The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune

Translator: Marctempest

Editor: Rynfinity

Chapter 262

The morning scene of a desolate house.

Apart from the occasional sound of the windows shaking in the wind, it was silent.

I lay quietly in bed.

‘……Will they come again today?’

I counted the seconds silently.

One.

‘Maybe they won’t come today.’

Two.

‘If they do come, what should I say?’

Three.

‘Right. I knew it. This time, it’s taking longer than usual.’

Four.

‘I shouldn't have gotten up. I could have slept a bit more.’

Just as I sighed,

―Riiiing!

The landline phone next to the bed rang loudly.

“Hah….”

I let out a breath I had been holding.

‘They came again today.’

After sighing, I rubbed my face with my dry hands.

The fact that I felt a moment of relief annoyed me the most.

I irritably picked up the phone.

“Hello.”

―Yoo-young, it's Mom. It's almost time for school. Are you ready?

The familiar warmth in the voice from the other side of the phone felt foolish.

I responded without hiding my sarcasm.

“I can handle it myself. I told you not to worry about me like this.”

―I worry because I care. Living alone without any adults isn't easy….

The same old lecture followed.

Nagging about how long I planned to stay there alone.

―It’s been three years since your grandmother passed away. How long are you going to stay there?

“This is my home, so where else would I go?”

―You could live with me. There’s a room for you here. You just need to bring yourself.

“Hah.”

I couldn't help but laugh incredulously.

“How can I go there? Uncle and the kid would be very uncomfortable.”

―Why do you call him ‘Uncle’? He’s your stepfather. And that kid is your brother. Why would it be uncomfortable? He’d be happy to have an older brother.

How can he be my brother when we’re only half-related by blood?

I wanted to retort, but I held back because I didn’t want to start a fight in the morning.

“Enough. I’m comfortable here. I don’t need anything. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

I was going to say she didn’t need to call anymore, but I stopped myself. She might actually stop calling.

If it were Mom, she’d easily forget about me.

―You’re being curt this morning. Alright. Have a good day. I’ll call you tomorrow?

“Call my cell phone, not the house phone. You’re the only one who calls this number.”

―Why? It’s nice to also check if you’re home.

“It’s easy for you to say you’re monitoring me.”

―……Hah.

When I made a sarcastic remark, she responded with a faint sigh.

I felt anxious immediately.

I was twiddling with the curly phone cord, feeling like I was about to get scolded.

―I have to go to work now. I’ll call you tomorrow. Have a good day.

“…….”

Should I apologize for being grumpy? Should I tell her to have a good day too?

I hesitated for a moment, but she hung up first.

―Beep beep.

I listened to the dial tone for a moment before slowly putting the phone down.

The house became quiet again.

Sunlight streamed through the windows.

‘The weather is nice….’

I was staring blankly at the sunlight when a small sound started to reach my ears.

―Tap tap.

It was a faint sound like sand falling at the beach.

The sound grew closer every time tiny claws touched the floor.

I let out a breathy laugh.

‘Good grief.’

The feeling of gloom vanished in an instant, as if swept away by a big wave.

The small sound that didn’t match the body size lingered around me.

I looked towards the door with a face full of laughter.

“Shin. Don’t be shy and come over here.”

―Woof!

At my words, Shin, who had been hesitating in the next room, jumped onto the bed.

“Where have you been since morning? Enjoying a walk without me?”

―Woof!

“Look at you, all confident.”

Shin’s paws were wet with dirt, as if he had taken a walk around the village alone.

Although the blanket got dirty, I didn’t care.

When I tickled his chin with my fingers, Shin stuck out his pink tongue and smiled.

“Cute.”

―Pant, pant.

Shin’s black eyes were full of me.

Just looking into his eyes filled my heart to the brim.

I felt guilty for feeling lonely for even a moment.

“You must be hungry. Let’s have breakfast.”

―Woof!

“I’ll mix in some chicken for you today, just this once.”

As if understanding my words, Shin's tail wagged even more enthusiastically.

On the way to the kitchen, Shin kept bumping into my legs nonstop.

“Hold on for just a bit. I’ll give it to you. I said I’ll give it to you, right?”

His large body bumped into me, making me stagger.

―Woof!

“No, I said wait a little longer.”

―Woof! Woof!

“Wow, you really have no patience.”

Who did this dog take after?

It was chaotic with Shin urging me on by nudging my legs from below.

As soon as I put the bowl down, he devoured the food.

Meanwhile, I prepared his lunch and changed into my school uniform.

Then, I looked at the clock on the wall.

Oh no.

“……I have to run.”

I was on the verge of being late.

I hurriedly shoved my feet into my sneakers and dashed out into the yard.

“Shin, don’t eat your lunch early and behave. I’ll be back after school.”

―Woof!

“If you get bored, play with the kids around here, okay?”

After patting his forehead, I headed outside.

As I ran toward school, I looked back and saw Shin watching me from the same spot.

I chuckled at his steadfast stance.

‘Cute guy.’

Mom said something earlier.

Living alone isn’t an easy thing.

Mom was wrong.

I wasn’t living alone.

* * *

I met Shin three years ago, not long after my grandmother passed away.

Mom, who had me as soon as she turned twenty, left me with my grandmother and moved to Seoul right after I was born.

She visited me once a month.

Though my grandmother’s place was in the countryside, it had everything necessary.

There were kids my age, and since there were so few of us, we grew very close.

As I grew older, I realized that a typical family had both a mom and a dad. I asked my mom about my dad—who he was and where he was.

Mom, looking troubled, avoided answering. After that, her visits became less frequent.

I regretted asking.

‘It wasn’t such a big deal.’

Hae-soo from the house across the street lost his father in an accident when he was young, and Jin-yeon, who went to the same school, lost her mother to illness.

Not knowing who my dad was didn’t seem like a big deal.

‘I have my grandmother.’

My grandmother, who was reputedly the scariest in the village.

Even my notorious friends would fall in line with just a word from her.

Grandma always had my back.

So the real problem started after Grandma passed away.

‘…….’

‘Yoo-young, would you like to come to Seoul with me?’

As I stood there, dazed and holding my grandmother’s ashes, Mom asked carefully.

I looked at her silently and shook my head.

Mom had just remarried and had a baby not long ago.

I didn’t want to be a blemish on their perfect family, and above all, I didn’t want to leave the house that still smelled of Grandma.

That’s how I lost my way.

I drove away friends who came to visit and ignored Mom’s calls.

I lived like a madman, stubbornly refusing to go to Seoul.

Feeling burdened by my adamant refusal, Mom one day brought a small puppy.

‘My friend’s dog had puppies. I thought of you and brought one. Isn’t it cute?’

The puppy was so tiny I could hold it in one hand.

I was indifferent.

I didn’t particularly like dogs, and it was annoying how it constantly clung to me.

Mom left bags of dog food and toys and returned to Seoul.

The puppy’s constant presence was a nuisance.

‘I should tell her to take it back.’

I planned to say I didn’t need it and that she should keep it.

When Mom visited a few months later, I told her to take the dog back. She smiled and waved her hand.

‘There’s a baby at my house, so we can’t keep a puppy.’

‘……Then what about it?’

‘We can find it a new owner. Don’t worry. If we post an ad on a forum, many people will want to take it. If not, we can return it to my friend.’

Mom replied nonchalantly.

She acted as if it were no big deal.

I stared blankly at Mom as she searched for forums on her phone.

At that moment, I felt a nudge on my thigh.

―Pant, pant.

The dog, now twice its original size after a few months, still didn’t have a name.

Even though I had never once called it, it followed me everywhere.

‘Look, I found an adoption forum. Should I post it?’

‘…….’

A warm, wet tongue touched my stiff hand.

The soft feel of the tongue, the moist nose, the sticky saliva.

Until then, it had all felt unpleasant.

‘No. I’ll keep it.’

‘What?’

‘I’ll keep it, so don’t post it.’

For the first time, I touched the dog’s forehead.

The dog wagged its tail excitedly.

Not knowing what I felt as I petted him.

‘Don’t get too happy.’

I did it because I felt sorry for you.

Because no one cares about you, no matter where you are.

‘……So don’t get too happy.’

The fur of the dog I touched for the first time was much softer than I expected.

I felt even more pathetic.

‘If it gets too hard to take care of him, let me know. Mom will handle it, okay?’

‘You don’t have to worry about that. It won’t happen.’

‘Why are you getting so prickly? Haven’t you passed through puberty already?’

In the winter of my first year of middle school, I decided to raise the dog.

I gave the dog a single-syllable name, ‘Shin.’

Shin had been by my side every moment for the past three years and had grown so much that he was unrecognizable from when I first saw him.

On weekends, I would take a bus to buy dog food and toys, and I even asked the neighbor to order clippers to trim his fur.

I was clumsy at first.

Once, I cut too much fur by mistake, leaving a bald spot on Shin’s side, and another time, when he vomited all night, I ran around the village in tears.

That’s how I became a high school freshman this year.

And still, I was with Shin.

*    *    *

That day was just an ordinary day.

I barely made it to school on time, chatted with friends during classes, and rushed home as soon as school ended.

I took Shin for another walk before sunset, and we met his friends in the alley.

After cleaning up Shin, who was covered in dirt, I took a shower too.

After dinner, Shin and I lay on the floor and stared at the night sky.

“Is it just me, or is the moon unusually bright today?”

―Woof!

After a trivial conversation with Shin, I went into my room to sleep.

It was really just an ordinary day.

Which makes this situation even more unbelievable.

‘What on earth….’

At first, I thought I was dreaming.

Waking up on Shin’s favorite cushion instead of my bed was strange.

Then, as I got up, I immediately realized something was wrong.

‘……What is this?’

I stared blankly at my hand, or rather, at the dog’s paw in my field of vision.

And when I tried to say something,

―Woof?

A dog's bark came out of my mouth.

It wasn’t a curse, it was literally a dog’s bark.

The sound a dog makes.

I couldn’t believe it even as I heard it.

At that moment, only one thought crossed my mind.

‘This is messed up.’