I WAS MISTAKEN AS A MONSTROUS GENIUS ACTOR

Translator: Dreamscribe

A woman with captivating dark brown eyes, originally from Spain and currently rivaling Miley Cara, Maria Armas. As Cara threw the question back at her, Maria bit her lower lip slightly.

‘As expected, I don’t get along with her. I don’t like her.’

After all, Cara had bluntly asked, “Even though you lost to me?” To be honest, in Hollywood, there weren’t many actresses as straightforward and reckless as Miley Cara. It was a response only Cara could make. Maria swept back her hair, which transitioned from brown at the roots to blonde at the tips, as she glanced around before responding softly.

“Yeah, even though I lost to you.”

She tried to keep her expression indifferent, but in truth, Maria’s pride was deeply wounded. However, there were too many eyes watching for her to make a scene. Besides, despite failing to land the role of Beauty ‘Belle’, she still managed to join ‘Beast and the Beauty’.

‘Stay calm. Settle your emotions.’

She had to at least pretend to be composed. Maria had somewhat anticipated Cara’s reaction. Forcing herself to look around at the bustling surroundings, she spoke nonchalantly.

“Beauty ‘Belle’ was tempting, but the other roles are just as great.”

“Is that so?”

Cara tilted her head slightly with a smile. Then, recalling Maria from the past audition for Beauty ‘Belle’, she remarked,

“For someone saying that, you sure seemed like you were putting your life on the line during the audition. Honestly, this is surprising. I never thought Maria would take a supporting role, rather than a lead.”

“……How long are you going to keep mocking me?”

Maria’s gaze sharpened, but Cara, running her fingers through her blonde hair, simply laughed. Then, acknowledging a passing acquaintance with a nod, she continued in her signature cold tone.

“Mocking? I’m just being honest. So, since you joined, I assume you’re playing the ‘Teapot’?”

This was a deliberate jab. The supporting role of the ‘Teapot’ in ‘Beast and the Beauty’ had a name. But Cara…

‘When else would I get the chance to tease her?’

She purposely omitted the name when mentioning the role. Naturally, Maria’s pride took another hit. Forcing a smile, she whispered icily.

“Miley, your personality is still as rotten as ever. That’s why people call you the ‘Blonde Robot’.”

“…What?”

“What? You know it too. People find you difficult to approach.”

A brief silence.

The two top Hollywood actresses exchanged quiet glances, yet the tension was palpable. Sparks flickered between them for about five seconds.

“Hah-“

Breaking the silence, Cara let out a short sigh, running her fingers through her blonde hair again.

“I know you hate me, and I don’t like you either. So why did you even bother joining ‘Beast and the Beauty’? I’m genuinely curious.”

Cara spoke with sincerity. To be honest, ‘Beast and the Beauty’ had been perfect so far. She had secured the role of Beauty ‘Belle’, and soon, she would officially work alongside Kang Woojin as co-leads. Though things were progressing slowly, she had heard that Beast and the Beauty’s production was running smoothly. But with Maria’s inclusion, that perfection now felt slightly tainted.

As if she were muddying the waters, Maria met Cara’s gaze and responded.

“Isn’t it obvious? Despite the situation, I wanted to be part of ‘Beast and the Beauty’ that badly. The original ‘Beast and the Beauty’ is a work I love, both in the past and now. With a live-action adaptation happening, of course, I wanted a role in it.”

That was the truth. In fact, Maria was a die-hard fan of the original ‘Beast and the Beauty’. Her previous comment about “the Prince should be more handsome” when talking behind Kang Woojin’s back was, in a way, a mistake born from her fan mindset. Regardless, she had swallowed her pride and managed to squeeze herself into the cast of ‘Beast and the Beauty’.

Though there was one more reason.

‘Kang Woojin, I’m a bit curious about him too.’

She had seen him at the audition for Beauty ‘Belle’. While she still didn’t view him favorably, on the other hand, his attitude, his piano skills, everything she had witnessed during the audition had piqued her curiosity.

‘I’m a little curious. How will he portray the ‘Beast’? And how will he, who dismissed the ‘Academy Awards’, end up entering them?’

Then, suddenly.

“Ah.”

Something came to Maria’s mind, and she moved a little closer to Cara.

“By the way, about Kang Woojin.”

At the sudden mention of Woojin’s name, Cara’s blue eyes widened slightly.

“Kang Woojin? Why bring him up all of a sudden?”

“Did he live in Spain at some point? Like studying abroad or something.”

“What are you talking about?”

“…He’s fluent in Spanish. At a native level. Naturally, I assumed he had spent some time in Spain.”

“Spanish?”

“Yeah. You probably didn’t know, but I’m pretty sure Kang Woojin must have been in Spain in the past.”

“……”

Maria, unknowingly spreading a misunderstanding. Cara narrowed her eyes at this. Spanish? This woman wasn’t one to spout baseless lies. Miley Cara suddenly recalled Woojin effortlessly speaking French at Cannes.

‘French and Spanish?’

English and Japanese were understandable, but Spanish? That never even crossed her mind.

The two women started walking side by side. The event was about to begin, after all. As they moved through the event hall, Maria glanced at Cara a few times before speaking first.

“You’re dating Kang Woojin, aren’t you?”

Pause.

Cara, mid-step, came to an abrupt halt, looking completely baffled.

“…Are you crazy?”

“Aren’t you?”

Maria asked back, smiling mischievously.

“Then it’s fine if I make a move on him.”

“That’s not happening.”

Cara answered immediately, her tone icy.

But.

‘What the hell? What did I just say-’

Even she was confused by her own words. Maria’s grin deepened.

“Hm? Didn’t you say you weren’t dating him?”

“I’m not.”

“Then why not?”

“I didn’t say it’s not allowed, I said it won’t happen. He’s not interested in women.”

Maria recalled how indifferent Kang Woojin had been toward her.

“……He did seem that way.”

A completely incorrect assumption. This time, Cara was the one unknowingly spreading a misconception.

“Kang Woojin is obsessed with acting. His head is filled only with his roles.”

The two top actresses in Hollywood, constantly mentioning Kang Woojin. As they neared the event hall, Cara asked back.

“But why did you even think I was dating him?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? You, who are so particular about your album, suddenly decided to work with Kang Woojin. Then you appeared in ‘Beneficial Evil’, a Korean production. And now, you’re both cast together in ‘Beast and the Beauty’. You two are always around each other, so of course, people talk. If it’s really not true, you should be careful. The reporters seem to be catching onto something.”

“You’re worried about me?”

“As if.”

Maria scoffed before continuing.

“There are a bunch of reasons, but the real reason I thought you two were dating-”

She trailed off, recalling one of Woojin’s indifferent lines.

‘You’re less beautiful than Miley Cara.’

But saying it outright felt like a blow to her pride, so she reworded it.

“Kang Woojin told me that you’re prettier than me. So I figured you two were dating.”

“…He said I’m prettier than you? That Kang Woojin?”

“Yeah.”

Cara’s blue eyes wavered slightly.

That same night. LA.

At ‘Columbia Studios’, where over twenty stages were spread across the vast complex, the dark of night had settled in. But in front of a set designed as a pizza shop, a large number of foreign crew members were still bustling about.

This was the ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ team.

Yesterday’s first shoot had gone late into the night, and today, the second shoot, seemed to be following the same schedule. Director Ahn Ga-bok, who had been talking to key staff members,

-Swoosh.

stepped over to a spot with multiple monitors. At the same time, two crew members with handheld cameras moved toward the pizza shop set, while a full-shot camera and a Jimmy Jib crane camera were set into motion. As the shooting area was adjusted, dozens of crew members stepped back, leaving about a hundred staff surrounding Director Ahn Ga-bok.

-Swoosh.

A lone actor, his face expressionless, walked forward toward the set pizza shop. A worn-out zip-up hoodie. Wet hair. His face smeared with flour and blood, forming the signature look of ‘Joker’. It was Kang Woojin. This scene was set to capture ‘Henry Gordon’ after he had turned the pizza shop owner into a lump of meat.

Woojin stood before the pizza shop door.

“……”

Two cameramen positioned on either side of him adjusted their angles, and as Director Ahn Ga-bok signaled to someone, a torrential downpour suddenly cascaded over the entire filming zone. A female crew member stepped in front of the camera and lifted the slate.

-Clap!

Director Ahn Ga-bok’s aged voice rang out through the megaphone.

“Action.”

Simultaneously, the camera that was capturing Kang Woojin or ‘Henry Gordon’ in a bust shot slowly, gradually zoomed in on Woojin’s grotesque face. With his hood pulled over his head, he was expressionless. His shoulders were hunched. He exuded an aura of vulnerability. This was Henry Gordon of the past.

Of course, it was all an act.

His eyes darted, right, left, scanning his surroundings. There were few people around. Understandable, given the heavy rain.

-Saaaaah!

With his ‘Joker’ face, Kang Woojin tilted his head back to look up at the sky. The camera followed his gaze. Though the rain poured relentlessly, the shop’s awning shielded him from the downpour. He then lowered his head, glancing back at the pizza shop where a lump of meat lay sprawled, before returning his gaze forward, and suddenly smirked.

Though his lips were already grotesquely torn wide by the thick streaks of blood, when he curled them upward, the crimson grin stretched even further.

“Hee-“

Kang Woojin’s gaze, locked onto the camera, slowly lifted. His slumped shoulders straightened. He confirmed that no one was around. Now, he could fully embrace this awakening. At this moment, ‘Henry Gordon’ and ‘Joker’ coexisted.

Kang Woojin.

-Swish.

Raised both clenched fists to his chest and shook them wildly. His mouth remained shut. A silent ecstasy.

This feels incredible. Absolutely exhilarating. Why did I hold back until now? Why did I live like such a pathetic fool?

It didn’t matter. He was going to enjoy this.

Still shaking his fists erratically, Woojin now added his feet into the motion. His bizarre face bouncing up and down, it was the very image of a ‘Pierrot’. He couldn’t help it, laughter escaped.

“Heehee, heeheeheehee. Hoohoohoohoo.”

His voice was drowned out by the rain, but his mischievous eyes flickered as he glanced around. Then, as if he needed to stifle his laughter, he clamped a hand over his mouth. Yet, his chuckles leaked through his fingers.

And then, his laughter stopped.

“……”

Lowering the hand that had covered his mouth, Kang Woojin turned his head slowly, rolling his neck. Like stretching after waking up, he raised both hands high toward the sky. His movements were both fluid and eerie. Then, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He placed one between his lips and lit it.

His laughing face turned utterly indifferent.

“Hoo-”

A long plume of cigarette smoke billowed out, spreading through the rain-soaked air. Woojin watched the swirling smoke for a moment, then took his first step into the downpour.

-Step, step.

Compared to the frail, hunched figure of before, the man walking now carried an overwhelming confidence. The cigarette remained between his lips as he pulled down the hood from his head. The camera moved backward, capturing his face. The relentless rain pelted against Woojin’s face.

-Step, step, step.

The mixture of white flour and blood that covered his eyes, nose, and mouth slowly, very slowly, began to wash away in the rain. Gradually, the pale mask gave way to his natural skin tone. His once-reddened eyebrows darkened, and the grotesquely exaggerated lips faded. Every detail of the transformation was captured vividly on camera.

The hundred or so foreign crew members glued to the monitors couldn’t tear their eyes away. Meanwhile, Director Ahn Ga-bok, leaning so close he was practically inside the screen, had been covered in chills for some time now.

‘Yes, just like that. As if a mask is slowly peeling away.’

This was precisely the effect he had envisioned. But Kang Woojin was amplifying it far beyond expectations.

On the monitor, Woojin, now drenched from head to toe, touched his cheek with one hand before sweeping back his long hair with both hands, exposing his face.

“I think red hair would suit me better.”

Finally, his gaze fixed on the camera. Every trace of the Joker’s face had been erased. It wasn’t that the Joker’s mask had come off.

“……”

Rather, the ‘Joker’ had put on Henry Gordon’s mask.

Two days later, the morning of June 15th.

Inside the ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ filming set, among the many trailers, the door of one suddenly swung open. Entering was Kang Woojin, his expression unreadable. Behind him, the voices of Choi Sung-gun and other crew members could be heard. A slight nod to acknowledge them, and Woojin shut the trailer door behind him.

At that moment, something caught his eye.

‘Oh-’

He let out a small exclamation internally. Because he saw the costumes prepared on the trailer’s coat hanger.

A red jacket and trousers. A blue shirt. A yellow vest. Worn-out brown shoes.

‘Right. Today’s the day.’

It was the Joker’s outfit.

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