The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 244

[Title: Huh. Lee Yeon-jae won’t be in the Lily Sweetie MV.]

The official statement just came out.

But the reason is unbelievable.

He has to attend a school trip. Hahahahaha.

I mean, skipping a Lily Sweetie MV for a school trip? Hahaha.

This guy is really… he’s no ordinary weirdo.

―I was shocked by the title, but even more shocked by the content.

―A school trip… well, school trips are important… but still??

└That’s exactly how I feel hahaha.

―I’m beyond shocked; it’s just funny now. Feels like watching a weirdo with strong principles.

└A big star’s offer came, but? Focusing on the student’s duty (pushing up glasses).

└Hahaha, hilarious.

―Am I the only one? It’s oddly satisfying.

└Whoa, me too haha. It felt like Lily was pushing it one-sidedly, so it was a bit off-putting.

└Lily was pushing it one-sidedly? Where did you hear that nonsense?

[Title: I’m the one who said Lily was pushing it one-sidedly]

I didn’t mean it in a bad way, it just felt like that.

Usually, collabs or appearance offers are made through agencies, right?

Once it’s confirmed, they promote it on SNS.

But she suddenly posted a story right after appearing on the Jim Fury Show asking him to join… it felt a bit off.

―But it’s Lily Sweetie.

└(Grr) That’s exactly it; she seems too aware of her own importance.

└But it’s Lily Sweetie 2222

└(Grr) Whatever, forget it.

―Foreigners usually post stories however they want, so don’t read too much into it.

└Yeah, the most surprised one is probably Lily. Who’d think her offer would be rejected?

└Lee Yeon-jae achieved the impossible.

* * *

“The reaction is intense.”

At Jin-bae hyung’s murmur, I put down the book I was reading.

“Really? Are there many people cursing me out?”

“Who would curse at you, actor?”

“Isn’t Lily Sweetie a famous person? Since I turned down her offer―”

“Even so, no one would curse at you.”

His tone was not just firm but almost solemn, making me laugh.

‘I don’t mind being cursed.’

With someone like Jin-bae hyung supporting me, what’s the problem?

But it seemed quite important to him; he even pulled out his laptop to show me the internet reactions one by one.

‘There really aren’t any.’

There really weren’t any negative comments.

I expected to be criticized for being ungrateful, but surprisingly, there weren’t any.

In fact, I hadn’t planned to turn down the MV offer.

Noh Bi-hyuk was too busy to go on the school trip, and I wasn’t particularly interested either.

Most importantly, Director Jang wanted me to appear in the MV.

The man who usually let me do whatever I wanted hadn’t asked for anything in a long time, so I didn’t have any reason to refuse.

But for this school trip, Jin-bae hyung and Jung-hyun hyung adamantly opposed my missing it, saying that while a career can always be built, school days don’t come back. They persuaded Director Jang so fervently that he eventually gave in.

‘Then let’s contact them and adjust the schedule. How long does a school trip take, three days? They can wait that long.’

‘No.’

To my surprise, it was Woo Team Leader who opposed Director Jang’s suggestion.

‘Since it’s come to this, let’s make it seem like they’re begging us.’

Woo Team Leader suggested that we release a unilateral statement, just like Lily Sweetie did.

‘If they really want Yeon-jae, they’ll contact us first to adjust the schedule.’

‘What if they just decide to drop it altogether because of their pride?’

‘Then that’s their loss. Even without appearing in the MV, Yeon-jae will continue to do well.’

Woo Team Leader’s tone was so confident that I was momentarily stunned.

‘This sounds so arrogant…’

My face flushed with embarrassment, but I missed the chance to rebut because Director Jang nodded in agreement at that moment.

‘A student being diligent in school isn’t something to be criticized for, and making us enemies over this would harm their reputation too.’

If they contacted us to adjust the schedule, we’d just have to ease the situation then, said Woo Team Leader, which had a strange persuasiveness.

And astonishingly, Lily’s side did contact us.

“There will be an article tonight stating that Lily agreed to adjust the schedule.”

“Weren’t they upset? We’re in a very favorable position.”

“The most important thing is the buzz. Since it became such a hot topic even before shooting the MV, they’ve gained enough.”

I see.

‘There are so many things to consider.’

The entertainment world was truly a place with many considerations.

Fortunately, I had capable people on my side.

That night, the prepared article went out, and the internet buzzed once again.

―[Official] Lee Yeon-jae confirmed to appear in ‘Lily Sweetie’ music video

―A heavenly visual and voice collaboration, netizens say “Already looking forward to it.”

―’Who is Lee Yeon-jae?’ Mentioned even in international communities as part of K-Hallyu.

Thus, I managed to secure both the school trip and the MV appearance.

* * *

Finally, it was the day of the school trip.

“Hyung, I’m off. See you in three days.”

“……Actor.”

“No matter how much you look at me like that, it’s not going to work.”

I firmly told Jin-bae hyung, who was looking at me desperately.

“It’s only a 2-night, 3-day trip at most. You should go somewhere too while I’m gone.”

“What if something happens to you while I’m not around? I’ll just stay nearby without being noticeable.”

“Think about your height before you say that.”

# The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune (244)

## Chapter 244

Even if he was over 190cm, how could he think he wouldn’t stand out?

It was ridiculous, but I consoled Jin-bae hyung, who was acting like a child with separation anxiety.

“I won’t do anything reckless. I’ll listen to the teacher. Okay? If I stay any longer, I’ll be late, so I’m getting out now.”

“Actor―”

Before he could say more, I quickly got out of the car.

The school field, where several buses were lined up, was already bustling.

‘Everyone seems excited.’

I could feel the excited atmosphere among the kids gathered in clusters.

Wearing my school uniform, which I hadn’t worn in a while and felt a bit unfamiliar, I stood in line.

As I approached, the kids who had been chattering noisily suddenly fell silent.

“…….”

Awkward. My fingertips curled.

It had been hard enough just to keep up with schoolwork amidst endless filming.

Getting close to the kids was naturally too much to ask.

‘Should I start a conversation?’

It bothered me that the silence seemed to be because of me, but a savior appeared just in time.

“Yeon-jae, hi.”

It was Seo Ji-oh.

His slow speech made me feel a moment of relief.

“Hi.”

“You’re wearing your summer uniform. It’ll get cold in the evening.”

Seo Ji-oh handed me a cardigan, saying I should wear it if I got cold.

The black cardigan was covered with cat hair.

“Guys! Let’s get on the bus now. The other grades are still in class, so be quiet.”

“Yes~!!”

“I said quietly.”

The kids laughed loudly, finding something amusing.

“Did you see the schedule? There’s a courage test on the last day.”

“Is that mandatory? I hate scary things.”

“Hey, I brought snacks. Let’s eat on the bus.”

Even in the brief moment of boarding the bus, the kids chattered endlessly.

Only Seo Ji-oh and I were quiet.

It might have looked like awkward silence to others, but to me, it was a familiar peace.

Luckily, it seemed to be the same for Seo Ji-oh.

“Yeon-jae, do you want to sit by the window?”

“I don’t mind.”

Seo Ji-oh naturally sat next to me.

Unlike the constantly hyperactive Noh Bi-hyuk, it was quiet beside me.

‘This isn’t bad either.’

When I first met Seo Ji-oh, he clung to me so much it felt like my ears would bleed from the annoyance.

Looking back, it seemed like he had made a lot of effort in his own way.

He didn’t even like going outside like me, yet he asked me to go to the Jeonju International Film Festival with him.

“…? Why?”

Seo Ji-oh opened his eyes, sensing my gaze.

“Just.”

Despite my bland answer, Seo Ji-oh smiled lazily.

“Are you bored? Want to chat?”

Seo Ji-oh naturally started talking about movies.

It was one of his strengths: the ability to converse according to the other person’s interests.

“When I auditioned, Woo Team Leader asked what my favorite movie was. It was such an unexpected question that my mind went blank.”

“Really? Woo Team Leader said you looked too nonchalant, and it was annoying.”

“Ha ha, really? That’s a relief. Seems my acting paid off.”

Talking about movies with Seo Ji-oh was always fun.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at our destination without a moment of boredom.

Our school trip destination was Damyang, Jeollanam-do.

“Ah, I wanted to go to Jeju Island.”

“Other schools go abroad. What’s this?”

The kids in front were grumbling.

I understood their feelings, but honestly, I couldn’t empathize.

Especially since I had been in New York just last week.

‘The breeze is nice.’

Leaving the crowded city felt refreshing.

The lodging near the mountains was filled with the fresh scent of soil.

After unpacking, we headed to Juknokwon.

While other kids ran around wildly as soon as free time was given, Seo Ji-oh and I walked quietly along the path.

Since there was no one to show off to about being close to me, Seo Ji-oh was unusually quiet today.

The problem was, this made the people’s stares even more intense.

At first, I thought it was because I was in school uniform.

I waited for the attention to shift to other kids wearing the same uniform, but the stares stubbornly remained on us.

‘I’m wearing a mask.’

I was wearing a mask.

Therefore, people couldn’t know I was Lee Yeon-jae.

‘So why are they staring like this?’

Fortunately, I realized the reason not too late.

“Seo Ji-oh.”

“Yeah?”

“Put on your mask.”

“Mask?”

I clicked my tongue at his puzzled expression.

He was an actor under Wuyeon now, yet he was being too careless.

“Everyone’s staring at you.”

“…?”

“I was wondering why they kept looking. Here, put it on quickly.”

His face grew even more puzzled.

“Yeon-jae, what do you mean―”

“Don’t you remember being in a drama? Put on your mask quickly.”

I was glad I brought extra masks.

Who would’ve thought Seo Ji-oh’s face would be recognized too?

‘A lot of people must have watched Killing Horn.’

It had been nearly a month since the drama was released, and it was still holding the top spot.

I didn’t realize Killing Horn’s fame would be so palpable.

As I wrestled with Seo Ji-oh, who kept trying to take off his mask, evening approached.

‘This school trip isn’t as special as I thought.’

I couldn’t understand why Jung-hyun hyung and Jin-bae hyung had insisted on it so fervently.

Seeing the kids, who were usually calm in the classroom, running around excitedly was nice, but it didn’t mean much to me since I wasn’t close to them.

I thought the three days would pass quickly like this.

“Uh… Yeon-jae.”

One of my classmates, who had been hovering around, approached me.

“Yes?”

“We’re having a recreation activity soon.”

Unlike the courage test on the second night, the first night’s activity was just indoor recreation.

“I just heard from the teacher that the class with the highest score will get chicken and pizza.”

“I see.”

I nodded quietly, wondering what he wanted.

The classmate hesitated for a while.

“So, um….”

Why was he hesitating so much?

“It’s okay. You can speak comfortably.”

Thinking he might be uncomfortable, I prompted him, and his face brightened.

Then he suddenly shouted.

“Can you dance during the talent show?!”

“…….”

I didn’t mean for him to feel this comfortable asking.