I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor-Chapter 327: Bangkok (3) - Edited

Chapter 327: Bangkok (3)

Translator: Santos

Jang Yeon-woo is holding an M4 carbine in one hand. No, Kang Woojin is walking down the forest path. He was still in his military fatigues and bulletproof vest, but his earpiece had vanished somewhere along the way. His pace was neither slow nor fast; it was a steady rhythm, as if he were on a casual stroll.

*Crunch, crunch.*

His combat boots rustled against the brush, making a faint sound as he walked. The cold wind hit him head-on, and the chill seeped into his skin. For a moment, Woojin’s expressionless face softened into a slight smile.

“That was fun.”

The senses in his face grew sharper. Despite the darkness, he could clearly see the path ahead, the earthy scent of winter and greenery in the forest, the crunching sounds of leaves, and the subtle buzz of insects. Everything was vividly clear, and Jang Yeon-woo’s emotions pulsed through him even stronger.

The thrill he’d been savoring began to fade.

Woojin looked up at the sky. It was bright. The moon was bright.

Watching it with a faint smile on his lips, Woojin looked down at the rifle in his right hand. Something dry and hard crusted over his fingers—dried blood. Not his, but someone else’s. His cheeks and face were also stiff in places. Dried blood again.

Woojin resumed walking.

With his free hand, he scraped the dried blood off his cheek. An emptiness crept in—not because he’d just taken the lives of strangers. Guilt? Regret? Such feelings didn’t exist for him. It was just... dull.

“Phew-”

A life marred by violence and slaughter.

“I’m tired of it.”

When violence becomes constant, it loses its edge. His body and mind grew accustomed, making the excitement fade. He began to realize he needed intervals, gaps in the chaos. At times, idle thoughts crept in, like wondering about the lives of those he’d just killed.

Inconsequential.

Both he and they were equally so.

Idle thoughts clouded his judgment. There was no point in thinking this way. They died, he lived. The weak are punished; the survivor is the judge. To exist is to be strong, but it’s not the act of a righteous judge.

It’s evil.

The survivor is no hero; he is a villain to everyone else. He merely chooses whom to judge. A “nice bastard” might best describe the current Jang Yeon-woo, or rather, Kang Woojin. He appeared ordinary, yet beneath the surface was ruthless.

But if this repetitive boredom continued, the one to be judged wouldn’t be them—it would be him.

Woojin decided he’d vanish.

He’d disappear quietly, leaving no trace.

*Step!*

Woojin emerged from the forest, spotting a road ahead. Parked to one side was a shabby pickup truck—a vehicle he’d arranged for himself.

*Thunk!*

He climbed into the truck, tossed the rifle onto the passenger seat, and turned the ignition. The old truck sputtered before emitting a loud rumbling.

Then,

*Vroom!*

Woojin began driving without hesitation. The truck’s speed picked up, and the scenery in front of him changed with every passing second.

The cold night road and his surroundings morphed rapidly.

Years had gone by.

Woojin now stood in the middle of a bustling market. The sun blazed down, hot enough to sting his forearms. Slowly, his vision sharpened. The tanned locals bustled around him, talking loudly and moving in every direction.

The shouts of vendors hawking their wares, the cries of men advertising goods, the motorcycles weaving through the crowd, the honking horns—it was chaos. People constantly brushed against his shoulders and arms as they passed.

But this scene didn’t seem strange to Kang Woojin. He felt at peace.

It was only natural.

Woojin had been living here in Bangkok for years.

Sweat rolled down his cheek.

Woojin’s appearance had changed too. A bit of stubble grew on his chin, his skin was slightly tanned, and he wore a brown shirt and worn jeans.

*Swipe.*

He put a cigarette to his lips. With a lighter in hand, Woojin entered the throng of people.

"!!!"

"!!!"

*Honk honk honk!!*

The constant noise barely registered to Woojin as he continued through the chaotic market, eventually reaching a drink stand halfway through. He sat at an outdoor table and ordered a coffee in English from the shopkeeper. After finishing his cigarette, he flicked it away.

“Tsk, should’ve stocked up on the way.”

He put another cigarette in his mouth, but this time the lighter refused to work, clicking with no flame. Just as Woojin shook it in annoyance—

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*Swipe.*

A hand appeared near his right ear. Woojin instinctively went to twist the wrist, but a calm voice stopped him. It was a woman’s voice, speaking English.

“J, take it easy.”

The tone and sound were familiar. Woojin froze, then turned his head. A foreign woman stood there, wearing a fitted gray tank top and sunglasses, her blonde hair twisted up. She nodded towards her own hand, which held a square silver lighter.

“Need a light?”

Woojin smirked and took the lighter, lighting his cigarette before slipping it into his pocket.

“I’m good. Now get lost.”

The blonde woman shrugged.

“I’ll go once I get my lighter back.”

"This is mine. I left it with you."

Removing her sunglasses, she sat down across from Woojin, crossing her legs.

“You were hiding too well—it took me ages to find you.”

She was an old colleague of Jang Yeon-woo, or rather, Kang Woojin.

“L, how did you find me?”

"Finding people is my specialty. I handled the desk, remember? Granted, tracking you down was one of the hardest things I’ve done."

Woojin leaned back in his chair, blowing out a stream of smoke.

“Cut the crap. Why are you looking for me?”

"J, haven’t you played around enough? Join my team. I’ve set one up since you disappeared."

"What kind of team?"

"We take on contracts. If the money’s good, we’ll handle any job."

"How many on the team?"

"See for yourself."

"No thanks. I’ll keep having my fun."

The blonde woman kicked Woojin’s foot.

"Trash like you is useful to me only because of your skills. It’s a waste to let you rot in a place like this. Become a mercenary."

"My skills are probably trash by now."

"Fine, then."

She paused, putting her sunglasses back on as she stood up.

"Why don’t you decide after taking on one job here in Bangkok?"

"What kind of job?"

"Rescuing a girl. Easy, right?"

"A girl?"

"Yep."

L flashed a smirk, handing Woojin a new pack of cigarettes.

"The daughter of a drug lord. She’s been kidnapped."

---

Later.

Woojin, having lived the lengthy life of Jang Yeon-woo, found himself back on the plane, back in the present reality. Though he’d spent years as Jang Yeon-woo, only a few seconds had passed on the plane. In that world, there had been explosions and gunfire, yet—

*...*

The cabin was deathly quiet. Peaceful, to say the least. Most of the passengers were asleep, including Choi Seong-geon, Writer Choi Na-na, and others. Only Director Song Man-woo was awake, looking through a script. Woojin couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly at the contrast.

*This extreme shift never gets easier to handle.*

The world of the role and Woojin’s own reality coexisted, yet they were vastly different. Though he’d experienced this many times, such stark contrasts never failed to astonish him.

Regardless—

*Rustle.*

Woojin lowered his gaze to the script for episode one of *Beneficial Evil*. He wasn’t about to re-enter the subspace.

*Flip.*

Instead, he was preparing to analyze it. Ever since he’d mastered “Character Synthesis” and “Character Freedom,” this routine had become second nature. He aimed to make each portrayal sharper, more explosive, and more vibrant than expected. His commitment to acting was becoming unwavering.

*Jang Yeon-woo would probably go all-in, no brakes.*

He could vividly picture Jang Yeon-woo breaking out of the script and into real life.

After several hours passed...

Woojin’s plane began its descent into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Having finished analyzing the script and resting in the subspace, Woojin cast a glance out the window.

Bangkok came into view. It was oddly familiar.

*Kinda like Da Nang.*

He was referring to Da Nang, Vietnam. While Da Nang, the setting of *Island of the Missing,* felt like a resort, Bangkok had more of an urban vibe. Yet they were similar in one clear way.

*It’s already hot. Damn.*

Woojin’s complaint simmered beneath his composed exterior. Meanwhile, the seats around him grew lively. Familiar faces—Director Song Man-woo, Chief Director Kim So-hyang, Writer Choi Na-na, and lead stunt coordinator Ethan Smith, among others—were all abuzz with excitement.

The reason was simple.

“We’re expecting a crowd, so as I mentioned earlier, let’s disembark in an orderly fashion and proceed to the arrivals hall as planned!”

“Got it!”

“And each team, please check your gear and equipment once we land!”

“Oh boy,

it’s starting!”

Almost everyone on the flight was part of *Beneficial Evil*’s film crew. Today, the 19th, was reserved for setup and acclimation, with actual filming beginning on the 20th.

Everyone was excited and a bit on edge.

Once the plane safely touched down, nearly a hundred crew members from *Beneficial Evil* moved as a unit. The actors were relatively few—Ha Eun-lim, with her innocent face, and a few supporting cast members.

But the main focus was—

“Woojin, over here! Stick with the guards!”

—Kang Woojin. Surrounding him were Choi Seong-geon and his team, with twice as many security guards flanking them. The procession to the arrivals hall drew plenty of stares, as expected given the enormous size of their group.

They moved in shifts.

The actor team, the actors’ staff, and *Beneficial Evil* production team. Moving all at once would have been chaotic and risked accidents. The group slowly made their way toward Suvarnabhumi International Airport’s arrivals hall.

Woojin kept pace, his expression calm and stoic.

But...

*Why do I feel so nervous? Is it because the shoot’s about to start?*

His heartbeat was slowly picking up, so he deepened his sense of calm. Around him, the cast members who were part of the overseas shoot glanced around, whispering.

“Aren’t there a lot of guards?”

“Right? We’re drawing a ton of attention.”

“It’s probably because of Mr. Woojin.”

“Sure, he’s a big deal in Japan, but is he that popular in Thailand too? Never heard of it.”

“Who knows? It’s definitely not because of us; it has to be for him. Maybe it’s just a precaution?”

“Probably, though there are way more guards than usual.”

For most of them, this level of attention was a first.

“Still, don’t you feel a bit proud? We wouldn’t get this treatment without him.”

“True. I took a bunch of pictures already.”

“Whatever the reason, it feels great. Makes you realize what a different world this is.”

“When will we see this kind of thing ourselves?”

“Well, Woojin made it here in two years, so maybe for us... never mind, probably never.”

“Anyway, it’s quite a spectacle.”

Finally—

*Ssshhh.*

With guards leading, Woojin at the center, the actor team entered Suvarnabhumi International Airport’s arrivals hall.

Immediately, blinding camera flashes erupted.

*Flash! Flash! Flash!*

All the actors except Woojin widened their eyes.

“What?!!”

“Whoa!”

“This is insane!!”

“What the—?!”

“Whoa, that scared me!!”

The reason was obvious.

The arrivals hall was packed with a massive crowd.

"Kang Woojin!!"

"Kang Woojin!! Kang Woojin!!"

Hundreds of people, including Thai journalists, were chanting Woojin’s name at an ear-splitting volume. Even though their words were largely incoherent, the name Kang Woojin was clear as day.

“Kyaaah!! Kang Woojin!”

“Woojin!!!”

It was far beyond anything he’d expected. Woojin’s face, watching this scene unfold, remained...

*...*

Entirely calm.

*What the...?!*

Of course, only on the outside.