I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 57

Kang Woo-jin stared at his SNS account, a bit stunned. Thirty thousand people? Thirty thousand people had followed him? It was his first time using social media, so it felt surreal.

Anyway.

‘Thirty thousand people in just one day?’

Kang Woo-jin vaguely understood that this was a significant number. Maybe a top actress like Hong Hye-yeon wouldn’t think much of 30,000, but Kang Woo-jin was a nobody until yesterday. He was still a regular guy at heart.

Yet, 30,000 people had followed him.

“······”

Kang Woo-jin slowly moved his hand and tapped on one of the photos that Han Ye-jeong had posted. Indeed, there were quite a few likes and comments.

-I loved the drama!!

-Your acting was sooooo good, that’s why I followed you….hehe

-What? Did this actor win an award?? I need to look it up!

-You… totally seduced me, but Manager Park is scary lol

-Huh? Why isn’t this person Manager Park in real life? He’s just handsome when he’s all dolled up???? Why????

-ㅠㅠㅠㅠSo handsomeㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-I’m sorry for being so forward, but I love you

-Your acting was amazing, I’m rooting for you!

·

·

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There were over a hundred comments. As Woo-jin scrolled through them, a feeling washed over him.

‘Ah, so this is why people use social media. It’s kind of touching!’

The feeling was different from the comments he had seen on articles or YouTube videos all night. It felt like they were cheering him on directly.

At that moment.

“Woo-jin.”

Choi Seong-geon, worried that Kang Woo-jin wasn’t watching the drama, spoke up.

“Why? What are you looking at? Did something happen?”

Kang Woo-jin slowly raised his head.

‘Something did happen.’

Then, he murmured in a low voice.

“No. I was just looking at my SNS.”

“Ah, I thought something was up. I saw it was around 20,000 at lunch, what is it now?”

“30,000.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

Good? Is that all? Why are you so calm? Despite his inner turmoil, Woo-jin spoke calmly.

“Isn’t that quite a lot?”

“Huh? It is a lot. But tomorrow, even more will flock in.”

Jang Su-hwan and Han Ye-jeong nodded in agreement, and Choi Seong-geon, with his ponytail, tied his hair up again.

“You saw the company today, right? The phones were blowing up. Half of those calls were inquiries about you. And go to our company’s official website right now. The bulletin board is exploding, asking who you are. Usually, it’s only Hye-yeon who causes a ruckus, but with you included, the administrator can’t handle it.”

“I saw the bulletin board.”

“We changed your profile picture on the search sites to match ‘The Fixer,’ and that’s also contributing. People were curious about Manager Park, and when they found out his real self was different. You saw the ‘Fixer’ chat board, right? It’s going crazy. And the first episode got 20%.”

Choi Seong-geon, smirking, pointed at the TV with his index finger.

“You’re controlling the pace of that mega-hit drama, Woo-jin. How can people not look for you?”

“······”

“It’s a very natural process for your fans to emerge. Of course, you’re a special case. It’s rare for a debut drama to blow up like this. No, it doesn’t happen. You can say it’s unheard of.”

Fans. Among the explanations, Kang Woo-jin focused on the word ‘fans.’ Were real fans actually emerging? It was incredibly fascinating. Fans he had only seen in the media were increasing in real-time.

‘···Does this mean my fan club will be created??’

As if reading Woo-jin’s mind, Choi Seong-geon’s smile deepened.

“At this rate, your fan club will be created soon.”

Crazy. Then, things like autograph sessions and hugs with fans? Gradually, Kang Woo-jin’s life as an ordinary person was morphing into that of an actor. It was a change in just one day. Then, tomorrow or the day after, there would be more drastic changes as time went on.

At that moment.

“Ah! Woo-jin hyung!”

Jang Su-hwan, with chicken sauce around his mouth, made a fuss and pointed at the TV with his index finger.

“Manager Park is appearing!”

By now, Manager Park was appearing in the second part of ‘Profiler Han-ryang.’

It was the situation after Yoo Ji-hyung publicly announced the possibility of an unsolved serial killer. The police and prosecution were in an uproar, and the entire nation was furious at the reappearance of a serial killer.

The monster that had disappeared reappeared after several years and killed people. Yoo Ji-hyung and detective Jung Yeon-hee had to cooperate.

However.

[“I came to turn myself in.”]

The situation changed drastically as Manager Park turned himself in at the police station near his house. In the middle part, ‘Profiler Han-ryang,’ which had been progressing a bit slowly, sped up rapidly due to Manager Park. The tension, which had been somewhat loose, also surged.

From here, the appearances of each character were shown in quick scene changes.

The serial killer’s surrender, the news quickly spreading to the police, the flustered prosecution, Yoo Ji-hyung trying to see Manager Park quickly, etc. Then, Manager Park sat calmly in the interrogation room. Many people were watching it.

The second part of ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ was like the final episode.

That was the level of urgency and climax. Especially, Manager Park’s appearance was so impressive. In the editing, Manager Park’s face was often zoomed in, and Manager Park expressed his emotions without many lines. There was no way the viewers wouldn’t notice this.

[“Oh, that’s right. I killed them. But, aren’t you going to give me food?”]

It was a perfect combination of a psychopath and a sociopath. At first, he was clearly a psychopath, but as time went on, Manager Park showed sociopathic tendencies. Not changing in an instant, but slowly, like acting that gradually ensnared the viewers watching the drama.

Later, in the mid-to-late part, Yoo Ji-hyung and Manager Park faced each other.

The scene in the interrogation room was a silent war. The background music was appropriately placed, the characters’ eye contact, and the concise dialogue.

And.

[“The reason I turned myself in is to prove that I didn’t kill them.”]

Following Manager Park’s line, Yoo Ji-hyung’s line ended.

[“There’s another real culprit?”]

The second part of ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ ended.

At the same time, the chat board on Han-ryang’s official website and various online communities were on fire.

-Hulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

-No, I thought for sure Manager Park was the killer, but he’s not the real culprit?????!!!

-Damn, this is so fun

-I got goosebumps when Manager Park turned himself in lololol, his acting is so good

-Wow~ I thought Manager Park was different from the first episode, but today Manager Park carried the show

-No… why is Hong Hye-yeon so pretty?? She’s pretty even with scratches on her face

-What? How am I supposed to wait until next week if it ends like this? Give us the third episode! Give it to us!!!!

The expression ‘on fire’ was an understatement.

-The actor who played Manager Park, Kang Woo-jin? I think he’s definitely going to be a star

-But the killing method was the same as Manager Park’s, right? Then, did some real culprit copy Manager Park’s method?

-The interrogation scene was amazing…. Yoo Ji-hyung and Manager Park were having a psychological battle, oh my….

-↑Manager Park was really amazing

-Seriously, one hour felt like one minute lololol, I’m glad I have something to watch lololol

-Ryu Jung-min’s acting has improved a lot, but the actor who played Manager Park is on another level lololol

-Manager Park is the key right now, he’s controlling the pace all by himself.

-I agree, whenever it feels a bit slow, Manager Park comes out and it suddenly becomes so fun

-All the actors in Han-ryang are great, that’s why it’s even more fun, damn it, so give us the third episode

It was like a disaster.

The next morning.

The viewership ratings for the second part of ‘Profiler Han-ryang,’ which had swept through Friday and Saturday, were announced on Sunday morning, the 17th.

『[Official] ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ Part 2 Overall Viewership Rating 23.2%, Rewriting Drama History』

Breaking through 23%.

It was truly a meteoric rise. However, Song Man-woo PD at the SBC drama department was happy and, at the same time, quickly gave instructions to the assistant directors and other staff.

“Okay! For now, let the reporters run with the story all day today, and starting tomorrow, upload the edited YouTube videos with a time delay!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Release the prepared promotional articles! And proceed with the scheduled SNS event right away!”

They had to maintain this explosive power until the third episode, which would air next week, and also increase their recognition even more than now. Originally, maintaining a drama was a more difficult task than starting it.

Song Man-woo PD knew that very well.

“And contact the actors! Reconfirm the promotional schedule for next week!”

The entire internet right now.

『[Issue Talk] ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ Shakes the Nation in Two Days, How High Will It Soar?』

It was safe to say that ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ had taken over.

Monday, a day later.

Around early morning. Inside a large black van, a woman who looked like a celebrity was constantly looking down at her phone. Long hair reaching her chest, long legs, a mole under her eye, around her early to mid-20s?

In fact, she was the leader of a famous girl group.

Her name was Hwa-rin. She was in charge of the acting part in the 8-year-old long-running girl group ‘Elani,’ and all four members of ‘Elani’ were doing well in their respective fields. Among them, Hwa-rin was quite popular as a girl group member and as an actress. Currently, the group activities were over, and she was doing solo activities.

What she was looking at on her phone right now was.

『[Actor IS] Is He Really a Rookie? In-depth Analysis of Kang Woo-jin, Who Played ‘Manager Park’』

For some reason, it was an article about Kang Woo-jin. Hwa-rin, who had been reading the article intently for a while, checked another article. This time, it was also an article that included Kang Woo-jin.

At that moment.

“Ha- Hwa-rin.”

A fat man sitting in the passenger seat let out a long sigh. He seemed to be a manager-level person.

“What are you looking at instead of the ad storyboard?”

“Ah, just a moment.”

“I’m going crazy. She’s been out of it since she went to the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ [a short film festival]. I sent you there because you begged and begged to see short films, but why are you acting like you’ve lost your mind after coming back?”

“I haven’t lost my mind. I’m fine.”

“Sigh… I know you’re obsessed with watching movies, so I sent you, but I wonder if I made a mistake.”

In reality, Hwa-rin’s hobby was watching movies, regardless of whether they were art, short, independent, or commercial. Anyway, the fat manager shook his head.

“You’ll get caught by the CEO again. Ah! Don’t tell the CEO that I sent you to Mise-en-scène, okay? I’ll die?”

“I won’t tell. Don’t worry.”

“So. What are you looking at instead of the storyboard?”

“’Profiler Han-ryang’ articles.”

“Ah! That one was a hit, right? It surpassed 20% viewership, right? Ugh, you should have been in that.”

“Whatever.”

“Did you send congratulations to Hong Hye-yeon? You two meet up for wine sometimes, right?”

At the question, Hwa-rin answered while keeping her eyes fixed on her phone.

“I called her on the first episode day. Ah, just be quiet for a moment.”

The manager, who had no intention of shutting up, pointed to the pile of papers stacked next to Hwa-rin.

“What do you mean be quiet? You need to get a hit project too, right? Did you check the scripts that came in?”

“Later, later.”

“Ha, are you going to keep the scripts to wipe your butt with later? The CEO is pressuring me to find a project quickly. Oh, my head hurts.”

“······”

Soon, Hwa-rin closed her mouth again and began to read the articles intently.

‘So, the ‘Fixer’ and Manager Park from Han-ryang are the same Kang Woo-jin, right?’

It was like she was investigating Kang Woo-jin. Why? Because she had seen ‘The Fixer.’ And ‘Kim Ryu-jin’ who appeared in it. Then, she learned about the actor Kang Woo-jin. But there was no information at all.

Her curiosity stemmed from there.

‘I’ve never seen acting like that before. The characters were so alive. He seems like a rookie, but looking at that detailed, crazy acting, he must have been acting for a long time, for sure. Was he in theater for a long time? Yes. That must be it.’

In the meantime, Hwa-rin watched ‘Profiler Han-ryang,’ which starred her close friend Hong Hye-yeon. And the actor who played Manager Park, who was a scene-stealer, was Kang Woo-jin, whom she had been curious about. Hwa-rin felt a thrill. It was like a coincidence was fate.

‘Kim Ryu-jin, Manager Park. Their acting styles were completely different, right? Why aren’t there any articles saying he’s cool? I thought he was really, really cool.’

Therefore, since yesterday, she had been searching for everything she could about the actor named Kang Woo-jin. Anything, any information.

This was more of a feeling than attraction.

‘Which theater group is he from? What school? How old is he?’

It was closer to fan love. It was the first time Hwa-rin had experienced such an emotion, so she didn’t know it herself.

‘He doesn’t have any previous works either. Is there an unknown short film? Ugh. But why is there so little information?’

This was the beginning of her ‘fangirling.’

Meanwhile, at a large officetel [a studio apartment that is used for both living and working].

It looked like a place where people lived, but this officetel was an office. Desks were placed in the living room, and a large whiteboard was visible on the wall. Various miscellaneous items were scattered throughout the space.

It was similar to the atmosphere of a variety show department.

Well, that wasn’t wrong. This office was the meeting office of the large YouTube channel ‘Sports Day.’ The ‘Sports Day’ channel was a large channel with 3 million subscribers.

And the head of this channel was.

“Hmm-”

The man who had just sat at his desk and let out a groan.

One of the few super-big-shot PDs [producer-directors] in the domestic variety show scene. Yoon Byung-sun PD. He was considered a legend in the variety show world, and the variety shows he had filmed were spectacular. Every show he filmed achieved decent viewership ratings, and the broadcasts he planned always became a hot topic. Yoon Byung-sun PD was also active, going back and forth between the ‘Sports Day’ channel and broadcasting stations.

Such Yoon Byung-sun PD was currently watching TV with several writers. To be exact, it was closer to monitoring.

It was to do content and research according to the already set schedule. They were rewatching the hit ‘Profiler Han-ryang.’ Yoon Byung-sun PD watched the drama silently, and the four or five writers sitting around him were busy writing something down.

At that moment.

“You know.”

Yoon Byung-sun PD, wearing glasses, pointed at the TV with his index finger.

“That psychopath actor. What’s his name?”

One of the writers showed a research chart.

“Actor Kang Woo-jin. He’s a rookie.”

“Why was that actor left out of the filming for this ‘Han-ryang Team’? He’s not on the cast list, right?”

“Yes. Uh- Ryu Jung-min, Hong Hye-yeon, Lee Do-jung······Kang Woo-jin isn’t there.”

“Why was that guy left out?”

Another writer answered.

“It’s not that he was left out, it’s that we didn’t even think of him. When we were coordinating with the Han-ryang team, he wasn’t even mentioned. I looked it up, and he even won the acting award at Mise-en-scène, but back then, we didn’t even know that actor was in Han-ryang.”

“Did the Han-ryang team hide him?”

“They probably did. Looking at it, he’s a proper scene-stealer, so they must have hidden him to give him a boost, right?”

Yoon Byung-sun PD, who slowly nodded, looked closely at Manager Park on TV. No, Kang Woo-jin, who was playing Manager Park. Very closely.

That was for about 3 minutes.

“His mask is good. It feels like there’s a twist in his life.”

Yoon Byung-sun PD, with his arms crossed, quietly murmured to the writers with his eyes shining.

“Let’s include that actor Kang Woo-jin too, contact him.”