I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 283

Kang Woo-jin finished his long schedules for ‘Strange Lady’ and ‘My Guy Friend: Remake.’ He arrived in Korea from Japan early in the morning of the 4th, today.

Despite that, dozens of reporters and hundreds of fans flocked to the airport.

『[Star Photo] Kang Woo-jin Appears at Airport After Finishing Japan Schedule/Photo』

『Kang Woo-jin, Relaxed Hand Wave to the Crowd of Reporters and Hundreds of Fans/Photo』

Because more people than expected gathered, Kang Woo-jin, who had initially planned a brief interview, had to quickly leave the airport. Thus, the return shot of Kang Woo-jin, who had returned in triumph and single-handedly turned Japan upside down, was just a simple wave of his hand.

However, the articles about his return to Korea were endlessly generated.

In fact, there had been quite a few teasers since yesterday, but it became more intense when Woo-jin actually arrived in Korea. In addition, the media and public opinion began to explosively mention numerous issues and works related to him again.

『‘Kang Woo-jin’s Return,’ Will it Boost ‘Island of the Missing’ Approaching 13 Million?』

『[Planning] ‘Kang Woo-jin’ Finishes Filming ‘Strange Lady,’ Now It’s Time for ‘Leech’ and ‘Beneficial Evil’?』

It was indeed a splendid homecoming worthy of the king of buzz.

There was plenty of material to cover.

-lololol I was wondering why there were so many Kang Woo-jin articles this morning, turns out he’s back lololol

-Makes sense, he’s single-handedly promoting national prestige and carrying hard

-↑Agreed, I live in Japan and Kang Woo-jin is super popular with Japanese women…. When you ask their ideal type, they all say cold-looking handsome guys, smh……

Not only in Korea but also in Japan.

-But did Kang Woo-jin finish the dubbing for the voice acting?

-yup, he finished it. The female lead is Natsumi Umi… I’m so jealous…

-Why are you mentioning that nobody? lololol Just skimming through ‘Strange Lady’ shows there are tons of top Japanese actresses lololol

-Go check Kang Woo-jin’s Instagram lololol He had a fan signing before returning to Korea, and it was completely packed with thousands of seats

Even when Woo-jin was not in Korea, he was consistently covered, but when he returned to Korea, everything was connected and amplified several times.

Because he was an actor with top-tier influence, whose stories sold well and drove clicks, new videos related to Woo-jin proliferated exponentially on various media such as radio and video platforms including YouTube. This rapidly changing domestic situation was also being reported in detail to ‘BOX Movies,’ the film company behind ‘Naval Battle.’

The presentation was given by a team leader, and the audience included directors and executives.

『[Issue Pick] ‘Island of the Missing’ Nearing All-Time #1, Kang Woo-jin’s Return Around the Time of the Second Half Promotion, His Name Already Fills Various Online Communities/Photo』

The faces of the executives, which had gradually become hopeful, rapidly darkened. However, the team leader in charge of the presentation did not stop the briefing.

“As you can see, as soon as Kang Woo-jin returned, the media and public opinion are buzzing, and ‘Island of the Missing’ is being mentioned more frequently than before.”

“······Hmm.”

“As you know, Kang Woo-jin went to Japan before ‘Island of the Missing’ was released, and he has not participated in any formal promotional schedules. But just his return alone… this is the kind of trend we’re seeing.”

The team leader in charge of the presentation sighed softly but delivered the conclusion to everyone. There was a hint of resignation.

“······I think it’s wise to prepare ourselves mentally.”

At the same time, in Cheongdam-dong [a wealthy neighborhood in Seoul].

Kang Woo-jin, who had returned to Korea, had just arrived at the salon. In fact, Choi Sung-gun had told him to rest for the day, but Kang Woo-jin shook his head.

‘Well, I’m pretty energetic.’

It was an answer with a bit of bravado, but it was also Woo-jin’s true feeling. It would be nice to rest for a day, but there was work piled up anyway, and he figured it would be more stressful if it all came crashing down later. For reference, Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail, had parted ways with Woo-jin along the way.

No, he had to stay away from Kang Woo-jin for at least a few days.

Choi Sung-gun was in a position where he couldn’t neglect the rising workload of BW Entertainment. Moreover, several things had been added recently. For example, the overseas branch-related matters of BW Entertainment in Japan and Hollywood.

Anyway, the salon was in an uproar with Woo-jin’s appearance.

“Wow- Kang Woo-jin!”

“Huh? Is this your first time seeing Woo-jin?”

“Yes! I’ve only heard he was coming, but this is my first time seeing him!”

“He looks much better in person, right?”

“Totally, like 100 times better.”

From the salon’s designers to the staff, everyone was busy looking at Kang Woo-jin. It was a place he frequented, but Woo-jin’s influence had grown quite a bit in the meantime. Whatever the case, Woo-jin, who was sitting in his usual spot at the salon after a long time, looked at the mirror in front of him.

-Swish.

Neat black hair, a simple short-sleeved shirt and jeans. Of course, his face was full of cynicism, but his insides were quite heated.

‘Ah- it’s good to be in Korea. It feels comfortable, comfortable.’

It was because he had returned to his hometown. Even though he had to take many international flights and was mistaken for an overseas Korean, his core was still a native Korean.

At that moment.

-Swish.

Jang Su-hwan, a large man, entered behind Woo-jin.

“Hyung-nim [a respectful term for older brother or male friend].”

He had recently been promoted from road manager to schedule manager. Of course, Choi Sung-gun handled the overall management, but Jang Su-hwan also took charge from time to time. He unfolded a tiny diary, compared to his size, and briefed Woo-jin.

“But are you really okay? You could rest for a day-”

Woo-jin replied indifferently in a low tone.

“There’s no problem. I’m fine, so tell me.”

“Hah, you’re amazing, really. Then I’ll tell you right away. Today is also extremely packed. First, there are two interviews, and then…”

Jang Su-hwan recited today’s and tomorrow’s schedules. But there was no end to it. For a moment, Kang Woo-jin wondered if he had made a mistake. After the scheduled interviews, there were simple communication-related shoots and meetings, such as photoshoots for Kang Woo-jin’s SNS, and a return greeting for the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel. In the afternoon, he was to meet with the ‘Island of the Missing’ team for the delayed second half promotional video shoot.

‘Ugh- crazy. It’s confirmed I’ll be leaving work after 11 PM.’

Still, it was better than not finishing until dawn. Woo-jin decided to think positively.

‘What’s the point of delaying things that need to be done anyway? Just do it.’

Then, Jang Su-hwan flipped a page in his diary and recited tomorrow’s schedule.

“Tomorrow- in the morning, there’s a second ad meeting with Nongshim regarding ‘Kim Jaban Buckwheat Noodles,’ and around noon, you’ll be returning to the filming of ‘Leech.’”

The key for tomorrow was the return to filming for the movie ‘Leech.’

‘I think filming is about 70% done?’

Soon, Jang Su-hwan, who had closed his diary, smiled wryly.

“And Hyung-nim, should we eat before the schedule? What would you like to eat?”

Kang Woo-jin replied with a serious face. It was an answer mixed with deep sincerity.

“Seafood ramen and tuna kimbap [Korean seaweed rice roll].”

After that, Kang Woo-jin left the salon and was immediately put into his schedule after eating. From interviews with media outlets that included the promotion of ‘Island of the Missing’ to various shoots.

Time melted away so quickly that he didn’t even know how it passed.

Thus, in the blink of an eye, Woo-jin had arrived home. It was past midnight.

“Wow- seriously, it’s been so long since I’ve been home.”

Thanks to the active use of his subspace, he appeared like an iron man to others, but he was still tired. Kang Woo-jin quickly finished showering and immediately threw himself onto the bed.

-♬♪

The next day, Woo-jin’s phone alarm rang at 7 AM. But to Kang Woo-jin, who had groggily opened his eyes, it felt like 7 minutes.

“Ughhhhhh-”

He was lamenting in pain, his concept persona gone. Naturally, Kang Woo-jin entered his subspace. And plopped down.

“Ha, seriously, subspace is the best. I love it.”

Since time was meaningless in subspace, Woo-jin, who had been lazing around without a thought, barely returned to reality.

Soon, Kang Woo-jin.

“Director! Kang Woo-jin has arrived!!”

Reached the comprehensive set site in Jeonju [a city in South Korea]. No, to be precise, it was the large set of ‘Leech.’ Soon, about a hundred staff members welcomed Woo-jin, and Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had aged even more, gave Kang Woo-jin a wrinkled smile.

“You’ve come, you must have had a hard time, but I’m going to make you suffer again.”

“No problem.”

Kang Woo-jin returned to the second half of filming for ‘Leech.’

Meanwhile.

With Kang Woo-jin’s triumphant return, ‘Island of the Missing’ was gaining momentum again, but the people involved with ‘Island of the Missing’ were not satisfied and increased their activity speed. Around the time Woo-jin returned to filming for ‘Leech,’ actors other than Ryu Jung-min and Director Kwon Ki-taek added more fuel to the promotion.

Meaning they appeared on various programs.

For example, Ryu Jung-min.

He, one of the main actors of ‘Island of the Missing,’ appeared on various entertainment shows that introduced and explored movies.

“Ah- yes, that scene was the highlight.”

“Even though I’ve already seen the movie, I still get goosebumps.”

“But Jung-min, what was the most difficult thing about filming ‘Island of the Missing’?”

“Difficult? Well? It was mostly fun, but the overseas location filming was a bit tough.”

“Ah, did you film in Vietnam this time?”

“Da Nang. It was really hot, humid, and there were a lot of bugs.”

“Ugh, just hearing it… I really can’t stand bugs. Then what was the most memorable? Still Da Nang?”

“No. Honestly, I remember Kang Woo-jin’s acting the most. It feels a bit different seeing it on screen versus seeing it in real life.”

He was enthusiastically promoting the movie along with memories.

“Oh, right! Should we talk about Woo-jin, who has returned? His acting was amazing. Seriously, his portrayal of a dual personality was incredible.”

“What gave me goosebumps while watching the movie was that- in ‘Island of the Missing,’ Woo-jin’s acting shows two tendencies, right? But as it goes on, you see the callousness, and I thought he was an amazing actor.”

“What is callousness?”

“It’s one of the diagnostic criteria for psychopaths. A cold and indifferent reaction, not exaggerating or restraining their anger or cruelty. They look at people but have no interest in their eyes, they don’t recognize them as people or don’t care about them.”

“Oh- now that I hear it, it’s true.”

“I don’t know if he studied it, but throughout the movie, Woo-jin just looked like that kind of person.”

The other main actors, Ha Yu-ra and Kim Yi-won, were the same. They appeared on YouTube and various programs, putting their efforts into the mid-section promotion. Of course, Director Kwon Ki-taek didn’t rest either. Thanks to that, not only did word-of-mouth spread rapidly, but there were also viewers who watched ‘Island of the Missing’ multiple times.

Thus, several new competing movies announced their release.

『Kang Woo-jin’s Return Effect? ‘Island of the Missing’ Firmly Maintains ‘#1 in Ticket Sales’ Again This Week』

The firm ‘#1 in Ticket Sales’ of ‘Island of the Missing’ remained unshaken.

Early morning of the 6th, BW Entertainment.

It was around 8 AM. It wasn’t yet the start of work hours, but the main conference room of BW Entertainment was quite crowded. Team leaders from each team and some staff members were busy setting up for the meeting. About a dozen people.

“Are there any assigned seats for the actors??”

“Huh? No, no. Just seat them in a zigzag pattern.”

“Yes!”

Snacks and water bottles were placed on the tables, transparent files were set up at each seat, and the PPT was being tested. Today, this meeting was scheduled to be attended by CEO Choi Sung-gun, as well as all of BW Entertainment’s flagship actors. Kang Woo-jin was a given, as well as Hong Hye-yeon and Ryu Jung-min, etc.

It was a simple meeting aimed at the second half of the year.

The purpose was to share and review things with each other.

At that moment.

-Swish.

Kang Woo-jin, whose attire was simpler due to the warmer weather, and whose cynical expression was even more prominent today, appeared in the conference room. At his appearance, the faces of the team leaders from each team broke into smiles.

“Oh my- Woo-jin, you’re here early!”

“You can sit over here!”

“Hahaha, you know that most of today’s agenda is about you, right??”

Woo-jin, who had greeted them appropriately, sat in the seat right next to the head of the table. Then, with a firm face, he glanced at the front.

‘Snacks, should I just have a little taste?’

Just as Kang Woo-jin was about to move his hand silently.

“Hello-”

A woman’s voice echoed throughout the conference room. Looking towards the entrance, Hong Hye-yeon, wearing a white hat pulled low over her long hair and a tight-fitting beige short-sleeved shirt, was waving to the team leaders. For some reason, a stack of papers was visible on one side of her waist. Hong Hye-yeon, who was greeting the team leaders, turned her gaze to the front. She saw Kang Woo-jin looking at her calmly.

‘He came early, did he lose some weight?’

Hong Hye-yeon, who was muttering to herself, approached Kang Woo-jin and pulled out the chair to his immediate right. At the same time, she spoke to Kang Woo-jin somewhat curtly.

“You’re alive? I hadn’t heard from you, so I thought your life was in danger.”

Kang Woo-jin, who had suppressed the urge to comment on the nice scent, replied in a low and serious tone.

“I’m still going strong.”

“I only found out you came to Korea a few days ago from the news. You do carry your phone, right?”

“Yes, here.”

“······No. I’m not asking you to show it to me- ha, never mind. More than that, you look like you’ve lost some weight?”

“Yes, a little.”

“You’re already in a schedule hell, if you collapse, it’s all going to stop, you know? I know you don’t run out of battery, but still, eat well, okay?”

Hong Hye-yeon, who had suddenly been nagging Woo-jin, took off her white hat. Thanks to that, there was a rustling sound from her long hair, and Hong Hye-yeon looked down at the stack of papers she had brought and cleared her throat.

“Ahem! So- you know, could you take a quick look at this scenario? I like it, but I was wondering what you think. In the past… it seemed like you could feel something just by looking at the title.”

Hong Hye-yeon was also one of the believers of the ‘Kang Totem.’ Then, Kang Woo-jin said calmly.

“Is it your next project?”

“It’s not confirmed, I’m just looking at the ones that came in. I want to do a movie instead of a drama next. Something that I can take a little lightly. Ah- but if it’s too much trouble, I’ll just figure it out.”

“Give it to me.”

Kang Woo-jin cynically took the stack of papers. However, inside, he was smiling wryly.

‘If it’s a request from Hong Hye-yeon, then anything is possible.’

Soon, Kang Woo-jin pretended to unfold the scenario and secretly raised his index finger. Of course, he was poking the black square attached to the scenario. In an instant, he entered his subspace.

At the same time, he released his concept persona.

“Since I’m here, it’s good to rest a bit.”

Well, reading through the scenarios one by one might be a bit cumbersome, but since he only had to roughly check the grade of the subspace, it wasn’t particularly difficult. It was also easy to brush off the ‘Kang Totem’ and crazy intuition as a delusion.

“Let’s see-”

Woo-jin, who had moved in front of the listed white squares, checked the scenario that had just been listed.

-[11/Scenario (Title: Stopped by France), Grade B+]

-[*This is a very high-quality movie scenario. 100% reading is possible.]

It was hard to grasp the content just by looking at the title. A rom-com? Whatever it was, what Woo-jin checked was the grade.

‘Grade B+? Ah, it’s a bit disappointing.’

No, is this good enough? Lately, he had been seeing so many S-grade or higher, that Kang Woo-jin’s senses had become a bit dulled. Works of S-grade or higher were very rare in the first place. In fact, a few weeks ago, when Woo-jin had some time left, he had tried checking dozens of scripts and scenarios that had poured down on him like a waterfall in his subspace.

The result?

‘All of them were C or below. There was only one that was B.’

In other words, works from B to A grade could be considered quite decent. No, in today’s entertainment market, they were top-tier. ‘Frozen Romance,’ which ended with a 10% viewership rating, was a B+.

“Well, if it’s B+, it’s worth doing. Should I say it’s okay?”

Woo-jin, who was stroking his chin and muttering, habitually touched the ‘work.’ The phrases that were quickly output changed.

-[You have selected 11/Scenario (Title: Stopped by France).]

-[Lists the characters that can be read (experienced).]

-[A: Kim Sung-jin, B: Choi Gun, C: Dominique Debuze······]

Kang Woo-jin paused for a moment.

“Dominique Debuze? Wait a minute, this- this name is really unique?”

With a small smile for some reason at the unusual name, Woo-jin moved his index finger without hesitation. He had tapped ‘Dominique Debuze.’

And.

[“······”]

A robotic female voice echoed in the momentarily silent subspace.

[“A new language other than the basic language is detected. ‘French’ will be acquired first.”]

Kang Woo-jin’s smile deepened even more.

[“Preparing for ‘French’ reading······”]

[“······Preparation complete. Starting ‘French’ reading.”]

Just before the gray covered him, a smiling Kang Woo-jin muttered softly.

“Nice.”