I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 75

Suncheon, ‘Drug Lord’ filming set.

The vast set, meticulously designed to capture the 1990s with its buildings and houses, was already buzzing with activity for the filming of ‘Drug Lord.’

“Cut! The dialogue was a bit muffled just now, let’s try that again with more emphasis!”

Under the direction of Kim Do-hee, who commanded a strong presence, numerous cameras, lights, and audio equipment were in place. Dozens of staff members formed a circle around the equipment.

The actors were divided into those watching and those performing.

What was interesting was.

“Who are those people?”

“They’re from the distribution and production companies.”

“Ah-”

The number of people on set today was unusually high. The reason for their sudden appearance, when they were usually absent, was simple.

“The situation was so uncertain, so they’re probably here to watch Kang Woo-jin today.”

“Are they worried?”

“That too, but isn’t it also to assess the overall balance?”

To see Kang Woo-jin in person. Both the production and distribution companies considered this a crucial matter.

Around this time.

“Great! Cut, cut!”

Director Kim Do-hee gave the okay for the previous scene. Then, she instructed the assistant director.

“Let’s take a 10-minute break.”

“Yes! We’ll take a 10-minute break!!”

At the assistant director’s shout, the staff quickly moved to the break area. Meanwhile, people gathered around director Kim Do-hee, who was sitting in front of three monitors.

They were from the production and distribution companies.

“Director, isn’t it about time for Kang Woo-jin to arrive?”

Director Kim Do-hee nodded at the question.

“I received a call that he’ll arrive within 10 minutes.”

Soon, some expressed their concerns.

“Now that the day has arrived, I have a lot of thoughts. Is this really going to work out?”

“It was a bit of a gamble. Kang Woo-jin is hot right now, so he’ll attract public attention, but the preparation time was a bit short. Three weeks… Hah- Could he have properly analyzed the role of ‘Lee Sang-man’ in three weeks?”

Director Kim Do-hee, running a hand through her messy hair, also sighed softly.

“We have to trust Woo-jin. He was very confident during the meeting. Even if the result is disappointing, it’s not Woo-jin’s fault. If the acting quality is a bit low due to lack of time, we should take responsibility. Above all, we can’t find an actor who speaks Japanese as well as Woo-jin.”

“Well, that’s true.”

The faces of several production and distribution company members darkened. They had not yet seen Kang Woo-jin in action. To them, Kang Woo-jin was just a rising rookie.

“Ah, I heard that the director is making some changes to the ‘Lee Sang-man’ role today? Shouldn’t we cancel that?”

“…I’m also thinking of removing it if it’s too much.”

“No, well, we know Kang Woo-jin’s acting skills from ‘The Vagabond,’ but no matter how I think about it, a few weeks is too short. It’s a difficult role. Even if he’s talented, he’s still a rookie, so if we push him too hard, he’ll definitely crack.”

It seemed like everyone was thinking the same thing.

“Let’s just focus on making sure he can handle the ‘Lee Sang-man’ role without any issues, director.”

Since it was already a risky casting, they wanted to focus on minimizing problems rather than taking on more challenges. However, director Kim Do-hee, who always enjoyed challenges in her work, was not happy with this.

‘They’re just busy talking. I’ll handle it. Why are they all here making a fuss?’

Just as she was grumbling internally, an executive from the distribution company suddenly changed the topic to Kang Woo-jin.

“But when I looked into ‘The Vagabond,’ I heard that Kang Woo-jin has been abroad?”

Director Kim Do-hee, who was looking at the script, was quick to answer.

“Ah- that must be about Japan.”

“Huh? It’s not. I heard from an acquaintance at the production company of ‘The Vagabond’ that he was in an English-speaking country.”

“…English-speaking country?”

“Yes. They said he speaks English like a native. A foreign staff member praised Woo-jin’s English.”

At this, the dozen or so staff members around them buzzed. A key staff member, the lighting director, joined the conversation.

“Oh, oh, I heard that too. I’m close with the lighting director of ‘The Vagabond.’ He said that Woo-jin was from overseas, and what was it? He was exaggerating, saying that he was in Hollywood?”

“Wow, everyone was curious about Kang Woo-jin and asked around?”

“Ah- right. Isn’t it the same for the production company people? Everyone was worried and looked into it, right?”

“Still, Hollywood is a bit too much.”

The actors also started to join in.

“I heard that he doesn’t seem like a rookie at all. They say his mindset is different because he’s been abroad?”

Regardless of whether they were lead or supporting roles.

“I heard that during ‘The Vagabond’ reading, that Kang Woo-jin guy said himself that he taught himself acting.”

“…That doesn’t make sense.”

“What is it? The character is too absurd?”

“Just rookie’s bravado? Bluster? Something like that.”

It was at this moment.

“Director!! Kang Woo-jin has arrived!!”

The staff member’s shout from director Kim Do-hee’s walkie-talkie spread loudly. It was a sign that the much-talked-about rookie, Kang Woo-jin, had arrived. Soon, director Kim Do-hee jumped up.

And a few minutes later.

Kang Woo-jin arrived at the filming zone. Woo-jin felt burdened by the gazes of the staff members he passed.

‘What’s with them, why are they all staring like that?’

The more he felt that way, the more intense Woo-jin’s poker face became, and director Kim Do-hee came running from the front.

“Woo-jin!”

Kang Woo-jin calmly greeted her.

“Hello, director.”

“Yes, yes. You came early? Hmm- you seem different in person on set.”

“Is that so?”

Woo-jin, who asked back, glanced behind director Kim Do-hee. Then, he was startled inside.

‘Wow- damn. How many people are there? It’s like a whole army! Is there a war going on?’

The crowd was too large. It easily seemed to be over 60 people. The problem was that it didn’t seem like it was just staff. At this moment, Choi Sung-gun, who was standing behind Woo-jin, moved as if he recognized someone in the crowd.

“Oh my- Mr. Lee? It’s been a while?”

“Hahaha, yes, it has, CEO Choi.”

Kang Woo-jin was led by director Kim Do-hee to stand in front of the main actors. Formal greetings would come later, but first, they needed to get a quick look at each other.

“Here is actor Kang Woo-jin, as you all know.”

“Hello.”

With a calm voice. The actors gave awkward smiles and greeted Kang Woo-jin appropriately, and director Kim Do-hee slipped a few overlapping papers to Woo-jin.

“Woo-jin. This is a side script; there have been some revisions to some of the ‘Lee Sang-man’ scenes. It’s to emphasize the ‘Lee Sang-man’ character, but it might be a bit difficult all of a sudden? Of course, we can go with the original script.”

This was a common occurrence on film sets.

Due to the director’s decisions, who was in charge of overall production, lines could be changed, situations could be reversed, or the emotions of characters could be altered. However, Kang Woo-jin was, in a way, a newcomer. He thought he had more than enough time, but to others, three weeks was a short time.

Because of this, director Kim Do-hee was very passive.

“It’s probably too much, right? You can really think about it without any pressure.”

It would be good if the character of ‘Lee Sang-man’ became a bit clearer, but if they pushed too hard and the rookie Kang Woo-jin’s form collapsed, everything would be in vain.

Regardless, Kang Woo-jin was.

“Yes. I’ll take a look for a moment.”

He was very nonchalant. Rather, he was indifferent. Why?

‘The subspace is opening. Then there’s no problem.’

There was a black rectangle attached to the side script, which was similar to a side script. Woo-jin recalled the side script he had first read (experienced) and secretly raised his index finger.

He paused for a moment.

It was a very short moment. It was Kang Woo-jin who paused. To the people, it was a few seconds. But Woo-jin had been in the subspace for several tens of minutes.

‘Well, let’s go all out and act tough for a while. And get off work early.’

Kang Woo-jin, who had his eyes on the script, spoke softly to director Kim Do-hee, who was standing in front of him.

“Please give me five minutes.”

“…Huh? Five minutes? Really?”

“Yes. Five minutes.”

“……?”

Director Kim Do-hee’s eyes were filled with question marks. And the actors around them whispered. It was inevitable.

‘What’s with him? He seems a bit arrogant?’

It was an absurd answer.

‘Five minutes?? What is he saying? He should be modest with his bluffing.’

‘Looking at him, it seems like he’s trying to score some points with rookie spirit, but how can he memorize the lines and expressions in just five minutes? Director Kim is going to have a hard time.’

The problem was.

“Yes, I’m done.”

It wasn’t five minutes, but only three minutes that Kang Woo-jin nodded.

“I’m ready.”

It was already past 7 PM.

The sun had set, and the surroundings were gradually getting dark. Because of this, the orange light of the set streetlights stood out brightly. And in front of a building, four black sedans were set up.

Cameras and lights were installed around them, and dozens of staff members surrounded the filming zone.

At this moment.

“Water truck!!”

Director Kim Do-hee, who was sitting in her seat, spoke into the walkie-talkie. As soon as her shout ended, rain began to pour down on the filming zone. At the same time, dozens of extras wearing black umbrellas entered. They were all dressed in suits.

“Lower the lights a bit!”

“OK!”

“More, more, more. Stop! Let’s go!”

As director Kim Do-hee shouted, a male staff member clapped the slate in front of the camera. Then, director Kim Do-hee gave a sign into the walkie-talkie.

“Camera rolling! Action!!”

Soon, the driver’s seat of the sedan at the end of the four parked sedans opened with a thud. A man in a suit, also holding an umbrella, came out, and he quickly moved to open the back door of the car.

-Swoosh.

Kang Woo-jin, with a cigarette in his mouth, got out of the back seat. One hand was in his pocket. He was wearing a suit, but there was no tie, and the first button on his collar was undone. A dark tattoo was faintly visible on his chest.

“Hoo-”

The cigarette smoke he exhaled was long. Looking closely, there was a scar on his left cheek. A knife wound. His skin was also rough. It felt like it would be scratchy to the touch. But his hair, which was swept back, was neat. His eyes were slightly unfocused, but his pupils were sharp.

“……”

The atmosphere was languid. But there was violence in his flexible gravitas. That was the aura. It was the kind of presence that would make you feel like he would stab you in the neck if you made a mistake.

Yes, right now he was not Kang Woo-jin, but ‘Lee Sang-man’ himself.

Then, Lee Sang-man scratched his right arm lightly and tapped the shoulder of his subordinate, who was holding an umbrella over him. His expression was still blank. As if he knew it was a compliment, the subordinate bowed his head.

“Thank you.”

Lee Sang-man, who squinted as if the cigarette smoke had gotten into his eye, grabbed his subordinate’s head and pulled him closer.

“Come closer. You’ll get all wet.”

“Ah! I’m sorry!”

“Or do you want that?”

“No, no, sir!!”

Lee Sang-man’s voice was low and rough. It sounded like he had a lot of phlegm. But each word carried a warning. Soon, Lee Sang-man looked at his subordinate for a moment, listlessly. The subordinate felt endlessly crushed.

An unknown fear filled with abyss.

Even closing his eyes slowly could not be taken lightly. Lee Sang-man slowly raised his hand and took the cigarette out of his mouth, keeping his gaze fixed on his subordinate. The cigarette smoke, exhaled from his lungs, spread widely among the orange streetlight beams.

Lee Sang-man took another long drag of his cigarette. His expression was blank, but it was enough to be unpleasant. The current humidity, his mood, the itchy arm, even the sound of the rain hitting the umbrella.

And then Lee Sang-man.

-Swoosh.

With the cigarette in his mouth, he shifted his gaze to the far side behind his subordinates, who were gathered on his right. He was looking at the long line of streetlights. The orange lights, neatly arranged in a row. The reason he looked at the streetlights? Because they were cool? No.

“They’re dancing.”

In Lee Sang-man’s eyes, the orange lights were swaying gently. It was only in his eyes. The aftermath of addiction. Thanks to that, Lee Sang-man chuckled. Damn, what is that. It was because it looked like a fleeting memory. Lee Sang-man’s small smile gradually disappeared.

“Hoo-”

Lee Sang-man, with a stiff blank expression, covered the fleeting memories with the cigarette smoke he exhaled. However, the cigarette smoke quickly rose into the sky. So, the damned orange fleeting memories were visible to Lee Sang-man again.

He was even more displeased. The itchiness also intensified.

It was at this moment that a loud male scream erupted.

“H-h-hyungnim [term for older brother or respected male figure]! Please save me! I! I think I was crazy! Please! Hyungnim!”

A man was kneeling at the entrance of the building. His face was a mess. That meant it was so mangled. Then, Lee Sang-man slowly looked down at him. The man kept shouting something, but Lee Sang-man couldn’t hear him well.

-Dududududuk!

-Hudududududuk!

The sound of the downpour swallowed the man’s voice.

“……”

Therefore, Lee Sang-man just looked down at the man quietly. His eyes were completely devoid of emotion. Yes, just like a bug. It was the look you would have when you saw a bug. There was nothing. There was no need for it.

Then there was only one answer. Crush it to death.

-Swish.

Lee Sang-man, who was looking down at the man, reached his hand out from under the umbrella. The rain, pouring down like crazy, hit his hand mercilessly. It was cold and chilling. It was a temperature similar to the atmosphere Lee Sang-man had.

Here, Lee Sang-man murmured softly.

“It’ll swell.”

The subordinate holding the umbrella asked back.

“Yes?”

“The sea will swell.”

“Ah.”

Then, Lee Sang-man, who had taken a step closer to the man with the bloody face, squatted down. He had matched his eye level with the man. He scratched his arm once again. Then, Lee Sang-man exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke directly into the man’s face.

“Why are you so skinny?”

“H-hyungnim! I was really wrong! Just once! Please forgive me just once!”

“You’re skinny.”

“……”

Lee Sang-man, who murmured coldly, took the cigarette out of his mouth and placed it right in front of the man’s nose. No, to be exact, he placed the cigarette on the raindrops falling from the man’s nose. The cigarette quickly made a sizzling sound.

“Open your mouth.”

Lee Sang-man, who was holding the cigarette that had been extinguished by the moisture, spoke in a strange tone, placing it in front of the man’s eyes. However, the man had a look on his face as if he didn’t know what he was talking about.

“……Yes??”

“Open your mouth. Open it.”

“!!”

“Open it.”

Soon, the man with the bloody face opened his mouth wide, and Lee Sang-man shoved the cigarette he was holding into the man’s throat. It was merciless. It was like he had the power to shove his hand all the way into the man’s intestines.

“Cough! Cough!!”

“Eat that and let your face swell up.”

“Keok! Cough!”

“You’re too skinny right now.”

Lee Sang-man, who spoke in a rough voice, slowly turned his head to the subordinate next to him. Every single one of his movements was calm.

“Concrete.”

The subordinates understood the order immediately. To combine the man with concrete and throw him into the sea. So that he would swell up all over. Soon, the man was dragged away by several subordinates. He was screaming like crazy, but Lee Sang-man couldn’t hear him.

Then, Lee Sang-man stared at the front, where the obstacle had disappeared.

He could see the stairs leading up to the building. They were gloomy and dark. The ominous stairs seemed to be a passage to freedom for Lee Sang-man for some reason. Lee Sang-man immediately moved his feet.

And on his face, which was no longer blank.

“……”

A subtle smile appeared. The muscles in his face twitched. His mood was elevated. His brain was blindly ordering him to do something. Run, it’s right in front of you. Lee Sang-man’s smile was not a smile.

It was death, not a smile.

Death was hanging on his lips.

It was a flexible and deep death. That was the extent of his expression and portrayal. The death that spread across Lee Sang-man’s face became more and more profound. With death hanging on his face, Lee Sang-man entered the building. At this moment, Lee Sang-man brushed past the camera placed in front of the stairs.

The camera continued to face forward. Lee Sang-man stopped abruptly after brushing past the camera.

A moment of silence.

It was the timing for a cut. But no sound was heard. Only the sound of rain falling was echoing throughout the building.

The reason was simple.

“…Crazy.”

Director Kim Do-hee, who was staring intently at the monitor, had her soul leave her body.

‘Oh Joon-woo wouldn’t even be able to compare… Kim Ryu-jin and Park Dae-ri are nowhere to be seen, only Lee Sang-man is visible. The skill to make a character look completely different already-’

Of course, it was the same for all the staff members, production company members, distribution company members, and actors around her. They were all staring blankly at the rookie actor, the monster, in the filming zone. The meaning in their eyes was similar.

What did I just see?

At that moment, among the dozens of people who had stopped moving as if time had stopped, a supporting actor, with his gaze fixed on Kang Woo-jin, barely moved his lips.

“…He only looked at the side script for a moment, but how, why is that possible?”

But there was no answer.

“……”

“……”

Because everyone who had experienced the monster for the first time had their thoughts frozen.

End