I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor-Chapter 374: Overwhelmed (3) - Edited
Chapter 374: Overwhelmed (3)
Translator: Santos
Kang Woo-jin exited the arrival hall, and dozens of foreigners began to swarm around him. It was an abrupt situation. The atmosphere was calm when he first appeared.
“Hello! You’re that Korean actor, right? I saw you in an article!”
“That’s right! The actor from Miley Cara’s music video!”
“I heard you play the piano really well!”
“Who? Who?”
“He's the Korean actor who’s been popping up in articles lately!”
“Oh? Really?”
“Can I have your autograph? Please!”
While it wasn’t a wild scene, it was enough to draw significant attention from the many people in LA’s airport lobby. Dozens of foreigners thrust their phones at Woo-jin. As a result, the security guards were kept busy.
“Sorry, we need to get through.”
The peculiar atmosphere quickly spread throughout the airport lobby, and curious onlookers, whether they knew Kang Woo-jin or not, began to gather in real-time. With a cynical expression on his face, Woo-jin remained composed, but internally, he was a bit surprised.
*“What the?! What’s going on all of a sudden?”*
He was slightly startled. While he could understand a couple of fans, the sudden influx of spectators was overwhelming.
It wasn’t that strange, though. Miley Cara’s new album, which featured Kang Woo-jin, had become an absolute hit, and the title track’s music video had already garnered hundreds of millions of views. Moreover, Woo-jin's press coverage due to his speech at the Cannes Film Festival and his involvement in *Evil that Benefits* had circulated widely in Hollywood. He might not be a well-known actor yet, but he was certainly a person of interest.
Plus, there might be fans of the ‘Kang Woo-jin character.’
Regardless,
“Quickly, to the car!”
After Choi Sung-geon’s shout, Kang Woo-jin and his team managed to board the waiting van. Even after the car doors closed, the foreigners still busied themselves taking pictures of Woo-jin in the airport lobby. Kang Woo-jin watched the scene with interest. Of course, his expression remained unchanged, but internally, he was filled with admiration.
*“Wow, they suddenly swarmed me—what the heck?”*
The van then departed. Although it was a brief moment, it had been lively, and sitting next to Woo-jin, Choi Sung-geon let out a small sigh of relief.
“Whew—did you feel the pressure from the start? It was so quiet, and then suddenly everyone came rushing at us. Are you okay, Woo-jin?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Phew, with all these issues, if you really make your Hollywood debut, it’s going to be something to see.”
The surrounding staff members enthusiastically agreed, and even though it was internal, Kang Woo-jin was surprised; how much more so would they be feeling? He had been to LA since *Our Table*, but this was his first experience of this kind, and they were clearly excited. This atmosphere didn’t settle down for a good while.
Currently, the vans carrying Woo-jin were driving on a road slightly outside the city.
-Vroom!
The dense buildings and cars began to thin out, as did the pedestrians on the sidewalks. The scenery outside the window felt particularly quiet.
Before long,
-Creak!
The vans began to pull over to the side of the road. Soon, after Choi Sung-geon, the staff, and finally Kang Woo-jin exited the first vehicle, a few jogging foreigners glanced at Woo-jin's group. However, Kang Woo-jin, with a stoic expression, was staring straight ahead. In front of him was a two-story house with a decent yard and parking space, boasting a pool in the back. It was clearly a substantial size. Kang Woo-jin silently gazed at the impressive house. His inner self was no different.
*“This... is insane. It really exists.”*
About ten seconds passed.
“Okay, Woo-jin.”
Choi Sung-geon, who had been talking with the staff, placed a hand on Woo-jin’s shoulder.
“You should check out your house, right? You need to get familiar with it.”
The grand house was Kang Woo-jin’s LA residence.
Meanwhile, in Korea.
Unlike LA, where it was early morning, it was past midnight in Korea. Even though it was late, the news that Kang Woo-jin had arrived in LA quickly spread through the domestic media.
*“Kang Woo-jin, who left secretly, arrives in LA early in the morning!”*
*“Kang Woo-jin arrives at LA International Airport, facing a crowd of foreigners and a perplexed expression/ Photo.”*
The unexpected gathering of curious foreigners was just an added bonus. Most articles were sourced from photos uploaded on social media, but they were sufficient to inform the Korean public of Kang Woo-jin’s presence in LA.
Meanwhile, in Yeoncheon, a large film set was brightly lit.
It was the *Evil that Benefits* team. As filming approached its conclusion, both PD Song Man-woo and the over a hundred staff members were displaying a level of energy that bordered on frenzy.
“Next set!! We’re moving to the next set right away!!”
“Let’s hurry with the cleanup!”
“PD! Please check this set!”
“Got it! I’m coming!”
The filming set for *Evil that Benefits* was becoming increasingly heated as time went on.
“Cut!!! OK!! Let’s prepare for the next scene right away!”
“Yes!! Standby in 10 minutes!”
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Of course, PD Song Man-woo and all the staff moved in perfect unison. What about the actors? You could feel a sense of determination in their expressions. It wasn’t from tension but rather from resolve.
“Just a bit more! We’re almost there!!”
“Let’s hang in there!!”
“We’re 5 minutes before standby!!”
Even in the early hours, the scene was filled with the actors’ performances, along with Song Man-woo’s calls of OK and cut. Normally, they would have wrapped up filming by now and prepared for the next day, but the current team for *Evil that Benefits* showed no signs of doing so.
Time was slipping away.
One hour, two hours.
Exactly around 2 AM.
Half of the hundred staff members were either observing the set or staring at the back of PD Song Man-woo’s head. With his beard, Song Man-woo had remained motionless.
*“...”*
He gazed quietly at the monitor. His face was partly visible. Under the suspended boom microphone, there were numerous actors dressed in costumes. Surrounding them were lights and cameras, with one camera slowly moving.
-Swoosh.
From the front to the side, brief exchanges of dialogue occurred between the actors. Cut. Action again. They adjusted the same cut or angle and went again.
Once more, the same lines echoed through the set. Because of the overwhelming quietness, the actors’ voices could be clearly heard by the more than a hundred staff members, including PD Song Man-woo.
About 30 seconds passed.
“... Huh.”
With a small sigh, PD Song Man-woo shifted his gaze from the monitor. He looked at the actors on set and then up at the ceiling. For a brief moment, he closed his eyes, and in his mind flashed the image of a monstrous actor who wasn’t present at the scene but still held great influence. It was Kang Woo-jin.
Then, he slowly returned his gaze to his face.
-Swoosh.
He slowly stood up and shouted into the megaphone.
“Cut!! OK!!”
Then,
“Everyone worked hard! It’s not over yet, but you’ve done well! Let’s look forward to Part 2!”
After lowering the megaphone, PD Song Man-woo clapped his hands.
-Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
The actors on set bowed to PD Song Man-woo.
“Thank you, PD-nim!”
“Great work!!”
Soon, as if they had been waiting, over a hundred staff members surged onto the set.
“Wooaahhh!”
This was the moment when the filming for Part 1 of *Evil that Benefits* came to an end.
Six days in LA. Late morning.
In a large agency located in LA. In a medium-sized meeting room of an agency that occupied a tall building, a familiar female face could be seen. Miley Cara, with her long blonde hair tied back and dressed in a simple black zip-up hoodie, appeared with her signature cool expression as she glanced down at her phone.
*“...”*
Seated beside her were her main manager, Jonathan, and about four agency staff members. They were all waiting for someone, glancing at their tablets or organizing transparent folders.
At that moment.
“Hm—”
Miley Cara, crossing her legs, lowered her phone and murmured.
“Did Kang Woo-jin like his house?”
The response came quickly from Jonathan, who was seated next to her, a big man with a buzz cut.
“You received his call, didn’t you?”
“I did, but his voice didn’t sound that thrilled.”
“Kang Woo-jin is just that kind of character. He probably liked it, especially since he managed the whole house before he arrived.”
“Maybe we should have included some higher-end furniture?”
“He’ll manage that on his own.”
Seeing Miley let out a slight sigh of disappointment, Jonathan shrugged his shoulders.
“Anyway, you’ll see him tomorrow for the YouTube shoot or talk show, so you can ask him then.”
“Yeah, I was planning on doing that.”
Just then,
-Swoosh.
The glass door of the medium-sized meeting room opened,
and several foreigners entered. Their ages ranged from their 30s to 50s, and there were five of them. As they appeared, Miley Cara and her team stood up and extended their hands.
They exchanged simple greetings and handshakes.
It took about ten minutes for everyone to sit down. The man sitting opposite Miley, shorter but with a handsome face, broke the ice with a smile.
“Miley, it’s been a while since I saw you last year, hasn’t it?”
Miley replied in a businesslike tone.
“I think so.”
“Ha ha, I was disappointed last time. I really wanted to work with you.”
“By the way, we’re meeting again sooner than I expected. Are you taking on a new project?”
“Yes. This time, it’s with ‘World Disney Pictures’.”
At the mention of *World Disney Pictures*, Miley flinched slightly. Though she tried not to show it, her ears perked up. *World Disney Pictures* was a powerhouse that any Hollywood actor would want to be associated with.
*“‘World Disney Pictures’? Are you proceeding with a project there? I haven't heard a thing about it, not even rumors.”*
Meanwhile, the man appeared relaxed.
“I’m fortunate to have been entrusted with a production producer role at ‘World Disney Pictures,’ so I’ve been quite busy lately.”
From his tone, he seemed to have a strong producer vibe. He then placed a stack of papers he had brought on the table after briefly discussing with the surrounding staff.
“Since you’re busy, let’s get right to the point. The project I’m producing is a live-action film from ‘World Disney Pictures.’”
“... Live-action. That means—”
“Yes, it’s one of ‘World Disney Pictures’ flagship animations, titled ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Of course, this is still under wraps.”
The male producer leaned slightly forward and said to Miley Cara.
“By the way, you once mentioned in an interview that you loved ‘Beauty and the Beast.’”
“... That’s true.”
“I’m sure many people around the world love the animated ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ so I expect this live-action film news to cause quite a stir.”
The male producer pushed the stack of papers toward Miley.
“Miley, I’d like to offer you the role of ‘Belle’ in ‘Beauty and the Beast.’”
“...”
“Of course, there will be auditions and screen tests regarding casting, but I want you to know that you’re the first person I’m offering the role of ‘Belle’ to.”
In other words, the people sitting opposite Miley were the team from *Beauty and the Beast*, and they had just thrown the leading role of ‘Belle’ to Miley Cara.
After a moment of looking over the script in front of her, Miley raised her head and quietly asked the male producer.
“How many other candidates are there for the lead role?”
The male producer smiled slightly and replied.
“There are four others.”
That meant there were a total of five candidates, including Miley. Among them, she was the first to receive the script. At this point, the male producer leaned a little closer and said to Miley Cara.
“However, I’m most keen on you. You resemble ‘Belle’ quite closely.”
At that moment, Miley Cara’s mind was swirling with thoughts.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
While Miley Cara was meeting the *World Disney Pictures* team, Kang Woo-jin had just arrived not too far away. Inside the van, Kang Woo-jin was dressed in a blazer, putting on a somewhat formal appearance.
*“Wow... this place is huge??!”*
His outward appearance was stoic, contrasting sharply with his inner excitement. Just looking at the entrance they had just passed was jaw-dropping. It resembled the entrance of a gigantic castle. The tall building, adorned with a towering gate, displayed the name of the film company in English.
- *Columbia Pictures*
However, that was just the entrance. The expansive view unfolding before Woo-jin’s eyes was breathtaking. A city? It felt as if the interior of *Columbia Pictures* had been transformed into an entire city. Truly, it was worthy of being called one of Hollywood's “Big Five” film studios.
Kang Woo-jin stepped into *Columbia Pictures* for the first time.
*“Holy crap, this is seriously massive! Is this really a film studio? This is just a city, not a film studio??”*
Of course, he was there for *The Pierrot*.
