I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor

"Wow, I’ve never seen anyone confirm their relationship so openly like that!"

"Yeah, it was shocking at first, but with Woo-jin… it kind of makes sense, doesn’t it?"

"Right. If you asked him about it, he’d probably just say, ‘It wasn’t that difficult.’”

"Seriously, though! This is the *Couple of the Century*! I mean, Miley Cara and Woo-jin are both Hollywood’s hottest stars right now!"

Everyone in Hollywood, from actors to executives, seemed to be talking about it. In a world already ablaze with entertainment news, the added heat of a public romance had half the journalists losing their minds. Woo-jin saw this in real-time as he skimmed through headlines on his way to his next event.

*Wow… This is insane. Articles are popping up every minute!*

It was like a tidal wave of media coverage sweeping across Hollywood.

---

**"CNM: Kang Woo-jin Announces Relationship with Miley Cara at *Beauty and the Beast* Event!"**

**"BBX: Woo-jin and Cara Confirm Romance, Hollywood’s New Power Couple!"**

**"LA Times: The Love Story of *Beauty and the Beast*! Hollywood’s New Power Couple is Here!"**

---

The headlines, photos, and articles were nonstop, every one featuring pictures of Woo-jin and Cara whispering to each other on stage or holding hands as they left. With the press going wild, it was only natural that public reactions exploded.

**Online Comments:**

- *No way! They’re actually dating?*

- *I can’t believe it! This has to be a dream!*

- *It’s real, people. Just look at the photos!*

- *Actually, they look surprisingly good together.*

- *Woo-jin’s confession reminded me of that scene from *Notting Hill*.*

- *Damn it! Even Miley Cara’s taken now!*

The frenzy spread like wildfire across global social media platforms, making Woo-jin and Cara the top trend in no time. Every keyword associated with them shot to the number one spot: trending video, most-searched, hottest topic—Woo-jin dominated it all.

By midday, American radio and TV stations had picked up the story, covering it as breaking news.

- [“Breaking: Kang Woo-jin, during the *Beauty and the Beast* event, confirms dating Miley Cara. Media is dubbing them ‘The Couple of the Century’!”]

As *Piero*, *Beauty and the Beast*, and Woo-jin’s name were already known worldwide, their relationship quickly became a global sensation.

---

Back in Korea, it was early morning, but Woo-jin and Cara’s news had already taken over the main portals. Korea had already been abuzz with stories about *Piero* and the Oscars, but now articles about Woo-jin were refreshing every second.

**"Breaking: Kang Woo-jin ♥ Miley Cara Declare Love at *Beauty and the Beast* Event!"**

**"Long Distance? Not for These Two! Korea’s World Star Kang Woo-jin and Hollywood’s Miley Cara Confirm Their Relationship!"**

As the news spread across online platforms, the reactions kept pouring in, with people both cheering Woo-jin on and expressing disbelief.

**Online Comments in Korea:**

- *Whoa… so it’s real?*

- *I’m speechless… I can’t believe our Woo-jin oppa is dating Miley Cara!*

- *Woo-jin, as expected, goes all out. “Yeah, we’re dating—what’s it to you?” LOL*

- *Miley Cara is literally the top of the top in Hollywood, but they actually look good together.*

- *I knew something was up when Miley Cara appeared in *Beneficial Evil*! Wedding when?*

- *Woo-jin’s about to be classified as an international heart-stealer.*

In the offline world, reactions were equally loud.

“Did you see the news? Kang Woo-jin and Miley Cara are officially dating!”

“Oh my god! And Woo-jin answered so confidently.”

“Did you watch the video?”

“Yeah… It’s… complicated.”

Woo-jin’s family was ecstatic, still thrilled from their recent trip to LA.

“Yes! I told you we’d have a blonde daughter-in-law someday!”

“Calm down! They just started dating, it’s way too soon for that.”

“Hey, a hundred steps start with one!”

Woo-jin’s friends group chat was blowing up as well, with messages that were nearly too fast to read: *Is this real? Is this our country? What a legend.*

Meanwhile, Woo-jin’s colleague, singer Hwa-rin, had just finished a concert and was staring in disbelief at the news.

“...Wow.”

Woo-jin’s domestic friends and colleagues were mostly congratulatory, though reactions varied. With each passing moment, other countries joined in on the frenzy, and Woo-jin, Miley, *Piero*, and *Beauty and the Beast* climbed the global trending lists.

It was a day of overwhelming chaos, and by the time Woo-jin finally arrived home late that night, he was exhausted.

“Ugh… The schedule was fine, but this was intense. It’s because of all the calls, wasn’t it?”

He collapsed onto his bed, only to hear his phone ring again. Almost annoyed, he checked to see who it was.

“Oh.”

He shot up immediately. It was a call from Miley Cara—no, his girlfriend. Woo-jin smiled as he answered, and her affectionate voice greeted him.

"Did you get home safely?"

A thrill ran through Woo-jin’s chest. *So, this is what dating feels like!* Their conversation continued for nearly an hour.

---

The next day, Monday the 27th, early morning.

Far from LA’s bustling city, about two hours away by car, a deserted landscape stretched around an abandoned gas station. Besides the road and some hills, there was little else in sight. Yet hundreds of crew members filled the area, with equipment ranging from small cranes to drones, preparing for an outdoor shoot. This was the first day of shooting for *John Persona*.

The scene was set for a high-speed car chase, with several black SUVs lined up along the road. Amid the busy crew, a towering figure appeared—producer Joseph Felton, alongside the legendary director Danny Landis. Landis pushed up his round glasses, scrutinizing the cars arranged for the chase scene.

In the middle of the action, Woo-jin arrived, makeup already on, dust and scrapes covering his face. His jeans and black knit shirt were strategically torn. This was the opening scene of *John Persona*, in which the main character, John Owen, is thrust into chaos right from the start.

Maintaining his trademark calm exterior, Woo-jin scanned the scene, though inwardly he marveled at the scale of the production.

*This is insane! They’ve shut down an entire road and set up multiple cars!*

He’d done a car chase before, in *Beneficial Evil*’s Bangkok shoot, and had read the script for *John Persona* countless times. But seeing the sheer scale of this production in person was still a shock.

As he took it all in, Ethan Smith, the stunt coordinator who had worked with him on *Beneficial Evil*, approached.

“Woo-jin, let’s go over the scene with the director.”

Together with Landis and the stunt team, Woo-jin reviewed the sequence. The scene involved intense action, complete with stunts, crashes, and explosions. The initial light-hearted buzz around Woo-jin’s relationship had died down, replaced by a tense focus as everyone prepared for the challenging shoot. Watching the preparations, his manager, Choi Sung-geon, expressed some concern to Felton.

“A set can be a dangerous place, even with all the precautions.”

“True,” Felton nodded. “But we’ve done multiple checks. He’ll be fine.”

Forty minutes later, Woo-jin climbed

into a gray pickup truck rigged for the shoot. Behind him, three sleek black SUVs were arranged in formation. One by one, they all took their positions as tension mounted.

---

At last, the word came.

“Action!”

The pickup truck roared to life, Woo-jin’s character, John Owen, fully embodying the intense persona. Dust clouded the air as the vehicles sped down the road, the cacophony of roaring engines marking the electrifying start of *John Persona*’s production.

---

A few days later, among thousands of Academy voters worldwide, a certain name was beginning to echo through the conversations about contenders for the upcoming awards.

"... Kang Woo-jin."

And as the reviews continued to pour in, the frequency with which his name was mentioned was only increasing.

"His performance surpasses even the best of method acting..."

With each passing day, Woo-jin’s reputation was reaching new heights.