The Genius Actor Who Brings Misfortune - Chapter 6

The day I was born was one with such overwhelming rain that the future seemed invisible.

My biological parents had been living a very wealthy life until I was born; they experienced a sudden business bankruptcy, and we moved to a basement before I turned two years old.

Even though the basement emitted a musty smell, it was set ablaze the following spring. They said it was an unexplained fire.

My biological father disappeared suddenly in the early morning, and my biological mother, unable to walk alone with me, started looking for work.

We began our lives in the back room of the store, where my biological mother found a job.

The store was losing clients day by day; it had been doing well until right before my biological mother and I joined.

When my biological mother, who had been chased away, moved three times, a sympathetic owner, who had experienced the same thing, introduced her to a shaman.

The shaman began to cry sorrowfully as soon as he saw my biological mother and immediately shouted that she had to get rid of the child.

“That child is the seed of all misfortune.”

My mother said she could never forget the shaman’s terrified face.

I remembered the voice that calmly told me that she loved me so much that she had no choice but to run away and pretend not to hear the shaman.

She loved me.

To be precise, she loved me for 5 years.

So, when winter came and I turned 6 years old, my biological mother disappeared, leaving me in a park near the orphanage.

The orphanage was a relatively decent place for a 6-year-old child.

The director held my hands, which were covered in dirt, without hesitation, and after a thorough wash, she dressed me in clean clothes.

Within a month, a couple appeared who wanted to adopt me.

During the designated mandatory visit period, the couple always came to see me with bright faces.

On the day we left the orphanage, holding their hands, I gained a new name, “Lee Jae-Hee,” and two brothers.

The following year, after the funeral of the first child in that family, and a half-year later, when the second child was hospitalized, I returned to the orphanage.

My name was changed back to Lee Yeon-Jae.

* * *

“Yeon-Jae, have a great winter vacation!”

“Yeah. Ha-Eun, you too.”

As I smiled and replied to Park Ha-Eun, who was wearing a red scarf, the faces of the girls behind her twisted in surprise.

Unconsciously, Park Ha-Eun, whose face matched the color of her scarf, left the classroom with her friends, whispering among themselves.

“Handsome.. it’s the best!” and “His smile is insane.” These words were spoken softly but audibly, yet I pretended not to hear them.

Many things have changed over the past three months.

The most significant change was the attitude of other students towards me.

The attitude of those who used to avoid eye contact with me or treat me like unpleasant trash had noticeably brightened.

Behind this change was Park Ha-Eun, who actively shared my story with our classmates. Whether passionately explaining the incident where I got injured instead of her or displaying enthusiasm, her approach and energy almost resembled that of a presidential candidate’s speech.

Afterward, the girls began to look at me with curious glances.

Moreover, some male friends close to Park Ha-Eun even asked if I wanted to play soccer with them, looking at me with admiring faces.

‘Ah… I appreciate the offer, but I’m not good at soccer.’

‘Really? It’s okay, even if you’re not good. These guys are all mediocre anyway.’

‘What are you saying? Are you introducing yourself? 

The guys in front of me were laughing and chatting, accompanied by light banter, which made the atmosphere feel less awkward.

Of course, there was a separate entity that played the most significant role in bringing about these changes: the fog.

Fog still helped me avoid misfortune.

According to Fog, humans originally couldn’t see or talk to them. The dark space is also described as an unknown area that doesn’t exist in the human world. The key point is that I can only meet Fog when I transition into an unconscious state.

Actually, since the last field trip, there haven’t been any major accidents where blood was shed.

Perhaps, while objectively perceiving a reduced frequency of accidents, the aversion from others hasn’t lessened much.

However, there are still many situations where it’s challenging to avoid misfortune, like when unhappy karma is transmitted to others through contact, like Park Ha-Eun.

Unlike incidents that happen to me, it’s not easy to avoid because I can’t accurately determine the path.

I try my best to handle situations to prevent accidents, but if that doesn’t work, I’ll just watch carefully, intervene, and hurt myself.

Recently, after the performance evaluation, a classmate who is a bit more friendly towards me approached me.

After being grouped for practice, he took the hit for me when a stack of balls fell, and since then, he has been approaching me frequently.

When the proposal to go to the PC room together was suggested, I declined, and he walked away without hiding his disappointed expression.

‘I’ve never been to a PC room before, so I’m so curious..’

I refrained from further contact because it could transfer the unhappy factor.

Above all, I already had an appointment with the director.

I wouldn’t be late, but just in case, I went faster.

* * *

“Director, you called me… Ah, Ms. Lee Si-Hyun is here.”

“Yeon-Jae, hello. Did you finish the vacation ceremony well?”

“Yes. Have you had lunch?”

“What time is it now? Of course, I’ve eaten.”

As soon as I arrived at the orphanage, I headed to the director’s office. I knocked and entered, but the director wasn’t there, only Ms. Lee Si-Hyun.

Even though it seemed like she was trying not to show, there was awkwardness in her face as she couldn’t look straight at me.

With her mouth not lifting and only the corners of her lips forming a smile, it was a typical awkward smile.

The subtle tremor of facial muscles was vividly conveyed to me, which made me a little suffocated.

“Yeon-Jae, have you arrived? I was a bit late preparing the drinks. Would you like warm tea?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Teacher is also here. I’ve warmed up some milk.”

“Director, I’m not a child anymore…”

The director placed a cup of warm tea in front of me and a cup of warmed milk in front of Ms. Lee Si-Hyun.

Ms. Lee Si-Hyun complained that the cups had been switched, and the director’s warm gaze fell on her.

I heard that the director had taken special care of Ms. Lee Si-Hyun when she was placed in front of the orphanage when she was the youngest teacher.

She looks at her like that for that reason.

The mug with milk emitted a cozy aroma—a scent that conveyed a deep sense of connection.

After glancing at the tea that was prepared for me, I looked at the director.

“Aren’t you going to drink, Yeon-Jae?”

“I’ll drink it later. Thank you for preparing it.”

According to fog, if I try to drink tea today, I’ll burn my hand on hot water.

It should be fine if I don’t attempt to drink at all.

The director seemed to have something on her mind, and I had to reassure her that it was okay.

I thought she would soon bring up the reason for calling me, but she only engaged in a light conversation for a few minutes.

Talking with the director and Ms. Lee Si-Hyun for so long felt a bit awkward, as it had been several years since we had a conversation like this.

“That would be a good idea. Thanks, Yeon-Jae.”

“You’re welcome.”

“…”

“…”

“Yeon-Jae, actually.. There will be visitors next Monday.”

“Visitors?”

Even with my question, the director didn’t easily open her mouth.

Visitors? Who could make the director hesitate like that? 

Negative thoughts multiplied like a tail-biting snake.

At that moment, Ms. Lee Si-Hyun, who had been watching me closely, interjected.

“People who have been supporting our orphanage for a long time, you know, have a company, and among the company employees, there are some who are particularly older and senior.”

“Executives?”

“..Yes! The executives said they wanted to visit our orphanage. Since they’ve been supporting us for a long time, they want to come and see the children.”

It wasn’t as bad as I had thought. Instead, it felt like an everyday story.

It’s not common for sponsors to visit the orphanage, so why did they specifically call me?

My question was answered when the director added it with a puzzled expression.

“They mentioned that a reporter will also be coming along since it’s been a while.”

Ah, I see. I nodded my head.

“I’m okay with it.”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you saying they need to take pictures?”

“Oh, right. How did you know?”

Yeon-Jae is really smart, I tried to hide my discomfort upon hearing the additional comment from Teacher Lee Si-Hyun.

Even though I’m not that young anymore, hearing such comments still makes me awkward.

Of course, I’m not trying to claim I’ve entered adolescence or anything embarrassing like that. It’s just awkward.

Growing up in an orphanage, as you reach a certain age, you naturally develop some awareness and start behaving accordingly. It’s inevitable to realize that running an orphanage costs more money than one might think.

“I’m fine with it, Director. Is it okay if I do it?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“There are plenty of other kids here. Sang-Hun, for example, is energetic and cute, and… well, there won’t be any unexpected incidents.”

At my words, a moment of silence fell.

“..Well, you’re also lively and incredibly cute! Is there a child as adorable as Yeon-Jae?”

Teacher Lee Si-Hyun, unable to overcome the silence, brightly spoke up.

I didn’t intend to make it awkward. Feeling apologetic, I smiled.

And so, amidst the silence and laughter, the subject for next week was decided.

***

Next Monday, all the kids lined up on the playground.

I wore the cleanest and neatest white shirt and beige pants from my wardrobe.

I considered wearing a sweatshirt to look brighter, but it didn’t seem appropriate, so I ultimately chose the shirt.

“Oh, you look different. For a moment, I thought it wasn’t you.”

Beside me, Choi Sang-Hoon made a playful remark, and recalling the words I had been practicing, I smiled brightly.

“Thanks!”

“…?”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well, you… never mind. Forget it. Don’t worry about it.”

I glanced quizzically at Choi Sang-Hoon, who seemed somewhat bewildered, but turned my head forward again when the teacher’s voice rang out, “Hey, everyone! Let’s get ready!”

A luxurious sedan silently glided into the playground.

“The van that followed the sedan had people who appeared to be employees. Even then, the sedan remained silent even with the engine off.

After the commotion settled, the door of the sedan finally opened.

The foot inside came out slowly, as if deliberately holding it in, and even from a distance, the fabric covering the ankles was well-angled.

The owner of the ankles, though appearing younger than expected for a company executive, received polite greetings from the director. Watching the owner of the ankles, I took a deep breath and approached.

“Director, you mentioned that you’d like to meet the children at our orphanage. I’ll be your guide for today.”

“Oh, yes. Nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

Beside the director, who was introducing me, I smiled as brightly as possible, recalling the sentence I had been rehearsing since earlier.

‘I am Park Ha-Eun. I am cheerful. I am confident. I am happy.’

With a slight relaxation of the eyebrows, a clear and distinct gaze, and even the upper lip trembling naturally as the corners of the mouth went up,

Imitating the facial muscle movements that changed when Park Ha-Eun smiled, I greeted brightly, “Hello! My name is Lee Yeon-Jae!”