Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 138

138

Hollywood, a city brimming with luxurious buildings.

Among them, the headquarters of AST, one of Hollywood’s top seven film studios, stood out as particularly imposing.

They were, arguably, leading the charge in the burgeoning universe-based film trend.

“…….”

On the ninth floor of AST headquarters, a man slowly began to speak.

“So, that’s how it turned out.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“It’s alright. Scouting talent can’t always be successful,” Director Bae Jeong-mun said with a bright smile, holding a takeout coffee cup.

“That’s true even for AST, and even for the great Emma Specter.”

At his nonchalant words, the middle-aged woman in front of him, Emma Specter, frowned.

“I am upset, very upset. It’s been so long since I’ve faced rejection.”

Indeed, the talk of the town was how she had personally approached Lee Min-ki to scout him, only to be turned down.

This wasn’t just a topic of conversation between the two of them.

Two days had passed since the news broke.

The entire AST headquarters was buzzing with shock at Lee Min-ki’s audacity.

[Emma Specter got rejected?]

[By whom?]

[Lee Min-ki.]

[Who’s that?]

[She went to an unknown actor and got turned down?]

It was hard to believe.

Emma Specter, of all people, facing rejection.

[Serves her right for being so full of herself.]

[She probably said something arrogant and got dumped.]

Well, there were some exceptions to the general sentiment.

But exceptions always exist.

[Hope she’s learned to be humble.]

[She calls herself a genius every day, which I didn’t like.]

[That actor probably sensed it instinctively.]

[What did she even say?]

Exceptions.

That’s right, exceptions.

Anyway, it’s an exception.

Generalizing is never a good idea.

She couldn’t contain her anger and blurted out, “That actor is strange. How could he do that? I went there myself! Me, Emma Specter! Does that actor have something wrong with his head?”

Bae Jeong-mun, who could roughly imagine the gossip circulating among AST employees, smiled wryly and replied, “Isn’t failure in business proposals common for people like us?”

“No. For the past two years, I haven’t bothered to visit anyone, even top stars, while humbling myself.”

“Oh, the Odin Universe [a fictional cinematic universe, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe] is amazing.”

“Who made the movie? Success is guaranteed. You know that these days, I can attract investment without a formal proposal, right? Sponsorships are pouring in, and it’s hard to choose which ones to accept.”

That’s the current status of the Odin Universe.

Whether it’s a company or an actor, everyone is trying to get their foot in the door.

“That’s why I don’t understand. Why did he reject it?”

“Um.”

Bae Jeong-mun smiled wryly at her reaction, which clearly indicated her incomprehension.

Then, he cautiously offered, “Isn’t it because you wanted exclusive rights to four of his projects?”

Not many people would accept that.

Even top stars don’t usually agree to that much exclusivity.

The number of projects tied to a contract usually decreases depending on the actor’s star power.

One project for a major star.

Two projects for a decent mid-level actor.

Three projects or less for an actor they don’t have high expectations for.

‘Four projects were too many.’

It was practically holding their acting career hostage, so it was understandable that he rejected it.

But Emma Specter remained fixated.

“It was a chance to become a star in Hollywood, wasn’t it? He could have made enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life if he just endured it for a few years.”

She couldn’t hide her frustration.

“Does he think he’s something special?”

He must have been confident.

Confident that he could succeed even without the Odin Universe.

‘Considering that there are so many actors who eventually bow their heads, Lee Min-ki is unique.’

But it was still a shame.

This scouting mission was requested by Bae Jeong-mun himself.

He felt indebted to him and wanted to repay him somehow by providing him with a good opportunity.

Since things turned out this way, there was nothing he could say.

‘Still, it’s a shame.’

Considering his acting skills, he thought he could make it in Hollywood.

Was something not right?

Did he dislike the Odin Universe, or was there another reason?

Was Lee Min-ki the type who valued artistic integrity over commercial success?

Were there any other alternatives?

‘I want to do something for him.’

Even though he had done as much as he could, he still felt grateful.

He was taking his time to carefully consider the actor Lee Min-ki, lost in thought from a personal standpoint, outside of the company.

‘Hmm?’

Suddenly.

A voice reached Bae Jeong-mun’s ear.

A very ominous voice.

“My pride is hurt.”

It was the word ‘pride’ that set off alarm bells.

Far beyond a simple complaint, a voice filled with anger flowed from Emma Specter’s mouth.

“I listened to Director Bae and went there myself, talked about the job contract, and offered to bring him in. And he rejected that?”

“…….”

“How arrogant. What’s so great about him? He’s just an actor we can find anytime if we look for him. Just because he’s gained some popularity in his own country, does he think he can be arrogant overseas?”

Could you say that even if you considered the other person an enemy?

At that moment, Bae Jeong-mun recalled the reason why Emma Specter, as a director, received favorable reviews for her abilities both inside and outside the company, but never received good evaluations in terms of her personality.

‘……Lee Min-ki has made Emma Specter his enemy.’

Her relationships with actors were notoriously terrible.

Once a relationship soured, she would never use that actor again, and she would even spread bad rumors to related companies.

Contrary to her skills, her stubbornly twisted personality had turned her into the witch of Hollywood.

“Just you wait. Let’s see how well an actor with no connections in Hollywood can do.”

“…….”

“Director, AST will not use Lee Min-ki in any studios invested in by AST in the future. Nor will any cooperative companies related to AST.”

In front of Emma Specter, who was growling like a leopard, Bae Jeong-mun sighed softly and thought.

‘I hope there are no problems.’

Ah.

He had to say one thing.

“Time will tell who is right and wrong.”

“You’re right, Director. That actor will definitely regret it.”

It seemed she didn’t understand properly.

* * *

A few days later.

With his return to Korea just around the corner.

“Wow, it’s already out,” Lee Min-ki exclaimed with an excited face, holding the latest issue of [LE] [Likely a fictional fashion magazine] that he had picked up at a nearby bookstore.

“It turned out great!”

There was a photo spread at the very beginning of LE, on the front page.

It was Lee Min-ki.

He was the face of the magazine, staring into the distance with a sorrowful expression.

Above him, in an antique font, was written the copy:

[Cutting edge]

Cutting edge.

A word that commonly means state-of-the-art or the latest.

Lee Min-ki smiled wryly at the sharply engraved copy.

‘The day has come when I receive such a copy.’

He thought it was just an interview, but it was the main interview that adorned the cover of the magazine.

Moreover, the copy was incredibly stylish.

He had roughly checked the contents online, but magazines are best read on paper.

As he was peeling off the outer plastic, Manager Park Han-mo, who had approached him, tilted his head and added, “Hmm, it’s a great shot.”

“Right?”

“I expected it because it’s Dominic Chen [Likely a famous photographer], but this is top-notch.”

Even the cover photo was different.

Dominic Chen wasn’t a top-notch photographer for nothing.

Lee Min-ki was staring into the distance with sorrowful eyes, and just by looking at those eyes, all sorts of emotions seemed to flow out naturally.

It was as if he was gazing at a brave new world.

It also seemed like he was feeling fear.

Anger, ambition, joy, and elation could also be felt.

His straight nose seemed to cut through the air with a knife.

His sharp eyes, as if drawn with a brush, conveyed both a kind nuance and masculinity.

There was a small smile on his lips that could only be seen if you concentrated.

It was difficult to interpret anything definitively.

But when viewed in combination.

‘The photo is profound.’

It was a photo full of room for interpretation.

Could such complex emotions be captured in just one photo?

There was a lot of talk about this photo online.

[He’s not an actor for nothing.]

[Is that also eye acting? Or is it a natural look?]

[An actor with beautiful eyes.]

[His eyes contain the universe.]

[Eastern beauty.]

There were no complaints, no matter how harsh. There was no choice since the quality of the photo itself was beyond imagination.

But Lee Min-ki, who knew the truth about this photo, could only smile.

‘This is a photo taken while joking around.’

That’s right.

During the filming, Dominic Chen casually made a joke.

[Look at the empty sky. There’s a dragon flying in the sky. How do you feel about seeing the dragon?]

He thought it was a joke.

He thought it was a way to relieve tension, but it seemed like it was a bluff.

‘Now, let’s look at the interview. Quickly.’

Lee Min-ki tried to calm his excited heart and turned the cover.

And a few minutes later.

He could only laugh it off.

The overall interview structure was full of praise, as expected.

[Q. Congratulations on winning Last Man Standing. What are your thoughts on winning?]

[A. Thanks to your support, many patients with terminal illnesses were able to save their lives. Thank you. Please continue to show your interest in the future.]

[Q. Do you have any plans to advance to Hollywood in the future?]

[A. I have received several offers from the company. But there is a saying in my country that great talents mature slowly. It means that great vessels are made slowly. I don’t want to rush.]

[Q. Don’t you think you became a star too quickly for that?]

[A. You caught me (laughs). Actually, I want to become famous quickly, but this is an interview (laughs). It’s an actor’s ambition. I will always do my best.]

But the really important thing is separate.

Because the phrase written below was so funny.

[According to information secretly obtained by this reporting team, Lee Min-ki has already received an offer to appear in a film from a leading Hollywood film company.

It’s also a work from a company famous for its hero franchise movies.

Perhaps in the near future, we will be able to see the hero Lee Min-ki, flying around, on the movie screen?]

That was what Emma Specter from AST had come to meet him about.

They must have been listening carefully and wrote it down.

If it were a Korean media company, they would have received a lot of complaints, but American media companies don’t have turn signals [idiom meaning they don’t give warnings or indications].

‘That deal has already fallen through.’

Still, it’s not a bad feeling.

There’s no harm in gaining attention.

Just looking at the internet, the reaction was very hot.

[The clothes are so cool]

[I heard it will be available at the Seimei Department Store as a collection soon]

[The actor is so cool that I can’t see the clothes]

[Handsome, good personality, good acting]

[It seems that Korea is definitely leading the trend]

[Isn’t it the Odin Universe?]

[Who is it? Unpredictable? Anonymous?]

[That’s great. Finally, a proper Asian hero is coming out in the Odin Universe]

[Is being Asian important?]

[I just want to see this actor because he’s cool]

He got everything he needed.

It was a short trip to America, but he had a very intense time.

The American dream exists.

Lee Min-ki thought as he closed the magazine.

And as he stood up, he was about to tell Manager Park Han-mo to eat Korean beef as soon as he got back to Korea.

“Actor.”

Manager Park Han-mo opened his mouth.

“We have received a project proposal.”

“A proposal?”

Lee Min-ki replied in an indifferent voice.

These days, proposals themselves are very common.

It could be said that his skills as an actor were recognized within the industry the moment [Fashion & Fashion] became a hit.

Moreover, he has gained attention in the United States.

Now, he is also in a position to choose.

‘I don’t know what kind of project it is, but…’

Still, there’s no reason to feel bad about receiving a proposal.

It was a moment when his heart was pounding like a child before a picnic.

“This is the project.”

Manager Park Han-mo turned the laptop screen to show Lee Min-ki.

The next moment.

“……!”

Lee Min-ki’s eyes widened.

As if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

At that look, Manager Park Han-mo muttered softly as if understanding.

“Yes, we should reject this. It’s not a very important project. If we rejected the Odin Universe, we should at least choose a project that is comparable to it.”

It was as if he didn’t expect anything from this project.

In fact, the director and synopsis of the project didn’t seem special.

Manager Park Han-mo’s judgment was perfectly normal.

“Actor, if you are thinking of entering the foreign market, you need to make a more careful choice.”

But.

Even considering everything, it was difficult to agree with him this time.

Because of the situation.

And because of the project.

“That’s right.”

Lee Min-ki said with sparkling eyes.

“That’s exactly what this project is.”

The Odin Universe.