I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 338

It seemed like Miley Cara said something in his ear, but Kang Woo-jin couldn’t hear it well. Even though the global superstar Cara was linked arm in arm with him, Woo-jin didn’t feel a thing.

His eyes were only taking in the huge and magnificent scene in front of him.

‘Wow… this is seriously insane.’

Of course, this kind of sight was a first for Woo-jin.

It was a vastness that couldn’t be expressed in words. The red carpet stretched wide and long, and on both sides, thousands of reporters from all over the world in tuxedos were lined up like decorations. Because they were all wearing black tuxedos, they all looked like ants. It felt like he had entered an anthill.

It was dazzling.

‘Ugh.’

There were hundreds of reporters nearby, and nearly 5,000 in total, all holding cameras and flashing their lights. Kang Woo-jin felt his vision go white.

His ears hurt.

“%(*%)#*%(#)!!”

“$()*%(%(#(#!!!”

“**(#(%_%)%*#(#%_!!!”

Strange noises, whether they were shouts or screams from the reporters, seeped into Kang Woo-jin’s ears. It wasn’t just them. The screams of tens of thousands of onlookers surrounding the red carpet and the reporters were mixed in. If he stayed here any longer, his ears might start bleeding.

His mouth felt parched.

He swallowed his saliva discreetly, but it felt rough and scratchy, probably because it was so dry. Also, Woo-jin realized that his body had stiffened.

‘Wow, damn, my legs won’t move?’

It was because the enormous scale and atmosphere, the frenzy of the entire red carpet, was purely and intensely felt in his bones. He felt dizzy. He was in a daze. If he lost focus for even a moment, he felt like his legs would give out.

But.

“······”

Even in this bizarre situation, Kang Woo-jin’s face remained a strong poker face. It was partly because his thoughts had momentarily stopped, but it was also because the concept he had cultivated so far had become a habit that naturally spread to his expression. Repeated learning is remembered by the body and comes out naturally. Kang Woo-jin’s current appearance was like a habit.

That appearance.

“Hmm, it’s one thing to be unfazed by the Cannes red carpet.”

It caused a misunderstanding for Cara, who was wearing a black dress with her chest and back exposed, and was linked arm in arm with Woo-jin.

“But it’s a little hurtful that you don’t even flinch when I’m holding your arm?”

It was then that Kang Woo-jin.

‘Ah.’

The haziness in his mind began to clear up. His ringing ears returned to normal. Right, I came to the Cannes Film Festival, didn’t I? Gradually, his senses returned. The first thing he felt was his arm. He felt Miley Cara’s touch and smelled her fragrance. Woo-jin slowly turned his head. The blonde Cara smiled faintly.

“I’m just kidding, with that serious face.”

“······”

A joke? What joke? He was just looking at her, but Cara was talking nonsense on her own. More than that, I’m standing on the red carpet with this Cara, arm in arm. What the heck is going on? In the midst of all this, Kang Woo-jin desperately tried to regain his composure.

It was a time for intense mind control.

Kang Woo-jin, who forcibly spread calmness, looked at Cara indifferently and said in a low voice.

“Let’s go.”

Cara nodded, holding his arm even tighter.

“Yes, let’s.”

Around this time.

-Screech.

Behind Kang Woo-jin and Cara, who were standing side by side, another black limousine arrived. The first to get out of the car was Director Ahn Ga-bok. As befitting an old veteran, his face was still full of wrinkles with short white hair, but his tuxedo was neat. Next was the great actor Shim Han-ho, whose gray hair had grown quite a bit, with an impression like a tiger. Following them, Oh Hee-ryung, Jin Jae-joon, and Han So-jin got out one after another.

In other words, it was the ‘Leech’ team.

The ‘Leech’ team, all dressed up in tuxedos and dresses, immediately lined up behind Woo-jin as soon as they got out. It seemed like it had been discussed beforehand. And so, the march of the ‘Leech’ team, including Kang Woo-jin and Cara, began.

-Flash! Flash! Flash!

-Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!!

The ‘Leech’ team waved their hands and smiled at the pouring shutter sounds. It was natural since they were the only Korean team that had proudly entered the ‘Competition Section,’ and the various reporters who were frantically taking pictures mostly tilted their heads while busily moving their fingers.

“But who is that man walking with Miley Cara?”

Because there were few who knew Kang Woo-jin’s identity. Clearly, Woo-jin was unfamiliar to thousands of foreign reporters. But suddenly, he appeared with Miley Cara. And it was a very intimate appearance, so it was inevitable that curiosity would explode.

“Looking at his mask, he seems like an actor… why is Miley in that team?”

“Is he close to Cara?”

“But wasn’t Miley invited here as a celebrity, not for a film invitation?”

“Could they be in a relationship?!”

“F-first, take the picture! Take it and see!!”

Some Korean reporters were also mixed in, calling out to Kang Woo-jin enthusiastically.

“Woo-jin-ssi!!! You came from Korea! Woo-jin-ssi!”

“Kang Woo-jin-nim!! This way!! Just wave once!!”

“D-did you agree to enter with Miley Cara??! Woo-jin-ssi!!”

“Please wave to your Korean fans!!”

As the atmosphere gradually heated up, Han So-jin, wearing a beige dress, who was quietly watching Kang Woo-jin and Cara from behind, murmured. She, too, had an expression of forcibly swallowing the exploding tension.

“…Why is Miley Cara in front of my eyes? She’s even walking arm in arm with Woo-jin-ssi?”

Jin Jae-joon, with his sharp features, chuckled. For reference, it was his second time at the Cannes Film Festival.

“How would I know? Honestly, it’s my first time seeing Miley Cara in person too.”

“Me too.”

“Somehow… Woo-jin-ssi feels distant.”

The distance between top actor Jin Jae-joon and Kang Woo-jin was only about three or four steps. But at this moment, Jin Jae-joon felt like Kang Woo-jin was much further away. He was talking about a psychological gap, not a physical distance. Jin Jae-joon, who had been with Woo-jin from ‘Drug Dealer’ to ‘Leech’.

In his eyes, the current Woo-jin looked perfectly natural walking alongside a world-class top star.

‘Now, Woo-jin-ssi is also… a top-tier star in name and reality, or even higher than that.’

In any case, the ‘Leech’ team, who had a lot of experience at the Cannes Film Festival, also walked the red carpet with relative ease. Of course, Kang Woo-jin and Cara, the Korean representatives ahead of them, seemed even more relaxed. But at this moment, Woo-jin was in a more intense battle than anyone else. Of course, only in his mind.

‘Focus on the concept, just the concept. Don’t think about anything else!’

And those photos of Kang Woo-jin and Cara were about to spread all over the world.

After that.

Time passed by in a blur. Kang Woo-jin entrusted himself to the chaotic flow. Many things happened, but he couldn’t remember them well after they passed. After the red carpet, they had a photo time, and the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival was held in the huge hall inside the ‘Palais des Festivals’ [Festival Palace]. It was a place where all the world’s famous filmmakers gathered.

Numerous cameras were also overflowing.

The chairman of the Cannes Film Festival went up on the dazzling stage, where the palm leaf logo representing the Cannes Film Festival was hung as big as a door, and recited his remarks. He announced the opening. For reference, the closing and awards ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival will also be held in this huge hall. After that, Kang Woo-jin was in a continuous cycle of interviews and photos.

Because the Korean press, foreign reporters, and others flocked to the ‘Leech’ team.

There were plenty of reasons why he was attracting attention.

‘Leech’ was the only Korean work in the ‘Competition Section,’ and the performance he showed with Miley Cara on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet also played a part.

‘Ah, I’m dying, it’s so chaotic.’

Kang Woo-jin realized that maintaining his concept was more difficult than ever. An unfamiliar country, an unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar people. Of course, he also met familiar people after the opening ceremony.

“Hahaha, Woo-jin-ssi. I almost didn’t recognize you in a tuxedo?”

“Thank you.”

“You look different from how you did in Bangkok.”

It was Joseph and Megan, the stunt team they had called, and the executives of ‘Universal Movies’. They were the same people he had seen in Bangkok, but seeing them in Cannes made Kang Woo-jin feel strange. It was like, he was realizing that they were doing well in Hollywood? Whatever it was, Kang Woo-jin greeted famous directors and officials from all nationalities like crazy.

Even though he didn’t know their faces at all.

‘Honestly, they just look like foreign old men. Ah, whatever.’

He also briefly greeted Hollywood top actors and actors from other countries. At this time, Miley Cara was with him.

And so.

“Ugh…”

It was almost midnight when Kang Woo-jin returned to his hotel room.

The next day.

The official first day of the Cannes Film Festival, which had announced its opening to the world, dawned. The morning of October 1st in Cannes had clear skies. The time was 8:30 AM. Today, too, the city of Cannes was overflowing with tourists, and the ‘Lumière Theatre’ inside the ‘Palais des Festivals’, which had started screenings, was also quite crowded. The nearly 3,000 seats were full.

The reason was simple.

Because the first film out of the 20 films in the ‘Competition Section’ of the Cannes Film Festival was about to have its first screening. Therefore, the people who occupied the 3,000 seats in the huge theater were diverse. Hollywood top actors and directors, stars from various industries, reporters, and so on. Of course, the 10 official jury members were also included. Among them, in the front of the seats.

‘Wow, the screen is huge.’

Kang Woo-jin, with a calm face, was also visible. Unlike yesterday, when he was in a tuxedo, he was wearing a casual suit. He was discreetly looking around this huge theater. Everything here in Cannes was just amazing. Next to Woo-jin were the giants Joseph and Megan.

Choi Sung-gun and Woo-jin’s team were not visible.

Because it was quite inconvenient to watch a movie at the Cannes Film Festival if you didn’t speak English or French. The subtitles were only in English and French. Of course, it was no problem for Kang Woo-jin, who had already memorized them. Anyway, the first film to open the ‘Competition Section’ was from Japan. Kang Woo-jin heard the whispers of the reporters sitting around him.

“It’s Director Hamaguchi, I’m looking forward to it.”

“That’s right. He won the Best Screenplay award at Cannes two years ago, I think?”

“I saw in an interview that he said he worked hard to win the Palme d’Or [Golden Palm, the highest prize] this year.”

“He’s a great director, so it’s possible.”

“The Cannes side must have put it as the first film because the work is good.”

Soon, the lights in the ‘Lumière Theatre’ went out.

The screening had begun.

The running time of the Japanese film, the first work in the ‘Competition Section’, was a little less than 2 hours. Kang Woo-jin, as well as all 3,000 audience members, were focused. The story was about a man who finds his dead wife’s diary and, as he meets the places and people written in it, learns about his wife’s hidden past. It starts calmly and then a thriller is added.

After the movie ended.

-Clap clap clap clap clap!

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap!

The vast theater was filled with applause. It was partly out of courtesy, but the movie itself was good, so the 3,000 audience members were praising it.

“As expected of Director Hamaguchi! I almost burst out laughing when the twist at the end happened.”

“The story level is high! The actors’ performances were also good!”

“Especially, the lingering ending is memorable, isn’t it? It was fun.”

“Director Hamaguchi is likely to win an award this year too, isn’t he?”

The bustling atmosphere of the theater was incomprehensible to Kang Woo-jin. He clapped indifferently, but inside, he was very puzzled.

‘Are they serious?? Was I the only one who found it boring? I almost fell asleep in the middle.’

It was a review from the perspective of a pure audience member. Well, does it matter? Woo-jin, who thought so, stayed in the screening room for a while before leaving with Joseph and Megan. Kang Woo-jin was about to move to have breakfast with the two of them. But.

“Hmm?”

The huge black man, Joseph Felton, stopped after spotting someone at the entrance of the theater. Megan, who had swept back her brown hair, did the same. The two of them approached a few foreigners who had gathered. Joseph spoke to a foreign man with a half-bald head and round glasses.

He looked to be in his 60s.

“Director Danny Landis, it’s been a while.”

The man called director turned his head. The prickly beard around his mouth was visible to Woo-jin, and he greeted Joseph and Megan calmly.

“Ah, Joseph and Megan. It’s been a while.”

“Yes, director. How have you been?”

“I’m the same as always.”

Director Danny Landis’s gaze reached Kang Woo-jin behind Joseph. Megan took charge of the introduction. Kang Woo-jin and Director Danny Landis briefly shook hands. There wasn’t much conversation. It was just out of courtesy. However, Woo-jin seemed to have seen his face somewhere.

‘Hmm, a director? Where have I seen him before?’

Soon, Joseph smiled at Danny and said.

“Director, I’ve contacted and made offers several times, but I haven’t received a reply.”

“Hmm? Ah, was that so?”

Joseph, who maintained his smile at the answer that he didn’t know at all, snorted inwardly.

‘Pretending not to know.’

Unlike his inner thoughts, he maintained his manners outwardly.

“Yes. I would appreciate it if you could check it once.”

“Okay. I’ll contact you again.”

Director Danny, who had finished the conversation, walked away. In the meantime, Kang Woo-jin had been searching for that director on his phone. An intense exclamation came out immediately. Of course, internally.

‘Crazy!!! Director Danny Landis! That guy is an amazing director in Hollywood!!!’

It was true. Director Danny Landis was a big-shot director in Hollywood. He had numerous hits and over 30 years of experience. As a result, there were countless articles and data. There were even movies that Woo-jin had enjoyed that he had made.

‘Wow, the director who made this movie is that person??!’

Just as Woo-jin was making a fuss inside, Director Danny, who had walked away, was being caught by several reporters, as befitting his high reputation. Famous people gathered around him again. Joseph, who was watching it closely, said to Kang Woo-jin, who was standing next to him.

“Do you know Director Danny?”

Woo-jin, who quickly took care of his concept, lowered his tone. He pretended to know him, even though he had just found out. A strong brazenness.

“Of course.”

“Hmm, he’s such a big shot that he was our top priority for casting, but it seems impossible. We’ve sent several offers, but there’s no reply.”

Megan chimed in.

“Anyway, offers are sent to directors like Danny Landis first, it’s not like contacting or making offers costs money. Besides, Danny is one of the few directors in Hollywood who can write and produce his own scripts. We knew it would be difficult to bring him in, but we still sent it, right?”

“That’s right, but it’s a shame to actually meet him in person.”

“But I heard that Danny is a bit of an eccentric, is that true? I’ve never worked with him. Joseph, I heard you did in the past?”

“An eccentric… he’s not ordinary.”

Joseph, who chuckled, made eye contact with Kang Woo-jin, who was standing next to him, and continued.

“He’s not strange, eccentricity is a common trait among geniuses.”

The next day, the 2nd. Cannes, France.

The time was around 11 AM. On the huge screen in front of the ‘Lumière Theatre’ inside the ‘Palais des Festivals’, where 3,000 seats were full.

-♬♪

The end credits were rolling with the movie music. It was the second day of the Cannes Film Festival. Two of the 20 films in the ‘Competition Section’ had been screened yesterday, and now the third film had just finished its first screening. For reference, there was one more screening in the afternoon.

The interesting thing here was.

“······”

“······”

“······”

The theater, where a huge audience had gathered, was very quiet as the end credits rolled on the large screen. Usually, when a movie ended, it should have been noisy. With applause and so on. It had been like that until yesterday. But all 3,000 audience members, where many famous people had gathered, didn’t show any movement for the 5 minutes that the end credits were rolling.

Even the eyes of everyone were filled with shock.

Among them was the Hollywood mega-director who had briefly brushed past Kang Woo-jin yesterday. The master director Danny Landis, with a half-bald head and round glasses on his nose.

“Huh-”

He, too, was staring blankly at the large screen in front of him, which had just finished the screening, and in Danny’s hand was the poster of the movie he had just watched.

The movie title was visible.

-‘Leech’

Soon, he recalled the conversation that the reporters around him had been saying before the movie started, and he denied it.

“How can anyone say this movie is just for show?”

The Hollywood people who came with Danny turned their heads. They all looked quite old.

“Did you just… say something?”

“I’m talking about this movie ‘Leech’.”

Director Danny, who was murmuring to himself, lowered his gaze slowly and tapped the poster on his lap with his index finger. Specifically, he tapped Kang Woo-jin in the poster.

“Did they really bring someone with ‘Ripley Syndrome’ [a personality disorder characterized by a need to lie and manipulate] and make him an actor?”