The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 58

“Actor! Please sit here.”

“…What’s all this?”

The next evening, after coming back from school, I was greeted with papers that filled the dining table.

“It’s the materials I organized related to what you mentioned yesterday.”

“Did you really organize all this while I was at school?”

“Well… to be honest, I did some of it last night too.”

This person is unbelievable.

When I glared at him, Manager An Jin-bae smiled as if asking for leniency and handed me a cup of lemon tea.

Last night, or rather, yesterday at dawn, I was about to go to bed right after taking a shower, but Manager An Jin-bae was waiting.

He politely asked if I could tell him why I wasn’t feeling well on the set, and after a moment’s hesitation, I told him.

I said that while playing Kim Su-ho, I almost tried to poke Lee Ho-seop’s eye.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen, but the vivid emotions from the moment I moved my hand without hesitation made it hard to calm down.

Manager An Jin-bae, who had listened quietly, thanked me for sharing and patted my back.

He must have noticed the bruise on my shoulder because his touch was so gentle, almost too gentle, that it was only later that I realized he had patted me at all.

I thought he was doing something else behind my back.

He suggested we go to bed since it was late, and I agreed without a second thought, but it bothered me to learn that he had stayed up finding materials instead of sleeping.

If I had known, I would have told him in the morning.

“Please don’t do this next time. You should sleep on time. You told me to sleep since it was late.”

“You shouldn’t stay up late at your age. I’m an adult, so it’s fine for me.”

“Just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you don’t need sleep.”

“Okay, Actor. For now, please look at this.”

Manager An Jin-bae gently changed the subject, as if coaxing a stubborn child.

Who’s the one not listening now?

It was absurd, but I couldn’t get angry at someone who had prepared so much, so I held it in.

“This is an excerpt from an interview with actress Kang So-jung. She said she couldn’t sleep throughout the filming of ‘Psychopath Boarding House’ and felt very anxious. She actually suffered from aftereffects even after the filming ended.”

“Her role was… a murderer.”

“Yes. She said the most terrifying moment was when she truly understood the character while acting out the murders. I included it because it closely relates to what you mentioned yesterday.”

I nodded and diligently skimmed the paper highlighted in marker.

The interview summarized the aftereffects suffered by actors who played villain roles.

Though the actors were different in name, gender, and age, the content was the same.

“From an ethical standpoint, understanding actions that should never be understood is the hardest part for actors playing villains. It makes sense that you struggled with it yesterday.”

Thanks to his calm explanation, my complicated thoughts became clearer.

I wondered what the problem was, but it turned out that such concerns are natural when playing a villain.

It was comforting to know that I wasn’t the only one feeling this unpleasantness. Nothing comes easy, I guess.

After thoroughly going through the last paper, I swallowed a sigh and spoke.

“Honestly, even if Kim Su-ho had his reasons, it’s not necessary for others to understand them. After all, he did participate in the scam. It’s true that many people were harmed because of him.”

“That’s right.”

“But once I got into character… even though I didn’t want to, I kept making excuses for him. It was very unpleasant.”

I had already experienced understanding a character while playing ‘Yu-hyeon.’

As I mentioned at the production announcement, it was a very interesting experience.

This performance was also intriguing. The difference was that there was an element of unpleasantness mixed in.

That didn’t mean that playing ‘Kim Su-ho’ was the worst.

It was still fun, but… how should I describe it?

It felt like driving a sports car that I couldn’t handle.

The thrill of speed was fun, but I felt a fear that a single moment of distraction could lead to an accident.

“The biggest problem, as I mentioned yesterday, was trying to poke Ho-seop’s eye.”

The unpleasantness was something I could endure.

I couldn’t insist on only playing good characters because I disliked it.

But causing harm to others was a different issue.

“Even now, I think Kim Su-ho would have done it without hesitation. But the problem is…”

“You’re not Kim Su-ho.”

I nodded at Manager An Jin-bae’s words.

The problem was that I was overly immersed in the character.

It didn’t seem like long ago that I was wondering how to immerse myself, and now I had another worry.

Now that I knew what the problem was, it was time to find a solution.

“So, what should I do from now on? How did these actors handle it?”

“Unfortunately, the information I found online is all we have.”

“I see….”

It was a bit disappointing, but it was good that the cause was clear.

I thought I should thank him for organizing the materials and look for solutions through Mist’s search function.

“Don’t worry, Actor. We have something better than the internet.”

“…? What is it?”

Manager An Jin-bae didn’t answer right away but smiled.

Just as I was puzzled by his waiting demeanor, the doorbell rang.

Hearing it for the first time since moving into this house, I blinked in surprise as Manager An Jin-bae opened the door.

The person who entered, bringing the chilly night breeze with him, was not a stranger.

“Our genius actor, have you been well?”

“Hyung?”

Seeing Jung-hyun hyung holding bags in both hands, my feet moved before I knew it.

“Didn’t you have a shoot today?”

“It ended earlier. Finally came for a housewarming. You haven’t had dinner yet, right? I ordered Chinese food. It’ll be here soon.”

“What’s in those bags?”

“Who comes to a housewarming empty-handed? Of course, they’re gifts.”

I was bewildered as I took the paper bag from Jung-hyun hyung, surprised by its weight.

Inside, there were many books.

Carefully taking one out, I saw its glossy cover.

The fresh smell of paper from a new book filled the air.

“Thank you, hyung.”

“It’s nothing. Here, this is for Jin-bae.”

“Thank you. Please give me your coat! I’ll hang it up for you.”

Jung-hyun hyung said he’d wash his hands first and disappeared into the bathroom, while Manager An Jin-bae took the coat to hang it up in the clothes room.

Left alone in the living room, I quietly took the bag to my room.

I placed the new books next to the ones Noh Bi-hyuk had given me.

Repeating this a few times, an empty shelf was soon filled.

As I carefully stroked the spines of the books, their edges still crisp, my eyes fell on the black watch I was wearing on my left wrist.

‘Come to think of it, this was a gift too.’

I had been wearing it habitually for so long that I often forgot I was even wearing a watch.

Absentmindedly fiddling with the watch, I stared at the shelf.

I felt strange.

* * *

“Yeah. It’s a dilemma. But you can’t just play good roles, right?”

Nodding enthusiastically, Jung-hyun hyung laughed and served me chili shrimp.

“I think it’s the fate of an actor. Even if you’re not playing a murderer or a criminal, you can’t help but feel a subtle unpleasantness when acting out a role. It can feel like you’re being consumed by the character.”

“What do you do when that happens?”

“I try to ventilate myself. It can be a bit tedious, but after filming ends, I go on a trip or even take a light drive. Just following my usual routine can help me get out of character easily.”

Remember the ranch we went to last time? I go there after every shoot for that reason—. His gentle words continued.

I recalled the ice cream and the green scenery from a few months ago. It was quite nice.

“We mostly perform in dramas or movies, right? In these, there’s always a particular incident.”

“Yes.”

“After going through such a hectic and chaotic event, our everyday life can feel very bland.”

“I understand what you mean.”

Movies and dramas are like highlights, gathering the most important scenes in life.

After acting out those intense parts, it’s inevitable that everyday life feels bland in comparison.

Today felt especially slow compared to yesterday when I was acting as Kim Su-ho.

Lost in thought, I felt a soft gaze on me.

“But sometimes that blandness can be comforting.”

“Comforting?”

“Yes. The characters we play are busy and troubled, but our real lives remain unchanged. That contrast helps us distinguish between the two, and it makes me appreciate my everyday life more.”

Listening to him, I found myself fiddling with my watch again.

I couldn’t respond, so the face in front of me smiled warmly.

“But honestly, I’m not worried. It doesn’t seem like a serious problem.”

“Really?”

“Attempting to poke someone’s eye is serious, but you didn’t actually do it. Yesterday was a unique situation, and usually, there are limits to improvisation during filming.”

“That’s true….”

“People usually worry about not being able to get out of character after acting, but it doesn’t sound like you have that problem.”

Seeing his kind smile, I nodded slowly.

Indeed, once I snapped out of it, distinguishing between the role and myself wasn’t difficult.

“Yes. I don’t have much trouble getting out of character.”

“That’s a relief.”

“That’s fine, but I’m worried about crossing the line due to excessive immersion like yesterday.”

“That’s a lifetime concern. People who have never crossed the line will always live being conscious of it.”

Jung-hyun hyung added, “This isn’t just about acting.”

I thought I understood, but it felt like I didn’t.

As I quietly mulled over his words, Jung-hyun hyung chuckled as if he found me adorable.

“Ha-ha, Yeon-jae. You don’t always need a countermeasure. Life can throw unexpected events at you even if you prepare.”

“…That’s true.”

“And I think you’ll handle it well.”

His eyes, with a hint of a neat smile, squinted.

“Everything ended well yesterday, didn’t it? And you’re still thinking about not making mistakes. I think that’s more than enough.”

He shrugged and joked, “Shall we have dessert now?”

His nonchalant tone made my worries feel insignificant.

“By the way, I’m free tomorrow. How about we all go out?”

“I have school tomorrow.”

“Oh… What about you, Jin-bae?”

“I have a meeting with Team Leader Woo.”

“…Looks like I’m the only one with free time.”

I burst into laughter at his dejected mumbling.

Suddenly, the thought crossed my mind that this moment could someday be a ‘bland comfort.’