I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 291

The slightly balding Jinju mayor’s eyes widened, showing no signs of shrinking.

“…G-Gang Woo-jin is here? In Jinju? Now?”

It was truly unexpected news, more surprising than shocking.

“Are you sure? I haven’t heard anything at all. No signs, nothing, and then suddenly like this? Where did you confirm this?”

“W-Well, I didn’t officially confirm it, but I happened to-”

The employee who was reporting quickly pulled out his phone and accessed social media, specifically Instagram. He typed ‘Kang Woo-jin’ into the search bar. Among the recent public posts, he tapped on one that included Kang Woo-jin. There was a clear picture of Woo-jin. The location was a porridge shop in Jinju, and the time was about an hour ago. The tags confirmed it.

“It’s confirmed that Kang Woo-jin appeared at his parents’ porridge shop! There are many other posts besides this one.”

“Oh, really! Is he still at the porridge shop now? Ah, that porridge shop is run by Kang Woo-jin’s parents, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct! If you look through the posts, it seems Kang Woo-jin has left the porridge shop now.”

“Oh no! We should have noticed this sooner!”

“I’m sorry! His visit was so sudden and unexpected!”

“…Well, it certainly is.”

The balding Jinju mayor swallowed his disappointment. But that wasn’t the issue right now.

“What do you think? Do you think Kang Woo-jin will just visit briefly and then go back?”

“Based on what I’ve seen, I don’t think so.”

“What’s the basis for that?”

“According to the articles, the filming for the movie ‘Leech’ ended around yesterday. If he came straight to his hometown the next day, it seems like he came to rest, even if it’s just for a short while!”

“Hmm.”

The Jinju mayor slowly nodded. The reason he was so concerned about Kang Woo-jin was very simple.

Kang Woo-jin’s influence was enormous.

It wasn’t just enormous; it was shaking both Korea and Japan. Currently, in terms of popularity, buzz, and brand power, there was no entertainer who could beat Kang Woo-jin. Simply put, just look at ‘Island of the Missing,’ which recently achieved a crazy record of nearly 19 million views.

And that Kang Woo-jin was from Jinju.

As the mayor of Jinju, it was impossible not to be tempted.

“So, how are the tourists doing at that porridge shop these days?”

“It’s already become a landmark, and it’s practically a must-visit for tourists coming to Jinju. And recently, the number of Japanese tourists has been increasing.”

It was natural, given Kang Woo-jin’s formidable presence in Japan as well.

“Jinju is frequently mentioned on social media, especially by Japanese tourists who have visited.”

Just the existence of Woo-jin, who was from Jinju, was driving the promotion and marketing on its own, and the core of the Jinju mayor’s many tasks was to revitalize the region. That’s why they put so much effort into holding large festivals and various events every year. Moving things on YouTube and social media was also a must these days.

And every time, what was always essential were the invited entertainers or celebrities.

Because they could most easily capture the public’s attention and interest. The fact that almost all regional ambassadors were popular entertainers was proof of that. In other words, for the Jinju mayor, Kang Woo-jin was the number one choice for recruitment. No, he was the number zero choice.

‘Even if he mentions it a few times, not often, it will generate a lot of articles.’

Kang Woo-jin had already been reigning as the ‘Issue King’ in Korea since last year. How many issues had Woo-jin created, and how many more would he create? And that’s not all. The power of Woo-jin’s ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel and social media was astonishing. In the past, Kang Woo-jin was just a citizen, but now it was different. Of course, there were many celebrities and famous people from Jinju.

However, Kang Woo-jin’s current momentum surpassed them all.

Naturally, the Jinju mayor had made several offers to Kang Woo-jin. To be a promotional ambassador, to be invited to big festivals or events, etc. He had even wanted a simple meeting.

‘I even said I would go myself.’

The Jinju mayor had even said he would go to Seoul himself. That work had started last year, probably after ‘Profiler Hanryang’ had blown up.

But it had been a repeated failure.

There had been many attempts, but the reason BW Entertainment had given was Kang Woo-jin’s tight schedule. Well, the Jinju mayor couldn’t say he didn’t understand. In fact, Kang Woo-jin had never been to Jinju even once since his debut.

And now, that hot actor had suddenly appeared in Jinju?

As the Jinju mayor, he couldn’t miss this opportunity.

“What’s the media saying now? If it’s on social media, some reporters must have caught the scent.”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s already being reported that Kang Woo-jin has come to Jinju.”

“Yes, of course. Indeed, his promotional power is amazing.”

The Jinju mayor, muttering to himself, searched for ‘Jinju’ on his phone. Indeed, there were quite a few articles that included Kang Woo-jin.

『[Star Photo] 19 Million Viewer Myth ‘Kang Woo-jin,’ Suddenly Spotted in Jinju, Gyeongnam… Did He Visit His Hometown for a Break?/Photo』

When had Jinju been mentioned this much recently? Never. Even if it briefly shined during festivals or events, it quickly faded. But with just Woo-jin’s simple actions, Jinju was getting this much attention.

“This is… what they call brand power.”

Then, the balding mayor abruptly stood up and shouted to his employee.

“What are you doing now! Get everyone in here!”

It was an emergency summons. Perhaps even a state of emergency.

“Unless it’s urgent, everyone needs to be here!”

At the mayor’s order, the employee briefly left and returned with key staff members. The Jinju mayor urgently instructed the roughly dozen or so people who had gathered.

“First, start with the media! Get twice as many articles out there as there are now!!”

“Yes, yes!”

“And on our YouTube channel too!”

“On the YouTube channel, what-”

“Don’t be so frustrating! Just use it to report the news! The content doesn’t matter! Just put ‘Kang Woo-jin’ in the title! And put up banners as quickly as possible! Anywhere that’s noticeable.”

The hands of the employees writing in their notebooks moved faster.

“Put in a message like ‘Welcome Kang Woo-jin’s Visit to Jinju’!”

Just because Woo-jin had visited, Jinju began to shake.

The next day, Saturday, the 26th, around 8 AM.

The location was an old apartment complex in Jinju, with only four buildings in total, not many households. The 10th floor of the first building was the home that Kang Woo-cheol and Seo Hyun-mi, Kang Woo-jin’s parents, had prepared after moving to Jinju.

The size was quite large. There were three rooms.

The master bedroom was for the couple, and the other rooms were for Kang Woo-jin or Kang Hyun-ah when they came to visit. Of course, each room was filled with clothes and miscellaneous items. In the large bed in the master bedroom, Kang Woo-cheol and Seo Hyun-mi were lying side by side.

They were both awake, though.

“…”

“…”

They were silently looking at their phones. Specifically, they were searching for their son, who had suddenly visited yesterday. In fact, they both searched for their son whenever they were bored, but today was a bit special.

In any case, the search results for Kang Woo-jin were dazzling.

First, from the handsome profile picture in his personal information to blogs, cafes, communities, social media, YouTube, etc., etc., etc. Just looking at the search volume and information, he was truly a top actor.

And above all, the articles that were still pouring out.

『[Issue IS] Kang Woo-jin Appears in Jinju Amidst a Tight Schedule… Turns Out His Hometown is Jinju, Gyeongnam』

『‘Issue King’ Kang Woo-jin Makes a Surprise Visit to His Parents’ Shop in Jinju, Even Takes Photos with Customers… Top-Notch Fan Service!』

『[Photo] “He Looks Good Even in a Casual Shot” Sightings of Kang Woo-jin in ‘Jinju’ Appear on Social Media/Photo』

Of course, there were many articles on other topics, but Woo-jin’s parents were only looking at the ones related to Jinju. Every photo of Kang Woo-jin in the articles was overflowing with style and charisma. It even felt like the aura of a top actor. Kang Woo-cheol and Seo Hyun-mi still hadn’t gotten used to it.

Seo Hyun-mi put her phone down and muttered softly.

“…Are these photos really of my son?”

Kang Woo-cheol, who did the same, agreed but also came to his senses.

“I know. But let’s get used to it now. Woo-jin has come down, too.”

At that moment.

“Oh!”

Seo Hyun-mi suddenly jumped up.

“We need to get breakfast ready for our son!!”

“Oh yeah! That chicken stew he likes!”

“You go prepare the chicken you bought yesterday.”

“Okay, okay.”

The couple, in agreement, left the dazzling images of Kang Woo-jin behind, got ready, and left the master bedroom.

But.

-Slurrrp!

As soon as the couple came out into the living room, the sound of someone slurping ramen echoed. The reason was simple.

“…W-Woo-jin?”

Kang Woo-jin, who had woken up at some point, was sitting at the kitchen table, eating ramen straight from the pot. Of course, the way Woo-jin looked at his parents while chewing on the ramen, with a somewhat sly smile, showed.

“Yo, did you have a good night?”

There was no poker face or acting whatsoever.

Kang Woo-jin, grinning, picked up some kimchi.

His half-sleeve shirt with a faded bear print, gray sweatpants with stretched knees, and his messy, disheveled black hair that looked like it had been struck by lightning, and the way he scratched his head while chewing on ramen because it was itchy.

The real Kang Woo-jin himself.

“Are you still so lovey-dovey? I feel like a sibling is coming. Hehe.”

Kang Woo-cheol and Seo Hyun-mi, looking at Kang Woo-jin, were slightly confused. The explosive ‘Actor Kang Woo-jin’ they had just seen on the internet was nowhere to be found. Yes, there was only the ‘beggar’ that Seo Hyun-mi often called Woo-jin.

Soon, the couple looked at each other and said in unison.

“…Oh, this is our son.”

Seo Hyun-mi, letting out a long sigh, approached Kang Woo-jin and suddenly slapped him on the back.

-Whack!!

“Why are you eating ramen for breakfast!!”

After that.

Kang Woo-jin was battered from the back slap, but he did finish all the ramen he was eating. Of course, Woo-jin also finished the chicken stew that Seo Hyun-mi and Kang Woo-cheol had made.

“Mmm, it’s so delicious.”

“Are you eating well? I know you’re busy, but try not to skip meals if you can.”

“Dad, why are you suddenly lowering your voice like that? It’s giving me a bit of PTSD?”

“What are you talking about?”

“No, it reminds me of your acting.”

“This guy is trying to maintain his image because of you these days.”

Even so, Woo-jin brought up the topic he had been thinking about.

“More importantly, I told you to look for a new house, right? I looked it up while eating ramen, and there are a lot of new apartments. Or would you like to move to a house?”

“You rascal, this place is great, why would we move? And we’ve already expanded the shop and changed the car. Save your money for yourself.”

Kang Woo-jin’s bank account was quite full. All the projects he had been involved in, from contracts to bonuses, had been huge hits, and money was pouring in like a flood from numerous advertisements, photoshoots, and the ‘Kang Woo-jin Sub-Character’ channel. Even the money from his Hanryang days was still coming in. Well, this was the case even without considering all the money that would come in the future.

But somehow, even if he wanted to spend it, his schedule was so hellish that he didn’t have time.

“Hey, I’m saving it against my will, you know? I need to spend some money. Our CEO told me to spend it all too. Because of taxes and stuff.”

Whatever the reason, Kang Woo-jin finished his meal with his parents, took a shower to shed his ‘beggar’ look, and in the meantime, Kang Woo-cheol and Seo Hyun-mi left the house to open the shop. As Woo-jin finished showering, he checked the numerous messages from his younger sister and president of the fan club ‘Strong Heart,’ Kang Hyun-ah.

For reference, Kang Hyun-ah, who was on university break, was also down at the Jinju house.

At that moment.

-Vrrr, vrrr.

The phone vibrated loudly. It was a call, and the caller was Choi Sung-gun. Soon, Kang Woo-jin cleared his throat and put the phone to his ear.

“Yes, CEO.”

A low voice quickly came out. On the other hand, Choi Sung-gun’s voice on the other end of the phone had a slight chuckle.

“Hehe, as expected of the issue-making actor Kang Woo-jin? What kind of entrance did you make in Jinju that the media is in such a frenzy?”

“No, I just said, ‘I’m back.’”

“You just went straight in, ignoring everyone’s gaze, and said ‘I’m back,’ right?”

“Pretty much.”

“Well done. It’s not bad to have this kind of buzz even when you’re taking a short break. But don’t move around too much. You went down there on your own.”

“I know.”

“You’re only taking a three-day break, so forget everything and just sleep. All your schedules have been pushed back.”

After his concern, Choi Sung-gun changed the subject.

“I called because I had a few things to ask and tell you, it’s urgent. First, the Jinju City Hall contacted us. The content is similar to before, about being a promotional ambassador or something. Will you do it?”

“No.”

“You’re not going to do any short schedules while you’re resting there, right? Like, there was a proposal to attend a charity event or do a vlog.”

“Yes, I won’t.”

“Okay. It’s your hometown, so I thought I’d ask just in case. Honestly, just the fact that you went there is enough to get Jinju mentioned. Anyway, I’ll take care of cutting them off. Oh, but I’m not going to stop the Jinju City Hall from putting up banners and making a fuss, okay?”

Banners? What banners. Woo-jin blinked his eyes and nodded.

“Yes.”

“And Miley Cara sent over your schedule and other things, right? There are materials related to the album work and a song guide. I’ll brief you when you get back. Looking at the schedule, it seems like you can go to LA before you start ‘Beneficial Evil’ in earnest.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. It looks like you’ll spend about a week in LA for the album work, but it’s not certain. There might be an interview schedule with Cara too. When it’s all settled, don’t come back right away, rest there for a few days.”

Choi Sung-gun, who was muttering on the other end of the phone, put a bit of strength into his voice.

“I have something to show you in LA.”

Meanwhile, in Seoul. DM Production.

Many people gathered in the conference room of DM Production, where Song Man-woo PD [Production Director] was the head of the production department and CEO. There were more than 20 people. Among them, Song Man-woo PD with a beard was sitting at the head of the table, as expected.

“Next, location scouting.”

On the screen in front of the slightly dark conference room, a production-related PPT [PowerPoint Presentation] was being displayed. It was natural. The current meeting was a late-stage production meeting for ‘Beneficial Evil,’ which was nearing the end of its pre-production phase. Therefore, it was more about finalizing things than checking progress.

Soon, 3D-drawn cuts were displayed on the front screen.

They were shooting storyboard cuts taken from the ‘Beneficial Evil’ script, and only one of the many characters was drawn with a blue line. The protagonist of ‘Beneficial Evil.’ That is, the role of ‘Jang Yeon-woo,’ which Kang Woo-jin would play. Judging by how intense the cuts were, it was clearly an action scene.

Then, Song Man-woo PD, who had been quietly looking at the front PPT, stroked his beard.

“As expected, it’s not enough with just domestic locations or sets, let’s finalize overseas locations.”

He muttered softly.

“Let’s start coordinating with Bangkok, Thailand, which was our first option.”