I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 425

Maria Armas, with her captivating brown eyes and Spanish heritage, was now on par with Miley Cara. Maria bit her lower lip slightly at Cara’s question.

‘She’s not my type, I don’t like her.’

Cara had directly asked, ‘Even though you lost to me?’ Honestly, there were few actresses in Hollywood who acted as recklessly as Miley Cara. It was a response only Cara could pull off. Maria, running a hand through her hair that transitioned from brown at the roots to blonde at the shoulders, glanced around and replied quietly.

“Yes, even though I lost to you.”

Her expression tried to remain calm, but Maria was deeply hurt in her pride. However, she couldn’t start yelling here with so many eyes watching. Besides, she was well aware that she had joined ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ despite failing to get the role of ‘Beauty Bella.’

‘Calm down, settle your emotions.’

She had to pretend to be composed somehow. She had somewhat anticipated Cara’s reaction. Maria looked around at the bustling surroundings and spoke nonchalantly.

“I did want ‘Beauty Bella,’ but the other roles are also great.”

“Really?”

Cara, with a smile, tilted her head slightly. Then, recalling Maria from the ‘Beauty Bella’ audition, she said,

“For someone who wanted it so badly, you seemed quite desperate during the audition, didn’t you? Anyway, it’s unexpected. I didn’t think you, Maria, would take a supporting role.”

“…How long are you going to be sarcastic?”

At Maria’s sharp glare, Cara laughed, running a hand through her blonde hair. Then, while acknowledging an acquaintance passing by, Cara continued with her characteristic cold tone.

“Sarcastic? I was just being honest. So, if you’ve joined—I guess you’ll be the ‘Teapot’ then.”

This was a deliberate jab. There was a ‘Teapot’ role among the supporting characters in ‘The Beast and the Beauty.’ However, Cara.

‘If not now, when else can I tease her?’

She intentionally omitted the name from the ‘Teapot’ role. Naturally, Maria’s pride was wounded. Forcing a smile, she whispered coldly.

“Miley, you’re still such a bitch. That’s why you’re called the ‘Blonde Robot.’”

“…What?”

“Why? You know it too. People find you difficult to approach.”

A moment of silence. The two top Hollywood actresses merely exchanged glances, but there was a clear, silent spark between them. It lasted for about five seconds.

“Ha-”

Cara, letting out a short sigh, ran a hand through her blonde hair again, breaking the silence first.

“I know you dislike me, and I don’t like you either. But why did you join ‘The Beast and the Beauty’? I’m just curious.”

Cara was being sincere. In fact, ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ had been perfect so far. She was confirmed for ‘Beauty Bella,’ and she was finally meeting Kang Woo-jin as the lead. Although it was taking some time, the pre-production of ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ was going smoothly. But with Maria joining, the color of perfection had become a little murky.

Maria, who had muddied the waters, stared at Cara before answering.

“That’s easy. I wanted to join ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ so much, even though the situation isn’t ideal. The original ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ is a work I love, both in the past and now. It’s natural to be greedy when that work is being made into a live-action film.”

It was true. In fact, Maria was a so-called ‘true fan’ of the original ‘The Beast and the Beauty.’ Her previous comment about Kang Woo-jin, that the ‘Prince’ should be more handsome, was, in a way, a mistake born out of her fan spirit. Whatever the reason, Maria had swallowed her pride and somehow managed to get a different role in ‘The Beast and the Beauty.’

Well, there was another reason.

‘Kang Woo-jin—I’m a little curious about him.’

It was Kang Woo-jin she had seen at the ‘Beauty Bella’ audition. Her view of Woo-jin was still not favorable, but conversely, his attitude and piano skills she had seen at the audition had piqued Maria’s curiosity.

‘I’m a little curious. How he’ll portray the ‘Beast.’ And how he’ll get into the ‘Academy Awards’ after being so dismissive of it.’

Then, suddenly.

“Ah.”

Something came to Maria’s mind, and she moved closer to Cara.

“By the way, about Kang Woo-jin.”

At the sudden mention of Woo-jin’s name, Cara’s blue eyes widened slightly.

“Kang Woo-jin? Why him all of a sudden?”

“Did he live in Spain? Like for studying abroad or something?”

“What are you talking about?”

“…He’s fluent in Spanish. Like a native speaker. I naturally thought he had lived in Spain for a while.”

“Spanish?”

“Yes. You might not know, but Kang Woo-jin probably lived in Spain in the past.”

“……”

Maria was spreading a misunderstanding. Cara frowned at this. Spanish? This woman wouldn’t make up such a ridiculous lie. Miley Cara suddenly recalled Kang Woo-jin speaking fluent French in Cannes.

‘French—and Spanish too?’

English and Japanese were one thing, but Spanish was unexpected. Then, the two women started walking side by side. The event was about to begin. As the two women moved towards the event hall, Maria glanced at Cara a few times before speaking first.

“You’re dating Kang Woo-jin, aren’t you?”

Stunned, Cara stopped walking and asked in disbelief.

“…Are you crazy?”

“Aren’t you?”

Maria asked back, smiling playfully.

“Then, it’s okay if I try to seduce him.”

“That won’t happen.”

Cara replied coldly right away.

However.

‘What? What am I saying—’

She wondered why she had said that, even after saying it herself. Maria’s smile deepened at this.

“Hmm? You said you weren’t dating?”

“Yeah.”

“But why not?”

“I didn’t say it wouldn’t happen, I said it won’t. He’s not really interested in women.”

Maria recalled Kang Woo-jin’s indifferent attitude towards her.

“…He did seem like that.”

It was a completely wrong answer. This time, Cara was spreading a misconception to Maria.

“Kang Woo-jin is obsessed with acting. His mind is full of nothing but roles.”

Kang Woo-jin’s name was constantly being mentioned by the two top Hollywood actresses who were vying for the top spot. As they were almost at the event hall, Cara asked back.

“But why did you think I was dating him?”

“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? You, who are particularly sensitive about albums, suddenly worked with Kang Woo-jin and appeared in the Korean production ‘The Righteous Evil.’ And now, you’re both cast in ‘The Beast and the Beauty’? You’re always together, so it’s natural. Rumors are spreading. If it’s not true, you should be careful. The reporters seem to have caught the scent.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Maria scoffed and spoke again.

“There are various reasons, but the real reason I thought you and Kang Woo-jin were dating is—”

She trailed off, recalling Woo-jin’s indifferent line.

‘You’re uglier than Miley Cara.’

But saying that would hurt her pride, so she changed her words.

“Kang Woo-jin told me that you’re prettier than me. So, I concluded that you two were dating.”

“…He said I’m prettier than you? That Kang Woo-jin?”

“Yeah.”

Cara’s blue eyes trembled slightly.

That same night. LA.

At ‘Columbia Studios,’ which had over 20 stages, the vast set was shrouded in darkness. However, in front of one set, a pizza shop, many foreign staff members were still bustling about.

It was the ‘Joker: Birth of a Villain’ team.

The first day of filming yesterday had continued until late at night, and it seemed that the second day of filming today would also go on quite late. Director Ahn Ga-bok, who was in the middle of a conversation with key staff members,

-Swish.

stood in front of the monitors. Then, two cameramen on either side moved their cameras towards the pizza shop, and a full-shot camera and a jib [a crane-like device used for camera movement] were activated. Dozens of foreign staff members moved out of the filming zone. Before long, about a hundred staff members were positioned around Director Ahn Ga-bok.

-Swish.

A nonchalant-looking actor walked towards the set pizza shop. It was Kang Woo-jin, wearing a shabby zip-up hoodie, with wet hair, and his face made up with flour and fake blood to create the ‘Joker’ face. It was to film the ‘Henry Gordon’ scene after he had turned the pizza shop owner into a meat chunk, according to the shooting script.

Woo-jin stood in front of the pizza shop door.

“……”

The two cameramen on either side prepared their cameras in front of him, and when Director Ahn Ga-bok sent a signal, a downpour suddenly began across the entire filming zone. A female staff member raised the slate in front of the camera.

-Clap!

Director Ahn Ga-bok’s old voice echoed through the megaphone.

“Action.”

At the same time, the camera that was capturing Kang Woo-jin, or ‘Henry Gordon,’ in a bust shot slowly, languidly, zoomed in on Woo-jin’s grotesque face. He was expressionless with the hood pulled over his head. His shoulders were slumped. He exuded a weak aura. It was the ‘Henry Gordon’ of the past.

Of course, he was just pretending.

He rolled his eyes. Right, left. He was checking his surroundings. There were few people around. It was natural with such a downpour.

-Swoosh!

Kang Woo-jin, with the ‘Joker’ face, looked up at the rain-soaked sky. The camera followed his gaze. Although it was pouring, the shop’s awning blocked the rain. Then, Woo-jin lowered his head. He looked back at the pizza shop where the meat chunks would be scattered, then turned his gaze forward again and suddenly smiled faintly.

His lips were already thickly painted with fake blood, but when he raised the corners of his mouth, the bizarre red lip painting stretched even further.

“Hee-”

Kang Woo-jin’s gaze, looking at the front camera, slowly rose. He straightened his slumped shoulders and posture. He had confirmed that there was no one around. Now, let’s fully enjoy the feeling of awakening. ‘Henry Gordon’ and ‘Joker’ still coexisted.

Kang Woo-jin.

-Swish.

raised his clenched fists to his chest and shook them wildly. His mouth was closed. It was a silent joy. It felt amazing, why had he held back until now? Why had he lived so pathetically?

Anyway, enjoy the moment.

Woo-jin, who was shaking his fists frivolously, even used his feet. The way he was jumping around with that face was the ‘Clown’ itself. He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hehe, hehehehe. Hehehehehe.”

His laughter was muffled by the downpour, but Kang Woo-jin, looking around mischievously, covered his mouth with one hand. However, his laughter continued to seep out through his fingers.

Then, his laughter suddenly stopped.

“……”

Kang Woo-jin, slowly lowering his hand from his mouth, turned his head and loosened his neck. He stretched his arms up to the sky as if yawning. A flexible yet grotesque movement. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Woo-jin, with a cigarette in his mouth, lit it.

The face that had been laughing had become indifferent.

“Hoo-”

The long puff of cigarette smoke spread widely through the downpour. Kang Woo-jin, looking at the smoke, took his first step into the rain-soaked world.

-Step step.

Compared to his slumped shoulders and weak past, he was now incredibly confident. Woo-jin, with the cigarette in his mouth, took off the hood he had been wearing. The camera captured his face as he walked backward. Heavy rain poured down on Kang Woo-jin’s face.

-Step step step.

The white flour and fake blood on his eyes, nose, and mouth were slowly, very slowly, washed away by the rain. Gradually, his pale face began to regain its normal skin tone. His red eyebrows turned black, and his thick, torn lips disappeared. The process was vividly captured by the camera.

The hundred or so foreign staff members watching the various monitors couldn’t take their eyes off him, and Director Ahn Ga-bok, who was practically glued to the monitor, had been getting goosebumps since earlier.

‘Yes, like that. As if a mask is slowly being peeled off.’

It was the direction he had wanted, and Kang Woo-jin was expressing it several times more intensely. In the monitor, Kang Woo-jin, soaked to the bone, touched his cheek with one hand, then swept his long hair back with both hands, revealing his forehead.

“It would be good if my hair was red too.”

Finally, everything that had been painted on Woo-jin’s face was gone as he stared at the camera. It wasn’t that the ‘Joker’ mask had been removed.

“……”

The ‘Joker’ had put on ‘Henry Gordon’s’ mask.

Two days later, on the morning of June 15th.

The door of one of the trailers in the ‘Joker: Birth of a Villain’ filming set opened with a thud. Kang Woo-jin entered with a nonchalant expression. The voices of Choi Sung-gun and the team members could be heard behind him, and Woo-jin nodded to them appropriately before closing the trailer door.

At the same time, he noticed something.

‘Oh-‘

He let out a small exclamation inwardly. He had seen the costumes prepared on the trailer’s clothes rack. A red jacket and pants, a blue shirt, a yellow vest, and worn-out brown shoes.

‘Right, it was today.’

It was the ‘Joker’s’ outfit.