I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 252

With director Kwon Ki-taek, his gray hair prominent, the actors of ‘Island of the Missing’ began to enter the stage, starting with Kang Woo-jin. Kang Woo-jin, Ryu Jung-min, Ha Yu-ra, Kim Yi-won, Jeon Woo-chang, and two supporting actors.

A total of eight people.

Soon, the hall’s overall lighting dimmed slightly, and a somewhat grand piece of music began to play.

-♬♪

As expected of a production presentation by the master director Kwon Ki-taek, the prepared staging was a bit excessive. It was probably the distribution company’s idea. Regardless, the hundred or so reporters began clicking their shutters enthusiastically.

Every second, a barrage of flashes erupted from the front stage.

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

The flashes were so intense, perhaps because the lighting was dim. Among the actors entering in a line, Kang Woo-jin, the first in his beige trench coat, maintained a stoic expression.

‘What kind of entrance staging is this… More importantly, there are so many reporters! Huh? But why am I first?’

It was only then that he realized he had entered first, quite by accident. He had been waiting at the door before entering, following the staff’s signal, but somehow he ended up being first.

Thanks to that.

-Swoosh.

Woo-jin lowered his voice to Ryu Jung-min, who was right behind him.

“Senior, I’m sorry. This way.”

Ryu Jung-min, wearing a brown blazer, chuckled softly. His short hair had grown a bit longer.

“Does it matter where we sit? We can just sit down.”

Ryu Jung-min, whose transfer to BW Entertainment was imminent, waved his hand. Kang Woo-jin maintained a nonchalant expression but was slightly flustered. Huh? No, still, isn’t it a bit strange for me to sit in the first seat? However, neither director Kwon Ki-taek nor the other actors seemed to mind.

Following that.

“Yes! The main cast of ‘Island of the Missing’ are all here!”

The female host announced. The production presentation had begun. With no other choice, Woo-jin sat in the first seat among the actors, right next to director Kwon Ki-taek. Then, the female host proceeded with the event.

“I’m sure everyone here knows them, but still, let’s start with introductions from the director.”

Director Kwon Ki-taek, wearing a slightly thick jacket, put the handheld microphone to his mouth.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kwon Ki-taek, the director of ‘Island of the Missing.'”

“Yes! Hello, director! Next-”

The female host’s eyes met Woo-jin’s. Naturally, Woo-jin picked up the microphone. Flashes were going off like crazy in front of him. The scale was more enormous than he had thought. Moreover, considering Kang Woo-jin’s filmography, ‘Island of the Missing’ was his first leading role.

In other words, today’s production presentation was his first as a lead.

He was sitting alongside the top actors in the country. Or, to be precise, Kang Woo-jin was in the first seat. When he gave it meaning, a sudden tension surged. A slight sense of pressure also weighed on him. But it was okay. Woo-jin had already experienced production presentations, and the hundred or so reporters were not new to him either.

‘Hoo- Calm down.’

Woo-jin lowered his voice even more.

“Hello, I’m Kang Woo-jin, and I play the role of ‘Private Jin Seon-cheol’ in ‘Island of the Missing.'”

Woo-jin’s first leading role’s name echoed through the vast hall. The sound of shutters increased rapidly, and the fingers of reporters typing on their laptops moved twice as fast. The atmosphere was different. Specifically, it was the smell of the hall that Kang Woo-jin felt. The eyes of the hundred or so reporters were sharp. A strange sense of pressure.

Yes, this was it.

A movie by the influential master director Kwon Ki-taek. The lead role in that movie.

It was indeed different.

‘Is this… the gaze of top actors who only do lead roles? Ugh- Damn! It’s so heavy.’

This seat was a seat of responsibility. Therefore, Woo-jin, who was internally making a fuss, had to make his concept even more intense on the outside.

Meanwhile, the handheld microphone was passed to Ryu Jung-min.

“Hello. I play the role of ‘Lieutenant Choi Yu-tae’ in ‘Island of the Missing.'”

Next, the actors’ introductions continued in the order of Ha Yu-ra, Kim Yi-won, and Jeon Woo-chang, and then the host asked the next question to Kang Woo-jin.

“Woo-jin, who is the hottest star these days! What is the unique charm of ‘Island of the Missing’?”

Ha, he had already received the questions. This was not difficult. Woo-jin answered casually.

“I think it’s the twists. ‘Island of the Missing’ has many unexpected twists in various parts. I think it’s a work that will keep your eyes and ears busy.”

After answering, Woo-jin praised himself. Well done, it was smooth without any mistakes. Similarly, the other actors also continued their answers quite fluently. Then, another question was directed to Kang Woo-jin.

“Woo-jin, you show different acting in each work, making it hard to believe you’re the same actor. What kind of performance will you show in this ‘Island of the Missing’?”

At that moment, Kang Woo-jin paused. Huh? Was there such a question? His memory was hazy. Whether it was due to tension or not, Woo-jin’s mind went blank. What was it? What was it? For a brief moment, he tried to recall the answer. He was the only one struggling. No one else would notice.

Ah- I don’t know.

His memory had flown away. Woo-jin put the microphone to his mouth with a sense of resignation. I don’t know, let’s just answer appropriately. First of all, the dual personality was a secret, right? At that moment, an answer flashed through his mind.

“I played a timid piece of trash.”

“……Excuse me?”

“A timid piece of trash.”

“Ah- a timid piece of trash.”

Soon, director Kwon Ki-taek chuckled softly, and Ryu Jung-min and the other actors changed their expressions to hold back laughter. The reporters were even more frantically clicking their shutters at Woo-jin.

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

All the hundred or so reporters were in a frenzy, as if they had bitten into a delicious piece of bait. After several tens of minutes, the host’s formal proceedings ended, and it was time for the reporters’ questions. Almost everyone raised their hands, and the reporter chosen by the female host was.

“Uh- I’ll ask a question to Kang Woo-jin.”

It was a bespectacled male reporter from the front row.

“‘Profiler Han Ryang,’ ‘Male Friend,’ and all the works you’ve appeared in so far have achieved very good results. Recently, with ‘Drug Dealer’s’ record of over 8 million, there’s talk of you being a Midas’ hand [a person who is successful at everything they do]. How much do you expect ‘Island of the Missing’ to achieve? It’s been a few years since a movie has reached 10 million viewers, is it possible?”

A slightly sensitive question. That’s why director Kwon Ki-taek and the other actors glanced at Woo-jin. Well, he could have just given a vague answer. But the poker-faced Woo-jin was going straight ahead.

“Yes.”

With a touch of arrogance and bravado.

“I think it will exceed 10 million.”

“Oh! Really? What makes you think so-”

“A feeling.”

“……A feeling?”

“Yes.”

Of course, it was a bravado based on some grounds.

After that.

The production presentation for ‘Island of the Missing,’ which started at lunchtime, finally ended around 4 PM after about 2 hours. However, related articles were already being released to the world while the production presentation was still in progress.

『[Photo] ‘Island of the Missing’ Finally Takes the Bait, Top Actors Entering the Hall/Photo』

The film industry media focused on reporting the news of ‘Island of the Missing.’ Just the fact that it was the next work of the master director Kwon Ki-taek was enough to raise expectations.

However, the topics of the articles gradually began to shift.

『[Star Talk] Kang Woo-jin, When Asked What Role He Played, Answers “A Timid Piece of Trash”』

Kang Woo-jin’s presence, which shook the production presentation, was so strong.

『Kang Woo-jin Reveals His Role as “A Timid Piece of Trash” at the ‘Island of the Missing’ Production Presentation, All Reporters Confused』

『’Thousand Faces’ Kang Woo-jin… What Kind of Role is This “Timid Piece of Trash”?』

Kang Woo-jin was quite a good target for the hundred or so reporters who attended the event.

『Kang Woo-jin Predicts the Success of ‘Island of the Missing’, “10 Million Viewers is a Piece of Cake”』

『Kang Woo-jin Answers That 10 Million Viewers is Possible, When Asked Why… Just a Feeling?/Photo』

『Kang Woo-jin Guesses 10 Million Viewers Based on “Feeling”, Netizens Say “A Bit Arrogant”』

He was creating numerous issues, but there was something unapologetic about his behavior.

-Crazy, lolololol, 10 million viewers just like that based on a feeling, lolololol

-Lee Sang-man: It’s gonna blow… he says the number of viewers will blow up to 10 million…

-A bit cocky

-But when Kang Woo-jin says it like that, it makes me really curious, lololol. Actually, none of Kang Woo-jin’s works have failed yet, right??

-What kind of role is a timid piece of trash, lololol. When you look at it, Kang Woo-jin is also a psycho, lololol

-;;;; No backing down, amazing

-If that happens… if it doesn’t reach 10 million, but not even 1 million….?

-It’s a work by the master director Kwon Ki-taek with many top actors, so it will attract attention at the beginning, but these days, is 10 million a joke???

-???: You said 10 million, right? It stopped at 1 million??/ Kang Woo-jin: But it was fast

As ‘Island of the Missing’ gained traction, arrows were being fired at Kang Woo-jin, but the related topics were also gradually accumulating.

『[Exclusive] Kang Woo-jin and the Same Agency? Top Actor Ryu Jung-min’s Transfer to BW Entertainment Imminent!』

『’Our Table’ Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Seasoned Laver Buckwheat Noodles’ Commercialized, Nongshin Side “Will Release Before Summer”』

Japan was not far behind Korea either.

Currently, news related to ‘Strange Gisaeng,’ from which Kang Woo-jin had withdrawn, and the anime ‘Male Friend: Remake’ were following one after another.

Everything was intertwined like a thread around Kang Woo-jin, moving quickly and meticulously. Meanwhile, a mountain of offers poured in for Kang Woo-jin. Not only scripts and scenarios for works, but also various broadcasts including variety shows, YouTube, photoshoots, interviews, advertisements, and countless other things.

『’Acting Monster’ Kang Woo-jin, Uniquely Maintaining the Top Spot in Brand Reputation for Several Months… This is Also a First, No, Everything is a First』

The number continued to increase day by day. Last year was already astonishing, but now it was at a level that others could not even imagine.

However, Woo-jin was surprisingly giving up many offers. He was not biased. Of course, it was because of Kang Woo-jin’s decision. His schedule was already packed to the brim, and since he had the subspace, he could accept more if he pushed himself, but Kang Woo-jin shook his head. He just liked things the way they were now.

‘If I get greedy, I’ll tear my pants [a Korean idiom meaning ‘if I get too greedy, I’ll get into trouble’].’

That’s how five days disappeared in the blink of an eye.

And then.

『[Movie] The History of the Korean Film Industry, Director Ahn Ga-bok’s ‘Leech’, Script Reading Starts Today, the 6th!』

『Finally Opening the Lid… ‘Shim Han-ho’, ‘Kang Woo-jin’, ‘Oh Hee-ryung’, etc. Summoned for ‘Leech’ Script Reading』

The 6th dawned.

Saturday morning, the 6th, at a top-class hotel in Seoul.

A suite room in a 5-star hotel located in Cheongdam [a wealthy neighborhood in Seoul]. Or, to be precise, it was the highest-grade room among the suites. Therefore, the view visible outside the large window and the furniture in the room were all breathtaking.

The spaciousness was a given.

In one of those rooms, a giant of a man entered an area with a square table and a gray sofa. A familiar black man. It was Joseph Felton, a famous Hollywood producer who had recently come to Korea for work. He was wearing dress pants and a tight black knit, which made his muscular upper body stand out.

Then.

-Swoosh.

He sat on the sofa with a cup of coffee in one hand and crossed his legs. Because he was such a giant, the coffee cup Joseph was holding looked quite small. Anyway, Joseph put the tiny coffee cup to his mouth and began to flip through the many transparent files and tablets on the table.

At that moment.

-Knock knock.

The sound of knocking echoed throughout the room. The giant Joseph casually got up and opened the door. Several foreigners were standing at the door. Including the bald Robert, Joseph’s team had arrived on time.

Then, Joseph sat on a single sofa, and his team members sat in a row on the opposite sofa.

Only when everyone had gathered did the full-fledged meeting begin.

English was spoken frantically.

The main topic was the summary of the meetings held over the past few days with overseas professional distributors and the Korean branch of Hollywood film companies. Joseph and his team had a morning meeting for over 40 minutes, and when the time reached 10 o’clock, the bald Robert changed the subject.

“Joseph, what are your plans for today? Today is the day of the script reading for ‘Leech.'”

As if he already knew, Joseph crossed his arms and let out a sigh.

“Hmm- Well. I heard that director Ahn Ga-bok said it was okay for me to come to the script reading, but what I want to see is not the script reading, but Kang Woo-jin’s real acting.”

“……Then?”

“There will probably be a lot of people involved. If we take up seats, there might be unnecessary talk. So, let’s skip today’s script reading and visit the official filming on the 8th.”

“Understood. Then I will move tomorrow’s schedule to today.”

“Okay. There’s no need to overdo it. It’s okay to take a break.”

It was at this moment.

-♬♪

Joseph’s cell phone in his pants pocket emitted a ringtone. He naturally took out his cell phone. However, Joseph’s eyes widened slightly when he saw the caller displayed on the phone screen.

“Hmm?”

At that sight, the bald Robert across from him tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“……”

Joseph, who had been looking at the caller for a moment, answered in a low voice.

“It’s Miley. She’s calling at a rather strange time.”

The caller was global superstar Miley Cara. It wasn’t that Joseph and she didn’t have a relationship, but they weren’t close enough to talk often. They were just acquaintances who would greet each other casually when they met, since they both had influence in Hollywood. They would sometimes contact each other through DMs [direct messages].

Most of those contacts were work-related.

Anyway, Joseph, with a puzzled look, changed the direction of his crossed legs and put the phone to his ear.

“Yes, Miley. It’s me.”

Cara’s unique cold voice echoed from the other side of the phone.

“Joseph. Where are you right now?”

A question without any context. Joseph chuckled softly and replied.

“Ah- I’m not in LA right now, I’m in Korea.”

“I know.”

“Hmm?”

“So, I was asking where in Korea you are.”

“…Why are you asking that?”

Joseph’s smile faded, and he narrowed his brow. Cara’s short and clear answer reached his ear.

“Because I’m in Korea right now too.”