I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 326

‘Jang Yeon-woo,’ holding an M4 carbine in one hand—or rather, Kang Woo-jin—was walking along the forest path. He still wore his military uniform and bulletproof vest, but the radio that had been on his ear was gone. His pace was neither slow nor fast; it was a normal speed, a rhythm as if he were out for a stroll.

-Rustle, rustle.

The weeds crunched under his combat boots, creating a faint noise. A cold wind hit Woo-jin head-on, sending a chill through him. For a moment, a small smile flickered across Kang Woo-jin’s otherwise expressionless face.

‘I’ve had my fun; that’s enough.’

The senses of his eyes, nose, and mouth became sharper. The dark but familiar surroundings, the unique smell of the forest and the scent of winter, the rustling sounds, and the chirping of insects—everything was vivid, and ‘Jang Yeon-woo’s’ feelings became even more pervasive within Woo-jin.

The exhilarating pleasure gradually diminished.

Kang Woo-jin looked up at the sky.

“······”

It was bright.

The moon was bright.

Woo-jin, who had been gazing at the sky with a faint smile for a moment, looked down at the rifle in his right hand. Something hard had solidified on his fingers. It was dried blood. Not his own, but someone else’s. Come to think of it, his cheeks and other parts of his face felt rough. It was blood too.

Kang Woo-jin started walking again.

With his free hand, he scraped the dried blood off his cheek. There was a sense of emptiness. It wasn’t because he had just killed those nameless things. Guilt? Regret? Such things didn’t exist for him. He was just a bit bored.

“Hoo-”

It was a life marked by violence and slaughter. However.

“I’m tired of it.”

When stimulation becomes complete, it becomes natural. The body adapts, and the brain gets used to the stimulation. As a result, the fun disappears. He concluded that a break, a period of emptiness, was needed. Sometimes, random thoughts would come to mind, like thinking about the lives of those who had just lost their lives at his hands.

It was trivial.

Both he and they were trivial.

Useless thoughts clouded judgment. It was meaningless. They and Woo-jin were just killing or being killed. The weak were judged, and the survivors were the judges. To exist was to be strong. But they were not righteous judges.

They were evil.

The surviving judges were by no means righteous and were evil to everyone. They were merely choosing who to judge. A ‘nice bastard.’ That was how ‘Jang Yeon-woo,’ or Kang Woo-jin, could be described. He looked ordinary, but his inner depths were vicious.

But if this damn boredom continued, the ones being judged wouldn’t be them, but me.

Woo-jin decided to disappear.

He would vanish quietly, without being noticed by anyone.

-Thump!

Kang Woo-jin had already left the forest. He could see a road. In a small space on the side of the road, a shabby truck was parked. Of course, it was something Woo-jin had prepared.

-Thud!

Kang Woo-jin got into the truck, tossed the rifle onto the passenger seat, and started the engine. The sputtering truck made a rather loud exhaust sound.

Then.

-Vroom!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Woo-jin started driving. The truck’s speed gradually increased, and Kang Woo-jin’s view changed every second.

The darkness that had been in front of him, illuminating the road, and the temperature changed in an instant.

Because several years had passed.

Kang Woo-jin, who had been in the car, was now standing in a bustling market. The blazing sunlight was hot. His forearms were stinging. Gradually, Woo-jin’s vision became clearer. People with tanned skin were moving around, mixed together in a noisy crowd.

“······”

A man shouting loud enough to burst his eardrums, a woman’s screech that sounded like an advertisement for her goods, bicycles and motorcycles weaving through the crowd, horns blaring every second, and dozens of people bumping into Woo-jin’s shoulders and arms as they passed by.

But this scene didn’t seem unfamiliar to Kang Woo-jin. His mind was at peace.

It was natural.

Woo-jin had been living in this Bangkok for several years.

Sweat trickled down his cheek.

Kang Woo-jin’s appearance had changed quite a bit. He had some stubble on his chin, and his skin tone was slightly tanned. His brown shirt and jeans were also very shabby.

-Slide.

He put a cigarette in his mouth. Woo-jin, holding a lighter in his hand, entered the bustling crowd.

“#*()%(*#)%@((@($!!!”

“)(#$%&*#(%%@(*@*!!!”

-Honk honk!!

His ears continued to ring, but Kang Woo-jin, reacting nonchalantly, walked through the chaotic market. Then, he arrived at a drink shop in the middle of the market and sat at a table outside. He ordered a coffee in English from the approaching owner, and after throwing away the cigarette he had finished.

“Tsk, I should have bought some on the way.”

He put the last cigarette in his mouth again. However, this time, the lighter was the problem. It only made a hissing sound and wouldn’t light. Just as Kang Woo-jin was shaking the lighter with a click of his tongue.

-Swish.

Suddenly, a hand reached out towards Woo-jin’s right ear. Instinctively, Kang Woo-jin was about to grab and twist the hand. Then, a polite voice spoke to him. It was a woman’s voice, and it was in English.

“J, calm down.”

The tone and voice were not unfamiliar. Woo-jin, who had paused, turned his head. A foreign woman wearing a tight gray tank top and sunglasses was standing there. Her blonde hair was rolled up. She gestured with her chin at her hand, which was being held by Woo-jin.

“You need a light, right?”

The woman was holding a square silver lighter in her hand. Woo-jin chuckled, took the lighter, and lit the cigarette in his mouth. Then, he put the lighter in his pocket and said,

“Okay, now get lost.”

The blonde woman shrugged.

“I need to give you the lighter to leave.”

“It’s mine. I left it with you.”

The woman took off her sunglasses and sat down on the chair opposite Woo-jin, crossing her legs.

“You were hiding so well; it took me a long time to find you.”

She was a former colleague of ‘Jang Yeon-woo,’ or Kang Woo-jin.

“L, how did you find me?”

“Finding people is my specialty. Desk work was my main job, did you forget? Of course, finding you, J, was quite difficult.”

Woo-jin, who was exhaling cigarette smoke, leaned back in his chair and replied,

“Stop talking nonsense. Why did you find me?”

“J, you’ve had enough fun. Join my team. I created a team after you disappeared.”

“What kind of team is it?”

“Anything. We do anything if we get a request and the money is deposited.”

“How many people are on the team?”

“See for yourself.”

“No, I’m going to play a little more.”

The blonde woman kicked Kang Woo-jin’s foot.

“We don’t need trash like you; we just need your skills. It’s a waste to let you rot in this market. Become a mercenary.”

“My skills must have become trash too.”

“Okay, then.”

The woman, who had paused for a moment, put her sunglasses back on and got up from her chair.

“How about doing one job here in Bangkok and then deciding?”

“What is it?”

“It’s about rescuing a girl, easy, right?”

“A girl?”

“Yeah.”

The blonde woman, called L, smiled slyly as she handed Woo-jin a new pack of cigarettes.

“The daughter of a drug lord here has been kidnapped.”

After that.

Kang Woo-jin, who had been living the long life of ‘Jang Yeon-woo,’ returned to the airplane in the sky. In other words, he had returned to reality. He had lived as ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ for several years, but only a few seconds had passed on the real-world airplane. Moreover, there had clearly been numerous explosions and gunfights in the previous world.

“······”

The inside of the plane was as quiet as a mouse. It was extremely peaceful. Most of the people were asleep. Right next to him were Choi Sung-gun, writer Choi Na-na, and others. Only the bearded Song Man-woo PD was looking at the script. Woo-jin, who had quickly shed the scent of ‘Jang Yeon-woo,’ laughed inwardly, feeling slightly dumbfounded.

‘I really can’t get used to this temperature difference.’

The world of the imprinted role and Kang Woo-jin’s world coexisted but were completely different. It was something he experienced every time, but when the difference was this stark, it was natural to feel absurd.

Anyway.

-Slide.

Kang Woo-jin lowered his gaze to the first episode script of ‘The Righteous Evil’ in his hand. It wasn’t to re-enter the subspace [a fictional space where he experiences the roles].

-Flip.

It was to read the script. No, it was to analyze it. It was a routine that Kang Woo-jin had developed after learning ‘Role Synthesis’ and ‘Role Freedom’ [abilities that allow him to fully embody a character]. More clearly, more explosively, and more vividly than he had imagined. Kang Woo-jin was steadily establishing himself as an actor.

‘Would Jang Yeon-woo really be like this? I think he would just go all out without hesitation.’

The ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ who would jump out into reality, not just the one in the script, was also becoming clearer.

Several hours passed like that.

By now, the plane Woo-jin was on was landing at Bangkok’s ‘Suvarnabhumi International Airport.’ Having finished analyzing the script and resting in the subspace, Kang Woo-jin, who had already put on his persona, cast his gaze out the window.

Bangkok was beginning to appear. But it wasn’t as amazing as he had expected. It reminded him of a similar scene.

‘It’s kind of similar to Da Nang.’

He was referring to Da Nang, Vietnam. There were differences. Da Nang, where they had gone for the overseas location of ‘Island of the Missing,’ had a resort feel, while Bangkok had a more urban feel. But the clear similarity was.

‘It’s already hot, ugh.’

That it would be sweltering. Just as Kang Woo-jin was internally grumbling, hidden by his persona, while looking out the window, the seats around him became very busy. Familiar faces. The bearded Song Man-woo PD, Kim So-hyang, the general director, writer Choi Na-na, and the key staff like the stunt team’s Ethan Smith, and many others.

The reason was simple.

“It’s going to be crowded! As we announced earlier, move to the arrival hall in order!! According to the plan!”

“Okay!!”

“And each team, make sure to check your luggage and equipment as soon as you get off!”

“Ugh, it’s starting now!”

Most of the people on this plane, including Kang Woo-jin, were part of the ‘The Righteous Evil’ filming crew. Of course, it was for overseas location filming. Today, the 19th, was scheduled for preliminary checks and some acclimatization, and tomorrow, the 20th, they would begin filming in earnest.

Therefore, everyone was excited and on edge.

After the plane landed safely, almost a hundred members of ‘The Righteous Evil’ team moved in a rush. There weren’t many actors. There was the cute but sinister Im Hae-eun and a few supporting actors.

Of course, the main one was.

“Woo-jin! This way! Move with the guards!”

It was Kang Woo-jin. Choi Sung-gun and his team were by his side, and more than twice as many guards surrounded him. The procession of ‘The Righteous Evil’ team towards the arrival hall was enough to draw the attention of many people. It was a huge scale.

They moved in separate groups.

The actor team, the actors’ staff team, and the production team of ‘The Righteous Evil.’ If they moved all at once, it would be too chaotic and there would be a high risk of accidents. ‘The Righteous Evil’ team slowly walked towards the arrival hall of ‘Suvarnabhumi International Airport.’

Kang Woo-jin also matched the flow of the procession. There was no significant change in his stiff expression.

However.

‘Something—I feel strangely nervous? Is it because the filming is imminent??’

Internally, his heart rate was gradually increasing. The more it did, the more he intensified his coldness. Meanwhile, the actors around him, the supporting and minor actors who had been selected for this overseas location filming, were whispering while looking at Kang Woo-jin and their surroundings.

“Aren’t there—a lot of guards?”

“I know, right. We’re getting a lot of attention.”

“It must be because of Kang Woo-jin.”

“I know Woo-jin is a big deal in Japan, but… does it work in Thailand too? I haven’t heard of it.”

“Well, it’s definitely not because of us, so it must be because of Woo-jin. Maybe it’s because of a possible accident??”

“It’s probably a precaution. But there are a bit too many guards.”

It was treatment they were experiencing for the first time.

“Still… doesn’t it make you feel a bit proud? When else would we experience something like this if not for Woo-jin?”

“I agree. I took a lot of pictures too.”

“Whether it’s a precaution or not, it feels amazing. Ugh—it really feels like we’re living in a different world?”

“When will we ever see a scene like that?”

“Kang Woo-jin did it in two years—so it’s not impossible for us… no, it’s impossible.”

“Anyway, it’s a good sight to see.”

Soon.

-Slide.

The group of actors, led by the guards and centered around Kang Woo-jin, entered the arrival hall of ‘Suvarnabhumi International Airport.’

At the same time, a blinding flash of lights erupted.

-Flash flash flash!

-Flash flash flash!!

Soon, the eyes of the actors, except for Kang Woo-jin, widened.

“Huh??!!”

“Whoa!”

“Wow… crazy!!”

“Wha, what?!!”

“Oh, my gosh!!”

The reason was simple.

A huge crowd had gathered in front of the arrival hall.

“%&)*%#**%&*)%*)Kang Woo-jin!!”

“@$*&$(*%*(Kang Woo-jin!! Kang Woo-jin!!”

Hundreds of people, including Thai reporters, were shouting only for Kang Woo-jin. It was a terrifying decibel level that could burst their eardrums. It was hard to understand the excessive shouts, but Kang Woo-jin’s name was clearly audible.

“Kyaaak!! Kang Woo-jin!”

“Woo-jin!!@()@$*)$(@!!”

It was quite unexpected. The face of Kang Woo-jin, who witnessed this, was.

“······”

Completely calm.

‘Crazy??!’

Of course, only on the outside.