The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest

Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 280

― “So, you’re working with Lily Sweetie?”

“Not working, just meeting her producer.”

― “Isn’t that the same thing? What’s the difference?”

“......”

― “See, you can’t answer that.”

Noh Bi-hyuk chuckled on the screen.

I restrained myself from pouting.

I had to endure it, like a grown-up.

― “Wow, my best friend is releasing a song with Lily. That’s really cool. I want to work with such a big star too. Do you think it’ll happen someday?”

“Bi-hyuk, I’m not releasing a song with her. Seriously.”

My deep sigh made him laugh.

I hesitated for a moment, listening to his cheerful laughter.

“Are you sure you’re not upset?”

― “About what?”

“I’m not as good at singing as you, and I’m not desperate either. But I still get this opportunity….”

I didn’t know how to finish my sentence, so it trailed off naturally.

After a brief silence, I looked up and saw Noh Bi-hyuk staring at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

― “I finally understand what Euntaek hyung said. You really are a kid.”

“……What?”

I was so taken aback that I couldn’t manage my expression.

― “I mean it in a good way.”

“How can calling someone a kid be a good thing?”

― “I can see how much you’ve changed. It’s like raising a Tamagotchi.”

This guy must be joking.

As I glared at him, he smirked.

― “It’s admirable that you’re not brooding over it alone. Anyway, you’re worried I’ll be jealous?”

Even though the word “admirable” bothered me, I just nodded, not wanting to seem childish by arguing further.

He spoke up readily.

― “Of course I’m jealous. I’m only human. And envious too. It’s the sadness of having a friend who’s too amazing.”

“…….”

― “But that doesn’t mean I dislike you, so don’t worry.”

Noh Bi-hyuk tapped the screen with his finger as if poking my cheek.

Then he continued as if it was nothing.

― “Even if I do feel a bit of resentment, so what? No matter how much you like someone, you can’t always have good feelings.”

“I know that much.”

― “What do you know? You’re such a coward.”

This guy was starting to get on my nerves.

I gave him a look to knock it off, and he shrugged.

― “Anyway, don’t miss out on a good opportunity because of me. I prefer your singing over your acting.”

“Really? Why?”

― “Because I love music? It’s only natural to be twice as happy when someone I like does something I like.”

He gave a thumbs up, saying he loved it when I sang his part during the live stream.

― “Euntaek hyung scolded me a lot. Said I only care about my friends, not my brother.”

“Hah, it was chaos today because of that.”

I sighed without realizing it.

As soon as I hung up with Lily, Lee Euntaek called.

He started complaining about why I didn’t sing his part and why I only invited Noh Bi-hyuk to my place last time.

I humored him for a while, but it seemed never-ending, so I hung up in the middle.

He kept calling afterward, so I blocked him for a bit, but he couldn’t resist and called from another member’s phone.

“He annoyed me for nearly two hours. Only when I promised to sing his part next time did he calm down.”

― “He really cares about you.”

Noh Bi-hyuk smiled, asking me to be understanding.

― “So, when are you meeting the producer?”

“Next week, I think.”

― “Cool. Give it your best shot. You say you don’t like it, but I think you’ll enjoy singing.”

When I asked why he thought so, he gave a clear answer.

― “You like sweating. There’s nothing like singing practice to make you sweat. Plus, it’s very satisfying.”

“I like sweating?”

― “Yeah. You like exercising and dancing.”

“……I like dancing?”

― “Don’t you even know what you like? Well, you do only think about acting.”

Noh Bi-hyuk clicked his tongue.

― “You just don’t like showing off while dancing. But you like dancing itself. When you hit the rhythm right, you love it. Stop pretending. And you’re one of the best at showing off. If you weren’t, it’d be really unfair.”

“Okay, okay. Calm down.”

He started getting genuinely annoyed, so I hastily apologized.

After a moment, he calmed down and asked.

― “What about Mist?”

“Huh?”

I widened my eyes.

― “I mean Mist. What does he think about your singing?”

“Well, he likes… anything I do.”

I turned away, mumbling.

For some reason, I felt strange.

― “Why do you react like that? Is it wrong to mention him?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just….”

I felt embarrassed.

I had mentioned Mist to Jin-bae hyung and Jung-hyun hyung, but after that day, I hadn’t talked about him.

They only realized why I was so obsessed with morning acting practice now.

‘I’ve never brought up Mist in such a normal conversation before.’

I felt somewhat peculiar.

On the other hand, Noh Bi-hyuk looked indifferent.

― "Hey, look. With Mist and me, you already have two people on your side. So what are you worried about? If you’re going to do it anyway, do it well. I’ll stream your song too. Time to repay the favor."

“Repay the favor for what?”

He really said the strangest things.

But the warmth in his words wasn’t unpleasant, so I just smiled.

I ended the call, saying I’d contact him again tomorrow.

At that moment, Jin-bae hyung showed up.

“Actor, it’s almost time to get ready for the shoot.”

“......”

I silently changed into my outer clothes.

Jin-bae hyung watched me uneasily.

“Actor.... Are you still angry?”

“Yes. Someone broke their promise not to lie about money.”

I replied with a blank expression.

His response was ridiculous.

“When did I ever lie?”

Seriously.

I couldn’t help but turn my head quickly.

“……Are you kidding me right now?”

I was so dumbfounded that my mouth fell open.

How could he be so shameless?

“You clearly said the pajamas weren’t that expensive. But 1.9 million won…! Hah.”

Even thinking about it again was unbelievable.

“Do you think money grows on trees? Is 1.9 million won like dog food money to you? Who in the world says that’s not expensive?”

“Expensiveness is subjective. I didn’t lie about the price like last time, I was just speaking from my perspective…. If you accuse me of lying, I’m the one who’s upset….”

Jin-bae hyung looked crestfallen.

Seeing his expression, like a child scolded by his parents, left me even more flabbergasted.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

I wanted to run my hand through my hair in frustration but stopped myself, thinking of the shoot.

“This won’t do. I think you have serious issues with financial sense. We need to study together from now on.”

“Actor. Buying luxury items doesn’t mean I have financial issues. The problem is when you can’t afford it but still crave it.”

“Stop dodging the point. I can see you trying to manipulate the conversation.”

When I glared at him, Jin-bae hyung finally relaxed his expression.

Seeing the blatant “got caught” look on his face made my blood boil.

Was he not even trying to hide it anymore?

‘Who said this?’

Who said this guy was mild-mannered?

I gritted my teeth.

Jin-bae hyung approached with a casual expression and patted my back.

“You know I’m not reckless with money. Please calm down.”

“You spend recklessly on me, which is the problem.”

“Why is spending on you considered reckless?”

“Hah, whatever. Next time you buy a gift, get my permission first. This is a new promise. If you don’t keep it, I’ll really get angry.”

“......”

When I extended my pinky, Jin-bae hyung slowly raised his hand.

Unbelievable.

‘Even a snail would be faster.’

With a clearly reluctant face, Jin-bae hyung made a pinky promise.

Only after the promise did I sigh in relief.

‘I feel like calling Noh Bi-hyuk back to ask.’

Now, who’s the kid?

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time the preparations for the movie "Shin Yooyoung" were complete.

During an unexpected mission called “Parent-Teacher Conference,” Shin and Ji Hae-soo were panicking at school.

Meanwhile, Do Yoo-young, home alone, encountered an unexpected visitor.

“Hello~.”

Do Yooyoung stared blankly at the person opening the yard gate.

“Yooyoung hasn’t come home yet, right? Sigh, I’m exhausted. It’s been a while since I took a half-day off.”

Do Yooyoung’s mother petted the dog with a bright smile, unaware that her son was inside that dog.

―……

Do Yooyoung was still in a daze.

‘Why is Mom here?’

Seeing the unusual reaction from the dog, his mother tilted her head.

“You always rush to greet people, so why are you like this? Are you sick too?”

Finally coming to his senses, Do Yooyoung awkwardly mimicked the dog.

―Woof!

“I’m glad to see you too. I talked to Yooyoung on the phone this morning, and he seemed a bit off…. I was worried, so I came over.”

With a grunt, his mother sat on the porch.

Do Yooyoung circled around her with an awkward expression.

“San, you’re making me dizzy. Can’t you sit still?”

It’s Shin, not San.

She didn’t even remember the name of the dog her son had raised with care for three years.

Nothing highlighted her indifference more, yet her sudden visit was troubling.

‘She never showed any interest before.’

Do Yooyoung hated how happy he felt seeing her after so long.

Normally, he would’ve kept a straight face or shown annoyance, but the dog’s body was honest.

He tried to ignore the tail wagging enthusiastically.

“When does school end these days? I should’ve asked.”

―Woof!

“I need to leave before traffic gets bad…. You know Yooyoung’s younger sibling, right? Today’s their birthday.”

She marveled at how much time had passed, smiling as she spoke.

“These days, kids are so quick. A child who’s only five insists on getting a toy? So stubborn. Sigh.”

Though her voice was grumbling, her face was lit up with a bright smile.

―……

Do Yooyoung stared blankly at his mother.

‘She looks happy.’

Maybe it was because she thought he couldn’t understand her.

She effortlessly shared stories about her husband and child, things she rarely mentioned in front of Do Yooyoung.

In truth, it wasn’t that she had never tried. But every time she brought it up, Do Yooyoung would get irritated, and the conversation would end abruptly.

So, for the first time in his life, Do Yooyoung saw his mother laughing while talking about her husband and child.

‘She can smile like that.’

It wasn’t a smile trying to dismiss her son’s irritability.

It was a genuinely happy, shy smile.

Faced with this unfamiliar expression, Do Yooyoung finally realized.

To his mom, truly….

‘I’m not needed.’

He felt his blood turn cold.