The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest

Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 249

Mia continued to stare at my face for a long time.

I waited patiently, thinking she was deep in thought, but her response was unexpected.

"(You... don’t seem like a guy.)"

"(…?)"

"(No, no. Of course, you're a guy. You’re definitely a guy... but I don't know. You just don’t seem human.)"

"(Mia, get a grip.)"

When I sighed, Mia insisted she was perfectly sane, feeling unjustly accused.

"(You're so different from all the guys my age I've seen. What is it? What could it be? Are you an alien?)"

Mia looked at me like I was some otherworldly creature.

It was a familiar look that I had received many times before.

Seeing my calm expression, Mia muttered that it was indeed strange.

"(So, are you ready to deceive?)"

In response to my whispered question, Mia took a deep breath and nodded.

"(Yeah! Let's do it! I can do it!)"

"(Yes. You can do it.)"

"(Let’s become the best con artists. Let’s go! Let’s pull off a big one!)"

"(…That’s not what I meant.)"

"(Come on, get up! Partner in crime!)"

She seemed a bit strange, but it was better than her being downcast like before.

"(Let's pull off a perfect scam! Go!)"

I slowly got up, following Mia, who had clenched her fists and struck a fighting pose.

‘I want to see Mist.’

Oh, I was so tired.

*    *    *

Fortunately, Mia turned out to be an excellent con artist.

"(Cut! That was great!)"

When Lily shouted and clapped her hands, Mia sighed in relief.

The flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes she had put on until now were nowhere to be seen.

"(What happened? That was amazing!)"

Mia grinned widely at the endless compliments from her role model.

"(Bambi’s advice earlier really helped.)"

"(See? I knew casting him was the right choice.)"

"(Yes. We can’t do without Bambi!)"

I smiled sheepishly at the conversation praising me.

‘She would’ve done well on her own anyway.’

It wasn’t just a platitude.

Breaking out of a familiar character was never an easy task.

There was no way she suddenly gained new skills just because of a few words I said.

It was possible because Mia's acting skills were already excellent.

Lily, knowing this, looked at Mia with an approving gaze.

"(Bambi’s advice might have been great, but it was possible because you did so well.)"

Lily sincerely thanked Mia and apologized for getting angry earlier.

"(Your look reminded me of myself ten years ago. You’re the best.)"

"(Really? Oh my, that’s such high praise. Thank you.)"

Mia covered her mouth, not knowing what to do.

At the same time, she hit my arm repeatedly, and it hurt. Stop hitting me.

While I quietly endured the shower of violence, Lily’s gaze turned to me.

"(Bambi, thank you so much. Thanks to you, the music video will be just as I envisioned.)"

"(I didn’t do anything.)"

"(What are you talking about? You’re amazing. It’s strange. You have such a stony face, but you change completely when the camera is on.)"

Lily marveled as she gently pinched my cheek.

"(It doesn’t even feel like you’re acting. It’s fascinating.)"

"(Right! He just seems like he’s always been there. He helps me immerse myself more. It even makes my heart flutter….)"

Mia, excited, chimed in.

They were having a great time.

I politely took Lily’s hand off my face.

"(I think we've rested enough. Shall we shoot the next scene?)"

"(Do Koreans always live so busily? Let’s take it easy, okay?)"

"(Quickly.)"

Lily groaned at my urging.

Whether it was a cultural difference or not, the break times here were excessively long.

The fact that they extended what would have taken a week of shooting in Korea to two weeks showed their inherent leisureliness.

"(Someone is in a hurry, so let’s get on with the next scene.)"

At Lily’s shout, the staff lying on the lawn groaned.

Watching them slowly pack up the equipment, the words "move faster" almost escaped my lips.

‘I guess I am a typical Korean after all.’

Every time I felt this way, I sensed the Korean blood in me.

After Mia’s acting improved, the shooting went smoothly.

Since most scenes didn’t have dialogue, it became even easier.

For two weeks, we shot continuously, changing locations and outfits numerous times.

Scenes where I, elected as the class president, climbed onto the stage in the auditorium with a smile, playing pranks with friends in the science lab and causing a minor accident, and talking cheerfully with cheerleaders on the field while wearing a football uniform.

It felt more like a photo shoot than filming a movie or drama.

Though the acting difficulty wasn’t high, the shooting wasn’t easy.

‘I feel dizzy.’

With so many extras involved, I met countless people each day.

I constantly changed clothes and moved locations, losing track of time.

Unlike me, who was active throughout the music video, Mia only watched me from a corner.

After the brief conversation at the beginning of the music video, there were no interactions between Mia and me, making me wonder, ‘Is this really a romance?’

Finally, the day of shooting the grand prom scene arrived.

*    *    *

‘They must have spent a lot of money.’

That was my first thought upon seeing the lavishly decorated party venue.

As I stepped out in the custom-tailored suit Lily had prepared, I met eyes with Mia, who had been waiting in advance.

"(Oh~ you look good over there~.)"

Mia squinted her eyes and whistled. She sounded like an old man.

I had grown accustomed to Mia's endless pranks, so I chose to ignore her.

"(That's harsh. Look at you pretending not to hear.)"

"(Hello, Mia. The dress suits you.)"

"(Pretty, right? Ha! After wearing drab clothes, dressing like this feels like a breath of fresh air.)"

Unlike the casual clothes she usually wore, Mia was dressed in a pure white gown.

It was a dazzling dress, intricately embroidered with lilies on the hem.

‘This must be custom-made too.’

I worried about the production costs, even though it wasn’t my money.

‘A prom party.’

I had expected it after the football scene, but the music video felt like an exact replica of countless American high-teen movies I had seen.

The popular male lead and the female lead who secretly loved him.

It was so classic it bordered on cliché.

There was even a makeover, a common wish for many teenagers.

On the day of the party, the girl showed up beautifully transformed, as if she were a different person.

The only saving grace was that I didn’t have a scene where I widened my eyes and said, ‘Who are you…?’ at her appearance.

That was the only difference from other high-teen movies.

The female lead wasn’t the male lead’s lover.

As someone set to be popular, I had a partner to the party.

And while my partner stepped away, Mia approached first.

‘Hi.’

‘…?’

I turned around with a puzzled look at the unfamiliar voice but soon smiled softly.

And I said,

‘Hi, Lily.’

As if we had always greeted each other, so naturally.

At that moment, Mia exhaled the breath she had been holding.

It was only two words.

Simple greetings, nothing significant.

But those two words made Mia feel like the most special person in the world.

‘…You remember my name.’

Because her first love remembered her name.

I casually replied that I had promised to remember, and Mia slowly lifted the corners of her mouth.

The camera would capture Mia’s sparkling eyes and soon her fully smiling face.

‘What are you doing this summer vacation? Any special plans?’

‘I’ll probably help out at the store. How about you?’

We exchanged everyday conversations like normal friends, and the camera slowly pulled away.

That’s how the music video would end.

No dramatic developments, not even a single romantic line.

It was just a series of very ordinary scenes, making it almost too ordinary to call it a romance music video.

‘That’s what makes it more special.’

That was how Lily remembered her first love.

Someone who made her feel special with mundane and everyday words.

Lily said that without surprise events or romantic guitar serenades, she always felt special with him.

Just being with him made her shine.

And Mia and I acted as those two shining youths, fitting Lily’s intention.

‘I’m curious about the finished music video.’

I heard that Mia and I would only make up about 60% of the total scenes, with the remaining 40% being Lily’s solo shots.

I had worried that the music video might feel bland due to the calm story, but I was reassured after seeing the storyboard for Lily’s solo shots.

Even a quick glance showed the extensive production budget.

I heard they brought in all the lilies in the world and even used CGI to scatter thousands of flowers like mist.

‘CGI is expensive.’

This made me realize again how famous Lily was as a celebrity.

Talking to her made me forget because of her down-to-earth personality.

Of course, the same applied to Mia.

"(Ah, this dress is too tight. It’s suffocating.)"

"(….)"

Mia roughly tugged at the body-hugging dress.

She was one of the top teenage stars in the U.S., but her actions made her seem like just an easygoing girl.

The problem was, I didn’t know where to look.

‘This is awkward.’

As I silently averted my gaze, Mia burst out laughing.

"(What? Why are you embarrassed?)"

"(I’m not.)"

"(You are embarrassed right now! Oh my, look at this guy.)"

Mia laughed and teased me, saying my ears were turning red.

I knew that already because my ears had been burning for a while.

"(Why can’t you meet my eyes? You’re so cute!)"

"(Stop teasing me.)"

"(I’m teasing you because you’re cute!)"

Mia wore a mischievous expression like a playful boy.

Meanwhile, her hands didn’t stop pulling at the dress. Please stop…

"(Can you please leave the dress alone?)"

Finally, when my desperate voice came out, Mia laughed heartily and stopped.

It felt like encountering the early days of Noh Bi-hyuk again.

‘I’m tired.’

When I sat down with a weary face, Mia immediately sat beside me.

"(But don’t you think the ending of the music video is too disappointing? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a kiss scene at the end?)"

"(That would be too sudden.)"

"(You never know until you try. It might be better to have it when we edit. Should I suggest filming it just in case?)"

Her voice sounded like she was testing the waters.

I felt a sudden chill, but I responded first anyway.

"(That seems too far off from the production's intention. It would just waste time if we shot it.)"

"(...Tch, it’s not easy.)"

Mia pouted.

Her voice was loud enough for me to hear, making me momentarily blank out.

‘What did I just hear?’

No way... She couldn’t be interested in me, right?

‘Don’t overthink it.’

Americans are generally more open to physical contact. It must be because of that.

I tried to ignore the rising tide of anxiety.

"(Do you have any plans this weekend? Want to hang out with me?)"

A highly excited voice came from beside me.

I felt a chill.