I WAS MISTAKEN AS A MONSTROUS GENIUS ACTOR

Translator: Dreamscribe

Kang Woojin gazed indifferently somewhere. Choi Sung-gun, unaware of his gaze, tied his ponytail again and asked once more.

“Wouldn’t it be fine to just leave everything to Ye-jung if it’s such a hassle?”

“……”

“Yeah, that would be better. You’re already busy acting, so why bother choosing tuxedos, suits, or colors? I’ll just have Ye-jung and the styling team handle everything, from brands to designs, all of it.”

Choi Sung-gun took a bottle of water from the refrigerator inside the trailer and handed it to Kang Woojin.

“I suggested you pick the tuxedo design because you seemed to care about it for Cannes and the Blue Dragon Awards, but looking at your schedule, it’s too much. I’ll talk to Ye-jung separately, so you just focus on filming.”

Having said his piece, Choi Sung-gun was about to leave the trailer. Then, from behind him, Woojin’s low voice was heard.

“CEO-nim, what about something that’s neither ordinary nor boring?”

Choi Sung-gun stopped in his tracks and turned his head, puzzled.

“Ordinary or boring? Are you talking about tuxedos and suits? Well, since everyone wears them, I guess you could see it that way. But then, what else is there? Don’t tell me, are you suggesting we custom-design one? Hmm, not a bad idea, but I don’t know if there’s enough time for that.”

“No, that’s not what I mean.”

Woojin denied it cynically, locking eyes with Choi Sung-gun. His expression turned even colder, emphasizing his concept. Internally, however, he was imagining quite an amusing picture.

‘Heh, yeah. It needs to be at least this fun.’

But he didn’t show it outwardly. He merely exuded an even stronger air of confidence toward Choi Sung-gun.

“CEO-nim, to me, the ‘Emmy Awards’ is just a stopover.”

“……A s-stopover? Woojin, are you talking about the ‘Emmy Awards’? The one they call the ‘Academy Awards’ of the television industry? It has just as much prestige and authority. Of course, the ultimate endgame is the ‘Academy Awards’, but-“

As he spoke, a thought crossed Choi Sung-gun’s mind. Right, Woojin considered Cannes just a stepping stone, so was it really strange for him to see the ‘Emmy Awards’ as a mere stopover?

‘No, not strange at all.’

Indeed. Woojin spoke about the final boss-level ‘Academy Awards’ as if it were just another event. So what would the ‘Emmy Awards’, which was almost on the same level, mean to him? Naturally, any regular actor in Korea or even Hollywood would be shocked to hear this. No one else would think like Kang Woojin.

‘But this is Kang Woojin we’re talking about.’

Choi Sung-gun dismissed conventional thinking and responded to Woojin.

“R-right. The ‘Emmy Awards’ is a stopover. I sort of- get it.”

Woojin, unfazed, casually ran a hand through his black hair and continued speaking.

“For me, Cannes and the ‘Emmy Awards’ are the same. But the world and those around me don’t see it that way.”

“Of course. Forget just being invited for the first time, you were nominated in ten categories. The attention is going to be massive.”

“Yes, and that’s where the gap arises. Between how I see the ‘Emmy Awards’ and how the world sees it.”

“……”

“Boring things aren’t fun.”

“Boring? The ‘Emmy Awards’?”

“Yes. It’s quite boring. So, I’ve been thinking of something else.”

Choi Sung-gun swallowed hard. Whatever came out of this guy’s mouth would never be ordinary. Soon, Woojin slowly started moving toward the clothing rack.

“A performance. It could help ‘Pierrot’, and it might also make things a bit more fun for me.”

“Huh?”

Kang Woojin reached out and picked up the red jacket of ‘Joker’.

“Coincidentally, the outfits in ‘Joker’ are suits as well. The colors are a bit crazy, though.”

“……A bit?”

Watching Woojin closely, Choi Sung-gun quickly caught on.

“You- don’t tell me-“

But Woojin answered before he could finish.

“‘Joker’ walking the red carpet. That would be a one-of-a-kind entrance, don’t you think?”

Choi Sung-gun’s mouth naturally fell open, and he spaced out for a moment. Then, snapping back to his senses, he stammered.

“S-so, what you’re saying is… you’re going to the ‘Emmy Awards’ as ‘Joker’?”

“Is that strange?”

“It’s not that it’s strange-“

Wait a minute – no, that wasn’t right. Choi Sung-gun, who had been momentarily shocked, quickly regained his composure. ‘Joker’ storming into the ‘Emmy Awards’? Even with just a moment’s thought, it was obvious that an overwhelming spotlight would be focused on Woojin.

‘If he says it’ll help promote ‘Pierrot’, then of course it’s about publicity. If a nominee for Best Actor at the “Emmy Awards” showed up dressed like a crazy ‘Pierrot’, curiosity would explode.’

And that wasn’t all.

‘Even if Woojin doesn’t win Best Actor… the star of the night will 100% be ‘Joker’.’

The day after the ‘Emmy Awards’, there would be far more talk about Kang Woojin than the actual Best Actor winner.

With a sudden smile, Choi Sung-gun asked again.

“That would definitely be interesting. So, are you planning to do the full makeup as well?”

The indifferent Kang Woojin shook his head.

“No, just the outfit and hair should be enough.”

“Right.”

That settled it.

“Of course, we’ll need permission from Director and Columbia Studios.”

A few hours later, in Korea.

It was past noon in LA, but in Korea, an entire day had already passed, and it was now dawn. The time was around 5 AM, an extremely early hour. However, inside the large editing room at DM Production in Seoul, where numerous monitors were mounted, the lights were brightly on.

It felt as if night didn’t exist in this place.

Inside the editing room, where a slightly acrid atmosphere lingered, about five people could be seen. All five had dark circles around their eyes, and exhaustion was written all over their faces, as if they hadn’t slept for days. Among them, the man sitting in the center of the editing equipment stood out the most, his beard had grown even thicker.

It was PD Song Man-woo.

He was pouring his entire being into editing ‘Beneficial Evil’ Part 2. The post-production for ‘Beneficial Evil’ Part 2, which had wrapped filming in early June, was now in its third week. With the scheduled launch set for September, PD Song Man-woo had no choice but to pour his life force into it once again.

“……That last cut, there was a full shot, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s take a look at that.”

Conversation was kept to a minimum. PD Song Man-woo was too busy moving his fingers while watching Kang Woojin on the monitor.

“No, never mind. The bust shot is better, after all.”

“I think so too.”

“Ugh- this is driving me crazy. Every single shot is too good to discard, which makes it even tougher.”

“…Woojin-ssi’s insane acting is, in a way, a bit of a burden for the director, isn’t it?”

“A happy burden, though.”

However, the editing process was progressing more slowly than usual. It wasn’t like PD Song Man-woo, a big shot in the drama industry. Even after decades in this field, this was the first time he had worked on a project of this scale.

The pressure.

With nuclear bomb-level attention pouring in from overseas, his thoughts had become more complicated, and his worries had increased. On top of that, Kang Woojin’s jaw-dropping performance in every scene only added to PD Song Man-woo’s struggles.

‘This is the toughest edit I’ve ever done in my life.’

At that moment, PD Song Man-woo, stroking his beard, suddenly found himself marveling at Kang Woojin.

‘Even I’m trembling over just one project, yet every single one of that guy’s works is a massive hit. How does he not feel even a shred of pressure?’

No matter how much of a ‘Kang Totem’ he was, his career trajectory was simply absurd. As he briefly recalled Woojin’s face, PD Song Man-woo muttered:

“……Yeah, let’s go with the bust shot after all.”

And then, he refocused on editing.

A few hours later.

“Phew- let’s take a break here. Everyone, go get some sleep.”

By the time the morning sun had risen around 9 AM, PD Song Man-woo temporarily stopped editing and sent the exhausted editors to the break room. However, he himself remained in the editing room, continuing his work.

-Tap, tap, tap.

Just then.

-Knock, knock.

The sound of knocking echoed through the editing room. PD Song Man-woo flinched slightly, then opened the door. Standing outside was a familiar woman holding a paper bag from a Japanese restaurant.

“PD-nim, let’s have breakfast together.”

It was Kim So-hyang, the Executive Director, with her hair tied in a single braid.

“Sushi is okay, right?”

“You really didn’t have to. What brings you here so early?”

“I knew you’d be overworking yourself. I can’t do much for you, but at the very least, I can make sure you eat breakfast.”

“Haha, well, let’s do that then.”

“I also have something to deliver.”

“Something to deliver?”

“We’re planning to gather Writer Choi, the key staff, and everyone for a briefing later, but before that, I wanted to inform you in advance.”

“Alright.”

As Kim So-hyang moved toward PD Song Man-woo’s room, she continued.

“The departure date for the ‘Emmy Awards’ has been set, July 20th. You know the venue, right? The place where the ‘Emmy Awards’ are held every year. LA’s ‘Wicrosoft Theater.’”

July 20th departure. Meaning, less than a month remained.

“Hmm, it’s really just around the corner.”

At that moment.

-♬♪

Song Man-woo PD’s phone rang. He casually checked the caller ID and was surprised.

“Huh?”

Kim So-hyang asked in response.

“Why? Who is it?”

Looking at his phone, Song Man-woo PD replied.

“It’s Woojin.”

It was a call from Kang Woojin who should be in LA.

The night of the 21st in LA.

After filming ended today, for some reason, several people had gathered near Woojin’s trailer. Among them were Director Ahn Ga-bok, Executive Producer Nora Foster, two key staff members, and even Choi Sung-gun. Kang Woojin, however, was not present, he was probably in the middle of removing his makeup.

In any case, Choi Sung-gun addressed everyone, focusing his gaze on Director Ahn Ga-bok. Naturally, he spoke in English.

“This is Woojin’s idea, but he wants to wear a ‘Joker’ outfit to the upcoming ‘Emmy Awards’.”

Immediately, Director Ahn Ga-bok reacted.

“Hmm? What did you just say?”

Nora Foster and the key staff all widened their eyes.

“……Wear the ‘Joker’ outfit to the ‘Emmy Awards’??”

“Did I mishear that? Why would he wear a ‘Joker’ outfit there? It’s the ‘Emmy Awards’, the ‘Emmy Awards’!”

“Y-you’re saying Kang Woojin himself said that?”

Nora, in particular, had the biggest reaction. Momentarily dazed, she suddenly raised her voice.

“Wh-what kind of nonsense is that?! Why on earth would he wear a ‘Joker’ outfit at the ‘Emmy Awards’?!”

“Hold on.”

The one who cut off her words was Director Ahn Ga-bok.

“CEO Choi, let’s first hear what Woojin is thinking.”

He was just as surprised as the others, but from what he knew of Kang Woojin, there was no way he would suggest something like this without a reason. Soon, the atmosphere settled down somewhat. Taking that chance, Choi Sung-gun relayed what he had heard from Woojin that morning. He added some details here and there, but the core idea remained the same.

Kang Woojin wanted to march into the ‘Emmy Awards’ as ‘Joker’.

After listening to the explanation, Director Ahn Ga-bok stroked his wrinkled cheek.

“‘Joker’ appearing on the prestigious ‘Emmy Awards’ red carpet…”

Muttering to himself, Director Ahn Ga-bok was soon interrupted by Choi Sung-gun, who added,

“Of course, he won’t be in ‘Joker’ attire throughout the entire ‘Emmy Awards’. Woojin said that just walking the red carpet in that outfit would be enough. He won’t do full makeup either, just the hair.”

Afterward, he would change into a separately prepared tuxedo. The key staff remained silent, seemingly trying to visualize the ‘Emmy Awards’ red carpet in their minds. Then, Director Ahn Ga-bok shared the thought that had come to him.

“……Starting as ‘Joker’ and transforming into Kang Woojin. It reflects the core concept of ‘Pierrot’. Just like ‘Henry Gordon’ and ‘Joker’.”

Ah, I see! Choi Sung-gun realized after hearing Director Ahn Ga-bok’s words.

‘Woojin wasn’t just thinking about fun, he had also considered how it tied into ‘Pierrot’ at its core.’

He was completely wrong.

Kang Woojin’s sole conclusion was centered on fun.

A slight misunderstanding had taken root, and then from Ahn Ga-bok’s mouth.

“I’m sure Woojin’s intention is the same. If it weren’t, he wouldn’t come up with such an outrageous idea.”

The thought spread to the others.

“Of course, he must have considered the impact as well. It’ll grab a lot of attention. Given Woojin’s global influence.”

At that moment, Ahn Ga-bok smiled.

‘The ‘Joker’ appearing at the world-renowned ‘Emmy Awards’, including Hollywood? Where else could you find a teaser or teaser this impactful?’

The promotional power would be enormous. At this point, the stern-looking Nora cut in.

“I oppose this. In ‘Pierrot’, ‘Joker’ is not only a central figure but also the first character of the ‘Cinematic Universe’, a villain. He plays a crucial role at the beginning of this grand project. And now you’re saying we should spoil that character so casually? This is an absolutely insane idea.”

That’s when it happened.

“In today’s era, hiding something kills its explosive power.”

A deep male voice suddenly cut in. Thanks to that, everyone turned their heads. Kang Woojin, wearing his cap low over his face, was walking toward them indifferently. As he reached them, he spoke again.

“Rather, revealing a little will be far more destructive.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!