Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 15

15.

‘Model part-time job?’

For a moment, I thought I was seeing things.

Because Manager Kwon and the phrase ‘model part-time job’ seemed worlds apart, like comparing protein to cheesecake.

But no matter how many times I reread it, the sentence remained the same.

[Manager Kwon: I was wondering if Minki would be interested in doing a model part-time job]

It was indeed a modeling job.

Minki’s fingers froze in mid-air at the unexpected offer.

‘If it’s a model part-time job, it’s probably for a shopping mall, doing fittings.’

It was a familiar concept.

Because he’d done it a few times before.

While the entertainment industry is full of attractive people, making it easy to get lost in the crowd, Lee Minki was, on paper, an actor.

He certainly had the looks for modeling work.

In his seven years as an actor, he’d naturally picked up a few modeling gigs.

‘The pay is pretty good. The workload is manageable. And it helps build exposure.’

At the very least, they pay more than 10,000 won per hour.

Back when the minimum wage was only 5,000 won, it was one of the best part-time jobs aspiring actors could find.

But.

Lee Minki was already well aware of this type of work.

He had even considered it before.

The reason he hadn’t pursued it was…

‘It’s unreliable.’

Because the work wasn’t consistent.

If jobs kept coming in, it would be better than any other part-time job, but when the work dried up, it could stop completely.

And due to the industry’s reliance on verbal agreements, payment was often delayed or withheld.

…That’s the general experience of being a fitting model, but Lee Minki’s case was particularly extreme.

Because he was just plain unlucky.

‘What should I do about this?’

Lee Minki hesitated, unable to give a definite answer.

Even with the offer in hand, he couldn’t immediately accept it.

Maybe it would be better to pick up more night shifts, even if it meant sacrificing some sleep.

Caught between options, he paused at the crossroads of choice.

[Manager Kwon: They seem willing to pay a lot]

[Manager Kwon: What do you think?]

[Manager Kwon: They want to book Minki for tomorrow too, if he’s available]

[Manager Kwon: It’s urgent]

Sighing at Manager Kwon’s persistent prodding, he made a decision.

‘Okay, let’s try it once for now.’

There’s no reason to turn down a job that came to him.

Time to put out this immediate fire.

Lee Minki replied with that thought.

[Me: Actually, before that, there’s something I need to confess to the manager]

[Manager Kwon: You didn’t take a picture, did you?]

[Me: Actually, about lunch today]

[Me: Yes]

[Manager Kwon: ^^]

* * *

At a bustling shopping mall.

A man was moving quickly, carrying luggage and packing items without a moment’s rest.

A man with impressively long hair and a somewhat bohemian outfit.

He was Yoo Gyu-eon, the CEO of a rising online shopping mall.

He suddenly stopped in front of an air conditioner, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and thought.

‘I’m swamped.’

Work was relentless.

He barely had time to breathe.

But being busy was a good sign.

Because the online clothing market is so easy to enter, businesses that don’t succeed quickly fail.

There are far more failures than successes.

For his business, which was growing from a small operation to a mid-sized one, being busy felt like a stroke of good luck.

But even so, CEO Yoo Gyu-eon couldn’t simply be content.

‘It’s time to make some changes.’

Sales had decreased compared to the previous week.

And he thought he knew why.

It was because the previous model had quit.

He was a college student who was quite popular online for his ‘boyfriend’ aesthetic, but he’d suddenly quit, saying he was tired of the work.

Yoo Gyu-eon understood.

Everyone has their own reasons.

The problem was that he was having trouble finding a replacement.

‘They keep flaking, they lack basic skills, and they cause problems.’

Since anyone with decent looks could try to be a model, it wasn’t easy to find someone reliable.

Established, in-demand models were too busy.

Newcomers didn’t even know basic poses.

There were frequent incidents of rudeness or inappropriate behavior with the opposite sex.

Tardiness was a given.

So he couldn’t help but miss the previous model.

‘That’s right, the person I was introduced to is supposed to be here in an hour.’

Would this person be normal?

His father had strongly recommended him, so he’d reluctantly agreed to the meeting, but he didn’t have high expectations.

Portfolio photos are just for show; he wouldn’t believe it until he saw the real thing.

‘If he doesn’t seem like a good fit, I’ll have to finish today’s work and send him back, even if I feel bad about it.’

He’d already resigned himself to that possibility even before meeting Lee Minki.

“CEO.”

A staff member rushed over and said.

“They said they’ve arrived?”

“Yes? Already?”

As CEO Yoo Gyu-eon tried to look surprised, the staff member added, sounding equally surprised.

“They said their schedule finished early and they were nearby. They asked if it was okay to start right away if you’re okay with it?”

“Hmm, the timing is… perfect.”

Wasn’t it too early?

Since the other person was a newcomer with no modeling experience, he’d generously allocated extra time, including time for training.

He couldn’t just send them back immediately if they couldn’t do the job.

But they’d arrived even earlier.

‘He’s an unusual person.’

There was nothing else to do.

Yoo Gyu-eon said, feeling a flicker of curiosity.

“Okay. Let’s start early and finish quickly.”

He had no idea.

What kind of person Lee Minki was.

* * *

Just one hour later.

Yoo Gyu-eon could only be astonished, again and again.

‘Is this guy really a newbie?’

The person in question was Lee Minki.

“Um, this time, let’s try another shot with a slightly different pose…”

“Like this?”

Before Yoo Gyu-eon could finish speaking, Lee Minki immediately adjusted his pose.

A fluid, natural movement.

It had happened several times already.

Yoo Gyu-eon had expected it would take a while to teach him the basic poses, but that wasn’t the case at all.

“Ah, that’s exactly it.”

“Or like this?”

This time, he nailed the angle without any correction.

Yoo Gyu-eon gave a weak laugh.

“…That’s good too. Perfect.”

Lee Minki was extraordinary.

He seemed to have completely mastered posing.

No, more than mastered it, the poses seemed ingrained in his very being.

‘No matter how I look at it, it’s like he’s done a lot of modeling work.’

His appearance had been a pass from the start.

‘His skin is naturally good, so he probably doesn’t need much retouching. The stylist was impressed.’

But it was more than just his face; it was his physique.

He had a great frame. Anything looked good on him.

He could wear rags and still look amazing.

The fact that he had the right amount of muscle tone was also a plus.

While people often think fashion models should be as thin as possible, that’s more true for high fashion.

Because in that world, people are looking at the clothes themselves, not the person wearing them.

But online shopping malls for the general public are a little different.

Since the average customer cares more about the overall shape, a body that’s lean but with some muscle definition is ideal.

And good posture is even better.

That’s exactly what Lee Minki had from the beginning.

‘I thought it would take at least five hours, but if things keep going like this, we’ll be done in under three.’

Yoo Gyu-eon smiled wryly as he watched Lee Minki effortlessly change poses without needing any direction.

He was too skilled.

Since it was an outdoor shoot, he usually allocated 40 minutes per outfit, but he’d planned for an hour since Lee Minki was a newcomer.

He’d generously padded the schedule, but it looked like it would be over in no time.

“I think it would look good to shoot over there.”

“Let’s finish this set first.”

“Ah, did I say something unnecessary?”

“No. Let’s do it.”

He knew how to work with the light and instinctively captured the texture of the clothes.

Beyond understanding his own body’s strengths, he knew how to use the environment.

‘If the shoot finishes early today, should I pay him the full hourly rate?’

Yoo Gyu-eon wondered, unsure whether to be happy or dumbfounded.

“Um, I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

His pronunciation was clear too.

Yoo Gyu-eon said, barely able to muster any more surprise.

“I’m asking again just to be sure, but this is your first time modeling, right?”

At that question, Lee Minki smiled brightly and said.

“Yes, of course.”

It was obvious, but it wasn’t.

He’d already been doing it for over five years.

Lee Minki was a seasoned professional, even though the work always seemed to disappear just as he was getting comfortable.

He was also a very hardworking one.

‘Everyone here is so nice. The people I used to work with were so strict.’

That wasn’t quite true either.

The reason the previous employers Lee Minki had met were so picky was simple.

It was to find fault and lower his pay.

They’d nitpick, claiming the shoot took longer because of him, and then try to shortchange him.

Yoo Gyu-eon was simply treating him fairly.

And Lee Minki found it incredibly refreshing.

“Let’s get started with the next outfit quickly.”

It was also fun to see the clothes look good on him because he was younger.

When the work wrapped up in two hours and forty minutes.

This time, it was Lee Minki’s turn to be surprised by Yoo Gyu-eon.

“…”

He received his pay in cash, and it was more than he expected.

Lee Minki muttered, sounding confused.

“Um, I think the amount is a little higher than it should be.”

The agreed-upon rate was 15,000 won per hour, so 75,000 won for five hours of shooting.

15,000 won was a bit more than newcomers usually received, but even so, it was at least three times the current minimum wage.

Besides, they hadn’t even worked for three hours.

He’d been prepared to accept just 45,000 won since they’d finished early.

But.

The envelope contained 100,000 won.

That’s what you’d earn working twenty hours at a convenience store.

“Did you make a mistake in the calculation?”

Yoo Gyu-eon responded to Lee Minki’s bewildered question as if he were speaking nonsense.

“I added extra because you’re so good at it.”

“…”

“I originally budgeted for five hours, but thanks to Minki’s skill, we finished quickly. I saved a lot of time.”

It was a sincere statement.

Saving time meant he could get more done.

In terms of hourly wage, it was over 30,000 won, but he felt it was a fair price, especially since it was their first meeting and he’d been introduced.

Of course, Lee Minki didn’t see it that way.

‘What is this guy, really?’

He was suspicious.

Not that Yoo Gyu-eon seemed particularly untrustworthy, but because of his past experiences with scams.

He was the one who’d been tricked into signing a 36-month contract when buying a cell phone, and he was the one who’d bought a used car that had been in an accident.

Even when he’d signed a lease for a monthly room, mold had started growing after only a few days.

It was natural to suspect that if they were giving him extra money, they’d stab him in the back later.

‘That’s weird. Is there something I’m missing? Is this money going to cause problems if I accept it?’

He was carefully reviewing his memories.

“I was really impressed,” Yoo Gyu-eon continued with a bright smile.

“I’d like to work with you again in the future if the opportunity arises… Or, if Minki is okay with it, I think it would be great to have regular shoots every week.”

“Yes?”

What did he just say?

He perked up his ears, thinking he might have misheard.

“I’m talking about meeting once a week, every Wednesday like today, and shooting for five hours.”

“…”

“If you perform like you did today, I’ll continue to pay you this much. In fact, I’ll bring more outfits in the future. It’s a shame we finished so early today. Haha.”

The words kept coming.

Lee Minki instinctively realized that Yoo Gyu-eon was being sincere.

“Um.”

Lee Minki took a step forward, reaching out to shake Yoo Gyu-eon’s hand.

“Yes?”

“CEO, I look forward to working with you in the future.”

Yoo Gyu-eon instinctively took a step back at the voice that sounded moved beyond gratitude and said.

“Me too…”

* * *

That same evening.

Yoo Gyu-eon met a man for dinner.

But the main topic of conversation was one man.

“He was really good at his job.”

He was talking about Lee Minki.

“He arrived an hour earlier than scheduled, and he was not only diligent but also completely mastered the work. He’s a newcomer, but I don’t know how he learned so much. It’s rare to find someone like that, he’s got the right attitude.”

He kept praising him for being so skilled, even though he was a newcomer.

The praise flowed so freely that his mouth grew dry.

The man sitting across from Yoo Gyu-eon listened for a long time before asking.

“What’s his name?”

“Did he say Lee Minki?”

“Lee Minki?”

At those words, the man looked slightly surprised.

“Why?”

“No, I think I’ve heard that name somewhere before.”

“Is that so?”

Yoo Gyu-eon said, trimming his steak as if it were nothing important.

“Lee Minki is such a common name.”