The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest

Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 284

"Yeon-jae."

A staff member with a camera approached me.

"What are your thoughts on the courage test ahead? Do you usually get scared easily?"

"Well. Um..."

I scratched the back of my neck.

"Honestly, I don’t get scared easily. I don’t think there will be much footage, and that’s the scariest part right now."

When I spoke honestly, the staff member laughed heartily.

"We weren’t expecting much from you anyway, Yeon-jae. We had Lee-jun in mind when we brought it up."

Ah.

I nodded automatically.

'Sung Lee-jun.'

Seeing him whimper would be quite a sight.

I finally understood why the staff suddenly suggested the courage test.

Seeing my expression of understanding, the staff's face brightened considerably.

"Don’t you think he’ll be really scared? We’re all looking forward to his reaction. Everyone fought over who would play the ghost. I really wanted to, but I ended up drawing the short straw."

Why were they so excited?

I wondered at the unusually excited expressions of the staff.

'Is this person just particularly excited?'

However, the reactions of the surrounding staff were similar.

"Wow, this is the first time I’m doing something like this since I was a student. I’m really nervous."

"Haven’t you ever shot a horror special? When I was the youngest, I did a lot of assisting for variety shows."

"The regulation started just when I entered the field."

"Ah, right. That happened. Well, it’s been a while for me too."

Hearing the excited voices from all around, I stifled a laugh.

It seemed the staff were the most excited.

'Am I the only one worried about the footage?'

As long as everyone was enjoying themselves, it was fine.

'But I can’t pretend to be scared.'

If Sung Lee-jun cried, everyone would be satisfied.

I thought I should just get it over with quickly.

At that moment, I made eye contact with someone crouched in a corner.

"......"

"......"

"......Are you breathing?"

Seo Ji-oh, who was pale as a ghost, barely nodded.

Anyone would think he was the ghost.

Since he heard about this from the staff, he had been like this the whole time.

'Should I just ignore him?'

Sigh.

After hesitating for a moment, I sighed and approached him, feeling uneasy.

"Seo Ji-oh. Don’t force yourself. Should I tell them you can’t do it?"

"I’m fine."

Seo Ji-oh shook his head immediately.

He still seemed keen on the behind-the-scenes footage.

"Do you want some candy? There’s a lot of lemon flavor in the car."

"No, thank you. I absolutely refuse any candy you give me. I’d rather die."

"How is that polite in any way?"

Seo Ji-oh frowned deeply, looking disgusted as if he remembered the sour taste he forced himself to eat.

Still, his half-dead face brightened a bit.

"Are you that worried?"

At my question, Seo Ji-oh lifted one corner of his mouth.

"Why wouldn’t I be? Everyone’s going to know I’m a scaredy-cat."

"You can just say you’re sick."

"Being sick isn’t good either. Everyone else will be having fun, and I’ll be stuck in the dorm alone. I’d look like someone with poor social skills."

His voice was sharp as he retorted.

He usually hid it well.

The sensitive vibe emanating from him stung.

'He must really be worried.'

I could understand his feelings.

After all, the preview of the courage test was to be released for free with the movie.

To see the full version of the video, you had to purchase the goods, but the free preview would also show the main parts.

If the movie received a good response, the behind-the-scenes video would also get a lot of attention.

'He’s probably worried his mom will see it.'

It was hard to ignore it knowing his situation.

After thinking for a moment, I spoke up.

"Think of it as a chance to show off your charm."

"What?"

"It’s good as a twist. It contrasts with the character you play."

Seo Ji-oh frowned.

"What’s charming about being scared of ghosts? It’s not cool at all."

"Not all charms are about being cool."

I poked his cheek with my finger.

"Your relaxed smile is nice, but your scared expression is much better."

"......Do you not like my usual smile?"

"It’s not that, um..."

It was hard to explain while beating around the bush.

I scratched my neck and spoke.

"Being scared of ghosts isn’t cool, but it’s cute. It’s honest."

"......"

"If it’s cute, it’s charming."

"You think I’m cute?"

"I mean, that kind of behavior is generally considered cute. Not you specifically."

Good grief, I couldn’t say anything.

Even with my explanation, Seo Ji-oh looked displeased.

"Yeon-jae, you know I'm much taller than you, right?"

"What do you mean 'much taller'? Have some conscience."

"Well, I usually like compliments, but coming from you, it feels a bit..."

Seo Ji-oh made a bitter face, like he'd eaten an unripe persimmon.

This was making me feel awkward.

"Hey, you said I could talk casually to you."

"Huh?"

"You said you wouldn't mind no matter what I said, so why are you changing your tune?"

At my grumpy tone, Seo Ji-oh's expression turned bewildered.

'Should've just stayed out of it.'

I should've just left.

Annoyed, I suddenly stood up.

"Fine. Do whatever you want."

"Are you mad? I'm sorry. Don't go."

"Are you a kid? Let go."

"Yeon-jae, actually, I don't have any strength in my legs. What should I do later?"

What does that have to do with me?

Seo Ji-oh clung to me, begging me to stay with him until it started.

"I said let go!"

"Please. You said I was cute."

"When did I―"

"Are we doing the courage test alone? I can’t do it alone. Can’t we do it together? Please, Yeon-jae."

Seo Ji-oh clung to my leg desperately.

The sudden commotion drew the attention of the staff filming behind the scenes.

I looked at the camera approaching closer and closer.

'What should I do?'

I was already feeling exhausted.

---

'How did it come to this?'

I thought, closing my eyes tightly.

Usually, a courage test involves going to a prepared location alone.

But why.

"Yeon-jae, my hand, hand, please."

Seo Ji-oh, who was stuck to my right side, whispered in my ear.

I frowned unconsciously and then quickly relaxed my face.

Then, someone whispered from my left side.

"Yeon-jae, can I hold your hand too...?"

It was Sung Lee-jun.

Surprisingly, his face looked perfectly fine.

Unlike the pale Seo Ji-oh, Sung Lee-jun was calmly looking into the dark forest.

"I guess we go that way."

Sung Lee-jun said softly, shining a portable lantern on the path.

"Shall we go?"

"Hyung, do we all have to go together?"

"Huh?"

"Look at my condition."

At my miserable voice, Sung Lee-jun smiled awkwardly.

Seo Ji-oh, who was scared stiff, clung to my right arm as if to break it, and right at my feet was Happy.

—Woof!

Happy’s tail wagged like a helicopter, probably thinking we were going for a late-night walk together.

"If we move in this state, it’ll take an hour to get there. Let's split into pairs."

Honestly, I wanted to go alone.

Wouldn't that be better? More footage would come out if I went solo.

But Seo Ji-oh insisted he couldn't go alone as soon as the filming started, as if he had promised in advance, clinging to my hand, so we decided to go together.

"You go with Happy. I'll go with him."

I said with a determined look, feeling sacrificial.

'Anyway, getting him off is a job itself.'

Seo Ji-oh, clinging to my right arm, was already out of his mind.

But despite my generous offer, Sung Lee-jun didn't budge.

And then he said,

"I want to go with you too..."

"......"

I hesitated at his defeated tone.

He glanced at me and spoke.

'There's definitely no Han Ha-ram here.'

Why do I still feel like I’m raising a kid?

Sighing deeply, I slowly nodded.

"Let's all go together, then."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Just hold onto Happy’s leash tight. Let’s get this over with."

"Okay!"

Sung Lee-jun beamed brightly.

His smile was so bright, I thought we could use his face instead of a lantern.

'Got it. Mission accomplished.'

Feeling proud, I looked at the staff holding the camera.

'This was my idea.'

I tried to convey this with my eyes, but the staff seemed to look at me with a peculiar expression.

---

The production team of the movie 'Shin Yoo-young' had envisioned a certain scene.

The lead actors, Lee Yeon-jae and Sung Lee-jun, were top-tier actors known widely beyond their age group.

Moreover, the travel variety show they did together last year was a huge hit.

If these two actors, who just made you happy by watching them, did a courage test?

Lee Yeon-jae would probably have a nonchalant expression, just like in the travel variety show, while Sung Lee-jun, with his usual gentle personality, would get scared.

Then, Lee Yeon-jae would take care of Sung Lee-jun.

Adding a dog to the mix?

‘This is truly a masterpiece.’

Just the thought of it was already perfect.

Additionally, they included a rookie actor from the same agency as Lee Yeon-jae.

The more handsome faces, the better!

Moreover, the rookie actor was rumored among the staff to have a decent personality.

Even though his usual calm image might not yield particularly entertaining scenes, they figured it was better than nothing.

However, once filming started, the staff could only stare blankly at the following scene.

"Wait, wait a moment."

"Why?"

"I can't go any further. I'm sorry, really. Can we take a break?"

"......Ji-oh, this is the entrance. The entrance."

Lee Yeon-jae gritted his teeth.

"It’s been thirty minutes. There's a streetlight right above you. Can't you see it?"

"I-I can see it."

"The surroundings are so bright. What do you mean you can't go any further? Get a grip."

"I-I... I'm... I'm..."

Seo Ji-oh mumbled with a pale face.

He looked half out of his mind, yet he clung tightly to Lee Yeon-jae's arm.

"Seo Ji-oh. Get a grip."

The 'quiet and mature Lee Yeon-jae' that the staff knew was nowhere to be seen.

"If you say you can't go on one more time, I'll do what I did last time. Got it?"

"O-okay."

"You just answered. Now, let's start."

Despite the pale face of his companion, Lee Yeon-jae's snappy demeanor was like that of any other teenager.

Seo Ji-oh, nodding frantically in front of him, looked like a frightened puppy.

'They're both so different from usual.'

The staff were dumbfounded.

They had heard the two were close, but was this what being close meant? It just seemed like they were enemies.

One staff member even thought,

'They really are close. They must have sides they show only to each other...'

It was a night filled with different dreams under the same sky.

"Yeon-jae, look at that tree."

Meanwhile, Sung Lee-jun was smiling brightly even in the dark.

"It's huge. Is it a zelkova tree?"

He chatted nonchalantly, shining his lantern around.

It was a scene that felt like a slap to the back of the heads of the staff who had hoped to capture Sung Lee-jun being scared.

―Pant, pant.

Bored of the slow progress, Happy had long since settled down in place.

"Hyung, why are you over there?"

"Oh, the tree looked pretty―"

"Forget the tree. Stay beside us."

The staff stared blankly at the rare sight of Lee Yeon-jae getting irritated.

One staff member quietly said,

"Text the kids dressed as ghosts."

"What?"

"......Tell them to take a break. This is going to take a while."

The staff's muttering was clearly captured on camera.

They thought,

'I hope this video gets released soon.'

They wanted many people to understand the strange feeling they were experiencing right now.

The fact that this behind-the-scenes video would eventually give rise to the nickname 'Lee Yeon-jae Squad' for Lee Yeon-jae's actor friends was a story for the not-so-distant future.