Top Star by Luck

Chapter 19

The Morning of the Audition.

For the first time in his life, Lee Min Ki skipped his morning practice.

It wasn’t because he was scared of the important audition ahead or because he wanted to slack off for a day.

He had something to do that would slightly increase his chances of passing.

‘Director Seo Jung Woo said he pays a lot of attention to fashion.’

So, he sought out someone who knew fashion well.

That person was none other than Yoo Gyu Eon, the owner of the shopping mall where Lee Min Ki worked as a fitting model every week.

“You’ve come to the right place.”

Yoo Gyu Eon nodded with an unusually serious expression.

“As with any job, it’s best to leave things to the experts. Did you know? People often say that casual fashion is just about wearing something comfortable, but that’s what the uninformed say. Even with casual wear, the impression it leaves can be entirely different depending on how you style it.”

“……”

“That gray tracksuit a senior wore to class after coming back from a break looks so sloppy it’s hard to know where to look, but when a celebrity wears it on TV, the fit is killer. You know why? Every little wrinkle is calculated.”

He was unusually talkative, different from his usual self.

Had he always been such a strong opinionated person?

‘Now that I think about it, didn’t he say he originally studied to be a designer?’

Lee Min Ki’s guess was correct.

Yoo Gyu Eon didn’t start his clothing mall just to make money.

He started it as a means to sell the clothes he designed himself.

Naturally, he had a designer’s philosophy. And getting excited in front of a muse who could reflect his philosophy was only natural too.

“For today, I’ll show off my skills. You can look forward to it.”

Yoo Gyu Eon cracked his knuckles.

Seeing how enthusiastic he was about helping, more than just as a favor, made Lee Min Ki chuckle.

“Did something good happen recently?”

It was half a joke when he asked.

“Yes, it did.”

“I knew it. Maybe it’s something like romance?”

“It’s because of you, Min Ki.”

“Pardon?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

Yoo Gyu Eon raised his eyebrows as if surprised that Min Ki didn’t know.

“Thanks to you, our shopping mall’s sales have skyrocketed recently.”

“What?”

Lee Min Ki’s eyes filled with confusion at his words.

‘The sales increased because of me? Did I have such a talent?’

Could it be that modeling was his true calling, not acting?

Had he been handling his talent all wrong?

As Lee Min Ki hesitated, unsure of what to think, Yoo Gyu Eon looked him directly in the eye and spoke again.

“The baseball stadium picture…”

“Ack!”

A pained sound escaped from Min Ki.

The baseball stadium.

It was a term that had become ingrained in his brain like a Pavlovian trigger.

Yoo Gyu Eon, puzzled by his reaction, asked in a bewildered voice.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“…No, no. Really, it’s nothing. Please continue.”

“Hmm, alright then.”

Though Yoo Gyu Eon narrowed his eyes at Min Ki’s strange reaction, he continued speaking.

“After your appearance at the baseball stadium, our sales suddenly doubled.”

“……”

“Of course, our sales were already improving ever since you started modeling for us.”

So that was the reason.

Finally realizing the truth, Lee Min Ki let out a small sigh.

‘At least the baseball stadium incident was helpful in some way.’

Well, it did spread everywhere.

Still, what made Min Ki feel strange about Yoo Gyu Eon’s treatment was that he hadn’t received this kind of favor before.

In recent years, no one had told him, ‘Things are going well thanks to you.’

Instead, it was more like, ‘Because of you, our company is going under.’

So it was only natural that Min Ki felt unfamiliar with receiving someone’s goodwill.

“I’ve often thought about how I could return the favor to you, Min Ki.”

Yoo Gyu Eon spoke in a content voice as he rummaged through the clothes neatly hung on the rack.

“That’s why when you asked me for a favor, I thought, ‘This is it!’ Thanks to you, I’ve been studying up for the past few days.”

“Haha… I guess I’m lucky. Getting so much help from you, I almost feel unworthy.”

“No, no. If you pass the audition and rise even higher, we’ll be able to help each other even more. So, in fact, I’m the lucky one.”

It was a simple idea of returning a favor.

But to Min Ki, that short explanation carried a special meaning.

Because it was something he had never experienced in his life until now.

‘Do most people live like this?’

While Min Ki was lost in sentimental thoughts, Yoo Gyu Eon clapped his hands together.

“Stylist! You know, right? Today’s a big day for Min Ki, so give it your all.”

“Yes!”

The stylist who usually handled Min Ki’s styling picked up her brush with determination.

Thus, after two hours of styling and preparations,

“We’ve done everything we can.”

Yoo Gyu Eon wiped the sweat from his forehead.

They tried on all the clothes they could.

In the end, they settled on the look that perfectly matched Min Ki’s face and physique.

Had all their efforts paid off?

The way Min Ki looked, fully dressed and styled by Yoo Gyu Eon’s expertise, was unlike his usual self.

‘He looks like he’s ready to appear in a fashion spread.’

As Min Ki stared at the mirror in amazement, Yoo Gyu Eon nodded in satisfaction.

“You’ll definitely pass. No, you will pass.”

“Thank you!”

A little while later.

Min Ki packed his things and left the office.

He had a good feeling.

Something about today felt different from the others.

As he walked out the door and made his way to the academy, someone suddenly caught his eye like a photograph.

‘Who is that?’

It was a man wearing a long coat, and his fit was amazing.

The overall look made Min Ki pause in his tracks for a moment.

But it was a busy time.

The man’s image quickly faded from Min Ki’s mind, replaced by thoughts of the upcoming audition.

‘I should hurry and warm up.’

As if he had never stopped walking, Min Ki resumed his pace.

Meanwhile.

After Min Ki left the office.

Yoo Gyu Eon, trying to maintain his calm façade, finally turned to the staff a few minutes later and asked,

“…Min Ki will pass, right?”

“Of course!”

The stylist who had just finished dressing up Min Ki clenched her fist confidently.

“I haven’t been doing this job for long, but I always get good vibes from Min Ki. If that judge has any sense, he’ll pick him right away.”

“I think so too, but…”

Somehow, he still felt nervous.

‘I did everything I could.’

It had been a long time since Yoo Gyu Eon felt this invested in someone else’s business as if it were his own. He was pacing around the office restlessly.

Clunk.

Suddenly, the door opened, and someone very familiar appeared. It was a man in a stylish coat.

Seeing him, Yoo Gyu Eon raised one eyebrow and spoke.

“You’re here?”

This was a man who often visited, frequently asking Yoo Gyu Eon for clothing-related favors.

A youthful-looking man for his age.

“What kind of greeting is that? You should say ‘Welcome’ politely to a guest.”

“You’re not a guest; you’re a nuisance.”

Ignoring Yoo Gyu Eon’s words, the man strolled around the office as if it were his living room, before speaking.

“You seem busy from early in the morning.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There are clothes scattered everywhere. Looks like you did some styling for someone. It seems kind of casual?”

“Oh, this.”

Yoo Gyu Eon glanced at the scattered clothes with a satisfied smile and spoke.

“Someone who’s headed to an audition was just here.”

“The guy you couldn’t stop praising over lunch the other day?”

“Yes, that person.”

“Hmm.”

The man chuckled, as if surprised, and then said,

“What a coincidence. I’m also on my way to an audition.”

* * *

By the time Lee Min Ki arrived at the academy, several people were already there warming up in the practice room.

The moment he opened the door and stepped inside, everyone’s eyes turned to him.

‘Who is that?’

Everyone blinked in disbelief.

For a brief moment, Lee Min Ki’s sharp appearance made him stand out far beyond the room’s average.

Once they began to notice him, they couldn’t help but glance his way, making their movements slightly awkward.

The first to speak was Kim Tak.

“Wow, Min Ki, you really went all out today since it’s an important day, huh?”

Being someone who didn’t think too deeply, a compliment was the first thing that came out.

“You should dress like this all the time. Don’t walk around looking shabby.”

The not-so-kind comment came right after.

Expecting something different was a mistake.

As Lee Min Ki found himself speechless, laughing awkwardly, Yoo Seon Ah stepped in.

“Tak, you’re being rude saying that right to his face.”

“But he was shabby.”

“It’s true, but still! You have no filter.”

Yoo Seon Ah scolded Kim Tak, even while sneaking glances at Lee Min Ki herself.

‘Wow.’

She was stunned.

Her already large eyes widened even further.

‘I knew he was a rough gem, but when he’s all dressed up, he looks this good?’

Lee Min Ki’s fashion wasn’t complicated—just jeans paired with a white shirt.

The jeans had a natural wash, and the shirt was slightly oversized to allow ease of movement.

His hair lightly covered his forehead, with a faint parting that stood out.

At a glance, it seemed like a simple look.

But the overall execution was flawless.

‘Why does he look so different?’

They didn’t know yet.

Lee Min Ki’s style was the perfect example of the “natural but styled” look, which would only start trending a few years later.

It wasn’t just Yoo Seon Ah who was surprised.

‘Was he always this cool?’

Even the students who were already practicing in the room couldn’t help but stop and sneak glances at him.

‘I thought he was just good at acting.’

‘Min Ki’s got muscles too, huh? Does he work out?’

‘When the foundation is good, even a little bit of styling makes such a big difference.’

Of course, Lee Min Ki had always had a good base to work with.

But what truly completed his look today was the power of fashion.

People often say that fashion is completed by the face, but in fact, it’s the styling that creates distinctions even among those with good visuals.

Moreover, with Lee Min Ki’s excellent body frame, clothes looked even better on him.

Although Yoo Gyu Eon focused on mass appeal and didn’t show off, his skill as a designer was first-rate.

With his meticulous touch, it was impossible for Min Ki to not stand out.

‘Ugh, why are they all staring at me like this?’

Lee Min Ki felt uncomfortable under all the gazes.

He had dressed up, sure, but being stared at from every direction made him so self-conscious that he didn’t know where to look.

Feeling like he’d meet someone’s eyes no matter where he turned, he finally managed to speak.

“Where’s the trainer?”

“Oh.”

At that simple question, Yoo Seon Ah, startled as if waking from a dream, quickly answered.

“He’s out doing some work right now. He said we’d meet at the audition venue in about an hour, and told us to warm up in the meantime. Oh, and he said not to acknowledge him when the audition starts.”

“Got it, thanks.”

“And also.”

As Lee Min Ki smiled and thanked her, Yoo Seon Ah hesitated and then spoke.

“This is just personal advice, but… you shouldn’t go around thanking people so easily.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Just because.”

* * *

Only a few minutes before entry.

Even with the audition right around the corner, some people remained relaxed.

There were five of them.

Anyone could see they had striking appearances, and they were all Jam Acting School scholarship students.

“You know what? Korean hip-hop isn’t that cool.”

“This world is going downhill, all thanks to the obsession with appearances.”

They were either reviewing their scripts or engaging in casual conversation, just as they usually did.

There wasn’t much tension in the air.

These students weren’t in any rush to debut, nor were they desperate for a single closed audition.

‘JC Entertainment is a big deal, but there’s no need to be anxious.’

Kim Tae Yang, a man with shoulder-length hair and glasses, thought the same.

He wasn’t overly interested in the audition itself; his curiosity lay elsewhere.

‘Those people the teacher always praises, are they really that good?’

He was curious about the skill level of those auditioning alongside him.

Everyone here was somewhat intrigued by Lee Min Ki.

They could have checked him out personally, but ironically, they never ran into him.

Min Ki always practiced early in the morning, and after his academy lessons in the afternoon, he would immediately head to his part-time job.

“Now that I think about it.”

Kim Tae Yang spoke up.

“Do you think that guy, Lee Min Ki, is any good?”

It was a short question.

But it served as a trigger.

“Well, who knows?”

A woman who had been mumbling to herself while holding a script lifted her head.

“If he were that good, wouldn’t he have already debuted or at least received a scholarship? I heard he didn’t even graduate from a theater program. Plus, he’s already old and hasn’t had any acting roles yet. He’s been failing auditions left and right.”

For them, there wasn’t much reason to think highly of Min Ki.

At twenty-five, he still hadn’t debuted and was stuck in the academy.

While he might receive some praise from the teachers, without any actual achievements, that was all it was.

To those present, compliments like that were just common pleasantries.

“Still, if you’ve seen that baseball stadium clip, he seems like an interesting guy.”

“Oh, I saw that too. It was hilarious.”

“He’s good-looking, but is he really star material?”

As they enjoyed speculating about Min Ki’s true nature,

Tap, tap.

They turned their heads, hearing footsteps approaching from afar.

Two figures entered their view down the hallway.

It was Lee Min Ki and Yoo Seon Ah.

The first thought that crossed Kim Tae Yang’s mind when he saw them was this:

‘He doesn’t look nearly as good on camera, does he?’

No, that wasn’t it.