The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter: 49

“Hyung, don’t drink too much.”

When I stopped Manager An Jin-bae, who was continuously lifting his glass, he looked at me with lively eyes.

“Don’t worry, actor-nim. I can handle my alcohol very well, so I won’t get drunk. I’ll make sure there are no problems getting home!”

That wasn’t the issue.

“It’s okay, but it’s not good for your health. Please drink in moderation.”

“Got it!”

He didn’t seem to get it at all.

Manager An Jin-bae moved around, emptying several glasses with the staff.

Even though he was already a familiar face from the past few months, he bowed and greeted everyone, saying he was Lee Yeon-jae’s manager.

Normally, he wasn’t a talkative person, but he was being unusually sociable. I almost didn’t recognize him.

“Yeon-jae…! Want some more soda?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Sung Lee-jun poured me some soda and naturally sat beside me.

Noticing him glancing at me, I sighed and looked over.

Recalling the homeschooling we talked about last time, I asked a random question, and his face brightened instantly.

Seeing him answer in a soft voice was nice, but the place was too noisy to hear him well.

“I see. So, the teacher doesn’t come to your house?”

“A teacher only comes for math. I handle other subjects on my own! It’s convenient that way….”

“I see.”

I quickly ran out of things to say.

Since it wasn’t something I was curious about, I couldn’t think of more questions.

As he clung to me, like a newborn puppy whining, I couldn’t just ignore him.

“You’re going to middle school soon, right? Are you planning to go to an arts middle school?”

As I quietly sipped my soda, Sung Lee-jun fidgeted and spoke first.

Middle school, huh? Given that I had a contract with the agency, I’d probably have to keep going to auditions.

“Probably. Considering attendance, it would make sense.”

If I get accepted, I’d inevitably have to miss more school due to filming.

Maybe I should go to the school Noh Bi-hyuk mentioned last time.

“Really? Is there a place you’re interested in?”

“Well, not really.”

Since our goal was to keep the conversation going, the actual conversation was slow.

I was listing random middle school names I had heard of when Sung Lee-jun suddenly flinched.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, nothing…! It’s just that I know someone who goes there….”

Is that something to be so surprised about?

The name that startled Sung Lee-jun, ‘Heum Middle School,’ was an arts middle school a bit far from our neighborhood.

If his friend went there, was he an actor too?

When I turned my head to ask, I saw his pale face.

I glanced at his rigid jaw and casually spoke.

“You don’t seem to like greasy food much. You haven’t touched the meat.”

“Oh…, yeah! I’m not really into meat.”

As soon as I changed the subject, his tense face relaxed immediately.

I asked him what kind of food he liked instead.

Watching him stammer, I thought to myself.

‘That friend must know me.’

The moment Heum Middle School was mentioned, his expression changed.

It was the uncomfortable, unsettling look I saw on the first day of filming.

I hadn’t seen it much recently, but it was back.

It made the most sense that his friend knew me before my misfortune factor disappeared.

Whether he saw me directly or heard rumors, he must have told Sung Lee-jun about it.

Assuming they were the same age, Sung Lee-jun was two years older than me, making his friend 15 years old.

And if they lived near Heum Middle School….

‘No way.’

I immediately shook my head at the thought.

That was too far-fetched. There were more than a few people two years older than me; it must be a coincidence.

…Even if it wasn’t a coincidence, there was nothing I could do.

Even if his friend was the person I suspected, what could I do?

“We have 10 minutes left! Everyone, make sure to eat the meat!”

Just as my mood was about to drop, a staff member timely lightened the atmosphere.

Manager An Jin-bae, who had been wandering around, returned to my side, and Sung Lee-jun naturally stood up.

“Actor-nim, did you eat a lot of meat?”

“Yes. You should eat while you drink, Hyung. It’s bad for your liver.”

I couldn’t sigh seeing his smiling face, so I wrapped some meat in lettuce and handed it to him.

An advertisement was playing on the loudly turned-on TV, and the assistant director received a phone call from someone.

At someone’s shout for everyone to be quiet, the room fell silent, and all eyes turned to the assistant director. I wondered whose call it was.

“It’s probably the TV control room. They’re likely giving the real-time ratings.”

Reading the question on my face, Manager An Jin-bae whispered softly.

I nodded, joining the others in watching the assistant director.

Squinting as if he couldn’t hear well, the assistant director’s expression suddenly went blank, and he turned to us, looking dazed.

—

At the same time, a woman, having just struck her younger brother’s shoulder and taken the remote control, stared at the screen as the advertisement ended.

“I need to watch the soccer broadcast.”

“Stop whining.”

Grumbling, the younger brother quietly sat next to his sister, powerless against her authority.

The woman focused on the TV, ignoring him.

It was the first teaser in five months since the scene of the character with a yellow hat and a bright smile.

She couldn’t miss a single moment.

Despite her determination, 20 minutes into the drama, there was still no sign of Lee Yeon-jae.

“What’s this? Is he really going to appear? He might not show up until the end.”

“Shush!”

“Ow! Why did you hit me!”

“You’re jinxing it.”

Already frustrated to death, the woman’s teeth ground at her brother who was fanning the flames.

Whether it was the director’s lack of sense or common decency, she was furious.

What angered her the most was that the drama was quite watchable despite Lee Yeon-jae not appearing.

Her brother, who had been complaining, was now quietly watching the screen too.

The drama began from the perspective of the female lead, ‘Na-bi’.

Na-bi lost her father to a plague and lived with her mother. Though they were of noble status, their financial situation was poor.

It had been a long time since society became chaotic, with wealthy commoners buying noble titles.

Na-bi’s mother, Mrs. Lee, struggled to fill the void left by her husband while raising Na-bi.

Fortunately, Na-bi grew up to be a warm-hearted child, despite their poverty, and wise enough to take care of herself.

By now, Na-bi had become a young girl with a rosy complexion, wandering around the market alone.

[“Miss. I really can’t sell it for less. We have to make a living too.”]

[“You know our situation well. We’ve known each other for years! Just five nyang to make us both happy! How about it?”]

As Na-bi bargained with the shopkeeper with her bright eyes, a boy passed by in the background. The camera naturally followed him.

The boy, with a tired face, clutched his stomach and squatted down as soon as he entered an alley.

Then, the sound of a loud stomach growl was vividly inserted.

He wasn’t so foolish as to not know that his proposal to return wouldn’t work.

The man who had brought the boy led him to a woman and made him kneel before her.

Trembling with his head down, the boy was scrutinized by the woman.

She nodded, and the men standing by grabbed the boy roughly and stood him up.

Their eyes met, and the boy froze.

Even though it was the first time he saw her face, the boy knew right away.

Like appraising goods at a market, the woman staring at him was the queen of this country.

[“He looks quite similar. We’ll use him. Prepare him right away.”]

[“Yes, Ma’am.”]

[“Did the other child arrive safely?”]

[“It was confirmed that he escaped safely. At dawn, I will send someone to Mrs. Lee’s house to check once more—”]

[“No need. If he was destined to live, he’ll live well. Now, leave.”]

The camera lingered on the queen’s indifferent eyes before smoothly exiting the room.

Like a servant retreating, the camera zoomed out to reveal the entire residence, finally reaching the crescent moon in the night sky.

The camera that briefly focused on the moon then lowered to reveal a different scene.

In the pitch dark night, amidst harsh breathing and rustling branches, an adult woman and a young boy were walking through the forest.

‘Is it Yeon-jae?’

He should appear soon. The woman suppressed her rising anticipation.

It was okay if the screen time was short. As long as there was one decent acting scene!

Having been severely stressed by recent malicious comments, the woman hoped for at least one scene where Lee Yeon-jae performed well.

In an era where no one did noise marketing anymore, it was obvious that the agency’s clumsy manipulation of public opinion made her furious.

Even if she accepted what had already happened, she desperately needed a good scene to shut down the haters. Just one decent scene…!

[“Mother, why so late… who is this?”]

[“…Greet her.”]

The scene switched between Na-bi, bewildered by the stranger, and Mrs. Lee, who commanded the boy.

Finally, the awaited character appeared.

[“Young miss. I… greet you. Please call me… Yu-hyeon….”]

Lee Yeon-jae, with his head deeply bowed, trembled as he delivered his lines.

His restrained movements and appropriately modulated voice tremor were natural without any awkwardness, bringing a satisfied smile to the woman’s face.

‘As expected! Our deer is a great actor too!’

Her thoughts of fangirling were interrupted by the camera’s downward movement.

More precisely, it was interrupted by the expression of Lee Yeon-jae, or rather, the boy, reflected by the lowered camera.

The boy’s trembling body didn’t look weak at all, contrary to his tear-filled eyes.

The quivering body, seen clearly now, conveyed a different meaning.

It wasn’t the tremble of a frightened child but the gnashing of teeth in anger like a beast.

The woman’s mind was unconsciously struck by the thought, ‘He’s dangerous.’

That instinctive feeling peaked when the boy shoved Na-bi’ hand away as if it were dirty.

[“How dare you!”]

The boy, who raised his voice vehemently enough to make his neck veins stand out, suddenly collapsed.

The startled duo took the boy to an outbuilding, and the next day Na-bi diligently nursed the boy back to health.

Born with a kind nature, Na-bi cast gentle looks at the boy who was wary of her.

[“When others are around, call me young miss. But when it’s just us, you can call me by my name.Na-bi.”]

[“……”]

The boy’s eyes, shaking violently at the warm tone he had never heard before, gradually softened over time.

After several months, his initially rough demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

[“Na-bi~, why are you so late!”]

[“Well…, I had no choice. But I’ll be waiting, so come early.”]

Each word was wrapped in a soft, sweet manner, yet his gaze remained as intense as ever. That contrast stood out clearly to the viewers.

The woman found herself unknowingly covering her mouth at one particular scene.

[“Na-bi. I…”]

[“……”]

[“I’m really glad you’re here.”]

The boy looked at Na-bi, but his gaze reached the viewers beyond the screen.

Both the woman, caught up in the emotions, and her brother, who held his breath alongside her, realized at the end of the first episode’s credits that the boy was Lee Yeon-jae.