I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 69

Hwa-rin’s bombshell announcement brought a moment of silence to the JML Entertainment CEO’s office. It lasted for about ten seconds.

‘Wait… just a minute. Just a minute, hold on,’

The first to break the silence was the CEO of JML Entertainment. The usually composed man took off his suit jacket. Even as he did, he kept staring at Hwa-rin, who was sitting next to him.

‘No, so, Hwa-rin, you’re saying you’re going to do a one-act play?’

At the question, Hwa-rin, who was taking out her phone, nodded casually.

‘Yeah, that’s right.’

‘…You’re going to pass on all the big mini-series and movies that came in, and do a four-episode one-act written by a rookie writer?’

‘Why are you leaving out Netflix?’

‘Ha- no! That doesn’t make any sense! Ah, I’m getting dizzy.’

‘C, CEO!’

The CEO grabbed his forehead as if he was about to faint, and the chubby manager quickly supported him.

‘Manager Lee, what were you doing not stopping her?’

‘Ah… CEO. W, well, that is…’

At that moment, Hwa-rin interjected.

‘The manager kept trying to stop me. He told me not to even think about it. So, stop picking on Manager Lee.’

‘Hey! Hwa-rin! You, you need to make some sense! Why are you suddenly saying you’re going to do a one-act?? Even if it’s Netflix and they’re doing some project! Is a one-act something you should be doing right now?’

‘What kind of hierarchy is there when it comes to doing a project? What about Hye-yeon unnie [older sister]? She’s also a top-tier star in Korea, but she did a short film.’

‘Th, that’s!’

‘Besides, you said it yourself, CEO, a while ago. That a project only works well if you’re motivated. You told me to do whatever I’m drawn to, regardless of the scale.’

‘…Ha. A one-act is taking not caring about scale too far.’

The CEO pressed his temples as if he had a headache. Hwa-rin seemed firm as she moved her lips again.

‘Anyway, I’ve decided. I’m drawn to ‘Male Friend’. More than anything, I also want to take it easy for a bit.’

‘Take it easy?’

‘Yeah. Honestly, our last album was really intense, wasn’t it? You know it too, CEO? How many schedules did we have in a day? And we did all of that, took a night flight to Japan, and then came back to Korea the next day to do more schedules. Stages, variety shows, radio, commercials, photoshoots, YouTube, and so on.’

Hwa-rin, who was listing a hellish schedule, crossed her arms.

‘But did me or the others complain? We didn’t, right? We endured it because our company and fans liked it. So, can’t I take it a bit easier during my solo activities?’

The CEO was speechless at her honest feelings. It was all true. Thanks to that, he let out a long sigh. He had given up on persuading her.

‘Hoo- fine, fine. Who can break your stubbornness?’

‘Please reduce the schedules of the other members too. This is a request as the group leader.’

‘Alright, alright.’

The CEO, who swept back his hair, asked the chubby manager on his right. His tone had lost its strength.

‘So. Tell me the story. What’s the vibe of that one-act?’

‘Yes? Ah. It seems like they’re filming the one-act plays that were selected from the contest and releasing them every few weeks. The title is One-Act Festival? It seems like nothing has been confirmed yet.’

‘So, everything is in the planning stage. Pre-production.’

‘Yes. It seems like they’ll be launching about five projects.’

The CEO, who was listening to the explanation, turned his head back to Hwa-rin.

‘Why do you like that one-act?’

‘Just- well, the script was fun. The storyline is quite dense for a one-act, and even though it’s written by a rookie writer, there aren’t any awkward parts. It’s a rom-com, but the characters are also well-developed.’

‘…Do you think it’ll do well? Well, there’s a limit to how well a one-act can do.’

‘I don’t know. But it’s Netflix, and if they promote it well, the public can enjoy it short and sweet.’

Hwa-rin answered calmly. On the other hand, the CEO’s worries deepened.

‘Manager Lee. Assuming Hwa-rin is in that short film. Have the other actors been decided? Since it’s a one-act, it’ll probably be mostly unknowns.’

‘I don’t know about the other one-acts. But from what I heard today, the male lead is pretty decent.’

‘Really? Who is it?’

‘They said it was decided today, it’s Kang Woo-jin.’

‘Kang Woo-jin?’

The CEO clicked his tongue.

‘That Kang Woo-jin who’s a free spirit? The one who’s rising now. I think he was from Choi Sung-gun’s agency.’

‘Yes. When I went to the meeting, he was already meeting with the general director.’

‘Oh- he’s hot. Hmm, but he’s just as crazy as our Hwa-rin.’

‘Excuse me? CEO, I’m right here?’

‘Why would a guy who’s getting so popular do a one-act? He could easily get offers for big projects.’

‘That person… no, that actor must not care about the level of the project either.’

‘Hwa-rin, is Kang Woo-jin okay with you? What was he like?’

‘Well- he was just okay. Nothing special.’

Hwa-rin answered as if it was meaningless. Anyway, the CEO stroked his chin seriously.

‘Really? Hmm. If the male lead is that Kang Woo-jin- if we set it up right, it might be okay? His acting is great. Did you know Kang Woo-jin before you went?’

‘I didn’t know either.’

At this, the chubby manager opened his mouth, looking at Hwa-rin.

‘But shouldn’t we take out that kiss scene? You originally said you wanted to avoid it.’

Hwa-rin shrugged as if it was not true at all.

‘When did I say that?’

The next day, Sunday, the 31st, in Suncheon.

The Suncheon set, which was a large-scale filming location comparable to a village with old houses and buildings, was currently bustling with a movie shoot.

It was for the movie ‘Drug Dealer’.

The background of ‘Drug Dealer,’ for which Kang Woo-jin was recently cast as a ‘fill-in,’ was Busan, but some scenes were filmed at the Suncheon set, which was decorated to look like Busan.

Anyway.

‘Martial arts team!! The director is calling you!’

‘Can someone check this car?! It won’t start?’

‘Director! Please check the location of the props!’

The place was as chaotic as any other filming location. Among them, the busiest was director Kim Do-hee, who was in charge of the overall direction of ‘Drug Dealer.’

‘Art director! Let’s go check the props! Art director!! Over here!’

Around this time.

‘The director’s fighting spirit has suddenly increased.’

In a corner of the set, the actors, each holding a script, were gathered in small groups. However, there was a hint of worry on their faces.

‘He seemed very depressed about Oh Jun-woo’s accident, but it’s a relief. From what I heard, it seems like things were resolved well between Jun-woo’s side and Kang Woo-jin’s side.’

‘Ah- so, it’s about ten days left? Until that Kang Woo-jin guy joins?’

‘Well… it’s good that things worked out, but I feel bad for Jun-woo. It’s a bit strange.’

The actors’ conversation topic was the actor Oh Jun-woo, who had to leave due to an accident, and the fill-in, Kang Woo-jin.

‘But is it really going to be okay?’

‘What do you mean? Ah- Kang Woo-jin? If he’s okay with it, it doesn’t matter.’

‘Is he a bit peculiar? It’s obvious that he’s a fill-in, but he’s just doing it. He’s in the middle of rising, so usually, they’d pass on a role like this, wouldn’t they?’

‘It depends. More than that, I’m worried about whether that rookie will be able to handle the role well.’

It was a natural concern for the actors who had already finished more than half of the filming.

‘That’s true, the role isn’t easy. It’s a damn difficult role.’

‘I think they decided a bit hastily. Even so, a rookie who just started a project…’

‘The situation was what it was. From the director’s point of view, it was an emergency. But it’s been a little over two weeks since the script was passed on, so it must have been a bit tight for that Kang Woo-jin guy.’

‘But his acting is good, though? I watched ‘Profiler Hanryang’. His acting as Park Dae-ri was great.’

At this point, most of the actors changed to an agreeing mood.

‘I watched it too. His acting style is a bit unique. But the problem is whether he can handle it in about two weeks. Normal rookies would never be able to do it. It’s going to be tough. Hanryang had enough time, right?’

‘True… Jun-woo also prepared for quite a long time.’

‘But Kang Woo-jin is being called a genius, right? In the media.’

‘A genius is a genius, but it takes more than a week just to read the script and analyze the character… I wonder if the quality will come out?’

‘If it’s like putting a band-aid on a wound, it’ll be a bit ambiguous.’

Worry grew among the actors who had not yet experienced Kang Woo-jin.

‘What can we do by talking about it here? We’ll have to see for ourselves, what his form is like.’

At this time, in Kang Woo-jin’s van.

From the morning, Woo-jin was in a van heading to the company. However.

‘Ugh- it’s so jammed.’

As Choi Sung-gun in the passenger seat said, the road was a nightmare even in the morning. Kang Woo-jin, with a cynical expression, was.

‘…’

He had been looking at his social media until just now, but he put his phone down. Then, he turned his gaze out the window. Seeing the suffocating traffic jam, it seemed like it would take a long time.

‘Hmm- should I use this time to do some reading (experience)?’

Kang Woo-jin turned his eyes to the scripts and scenarios piled up on the right seat.

A pile of projects.

They were all the ones that Kang Woo-jin had to do. These days, Woo-jin didn’t have time to read projects at home. Therefore, whenever he had free time, he read projects and entered the subspace to repeat the role reading.

‘In order of closest filming date.’

Soon, Kang Woo-jin picked up the scenario on top of the pile. It was the scenario for the movie ‘Drug Dealer,’ which was scheduled to start filming in ten days, and Woo-jin poked the black square next to the scenario with his index finger.

The world changed in an instant.

Before he knew it, Woo-jin was standing in a completely dark subspace, not in the car.

Kang Woo-jin chose the white square of ‘Drug Dealer’.

-[4/Scenario (Title: Drug Dealer) has been selected.]

-[Lists the characters available for reading (experience).]

-[A: Jung Sung-hoon, B: Choi Jun-ho, C: Kim Hyun-soo… G: Lee Sang-man]

Lee Sang-man. The role Woo-jin was going to read (experience) was ‘Lee Sang-man.’

‘This is a bit different from murder or something like that.’

A role that included drug addiction. Anyway, Kang Woo-jin moved his index finger slightly slowly and selected Lee Sang-man. Soon, a familiar robotic female voice spread through the subspace.

[‘Preparing for ‘G: Lee Sang-man’ reading…’]

Kang Woo-jin took a shallow breath.

[‘…Preparation complete. The script or scenario is of very high quality. The implementation rate is 100%. Starting the reading.’]

A huge grayness covered him.

The temperature felt on his skin changed.

It was neither cold nor hot, somewhere in the middle. Gradually, the world that was all gray began to clear. The view that Kang Woo-jin was seeing changed to an unfamiliar place. The sounds he heard were also clear but unfamiliar.

-Swish.

Inside a car. Woo-jin was sitting in the back seat of a luxurious car. And he was looking out the window. Heavy streams of water were flowing down the window. It was raining cats and dogs. The smell of stale tobacco stung Woo-jin’s nose.

It was a stuffy and uncomfortable smell, but for the current Kang Woo-jin, it was a natural and everyday scent.

‘…’

Kang Woo-jin, who was looking out the window without a word, moved his gaze to the front seat. Both the man driving and the man sitting in the passenger seat were wearing slightly large suits. Woo-jin spoke briefly to the man in the passenger seat.

‘Cigarette.’

His voice was rough. It was heavy and oppressive, but also seemed languid. Soon, the man in the passenger seat bowed his head.

‘Yes, boss.’

He quickly presented a cigarette. Woo-jin, who put the cigarette in his mouth, took a deep breath into his chest and exhaled a long stream of white smoke with his breath.

‘Hoo-‘

It was delicious. That was the feeling. Woo-jin, who didn’t smoke, was now smoking as if it was normal and everyday. The emotions and the world that had permeated him pressured him to do so. Before he knew it, Lee Sang-man’s numerous emotions and thoughts permeated through the blood vessels of his entire body.

Each and every cell was changing.

It was natural since Kang Woo-jin was now Lee Sang-man, the boss of a super-large organization in Busan.

Lee Sang-man didn’t talk much. But his eyes were sharp and piercing. The muscles in his face were stiff and expressionless, but that emphasized Lee Sang-man’s violence. He was quiet and meticulous, but each and every subtle movement was heavy and intense.

A ferocious beast that surpassed charisma.

The car was quiet. Only the sound of the heavy rain hitting the car was loud. A slight coolness and humidity spread throughout his body. The car was gradually filled with cigarette smoke. Slowly, Kang Woo-jin’s mood became foul.

‘Sss’

Woo-jin threw the cigarette, which had burned all the way to the filter, out the window. At that moment, the rain, as if attacking him, soaked his suit sleeve.

‘…’

It was unpleasant. For some reason, it was unpleasant. And his forearm began to itch. No matter how much he scratched, it kept itching. Around this time, black dots piled up in Kang Woo-jin’s vision. They were moving. The black dots that rose from below occupied half of his vision.

Were they bugs? Or was it a hallucination?

Others would have freaked out and rubbed their eyes, but for some reason, Woo-jin just blinked without any change in his expression. It was a familiar sight. Then, the black dots that he had seen disappeared as if it was a lie. But.

-Swish.

Kang Woo-jin quietly scratched his right and left forearms. At the same time as the black dots disappeared, a subtle itch exploded. But it wasn’t relieved. The more he scratched, the more the itch intensified.

Kang Woo-jin’s dirty mood turned into sticky anger. He spoke softly. It was in Japanese.

‘I need to inject it soon.’

Woo-jin was slowly becoming impatient. As soon as he uttered the goal of injecting something, his brain, strangely enough, blindly poured out only one thought. Inject that damn thing into your forearm.

And be free.

As soon as the conclusion of wanting to be free came out, his anger turned into chaos. It swallowed everything. His legs were shaking, and his hands were shaking. He couldn’t calm down.

At this time.

‘Boss, are you okay?’

When the man in the passenger seat asked, Woo-jin stared at him silently. His eyes were violent. He didn’t have a club, but Kang Woo-jin was silently hitting the man. Thanks to that, the man flinched. He realized his mistake.

At this time, Kang Woo-jin spoke in a rough voice.

‘Why. Do I look like a moron to you?’

‘…Yes?? Ah, no. You just looked a little uncomfortable.’

‘What did you see?’

‘W, well, that is…’

‘If I pluck out those eyeballs and eat them, will I be able to know too?’

‘I’m… sorry.’

As soon as the man’s guilty voice was uttered, the car that was driving stopped in front of a building, and the man in the driver’s seat quickly took an umbrella and got out to open the back door. Kang Woo-jin got out of the car without much fuss.

-Swish.

The surroundings were all black. Orange lights could be seen here and there. They were blinking. Woo-jin, who was looking at the streetlights lined up to the end, turned his gaze. Four cars were lined up in front, and men in suits were standing in a row.

Kang Woo-jin, who looked around them for a moment, turned his body toward the entrance of the building.

‘B-boss! Please save me! I! I think I was crazy! Please! Boss!’

A man with a bloody face was kneeling and crying out. The one looking at him was naturally Lee Sang-man. No, it was Kang Woo-jin. But Woo-jin couldn’t hear his desperate cry to live well.

-Swish.

It was because of the intense rain that soaked his ankles and the noise of the heavy rain hitting the umbrella. At this point, there was no trace of warmth on Woo-jin’s stiff face. The man kneeling in front of him was just an obstacle. Blocking his way.

Therefore.

‘…’

Kang Woo-jin, who was quietly watching the man begging with his hands and feet, spoke to his subordinate next to him. His tone was monotonous and dry.

‘Concrete.’

It was an order. To get this moron out of his sight. To put him in a drum and let it harden without anyone knowing, and then throw it into the sea. Soon, the man with a bloody face was dragged away by several men in suits. He shouted at the top of his lungs as a last resort.

‘Boss!!! Please save me!! I! I’ll really do well! Ack! Let go! Let go!!!’

Kang Woo-jin had already entered the building. The subordinates didn’t follow. Step by step. The clear sound of his shoes spread through the quiet building. The sound was getting faster and faster. Woo-jin changed his pace from climbing one step at a time to two or three steps at a time.

His steps were impatient. That feeling was becoming prevalent.

The charismatic figure from just before was nowhere to be seen. He just started running like a dog that needed to pee. What Woo-jin arrived at was a wide office. The sofas and desks all looked expensive. But regardless, Woo-jin.

-Clunk!

He quickly opened the desk drawer and took out several tools. He threw off the suit jacket he was wearing and rolled up his shirt sleeves like crazy.

‘Hoo- hoo.’

His breathing was getting rougher, and Woo-jin, who had wrapped something around his forearm, took a strange action for a moment. At this point, Kang Woo-jin’s expression was full of relief. It was stiff but also gentle.

At that moment, there was a flash from the wide window behind him, which was full of rainwater. It was thunder and lightning.

-Rumble, crack!

Kang Woo-jin, who was now sitting on a soft sofa, looked up at the ceiling.

‘Hehehe-‘

A strange sound mixed with laughter and thunder and lightning spread.

End