The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 161

“You pinched my side several times too, so are you really that upset that I hit your forehead?”

“……”

It was true, so I couldn’t argue.

When I stayed quiet, he messed up his own hair.

Then he looked at me with a sighing gaze.

“What on earth should I do with you?”

“…Why are you looking at me like I’m a troublemaker?”

“Because you are a troublemaker. You’re just quiet about it.”

What on earth was he thinking with that small head of his?

Mumbling to himself, he poked my head with his finger, which I swatted away.

“I asked you first, so answer me. Even if I’m not beneficial to you, will you really keep hanging out with me?”

“Yes! I will!!”

“…Why have you been getting angry since earlier?”

“Good grief! It’s so frustrating! Did you forget that I just said I was upset?”

Why are you upset?

When I made a face that showed I couldn’t understand, he looked like he was about to burst with frustration.

“Hey. This might be cheesy, but you don’t understand unless I say it straight.”

“Okay.”

“I like you. More than you think. I care about you a lot. Just like your manager and Lee Jung-hyun like you, I do too.”

So what’s your point?

Jin-bae hyung cares about me because he’s my manager.

Jung-hyun hyung likes me because I act well.

Why do you like me? Because we’re friends?

Is ‘friend’ such an omnipotent word?

After sorting out my thoughts, I asked.

“Bi-hyuk. I have fun when I’m with you. But I’m not that fun myself, right? Other than my fame, I don’t have anything to offer you, and that makes me a bit uneasy.”

“…? Why does that make you uneasy?”

Because you can leave me anytime.

But I didn’t want to say it so directly.

I had my pride too.

When I hesitated, he sighed deeply.

“You said it yourself. If you don’t tell me, I won’t know. I also don’t know what you’re thinking if you don’t tell me.”

“……”

“When I pestered you at first, I had an impure motive. But I told you clearly that it’s not the case now. If you keep talking like that, it makes me sad. It makes me look like someone who’s only here to take advantage of you.”

“Then what are you thinking?”

“Ugh! This is driving me crazy!”

Noh Bi-hyuk looked like he was about to pull his hair out. I quickly stopped him.

“Bi-hyuk. You’re an idol, an idol.”

“Oh, right. Thanks.”

He quickly relaxed his grip. Yeah, gotta be careful about hair loss.

“Phew. Patience, patience. I’m your real first friend, so I have to bear this much.”

Muttering to himself, Noh Bi-hyuk let out a big breath.

And then he shouted loudly.

“I have no ulterior motive for talking to you. Memorize this whole thing from now on. Come on, repeat after me!”

“What?”

“I can’t explain it any further. You know I’m bad at studying. What more do you want?”

I looked at his frowning face curiously and asked.

“Why are you bringing up studying here? You’re good at everything else.”

“…Right. I like you because you’re kind like this. Satisfied? No, you’re not. You’re probably thinking, ‘So, if I’m not kind, you won’t like me?’”

“……”

This guy really could read minds. Today, I felt especially transparent.

Noh Bi-hyuk took a deep breath and then calmed down.

“Never mind. It’s just a matter of time anyway. We’re not going to see each other for just a day or two, so there’s no need for me to be impatient.”

“Huh?”

“Just repeat after me. I have no ulterior motive for talking to you!”

“I have no―.”

“No, you have to say it the other way around. Dummy!”

Being called a dummy by Noh Bi-hyuk, I repeated the phrase ‘Noh Bi-hyuk has no ulterior motive for talking to Lee Yeon-jae’ twenty times before being released.

It was a tiring day.

But strangely, it wasn’t just tiring.

* * *

Today was the first day I was going to the action school.

‘Killing Horn’ was an SF drama full of action.

Like the ‘Dogs’ Leash’ that Sung Lee-jun appeared in, it featured people with superpowers, but it had more realistic action scenes.

Even though stuntmen would be involved, as the main actor, I still needed to practice basic action scenes.

It was my first time doing dynamic acting, so I was somewhat excited.

Especially when I got into the car with Jung-hyun hyung.

“Yeon-jae. Are you still practicing your English?”

“Yes. It’s useful when I do vocal exercises.”

Representative Jang was very confident about entering Hollywood, and I also found learning fun, so I had no complaints.

Moreover, it was very helpful during vocal exercises.

English required more resonance than Korean to produce accurate pronunciation, so it was great for practicing chest voice.

“Oh. So, other than English, are you not taking any other lessons? Acting lessons?”

“Well, the CEO did say to let him know if I need any, but I’m not sure yet.”

I didn’t intend to be arrogant.

I wasn’t really a genius actor, so I would obviously take any necessary lessons.

But most things could be found on the internet, and I had school classes too….

Most importantly, if I was confused about anything, I could ask Jung-hyun hyung.

“For now, I think practicing alone is the best.”

“That’s good. Everyone has their own methods that suit them.”

Jung-hyun hyung said this with a soft smile.

“But action is not something you can do alone. It’s very important to meet the right teacher. The place we’re going today is very famous. I’ve talked to them separately, so use this opportunity to learn the basics well.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Aww, you’re so cute.”

I just answered, but Jung-hyun hyung was pinching my cheek in excitement, and I accepted his hand out of habit.

Before I knew it, we arrived at the action school.

“What? Why are you here?”

To my surprise, someone unexpected was standing in front of the building.

“You didn’t hear? I’m in Killing Horn too.”

Actor Kim Seok-jun, with a sullen expression, answered Jung-hyun hyung’s question.

He was the actor who played Yoo Hyun with me in ‘Butterflies Riding the Neighbouring Tree’.

It was the first time seeing him since the award ceremony.

We hadn’t exchanged texts since then, so it had really been a long time.

“Hello, hyung. Long time no see.”

“Yeah. Congratulations on your Best Actor Award.”

“Thank you.”

The conversation was flowing rather dryly, but it took an unexpected turn.

“I’m doing this because of you.”

“What?”

“I turned down a lead role in a romance drama to take this supporting role.”

“……”

So… what should I do about that?

I stood there blankly, not knowing how to react, and he chuckled.

“Yeah~, I wasn’t expecting anything. Anyway, let’s do well this time too.”

“Ah, yes.”

When I answered in a daze, actor Kim Seok-jun went in first.

“You two seem to get along well.”

“Do we?”

After answering Jung-hyun hyung’s amused comment, I followed him in.

After greeting the instructor, I changed into the prepared training clothes.

Since it was the first day, and considering I was still growing, they said they wouldn’t make the training too intense.

We decided to start with a light test and basic physical training, so I got into position.

An hour passed like that.

‘…This is tough.’

Even though I didn’t take it lightly, it was much harder than I thought.

I tried to control my breathing so as not to show how winded I was.

‘If I want to do action and act simultaneously, I need to manage my breathing in advance.’

Truly, acting was a field with no end to learning.

While wiping my sweat and taking a sip of water, the instructor was whispering something seriously to Jin-bae hyung.

“Actor, could you come here for a moment?”

When I approached at Jin-bae hyung’s cautious call, the instructor, with a stiff face, spoke.

“I just asked your manager if you do any other exercises.”

“Oh, yes. I do light workouts three or four times a week. Mostly cardio.”

“Yeah. I just heard that. But is that really true?”

“…?”

Then what’s the issue?

When I stared blankly, the instructor asked seriously.

“Do you really not do any other exercise? Don’t lie. There’s no point in showing off here.”

I didn’t understand why anyone would show off here, but I answered sincerely.

“Yes. I really don’t do any other exercise.”

“I see…. Can I touch your body for a moment?”

I nodded at the instructor’s request, and he carefully examined my arms and thighs, sighing as he did.

What’s wrong? Is there a problem?

“Why are you like this?”

“It’s frustrating.”

“…Sorry?”

“Another talent in stunts is being lost to acting. Sigh….”

The instructor lamented.

“You naturally know how to use your body. It seems like you already know how to stimulate your muscles. Do you like exercising?”

Do I like exercising?

I

pondered if I could like anything other than acting, then shook my head.

“Not really….”

“You’re really a natural. How about learning stunt training properly? It would be very beneficial for your acting. You could shoot scenes without a stuntman.”

His voice was sweetly enticing, like giving candy to a child.

I didn’t fully grasp the situation, but I knew my answer.

“Then you should talk to the company first.”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to follow the company’s decision.”

I didn’t know the exact intensity of stunt training, but it definitely involved physical work.

Physical work meant a higher chance of getting hurt.

Even though I practiced for hours to avoid misfortune, there was still a chance I could get seriously injured….

Anyway, my body wasn’t entirely my own. Half of it belonged to the company.

‘What if I got a scar on my face? How would I shoot?’

There was a reason stuntmen existed.

Even if I could do it or wanted to, I didn’t want to ruin everything by being greedy.

When I explained calmly to avoid any misunderstanding, the instructor clicked his tongue in regret.

“That’s true. Tsk, it’s still a shame. You have a body that could build muscle quickly with a bit of exercise.”

That’s even worse. My fans tell me not to bulk up.

I don’t know why, but if my fans say no, then it’s a no.

‘Still, it feels refreshing to use my body after a while.’

Indeed, working out alone in the gym and having one-on-one coaching from an instructor was completely different.

I could feel my muscles being stimulated in real-time.

Because I was following along quite well with whatever I was taught, the instructor’s face grew darker and darker.

“Please, just think about it one more time. I’ll teach you sincerely without getting you hurt. Isn’t that enough? Hm?”

“Calm down, instructor.”

Why are there only strange people around me?

Jin-bae hyung took care of the instructor who clung to me as if he had lost a Tae-ryeong talent.

“What should we eat?”

“I’m fine with anything.”

We decided to have dinner with actor Kim Seok-jun, Jung-hyun hyung, and Jin-bae hyung.

While we were standing in front of the action school choosing dinner, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

[Director Yoon Kang-yeon: Yeon-jae. I just got a call from a journalist I know, and apparently something’s about to break. Someone posted something, look at this.]

It was a message from Director Yoon, full of typos, with a URL attached.

I clicked the link, which led to a community post written anonymously. The title was:

—Do you guys know that Lee Yeon-jae was a bullied loser in elementary school?

As I calmly read the entire post, Jin-bae hyung’s phone rang.

“Hello—. Yes? Ah, yes. Yes.”

Jin-bae hyung’s expression turned serious as soon as he answered the call and looked at me.

“…An article?”

I looked calmly at his furrowed brows.

‘What was bound to happen has happened.’