The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Chapter 138

“Why do people like sports days anyway?”

Exactly. Why?

I nodded vigorously in agreement with Seo Ji-o’s words.

“It’s hot under the sun, you get sweaty, it’s noisy, and it’s chaotic.”

Right. Right.

“Wouldn’t it be more reasonable to just play a movie in the classroom? Those who want to sleep can sleep, and those who want to study can study. How logical is that?”

“I think the same way.”

I couldn’t help but be amazed at how he expressed my thoughts exactly.

For a while, Seo Ji-o’s grumbling and my agreement went back and forth.

“Ha, but we have to endure, thinking about the film festival coming up soon.”

I looked at Seo Ji-o lying lazily on the grass.

“You said the film festival is this weekend, and the sports day is next week.”

“Yeah. I’ve booked everything from accommodation to restaurants.”

“You’re thorough.”

“Of course. It’s my chance to prove my worth, so I have to prepare meticulously.”

His words didn’t match his usual sloth-like demeanor.

I was dumbfounded by his genuinely proud tone, but I still laughed.

“Thanks. Thanks to you, I get to go to a film festival. It’s my first time going to one.”

“…….”

If it weren’t for Seo Ji-o, I wouldn’t even have known such an event existed.

It must have been a hassle for him to prepare everything, including what I needed.

No matter how uncomfortable I felt about Seo Ji-o, expressing gratitude was a separate matter.

But why was he reacting like that?

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Have you ever fed a stray cat?”

Suddenly?

“No.”

“There’s a stray cat living in front of my apartment. At first, it wouldn’t come near me even if I called. But after consistently giving it food and snacks, it started approaching me.”

“So?”

“Right now, it feels like that stray cat is sitting on my lap for the first time….”

What on earth was he talking about?

When I looked at him, wondering what kind of nonsense he was spouting, Seo Ji-o chuckled.

“Anyway, I’m glad you don’t seem to mind talking with me. I haven’t crossed any lines so far, right?”

“Right.”

“Then I’ll step back now. Enjoy the peace for a bit longer.”

Seo Ji-o stretched and got up.

I watched him get up without hesitation and called out.

“Seo Ji-o.”

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t mean to be arrogant. If I made you feel bad before, I’m sorry.”

“Uh??”

Seeing his genuinely puzzled face, I continued.

“Remember what I said before? That you should take it easy, that you should keep your distance…. Sure, you were quite annoying at the start, but I was also too harsh.”

“……What’s this? It feels like that stray cat is kneading on my lap now.”

Was he seriously referring to me as a stray cat?

I abandoned my attempt to maintain a serious face at his absurd response, and Seo Ji-o laughed lazily.

“It’s surprising. I didn’t expect you to be kind to me.”

“I’m not being kind, just apologizing.”

“It’s fascinating how you get embarrassed at strange points.”

I wasn’t embarrassed. I decided not to respond further.

As I shook my head, Seo Ji-o laughed and poked my cheek.

“Got it. And it’s true that I crossed the line. You had every right to be upset, so don’t worry about it. I’m really leaving now.”

Then he got up and left gracefully.

‘He’s got grass all over his back.’

I didn’t feel like brushing it off for him.

I turned my head back and quietly stared at the flower bed. Then I spoke.

“Are you going to keep hiding?”

“……When did you notice?”

Noh Bi-hyuk emerged awkwardly from behind a pillar.

It was impressive that he thought he could hide that bulk.

“You seem to have gotten close with him.”

“Well, kind of.”

It didn’t start well, but it was okay now. The conversations weren’t bad either.

I looked at Noh Bi-hyuk’s face, which seemed to have something to say.

“Bi-hyuk.”

“What?”

“You’re my best friend.”

His eyes widened at me.

“W-what, suddenly?”

“Yeah. I just wanted to tell you.”

To be precise, it felt like I had to tell him.

He seemed anxious after all.

‘Since I haven’t hung out with other boys apart from him.’

Sung Lee-jun and Nam In-hoo were older anyway, so Seo Ji-o was probably the first person Noh Bi-hyuk felt he had to compete with.

They approached me for the same reason, so it was natural for him to worry that his benefits might be reduced.

Unlike Seo Ji-o, who could express his feelings openly, Noh Bi-hyuk had to speak in a roundabout way.

I wasn’t sure if my intention was conveyed, but his face didn’t look bad.

“Well…, thanks. It’s a bit cringy, though.”

Who wouldn’t feel cringy? After all that effort.

Noh Bi-hyuk scratched his forehead for a moment, then returned to his usual mischievous expression after a few minutes.

“Actually, I knew it~. You would have been so bored without me.”

“Yeah. I would have been.”

“Can you at least pretend to be sincere? A guy who acts so well only does this at times like this.”

I grabbed and lowered his hand as he poked my cheek with a playful face. It hurt, you jerk.

Noh Bi-hyuk, who had returned to his bright voice, giggled.

“Oh, right. I’m eating what you gave me well.”

“Don’t forget and take it regularly. Se-hyun hyung says he takes it too.”

A few days ago, I gave Noh Bi-hyuk some joint supplements.

Ever since the Lukke commercial, where I had to dance myself, I’ve been worried.

“Se-hyun hyung says it’s good to manage it early. Especially with cartilage, if it gets hurt, it recovers slowly, so be careful during practice.”

“Okay~. Don’t worry.”

His nonchalant answer wasn’t very reassuring.

So when he asked if I decided to participate in the soccer event, I hurriedly changed the topic.

‘I hope the sports day ends quickly.’

* * *

Fortunately, the film festival was before the sports day.

Hyung Jin-bae, who parked the car in the express bus terminal parking lot, looked at me with a worried face.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own?”

“Yes. Take this chance to rest well, hyung. You haven’t used your leave properly, right?”

“I’m really fine. I can follow you while keeping a reasonable distance so you don’t feel uncomfortable.”

“I’ll be wearing a hat and mask all the time, so don’t worry. It’s just watching a movie with a classmate.”

Although it was the same conversation we had yesterday, I repeated it because his face was too anxious.

He had installed an app to track my location in real time, yet he was still so worried.

“I’ll be back.”

“Have a safe trip, sir!”

With a strong greeting, I got out of the car.

Wearing my hat deeply, I entered the express bus terminal.

As expected, it was crowded since it was the weekend.

Finding Seo Ji-o among the many people was easy. He stood out.

“Seo Ji-o.”

“Hi, Yeon-jae. You’re fully armed. Aren’t you hot?”

I was hot.

I looked enviously at Seo Ji-o, who was smiling without even wearing a mask.

“Since it’s a premium bus, we can draw the curtains. You can relax inside. Let’s go in quickly.”

“Thanks.”

The environment was perfect for getting lost, with people moving in all directions.

Luckily, Seo Ji-o was a proficient guide.

He quickly found the bus we needed to take, and after stopping at a rest area, we safely arrived in Jeonju.

We reached the accommodation and checked in before it was even noon.

“You seem to have come to Jeonju often.”

“Huh? It’s my first time here today.”

Surprised by his unexpected words, I looked up.

His face was genuinely sincere. Well, there’s no reason for him to lie about it.

“I told you. These two days are my chance to prove my worth, so I prepared thoroughly.”

“…….”

You didn’t have to go that far.

I felt like an exploitative boss who used people without pay.

“Shall we have lunch first? I’ve booked a movie for 1:40.”

“Sure. Lunch is on me.”

“Wow. Then I’ll choose something expensive.”

His eyes crinkled as he smiled.

Just a few days ago, his face seemed annoying, but now it looked rather childlike.

‘No matter how I think about it, the nickname Bambi is too much.’

At this rate, ‘Tyrant’ would be a fitting nickname for him.

* * *

After watching three movies in a row, I made up my mind over dinner.

‘From now on, I’m the Tyrant.’

The relaxed face in front of me didn’t seem annoying anymore.

No, it even felt admirable.

“What was your favorite among the ones we watched today? Shall we say it together? For me—.”

“The second one.”

“The second one. Wow. We’re in sync.”

His face, relaxed and smiling, looked like a squishy tomato.

He seemed pleased with the movies as his face was flushed.

We talked about the movies until the pizza we ordered for dinner got cold.

We discussed impressive scenes,

the best performances, and other topics that seemed endless.

The atmosphere remained warm until we returned to the accommodation.

Until I realized there was only one bed in the room.

“……Yeon-jae. Why are you looking at me like I’m some shameless pervert?”

I sighed at his confused face.

“I’m sure there were two-room options.”

“I’m a student…? Considering the lodging cost, this was my limit.”

I resisted sighing further at the sight of him pretending to cry.

I had no issue sharing a room with the same gender.

‘The problem is that I need to wake up early to practice.’

Being in a new place meant I needed to practice more thoroughly.

If I didn’t practice enough to keep the misfortune factor at bay, it could cause trouble for Seo Ji-o.

‘I planned to practice for at least two hours.’

I didn’t intend to make him pay for the lodging alone.

I should have told him I would reimburse him after the trip. I should have mentioned it earlier.

“Can’t you sleep with someone else? Should I sleep in the hallway?”

“It’s not that.”

At the orphanage, thanks to the director’s consideration, I had a room to myself, so sharing a room wasn’t something I was used to.

However, Noh Bi-hyuk often visited, so I had some immunity.

‘I’ll just practice in the bathroom.’

We had more movies to watch tomorrow.

To stick to the tightly scheduled plan, I had to avoid waking him up.

I set my phone to vibrate and held it in my hand.

“Good night, Yeon-jae.”

“You too.”

The unfamiliar bedding rustled even with slight movements.

Despite thinking I wouldn’t fall asleep easily, I met the Mist in just a few minutes.

* * *

Seo Ji-o quietly watched the sleeping face of Lee Yeon-jae.

‘How can someone be so soft….’

It was Seo Ji-o who said he would prove his worth, and he was confident about it.

But he realized long before coming to the film festival. Lee Yeon-jae had already accepted him.

The defensiveness melted away just from a few exchanged words.

His sharp gaze had once made Seo Ji-o tense, now seemed pointless.

‘Still, I’m glad I prepared for the film festival as planned.’

The boy, who had passed the crowded booths with a bored look, was now brimming with life after watching the movies.

His passionate conversation was so different from his previous short responses.

‘If this keeps up, I’ll be able to stay close.’

It was a relief that he was so emotionally vulnerable. Maybe I’ll benefit from Lee Yeon-jae too someday.

With that thought, Seo Ji-o also fell asleep.

How much time had passed? The rustling of the blanket woke him up.

Blinking to understand the situation, he saw Lee Yeon-jae quietly getting out of bed.

“Where are you going?”