Top Star by Luck

Chapter 78

[Yes, then I will coordinate the schedule.]

The interview with Kim Do Ha was finalized.

And it happened quite quickly.

Usually, for this kind of plan, schedules from both sides need to be coordinated, so if something goes wrong in between, the plan often disappears entirely. But something unusual happened this time.

[Kim Do Ha says he is a fan of the actor. He insisted on meeting as soon as possible.]

They seemed very eager about interviewing Lee Min Ki.

‘It’s luck, but not exactly the kind of luck I welcome.’

Lee Min Ki gave a bitter smile.

It felt strange that Kim Do Ha liked him.

If it had been in the past, when he didn’t know anything, he would have been so happy about such a favor that he’d feel like he was walking on air.

But now he knew better.

Knowing the ugly nature of the person named Kim Do Ha, it was hard to feel purely happy about it.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

Rather than worrying about this troublesome matter, he decided to focus on something better.

And that something was…

“…I never thought the day would come when I’d walk into this house on my own.”

It was home.

Lee Min Ki had decided to use his brief free time to visit his family, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

To be more accurate, it had reached a point where it was no longer possible to put it off.

‘I kept postponing, saying I was busy, and it came to this.’

He had delayed it too long.

When he thought about it, it had already been two projects since he last saw Lee Min Seo.

It had been right after filming [Campus Story], so more than half a year had already passed.

At this point, the guilt of keeping distance from his family started weighing on his heart.

‘If I went to a reunion, there’s no reason I can’t see my family.’

From a distance, he could see the red brick house, with some bricks crumbled and fallen.

That sight, worn by time, pained him in a way.

He had avoided this place for so long.

Of course, there were reasons why he had avoided it.

[Son, I want to support whatever you do, but being an actor seems a little off.]

His parents had vehemently opposed his acting career.

[Most kids from well-off families who are good-looking still end up as unknown actors.]

[Your mother’s right this time.]

It was as if they saw no chance for him to succeed as an actor, not even 1%.

“…Hmm.”

Recalling the nagging from a corner of his memories, Lee Min Ki let out a small groan.

In the past, when he heard things like that, he harbored resentment, feeling as if his parents were looking down on him.

He thought they were convinced he would fail.

But looking back now, they had been right, so he had no room to argue.

‘I spent at least ten years struggling, tripping, and falling into ruin. I guess adults aren’t adults for nothing.’

In any case, it no longer mattered.

He had changed.

Now, as a rookie actor, he was walking an elite path that anyone would acknowledge.

Starting with small roles, then supporting roles in films, and eventually landing a leading role in a public network drama.

He had even successfully done back-to-back commercials for supplements and coffee. It was clear he had joined the ranks of successful rookie actors.

‘To anyone, it would look like I succeeded.’

That was important.

Objectively reaching a position of success.

When he achieved sustainable success, not just a one-hit-wonder, he wanted to face his family proudly.

To show them that he, too, could live a normal life like everyone else.

That had been the long-held dream of Lee Min Ki, the person who had lived his previous life.

‘…Good, I’m just one step away.’

He had circled around for hundreds of steps, but now only a few steps remained.

Just enter the house, open the door handle.

And proudly face his parents.

Not as the failed son, Lee Min Ki, but as their proud son, Lee Min Ki.

“…….”

Still, it felt a bit awkward to meet them as a family of three without his sister.

But what’s strange about three family members seeing each other?

Thinking it was awkward was, in fact, the awkward part.

“Huu, hooph!”

Just as he tried to muster up some courage.

“Boss, can’t you wait just a little longer?”

From over there.

Somewhere on the edge of the alley, he heard an accidental voice.

And it wasn’t a friendly one either.

“We didn’t just dig up money from the ground to lend it to you. If you keep acting like this, you’re going to make things hard for people, got it?”

“Please, just give me a little more time.”

“Tell me exactly. How long do you need until you can pay it back?”

“Next month, I’ll have some money coming in…”

“I think I’ve heard that same line about five times now. If I hear it again, I might be able to recite it by heart.”

Even without listening carefully, it was easy to guess the relationship between the two people.

And there was something else.

‘Father?’

It was a familiar voice.

As if mesmerized by that voice, Lee Min Ki moved forward on tiptoes and soon saw someone.

“…!”

It was his father.

He was bending his back, bowing repeatedly in front of another middle-aged man.

“You’ve got a kid, don’t you? If you don’t have the money, ask your kid to lend you some.”

“That’s difficult.”

“Why? Are you two strangers? Don’t tell me, Boss, you don’t even keep in contact?”

“I’m really sorry, but I’d appreciate it if you could leave today. I’ll contact you immediately after.”

The words felt like a noose tightening around his neck.

Listening uncomfortably from the alley, eavesdropping.

‘…….’

Lee Min Ki moved forward.

Directly.

He had thought about circling back around and taking a few more steps to avoid the confrontation, but at least for now.

“I’ll pay off that debt.”

He wanted to walk straight ahead.

“Who’s this now?”

The rough-looking man across from him frowned just as Lee Min Ki took off his hat.

“…!”

It was about time that his face became his identification card.

At this point, he could toss out his business card or say his name.

But instead, Lee Min Ki said something else.

“I’m his son.”

* * *

To define Lee Min Ki’s family in one word, it would be this:

A poor household.

As some masterpiece novel once said.

Happy families are often happy for the same reasons, but every unhappy family has its own reasons for their unhappiness.

But the reason for the unhappiness in his family was utterly simple.

Money.

It was simply the lack of money.

This one thing was both the root cause and the entirety of his family’s unhappiness.

His father lost his job early due to workplace politics.

He tried starting a business with his severance pay but ended up failing and losing everything.

Fortunately, the couple managed to run a moving company, so they didn’t have to worry about starving. But it had been so long since they lived without debt that they couldn’t even remember the last time.

You could call it a textbook example of modern-day misfortune.

So stereotypical, it was almost cliché.

And also.

[I feel sorry for Min Ki.]

The guilt they felt toward their son was just as typical.

[Why, honey?]

[He’s doing so well on his own, but maybe we’ve been blocking his way.]

Their son had always been a source of concern for them.

[Min Ki has loved movies since he was a kid, right?]

[He always watched movies. Even at an age when others were excited about dating, traveling, or hanging out, he only cared about watching movies.]

In his early twenties, he gave up college and spent several years working to contribute to the family before suddenly leaving home, declaring he wanted to try acting.

Instead of supporting him, they stood in his way, which stuck with them like a fishbone in their throats.

That’s right.

These parents carried guilt toward their son.

For ignoring a potential possibility and only confronting him with harsh reality.

[Maybe acting is his calling, and we just dismissed it too quickly.]

[But how could we not try to stop him?]

[Do you think he’s eating properly? I’m so worried I can’t sleep.]

[Let’s send Min Seo to check on him.]

But that guilt didn’t last long.

Before they knew it, he had debuted on his own, and in the blink of an eye, he had become a star.

Every time they turned on the TV, they saw his face.

Even at the grocery store, his face was plastered on BFC coffee.

This both delighted them and made their guilt grow even heavier.

[If only we had trusted him and supported him, maybe things would have gone much smoother.]

They hadn’t recognized his talent.

As a result, they felt sorry for forcing him to debut as an actor much later than he could have.

They didn’t offer him financial support, nor did they even cheer him on with words. On the contrary, they had actively opposed him, making their guilt even greater.

So they made up their minds.

[Let’s not be a burden to Min Ki.]

Even if times were tough, they resolved not to ask their son for help.

They had no right to do so.

Their son was just starting out as a rookie actor and enjoying the prime of his life. They didn’t want to burden his shoulders with their debt.

Although successful celebrities make a lot of money, the more they earn, the more they

spend.

The couple had seen countless times on TV how entire families latched onto a single successful celebrity, draining them dry.

They had even clicked their tongues in disapproval, thinking that such parasitic families were worse than not having a family at all.

No matter how heavy their debt was, they never thought they would stoop so low as to abandon their principles.

‘We don’t have much debt left, so let’s just pay it off and tell him later.’

They had been steadily repaying their debts, and by the year after next, they would finally be able to breathe easier.

Then, they would face their son proudly.

They were waiting for their son’s visit with that determination.

Ding dong!

At the sound of the doorbell, they went out happily, only to be greeted by the debt collector at the worst possible time.

[Ah, boss, I wondered when you’d show up.]

On what should have been a joyful day, reality struck again.

“I’m his son.”

Their son appeared.

The son they had been too guilty to face, Lee Min Ki.

“…Actor Lee Min Ki?”

“Yes.”

“You’re telling me the boss’s son is Lee Min Ki?”

The debt collector, bewildered, glanced back and forth between Lee Min Ki and his father.

‘Wow, now that I look at them, they do look alike. Like father, like son.’

It was surprising.

But no one was more surprised than Lee Min Ki’s father.

‘Is that really my son?’

Even though he had seen his son for over 20 years, even with his own eyes right now, it was hard to believe the transformation.

It was undoubtedly a familiar face.

The features were the same, and so was the voice.

But the very aura of the person had changed.

‘When did my son become so impressive?’

His build had grown more imposing.

It was entirely thanks to his posture.

He stood straight, his back aligned with his neck and shoulders.

His now brightened face had an effortless confidence that softly shone.

But his gaze was filled with concern.

‘When did he get so many wrinkles?’

The reason was none other than his father.

The wrinkles etched into his face, like the rings of a tree, were more noticeable than expected.

It had been a while since they last saw each other.

Those wrinkles had formed after years of hard work, supporting the family every single day. It was impossible to erase those deep lines completely.

But at least.

The future wrinkles would decrease.

‘Because I’ll make sure of it.’

There was something he had realized at the reunion.

You can’t turn back the life that’s already passed.

But at the very least, you can change the life that lies ahead.

That much is possible.

Both for work and for family.

Lee Min Ki took another deep breath and opened his mouth.

“You said there’s a debt, right?”

If most families are happy for the same reasons, then unhappy families are diverse in their reasons.

Then.

That famous saying could also be interpreted in another way.

Most unhappy families could become happy for the same reason.

And that reason is…

“I’ll pay it off.”

Money.