I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 281

Around the time news and media outlets all over Korea were buzzing about ‘Island of the Missing’ surpassing 10 million viewers, Kang Woo-jin was still in the reception room of the ‘Kashii Tokyo Hotel,’ where the after-party for ‘Naked Kisaeng’ was taking place.

It was because of a comment Kang Woo-jin had made earlier.

‘I think it’s better to make the situation even bigger, personally.’

The expressions of the big shots gathered in the reception room were unusual. Well, it was only natural. It was like he was fanning the flames of ‘Naked Kisaeng,’ which already seemed like a raging fire. It was a rather surprising statement, but everyone who looked at Woo-jin’s calm face had a similar thought.

‘Yeah, that’s exactly the kind of conclusion that actor would come to.’

Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail, who was sitting next to Kang Woo-jin, chuckled softly.

‘I knew Woo-jin was fearless, but he’s becoming even more reckless as time goes on. Haha, well, I like that part of him.’

Akari, the writer sitting opposite Woo-jin, looked slightly surprised and impressed, her eyes widening.

‘That kind of guts isn’t just a bluff or showmanship. It’s Kang Woo-jin’s true nature, deeply ingrained in his veins. It’s in his bones.’

It was because he was new every time she saw him. He wasn’t afraid of anything. Kang Woo-jin’s vision only looked forward. Although his past was unclear, it was certain that he had come this far after a long and arduous journey.

At least, that was the judgment of the world-class writer Akari.

Then.

“Hmm.”

Chairman Hideki, with white hairs mixed in his eyebrows, stroked his chin as if he found it interesting.

“Guts. No, a certain amount of madness is needed.”

Realistically, based on accumulated data, Woo-jin’s conclusion was something to avoid. Unless you were a madman or a weirdo. But Chairman Hideki liked Kang Woo-jin’s ‘no-backing-down’ proposal.

He crossed his arms and looked at Director Kyotaro on his right. Director Kyotaro, with a serious expression, nodded.

“I agree. Only the strong trees remain in the rough storms and rain, and ‘Naked Kisaeng’ is definitely a strong tree.”

In the heavy atmosphere, Woo-jin, who maintained a stiff face, was slightly flustered inside.

‘Oh, man, the air is so heavy. Honestly, I didn’t think about it that deeply when I said that. But is it going to be accepted??’

But what he had to do now was to keep a firm resolve on his face. Well, there wasn’t much else he could do. For about 10 minutes, the people in the reception room talked, but in the end, Kang Woo-jin’s opinion was confirmed.

“Okay, then let’s put several times more effort into it than planned.”

As soon as the decision was made, the representatives and executives of the distribution and film companies took out their phones and started moving busily. Chairman Hideki looked at Woo-jin and spoke in a rough voice.

“After the editing is done, when ‘Naked Kisaeng’ starts its full promotion schedule, will Mr. Woo-jin join that flow?”

“Yes. We’ve agreed on about a week, including the production presentation and stage greetings.”

“Hmm, okay.”

Chairman Hideki, who had been nodding slowly, suddenly showed a wrinkled smile.

“Oh, that’s right. There was something to celebrate, but I’m late. I heard your lead role movie that was released in Korea is doing well? Congratulations.”

Director Kyotaro and writer Akari chimed in.

“I saw that ‘Island of the Missing’ surpassed 10 million today, congratulations, Mr. Woo-jin.”

“It’s a double celebration. I heard that the film industry in Korea has also declined quite a bit like in Japan, but your first lead role movie has reached 10 million… that’s amazing.”

The people from the film and distribution companies of ‘Naked Kisaeng,’ who were already well-informed, also joined in.

“Looking at the atmosphere, if it goes well at this pace, the throne of the number one movie in Korean history might change.”

“Congratulations, Mr. Woo-jin. I hope ‘Naked Kisaeng’ does well too.”

Woo-jin, who already knew the SSS-grade of ‘Naked Kisaeng,’ was itching to say something, but he just solemnly accepted the greetings.

“Thank you.”

A few minutes later, Kang Woo-jin and Choi Sung-gun left the room first.

“We’ll be going now.”

It was because of Woo-jin’s schedule.

A little later.

Kang Woo-jin and Choi Sung-gun came out of the reception room. They didn’t stop by the ‘Naked Kisaeng’ actors or staff in the hall and went straight to the parking lot.

Because time was quite tight.

As the two of them got into the elevator, Choi Sung-gun, who had just pressed the button, asked Kang Woo-jin, who was looking up at the floor numbers, in a nonchalant tone.

“But Woo-jin, I know your personality, but is there a specific reason why you said to make the situation bigger? Realistically, we don’t really need to throw fuel on the fire, do we?”

‘Even if you ask me so deeply, there’s no particular reason? If I had to pick one, it’s because it felt lame? Like we were running away?’ Kang Woo-jin’s inner thoughts were quite light, but Choi Sung-gun had no way of knowing this.

Additionally.

‘When I went into the subspace, there weren’t any changes either.’

Unknown to anyone, Woo-jin had entered the subspace the moment he left the reception room and checked the grade of ‘Naked Kisaeng.’ The passage was the ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ script in his hand. Anyway, Kang Woo-jin put on a suitably serious act.

“I just had a feeling.”

Soon, Choi Sung-gun, his eyes slightly widened, muttered.

‘…Oh, is it Woo-jin’s crazy intuition again? I can’t ignore that.’

Because his trust in it was stronger than anything else, Choi Sung-gun quickly dismissed his doubts and changed the subject as he got out of the elevator.

“The official dubbing recording for ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ starts at 12:30, so if we head over now, it’ll be perfect.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. By the way, a male lead voice actor for an animation—this is a first for me too.”

“Me too.”

“It’s your first time, but why are you so—no, never mind. It’s not like I’d understand even if I heard it. Anyway, the production manager from ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ called.”

Choi Sung-gun scratched his ponytail and shrugged.

“He said the voice actors’ spirits changed after your reading.”

Meanwhile, in the reception room where Kang Woo-jin had left.

The atmosphere was a bit heavy. Chairman Hideki, as well as Director Kyotaro, were silent, with serious faces, as if lost in thought.

Then.

-Swish.

Chairman Hideki, who was sitting at the head of the table, slowly crossed his legs. After looking at Kang Woo-jin’s empty seat for a moment, Chairman Hideki spoke again in a rough voice.

“…Every industry needs a superstar.”

Soon, everyone in the reception room turned their attention to Chairman Hideki. Among them, writer Akari, who was organizing her bag on the chair, asked back.

“Huh??”

For some reason, Chairman Hideki’s wrinkled smile deepened.

“Corporations, politics, sports, and the entertainment industry. If there’s a star, it not only attracts public attention but also makes things run smoothly in many ways. Money also gathers in the market.”

“Ah-”

“It’s the same for writers, right? Because you, writer Akari, are here, the flow of money goes that way. ‘Naked Kisaeng’ has many top Japanese actors, but Kang Woo-jin will be the one taking the position of the strong tree.”

Akari and Director Kyotaro didn’t particularly answer. It was a silent agreement, and Chairman Hideki recalled Kang Woo-jin’s answer from a little while ago.

“Suddenly saying to make the situation bigger—maybe he’s aiming for a big hit.”

“A big hit?”

“Kang Woo-jin is an icon of declaration. That’s what my research shows. It was the same at film festivals in Korea and at production presentations. It was the same in some places in Japan.”

“……”

“Unless he’s planning to make a big splash this time and draw attention, there’s no need to say to make the situation even bigger. He must be planning something.”

That wasn’t the case. In fact, Kang Woo-jin didn’t have any thoughts when you think about it. But the snowball of misunderstanding had begun to roll. And everyone had confirmed that Kang Woo-jin was an actor who had no backing, even if he became a bullet shield [someone who takes the fall for others].

‘He has a businessman’s mindset—if he wasn’t an actor, I would have grabbed him a long time ago.’

With Chairman Hideki’s inner thoughts as the end.

“I’m looking forward to it, whether it’s at the production presentation or anywhere else, what kind of bomb he’ll drop.”

A bomb that didn’t exist was loaded.

A few hours later, at ‘A10 Studio’ near Tokyo Station.

The excitement of the team members in the van that Kang Woo-jin was riding in was at its peak throughout the journey.

“Wow!! I really didn’t know ‘Island of the Missing’ would be featured on the news!!”

“It hit 10 million in 12 days! It definitely deserved to be featured!!”

“The articles being released are insane!!”

“Hahaha! ‘Naval Battle’ must be sweating bullets right now! Right?!”

“Woo-jin oppa! You must be getting a lot of congratulatory messages right now? Your phone has been ringing like crazy since earlier!”

That was indeed the case. Kang Woo-jin’s phone, who was silently looking out the window, was exploding. Starting with a long message from his parents, there were countless calls from big shots. Of course, Kang Woo-jin was also jumping for joy inside.

‘Hehe, a ten-million actor! Wow—that title is amazing.’

It was a confirmation, not just a possibility. Well, ‘Island of the Missing’ was always noisy, but it seemed like today’s news coverage was the trigger. But Woo-jin, with his strong concept, couldn’t act rashly.

Moreover.

‘Hoo—first, calm down. I have to do the dubbing too.’

The official recording for ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ was just around the corner. It would be a disaster if he made a mistake because he was caught up in the mood. Thanks to that, Woo-jin calmed his heart. It was difficult, but he had accumulated experience, so he could manage somehow.

Then.

-Thud!

Kang Woo-jin, Choi Sung-gun, and the team got out of the van parked in the parking lot. As they entered the huge ‘A10 Studio,’ several visitors and staff in the lobby glanced at Woo-jin.

“It’s Kang Woo-jin, Kang Woo-jin. They said he looks several times better in person, and it’s true. Wow—he’s got a real presence.”

“I heard they’re finally starting the dubbing for ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ today.”

“I heard it’s Kang Woo-jin’s first time as a voice actor? Is he going to be okay?”

“I heard from rumors that Kang Woo-jin did so well during the ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ reading that the other voice actors were sweating bullets.”

“Ehh—really?”

The murmuring in Japanese was a bonus.

“Following ‘Naked Kisaeng,’ now ‘My Best Friend: Remake’—is this the first time a Korean actor has played so many male leads in Japan?”

“That’s why the media and the entertainment industry are paying attention. Well, it’s understandable for movies since he’s an actor, but I didn’t know he’d even do anime voice acting…”

“I’m curious about the results of both works.”

Of course, Kang Woo-jin.

‘I can hear everything, you guys.’

He could roughly hear the content, but he ignored it, and soon the staff from ‘My Best Friend: Remake,’ who had come out to greet him, welcomed Kang Woo-jin. After exchanging brief greetings with them, Kang Woo-jin was guided to the studio where the big event would take place.

In between, Woo-jin felt a slight tremor.

‘I can’t believe I’m going to be a voice actor, but what does the dubbing studio look like??’

This was also his first experience. Whatever it was, the studio where the official dubbing of ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ would take place was located on the top floor. There were many other studios on the same floor. It seemed like a floor specializing in recording and such.

Soon.

“This is it, Mr. Kang Woo-jin.”

The staff opened the thick door of the studio. Soon, the recording studio unfolded before Woo-jin’s indifferent eyes. It was so big that his mouth dropped open.

‘Crazy, it’s huge?’

In front of the vast recording booth, there was a huge monitor and several microphones lined up in a row. Inside the booth, there were many audio-related devices and simple chairs set up. Beyond the glass wall was a workspace for the director and other staff. There were also several monitors. Behind that, there were sofas and chairs for people to wait.

It was similar to a music recording studio but different.

First, Kang Woo-jin was surprised by the magnificent size.

‘Wow—so this is where anime dubbing is done. The scale is insane.’

In the studio, the general director of ‘My Best Friend: Remake,’ the female team leader of the planning team, and more than a dozen other staff members were gathered. When Kang Woo-jin appeared, they gathered in front of the booth and quickly approached Woo-jin.

“Mr. Woo-jin, you’re here?”

“Welcome, how are you feeling?”

After roughly answering several questions, Woo-jin looked inside the booth. Although he wasn’t late, more than half of the voice actors for ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ had already arrived in the booth. Among them were Asami Saya and Natsumi Umi, who played the female lead with her prominent snaggletooth.

When Kang Woo-jin appeared, tension filled the faces of all the voice actors.

‘…He’s here.’

‘He’s here, that cold beauty! But why is he so relaxed??’

‘I have to minimize mistakes today, I can’t show my face if I’m worse than that guy.’

‘Hoo—why… is an actor with voice actors. No, why is he better than the voice actors?’

‘Well, the script reading and the official recording are a bit different—maybe he’ll make a mistake.’

The shock of the script reading was still vivid in their memories. They were tightening their lower abdomens [bracing themselves]. On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin understood the voice actors’ firm expressions in a different way.

‘Ah—it’s kind of scary. Is it because it’s the official dubbing, so they’re sensitive? It seems like it’ll be a solemn atmosphere.’

If so, I should make my concept even stronger. Kang Woo-jin, who also felt cold, entered the large booth and greeted the voice actors in a low voice.

“Hello.”

The voice actors also greeted him in a fluster, but their firm expressions didn’t loosen. But only one of the voice actors, Asami Saya, who had a deep connection with Kang Woo-jin, showed a kind smile.

“Mr. Woo-jin, I saw the good news from Korea. Congratulations. My daughter was whining so much because she wanted to see that movie.”

“Thank you, Asami Saya-nim.”

“I asked the team for permission, and my daughter is coming with her dad a little later, can you sign the poster for that movie ‘Island of the Missing’? I don’t know where she got it, but she really…”

What’s so difficult about that? Woo-jin replied in a low but soft tone.

“Yes, it’s no problem.”

“My daughter has been obsessed with the military lately because Mr. Woo-jin wore a military uniform in ‘Island of the Missing.’”

About 30 minutes later, all the voice actors of ‘My Best Friend: Remake,’ including Kang Woo-jin, had arrived. Everyone put on headphones and stood in front of their respective microphones in the booth. The director outside the booth spoke to them.

“Let’s start with the rehearsal for episode 1, as you all heard, the goal for today is up to episode 5.”

He gestured to the staff operating the equipment. Soon, episode 1 of ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ began to play on the large monitor installed in the booth.

The voice actors, wearing headphones and holding scripts in their hands, all stared at the monitor.

But Kang Woo-jin didn’t need to do that.

“……”

At the same time as he brought up the male lead ‘Sengoku Tooru,’ his surroundings changed from the booth to the animation world of ‘My Best Friend: Remake.’

Then.

“Hi—Cue.”

The director’s signal.

At the same time.

-Swish.

A girl in a wheelchair with the ‘Island of the Missing’ poster on her lap, visible near the entrance. No, Asami Yusako slightly opened her mouth as she looked at Kang Woo-jin in the booth.

“W, wow—Woo-jin-nim is r-really good.”

The official dubbing recording of ‘My Best Friend: Remake’ had begun.

End