Chapter 171

Chapter 171

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**[Notice] This is Lee Yeon-jae. I took some photos in case you wanted to see them.**

Hello. It’s Yeon-jae.

The awards ceremony is about to start, but I wanted to show my suit to Byeon first, so I’m posting this.

I debated whether to post it since the timing is a bit awkward, and I apologize if you were busy.

I heard from the president that my posts send notifications to Byeon, so I’ll post at the usual time next time.

(Photos 1)(Photos 2)(Photos 3)(Photos 4)(Photos 5)

My manager hyung took the photos.

The hand slightly showing on the left in the last photo is senior Lee Jung-hyun’s hand.

I actually wanted to take a picture with him today because he looked so cool, but I didn’t get the chance.

The clothes I’m wearing today were personally made by designer Son Hyun-joo, as my stylist nuna told me.

Thanks to her, I got to wear beautiful clothes. Thank you.

Hyungs and nunas said it suited me well, and I hope it looks that way to Byeon too.

Also, there was incorrect information about the grease stain removal method I mentioned last time.

It seems more effective to mix baking soda and water in a 1:2 ratio rather than 1:1.

My manager hyung is telling me we have to go now, so I’ll have to say goodbye here. I’ll study this a bit more and tell you next time.

Thank you for your hard work today. Enjoy your dinner.

Thank you.

―Our Bambi looks amazing in a suit.

―Yeon-jae, congratulations on your award in advance!!! Take care on your way there♡

―Thanks for always thinking of us first 🙂 No matter how busy you are, don’t skip meals!

―Thank you so much, designer Son Hyun-joo…. I never thought I’d see our Bambi in a three-piece suit ㅠㅠ Do whatever you want, our Bambi ㅠㅠ

―Why is everyone casually ignoring the grease stain removal method? It’s so funnyㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋWe can ignore that kind of thing nowㅋㅋㅋㅋ

―Even though you only know about grease stain removal and dishwasher usage, I still love you.

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋThe commenter above speaks for me… We love you… But it’s okay if you don’t explain next time…^^ (Just please post more photos)

―I feel like you took more photos than this…ㅠㅠ I trust Jung-hyun hyung… Please upload more photos of our Bambi….

└I followed actor Lee Jung-hyun on SNS because of Bambi…ㅋ

└Me tooㅋㅋ Let’s wait a few hours. Jung-hyun will probably post the photos he secretly took with Yeon-jae.

“Seriously, my baby is so cute I could die….”

Kwon In-ah, the president of Lee Yeon-jae’s fan club, sighed.

Her mouse moved quickly.

The cursor flitted back and forth, alternating between the post Lee Yeon-jae uploaded and the countless photos of his suit taken by reporters.

“How can someone be this cute and cool at the same time…? How does such a being exist?”

Her brain didn’t filter her fangirling.

Her eyes moved rapidly, capturing Lee Yeon-jae’s image.

‘The community reaction is good, and there’s nothing to save as a PDF.’

Fortunately, there weren’t many people who disliked Yeon-jae compared to his popularity.

Of course, there were some antis. But no celebrity exists without antis anyway.

‘Considering that, Yeon-jae is doing fine.’

He wasn’t the type to make controversial statements.

In fact, he seemed to have no interest in anything other than acting.

Except for his manager, a few actors, and some school friends, he didn’t meet many people, so even the reporters gave up trying to follow him.

But that kid showed an unusual side at the awards ceremony.

‘……Mist.’

Yeon-jae’s eyes, captured head-on by the camera, sparkled.

His pupils, where a tiny light appeared and then disappeared, looked exceptionally black.

‘Happy birthday.’

No one knew who Mist was, but as a fan, Kwon felt a pang of jealousy at the tenderness in his voice.

It was so filled with affection for the other person that it seemed to overflow.

The internet also went wild.

―Who is Mist??? No matter how much I think about it, even a reincarnated companion wouldn’t sound this affectionate?? Who calls a friend so wistfully in an award acceptance speech?

―It doesn’t sound like a person’s name. Maybe it’s a pet’s name? But I don’t think he ever mentioned having a pet.

―Could it be a nickname? Like a girlfriend’s nickname? But if it’s a girlfriend, that would be surprisingㅋㅋㅋ

―I don’t think Lee Yeon-jae has a girlfriendㅋㅋㅋ Someone from his class posted that he has an amazing ability to reject confessions. He’s like a confession-reflection machine.

It was common for celebrities to mention loved ones when receiving awards.

Parents, spouses, friends, children, etc. It was a tradition in Korea to list several names during an acceptance speech.

‘But Yeon-jae hasn’t done that until now.’

When he received his first award for *Zelkova Tree*, his acceptance speech was incredibly brief.

Even when he won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his debut film, he barely said a few words before stepping down.

Seeing such a kid sincerely congratulate someone on their birthday with such a heartfelt expression was bound to be curious.

‘So, who is Mist?’

Although many posts about it appeared in the fan café, they were ultimately just guesses without any word from Yeon-jae himself.

Given that he never mentioned his private life, speculation ran rampant.

Even Han Se-young, who had filmed a skinship scene with him recently, was mentioned, prompting the fan club president to urgently delete those posts.

She worried it might blow up, but fortunately, Yeon-jae posted soon after that night.

**[Notice] This is Lee Yeon-jae. The Mist I mentioned in my speech is a dear friend.**

He wrote, ‘Mist is a friend who helped me a long time ago,’ and ‘Sadly, we’re not in touch now, but I vividly remember the happiness whenever I think of them.’ He added, ‘I wanted to say thank you at least once, and I hope my feelings reached them.’

He concluded politely by requesting people refrain from speculative posts as Mist was an ordinary person, unrelated to the entertainment industry.

The fans quickly accepted this explanation.

Given the recent bullying rumors and knowing Yeon-jae grew up in an orphanage, they couldn’t pry further.

Instead, they felt relieved that Bambi had such a precious friend.

The prompt feedback and clear explanation, along with the polite request, wrapped up the situation nicely.

The fan club president agreed, though she remained curious.

Who was that precious friend to Bambi?

* * *

“So….”

A thick eyebrow furrowed deeply.

“Who is Mist?”

Noh Bi-hyuk frowned as he glared at me.

Looking at his usually cool face with such intense lines, I couldn’t help but speak up.

“Bi-hyuk, you’ll get wrinkles.”

“Right, thanks. Ah, so who is it? Why do you keep dodging the question?”

“When did I dodge the question?”

“You’re dodging it right now. Who is Mist that you’re wishing them a happy birthday, especially at an awards ceremony?”

Swallowing a sigh at his endless questions, I replied.

“I told you, it’s a childhood friend. I don’t know how they’re doing now.”

“When did you last see them?”

“Before I entered the orphanage.”

“…….”

Faced with my prepared answer, Noh Bi-hyuk fell silent.

I had expected people to be curious and had a response ready.

Given my limited social circle, it was natural for people to find it strange that I suddenly mentioned someone at an awards ceremony.

But I didn’t regret it.

Especially when I remembered the expression Mist had in my dream last night.

‘Mist, did you see me today?’

‘……Yes.’

‘Really? Where were you then?’

‘Right in front of you….’

‘I thought so.’

Mist had an expression I hadn’t seen before.

When he leaned into my embrace with that odd look on his face, I wished him a happy birthday once more.

Without a word, Mist stayed nestled in my arms.

I was lost in thought, recalling the warm feeling, when Noh Bi-hyuk’s clapping snapped me out of it.

“Promise me, when I debut, you’ll wish me a happy birthday too.”

What are you, a kid?

When I gave him a disdainful look, he yelled at me not to look at him like that.

“Okay, hurry up and debut. When’s the next round of announcements?”

“A month from now. Until then, I have to think of myself as dead…. Ha. I wish they’d just announce it all at once. This slow process is nerve-wracking.”

A guy who smoothly passed the first round talking like this.

‘He’s not as confident as he looks.’

No matter how clueless the president is, he wouldn’t reject Noh Bi-hyuk.

Clicking my tongue at his unnecessary worries, I said.

“If you don’t debut, who will? Don’t worry and eat this.”

“No, I’ll gain weight….”

“One dumpling won’t make you fat.”

I picked up a golden-fried dumpling that Jin-bae hyung had made and held it to his mouth.

After weakly refusing a few times, he reluctantly accepted it.

After devouring the whole

plate, he got up with a grunt.

“I’m off to practice….”

“Take care. Remember your vitamins. Watch your back. Watch your ankle. Call if you’re hurt.”

“Yes, mom~.”

Noh Bi-hyuk responded nonchalantly, pulling his cap down.

I saw him off to the door, but he turned back as if he’d forgotten something.

“By the way, didn’t you have something scheduled this afternoon?”

“Yeah. I should get going soon.”

“What is it? An interview?”

What’s it to you if it’s an interview? Planning to tag along?

I laughed at his unnecessary questions and answered.

“No, the hair salon.”

* * *

When I arrived at the usual hair shop, the head stylist greeted me immediately.

“Yeon-jae, you were right. Can you believe it? They diagnosed it as varicose veins right away after the check-up. I was so shocked.”

“Did you get treatment?”

“Yes, I got the injection that day. How did you know? I was skeptical even after you mentioned it.”

“I read about similar symptoms in a book. I’m glad you caught it early.”

It was fortunate that I suggested it.

When I asked if the treatment was effective, the head stylist smiled, saying her quality of life had greatly improved.

One of the other staff, overhearing our conversation, asked.

“Director, what is varicose veins?”

“I learned about it because of Yeon-jae this time. It’s a condition that affects people who stand for long periods, like us. If you have severe leg swelling, you should check it out too.”

“Director, is that why you took leave recently?”

“Yes. Yeon-jae kept insisting I go to the hospital, so I finally went. Oh, Yeon-jae, you’re so smart.”

Feeling embarrassed by her praise, I smiled.

After chatting about trivial matters for a while, I finally sat down.

Having come here since my debut, I felt very comfortable.

The head stylist, who seemed especially kind today, smiled.

“Yeon-jae, are you ready for a dramatic transformation today? Since it’s not a color that comes out with one bleaching session, you’ll need to come a few more times.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

I merely smiled at another staff member’s warning about the pain of bleaching.

No matter how painful it is, it wouldn’t be worse than my head injury.

“Then let’s go wash your hair first.”

“Yes.”

Following the staff to the shampoo room, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror with my black hair.

‘I am curious.’

Would my impression change if this black hair turned white?

‘You never know until you try.’

The first step to becoming a spirit, the bleaching process for silver hair, began.

And a few hours later, I realized the staff’s warning wasn’t just to scare me.

T/L note:

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