I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor

Translator: Dreamscribe

The set banquet hall with over a hundred staff members and numerous filming equipment set up. And Kang Woojin sitting at a piano with a white base and intricate golden patterns on one side. This was the view that greeted the foreign staff members crowded in the set.

But for Kang Woojin, it was different.

-♬♪

As he smiled while pressing the keys, his gaze didn’t register the cameras, lights, audio equipment, or foreign production crew. To Woojin, this set banquet hall appeared entirely different.

An elegant, classic atmosphere.

Countless candles illuminating the chandeliers that filled the ceiling, the banquet hall filled with warm colors thanks to those candles, appetizing food, nobles dancing to the piano melody in colorful dresses and formal attire, their laughter filling the massive banquet hall.

To Kang Woojin, this was no longer an audition venue.

It had become a party filled with rhythm and happiness.

Of course, it was only natural. At this moment, Woojin was the ‘Beast’ itself. No, to be precise, he was the ‘Prince’ before falling to the curse. From the moment he stepped into this banquet hall, he had channeled the ‘Prince’. His thoughts and being transformed in an instant, and everything visible in reality vanished as if it were smoke. Kang Woojin wasn’t just playing the piano.

He was sharing the Beast’s world with everyone.

This wasn’t acting. He was bringing the Beast from ‘Beast and the Beauty’ into reality, succinctly narrating its life. The piano was merely a medium.

I wasn’t originally a monster, a ‘Beast’, he seemed to say.

Look at this. Could a mere ‘Beast’ produce this gentle piano melody? Could these nobles in the banquet hall smile so blissfully because of it? Kang Woojin, or rather the ‘Prince’, was performing a life brimming with laughter, devoid of flaws, not a scripted role but a real existence.

But this.

“……My goodness.”

“Has he already started acting?”

“Seems like it, doesn’t it?”

Bill Rotner, the director of ‘Beast and the Beauty’, the executive producer, the executives from ‘World Disney Pictures’, and the hundred or so foreign staff perceived it as intense acting. It was inevitable. The face reflected on the monitor was distinctly different from the earlier scenes, and his gaze moved as if the empty set banquet hall was filled with people. The emotions embedded in the piano melody were enough to melt their ears.

It was 100% acting.

What was peculiar, however, were the expressions of the ‘Beast and the Beauty’ production crew. Their eyes widened, mouths fell open, or brows furrowed. Every single pair of eyes contained a hint of bewilderment. The reason was simple.

“Did anyone ask him to include acting during the piano performance?”

“No, not at all. Even when we handed over the audition materials, it was explicitly conveyed. Since the piano performance would focus solely on skill and visual elements with a costume change, there was no need to include acting, just focus on the piano performance.”

None of the ‘Beast and the Beauty’ production team present in this set banquet hall had asked Kang Woojin to incorporate acting into his piano performance. The requests made to the actors auditioning for the role of the ‘Beast’ were only three:

Piano, singing, and acting.

Among these, piano and singing were intended to evaluate how well the actors could handle the iconic OSTs that were considered trademarks of the live-action ‘Beast and the Beauty’. Of course, during filming, acting would be combined with piano or singing. However, since the music sheets had only recently been distributed, there wasn’t much time to practice. For now, they were only supposed to focus on showcasing their piano or vocal skills without acting.

Even mastering just that would already be impressive.

Including acting would require starting with a script analysis and then dedicating considerable time to practicing the integration of acting with the piano and OST. ‘World Disney Pictures’ had seen and executed such processes countless times.

And yet.

Now, Kang Woojin, dressed in a banquet suit perfectly blending blue and beige.

-♬♪

He was performing while playing the piano. However, it didn’t look forced or contrived. The impressions voiced by everyone present, including Director Bill Rotner, were proof of that.

“This really feels like the actual banquet hall from ‘Beast and the Beauty’.”

“Me too. Is it because of Kang Woojin’s smile? Or is it the piano melody?”

“Probably both. He’s portraying the ‘Prince’ and embedding the emotions of the ‘Prince’ into the piano. The performance itself is lively. It’s not rough at all.”

“……Unbelievable. I’m starting to see nobles dancing in this empty banquet hall. This is my first time experiencing something like this, and yet he’s pulling off such a difficult feat so effortlessly.”

Director Bill Rotner, his wide eyes behind black-rimmed glasses, adjusted his glasses upward.

“Moreover- the piano performance itself has far exceeded our expectations. What on earth? How has he managed to master such piano skills and acting in such a short time… and make it seem so effortless?”

It was as if Kang Woojin was showing the production team of ‘Beast and the Beauty’ a live video. Like saying, This is what your imagined live-action adaptation looks like. That kind of feeling.

At that moment, there was a shift.

“Hm? The tempo seems to be- getting slightly faster.”

“Yes, and irritation is seeping into the performance.”

Woojin’s cheerful and playful piano melody gradually became faster and heavier. The smile on Kang Woojin’s face started to fade, and darkness began to creep in. This was vividly captured on the monitor. In real-time, his expression transformed into a blank face. The radiant melody that could once be heard was now imbued with pain.

And then.

-♬♪!!

Kang Woojin, or rather the ‘Prince’, struck the piano keys roughly with both of his outstretched hands. The performance, which had filled the banquet hall, abruptly ceased.

“……”

“……”

“……”

The banquet hall, which had been full of warmth, suddenly became desolate. The winter chill they had forgotten penetrated the clothes of the hundred staff members. It was chilling. A faint anger painted Woojin’s expressionless face on the monitor.

The silence lingered.

Dressed in his banquet suit, Kang Woojin simply stared down at the golden piano without moving a muscle. Roughly ten seconds passed like this. Watching, Director Bill Rotner and the executive producer made a guess.

‘Is it… over? Did he only practice up to the middle section of the sheet music? Even so, he played the piece so freely, as if it were his own composition. He’s exceeded expectations.’

‘He doesn’t seem to be performing all the way to the end. Well, incorporating acting into the performance must’ve been demanding enough. No, still, this is already incredible. Even with just this, he’s surpassed everyone’s expectations here.’

It seemed that this eccentric Korean actor had only prepared up to this point. With that, Director Bill Rotner, who had been staring at the monitor, got up from his seat. He intended to speak to Woojin by the piano.

“……Um, Mr. Kang Woojin.”

At that moment.

-♬♪

The piano performance, which had stopped, resonated through the set banquet hall once more. Kang Woojin had begun moving his fingers again. Director Bill Rotner, who had just risen, froze in place.

‘It’s not… over?’

From the executive producer to the hundred or so foreign staff, everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment. Naturally, their gazes were fixed on Woojin at the piano. As he resumed his performance, he began striking the keys very aggressively from the start. It was bizarre. Although the melody continued from the earlier part of the piece, it felt like a completely different song. Every foreign staff member in the banquet hall had the same thought.

‘What… what is this? The mood has completely changed.’

Kang Woojin’s perspective had also shifted. The banquet hall, once warm and splendid, filled with delectable food, had vanished entirely. The bright candles adorning the chandelier had all been extinguished. The numerous nobles dressed in elegant banquet attire had also disappeared.

Now, only darkness remained.

A bone-chilling wind mixed with a snowstorm swept through. There was no trace of human warmth. Only darkness and mustiness lingered. The banquet suit he was wearing had become tattered and turned to rags. Even the hands playing the piano were now covered in brown fur.

The ‘Beast’.

At this moment, Kang Woojin was no longer the ‘Prince’. He was the ‘Beast’.

The cursed man who had become a monster.

Thus, the season in his sight and his heart transformed from spring to winter. The laughter-filled heart was torn apart by the monster. It clawed, bit, and roared. Emptiness and unease lingered. Irritation surged. Anxiety crept in.

-♬♪

All those emotions were conveyed through the piano performance. Rough and coarse with clear anger. The same was true for Woojin’s face, captured on camera and displayed on the monitor. It was entirely the irritated, discomfort-filled expression of the ‘Beast’. And as the performance continued, the intensity only increased.

It was understandable.

He had summoned the ‘Beast’ and amplified the ‘beastification’ within him.

Why did I become like this? Where did my warm past go? When can I return? Am I going to die like this? Anyone would do, please appear.

Ah, it’s as lonely as hell itself.

Kang Woojin had no lines. His tightly shut lips didn’t open. Yet his gaze, his expression, and his piano performance completed the ‘Beast’ more vividly than a hundred lines of dialogue could.

From this point on.

-♬♪

The bleak and coarse piano performance began to explode, and Director Bill Rotner and the hundred or so production staff of ‘Beast and the Beauty’ started to realize something.

‘……Without any makeup- the thick fur and chilling face of the ‘Beast’ are vivid.’

“Could it be that Kang Woojin… replacing the Prince’s face to Beast’s face with piano performance??’

They realized that Kang Woojin was using a piano performance infused with acting to depict the transformations from ‘Prince’ to ‘Beast’, implementing the visual and technical aspects without makeup or CG.

Naturally, this was entirely Woojin’s intention.

The live-action ‘Beast and the Beauty’ would include professionally intensive makeup. However, for the audition, they didn’t apply such makeup. In other words, the hundred or so foreigners gathered here were watching the actors’ auditions, assessing their acting, piano performance, and vocals while imagining the makeup or technical aspects.

But wasn’t that a bit unsatisfying?

Of course, there was no need to explicitly do the ‘Beast’ makeup, but since he had come all the way here to audition, Kang Woojin wanted to show everyone a proper ‘Beast’. And it wasn’t as if there wasn’t a way to do that.

The piano. He poured the lives of both the ‘Prince’ and the ‘Beast’ into the piano.

That left an impact on the production team of ‘Beast and the Beauty’ that was several times stronger than makeup. There was no need to imagine anymore. The unconventional piano melody that passed through their ears made their brains automatically form the shape of the ‘Beast’.

Then.

-♬♪

The Beast’s performance, which had reached its climax, came to an end. Kang Woojin closed the lid of the golden piano and looked straight at the camera set up beyond the piano.

“……”

His eyes were filled with raw, childlike emotions.

Had about five seconds passed like that?

-Ssshhh.

Suddenly, Kang Woojin returned to a face full of indifference. Rising to his feet, he muttered in a low tone of English to the hundred or so foreign staff.

“It’s finished.”

However, no one responded immediately.

“……”

“……”

This was because the lingering resonance of the ‘Beast’ was still thick in the air.

A few dozen minutes later.

Kang Woojin stepped out of the warehouse-like stage within the ‘SPT Studio’, which spanned a massive 50,000 pyeong, where the audition for ‘Beast and the Beauty’ had been held. He had already taken off the banquet suit he had worn as his costume. Naturally so. The audition. The screen test was over.

Looking back at the massive warehouse set, Woojin’s expression hardened. However, inside, he let out a sigh of relief.

‘Whew- It’s over! That was unexpectedly exhausting. Anyway, I feel so relieved now.’

From piano to vocals to acting. He had shown everything he had prepared without any regrets. After it was all over, he was somewhat surprised by the fact that Director Bill Rotner, the executive producer, and the executives of ‘World Disney Pictures’ didn’t ask many questions. There were only a few inquiries about his audition preparation process. Though Kang Woojin found this slightly strange.

‘Was it not that good? Ugh, who cares. It’s already over, and now all that’s left is the result.’

He let it go lightly. Thinking about it further wouldn’t change anything at this point. Soon, Choi Sung-gun, who was standing next to Kang Woojin, suddenly gave him a thumbs-up.

“You killed it again this time, no, you’re seriously crazy. When you paused the piano performance in the middle and then continued with a completely different vibe, I seriously got goosebumps.”

“Was it okay?”

“‘Okay’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. You absolutely nailed it. Didn’t you see the expressions on the director and the production team? Their souls were practically sucked out. I even heard some of them gasping in awe here and there.”

Really? Woojin felt relieved, and Choi Sung-gun spoke again.

“There are still four big-name Hollywood actors left to go after you, but- honestly, I don’t think you’re at any disadvantage compared to them.”

“……”

“But then again, this place is known for all sorts of unexpected things happening, and let’s not forget the controversy that blew up when you were first mentioned as a candidate for ‘Beast and the Beauty’. For now, let’s just wait with a lighter heart.”

In other words, regardless of talent, ‘World Disney Pictures’ would have many other factors to consider. There was also the matter of ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’, which Woojin had recently secured, and the controversy surrounding his candidacy for the role of the ‘Beast’, which was still a heated topic among the global audience. On top of that, while it wasn’t visible on the surface, there might even be subtle discrimination at play.

Just as Kang Woojin nodded in agreement.

-Ssshhh.

A group of foreigners passed in front of him. Among them, a man with brown permed hair glanced at Woojin. His striking visual made it clear he wasn’t an ordinary individual. As they moved away, Choi Sung-gun muttered quietly.

“The next one’s going in.”

It was one of the Hollywood actors also vying for the role. Upon closer inspection, he was the same Hollywood actor who had once gossiped about Kang Woojin to Miley Cara during a fashion show and was subsequently scolded by her for being loose-lipped. However, Kang Woojin, unaware of this, simply observed him with a rigid face, finding the situation intriguing.

‘That actor, I don’t remember his name but wow, he’s incredibly good-looking in person? Super handsome and super tall. Wo-‘

The Hollywood actor with brown hair, now entering the audition hall, recalled something Miley Cara had said to him in the past.

‘With your current attitude, you’ll get crushed, you know? Quite miserably at that.’

He snorted at the memory.

“As if I’d ever get crushed by a guy like that. Ridiculous.”

Roughly 20 minutes later.

-♬♪

The sound of piano music once again filled the set banquet hall where the ‘Beast and the Beauty’ audition was taking place. Seated at the golden piano was a man in a blue banquet suit. However, it wasn’t Kang Woojin. It was the next candidate, the Hollywood actor with brown hair. He was passionately delivering a piano performance that was practically professional-grade.

Director Bill Rotner and the hundred or so foreigners watched intently. Judging by their serious and focused expressions, they seemed to be quite impressed by his performance.

“……”

“……”

But in truth, the minds of the foreigners, though their mouths were shut, were not filled with admiration but with bewilderment.

The reason?

“Phew- starting off by seeing something so extraordinary really does a number on you.”

Director Bill Rotner, who had taken off his black-rimmed glasses, was still preoccupied with the memory of the Beast’s performance from earlier. As he listened to the Hollywood actor’s piano playing, he muttered quietly.

“This is child’s play.”