The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 177

There was a saying that was considered the truth among the staff working at the facility.

It was, “Horn needs Kang Seok.”

Kang Seok was a scientist who had joined in the latter half of the H Project.

A young man who had proven his abilities through numerous research papers.

The H Project, after billions of failures, had finally succeeded for the first time, but it was still somewhat ambiguous to call it a success in the early stages.

This was because the experimental subject, ‘Horn,’ had extreme hostility towards the facility staff.

Whenever anyone tried to approach the white-haired boy even slightly, he would have a seizure, making it impossible to conduct experiments or even hold a conversation.

But everything changed after Kang Seok arrived.

“Hello. I’m Kang Seok. You can comfortably call me Seok hyung.”

“…….”

“I know you understand what I’m saying. I heard you have language abilities installed.”

As soon as Kang Seok entered Horn’s room, he approached without hesitation.

Towards the man who was striding closer, Horn made an incomprehensible animal sound.

“Krng….”

Since Horn’s hands and feet were tightly bound with restraints, that was all he could do.

Anyone could see it was not a positive sign, but Kang Seok was undeterred.

“Others say you act like this because you’re scared. That you’re confused because you don’t understand everything right now.”

“…….”

“But I think differently.”

Although there was a chair placed in the middle of the room, Kang Seok ignored it and walked straight towards Horn.

Then, he plopped down on the floor in front of Horn.

“You understand exactly what’s going on, don’t you? That you were created through an experiment.”

“Krng….”

“You don’t have to make animal sounds. This isn’t some drama we’re filming, so let’s not waste our energy.”

Kang Seok shrugged nonchalantly.

“I heard they put all sorts of unnecessary things like movies and dramas when they made you. It was to increase your understanding of humans, but it seems to have only confused you.”

“…….”

“I’ll tell you clearly. You don’t need to mimic ‘the reaction of a panicked human’ right now. You’re smart, so you’ll understand. Acting like that won’t change anything.”

At first glance, it seemed like an extremely cold statement.

However, it was logical enough for Horn to understand, and the words hit home.

Horn stopped making animal sounds and ceased violent behavior.

Of course, that didn’t mean he immediately let his guard down.

“Do you want to eat this? It’s a cream bread. Although you probably know that.”

“…….”

“Isn’t it about time you stop glaring at me? Doesn’t it hurt your eyes?”

Horn understood Kang Seok’s words clearly.

He realized that being violent would only tire himself out without changing the situation.

And he came to understand that ‘talking to the person in front of you wouldn’t be a problem.’

All of this was possible thanks to Kang Seok.

“Move over a bit. It’s cramped here.”

“…….”

Kang Seok spent all day with Horn.

Literally 24 hours, all day.

He did paperwork, ate, and slept in the room where Horn was.

Despite the room being spacious, Kang Seok deliberately lay right next to Horn.

Horn quietly watched the man.

And then, his perpetually closed mouth finally opened.

“You could just move over.”

It was after a whopping 247 days since Horn was created.

The scientists who were observing through cameras outside were dumbfounded, wondering if they had heard it wrong.

On the other hand, Kang Seok smiled and casually replied.

“Look at that. What? No manners between people?”

“I’m not human.”

“What nonsense. You were made with human DNA. So you’re human too.”

“…….”

“You know everything, but you’re pretending not to. From now on, call me hyung.”

Horn just stared at the cheerful man who laughed and said, “I’m much older than you.”

After that, Kang Seok continued to live with Horn.

It didn’t take long for the days when Horn would constantly call out “Seok hyung!” or “hyung!”

The boy, who used to breathe quietly with lifeless eyes, disappeared.

Horn grew up to be a lively character who couldn’t stay still and chattered incessantly.

Thanks to Kang Seok, Horn opened his heart to humans and willingly took on the purpose for which he was created.

He participated in all sorts of experiments without resistance and worked harder than anyone else to succeed in them.

There were many times he got seriously injured during repeated experiments, but it didn’t matter.

“Are you okay, Horn?”

Because there was a man who would run straight to him.

Horn would briefly look at Kang Seok’s forehead, beaded with sweat from running, and then turn his head with a snort.

“You’re too late. What were you doing? Waiting to come when I’m dead next time?”

“You say the strangest things for someone younger than me. Why would you die?”

Because I’m here.

Hearing the kind words that followed, Horn had to hide his rising smile.

That’s right. As long as you’re here, I don’t need to die.

No, there’s no need for that.

Horn just had to do what Kang Seok told him to.

After that, he would always receive a warm hug and a kind compliment.

“Just listen to hyung.”

What Kang Seok told him to do was mostly hard and painful.

Sometimes it was so painful he coughed up blood. But it was okay.

As long as the experiment succeeded, Kang Seok would surely hug him.

Days where that alone was enough gradually filled his life.

“Hyung!”

“My dear Horn, you’re full of energy today too.”

A few years later, Horn completely gave his heart to Kang Seok.

It was an inevitable thing. He had no intention of avoiding it.

Thus, the experimental subject began to live for a human.

* * *

“Yeon-jae, you look great today.”

I smiled and replied to Jung-hyun hyung’s words as soon as I got out of the car.

“You too, hyung.”

“Oh my, our baby has grown up so much.”

I had barely said a word.

The response was excessively enthusiastic.

While I was accustomed to being hugged by Jung-hyun hyung, a reluctant voice came from the side.

“……Seriously, what’s with you two?”

It was actor Kim Seok-jun.

With a disgusted face, he muttered, “Why do you act like you haven’t seen each other for a month when you see each other every day?”

Jung-hyun hyung laughed and replied.

“You know why. He’s my son.”

“…? Really?”

“Yeah. I gave birth to him in my heart.”

“Alright, alright. It was my mistake for talking to you guys.”

Actor Kim Seok-jun shook his head and turned around.

I was the one who stopped him as he was about to leave.

“Seok-jun hyung, you came out today too. You don’t have a shoot today.”

He was a very diligent person, just like during the Zelkova Tree days.

Actor Kim Seok-jun smirked at my words.

“You don’t have one either.”

“I just came to watch.”

“Same here.”

Lies.

‘He should at least put down the script in his hand before saying that.’

The script in his hand looked visibly worn out.

Holding a script with traces of how much he had practiced, he put on a relaxed expression.

“I came because it’s the same whether I’m at home or here. You should rest if you don’t have a shoot, yet you came all the way here.”

“You’re one to talk, hyung.”

“Oh, look at you, talking back now.”

Actor Kim Seok-jun tried to lightly hit my forehead with his finger.

Jung-hyun hyung, smiling, naturally blocked his hand.

“Alright, let’s stop and go inside. I’m the one who’s actually shooting, but you two seem more excited.”

“Can’t even give a light tap? So, only you can hit your kid?”

“Why hit a kid who doesn’t deserve it? Stop saying unnecessary things.”

Actor Kim Seok-jun and Jung-hyun hyung bickered whenever they had the chance.

‘I can’t tell if they get along well or not.’

Since their conversation didn’t seem like it would end, I went into the filming set alone.

The filming set that would become ‘Horn’s room’ once the cameras were on was very large and empty.

I looked around the spacious room filled with nothing but cameras.

‘This isn’t a good nurturing environment.’

Whether Horn was an experimental subject or a human, he was still a child.

Although it was probably the production team’s intention, an empty room with no toys didn’t seem suitable for a child.

‘Perfect for gaslighting.’

Growing up alone in such a room for years without peers made it difficult to make rational decisions.

Meeting a kind person in such a situation would inevitably lead to blind devotion.

“…….”

As I quietly looked around and sat in a corner, I felt lonely within minutes.

But it wasn’t my emotion.

‘You must have felt very lonely.’

I vividly felt the emotions Horn must have felt in this large room when Kang Seok occasionally left.

I understood even more why Horn had become so obsessed with Kang Seok.

‘Tsk.’

My mouth tasted bitter.

Children should grow up like children.

‘If they were going to experiment, they should have created another peer.’

Why did they leave the child alone, I thought as I sat idly.

“Hey… hi.”

Someone poked my shoulder.

“…?”

Turning my head, I saw a boy standing there.

With a youthful face and small frame, he looked about eight years old.

Since there was no one around but me, and more importantly, because he poked my shoulder, I responded.

“Hi.”

“Did you come here to act too

?”

“Yes.”

I was slightly bothered by the small kid addressing me informally, but I thought he didn’t know better, so I just replied.

“I also came here to act!”

“I see.”

It didn’t seem like a special comment, but the boy’s face brightened.

Then he sat down right next to me.

“What’s your name? I’m Luke, no, Han Ha-ram. You can call me Ha-ram!”

“I’m Lee Yeon-jae.”

“Your name is pretty!”

“Thank you. Yours is too.”

When I responded calmly, the boy smiled brightly.

“I was a bit nervous because there are only adults here, but I’m so glad you’re here!”

“That’s good.”

The boy talked more than I expected.

Even if I just gave simple responses, he chatted eagerly on his own.

‘His pronunciation is a bit awkward.’

There was a high chance he was a foreigner.

Although he looked like a Korean, I knew it was foolish to assume nationality based on appearance alone.

‘Even Sung Lee-jun is American, after all.’

Moreover, he introduced himself as Luke, and his slightly slurred Korean pronunciation suggested he was likely a foreigner.

“You really stood out. I noticed you right away when you came in.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Of course! You’re really cool! What do you call it? Shine? You’re like a star!”

“Thank you.”

So I just let him talk comfortably.

‘I heard foreign kids don’t care about age, and it’s true.’

It was interesting to see how he called me informally without any hesitation despite our obvious size difference.

I was watching the chattering kid, wondering if it was a cultural difference, when it happened.

“Ha-ram! What are you doing there?”

A woman yelled hysterically.

At the same time, the boy’s flushed face turned pale.

“I told you not to wander around the set!”

“I’m sorry, Mom….”

Mom?

“Can’t you even wait for a moment while I greet the director? How can you be so impatient—”

As the woman approached with a frown, her eyes met mine.

She froze for a moment, her eyes widening, and then her expression quickly changed.

“Oh my! Aren’t you actor Lee Yeon-jae? Oh my~ You were already talking to my Ha-ram? Haha.”

The woman, who had been scowling, now smiled brightly.

Looking back and forth between the pale boy and the woman, I thought.

‘Why make the kid act?’

She could do it herself.