The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 214

Once again, I thought about it.

Seo Ji-oh was strange.

“Seo Ji-oh.”

“……”

“Say something.”

Stop just staring at me.

Seo Ji-oh had been silently staring at me for a while. What was his problem?

If he had something to say, he should just say it. His constant staring was making me feel awkward.

‘He really is weird.’

I had imagined how Seo Ji-oh would react when he heard that I recommended him.

I thought he would smile lazily and say he was surprised or that he expected it.

But his actual reaction was completely different from what I imagined.

He just stared at me. Just, quietly. For a long time.

As if he were analyzing a new species.

“Ji-oh, why are you staring at me like that?”

Stop it, already.

When I said I would leave if he had nothing to say, Seo Ji-oh finally spoke.

“I’m just disappointed.”

“About what?”

When I asked with my eyes what he meant, he slowly smiled.

“I was wondering who would open up to me first, you or Yeon. I was sure it would be Yeon first, but it’s you. It’s disappointing and pleasing at the same time.”

Who is Yeon?

Seo Ji-oh explained that it was the name of the cat he adopted.

“The stray cat I always talked about. I brought it home because it kept lingering in my mind.”

I see.

For some reason, I felt uneasy.

‘The name…’

It couldn’t be, but the fact that it was similar to my name made me feel uncomfortable.

Maybe it showed on my face because Seo Ji-oh laughed.

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t name it. My younger sister’s name is Seo Ji-yeon. I just took the last part of her name. But I do like that it’s similar to yours.”

“You didn’t have to add that.”

“Yeah. Just felt like saying it.”

He let out a pointless laugh.

When I glared at him, Seo Ji-oh’s smile widened.

“Your expression reminds me more of Yeon.”

“What about my expression?”

“I brought Yeon home, but it doesn’t like me. It likes my dad, stepmom, and sister, but hates being near me. It’s weird. I’m the one who gives it treats.”

I think I know why.

Though I only thought it, Seo Ji-oh looked like he read my mind.

“I know. You don’t like me. I understand why, too.”

His slow speech made me click my tongue.

“I don’t dislike you. If I did, I wouldn’t have recommended you.”

“That’s different. Even if you hated me, you’d recommend me if I fit the role well.”

“……”

He really knows me well.

The fact that he understood me so well made me feel even more uneasy.

When I made a face, Seo Ji-oh smiled lazily.

“Anyway, thanks. For thinking my acting isn’t bad. I have an audition this week, and I’ll do my best.”

“As long as you don’t get nervous, you’ll pass.”

When I said it nonchalantly, the smile in Seo Ji-oh’s eyes deepened.

“You’re strange. Even though you seem to dislike me, you always speak kindly to me.”

“You’re stranger.”

When I retorted immediately, he smiled as if he expected it.

Really, such a strange guy.

We talked about the drama for a while after that.

What significance the character he would play, the ghost, had for the protagonist, and what I focused on while writing the script.

Seo Ji-oh listened attentively and took notes.

It was only after his notebook was filled with writing that our conversation ended.

“That’s all I can tell you.”

“Thanks. I’ll practice a lot based on what you told me.”

“Good luck with the audition.”

I hope you don’t fail after all this.

As I stood up, telling him to contact me once he got the results next week, Seo Ji-oh looked slightly flustered.

“Why are you leaving so soon? Are you busy?”

“…?”

Weren’t we meeting to talk about this?

‘We finished talking, so I was leaving.’

Though puzzled, I spoke.

“Yeah. I have a hair appointment.”

“A hair appointment? Are you dyeing it black?”

The protagonist I was playing in the drama was an ordinary student attending school.

My hair, now faded and patchy, wasn’t appropriate, so I had to dye it black before filming.

“No.”

But not today.

I shook my head and said I would dye it black before the shoot.

“Then what are you doing today?”

He must be really bored.

It was strange seeing him ask about things that wouldn’t benefit him.

After checking that there was still some time left before my hair salon appointment, I sat back down.

“I have a fan meeting tomorrow.”

I had taken votes from fans on what hair color they wanted to see the most.

To achieve that color, I had to bleach my roots twice more today and then dye it.

“You’re dyeing it for just one day?”

“Yes.”

Seo Ji-oh tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand.

“I was just wondering why you’d go through all that trouble for a single day.”

He really didn’t get it. I smiled as I thought about explaining it to him.

Chapter 214

The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune (214)

Seo Ji-oh looked at me with a curious expression.

“Your hair already seems pretty damaged.”

“It’s because I’ve bleached it so much.”

His hands touched my hair, and though it bothered me, I let it slide because I was too tired to protest.

Despite doing nutritional treatments, maintaining bleached hair wasn’t easy.

Sure, my hair was more damaged than before.

Well, hair can grow back.

‘Making Byeon happy is more important.’

When I said I wanted to give my fans a perfect day, Seo Ji-oh’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“But it’s your birthday.”

“Yes.”

That’s why I said it.

I didn’t need any birthday presents.

Seeing my fans smile happily in front of me was enough.

The thought alone made my heart flutter.

Seo Ji-oh watched my smiling face and mumbled.

“You care too much about others.”

“Fans aren’t just ‘others’.”

I retorted immediately, and Seo Ji-oh said everyone besides myself was others.

Such a typical Seo Ji-oh thing to say, I thought with a smirk.

‘You don’t get it.’

He would never understand how I felt about Byeon.

They liked me for being Lee Yeon-jae.

I couldn’t prepare half-heartedly for a day meant for such people.

‘It has to be perfect.’

Tomorrow would be perfect.

‘I’ll make sure of it.’

In that sense, there was something I needed to decide.

I closed my eyes and pondered how to deal with ‘that guy.’

* * *

‘The time has come.’

Kwon In-ah, the president of Lee Yeon-jae’s fan club “Byeon,” thought as soon as she woke up.

The day she had been eagerly awaiting had finally arrived.

The long-anticipated fan meeting.

After checking the clock, which pointed to 5 a.m., she jumped out of bed.

She couldn’t help but hum in the shower.

‘Fangirling is the best.’

Waking up for work was dreadful, but now she felt light as a feather.

The power of love was truly great.

‘And our Bambi is the best in the world!’

Kwon In-ah’s cheeks almost hurt from smiling so widely.

‘Our kid might really be an angel.’

Years of fangirling had taught her something.

Even rookie celebrities who were overwhelmed by fans’ love eventually developed a detached look after a few years.

Maybe not completely detached, but a hint of indifference always showed in their eyes.

But Bambi was different.

Bambi always seemed desperate to do more for the fans.

She had seen this firsthand while preparing for the fan meeting over the past month.

Bambi checked every detail of what the fans wanted and repeated rehearsals countless times.

The rehearsals felt endless, to the point that even the fan club staff were slightly worn out.

When she asked the manager if Bambi practiced acting like this too, he had smiled lightly and said:

‘Right now, he’s holding back a lot.’

‘What?’

‘He wants to practice more, but if he did, we’d all have to wait with him, so he’s restraining himself as much as possible.’

When he said Bambi would probably practice more at home, Kwon In-ah had to hold back a sigh.

‘I love that he cares about us so much… but I wish he’d take care of himself too.’

Bambi wanted to give as much as he could to the fans, like a child who had just learned how to love.

Mixed feelings aside, today was a busy D-Day.

She had to help make sure Bambi’s efforts didn’t go to waste.

The staff met early and moved to the fan meeting venue.

Thanks to countless rehearsals, everything ran smoothly today.

“Hello.”

Three hours before the fan meeting started, Bambi arrived.

His voice was as warm as ever.

“Hi…”

The president lost her words as soon as she looked up with a smile at Bambi’s voice.

Her strange reaction made the other staff turn their heads.

And they all fell silent.

“What’s wrong?”

Bambi tilted his head.

After a long pause, the president managed to say one word, “Hair…”

“Oh, yes. I dyed it yesterday.”

Bambi smiled shyly and asked if it looked strange, and the staff forced smiles.

“It looks… good.”

“Really…”

Bambi seemed puzzled by their reactions but thanked them and moved on, having no time for further questions.

As soon as Bambi disappeared behind the curtain, the staff let out the breaths they had been holding.

Their eyes met in the air.

‘Oh my God, oh my God!’

Their thoughts were clearly visible in their eyes.

‘Pink hair really suits him!!’

* * *

Yeonjae Day @yeonjae_day

Guys, Bambi dyed his hair pink

Crazy for Yeonjae @veryverycrazygirl

Dyeing his hair pink? Is he crazy? This isn’t Yeon-jae’s birthday; it’s mine!

Bambi’s new hair color was an incredible surprise for the fans.

As soon as the fans braved the cold winter wind to reach the fan meeting venue, they froze in place when Bambi stepped onto the stage.

With light pink cotton candy-like hair and a bashful smile, he said, “I missed you,” making them forget the cold.

Bambi even posted a selfie on the fan cafe right before going on stage, concerned that fans who couldn’t make it to the meeting might feel left out.

It was truly perfect fan service.

From below the stage, the fan club president watched Bambi as she busily moved about.

Bambi looked exceptionally radiant on stage.

Not just because he was handsome or pretty, but because he genuinely shone.

‘He looks truly happy.’

His kind words and the way he said how glad he was to see them after such a long time never ceased.

He looked incredibly happy as he gazed at each fan, speaking to them as if they were precious jewels.

The president quietly observed Lee Yeon-jae.

When she didn’t know him well, she often thought he seemed like a leisurely nobleman.

His relaxed movements naturally drew attention.

His composed expression seemed accustomed to the multitude of eyes upon him.

He looked like a born celebrity, and she liked that about him.

Of course, she still liked that aspect of him. But the Bambi she saw now…

‘He looks like a child.’

Bambi was smiling like a child receiving love for the first time.

Like a bird that had just hatched, his expression of helplessness in the face of the love before him was endearing and, in a way, heartbreaking.

The more he smiled with that happy expression, the stronger those emotions grew.

Seeing a hint of desperation in his joy, the president felt upset.

‘I need to love him even more.’

She didn’t mind if Bambi became indifferent in the future.

Hoping for a day when her celebrity would take love for granted, the president resolved to work even harder.

It was a thought she could have because she had no idea what the smiling Lee Yeon-jae was thinking.

* * *

At the same time, Lee Yeon-jae gently looked at his fans, then glanced at the staff area.

His eyes gleamed coldly.

‘Found him.’

Having spotted the problem “that guy,” Lee Yeon-jae smiled brightly.