Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 16

“Hehe.”

Lee Min-ki, who had been focusing on practice for a while, chuckled softly.

It wasn’t a laugh from being ticklish.

It was the refreshing feeling that naturally came out when he was in a very good mood.

Yu Seon-ah, seeing his smile that seemed perfect for a beverage commercial, asked,

“Min-ki, did something good happen?”

“Ah, yes. It did.”

“The modeling job?”

“Hehe, yes.”

Lee Min-ki smiled again.

But it wasn’t just because of the modeling pay. Something even better had happened.

‘I can’t believe they gave me a month’s worth all at once.’

It was the modeling salary.

CEO Yu Gyu-eon had declared that it would be better to give it to him all at once rather than in installments, and would pay him four installments in a lump sum on a fixed date every month.

Of course, this was just insurance in case Lee Min-ki ran away.

If he threw a lump sum at him, he wouldn’t be able to quit easily.

But thanks to that, CEO Yu Gyu-eon’s image in Lee Min-ki’s mind went far beyond a simple employer.

‘He’s an angel. The CEO is an angel.’

Thanks to that, he ordered a lot of things he had wanted to buy online.

Jjamppong ramen [spicy seafood noodle soup] instead of a bundle of beef.

Yugu rice, grown in clean Yugu, instead of rice sold at a low price due to its impending expiration date.

A refreshing new shirt instead of a faded T-shirt that he had worn for too long.

How could he not be in a good mood?

‘Just by dedicating one day a week to outside work, my life has become so much more affluent. It’s unbelievable.’

As he was even humming, Kim Tak asked with a curious voice.

“Did you buy something good?”

“I bought this and that.”

“A car or a watch? Or a house?”

“Hehe, your joke is too much.”

“Huh? I’m not joking.”

Kim Tak tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

“There are a lot of good deals out there these days.”

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

Any more and it would be overkill.

It was his face that was usually so hateful.

But today, even that brazen expression was a little bearable… not really.

‘The image doesn’t go away easily.’

Lee Min-ki had recently realized that Kim Tak wasn’t such a bad person.

At least he didn’t have any malice towards him.

But the resentment he had held for years couldn’t be washed away so quickly.

Well, whatever.

Today is a good day.

‘I’m in the mood. Today, after class, I should go home and grill pork front leg [a more affordable cut of pork] instead of chicken breast for once.’

It was the moment he decided on a luxury for the day.

Creak.

The practice room door opened and a familiar man came in.

“I’m here.”

It was trainer Kim Ah-seong.

He yawned as if everything in the world was annoying, and then said.

“Am I late?”

“Yes, you are.”

“I stayed up all night for a meeting yesterday and overslept. I have something to tell you today.”

What’s going on?

Feeling that the atmosphere was unusual, the ears of the three people perked up.

“It’s not a big deal, but it’s special.”

Trainer Kim Ah-seong scratched his head and said.

“The JC audition schedule is out.”

* * *

‘Finally!’

Lee Min-ki cheered inwardly.

It’s the JC audition.

After hearing about it from trainer Kim Ah-seong last time, how much had he been waiting for the moment it was confirmed?

He was worried every day that the audition would evaporate into thin air.

That was now confirmed.

“First of all, there are no major changes from what I said before.”

Trainer Kim Ah-seong continued in a nonchalant voice.

“It will be conducted privately with a small number of people on a recommendation basis. As I said before, two more people besides me will come, and Min-ki and Seon-ah will participate.”

That’s right.

I’m not the only one participating in this audition. Yu Seon-ah was also recommended by him.

‘Well, if you only look at her skills, she’s good enough.’

It wasn’t for nothing that Yu Seon-ah was considered a rising star in this academy.

Watching her with my own eyes, her growth rate was so remarkable that it could be called astonishing.

She’s clumsy because she lacks experience right now, but she’ll spread her wings soon.

“Min-ki, let’s do well.”

She held out her palm to Min-ki. It was to shake hands with fellow audition participants.

It was the moment when Lee Min-ki was unconsciously about to grab her hand.

“What about me?”

Kim Tak raised his hand and asked trainer Kim Ah-seong.

“Can’t I participate in that audition? It sounds pretty good.”

“Hmm, you want to participate too, Tak?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll have to see about that. It’s not something I can suddenly decide on my own.”

“Woo.”

Kim Tak stepped back, booing as if he was disappointed.

Lee Min-ki watched the scene and thought.

‘They don’t usually tell you this unless you’re the one auditioning.’

Kim Tak must be telling him because he’s been taking classes together for the past month.

Or he didn’t think he was the type to nitpick unnecessarily.

Anyway, that’s how it was decided.

Trainer Kim Ah-seong looked over the three people and fell into thought without saying anything.

Since he was silent, the three people in front of him were also silent.

After staring blankly at each other for a while without saying anything appropriate.

“It’s not easy.”

Trainer Kim Ah-seong tilted his head and said.

“I don’t know if you’ll get in the audition like this.”

“Pardon?”

Yu Seon-ah looked puzzled, and he nodded and said.

“Haven’t I told you why I come to this academy?”

“You said you come for special lectures.”

“That’s right, and the people who take those special lectures are going to participate in this audition.”

“…Are they pretty good?”

At the question with a slightly ominous nuance, trainer Kim Ah-seong chuckled and said.

“That’s too obvious.”

“……”

“Unfortunately, that’s the structure of this academy. It’s natural for students in the higher class to be better.”

The structure of Jam Acting School is largely divided into two.

Hobby class and debut preparation class.

The three people in this place could all be said to be in the debut preparation class.

Strictly speaking, they were customers who paid money to the academy and received instruction. However, special lectures are sometimes held under the direction of the director.

“They’re all getting full scholarships.”

It was the scholarship system.

There were students who were brought in with money from the academy’s pocket.

Scholarship students.

As Lee Min-ki’s eyes widened at the existence he had only heard of, trainer Kim Ah-seong maintained a nonchalant attitude and continued.

“They’re all theater and film majors from elite schools, and they even have acting experience. Debut is a given, and the more important thing is when and where they go. They’re already pros when it comes to skills.”

Ordinary students are done as soon as they are put into an agency, no matter where it is.

But scholarship students aimed for a step above that.

“Putting them in an agency that you’ll know just by hearing the name.”

They don’t even look at mediocre agencies.

They only look at places that will be a track record.

This was a problem directly related to the academy’s reputation. That’s why they were brought in even while paying them money.

‘The reason they brought me here must be for that reason.’

JC was an agency that was not the best, but close to it.

The director’s aim was to use him as a stepping stone to put students in.

‘Originally, Min-ki would have had the opportunity for the scholarship system.’

It’s a pity he failed.

Trainer Kim Ah-seong sighed so small that it couldn’t be seen, but Lee Min-ki raised his hand and asked.

“Am I much worse than them?”

“That’s.”

Trainer Kim Ah-seong blinked for a moment and said.

“Not necessarily.”

“Pardon?”

“In some ways, you’re better.”

He said the scholarship students were good.

Now he’s saying he’s better.

Lee Min-ki was puzzled by the completely reversed words from what he had emphasized earlier, and trainer Kim Ah-seong pointed out each item.

“It’s not a matter of whether Min-ki is good or bad. Rather, Min-ki is… How should I put it? Well, it’s a matter of how much more he shines.”

Shines.

Instead of being an answer, it was a moment that made him even more puzzled.

Kim Ah-seong snapped his fingers and said.

“An audition is not a space to beat competitors, but a space to catch the eye of the judges. So, being better than the competitors is good, but you need presence. A presence that is so much better that only I shine.”

“Ah.”

“The aura is what Min-ki needs now.”

That’s what Kim Ah-seong mainly felt when he saw Lee Min-ki’s acting.

He’s good enough.

But his acting had a nuance that seemed to instinctively kill his own light.

‘This is usually seen in people who do a lot of supporting roles or extras.’

Most rookies are the opposite.

They make a fuss about being good on their own and ruin the overall picture.

But Lee Min-ki had the opposite problem.

It’s like he’s habitually taking the power out.

As a trainer, it was a phenomenon that was difficult to understand.

‘Why? If a trainee has this much skill, he’s likely to be arrogant, but why does he keep trying to lower himself?’

I don’t know why.

If he was put in a supporting role right now, he would be great.

But an audition is a place where you should aim for the lead, not a supporting role.

Even if you’re going to be a supporting role in the end, you should aim for the lead in the audition.

A monitor that knows how to shine brightly can freely adjust the amount of light, but a monitor with a small amount of light by nature becomes shabby at the moment it should shine.

Daon Entertainment used this small amount of light in reverse at the audition.

But you can’t do that forever.

That’s why Lee Min-ki needed it.

A presence as a lead that can beat others.

‘If it’s among mediocre guys, it doesn’t matter. But if you want to stand out among guys who are good on their own, it has to be a little different.’

A way to get it quickly.

Trainer Kim Ah-seong knew it.

“Anyway, that’s it.”

He shrugged and said.

“Honestly, I don’t think you’re lacking much right now, but you can’t make a living as an actor if you only think about being not lacking, right?”

It was the moment when he poured out a series of words.

“That’s right.”

Lee Min-ki, who had been listening to Kim Tak’s words for a while, said with a calm expression as if he agreed.

“I have to do better.”

He has to do better.

It meant that he would put the scholarship students under him and make them supporting roles.

It came out as if it was natural.

Trainer Kim Ah-seong chuckled at the posture that felt more than orthodox and even reckless.

‘Do people usually say that easily? I brought it up first.’

As expected, he has the attitude.

Lee Min-ki’s mindset was fundamentally different from that of the trainees.

After experiencing this industry, there were many people who didn’t have a professional mindset.

Because of bad luck, lack of connections, not being able to ride the trend, or investors’ abuse of power. There were many excuses.

I can’t completely deny that.

It’s not for nothing that there’s a saying that luck is 70% and skill is 30%.

But if it’s just a few years from now, the people who will remain in their positions even after ten years are always the ones who have honestly improved their skills.

“In the old days, Buddha said.”

Kim Ah-seong even said with a sense of pride.

“I’ll give you teachings from now on, so write them down. The font is 12pt and the font is Batang [a common Korean font].”

Yeah.

Buddha didn’t say that.

Lee Min-ki smiled brightly and nodded.

* * *

As a result, trainer Kim Ah-seong did not provide any illegal methods.

He didn’t leak the contents of the audition.

He didn’t use any blatant tricks such as lobbying behind the scenes.

The judges who would participate in the audition would be confirmed a few days before the audition, so he said that it would be meaningless to prepare in advance according to their tastes.

But.

He provided something that could be called a teaching.

What is that?

‘…I don’t know if this will be training.’

Stadium.

Lee Min-ki, who was standing in the middle of the baseball stadium’s stands, smiled and thought.

‘He said that practice is the best.’

To show presence, he said that it’s best to go among people who are eager to show presence.

I agreed at first glance.

‘But I didn’t think it would be like this.’

Lee Min-ki, who was out of his mind, smiled helplessly, and the person next to him crushed a can of beer in one hand and shouted.

“If you’re going to do that, disband!”