I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 260

All the cameras focused on Kang Woo-jin. Actors, broadcasters, comedians, directors, and staff members alike, their faces showing surprise, turned to watch him rise from his seat.

Then.

-Clap clap clap clap clap!

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap!

The sound of applause filled the vast hall. Soon, everyone was clapping for Kang Woo-jin. The shock hadn’t worn off, but they had to offer their congratulations. At the same time, murmurs grew louder, mixing with the applause from the audience.

“Wow—I was surprised enough that Kang Woo-jin was nominated for Best Supporting Actor… but he actually won?!”

“I know, right? It was already a big deal that he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Baeksang Awards [a prestigious South Korean awards ceremony] in his first year. But to actually win it…”

“Man… I’m envious. What kind of god is backing Kang Woo-jin? Everything he does is a hit.”

“I really didn’t expect him to win Best Supporting Actor.”

From last year to this year, all the top celebrities in the Korean entertainment industry, known for their recognition and buzz, were present. Even to them, Kang Woo-jin was an anomaly, a groundbreaking one.

“Last year, he swept the Best Newcomer Awards at film festivals and entertainment awards, which was already crazy. But now he’s winning both Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actor at the same time? Has this ever happened before?”

“There have been quite a few cases of simultaneous nominations, right?”

“Not nominations, I’m talking about winning. Has anyone in their second year ever swept the Best Newcomer Awards and then also won Best Supporting Actor?”

“I think Moon So-bin won Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actor at the Blue Dragon Awards [another major South Korean film awards ceremony] in 2002? But for the Baeksang Awards, Kang Woo-jin is the first, as far as I know.”

“…So, it’s been almost 10 years. And Kang Woo-jin is the first to make history at the Baeksang Awards.”

“What kind of crazy momentum is this in his second year since debut?”

It was unprecedented that he had swept the Best Newcomer Awards and various other awards, winning eight awards immediately after his debut, but Kang Woo-jin’s momentum didn’t stop there. This time, he also became the first to win both the Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actor awards simultaneously. It wasn’t entirely unheard of in the entire Korean entertainment industry, but it was a rare occurrence in its decades-long history.

“His career path is so absurd, it’s no wonder most aspiring actors have Kang Woo-jin as their goal. All the trainees at our agency talk about is Kang Woo-jin.”

“It’s ridiculous. They’re only one or two years apart in experience… but Kang Woo-jin is already a lead in big-name productions and has even won Best Supporting Actor.”

The reactions of everyone at the awards ceremony were not unusual at all. If anything, Kang Woo-jin himself was the anomaly. He was causing a cataclysm in the entertainment industry.

Then.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap!

Amidst the thunderous applause, Kang Woo-jin rose from his seat.

-Swish.

He moved towards the stage. Along the way, he was showered with congratulations from the actors he passed, including Hong Hye-yeon and Ryu Jeong-min.

“You’re really something! Woo-jin, you’ve really done it! Congratulations!”

“Hahaha, Woo-jin! Congratulations. You’ve turned things upside down again.”

Even broadcasters and directors who were seeing him for the first time reacted the same way. Everyone had a word for Kang Woo-jin as he passed by. Kang Woo-jin made his way out into the space between the rows of seats.

“……”

From about the middle, the path to the brightly lit stage was clear. Woo-jin moved forward with a calm stride. In front of him, a camera capturing Kang Woo-jin was moving backward. The giant monitors on the stage displayed Kang Woo-jin’s front, side, and back views.

His dignified, firm face stood out.

A strong concept. That was just on the outside; inside, he was a mess. Woo-jin’s heart was pounding for the first time in a while.

‘Whoa! Seriously?! Is this real??! Okay, hold on, hold on! Don’t trip. Stay calm! Kang Woo-jin, stay calm!’

He was in a war of his own. It was intense. But no one knew this. That’s why Kang Woo-jin focused even more on walking. His only goal was the stage. He didn’t see the crowds of actors clapping on either side. Cameras? He’d forgotten about them long ago.

‘Hoo-ah, hoo, I’m so nervous. Why do I feel like I’m going to throw up just because the award changed?? But is it really confirmed that I’m getting the Best Supporting Actor award or whatever?!’

Unlike his slightly arrogant exterior, Kang Woo-jin’s insides were soft and squishy. He wondered if this was real. He was already shocked when he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but when Hwa-rin called his name, Woo-jin almost jumped up with a “Whoa!!”

The funny thing was that even at this moment, misunderstandings were growing in various parts of the awards ceremony.

Hong Hye-yeon and Ryu Jeong-min were genuinely happy.

“Look at Woo-jin’s calm expression. Does he even know what kind of mark he’s making in the Korean entertainment industry right now?”

“He probably does. That’s why he’s so composed. Just by looking at him, you can tell he’s thinking, ‘I expected this much.’”

“…He’s not satisfied.”

“Did you forget what Woo-jin declared at the Blue Dragon Awards? He declared he’d win Best Actor, so Best Supporting Actor is just one step along the way.”

“Ha—it’s ridiculous, really. I never get tired of that character.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok and Director Kwon Gi-taek, sitting side by side, quietly clapped.

“Haha, his declaration at the Blue Dragon Awards is gradually becoming a reality.”

“Are you talking about him saying he’d win Best Actor next year?”

“Yes. How much are the other actors sweating watching this? Look at Woo-jin’s confident face, he’s so unfazed even though he’s made history at the Baeksang Awards. Any actor would be shaken seeing that kind of impact right in front of them.”

Kwon Gi-taek, who looked even more tired and puffy from staying up all night, chuckled as he watched Woo-jin walk towards the stage.

“Hmm—I think he’ll receive that ‘Best Actor’ award somewhere other than Korea, I think.”

Ahn Ga-bok glanced at Director Kwon Gi-taek and slowly nodded.

“I agree, it would be disappointing if he didn’t.”

Around this time.

-Swish.

Kang Woo-jin once again stepped onto the vast stage of the Baeksang Awards. But the atmosphere was completely different from when he received the Best Newcomer Award. Woo-jin’s mental state was also different.

‘I’m almost there, almost there. Just a little more.’

He was using all his energy to maintain his composure due to excessive tension. Kang Woo-jin slowly approached the two actors holding the bouquet and trophy. Kang Woo-jin received the bouquet from the male actor.

“Congratulations, Kang Woo-jin.”

“Thank you.”

The golden trophy was in Hwa-rin’s hand. Hwa-rin, with a faint smile, handed the trophy to Woo-jin. It was quieter than he expected.

“Woo-jin, congratulations from the bottom of my heart. Really.”

“Yes, Hwa-rin. Thank you.”

However, the inner thoughts of these two were completely different from their outward appearances. Especially Hwa-rin, while appearing calm, was internally dancing and jumping with joy. If no one was around, she would have been clapping and doing a crazy dance.

‘Kyaa!! Is this real? Seriously??! Totally awesome! Woo-jin is amazing!! Ha—why am I so happy??! No, it’s right to be happy, isn’t it?!’

Hwa-rin, who somehow managed to suppress her desire to hug Woo-jin, and the male actor stepped back a few paces. It was Kang Woo-jin’s turn to give his acceptance speech.

“Um—”

But Woo-jin didn’t immediately speak into the microphone. He looked down at the Best Supporting Actor trophy in his hand for a moment. What is this? Did I really receive this? Reality felt a bit distant.

Ah, whatever. Let’s just say something.

Kang Woo-jin raised his head with an indifferent expression. But what should he say? How many acceptance speeches had he given? Of course, this time it was the Best Supporting Actor award, which was completely different from the Best Newcomer Award, but it didn’t feel much different to Kang Woo-jin.

He didn’t have anything particular to say.

“Uh—”

This was a crisis. No matter how much he thought, his mind was blank. Still, it was the Best Supporting Actor award, so shouldn’t he say something more than that? Then, an image popped into Woo-jin’s mind. Ah, okay. Let’s do that. Kang Woo-jin, having made his decision, spoke in a low voice.

“Thank you. I think I’ve said a lot before. So, I’ll replace my feelings with a simple gesture.”

Soon, Hwa-rin behind him and the numerous actors in the audience in front of him tilted their heads. Regardless, Kang Woo-jin, with a poker face.

-Thump.

He placed the trophy and bouquet he was holding near his feet. And then.

-Swish.

He suddenly raised both hands and struck a pose that had recently become popular. At the same time, Hwa-rin couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Why? Because the pose Kang Woo-jin was making was exactly the same as the one on the lid of the ‘Kimjaban Makguksu’ [a type of Korean cold noodle dish] cup ramen.

‘Ha—those double thumbs up! So cute!!’

A solemn double thumbs up.

Kang Woo-jin was boldly expressing something he had so vehemently despised. It lasted for about 5 seconds.

In that moment, the vast hall fell silent for a moment.

“……”

“……”

“……”

Who cares? Woo-jin, having given a solemn double thumbs up to the cameras and the nearly thousand audience members, bowed his head, ignoring the rising embarrassment from below.

‘Ugh, damn it.’

Shame washed over him. But Kang Woo-jin somehow neutralized it with his tough act. If you’re shameless, anything can be solved. Then, Kang Woo-jin, holding the bouquet and trophy, silently walked off the stage.

At the same time.

“Pfft!”

“Hehe, that guy’s character is really unique.”

“Hahaha! What’s with the double thumbs up!”

The Baeksang Awards ceremony was filled with laughter.

Afterwards.

The first and second parts of the ‘Baeksang Arts Awards,’ where Kang Woo-jin had caused a sensation, were over. For the record, ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ received the Best Drama Award in the TV category, and ‘Drug Dealer’ received the Grand Prize in the film category. Ryu Jeong-min, Hong Hye-yeon, and other actors close to Kang Woo-jin also won a trophy each.

Of course, Kang Woo-jin was the first and last to win both the Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actor awards simultaneously.

With the Baeksang Awards ceremony over, the exit was done in order since so many people had gathered and needed to leave. Kang Woo-jin was in the middle, so he had to wait a bit, and now he was being showered with camera flashes from the broadcasting team.

Choi Seong-geon, with his ponytail, watched this from the entrance, deeply moved.

“Hehe, that alien! Yeah, I knew you’d get it. If you didn’t get it, who would? You’re amazing, you really are. In all my years in the entertainment industry!”

Several tens of minutes later.

It was Kang Woo-jin and the surrounding actors’ turn to leave. As expected, there were hundreds of reporters gathered at the entrance of the hall where the Baeksang Awards had been held. They were almost half-crazed.

-Flash flash flash!!

They were there for the scoop, as he walked out calmly.

“He’s out!! Kang Woo-jin!!”

“Ah!! Woo-jin!! How do you feel about winning both the Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actor awards!!”

“Agh, don’t push!! Woo-jin!! Strike a pose with the trophy!!”

Questions that were more like screams than shouts. Among them, only one reporter’s shout got a response.

“Woo-jin!! Did you know that this simultaneous win is a first for the Baeksang Awards??! Did you have any inkling that you’d win both awards?!!”

Kang Woo-jin, with an indifferent face, replied.

“I didn’t know, and it’s not particularly important.”

The next morning, Friday the 19th.

It was a little past 10 AM. The location was a tall building in Yangjae. A large rental studio, occupying the 4th and 5th floors, was bustling. The 4th floor was especially chaotic. Dozens of people, who appeared to be members of the filming crew or production company staff, were moving busily.

“30 minutes! 30 minutes left—”

“I think we need more chairs in the waiting room!”

“The PD [Production Director] has arrived!!”

“Guide them to the audition room!”

As soon as you got off the elevator, there were three offices visible along the hallway. All of them were wide open, and there were laminated signs on the glass doors of each office.

Waiting Room 1, Waiting Room 2, Waiting Room 3.

The interiors of the three waiting rooms, which were neither too big nor too small, were all similar. There were only dozens of chairs. There was no sense of any particular decoration. It was clear that the intention was to seat as many people as possible.

Leaving those waiting rooms, at the end of the hallway, was the main space of the rental studio.

The sign on the door read:

-‘Audition Room’

The interior of this place was also simple. A long desk placed at the front based on the entrance, water bottles on top of it, and small cameras set up at the front, middle, and end. That was all. The space in front of the long desk was completely empty. It was at this moment.

-Swish.

A familiar man with a beard entered the audition room. It was PD Song Man-woo, wearing a khaki jacket. He looked around the audition room and nodded.

“Okay—this is good enough.”

At the same time, the assistant directors and other staff members behind PD Song Man-woo breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, PD Song Man-woo sat in the middle of the long desk and let out a long breath.

“Ugh, I’m dying.”

It was the aftermath of the simple dinner party held after the Baeksang Awards ceremony yesterday. On top of that, he looked exhausted from the recent preparations for ‘The Righteous Evil.’ Around this time, people who were not part of his team came in and greeted PD Song Man-woo. About a dozen of them.

“Hello, PD-nim—”

“Oh, you’re here.”

They were staff members from the Netflix Korea Physical Production Team.

The reason was simple.

In about an hour, the first large-scale audition for ‘The Righteous Evil’ was scheduled to begin here.

They had already sent out notices to numerous entertainment agencies and acting academies in the country. They had also posted an official announcement. The industry was in an uproar. The communities and social media of aspiring actors were also turned upside down. It was rare for a blockbuster production to hold an audition of this scale.

It was a huge opportunity for those who dreamed of becoming actors.

Therefore, it was likely that hundreds of unknown or rookie actors would flock to this audition today.

In fact.

-Ding!

Currently, people who were going to audition for ‘The Righteous Evil’ today were coming out of the elevator one after another. About 30 people had already arrived. The five people who had just come out of the elevator were friends from various acting academies, and they all had different charms.

Some were tall like models, some were cute, some had pretty faces, some had muscular bodies, and some had unique looks.

Among them, the muscular man looked tense as he saw the many staff members.

“Hoo-ah—I’m screwed, my heart feels like it’s going to explode already.”

The tall man patted him on the back.

“Do you want to go to the bathroom with me? Let’s go throw up together.”

“Should we?”

“By the way, Kang Woo-jin caused another incident at the Baeksang Awards yesterday, so there are probably even more participants than usual.”

“Ah—winning both Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actor. That was insane.”

“Yeah. He was seriously crazy. But he’s my role model, so he has to do that much.”

“I also prepared Kang Woo-jin’s acting for today. Park Dae-ri.”

“Huh? Are you crazy? You brought that difficult one?”

For reference, the audition method was free acting. At this time, among the five who entered the waiting room, a short woman with a bob cut, who looked like a puppy or was cute, murmured in a low voice.

“Kang Woo-jin is fake.”

“…What?”

The woman had a look that would suit words like lovely or cute, but her tone was slightly eerie.

“He’s fake. I can see it.”

The tall man sighed.

“She’s doing it again. Don’t say weird things about my role model.”

“My mom said so too. That Kang Woo-jin is possessed by an evil spirit. I agree.”

“…What does your mom do?”

“She’s a shaman.”

At this time.

“Okay! Those who have arrived, don’t stand around, please sit down! We’ll hand out the number tags!!”

The large-scale first audition for ‘The Righteous Evil’ was officially underway.

End