The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 193

When I opened my eyes, everything looked black.

“…Mist?”

Thinking I was in the black space, I immediately spoke up.

I heard someone approaching with brisk steps.

“Actor.”

Oh.

“I’ve placed a damp cloth over your eyes. I’ll remove it, so please keep them closed.”

“Okay.”

I answered obediently, but my mind was racing with various thoughts.

‘Why am I back in reality right away?’

My last memory cut off at the filming location.

I clearly remembered acting foolishly, caught up in useless afterimages.

I had lost consciousness, so… why hadn’t I met Mist?

‘Did something happen again?’

My heart started to race with anxiety.

I couldn’t keep my hands still and was about to move when Jin-bae hyung hurriedly stopped me.

“Don’t move. The IV isn’t done yet―”

“Hyung, did I sleep?”

“What?”

“I didn’t sleep? Did I? What happened?”

“…….”

I babbled thoughtlessly until I saw his expression and regained my senses.

‘Stop it.’

I slapped my cheek hard.

The stinging sensation wasn’t as painful as the loud sound.

“Actor!!”

“Yeon-jae!!”

Jin-bae hyung and Jung-hyun hyung shouted together. My ears were going to burst.

“I’m fine. Just a moment.”

The sting on my cheek sharpened my senses.

‘Get a grip.’

At worst, I had just fainted and then woken up.

It wasn’t something that would affect Mist.

‘Don’t make hasty judgments now.’

The priority was to understand the situation.

I didn’t want to scare the people who cared about me even more.

After sorting out my confused mind, I looked up.

“How long was I out? Did you wait long?”

“Why did you suddenly slap your cheek?!”

“Oh, to snap out of it.”

Jung-hyun hyung covered his face with both hands.

“…You’re driving me crazy.”

His voice, filled with frustration, slipped through his clenched teeth.

I was taken aback, as it was the first time I’d heard him speak like this.

“I’m sorry….”

Before I could think further, my hand moved.

I should have checked who was around first.

As I was about to apologize again, I felt something cold on my right cheek.

“Actor, please don’t do that again.”

Jin-bae hyung’s face looked calm as he pressed the cold cloth against my cheek.

But I noticed he was trembling through the vibration I felt on my cheek.

“……I won’t. I’m sorry.”

His unfamiliar demeanor scared me for a moment.

“Promise me.”

“Yes.”

We hooked our pinkies to make a promise.

I repeated several times that no matter what happened, I wouldn’t do it again.

Only then did Jin-bae hyung stop trembling.

‘I’ll never do that again.’

I had frightened such a gentle person. It was entirely my fault.

After Jin-bae hyung removed the IV drip, he brought me porridge.

He moved so naturally that I accepted it, but…

‘I don’t really feel like eating.’

After stirring it a few times with the spoon, I spoke up.

“I must have startled everyone by doing that on set. Should I call them now?”

“Just focus on eating that first.”

“But―”

“Actor.”

The firmness in his voice made me immediately pick up the spoon.

‘What’s going on?’

Is he angry? He seems angry.

His expression and actions were the same as usual, but there was an underlying fear.

I inadvertently looked for reassurance and met Jung-hyun hyung’s eyes.

“Jin-bae, take a break outside. I’ll talk to Yeon-jae.”

“…….”

“Go on. You’re not helping right now.”

Prompted by Jung-hyun hyung, Jin-bae hyung rubbed his face with his hands.

“Yes. I’ll go visit my family briefly.”

With that, Jin-bae hyung left, saying to contact him if anything was needed.

His departing figure looked particularly worn out.

After watching him leave, I asked cautiously,

“Jung-hyun hyung, did I do something wrong? Did I do something to Jin-bae hyung while I was out…?”

“Yeon-jae, you didn’t sleep; you lost consciousness. Use the right words.”

Great.

‘He’s angry too.’

I slowly put down the spoon.

The clattering sound seemed unusually loud.

Jung-hyun hyung was silent for a long time before he spoke.

“Yeon-jae, what do you think about taking a break from acting?”

“What?”

“If I pull some strings, we can delay *Killing Horn* for about two weeks. You can rest and then finish the remaining scenes. As for other things―”

“Hyung, what are you talking about?”

I was so shocked that I interrupted him without thinking.

Jung-hyun hyung remained calm.

“Yeon-jae, will you listen to me calmly? If you do, I’ll listen to everything you have to say.”

After hesitating, I agreed.

Jung-hyun hyung told me a lot.

From the test results to what the doctor said, and even a third-person perspective of my behavior at the filming site today.

I nodded quietly.

‘I see.’

Honestly, it wasn’t shocking news.

But it felt a bit unfair.

‘I won’t be able to talk about the misfortune factor anymore.’

Of course, the misfortune factor and my mental state were separate issues, but they couldn’t be completely unrelated either.

However, if something like today happened again, it would inevitably disrupt filming.

It would be a burden on my fellow actors and the staff.

‘It’s good for me if I get better by taking medication.’

After finishing my thought, I replied that I understood.

Since I didn’t object further, Jung-hyun hyung’s expression brightened a little.

I wanted to keep seeing that look, but there was a more important issue.

“Then, if I take the medication properly, I can continue acting, right?”

I deliberately brought it up lightly.

When no answer came, I held back a sigh.

“Hyung, there’s no guarantee that I’ll get better if I stop acting. From what I remember, there’s even drama therapy as a treatment for anxiety disorders… Considering that, acting might actually help.”

“Really? And yet you collapsed while filming today?”

Well, that’s true.

I was racking my brain for another persuasive argument when Jung-hyun hyung spoke faster.

“Yeon-jae, I know you love acting. But it’s not a big deal if you stop for a while.”

“It is a big deal.”

“A big deal?”

I unconsciously retorted, and Jung-hyun hyung asked back.

I felt I shouldn’t back down now, so I blurted out whatever came to mind.

“If I don’t act, you won’t like me anymore.”

“…What?”

Oh, that’s not it.

“Wait, no. I phrased that weirdly.”

“Have you always thought that? That I like you because you act?”

Something seemed to be going wrong.

‘Why does it feel like things are getting more tangled the more I speak?’

This was the time to keep quiet.

I tried to organize my thoughts, but Jung-hyun hyung pressed on.

“Is it true? Did you really think that? That I like you because you act?”

“No, it’s just… you did say that once.”

I didn’t know where things went wrong, but that part was true.

Not long after we first met, I had treated hyung like a child predator.

At that time, he definitely…

‘To be honest, I was shocked when I saw you act. It was because I liked it so much.’

‘My acting?’

He said that.

Jung-hyun hyung looked dumbfounded.

With a shocked face, he was silent for a long time before he asked back.

“Yeon-jae, if I told you I wouldn’t act anymore, would you stop liking me?”

What kind of nonsense is that?

Seeing my expression, Jung-hyun hyung raised his voice.

“Yes! That’s the expression I wanted to see!! Didn’t you like me because of my acting? When people like someone—”

“Wait. Calm down a bit.”

I calmed him down, seeing his confused expression.

Then I corrected the clear error.

“I didn’t like you because of your acting.”

“What? Then why?”

“Because you were the first person to like me.”

“…….”

This was such an obvious fact that I could say it comfortably.

‘Well, if I had met Mist earlier, maybe it wouldn’t have been Jung-hyun hyung.’

It could have been the director or teachers at the orphanage.

But as it stands now, Jung-hyun hyung was the first.

‘Nice to meet you. Are you the child actor appearing today?’

‘I’m not an actor, but yes, I’m appearing today.’

‘I see. I’m Jung-hyun Lee.’

‘I’m Yeon-jae Lee. You can speak comfortably.’

The first person who looked at me with kind eyes, without any prejudice.

“It doesn’t matter to me if you stop acting, if your appearance changes, or anything else.”

After all, you’re still Jung-hyun hyung to me.

Even if you end up disliking me, or that moment comes eventually.

I can still like you for that one reason.

“…….”

Jung-hyun hyung remained silent for a while.

Then suddenly, he slumped over.

I was sitting on the bed, and he was on the chair next to it.

With his upper body slumped, he ended up lying on my lap.

“Hyung? Are you okay?”

When I asked in surprise, he confessed.

“Yeon-jae, I like you.”

It was out of the blue, but I replied calmly.

“I know.”

“No, you don’t. You don’t know.”

Was my collapse that shocking to him?

‘I need to make sure Jung-hyun hyung doesn’t find out if I collapse again.’

I firmly resolved.

Jung-hyun hyung muttered to himself for a long time.

“Yeon-jae, people often have reasons when they start liking someone.”

“Yes.”

“Sometimes, there’s a clear purpose too. But continuing to like someone doesn’t require a reason. Do you understand?”

No, not at all.

Jung-hyun hyung looked up at my face.

“Look, it’s possible that my liking you started because of your acting. Or maybe I approached you to see your acting more closely. Do you get that?”

I nodded.

“That’s separate from the reason I like you now.”

“…….”

“Whether you act or not, whether you’re good or bad at it, it doesn’t matter to me. Just like Jin-bae will continue to like you even if he stops being your manager.”

Questions poured out without giving me a chance to avoid them.

“Let’s take Byun as an example. Your fans have various reasons for liking you, right? They might have a purpose in giving you gifts.”

“Yes.”

“But there comes a time when those things don’t matter anymore.”

Jung-hyun hyung looked at me straight.

“What about you?”

“…….”

“If Byun told you they no longer liked you, what would you say?”

“I….”

Facing his kind eyes, my mind went blank. I hesitated for a long time.

But as soon as I opened my mouth, the words came out on their own.

“I still like Byun.”

“Right.”

Jung-hyun hyung smiled.

“We’re the same. We like you like that.”

His warm eyes, filled with kindness, smiled.

I held my breath for a moment.

Whether it was a delusion or not, I felt suffocated.

Seeing my dumbfounded expression, Jung-hyun hyung laughed.

“Cute. It’s a shame I’m the only one seeing this.”

Near my knees, his clear laughter and the warmth lingered.

Jung-hyun hyung kept his gaze on me, even while laughing.

‘Why does this angle feel so familiar?’

I squinted slightly at the strange sense of déjà vu.

Ah, then it hit me.

The angle with Jung-hyun hyung’s head on my lap.

‘It’s exactly the same as before.’

It was just like the scene where Kang Seok died.

Of course, only the composition was the same, everything else was different.

The expressions on the faces, the vitality, the atmosphere emanating from him.

Most importantly….

‘Jung-hyun hyung is not Kang Seok.’

That was the best part.

Before I knew it, a smile had formed on my face too.