The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 87

I immediately turned around.

Noh Bi-hyuk, wrapped in a blanket, was looking at me with a puzzled expression.

“You….”

I took a step closer. My eyes darted around busily.

After confirming that there was nothing particularly strange about him, I finally felt relieved.

I gritted my teeth. Feeling the veins popping on my temples, I glared at him, causing him to flinch.

“You said there was a car accident.”

“No, there was! It happened right in front of me.”

“Then you should have said it clearly. I thought you were in the accident―.”

Heat surged up to my head.

I wanted to argue more, but at that moment, I exhaled a short, heavy breath.

Noh Bi-hyuk, who had been stepping back, approached awkwardly as I started coughing violently, almost as if I was going to cough up blood.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Cough.”

My throat felt scratchy.

At the same time, I pressed my burning eyes and swallowed my anger.

“Next time, speak clearly. Don’t scare people.”

“……You hung up before hearing the full story.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Noh Bi-hyuk quickly averted his eyes.

He wiped the sweat that had formed on his forehead roughly.

“Yeon-jae…! How could you run like that! Is Bi-hyuk okay?”

“He’s fine. The accident happened right in front of him.”

In a few seconds, Sung Lee-jun and Nam In-hoo appeared, panting heavily.

Seeing Noh Bi-hyuk with a confused expression, a police officer approached him.

“I need a witness statement, so can you give me your parents’ contact information?”

“Ah… I’ll just give you my contact information. You can contact me directly.”

“Alright. Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”

“Yes. It really happened right in front of me. I just saw it.”

While Noh Bi-hyuk and the police were talking, I looked around.

Just looking at the car debris scattered everywhere, it was clear this wasn’t a minor accident. It really startled me.

For a moment, I thought it was because of me.

But thinking about it, that didn’t make sense.

“Hey. Isn’t that the guy Se-hee likes?”

“No way. It must be someone who looks like him.”

“Oh my god. Isn’t that Sung Lee-jun behind him? It must be him!”

At the sound of people whispering around the accident scene, I quickly turned around.

Come to think of it, I had broken my promise with Manager An Jin-bae.

Sigh. I should call him first.

* * *

I got into Manager An Jin-bae’s car, which had arrived immediately.

“Actor―.”

“I’m really okay.”

As soon as I got into the passenger seat, I urgently reassured him that I was fine.

Not believing me, he nervously inspected me, and only after confirming that I didn’t have a scratch did he finally sigh deeply with relief.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise.”

“It’s okay. Are you really not hurt?”

“Yes. I wasn’t even there when the accident happened.”

He seemed even more surprised because it was a car accident.

I had made it clear on the phone to avoid any misunderstanding, but I still heard him gasp on the other end of the line, which surprised me too.

Manager An Jin-bae asked Noh Bi-hyuk if he needed to go to the hospital, but he firmly refused, saying he wasn’t hurt.

Ending with a word of relief, a quiet calm settled over us.

“……Hey, I’m sorry for misunderstanding earlier.”

“Pardon?”

Thankfully, Nam In-hoo apologized first, not long after.

After explaining what he had misunderstood in detail and sincerely apologizing, Noh Bi-hyuk, who had been silent for a while, soon smiled brightly.

“It’s okay, hyung! I’m sorry too for causing a scene.”

“No, it’s really my fault. I’m really sorry. And… just speak casually. We’re only a year apart.”

Noh Bi-hyuk immediately started speaking informally.

Saying he’d eat pizza first as soon as we got home, Nam In-hoo also laughed along.

They talked comfortably as if they had never fought.

On the surface, they seemed fine, but….

‘Surprisingly, I thought they would get along well.’

Noh Bi-hyuk’s smiling face in the rearview mirror looked strangely artificial. Like he was being socially polite?

Well, Nam In-hoo didn’t seem to notice, so I decided not to worry about it.

With their quiet conversation as background noise, we arrived home.

“Oh no, the pizza’s all cold.”

“We can heat it up in the microwave. You go in first.”

The microwaved pizza wasn’t as good as when it was fresh, but it was still delicious.

The conversation that started then showed no signs of stopping even after several hours.

In the end, just like last time, we dragged the mattress into my room and talked until we almost fell asleep.

It felt a bit awkward, but not unpleasant.

* * *

“Even if it was a big accident right in front of him, your friend said he was okay?”

“Yes. I asked him a few times afterwards, and he said he was fine. He said it was nothing compared to when I had my accident.”

“Oh, that friend was there when you had your accident?”

“Yes. We were in the same class.”

The doctor made a sound of interest as he wrote something down.

I didn’t think it was significant, so I didn’t pay much attention.

I had glanced over before, and it was things like ‘What to eat later… Curry? Set meal?’

“I see….”

As expected, the doctor added some meaningless agreement.

His somewhat blurry eyes didn’t seem to be looking straight at me.

Usually, I’d be annoyed, thinking about the expensive counseling fees, but now it felt rather comfortable.

Especially after Director Yoon told me to keep going to counseling for another three months even after filming ended.

As I massaged my relaxed shoulders, the doctor cleared his throat.

It was a signal.

A signal that he would now ask some formal questions to justify the counseling fee.

I straightened my back, signaling that I was ready. At this point, it was amusing.

“Do you remember? A few months ago, when you had hyperventilation symptoms, you said you had a nightmare about losing a friend.”

“Yes.”

“Shall we run a simulation? With the guardian who brings you here every time.”

“Jin-bae hyung?”

“Yes. How would you feel if he disappeared?”

It was quite a significant question, but because of his attitude, it didn’t make much of an impact.

So I spoke my thoughts without overthinking.

“I can’t help it. I’d be sad, but I’d understand. He might want to work with other actors, or he might change jobs… It’s his freedom.”

The doctor was silent for a moment.

“Um… I said ‘disappeared’.”

“Pardon?”

“The things you mentioned only apply if your manager leaves you.”

Are there any other situations?

I furrowed my brows for a moment before realizing what he meant.

“Oh, yes. If he were to go missing, I’d immediately report it to the police.”

“……Okay.”

Is that not it? The doctor’s expression was so ambiguous that it was hard to tell.

With a word to end the session for today, the counseling ended, and I headed straight to the company.

Since the scripts couldn’t be taken out, it was more convenient to just read them there.

Sitting in my designated spot, I was about to read the script when Manager An Jin-bae sat across from me.

‘No meetings today?’

He seemed to have been having frequent meetings with Team Leader Woo lately.

Well, it wasn’t my concern, so I lowered my gaze again.

The sound of paper rustling occasionally filled the silence. It was comforting.

“Actor, can I ask you something?”

I felt so relaxed that when Manager An Jin-bae cautiously spoke, I was actually grateful.

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Do you like the script you’re reading now?”

“Um… It’s just so-so. Do you want it?”

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

Manager An Jin-bae had a somewhat awkward expression.

Not understanding why he was making such a face, I tilted my head, and he hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking at me.

As if he had made some kind of resolution, his eyes were determined.

“Please speak honestly.”

“Pardon?”

“Feel free to tell me. I’ve already laid the groundwork with Team Leader Woo.”

“……What are you talking about?”

Confused by his unexpected words, I dumbly asked back, and Manager An Jin-bae said that the script I was holding was the one I had been engrossed in for nearly two weeks.

I hesitated at the question of whether I had been focusing on it because I wanted to shoot it.

“Honestly, I think it would be best if you took a three-month break, but this is the first time I’ve seen you stick to one script for so long.”

“I haven’t looked at it that long….”

“You have. You’ve read it three times and are reading it again.”

It was the fifth time.

Feeling embarrassed to correct him, I just moved my lips.

“Starting with the extra roles up to the recent ‘Twins’ shoot… There hasn’t been a single project that you wanted to do. If you want, I’ll do whatever it takes to get it approved―.”

“It’s okay, hyung. I wasn’t reading it because I wanted to shoot it.”

“Really?”

I hadn’t given it much thought, but somehow it felt awkward to bring it up at this moment.

As I hesitated, Manager An Jin-bae seemed to think I was lying and tried to persuade me again.

“Don’t worry, actor. I’ll go talk to them.”

“No. You really don’t have to. There was just one impressive scene that kept me looking at it.”

Even after saying that, his eyes lost all trust in me.

Rising like a warrior on a mission, saying he would report it immediately, I hurriedly made him sit down.

Even after that, he kept trying to go to Team Leader Woo’s office at every opportunity, so I had to talk to him repeatedly.

“Hyung, I really wasn’t reading it because I wanted to shoot it. Besides, there’s no role I could take.”

“……I understand.”

He nodded only after I repeated the same explanation several times.

Finally, he sighed and suggested we go home.

I felt relieved because if we stayed here, he might sneak off to report it.

Fortunately, Manager An Jin-bae quietly grabbed his car keys, and we went home.

* * *

“It’s a hundred percent.”

“Really?”

“Yes. If he really didn’t want to shoot it, he would have just laughed it off. There’s no need to deny it so firmly unless it’s true.”

Unfortunately, An Jin-bae went straight to the company after confirming that Lee Yeon-jae had fallen asleep.

Seeing his unusually fast-talking colleague, Team Leader Woo sighed.

“Sigh… If he really wants to do it, there’s nothing we can do. I’ll contact the production team tomorrow.”

“Thank you. Please let me know the audition schedule.”

“There’s no need for an audition. As soon as I contact them, they’ll probably come right over here.”

“Given the actor’s personality, if there’s no audition, he might refuse even more. It’s better to set up an audition.”

At his resolute words, Team Leader Woo sighed.

“Jin-bae, his previous project was Director Yoon Kang-yeon’s film. He was the lead. Next year, he’s going to France. Having him do this as his next project, especially that kind of role, is frustrating enough, and now you want him to audition?”

“…….”

“I can’t allow it. It’s too humiliating. If the CEO finds out, he’ll be furious.”

An Jin-bae chose to remain silent, unable to find the right words.

Team Leader Woo’s grumbling filled the silence.

“Why does he get so attached to something like that? Why, of all things, a web drama?”