The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 231

The opening scene of episode 1 was dominated by a pair of eyes.

Dark eyes contrasted starkly against snow-white hair.

The camera slowly pulled back from the black eyes, gradually revealing the entire face. Throughout this, Yeon-jae didn’t blink even once.

[“……”]

His eyes were completely empty, devoid of life.

Viewers momentarily thought they might be looking at a real corpse, so realistic was his performance.

They were simply watching a boy lying still.

Yet somehow, it felt as though they were witnessing a raw crime scene.

The audience frowned, feeling a strange sense of unease.

[“H. Wake up.”]

Finally, the suffocating silence was broken.

[“Agent Jang Yo-seok is about to enter.”]

As the modulated voice played through the speaker, Yeon-jae blinked slowly.

Everything changed at that moment.

[“Oh~.”]

Yeon-jae’s lips curled into a smile.

[“I was bored to death! Why did you take so long?”]

His childlike voice was full of energy.

Yeon-jae, who had suddenly sprung up from the mattress, began changing clothes.

[“These clothes seem to get smaller and smaller. Is it just me?”]

He chattered incessantly as he put on his combat uniform.

The cold, taxidermied-animal-like atmosphere vanished, replaced by vibrant energy that filled the screen.

Only the viewers were left in a daze.

‘What?’

What just happened?

They stared blankly at the screen.

Yeon-jae, who had seemed lifeless a moment ago, was now moving with exuberance.

It felt like witnessing a corpse suddenly regain warmth in an unnatural way.

At that moment, the heavy door opened, and Kim Seok-jun walked in.

Yeon-jae, now fully dressed in his combat uniform, answered brightly.

[“I’m ready! All dressed up.”]

Kim Seok-jun handed him a gun with an impassive face.

[“Here, take it.”]

[“Oh~. My gun!”]

[“H. Once we’re outside, you must follow my orders precisely. Don’t act on your own or cause trouble.”]

[“Got it. How many times are you going to say that? It’s boring.”]

Yeon-jae, still chattering, took the gun.

Despite his playful demeanor, Kim Seok-jun’s expression remained stern.

[“Remember. Otherwise―.”]

[“What, are you going to shoot and kill me?”]

Yeon-jae chuckled cynically.

Kim Seok-jun responded with a matter-of-fact expression.

[“I don’t have that authority.”]

[“Boring.”]

Yeon-jae pouted and stepped out of the room first.

Kim Seok-jun watched his back briefly before following.

As soon as they left, the door closed automatically.

Thud.

The door was so heavy that even the closing sound was dull.

The camera, which remained in the room, slowly panned around.

It captured the mattress where Yeon-jae had been lying, the discarded white clothes, and nothing else.

The room was utterly devoid of any signs of life.

A moment later, the title “Killing Horn” appeared in the center of the screen.

The red letters slowly dripped down like blood, leaving behind just the letter “H.”

The lone “H” lingered for a moment before being pushed away by the opening credits.

As the names of the director and cast appeared, the OST began to play.

Viewers finally exhaled the breath they had been holding.

“Wow.”

The younger brother, who was forced to watch the drama by his sister, was inwardly impressed.

‘Yeon-jae’s acting is insane….’

Being a blood relative of a die-hard fan, he had heard a lot about the actor.

He had seen him as an extra in “Tail,” wearing a yellow hat, and in his first supporting role in “Butterflies in the Elm.”

He was even forced to watch “Twins,” where Yeon-jae won the youngest Best Actor award at Cannes, once by his sister and then again on his own dime.

‘Yeon-jae is a great actor.’

Any Korean who used the internet knew this fact.

Yet, the sheer presence he commanded on the screen was overwhelming.

Kim Seok-jun’s expressionless face in a combat uniform was also striking.

Known recently for his roles in romantic comedies, this was a new look for him.

Though his performance was impressive, it was unfortunately overshadowed by Yeon-jae’s.

‘What would he have done if he weren’t acting?’

The younger brother was lost in thought when he heard sobbing next to him.

“Why are you crying?”

“Damn… It’s already so sad.”

“…?”

Did something sad happen?

Puzzled, he turned to see Kwon In-ah, his sister and president of Yeon-jae’s fan club, in tears.

She glared at him, calling him a fool.

Instead of explaining to her clueless brother, she silently wept.

Having watched countless dramas, she had a gut feeling.

She had a feeling that this drama would end tragically.

‘Why is my gut feeling never wrong?’

Just thinking about Yeon-jae’s bright smile turning into the blood-soaked image from the second poster made her heart ache.

‘Bambi, please stop taking on such heartbreaking roles…’

There are roles for arrogant brats born into rich families, aren’t there?

Wiping her tears, Kwon In-ah resolved to ask him to take on a lighter role the next time she saw him.

Her brother, however, watched the ending credits with a tense face.

‘Why am I so nervous?’

The drama hadn’t even properly started yet, but there was an odd tension in the air.

Yeon-jae’s lifeless expression from the introduction lingered in his mind.

The opening credits ended, leaving the siblings with their differing thoughts.

* * *

After several security checks, the two finally exited the building.

For Yeon-jae, or rather, Horn, it was his first time outside, and his eyes widened in awe.

[“Wow!! It’s so vast!!”]

[“H. Step back.”]

[“Did you see that? Amazing! Is that tree alive? Wow! It’s my first time seeing a living tree!”]

Horn’s voice grew louder.

Agent Jang’s command to follow orders made Horn pout, but his eyes continued to scan their surroundings.

The camera captured his black eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

In the lush forest and fresh air, Horn unknowingly smiled brightly.

[“H. The mission begins now.”]

Agent Jang’s stern tone interrupted.

[“Three targets. Shoot the two in black suits in the head, and the one in the white suit in the leg.”]

[“Got it!”]

[“Remember, don’t hesitate. Even a moment’s hesitation will ruin everything.”]

Horn immediately drew his gun from his waistband.

His gun aimed at the three men cautiously moving through the forest.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Loud gunshots echoed through the forest.

Satisfied that the targets had fallen, Horn smiled brightly.

[“Hehe. I did well, right?”]

[“Yeah. Your brother will praise you.”]

There was no sign of discomfort at having killed people, just a cheerful smile.

The two men shot in the head lay motionless, while the one shot in the leg screamed in pain.

[“Should I blow it up now?”]

[“No, wait five minutes. Blow it up just before he dies.”]

[“Ugh, that’s really twisted.”]

[“It’s the client’s request.”]

The conversation between Horn and Agent Jang puzzled the viewers.

What were they going to blow up?

Their curiosity was soon satisfied.

[“Five minutes are up. Blow it up.”]

At Agent Jang’s command, Horn smiled and raised his hand.

He snapped his fingers, producing a light ‘tick’ sound.

Simultaneously, the prone man exploded.

His body, from the leg up to the head where the bullet had lodged, blew apart completely.

The screen showed the gory remains in graphic detail.

‘Damn…’

Viewers were stunned.

They wondered why it was categorized as an SF action series, but now it made sense.

Before they could recover from the shock, Horn laughed gleefully.

[“That was clean! Yay, I’ll get praised.”]

His innocent demeanor was starkly contrasted by the gruesome scene.

When Agent Jang asked if he wasn’t disgusted, Horn looked puzzled.

[“Is that disgusting? Why?”]

The boy didn’t even realize he had just killed someone.

[“Forget it. Mission complete. Let’s return to base.”]

[“You always ignore what I say.”]

Horn’s voice was unusually cheerful, making viewers uncomfortable.

[“Yo-seok hyung.”]

[“I told you not to call me that.”]

[“Okay. Agent Jang, can I blow up the remaining two as well?”]

[“Do whatever you want.”]

Horn smiled and snapped his fingers again.

With each snap, something in the distance exploded.

[“Hehe. Sounds nice.”]

Playing with corpses as if they were toys, Horn’s innocent cruelty shocked viewers.

‘Now I see why it’s rated R.’

The mere sight of bodies exploding wasn’t the worst part.

It was Yeon-jae’s smiling face as he killed, which sent chills down their spines.

It was unsettling yet impossible to look away.

Suddenly, a massive explosion sent Agent Jang and Horn flying.

[“Damn, that hurts….”]

Horn grimaced after rolling down a hill several times.

He glanced sideways to see Agent Jang lying on the ground.

Blood was pouring from his abdomen, indicating he had been hit by the explosion.

As Horn quietly rolled his eyes, masked figures approached.

He quickly shut his eyes.

[“We’ve located the targets. Both appear to be unconscious.”]

One of the masked figures reported through a radio.

[“What about the specimen? Is it unharmed?”]

[“The specimen is fine.”]

[“Kill the other one and capture the specimen. Make sure it isn’t harmed.”]

The man acknowledged the command over the radio.

[“You two, carry the specimen to the car. You, come with me.”]

[“Yes, sir.”]

The men who received the order lifted Horn.

Horn’s body hung limply, as if he had lost consciousness.

The man adjusted his grip on Horn’s slipping body.

[“Excuse me.”]

[“…?”]

A cheerful voice interrupted.

The man holding Horn felt something cold against his temple.

[“What—”]

Before he could say anything, Horn pulled the trigger.

With a loud bang, the man’s head exploded.

[“Ugh.”]

Horn, who had fallen to the ground, immediately rolled to the side.

The enemies’ hands brushed past him, narrowly missing.

Using his small frame to move swiftly, Horn aimed directly at the enemies’ heads without hesitation.

Bang! Bang!

As they fell one by one, the remaining enemies, in a panic, raised their guns.

At that moment, the man who had answered the radio shouted loudly.

[“No! Don’t shoot! Don’t let him get hurt!”]

Damn it, then how are we supposed to subdue him?

The men’s frustration was palpable, even to the viewers.

Meanwhile, Horn continued firing without pause, and Agent Jang, now alert, joined in.

Horn, growing tired, threw the magazine into the midst of the clustered enemies.

The magazine, filled with bullets made from Horn’s blood, landed among the group.

With a snap of his fingers, the magazine exploded in a massive blast.

The enemies were blown apart without even a chance to scream.

Flesh and blood splattered across the hill.

[“…Wow.”]

Horn chuckled, prodding a piece of flesh that had landed on his shoe.

[“Hehe, my brother’s going to praise me!”]