The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 164

I frowned, wondering what he suddenly wanted to talk about.

“You like honesty, right? That’s why I’m telling you this. I still want to benefit from your fame, but now I also want to see your acting up close.”

“I see.”

It wasn’t information I was particularly curious about.

I nodded without much emotion, but I paused at his next words, spoken softly.

“You’re the kind of person who wonders about someone’s intentions when they approach you.”

“…….”

“I’m the same. That’s why I recognized it right away.”

Seo Ji-oh smiled broadly.

“I revealed my intentions to you immediately because I thought you liked honesty.”

“……Yeah. I do like honesty.”

“Yeah. But you rejected me. I’m sorry I bothered you for a week because I couldn’t accept it. I’m sorry for being a nuisance even now. But I don’t regret telling you that I wanted to use your fame. If I hadn’t, we wouldn’t be having this conversation now.”

His voice was firm.

When I looked at him quietly, Seo Ji-oh met my gaze.

“Of course, I know it’s not great. It’s obvious that using someone openly isn’t a good thing. I’m sorry for that, too. But what can I do? I’m not a great person.”

It was strange.

His tone exuded both confidence and self-loathing.

And I also sensed a desperate struggle to survive.

‘Why is he so desperate?’

So I asked.

“Are you this honest with everyone?”

“No, only with you.”

Seo Ji-oh smiled with his eyes.

“So, even if you don’t like it, can you overlook it? Can you stay with me?”

I gazed at his eyes, which curved slightly.

Then I spoke slowly.

“No. I don’t want to.”

“…….”

He hesitated for a moment, then looked crestfallen.

“Why? Because I’m not great?”

“I never thought you were bad.”

Of course, I never thought you were great either.

When I shrugged, Seo Ji-oh whined, asking why.

His expression and voice were full of cuteness.

“Then why?”

“Just because I’m famous doesn’t mean I want to be used.”

“……Huh?”

“I didn’t care before, but now I do. It’s not okay.”

The well-crafted smile crumbled in an instant.

“…….”

Seo Ji-oh looked as if he’d been struck.

“What you said is right. I also think there’s always a purpose when someone approaches someone else.”

Noh Bi-hyuk said that there was no longer a purpose in talking to me.

I roughly understood it in my head, but I still couldn’t feel it.

Before meeting Mist, no one had approached me without a reason.

But thanks to Director Yoon, I learned at least this one thing.

‘It’s okay to be in a not-okay state.’

‘…….’

‘You don’t always have to finish things in a perfect state.’

You don’t have to be okay.

So I said to Seo Ji-oh, who was looking at me with a stunned expression.

“Instead of you using me, I could gain something from you, too. If I benefit from it, I’m not at a loss. It was okay before. But now, I don’t want that.”

“…….”

Honestly, it was hard to admit, but this guy and I were quite similar.

‘I thought it was just our tastes, but even our ways of thinking are alike.’

What’s the difference between me using Director Yoon as a pawn and him wanting to use my fame?

If both parties are satisfied with the deal, what’s the problem?

I was still confused. I was unsure about what I wanted and what was the right thing to do.

But at this moment, I was clear about one thing: I didn’t want to be openly used.

So I made a firm statement.

“Don’t ever say openly in front of someone that you’re using them or whatever. No matter how honest it is, it’s not right. If you do that, I’ll tolerate you to some extent as you want.”

“Okay….”

Seo Ji-oh nodded blankly.

I added one more thing.

“And don’t act like you did earlier.”

“Huh?”

“Apologizing with a pitiful face while still trying to get what you want—that’s classic gaslighting.”

When I told him not to use his appearance unnecessarily, Seo Ji-oh froze.

“……Does that mean you think I’m handsome?”

Tsk, he still didn’t get it.

I sighed and eventually flicked his forehead.

He rubbed his forehead, saying it hurt, but he laughed.

“Haha. Okay, I get it. I’ll do as you say. Thanks for talking to me calmly instead of getting angry.”

“……Why do you want to become famous so badly?”

If he just wanted to be famous, he could have become a YouTuber. He seemed to have the potential for that.

At my words, Seo Ji-oh burst into laughter again. Why did he keep laughing since earlier?

“I don’t just want to be famous. I want to be famous ‘as an actor.’ It’s not enough to be just famous; I don’t want to act just for the sake of acting. My goal is to be a ‘popular actor.’”

So why exactly?

He read the question on my face and laughed.

“It’s a heavy story, so I haven’t told anyone… but I’ll tell you because I want to look good to you.”

“No, then don’t—.”

“My mom left home when I was 12. To become an actor.”

“…….”

Damn.

‘That’s too personal.’

It was clear that listening to such a story would be troublesome.

But I couldn’t tell him to stop because I wasn’t curious.

“I understand. When I grabbed her at the end, she said just one thing.”

“……What did she say?”

How could I ask that of someone with a face like his?

“‘Ji-oh, I want to be an actor more than a mom.’”

“…….”

Seo Ji-oh’s face was full of smiles.

“As I expected, it didn’t go well. I think she’s living without even looking at auditions now. That’s why I want to be a popular actor. I want to make her regret it.”

“…….”

“When I see her again, I’ll definitely tell her that I achieved it before she did.”

Seo Ji-oh, saying this with a smile, looked as if he was crying.

‘This is troublesome.’

I hesitated for a long time, wondering what to say, then just raised my hand.

“…?”

When I patted his back, one of his eyebrows went up.

“Then do well.”

“…….”

His lips twitched and froze, then lifted.

The gentle smile wasn’t bad.

Until he spoke again.

“You really are like a cat. Now that I look closely, you even look like— Ow!”

Tsk. I flicked his forehead hard again.

You should just keep your mouth shut.

* * *

Fortunately, the students’ interest waned after a while.

Baek Seo-jin’s constant assertiveness kept the kids in line, and my indifferent response must have made it less fun for them.

Most importantly, public opinion was well managed.

[Lee Yeon-jae’s words to fans worried about bullying rumors, the true dignity of a celebrity]

[[Editorial] Youngest Best Actor Award winner Lee Yeon-jae, how he changed those around him]

[A calm confession without a tear. Why do we find comfort in the words of a 15-year-old boy?]

‘Our agency is really good at this.’

The rumors about me being bullied were so well-known that denying them would have been like hiding the sun with one’s hand.

‘Looking back, I might have been bullied, but now I’m too happy thanks to my fans to care,’ became my new image.

With the endless content provided by the agency, it was firmly ingrained in the public.

As public opinion quieted down, so did the students.

During those times, I often thought of Seo Ji-oh’s words.

‘It’s certainly amusing.’

Knowing there was someone who thought similarly to me wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

He seemed a bit twisted, but so was I.

‘Getting along moderately as we are now isn’t bad.’

The same went for Baek Seo-jin.

Although it was troubling that he didn’t get along with Noh Bi-hyuk, he was a great guy to talk to at school.

That’s why I was really surprised when Baek Seo-jin said this.

“Guys, I’m transferring.”

“…….”

Noh Bi-hyuk, Seo Ji-oh, and I all froze with our spoons in mid-air at the sudden announcement.

The one who dropped the bomb looked surprisingly calm.

“Is it because of what you mentioned before?”

Seo Ji-oh asked, and Baek Seo-jin chuckled.

“No? I don’t want to transfer because of the kids gossiping about me. If they’re jealous, they should talk to us themselves. I don’t care about petty kids.”

If he were genuinely struggling because of such kids, Baek Seo-jin would have been too proud to transfer.

“Then why are you transferring?”

I asked cautiously, and Baek Seo-jin shrugged.

“I don’t think being an actor is my path.”

“Did you suddenly feel that way?”

“I didn’t have much thought when I came here. Everyone kept saying I was pretty and should become a celebrity. I couldn’t sing, so I thought maybe acting would be better and came here.”

His voice sounded relieved as he spoke.

As if he had already made up his mind.

“But being here and seeing you guys, I felt like I was being frivolous. Ha-eun is already studying hard to become a doctor. Even you,

Noh Bi-hyuk, are living really diligently.”

“Uh… thanks…?”

Noh Bi-hyuk, who always received sarcasm from Baek Seo-jin, replied, bewildered.

Regardless, Baek Seo-jin continued.

“Watching Lee Yeon-jae and Seo Ji-oh act made my heart feel stifled. I don’t even want to practice acting that hard…. Right now, I enjoy taking care of myself more. Makeup and buying clothes. Ugh, saying it out loud makes me sound even more pathetic—.”

“Seo-jin, stop.”

I cut him off urgently as his voice reeked of self-loathing.

“Our age is when we’re supposed to feel confused. We need to keep trying and bumping into things to find out what we want. If we don’t wander enough now, we’ll face a bigger shock as adults. Your worries are natural and actually good.”

“Yeon-jae, you’re quoting something you read, right?”

“…….”

How did he know? I was momentarily speechless.

When I couldn’t say anything, Noh Bi-hyuk chuckled and continued.

“Where would Lee Yeon-jae go? But I agree with what he said. My dream has been clear since I was young, but how many people our age know exactly what they want to do? When I talk to my elementary school friends, they say they just go to school, eat, and sleep.”

“I’m working hard because of personal reasons, but if I didn’t have a set dream, I wouldn’t feel the need to run so fast.”

I agreed immediately with Seo Ji-oh’s words.

“Yeah, Seo-jin. Life is long. We’re just starting. If we run without thinking, we could lose direction.”

“Yeon-jae, stop quoting books….”

Why does he only pick on me?

I pouted my lips but quickly pulled them back in, thinking it was too much like Mist.

When I shut up, the rest of them continued chatting happily.

“So you’re transferring to a regular middle school?”

“Yeah. But it’s not a big deal, it’s right next door. Let’s meet up often. Seo Ji-oh, I’ll visit your house often.”

“Uh…. You don’t really have to.”

“It’s not to see you, it’s to play with your siblings.”

At Baek Seo-jin’s words, Noh Bi-hyuk raised his eyebrows.

“Seo Ji-oh has siblings? I thought he was an only child.”

“I have younger siblings. A boy and a girl. They’re twins, just turned two. They’re super cute. Noh Bi-hyuk, you should come visit sometime.”

“Wow, two years old? They’re really babies. I love babies. When can I come?”

“Hey, should we gather this weekend?”

As Noh Bi-hyuk nodded with a bright face, Seo Ji-oh muttered bitterly.

“Guys, I have plans this weekend….”

“We’re not going to see you anyway. I’ll let your dad know in advance.”

“Why do you keep contacting my dad? That’s why he keeps calling you his daughter-in-law.”

“I’m going to be his daughter-in-law! Not for you, but for your sibling.”

“……Didn’t you say they’re two years old?”

Noh Bi-hyuk’s words were full of disbelief, and Baek Seo-jin quickly shouted, “Cancel, cancel.”

We all burst into laughter simultaneously.

The warm summer sunlight shone on the four of us through the window.

The usual school meal tasted especially good today.

At the same time, I felt a strangely regretful emotion, as if I might never feel this way again.

* * *

A few days later, I woke up early in the morning and got in the car.

Today was finally the day of my second commercial shoot.