I Was Mistaken As A Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 402

The set banquet hall was filled with over a hundred staff members and numerous filming devices. And there, Kang Woo-jin sat at a piano with a white base and intricate gold patterns. This was the view of the foreign staff gathered on set.

But Kang Woo-jin saw something different.

-♬♪

His eyes, smiling as he touched the keys, didn’t see the cameras, the lights, the audio equipment, or the foreign production crew. This set banquet hall looked different only through Woo-jin’s eyes.

A refined, old-fashioned atmosphere.

Numerous candles lit the chandeliers that filled the ceiling, creating a warm hue throughout the banquet hall. There were delicious-looking foods, nobles in colorful dresses and formal attire dancing to the piano melody, and their laughter filled the grand hall.

This place was no longer an audition site for Kang Woo-jin.

It was a party filled with rhythm and happiness.

It was natural. Currently, Woo-jin was the ‘Beast’ himself. Or, more precisely, the ‘Prince’ before he was consumed by the curse. From the moment he stepped into this banquet hall, he had summoned the ‘Beast’ or the ‘Prince.’ His thoughts and life changed in an instant, and everything in reality disappeared like smoke. Kang Woo-jin wasn’t just playing the piano right now.

He was letting everyone hear the world of the ‘Beast.’

It wasn’t acting. He was bringing the Beast from ‘Beauty and the Beast’ into reality, briefly showing his life. The piano was just the medium.

‘I was never a monster, a ‘Beast’ from the start.’

Look at this. Could a ‘Beast’ play such a soft piano melody? Could the nobles in the banquet hall wear such happy smiles? Kang Woo-jin, the ‘Prince,’ was playing a daily life filled with laughter, not from a script, but from reality.

But this was.

“…Oh my god.”

“Has he already started acting?”

“I think so?”

The director of ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ Bill Lautner, the executive producer, the executives of ‘World Disney Pictures,’ and over a hundred foreign staff members perceived it as intense acting. It was inevitable. Woo-jin’s face on the monitor was clearly different from the beginning, and his gaze swept across the empty set banquet hall as if it were full of people. The emotions conveyed in the piano melody were also meltingly beautiful.

It was 100% acting.

What was peculiar was the expressions of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ production team. Their eyes widened, their mouths opened, and their brows furrowed. A slight bewilderment was evident in all their eyes. The reason was simple.

“Did anyone ask him to include acting while playing the piano?”

“No, not at all. It was clearly communicated when we handed over the audition materials. The piano performance is only to assess his skill and visuals, though the costume will be changed. He was told to focus solely on the piano performance without acting.”

None of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ production team members gathered in this set banquet hall had asked Kang Woo-jin to include acting during his piano performance. The audition requests they made to the ‘Beast’ role candidates were three things:

Piano, singing, and acting.

Among them, piano and singing were to gauge how freely they could perform the various OSTs [Original Soundtracks], which are considered trademarks of the live-action ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Of course, acting would be included in the piano or singing during filming. However, since the sheet music was recently handed over, there was little time to practice, so for now, they only needed to show their piano or vocal skills without acting.

Even mastering just that was a big deal.

Including acting would require a lot of time, starting with analyzing the script and practicing how to mix acting with the piano and OST. ‘World Disney Pictures’ had seen and done such work countless times.

But now.

Kang Woo-jin, in his banquet attire of blue and beige.

-♬♪

He was performing acting along with the piano. But it didn’t seem forced or like a contrived situation. The impressions voiced by everyone here, including director Bill Lautner, were proof of that.

“It feels like we’re really in the banquet hall from ‘Beauty and the Beast.'”

“I feel the same. Is it because of Kang Woo-jin’s smile? Or the piano melody?”

“It must be both. He’s portraying the ‘Prince’ from the past, and he’s putting the ‘Prince’s’ emotions into the piano. The performance is actually lively, not rough.”

“…This is crazy, I feel like I can see nobles dancing in an empty banquet hall. This is my first time experiencing this, and he’s doing something so difficult so easily?”

Director Bill Lautner, with widened eyes, pushed up his black horn-rimmed glasses.

“Moreover, his piano performance far exceeded our expectations. What is it? How could he have learned that much piano and acting in such a short period and make it look so effortless?”

It was as if Kang Woo-jin was showing the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ production team a video. It was like, ‘what you imagined for the live-action is something like this.’ That kind of feeling.

At that moment, a change occurred.

“Hmm? It seems like the speed is slightly increasing now.”

“That’s right, and there’s a sense of irritation in the performance.”

Woo-jin’s piano melody, which had been lively and enjoyable, gradually became faster and duller. A shadow slowly fell over Kang Woo-jin’s smiling face. It was vividly captured on the monitor. His expression changed to a blank one in real-time. The beautiful melody was tinged with pain.

And.

-♬♪!!

Kang Woo-jin, or the ‘Prince,’ struck the piano keys roughly with his wide-open hands. The performance that had filled the banquet hall suddenly stopped.

“…”

The banquet hall, which had been full of warmth, suddenly became desolate. The coldness of winter, which had been forgotten, seeped into the clothes of the hundred staff members. It was chilly. A faint anger was painted on Woo-jin’s expressionless face on the monitor.

Silence was maintained.

Kang Woo-jin, in his banquet attire, simply looked down at the golden piano and didn’t move. About 10 seconds passed. Then, director Bill Lautner and the executive producer, who had been watching, made their guesses.

‘Is it… over? According to the sheet music, he only practiced up to the middle part? Even so, he played the piece as freely as if it were his own. It’s beyond expectations.’

‘He didn’t play to the end. Well, he must have practiced with acting mixed in with the performance, so it would be difficult to do it all the way through. No, but it’s already amazing, even at this level, he’s surpassed the common sense of everyone here.’

That was all the eccentric Korean actor had prepared. Thanks to that, director Bill Lautner, who had been staring at the monitor, got up from his seat. He was about to speak to Woo-jin at the piano.

“…Um, Mr. Kang Woo-jin.”

At that moment.

-♬♪

The piano performance that had stopped began to resonate in the set banquet hall again. Kang Woo-jin had started moving his fingers again. Director Bill Lautner, who had stood up, froze.

‘It wasn’t… over?’

Everyone, from the executive producer to the hundred foreign staff members, widened their eyes. Of course, everyone was looking at Woo-jin in front of the piano, and he, who had started playing again, was hitting the keys very roughly from the beginning. It was strange. It was just a continuation of the initial piece, but it felt like a completely different song. Everyone in the banquet hall had the same thought.

‘What, what is this? The atmosphere suddenly changed 180 degrees.’

Kang Woo-jin’s vision had also changed. The warm and splendid banquet hall, with its delicious food, was nowhere to be seen. All the candles in the bright chandeliers had also gone out. The numerous nobles in their banquet dresses had also disappeared.

Now, only darkness existed.

A blizzard mixed with bone-chilling cold wind rushed in. There was no trace of human warmth. It was dark and musty. The banquet attire he was wearing was also torn and tattered. Even the hands playing the piano were covered in brown fur.

The ‘Beast.’

The current Kang Woo-jin was not the ‘Prince’ but the ‘Beast.’

The one who had become a monster due to the curse.

Therefore, the season in his vision and heart had transformed from spring to winter. The monster had torn apart his heart, which had been full of laughter. It clawed, bit, and roared. It was empty and anxious. Irritation surged. He was impatient.

-♬♪

All those emotions were conveyed directly through the piano performance. It was rough, clumsy, and filled with clear anger. The same was true for Woo-jin’s face, which was being displayed on the camera and monitor. It was all the uncomfortable, irritated expression of the ‘Beast.’ It intensified as the performance continued.

It was quite understandable.

He had summoned the ‘Beast’ and, furthermore, amplified the ‘Beastification.’

‘Why did it turn out like this? Where did my warm past go? When can I ever go back? Am I going to die like this? Anyone, please, just appear.’

‘Ah, it’s lonely enough to feel like hell.’

Kang Woo-jin had no lines. His tightly closed mouth did not open. But his eyes, his expression, and his piano performance completed the form of the ‘Beast’ more clearly than a hundred lines of dialogue.

From around this point.

-♬♪

From the moment the bleak and rough piano performance exploded, director Bill Lautner and the hundred members of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ production team began to realize.

‘…He hasn’t put on any makeup, but the thick fur and the chilling face of the ‘Beast’ are vivid.’

‘Could it be that Kang Woo-jin is now… replacing the makeup of the Prince and the Beast with his piano performance??’

Kang Woo-jin was using his acting-infused piano performance to realize the ‘Prince’ to ‘Beast’ transformation, the technical aspects beyond makeup and CG [Computer Graphics].

Of course, all of this was intentional on Woo-jin’s part.

The live-action ‘Beauty and the Beast’ would include intense makeup at a professional level. However, such makeup would not be done for the audition. In other words, all the hundred foreigners here were watching the actor’s audition, checking their acting, performance, and vocals, and finishing the makeup and technical aspects in their imagination.

But wasn’t that a bit disappointing?

Of course, there was no need to openly do the ‘Beast’ makeup, but since he had come to the audition, Kang Woo-jin wanted to show everyone the real ‘Beast.’ It wasn’t like there was no way.

The piano. He would melt the lives of the ‘Prince’ and the ‘Beast’ into the piano.

That hit the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ production team with several times the impact of makeup. There was no need to imagine. The brain automatically formed the ‘Beast’ shape from the irregular piano melody that passed through the ears.

Then.

-♬♪

The ‘Beast’s’ performance, which had reached its climax, ended. Kang Woo-jin lowered the lid of the golden piano and met the gaze of the camera set up beyond the piano.

“…”

His eyes were full of emotions like a clumsy child.

About 5 seconds passed like that?

-Swish.

Suddenly, Kang Woo-jin, who had returned to a nonchalant face, got up and murmured in low English to the hundred foreign staff members.

“It’s over.”

But no one immediately responded.

“…”

It was because the lingering scent of the ‘Beast’ was still strong.

Several tens of minutes later.

Kang Woo-jin had just left the warehouse-type stage in ‘spt Studio,’ which was 50,000 pyeong [approximately 123 acres] in size, where the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ audition had taken place. Woo-jin had taken off the banquet attire he had worn. It was natural. The audition and screen test were over.

Woo-jin, looking back at the huge warehouse set, wore a firm expression. On the other hand, he was internally exclaiming.

‘Whew—it’s over! That was surprisingly tough, but anyway, I feel so relieved.’

Piano, vocals, and acting. He had shown everything he had prepared without any regrets. After everything was over, the questions from director Bill Lautner, the executive producer, and the executives of ‘World Disney Pictures’ were surprisingly few. Just a few questions about the audition preparation process. Kang Woo-jin was a bit puzzled.

‘Was it a bit bad? I don’t know, tsk. It’s already over, and only the results remain.’

He brushed it off lightly. There was nothing to think about here that would change anything. Soon, Choi Sung-gun, who was next to Kang Woo-jin, suddenly gave a thumbs up.

“You killed it again, no, you’re really crazy. When you stopped the piano performance in the middle and then suddenly changed the flow, I got goosebumps.”

“Was it okay?”

“Is ‘okay’ enough? You just tore it up. Did you see the director and the production team’s expressions? Their souls just left their bodies. I even heard them admiring you in between.”

Was that so? Woo-jin, who felt relieved, heard Choi Sung-gun speak again.

“There are four other prominent Hollywood actors left after you, but honestly, I don’t think you’re falling behind.”

“…”

“But this is a place where all sorts of things happen, and there was also the controversy when you were nominated as a candidate for ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ so let’s just wait with a light heart for now.”

It meant that ‘World Disney Pictures’ would have a lot to consider, regardless of his skills. There was also the recent ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ project that Woo-jin had confirmed, and the controversy surrounding Woo-jin’s candidacy was still noisy among the global public. Moreover, there might be subtle discrimination that wasn’t immediately visible.

Just as Kang Woo-jin nodded, it happened.

-Swish.

A group of foreigners passed in front of him. Among them, a man with brown permed hair glanced at Woo-jin. He had a very unusual visual. As they moved away, Choi Sung-gun murmured softly.

“The next one is going in.”

It was a Hollywood actor who was one of the candidates. Looking closely, he was the Hollywood actor who had asked Miley Cara about Kang Woo-jin at the previous fashion show, the one Cara had called a blabbermouth. Kang Woo-jin, who had no way of knowing this, was just staring with a stiff face, amazed.

‘I don’t remember that actor’s name, but he looks amazing in person? So handsome and tall. Wow—’

The brown-permed Hollywood actor who had entered the audition hall.

“That’s Kang Woo-jin—”

He recalled what Cara had said to him in the past.

‘If you approach it with the same mindset, you’ll be trampled. And quite miserably.’

Soon, he snorted.

“Me getting trampled by a guy like that, that’s ridiculous.”

About 20 minutes later.

-♬♪

The piano melody resonated again in the set banquet hall where the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ audition was taking place. A man in blue banquet attire sat at the golden piano. But it wasn’t Kang Woo-jin. It was the next candidate, the brown-permed Hollywood actor. He was passionately playing the piano at a very professional level.

Director Bill Lautner and the hundred foreign staff members were watching him. Their serious and solemn expressions seemed to indicate that they were quite impressed with his performance.

“…”

But the foreigners’ inner thoughts, with their mouths closed, were actually filled with bewilderment, not admiration.

The reason for that.

“Hah—we saw something too amazing from the start.”

Director Bill Lautner, who had taken off his black horn-rimmed glasses, with the ‘Beast’s’ performance from earlier still fresh in his mind, murmured softly as he listened to the Hollywood actor’s piano performance.

“It’s child’s play.”