The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 227

“I should have reached out first and greeted you, but I’m sorry. It’s still so nice to see your faces after so long.”

I recited my lines fluently to prevent the atmosphere from becoming awkward.

I had run this scenario through my head many times, so my mind was working quickly.

My adoptive father stuttered as he began to speak.

“Thank you… for saying that. We should have contacted you first, but we really apol—”

“What are you saying?”

I cut him off immediately, knowing it was impolite to interrupt an elder but feeling it was necessary.

There were too many eyes watching and ears listening here.

It was best to hide any words that could give away our relationship.

“Eun-taek hyung’s debut is also a huge congratulations. You must be very proud.”

I shifted the topic with a bright smile, and my adoptive father awkwardly smiled back.

Lee Eun-taek was glancing around nervously, and my adoptive mother still avoided my gaze.

‘This is an uncomfortable situation in many ways.’

This should be enough.

It would be sufficient as a greeting to the parents of an ‘old, close friend’ I hadn’t seen in a while.

Hoping that onlookers would see it as ‘an awkward situation between not-so-close people,’ I maintained my smile.

“I’ll properly greet you next time. The conversation you three were having—”

I was about to deliver my final lines with a smile when I made eye contact with my adoptive mother.

“Um….”

At the sound of her dry, brittle voice, my body stiffened involuntarily.

It was the same voice I remembered, eerily unchanged.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

She continued hesitantly.

“I saw you won an award. It’s late, but congratulations.”

A familiar scent of her perfume wafted to my nose.

“…Thank you.”

I forced my slipping smile to stay up.

I clenched my fists tightly.

I could feel my cheeks trembling.

“I’m also happy that Eun-taek hyung is doing well.”

The lines I had memorized meticulously evaporated from my mind in an instant.

“I’m really glad to have met Eun-taek hyung, and….”

What am I saying?

My mind went blank.

I was speaking, but even I couldn’t understand my own words.

‘Come on, get a grip.’

My clenched fist trembled.

Shouldn’t I be over this by now?

Stop acting like a victim, Lee Yeon-jae.

It’s time to move on. Don’t be a child.

‘What was the next line?’

I was frustrated with myself for not being able to calm down.

Every time I smelled that perfume, my stomach churned.

I wanted to run, but I didn’t know where to go, feeling trapped and cornered.

“Excuse me.”

A familiar voice interrupted.

“Actor, you have a call. You should take it. Sorry to interrupt, but it seems urgent.”

A large hand rested on my back.

The familiar warmth brought relief.

“You should go. Kid— I mean, Yeon-jae. I’ll get in touch. See you next time.”

Lee Eun-taek answered for me.

I should have said something, but smiling was all I could manage.

I followed Jin-bae hyung away from the scene in a daze.

“—Mr. Woo.”

When I came to my senses, we were in a hallway.

“It’s okay. Just follow my breathing slowly.”

Following Jin-bae hyung’s steady gaze, I took deep breaths.

Gradually, my trembling subsided.

“Haa….”

After one last deep breath, Jin-bae hyung hugged me and patted my back.

“You did well. You worked hard. You really did.”

Kind words kept flowing into my ears.

“What about the call?”

I asked in a weary voice after a while.

“It was a lie.”

“I thought we agreed on no lies.”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

He didn’t sound sorry at all.

I stayed still as he patted my back rhythmically.

“Thank you for getting me out of there.”

I mumbled, my tone weak, and Jin-bae hyung continued to pat my back silently.

“I thought I’d be okay, but I guess not.”

I had decided to stop avoiding my past.

I had resolved to overcome it and worked hard toward that.

‘If I can’t even speak properly, how is that overcoming it?’

After hesitating for a while, I whispered softly.

“I feel pathetic.”

I wondered if it was okay to say such things.

I thought I’d be reprimanded for saying that, but the response was unexpected.

“That’s understandable.”

“…….”

“Any other thoughts?”

At his gentle prompt, I hesitated before continuing.

### Chapter 227

The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune (227)

“It feels suffocating and depressing, like I’m sinking into a swamp.”

As I muttered, Jin-bae hyung just patted my back without refuting me.

“I… I hate myself.”

After saying that final sentence, I felt oddly relieved.

“Yes. I understand.”

Jin-bae hyung’s voice remained steady.

The fact that he was so big and dependable, unshaken by my negative words, made me feel reassured.

‘So it’s okay to say these things.’

I buried my face in Jin-bae hyung’s shoulder.

When I felt it was time to go, Jin-bae hyung spoke softly.

“But I like you.”

“What?”

“I like you, even if you dislike yourself.”

With those words, he pulled away.

I lifted my head to see his gentle smile.

“You know that, right?”

“…Yes.”

I nodded slowly.

His voice, suggesting we go home, felt comforting.

—

“So you’re leaving tomorrow?”

“Yeah! Now that No-bi’s showcase is over, and we can’t follow him to music shows, it’s back to catching up on studying.”

“That’s a shame. But let’s keep in touch often.”

Park Ha-eun smiled brightly and responded with a hearty “Of course!”

I also smiled and continued the conversation.

Jin-bae hyung glanced at us through the rearview mirror.

‘Looks like he’s calmed down a lot.’

Jin-bae hyung checked my face again.

The color had returned to my face, which had been pale earlier.

‘Glad I wasn’t too late.’

I probably didn’t realize how much Jin-bae hyung had been shocked.

I had greeted Lee Eun-taek’s parents with a smile and started a conversation.

My expression seemed natural, but Jin-bae hyung noticed.

He could tell I was acting.

He couldn’t hear the conversation from afar, but as soon as my adoptive mother spoke, my mask began to crack.

Jin-bae hyung saw my eyes waver and immediately approached.

As soon as he stood next to me, I clung to his jacket like a lifeline.

He had shielded me from view during the walk, ensuring no one would gossip about it.

‘The therapy seems to be working.’

I had tried not to get my hopes up since the doctor suggested a long treatment period.

But I had improved a lot.

Just being able to express emotions I had been hiding was a significant step forward.

The symptoms were noticeably less severe than the last panic attack.

I would keep getting better, step by step.

‘I’ll take it slowly.’

After all, I planned to stay by his side for as long as he needed me.

Jin-bae hyung gently turned the steering wheel.

—

The day after the showcase, Park Ha-eun went home.

Not knowing when I’d see her again, I escorted her to the terminal, where we coincidentally met her cousin.

Park Ha-eun’s cousin, Hwang Yeon-ju, still seemed awkward around me.

But as soon as I mentioned ‘Nade,’ her eyes lit up.

“Oh my God, I watched the video last night too!”

What?

I was momentarily taken aback by her sudden change.

“They’re so good live! I replayed the video so many times last night. My heart hasn’t raced like that in ages. If I weren’t in my senior year, I’d have gone to the event in person.”

She lamented that she didn’t have the time, aside from the money issue, looking very frustrated.

“What’s Nade like in person? Are they as cute as they are in the videos?”

“Cute… I don’t know. My friend is in the group, so I’m not really…”

“In interviews, they seem like beagles. They have such lively personalities.”

“Yes, they do.”

They were definitely like puppies.

I nodded at Hwang Yeon-ju’s words.

“Ah, they’re just my type. Should I just go crazy and attend the music show? If I pick the early morning slots….”

“Calm down.”

It seemed she had completely forgotten about asking for my number last week. She talked about Nade for a long time before leaving.

I felt a strange sense of betrayal.

“Shall we go, actor?”

“Yes….”

“Are you okay?”

“Just feeling a bit bittersweet.”

Jin-bae hyung tilted his head, puzzled, but I just smiled.

As soon as we got into the car, Jin-bae hyung said we should stop by the hair salon first.

“Do we really need to go to the salon?”

“If we’re filming a video, we should do it right. Nade’s members will be in their stage outfits.”

Well, that made sense….

It felt awkward to go to a salon without a shoot scheduled.

Today was Nade’s first music show schedule.

It was also the day I promised to film a challenge video.

‘I wonder if it will really help.’

Would dancing next to them help promote Nade?

‘At least Byeon would be happy.’

He had been asking me to upload a dance video anyway.

I went to the broadcasting station after getting my makeup done.
The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 227

The venue was so large that it felt overwhelming to find our way, but thankfully, NADE’s manager came out to meet us.

“Oh, thank you so much for coming all the way here.”

The manager, with a friendly appearance, smiled warmly.

“You’re here to film the challenge video, right? It’s good we’re doing it today. This music show is the only one where we have a private waiting room; it would have been inconvenient if you came another time.”

“I see. Thank you for taking care of everything.”

Following the manager, we navigated through the maze-like corridors.

As soon as we entered one of the rooms, No Bi-hyuk rushed over as if he had been waiting for me.

“Lee Yeon-jae!”

Yesterday, amidst the chaos, I couldn’t see him well, but now under the bright lights, he was clearly visible, looking every bit like an idol.

“…Hi.”

It felt a bit awkward seeing him like this, so different from usual.

No Bi-hyuk, shaking my shoulders, said he was so nervous about their first broadcast he could die. The leader quickly intervened to calm him down and led the excitable one away, for which I was grateful.

“Kiddo.”

“Oh, hyung.”

Lee Eun-taek was also dressed up like an idol. Why did it feel so unfamiliar?

I tried to manage my expression discreetly, but Eun-taek’s face looked so gloomy.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“About yesterday… I’m sorry. I should have been more attentive.”

“Yesterday?”

I tilted my head, then quickly remembered. Right.

‘I met my adoptive parents yesterday.’

I had completely forgotten after going home and watching a movie with Jin-bae hyung.

‘Wow, how did I forget about that?’

Even though I had been trembling, I completely forgot once I was back home.

Normally, I would have brooded over it for a long time.

“…Did you forget?”

Seeing my expression, Eun-taek asked with a strange look on his face.

Feeling awkward, I tried to explain, but Eun-taek chuckled.

“That’s a relief. I was worried you wouldn’t sleep last night. Really, raising a younger brother is useless.”

“Watch your language.”

I pinched Eun-taek’s waist immediately.

After greeting NADE’s members, whom I had become somewhat familiar with after a few meetings, I learned the choreography.

Luckily, I only needed to memorize the highlight dance moves for the challenge video, so it only took a few minutes.

“Wow, you really dance well. How about joining us for our activities next time?”

“But I’m an actor…”

“So what? Let’s do it!”

Another excitable member was quickly taken away by the leader. I was really grateful.

After filming the challenge video, I thought it was time to go home.

“See you in a bit then.”

“Huh?”

When I asked what he meant, No Bi-hyuk looked puzzled.

“Aren’t you coming to the fansign?”

“…? Me?”

“Yeah, our manager said he saw your name on the list.”

What?

“I only bought one album.”

“Huh? That can’t be. I heard our fansign requires over twenty albums.”

What is he talking about?

Just then, Jin-bae hyung approached with an awkward look and whispered.

“Actor Jung-hyun ordered them on your behalf. In your name.”

…Seriously, that guy.