The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 184

‘Don’t you want to do a live broadcast?’

It was definitely three days ago when Jin-hyun hyung had said that.

‘What is going on here?’

I thought as I put on the white hoodie that the stylist noona handed to me, somewhat dazed.

The soft texture brushed against my cheek.

‘Is this how it’s usually done?’

No way. Last time, Space’s Se-hyun hyung and singer Choi In-joon went live spontaneously.

From the start, it was strange arriving at a studio crowded with people.

I was silently following what the staff instructed, but inside, I felt something was off.

“Yeon-jae, this is a hairband. Try it on.”

“…”

No, this isn’t right.

I had the distinct feeling that something was very wrong and opened my mouth.

“Noona, do people usually wear these during live broadcasts?”

“What’s the matter? These days, idols wear them all the time. It was really hard to get this brand because it’s always sold out.”

But why would I, now, wear something idols use on stage?

I rubbed my forehead as I looked at the white hairband with the brand name prominently displayed.

“Hyung, Jin-bae hyung, what’s all this? Isn’t it time you explained everything?”

“I’m just following the actor’s instructions.”

“Is Jin-hyun hyung’s word more important than mine?”

“…Of course, you are more important, but this time, I’m siding with the actor.”

Even as I glared, Jin-bae hyung shook his head, indicating he couldn’t say more.

‘What on earth.’

Behind all this was Jin-hyun hyung.

It was a sudden proposal for a live broadcast, but I immediately agreed.

Seeing Byeon was reason enough not to refuse.

But as soon as I nodded, Jin-hyun hyung said he would handle all the preparations.

‘…? It’s my live broadcast, why—.’

‘Shh. Quiet, Yeon-jae. I’ll make it amazing. Don’t worry.’

If it had been a playful face, maybe I’d have suspected something, but Jin-hyun hyung was serious.

I didn’t think much of it, trusting he would handle it as an adult.

‘But I shouldn’t have done that.’

Wearing the hairband, I felt a wave of regret.

“Yeon-jae, can you close your eyes? Let’s just do a little blush.”

“Makeup too?”

“Just blush. Your skin is so good. Being young is great.”

“No, noona.”

“Alright~, Yeon-jae, you’re so pretty. Let’s do the left cheek too?”

Why is no one listening to me?

At this point, I couldn’t tell if this was reality or a dream.

After getting styled as if for a photoshoot, I was guided to the place where the live broadcast would happen.

And I was speechless.

“Jin-bae hyung. Just one question. You have to answer this one.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Where is Jin-hyun hyung right now?”

Where is he?

In my view, there was a fluffy white blanket and a bunch of cushions that looked like they were meant for kindergarteners.

There were so many cushions that falling into them would probably lead to suffocation.

‘What kind of live broadcast spends this much money.’

Even though I didn’t know much, I knew this wasn’t the kind of setup for a simple chat with fans.

There wasn’t even any product placement; it was just a broadcast to communicate with fans.

When I asked again where Jin-hyun hyung was, Jin-bae hyung hesitated and answered.

“He’s picking up the cake right now.”

“A cake?”

Why a cake out of nowhere?

“Whose birthday is it?”

Was it someone’s birthday among the staff?

Looking around at the people, including some I was seeing for the first time today, Jin-bae hyung awkwardly smiled.

“No, it’s a cake to celebrate your first live broadcast.”

“…”

I felt dizzy.

* * *

“What on earth is this….”

The words came out as soon as I saw the cake.

The handmade cake, adorned with a white deer in the center, was clearly made with great care.

‘Who am I to deserve all this?’

At this point, I felt complicated.

I thought about confronting Jin-hyun hyung when I saw him, but seeing him busy picking up a cake for me, I couldn’t bring myself to be harsh.

“Let’s light the candles after the broadcast starts.”

“…Yes.”

I swallowed the question of why he was putting so much effort into this.

Why would he go to all this trouble? Because he liked me.

‘When I get home, I’ll practice twice as hard.’

I couldn’t disappoint someone who cared so much about me.

The filming for *Killing Horn* was already halfway done, but I needed to show even better acting for the remaining time.

So that Jin-hyun hyung would continue to like me.

“Three minutes to eight o’clock! Everyone to your places!”

The camera director’s shout made the staff move quickly.

I wondered why there was a camera director for a simple broadcast to communicate with fans, but I kept quiet.

I sat quietly among the white blanket and cushions, which looked like they were covered in snow.

As I sat still, Jin-hyun hyung approached with a smile.

“Our Yeon-jae looks so pretty.”

“Thank you for preparing all this even though you’re busy. Next time, I’ll do something for you.”

“Haha, I’ll look forward to it. For today, enjoy it to the fullest. It’s your day.”

Jin-hyun hyung pointed to the prompter.

“Everything you need to do today will be on there. I prepared all the content, but you can skip it if you don’t want to do it. If you don’t read it, the writers will move on to the next one.”

“…Can’t you tell me the content now?”

“No.”

Jin-hyun hyung firmly shook his head. So resolute.

At this point, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Alright, I’ll do my best.”

As I spoke with a smile, his gentle eyes met mine.

“Yeon-jae, can you promise me one thing?”

His tone was playful, but his eyes were serious.

For a moment, I felt uneasy but managed to keep my composure.

“Yes. What is it?”

“Enjoy today’s broadcast without any worries.”

“…”

“Don’t think you have to avoid mistakes, or that you have to do well. Just enjoy it. It’s just you and your fans here.”

Why does he…

‘Why does he like me so much?’

I knew why he liked me. That’s why I felt uneasy.

I knew there were countless young actors around my age who were good at acting.

What if he found another young actor he liked more?

Would we naturally drift apart? How would Jin-hyun hyung abandon me?

All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind, but I had to keep the promise to the person who had prepared this.

“Yes, I will.”

I promised, crossing my fingers, to enjoy without any worries.

* * *

“Hello, this is Lee Yeon-jae.”

As soon as I received the signal, I bowed my head and greeted.

—Oh my god

—Wow

—Bambi ♥♥♥

—Insane

—The legend of Baekrokdam is real;;; A white deer, incredible

—YOU SO CUTE ♥

The screen on the monitor changed rapidly at the same time.

They had provided a large monitor to check the comments, but the comments were so fast I couldn’t read them.

I glanced at the monitor for a moment but soon decided it was impossible for human eyes and gave up.

“Although I made a brief appearance during the last Space broadcast, this is the first time I’m doing a broadcast just for Byeon. Thank you for joining.”

I felt a bit embarrassed seeing my overly styled self reflected on the monitor.

“Today’s broadcast was prepared by Jin-hyun hyung, no, senior Lee Jin-hyun. Thank you.”

It felt awkward speaking into the air, but I continued firmly.

“I feel a bit shy being so dolled up… But you know how people check themselves in the mirror when they want to look good for someone. Please think of it like that.”

—Only a minute in and he’s said ‘thank you’ three times

—So it really is you writing the fan cafe posts….

The comments I accidentally saw made my heart skip a beat.

Pretending not to see them, I changed the subject.

“Just talking with Byeon like this is great, but senior Lee Jin-hyun prepared some content for today. Even though he’s busy, he did this for me….”

Someone waved their hand vigorously next to me.

Sneakily rolling my eyes, I saw Jin-hyun hyung making a big X with his arms.

Wondering if I made a mistake, I looked at the prompter which read, ‘Say Jin-hyun hyung.’

“…Yes, Jin-hyun hyung prepared the content. I haven’t been informed of what it is, so I’ll go through it step by step.”

I tried my best, but I couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling up.

I chuckled unconsciously and read the text on the screen.

“First, a commemorative cake…. Yes, a commemorative cake…”

My face felt hot.

Is there anyone else who cuts a cake for their first live broadcast?

Feeling embarrassed, I made an excuse.

“I think Jin-hyun hyung prepared this as a way to cheer me on for the shoot. Thank you.”

I received the cake with a white deer in the center.

When Jin-hyun hyung appeared briefly to light the candles, the comments sped up even more.

Among the fleeting comments, I caught the words ‘father’ and ‘son.’

I didn’t see them clearly, but I understood the context. I’d think the same.

‘Who does this much for a close junior?’

The next content would reinforce the “father-son” theory of Lee Jin-hyun and Lee Yeon-jae even more.

“Next is the gift presentation…. Gifts?”

As I stood puzzled, the staff rushed in and placed the gifts in front of me.

Wondering what was going on, I looked at the prompter, which had the next text.

“Since Yeon-jae usually forbids gifts…. No, I never banned them. I just said the love you give is enough.”

Feeling wronged, I spoke quickly.

Correcting the misinformation, I continued reading.

“I thought Byeon might have had a hard time, so I prepared gifts that Byeon might have wanted to give Yeon-jae…. Haa.”

A sigh escaped despite myself.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Jin-hyun hyung’s words echoed faintly in my mind.

‘Enjoy today’s broadcast without any worries.’

It was a much harder mission than I had expected.

I had so much to say, but I couldn’t speak in front of the fans, so I smiled.

“Yes, thank you. I’ll start with the first gift.”

I opened each gift one by one.

To my surprise, I didn’t need to show any obligatory reaction because the gifts were perfect for me.

“Wow, this… I was just about to ask Jin-bae hyung, our manager hyung, if I could buy this!”

I exclaimed loudly, holding up the item.

“It’s the new hand sanitizer. Not all hand sanitizers are the same; you have to check the ingredients carefully—”

I was so excited that words flowed out without even looking at the prompter.

I examined the neatly designed product, my eyes sparkling.

Wow, I couldn’t believe I had this in my hands.

“This company is famous for its cleaning products. Their stain remover is amazing too. It works wonders on muddy or bloody shoes!”

I was so excited that I spoke like a home shopping host.

Barely stopping myself from saying more, I checked the comments.

—Why is his babbling so cuteㅠㅠ

—Our Bambi is so happy…. Just for getting a hand sanitizer….

—He’s so adorable when he talks a lot

—Loving you even more for getting this excited over hand sanitizer ㅠㅠ