I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor-Chapter 346: Closing (4) - Edited
Chapter 346: Closing (4)
Translator: Santos
Kang Woo-jin awoke groggily, chuckling to himself. Was this what they called fainting from disbelief? Just a few hours ago, he felt like sleep would be impossible, yet, absurdly, it was now past 9 AM.
**“What a strange feeling.”**
As he shook off his previous persona, Woo-jin felt a mix of calmness and anxiety. He wanted to lie still, but his heart began to race more quickly.
Whatever it was,
- **Swoosh.**
It was time to get moving. As he slid out of bed, he noticed his comfortable attire and disheveled hair. However, for some reason, he picked up one of the scripts for *The Beneficial Evil* piled on the table.
“First, I should tidy up the space.”
This was merely to ensure he could rest later. Thanks to the dimensional space, he didn’t have to worry about fatigue. He would need to replenish his energy several times over for today’s battlefield.
How much time had passed?
As he exited the dimensional space, Kang Woo-jin’s gaze fell on the white tuxedo hanging on the wall. It would be the outfit for today’s battle.
Just as he picked up the tuxedo,
- **Knock, knock.**
Someone knocked on his room. In an instant, Woo-jin pulled on his previous persona again. With a sudden surge of cynicism, he opened the door to find Choi Seong-geon grinning and giving a thumbs up.
“Let’s eat, Woo-jin. A Korean needs his rice, right?”
“Understood, Director.”
Woo-jin internally agreed with a fervor.
---
Hours later.
The festive atmosphere in Cannes, France, pointed to the afternoon. Specifically, it was 5 PM. At this time, the area around the main venue of the Cannes Film Festival, the Palais des Festivals, was overflowing with people.
The red carpet was once again laid out.
Similar to the opening ceremony, it stretched from the entrance all the way down, wide enough for the throngs of thousands of journalists on either side. Dressed in tuxedos, they were gathered in greater numbers than at the opening ceremony.
The cameras were also quite visible.
From small cranes to drones flying overhead, there were thousands of cameras of various sizes. Vans emblazoned with broadcasting station logos and crews from different countries filled the area, and the number of spectators surrounding the Palais easily surpassed tens of thousands. A large screen set up on the nearby beach also attracted massive crowds.
The procession had long since begun.
- **Bababababam!**
- **Bababababababam!**
Top actors and directors from around the world headed towards the closing ceremony and award presentation of the Cannes Film Festival, while thousands of journalists in tuxedos clicked their shutters at every moment. Of course, dozens of broadcasting teams were also providing live coverage.
Familiar faces brushed past.
Japanese directors and actors who had two films in the ‘Competition Section,’ Hollywood figures like Joseph and Megan, Director Danny Randis, and Miley Cara, among others. World-renowned figures in the film industry paraded boldly, and as time passed, the excitement on the red carpet intensified.
Then,
- **Thud!**
From a limousine at the end of the red carpet, the short white-haired director Ahn Gabok and Shim Han-ho stepped out. This signaled the arrival of the *The Leech* team. They had been a hot topic at this Cannes Film Festival, and as soon as they emerged, hundreds of journalists unleashed a flurry of flashes.
Next,
- **Swoosh.**
A man with black hair in a white tuxedo stepped out of the limousine.
**“Phew—don’t be nervous. Just go all out.”**
It was Kang Woo-jin.
---
About an hour later, around 6:50 PM.
Inside the largest hall at the Palais des Festivals. It was a space that could comfortably accommodate 5,000 people, now grandly adorned for the closing ceremony and awards of the Cannes Film Festival.
- **♪♬**
Soft classical music flowed through the air, with a high ceiling adorned with countless lights, and over 5,000 seats divided between the first and second floors filled with distinguished figures from around the world. The audience comprised some of the most prominent figures who had graced the Cannes Film Festival, all dressed in tuxedos and gowns. Even top Hollywood actors, usually as rare as stars in the sky, were in attendance.
It was a festival for international filmmakers.
The front of the hall, facing the audience, was even more dazzling.
A large stage, a black floor, and a giant monitor set up on the left side of the stage.
Right in front of the stage, a broadcasting team was bustling about. This was organized by the Cannes team, and their efforts ensured the festival would be broadcast live on French television. Of course, the same applied to YouTube. Behind the stage, towering pillars more than five times the height of an average person were erected from the left to the right end of the stage. These massive pillars were golden.
At the far right, there were ten seats prepared.
These were reserved for the official judges of the Cannes Film Festival, and a large model depicting the official logo of Cannes—a palm leaf painted in gold—stood right behind their seats.
If viewed from above, one could naturally conclude:
It was indeed magnificent and grand.
The sheer presence of the attendees made this enormous hall look even more impressive. At this moment, tens of thousands of people were gathered on the beach outside the Palais des Festivals. Tourists and thousands of journalists filled the area. They watched the closing ceremony and award presentation of the Cannes Film Festival on the enormous screen set up outside.
And our Kang Woo-jin could be found seated in the middle of the first-floor audience.
“...”
Wearing a white tuxedo, he had a stoic expression. Director Ahn Gabok and Shim Han-ho sat to Woo-jin’s right, while Jin Jae-jun and Han So-jin sat to his left. Although everyone had visibly tense expressions, Woo-jin remained silent. Since entering this overwhelmingly large hall, he had been engaging in extreme mind control.
**“Phew—this is nothing. Just think of it as a slightly bigger event. Yeah, that’ll do.”**
He had to concentrate to maintain his persona.
The more he focused, the deeper his indifference became.
At this point, it was 3 AM in Korea. Naturally, most people were fast asleep. Even so, the YouTube live broadcast provided by Cannes had attracted quite a few viewers. Among the myriad of languages—English and others—Korean comments were quite visible.
- **Ah!!!! I’ve been waiting for this!!!!**
- **Haha, the award ceremony is ridiculously grand!!!**
- **Finally!! ㄷㄱㄷㄱㄷㄱㄷㄱ**
- **Why do they keep showing the stage?? I want to see the actors!**
- **Where’s Kang Woo-jin!!!**
- **Oh, I’m so excited.**
- **What? Haha, hasn’t it even started yet??**
- **Anyway, *The Leech*’s team will probably just be background characters or leave early, so why all the fuss? Hahaha.**
- **Wow... Just the value of the attendees must be astronomical....**
- **No way, *The Leech* is just a film they shoved in to make up for last year’s mistake, right? Hahaha.**
- **I’m not hoping for 1st or 2nd! Just winning the Best Screenplay would be a huge success!!**
- **Can’t Shim Han-ho or Oh Hee-ryeong win Best Actor?**
At that moment,
- **♪♬**
The angle of the YouTube live broadcast shifted slightly. The previously soft music changed, signaling the start of the closing ceremony and awards.
Soon, a tuxedo-clad older foreign man stepped onto the large stage.
He was the representative of the Cannes Film Festival—the chairman.
“Hello, and thank you for joining us for the exciting events at Cannes.”
Lights illuminated the center stage as the chairman announced the start of the closing ceremony and awards in French. Of course, English translations could be heard through the headphones provided to the audience.
“I hope everyone has enjoyed themselves; please join us for the conclusion of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.”
After his brief remarks, he raised the cue card to introduce the person responsible for hosting the closing ceremony. It was a Belgian actress. As she stepped onto the stage, the audience of over 5,000 erupted into a grand applause.
- **Clap, clap, clap, clap!**
The Belgian actress stood center stage and briefly delivered her opening remarks. Soon, applause echoed again as she glanced at the cue card in her hand and began conducting the closing ceremony.
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“First, let’s call out the jury members for this year’s Cannes Film Festival!”
Thunderous applause followed. Ten official jury members, dressed in tuxedos and gowns, ascended from one side of the stage. Their seats were on the right side of the stage, in front of the golden palm leaf model. Once seated, they introduced themselves one by one, and after all introductions were complete, the host exchanged suitable jokes with them.
The heavy atmosphere lightened.
Meanwhile, the Cannes broadcasting team captured various notable figures among the 5,000 audience members—Hollywood actors, French directors, Japanese actors, and more. Miley Cara, with her hair neatly tied back, also flashed briefly on screen.
Next,
- **Swoosh.**
The Belgian actress on stage delivered her lines for the first award.
“Oh, it’s time to begin the presentations. We’ll start
with the Best Screenplay award. I’ve heard that choosing from the 20 remarkable films in this ‘Competition Section’ was extremely challenging. What was it like?”
The microphone was passed to the ten jury members. A couple of them offered playful responses.
“It was hell; I never want to be a jury member again.”
“It was a tough job. I thought every film was fantastic.”
In the context of the Cannes Film Festival, the Best Screenplay award could be considered the fourth most prestigious award, just behind Best Actor. However, ranking was meaningless. Winning an award at the Cannes Film Festival itself was an immense honor for any film.
Soon, the standing mic host spoke.
“Please announce the Best Screenplay winner.”
An Iranian filmmaker among the jury members picked up the handheld microphone. He received the cue card for the announcement and, smiling broadly, declared,
“Best Screenplay goes to *Holy House*! Congratulations!”
Among the 20 films in the competition section, *Holy House* was a French film. Naturally, a French director stood up from the audience, and the camera zoomed in on him. The enormous hall was soon filled with thunderous applause.
- **Clap, clap, clap, clap!**
- **Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!**
Seated or standing, the 5,000 audience members applauded without pause. Kang Woo-jin joined in.
**“This is surreal. Is it possible to go on stage in this situation??”**
The French director made his way to the stage. The award was presented to him. The trophy featured the palm leaf mascot of the Cannes Film Festival. Overcome with emotion, the French director struggled to find words at first.
- **Swoosh.**
“I truly didn’t expect this.”
He began to speak, his eyes glistening with tears. Despite momentarily pausing, he managed to finish his speech. Applause erupted again, and the Belgian actress returned to the stage for a brief interview with the French director. As the French director left the stage, the host announced the next award.
“Next, we have awards for the actors. We will start with the Best Actor award.”
It was the turn of the actors. Soon, the expressions of numerous actors scattered among the 5,000 audience members changed. Tension, anticipation, pride, desire, and more. In contrast, Kang Woo-jin maintained his initial calm demeanor. At this point, Jin Jae-jun, with his sharp features, glanced at both Woo-jin and Shim Han-ho.
**‘Are they not expecting anything? I feel it’s completely possible for me.’**
He scanned the expanse of top overseas actors around him.
**‘Still, winning an award here is incredibly... ridiculously challenging.’**
The Belgian actress asked the jury members a question.
“Judges, what was your selection process for the actors?”
The first to respond was a Swedish actress in a gray dress with her legs crossed, exposing her shoulders.
“I couldn’t finalize my decision until the day before the final vote. I strongly resonate with what Jeff just said about it being ‘hell.’ Ultimately, we did make our choices, but all the actors were fantastic.”
Next was the Italian director seated beside her, distinguished by his mustache.
“Unlike her, I made my choice quickly. That actor’s performance lingered with me throughout the Cannes Film Festival. For the first time in my directing career, I was completely entranced.”
Soon, cameras from the broadcasting teams stationed throughout the hall captured the faces of the lead actors in the ‘Competition Section.’
A murmur spread among the audience at the front.
In various parts of the audience, whispers circulated. Everyone likely had actors they expected or guessed would win.
“I think the Iranian actors will take it. Their performances were impressive.”
“Hmm, I thought the French were good. They had many films, after all.”
“What about the Japanese side? Didn’t they do well?”
“I didn’t watch any Japanese films.”
Opinions varied widely.
“This year, America was a bit disappointing, right?”
“Not at all. I think the Americans will win the Best Actor award; Kelly’s performance was phenomenal.”
“Really?”
“What about Korea? There were quite a few rumors about them.”
“Ah—there was a Korean entry too.”
It was unavoidable. The films they had watched were likely all over the place. When the seats filled up, it was possible that some wouldn’t get to see the films at all. Ultimately, only the ten judges had seen all the films.
At that moment,
“Please make the announcement.”
All eyes, including those of the tens of thousands of tourists on the beach and the 5,000 audience members inside the hall, turned toward the stage where the jury members sat. The Italian director, who had been interviewed earlier, held the cue card. This meant he was responsible for announcing the Best Actor award for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
- **Swoosh.**
The Italian director glanced down at the cue card. Simultaneously, he raised the handheld microphone in his right hand. Then, he flashed a smile.
“My eyes do not deceive me.”
He addressed the audience of 5,000 ‘powerhouses’ gathered from around the world, and quietly announced, “The Best Actor of the 74th Cannes Film Festival goes to *The Leech’s* Kang Woo-jin.”
In that instant, thousands of eyes in the hall and cameras shifted rapidly. All eyes turned to the calm, expressionless black-haired Korean actor seated there.
Kang Woo-jin, in his white-toned tuxedo, remained still.
“...”
Internally, however, he was cursing vehemently.
**‘...No way. Me??’**
