The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest

Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 251

At the same time, Noh Bi-hyuk was doing a live broadcast, communicating with his fans.

“Where are the other members? I’m not sure... Am I not enough? Please focus on me!”

He spoke in a playful, slightly whining voice, exuding a relaxed aura.

The manager of WB Entertainment, who was watching this, chuckled.

‘He’s quite something.’

Despite having debuted only a few months ago, his ability to adapt was remarkable.

At that moment, Noh Bi-hyuk read a chat message.

“Tell us a story about Lee Yeon-jae?”

Reading it unconsciously, he realized too late and glanced around nervously.

As Noh Bi-hyuk and Lee Eun-taek’s group, 'NADE,' had increasingly become associated with Lee Yeon-jae, there were many fans shipping them together.

While being linked with the famous Lee Yeon-jae was obviously advantageous, anything in excess could be detrimental.

The manager, who was monitoring this, nodded slightly to indicate it was okay.

‘It’s been a while since he was mentioned, so it should be fine.’

Seeing the manager’s nod, Noh Bi-hyuk finally responded brightly.

“If I start talking about Lee Yeon-jae, this broadcast might never end. Do you all have time?”

Noh Bi-hyuk, as if a leash had been taken off, chatted incessantly.

He talked about how troublesome he was when he first met Lee Yeon-jae, and how he managed to coax him, who was prickly like a hedgehog, into being friendly.

“Doesn’t he seem more like a hedgehog than a deer? His eyes are so dark.”

When Noh Bi-hyuk grumbled, messages appeared in the chat that seemed to be from Biyeon.

―Isn’t it because hedgehogs seem too sensitive?

―Yeon-jae looks like a gentle baby... I vote for the deer.

―Right. The deer doesn’t even seem to know how to get angry, haha.

Noh Bi-hyuk laughed dryly without realizing it.

“He’s very sensitive. It’s just that he’s good at hiding it.”

Noh Bi-hyuk recalled a time in elementary school when Lee Yeon-jae, for reasons unknown, lay on his desk like a dead person for three days straight.

Back then, Lee Yeon-jae was like that.

A child who knew nothing but to swallow his emotions.

Though he bristled like a hedgehog, warning others to stay away, he still forced a smile whenever spoken to.

‘Compared to then, he’s practically reborn now.’

The current Lee Yeon-jae showed his displeasure when he was upset, and pouted his lips when he felt wronged.

Just a few months ago, he even had a fierce physical fight with Lee Eun-taek.

Despite that, his friend was still gentle.

“He rarely gets angry. He tolerates a lot even when I mess around. But, um, how should I put this….”

Noh Bi-hyuk scrunched his nose with a smile.

“You know, when people who don’t usually get angry finally do, it’s really scary.”

People in the chat agreed with him.

Noh Bi-hyuk laughed heartily.

“He does have a temper, you know. If he ever truly gets mad, it’s no joke.”

*    *    *

“(What the hell. Who’s this cocky guy? What are you doing here?)”

Noah Patterson, the owner of the sharp voice, was visibly displeased.

He had encountered an unexpected person at his own party.

The ‘cocky guy’ Noah referred to was Lee Yeon-jae, who slowly turned his back to him.

His face, which he hadn’t seen in a while, was as indifferent as ever.

“(I didn’t invite you. How did you crawl in here?)”

When Noah spoke irritably, Mia hurriedly intervened.

“(He’s here as my friend. I didn’t know you two knew each other.)”

“(Know him? Just get this bum out of here.)”

“(Patterson, don’t be rude. He’s my friend.)”

Mia frowned, while Noah, not backing down, made his face even more menacing.

Amidst this, Lee Yeon-jae stood with a calm expression.

Noah hated that look.

‘Cocky bastard.’

Noah had first known about Lee Yeon-jae through an Asian drama called ‘Butterflies on the Zelkova Tree.’

He remembered turning on the first episode on a friend’s recommendation and frowning at the sight of subtitles.

Many foreigners, including Noah, found subtitles quite annoying and off-putting.

‘Do I really have to read these tiny subtitles to watch a drama?’

Yet Noah found himself reading those tiny subtitles and watching the drama.

He even became so engrossed that he rewatched it for months.

The reason was a young actor who seemed to be around his age.

‘He’s really good at acting.’

Even though the language was different, the emotions conveyed by his performance were remarkably vivid.

Noah Patterson, who had grown up wealthy thanks to his successful father’s fashion business, had everything handed to him without much effort.

But acting wasn’t one of those things.

Noah, who had a deep interest in dramas and movies, thought, ‘Maybe I should try acting too,’ but soon gave up.

To be good at acting required immense practice, and for someone who had never worked hard for anything, it was too difficult a life.

He cleanly abandoned the idea of becoming an actor, but he couldn’t help but be captivated by great actors.

And upon seeing Lee Yeon-jae, Noah thought,

‘If I had pursued acting, wouldn’t I have become an actor like him?’

It wasn’t for lack of effort, but if he had tried, he believed he would have become an excellent actor.

Just like Lee Yeon-jae.

Noah viewed Lee Yeon-jae as ‘another future he didn’t choose’ and supported him.

He felt proud when Lee Yeon-jae was invited to the Cannes Film Festival for ‘Twins.’

Just like his alter ego, Lee Yeon-jae became the youngest actor to win the Best Actor Award at Cannes.

However, when Lee Yeon-jae took the stage, he was different from what Noah had imagined.

Despite being the youngest to win such a prestigious award, Lee Yeon-jae’s expression was extremely indifferent.

Seeing him stand there with a disinterested face made Noah feel resentful.

‘Do you know how hard we worked for this award?’

The biggest problem was that Lee Yeon-jae couldn’t speak English.

In Noah’s imagination, Lee Yeon-jae was always a confident actor with fluent English.

But the boy standing there, speaking a foreign language through an interpreter, was unrecognizable to Noah.

He trembled with a sense of betrayal.

Noah, extremely angry, followed Lee Yeon-jae to the hotel and yelled at him, but Lee Yeon-jae just looked annoyed by the noise.

He thought, *A dumb foreigner who can't understand if you speak a little faster?*

Could he really consider him his alter ego? The difference in class was too vast.

*‘Even with such brilliant acting…’*

The reality of the actor he considered another version of his future was simply appalling.

That was a memory from a few years ago.

“(Patterson, apologize to my friend. I’m the one who brought him here even though he’s busy. If you act like this, how do you think it makes me look?)”

When Mia got angry, Noah chuckled.

“(That’s funny. How do I apologize to someone who doesn’t even understand English? Even if I apologize, would he even understand?)”

“(Hey, have you said enough?)”

Mia’s voice rose in frustration.

Lee Yeon-jae, who had been quiet all along, finally glanced at Noah and opened his mouth.

“(Who are you? Do I know you?)”

“(……What?)”

Noah was left speechless by the unexpected question.

Ignoring him, Lee Yeon-jae turned to Mia.

“(Mia, who is he?)”

“(Uh, well….)”

Mia looked flustered, glancing between the two of them.

Having Noah act as if they knew each other, while Lee Yeon-jae genuinely seemed clueless, left her at a loss for words.

“(This is ridiculous.)”

Noah scoffed loudly.

“(Are you pretending not to know?)”

“(What? How do you know me?)”

“(Cut it out, asshole! You’re just trying to hide that you couldn't speak English well, right? Your English has improved since last time. Did you practice a lot?)”

Noah sneered and taunted, making Lee Yeon-jae slowly tilt his head.

“(……Are you proud to be blonde?)”

Unlike the agitated Noah, his voice was calm and composed.

*‘Why is he suddenly talking about being blonde?’*

Noah furrowed his brows at the unexpected comment.

“(What are you talking about, asshole?)”

“(You seem to take great pride in something you were born with. If you’re so proud of being fluent in your native language, English, you must also be very proud of being blonde.)”

Lee Yeon-jae spoke in a tone that suggested he found it curious and pathetic that Noah had nothing more significant to be proud of.

His expression remained utterly indifferent despite the mocking content.

“(This bastard―!)”

As Noah began to shout, he realized how unnaturally quiet it had become.

Everyone was staring at him.

Even the music had been turned off.

*‘Calm down.’*

If he continued to act out, he would only make a fool of himself.

Noah ran his hand through his disheveled hair and snorted.

“(You’re a funny guy. I’ll give you that. But so what?)”

He jabbed Lee Yeon-jae’s shoulder with his finger.

“(This is my house, and I threw this party. I can get you kicked out with just a signal to the guards. Do you even know where you are, you loudmouth―.)”

“(And what about you?)”

“(What?)”

Lee Yeon-jae took slow steps forward.

His face remained expressionless.

But having spent the last two weeks with Lee Yeon-jae, Mia instinctively sensed something was off.

*‘No way… Is he angry?’*

She had never seen him angry, so she was confused.

His calm demeanor only added to her uncertainty.

Mia’s guess was both right and wrong.

Lee Yeon-jae wasn’t just angry.

He was thinking, *‘How should I deal with this guy?’*

In an exceptionally rare instance, he was utterly furious.

*    *    *

Lee Yeon-jae usually displayed a tolerant attitude.

If there was one thing he was sensitive about, it was rudeness and disrespect.

There was a time when he thought he shouldn’t show his displeasure, even if he felt bad, for the sake of others.

But the current Lee Yeon-jae knew that enduring wasn’t always the answer.

He had encountered countless rude people, and Noah Patterson was just another one.

He could have brushed it off lightly, but unfortunately, Lee Yeon-jae was not in good condition.

He had been forced to attend the party without rest after a grueling two-week schedule.

The continuous mockery and insults were enough to blow a fuse in his mind.

In other words, he had lost his temper.

“(At least I can talk. What do you have?)”

Mia watched the calm Lee Yeon-jae in confusion.

*‘What should I do? Should I intervene?’*

Noah Patterson was a spoiled upper-class brat with considerable connections in the entertainment industry.

*‘If he makes an enemy of him, it’ll be bad for Bambi too.’*

Mia was lost in thought, unsure whether to act, while also seeing this unfamiliar side of Lee Yeon-jae.

Lee Yeon-jae reached for a knife from a block, and everyone flinched.

“(If you have a gun, bring it out.)”

“(Hey, you….)”

“(If not a gun, how about a knife? Are you going to stab me?)”

Lee Yeon-jae slowly pulled out a knife.

Before the guards could react, he quickly approached Noah.

“(Go ahead, stab me.)”

“(…….)”

The knife was now in Noah’s hand.

Lee Yeon-jae had firmly placed it there, moving the tip towards his own stomach.

“(Go on, stab me. Then it’ll prove you’re not just a loudmouth.)”

Lee Yeon-jae's face showed neither anger nor sarcasm.

He was just expressionless, and Noah was overwhelmed by the unfathomable darkness in his eyes.

"(Why aren't you stabbing?)"

When Noah froze, Lee Yeon-jae frowned as if puzzled.

"(Should I do it then?)"

"(......)"

"(Ah, I'm just a loudmouth, so using my hands would be cheating.)"

Only then did Lee Yeon-jae smirk and bring his face close to Noah's neck.

When Noah's eyes darted around, he met Lee Yeon-jae's gaze watching him from the edge of his neck.

"(Then should I just bite your neck?)"

Lee Yeon-jae murmured quietly.

The atmosphere became unbearably chilling.