Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 64

64

The quiet hallway of the apartment.

*Whirr*-

A man stepped out of the elevator with a sly grin.

“Heh heh, finally made it in.”

The man resembled a stereotypical movie villain – the kind you love to hate.

He was handsome, but the overwhelming urge to punch him in the face took precedence.

The man’s name was…

“Tak, stop being so giddy.”

It was Kim Tak, Lee Min-ki’s classmate from the academy.

“If people hear you passing by, they’ll misunderstand. You know you shouldn’t cause trouble in other people’s homes, right?”

“Ah, do you think I’m a child?”

“A child would be better.”

The woman who was nagging him like a mother hen also had a striking appearance.

“Seriously, Seon-ah, you’re too much.”

Yoo Seon-ah.

She was also Lee Min-ki’s classmate from the academy.

Kim Tak grumbled at her constant nagging.

“What’s wrong with being a little excited when visiting a friend’s house?”

“It’s not like Min-ki lives alone.”

Even as she scolded Kim Tak, her heart was pounding.

‘It’s my first time coming to Min-ki’s house.’

Today, the two of them were heading to Lee Min-ki’s place to watch the premiere of his new drama, *Cafe del Dia*.

Lee Min-ki’s place.

To be precise, it should be called Lee Min-ki’s House Branch 2.

Branch 1 was abandoned due to privacy concerns, and this is the expanded and relocated Branch 2.

In fact, she had wanted to visit for a while now.

But there was always something holding her back.

[I think it would be nice to have a housewarming party together, but I think Tae-yang might be uncomfortable.]

The other tenant of Lee Min-ki’s place, Kim Tae-yang, was the main reason.

[He’s such a neat person. But I’ll try to persuade him. We’re having a drama premiere party this time, so how about we all get together and watch it and slowly get to know each other? We’re also classmates from the academy.]

Even though we haven’t met face to face.

Lee Min-ki added with a smile afterward.

Anyway, after months of carefully testing the waters, they barely managed to set foot in his apartment.

It was no wonder that Kim Tak and Yoo Seon-ah were excited.

“I bet there’s a wine cellar, I’m going to raid it.”

“Um, Tak. Ordinary homes don’t have wine cellars.”

“Eh, really?”

“Yes, and it’s not polite to drink alcohol at someone else’s first housewarming.”

“I didn’t know that.”

While training Kim Tak, whose social skills were… lacking, they stood in front of the door to Lee Min-ki’s apartment.

Ding-dong.

And after waiting a few seconds after pressing the doorbell…

Thump, thump!

Someone opened the door with hurried footsteps from inside.

The face that was revealed there was…

“Did you have a hard time getting here?”

It was Lee Min-ki.

He greeted the two with a bright smile.

But Yoo Seon-ah’s gaze was directed not at his face, but at the space behind his shoulder.

Because…

“…There are other people here?”

Other people were sitting comfortably in the living room inside the house, beyond Lee Min-ki’s shoulder.

Lee Min-ki’s face finally came into view.

He was smiling.

He was definitely smiling brightly, but there was an undeniable desperation in his eyes.

‘If you understand, please save me.’

* * *

An awkward scene at Lee Min-ki’s place.

Inside, five people were sizing each other up.

To be precise, four humans and one… well, Kim Tak.

To be even more precise, Kim Tak wasn’t sizing up the atmosphere at all.

“Wow, you guys live together?”

“……”

“Wow, that’s really fun. You can order two chickens, two pizzas. And three people can get a Netflix subscription.”

Amidst the constantly awkward atmosphere, only Kim Tak’s mouth moved freely.

“When you go on a trip, you can split the rental car…”

“We don’t live together.”

Lee Min-ki, unable to bear it any longer, finally spoke.

“Tae-yang and I do, but actor Ji-hwan is here for work.”

“Oh? Really? Ji-hwan, what are you here for?”

“Ah, that’s…”

It was the moment Lee Min-ki was about to speak.

Kim Ji-hwan glared at Lee Min-ki with the eyes of a hungry wolf.

It was a look that anyone could interpret, even if they had never spoken to Kim Ji-hwan before.

‘If you reveal it, I’ll beat you to a pulp, then hit you one more time to make sure you stay down.’

In short, he was embarrassed.

His pride didn’t want to reveal that he had come all the way to his house to ask for acting advice from a rookie of a similar age.

‘Wow, look at those eyes.’

Lee Min-ki, who understood the look, let out a hollow laugh.

‘If he had used that intensity in his acting, he would have already won an Academy Award.’

Oh Linda.

I’m so sorry, Linda.

Lee Min-ki, while trying to ignore the heavy voice echoing in his head, spoke with minimal consideration for Kim Ji-hwan as the host of this event.

“It’s the premiere of *Cafe del Dia*. We decided to watch it together.”

“I un…”

“Right?”

Kim Ji-hwan instinctively tried to refute, but this time Lee Min-ki glared at him.

This is my goodwill, with the unspoken threat that if you don’t cooperate, I’ll reveal all the details of your visit.

“…Keuk.”

Kim Ji-hwan turned his gaze away.

He stopped talking while twitching his eyes, sighed, and then said.

“Yes, Min-ki and I are colleagues from the same filming set. I came to see it together.”

“Oh, then we’re *chingus* [friends]~ *chingus*~.”

“*Chingus*?”

“Min-ki is my friend, so my friend’s friend is also my friend.”

The veins in Kim Ji-hwan’s forehead bulged, feeling humiliated by Kim Tak’s remarks.

But perhaps it was because he also possessed minimal social skills.

After receiving Lee Min-ki’s pleading gaze, he barely managed to suppress his anger.

‘How did I end up here?’

He came to get some advice on a whim, but things got twisted and twisted and he ended up here.

To be precise, it was Kim Tae-yang’s fault.

[Since you’re here, why don’t you have dinner and go? I just made some salmon roe two days ago.]

He, who had brought a shopping bag while consulting with Lee Min-ki, suddenly suggested a meal.

He tried to refuse, but Lee Min-ki encouraged him.

[Wow, really?]

He cheered with a happy expression, as if he had struck gold.

[Tae-yang’s salmon roe is the best in the world. It’s been so long!]

Lee Min-ki’s face bloomed with a smile as he said that.

It’s just salmon roe.

It’s just salmon roe.

He was curious about how delicious it could be that he was acting like that.

Kim Ji-hwan’s mistake was not being able to refuse here.

Kim Tae-yang only nodded with his arms crossed, as if he was trying to enjoy a detached life amidst this chaos.

‘My salmon roe is special. Anyone who knows the taste can’t help but recognize it.’

He likes cooking as much as acting.

If he hadn’t become an actor, he might have become a chef and aimed for a Michelin star.

Meanwhile, Yoo Seon-ah was busy admiring this bizarre situation.

‘Successful people are so close to each other.’

The atmosphere is different.

It goes without saying that Lee Min-ki and Kim Ji-hwan are among the top rookie male actors these days.

Kim Tae-yang recently appeared as a supporting role in a mini-drama and became a hot topic as a scene stealer.

This side’s potential as a rookie will never be inferior to Lee Min-ki.

Lee Min-ki said so himself.

[Tae-yang is an amazing person. He’s good at grocery shopping, good at cooking, especially his salmon roe is amazing, and he’s also good at cleaning and ventilating. He fixes everything himself when something breaks down at home. He’s a human MacGyver. Anyway, the salmon roe is real. Wow.]

It seems like he praised housework rather than acting, but in her hazy memory, Yoo Seon-ah selectively chose only what she wanted to hear.

[Tae-yang is also good at acting and is a handyman human MacGyver.]

He said he’s also good at acting and is a handyman human MacGyver.

How capable is a person to be given the nickname human MacGyver?

But MacGyver is originally human, right?

Anyway, the presence of the three people sitting at the same table was remarkable.

‘This is what successful people are like.’

Strictly speaking, it feels heavy because they are awkward with each other and don’t talk.

But at least that’s how the three pros looked in the eyes of Yoo Seon-ah, who is a trainee.

‘No, it’s not time for me to be impressed by other people’s lives.’

Since when did she feel awe for rookies?

Yoo Seon-ah self-deprecated slightly.

Is it best for an actor to have ambition when facing people in similar situations?

The flame of passion was rekindled in Yoo Seon-ah’s heart, who had been feeling frustrated after failing two auditions in a row.

‘I need to debut quickly and join them with dignity.’

Yoo Seon-ah decided to see these people as future colleagues.

“Wow, this salmon roe is so delicious?”

Kim Tak shoveled the salmon roe into his mouth.

He, who had been stuffing the food that was served into his mouth without looking at others, exclaimed in admiration.

“Tae-yang, are you a genius? How can you make such salmon roe? Is it that? Baek Jong-won [a famous South Korean chef and TV personality]?”

“Hmph.”

“Wow, the flesh is so tender and amazing. The juice explodes the more you chew it.”

“It’s aged with *kombu-jime* [a Japanese curing method using kelp].”

“Oh, *kombu-jime*, oh, I don’t know what it is, but it’s a fancy word.”

“Please eat a lot.”

“Keuh, rice thief [a dish so good it makes you want to eat a lot of rice]. My mouth is watering. You have to eat a lot of this when it’s available.”

“I’ll pack some for you to take with you, so you can eat it slowly.”

Kim Tae-yang seemed to like Kim Tak’s reaction, who he met for the first time, unlike his usual shy self.

It was a mess.

One person is observing.

One person is angry.

One person is burning with ambition.

One person is burning with appetite.

One person is proud.

Anyway, that’s how the situation was going.

“Um…”

After a long period of contemplation, Lee Min-ki, who had made a firm resolution, finally opened his mouth.

“It’s almost time for the broadcast to start.”

Gulp.

Lee Min-ki, who swallowed dry saliva, took another step forward.

“Then, shall we get ready to watch?”

“Ah, good.”

Yoo Seon-ah clapped her hands.

“Yes.”

At that moment, Lee Min-ki got up from his seat at the speed of light, ran to the living room, turned on the TV, and set up the seats.

It was like a perfectly choreographed sequence, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

‘I thought I was going to die of awkwardness.’

The idea of ​​getting together and watching something was good, but there’s nothing you can do about the awkwardness.

I already invited them this time, so I can’t help it, but I’ll have to think twice about getting together again.

* * *

*Cafe del Dia*.

It was a project that became a hot topic when Noh Ho-yeon, a famous film director, moved to the drama scene.

Recently, it has become more famous for the appearance of actor Lee Min-ki than that.

[A man who is serious about coffee]

[Coffee Expert]

[Following Cheer Man, Coffee Man]

The work itself was trivial.

Perhaps because it was an ordinary food-themed romantic comedy.

Compared to blockbuster dramas airing at the same time, they didn’t spend a lot of money on marketing.

Nevertheless, the buzz was significant.

Today is the premiere.

Lee Min-ki’s impressions of the first broadcast were like this.

‘As expected, the visuals are amazing.’

The signs were already ominous.

‘Is it because he’s a film director? The screen colors are different.’

He had already seen rough cuts as a perk of being on set, but the final edited version was different.

‘Director Noh Ho-yeon was the main director and PD [Production Director] Jang Tae-wook assisted him.’

PD Jang Tae-wook is reliable.

Director Noh Ho-yeon and PD Jang Tae-wook.

Just writing their names guarantees the quality.

But today’s main focus was different.

Right.

‘It’s starting.’

Lee Min-ki, that was himself.

His heart was pounding.

How did it turn out?

What kind of acting did he do?

What would he look like on screen?

He had simulated it countless times in his head, but the simulation and the real thing were somewhat different.

The result that finally started was…

“…Um?”

It was colder than he thought.

His expressionless face was filled with cold contempt.

‘Did I act that much?’

He was surprised himself, but when the lines started coming out of his mouth, it was even more striking.

[At best, you’re just a barista who runs a business in the neighborhood. After a few hours of basic training, what’s the difference between you and a Starbucks part-timer who thinks he’s something?]

He’s even rude.

The [Sung Jin-woo] on the screen was the character he played, but he didn’t feel as much humanity as he thought.

Because the screen color itself was cold, his acting was even more icy.

‘Wow, this is a first-class director’s post-editing.’

Lee Min-ki was coming across as harsh.

On the contrary, Kim Ji-hwan was constantly being put down.

For a moment, he felt pity for Kim Ji-hwan.

‘Huh?’

At the same time, Yoo Seon-ah was shocked and stared at the screen with wide eyes.

‘Since when did he improve so much?’