I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 257

The curse Joseph Felton, the giant, spat out wasn’t because of the conversation between Kang Woo-jin and Director Ahn Ga-bok. It was because of Kang Woo-jin’s acting.

‘Fuck…’

Joseph muttered the curse repeatedly, watching Woo-jin in the filming zone. His furrowed brow and widened eyes remained unchanged. It was one of his habits. When he saw something shockingly difficult to understand, he would blurt out a curse.

It could be seen as an excited exclamation or gasp.

If translated into Korean, it could be roughly interpreted as ‘Damn! That’s awesome!’ That’s how much Joseph Felton’s brain was currently reeling. Even though he had already witnessed countless actors in Hollywood.

‘What did I just see?’

It was quite shocking. What had unfolded before his eyes? Despite having some expectations, Joseph couldn’t quite comprehend it. No, could that even be considered ‘acting’?

‘First of all… there’s no preparation process.’

Actors’ deep emotions usually require a warm-up. But Kang Woo-jin so easily pulled out a deep emotion at the same time as the director’s action cue. Moreover, the time it took to express the emotion was incredibly short.

‘It’s as if there isn’t any.’

Furthermore, Woo-jin, who had begun acting, instantly became a different person. At least, that’s how it appeared to Joseph. In an instant, Kang Woo-jin disappeared, and a completely different person emerged. Eyes, scent, posture, habits, diction, breathing, etc.

Everything was different.

‘It’s as if… he has multiple personalities.’

Among Joseph’s observations, the basic qualities of an actor were a given. There was no need to even mention them. Perfection was the default. On top of that, absurd feats were achieved with absurd ease.

More than anything, what was chilling was.

‘Ripley Syndrome?’ [A psychological condition where a person believes their fabricated reality is true.]

Joseph hadn’t heard the detailed explanation of the scenario, but it was clear what Kang Woo-jin was trying to convey through his acting. That was the ultimate goal of actors: to make the viewers feel what they wanted them to feel.

It’s easy to say.

To master this process, great actors in Hollywood and Korea are still striving. They often admit they are lacking. But Kang Woo-jin already possessed that skill. Coincidence? It couldn’t be. It was too effortless to be a coincidence.

Joseph was bewildered.

‘The energy and tension are completely different from when he showed his martial arts. I didn’t know he would display such detailed… mind-blowing acting.’

Even when Joseph saw Kang Woo-jin’s martial arts in Hollywood, he couldn’t have imagined such a thing. Joseph covered his mouth with one hand, watching Woo-jin talking to Director Ahn Ga-bok. The abilities he had witnessed in Woo-jin were not just one or two: martial arts, singing, language, etc. But were all those things just secondary?

‘What kind of monster is that?’

He was a monster-level being that defied common sense.

Joseph had already been intrigued by Kang Woo-jin because everything outside of his filmography, starting with his martial arts, was unusual, but now, beyond mere interest, he was simply observing. He was a creature that was hard to fathom. It was the moment when he fully understood what the caddie, Megan Stone, had said.

‘If director George Mendes had seen this acting, not the martial arts, he would have begged. To work with him no matter what.’

The question of why only big names were flocking around Kang Woo-jin was clearly answered. It wasn’t because of some grand reason. It was just natural.

-Swish.

The giant Joseph slowly turned his head. He saw Kara, the blonde, standing on his right. She was frozen, completely still. Not even a twitch. She was just staring intently at Kang Woo-jin.

‘….’

Was she out of it? Joseph turned his gaze to the team members around him. They all looked the same as Kara.

Around this time, Director Ahn Ga-bok.

‘You did it moderately?’

He asked Woo-jin, who was standing in front of him. Then, Kang Woo-jin, with a poker face.

‘Why? Why? Is it too serious? Did I say something wrong?? No, but it’s the truth, what can I do?’

He nodded solemnly.

‘Yes. Moderately.’

‘So, you held back your strength when you were playing the opposite role in the audition.’

‘Isn’t that normal during auditions?’

‘That’s right. That’s right.’

Director Ahn Ga-bok showed a wrinkled smile. Kang Woo-jin was right. The actor playing the opposite role in the audition doesn’t have to give their best performance. However, the acting that Woo-jin had held back was also beyond common sense, so Director Ahn Ga-bok was bewildered.

‘No, everyone in that small theater must have felt the same.’

At the audition site of Director Ahn Ga-bok, where great actors and top stars were abundant, Kang Woo-jin set the standard for the ‘Leech’ character. An actor who was just entering his second year. Anyone would have thought that the acting they saw was the maximum.

However, it was a misjudgment.

‘Heh heh, it’s just that this kid’s ‘moderately’ is far beyond our reach.’

Nothing more, nothing less. That was all. An actor who makes judgment meaningless, who throws away the process of understanding and just forces recognition. Perhaps a new kind of human in this industry.

Director Ahn Ga-bok, maintaining his smile, placed his hand on Woo-jin’s shoulder.

‘I want you to go far, far up there. I’m saying, not just to move someone like me, but to receive the admiration of a greater person. I think watching that will be enough for my retirement.’

Kang Woo-jin answered in a low and firm voice.

‘It’s possible.’

After a while.

Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had temporarily stopped the scene, sat back in his seat and continued filming.

‘Action.’

The same scene was repeated. But Kang Woo-jin’s intensity didn’t drop. Rather, he was more agile and meticulous. The more he repeated, the stronger his performance became. More vivid. Kang Woo-jin, who was displayed on the monitor, ‘Park Ha-sung’ was complete, but as the scenes were repeated, the completeness became meaningless.

‘Cut, OK. Let’s go back to the bust shot instead of following the camera behind.’

Because Kang Woo-jin presented a new level of completion with each cut. He was developing and demonstrating. The reason why Director Ahn Ga-bok used this scene as the starting point of the first filming was simple: to instill the ‘Ripley Syndrome’ itself in the other actors.

If they understood the feeling and sensation in advance, the subsequent acting would be smoother.

Of course, that emotion would come out from the middle of ‘Leech,’ but it was a choice made out of the belief that Kang Woo-jin could do it. However, the intensity was more extreme than Director Ahn Ga-bok intended, and it hit the actors hard.

Shim Han-ho, Oh Hee-ryung, Jin Jae-joon, Han So-jin, and many other supporting actors.

‘….I don’t know how to express that.’

‘Because there’s such a difference, it feels like he was just going through the motions when he played the opposite role in the audition, is it just me??’

‘Ripley Syndrome – I didn’t really get it when I read the scenario, but seeing Woo-jin’s acting, it really hits me.’

‘Oh, the hurdle is so high from the start…’

It instilled not just caution but also a sense of alarm. ‘This is what you have to experience, what you have to go through.’ It felt like directly experiencing these words through acting.

Around this time, Miley Kara.

‘Oh, my god.’

She was staring at Kang Woo-jin, the actor, not the vocalist, martial artist, or pianist, without a single moment of wavering. It was inevitable. His stage presence was too great. It was indeed worthy of being called his main profession.

At the same time, Kara unconsciously imagined.

‘If that actor… appeared in Hollywood?’

The upheaval when the territory of the monster who had been holding his breath in Korea spread to the world.

About two hours later.

A short break was given at the ‘Leech’ filming site, which had been in full swing. But the hundred or so staff members didn’t seem to have any intention of resting. Everyone was frantically moving, organizing props and setting up equipment for the next scene.

Not only them, but also the director and actors were the same.

Director Ahn Ga-bok was busy checking the lines with the key staff while holding the storyboard, and the actors, including Shim Han-ho and Oh Hee-ryung, were immersed in their own acting or character reminders, thanks to the monster’s acting they had just witnessed.

‘….’

‘….’

But for some reason, the cynical Kang Woo-jin was nowhere to be seen.

Where was he?

Kang Woo-jin, who had disappeared from the set, was in a van in the outdoor parking lot. And in front of him.

‘Were you surprised that I came suddenly?’

Miley Kara, who was taking off her tightly wrapped hat and mask, was sitting there. There were only Woo-jin and the global superstar Kara in the van, and they were speaking in English. Kara, who had taken off her hat, swept back her long blonde hair. Woo-jin could smell a fragrant scent, but.

‘Oh, man – Kara sitting right in front of me is so surreal. It feels like a dream. It’s different from the YouTube filming before. Is this real?? So amazing – No! Kang Woo-jin, don’t lose your cool!’

He tried hard to ignore it. His concept was solid.

‘No, it’s okay.’

‘More than that, I saw your acting, your main profession.’

‘Is that so?’

‘Yes.’

Kara, looking at Woo-jin with her blue eyes, let out a small breath.

‘I’m glad I came. I would have regretted it if I hadn’t seen it. I understand why you call your vocals or cooking skills hobbies. Your acting… I don’t know, I think I’m a pretty good actor myself, but I can’t think of a way to express it.’

‘You can skip it.’

Miley Kara slightly pouted her lips. Then, she smiled faintly.

‘Actually, I came to Korea this time for other things, but meeting Woo-jin was the biggest reason.’

‘Yes, I’m listening.’

‘I’m preparing a new album this time. And I want to propose to Kang Woo-jin, to work together on my album song and to appear in the music video.’

‘….’

When Kang Woo-jin closed his mouth heavily, Kara moved her face a little closer to Woo-jin.

‘Of course, I’m thinking of the title track. To be honest, this is the first time this has happened, what do you think?’

What do I think? What am I thinking? I don’t have any thoughts?? I’m maintaining my indifference, but.

‘…I’ll have to talk to my company first.’

Inner Kang Woo-jin was clearly flustered.

‘Crazy?! What is all this about??’

After that.

Kang Woo-jin, who had finished talking with Kara, rejoined the ‘Leech’ filming. On the other hand, Kara and Joseph did not return to the set. They had already enjoyed Kang Woo-jin’s acting beyond satisfaction, and both had achieved their goals. Moreover, the intensifying gazes of the staff were also a problem.

‘Kara, have you finished your business?’

‘Yes. Joseph, how about you? You didn’t even see Woo-jin.’

‘I exchanged a look with him to acknowledge that I came, and there’s no need to have a conversation. I came to confirm it in the first place.’

‘Did you confirm it?’

‘Of course. To the point where I have to completely revise all my plans. How about you, Kara?’

‘Well, now all I have to do is wait for an answer.’

At the same time, the story of ‘Our Table,’ which aired yesterday on the 7th, was circulating on the internet. There was also the issue of the recent second filming, and since it had maintained a 20% viewership rating this time as well, quite a few articles were posted.

But there was also a unique advertisement in this episode of ‘Our Table.’

『Viewers’ expectations rise as Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Seaweed Laver Buckwheat Noodles,’ introduced at the end of ‘Our Table,’ is said to be released on the market soon』

『PPL [Product Placement] even before sales? Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Seaweed Laver Buckwheat Noodles,’ the best menu of ‘Our Table,’ commercialized… Open run reservations by the public?』

This was because the commercialization of Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Seaweed Laver Buckwheat Noodles,’ planned by ‘Nongshim,’ was imminent. Whether it was or not, Kang Woo-jin had no time to pay attention to it. Along with the filming of ‘Leech.’

『Tremendous influence, trailer released on Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel… Next guest is Ryu Jung-min』

Every day was quickly filled with YouTube channels and advertisements. Thanks to that, two days or so passed in no time.

『[MovieIS] Filming of ‘Leech’ begins in earnest, Jeonju area, which has been confirmed as the set, is crowded with reporters』

Around this time.

『’Baeksang Arts Awards’ confirmed for Thursday, March 18th』

The promotion of the ‘Baeksang Arts Awards,’ which is considered the culmination of film festivals and awards ceremonies, began in earnest. Time, place, and the invited actors and works. Numerous articles were derived from the many tidbits, but among them, the one that garnered the most attention was Kang Woo-jin.

『Kang Woo-jin, also invited to this year’s ‘Baeksang Arts Awards,’ how many awards will he add following last year’s 8-award sweep?』

『Kang Woo-jin’s possibilities have widened, including broadcasting and film… What kind of bombshell declaration will he make this time? Netizens are paying attention』

For the first time in a while, various media were filled with issues related to the awards ceremony.

Everyone was running around frantically.

Whether it was the ‘Baeksang Arts Awards’ preparing for live broadcasting, the ‘Leech’ team filming while sacrificing sleep, or Kang Woo-jin, whose frequency of going in and out of subspace had skyrocketed.

A week melted away without anyone noticing.

The second week of August ended, and the third week arrived. The date was the morning of August 17th, the day before the ‘Baeksang Arts Awards.’ Kang Woo-jin was heading to Jeonju as usual. Usually, he would use a hotel, but since he had an additional schedule in Seoul yesterday, he slept at his officetel [A studio apartment].

‘….’

He was looking out the window, wearing his hat pulled down low. Then, out of the blue.

-Swish.

He turned his gaze and checked the things piled up in the seat next to him. There were about three stacks of cup noodles. Unfamiliar cup noodles that he had never seen before. On the lid of the cup noodles, this title was engraved.

-‘Seaweed Laver Buckwheat Noodles’ Cup Noodles

At this time, Choi Sung-gun, who had a ponytail in the passenger seat, asked Jang Su-hwan, who was driving.

‘Su-hwan, did you load all those cup noodles?’

‘Yes! All 30 of them!’

‘Okay, okay. Even if we can’t give them to everyone on set, we should let them taste them.’

He nodded and turned his body to ask Han Ye-jung, who was looking at her phone. No, to be exact, it was like asking all the stylists. Because they were all looking at their phones.

‘How’s the media and on-site reaction? Is it trending?’

Han Ye-jung, whose gaze was still on her phone, answered coldly.

‘The articles haven’t come out yet, but if you check the online communities, they’re starting to get a lot of attention.’

She turned her phone and showed it to Choi Sung-gun. Posts from a community were visible.

-LOLOLOLOLOL I came to the convenience store in front of my house on the opening day to buy Kang Woo-jin’s cup noodles, and is it real that people are lined up????!!!

-Real-time situation of people trying to buy Kang Woo-jin’s Kim-mak cup noodles (Seaweed Laver Buckwheat Noodles).JPG

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At this time, Kang Woo-jin was not paying attention to such things. He was only staring at his own image on the cup noodle lid.

It was natural. What was engraved on the lid was.

‘Ha… so embarrassing.’

Kang Woo-jin, with a nonchalant face, was giving a double thumbs up.

Meanwhile, a scoop had just been released.

『Superstar Miley Kara, who is preparing a new album, will work with a Korean actor on this album』

It was from overseas media, not Korean.