The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter: 31

The PD called for a NG but didn’t add any further comments.

He thought that the actor would already know the reason. And he was right.

‘Damn, damn, damn.’

Kim Hyun-joo kept muttering curses to herself, trying to suppress her irritation.

It wasn’t feeling an emotion she hadn’t experienced in a long time that was bothering her.

It was that she felt it towards such a rookie.

“Hyun-joo, can we go again?”

“…Just a moment.”

Responding to the PD, Kim Hyun-joo tried to regain her composure.

The kid who flustered her stood there nonchalantly, and it hurt her pride.

Lee Yeon-jae returned to his original position and stood idly.

Even though his expression hadn’t changed dramatically, it was clear. It wasn’t Yu-hyeon but Lee Yeon-jae.

It was such a perfect on-off that it was beyond annoying and sickening.

‘I knew I didn’t like him since the reading session….’

While everyone was adjusting and going easy, he was overdoing it with full throttle, which showed he was an inexperienced rookie.

Despite the fuss from the other actors, including Kim Seok-jun, Kim Hyun-joo thought their reactions were due to not having any expectations in the first place.

She might have consoled herself thinking that things would be different when they started actual filming in front of the camera, wondering how long the kid could keep that up.

After experiencing a reality worse than her predictions, she felt bitter.

“I’m ready.”

“Okay, let’s go for the second take. Slate!”

Did she think she would lose no matter what?

Kim Hyun-joo glared fiercely with such determination.

And she lost.

* * *

“Let’s take a break.”

The PD, with a tired voice, stopped the staff who were about to clap the slate for the twelfth time.

As soon as he finished speaking, actor Kim Hyun-joo grimaced and stormed out of the set.

‘This is tough.’

Repeating the process of immersing in Yu-hyeon and snapping out of it more than ten times had drained his energy.

He wanted to collapse on the spot but refrained, worried it would wrinkle his clothes.

After drinking the water Manager An Jin-bae handed him and conversing with the PD, actor Kim Hyun-joo still hadn’t returned.

Only after some more time did actor Kim Hyun-joo come back.

She apologized politely to the PD and the staff, then quietly whispered to me as soon as she stood in front of me.

“Hey, take it easy.”

“…Pardon?”

“Do whatever you want when the camera is on you. But don’t overdo it when it’s on me.”

His face looked so kind when he said that.

So calm that I wondered if I had misheard.

I couldn’t understand which part he thought I overdid, but I knew it wasn’t the time to ask.

When I obediently nodded, I saw his slightly stiff lips relax.

“Cut! Alright, that’s good. Thank you for your hard work.”

Wondering how not to overdo it, I eased my expression slightly.

Then, the scene that I had failed eleven times passed in one go.

Actor Kim Hyun-joo greeted the PD after the remaining filming and immediately disappeared.

While I was greeting the staff after changing clothes, the PD approached and patted me on the shoulder.

“Yeon-jae, you worked hard today. Was it tough?”

“No. PD-nim, you worked hard too.”

I could rest at the orphanage, but the PD and staff still had remaining shoots.

After a few more staff members patted my back and praised my effort, I finally got into the car.

“Actor-nim. It’s late, should we have dinner and go home, or would you prefer to rest early?”

“I’ll buy kimbap and eat it at the orphanage. Hyung, you should go home and rest early too.”

The tension in my body released as my back touched the familiar car seat.

It was comforting to wear a T-shirt that wouldn’t crease.

“How was today’s filming? Even though it was your first shoot, you did so well, I was amazed all the time!”

“No. I didn’t have many lines.”

When I modestly responded, he immediately denied it, saying it was really great with an enthusiastic voice.

Smiling at his strong reaction, I replied that I understood, and Manager An Jin-bae suggested I could sleep since it would take about 30 minutes to reach the orphanage.

But I couldn’t sleep.

‘What does he mean by not overdoing it?’

Tomorrow’s shoot was also with actor Kim Hyun-joo.

Judging by the timing of the NGs, it seemed like I was the problem, but I couldn’t figure out how to fix it.

I didn’t want to be a nuisance again tomorrow… Should I ask Mist about it?

“Hyung, can I ask you something?”

Mist wouldn’t know. I quickly gave up on the idea and turned to Manager An Jin-bae.

Since it wasn’t a personal issue but about acting, I thought it would be okay to ask this much.

“…! Yes! Of course. Feel free to ask anything.”

“Earlier, actor Kim Hyun-joo said something to me.”

Worried it might seem like I was tattling, I carefully chose my words to clearly express my intent and explained what happened earlier.

Manager An Jin-bae, who had been listening silently without much reaction, gave a refreshing answer as soon as I finished speaking.

“I think she felt threatened.”

“Threatened?”

“Actor Kim Hyun-joo has been acting for over 10 years. Objectively speaking, you only have experience as an extra. For someone like you to take the lead is not just a matter of pride but a matter of survival.”

“I see.”

“But, objectively, you have taken the lead. She tried over a dozen times but couldn’t snatch it back, so in the end, it seems she resorted to a thinly-veiled threat, almost a plea.”

It was a bolder expression than I expected.

I was slightly surprised by the choice of words that didn’t match the gentle eyes visible in the rearview mirror.

When I commented that he seemed to know a lot about filming, Manager An Jin-bae laughed embarrassedly and added that he loved acting and couldn’t help but talk about it.

“My hobby is watching movies. As I watch, I often end up thinking to myself about the acting, which leads to unnecessary comments.”

“No, it was very helpful. Thank you.”

“I’m glad to hear that!”

“…You like acting so much, didn’t you consider becoming an actor?”

I thought it might be too personal a question, but I was too curious to hold back.

“Ah, at one time, I seriously prepared for it. But I realized that I prefer watching acting rather than doing it myself. As soon as I realized that, I switched to management.”

I see. Now I understand.

Of course, one’s appearance and profession don’t necessarily correlate, but his striking appearance has always made me curious.

While nodding to myself, Manager An Jin-bae cautiously glanced at me.

“Actor-nim, if you don’t mind, may I say one more thing about your acting?”

“Yes. It’s fine.”

At that moment, the car slowly stopped at a red light, and I met Manager An Jin-bae’s eyes through the rearview mirror.

“The problem of losing control is actor Kim Hyun-joo’s issue, and it’s not something you need to concern yourself with. So, don’t blame yourself or feel sorry about it. But… this isn’t a competition, is it?”

“That’s right.”

“It’s not about showing who’s the better actor. Of course, I’m not saying you approached it like a competition. But your level of immersion might feel overwhelming to an actor who can’t keep up. Maybe… a bit ruthless.”

I blinked at the unexpected word.

Ruthless. I slowly nodded, thinking about the word’s meaning.

“Do you think my acting was excessive? I mean, not fitting for a supporting role.”

“Excessive usually has a negative connotation. Your acting today was beyond good; it was excellent. Really. The PD didn’t say anything bad to you, did he?”

“He didn’t say anything good either.”

“It would’ve been difficult for him to say that in front of actor Kim Hyun-joo. It was probably a choice for the overall shooting atmosphere.”

His kind answer flowed gently, like the softly moving car. This person spoke as he drove.

“I didn’t mean you acted excessively or improperly for a supporting role. What I meant was… it might be good to pay more attention to coordinating with your co-actors.”

“Coordination.”

“Unless it’s a monologue, conversations should be natural. An actor’s performance is seen in the final edited product. Even if one does well alone, it’s meaningless if the result isn’t good.”

I recalled the term ‘interdependent relationship’ that actor Lee Jung-hyun had explained to me months ago. And the crumpled square as well.

Hmm, this wasn’t something to think about now.

“No matter how well I express Yu-hyeon, if the other person can’t handle it, the result won’t be good.”

“That’s right. And that’s normal. The first shoot is supposed to be a mess, but for you, there was no issue except for coordination. Since you practiced alone, it’s natural to be inexperienced at that. You should’ve seen the embarrassment I faced during my first shoot.”

“Shooting? Did you film something?”

I unintentionally leaned forward at the unexpected topic.

Would it be too forward to ask if I could see it?

I held back my words, and Manager An Jin-bae shook his head with a laugh.

“Just a club project in high school. It’s not even on YouTube or anything. The only copy is on a DVD at my house.”

“I see….”

“Do you want to see it?”

“I don’t have a DVD player.”

“You can watch it at my place!”

“…Your place?”

I was so flustered that my voice wavered. Are we close enough for that?

I hesitated, unsure what to say, and Manager An Jin-bae excitedly continued with an even more animated voice. He looked very thrilled.

“That sounds great! Honestly, it’s a bit embarrassing, but since it’s come to this, how about staying at my place tonight? We have filming tomorrow too, so we can go straight from there. We can watch the DVD and practice coordinating.”

“…….”

“Oh, I’m sorry! I got too excited… I was being insensitive. Please ignore what I said!”

“No, don’t apologize. It’s just… I’m not sure if it’s okay for me to go.”

Going to his house felt too personal.

Though I had been to actor Lee Jung-hyun’s house, that had a clear purpose of practice.

Moreover, Manager An Jin-bae and I were purely work-related.

And the reason for visiting was to watch a high school DVD.

“What are you talking about? Of course, it’s fine. I’m totally okay with it if you are!”

Seeing his brightened face, I couldn’t refuse.

Reluctantly, I called the director at the orphanage to explain the situation, and the car that was headed there made a U-turn.

‘Is it really okay to go to someone’s house like this?’

Though it was him who invited me directly… Well, since we’d be practicing, it should be fine, right?

All my complex thoughts evaporated as soon as I stepped out of the car.

“…Is this your house?”

“…? Yes!”

I couldn’t see the end of the building no matter how high I tilted my head.

When I straightened my neck, I saw Manager An Jin-bae’s slightly excited face.

“Shall we go in?”

Right. Let’s go in first.

I nodded and took a step, but soon had to stop again.

…Why is there a restaurant in a residential building?