I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 312

The news that the opening song (OP) of ‘My Guy Friend: Remake,’ sung by Kang Woo-jin, had topped the Japanese real-time Oricon chart was quickly relayed to the ‘Beneficial Evil’ team by writer Choi Nana.

The team was at a restaurant in a four-star hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

Among the dozens of staff members dressed in light clothing due to the humid and hot weather, the most enthusiastic reaction came from the bearded Song Man-woo, the Production Director (PD).

“Oricon chart? Woo-jin is number one there??”

“Yes, yes!! It just happened!”

Writer Choi Nana, already thrilled that ‘My Guy Friend: Remake’ had achieved over 14% viewership, was jumping for joy while showing her phone to Song Man-woo PD. A smile spread across Song Man-woo PD’s face, who was wearing a tank top.

“Wow, seeing Woo-jin’s name at number one on a chart usually filled with Japanese names—it feels kind of surreal, doesn’t it? Makes me feel proud.”

“There are some Korean idol songs too, but still! Woo-jin being number one is a huge deal, right?!”

“This means the Japanese are listening to and downloading the song a lot, right? Let’s check the comments.”

“Okay, yes!!”

Soon, several key staff members gathered around writer Choi Nana, following Song Man-woo PD. The news about ‘My Guy Friend: Remake’ was already a hot topic among them. Japanese comments soon appeared on Choi Nana’s phone.

-Love the song!! Kang Woo-jin’s vocals are perfect!!

-I downloaded the OP and EP [Ending theme song] as soon as I watched the anime, and they’re so good… especially the OP….

-‘My Guy Friend: Remake’ really nailed the OP this time, it suits Kang Woo-jin’s voice so well.

-The anime is a hit, and the OP is going to blow up too!! On endless repeat!

-Kang Woo-jin is good at acting and voice acting, and now even singing? Is there anything he can’t do? He’s even a genius with his looks?

-I never thought the day would come when a Korean actor’s name would be on the Oricon chart at number one… We need to reflect on ourselves.

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Although it was hard to judge precisely since it was all in Japanese, Song Man-woo PD understood from the explanation of a staff member who knew some Japanese that the comments were generally full of praise. He, Choi Nana, and others applauded sincerely.

“Hahaha, our lead actor doing well is always welcome!”

Of course, what they were currently looking at was only the real-time and daily Oricon charts. Kang Woo-jin’s name was not yet listed on the weekly or monthly charts.

But it was only a matter of time.

Moreover, as a result, Kang Woo-jin had achieved several firsts in Japan. From being cast as an anime voice actor to singing the OP, and that OP reaching number one on the Japanese Oricon real-time chart in just one day, among other things.

“If Woo-jin is a hit in Korea, Japan, and Hollywood, the future of our ‘Beneficial Evil’ will also get brighter!”

That was the truth. ‘Beneficial Evil,’ which aimed for the global market, was being distributed not only in Korea but also in Japan and Hollywood.

In other words, the higher Kang Woo-jin soared.

“Wow, our male lead is putting in so much effort, shouldn’t we also work our butts off?!”

“Hahaha! That’s right!”

“I suddenly feel so energized?!”

It meant that the chances of success for ‘Beneficial Evil,’ which had set its sights on the global market, were increasing.

A few days later, July 17th.

A few days had passed since the mega-hit of ‘My Guy Friend: Remake.’ However, the momentum had not subsided. It was the same in both Korea and Japan. In Japan, the media, including the press, was launching a concentrated promotional push.

『「‘My Guy Friend: Remake’」Achieves 14.8% Viewership, Kang Woo-jin’s OP Tops Oricon Chart!』

『Spreading Like a Trend, 「‘My Guy Friend: Remake’」Quickly Goes Viral on SNS and Online Communities』

Of course, it was also the result of ‘A10 Studio’s’ all-out marketing campaign. Thanks to that, for several days now, the top search on Japanese social media was ‘My Guy Friend: Remake,’ and second was Kang Woo-jin. Sometimes the rankings would change, but not by much.

The OP sung by Kang Woo-jin was also maintaining its number one position on the Oricon chart. Moreover, his OP was gaining even more traction on YouTube.

The momentum of the hit, the trend, was tremendous.

In Korea, while monitoring the situation in Japan, news centered around Kang Woo-jin was spreading. Even though it was just an animation of about 20 minutes that had been broadcast, both countries were buzzing.

The funny thing was.

‘Oh—the OP is on the Korean music charts too??’

The main character, Kang Woo-jin, was actually in faraway LA. Inside a van speeding through the roads of LA, Woo-jin was looking at his phone with a serious expression. His attire and hair were also simple.

The time was early morning.

His destination today was not Miley Cara’s recording studio.

His work with her had almost finished yesterday, and today, according to the initial plan, he was moving to a large studio for filming. It was about an hour away from the five-star Beverly Hills hotel where Woo-jin was staying, and they arrived after passing many skyscrapers.

The large studio was built in a rather desolate area.

It felt like a highway rest stop, perhaps? The dense buildings and people had noticeably decreased. Around the dome-shaped giant studio, there were only trees and roads. Of course, the city center could be seen in the distance. Anyway, the van that Woo-jin was in stopped in front of the dome-like studio building. Kang Woo-jin got out.

He immediately scanned his surroundings.

-Swish.

In the vast outdoor parking lot, various types of cars were parked. Trucks, buses, vans, and so on. Roughly, there were easily over a dozen. What was unique was the size of the large vehicles like trucks.

‘Wow—the scale is insane.’

He also noticed several foreigners hurrying around the parking lot. At this moment, Choi Sung-gun and his team approached Kang Woo-jin from behind. Choi Sung-gun, in a zip-up hoodie, was quick to speak.

“It’s huge. Honestly, this is my first time at a music video shoot, so I don’t really have much to say. Well, after looking into it, the system itself is similar to Korea’s.”

“Yes, CEO.”

In other words, today Kang Woo-jin was participating in the music video shoot of global superstar Miley Cara. According to the storyboard and schedule he received, it was an all-day shoot. From this point, Kang Woo-jin’s heart started to beat a little faster.

‘Aish—come on, don’t be nervous.’

This was also his first experience. And it was Miley Cara’s music video, wasn’t it? As the real Kang Woo-jin, it was natural to feel nervous. No matter how the music video was filmed, it would be seen by people all over the world once it was completed. And of course, Kang Woo-jin in the music video as well.

‘It’s insane in terms of promotion—but it’s nerve-wracking that the other party is Cara. Okay—concept, just focus on the concept.’

Kang Woo-jin activated extreme mind control. Not only was the music video shoot his first experience, but there were also quite a few skinship scenes with Miley Cara in the storyboard. What man in the world could remain calm?

Soon, Kang Woo-jin, who had forcibly calmed his heart, started walking.

Within a few minutes, the foreigners at the entrance of the dome-shaped studio building spotted Kang Woo-jin. The foreign staff members, who had been informed of his arrival through the intercom around their necks, rushed to Woo-jin.

And so, Kang Woo-jin entered the interior of the massive studio dome.

Woo-jin immediately gaped. Of course, only internally.

‘Wow—crazy! Isn’t the size way too much??!!’

The inside of the studio dome was divided into four sections. And in each section, huge sets were built, with absurd sizes both in height and width.

Among them, the set in front of the one with dozens of chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and filled with flowers below was even more spectacular.

Nearly a hundred staff members, various cameras including several small jib arms, audio equipment he had never seen before, and nearly 50 backup dancers gathered in one area to practice choreography, and so on. How could he describe this? Kang Woo-jin openly felt the grandeur of the scene he was seeing for the first time.

Was this the set of a Hollywood music video?

It wasn’t awkward. The atmosphere of the set itself was similar to that of a movie or drama set. However, the air was definitely different. Soon, several foreign staff members approached Kang Woo-jin. Choi Sung-gun was called away, and Woo-jin’s stylists followed.

And then.

-Swish.

Among the dozens of backup dancers practicing choreography, a woman with her blonde hair tied in a single braid approached Kang Woo-jin. It was Miley Cara. Her outfit was bold. A white tank top that exposed her belly and shoulders, and loose jeans. The jeans were ripped so much that almost all of Cara’s legs were visible from her thighs down. No, could you even call that jeans?

Whatever it was, there was a lot of skin showing.

Cara, who had approached Woo-jin, smiled slightly.

“Welcome, this is my music video set.”

Her makeup was strange. It was heavy but smudged. Yes, like a woman who had been crying her eyes out just before. It was makeup that was faithful to the music video concept. Still, there was a fragrance from Cara, who was very close. Woo-jin tried to calm his pounding heart and replied in a low voice in English.

“It’s amazing, please take care of me.”

“Likewise.”

After that, Cara introduced Kang Woo-jin to many foreigners, starting with the music video director. Although her tone was a bit cold, Cara seemed excited. Like a friend introducing her favorite toys to a close friend?

‘What is this, isn’t her tension a bit high??’

After a few tens of minutes, Cara finished introducing the backup dancers and moved into the set. It was a place with dozens of chandeliers and flowers all over the floor, and in a corner, there was a piano decorated with black flowers. Cara pointed to the piano with both hands.

“This is the piano that Woo-jin will play, isn’t it pretty?”

“Yes, it’s nice.”

“I designed everything from the concept. Can you play it once?”

Woo-jin, who was usually calm, nodded. Since he had to play the piano in the music video shoot anyway, he could think of it as a rehearsal.

-Swish.

As Woo-jin sat on the piano chair, he rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie to his forearms. At the same time, Cara, as well as the backup dancers and foreign staff members gathered at the music video set, stared at Kang Woo-jin.

Everyone’s eyes were full of curiosity.

Was the skill of that Korean actor good enough to be in Cara’s music video? Cara had made the decision, but there was some skepticism among them.

However.

-♬♪

As soon as Kang Woo-jin started playing the piano calmly.

“······Wow.”

Exclamations burst out from everywhere. Some staff members covered their mouths with both hands, and some of the backup dancers right behind him slightly opened their eyes or mouths.

-♬♪

Of course, the piano melody that Woo-jin was playing was a part that would be inserted into Cara’s new song, and Cara, whose blue eyes were full of interest, smiled more brightly than ever.

“Amazing, as expected.”

Soon, applause erupted on the set.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap!!

Although he was quite embarrassed inside, there was no particular change in Kang Woo-jin’s expression. Cara, who had given him a thumbs up, said to Woo-jin.

“Now, get your outfit and makeup done, and then let’s rehearse some cuts together.”

Woo-jin, who nodded, followed the guidance of a foreign staff member. There were more than five outfits he had to wear today. The first was a tuxedo that looked like it was for a film festival. It seemed like he had talked to Choi Sung-gun beforehand, as the fit was perfect. This tuxedo was the wedding attire of Kang Woo-jin in the music video according to the storyboard, and Miley Cara was seriously obsessed with it.

From then on, a frantic ‘courtship’ began.

‘I’ve made it, really. Miley Cara is even obsessed with me.’

By the time Kang Woo-jin had finished checking his outfit, Cara, with her blonde hair tied in a single braid, was rehearsing the choreography again with dozens of backup dancers.

Cara’s new song was booming throughout the entire set.

About five minutes later?

Satisfied, Miley Cara gave a thumbs up to the backup dancers. They seemed comfortable with each other, as if they had been working together for a long time, and several staff members ran to Cara, who was standing in the center of the studio dome, because she had sweated a bit. It was to fix her makeup.

The blonde Cara closed her eyes without much thought.

At least seven foreign staff members, running at high speed, reached Cara, who had her eyes closed. Among them, the movements of a slightly chubby female staff member were strangely rough. Her running speed was the fastest, and her momentum was too. It felt like she was going to hit Cara, not fix her makeup.

At this moment.

“Eek!!”

A short scream from another staff member next to the chubby female staff member. The reason was simple. What the chubby female staff member was holding in her hand was not a makeup tool.

A knife, a short but sharp knife.

However, the chubby female staff member did not slow down her running speed, and Cara, who had not noticed, still had her eyes closed. No, most of this huge studio dome had not noticed. It was only now that a few people were turning their heads thanks to the staff member who had screamed. That was all.

The scene was chaotic in many ways, starting with the noise.

Soon, the chubby female staff member arrived right in front of Cara. Miley Cara slowly opened her eyes at the strange presence.

Her blue eyes looked ahead.

Right in front of her, a woman with madness in her eyes, smiling with flushed cheeks, was running towards her. Holding a knife above her head. What is this? Who are you?

“!!!”

In an instant, an article she had seen a few days ago quickly flashed through Cara’s mind.

『[Breaking News] Brad Willis Attacked by Knife-Wielding Intruder at Home!』

“Ah.”

The smile of the chubby woman, who had raised the knife high above her head, deepened. The makeup staff members who had been running with her tried to grab the chubby woman, but it was not easy. They were inferior in speed and strength.

The chubby woman’s dry lips moved. A low voice in English was uttered.

“Goodbye, Miley Cara.”

-Whoosh!!

The woman, who was right in front of Cara, swung the knife down with all her might. It was not clear whether the direction was towards Cara’s face, shoulder, or chest. Nevertheless, Cara’s whole body froze, and she couldn’t even make a sound.

At this moment.

-Thwack!!!

Suddenly, the chubby woman’s body was thrown to one side and flew away with a whoosh.

“Guh!”

The first thing Cara saw was a long leg. Next was the expressionless face of Kang Woo-jin. It was Kang Woo-jin who had kicked the woman in the side.

-Tap!

Woo-jin was immediately rushing towards the knife-wielding woman.

End