I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 62

A twist. For PD [Production Director] Yoon Byung-sun, Kang Woo-jin’s first impression was quite the twist.

‘During his ‘Park Dae-ri’ acting, he was somewhat cruel but generally had an elevated tension, but his real persona is almost like a solid, old tree? Is he usually this quiet? A setback?’

He felt a slight sense of crisis.

So far, many characters have appeared on domestic variety shows, and many celebrities have passed through, but among them, the most unnecessary character was someone without ‘motivation.’ Yoon Byung-sun PD sensed a faint lack of motivation from Kang Woo-jin.

“Wow, simple answer. Woo-jin, you do have a self, right? Are you too nervous?”

Yoon Byung-sun PD laughed playfully. On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin maintained a poker face. A self? What’s that? Tension explosion. Woo-jin, like that, answered solemnly to Yoon Byung-sun PD.

“I will try my best.”

At what? Yoon Byung-sun PD was confused. Is this actor bursting with motivation or is he a total flop? He had seen hundreds, maybe thousands, of celebrities so far, but for the first time, he was completely in the dark about a character’s grasp.

“Ah- please take care of me. Then, for now, would you like to go and sit at your seat?”

“Yes.”

Kang Woo-jin, who slightly bowed his head, trudged to the filming zone, and Yoon Byung-sun PD and the writers stared blankly at Woo-jin’s back.

“It is a twist… he is a twist. Woo-jin is a very quiet style.”

“He’s so calm? How did someone like that play Park Dae-ri?”

“That’s what makes a really good actor. The real persona and the role are completely opposite. Anyway, the atmosphere is strange, the person is.”

Around this time, Kang Woo-jin.

-Swish.

He entered the filming zone, the target of dozens of cameras. A long, straight desk was placed, and behind it was a large poster of ‘Profiler Han-ryang.’ There were also many small cameras on the desk. It seemed like they would start with a talk first. After the first recording, it would turn into a game studio for the second round.

Anyway.

“······”

After scanning the area for a moment, Kang Woo-jin seemed to have decided and sat at the very end. The lighting was bright. There were many cameras. Looking straight ahead, dozens of staff members were frantically busy. Woo-jin was half familiar and half unfamiliar with this scene.

‘Ugh- there are so many cameras. Aren’t there three times more than on the drama set? Are all those tiny things cameras too?’

Certainly, the filming of dramas and variety shows was quite different. Therefore, Woo-jin made his poker face even more intense.

‘Maintain the concept, but let’s make the answers and reactions like me. Damn, honestly, I don’t have the time to worry about lines or think about anything.’

On the surface, he would adopt his usual concept, but he would do it in a Kang Woo-jin way. His thoughts had been abnormal since earlier, and his heart rate was still rising.

It was at this moment.

“Hellooo-”

Hong Hye-yeon entered the studio. Thanks to her, the atmosphere instantly perked up.

“Hello, Hye-yeon!”

“PD! Hye-yeon is here!”

Her hair and makeup today were natural. Long, naturally loose hair, jeans, and a slightly fitted t-shirt. Hong Hye-yeon, after greeting Yoon Byung-sun PD, put on a microphone and turned her gaze to the filming zone.

“Pfft! What, what are you doing there alone?”

As soon as she saw the serious Kang Woo-jin, Hong Hye-yeon held back her laughter. Woo-jin’s figure, sitting silently alone in the lively variety show set, was out of place.

Other actors began to arrive one after another. The procession of top actors. Ryu Jung-min, Hong Hye-yeon, Lee Do-jung, and so on. Each time an actor arrived, Woo-jin was busy greeting them calmly, and the studio was filled with actors whose combined worth was over tens of billions.

Seven in total, including Kang Woo-jin.

After all the actors were seated, Yoon Byung-sun PD, at the front of the filming zone, made his first comment.

“It’s so great to see you all! Today, ‘Sports Day’ has come to see the actors of the super-duper popular drama ‘Profiler Han-ryang’!”

The full-fledged filming of ‘Sports Day’ had begun. No, in fact, all the cameras had been rolling since before Kang Woo-jin entered.

“First- of course, everyone knows, but still! I’d like to ask for a brief greeting for the subscribers and viewers.”

At Yoon Byung-sun PD’s comment, Ryu Jung-min, sitting at the first seat of the straight desk with his usual baby perm, smiled at the camera.

“Hello, I’m Ryu Jung-min, who plays Yoo Ji-hyung in ‘Profiler Han-ryang.'”

“Hahaha, but Jung-min, the baby perm suits you really well?”

“Really? My mother teases me, saying I look like a lettuce.”

A friendly atmosphere. Then, Hong Hye-yeon and Jang Tae-san continued their introductions in order. Finally, it was Kang Woo-jin’s turn at the very end.

“You’re the actor who’s getting all the attention right now, right? Actor? Please introduce yourself!”

From the cameras to the actors, the staff, and the actors’ management teams, everyone looked at Kang Woo-jin.

However, Woo-jin’s expression was firm, and his voice was low.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kang Woo-jin, who played ‘Park Dae-ri’ and ‘Profiler Han-ryang.'”

Yes, well done. This is a pass. Woo-jin praised himself with a calm face. But.

“······”

“······”

A few seconds of silence. Then, laughter erupted. From the actors to all the staff. But Kang Woo-jin had no idea why.

‘Why? What is it? Why are they all laughing? Why?’

Hong Hye-yeon explained the reason.

“No, wait, Woo-jin? Why are you making our drama ‘Park Dae-ri’?”

The hearty Jang Tae-san also chimed in.

“I think we need to reintroduce ourselves. Woo-jin is our leader, but he just changed the drama title.”

It was Ryu Jung-min in the first seat who corrected it.

“Woo-jin, you mixed up ‘Park Dae-ri’ and ‘Profiler Han-ryang.'”

Ah, damn it. In that moment, Kang Woo-jin felt an intense embarrassment. He couldn’t believe that the words he had been repeating in his head came out backward. Practice had become poison. But he had to maintain his composure. Let’s also add some pretense of not being embarrassed.

“I intended it.”

But the actors didn’t believe it.

“What intention? ‘Profiler Han-ryang.'”

“That perfect Park Dae-ri is making mistakes?”

“It’s a rare scene! He was so solid like a Terminator throughout the filming!”

Kang Woo-jin gritted his teeth and denied it.

“It’s a misunderstanding. Really.”

Here.

‘Oh ho?’

Among the dozens of staff members positioned in front of the actors, Yoon Byung-sun PD, sitting in the middle, had his eyes sparkling.

‘He might unexpectedly be a hit?’

Then, following the flow, Yoon Byung-sun PD immediately asked Kang Woo-jin a question.

“Yes! Kang Woo-jin, who played ‘Park Dae-ri’ and ‘Profiler Han-ryang’! You were so solid like a Terminator throughout the filming, when was it the most difficult?”

Kang Woo-jin immediately answered in a cold tone.

“Now.”

Laughter erupted again in the studio.

At the same time, in a radio booth.

A waiting room for a radio booth that mainly does ‘bora’ [visible radio]. A woman invited as a guest was sitting alone here. The mole under her eye was familiar. It was Hwa-rin, the leader of the popular girl group ‘Elani,’ wearing a simple hoodie.

Her attire gave off a casual vibe, but her beauty was remarkable.

She crossed her long legs and checked the simple questionnaire given to her by the radio writer. It wasn’t a difficult task for Hwa-rin, who was already in her eighth year.

“Hmm-”

She let out a short hum and took out her phone. She accessed the internet. What she had been searching for before coming was still displayed.

『’Park Dae-ri’ Kang Woo-jin, who rose to stardom in just two episodes, makes his first variety show appearance on Yoon Byung-sun PD’s ‘Sports Day’』

The person she had unknowingly started to stan [support]. It was about Kang Woo-jin.

“I thought he would be on a variety show soon, but I didn’t expect him to be on ‘Sports Day’ right away. When will this air?”

The first variety show of the actor she had been curious about, Kang Woo-jin. Well, it felt more like a promotional variety show, but that was fine. Just being able to see a different side of Kang Woo-jin, not just his acting, was enough to pique Hwa-rin’s curiosity.

‘But why isn’t a fan club being created? I took a peek at his Instagram, and he has over 50,000 followers. It’s a bit much for me to create one. Huh? Why did I think of a fan club? Well, I can still watch even if I don’t participate in activities.’

At that moment.

-Click!

The thick door of the radio waiting room opened, and a chubby manager entered. Hwa-rin quickly put down her phone and picked up the questionnaire. Soon, the manager handed Hwa-rin a bottle of water.

“Hwa-rin, you can go in 15 minutes. Today, you’re only doing the first and second parts of the bora, not the rest.”

“Okay. But the CEO’s call was missed, did he call me to nag me?”

“I got the nagging. I told him you were preparing for bora. Still, you should answer the CEO’s calls, right?”

“If I answer, he’ll just nag me disguised as concern. It’ll be worse after the group activities end.”

“Ugh-”

The manager, shaking his head, handed her a few bundles of papers he had brought.

“I asked for all the ones you came in for, but why do I feel like I’m giving you toilet paper to wipe your butt? Do you even read the scripts?”

“I do read them?”

“I’ve never seen you read them? No, you’ve already passed on over 10, but there’s no bite.”

“Because there’s nothing interesting.”

Hwa-rin, who answered briefly, opened the first of the two scripts she received. At the same time, the chubby manager sitting next to her picked up his phone and started explaining.

“Hoo- that’s a YouTube music web drama. It’s planned for 10 episodes, and since it’s a music web drama, it’ll be in a musical format. It has a slightly cheesy vibe.”

“It seems quite large-scale? If they’re sending it to me.”

“I was a bit strange, so I looked into it, and it seems like there’s some Chinese capital involved on the production side. So, they seem to have a lot of funding.”

“Ah, then pass. The atmosphere isn’t good, and I don’t want to get caught up in rumors.”

“Well, that’s true. It’s not like ‘Elani’ doesn’t have fans in China, but since the main focus is Korea and Japan, it’s better to put more effort into Japan than to cater to China.”

Hwa-rin changed the direction of her crossed legs and opened the second script.

“Is this Netflix?”

“Huh? Ah- yeah, yeah. It’s a project where Netflix is putting together short dramas. It’s a winning entry from a contest, and I got it through connections. The team leader of the Netflix creative team is on good terms with our team leader?”

“That’s not new.”

“The team leader said he just got it as a formality and not to pay much attention to it. It seems like Netflix is paying attention to the short drama contest, so there’s some funding, and as a project, the symbolism and promotional power aren’t bad, but it’s not like you have time to do a short drama.”

Hwa-rin, who let out a small sigh, read the first line of the script and chuckled.

“It starts with a kiss scene.”

“Stop it, stop it. Hey, Hwa-rin, I’ll cut those small things off at my level, so read the big ones. You accept everything, so everyone sends you everything.”

“So what? Look at Hye-yeon unnie [older sister/female friend]. She suddenly filmed a short film and it was a hit. She also boosted her image as a real actress. Should I do a short drama too?”

“Are you crazy? Do you think the CEO would let you?”

“If he doesn’t? I’ll do it if I want to.”

“Who can stop you… are you kidding? I’m scared.”

“······”

The manager was genuinely surprised, but Hwa-rin didn’t answer. She just looked at the short drama script. In fact, she was.

‘This group activity was too intense. Honestly, I want to do something short.’

She wanted her solo acting activities to be a bit lighter this time. The album had been a hit, so the group activities had been quite hectic. Not only in Korea but also in Japan. Especially the Japanese schedule, where the KPOP typhoon was blowing, was exhausting.

It wasn’t that she disliked acting.

Hwa-rin liked acting so much that she had unknowingly started to stan Kang Woo-jin. However, she just wanted to rest. She needed to recharge. That was all.

Whatever it was.

-Flap.

Hwa-rin, with her chin resting on her hand, began to read the short drama script with focus.

‘Still, is a short drama too much? But if it’s a project on Netflix, it might be okay.’

Of course, she wasn’t very impressed.

A few hours later, in the early afternoon. The ‘Sports Day’ studio.

The ‘Sports Day’ recording, which had started late in the morning, was now reaching its peak.

“Ding!”

After the talk, they were in the middle of a game. It was called ‘Person Game,’ where they showed a picture of a celebrity and had to say their name within one second. If the seven actors of ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ succeeded back and forth without mistakes, they could receive the prepared prizes.

However.

“Please remove one of the prizes.”

Out of the 10 prizes, only 3 were left. However, the prizes were not the current problem for the actors.

“Aish- damn it. I messed up. I’m so sorry to Mr. Seo Jin-se?”

“I… I couldn’t say Director Kwon Ki-taek’s name. I’m going crazy.”

“Ah, PD, this is too cruel?”

It was hell because there were too many people they had failed to name due to mistakes. Where was Kang Woo-jin in all of this?

‘It’s a real relief that they’re messing up in front of me.’

Except for one time, his turn hadn’t come. Even that one time was an easy person, so he passed smoothly.

‘Ryu Jung-min, you’re a hole.’

But the production team wasn’t going to let this go. Suddenly, Yoon Byung-sun PD suggested changing seats.

“Your expression is desperate, but it’s not your turn, Woo-jin? How about changing seats?”

Me? When was I ever desperate? Woo-jin, startled, politely declined as calmly as possible.

“No, it’s fine as it is.”

“No way! Woo-jin, change quickly! Jung-min oppa [older brother/male friend] is terrible. The first seat is the most important!”

However, starting with Hong Hye-yeon, all the actors agreed to change seats, and Ryu Jung-min moved to Woo-jin’s seat, dejected like a defeated general.

“Change, Woo-jin. Baton… touch.”

Ryu Jung-min was very depressed. But Woo-jin was even more serious.

‘Ah- damn it. I don’t know celebrities well!’

Because he had no knowledge of the entertainment industry. He didn’t enjoy content, so he was weak with celebrity names. Of course, it wasn’t just celebrities, but they were frequent. It was just a simple game, but Kang Woo-jin was burning with a competitive spirit.

No, he just didn’t want to lose?

That’s why Kang Woo-jin made a resolution in his mind while moving seats. He would try his best once. That was also evident in his expression. A firm determination was visible in his already indifferent expression. It was like the face of a general risking his life.

Of course, Kang Woo-jin’s face was captured on camera.

“Pfft! What, why is Woo-jin so serious alone?”

“He looks like he’s going to war, he’s so serious.”

“But he’s kind of cute, right? He’s so cynical, but he’s charming?”

Behind the staff’s murmuring, Kang Woo-jin sat in the first seat. The game started immediately.

“Shall we start?”

-Swish.

Yoon Byung-sun PD quickly showed a picture to Kang Woo-jin. It was a famous Hollywood actor, and although he paused for a moment, Kang Woo-jin miraculously said the name.

“Ah, Daniel Fassbender.”

It was a pass. He was a very famous Hollywood actor. What was interesting was.

“Oh- the pronunciation.”

The staff members were quietly exclaiming. Why? He had only said a name, but in that short moment, Kang Woo-jin’s English pronunciation was amazing. Of course, Yoon Byung-sun PD also noticed it.

‘Hmm? That pronunciation just now…’

But it was during the game, so he continued. Hong Hye-yeon passed, Lee Do-jung passed. They kept passing. Even the hole, Ryu Jung-min, passed. It was his turn again. Finally.

“Ooooh! Finally!”

“Will they succeed this time?!”

Behind the fuss of the manager teams, the turn returned to Kang Woo-jin, who was last. Woo-jin was frantically nervous. Regardless.

“Okay- Woo-jin, this is the last one? It’s easy, I’m going with a really easy one!”

-Swish.

Yoon Byung-sun PD quickly showed a picture. It was a female actor. A stylish pictorial photo. A very familiar face. At this moment, everyone in the studio predicted success. It was too easy.

However.

“Um.”

Kang Woo-jin, who saw the picture, stopped moving.

‘Who, who is it? Ah, wait a minute. I’m confused. Why is it a pictorial!’

Yoon Byung-sun PD smiled wryly.

“Ding!!”

He clearly shouted ‘Ding!’

“Wow- this was really just given to you? What should we do? This is awkward?”

Kang Woo-jin solemnly admitted defeat.

“I’m sorry, who was it?”

At that moment.

-Thwack!

Someone suddenly punched Kang Woo-jin’s arm. It was Hong Hye-yeon, huffing.

“Ah!! It’s me!! Are you crazy!”

“…The picture was a bit different.”

“What are you saying!”

“It’s true.”

And.

“CEO Choi.”

While Hong Hye-yeon was struggling, Yoon Byung-sun PD approached Choi Sung-gun, who was standing nearby and smiling, and asked quietly.

“Does Woo-jin happen to speak English?”

Choi Sung-gun answered very casually.

“Not just a little, it’s at a native level. Japanese too.”

In that moment, Yoon Byung-sun PD’s eyes widened slightly.

End