I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 279

The moment Kang Woo-jin first stepped into the hallway of ‘A10 Studio’ in the reading room.

“Kang Woo-jin’s casting has definitely boosted the buzz, but doesn’t it seem like the voice acting industry is being taken a bit lightly?”

Two individuals who appeared to be voice actors were speaking in Japanese. It turned out they were a few steps ahead, constantly gossiping about Kang Woo-jin. Since he was following them slowly, they didn’t notice his presence and continued their chatter. Of course, Kang Woo-jin himself was the one who understood their conversation most clearly.

He subtly narrowed his brows.

‘What the heck? Are they talking behind my back?’

Kang Woo-jin felt a slight surge of anger. Honestly, it wouldn’t be strange to be pissed off in this situation. However, due to his image, he had to remain composed, so he maintained his cynical demeanor. It wasn’t about holding back; it was about seeing how far they would go. Regardless, the Japanese voice actors were enthusiastically discussing Woo-jin. At this point, Han Ye-jeong, with her blue bob and black-tipped hair, who was standing next to Woo-jin, spoke coldly.

“Oppa, I think they’re talking about you. In a bad way.”

Although not a professional, she could understand Japanese to some extent. This news quickly spread to the stylist team. Kang Woo-jin calmed them down.

“I know, let’s just leave it for now.”

The Japanese voice actors made a foolish suggestion when they opened the glass door of the conference room, which seemed to be the reading room.

“How about a bet?”

“What kind of bet?”

“Whether he’ll stumble on his first line or not.”

Kang Woo-jin was waiting for this. Well, it was also the right time to act tough, but even with Woo-jin’s original personality, he wouldn’t back down in this situation. He wouldn’t care if they didn’t touch him, but if they openly provoked him, he couldn’t stand it. So, Woo-jin lowered his voice.

“Alright, let’s bet.”

However, he increased the volume. His low, heavy voice echoed in the reading room. Consequently, dozens of staff members inside, and the Japanese voice actors who had arrived earlier, all turned their heads towards the entrance as if on cue. And the Japanese voice actors who had been gossiping about Kang Woo-jin were startled.

On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin spoke calmly, as if to be heard by everyone.

“Let’s bet on who stumbles more, me, an amateur, or the voice actors, including you two professionals. What do you say?”

The Japanese voice actors’ eyes widened. No, everyone in the reading room did. Thanks to this, the staff of ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ started whispering.

“W-what did Kang Woo-jin just say?”

“I think he said let’s bet.”

“Whether he or the voice actors are better?”

“That’s what I heard too.”

“What is this? Should we stop him?”

The staff already knew that Woo-jin’s reputation among the voice actors wasn’t good. Most of their expressions darkened instantly. Some of the voice actors in the reading room were the same. However, their expressions were more of a frown than darkness. They seemed slightly displeased with Kang Woo-jin’s words.

But Woo-jin didn’t care and kept his eyes on the voice actors in front of him.

“Why are you silent?”

Perhaps because his eyes were so cynical, the voice actors who had been gossiping about Woo-jin froze.

“Huh? W-well, that’s…”

“Are you not going to do it? The bet.”

Of course, Kang Woo-jin didn’t care about that.

“You were talking about me when you came here, weren’t you? What did you say? ‘Today will be tough, Kang Woo-jin is an amateur, so he’ll make a lot of mistakes,’ was it?”

“W-well, that’s…”

“You said other things too, but I don’t remember them well.”

“……”

The Japanese voice actors hesitated and looked around. On the other hand, Woo-jin, with a solemn face, looked at them and then scanned the quiet reading room. Everyone was staring at him. Some staff members even showed signs of trying to stop him. Kang Woo-jin fixed his gaze on the voice actors in front of him again. Under normal circumstances and with so many people watching, he would have settled it appropriately.

“Hmm-”

Woo-jin didn’t stop, true to his ‘my way’ attitude.

“Is this what you call a turf war?”

“……”

“I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t heard it myself, but it’s quite uncomfortable.”

Gradually, the staff and voice actors of ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ realized the situation. Ah, they got caught talking behind his back. More than 80% of them started to panic. Because it wasn’t common in Japan to call someone out so directly like Kang Woo-jin. It was a unique atmosphere of Japan.

So what? Of course, Kang Woo-jin didn’t care about that at all.

‘Do I have to adjust to that? If I’m pissed, I’ll just deal with it then and there.’

Woo-jin spoke coldly again.

“Are you not going to bet?”

Conversely, the voice actors were almost out of their minds. They had never experienced such a situation, so their minds had stopped working.

“……Sorry, I’m sorry.”

“It was a slip of the tongue… I apologize.”

At Kang Woo-jin’s no-nonsense attitude, the shoulders of Han Ye-jeong and others behind him rose. Did you see that? That’s our Kang Woo-jin, kind of feeling. Meanwhile, the staff cautiously approached and began to mediate.

“W-well, Kang Woo-jin, please calm down. We also apologize.”

Kang Woo-jin replied nonchalantly.

“I’m not particularly different from usual.”

“Huh? Ah- yes. Sorry.”

Several staff members and ‘A10 Studio’ planning team employees apologized. Of course, the voice actors in front of Woo-jin did the same. Although Kang Woo-jin had no experience as a voice actor, he was still the male lead of ‘My Best Friend: Remake’. They couldn’t ignore that weight.

After receiving apologies for a while, Woo-jin.

“……”

Without saying anything, he stared at them and then suddenly moved his feet with an indifferent expression. Then, he bowed to the Japanese voice actors who were awkwardly standing and had already taken their seats in the reading room.

“Hello, I’m Kang Woo-jin. Please take care of me today.”

He had to do what he had to do. Kang Woo-jin was also the type who didn’t hold grudges. Soon, the voice actors one by one awkwardly bowed to Woo-jin. Kang Woo-jin had instantly taken control of the strange atmosphere.

Then.

-Swish.

Woo-jin moved calmly, looking at the character sheet placed on the U-shaped desk. His character sheet was, of course, in the first spot.

-Click.

He sat down nonchalantly and opened his script. On the other hand, the Japanese voice actors were busy looking around. Although they didn’t say it, their eyes held similar words.

‘What kind of weirdo is that?’

He seemed angry, then suddenly greeted them politely. And now he was calmly looking at the script. It was enough to make him look like a complete oddball. And the staff of ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ quickly grasped Woo-jin’s personality.

It was a force to be reckoned with.

“Wow- Kang Woo-jin’s presence is insane?”

“I know. During the last meeting, I just thought he was a bit quiet, but seeing him today, his charisma is just…”

“He’s a really rare character in Japan.”

“Look at the voice actors’ expressions, they were just crushed in one go.”

Surprisingly, it was Kang Woo-jin’s team who were satisfied. Among them, Han Ye-jeong, the head stylist, who was sitting on a makeshift chair that wrapped around the U-shaped desk, started the conversation.

“Talking behind his back, huh? This is Kang Woo-jin, you guys.”

‘Kang Woo-jin,’ was a new nickname Woo-jin didn’t know about.

Shortly after.

More people continued to enter the solemn reading room. Famous Japanese voice actors, staff, executives and officials from ‘A10 Studio’, and so on. What started with about 20 people was now over 50, and the rumor spread among the Japanese voice actors who had almost filled the dozens of seats.

“Really? Did Kang Woo-jin really say that?”

“Yes, yes, it’s true. He said he’d bet on who’s better, him, an amateur, or the professional voice actors, and his presence was overwhelming.”

“……It’s true that the voice actors were in the wrong first. But he’s so confident? Does Woo-jin have any voice acting experience?”

“I heard it’s his first time.”

Kang Woo-jin’s no-nonsense declaration spread rapidly. The reactions were mixed. Half of the voice actors were amazed, as if seeing a new species, and the other half were looking at Woo-jin, who was full of confidence, with a strange gaze.

Around this time.

“Hellooo-”

A female voice actor entered the bustling reading room. She was a petite woman with a tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt and loose jeans. Her eyes were quite large, and her snaggletooth was noticeable. She had the kind of beauty that would be popular in Japan.

She was Natsumi Umi, the idol of the Japanese voice acting world, who played the female lead ‘Enma Kyoko’ in ‘My Best Friend: Remake’.

In terms of recognition and popularity, she was top-tier.

“Huh? Why is the atmosphere so heavy??”

Indeed, her voice was also good. It was clear and soft, like an announcer. Because Natsumi Umi was so popular, she was quite arrogant, and as soon as she entered the reading room, she heard the rumors while greeting various voice actors.

“Ehhh- did that really happen?”

Of course, it was about Kang Woo-jin. Natsumi Umi glanced at Woo-jin, who was sitting in the front seat. No one approached Woo-jin. It seemed like a dark energy was emanating from him.

‘Wow, is he crazy? He seems a bit gloomy? No, is he similar to Sengoku Tooru?’

Before coming to this place, Natsumi Umi had heard about Kang Woo-jin several times. He was hot even among her close actor friends. Anyway, this was the first time she had seen him in person.

‘He’s a bit more intense than I imagined??’

Natsumi Umi cleared her throat and walked towards Kang Woo-jin. She had to greet him since she was the female lead, and her curiosity was piqued. She had high self-esteem due to her arrogance. She thought it was easy to become friends with men.

“Ahem, excuse me-”

Men are all the same, right? Natsumi Umi stood next to Woo-jin and smiled with her eyes.

“Hello?”

Woo-jin turned his head at the sound of Japanese and the scent. As soon as Natsumi Umi saw Kang Woo-jin’s face, she exclaimed inwardly.

‘Wow!! A cold beauty!’

On the other hand, Woo-jin looked at Natsumi Umi, but his firm expression didn’t change much.

“Yes, hello.”

His image was strong, but his inner thoughts were the same.

‘Who is she? Ah- a voice actor? Oh, there’s a pretty cute one among the voice actors.’

He wasn’t very moved. To him, Natsumi Umi was just a pretty voice actor? That was all. Kang Woo-jin was already surrounded by actresses with overwhelming beauty. Natsumi Umi, who didn’t know this, suddenly reached out her hand to Woo-jin. Usually, most men would smile and take her hand.

“Kang Woo-jin-nim? You’re very handsome! Nice to meet you, I’m Natsumi Umi, who plays ‘Enma Kyoko’. I hope we can become friends, right?”

Woo-jin slowly stood up from his seat, roughly grabbed Natsumi Umi’s hand, and replied in a low, short voice.

“Nice to meet you.”

Then he sat back down. The whole process took less than 5 seconds. This was not the reaction Natsumi Umi had expected. Slightly flustered, she exclaimed inwardly.

‘This shouldn’t be happening?? Isn’t he a bit, a bit arrogant??!’

She quickly lowered her hand, which was awkwardly hanging in the air, and bit her lower lip.

‘Tch, why is he so cold? What is it? Is he showing off because he’s doing well right now? Fine, I’m more successful in the voice acting world.’

At that moment.

“Woo-jin-nim.”

A middle-aged woman’s voice cut in between them. When they turned around, a woman with a kind face and tied-up dark brown hair was approaching. It was Asami Saya, a famous voice actor who was connected to Kang Woo-jin through the piano. Natsumi Umi was slightly surprised by the appearance of the senior and bowed.

“Oh! Ah, hello, senior!”

Saya smiled and waved her hand.

“Yes, hello.”

Then she immediately approached Kang Woo-jin.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I was really worried about contacting you after the SNS incident, I was worried I might have caused you harm.”

Woo-jin had already stood up.

“No, not at all.”

“That’s a relief. Thanks to you, my daughter is always smiling these days. Thank you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. By the way, do you know? I heard that you’re very popular at school these days. My daughter is always bragging about you.”

“This is the first time I’m hearing that.”

“My daughter sings every day that she hopes you do even better. If you have any difficulties with voice acting, please tell me.”

“Thank you.”

It was a very calm conversation. However, Natsumi Umi, who was watching from the side, was not at peace. Because Woo-jin’s tone of voice was completely different from hers.

‘Why is he so gentle? What’s with the temperature difference? Is, is he perhaps into older women??!’

At that moment.

“Okay, everyone, let’s sit down.”

A man with round glasses, including the executives of ‘A10 Studio’, who was standing at the head of the U-shaped desk, organized the reading room. He was the general director of ‘My Best Friend: Remake’.

“Hello, I’m Sakuichi Mahiro, the director of ‘My Best Friend: Remake’.”

He was a famous director in the animation industry. Thanks to this, all the voice actors, including Woo-jin, Asami Saya, and Natsumi Umi, sat down in their seats. The director continued with the introduction of the voice actors. After introducing dozens of voice actors, including the male lead Kang Woo-jin, the female lead Natsumi Umi, and Asami Saya, the director also introduced the production team and the executives of ‘A10 Studio’.

Finally.

“Then, let’s start the first episode reading lightly, as a warm-up.”

The director at the head of the table sat down, and the animation was played on the large monitor in front. It wasn’t the final version, so there was no opening, OST [Original Sound Track], or title. The content started right away. Dozens of voice actors, including the female lead Natsumi Umi, focused their eyes on the monitor, while also glancing at Kang Woo-jin, who had a calm face.

‘He’ll make a mistake… right?’

‘If he declared a bet like that- he must have practiced a lot, but it’s hard to control the first line.’

‘But he’s not even nervous? Why is he so calm?’

There was a subtle atmosphere of hoping that Kang Woo-jin would make a mistake. Only Asami Saya was worried.

‘I hope he doesn’t feel too much pressure.’

At this time, in ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ on the large monitor, a male character with messy hair and glasses of an ambiguous size appeared. He was getting out of bed. It was the male lead character, Sengoku Tooru. That is, just before his first line was about to come out.

Kang Woo-jin calmly looked at the monitor and opened his mouth without much hesitation.

“Hah… annoying. As expected, silence is the best. No, my room is the best.”

The character’s chaotic mouth and Woo-jin’s voice were perfectly synchronized without any error. Of course. Kang Woo-jin had lived in the world of ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ on that large monitor, and he was now drawing out the imprinted ‘Sengoku Tooru’.

The following lines were also the same.

The rhythm of the character’s lip movements, pauses, emphasis according to emotions and situations, etc., were unbelievably smooth. He didn’t even change his expression. The director sitting at the head of the table was surprised to see Woo-jin.

‘To enter so cleanly from the first line- I’ve never seen that before. But he’s a voice acting beginner??’

Soon, all the eyes of the dozens of voice actors were fixed on Kang Woo-jin. It was a feeling beyond absurdity, a feeling of bewilderment.

Especially.

‘……Huh? Huhhhhh??!’

The female lead Natsumi Umi unknowingly covered her mouth with one hand.

‘No way! He’s so damn good, that, that cold beauty!!’