The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 228

‘This is absurd.’

I was genuinely speechless.

Winning a fansign event was one thing, but not knowing about it until the day of the event was the most ridiculous part.

‘Does this even make sense?’

I stood there in a daze for a while before finally speaking.

“So… what you’re saying is…”

“…”

“Sigh…”

I couldn’t find the words.

“Hyung, you should have told me beforehand.”

I complained to Jin-bae hyung, who responded with an awkward smile.

“Actor Jung-hyun said it was a surprise gift. Were you really surprised?”

Of course I was.

As I stood there, dumbfounded, Jin-bae hyung hurriedly handed me something.

“Here is your student ID. You need to show this along with the verification code to enter, so don’t forget. Oh, and once you leave, you won’t be able to get back in, so keep that in mind.”

Explanations flowed smoothly as if he had been waiting for this moment.

‘I can’t trust anyone.’

It wasn’t just Jung-hyun hyung who was at fault.

‘Who would have thought there was an accomplice so close by?’

Suddenly, everything seemed deceitful.

As I shook with betrayal, the last piece of information jolted me.

“I’ll be waiting at the entrance.”

“What?”

“What?”

“You’re not coming in?”

“Why would I?”

His genuinely puzzled tone left me speechless.

Then why am I going in, you fool?

Wait, no way…

“…You’re telling me to go in there alone?”

I couldn’t believe it.

My eyes shook like there was an earthquake.

Jin-bae hyung naturally avoided my gaze. Traitor.

“You can do it, actor.”

“No—”

“It’s time. Put on your mask. Good luck.”

Jin-bae hyung gently pushed me forward.

Before I knew it, I was inside the event hall.

Countless people were sitting in their seats, chatting away.

I quickly adjusted my mask.

‘I should have worn a hat too.’

Looking around, I realized I was the only guy there.

I was bound to stand out.

I naturally lowered my gaze to the floor.

As I moved towards my seat, I suddenly had a thought.

‘No, wait.’

If I were bare-faced, maybe. But I’m wearing a mask.

With my face covered, how could anyone know it was me, Lee Yeon-jae?

‘Besides, I’m not that famous.’

The people here were NADE fans. They wouldn’t be interested in me.

This nervousness was likely just self-consciousness.

‘I just need to stay quiet and leave.’

Thinking that way, I felt a bit more at ease.

Every time I felt a gaze, I convinced myself it was just my imagination.

‘No one here knows I’m Lee Yeon-jae.’

* * *

At the same time, the women inside the event hall thought,

‘It’s Lee Yeon-jae.’

‘It’s Lee Yeon-jae, isn’t it?’

‘That’s Lee Yeon-jae.’

They quietly exchanged glances.

Lee Yeon-jae looked as if he had been dropped on a deserted island, completely out of place.

Despite his silent demeanor, his presence was louder than anyone else’s.

The woman sitting next to him thought,

‘What a stroke of luck.’

She was the personal fansite manager for NADE’s leader, Kang Yeon-bin.

The moment she saw Kang Yeon-bin, she knew, ‘This kid is going places!’ and immediately started a fansite account.

NADE consisted of all minors except for Kang Yeon-bin.

Even Kang Yeon-bin, who had just become an adult, still looked very young.

But being the leader, he tried to manage his mischievous younger members, making it impossible not to become a fan.

Why?

‘Because he’s so damn cute.’

Handsome and cute? The moment you feel that, there’s no avoiding becoming a fan.

Although her bias was Kang Yeon-bin, she also liked the other members he led.

So, it was impossible for her not to know about Lee Yeon-jae, the friend of the youngest member.

‘I never thought he’d actually come to a fansign.’

Wearing a black mask, Lee Yeon-jae still looked unmistakably like a celebrity.

There’s no way he thought he wouldn’t be recognized.

‘They must be really close.’

The fact that one of the hottest actors right now had come to the fansign would definitely help NADE.

Even if they started off as ‘the boy group friends with Lee Yeon-jae,’ once core fans settled in, the label would disappear.

‘I should try to get a two-shot with Yeon-bin.’

With that thought in mind, Kang Yeon-bin’s fansite manager cautiously spoke to Lee Yeon-jae.

“Excuse me….”

Lee Yeon-jae flinched.

His wide eyes seemed to ask, ‘Can you really see me?’

Kang Yeon-bin’s fansite manager found it amusing. Of course she could see him.

“Here, have this.”

“Huh? Why…?”

“I brought it to share with other fans.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Lee Yeon-jae accepted the snack awkwardly.

The fansite manager had painstakingly printed and attached handmade stickers on each snack the previous day.

“I don’t have anything to give you in return, though.”

“No, it’s fine.”

She quickly turned her head.

‘Just in case he misunderstands.’

She had no ulterior motives towards Lee Yeon-jae. For her, it was all about Kang Yeon-bin.

The snack was merely a gesture to maintain a good relationship with NADE.

When she turned away, showing no interest in Lee Yeon-jae, he seemed slightly relieved.

“Excuse me, can I ask you something?”

After fiddling with the snack bag for a while, Lee Yeon-jae finally spoke.

“Of course.”

“Do fans usually share snacks like this?”

“There’s no set rule, but besides giving snacks to the members, fans sometimes share them with each other. Since you’re all fans, it’s done with a cheerful heart.”

“I see. Thank you for letting me know.”

Lee Yeon-jae smiled brightly, seemingly satisfied with his newfound knowledge. His eyes crinkled pleasantly above the mask.

It felt like the people around had been subtly watching, as the area buzzed with excitement.

However, the fansite master for Kang Yeon-bin maintained her poker face, her love for Kang Yeon-bin too steadfast to be swayed.

“Is this your first fansign event?”

“Yes. So, I’m a bit nervous.”

“There’s no need to be too nervous. When you get in front of the members, you’ll forget what you wanted to say anyway, so just enjoy looking at them.”

Though you’ll have plenty of chances to see them in private.

She swallowed her last words.

“My bias is Yeon-bin. Who’s your favorite?”

“Uh, well…”

Lee Yeon-jae’s eyes wavered, clearly uncomfortable. His awkwardness was quite endearing, but she kept her face neutral.

“I like all of them. Um, what’s the term…?”

“An ‘all-fan’?”

“Yes! That’s it, an ‘all-fan!'”

Lee Yeon-jae’s eyes curved into a smile. His soft laughter momentarily hushed the surrounding noise.

‘…He’s adorable.’

The fansite master mentally slapped herself. Get a grip! Are you going to cheat on Yeon-bin?

Simultaneously stanning two people was a sin. The term “multi-stan” should be eradicated from this world.

She was mentally berating herself for the twentieth time when the room erupted in cheers.

The fansign event had begun.

* * *

‘Thank goodness.’

Indeed, the power of the mask was great.

When the girl next to me spoke, I was startled, but luckily she didn’t seem to realize I was Lee Yeon-jae.

After hesitating for a moment, she asked another question. When I answered her casually, I felt relieved.

‘Studying paid off.’

I had memorized the term “all-fan” and wondered if I would ever use it. Turns out, it came in handy naturally.

I felt proud.

‘Attending a fansign event isn’t so bad.’

Initially, I was caught off guard by the unexpected situation, but now that I was here, it wasn’t bad at all.

In fact, it was quite enjoyable.

Everyone here was a fan, so the atmosphere was friendly and lively.

‘Probably because they don’t realize I’m Lee Yeon-jae.’

If I ever come again, I should definitely bring some snacks.

I tucked away the various snacks I had received from the people around me into my pocket.

Just as I was thinking I should wear the same mask next time, the NADE members made a noisy entrance.

“Hello!!”

Fans screamed.

“It’s our first fansign, so we might be a bit clumsy, but we’ll do our best. Thank you so much for coming all the way here.”

NADE’s leader spoke.

Despite his reassuring words, his hand holding the mic was trembling.

‘He must be nervous.’

I watched without much thought when suddenly, I heard a quiet curse from next to me.

“Fucking adorable….”

It was the girl who had first given me snacks.

I pretended not to hear, feeling slightly intimidated.

After the rest of the members introduced themselves, the fansign event officially began.

“Did you enjoy our performance?”

“Of course! You were all so cute!”

Despite it being their first fansign, the NADE members seemed surprisingly skilled.

While I expected that from No-bi-hyuk, I was shocked to see even Eun-taek casually holding fans’ hands.

‘I was incredibly nervous during my first fansign.’

Thinking about my own first fansign made me feel sheepish.

‘Some people are just born to be entertainers.’

As the line shortened, it was finally my turn.

The first member I approached was Eun-taek.

He paused when he saw me, then smirked.

“Hello. What’s your name?”

He casually held my hand, asking with a smile. I hesitated.

‘I can’t say Lee Yeon-jae here.’

After a moment of hesitation, I gave Jin-bae hyung’s name.

“Please write it as An Jin-bae.”

“What? And who are you?”

Eun-taek immediately spoke informally.

His relaxed tone, so obviously meant for a friend, made me urgently whisper.

“Hyung, keep it down.”

“What? Why?”

“People here don’t know I’m Lee Yeon-jae.”

“…?”

Eun-taek’s expression turned strange.

“They just think I’m a male fan. Because of the mask.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Please pretend you don’t know me. Use formal language.”

I was nervous that the fans nearby might overhear.

Stopping my whispering, I spoke a little louder.

“Please write it as An Jin-bae. Thank you.”

“Jeez…”

Eun-taek signed the album, looking like he had seen something bizarre.

“Did you watch the performance? How was it?”

I told him not to speak informally.

‘Does he never listen?’

I couldn’t just smack him in the mouth, so I awkwardly avoided eye contact until it was time to move on.

“Take care.”

As I quickly pulled my hand away and stood up, Eun-taek glared at me.

I clicked my tongue, worried about how I might look in photos.

“Hello.”

“Oh! Hi―”

“Please write it as An Jin-bae.”

The other members were the same.

Whenever they saw me, they tried to speak informally with a bright face, so I had to hurriedly state my name first.

The other members also looked confused, just like Eun-taek.

The only one who reacted differently was the leader.

Kang Yeon-bin, was it?

When I quickly explained the situation, Kang Yeon-bin blinked a few times and then nodded.

“Was it hard getting here?”

Leaders are different, indeed.

I felt relieved when he immediately asked in formal speech.

“No, my guardian brought me all the way here.”

“That’s good to hear. Did you enjoy the performance today?”

“Yes. You all did well.”

Kang Yeon-bin smiled maturely.

It looked natural, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.

‘He must be feeling a lot of pressure.’

Unlike the other members who were all smiles, only the leader seemed nervous. It was ironic.

Should I say something or not? I hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.

“I overheard some fans talking earlier.”

“Yes? Oh, okay.”

“They said you’re really cute. They like that you’re handsome and hardworking.”

Kang Yeon-bin blinked again.

As he awkwardly thanked me, I continued.

“None of them said they like you because you’re perfect.”

“…….”

“You don’t have to be perfect, just keep doing what you’re doing. You’re really great right now.”

I stood up immediately when I saw the staff signaling to move along.

Kang Yeon-bin’s gaze naturally followed me.

“Fighting,” I mouthed softly before moving to the next table.

‘Only No-bi-hyuk left.’

I thought about how I should explain the situation to him quickly when our eyes met.

Before I could stop him, he shouted loudly.

“Lee Yeon-jae!!!”

No-bi-hyuk smiled brightly.

“Wow, I was so nervous. Come here quickly. I’ll sign for you!”

“…….”

From afar, I could feel Eun-taek mocking me with his gaze.

I closed my eyes tightly.

‘…Damn it.’

And just like that, my perfect disguise was ruined.