The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter: 19

[Lee Jung-hyun: Passed the first round! The second audition is next Saturday. I’ll bring you the script today, so let’s practice together over the weekend.]

I kept reading the message from Lee Jung-hyun over and over again, then sighed once more.

Noh Bi-hyuk, who had said he didn’t care, started whining about how I could deceive my best friend so completely by preparing secretly.

“I really didn’t think it would happen.”

“You know that makes it sound even worse, right? Not many people can relate to that kind of talk. Really… if it weren’t for me, you’d be so lonely.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re the best.”

When I replied indifferently out of annoyance, Noh Bi-hyuk laughed and then suddenly grabbed his nose with a pained expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just that my nose is too sharp—. Hey, Lee Yeon-jae, where are you going!”

That guy was irritating me even more.

Ignoring Noh Bi-hyuk who was following me, I buried my face in my desk.

‘Why does it have to be a historical drama…’

Thinking about it again made me sigh.

It felt like I’d been taking all the sighs I’d breathe in a lifetime over the past few days.

Even someone like me who knew nothing about acting knew that acting in a historical drama was completely different from acting in a modern drama.

From the language itself to the mannerisms, everything was different, and I had to audition next week.

More than anything, because it was a historical drama, I couldn’t just choose a character to imitate from around me, and my mind went blank.

‘I guess I’ll have to check out some historical dramas as soon as I get to the orphanage.’

The only saving grace was that Lee Jung-hyun said his schedule was clear and that he would give me acting lessons all weekend.

The location was Lee Jung-hyun’s house.

I had to inform the director in advance about staying out overnight, and since spending two days together meant the misfortune factor wouldn’t transfer, I had to think about countermeasures.

There was a mountain of things to prepare. Another sigh escaped my lips.

If sighs had a shape, I’d already be floating on a cloud made of sighs.

* * *

“Hello, hyung.”

“Yeon-jae, you’re here―, what happened to you?”

As I got into the van that had come to the front of the orphanage as usual, Lee Jung-hyun, who had been smiling brightly, was startled when he saw my face.

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

“Why? You’re not nervous about the audition, are you?”

“Of course I’m nervous about the audition.”

Come to think of it, Lee Jung-hyun seemed to think I was a fearless person with nothing to be afraid of.

It wasn’t that I didn’t experience emotional fluctuations, I just wasn’t born with the nerve to be completely unaffected by my first audition.

“I didn’t think you’d be this worried. You were so calm acting in front of the camera last time.”

“That was just a minor role. What if I mess up and inconvenience others?”

“No matter how nervous you are, you have to sleep. If you keep this up, you won’t grow any taller.”

“I’m already the second tallest in my class.”

“Alright, alright. I know you’re tall.”

Lee Jung-hyun smiled as he spoke to me in a tone adults use when talking to children.

For a moment, I felt a lump in my throat, and realizing that I had responded like a child made my face flush.

Somehow, talking with Lee Jung-hyun always made me feel childish.

“Have you practiced a lot by yourself?”

“I practiced as much as I could, but historical dramas are tough.”

“Of course. Even experienced actors find historical dramas difficult. I know some seniors who don’t even consider them because they lack confidence. Everyone has their strengths.”

“Were you worried when filming ‘Joseon Romance’?”

“Haha, I lost 6kg during the six months of filming, so you could say that.”

He did such an amazing job though.

I thought of Lee Jung-hyun’s performance as a bodyguard, which I had watched repeatedly until yesterday.

The rigid and stiff expressions of the bodyguard subtly softened whenever he spoke with the female lead.

The intensity of that change noticeably increased towards the end, leaving me in awe.

If he calculated all of that, his meticulousness was truly respectable.

It was daunting to show my practice in front of someone who acted like that.

If I didn’t know any better, I would have been fine, but honestly, I felt a lot of pressure.

It felt like standing on stage without knowing anything.

The indescribable, strange guilt grew as we got closer to Lee Jung-hyun’s house, reaching its peak after I recited the lines I had repeated countless times over the past four days.

“Yeon-jae.”

“Yes.”

“Why are you avoiding eye contact?”

Why indeed. Why did my gaze keep lowering?

I forced myself to look at Lee Jung-hyun, who had a serious and strict expression that I hadn’t seen before, making me feel even smaller.

After watching my practice, his slightly furrowed brow hadn’t relaxed. It must have been pretty bad.

“First, can you explain the character you played?”

“Yes. I played ‘Yu-hyeon,’ who was born as the crown prince of the Joseon Dynasty. Due to certain circumstances, he went into hiding among commoners and fell in love with the female lead, who was a nobleman’s daughter.”

“What was your first impression when you read the script?”

“Honestly?”

He nodded, still frowning, so I hesitated before slowly beginning to speak.

“My first thought was that it lacked coherence. It felt childish, and there were too many parts that didn’t make sense.”

“Really? For example?”

“The part I found hardest to accept was that they put a commoner who had never received any education as the stand-in for the only crown prince. And the fact that it goes unnoticed for years.”

“Right, that is quite implausible.”

“Yes, and I also couldn’t understand Yu-hyeon’s mindset. No matter how young he is, it’s unrealistic that someone who has lived as the crown prince for over twelve years would be completely absorbed in a love affair while the country is in turmoil. The setting seemed too clumsy. And also, Lady Lee—”

Once I started talking, all the doubts I’d had during the four days of practice spilled out in a stream.

Lee Jung-hyun, slightly taken aback by my never-ending complaints, eventually smiled and listened to the end.

“Haha, finished?”

“…Yes, sorry. I complained too much, didn’t I?”

“No, as an actor, it’s good to scrutinize the script in detail. It’s impressive, actually. Even if your role isn’t that big, four days isn’t enough time to study it thoroughly. It’s amazing that you delved into it this much.”

If the writer heard your critique, she would be touched by how detailed it is.

Lee Jung-hyun smiled kindly, as if he had never frowned.

“That’s a characteristic of Ji-hye Han’s scripts. They’re often childish and full of implausibilities, yet every work she releases becomes a hit. You know the drama ‘Love on the Moon’ starring Kang Lee and the lead actress? That was her debut piece.”

My eyes widened in surprise.

Whenever I opened the app to watch dramas, I always saw that title in the ‘Top 10 Korean Dramas of All Time’ category.

“Even if the script seems childish, the drama itself will likely be fine. It’s directed by Kim Min-seok, who has been collaborating with Writer Han since ‘Love on the Moon’.”

“So they cover the script’s weaknesses with direction?”

“More like… how should I explain it?”

After hesitating for a moment, Lee Jung-hyun pulled a whiteboard from the corner.

“You know that many people are needed to create a drama or a movie, right? Who can you think of?”

“The director, the writer, the staff… the production company?”

“You even know about the production company? Impressive. But there are even more people needed on set. The camera director, the lighting director, the sound director, the main writer, the assistant writers, the assistant directors, and so on… countless people.”

He drew multiple shriveled, circle-like figures on the whiteboard.

I got distracted, wondering what those were supposed to be, but from the context of the conversation, they seemed to represent people.

Hmm, he’s not good at drawing.

“The key point is that all these people must work together to create a single piece. No matter how excellent one of them is, if the others don’t support it, it’s meaningless.”

“It’s important that they work well together.”

“Exactly. The fact that all the works they produced were successful proves that Writer Han’s scripts and Director Kim’s direction are a good match. They complement each other well.”

“So… can a script like this come to life if the actors match well with it?”

“Exactly! You’re a genius actor. You get it in one go. In the end, it’s our job to bring the script to life.”

Lee Jung-hyun stopped drawing whatever that unidentifiable thing was and gave me a satisfied smile.

I had many questions about what it meant to work well together and how to bring the script to life, but…

For now, those dying circles bothered me so much that I couldn’t think of anything else. What if I asked and he started drawing again?

“Yeon-jae.”

“Yes.”

“To be honest… I didn’t ask you to submit your application because I thought you’d actually get picked.”

Lee Jung-hyun quickly continued, perhaps thinking I might take offense.

“The more experience you have, the better. Taking the audition gives you a chance to feel what you’re lacking, and that makes learning to act later more efficient.”

He was right. I didn’t think I’d get picked, either.

I practiced diligently for four days not because I desperately wanted the role but because I didn’t want to cause trouble.

I nodded quietly in agreement, and Lee Jung-hyun’s expression became subtly complicated before he frowned again.

“I definitely thought that, but… suddenly I think you might actually get picked.”

“What?”

“Do you know what I thought when I saw your acting just now?”

Before I could answer, Lee Jung-hyun plopped down on the sofa and laughed.

It was a slightly hollow laugh.

“I thought it was really fortunate there’s a big age gap between us.”

“…”

“If we were closer in age… wow, I’d definitely be consumed by inferiority.”

He gave a slightly weakened smile, but his gaze toward me was intense.

It was as if he was looking at an unfamiliar creature he had never seen before.

When I couldn’t say anything, he spoke again in a playful tone, as if nothing had happened.

“Is this something you’re born with? Are you on your second life? That’s a trend these days. Come to think of it, your way of speaking is like an old man’s. Don’t tell me—”

“Where are you going with this?”

When the unfamiliar gaze faded and the playful tone returned, a chiding remark slipped out before I knew it.

Soft laughter followed, and a gentle voice reached me.

“Haha, it means you did well. You did a great job, Yeon-jae. You worked hard.”

“…”

“You really practiced for four days straight? It was very apparent.”

“…Thank you.”

As I mumbled, Lee Jung-hyun hoisted me up again, calling me a genius actor.

This time, I didn’t hide my stern expression and asked to be put down, but he seemed to enjoy it even more. Truly a peculiar taste.

My legs dangled in the air, and I felt like my entire body was floating.

It was a strange feeling.