I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor-Chapter 334: Bangkok (10) - Edited
Chapter 334: Bangkok (10)
Translator: Santos
A deafening roar echoed throughout the entire filming set. A vehicle had exploded. The car burst into flames and shot into the air before landing on the ground, of course, flipping over due to the impact.
The camera continued to film the burning, overturned vehicle.
Then, there was a moment of silence.
Only the sound of the burning vehicle filled the scene. This lasted for about several dozen seconds. Suddenly, the vigorous signal from PD Song Man-woo rang out across the entire set.
“...CUT!! OOOK!!!”
The first "OK" for the long take scene, which had undergone several reshoots, was finally called. This meant it was complete. As soon as the PD's signal was heard, the cinematographer holding the camera let out a long sigh and plopped down onto the ground.
“Phew—”
He had probably moved the most after Kang Woojin in the current long take. At the same time, dozens of staff members rushed toward the burning vehicle. Everyone was armed with fire extinguishers.
*WHOOSH!*
The flames engulfing the car were quickly extinguished by several fire extinguishers. However, they still needed to spray water on it to ensure it was completely out. Naturally, those not involved with the vehicle were checking the area around the abandoned building, which included many Thai actors and props. Song Man-woo, sporting a beard, patted the exhausted cinematographer on the shoulder.
“You did well.”
Gasping for breath, the cinematographer asked,
“Other than running around with the camera, what did I do? Woojin did everything. Did we get good footage?”
“Of course, thanks to you.”
Kang Woojin was surrounded by staff, specifically the makeup team, who were cleaning the blood and soot off him. With his eyes closed, Woojin appeared calm. Despite the previous destructive shootout and explosion, he seemed incredibly composed. Of course, this was only on the surface.
Inside, his adrenaline was at its peak.
‘Wow—damn, my heart is still pounding.’
Even though he had lived through the world of ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ via his spatial abilities, the quality of *The Beneficial Evil*, whether as a performance or fiction, was quite impressive.
At this point—
“Woojin!”
Several people approached Kang Woojin, who was having his makeup retouched. The first to reach him was the ponytailed Choi Seong-geon, who had been worried throughout the shoot about Woojin getting hurt. A smile finally broke through his face.
“You killed it! I genuinely thought I was watching a Hollywood movie.”
Behind him, the members of Woojin’s team, including Han Ye-jeong, arrived. They matched Choi Seong-geon's excitement, and both writer Choi Nana and executive director Kim So-hyang gave him thumbs up.
“Woojin!! That was amazing! I really held my breath while watching!! Thank you so much! It turned out dozens of times better than I imagined!”
“Exactly, it wasn’t just flattery; it was truly impressive.”
Woojin replied softly.
“Is that so?”
Soon, applause erupted from the staff gathered around him. It was well-deserved. While there were some staff experienced in long takes, they were few. The long take they had just witnessed was nothing short of extraordinary.
At that moment—
*Swish.*
A blonde woman approached. It was Miley Kara. Upon her arrival, those around Woojin instinctively moved back. Kara spoke to Woojin, her tone light and accompanied by a gentle smile.
“That was fantastic! I thought I was in Hollywood.”
Woojin, equipped with a facade of indifference, lowered his tone in English.
“Thank you.”
“You can’t be serious about this being your first time with action and long takes, can you?”
“It is my first time.”
“No way. Who would believe that someone has this level of tension for their first time? Even with perfect prior practice, pulling off a long take in under half a day is a miracle.”
Is that so? If it came from a global superstar like her, it might be true, but it didn’t mean much to Kang Woojin, who didn’t have much of a sense of Hollywood. As always, he had one thing to do here.
Act tough.
“It wasn’t particularly difficult.”
“...That’s really hard to believe.”
At this moment, PD Song Man-woo, who was tidying up the set, interjected. The martial arts director and Ethan Smith were with him.
“Woojin! You nailed it!!”
Amidst their excitement, PD Song Man-woo led Woojin to the monitor. Since they had captured the footage, he wanted to confirm it quickly. The footage from the camera the cinematographer had been holding began to play on the large monitor. Many figures gathered around Woojin, and although his face remained stiff, internally he was filled with awe.
‘Oh—seeing it captured feels completely different??’
What he had experienced and what was captured on screen was a stark contrast. It felt somewhat dazzling yet extravagant. It was rough and violent but had a stylish touch. Woojin felt a sudden urge to see it not on a small monitor but on a big TV.
The surrounding staff seemed to share Woojin's feelings, applauding and gasping in amazement.
At that moment.
“Woojin.”
Satisfied, PD Song Man-woo asked him,
“What do you think? Do you think it’s alright?”
With his eyes on the monitor, Woojin replied briefly.
“Do you feel it’s lacking?”
“No, no, no. Not at all. But I’d like to go for another take. The footage turned out fantastic, but directors are notoriously hard to satisfy. So how about it? If you’re okay with it, can we do another? Of course, this is entirely up to you.”
Woojin cynically replied.
“No problem, as many times as needed.”
---
Later that night, in the mountains.
Darkness began to settle in the mountains. The sound of a beast howling echoed from somewhere. In the eerie, desolate mountain landscape, a small shed caught the eye. It looked old enough to collapse at any moment.
Inside, there was barely five pyeong (approximately 16.5 square meters).
The only visible things were darkness and the form of a person. It was small and lying on the floor.
And then.
“...”
In the woods behind the shed, a figure could be seen between the trees. It was Kang Woojin hiding in the darkness.
At this point—
*Crunch!*
He sensed movement from somewhere. Kang Woojin crouched even lower. Soon, four figures appeared in front of the shed. As he scrutinized them carefully—
“J.”
A woman's voice echoed softly in front of the shed. At that, Kang Woojin, who had been lying low, moved his feet. A camera followed closely beside him. As Woojin approached, he shone the light he held on them. There were three sturdy men and one blonde woman wearing a bulletproof vest.
‘L.’ No, it was Miley Kara.
As Woojin got closer, L tucked her gun back into her waist and asked,
“The kid?”
Woojin pointed to the inside of the shed with his index finger.
“Inside.”
The men and L entered the shed, shining their lights on the girl lying on the floor. L, with her hair tied back again, nodded.
“Right, please tell me she’s not dead.”
As the last to enter the shed, Woojin answered quietly.
“No.”
“Still like this?”
“It’s probably the drugs. If we leave her like this, she’ll die.”
“We can’t leave her like this. She’s worth a lot.”
“The situation is...”
L leaned in close to Woojin.
“There are goons surrounding us. The bridges and roads leading out of the village are blocked. For now, the key is getting out of here. Once we escape, there should be a helicopter waiting.”
L, or Kara, pulled at the blood-soaked gray shirt Woojin was wearing.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“...It was reckless to go alone.”
“It’s easier this way.”
With a sigh, she gave orders as the leader.
“You two will provide sniper support from designated positions, Jack, you wait at the rendezvous point.”
“Got it.”
The burly men lifted the girl and left the shed. Then L turned to Kang Woojin.
“J, you’ll move with me.”
“You said it’s a burden.”
L growled.
“Shut up. I can’t stand seeing you get hurt.”
---
The next day, Wednesday, the 22nd. Tokyo, Japan.
The location was the editing room of Toei, which was of medium size or larger, near Tokyo Station. This was where the editing of the film *The Mysterious Host* was taking place, and currently, for some reason, director Kyotaro, with his graying hair, and the original writer, Akari, were present.
“...”
“...”
The representatives and executives of Toei, staff from the distribution company, and the other cast members of *The Mysterious Host* gathered, excluding Kang Woojin. Over thirty people were present. They were all staring at the largest monitor among many in front of them.
The editing room was filled with crisp sound.
*♬♪*
The monitor displayed not only Kang Woojin but also the Japanese actors crowded in this editing room. The faces of everyone, including director Kyotaro and writer Akari, were incredibly serious and intense.
The reason was simple.
They were currently conducting a test screening of the final product of *The Mysterious Host*. The problem was that as the content of *The Mysterious Host* deepened, the expressions
of everyone other than director Kyotaro showed shock. At this point, the original writer, Takikawa Akari, glanced at director Kyotaro sitting next to her.
‘The quality is top-notch. It's the best among my works being adapted into live action. But... didn’t they edit it too brazenly??’
The Japanese actors couldn’t tear their eyes away from the monitor.
‘Did they really go all out?’
‘Is it okay? The media and public opinion are already noisy—if this is released like this... ah, I don’t know.’
Among them, Mana Kosaku, who faced off against Kang Woojin’s character Kiyoshi, the detective Yoshizawa Mochio, had a small smile on his face. It was a satisfied smile.
‘Detective Mochio is great, but they’ve portrayed Kiyoshi’s character beautifully.’
From the perspective of one of Japan’s top actors, Mana Kosaku, it was extraordinary.
---
Meanwhile.
With about a week left until the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival. As it had been before, chaos ensued all over the world. Everyone related to the Cannes Film Festival was in a frenzy. The festival was truly right around the corner.
The foreign press often covered the Cannes Film Festival.
*‘The Cannes Film Festival opening in 30 days! This year is more competitive than any other, with star directors flocking to Cannes!’*
Even in Hollywood, which is considered the pinnacle of the global film industry, the Cannes Film Festival was frequently mentioned.
“This year’s Cannes is quite noisy.”
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“I heard there are more submissions than last year, and many renowned directors are participating. Apparently, Cannes has also put in a lot of effort into invitations. Not only star actors from around the world, but also influential directors and officials have their names listed.”
“Haha, I guess they want to make up for last year’s mistakes. There was quite a bit of controversy.”
“No one wants to lose the top spot among the three major international film festivals.”
“So, did they pick such a diverse lineup for the main ‘Competition’ section? I hear there’s even a Korean film in it.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. It’s a work by director Ahn Gabok. He’s been consistently delivering results at Cannes.”
Of course, the film industries in France, Germany, the UK, and other countries nominated for this Cannes were drawing parallels to Hollywood.
“I need to book the hotel in advance; I was caught off guard last year and ended up sleeping in the car for a night because accommodations near Cannes were all full.”
“Right. This time, we need to be there at least two days before the opening, so we have to be more careful.”
“Especially since this Cannes will have even more countries participating than last year, the number of attendees will explode compared to previous years. There will be plenty from Asia, including India, Japan, and Korea.”
“This year, Korea is nominated in the ‘Competition’ section, right? I was surprised. It’s been quiet for several years.”
“There are many rumors that they’re forcing a Korean film onto the lineup for diversity’s sake.”
“Well, Korea has been producing results at the Cannes Film Festival every year, so we’ll find out once the dust settles. Whether it’s just for show or real talent.”
The Japanese directors who had two works nominated in the ‘Competition’ section were more wary of director Ahn Gabok than anyone else. Thus, the eyes and ears of filmmakers from Korea and around the world were focused on the city of Cannes in southern France. Hundreds of world-renowned star actors, directors, and celebrities, aside from sports figures, were set to flock to Cannes. By this time, the airport in Nice, near Cannes, was expected to be bustling with private jets of many stars.
In other words, the economic impact of the Cannes Film Festival was staggering.
Because of this, France itself poured considerable effort into the Cannes Film Festival. The number of reporters attending from around the world exceeded 4,000, and the official invited guests topped 20,000. But the real number was the tourists highly interested in the Cannes Film Festival. While precise estimates were difficult, when combined with the tens of thousands of spectators coming to the Cannes Film Festival each year, it totaled hundreds of thousands.
It was truly a grand global festival.
Thus, the competition among global corporations to become official sponsors for Cannes was intensely fierce. Simply being listed as an official sponsor meant a global promotional effect comparable to a nuclear bomb.
If any small issue arises at Cannes?
Whether it be a director, a film, or an actor, the ripple effect would be beyond imagination. As such, many officially invited guests had already begun to settle in for the festival, especially top Hollywood actors and globally renowned celebrities. Using the Cannes Film Festival as an excuse to take vacations in Cannes, France was a valid reason.
And on the morning of the 24th, two days later, at Incheon Airport, Ahn Gabok, the director of *The Leech*, which was the only film ranked in the ‘Competition’ section from Korea, was spotted.
*‘Ahn Gabok, director of *The Leech*, appearing at Incheon Airport ahead of the Cannes Film Festival ‘Competition’ section’*
He was set to board a flight to France, to be more precise.
“Phew—let’s go, Cannes.”
“Yes, director.”
He was heading to the global battlefield that was the Cannes Film Festival.
