I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 73

“That’s right! Director Shin Dong-chun!” Kim So-hyang, the general director, smiled with satisfaction, as if he were the perfect fit. “Woo-jin’s real debut work was ‘The Detective Agency,’ and he rose to fame as a rookie director. Plus, he had pretty good results as a drama director in the past. Has anyone seen ‘The Detective Agency’?” “I have. I was curious, so I went to the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ [a prestigious South Korean short film festival]. ‘The Detective Agency’ was amazing. It was the most fun short film.” “How was the vibe? Did it seem like he could handle a drama again?” “Yes. Rather, it felt like a mix of film and drama editing? His use of fast and slow motion was incredible. And the sound, the sound technology was really well integrated.” Most of the team leaders in the meeting room nodded in agreement. “If Director Shin Dong-chun joins, the background will be solid. There’s also a story, like a reunion between a director and an actor who were once unknown.” “A reunion of the Grand Prize winner and the Best Actor winner from the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’?” Director Shin Dong-chun seemed like the perfect fit, but there was also a problem. “But even if we think he’s perfect, will Director Shin Dong-chun do it? If we investigate, we’ll know for sure, but I’m guessing he’s having a lot of meetings with film companies right now. If you get famous at the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival,’ you get a flood of scripts, right?” The question was whether Director Shin Dong-chun would do a one-act drama. Of course, Kang Woo-jin was an actor, but work was work. It was uncertain whether Director Shin Dong-chun would do a one-act drama while rising as a hot new director. However, Kim So-hyang thought the chances were high. “We’re not asking him to take on the entire one-act series, just ‘Best Friend.’ Of course, if he’s already committed to a project, it’s a pass, but if he’s still in negotiations, it might work out somehow, right?” Whatever the case, speed was important to catch him. “When did the Mise-en-scène end?” “Last month, around early May.” “A month after winning the award—then one week for interviews and such, and two weeks for meetings with production companies and film companies. The timing isn’t bad.” Soon, Kim So-hyang gave instructions to the team leaders. “Immediately find Director Shin Dong-chun’s contact information and get in touch. We need to reach him as soon as possible, and when we propose the project, make it clear that we’re putting our full weight behind it. And subtly include Kang Woo-jin.” The team leaders quickly got up and left. At that moment, General Director Kim So-hyang muttered to herself. “Hmm—but Director Shin Dong-chun must have seen the articles about Woo-jin doing ‘Best Friend.'” Back. Thursday, the 4th. It was a rare day off for Kang Woo-jin. Or rather, he had to postpone his schedule due to unavoidable circumstances. It was because of Woo-jin’s personal reasons. “Whew—I’m leaving this place.” He had to move. It was the day Kang Woo-jin was leaving his studio apartment. It was a bit sudden, but considering Kang Woo-jin’s exploding popularity, he had to hurry. Choi Sung-gun had also urged him. Whatever the case. “…I thought I’d finish my 20s here at least.” Woo-jin, wearing a casual hoodie, slowly looked around the studio apartment that had supported him. Now, all the luggage was gone, and it was completely empty. Suddenly, many things flashed through Woo-jin’s mind. Getting drunk and passing out, the day he first signed the contract and felt excited, and so on. “The room was small, but there were so many incidents.” Kang Woo-jin had a bittersweet expression. But he couldn’t stay long. -Swish. It was time to say goodbye. Woo-jin put on his shoes and tapped the shoe rack. “I’m leaving—” It was a farewell to his nest, and Kang Woo-jin, who had taken the Best Actor trophy at the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival,’ closed the door of the studio apartment. In front of the studio apartment, a moving truck and Woo-jin’s van were waiting. -Thump! The two cars started as soon as Kang Woo-jin got into the van, and about an hour later, they stopped near BW Entertainment. It was an officetel [a type of studio apartment building] near Samsung Station. Kang Woo-jin paused as soon as he entered his new home. ‘…Crazy. It’s so nice.’ If there weren’t people around, he would have jumped around with a fanfare. That’s how great the new house was. It looked twice the size of the studio apartment. Others might think it was ordinary, but to Kang Woo-jin, it was a palace. Even the appliances and furniture like the TV and refrigerator were already there. It was a consideration from BW Entertainment. Now, everything about Kang Woo-jin had changed. A new house, a new life, a new job, unfamiliar entertainment acquaintances, and so on. Woo-jin was slowly starting to look like an actor. There were also changes in his circle of people. His still noisy best friends in the group chat treated Kang Woo-jin as a perfect actor. -Woo-jin: Moving complete. -Dae-young: Congrats congrats congrats, actor-nim [a respectful term for actor]. I’ll come to mess it up soon. -Kyung-sung: Housewarming party ㄱㄱ [Korean slang for ‘let’s go’] Invite Hong Hye-yeon ㄱㄱ -Hyung-gu: Housewarming party ㄱㄱ Invite Hong Hye-yeon ㄱㄱ222 -Woo-jin: Shut up, you animals. -Kyung-sung: Kang star, did you see Hwa-rin in person? She’s gorgeous, right? -Woo-jin: ㅇㅇㅇ [Korean slang for ‘yes’] -Hyung-gu: Kang star, Park’s assistant, come back. It’s not fun without you in the free time. Kang Woo-jin’s parents were the same. “Oh—Mom.” “Yes, our Kang actor-nim. Are you eating well? Should I send you some porridge?” “Mom’s is always delicious even when it’s cold.” “No—I mean, I’ll go and make it for you.” “What?? No way. What porridge? I’ll just buy it. I’m eating well.” “Okay. Your dad and I are watching ‘Free Time’ well. It’s like our son died and appears in flashbacks.” “…Mom. I’m alive.” “Oh, you’re a superstar to my friends and customers here. Did I tell you?” Inside the porridge shop in Jinju, there was a large poster of Kang Woo-jin on both walls. It seemed like Woo-jin’s parents had printed them themselves. When some customers saw the posters and asked. “Is that actor the hot rookie these days? Are you a fan, boss??” Seo Hyun-mi and Kang Woo-chul proudly answered at the same time. “He’s our son.” “That’s our son.” What was unusual was that Kang Woo-jin’s younger sister, Kang Hyun-ah, who was the most boisterous, had become quiet. Woo-jin felt a bit uneasy, but he brushed it off. Well, she must be busy studying. After moving, Woo-jin headed to an advertisement shoot on Friday, the 5th. It was the day of the ‘Maxnald’ advertisement shoot. It was done quickly. The shoot was scheduled about a week after the contract. ‘Maxnald’ had also sped up the process. They needed to release the advertisement as quickly as possible before Kang Woo-jin’s popularity waned. “Hello.” “Ah! Welcome! Kang Woo-jin has arrived! Woo-jin, you’ll check the concept with the director right away.” The advertisement studio was unfamiliar yet familiar to Woo-jin. It was about the size of an auditorium. The atmosphere was similar to a regular drama set, but the props and filming equipment were a bit different. More than anything. ‘…Is that a hamburger? Are they going to eat all of that?’ On a desk in one corner of the set, there was a pile of hamburgers. At least 30. Were they grenades? They looked like weapons at first glance. So, Woo-jin, with his concept on, felt a bit of fear. It was his first time doing an advertisement, and he was already nervous, but were they going to make him eat all of that? But thankfully. “You only need to take a bite of the hamburger for the shot, you can eat it or spit it out if it’s too much.” He didn’t have to eat all the hamburgers. There were also fake hamburgers for the advertisement. ‘It’s different from the real thing, that’s not right! Ah—I’m an advertisement model, right? I keep getting confused.’ Woo-jin thought there were all sorts of things. Anyway, after a brief concept meeting with the director and the ‘Maxnald’ staff, Kang Woo-jin changed into makeup and costume and was put into the shooting zone. His overall appearance was similar to ‘Park’s assistant.’ The shooting zone was a luxurious sofa placed in the middle of a blue screen. It was a blue screen for special effects later, but Kang Woo-jin, who didn’t know this, just acted as he was told. But should he bring out Park’s assistant to the maximum? I don’t know, I’ll just go all out. “Hi—Action!” Kang Woo-jin bit into the hamburger, based on the scene where Park’s assistant eats a hamburger in the interrogation room in ‘Free Time.’ It was his first time doing an advertisement, but the acting came out smoothly. Even the director and others on set were impressed. “Wow—that’s amazing? The Park’s assistant concept was the right answer.” “But Woo-jin’s emotional control is instantaneous? How does he do that? His eyes change in just a few seconds.” “It feels like a real big rookie has arrived, right?” However, advertisements were definitely different from dramas. “Cut! Good! Woo-jin, this time, hold the hamburger a bit forward and let’s go again.” “Yes.” “Action!” It was like manual labor in the filming world. “Nice! Cut cut! This time, let’s try smiling more cruelly?” “…Yes.” They reshot the same scene dozens of times. It wasn’t because Woo-jin was bad. “Cut! Amazing! Next, let’s hold the hamburger with both hands and go!” It was just to secure as many shots as possible. Action, cut, action, cut, action, cut, repeated. The requested poses, expressions, and performances changed every time. Kang Woo-jin had slightly underestimated advertisements and was exhausted. ‘This is crazy, advertisements. So hard. And this is just one shot. Fatigue is building up rapidly.’ There was a cue sheet, but no clear script on the advertisement set. Kang Woo-jin thought that dramas or movies with scripts were better. Anyway, after taking a few shots, it was lunchtime. And the meal served to Kang Woo-jin was. “Woo-jin! This is our new ‘Maxnald’ product. Please try it!” “…Yes, thank you.” It was another hamburger. ‘Ugh.’ At the same time. At a large film company in Seoul. In a conference room where several people were gathered, a familiar square-jawed man was seen. Unlike before, Director Shin Dong-chun was very healthy. The haggard look was gone. It was like he was full of life. The aura he exuded was also a bit different. Now, he had the look of a director, no matter what anyone said. It was understandable. About a month after receiving the Grand Prize at the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival.’ There had been many things for Director Shin Dong-chun as well as Woo-jin. 『[Movietalk] Grand Prize Winner ‘The Detective Agency’ Director Shin Dong-chun, a Gem of Chungmuro [the heart of the South Korean film industry] Discovered by Mise-en-scène』 Of course, it wasn’t as explosive as Kang Woo-jin, but Director Shin Dong-chun was treated as a rising star in the film industry. He had won three awards, including the Grand Prize, at the strict ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival,’ and the evaluation of ‘The Detective Agency’ itself was also high. Moreover. 『Hot Kang Woo-jin Effect? ‘The Detective Agency’ Released on Various OTTs [Over-the-top media services], Shows Potential Despite Being a Short Film』 The results of ‘The Detective Agency’ released on OTT were also quite good. Therefore, Director Shin Dong-chun was receiving a flood of interviews with various film media, appearances on various YouTube channels, and love calls from production companies and film companies. This place was also like that. This large film company was also making proposals to Director Shin Dong-chun about his future. “Director, what do you think?” There were about five people from the film company. Director Shin Dong-chun was alone on the other side. He didn’t seem flustered. He had already gone through numerous meetings. “Hmm—” “It’s understandable that you’re hesitant. There are many rumors about you in the industry, and we roughly know what kind of conditions you’ve heard. We promise the best conditions of all.” “Yes, I’ll think about it.” “Haha, I really want to work with you.” The nice-looking man from the film company changed the subject. “First, I’d like to hear your thoughts. If we work together, we’re considering two options: a commercial remake of ‘The Detective Agency’ or using a script we already have. What do you think, director?” Both were sweet proposals. Remaking the world of ‘The Detective Agency’ into a big-budget film, or immediately starting a project with a script owned by a large film company. Among these, Director Shin Dong-chun. ‘I’m leaning towards a remake of The Detective Agency.’ Although it would need to be adapted, the remake of ‘The Detective Agency’ was tempting. However, a project wasn’t made by the director alone. It included various staff and actors. In other words, it wasn’t something he could decide based on his own desires. ‘But it’s right to leave The Detective Agency as it is.’ The success of the current ‘The Detective Agency’ was possible because it was a short film. ‘With Woo-jin’s acting, the staff’s efforts, and Hye-yeon’s issue. If I change it according to my will, it will be ruined.’ Remaking it wouldn’t be difficult. He just had to adapt it and produce it. Maybe it would be successful. But Kang Woo-jin wouldn’t be there. ‘The Detective Agency’ was Kang Woo-jin himself. At least, that’s how Director Shin Dong-chun felt. ‘The Detective Agency was made because Woo-jin had affection and resentment for it.’ In other words, ‘The Detective Agency’ without Kang Woo-jin was like a fish-shaped bun without red bean paste. Therefore, Director Shin Dong-chun shook his head at the film company staff. “I don’t want to touch ‘The Detective Agency.'” “…That’s a shame. Honestly, ‘The Detective Agency’ has enough potential to be commercially successful.” “It’s not a matter of potential. Of course, if all the actors agree, I’ll consider it, but it’s difficult right now.” “If we’re talking about actors—are you referring to Kang Woo-jin and Hong Hye-yeon? Well, Kang Woo-jin is very popular these days. There’s no guarantee that you’ll do ‘The Detective Agency’ again.” “If you have any selected scripts, I’ll take them today. I’ll read them and contact you.” The film company executive, who was smiling and nodding, handed over two stacks of papers. “You must have a lot of scripts piled up, right? I wish you would read ours first, haha.” Director Shin Dong-chun, with his square jaw, took the scripts and answered somewhat seriously. “If I do it, I’m thinking of going with one actor for sure. If that actor is okay with it.” “…Ah—are you perhaps referring to Kang Woo-jin?” “Yes. Definitely Kang Woo-jin.” “Of course, it doesn’t matter. Kang Woo-jin is hot right now, and his acting is good. But you seem to like Woo-jin a lot.” “……” Director Shin Dong-chun didn’t have a specific answer. Instead, he muttered to himself. ‘Because I have to repay the favor of that affection and resentment.’ It was a way of repaying the favor to Kang Woo-jin, who had brought him to where he was now, who had pulled him up from the edge of the cliff. Everything was caused by a misunderstanding, but for Director Shin Dong-chun, ignorance was bliss. After finishing the meeting, Director Shin Dong-chun got into the elevator with the scripts in his arms. “Hoo—” Then, he picked up his phone. It was his recent hobby. Watching Kang Woo-jin’s success. He didn’t even need to search. There were quite a few articles about him on the main entertainment page of the portal site. “Oh—the sports day views have exceeded 6 million? In just two days?” Soon, as Director Shin Dong-chun, who had arrived at his car in the parking lot, was about to open the car door. -♬♪ A call came. It was an unknown number. However, it wasn’t strange since he was hot these days. “Yes, this is Shin Dong-chun.” A woman’s voice was heard over the phone. “Hello, director. This is Lee Nam-hee, the creative team leader at Netflix.” “Netflix?” At that moment, Director Shin Dong-chun remembered an article he had seen the other day about Kang Woo-jin’s one-act drama. “Ah—yes, hello. But what’s the matter?” “I know you’re busy, but I’m contacting you to ask you to direct a project. I don’t know if you’ve seen the article, but it’s a one-act project.” “‘Best Friend’?” “Oh my, you know about it. Yes, yes. That’s right, director. As you know, Woo-jin and Hwa-rin are scheduled to play the leads. If you’re interested.” “I’m interested right now.” Director Shin Dong-chun immediately got into the car and answered the team leader on the phone. He was smiling. “If you tell me the location, I’ll go to Netflix right away.” Early morning on the 6th, Kang Woo-jin’s officetel. The move was over, but Woo-jin’s unpacking was far from finished. Anyway, Kang Woo-jin, with a hoodie pulled over his head, appeared in the underground parking lot. ‘Sleepy—so sleepy—’ He was quite tired from waking up since dawn. He should go straight to the subspace as soon as he gets in the car. Woo-jin, with a blank expression, looked around the parking lot. In front of him, he saw a black van with its hazard lights on, waiting to pick him up. What was interesting was. “Woo-jin-ah.” For some reason, Choi Sung-gun, with his ponytail, was greeting Woo-jin outside the car. Woo-jin, tilting his head in confusion, approached him and bowed his head. “Hello, but why are you outside?” Choi Sung-gun, who was smiling, handed over a stack of papers instead of greeting him. “It’s here, this.” “Yes?” Choi Sung-gun told Woo-jin, who had received the stack of papers, where they came from. “Kyotaro’s next project, the official script.” “Ah.” The script of the Japanese master was in Woo-jin’s hands. End