I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 448

September 1st, early morning.

The location was the set complex within ‘Columbia Studios.’ Among the numerous stages, a massive one replicating a city center was bustling with over a hundred foreign staff members. Divided into teams, they moved with perfect coordination, including Director Ahn Ga-bok. This was the ‘Pierrot: Birth of a Villain’ team.

The time was just before 8 AM.

‘Check the camera angles!!’

‘Get the extras ready!’

‘Director!! Please check this here!!!’

This stage, or rather, the set, was filled with closely packed buildings, sidewalks, roads, crosswalks, various shops, and stalls scattered along the sidewalks. Today, ‘Pierrot: Birth of a Villain’ was filming Henry Gordon’s first scene. Originally scheduled for 10 AM, it was moved up two hours due to Kang Woo-jin’s tight schedule.

He had the first shoot for ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at 1 PM, after noon.

In short, Woo-jin was working a ‘double shift’ today.

Then.

‘Kang Woo-jin, standby!!’

Kang Woo-jin appeared on the set, where numerous staff members were lined up. He was wearing a faded zip-up hoodie and jeans, exactly the look of ‘Henry Gordon.’ Woo-jin, who briefly greeted the foreign staff, was, as always, deeply immersed in his character. His face was calm and cold.

‘······’

However, as he scanned the vast city, he inwardly felt a sense of regret.

‘Is the filming for ‘Pierrot’ slowly wrapping up? It’s bittersweet.’

At that moment, Director Ahn Ga-bok, with his wrinkled face, approached.

‘You’re here?’

In his hand was the storyboard for today’s filming. Director Ahn Ga-bok, along with the cinematographer, explained to Woo-jin.

‘As I mentioned before, today we’ll focus on Henry Gordon’s scenes. The beginning and middle are a bit jumbled, so the emotional flow might jump around—but I’m sure it won’t be a big problem for you. Please do your best.’

Kang Woo-jin nodded solemnly.

‘Yes, Director.’

‘The goal is to finish a maximum of three scenes and a minimum of two before noon, and there will be almost no changes in camera angles.’

Woo-jin listened to the scene explanations, joined by the cinematographer. Around that time, dozens of extras were deployed on the city set. People walking on the sidewalks, waiting for signals, driving cars, stall owners, and people making purchases. The set was so vast and the number of people so large that it felt like a real bustling city.

Whatever the case.

‘We’ll start in five minutes.’

At Director Ahn Ga-bok’s instruction, the staff who had been bustling around the city set cleared out. The extras, positioned in various places, stopped and waited for the director’s signal, and Director Ahn Ga-bok sat down in front of the monitors. About a hundred staff members gathered around him. Among them was Choi Sung-gun, with his arms crossed and his ponytail visible.

Then.

-Swoosh.

Kang Woo-jin stood in the filming zone. He had already fully embodied ‘Henry Gordon.’ As it was an emotion from the middle part of the story, madness and joy were bubbling in his heart.

Concealed aggression, ‘Joker’ disguised as ‘Henry Gordon.’

Two staff members with a camera on their shoulders stood beside him. Of course, there was also a camera on a crane above. Staff members with boom mics and slates were also added.

-Clap!

After the slate with the scene number was struck.

‘Action.’

The director’s signal dropped. The people who had been still in the city began to move. Walking and talking on the sidewalks, cursing in their cars due to traffic jams, wiping the windows of open shops, buying newspapers at stalls.

-Honk honk honk!!

The sound of a horn blared loudly. At this point, ‘Henry Gordon,’ or rather, Kang Woo-jin, appeared. He looked around the entire city before shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

Suddenly, the corner of his mouth twitched.

‘Hehehe······’

He was laughing without realizing it. But he held it back. A smile escaped again. He held it back once more. This subtle expression flashed across his face in an instant. The camera captured ‘Henry Gordon’ head-on. Kang Woo-jin took a step forward.

At that moment.

-Eeeeeee! Eeeeeee!

The sound of sirens echoed through the city. Several police cars zoomed past. Most people fixed their gaze on the police cars, but Kang Woo-jin, who was walking, didn’t even glance at them. It was clearly a different demeanor from the past. His posture, not hunching his back or shoulders, was also different.

The camera took a couple of steps back, capturing this incongruous scene.

Kang Woo-jin’s destination was a stall.

Various snacks were being sold, but what he picked up was a newspaper. On the front page of the newspaper he lifted, there was a large picture of a man in bizarre attire. It was the ‘Joker.’ The headline of the article read:

-[A Pierrot Suddenly Appears in the City! Who Is He?]

The reporter’s name was ‘Robert Franklin.’ Woo-jin smiled faintly.

‘Good job, friend.’

At this point, the stall owner shouted.

‘Hey! You picked that up, so buy it! Huh??!’

Kang Woo-jin, who had met the gaze of the man who shouted in a harsh tone, stared at him blankly. The focus of his eyes wavered strangely. It seemed as if some emotion was being scattered. The stall owner flinched at his chilling expression, and Kang Woo-jin, who had raised the newspaper to his face, pointed at himself with his index finger.

‘How is it? Do I look like him?’

Meanwhile, a little away from the filming set.

Choi Sung-gun stood in the area where the trailers, which served as the actors’ resting places, were lined up. He had a phone to his ear. Until a few minutes ago, he had been watching Kang Woo-jin’s acting, but he had stepped away due to an urgent phone call.

After a brief call, Choi Sung-gun lowered his phone.

‘Hoo- it’s so stiff.’

He cracked his neck left and right, looking tired, and stretched. It was natural, as Choi Sung-gun’s schedule was as hellish as Kang Woo-jin’s. He was managing BW Entertainment, which had begun its journey as a major corporation, and supporting Kang Woo-jin. Moreover, as the scope had widened, he was also pushing forward with new businesses.

He got into the passenger seat of a van parked near the trailers.

It seemed he was going to rest for a while.

-Swoosh.

At that moment, a pile of papers on the passenger seat floor caught his eye. What could they be? They were the scripts that had come in for Woo-jin. They were diverse, from domestic to Japanese to Hollywood. However, they hadn’t been passed on to Kang Woo-jin. There was no point in giving them to him. Currently, Woo-jin’s schedule was fully booked not only for next year but also for the year after.

‘Ah, I need to give these to Woo-jin.’

Choi Sung-gun picked up the top one from the pile of papers. The title was emblazoned in the center of the cover.

-‘Guest’

He muttered as he opened the pile of papers while sitting in the passenger seat.

‘I’ve been so busy that I forgot to give it to him. This is just for a simple check, so I’ll pass it on to Woo-jin later when the timing is right. Anyway-‘

Choi Sung-gun stroked his chin as he flipped through a few pages.

‘The adaptation is well done. It’s not just that they made a feature film out of a Korean short, but they also preserved the original’s core, the ‘sound’-focused direction, and even added a genre. The original was mystery, thriller, suspense. And they added occult and horror? Even fear?’

The words written were all in English. Although he wasn’t an expert like Kang Woo-jin, Choi Sung-gun read the content diligently and suddenly picked up his phone.

‘Hmm- it would be good to give Woo-jin a proper explanation when I give it to him.’

He made a call somewhere. Choi Sung-gun immediately opened his mouth, as if the call was answered quickly.

‘Haha, hello, Director Shin Dong-chun. How are you doing?’

The other party was Director Shin Dong-chun, who directed ‘Private Investigator.’

Several hours later.

It was a sunny day, but the world was covered in snow. The massive castle in the mountains was the same. The castle and its walls looked quite old, but the trees and flowers in the garden were surprisingly well-maintained. However, the castle was dark, unlike the white world.

That was the atmosphere.

It was too quiet and eerie. It felt even more so because of its large size. Someone cautiously peeked out into the garden of the castle.

It was a blonde woman.

She wore a white, faded dress with pale stains and a brown apron. Her long blonde hair was tied up with a piece of cloth, and she had a yellow cloak over it. Her attire was very shabby.

However, her beauty shone.

She had clear skin and blue eyes.

Of course, she was the most beautiful woman in the village, loved by all the men. Her name was ‘Bella.’ So why did she appear in this eerie castle? ‘Bella,’ who cautiously scanned the castle, the walls, and the gardens, moved slowly.

Then.

-Rustle.

Her gaze turned to the beautifully blooming flowers in the garden. ‘Bella,’ who had been smiling brightly, suddenly stiffened.

‘They didn’t grow naturally, someone’s here.’

‘Bella,’ who had become serious, looked up at the majestic castle. There were many windows, but nothing could be seen. Although she was scared, she mustered her courage and slowly moved her feet. Towards the entrance of the castle. The camera followed behind ‘Bella.’

Soon.

-Creak.

‘Bella,’ who opened a door taller than herself, saw.

‘Wow······’

The interior of the castle’s first floor was visible. Her blue eyes widened. She had imagined it would be full of dust, but the first floor of the castle was too clean. Although it was dark because the lights were off, it was clear that someone was living there.

And ‘Bella’ was captivated by the beauty of the castle.

The high ceiling, the floor with various patterns, the golden pillars, and the stairs guarded by lion faces. The stairs in front led straight up, but from the middle, they split into two, leading to the second floor. The furniture and props placed here and there all looked luxurious and expensive.

‘Oh my goodness.’

The smell wasn’t unpleasant either. It was even fragrant. ‘Bella,’ with her eyes wide, walked to the center of the first floor as if she were bewitched. She looked at the ceiling, the stairs in front, and the surrounding pillars. She lightly brushed a golden pillar near her with her hand. Not a speck of dust came off, and ‘Bella,’ who turned around, now pressed her face against a high window.

‘It’s clean.’

It was so clean that it felt like there was nothing on it.

At that moment.

-Slap!

‘Bella,’ who had suddenly regained her senses, slapped her cheeks with both hands. As if to tell herself to come to her senses. ‘Bella,’ who was originally very curious, forcibly suppressed her rising interest and cautiously opened her mouth towards the second floor.

‘Is anyone there?’

‘······’

There was no answer. Only her own voice echoed back.

‘I know someone is living here. Let’s talk.’

‘······’

The first and second floors were still silent.

At that moment.

-Tap!

Something was heard. A sound of wood and metal colliding. ‘Bella,’ who flinched, widened her eyes and quickly shouted.

‘Wh, who is it! Hey! I heard everything, don’t hide and come out!’

Clearly, the sound was heard, but nothing appeared. ‘Bella,’ who narrowed her brows, stood in front of the stairs that led straight up.

‘I’m going to go up, please come out and talk to me.’

She put her foot on the first step. At this point, a whispering voice seeped into ‘Bella’s’ ear. There was definitely someone there.

‘Bella,’ who was sure of it, was about to step onto the second step when.

‘Stop.’

A heavy, thick, and chilling voice pierced from behind. Startled, she made a sound like ‘Hick!’ and turned her body around. But there was no one visible in the large open wooden door.

‘Bella,’ who had come down from the stairs she was about to climb, cautiously walked towards the door.

‘Wh, who is it?’

This time, an answer was heard immediately. A thick and heavy voice, just like before.

‘Get out of here right now.’

‘Show yourself, there’s something I want to ask you.’

‘I said get out!’

A shout that seemed to tear her ears. No, it was closer to a roar. ‘Bella,’ who was in confusion, stepped back.

‘Ah, ah-‘

A heavy shout was heard again to ‘Bella,’ who was terrified.

‘You entered someone else’s home without permission! So get out!! If you don’t leave right now, I’ll tear you apart and kill you!’

This time, it was from the second floor, not the door.

‘Bella,’ whose heart was about to burst, sat down on the floor. She was trembling, but she mustered her courage. She couldn’t back down here, she had to meet him. She got up with difficulty and walked briskly, slamming the open wooden door shut.

And then.

-Swoosh.

While leaning her back against the door, she looked up at the second floor. A firm resolve was in ‘Bella’s’ blue eyes.

‘Okay, tear me apart and kill me. But to do that, you’ll have to come to me, right?’

‘······’

The roaring stopped. Instead, a ‘creak’ sound spread. Someone stepped on the stairs. The right staircase on the second floor. It was dark, so it wasn’t clear, but it was the shape of a large person. ‘Bella’ spoke boldly to the man on the second floor.

‘I won’t move an inch from here.’

It meant for him to come. In fact, there were rumors that a monster lived in this castle, but ‘Bella’ didn’t care who appeared. Whether it was a monster or a beast, she was ready to face him.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs was heard again.

It was repeated.

Gradually, the figure of the man on the second floor, hidden in the darkness. No, the shape of the ‘Beast’ began to appear little by little. His height and size were ridiculously large. And the mane that covered his face—mane? The ‘Beast,’ who had already come down to the central staircase, didn’t have the thick mane he should have had. However, his face was serious to the point of being threatening, and his eyes were glaring at ‘Bella’ as if he would devour her.

The revealed monster. No, the ‘Beast.’

At this point.

‘······Ugh.’

‘Bella’s’ face, which had been serious, twitched. And then.

‘Pfft!’

The laughter she had been holding back burst out. At the same time, she apologized while sweeping her blonde hair.

‘Ah- I’m sorry, Woo-jin. I laughed without realizing it.’

A signal through a loudspeaker echoed throughout the first floor of the castle.

‘Cut, NG!’

The first take of the first shoot of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ was a spectacular NG [No Good, meaning a failed take]. The reason was because of the ‘Beast,’ or rather, Kang Woo-jin, who was now pointing out ‘Bella’ with a solemn face.

‘Kara, you have to be serious.’

Kara laughed again and replied to the ‘Beast’ on the stairs.

‘But! The threatening ‘Beast’ is too cute!’

It was true, Kang Woo-jin was a ‘Beast’ right now. However, his appearance was a bit peculiar. Woo-jin, who had his hands on his waist, had a nonchalant expression. Of course, it was forced composure. Inside, he was screaming.

‘Shit!! I’m embarrassed too!’

Because he was wearing a full-body, tight-fitting suit that was gray with strange dots all over it from head to toe.

He, who was only a ‘Beast’ in essence, shouted inwardly again.

‘Agh- this tight suit is so tight in the crotch!!’

He was closer to a roaring female diver.