The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 83

※ This chapter contains depictions of domestic violence. Please be mindful while reading.

I was sitting down while she was standing.

“My son.”

“Yes, Mother.”

I clasped my hands respectfully and lowered my gaze.

She liked it when I took this posture.

“I heard you had an exam today.”

“Yes. I went to school and submitted it to the manager right away.”

The score on the test I brought home today was 97.

My mother wasn’t the type to get angry over a 97 instead of a perfect score; she would hit me just because she didn’t like the way I breathed.

“You worked hard today. Attending school isn’t easy, is it?”

“No, it’s not. All I have to do is study.”

Fortunately, my mother’s mood seemed to be good today.

I glanced up at her gently smiling face and smiled softly.

Maybe today could end like this…

“Right? All you have to do is study. Was there anything else you were supposed to do?”

Guess not.

I quickly bowed my head.

“No.”

“Then why have you been coming home late recently?”

“I’m sorry, Mother….”

I began to tremble slightly as I stared at the marble floor.

I could see my hands filling my vision, shaking naturally.

At the same time, I counted the seconds.

One.

“I was solving problems one-on-one with a friend after school recently.”

Two.

“I thought you’d like it if I raised my math score even more―.”

“That’s your problem!!”

Three.

I trembled like a frightened rabbit at the expected shout.

Her response was always the same, no matter what.

Isn’t it time to change it up?

“I don’t understand why you’re even in this house!”

“I’m sorry, Mother….”

“I don’t even want to hear your voice. It’s disgusting! What are you sorry for? What!!”

Well, maybe that I was born borrowing your womb?

That might be my fundamental fault.

I wanted to tell her the answer we both knew, but what I had to say was already decided.

“I’m sorry for causing you concern by behaving badly, ouch.”

“I told you I don’t want to hear it!”

I urgently gripped the armrest of the chair.

As I held my breath, a fierce kick flew at me.

Feeling the sharp pain in my abdomen, I gritted my teeth to suppress any groan.

Sometimes, continually muttering apologies could make it end sooner, but since she had already said twice that she didn’t want to hear my voice, silence was the answer today.

“Disgusting! It makes my skin crawl that someone as filthy as you is next to me!”

It was easier when I was younger.

A few slaps to my cheek, and it would end quickly because her hand would hurt too.

“I wish you were dead. Really! I wish you would disappear.”

Since I started living in a group, she had unified her punishment method to kicks.

The advantage was that the bruises disappeared on their own without needing special treatment, but that was it.

When I was being hit, I had to muster all my strength so the chair wouldn’t slide back, which was quite troublesome.

“Ugh!”

“I told you to shut up!”

Yeah, on days like this when she missed and hit my solar plexus, it was definitely better when I was younger.

I hurriedly closed my mouth, but she grabbed my hair and pulled it up.

The sharp pain in my scalp translated into a familiar sensation.

Grabbing my hair meant it was almost over. I just had to endure a little longer.

I concealed my boredom and pretended to be more breathless.

Then, I heard a strange word near my ear.

“Jin-woo.”

“…!”

The body I had forced to tremble quickly stiffened.

Forgetting that I wasn’t supposed to look, I lifted my head.

Her eyes were already insane.

“Can’t you please die? Please….”

“…….”

“Please… It’s so hard for Mom….”

She sobbed.

Her eyes, shaking sadly, quickly filled with moisture.

I couldn’t tear my gaze away from that beautiful sight and said what I had to say.

“…I’m sorry.”

I was sorry I couldn’t give her what she wanted.

“Cut!”

With the distant cry, the pain in my scalp disappeared.

It felt like cold water had been poured on me as I came back to my senses.

“Are both of you okay?”

“I’m fine…, are you okay?”

“Yes.”

Her anxious touch reached the top of my head.

I blinked and couldn’t refuse the awkward pat in time.

“You both were really great. Since the emotions are still high, let’s continue right away if that’s okay?”

“I’m fine. How about you, Mom?”

“Oh… I’m fine too.”

Actress Sung Eun-hye nodded with a subtle expression.

We divided the cuts and repeated the filming three or four times according to the angle.

Except for the lighting problem that prevented my eyes from being captured on film, there were no NGs.

Contrary to everyone’s expectation that it would take a long time to shoot, today’s shoot ended without a single mistake in the lines.

“Everyone, great job! Seriously, you two are amazing. I worried for nothing!”

“You worked hard too, Director.”

Director Yoon was beaming.

Though she looked slightly tired, actress Sung Eun-hye also had a satisfied smile on her face.

“Yeon-jae, thank you. Thanks to you, today’s filming went smoothly.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“No, really. Thank you.”

Her eyes, which had calmed down, looked peculiarly lively.

I also smiled broadly as I undid the stifling button.

“You were worried, but you did very well. Great job, senior.”

“…Yes!”

What was that?

Her reaction was a bit odd, but actress Sung Eun-hye naturally turned around, saying we’d meet next time.

I watched her softly walking away for a moment.

Unbuttoning the tight collar was much more urgent than thinking deeply about it.

“Actor, let me help you.”

Manager An Jin-bae quickly unbuttoned the button that wouldn’t open because of my strangely fumbling hands.

After changing my clothes and greeting Director Yoon and the staff, I returned to the car.

“Sigh….”

“You worked hard today.”

As soon as my familiar seat touched my back, a long sigh escaped.

I stretched my shoulders, which had stiffened from tension.

Blinking my dry eyes, something suddenly came into view.

“…?”

“It’s a gift.”

“For what…?”

It was so unexpected that I couldn’t find the words.

Manager An Jin-bae persistently handed me the rice cake cake he was holding.

“Eat it quickly.”

“Where did this come from all of a sudden?”

“I bought it yesterday and kept it in the icebox.”

Oh, man. I laughed incredulously.

When I laughed, Manager An Jin-bae laughed along and handed me a fork for my free hand.

“It wasn’t an easy shoot today. I wanted to give it to you for working hard.”

I thanked him and took the white plastic fork.

I poked the cake and muttered quietly.

“…Hyung, I’m just asking in case.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t think I was abused at my previous adoptive home, do you?”

His gentle eyes, still with a hint of laughter, looked at me.

“I really didn’t go through anything. They couldn’t even curse at me, let alone abuse me.”

He hadn’t probed deeply when I vomited from Han Se-young’s perfume either.

With limited information, it’s easy to misunderstand. But there were no verbal or physical abuses at all.

It was just a casual question to clear things up, but his response was unexpectedly mild.

“It’s not for that reason. I just… wanted you to feel better.”

When I silently stared at him, he urged me to eat before the cream melted.

I picked a blueberry off the cake and put it in my mouth.

The tart taste lingered in my mouth.

“How does it taste?”

“Of course, it’s good. Thanks. Sorry for eating it all by myself.”

“I’m going to grill some meat at home. I bought some Korean beef yesterday.”

“Okay. Then let’s buy some mushrooms on the way.”

“I’ve already got them. I also prepared lettuce, perilla leaves, and garlic without missing anything!”

Seriously, he was thoroughly prepared.

I glanced at Manager An Jin-bae, who looked proud, and ended up laughing too.

* * *

“Um…, Yeon-jae.”

As the bell rang, I was packing my notebook into my bag when someone stood beside me.

“…?”

“Did you do well on the test?”

“Oh… just okay.”

It was a girl from my class.

Why was she suddenly talking to me? I smiled reflexively, though I was confused.

“How about you, Seo-jin?”

“Oh my gosh, you know my name?!”

Her face lit up like a rabbit.

Her reaction was more intense than I expected, leaving me bewildered.

“Of course.”

“We’ve never talked before. I thought you wouldn’t know.”

Her wide smile showed her white teeth. She really looked like a rabbit.

After a few trivial conversations, I asked if she had any reason for talking to me.

She quickly shook her head.

“I was just curious if you did well on the test… I thought you might not have had time to study because of the shoot.”

“I studied whenever I could after the shoot. But I’m sure it’s less than the others.”

“Oh… then… should I show you my notes?”

Is that necessary?

“Now? The test is over.”

“Oh, I-I meant for the next test! I actually wanted to give them to you earlier, but you weren’t coming to school….”

Her blushing cheeks were puzzling, but she seemed to have good intentions, so I nodded slowly.

“I’ll let you know if I need it. Thanks for thinking of me.”

“No, it’s okay! Um… how do you go home? Do you want to go together?”

I looked at Baek Seo-jin, who was stammering, curiously.

Wasn’t this the first time we talked?

Why was she suddenly asking to go home together?

While I was thinking about what to say, the back door rattled open.

“Lee Yeon-jae. Let’s go~!”

It was Noh Bi-hyuk.

He looked very happy as he spun his bag with one hand.

Did he rush here right after the test?

Seizing the opportunity, I turned to Baek Seo-jin.

“I promised to go with him today.”

“Oh, really! Sorry! I didn’t know.”

“You don’t need to apologize. Get home safely. See you next week.”

One word would’ve been enough, but Baek Seo-jin nodded fervently and even waved her hand.

I quickly walked out of the classroom with an awkward atmosphere.

Noh Bi-hyuk, who had been glaring at me talking to Baek Seo-jin with narrowed eyes, immediately put his arm around my shoulder as we stepped into the corridor.

“Wow, Lee Yeon-jae~ That’s new.”

“What is?”

“Now that you’re in middle school, are you dating girls too?”

“Don’t talk nonsense and walk straight. Please.”

“Don’t forget you’re a celebrity. Even if you’re an actor, you shouldn’t take dating rumors lightly.”

Too tired to respond, I just walked, eventually having to cover his mouth to stop his chatter.

“Bi-hyuk, stop. Why are you making such a fuss over just talking?”

“Hey. That wasn’t just a conversation. It looked like she was about to confess.”

I also felt something was off but pretended to scold Noh Bi-hyuk with a bored expression.

After a few more times of silencing his mouth, he finally quieted down.

I briefly thought of Baek Seo-jin’s overly red face, but quickly forgot about it when Noh Bi-hyuk suggested we go eat fried dumplings.

It wasn’t a particularly memorable event because I had forgotten when talking to Baek Seo-jin for a few hours.

That is until the next week when Baek Seo-jin approached me and said,

“Yeon-jae, I-I like you!”

“…….”

Unfortunately, it became memorable.