the public’s eyes would be solely on that actor.

‘Then his amazing acting ability will stand out even more.’

Megan had already left the school. Several faces of Hollywood’s great actors flashed through her mind. Megan and her team got into a van parked outside. It was past 6 PM, and the sky was darkening.

-Vroom!

The van carrying the Hollywood casting team roared as it pulled onto the road. Megan, the team leader, had a serious expression, looking out the window. The foreign team members also had stiff faces. It wasn’t a negative atmosphere, but rather one of bewilderment.

Then, a fat man scratching his short hair spoke in English.

“Why the hell did Kang Woo-jin turn down ‘Last Kill 3’? He was nothing like the rumors. There’s no way an actor with that level of intensity would run away because of a lack of acting skills, right?”

The orange-haired man in the passenger seat agreed.

“It’s complete nonsense. If director George Mendes had seen that performance, he would have begged him.”

“The acting Kang Woo-jin showed earlier was really… it was like the character changed every second. Have you ever seen anything like it?”

“Never.”

“Me neither. My god, does that mean he has a unique acting method? Why is Kang Woo-jin passing on Hollywood? With that intensity and martial arts skills… he’d be more than successful.”

At this point, Megan, who had been looking out the window, recalled everything from when she first saw Kang Woo-jin and made a sharp judgment.

“It’s a declaration.”

“A declaration?”

No, it was a sharp misjudgment.

“Yes. He’s showing off his presence. From the beginning, he wasn’t even interested in the supporting or minor roles in ‘Last Kill 3’. In fact, I was the one who contacted him first. But Kang Woo-jin, who wasn’t interested in the role, still showed up.”

“…And then he confidently turned down the role.”

“He was showing that he could do those kinds of supporting or minor roles anytime. Don’t you get it?”

“Ah.”

Only then did the team members, understanding Megan’s true intentions, have expressions of realization. But Megan, brushing back her brown bob, didn’t stop her misjudgment.

“He’s not challenging Hollywood; he’s confident that Hollywood will come looking for him. Look at today. He was completely unfazed by us.”

“He was extremely calm. Usually, actors get excited when a Hollywood casting team contacts them.”

Megan crossed her long legs and stroked her chin.

“…Kang Woo-jin is preparing to enter Cannes with director Ahn Ga-bok’s Korean film.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“Director Ahn Ga-bok is quite well-known in Cannes and Hollywood. He’s a veteran with the skills of a master, having made 100 films. Imagine a work by that director and Kang Woo-jin being thrown into Cannes. We recognized him, so how would the world’s big shots in Cannes react?”

The team members nodded slowly, as if they understood.

“Everyone will be eyeing him. He won’t even need auditions in Hollywood.”

“If the story goes that way, there’s no reason to do supporting or minor roles.”

Megan chuckled.

“Supporting or minor roles? If he turns Cannes upside down, he’ll start in Hollywood as a lead. No, even higher than that.”

Then she added with a slightly meaningful tone.

“Joseph Felton – that man saw this early on and made his move first.”

The team members tilted their heads, wondering what she meant.

The next day, the 24th, morning. Korea.

Sunday. It was around 10 AM. Today was the day the first episode of ‘Our Table’ was airing. Following last week’s episode 0, anticipation was high due to numerous teasers and the buzz over the past week, as well as many trailers uploaded by the ‘Our Table’ team.

The members of ‘Our Table’ were gathered at a studio in Gangnam.

The studio was bustling with preparations for filming. Many cameras and lights were set up towards the filming zone. Posters related to ‘Our Table’ were posted around. The appearance of the dozens of staff members was quite familiar.

The filming team for this studio was the ‘Sports Day’ team of PD Yoon Byung-sun.

Today’s guests were the ‘Our Table’ team. It was a shoot arranged because both sides were under the wing of entertainment mogul PD Yoon Byung-sun. ‘Sports Day’ was also a popular variety show, and with ‘Our Table’ currently gaining popularity, it seemed PD Yoon Byung-sun had made up his mind.

Anyway.

“Camera focus check!”

“Number 1, OK!!”

“Number 2, OK!!”

The members of ‘Our Table’ sat down in the filming zone, where several cameras were pointed. Ahn Jong-hak, Ha Kang-soo, Hong Hye-yeon, Hwa-rin, and Yeon Baek-gwang were all fully made up and dressed in their own stylish outfits. However, Kang Woo-jin, who was in Japan, could not attend.

Kang Woo-jin was the main chef, but what could they do?

Whatever the case, the members and PD Yoon Byung-sun, who stood in front of them, were chatting excitedly before filming.

“But is that Hollywood thing about Woo-jin real?”

The topic was, of course, Kang Woo-jin. The news of Kang Woo-jin’s Hollywood debut that broke yesterday had turned Korea upside down. So, the excitement of the ‘Our Table’ members was not unusual.

“Hey, hey, Hong Hye-yeon. Don’t you know anything?”

At Ahn Jong-hak’s question, Hong Hye-yeon, brushing back her long hair, narrowed her brows.

“I don’t know. Just because we’re in the same company doesn’t mean we know everything.”

“True. It’s even more so now that BW Entertainment has gotten bigger.”

Hong Hye-yeon bit her lower lip slightly.

“I was surprised too.”

The youngest, Yeon Baek-gwang, wearing a beige knit, chimed in.

“But if Woo-jin hyung is really going to Hollywood, that’s amazing, right?”

Ha Kang-soo crossed his long legs and agreed.

“It’s super, super amazing. It’s already unbelievable to go to Hollywood within a year of debut.”

“Looking at the video, the photos look like real Hollywood. Wow, I hope it’s true. I want to brag about being friends with a world-class actor.”

“But Woo-jin hasn’t said anything yet, right?”

Meanwhile, Hwa-rin, who had been quiet since earlier, wearing a white hoodie, was fiddling with her phone.

‘Should I… contact him? But I’m sure he’s getting tons of calls even without me. Ugh, I want to call him.’

Her ultimate bias’s Hollywood debut was a huge event that deserved a celebration, but for some reason, Hwa-rin felt like Kang Woo-jin was getting further and further away. Hwa-rin quietly accessed Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Strong Heart’ fan cafe. Like yesterday, the ‘Strong Heart’ fan club cafe was currently overloaded.

At this time, PD Yoon Byung-sun, who was talking to Ahn Jong-hak, shook his head.

“But really, Woo-jin keeps having issues pop up. It’s a hit, a hit. I knew he was unusual from the first time I saw him. Wow, this is real.”

Ahn Jong-hak, shaking the phone he was looking at, chimed in.

“Is this the speed at which articles are breaking? It’s crazy. It’s a flood.”

“Of course. ‘Winner Movie Pictures’ is quite big even in Hollywood, right? Hyung, have you been there?”

“I’ve been there, yes. Or rather, I passed by it. I didn’t get to go inside.”

“If Woo-jin, who hasn’t even been to ‘Winner Movie Pictures’, got contacted directly by them, not even trying out himself – his level just jumped up.”

Ahn Jong-hak, glaring at PD Yoon Byung-sun for a moment, changed the subject.

“But when did Woo-jin do the screen test in the middle of all that?”

“Hyung, are you 100% sure?”

“Hey, there’s evidence. I’d say it’s about 80% true.”

At this moment, the youngest, Yeon Baek-gwang, clapped his hands.

“Ah!!! Wasn’t it then?? When we finished filming ‘Our Table’ and were returning, Woo-jin hyung stayed in Hollywood for a bit!”

A moment of silence spread, and Ahn Jong-hak nodded as if it made sense.

“That’s right, it was then.”

At this time, the excitement was at its peak in the media, public opinion, and the domestic entertainment industry.

『[Star Talk] Kang Woo-jin, Hollywood Debut Imminent?』

『Kang Woo-jin in Hollywood ‘Screen Test’, Will He Be the First in Korea to Secure a Hollywood Role in One Year?』

It wasn’t that there had been no news about Hollywood debuts in the Korean entertainment industry, but it was very rare, and the fact that the protagonist was Kang Woo-jin caused a huge ripple effect.

『’Kang Woo-jin’ Hollywood Debut Rumors Rock the Korean Entertainment Industry… ‘Winner Movie Pictures’ Side Silent』

The video by the YouTuber Fact Guys, who broke the news as an exclusive, achieved massive views in just one day.

-【Exclusive Scoop!!】The Rising Star Actor Kang Woo-jin!! Secretly Already Had a Hollywood Movie Screen Test?! Hollywood Entry Just Around the Corner! (Decisive Evidence Acquired!)｜Fact Guys

-7.88 million views

Currently, due to numerous YouTubers following up, sensational videos were endlessly being generated. But they were all doing well. The comments were also exploding.

Gradually, there was an overflow of noise and rumors.

It had broken yesterday, but today was several times more chaotic. Especially since Kang Woo-jin was in Japan representing Korea, it was even worse. With the situation like this, there was no way Kang Woo-jin’s parents wouldn’t know. But Kang Woo-cheol and Seo Hyun-mi, who were at the porridge shop, had a rather subtle reaction.

“…Hollywood? That’s the one we know, right? America.”

“That’s right.”

“Then it’s not our Woo-jin, is it?”

“Huh?”

“No – first of all, Woo-jin hasn’t contacted us. And our son isn’t very good at English… is he?”

Kang Woo-cheol readily admitted.

“…He was good at listening though. Only listening.”

Several hours later, LA.

It was around noon in Korea and Japan. Around this time, it was late afternoon in LA. In the Hollywood area of LA, in a place where huge houses were lined up, a familiar man was seen inside a house with many glass windows and a huge swimming pool in the yard.

A giant height, a massive build, a black foreigner.

It was Hollywood’s famous producer, Joseph Felton.

“Hoo-”

He seemed to have just gotten off work, and as soon as he came into the huge living room, he opened the refrigerator. What Joseph took out was a green drink. It didn’t look very tasty. Actually, it tasted bad, as Joseph frowned while swallowing the drink.

“It tastes like garbage no matter when I drink it.”

He muttered to himself, and while struggling to swallow the drink, he checked the time. It was past 9 PM. Joseph was already managing three Hollywood movies, and he had meetings lined up early tomorrow as well. He was thinking of going to bed early today.

At that moment.

-♬♪

His phone on the expensive-looking sofa rang. Joseph muttered something like ‘Here we go again’ and picked up the phone. But.

“Hmm?”

He tilted his head, as the caller was unexpected.

“Megan?”

The caller was the talented casting director, Megan Stone. But it was strange that she was calling at this time. It was the first time it had happened.

“Hmm-”

Whatever the case, he put down the green drink and put the phone to his ear.

“Megan? What’s going on at night?”

Megan Stone’s voice on the other end of the phone was somewhat calm.

“It’s daytime here.”

“Daytime?”

“I’m in Japan right now.”

“Japan?”

Joseph, repeating the word, suddenly remembered something.

“Ah – right. You said you were going to a film festival in Japan? You haven’t returned yet?”

“That’s right. I’m going back in two days.”

“Did you go yourself? You could have sent a team.”

“I only believe what I see with my own eyes.”

“Haha, I guess so. So? Was there a good actor?”

“There was. A real star.”

“A star?”

It was a slightly absurd answer, but Joseph brushed it off since Megan was such an eccentric.

“That’s good. So? What’s the matter? It’s the first time you’ve called at this time, Megan.”

“Kang Woo-jin.”

At that moment, Joseph paused.

“Kang Woo-jin?”

“I met Kang Woo-jin in Japan.”

“Ah.”

Director Kyotaro and ‘Naughty Life’ flashed through his mind. It was something that was written on Kang Woo-jin’s investigation report. Come to think of it, Kang Woo-jin had started filming ‘Naughty Life’.

“Could it be… Megan, are you talking about Kang Woo-jin when you said ‘star’ just now?”

“I saw his acting. Vividly.”

Oh, no. She was faster than me. Although it was a coincidence, Joseph didn’t like the feeling of having lost slightly.

“How was it?”

“······”

“Megan?”

Joseph, calling out to Megan Stone who had suddenly become quiet, was suddenly asked by her.

“Joseph, was it you who leaked the information about Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Last Kill 3’ screen test?”