The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter: 23

“Yes? That’s correct.”

Strictly speaking, he was the one who followed me around, but he was still a classmate.

I looked puzzled at the sudden question, and Lee Jung-hyun had the same expression as me.

“No… What I mean is, it doesn’t feel like just a friend, how should I put it…”

After hesitating for a while, Lee Jung-hyun tilted his head and spoke.

“It’s like apologizing to your celebrity friend for calling them at a company dinner because your boss asked you to.”

“What?”

What was he talking about? I looked at him in bewilderment, and he seemed just as confused by his own words.

His constantly blinking eyes showed that he was thinking deeply about something.

Lee Jung-hyun frowned slightly and then shook his head.

“No, don’t worry too much about it. If your friend’s dream is to be a celebrity, it’s natural to bring it up in conversation and encourage discussion. You didn’t specifically ask for it, and it’s not like Bi-hyuk was being rude. If he didn’t like it from the start, he wouldn’t have asked to be introduced.”

Seeing him smile reassuringly, I finally felt at ease.

After parting ways with Lee Jung-hyun, I entered the orphanage and was relieved to find no kids in the hallway.

Fearing they might come running out to ask about the audition, I quickly hurried to my room.

“Yeon-jae, aren’t you going to have dinner?”

“Oh, I ate too much at lunch, so I don’t think I need any dinner. I’ll go to bed early.”

Feeling like the rice cake was still stuck in my throat, I decided to skip dinner and lay down in bed early.

As I lay in the dark room under the covers, I could hear the kids noisily chatting beyond the door.

Soon, I would meet someone as noisy as them.

I started counting sheep in my head to fall asleep.

* * *

“So, all the child actors are decided. Han Se-young for the role of Na-bi, Sung Lee-jun for the role of Hyo-won, and Lee Yeon-jae for the role of Yu-hyun. No objections, right?”

In response to PD Kim’s words, the gathered people answered in unison, “No.”

The audition was over, but the real hell was about to begin.

There was no way it could be a pre-produced drama, so we wouldn’t be able to sleep for half a year.

Everyone present knew this, so the atmosphere wasn’t particularly bright.

“Team leader, who is Lee Yeon-jae? I’ve heard of Han Se-young and Sung Lee-jun, but not him.”

“You know, the kid from tail.”

“Oh, the one with the yellow hat? My friend really likes him. I heard he wasn’t an actor though, so I wonder how his acting is.”

“It’d be a waste not to use that face. But he doesn’t have an agency yet, right?”

“Oh, does Lee Yeon-jae not have an agency?”

A writer who had been listening to the broadcasting staff’s whispers joined the conversation.

Despite the sudden intrusion, the staff, who had worked with the writer several times, answered nonchalantly.

“Yes. His documents came in through Woo-yeon, but he’s not with Woo-yeon. I heard that Manager Jang from Woo-yeon put him in.”

“Lee Jung-hyun is with Woo-yeon? Wow, are they close? It’d be great if he made a cameo in our drama.”

“We can ask the kid about it later. But do you think he’d come? Lee Jung-hyun’s fees are sky-high. No matter how close they are…”

“Oh, right, those Woo-yeon folks act like they’re really expensive. When I worked in entertainment, I contacted them two hundred times, and they didn’t respond once.”

As people added their comments one by one, the atmosphere heated up.

With unrefined expressions flying around, PD Kim quickly intervened to wrap things up.

“Whoa, whoa, everyone calm down. You know it’s a big problem if this becomes a habit, right? Let’s be careful with our words.”

With PD Kim’s humor, the staff laughed and mimed zipping their lips before getting up one by one.

PD Kim shook his head at the writer, who looked blatantly disappointed.

People say you can curse the king behind his back, so why not a celebrity?

Having worked in this industry for over 15 years, he thought that the people who gossip the most about celebrities are not keyboard warriors but broadcasting staff.

“Writer Han, keep writing until the script reading. Can I trust you?”

“Of course, you handle your part.”

Writer Han scoffed and was the last to leave the room.

Left alone, PD Kim listlessly spun his pen before eventually burying his head on his desk, unable to shake his thoughts.

“Damn, if Lee Jung-hyun made a cameo, it’d be huge….”

In the end, he was just another broadcasting staff member.

* * *

“Yes?”

—Actually, I’d prefer to tell you this in person rather than over the phone. Unfortunately, I’m in Florence right now.

“Florence? No, I mean, am I really accepted?”

—Haha, of course. I’ve already told you three times. I don’t call you a genius actor for nothing.

I was so shocked that I couldn’t even express it properly.

Lee Jung-hyun’s voice buzzed in my ears, but my responses sounded oddly normal to me.

He explained the schedule for the script reading and the overall drama filming process.

However, nothing he said during the international call really registered.

I just kept robotically repeating “yes, yes,” until Lee Jung-hyun, realizing something was off, laughed and told me he’d explain everything in detail when he returned to Korea, before hanging up.

Even after hanging up, I sat blankly on the bed.

Absent-mindedly fiddling with the slightly worn blanket, I suddenly stood up.

I should inform the director first. What about school? Since filming is in July, will it end during summer vacation? I heard that child actors don’t have many scenes, and I’m just a supporting actor, so I’ll have even fewer. Should I inform the teacher?

Thinking about all sorts of things, I abruptly opened the door, only to be faced with the dark hallway without a single light on, and finally came to my senses.

…Why did I rush like that? I could tell them tomorrow.

I sheepishly returned to my bed. I needed to sleep first.

“One sheep… two sheep… three sheep…”

After counting up to 176 sheep, I finally admitted that I was too excited.

I stared at the ceiling with wide-open eyes, still in disbelief. Wow, I actually passed.

Since I never thought about what would happen after the audition, the feeling of entering an unknown world was more overwhelming than pure joy.

So, does this mean I’m really going to act? Like Lee Jung-hyun? …Me?

Just like that, I’ll be acting?

This feels like going into space without any equipment.

I heard that if you go into space without a spacesuit, you’ll die from lack of oxygen within two minutes. I wonder if I could last 20 seconds.

Suddenly, I felt short of breath.

I urgently got up and opened the door, but the hallway was still dark.

My heart started racing unusually fast.

‘…Get a grip.’

I tried to breathe slowly.

It’s okay, it’s nothing serious. It’s just a mild panic attack from being so surprised.

What was I supposed to do when I had these symptoms?

Envelope. Right, an envelope… but there’s no way I’d have that in my room.

Stay calm, it’s important to act as calmly as possible.

I deliberately made loud breathing sounds, inhaling and exhaling.

But no matter how loudly I breathed, my racing pulse didn’t slow down easily.

“Whew.”

The excessively rapid heartbeat was overwhelming.

I could hear someone panting in my ears. Could this really be me?

No way, am I really that shaken by this?

I knew better than anyone that this wasn’t something to be flustered about.

Yet, I couldn’t control my breathing.

Even the thought of pulling myself together became hazy as my vision blurred.

Fearing that something might collapse, I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth.

‘It’s okay.’

I could feel the edges of my nails pressing into my palm, and the dull pain spread as I clenched harder.

It’s okay. No one will notice this anyway.

The nails, always neatly trimmed by the maids, weren’t sharp enough to draw blood no matter how hard I pressed.

‘…Why am I thinking about the maids?’

Something felt off, but maybe it was because I was out of breath. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

With my breath catching in my throat, I tightened my grip on my clenched fists again.

* * *

The royal robe, meticulously crafted stitch by stitch by an artisan for the Crown Prince, was a perfect fit.

It covered most of young Yu-hyeon’s hands.

Thus, no matter how tightly he clenched his fists, no one could notice, making it a perfectly chosen ‘habit,’ far too trivial to be labeled ‘self-harm.’

The custom-made robe that wasn’t too big or too small, but it felt immense to Yu-hyeon.

A foreboding feeling as if the clothes would swallow him whole. An overwhelming feeling as if he would topple over with the slightest movement.

This was another expression of the power Yu-hyeon felt.

Being unable to move easily, yet not being able to fall properly, was solely a desperate struggle for the Queen.

‘Crown Prince, you know, don’t you? The Crown Prince is a unique and noble being, incomparable to those lowly ones.’

‘Yes… sniff.’

‘So, you must stop crying.’

‘Sniff, yes…’

‘Quickly, please, for this mother.’

Ah, it’s tiring.

Recalling his mother who held his hand with a stern face made his throat dry.

‘Na-bi…’

He wanted to see Na-bi. The transparent, clear eyes, the innocent ignorance.

Thinking of her neatly braided hair, his wildly beating heart gradually calmed down.

It was an indescribable, predetermined sense of peace, almost like a revelation.

The tension left his shoulders, and his stiff joints relaxed.

His fiercely raised eyebrows softened, and the fearful glint in his eyes disappeared.

Thinking of the girl who smiled so prettily with flowers blooming on her cheeks, he slowly opened his eyes.

When he opened his eyes, he would go to where Na-bi was.

But what he saw was not the flimsy paper door made of traditional paper, but a sturdy wooden door.

For a moment, he wondered where he was, and then his vision turned white with a sharp sensation.

“Oh my, Yeon-jae. Aren’t you sleeping?”

The unfamiliar lady’s voice―no, it was Lee Si-hyun’s surprised face approaching quickly.

“Oh my! Are you sick? You’re sweating… you don’t have a fever.”

Worry quickly spread across Lee Si-hyun’s face.

When her cold hand brushed my forehead, I finally felt the cold sweat soaking my back.

Maybe because I felt out of reality, my lips moved slowly even when I saw her waiting.

“…I’m not sick. I just can’t sleep.”

“Really?”

Her suspicious eyes scanned my face thoroughly.

I felt a bit dazed, but I was definitely much better than before.

I nodded unconsciously and answered as clearly as I could.

“Really, I’m fine. Nothing hurts.”

“…Okay. If you really feel sick, promise you’ll tell me?”

“Yes, I will. Don’t worry.”

I managed to smile at her worried eyes.

Only after seeing Lee Si-hyun turn around with a worried look and disappear down the hallway did I quietly close the door.

“Wow…”

And then my legs gave out, and I sank to the floor.

What just happened? I hadn’t even tried to immerse myself, but it happened so naturally.

Thanks to that, I managed to get through the hyperventilation symptoms without much trouble.

I used it this way.

Feeling my heart calming down as if it had never raced, I slowly opened my hand.

There were faint, yet unmistakable nail marks on my palm.

‘So, you weren’t completely mindless after all.’

I thought he was just a girl-crazy guy. I felt a little sorry.