The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 211

When I remained silent, Lee Eun-taek, who had been waiting patiently, looked awkward.

“Hey. Say something.”

I looked at his embarrassed expression and asked.

“Then, do you really not think I killed Ji-heon hyung?”

“Ugh, how many times do I have to—”

“What if I really did?”

“What?”

I looked at him impassively as he frowned.

Clenching my fist discreetly, I told myself not to get my hopes up.

“Stay calm. Don’t expect too much.”

“Even if I was really involved in Ji-heon hyung’s death and it was my fault you got hurt, would you still want to be around me?”

“I told you, it wasn’t your fault.”

“No matter how much you say that, my thoughts won’t change.”

At my words, indicating he wouldn’t understand, Lee Eun-taek’s eyes narrowed.

It felt unfair to be looked at like a stubborn child, but I couldn’t bring up the Misfortune Factor.

So, I repeated myself.

“I think everything that happened was because of me. Even if you call me foolish, I won’t change my mind.”

“……”

“From now on… such things won’t happen. I’ll make sure of it. But I can’t change what’s already happened. Ji-heon hyung died because of me, and you got hurt because of me. Can you still be okay with that?”

Will you still feel hurt by me?

I bit my lip as I spoke.

Lee Eun-taek stared at me intently before he spoke.

“Yes.”

“……”

“I feel really hurt. So, keep in touch from now on.”

His words were so light and easy that it made me angry.

As my emotions surged, Lee Eun-taek shook his head.

“You’re really difficult.”

“Don’t take it lightly. Think it over seriously.”

“I’m very serious. I meant every word.”

“……Sincerity is always fleeting.”

People always say they’re sincere.

They say they genuinely like me, genuinely care about me, genuinely love me, and that they’ll always be with me.

I know the emotions behind those words aren’t fake.

‘In that moment, they were sincere.’

But so what? Nothing can be guaranteed by fleeting emotions.

Responsibility must be taken forever, not just for a moment.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep forever based on a fleeting moment, hyung.”

With a solemn face, I spoke, and Lee Eun-taek looked puzzled.

“Wait, am I confused here…? Did I just propose to you? I just asked you to keep in touch…?”

“I’m just greedy.”

“You?”

He looked disbelieving, and I nodded calmly.

“Once something is in my grasp, I don’t want to let it go. Jin-bae hyung, Bi-hyuk, and my fans too.”

If the time comes when I have to let them go, I’ll do everything to prevent that.

Even if it sounds childish, I have nothing more to say.

If that time comes, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen.

‘And the same goes for you.’

I quietly looked into Lee Eun-taek’s eyes.

“I’m giving you a chance. If you think you’ll end up hating me, let’s just stay as we are now. I’ll make sure not to cause you any trouble. So think carefully before you decide.”

“……”

Lee Eun-taek looked at me intently before raising his hand.

And then he hit my forehead.

“Ow!”

For a moment, I saw stars.

As I clutched my forehead, Lee Eun-taek mumbled in frustration.

“You really are a kid…. Ugh, what have I been doing all this time?”

“Why did you hit me all of a sudden?”

“Just be quiet for a bit. You’re making me feel guilty….”

What is he talking about?

I rubbed my stinging forehead and glared at Lee Eun-taek.

‘It really hurts.’

It hurt much more than when Bi-hyuk playfully hit me.

Lee Eun-taek kept muttering to himself, ignoring my glare, before letting out a sigh.

“Kid, how can anyone guarantee relationships? We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Even if I don’t hate you, what if you end up hating me? Isn’t that scary?”

“That won’t happen. So—Ow!”

“Think before you speak.”

“Why do you keep hitting me!”

My forehead, hit twice, felt like it was on fire.

Angry, I raised my hand too, but Lee Eun-taek dodged effortlessly. That jerk.

As I lunged at him, Lee Eun-taek laughed and grabbed my hand.

“Getting mad? Older brothers always hit their younger siblings.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Nonsense?? Did you just call me a fool?”

“You’re talking nonsense, so I called you a fool. Think before you speak!”

Grinding my teeth, I spat out the words, and Lee Eun-taek shouted back.

When he raised his hand to my forehead again, I kicked the chair he was sitting on.

With a crash, Lee Eun-taek fell over, and as he grabbed my clothes, I fell with him.

“Let go, will you?”

“You let go first!”

“What kind of—hey! Don’t bite!”

It was total chaos.

I bit Lee Eun-taek’s arm while he grabbed my hair.

Furniture banged as we struggled, and I moved without thinking, driven by rage.

“Actor-nim. That loud noise… What are you two doing?!”

I didn’t even hear Jin-bae hyung open the door and come in.

Apparently, everyone had been waiting in the living room, as they all rushed into the room.

“What the… what are you two doing?!”

“Jin-bae, hold Yeon-jae. Quickly!”

Jin-bae hyung hugged me from behind while Jung-hyun hyung and Noh Bi-hyuk held Lee Eun-taek.

I felt a familiar sense of security from behind, but I was too enraged.

As soon as we were forcibly separated, I kicked Lee Eun-taek in the solar plexus.

“Ugh….”

Lee Eun-taek held his breath for a moment, clearly in pain.

Jung-hyun hyung, horrified, yelled at me.

“Yeon-jae! Stop it!”

“Actor-nim, please calm down.”

Jin-bae hyung whispered in my ear, but I couldn’t calm down.

My emotions surged uncontrollably.

I couldn’t tell if it was anger, frustration, fear, or sadness.

I just wanted to scream.

“Hey! The solar plexus? Are you trying to kill someone?!”

So when Lee Eun-taek shouted, I screamed back.

“Yeah! I kill people!”

My voice, filled with rage, burst from my mouth.

“He died because of me! What do you expect me to do!!”

I couldn’t help it.

It happened because of me, but I didn’t know.

My anguished cries filled the room.

“What the hell am I supposed to do!!”

Stunned looks surrounded me.

But once my outburst began, it wouldn’t easily subside.

I screamed a few more times, my voice cracking from the strain.

Feeling the scratchiness in my throat, I mumbled.

“I really didn’t know….”

My words, without any filter, came out mixed with sobs.

As I quietly sobbed, the silence in the room was palpable.

Still held by Jin-bae hyung, I couldn’t even cover my face.

With my head hung low, tears streamed down my blurred vision.

‘I feel dizzy.’

It felt like the weight inside my chest was finally being released.

My vision alternated between yellow and black.

Then, with hesitant steps, someone approached.

“Yeon-jae.”

Han Ha-ram, shorter than me, slipped under me without warning.

Tears from my eyes fell onto Han Ha-ram’s cheek.

As I stared blankly at the tear-streaked face, Han Ha-ram whispered.

“Don’t cry.”

“…….”

“It’s okay….”

The side of his face pressed against my stomach felt warm.

As I instinctively tightened my embrace, Jin-bae hyung let go.

With free hands, I hugged Han Ha-ram back.

“I, cough, I’m not. Were you scared?”

I quickly wiped my face and cleared my throat.

I felt embarrassed showing such a scene in front of a kid. My mind was foggy.

Trying to collect myself, Han Ha-ram, nestled in my arms, mumbled.

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong, Yeon-jae.”

“…….”

It was the same thing Lee Eun-taek had been telling me. It wasn’t my fault.

But I denied it. Because it happened because of me.

Because the Misfortune Factor clung to me, it was my fault.

Even though Lee Eun-taek said otherwise, I couldn’t accept it from someone who knew Ji-heon hyung. But….

“…Yeah. Thanks.”

I mumbled as I held Han Ha-ram.

It seemed like I really needed to hear those words.

It was through the words of a child, who had nothing to do with it, that the notion that it wasn’t my fault finally sunk in.

As I stared blankly at the floor, I saw someone striding towards me.

“Lee Yeon-jae.”

It was Lee Eun-taek.

Unlike the others who looked complicated, Lee Eun-taek’s expression was calm.

And his words were simple and straightforward.

“Sorry for hitting your forehead.”

“……”

The straightforward apology made me momentarily forget that I had been crying.

I nodded absently.

“Sorry for kicking your solar plexus….”

“It’s okay. Siblings are supposed to grow up fighting.”

“……Who says?”

“I saw it in a drama.”

His confident attitude left me speechless.

As I stared at him in disbelief, Lee Eun-taek spoke again.

“Sorry for making you feel bad. Sorry for lying about you to the kids back in elementary school, and for the harsh words when we met at the practice room. Sorry for acting like a child and only thinking about myself when you must have been struggling too.”

He rattled off his apologies like a rap, and I listened in a daze.

Lee Eun-taek looked me straight in the eyes as he continued.

“And I’m sorry for leaving you alone all this time.”

“…….”

“I didn’t know you’d be digging yourself into a hole for so long. If I had known, I would have pulled out my IV and followed you when you said you were leaving.”

What nonsense is this?

Seeing my dumbfounded face, Lee Eun-taek chuckled.

“You’re right. There’s nothing we can do about what’s already happened. We can’t change the past… So, I’ll just keep telling you. It wasn’t your fault.”

“…….”

“It’s not your fault. I’ll keep saying it until you’re sick of it, so just stay in touch.”

I felt I had to respond somehow, but no words came out.

As I stared at him blankly, Lee Eun-taek, trying to lighten the mood, joked, “You didn’t even save my number, did you?”

His words made my expression freeze.

“…You really didn’t save it?”

“Well….”

“Hey! That’s too much!”

Lee Eun-taek, his face flushing with indignation, rummaged through my pockets.

When he told Han Ha-ram, who was still clinging to my stomach, “Kid, move aside for a bit,” Han Ha-ram shouted like an angry cat, “I’m not a kid!”

“My phone isn’t in my pants, stop groping!”

“Then where is it? Did you really not save my number?”

“I was going to do it today!”

“Yeah, right!”

As Lee Eun-taek raised his hand to hit my forehead again, Jin-bae hyung quickly intervened.

During the commotion, I kicked Lee Eun-taek’s shin.

“Ow!”

“Stop hitting my forehead!”

“Hey, damn it, you just hit me!”

The once silent room was now filled with our shouting.

Jin-bae hyung and Han Ha-ram clung to me while Jung-hyun hyung and Noh Bi-hyuk held onto Lee Eun-taek.

Sung Lee-jun and Nam In-hoo, who had been unsure what to do while I cried, decided to leave and watch TV in the living room.

* * *

That night, Lee Eun-taek and I got thoroughly scolded by Jung-hyun hyung and had to write a pledge stating, “We will not fight physically with each other.”

Two days later, that pledge was torn up when I lunged at Lee Eun-taek, who had come over to visit.

And a new contact was added to my phone.