I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 290

Night. Director Ahn Ga-bok’s aged voice echoed through the ‘Leech’ set via a megaphone.

“Cut, okay!”

Immediately, the hundred or so staff members surrounding the set erupted in thunderous applause.

-Clap clap clap clap clap!

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap!

Most of them shouted with relief.

“Phew! Finally!!”

“Whoa!! It’s over!!”

“You all worked so hard!”

“Thank you for your hard work! Thank you for your hard work!!”

“You’ve all done a great job!!”

The cheers of the hundred or so staff members made the entire studio shake.

Of course, actors like Shim Han-ho and Oh Hee-ryung, who had been waiting, also smiled and joined in the cheers. Kang Woo-jin and Jin Jae-joon, who were inside the set, did the same. They all bowed their heads in a flurry of greetings, and the press photographers captured the scene. The making-of team was also busy. The faces of the staff members, who were jumping up and down or doing shoulder dances, were filled with emotions like joy, thrill, happiness, and elation.

It was an understandable moment.

Because all filming for ‘Leech’ had just finished. Meanwhile, Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had been staring blankly at the half-crazed staff, leaned back deeply in his chair in front of the monitor and let out a long sigh.

“Now, we’ve gotten over one hurdle.”

At that moment.

“Director.”

Kang Woo-jin, having navigated through the excited staff, greeted Director Ahn Ga-bok. His poker face was as strong as ever.

“You’ve worked hard. I need to leave first, so I came to say goodbye.”

Woo-jin had one more schedule related to his ‘Kang Woo-jin persona’. Director Ahn Ga-bok extended his wrinkled hand to Kang Woo-jin.

“It’s not completely over yet, but yes. You’ve worked hard too, Woo-jin. And…”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, holding up his other hand, gave a thumbs up.

“That last scene was amazing.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s a shame. There’s a wrap-up dinner, and you could rest a bit.”

After a brief conversation, Director Ahn Ga-bok patted Woo-jin’s shoulder. Kang Woo-jin, after greeting the hundred or so staff members, also said his goodbyes to the actors. Soon, only Woo-jin and his team began to leave the set of ‘Leech’.

Grand actor Shim Han-ho was quietly watching Kang Woo-jin’s retreating figure.

“…”

He was clearly recalling the last scene that Woo-jin had shown.

‘Is he so relaxed that he’s thinking about directing instead of just analyzing the script? He’s getting scarier and scarier.’

At that moment, a woman’s voice cut into Shim Han-ho’s thoughts. It was Oh Hee-ryung, with her elegant smile.

“What are you looking at so intently? You’re spacing out, senior?”

“Huh? Ah. It’s nothing.”

Oh Hee-ryung, following Shim Han-ho’s gaze as he shook his head, saw Kang Woo-jin moving away. Oh Hee-ryung, with a knowing look, crossed her arms.

“That last cut was really chilling, wasn’t it? What did you think, senior?”

“…It was ingenious. An old man like me couldn’t even think of it.”

“Don’t say that. You have your own style and charisma, senior. It’s just a different kind of thing.”

“It wouldn’t be strange to say it’s on a different level.”

“What? You’re not usually like that, senior.”

“I’m just saying that Korea is too small for that guy.”

Oh Hee-ryung, with an ‘aha’ response, looked again at Kang Woo-jin, who was moving away.

“Anyway, Woo-jin’s last scene was really—how should I put it—it was like ‘Park Ha-sung’ from the story came out into reality and was running around.”

She chuckled.

“The character is playing in reality, so it’s bound to be on a different level.”

Several tens of minutes later, inside Kang Woo-jin’s van.

Kang Woo-jin’s van was speeding along the highway. It had been about 30 minutes since Woo-jin had left the set.

-Vroom!

While the large van roared along, the inside of the van was boisterous. Woo-jin’s team members were celebrating. On the other hand, the main character, Kang Woo-jin…

“…”

Kang Woo-jin didn’t really open his mouth. He wanted to join in right away, but he just looked at his phone with a firm expression. There was no sign of relaxation on the internet that Kang Woo-jin was looking at.

‘Wow—damn! This side is also a mess, a mess.’

Several news bombs were being dropped. News related to him was the most visible.

『[Issue Pick] ‘The Righteous Evil’ Officially Announces Casting, But Why Are There So Many Unknown and New Faces?』

First, ‘The Righteous Evil’, which officially announced its cast this morning, flooded the news as a major issue. The initial source was Netflix and DM Production of ‘The Righteous Evil’, but now, reporters who had picked up the bait were frantically copying and pasting similar articles.

『’The Righteous Evil’, the Anticipated Work of ‘Kang Woo-jin’ Who Made Film History, Public Opinion Shakes Heads at Casting』

‘The Righteous Evil’ had already attracted attention with big names like PD [Production Director] Song Man-woo and Kang Woo-jin when it was officially announced for production. Its recognition had skyrocketed due to the issue of targeting the global market through Netflix, not a domestic broadcasting station.

Therefore, the media’s fervor was not unusual.

What the media questioned the most in this confirmed casting board of ‘The Righteous Evil’ was the large number of unknown and new actors. It had not yet been revealed what roles the cast members, from leads to supporting and minor roles, would play, but the number was quite large compared to ordinary productions.

Therefore, many speculations were rampant.

Were they abandoning the domestic market to target the world? Were they short on funds because they put too much effort into the sets and directing? Were they trying to achieve another challenge? ‘The Righteous Evil’ was a pre-produced work. There was a lack of information. Usually, pre-productions have a lot of buzz, but there are many confidential matters.

Kang Woo-jin muttered inwardly while scanning through numerous articles.

‘They’re spouting all sorts of nonsense. Isn’t it complete bullshit to say they’re saving money by grabbing unknowns because they’re targeting overseas??’

It was absurd, but he wasn’t that annoyed. Woo-jin had gotten used to seeing it to some extent. It wasn’t like there were no high-profile stars at all. There were top-tier and A-list actors in each episode, such as Hwa-rin, who had a deep connection with Kang Woo-jin, and Ha Kang-soo, who had worked with him on ‘Our Table’.

However, it was undeniable that the casting board was contrary to the media’s expectations.

They probably thought that if it was PD Song Man-woo, who had produced numerous hits and had just left a legend with ‘Profiler Han-ryang’, top stars would line up. And didn’t they say they were targeting the world? Considering the conditions and big names, the current situation with many unknowns and new faces was a bit lukewarm. This was not only the case with the media but also with various YouTubers who moved at the scent of a trending topic.

Woo-jin checked the public’s reactions with an indifferent face.

-The Righteous Evil cast a lot more newbies than I thought lololol I saw in the article that it’s because they don’t have money, is that true??

-No matter who’s cast, if Kang Woo-jin is the main, I’ll trust it!!!

-PD Song using a lot of unknown and new faces in the work is probably because he’s genuinely targeting overseas~ He probably looked at acting or the actors’ masks rather than popularity lololol

-↑Yeah lololol Even if you’re a top actor in our country, you’re only for domestic use lololol For foreigners, it’s all the same

-Still, the cast is pretty flashy

-….Ah, I’m starting to get excited….It feels like something big is coming, not something small….

-Kang Woo-jin lololol He’s now established himself as a real box office draw lololol He does well in everything lololol This Missing Island too

-Trustworthy actor!! Kang Woo-jin!!!

-I can’t guess what the content will be? What role will Kang Woo-jin play this time?

·

·

·

The public’s reaction was not as bad as he thought. After looking at ‘The Righteous Evil’ related content for a while, Woo-jin’s finger moved again.

-Swish.

This time, he changed the topic of his search.

It was ‘Missing Island’.

[Korea’s All-Time Box Office]

[All-Time Movie Rankings (Integrated)]

-1. Missing Island / Cumulative Audience: 18,872,537

In the second half of its release, although its momentum had clearly waned compared to the beginning and its reservation rate had also fallen, ‘Missing Island’ had already set an unprecedented record in Korea.

Nearly 19 million.

It was highly likely that it would stagnate in this state or increase a little more, but that didn’t matter anymore. The ‘Missing Island’ side was slowly preparing for secondary distribution.

Whatever the case, ‘Missing Island’ had overturned the landscape of the Korean film industry.

『[Star Issue] From Debut to Now, ‘Kang Woo-jin’ Has Received Numerous Accolades in 2 Years···Leaving Unique Achievements in the Korean Actor Scene』

Kang Woo-jin had established a new chapter in the history of the Korean actor scene.

The next day, the 25th. Jinju.

The time was past noon. Around this time, the porridge shop near the Jinju Bus Terminal, which had recently absorbed the empty store next door and doubled in size, was full of customers. It was the shop of Kang Woo-jin’s parents, Seo Hyun-mi and Kang Woo-cheol.

“Wow—is this it? There are so many people.”

“Oh, my god. Is it real that there’s a line for a porridge shop? Is there even a wait?!”

“More than a popular restaurant—it’s probably the Kang Woo-jin effect??”

“Of course, but that porridge shop itself has a lot of events, right? Like giving out free food at lunch and giving it to kindergartens or underprivileged children in the area for free.”

“Kang Woo-jin’s parents are so cool?”

Like the two women talking while looking at the porridge shop crowded with customers from a distance, Kang Woo-jin’s parents’ porridge shop had already become a tourist attraction in this area. It had become a must-visit course for people living in Jinju and people coming from afar. It was also a hot spot on Instagram.

“Look at that person, they’re filming something with their phone. Are they a YouTuber?”

As expected, YouTubers and streamers who did internet broadcasts for views often appeared. And that’s not all? Reporters also showed up frequently.

“I don’t think I can eat the porridge??”

“Ah! Over there! The place with the Kang Woo-jin standee is the place I saw on Instagram! The photo spot!”

“Then should we just take pictures and leave?”

If about 100 people came, half of them would just take pictures and leave, but the other half would line up to enter the porridge shop. Most of them were curious, but there were also many customers full of fan spirit. Various associations, merchants’ associations, or public officials in this area also visited frequently.

It was truly a famous place.

Thanks to this, Kang Woo-jin’s name was naturally uttered from the mouths of the customers lining up at the porridge shop.

“Did you see the article? The casting announcement for Kang Woo-jin’s ‘The Righteous Evil’.”

“Of course—I’m totally looking forward to it.”

“Ha…But I won’t be able to see Kang Woo-jin today either, right? I’ve been coming for two months and haven’t seen him once.”

“I told you to give up? Honestly, I come here now because it’s delicious. It’s also easy on the stomach when I eat porridge.”

“I thought there was a possibility—well, but the lunch boxes here are delicious.”

Looking inside the porridge shop past the lined-up customers, it was a Kang Woo-jin paradise. All the tables were full. Even though the size had doubled from before, there was no room to breathe. It was Kang Woo-jin who had expanded it. Looking at the customers’ tables, it seemed that a lunch box menu had been added in addition to the porridge, and there were four part-time workers in uniform bustling between the tables.

Seo Hyun-mi and Kang Woo-cheol could be found in the kitchen and at the counter, respectively.

“Hyun-mi—the bill!”

“Okay, okay, just a moment! Honey, please clear those tables!”

“Okay, okay!”

Both of them were also as busy as could be. Even though there was a staff member working in the kitchen. Even though their son was doing well, they could have rested a little, but they both stubbornly refused Woo-jin’s offer. The reason was that they were still going strong.

Anyway.

“Call four people for this table!”

“Yes, boss!”

Kang Woo-cheol, who was busy clearing the tables, called the waiting customers to the table. In the meantime, the middle-aged women sitting next to him suddenly spoke to him.

“Oh my—boss. You’re sweeping up all the money in Jinju, sweeping it up.”

They were the women from the nearby market.

“I know. You’ve raised your child so well. No one would have known that your son would become this famous, right?”

“I’m jealous, so jealous. My beast at home just eats and doesn’t exercise.”

“Anyway, if only half of the customers here went to the market, it would be bustling.”

“But boss, does your son not come here? I’ve never seen him.”

Kang Woo-cheol, who was quite tall, forced a smile and replied.

“I tell him not to come. What’s the point of coming all the way here when he’s busy?”

“Oh, come on, wouldn’t it be great if he came? It would make his parents happy.”

“Haha, he’s the busiest person in Korea, isn’t he?”

“Still, if your child is doing well, he should show his face at least once.”

“That’s right, that’s right, over there—Sang-man’s son is a trot singer, right? That son comes to see them whenever he has time.”

The women kept talking to Kang Woo-cheol without a break. Kang Woo-cheol, who was not without a temper, endured it because he knew that their actions reflected his son’s reputation. There were many eyes watching.

At this time, Seo Hyun-mi, who was at the counter, whispered to Kang Woo-cheol.

“Get out of here, I can’t stand those women, it’s so annoying.”

But the women also spoke to Seo Hyun-mi.

“Oh my, anyway, it must be nice that your son is doing well—I’m so jealous.”

Kang Woo-cheol and Seo Hyun-mi showed forced smiles.

It was at this moment that the outside became somewhat noisy.

And then.

-Swish.

The glass door of the porridge shop opened, and a man entered. He was wearing a hat pulled low and a mask. One of the part-time workers, who had recognized him, spoke with a puzzled or suspicious look.

“Uh? Uh—I’m sorry, but you have to line up outside!”

The man briefly scanned the hall and said to the part-time worker. His tone was low.

“I’m fine, I’m not going to eat anything.”

“…Huh? What do you mean by that?”

At this moment.

“Ah!!!”

Seo Hyun-mi, who was going into the kitchen, pointed at the masked man with her index finger and was surprised.

“Uh—uh?!!”

Following her gaze, Kang Woo-cheol also looked. All the customers in the expanded porridge shop glanced at or stared at the man.

Regardless.

-Swish.

The man, taking off his mask, bowed his head slightly to Kang Woo-cheol and Seo Hyun-mi.

“I’m back.”

Soon, the eyes of everyone in the porridge shop widened.

About an hour later, Jinju City Hall. The Mayor’s Office.

The mayor’s office at Jinju City Hall, which had the national flag as well as an office desk and a conference table. In that mayor’s office, the mayor, whose hair was slightly receding, was reviewing documents at his desk.

Just then.

-Knock knock, click!

A door opened in the mayor’s office, and an employee entered. The employee urgently reported as soon as he arrived in front of the mayor.

“M-Mayor! It’s said that Kang Woo-jin has come to Jinju!”

The mayor’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

“W-What?!”

End