The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 199

**[Title: Lee Yeon-jae’s Orange Hair Causes a Sensation.jpg]**

**(Photo 1) (Photo 2) (Photo 3) (Photo 4)**

He can pull this off.

Totally crazy.

―Wow, he could be an idol.

└No, he’s definitely an actor. Look at those photos. He looks like he’s filming a movie.

└Seriously, are you sure this isn’t for a movie? This can’t be real.

―I clicked on the title out of curiosity and left nodding my head in agreement.

―Celebrities look even better in candid shots taken by phone cameras. It’s unreal.

**Yeonjae_is_orange @yeonjae_is_orange**

Correction. Yeonjae_is_rabbit is now officially Yeonjae_is_orange from today. Please refer to the photos below for the reason.

**(Orange Bambi 1) (Orange Bambi 2)**

**Yeonjae_day @yeonjae_day**

I… don’t know what to do with this guy…? I thought there was no other actor like him when he had white hair… but now that he suits orange hair this well… how am I supposed to live my life? I never thought I’d fall for an orange-haired guy in my life….

**MyBambi☆Inquiries by DM @bambicrush**

We just finished a survey for the White-haired Bambi stickersㅠㅠ Now we have to make Orange Bambi stickers tooㅠㅠ Bambi, because of you, I have to work overtime every day after finishing my job at the company (But please dye your hair pink too. Love you).

* * *

“The internet is blowing up.”

In the dark room, a staff member checked their phone.

“Why? Did a sighting get posted?”

“The sightings were posted a while ago. Now there are news articles and everything. It’s 2 PM in Korea.”

“Oh, right. The time difference….”

Another staff member sprawled out on the bed.

Hearing that the internet was going crazy made me feel proud, but I was more tired than anything.

It’s always the youngest staff members who have to handle the most tedious tasks.

“I wish I could sleep for just one more hour….”

“Me too.”

The staff responsible for the morning camera setup groaned.

They all lay around sluggishly until one of them turned on the light, forcing everyone to get up.

“Let’s set up quickly and then we can nap.”

“Okay.”

When the staff left the room, they flinched.

They expected the hallway to be dark, but it was already lit.

In the kitchen, an unexpected person was standing there.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“…Oh, yes.”

It was Lee Yeon-jae.

‘He’s still glowing this early in the morning.’

No matter how famous he was, it felt strange to see someone look so fresh without a hint of puffiness this early.

But why was he up so early?

“Was there something wrong with your sleep?”

“No, I slept well.”

In response to the staff’s question about why he was up early, Yeon-jae replied nonchalantly.

“It’s my habit to practice as soon as I wake up. I just finished.”

“Oh, I see….”

He’s diligent too.

While the staff busily set up the cameras, Yeon-jae was also moving around busily.

Curious about what he was doing, I peeked and saw him sorting vitamins.

“What’s all this?”

“Vitamin D. Have one.”

Although the staff declined politely, Yeon-jae silently distributed the vitamins.

The sight of him handing out vitamins to the staff who started coming out of their rooms one by one shocked everyone.

“Aren’t you going to have enough if you give these to all of us?”

“That’s why I brought plenty.”

“…….”

His straightforward answer left no room for further discussion.

Yeon-jae even handed a vitamin to Sung Lee-jun, who came out looking groggy, before finally lying down on the bed.

He was even quieter than yesterday.

Everyone could sense it. His condition wasn’t good.

Sung Lee-jun quietly approached Yeon-jae.

“Yeon-jae, are you sick?”

“…Why? Do I look that bad?”

Yeon-jae, who had been slumped over, suddenly sat up.

He immediately started looking for a mirror, making Sung Lee-jun wave his hands frantically.

“No, I just asked to be sure.”

“Really? Do I look okay? Will it show on camera? Should I put on some makeup?”

The barrage of questions made Sung Lee-jun flustered.

Before he could respond, a low voice interjected.

“Actor.”

It was Yeon-jae’s manager, An Jin-bae.

He approached quietly and patted Yeon-jae’s shoulder.

“I asked the PD, and we have more than an hour until the shoot starts. How about you get some more sleep until then?”

“What if they suddenly start filming?”

“I’ll wake you up if that happens.”

Despite An Jin-bae’s reassuring tone, Yeon-jae looked uncertain.

Everyone else watched in confusion, while An Jin-bae remained calm.

“It’s better for the shoot if the actor’s condition is good, right? In the long run, it’s the better choice.”

“…Yes, that’s true.”

“Think of it as a nap and sleep a bit more.”

An Jin-bae skillfully got Yeon-jae to lie down.

Yeon-jae fell asleep in less than a minute.

As An Jin-bae quietly closed the bedroom door, Sung Lee-jun hesitantly asked.

“Is he sick?”

“He’ll be fine after he sleeps. If he doesn’t get at least six hours, he’s always like this.”

An Jin-bae checked his watch as he explained.

“He woke up at 5 AM to practice. He’s about an hour short. He’ll be fine once he makes up that hour.”

The staff exchanged glances in surprise.

5 AM? Why? I have no idea.

While the staff, unfamiliar with this routine, looked baffled, Sung Lee-jun muttered.

“That’s a relief. He must have been exhausted from the first day. He should’ve skipped practice today….”

He sounded really upset.

An Jin-bae, even more upset than anyone else, responded.

“It can’t be helped. He gets really anxious if he misses a day, so it’s better to let him practice.”

“I see….”

“He was especially tired yesterday because he practiced on the plane. He did the same when we went to France.”

“Oh.”

Understanding dawned on the staff and Sung Lee-jun.

An Jin-bae politely addressed the pensive group.

“May I ask a favor? When the actor wakes up, he’s likely to apologize for not managing his condition properly. Could you just say one thing to him?”

“That it’s okay?”

“No.”

An Jin-bae shook his head and forced a smile.

“Tell him it didn’t affect the shoot at all.”

“…….”

“They’ll be reassured if you say that.”

Everyone fell silent.

An Jin-bae smiled bitterly, as if accustomed to such silence.

* * *

As soon as I woke up, I apologized to everyone.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve managed my condition better….”

Removing the misfortune factor was my own issue.

Causing trouble for the staff who had come all the way to this far-off country for filming was a different matter.

As soon as I finished speaking, everyone shook their heads.

“No, it’s not even 9 AM yet. We usually start filming around 10 AM for overseas shoots.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Plus, the footage we shot yesterday was good, and we got plenty of content. There’s no problem, so don’t worry.”

Though it sounded like they were reading from a script, I felt relieved after hearing the PD’s words.

I nodded, and Sung Lee-jun approached.

“Yeon-jae, how’s the fatigue?”

“I’m fine now. I usually sleep this much. How about you?”

“I’m fine….”

He looked somewhat dejected.

Though it was all very confusing, we had to start filming.

We toured various parts of Rome that we hadn’t visited yesterday and engaged in several activities.

Time flew by faster than I had expected.

Though I was extremely tired when we first arrived in Italy, as time passed, I began to take in the scenery.

Unfamiliar sights and exotic streets that were hard to find in Korea.

“Wow, it’s amazing….”

“Yeah, it is.”

Moving from Rome to Florence, the sense of unfamiliarity doubled.

Though we had only moved to another city, it felt like we had arrived in a completely different country.

“Yeon-jae, want to try this? I think you’ll like it.”

“Sure.”

Eating street food with Sung Lee-jun felt strangely liberating.

I felt my body relax without realizing it.

‘Is this why people travel?’

Unlike in Korea, where I always had to wear a hat and mask outside, I felt free here.

Of course, the cameras here attracted attention too, but there was nothing I could do about that.

I sat on a bench, absentmindedly admiring a piece of artwork.

“Five days have already passed.”

“Yeah, it’s a shame….”

Responding to Sung Lee-jun’s voice filled with regret, I said,

“We can come again.”

“Yeah, let’s do that…!”

Next time, without cameras.

Bringing Bi-hyuk and Jung-hyun hyung along would be fun too.

For some reason, I felt excited.

Sung Lee-jun said, “It’s nice to hear that,” and I realized I had been humming.

‘I must be really excited.’

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Sung Lee-jun laughed.

“I watched your live broadcast. You sing really well.”

“Thanks.”

“And you dance well too. Is there anything you can’t do?”

The innocent question made me feel even more embarrassed.

I told him to stop flattering me since I had nothing to give in return, but Sung Lee-jun frowned.

“I’m not joking….”

“I know. It’s just embarrassing.”

I patted Sung Lee-jun’s back, thanking him.

“I bet you’d be good at drawing too.”

“Well, I’ve never really tried.”

But I think I’d be better than Jung-hyun hyung.

I still remember his dried-up-looking circles even after all these years.

I quickly turned my attention back to the artwork.

‘Better to cover it with something nice.’

Such a beautiful piece in front of me.

No need to think about Jung-hyun hyung’s drawings.

As I looked at the artworks scattered around the streets, I sensed hesitation from beside me.

“What?”

“Huh?”

“You have something you want to ask.”

“How did you know?”

How could I not, with you scrunching your eyebrows like that?

Waiting quietly for his question, Sung Lee-jun finally asked.

“Yeon-jae, have you ever thought about doing something other than acting?”

“Suddenly?”

“You sing well, dance well, memorize long lines…. You’d probably do well in another job too.”

I couldn’t figure out the intent behind this unexpected question.

Seeing me staring at him, Sung Lee-jun cautiously spoke.

“I know how much you love acting. I love acting too. But… sometimes I wish you’d do something else.”

“What do you mean?”

“It feels like you’re carrying a heavy burden. Like you never take a break… I worry about you.”

His heartfelt words were slow and cautious.

Seeing him so concerned that he was worried about my reaction, I raised my hand.

Patting Sung Lee-jun’s back, I thought.

‘A burden, huh.’

How can you not feel the pressure when you’re making money?

Especially when I think of the fans who support me.

To be proud in front of those who like me, I have to do my best in my job.

‘Sung Lee-jun should know this too.’

So, he must be referring to the acting I do to remove the misfortune factor.

For me, it was something I had to do.

“…….”

I couldn’t explain the misfortune factor to him.

As I was searching for the right words, a silence fell.

Among the people waiting for me to speak, I raised my hand quietly.

“What do you think of when you see that?”

I pointed to a finely carved sculpture.

Surprised by the unexpected question, Sung Lee-jun stammered.

“Huh? It’s, it’s amazing?”

I smiled and said,

“I wonder about the person who made it.”

“…….”

“What they were thinking while making it, what circumstances they were in, how much they struggled and found satisfaction, those kinds of things.”

As I endlessly pondered and filled in the blanks, the character would be complete before I knew it.

It was a process that required me to completely erase the person known as Yeon-jae.

In the past, I liked acting for that reason.

Erasing myself, what could be more reassuring?

But now, I knew better.

“But it’s ‘me’ who’s curious. It’s ‘me’ who has to practice.”

“…….”

“That’s why I like it.”

Regardless of the result, the process was created by me.

I sculpted so well that the misfortune factor couldn’t tell the difference.

Thinking about it made me feel proud.

‘Waking up early is tiring, though.’

Everyone struggles.

There’s no time to complain when you have to watch the people around you.

I couldn’t tell Sung Lee-jun everything, but I was sincere about this.

“I love it too much now to stop acting.”

I had to act.

Not to survive, but for myself.

“…….”

Seeing Sung Lee-jun looking at me blankly made me laugh.

I felt cheerful.