The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest

Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 247

---

The moment Lee Yeon-jae arrived at LA airport.

Lilly Sweetie was waiting with an excited heart.

"(What should I do? I'm so nervous.)"

When Lilly couldn't help but be flustered, her manager was bewildered.

"(It's been a long time since I've seen you this nervous. You weren't even like this before the Grammys. Is he really your ideal type?)"

"(Don't tease me. It's okay to joke between us, but if I say something wrong outside, I'll really get arrested. He's 15.)"

When Lilly narrowed her eyes and glared, her manager chuckled.

"(But he's your ideal type, isn't he?)"

"(He's closer to a muse than an ideal type.)"

"Lilly" was a song Lilly wrote when she didn't know Lee Yeon-jae at all.

It was a song she wrote in her teenage years, thinking about her first love, who made her laugh and cry.

But she was stunned when she saw Lee Yeon-jae on the Jim Fury Show.

Contrary to his neat face, he had a pretty good sense of humor and a subtly sly side.

He was so similar to the person in her memories.

That day, Lilly finished recording the latter part of "Lilly" as if she were possessed.

That's why she sincerely hoped Lee Yeon-jae would appear in her music video.

Although the schedule was delayed due to Lee Yeon-jae's school camp, she was so excited that it didn't bother her.

‘I want to start filming soon.’

For this music video, Lilly was also going to take on the role of director.

Since this album was one she had meticulously cared for, from the included songs to every detail, her expectations were high, but so was her anxiety.

‘Can I meet other people's expectations?’

Even though she had been active for over ten years, this anxiety always existed.

As an entertainer who was always evaluated by others, it was an unavoidable emotion.

"(Hello, I'm Lee Yeon-jae.)"

"(......)"

But as soon as Lilly saw Lee Yeon-jae in person, she realized.

This time, there was no need to be anxious at all.

She was also sure that this album would be a big hit.

---

In person, Lilly Sweetie was shorter than I had thought.

For some reason, she stared at me for a long time without even greeting me.

Then she suddenly said,

"(You're attractive.)"

"(......Thank you.)"

"(I'm not just talking about your appearance. There's something about you that grabs attention... it's really fascinating. You're similar to that person.)"

Who is that person?

Lilly continued to mutter to herself for a long time after that.

At first, I waited patiently, but as time went by, my feet began to hurt.

‘Are they going to keep me standing?’

At Lilly's request, we had come straight to the studio without stopping by the hotel.

Having been cooped up on the plane for over 13 hours, my body was stiff.

‘Shouldn't someone around her stop this?’

Talking to oneself in front of a stranger didn't seem very appropriate.

But no one pointed out her rude behavior.

Then I had no choice.

"(Do you need any other poses?)"

I had to step in.

"(What?)"

"(I was wondering if I should just keep standing here. I didn't realize you needed a model.)"

When I smiled softly, Lilly looked startled.

"(Sorry. I got too absorbed.)"

I didn't respond to her light words, just smiled.

Then finally, a proper apology came.

"(I've been really rude. I'm sorry. Please, sit on the sofa. Thank you for coming all the way to LA.)"

Lilly finally introduced herself.

"(I'm Lilly Sweetie. I apologize again for my behavior earlier. I'm really sorry.)"

"(It's okay.)"

"(Once I get fixated on something, it takes me a long time to snap out of it... It might sound like an excuse, but I really didn't mean to be rude.)"

Her apologies kept pouring out, showing no sign of stopping, so I had to interrupt.

Only after a long while did Lilly finally calm down and looked at me cautiously.

"(I wanted to talk before filming the music video today. I also wanted to hear any ideas you might have, Mr. Lee.)"

"(I see.)"

"(Since you must be tired, shall we get to the point right away?)"

"(Yes. Oh, just a moment.)"

I looked at Jin-bae hyung standing next to the sofa.

"Hyung, sit next to me."

"I'm fine."

Having been on the plane together, I couldn't understand why he insisted on standing.

I firmly seated Jin-bae hyung beside me.

When I looked back, Lilly was gazing at me with a peculiar look.

"(Why are you looking at me like that?)"

"(Oh, nothing. It's just... I saw a video of you recently. You were in the mountains with your manager, and you seemed very close.)"

Mountains?

The unexpected word triggered a vague memory.

"(Oh, you mean the video where my manager got lost in the mountains?)"

"(Yes! I found it really fun.)"

Lilly and I laughed brightly, while Jin-bae hyung looked embarrassed beside us.

‘Surprising.’

That was a few years ago when I was filming the web drama "Goodbye, My Summer." I didn't expect her to have seen even that.

"(I haven't seen all your works, Mr. Lee, but I did some research. Fans call you Bambi. Can I call you that too?)"

"(Ah...)"

Although I felt awkward, I told her she could call me whatever she felt comfortable with.

Lee Yeon-jae wasn’t an easy name for foreigners to pronounce.

It was better than being called "Mr. Lee" all the time.

"(But why is your nickname Bambi? Is it because you look like a deer?)"

"(…That’s a hard question for me to answer.)"

"(Haha! Even your shyness is charming.)"

Contrary to my first impression, talking with Lilly was surprisingly pleasant.

She was naturally cheerful, and above all, she was passionate about her work.

"(The title of the music video you're going to appear in is 'Lilly.')"

"(That's a double meaning.)"

"(Yes. It refers to my name and also symbolizes the lily flower. As I mentioned in the email, this song is about my first love. That friend once gave me a lily.)"

Thinking of her first love, Lilly’s voice became even brighter.

"(There are various kinds of lilies, and each has different meanings. White lilies symbolize pure love, and red lilies signify passionate love. Do you know the meaning of the lily my friend first gave me?)"

"(What is it?)"

Lilly gestured for me to come closer.

As I leaned in, her brightly shining eyes whispered.

I dare you to love me.

“(An impudent brat. Isn’t it funny? What do you think it meant that he specifically gave me a tiger lily?)”

Lilly pounded the sofa as if she found it unbearably cute even now.

I hesitated, unsure how to react, then found my words.

"(That's romantic.)"

But from a guy's perspective...

‘He probably didn’t know the flower’s meaning.’

Most guys don’t care about the meanings of flowers.

It's a kind of gender stereotype, but based on my experience, it’s somewhat true.

At least, I’m like that.

‘A flower is... just a flower.’

Still, I didn’t want to spoil her excitement, so I smiled quietly.

"(Well, what could I do when he gave me such a flower? As the flower’s meaning suggested, I came to like him.)"

Lilly talked about her first love like a teacher absorbed in a lesson.

Summarizing what she said about him in her near-trance state:

He attended the same middle school as Lilly and was what you’d call a "popular kid."

He was always surrounded by friends and had such a vibrant personality that he even served as the student council president.

But when he was alone with Lilly, he turned into a shy boy, which she found endearing.

"(So, how long did you two date?)"

Lilly beamed at my question.

"(We didn’t date.)"

"(...?)"

"(He moved away in the middle of it, and it ended vaguely. But I vividly remember how bright he was. And how bright I was for liking him.)"

Lilly said the song was about the radiant appearance of someone who loves.

‘It’s not just a simple love story.’

I was a bit surprised that the person wasn’t Asian or white but black.

I thought race might have played a part in why she cast me.

Lilly smiled brightly.

"(Strangely... you and he have a similar vibe. You look different, your personalities are different, but he had a way of always captivating people.)"

Lilly said that no matter where she went, he stood out and shone wherever he was.

And she emphasized that this brilliance was the key point of this music video.

"(I've cast a female actress who looks similar to me and is around your age. She’ll mostly act in scenes where she watches you from hiding, while you need to portray a cool and lively vibe.)"

She explained that there would be scenes of her singing among numerous lilies inserted intermittently.

It sounded simple, but the content of the planning document was different.

I casually opened the plan and was shocked.

‘...What is this?’

The amount of filming I had to do was enormous.

There were many locations, from a library and a school auditorium to even a prom party.

Even for scenes that would barely last 10 seconds, some took place in a stadium packed with spectators.

‘The extras alone will cost a lot.’

There were also quite a few parts that required CGI.

Even a cursory glance showed that the scale was bigger than a typical drama.

"(I have one question.)"

"(Ask anything!)"

"(What’s the budget limit for this music video? It seems like filming it according to this plan will cost a lot... )"

"(Budget limit?)"

Lilly tilted her head at my hesitant question, laughing as if she had never heard such a question before.

"(There’s no such thing for my music video.)"

"(...)"

I see.

I once again realized the status of the person I was talking to.

---

And this realization grew stronger when I arrived at the hotel where I would stay for the next two weeks.

Lilly, you really have a lot of money.

‘Did they gild the hotel?’

The place was so shiny from the floor to the ceiling that it hurt my eyes.

I kept my expression in check until I was alone with Jin-bae hyung, then let out a deep sigh.

"Hyung, what should I do? This is serious."

"Why? Are you sick?"

"No. It's just..."

I muttered anxiously, looking at the bedding that looked fluffy at a glance.

“I feel like I’m getting too used to places like this.”

I still felt it was too much, but it didn't bother me like it used to.

That change scared me.

"I think I'm getting the celebrity disease. Can I get treatment for this...?"

"......"

I fiddled with the wristwatch Jin-bae hyung had given me as my first gift.

To my eyes, it still looked excessively extravagant, and it was one of my most cherished possessions.

‘What if this feeling changes too?’

What if the day comes when I become arrogant and make mistakes?

As I anxiously bit my lip, Jin-bae hyung quietly approached me.

"Lilly was right."

"What?"

"You're very charming."

When I looked up, my eyes met Jin-bae hyung's.

His gentle eyes were tinged with amusement.

"I want you to enjoy all of this more naturally. It's the result of your hard work."

Jin-bae hyung picked up the blanket I was looking at.

He draped it over my shoulders and whispered,

"Enjoy it with more confidence."

The blanket's touch on the back of my neck was soft.

The cozy warmth made me automatically feel drowsy, and I swallowed a sigh.

I then made a cold assessment of my condition.

"…I definitely have the celebrity disease."

"Haha!"

Even Jin-bae hyung's laughter that followed.

I didn’t want to lose any of it—it was a serious problem.