The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 103

Lee Yeon-jae worked hard.

Really, really hard. To the point where even Noh Bi-hyuk, who was watching, got tired of it.

‘He’s so persistent….’

Dancing continuously for hours under the scorching sun was difficult even for someone with a decent amount of stamina.

Perhaps that was why Lee Yeon-jae’s body, standing still, was trembling ever so slightly, something that was clearly visible even now.

Yet, without a single complaint or even a hint that he was having a hard time, Lee Yeon-jae’s eyes were only fixed on the camera.

A kid who usually didn’t talk much was constantly conversing with the director while watching the footage.

‘What on earth….’

The fact that Lee Yeon-jae worked tirelessly to the point of obsession was something Noh Bi-hyuk had known since he saw the tattered script.

So it wasn’t particularly surprising, but seeing Lee Yeon-jae on set gave off a strange, eerie feeling.

‘…Why is he working so hard?’

Noh Bi-hyuk dreamed of becoming an idol, and for that dream, he dedicated more than half of his day to practicing.

Reflecting his efforts, his weekly evaluations were steadily improving, but he still felt it wasn’t enough.

There were many aspects he needed to improve on to reach the level he wanted, and for that, he practiced diligently every single day.

The desire to do better. The earnestness to improve. The pride in his ever-growing skills.

There were many ways to express it, but in the end, Noh Bi-hyuk’s reason for working hard could be summed up as ‘thirst’.

However, the emotions in Lee Yeon-jae’s eyes were different. How should he describe it?

“Responsibility?”

“What?”

Startled by the muttered thought, Ahn Jin-bae, who was beside him, asked back.

“Oh, I was talking to myself.”

“Ah, I see. Is there anything you need?”

“No. I told you this morning. You don’t have to take care of me; just focus on him. You’re the only one here who can stop him~.”

Shaking his head as he spoke, the other person chuckled softly.

“He’s not someone who stops just because I tell him to.”

“But at least he adjusts the pace. Without you, he wouldn’t even take breaks.”

“Haha. That’s true.”

Ahn Jin-bae responded with a low laugh, but his gaze remained fixed on Lee Yeon-jae.

Seriously, this guy’s no different. Noh Bi-hyuk clicked his tongue.

Why is everyone working so hard? This is why Koreans are problematic.

Noh Bi-hyuk, who had packed his bag to go straight to the practice room after filming, was shamelessly thinking that.

“Cut! Are you okay?!”

At the director’s voice, which called out earlier than expected, both Noh Bi-hyuk and Ahn Jin-bae’s gazes hastily turned to one place.

There, Lee Yeon-jae was sitting with an embarrassed expression.

“Are you hurt?”

“No. I’m fine.”

It was the first NG.

Refusing Ahn Jin-bae’s hurried support, Lee Yeon-jae got up on his own, looking awkwardly at the ground.

“I got tripped up by this protruding part. I’m sorry.”

“Why apologize for something like that? It’s amazing you didn’t have an NG until now.”

Despite the director’s dismissive response, Lee Yeon-jae seemed quite uncomfortable that he caused an NG.

A guy who said it was okay even when they had to reshoot from the beginning due to a sound staff’s mistake was uncomfortable over such a trivial matter, making Noh Bi-hyuk feel bitter.

If he didn’t know Lee Yeon-jae, he would have dismissed him as an overly timid kid overly conscious of his surroundings.

But Lee Yeon-jae wasn’t overly conscious of his surroundings, nor was he timid.

He was just strict with himself. The hedgehog’s spikes were only sharp towards himself.

‘Sigh.’

Noh Bi-hyuk clicked his tongue and approached quietly.

* * *

“Why is this part sticking out unnecessarily?”

Looking up at the grumbling voice, Noh Bi-hyuk was kicking the structure lightly.

Feeling quite awkward, he relaxed his shoulders at the familiar voice.

“Right.”

“Is your ankle really okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m not lying.”

It was already the last scene.

Unlike the other scenes shot on flat ground, this one had a set with structures.

It was frustrating that they entered the indoor set only after the sunlight had faded, but at least the air conditioning was good, making the filming more comfortable.

However, dancing in a place with protruding structures like a skate park was rather tricky.

It was too late to change locations… Should they change the choreography?

The choreographer, who had been idle for hours, had left, saying she had nothing to do.

Just when I was wondering if I should call her back.

“How about kicking this part while moving forward?”

Noh Bi-hyuk suggested while examining the structure.

“Like this? Just lightly kicking and stepping up.”

“Then it might be hard to transition to the next move.”

“Oh, right. Hmm… Can’t we change it like this?”

The sound of the soles of his sneakers rubbing against the ground came with every light move.

And the suggestion Noh Bi-hyuk made was good enough to distract me from that sound.

Even though it wasn’t a major change to the choreography, it transitioned smoothly.

Some people just have natural talent.

After following Noh Bi-hyuk’s demonstrated moves a few times, I nodded.

“Thanks. This should work.”

“Okay~.”

If it were usual, he would have babbled about how great Bi-hyuk was, how amazing his skills were, and how it was a big deal. But this time, he backed off simply, probably because of the location.

The director stopped Noh Bi-hyuk, who was quietly trying to retreat like an invisible man.

“You’re Yeon-jae’s friend, right? Are you a civilian?”

“What? Oh, yes.”

It was an unusually dumb response from Noh Bi-hyuk.

Glancing at the flustered guy, I answered instead.

“He’s an idol trainee. He’s with WB Entertainment. He’s been helping a lot with dance practice.”

“No wonder, I thought he danced too well. And he’s from WB Entertainment?”

The director’s voice brightened up noticeably.

The director’s eyes, which were alternating between me and Noh Bi-hyuk, seemed to shine for a moment.

“Maybe because you practice together, your dance lines look similar. And you’re about the same height.”

“I’m slightly taller than him, Director.”

The flustered guy, who had been blinking in confusion, hastily responded.

His eyes widened slightly as if he hadn’t meant to say that, and then he laughed and put his arm around my shoulders.

“I used to be much taller than him~. Of course! I’m still going to grow taller.”

I had grown considerably over the past six months, almost catching up with Noh Bi-hyuk’s height.

He often pressed down on my shoulders, saying it annoyed him. Of course, I did the same.

His smile, full of social skills, made me sigh and pinch his side.

It must hurt quite a bit, but the guy winced and kept smiling at the director.

“Haha! Then you’ll definitely grow taller. They say WB Entertainment has a lot of hidden talents.”

“Aigoo, thank you~. I’ll greet you again when I debut!”

The director laughed louder at Noh Bi-hyuk’s slick words.

Laughter spread among the staff, making the filming set suddenly warm.

It was absurd. But I couldn’t help but laugh too.

The facial muscles that had been tense all day in front of strangers relaxed.

As Noh Bi-hyuk pressed down on my shoulder, pretending to put his arm around me, I started to retaliate when the director called Team Leader Choi with a smile.

‘What’s this?’

Even while pressing down on his shoulder, I glanced at the two of them whispering.

After a short conversation with Team Leader Choi, the director looked at Noh Bi-hyuk.

Then he dropped a bomb.

“Would you like to shoot a video together if it’s okay?”

“…What?”

Noh Bi-hyuk looked dumbfounded as if he’d been hit by a bomb out of nowhere.

“Of course, it won’t be an official version, but I thought it would be fun to make a separate video to upload online. You two look like twins when you dance together.”

How strange. We look so different, but somehow we look similar when we dance.

Even with the director’s continued words, the guy couldn’t say anything, so I looked at Team Leader Choi instead.

“Team Leader, is it okay to do that?”

“We’ll have more editing material, but if you two are okay with it, we’d love to.”

Thank goodness. I nodded and poked the stiffened guy’s side.

“Huh?”

“You’re doing it, right?”

“…I feel like I’m intruding.”

“The director suggested it first, so what are you talking about? Call your agency and get permission.”

“Uh….”

“Bi-hyuk. Hurry.”

It wasn’t until I took out his phone and put it to his ear that he came to his senses.

Since he was going to debut anyway, it would be good to appear on camera one more time.

It was worth bringing him along. Thank goodness.

After glancing at the guy who was calling his agency manager in a corner, I got back into position.

“Director, shall we start filming again?”

“Oh, yes! Everyone, back to your places.”

First, I had to finish my shoot quickly.

* * *

“Eat this too.”

“I’m eating right now.”

“Why are you taking so long to eat one? You have to eat a lot to grow taller.”

You’re making it slower by doing this.

I looked at Noh Bi-hyuk, who kept pushing a dumpling to my mouth, in frustration.

“Should I give you that instead?”

“Bi-hyuk, I’m still eating.”

I wanted to tell him not to talk while eating, but seeing his excited face, I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

Well, it made sense for him to be excited since he got to shoot a commercial before debuting.

The guy, who had immediately gotten permission from his agency manager, changed clothes while I finished my last scene.

The shoes were generously prepared, and there were plenty of spare outfits.

Noh Bi-hyuk, who looked bewildered when he went into the changing room, managed to become friends with the staff and chatted with them while fixing his hair.

‘It’s just a special version, so don’t feel too pressured. You two really look like twins standing next to each other.’

Don’t we look too different to be twins?

But I didn’t bother to argue with the director.

It felt a bit strange to see Noh Bi-hyuk with the same wavy hair, white T-shirt, jeans, and navy sneakers that matched my final concept.

Noh Bi-hyuk, who had already mastered the choreography, stumbled a bit at first but quickly got used to facing the camera after a few repetitions. He was destined to be a celebrity.

In the camera, Noh Bi-hyuk and I looked like twins, just as the director had said.

‘After all, I danced while playing the role of Noh Bi-hyuk.’

It was fortunate that the result turned out well.

Not only the director but also Team Leader Choi’s people were smiling, so I felt relieved.

Unlike the official video that would be advertised on TV and various online platforms, the video shot with Noh Bi-hyuk would be uploaded only on the brand’s channel.

I wondered if he might feel disappointed, but Noh Bi-hyuk covered his mouth, asking if it was really going to be uploaded.

He must have thought the answer would be useless, given his subtle expression during the shoot.

Only when he was assured did he look relieved, and he chatted excitedly during dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

“Later, when I debut, my fans will look it up, right? This is incredible.”

He kept handing me dumplings, causing a delay in my meal, which Ahn Jin-bae managed by ordering five more plates of dumplings.

After a long chat, he kept looking at me and hesitating. When I asked him why he was acting that way, he just mumbled and stopped.

And that night, I received a long message of thanks, and only then did I realize what he had been hesitant about and chuckled.