Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 9

Episode 9

Kim Ah-sung, the trainer, chuckled and said,

“Oh, really? Then show me what you’ve got.”

A somewhat provocative remark.

Lee Min-ki blinked at the words ‘show me’ and asked,

“…Show you?”

“What? Isn’t that what you meant when you said you were confident? You said you wanted to do it—the gangster act. You said you’d do it, so you have to follow through.”

Kim Ah-sung sneered.

Unlike a moment ago, when he seemed to respect his choice, his attitude now felt slightly mocking.

“Min-ki, you said you’d voluntarily take the difficult path. But no matter how I look at it, courage and recklessness are two sides of the same coin.”

He continued, maintaining direct eye contact with Lee Min-ki.

“To pass the audition, you need certainty, not just possibility. So, if you really have to take a risk, prove that there’s a basis for it. Not with words, but with your acting.”

Kim Ah-sung’s eyes were somewhat cold as he spoke.

He meant that he needed to see if Lee Min-ki had the skills to back up his words.

He was telling him to give up if he wasn’t confident and focus on a more stable role.

“Why, are you losing confidence now that you’re about to perform?”

At the continued provocation, Kim Tak and Yoo Seon-ah thought:

‘Wow, the teacher is really pushing him hard.’

‘Isn’t he practically telling him to give up? Is it really necessary to say that much, even if it’s true?’

It was a tone that could sound almost ruthless at first glance.

Lee Min-ki was being unreasonable, so he was using a strong tactic to change his mind.

In reality, that intention wasn’t entirely absent.

However, if you could see inside that room, the nuance was slightly different.

‘Let’s see if he really meant what he said.’

Kim Ah-sung had expectations for Lee Min-ki.

Considering Lee Min-ki’s innate talent, choosing the gangster role was close to the right choice.

But it was only close.

Whether it was something he truly believed in or just a random remark needed to be verified.

Why, don’t they say even a broken clock is right twice a day?

That’s why Kim Ah-sung wanted to see it with his own eyes.

‘Is it a bluff, or does he have something to rely on?’

He didn’t rule out the former.

But he hoped it was the latter.

‘If my words sound like too much pressure, it’s better to back down now.’

That was what Kim Ah-sung was thinking.

And Lee Min-ki.

‘That’s a relief.’

He thought Kim Ah-sung had given him a chance.

A chance to prove his skills in a spectacular way.

“Okay. I’ll show you what I can do.”

“Alright, how much time do you need to prepare?”

“It’s okay.”

Lee Min-ki declined Kim Ah-sung’s consideration and said,

“I’ve practiced a lot. Usually. In my spare time.”

Since he threw a surprise provocation, he had to respond in kind.

* * *

“Hoo.”

Lee Min-ki, who had stood up and was looking at the wall, took a deep breath.

‘Can I pull this off?’

He had accumulated more than enough practice time.

But acting was always a new challenge, no matter how many times you repeated it.

His heart was pounding.

‘A free performance. I haven’t had much opportunity to do one of these since I debuted.’

Once you debut, you mostly do designated performances [performances with pre-set scripts and roles].

That’s why free performances felt both nostalgic and unfamiliar.

With a free performance, he could perform any script he wanted.

A famous scene from a movie.

Scenes where the character seemed vivid and tangible even if you just looked at the lines, putting everything else aside.

But there was one drawback to this.

‘You have to fully embody the given lines, but you can’t let them consume you.’

You couldn’t be consumed by the script.

There was a common dilemma among rookies.

They were so overly conscious of the script that they couldn’t deviate from its framework even by an inch.

‘But a professional shouldn’t be like that.’

Even when performing the same script, you had to be able to show your own unique interpretation.

It was like a singer singing someone else’s song.

You had to bring the original song to life with perfection, but you couldn’t just imitate it. No matter what song you sang, it had to become your song.

Overcoming this stage was the first step to becoming a professional actor.

‘Can I really do this justice?’

He had prepared the script in advance.

With something he was quite confident in.

But Lee Min-ki didn’t start acting right away. Before starting, he calmly envisioned his appearance in his head.

Because his appearance had changed since his 30s.

That’s why the character had to change as well.

The thin strands of hair had grown long enough that he would have to go to the salon soon to get them cut.

The jaw was slender.

The bridge of his nose was neither too low nor too high. But he was confident in its shape.

Overall, his features were delicate.

‘A typical gangster act won’t cut it.’

He couldn’t just become a purely delinquent character.

His appearance was too far from an intimidating figure.

Rather, what should he say…

He had to become a cocky and annoying character, a gigolo-like character.

The image of Lee Min-ki that came to Lee Min-ki’s mind began to transform little by little.

‘That’s it.’

At some point, the visualization in his head was complete.

Lee Min-ki shouted, recalling that the time had come.

“Oh, my dear sister!”

A gangster, especially a gigolo.

The corners of Lee Min-ki’s mouth turned up as if they would reach his ears.

“You’re here again? Where’s the person you came with last time? Ah, you blabbermouth.”

A gigolo who was about to seduce a woman and rip her off.

That was overlaid on Lee Min-ki’s appearance.

“Hehe, I’ll treat you to the full course today.”

But he wasn’t skilled.

The awkwardness of the movements remained subtle.

Since the gangster act was a stimulating performance, even a small sense of incongruity was noticeable.

But if you had to say, it was more than adequate at the amateur level.

At least, that’s how it looked to Kim Tak and Yoo Seon-ah.

‘Wow, I thought he was a model student, but he had this side of him?’

‘He’s just like Kim Tak.’

But what about Kim Ah-sung’s eyes, which were far from amateur?

‘Something’s missing.’

He was lacking something.

Of course, Lee Min-ki’s acting was excellent.

Enough that he would want to praise him rather than point out flaws if it were anyone else.

But he expected Lee Min-ki to show a performance that went one step further, not just an ordinary performance.

‘Is this all he’s got? It can’t be.’

That’s why he was doubting at that moment.

“……!”

Lee Min-ki’s legs faltered.

As if he had been struck by someone, Lee Min-ki’s body slumped to the side.

He made a blank expression as if he was embarrassed, and then he tried to get up, but he fell back down like a thrashing tuna.

‘Did he trip?’

Kim Ah-sung’s eyes twitched.

It’s common to make mistakes in acting, but the timing was terrible.

No matter how good the basics are, it’s a failure if the flow is broken.

…That’s what he thought at that moment.

“Sss.”

Lee Min-ki wiped his cheek and shouted.

“Ah! Which bastard did that!”

* * *

For a moment, Kim Ah-sung’s mind was in chaos.

He thought he had tripped and fallen, but he just shouted.

With quite a harsh curse.

In the midst of the momentary loss of focus, Lee Min-ki repeatedly shouted, pointing at the empty air.

“Hey, what are you? Why are you hitting people? Do you have a lot of money? Hey! Should I call the police? Huh? Should I call them?”

The moment that voice registered in his ear, Kim Ah-sung realized.

‘This was also acting!’

Even the way he fell so easily was part of the act.

The moment his thoughts reached this point, Kim Ah-sung’s gangster character for Lee Min-ki was complete.

‘Ha, this is something else.’

The puzzle piece was inserted into the 2% lacking performance. Vitality was born, and an overwhelming sense of immersion dominated his mind.

It was the moment when Kim Ah-sung’s perspective, which had been consistently evaluating, changed to appreciation.

“Ah, damn it, embarrassing.”

Lee Min-ki grumbled as he stood up, his face contorted as if the place where he fell was unbearably sore.

Even the moment he stood up, his legs trembled naturally like an aspen tree.

‘Kyaa, the details are amazing.’

Kim Tak exclaimed inwardly, anticipating the next performance.

Bbiririk! Bbusungbbasung!

The alarm started ringing fiercely.

It meant that the 1 minute and 30 second time limit given to Lee Min-ki had ended.

“Ah.”

Leaving behind a sense of regret, the short free performance came to an end, and the thought that Lee Min-ki had in his mind at that moment was this.

‘I’m screwed.’

It was shocking.

‘I have no luck. Why did my legs give out at that time!’

That’s right.

The fact that Lee Min-ki missed his step was not exactly acting or anything.

It was just because the muscle pain that hadn’t gone away from doing lower body exercises the day before had relapsed.

The rest was entirely ad-lib [improvised].

He lightly cramped in his leg, so he fell again while trying to get up, and he frowned because it really hurt as he got up.

The fact that sincerity was in the curse was also half sincere.

‘You idiot! They said they’d give you time, so why did you say you’d do it right away!’

He knew the reason himself without asking others. Because he thought it would be cool.

Responding to provocation with provocation.

Because that’s cool.

But coolness and embarrassment are only a hair’s breadth apart.

‘Ugh!’

He was so ashamed that he had confidently said he could do it that his face was burning.

Even though he had finished acting, his mind was filled with regret, rather than feeling relieved.

He wanted to do it again if he could turn back time.

But it was no use blaming others now.

It was already too late.

“…….”

Just looking at it, wasn’t the atmosphere stiff?

The expressions of Kim Tak and Yoo Seon-ah, who were looking at him, were extremely meaningful.

They looked like they wanted to say something, but they were holding back.

It looked to Lee Min-ki like they were barely holding back their laughter.

Of course, it was entirely his misunderstanding.

‘I was blown away. I have to ask him how he did the body acting later.’

Kim Tak was eager to ask him for tips right away.

‘I thought he would be weak in action because he’s so thin, but he’s good at everything. I learned something again today.’

Yoo Seon-ah was reviewing Lee Min-ki’s acting in her head.

It’s not acting, but.

Anyway, with all three of them silently waiting for Kim Ah-sung to open his mouth with one heart.

“Min-ki.”

The first thing he said was a question.

“What script is what you just did from?”

“Ah, that’s.”

Lee Min-ki opened his mouth to answer right away, and then swallowed his words.

He was about to confidently say the name of the work, but when he thought about it, it’s not a work that has come out in this era yet.

Because this is a script that he will directly participate in and write in the future.

That’s why he was especially confident.

Even though he messed up.

‘Let’s tell the truth for now.’

Lee Min-ki took a breath and said again.

“I created it.”

“Created? Really?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Kim Ah-sung only chuckled as if he found this situation funny.

He did that for a while.

Then, as if something came to mind, he asked casually.

“Min-ki, do you write scripts on your own too?”

“Sometimes. I want to do script work if I have the chance later. It’s a dream.”

“A dream, interesting.”

It was that moment.

Trainer Kim Ah-sung got up from his seat, left the three people with bewildered expressions behind, opened the door to the practice room, and said as he left.

“Min-ki, just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“……!”

In an instant, Lee Min-ki’s face lit up.

Kim Ah-sung continued.

“And creation is good, but let’s use a more famous work for the audition if possible. The judges don’t really like creative scripts.”

“…Yes, yes!”

“And also.”

Kim Ah-sung lightly scanned Lee Min-ki from top to bottom and asked.

“Why are your legs shaking so much?”

“I’m not fully relaxed.”

“Really? Sit down and rest for a while. It’s going to get tougher later on.”

In fact, it was like this.