The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 76

“You’d be surprised too if you saw it. Ah, they say if you meet your doppelganger, you die. What if you guys suddenly die? Am I the only one getting suspicious?”

Annoying.

I barely managed to keep walking while my brows furrowed at the irritating noise.

Kim Jin-ho, whom I got to know this time because we were in the same class, talked a lot. To a useless extent.

“Really? But can someone really look that similar?”

“I told you. He looks exactly the same! There he is. Hey! Kang Tae-il!”

Kim Jin-ho, who had been chatting noisily, suddenly raised his voice.

His mouth, which opened so crudely that it seemed like saliva would spew out any moment, made my expression harden without realizing it.

As I quickly lowered my head to check if any saliva had splattered on my clothes, I heard a strange voice in my ear.

“Hello~, is that him?”

When I slowly lifted my head, the first thing that came into view was the strong sunlight.

Then I made eye contact with the boy sitting by the riverbank.

A t-shirt with a drooping neckline, unkempt coarse hair, sitting nonchalantly on the dusty ground.

There was nothing pleasant about his appearance, but I smiled.

The moment I saw his shiny eyes, the corners of my mouth lifted before I even thought about it.

“Hi. I’m Lee Jin-woo. Jin-ho was right.”

“……”

“We really do look alike.”

I felt something flowing down my back.

The sweat running down on this hot day felt strangely cold.

“Damn, you look exactly the same when seen up close. Shouldn’t you guys be on TV?”

“Haha. Maybe.”

It wasn’t funny. But I had to smile somehow.

I desperately lifted the corners of my mouth, which were rapidly trying to droop down.

Fortunately, my forced expression didn’t seem too bad, as the other person who had been staring blankly at me suddenly jumped up.

“Wow! This is so amazing. You really look exactly like me. I thought Jin-ho was lying.”

“Why would I lie, you idiot?”

“Because you need my attention? Jin-ho, you can’t live without me~.”

The playful voice was full of energy.

Every time I felt his incredulous glances, my stomach churned. I wanted to throw up.

Though I tasted something sour in my throat, I laughed as if I didn’t notice anything.

Fortunately, this wasn’t my first time doing such a thing.

“I also thought Jin-ho was exaggerating. It’s really amazing. Let’s hang out often from now on.”

“I’m all for it~. Whether the two of us hang out or not! I’m always here at this time.”

His face, nodding repeatedly, wore a bright smile.

It was an expression I had never seen in the mirror.

So my face can make such an expression too.

“Can you give me your number? Or at least your social media ID?”

My brain worked quickly.

To sound appropriately interested but not suspicious.

As I let my voice flow smoothly, considering the distance, the other person hesitated and then made a regretful face.

“I don’t have a cell phone. Sorry.”

No cell phone?

Before I could chew on the incomprehensible words, Kim Jin-ho interrupted.

“Oh, I forgot to mention. Um… Kang Tae-il, Tae-il, um….”

As I watched him stutter like an idiot, a cheerful laugh burst out next to me.

“What? Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”

“No, you. Pfft, why are you acting so pathetic?”

“Pathe… you wanna die? I was looking out for you.”

Tears of laughter filled the eyes that were sharply torn.

Kang Tae-il, who had been laughing continuously, spoke directly while looking straight into my eyes as if it was no big deal.

“I live in an orphanage right now. So I don’t have a cell phone.”

His voice was nonchalant, not at all discouraged.

Then I should treat him that way too.

“Then if I want to see you, I’ll come here. This place is nice and charming.”

“……”

His pupils slightly narrowed at my immediate response, scanning my face slowly.

Soon, I saw the corners of his mouth curl up pleasantly.

“You punk… I like you.”

I laughed along with him.

Looking at my reflection in his pupils.

I thought I heard a faint announcement sound signaling the start of the test near my ears.

“Cut!”

At that moment, I heard someone shout loudly.

The thunderous voice, as if the world was shattering, startled me for a moment.

Someone quickly approached and opened an umbrella over my head.

As I blinked slowly in the shade, my mind gradually cleared.

“……How long did it take?”

I asked with a fully clear mind, and Manager An Jin-bae, who was holding the umbrella, whispered with a smile.

“8 seconds. It went smoothly.”

Eight seconds, that’s not bad.

A month ago, it took me 12 seconds to come to my senses.

If I keep practicing, I’ll get better eventually.

As I quietly waited for the director’s instructions, I felt a strong gaze in front of me.

“……You’re really good at acting.”

“Thanks. You were good too, hyung.”

I responded to Nam In-hoo and also praised Sung Lee-jun who was next to me.

“Acting with you is really great….”

The middle school student who had been chattering non-stop was now gone, leaving only a shy Sung Lee-jun.

“I like it too. But hyung, I think you could have entered half a beat faster when you interrupted earlier.”

“Really? I was worried it might disrupt the flow. Because I have to match it with the hand movements too.”

“Then maybe you could do it like this.”

As I recited the lines at the speed I had in mind, Sung Lee-jun quickly picked up on it after a few tries.

Nam In-hoo quietly watched as Sung Lee-jun and I synchronized our performance.

After shooting the same scene from various angles, we switched characters.

“Hmm… should we put a band-aid on the cheek? To give a more delinquent vibe.”

“Just a small scar would do, I think.”

The staff had a deep discussion in front of my face.

In the end, they decided to draw a faint scar on the bridge of my nose.

They also messed up my neatly styled hair and changed me into the t-shirt that Nam In-hoo had been wearing.

We were about to resume shooting as Kang Tae-il when suddenly there was a problem with the equipment, so we took a short break.

While resting under the tent, Nam In-hoo was unusually quiet.

“Hyung. Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“You look a bit tired.”

“Oh….”

Actually, he seemed more down than tired.

After a brief hesitation, Nam In-hoo shook his head and said he was just lost in thought.

It was obvious that it wasn’t just that, but I said okay.

As long as it didn’t affect the shoot, it wasn’t my place to interfere.

“Actor, we’re resuming the shoot.”

I got up immediately upon hearing Manager An Jin-bae’s words.

Soon, the sun would set, so we had to finish in one take.

Unlike before, I almost lay down on the riverbank.

I could vividly feel the rough ground through my thin shorts.

“Ready for the shoot. Standby―.”

Director Yoon’s voice made me close my eyes.

This time too, I moved my fingers.

Tick, tick, tick.

The sound of flicking my nails irregularly grew distant at some point.

“Action!”

* * *

I’m hungry. What should I eat for dinner today?

Should I ask Brother Man-soo to make kalguksu?

‘Why isn’t this punk here yet….’

Today, Kim Jin-ho was late.

Since I had no way to contact him, I could only wait.

I had my phone in my pocket, but Kim Jin-ho didn’t know I had it.

As I stared at the slowly flowing stream, I sensed some commotion behind me. He’s finally here.

“I told you. He looks exactly the same! There he is. Hey! Kang Tae-il!”

That cute punk.

Although he was a bit scatterbrained, chatting with Kim Jin-ho was quite enjoyable. I turned around and smiled.

“Hello~. Is that him?”

There was someone standing next to Kim Jin-ho.

He had been making a fuss about finding someone who looked exactly like me, and it seemed he finally brought him.

Let’s see how similar he looks, I lifted my head with a grin and froze.

“Hi. I’m Lee Jin-woo. Jin-ho was right.”

“……”

“We really do look alike.”

His smiling face was straight.

So what? His eyes looked like a thug’s.

This punk Kim Jin-ho, he brought something interesting.

I stood up abruptly, facing the intense gaze that didn’t match his gentle eyes.

“Wow! This is so amazing. You really look exactly like me. I thought Jin-ho was lying.”

“Why would I lie, you idiot?”

“Because you need my attention? Jin-ho, you can’t live without me~.”

Wow, but he really looks exactly the same.

I want to show him to the brothers.

Is there any way to bring him over? They’d be amazed.

As I glanced over, the guy named Lee Jin-woo was smiling like a picture.

“I also thought Jin-ho was exaggerating. It’s really amazing. Let’s hang out often from now on.”

“I’m all for it~. Whether the two of us hang out or not! I’m always here at this time.”

This guy is really intriguing.

Despite his voice being as soft as a freshly washed towel, his gaze was sharp.

If I looked at the brothers with those eyes, they would probably hit me, saying, ‘How dare you act tough at your age?’

“Can you give me your number? Or at least your social media ID?”

I hesitated at his smooth request.

Damn, I really want to give it to him. It’s my first time seeing someone this interesting.

But rules were rules.

If I told him and the brothers found out, I might really end up sleeping outside naked.

As soon as I said I didn’t have a phone, Kim Jin-ho awkwardly interrupted.

His clumsy, stuttering intrusion as he glanced at me was quite funny. What a cute punk.

“What? Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”

As I burst out laughing, Kim Jin-ho’s face turned red.

Meanwhile, Lee Jin-woo’s gaze, which was stuck to my face, was intense. My face might get a hole, punk.

“I live in an orphanage right now. So I don’t have a cell phone.”

It was a lie, but what else could I do.

I couldn’t exactly tell the truth.

I couldn’t count how many times I had to say this.

I said it so many times that sometimes I even started to believe I really lived in an orphanage.

People’s reactions to this were usually similar.

Confusion, awkwardness, embarrassment, unease.

“Then if I want to see you, I’ll come here. This place is nice and charming.”

As expected, Lee Jin-woo was interesting.

It felt unsettling that such a kind voice came from someone who looked at me like I was trash on the street.

For a peaceful life, it was essential to avoid people who were different inside and out. But―.

“You punk… I like you.”

Anyway, my life had nothing to do with peace.

When I smiled, his pupils, following the curve of my lips, met mine straight on.

Though he must have lived a life completely different from mine, given his perfectly neat clothes, it was strange.

I had a feeling I would get deeply entangled with this punk from now on.

* * *

“Good job.”

“Thanks! Get home safely.”

Today’s shoot was over.

We re-shot some scenes for better takes, but fortunately, there were no NGs.

Practicing with Mist yesterday had paid off.

“Hyung. Take care. See you tomorrow.”

“……Yeah. Get home safe.”

When I greeted Nam In-hoo, who was walking sluggishly, he mumbled with a half-dazed look.

Something was definitely going on, but at least it didn’t affect the shoot.

I hope he feels better tomorrow.

“Yeon-jae…! What are you going to do now?”

“Huh? I’m planning to go home.”

When I answered, thinking about how I wanted to go home quickly, the face in front of me froze for a moment.

“Okay…. Take care! You worked hard today!”

“……”

What am I supposed to do with you making that face?

After pondering for three seconds, I opened my mouth.

“Do you want to have dinner together?”

“…! Really? If you don’t mind….”

“It’s fine. Let’s eat meat, ah, sushi. I’ll ask Jin-bae hyung if he knows a good place.”

With a blushing face, Sung Lee-jun nodded and followed behind me.

His gestures, like a baby duck following its mother, were a bit awkward but I couldn’t turn him away, so I just sighed.