Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 65

65. Top Star Luck – Episode 65 (65/200)

Episode 65

‘No way.’

Yu Seon-ah’s pupils, fixed on the TV screen, gradually widened.

‘Has Min-ki always been this good at acting?’

Indeed.

In just a few months.

Lee Min-ki’s acting had not only improved but had reached a completely different level from his [Forever Green] days.

A transformation as if he had become a completely different person.

That was evident in Lee Min-ki’s performance.

‘Wow, look at this guy, we’re walking, and he’s driving a Lamborghini at 380 km/h?’

Kim Tak also burst into laughter.

He never imagined Lee Min-ki’s acting skills would improve this much.

It was almost laughable.

‘Amazing.’

Kim Tak wore a wry smile.

He had been living with the motto of enjoying life to the fullest, but watching Lee Min-ki’s acting made his side ache [a feeling of being challenged or envious].

He used to look down on him a little.

Half jokingly, but half seriously.

But now he knew.

‘This guy is the real deal.’

Lee Min-ki was a large vessel.

Large vessels are made slowly; he was just waiting for his time.

So, he was jealous.

Lee Min-ki’s growth made Kim Tak reflect on himself.

‘Growth, huh.’

Why?

Why could Lee Min-ki improve so much in the past few months?

Two main reasons stood out.

The first was.

[Is Cha Young-hwan still struggling with the grinder?]

[Seong Jin-woo, mind your own business and focus on your work?]

The existence of a rival.

People in the field often thought Lee Min-ki’s acting elevated Kim Ji-hwan, but the opposite was also true.

A presence that grew endlessly fast, chasing Lee Min-ki to the very edge.

Just when he thought he had shaken him off, the gap would narrow again the next day. If he wanted to catch his breath, he had to face Kim Ji-hwan’s burning gaze.

This happened every day for months.

Can you imagine?

The feeling of being hunted even though you are a few steps ahead.

Moreover, how would such a person develop?

He probably didn’t even know it, but Kim Ji-hwan was giving Lee Min-ki endless stimulation.

Also.

Lee Min-ki himself was no different.

[I don’t think Min-ki is a leader type.]

Director Noh Ho-yeon had said.

[He’s more of a stimulant type.]

[A stimulant type?]

At the unexpected words, Jang Tae-wook PD showed curiosity, and Director Noh Ho-yeon calmly explained.

[Watching him makes you want to improve. He works so hard that people working on the same set can’t stop even for a moment.]

[Ah.]

[Right from the start, I, as a director, want to create better results. You could say there’s no room to be lazy.]

He stimulates the people around him.

If someone is standing still, he makes them take one more step.

If someone is already walking, he makes them run.

If someone knows how to run, he makes them fly.

It was the power of observation.

Observation made not only himself but also the other person look into a better version of themselves.

That’s how Lee Min-ki and Kim Ji-hwan created a synergy effect in [Cafe del Dia].

This was the first thing that contributed to Lee Min-ki’s development.

And the second was.

[Hehe, of course, no matter how good the raw material is, the real skill will only be revealed when a skilled chef like me is with them.]

The assistance of a well-matched director named Noh Ho-yeon.

These two combined, and now Lee Min-ki of [Cafe del Dia] was undoubtedly exerting his power as the lead actor who leads the play.

“Coffee is giving us a lot. But let me ask you one thing. What are we giving to that coffee in return?”

Lee Min-ki in the TV show delivered his lines with an intense expression.

“Second store? Third store? That’s ridiculous. What’s the point of expanding when the roots are rotten?”

Cafe del Dia.

It was the story of a cafe that appeared in the play.

[Seong Jin-woo] was a foreign mercenary scouted to improve the constitution of the existing cafe and franchise it, and various performances came out in this process.

“Let’s do coffee.”

Sometimes passionately.

“Don’t you still know that Cha Young-hwan is the dust that has settled in this store?”

Sometimes coldly.

“Oh Yu-na, you’re a very interesting person.”

Sometimes sweetly.

Lee Min-ki was an actor who flawlessly digested all these emotions.

We’ll have to see more to evaluate the drama.

But at least as far as Lee Min-ki’s acting was concerned, it was hard to find any major flaws.

‘……I hate to admit it, but he’s good. Better than me.’

Kim Ji-hwan bit his lip and gained another stimulus.

‘I need to catch up quickly.’

Kim Tae-yang also enjoyed the drama leisurely but gained a small sense of urgency.

I don’t know how [Cafe del Dia] Episode 1 was viewed by viewers before and after the broadcast.

But at least one thing became clear.

The determination of the four people who were with Lee Min-ki in this place changed significantly.

* * *

Cafe del Dia.

The talked-about drama suddenly came before the public.

[Title: Spoilers) Did you watch the first episode of Cafe del Dia?]

[Lee Min-ki is really good at acting, right?

I knew he was good at playing cold, handsome characters, but he kept changing ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

He does everything himself, acting passionately and doing comedy.

After the drama ended, I could only think of Lee Min-ki in my head.

If this form continues, it will be the drama of my life ㅋㅋ]

The story is about a protagonist who was active as an elite barista, winning awards at coffee competitions overseas, and is scouted by a cafe after returning to Korea.

And the story of working hard to revive a failing cafe and turn it into a franchise.

It was a somewhat mediocre story among dramas with food and beverage as the subject matter.

I guess they’ll have a cooking battle with their rivals.

Then they’ll date a little, the store will be a hit, and it’ll be over.

But because it was a predictable plot, it worked well, and because it was predictable, acting was even more important.

Lee Min-ki showed his skills properly here.

[Seong Jin-woo’s character is truly unique]

The character he played was like that.

[Comments (18)]

[He’s really good]

[ㄹㅇ I can only think of Lee Min-ki’s voice throughout the drama]

[Kim Ji-hwan is also good, but Lee Min-ki is so good that he’s buried ㅋㅋ But that doesn’t mean Kim Ji-hwan is bad]

[Lee Min-ki cut them all off]

[I don’t remember who the female lead was]

[Is her name Yoon-ah?]

[Yoonarae]

A strong character that buries all the other characters.

Lee Min-ki’s [Seong Jin-woo] was completed as such a character.

Director Noh Ho-yeon intended this situation from the beginning, but it was possible because Lee Min-ki himself did well.

Perhaps because there was buzz before the broadcast.

The first viewership rating of [Cafe del Dia] is.

9.2% nationwide.

It started with a decent viewership rating for a Wednesday-Thursday evening drama.

Since the evaluation itself is good, it has the potential for further growth with higher viewership ratings in the future.

“Hoo.”

Thanks to that, there was a person who even prepared a turning point in his life.

It was Director Noh Ho-yeon.

Jang Tae-wook PD smiled and said to him, who was trembling with a mug in his hand.

“That’s a relief. It’s a good start.”

“……It’s a natural result.”

“Yes, because it’s a well-made work.”

Director Noh Ho-yeon nodded as if this viewership rating was a predetermined result.

But.

That’s not what he felt in his heart.

‘I was wondering what would happen if it failed, but I survived.’

He felt so relieved that his whole body seemed to collapse from relief.

‘I did it.’

Was Cafe del Dia just a work?

No.

It was the first work that Director Noh Ho-yeon, who had been active in the film industry, took on after declaring his entry into the drama industry.

He pretended to be calm on the outside.

Because the director must have a sense of responsibility more than anyone else on set.

But deep down, he was worried about what would happen if this failed.

He barely survived.

One person’s contribution was great here.

“It’s all thanks to the director.”

“Hehe, no way. It’s thanks to PD and Min-ki for doing well.”

It was Lee Min-ki.

The outstanding rookie actor Lee Min-ki contributed greatly to the overall work.

I wouldn’t say anything if he was just good at acting.

[Have some coffee!]

He sets the atmosphere on set.

[Wow! Coffee Man!]

He even made a significant contribution to the promotion, which he didn’t even expect during the audition.

How can you not be impressed?

I just want to kiss him on the cheek…… but he’s a grown man, so it’s a bit gross, and I feel like I want to buy him a house.

Of course, I don’t have the money to do that, so only in my heart.

But.

There were still concerns.

“PD, there are still 7 episodes left.”

Because it remained.

Since it is a 16-episode series, there are 7 episodes left to film until the end.

“I don’t think it’s time to rest assured yet.”

Was the word that came out of Director Noh Ho-yeon’s mouth unexpected?

Or did he think it was humility?

Jang Tae-wook PD continued, not hiding the smile on his face.

“Haha, if we just keep doing what we’ve been doing, won’t the viewership ratings be guaranteed?”

“That’s not the case.”

Director Noh Ho-yeon shook his head.

“Actually, this work is progressing with Lee Min-ki’s Seong Jin-woo character as the only one, right?”

“That’s right. It’s a work that is driven by the power of the character.”

The stories of the 9 episodes that have been filmed so far were like that.

Oh Yu-na, the female lead and store owner.

Seong Jin-woo, an elite barista recruited from overseas.

Cha Young-hwan, a barista who was originally in the cafe.

The tiki-taka [a rhythmic, back-and-forth exchange] of these three accounts for 80%, no, 90% of the content of the work.

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

“Is there anything special to worry about?”

Jang Tae-wook PD asked back as if he couldn’t quite understand Director Noh Ho-yeon’s concern.

“There are already many works in which characters lead the story from the center of the play. Plot is also a plot, but it’s an era where characters are becoming more and more important.”

He meant that we could just keep doing what we’ve been doing.

From the beginning, Cafe del Dia was not an art drama that intended to be particularly great.

The worry was like a useless worry.

“I’m not trying to refute that.”

But Director Noh Ho-yeon shook his head again and said.

“That character is the problem.”

The next moment, Director Noh Ho-yeon opened his mouth with a determined voice.

“The character is starting to shake.”

“What do you mean…….”

“As PD also knows, no matter how well-captured the character is, the color of the acting must be changed from Cafe del Dia Episode 10.”

That’s right.

The unique point of the [Cafe del Dia] story was coming soon.

Director Noh Ho-yeon continued.

“Until now, the two main baristas have been in conflict and antagonism.”

Until now, they have been doing well with acting that hates and competes with each other.

The female lead was wavering between them.

It’s safe to say that the three people’s acting was so perfect that they were on a winning streak.

But now the situation has changed.

“Now the two have recognized each other.”

There was a franchise expansion and 2 years had passed in the play.

In the past two years, the main characters have recognized each other.

Seong Jin-woo has moved away from idealism and has come to recognize realistic business to some extent.

Cha Young-hwan knew the sense of duty of the barista profession.

They recognized their own limitations and grew up using each other as a yardstick.

“Now we have to join hands in front of a bigger competitor.”

That is.

[World Coffee Championship]

To win the competition.

The dream bean is essential for victory.

In order to get that bean, they had to cooperate.

Now, just bickering acting was not enough.

“Can the two actors handle this kind of acting?”

Director Noh Ho-yeon asked with a questioning voice.

[Cafe del Dia] is a work that is extremely dependent on character.

As much as the character shakes, the charm of the work will plummet to the bottom.

Nevertheless, a change in acting was necessary.

Because it was a work made with this plan from the beginning.

If the keyword for episodes 1 to 9 was internal conflict, then from episode 10 onwards, it was about competing with the outside through cooperation.

They did a good job with the conflict.

But what about cooperation?

‘If it were a veteran actor, I wouldn’t have these worries, but the two of them are rookies.’

Rookies often have a narrow spectrum of acting.

If they act vividly in one field, like carbonated water popping, they often act blandly in other fields, like cold abalone porridge.

This was the homework for rookie actors.

How much can they overcome the uncomfortable acting spectrum?

‘There are many people who get stuck in growth here and only play the same character for the rest of their lives. Well, even in that case, if you dig into one direction to the extreme, there will be demand.’

Anyway, it’s not for nothing that directors are stingy with hiring rookie actors.

Even if one or two do well, they can’t do three, so it feels like bad acting.

“Hmm.”

Jang Tae-wook PD tilted his head and asked.

“Director, won’t Lee Min-ki do well soon if he does it?”

“Yes, of course he will.”

Immediate answer.

The answer came without even a moment’s hesitation.

Almost the level of certainty that if the food is bland, you can add salt.

‘Isn’t this person too biased?’

Jang Tae-wook PD was about to laugh inwardly at the infinite trust, but Director Noh Ho-yeon continued calmly.

“If you only look at Min-ki’s acting, he already feels like a seasoned actor who has been active for more than 5 years rather than a rookie. He will probably adapt quickly after experiencing a few trials and errors.”

“If so.”

As Director Noh Ho-yeon was about to say definitively, Jang Tae-wook PD put his chin on his hand and pondered before saying.

“The problem is actor Kim Ji-hwan.”

“Yes, that side is a typical rookie.”

Could Kim Ji-hwan do well?

Can he bring out the change, not the shaking of the character?

I thought about the relationship with Lee Min-ki that he usually showed on set.

‘Hmm, I’d be happy if it wasn’t awkward.’

Should I usually be worried about this?

It’s a headache.

“If things go wrong, we may have to prepare for a soft landing rather than an increase in viewership ratings.”

Director Noh Ho-yeon left a word and tilted the mug to his mouth as if to calm his anxiety.

Slurp.

Was it because the sight looked so delicious that Jang Tae-wook PD asked with curious eyes?

“Director, is that coffee delicious?”

“It’s the best in the world. Would you like me to make you a cup?”

“Ah, that’s good.”

Director Noh Ho-yeon got up from his seat, went to the coffee machine, and took out a bag of beans from the ceiling.

But the bag design was unique.

“Director, there’s a squirrel drawn on it?”

“Yes, isn’t it cute?”

“It’s cute…… Is that the original design?”

Director Noh Ho-yeon smiled and answered Jang Tae-wook PD’s deeply suspicious question.

“Yes, this is squirrel poop coffee.”

“…….”

Squirrel poop?

Jang Tae-wook PD’s face turned black.

Director Noh Ho-yeon said to him in an even more gentle voice.

“It’s unique, right? This is Consoc coffee, a specialty product sold in Vietnam, and I received it as a gift from Min-ki.”

“Hmm.”

Jang Tae-wook PD coughed and said.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll pass.”

“Yes? This is delicious.”

“I have chronic enteritis [inflammation of the small intestine].”

“PD, didn’t you have jjambong [spicy Korean noodle soup] this morning?”

“Yes, so it recurred.”

* * *

And the next day.

The atmosphere at the [Cafe del Dia] filming site was so harmonious that it could not be compared to what it had been like before.

Why.

“Hehe, I never thought we would break through 10% viewership ratings.”

Because it broke through the 10% viewership rating wall.

“Wow, I didn’t think we’d break through 10% in the very next episode after 9%.”

That’s what he said.

Was it because the start was good?

It quickly spread by word of mouth and broke through the 10% wall in the 2nd episode, closing at 10.4%.

As a terrestrial Wednesday-Thursday drama, it is undoubtedly taking the steps to success.

“If we do well, Cafe del Dia may be the winner of this quarter?”

Seolha, the actress who played the female lead, Oh Yu-na, smiled brightly.

When she, who boasts an infinitely gentle mask befitting her stage name with the snow (雪) character, smiled, the atmosphere on the set also became innocent.

“It’s all thanks to Min-ki.”

“What am I doing? Seolha, Ji-hwan, Director Noh, Jang PD…….”

“Did you memorize all the names?”

But.

There were also people who couldn’t sleep because of tension.

‘Today is the beginning.’

It was Director Noh Ho-yeon.

He, who was not only unable to sleep but also suffering from chronic loss of appetite and constipation, blinked his dry eyes while looking at the empty air.

All around, there were green fields full of coffee farms.

A location visited for this filming.

It was the largest coffee farm in Korea, located in Jeonnam [South Jeolla Province], and it was a space that would appear as a South American coffee farm in the play.

“…….”

For a moment, he stared at the endlessly unfolding fresh green color.

‘I’ve done enough. Let’s do it.’

Director Noh Ho-yeon finally made a decision and opened his mouth.

“We will start filming in 3 minutes. Get ready.”