I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 92

Kang Woo-jin suspected Seo Chae-eun was the culprit, but it was just a hunch. Her initial impression hadn’t been great, and he disliked her constant need to pick fights. However, he couldn’t rely solely on a feeling. That would be like accusing someone simply because they looked suspicious.

“Tsk, is there really nothing?”

He needed concrete evidence, some kind of clever solution. The problem was, he was the only one aware of the situation. If he suddenly announced that ‘Island of the Missing’ had dropped to a D grade and demanded they find the culprit, he’d be labeled a madman. In a way, he was the only one who could save the show right now.

This was a critical issue for Woo-jin and everyone involved in ‘Island of the Missing.’

“Hoo-”

Feeling the weight of responsibility, Woo-jin racked his brain. First, he needed to narrow down the suspects. Three were too many. Then, a thought struck him.

“Ah.”

It wasn’t a brilliant solution, but it was a decent method. He quickly used ‘Exit’ and returned to his officetel. After a moment of thought, he clicked his tongue.

“I’m already tired, and now this is annoying.”

He turned on his laptop on the living room table.

“Let’s start with Seo Chae-eun.”

He accessed a portal site and searched for Seo Chae-eun. Information and articles flooded the screen. He focused on her other works, not ‘Island of the Missing.’

“Be there—be there—”

He wasn’t interested in the past. He needed the future—projects she had participated in or would participate in. Thankfully,

‘There it is.’

Her upcoming projects were listed in several articles: the rom-com ‘Spontaneous Meeting,’ set to release in two months, and the action-comedy ‘How to Use a Prosecutor,’ which was nearing the end of filming. As expected of a top actress, she had a steady stream of work.

“‘Spontaneous Meeting’ was filmed last year and is being released now.”

‘How to Use a Prosecutor’ was scheduled to wrap up filming this month. After confirming this, Woo-jin searched for Jeon Woo-chang and Kim Yi-won’s projects as well. They also had upcoming work. Jeon Woo-chang was filming a drama called ‘Royal Company,’ set to air in a few months, and Kim Yi-won had a movie called ‘Again Man’ about to be released.

Fortunately, they were all top actors, so they were very active.

In total, four projects came up. Why was Woo-jin searching for these actors’ work? The answer was simple.

“First, I need to get the scripts or scenarios for these works—”

He needed the scripts to enter the subspace [a fictional space where he can analyze the quality of creative works]. Then, he could get a more definitive answer. Surely, one of the three would have a noticeably low grade, the same as or lower than ‘Island of the Missing.’

Woo-jin wrote down the four titles on his phone.

“It’s a bit late now.”

He went to the bathroom and started showering, but his mind was consumed by one thought.

“Damn it, I’m going to save it.”

It was his determination to revive ‘Island of the Missing.’

The next day, the 24th morning.

The ‘Best Friend’ team gathered at a recording studio near Netflix. It was the same studio where Woo-jin had showcased his impressive singing skills. However, the actors were absent. About a dozen people were present. The music director sat in front of the recording equipment, and Director Shin Dong-chun looked exhausted with dark circles under his eyes.

“We will play them in order: Woo-jin’s solo, Hwa-rin’s solo, and the duet.”

Kim So-hyang, the general director, crossed her arms, and writer Choi Na-na looked visibly nervous, along with the production company staff. All the key members of ‘Best Friend’ were gathered.

-Swish.

The music director started the equipment, and the first song echoed through the studio.

-♬♪

The tone was both heavy and sweet, creating a dramatic atmosphere. Soon, comments began to pour out, starting with Kim So-hyang, who was stroking her chin.

“It’s good… really good. It doesn’t feel seasonal either.”

“Is this just a rough guide by the composer? Ah—it’s so catchy, it feels like a banger [a very popular and successful song]?”

“Wow! It would really suit Woo-jin if he sang it!”

“Right? Woo-jin has a slightly husky voice when he sings, and it would be perfect.”

“Who’s the composer?”

The reaction was positive. Director Shin Dong-chun, who had been working all night, smiled faintly.

“That’s a relief. I’ll tell you the details after you’ve heard everything. Next is Hwa-rin’s song.”

The song quickly changed. This time, it was a more upbeat tune.

-♬♪

The tempo was fast, and a violin joined in at the chorus. The reaction was good, as if they liked this song too.

“It’s perfect for Hwa-rin’s character!”

“It’s cute, but then it twists in the latter half. It’s so addictive—”

And then, the last one.

It was the duet, considered the main OST, and everyone’s eyes widened slightly as they listened. The reaction wasn’t as vocal as with the solo songs, not because it was bad, but because it was the most outstanding.

“······Oh.”

It was an exclamation processed in silence. From here.

-♬♪

The listeners began to imagine what it would be like with Woo-jin and Hwa-rin’s voices. It was just their imaginations, but everyone was sure of one thing.

‘They would really suit each other?’

The chemistry between Woo-jin and Hwa-rin, their harmony with ‘Best Friend,’ was going to be amazing. As everyone was absorbed in listening, the song ended. A moment of silence. General director Shin Dong-chun broke the silence.

“I’d like to decide on these three songs. What do you all think, especially the writer?”

Choi Na-na, the writer, answered by clapping enthusiastically.

-Clap clap clap clap clap!

“I love it, I love it so much!”

The applause spread.

-Clap clap clap clap clap!

-Clap clap clap clap clap!

No one expressed any dissatisfaction. They were eager to get the songs to the actors.

“Directors, you’ve worked hard! The songs are amazing! They suit ‘Best Friend’ so well.”

“They’re so catchy! I’m already looking forward to the viewers’ reactions!”

“We still need to add the actors’ voices to all three songs, but I feel like it’s already going to be a hit. Is it just me?”

These weren’t the only songs for the OST, but deciding on the three main themes was a significant step.

In other words,

“Then, we’ll go with these three songs for the main themes.”

It meant the main OST for ‘Best Friend’ had been decided.

“Since we don’t have much time, we’ll record the guide tomorrow and pass it on to Woo-jin and Hwa-rin right away.”

“We should. When do you think the recording will be?”

“We need to check the schedule, but it would be good to finalize it within this week, considering the script reading next week.”

“Okay! Then I’ll share the schedule with Woo-jin and Hwa-rin right away.”

The OST recording was just around the corner.

Meanwhile, at the same time.

The location was Suncheon. The ‘Drug Dealer’ team gathered at a large set. They were currently filming. To be precise, it was a shoot that had been going on since dawn. Jin Jae-joon stood in front of a building, or rather, Jung Sung-hoon [the character he plays] did.

“Hoo-”

He exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke while looking at the camera filming him.

“······”

There were no lines. He just stared at the camera with a strange look, filled with various emotions: regret, worry, concern, conviction, etc. It wasn’t the last scene in the script, but director Kim Do-hee was watching intently.

“Good emotional line-”

The staff’s faces were more serious than ever. Some even swallowed hard. Soon, Jung Sung-hoon’s face was zoomed in on the monitor that Kim Do-hee was watching.

-Flick.

Jung Sung-hoon flicked the cigarette he was smoking. About 10 seconds of extra footage followed. At the same time,

“Cut!! OOOOK!! Nice! That was great!!”

Director Kim Do-hee, who had jumped up from her seat, shouted loudly. Jin Jae-joon, who had relaxed his expression, smiled faintly and bowed.

“You’ve all worked hard—thank you for your hard work!”

Over 60 staff members scattered around the set shouted in unison.

“You’ve all worked hard!!”

“It’s over!! Hahaha! This day has finally come!!”

“I know! You’ve all worked hard!!”

“There were some noises here and there in the middle, but that makes me feel even more ecstatic! We should have a wrap party! A wrap party!”

“Haha, the camera director is the most excited!”

“Director! You’ve worked hard!”

They were jumping up and down, shouting so loudly that the set seemed to be shaking. The reason was what the assistant director said.

“Okay, everyone! The shoot is only really over when the cleanup is perfect!! Let’s clean up quickly!!”

It was the moment when the filming of ‘Drug Dealer,’ which had been going on for about half a year, was finally over. Since ‘Drug Dealer’ had been a difficult project, the actors and staff members were filled with a sense of thrill and happiness.

Among them,

“Hoo, it’s finally over somehow.”

Director Kim Do-hee, who had let out a sigh of relief while looking at the sky, was approached by Jin Jae-joon, the lead actor of ‘Drug Dealer.’

“Director, I’m glad it ended well.”

Looking at him, Director Kim Do-hee scratched her messy hair.

“Well, now I have to stay up all night editing. Yeah, I really think it’s a relief. When things went south with ‘Lee Sang-man,’ I thought, is this going to fail?”

Jin Jae-joon, thinking of Woo-jin’s face, chuckled.

“As you know, director, Woo-jin’s cameo was a stroke of genius. I’m looking forward to the final cut.”

“That’s what I’m saying. What would have happened if we hadn’t gone to the ‘Mise-en-scène Film Festival’ [a Korean short film festival] back then? We have to thank Woo-jin for that. Jae-joon, you should buy him a big meal too?”

“Of course. How are you going to handle the poster?”

“Well. Should we put Woo-jin in it to raise expectations, or should we only put him in the trailer to create tension? And all the cuts are so amazing, I’m already worried about what to cut and what to include during editing.”

“It’s a happy worry, haha.”

Then, the actors gathered around Director Kim Do-hee. Among them, Park Pan-seo, who had visited to commemorate the last day of filming, asked a question.

“Director Kim, is the release schedule roughly set?”

Director Kim Do-hee, with a smile, replied.

“We should release it in early winter.”

Same day, afternoon.

The weather had become quite hot. Woo-jin, dressed lightly, left his officetel and quickly moved to the van waiting in the underground parking lot.

-Click!

Familiar faces were visible: Jang Su-hwan and Choi Sung-geon. Han Ye-jeong was absent due to work. As soon as Woo-jin got into the van,

“Hello.”

He gave a low greeting. Choi Sung-geon, who looked tired with dark circles under his eyes, yawned and waved his hand.

“Oh, oh—Woo-jin, did you get some sleep? You slept well since it’s a late start today?”

No? I had nightmares. In reality, Woo-jin had tossed and turned all night. He even had a dream where ‘Island of the Missing’ was collapsing. But for Woo-jin, who was in character, there was no room for weakness.

“Yes, I slept well.”

“Good—let’s get going.”

The van started smoothly. Choi Sung-geon’s phone rang as he opened his diary. The caller was from the company’s PR team.

“Oh? Ah—Woo-jin’s fan signing? Yes, tell me.”

Choi Sung-geon, calmly listening to the report, quickly gave instructions.

“Oh, ah—really? Hmm, then let’s confirm it for that day. Uh-huh. Scale? Make it a bit over the top. It’s Woo-jin’s first fan signing before his official fan meeting, so we need to put in some effort. Yes, share it with Woo-jin’s fan club too. Let’s not limit the number of people. Uh-huh.”

After hanging up, Choi Sung-geon turned around and grinned at Woo-jin.

“Your fan signing is confirmed.”

It was the moment when Woo-jin’s first fan signing was decided. But Woo-jin had no reaction.

“…Is that so?”

He was preoccupied with other thoughts. Choi Sung-geon, used to Woo-jin’s demeanor, gestured to Jang Su-hwan.

“Su-hwan, let’s go to the salon first.”

“Yes!”

“Ah, right. Woo-jin, did you hear that—Dae-young came to work?”

“Yes. I got a call yesterday.”

Choi Sung-geon chuckled.

“They said he did well on his first day yesterday.”

Honestly, Woo-jin wouldn’t have cared if Kim Dae-young had pooped on the street. What was urgent was something else.

“Representative.”

Therefore, Woo-jin asked Choi Sung-geon while lowering his voice.

“Before I hear the schedule, can I ask you for a favor?”

Choi Sung-geon turned to face Woo-jin.

“A favor? Sure. If it’s a favor from our great actor Kang Woo-jin, I’ll grant it even if the sky splits. What is it?”

“I want to get some scripts and scenarios.”

“Suddenly? Why?”

Choi Sung-geon’s face suddenly filled with worry.

“Hey, hey, you shouldn’t become too much of a workaholic, it’s not good for your health? Hye-yeon did that a few years ago and took a year off. Your schedule is already full, more than enough?”

Choi Sung-geon thought Woo-jin wanted to add another project. Woo-jin shook his head slightly while taking out his phone.

“No. It’s not for me to do.”

“Really? Then what’s it for?”

“For confirmation. The works of Kim Yi-won, Jeon Woo-chang, and Seo Chae-eun seniors I saw yesterday.”

“Ah—are you trying to see their form? What kind of projects they’re in?”

The prepared line was different, but Woo-jin answered silently, as if this was okay too.

“Yes. I’m trying to understand the seniors’ acting.”

“······But you didn’t do that before.”

“That’s right. It’s just a light thought. I’m just curious about what they filmed.”

“Okay, well, it’s not that difficult. What do you need me to get?”

Woo-jin, looking at his phone, rattled off the titles of the works.

“‘Spontaneous Meeting,’ ‘How to Use a Prosecutor,’ ‘Royal Company,’ ‘Again Man.’ Four in total.”

Choi Sung-geon blinked his eyes.

“Th-that many?”

“Yes. They are all scheduled to be released or aired, and for the drama, just the first episode is fine.”

“Oh, oh. Wait a minute, I need to write this down.”

Woo-jin asked Choi Sung-geon sternly, who had opened his diary again. He had to urge him without looking too rushed.

“It would be difficult to get them today, right?”

“Huh?”

“I want to read them as soon as possible before I get busier.”

At that moment, Choi Sung-geon’s fighting spirit rose for some reason. He couldn’t be lax when the indifferent Woo-jin was showing such passion.

Besides,

“No? It’s possible today.”

It wasn’t that difficult for Choi Sung-geon, who had a wide network in the entertainment industry.

“I’ll get them for you before you leave work today.”