I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 44

Kang Woo-jin was slightly surprised by Director Shin Dong-chun’s message, though he kept it to himself.

‘They’ve already picked the finalists? That was fast.’

A little excitement bubbled up inside him.

‘So, I’m actually going to a film festival? Wow—I’ve only ever seen those on TV at the end of the year. And it’s me?’

Of course, it wasn’t one of the major film festivals like the Blue Dragon Awards or the Baeksang Arts Awards [prestigious South Korean award ceremonies], but for Kang Woo-jin, a small-time citizen at heart, it was amazing regardless of the scale. He was keenly aware that his life was becoming more and more extraordinary.

At that moment.

-♬♪

Choi Sung-gun, the man with the ponytail in the passenger seat, received a call on his phone. He was checking Kang Woo-jin’s schedule in his planner when he saw the caller ID.

“It’s Director Shin?”

Choi Sung-gun made eye contact with Kang Woo-jin in the rearview mirror and answered the call.

“Yes, yes, Director.”

Director Shin Dong-chun’s excited voice came through immediately.

“CEO Choi, ‘The Detective Agency’ has been selected as a finalist! I just got a call from the committee.”

“Oh, really? Just now?”

“Yes! It’s confirmed for us, and I’ve sent a message to Woo-jin-ssi as well. I wasn’t sure if he was filming.”

“Ah—we’re on our way somewhere right now.”

Choi Sung-gun’s voice grew a little louder as his excitement spread.

“Wow—but isn’t this really fast? Honestly, I thought the finalist announcement would take a little longer? Were there surprisingly few submissions?”

“I don’t think so. The committee didn’t say exactly, but from what they hinted, it seems like it increased by about 30% compared to last year. It must be at least over 1000 submissions.”

“But this fast…”

Choi Sung-gun’s brain started working quickly as his words trailed off. He quickly came up with an explanation.

“Aside from the quality of the work, I guess they contacted us right away because Hye-yeon was unexpectedly involved. The finalist announcements are usually all done in one day, right?”

“I think that’s highly likely. It seems like they contacted the works that would be a hot topic separately and quickly to show their sincerity.”

Choi Sung-gun, still on the phone with Director Shin Dong-chun, finished the call as they arrived at the B-team filming location.

“Okay, I understand, Director. We’ll prepare well according to the schedule, yes, yes.”

As soon as the head of BW Entertainment hung up, Han Ye-jung, who was next to Kang Woo-jin, leaned closer to the passenger seat.

“Wow—’The Detective Agency’ got selected as a finalist?”

“Yeah, it did!”

“Wow.”

Even the usually cold Han Ye-jung seemed quite surprised, looking at the cynical Woo-jin with admiration.

“Oppa, you’re going to a film festival just two months after starting as an actor?”

For some reason, Choi Sung-gun answered instead.

“It’s only been two months in Korea. Woo-jin, have you perhaps already experienced a film festival somewhere else?”

That’s not possible.

At that moment, Han Ye-jung, who had become serious, suddenly opened her styling book. Her eyes were filled with intense determination.

“I’ll do your hair and makeup properly. The ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’ is quite major for short films, so a lot of reporters, directors, and actors will come. You absolutely can’t look bad.”

At this point, Woo-jin looked down at the ‘Island of the Missing’ script to calm his racing heart, and Choi Sung-gun, watching Kang Woo-jin in the rearview mirror, exclaimed internally.

‘Film festival debut two months after starting? That’s an extraordinary, crazy move. I’ve never seen this kind of trajectory before. And even the top directors in the country are sticking to him like glue.’

Even if his acting was amazing, it was another story for the top directors to be all over him. Choi Sung-gun, who had been in the entertainment industry for over a decade, knew this best.

‘And on top of that, he has English skills that would make it no surprise if he went to Hollywood right away. He doesn’t know Japanese that well yet, though.’

Choi Sung-gun didn’t regret the unconventional contract terms at all, and as he was considering Woo-jin’s explosive future, he turned around and asked.

“So, Woo-jin, how does ‘Island of the Missing’ feel?”

“It’s fun.”

“Oh? It’s fun?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“No. It’s just that your ‘fun’ sounds a bit… understated?”

It wasn’t understated. Woo-jin’s answer wasn’t a performance. ‘Island of the Missing’ was genuinely fun.

‘No, how can a man not be into a monster?’

That’s why Woo-jin gave a calm but sincere answer again.

“I haven’t finished reading it yet, but it’s fun.”

“Okay, okay. Let me know after you’ve read it all. Whether you’ll do it or not, and which character you liked in particular. Director Kwon Ki-taek said there’s no rush, so take your time and think it over carefully.”

“Yes, CEO.”

“Director Kwon Ki-taek also said he has a schedule for the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival,’ so we can schedule a meeting around the time the film festival ends.”

Here, Kang Woo-jin suddenly changed the subject in a low voice.

“And is it possible to get more scripts or screenplays?”

“Suddenly? Something from the past? Or something that hasn’t started yet?”

“It would be better if it’s something in the planning stages.”

There wasn’t really a big reason. It wasn’t so much about wanting to do a project, but more about reading various scripts and screenplays. He needed to quickly gain experience and knowledge.

‘And it would be great if something high-quality comes out of it.’

Meanwhile, Choi Sung-gun, who was stroking his chin, asked back.

“Hmm—it’s not difficult to get works that are circulating in the market. But there’s no need to rush too much, is there?”

“I just want to look at them.”

“Really? Then what genre do you prefer? Thriller, action, rom-com, etc.”

“I don’t think it matters much.”

“Hmm, you’ve played some intense characters in your early debut… If you keep going that way, it’s easy to get typecast. Actually, the best way to explode the fandom is with something sweet.”

Choi Sung-gun, who was explaining something, said.

“Woo-jin, your image has versatility, a good range.”

He suggested to the silent Kang Woo-jin.

“Would you like to look at a rom-com or a melodrama?”

Around lunchtime on the same day. Tokyo, Japan.

A high-end sushi restaurant near Tokyo Station. It was a place that looked expensive at a glance. In the private tatami room of such a sushi restaurant, two men were sitting facing each other. One had short, graying hair and a large nose, and looked to be in his 50s. The other was younger than 50 and quite thin.

They were enjoying the colorful sushi placed in the center of the table.

Then, the thin man started the conversation.

“あ, 監督.(Ah, Director.)”

The man with the gray hair, whose eyes were on the sushi, replied quietly.

“なんで? 早く食べる人が勝者じゃん.(Why? The one who eats fast is the winner.)”

The thin man chuckled at the answer.

“No, not the sushi. Are you going to Korea this time? I heard you were invited to some film festival.”

“Hmm? Ah—yes. I’m planning to go.”

“Really? You’ve rested a bit, so you should start working on a project soon.”

“Even if I do, I won’t do it with you.”

“That’s disappointing.”

In fact, the 50-year-old man with the big nose, who was called a director, was one of the most renowned directors in Japan. He was always mentioned when talking about masters in Japan. His filmography spanned various genres, including documentaries, action, live-action adaptations, dramas, and thrillers, and he even won an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018.

His name was Tanoguchi Kyotaro.

Moreover, Director Kyotaro had a deep connection with Korea.

『’Japanese Master’ Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro Posts Another Photo of His Trip to Korea on SNS』

He was a pro-Korean who liked Korean content and culture. His social media was often filled with photos of his trips to Korea, and he had even filmed a joint Korean-Japanese project quite a while ago.

Anyway.

“What’s disappointing about that? How many projects have we done together?”

As Director Kyotaro put down his chopsticks and muttered, the thin man across from him sighed softly and changed the subject.

“Yes, yes, but is there anything to enjoy at that film festival in Korea?”

“It’s the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival.’ I was invited last year too, but I couldn’t go. I should go this year. Rather than enjoying it, it’s a major film festival for short and art films, so there’s a lot to see.”

“But if it’s a short film festival, all the actors will be unknown, and it’s only major in Korea. Internationally, it’ll be boring, right? The works will probably be small too.”

Director Kyotaro, who was holding a glass of water, glared slightly at the thin man across from him.

“That kind of mentality is what’s making the Japanese film industry regress.”

“…Yes?”

“The fact that short and art films have unknowns is the same in Japan. Rather, looking at how things are going these days, Japan needs to learn from Korea’s content market system.”

“Ah—yes, I agree with that.”

“Doesn’t the answer come out just by looking at Netflix in Japan? More than half of the top 10 rankings are Korean works. Isn’t that a crisis? But Japan is always the same because its domestic market is stable.”

“…”

“The actors always act with a ‘I’m acting right now!’ tone, and the directors keep using the same methods and systems.”

Here, Director Kyotaro let out a long sigh.

“But Japan is already being eaten up by the Korean Wave [Hallyu]. The public that loves K-pop and K-content is constantly increasing.”

He spoke his sincere thoughts.

“We need to pay more attention to Korea. That’s why I’m going to Korea.”

After that.

Around the time Kang Woo-jin was immersed in filming ‘Profiler Hanryang,’ new news was being announced in various areas of the internet.

『[Movie Talk] ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’ Changes Sponsors This Year, Attention to Different Moves!』

It was about the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival.’ Of course, it wasn’t the main topic like ‘Profiler Hanryang’ or the drama competition, but.

『’Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ Committee Says, “Many Famous Overseas Directors Will Attend This Year”』

It was definitely more aggressive promotion than last year. The ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’ was frequently seen in the entertainment sections of various portal sites and in various online communities.

-Current status of the domestic major Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival.jpg

It was clear that the new backer, that is, the sponsor, was spending a lot of money. The promotion related to the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’ grew in scale not just for a day, but also the next day and the day after.

On top of that.

“Do you guys know about the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’? It’s a film festival that opens on the 30th of this month, and we got an advertisement from there!”

Various BJs [Broadcast Jockeys, online streamers] and YouTubers also advertised the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival.’ The interest wasn’t huge, but it did spread to a wider audience. At least, it was a method of promotion that wasn’t even attempted last year.

『[Issue IS] From Famous YouTubers to Various Top Actors, They Are All Promoting the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’』

It was natural that it was getting attention.

In other words, people who were already interested in the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’ and those who weren’t were now aware of it. The somewhat provocative words like master, top actor, or famous foreign actor also played a role.

The effects of this aggressive promotion were immediately apparent.

Film-related communities were buzzing, and the ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’ was frequently shared on social media and other platforms. It wasn’t just online, but offline as well.

For example.

“Oh-”

Kim Dae-young, Kang Woo-jin’s friend, who had just returned to his seat after lunch, said that. He had always been interested in acting, so his interest was even greater.

“The ‘Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival’ is getting a lot of articles this year?”

He was dying to go. Looking at the film festival schedule, the screening period for the short film finalists was a week, including the weekend, excluding the closing ceremony and awards ceremony.

But the burly Kim Dae-young was lonely to go alone.

“Sigh—should I try to persuade someone?”

Kim Dae-young sent a message to one of the three members, including Kang Woo-jin.

-Hey, Lee Kyung-sung, sending.

His friend must have been resting too, as the reply was quick.

-ChubbyKyungSung: Speak.

-(Link) Wanna go see this next weekend? Short film festival

-ChubbyKyungSung: No.

-Why, you idiot? You have nothing to do on the weekend anyway.

-ChubbyKyungSung: League of Legends. And why would I go to that.

-Let’s get drunk after it’s over.

-ChubbyKyungSung: Then call the others too. Why is Kang Woo-jin always MIA?

-I don’t know, he just says he’s always busy. Anyway, I’m calling Na Hyung-gu too?

-ChubbyKyungSung: Yeah, tell Na Hyung-gu to come out. And Kang Woo-jin definitely has a girlfriend.

-If it’s a girlfriend, I’ll accept it. Hyung-gu said okay, so you come too.

-ChubbyKyungSung: Okay.

Kim Dae-young, who had persuaded two of his friends, also sent a message to Kang Woo-jin.

-Hey, are you dead? Let’s see your face.

Surprisingly, the reply came quickly.

-WooJiral: Next time. I’m really busy.

As soon as he saw the reply, the burly Kim Dae-young snorted.

“That bastard definitely has a girlfriend.”

Sunday, April 26th. Late afternoon.

The location was the ‘Profiler Hanryang’ filming set. It was the main team, not the B team, and dozens of staff, including PD [Production Director] Song Man-woo, were holding their breath and watching the filming zone.

“…”

“…”

In the place they were looking at was Kang Woo-jin, or rather, Detective Park, in handcuffs. Detectives were holding him on both sides.

At that moment, the front camera moved slowly on the rails towards Detective Park.

Accordingly, Detective Park’s face was gradually zoomed in on the monitor that PD Song Man-woo, with his stubble, was watching. Detective Park didn’t say anything. He just stared at the approaching camera. What was interesting was that there was a slight change in Detective Park on the monitor. As his face was magnified, the corners of his mouth slightly went up.

It was as if the process of a person smiling was being expressed in slow motion.

Detective Park’s smile was growing. No, it was more accurate to say that a chilling smile was spreading across his face. It was like ink was spreading. When the camera stopped two steps in front of Detective Park.

“…”

Detective Park’s face, which had been expressionless, was now covered with a bright smile. The combination of his intense, crazy eyes and his growing smile made him look like a clown at first glance.

A smile drawn, a hidden entity within.

It was a face with one face but multiple masks combined. A scene that clearly expressed his character, whose truth was unknown.

At this moment.

“…Cut, cut!! OK!!!”

PD Song Man-woo, who had been mesmerized by Kang Woo-jin’s acting, jumped up and shouted the sign, and at the same time, dozens of staff members around him applauded Woo-jin.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!

“Wow!! That was amazing!!”

“Woo-jin-ssi! You worked hard!!”

“That’s a shame, a shame! Woo-jin-ssi, you did a great job!”

The actors who were waiting, including Ryu Jung-min, also joined in the applause. Their faces were filled with sincere smiles. Detective Park, who Kang Woo-jin had been playing, had been truly amazing. Although he was a junior, it was filled with respect as a fellow actor.

And.

-Swish.

PD Song Man-woo, who had rushed to Kang Woo-jin on the set, immediately raised both thumbs.

“In my entire directing career, Detective Park that Woo-jin-ssi has shown so far has been legendary. Truly.”

Amid the outpouring of praise and congratulations, Kang Woo-jin still had a nonchalant face, but he was slightly flustered inside.

‘How do I—finish this??’

In addition, a slight surge of emotion and an immense sense of accomplishment or elation swept through his heart. At this moment, there was no need for a concept or acting tough.

‘Uh… let’s just express my gratitude.’

Kang Woo-jin bowed his head solemnly to PD Song Man-woo and the many senior actors and dozens of staff members who had worked hard together.

“Thank you all, I learned a lot.”

It was the moment when Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Detective Park’ filming was over.

An hour later.

Kang Woo-jin, who had finished filming ‘Profiler Hanryang’ as Detective Park, came out to the set’s parking lot. Woo-jin was alone without his team. Choi Sung-gun was talking with the directing team, Han Ye-jung was tidying up the costumes, and the bulky Jang Su-hwan had run to the bathroom on the way here.

Whatever the case.

-Swish.

The expressionless Kang Woo-jin looked up at the sky in front of the black van. It was already dark. However, the moonlight was bright. The atmosphere wasn’t bad. A cool breeze was blowing. It was as if nature was celebrating the last filming.

That’s why Woo-jin.

“…”

The joy that he had been holding back until now was expressed without him realizing it. A deep smile peeked out from his mouth. He had temporarily dropped his persona. He felt great because of the relief and the fact that he had overcome a hurdle.

I’ve worked hard, so this much is okay, right?

He was grinning. That was exactly the kind of smile Woo-jin was giving off right now. Kang Woo-jin’s true self. He could put the mask back on if there were any signs of people.

“Hehe, ah, I shouldn’t be smiling. It keeps coming out.”

And someone was watching the grinning Kang Woo-jin.

“…?”

It was Hong Hye-yeon, who had her eye mask on her forehead, in the white van. She must have been waiting.

“What is he…doing?”

Her expression was serious.

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