I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 51

At the production presentation for ‘Profiler Hanryang,’ about 200 reporters were frantically typing away. This was all because of the bold declaration made by writer Park Eun-mi just moments before.

‘That actor will be remembered as an all-time scene-stealer. Because he delivers acting that no other actor can match.’

-Tap tap tap!

-Tap tap tap tap!

Half of the reporters were snapping photos, while the other half were furiously typing on their laptops.

The atmosphere was electric. The reporters’ eyes gleamed like those of hyenas. At that moment, Song Man-woo PD [PD stands for ‘Production Director’, a common term in Korean media], who was sitting at the end of the long table and had meticulously groomed his beard for the day, nudged Park Eun-mi, the writer next to him, on the shoulder.

“You didn’t promise to say anything like that, did you?”

Park Eun-mi, her long permed hair tied up, replied quietly, her eyes fixed on the reporters.

“I don’t know. It just came out as I went with the flow.”

“Aish—you did it on purpose. You were trying to hook them, weren’t you? Throwing bait to the reporters to get all the attention.”

“Well, I was just thinking, ‘Should I try it if that question comes up?’ I didn’t expect them to actually ask it.”

“Haha. Anyway, it seems to have worked perfectly? Look at those hyenas’ eyes. They’re ready to print anything, whether it’s true or not.”

Park Eun-mi shrugged.

“Do you think I’m dealing with reporters for the first time? It’s obvious that what I said will be taken as a seed, and they’ll add their own spin and amplify it several times over. But it doesn’t matter if it gets amplified several or dozens of times when it comes to ‘Park Dae-ri,’ right?”

Song Man-woo PD’s smile widened as if he agreed.

“That’s right. No matter how much we hype it up, it won’t matter with that Park Dae-ri. It’ll definitely be beyond imagination. We should buy that reporter who asked about Park Dae-ri a meal later, shouldn’t we?”

“While we’re at it, let’s hook them even more firmly. Isn’t blowing things up your specialty, Song PD?”

“I’m a pro at that.”

Soon, Song Man-woo PD also quietly spoke to the actors, including Ryu Jung-min and Hong Hye-yeon. The actors, already familiar with such situations, understood the situation immediately. Especially Hong Hye-yeon, who was stylishly dressed in a long shirt today, her eyes sparkled.

Following that, Song Man-woo PD suddenly threw a comment at the 200 or so reporters.

“Hahaha, but please go easy on writing about our hidden scene-stealer actor, please. It’ll put too much pressure on the actor before the show even airs.”

Of course, it was a deliberate line. And this line worked perfectly.

“PD-nim, do you also see that scene-stealer actor as the best ever?!”

“What are your thoughts as the director?!”

The reporters bombarded Song Man-woo PD with questions. Unfazed, Song Man-woo PD, with his arms crossed, let out a sigh and answered appropriately.

“I don’t know about anything else, but it’s true that his acting is the best I’ve ever seen. It’s the first time I’ve ever cursed after seeing an actor’s performance in my entire career as a director. Right?”

Song Man-woo PD turned his head to the left, seeking agreement from the actors. Actors like Ryu Jung-min and Hong Hye-yeon laughed casually or nodded their heads. Hundreds of reporters let out slight exclamations.

“Wow—is it to the point that Song PD-nim would do that?”

The intentionally set stage, pretending not to be, was gradually growing in size.

It was evident just by looking at the expressions of the reporters, who were rolling their eyes and trying to gauge the situation. The reporters then threw similar questions at the other actors.

“Jung-min-ssi, how was it during filming?! Did you have any scenes with that scene-stealer actor?”

“Yes. I had many scenes with that actor. Um—for reference, I think I started acting with more intensity after seeing that actor’s performance. He acted as a stimulant for me.”

“A, a stimulant? For Ryu Jung-min-ssi??”

The main actors of ‘Profiler Hanryang’ all praised ‘Park Dae-ri.’

The hundreds of reporters at the production presentation chewed, tore, and enjoyed the bait that had been thrown for several tens of minutes. Thanks to that, they easily exceeded the scheduled time. Since there had already been a lot of talk before the Park Dae-ri questions.

Therefore, the host of the production presentation slowly gave a closing remark.

“Okay, okay—we’ve already gone over by 30 minutes? We’ll take one last question and wrap up.”

“Here, here!”

“I’ll do it!”

“Yes, the reporter in the gray shirt over there!”

The selected reporter lowered his hand and met eyes with Hong Hye-yeon, who was smiling.

“Hye-yeon-ssi, you suddenly appeared at the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ and turned the short film industry upside down. You received the Best Acting Award at the ceremony and gave the Grand Prize to an unknown actor, right? How did you feel?”

It was a question directed at Hong Hye-yeon that had nothing to do with ‘Profiler Hanryang’ and contained a slight hint of aggression. Just as the host raised his hand, signaling Hong Hye-yeon not to answer, she spoke.

“Reporter-nim, you haven’t seen ‘The Fixer,’ have you? Go watch it.”

Hong Hye-yeon replied quietly with a relaxed smile.

“Then you’ll understand why I received the Best Acting Award. I acknowledge that actor’s Grand Prize. As much as you know, you see, and since you don’t know, I think that’s why you asked that question.”

The reporter who asked the question stammered a bit.

“Ah—ah, yes. I, I see.”

Hong Hye-yeon’s entire management team covered their faces and sighed.

“Ha—not again.”

Her quirky behavior was not a one-time thing.

Several tens of minutes later, at the meeting room of Oullim Film Company.

Choi Sung-gun, sitting next to the expressionless Kang Woo-jin, was currently in a daze.

‘…L, lead role? Not even a supporting role, but a lead role??!’

Just a few tens of minutes ago, he had heard from director Kwon Ki-taek that he would cast Kang Woo-jin as a lead villain. Currently, director Kwon Ki-taek on the opposite side was explaining the upcoming schedule for his next project in a gentle tone.

“The investment is already secured, and…”

However, none of those words reached Choi Sung-gun with his ponytail. What on earth was going on?

‘Well… I had some expectations. Since director Kwon Ki-taek himself came to the set, I thought he might give him more than a minor or supporting role.’

Even if it was a supporting role or a groundbreaking supporting role, Choi Sung-gun would have been astonished. It was, after all, joining the team of the master director Kwon Ki-taek. But director Kwon Ki-taek offered Kang Woo-jin a lead villain role as if he were handing out a piece of candy.

‘H, how many steps is he skipping at once??!’

Even Choi Sung-gun, who had been in the entertainment industry for over a decade and had excellent connections and skills, was seeing a sight for the first time. An unknown who had only appeared two months ago receiving a lead role from director Kwon Ki-taek? It was not just breaking the rules, it was shattering them. If this story spread in the film industry, it would be chaos, no doubt.

At the same time, it was obvious that Kang Woo-jin would be under the spotlight.

At this point.

-Swish.

Choi Sung-gun, his eyes widened, slowly turned his head and met eyes with Kang Woo-jin next to him. He was calmly nodding and listening to director Kwon Ki-taek’s explanation.

‘…Why are you so calm?’

What is the source of that calmness and composure? Is it coming from his high self-esteem?

There was not a hint of disarray in Woo-jin. It was as if he had predicted this situation. Meanwhile, Kang Woo-jin turned his head to the right. The indifferent him had made eye contact with Choi Sung-gun.

In Choi Sung-gun’s eyes with his ponytail, an exclamation mark appeared for a moment.

‘Ah… right. If I’m going to be with you, there will be many situations like this, so you’re telling me to be moderately surprised and do my job? Haha, I got it, you rascal. Unlike you, I don’t have a heart of steel.’

Kang Woo-jin, who was calmly looking at Choi Sung-gun, was very flustered.

‘No, shouldn’t I check if this master director is really okay? He told me to talk about an interesting character, but then he says he’ll give me that character.’

At this moment, Choi Sung-gun suddenly raised his hand, looking at director Kwon Ki-taek, who was explaining.

“Director-nim. Really. It’s a very generous offer. I think this moment will be remembered for a lifetime, haha.”

“I think I’ll remember it for a long time too. As you know, this is the first time for me.”

“Yes. Me too. Thank you so much. However, if you don’t mind, I think it’s a bit too early to sign a contract today.”

‘Huh?’ Kang Woo-jin, who was startled inside, stared intently at the head of his agency. Choi Sung-gun, noticing his gaze, winked his right eye subtly. It meant, ‘I know what you’re thinking, so leave it to me.’

“Today, let’s wrap it up with a verbal agreement between the director, Woo-jin-ssi, and me, and it would be best to organize the detailed matters and the contract later.”

“Hmm—”

“Of course, it would be good if the people from the film company could also attend the verbal agreement. That way, only the director and Woo-jin-ssi can confirm with each other, and I’ll talk to the people from the film company about the details later.”

This was normal. There were many conditions and negotiations for the price in a movie appearance contract, and it was also necessary to adjust the schedules between the actors and the filming team. Therefore, a verbal agreement between the director and the actor was a common occurrence.

Even a verbal agreement was close to a confirmation.

Especially for a director with a high reputation like Kwon Ki-taek, the power of a verbal agreement was even stronger. However, Kang Woo-jin didn’t know this well. Therefore, he gave Choi Sung-gun an even more intense look. Inside, he was saying, ‘Why?’

Choi Sung-gun understood this as well.

‘Okay, I know what you mean, Woo-jin. You’re telling me to raise the price? A lead role in director Kwon Ki-taek’s film, no less. You’re telling me not to let it go so easily, right?’

Although their understandings were clearly different, Choi Sung-gun derived his own answer from Kang Woo-jin’s gaze.

‘I know. Woo-jin, you received a groundbreaking price in ‘Hanryang,’ and there were clear guidelines for the contract conditions and contract fee when you signed with the agency. In other words, you’re telling me to postpone the contract until at least the first episode of ‘Profiler Hanryang,’ right?’

In the entertainment industry, recognition can change explosively overnight. Even if no one knew you yesterday, if a hot topic breaks out today, the first digit of your price can change. Choi Sung-gun noticed that from Kang Woo-jin’s gaze.

‘You’ve already risen as a blue chip in the film industry with the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival,’ but your recognition is still not that explosive. If we sign a contract in this situation, we’ll be at a disadvantage.’

He concluded that the price would jump several times if ‘Profiler Hanryang’ was added. Choi Sung-gun winked again at Kang Woo-jin, who was looking at him indifferently, as if to say, ‘Don’t worry.’

‘I’ll take care of it.’

Then, director Kwon Ki-taek looked at Choi Sung-gun and slowly nodded. A good-natured smile was a bonus.

“Hmm, okay. I understand what you mean. I forgot about the practical aspects and rushed things a bit. It’s because I was so eager to work with Woo-jin-ssi.”

“I understand, director-nim.”

“Then, let’s proceed with a verbal agreement after the film company’s production team joins us.”

“Thank you.”

Director Kwon Ki-taek, who had taken out his phone, called the production team that was waiting, and Choi Sung-gun cautiously asked director Kwon Ki-taek, who had quickly hung up the phone.

“But director-nim. I’m sorry, but when are you planning to reveal the next project to the media? You said it’s still confidential.”

“That’s right. We should do it when the lead role is somewhat settled. It’ll probably be finalized within this month at the earliest.”

“This month. If it’s confirmed, would it be okay for our agency to put some effort into media play? With the feeling that Woo-jin-ssi has joined the director-nim’s team.”

Director Kwon Ki-taek’s smile deepened as if it was okay.

“It’s a fact, so why wouldn’t it be okay?”

“Thank you.”

Choi Sung-gun, who had bowed his head, stuck close to Kang Woo-jin. Woo-jin was still expressionless, but inside, he didn’t know what was going on. Choi Sung-gun whispered to him.

“At least double. If it’s a lot, more than that. I’ll get you a price that will satisfy you, just like you wanted. Let’s delay the contract somehow. Leave it to me, judging by what director Kwon is doing, it’s definitely possible. He’s looking at you like you’re his grandson right now?”

‘Where did the price suddenly come from?’ Woo-jin couldn’t figure it out no matter how much he thought about it. But since they were going to raise his appearance fee, there seemed to be no need to stop them.

“…Yes, I understand.”

“And. Woo-jin, if you think about the media play angle, it’s insane. You’re already on the rise with the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ Best Acting Award, right? You’ve opened the door with the film industry’s blue chip and all that. Let’s say ‘Hanryang’ also blows up. Then, we throw in the fact that you’ve joined director Kwon Ki-taek’s team as a lead role. How do you think that’ll be?”

Here, Choi Sung-gun chuckled.

“You won’t be a blue chip in the film industry, you’ll be a nuclear bomb in the entertainment industry.”

The next day. Morning of the 9th, at a luxury hotel in Seoul.

It was a suite that looked spacious at a glance. A man with a large nose and a lot of gray hair, wearing a bathrobe, was standing by the window overlooking Seoul. He was quietly looking out the window and drinking coffee.

It was the master director from Japan, Tanoguchi Kyotaro.

“…Hmm.”

Director Kyotaro was still in Korea even though the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ had ended two days ago on the 7th. It was his own choice. Thanks to that, his team that had come with him was also in Korea, of course.

-Swish.

Director Kyotaro, who had been looking out the window, sat on a luxurious sofa. On the table in front of him, the screenplay he had been looking at was spread out. Recently, director Kyotaro had been reading several screenplays for his next project.

However.

“No.”

He closed the screenplay he was looking at, muttering in Japanese. He couldn’t concentrate at all. In fact, his mind was still full of the unknown actor from Korea.

It was Kang Woo-jin.

He had only seen him for a short time, but his acting was insane, and the aura he exuded was a type that strangely sparked curiosity.

“…That fluent Japanese. It seems like he lived in Japan—but his acting tone wasn’t Japanese at all. Or is he a case where he lived in Japan when he was young and then moved to Korea?”

In any case, the unknown actor named Kang Woo-jin clearly seemed to lack recognition. At the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival,’ only a very small number of people knew him, and even the Korean reporters treated Kang Woo-jin as if he was a complete stranger.

“His acting is beyond that of a veteran of over a decade, but his recognition is at rock bottom. There were no rumors that he had entered any projects. He didn’t look young either. Is the hurdle in the Korean acting scene that high?”

Director Kyotaro couldn’t understand it at all. Judging by his acting skills alone, he was an actor who wouldn’t be out of place in a blockbuster. Fortunately, his skills were proven at the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival,’ but no matter what, it was still a minor short film festival.

“It’s a waste. It’s too much of a waste to leave that actor like that, isn’t it?”

A waste. It was too much of a waste to leave the actor named Kang Woo-jin like that.

“It doesn’t make sense for an actor with such absurd abilities to be stuck in short films. In my eyes, he’s an actor who should contribute to the development of the acting scene, whether it’s in Korea or Japan.”

Here, director Kyotaro made a decision. He would show that unknown actor, who was too precious, to the world. Both Korea and Japan. Of course, director Kyotaro also had his own ambition as a director. He wanted to work with that actor, who was still a rough gem.

‘He’ll give the Japanese actors a sense of alarm. That in Korea, even an actor of this caliber has to spend years in short films.’

After making a decision on his own, he picked up his phone.

“Let’s talk in my room now. It seems like I’ll have to stay in Korea for a few more days.”

It was to call his team that was in another room.

End