Top Star by Luck

Chapter 21

At the time when Lee Min Ki was eliminated from the Daon audition, this was what he thought:

‘If I had done better, I would have passed.’

He judged that it was entirely due to his own lack of skill.

He didn’t know why he had been eliminated, but he didn’t want to attribute it to any external reasons.

He didn’t seek the cause outside himself.

At least, Lee Min Ki didn’t know the truth—that the audition already had a pre-selected candidate.

Not knowing that, he wasn’t wounded.

Since he wasn’t hurt, he didn’t make excuses.

Because he looked for the reason within himself, he was able to immediately take the best course of action.

‘Let’s do better next time.’

It was about taking one step forward.

‘What kind of acting could I do even better?’

Although he thought playing a thug was, strictly speaking, the best he could do at the time, he had ultimately failed.

He concluded that if he reused a role in which he had already failed once, he would only repeat the same failure.

‘Even if I act as a thug again, I can’t just be a typical thug. I need to add something different. At least, make it better than it is now.’

At times like this, the best method was:

‘Let’s go back to the basics.’

The basics of acting.

It was observing.

Lee Min Ki’s gaze moved from the monitor to reality.

He decided to draw motivation from people he could vividly observe in his surroundings.

And he found someone as a result.

[Eleven! Eleven and a half! Eleven and a half, and a quarter of a half! Eleven and a half, and a quarter of a half, and another quarter!]

It was the gym manager near his house, Kwon Joon Yong.

Aside from being terrible at math, he wasn’t a bad person.

Actually, he was rather fun.

Lee Min Ki decided to observe his behavior and incorporate it into his acting.

That’s how he found it.

“Sir, that’s because you only paid for 15 PT sessions for a month. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

He had found the character of a sleazy gym trainer.

“We don’t normally tell our customers this, but since this is the gym’s 8th anniversary, you’re getting an additional discount. Normally, it’s 1.5 million won for 50 sessions over three months, but this time we’re giving you a special discount—1.3 million won! And on top of that, I’m giving you an extra 100,000 won off as a personal favor. If you pay in cash, there’s another 100,000 won discount!”

It was transparent.

It was obvious that he was awkwardly trying to make a sale.

But precisely because of that, the peculiar brazenness made the character vividly come to life.

‘It’s a good thing I have a fitting script.’

About a year ago, there was a project in which a JC actor had participated.

The title of the work was God of Diet.

The trainer who appeared in it was notoriously unlikeable.

He was unlikeable but also couldn’t be entirely hated.

He was the kind of character who, after making a mistake, would awkwardly apologize and offer a scoop of protein powder to make up for it.

“In spring, you don’t exercise because you’re sleepy. In summer, it’s too hot to work out. In autumn, it’s harvest season, so you don’t exercise. And in winter, you don’t work out because you can cover up any weight gain with clothes. So, when exactly do you plan to exercise, sir?”

Of course, the nagging tone characteristic of the trainer was kept intact.

Lee Min Ki’s eyes almost rolled back, widening like a madman’s.

His arms reached out as if to grab someone by the collar.

“You think eating vegetables and fruits won’t make you fat? Sir, elephants and hippos are also herbivores. But the problem is, you barely move! Do you think the savannas of Africa are just some joke?”

The nonsense that flowed out of his mouth was shameless.

Anyone could tell it was utter rubbish.

But for some reason, you couldn’t stop listening to that nonsense.

In the original work, the character had muscles that looked like they were half-developed, and coincidentally, that was exactly what Lee Min Ki’s body looked like at the time.

Moreover, CEO Yoo Gyu Eon’s aesthetic sense made that body stand out even more.

‘I can do this.’

All the time Lee Min Ki had spent so far was condensed into this brief moment of acting.

His aptitude discovered in his previous life.

His portrayal of the thug, built from his Daon acting experiences, combined with the observational details he’d gathered about the trainer’s behavior.

Kwon Joon Yong’s training style and CEO Yoo Gyu Eon’s fashion sense.

Everything had come together, grain by grain, to create a mountain.

And the result?

“Heh heh heh.”

It was Director Seo Jung Woo’s laughter.

“Haha, ha… puhoot.”

One of the judges, who was supposed to be seriously observing his performance, couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

He even lowered his head onto the desk and kept laughing.

‘Did he laugh?’

Lee Min Ki was flustered.

Though he didn’t know it, the fact was that Director Seo Jung Woo had an easy trigger for laughter.

Especially when it came to this kind of ‘trainer gag.’

Even at this point, it was clear that his acting was a success.

But stopping here would be the mark of a second-rate performer.

‘I’ll keep going.’

Lee Min Ki decided to seal the deal and continued speaking.

“Can you see this? The muscle? I’ve really worked hard to build this body. Touch it. It’s thick, right? Solid, right? This didn’t just happen overnight. Hard training, cutting-edge sports science, and a strict diet. Without any of those, this body wouldn’t exist.”

With those words, Lee Min Ki turned and posed, spreading his back wide.

It was something he often did in front of the mirror at home.

“You want to build a body like this, don’t you, sir?”

No, no one would think that.

To anyone looking, his body didn’t inspire that thought at all.

In truth, Lee Min Ki’s body was mediocre at best. But that brazenness was exactly what made the character come to life.

“Puhuhut.”

Following Director Seo Jung Woo, even Kim Ah Sung the trainer burst into laughter. When those two laughed, the other judges followed suit, without worrying about appearances.

‘That guy’s amazing.’

Kim Tae Yang admired the sharp calculations behind Lee Min Ki’s performance.

‘He’s so annoying, it’s impressive.’

Yoo Seon Ah, too.

The only ones who couldn’t laugh in that moment were the other contestants.

‘Is this an audition for actors, or for comedians?’

‘Is he kidding?’

‘Isn’t this cheating?’

In short.

If you summed it up in one phrase—

Lee Min Ki had stolen the show.

***

The audition was over.

Since it was better to take the blows first, Lee Min Ki comfortably observed the other contestants’ performances.

And he realized:

‘Hmm, it’s subtler than I thought.’

The acting of the scholarship students wasn’t particularly special.

“You think the ground you’re standing on just appeared out of nowhere? All your seniors worked hard plowing the land instead of studying in school. You punk. You’re talking trash about laborers? We’re a nation of laborers.”

How should he put it?

‘It’s subtle.’

They seemed good, but that was all.

It was because Lee Min Ki had gained some experience on actual sets, even in minor roles.

No matter how talented these students were, there were plenty of talented people all over the country.

Few truly shined on set.

Besides, Lee Min Ki had expected too much from their abilities.

‘It’s a bit disappointing.’

And there was one more significant reason.

That reason was none other than Lee Min Ki himself.

‘I need to do better than that guy from earlier, but what should I do?’

‘Look at how cold the atmosphere is.’

‘They were laughing earlier, but why is there no reaction to my performance?’

Lee Min Ki’s earlier performance had completely taken over the audition room.

This meant that the other contestants’ psychology had been shaken.

An actor, no matter how calculated their acting is, can’t completely separate their emotions from their performance.

[A performance without emotion is like a meal without wine.]

A famous French actor had once said this.

And just like that, once someone starts wavering, there’s no way they can deliver a flawless performance.

Of course, there were exceptions.

‘I didn’t expect much from them.’

That exception was Yoo Seon Ah.

“Jiwoo, try this. Mom’s meeting a friend later this evening, okay? There’s some stew in the fridge, so heat it up and eat it. Don’t be late for school. And if Dad asks, just say Mom had to go out for something.”

Her performance didn’t falter in the slightest.

The reason was simple.

She had been practicing with Lee Min Ki, watching him closely all this time.

No matter how great Lee Min Ki’s acting was, she had already grown accustomed to it.

Instead, she couldn’t understand why the other contestants were so shaken.

Apart from her, maybe Kim Tae Yang was another exception.

‘I can already see where this is headed.’

Thanks to this, Kim Ah Sung the trainer could also relax a little.

Once all the contestants had finished their performances:

“Yes, please exit through the door on the left in order. We will inform you of the audition results individually in a few days.”

Even without seeing it, the contestants could somewhat predict the outcome.

Lee Min Ki was no exception.

‘…Did I do pretty well?’

He couldn’t be completely sure about passing, but he couldn’t deny that he had done well.

His condition had been near perfect.

If he didn’t pass this, he doubted he’d pass anywhere.

Good.

Lee Min Ki made up his mind.

‘At this rate, I can afford to treat myself to some pork belly on the way home.’

He decided to reward himself.

‘If not on a day like today, when would I? Sure, Kwon Joon Yong will say something, but I’ll deal with that when it comes.’

For a brief moment, Lee Min Ki allowed himself to become a bit cocky.

With a belly full of joy, he was about to exit the audition room as the last contestant when—

“Excuse me, Min Ki.”

A voice stopped him.

‘This voice…’

When he turned around, it was Director Seo Jung Woo.

He spoke with a faint smile on his face, his serious expression from earlier nowhere to be seen.

“I think you can expect good results from this audition.”

“What?”

“We’ll be in touch soon.”

What did he just say?

Lee Min Ki couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

It was something he hadn’t even dared to expect.

That night.

Lee Min Ki couldn’t sleep at all.

***

A few days later.

There was a place where Lee Min Ki had been urgently called.

That place was:

“You’re here?”

It was the office of the Director.

Director Park of Jam Acting School greeted him with a wide smile on his face.

His eyes darted around excitedly.

Feeling uncomfortable, Lee Min Ki took a slight step back and spoke.

“Um, what’s this about?”

“Oh, nothing much.”

Director Park put on a kind expression, honed from years of running the academy.

“I realized we haven’t had much of a chance to talk recently, so I made some time. I was just wondering if you’re satisfied with our academy.”

“Thanks to you, I’m doing well.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried you might be uncomfortable.”

Director Park smiled warmly once again.

As if he had always held great affection for Lee Min Ki.

“Please, have a seat. Would you like coffee or green tea?”

“Water, please.”

At that, Director Park personally fetched some water and placed it in front of Lee Min Ki.

His behavior was conspicuously unusual.

Each movement made Lee Min Ki’s antennae go up.

‘Why is he acting like this?’

This wasn’t how Director Park usually behaved.

Rather than being grateful for the sudden warmth, it felt awkward and uncomfortable.

In the entire year Lee Min Ki had been at Jam Acting School, he had never received this kind of treatment before.

The thought that crossed his mind was:

‘Is his attitude changing because I’m doing well now?’

It felt hypocritical.

He knew better than anyone what kind of treatment he had received at the academy until now.

It had been disregard.

Although things had improved over the past few months, before that, he had been treated like a failure.

By his peers, by the teachers, and even by Director Park.

No matter how much they tried not to show it, a person tends to notice such things.

Of course, Kim Tak had never thought much of it.

At least in regards to Director Park, all he had ever thought was that he was a strict person.

‘So why the sudden friendliness now?’

While Lee Min Ki awkwardly observed Director Park’s every move,

“Today, I called you for a specific reason.”

The next moment.

What he heard was something he never could have expected.

“I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in receiving a scholarship from our academy.”

“What?”

“Of course, only if you’re okay with it, Min Ki.”