I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor

Chapter 465

Chapter 465: Encroachment (1)

Translator: NovelBin

The foreign audience watched *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, their eyes glued to Kang Woo-jin, portraying "Henry Gordon," as they swallowed hard.

“What… what is that? That expression—it’s chilling.”

“Goodness, from the very start, the atmosphere is just…”

“So this is how he becomes the Joker? But—Kang Woo-jin’s acting is actually pretty good, right?”

“Hm, not bad. Guess he is worthy of that Emmy.”

No matter their initial doubts, one thing was clear: Kang Woo-jin had captivated the hundreds of viewers within five minutes of his appearance. Of course, some continued to deny his impact, reassuring themselves that it was only the beginning.

Kang Woo-chul, Seo Hyun-mi, and Kang Hyun-ah couldn’t take their eyes off the screen.

“Is that… my son? Really?”

“Woo-jin… you must have worked so hard.”

“Whoa!! That look—mind-blowing! It’s insane!”

At this point:

-??

As the powerful classical music softened, the screen showing Kang Woo-jin turned black, and the title appeared in the center:

- *Piero: Birth of a Villain*

The title lingered for a moment before vanishing, and Henry Gordon reappeared on the massive screen. This time, in color, and without the terrifying appearance from before. He walked hunched over, wearing a tattered hoodie, and as he moved, Woo-jin’s narration echoed in English over the scene.

*“No one looks at me, though I don’t look at the world either.”*

The camera followed his back. People passed him by, but not a single person glanced at Henry Gordon. Occasionally, those who noticed him scowled or avoided him, as though he were some kind of virus.

The following twenty minutes depicted Henry Gordon’s life.

It was painfully bleak.

Though one could argue it was an ordinary life, the mood and Woo-jin’s performance made the audience feel an overwhelming sense of suffocation. Countless emotions played across the screen—neglect, scorn, oppression, discrimination, prejudice, contempt, violence. As Henry Gordon endured it all, a gradual transformation occurred, albeit subtly. Director Kwon Ki-taek was the first to notice.

“His tone has shifted slightly. The emphasis? The rhythm? Hard to pinpoint, but Henry Gordon is harboring anger. But he’s holding it in—forcing himself to endure.”

Hong Hye-yeon and Ryu Jung-min sensed it too. In Henry Gordon’s words, actions, and the way he looked at those around him, something intense was simmering beneath the surface.

Though timid and lacking self-esteem, Henry Gordon wore a mask.

He had to, to fit into the world, to survive.

This added dimension to his character. The frustration and anger he suppressed made each small display of emotion hit the audience like a hammer. Woo-jin’s performance was subtle, yet powerful, pushing the viewers to the edge of their seats.

“Ugh, come on, just explode already!”

“That damn pizza shop manager! Who does he think he is, talking down to him like that? Honestly, he deserves to die.”

“Is it going to keep going like this? No, the protagonist’s getting angrier. If we wait, something’s bound to change.”

The tension and anticipation built up simultaneously. And gradually, hundreds of audience members found themselves rooting for Kang Woo-jin on the screen.

Then came the pivotal moment.

-Rumble, rumble, crash!

In the pouring rain on a stormy night, a hooded figure appeared outside a closed pizza shop. Though his face was obscured, the audience knew it was Kang Woo-jin.

“Yes! Let him loose!”

Excitement and the desire for catharsis surged through the theater, and the overweight pizza shop owner’s voice echoed.

*“You—Henry? Henry Gordon, right?! What are you doing here, you punk?”*

Suddenly, the pizza shop owner’s angry shouts slowed, his movements dulled as the scene entered slow motion. The camera focused on Woo-jin’s impassive face under the hood, with his narration quietly overlaid.

*“Ah, whatever. Let them eat crap.”*

The slow-motion effect lifted as the two began to speak, and Woo-jin let out a twisted smile, pulling something out of his pocket—a gleaming silver gun. The screen flashed to the storm outside. After a few chaotic sounds and a gunshot in the lit-up pizza shop, thunder drowned out the noise so no one could hear it.

Back inside:

The hefty figure lay sprawled on the floor, covered in flour, as Woo-jin fired a few more shots into him with a faint smile. At that moment, hundreds of audience members, though silent, cheered internally.

“Finally!!”

“Yes! It took way too long! Shoot him a few more times!”

“This is amazing. But what happens next?”

Lost in the euphoria of the moment, the audience was now fully immersed in the film, mesmerized by Kang Woo-jin’s unrestrained performance. They couldn’t look away as the scene filled with classical music, as Woo-jin slipped on the bloody floor, or even when he stumbled, his face landing on the corpse. And as he laughed, dancing in the blood-soaked room.

The audience couldn’t look away.

They couldn’t tear their eyes from him. Hundreds of foreigners had already plunged into Kang Woo-jin’s—or rather, the Joker’s—world.

*“Khehehe! Hahaha!”*

With a face painted white with flour, Woo-jin’s character was fully awakened. He picked up a card from the mess on the floor. The camera zoomed in on the card as Woo-jin spoke.

*“‘Joker’—I like it.”*

At this moment, “Joker” was seared into every viewer’s mind, and Woo-jin’s character was suddenly standing before a mirror. Right, this scene had been shown at the beginning. As the audience buzzed with excitement, the original black-and-white cut appeared, now in vivid color.

The Joker’s transformation.

Covered in flour, Woo-jin drew his eyebrows with blood, dabbed his nose, and extended his lips with red smears. The same went for his eyes. With blood-streaked hands, he ran his fingers through his hair, smearing the dark strands red. It was identical to the Joker on the card. He raised both index fingers to lift the corners of his mouth.

At that moment, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

What was that sorrow for?

As the Joker’s introduction took over the screen, some audience members gaped, caught off guard by the intensity of the scene.

“Why is he crying?”

“He just went on a rampage and became the Joker, so why the tears?”

“That tear—it’s strange, but I feel sorry for him.”

“I don’t know why, but it feels like that tear is the only real thing in all this madness.”

Seo Hyun-mi’s eyes began to glisten as she watched her son on screen.

“Don’t cry, my son.”

There was something profoundly moving about it. That single tear Woo-jin—no, the Joker—shed was the last remnant of his sanity and time. It represented all the suffering and endurance he had bottled up until now.

“And maybe… it was fear of all the horrible things he would now go on to do.”

Just as Shim Han-ho mused to himself, that tear symbolized Henry Gordon’s final emotion, destined to disappear. For a moment, the atmosphere in the theater was subdued.

It was as if—

“Henry Gordon reminds me of myself… He’s endured enough.”

The audience felt a sense of empathy, as if they were patting Henry Gordon on the back.

But that sentiment didn’t last long.

The screen changed.

-??

Suddenly, lively music filled the previously silent theater. The screen now showed the Joker striding confidently down the street, a stark contrast to the desolation that had filled the first part of the movie.

With flaming red hair, a pale face, and an extravagant outfit, Kang Woo-jin’s Joker appeared in all his glory.

In a red jacket and pants, a blue shirt, a yellow vest, and worn-out brown shoes, his mismatched socks—one red, one blue—completed the eccentric ensemble. The camera captured the perspective of those who had previously ignored Henry Gordon, but now, every passerby glanced at the Joker. Shock, awe, laughter—all directed his way. But it didn’t faze the Joker, who strutted along with a spring in his step.

Even breaking into a tap dance now and then.

The audience couldn’t help but feel elated, shedding the earlier gloom, eager to see what the Joker would do next.

And that anticipation was soon fully rewarded.

*“Hihihi!”*

*Bang, bang, bang!*

Gunshots rang out, explosions erupted, violence broke out, and slaughter ensued. For the Joker, it was all fun and games, but society viewed it as a grave menace. Yet, the audience relished every moment. When Chris Hartnett, playing reporter Robert Franklin, reappeared on screen:

*“Wh-what’s your name?”*

*“M-my name is Robert. Robert Franklin.”*

The entire audience was now truly with the Joker, rooting for him.

“Crush them harder! Tear that rotten society down!”

It was a strange phenomenon.

Though the Joker was the villain, hundreds of foreign viewers adored him. Even those who came in with criticism or reservations had abandoned their original intentions, utterly absorbed in the movie.

*“Hehehe, hahahaha.”*

As *Piero: Birth of a Villain* entered its final act, by this point, no one in the audience—

*

“I just thought of another prank.”*

—was doubting Kang Woo-jin anymore.

An hour later.

As the credits rolled on *Piero*’s premiere screening, an intense beat accompanied the names scrolling up the screen. What was remarkable was—

“…”

“…”

“…”

Despite the end of the movie, not a single audience member moved. Some whispered to each other, but no one left their seats. Kang Woo-jin’s family, Hong Hye-yeon, Ryu Jung-min, and even Shim Han-ho were among those who stayed put.

The reason soon emerged in their murmurs.

“Wow… this was amazing.”

“Unreal! Best movie I’ve seen in the last ten years.”

The resonance and aftershocks of the Joker lingered in the air. The final scene had hinted at a sequel, leaving much to discuss. No one wanted to move, fearing they’d lose the thrill the movie had given them.

Then, suddenly—

The doors near the giant screen opened, and two theater staff entered. They seemed to be setting up for something rather than announcing an exit. The two staff members set up a microphone stand at the front of the theater, nodded towards the door they had come through, and left.

And then—

“Huh?”

“Whoa.”

Excited whispers rippled through the audience. It was no surprise, as familiar actors began to step in through the door. First, the supporting cast of *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, faces everyone recognized from the film, with three Hollywood actors leading the way. Then, a man with a wrinkled face entered.

Shim Han-ho and the “Leech” team chuckled.

“There he is.”

It was none other than Director Ahn Ga-bok. Hollywood’s supporting actors and Ahn Ga-bok’s entrance confirmed that this theater had been chosen as the surprise venue for Columbia Studio’s special meet-and-greet, just as they had promised.

The excitement in the audience only grew.

And as if to reward that excitement—

“Haha, it’s been a while since I did this sort of thing.”

Following Director Ahn, Hollywood’s top star Chris Hartnett entered with a smile, casually waving at the crowd.

And finally—

In a vibrant, mismatched outfit that the audience recognized instantly—red jacket, red pants, worn-out brown shoes, and one red and one blue sock—a man walked in.

It was Kang Woo-jin, the lead actor of *Piero: Birth of a Villain*, dressed exactly like the Joker.

“…”

The moment Kang Woo-jin, wearing a neutral expression, turned his gaze to the audience—

-Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

Without a single exception, every person in the theater rose to their feet, clapping and cheering like mad.

-Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

Kang Woo-jin had captivated them all.