Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 149

149

Director Shim Sung-bo spoke with a stern expression.

“You could die if you’re not careful.”

“…….”

His voice was so firm that it was impossible to take it as a joke. Lee Min-ki nodded, took a deep breath, and replied.

“I’m prepared.”

His voice was so firm that a line of cold sweat trickled down Director Shim Sung-bo’s forehead.

‘I don’t think I’m ready for this.’

He hoped Lee Min-ki would back down.

If it were just a moderately dangerous scene, it would be one thing, but this was truly dangerous.

Just like he said, it was a scene where he could really die.

‘If there’s an accident… is my career as a director going to end here?’

It was dangerous in many ways.

Of course, Lee Min-ki knew that fact better than anyone else.

He had already seen the results with his own eyes.

‘I know, that scene is a bit dangerous.’

But it was a necessary scene, so he couldn’t just skip it.

It would be better to use a stuntman.

However, since it was a scene where he was filming with his bare body, it was difficult to replace Lee Min-ki, whose body was his ID [unique physical identifier].

‘That’s too good of a scene.’

Lee Min-ki had no choice but to give in to his personal ambition.

‘I’ve seen it in movie articles so many times.’

There was a famous scene in [Manman-tu] that was in the top three most memorable.

The scene where the main character [Nam Seok-gu] jumps off a 20m cliff with his bare body to chase after the mastermind who is running away.

It was a truly breathtaking scene.

But the important thing was that this scene was definitely a masterpiece, and how it was remembered afterwards.

[Nam Seok-gu’s thrilling diving jump, ranked in the Top 3 famous scenes in Manman-tu]

[He performed it himself without using a stuntman]

[The public ‘praises’ his fighting spirit]

It was elevated into a stunt masterpiece that would remain in Korean film history.

He could use a stunt double.

However, he wanted to perform this scene himself because of his personal desire.

No, as an actor who loves movies, he had no choice but to do so!

‘Ah, I’m looking forward to it.’

Lee Min-ki’s heart was pounding.

It seemed that the Lee Min-ki of the past, who looked at all things in the world with misfortune, had become a handful of dust and completely disappeared.

Meanwhile, the feelings of others looking at him were different.

‘What if there’s an accident?’

‘There’s nothing we can do since he said he’ll do it himself.’

Those who were worried were anxious.

‘As expected, a star is a star.’

‘His attitude is different.’

‘He’s filming that himself? I wouldn’t have dreamed of it.’

‘He’s taking the initiative in difficult scenes.’

Those who were less worried were impressed by Lee Min-ki’s fighting spirit.

There was nothing they could do since his will was so firm.

‘If we’re going to film it anyway, it’s the director’s job to make the most of it.’

Director Shim Sung-bo, who had given up on stopping him, took a step back and said.

“……You checked everything thoroughly, right?”

“Yes, we’ve already invited an expert to check everything. We’ve already done three rehearsals.”

“Good, it’s a dangerous scene, so let’s finish it in one take.”

To be precise, if they filmed it twice, Lee Min-ki would be fine, but his heart wouldn’t be able to stand it and would explode.

“Let’s start when the water calms down a bit.”

* * *

Whoosh.

On the hill.

11m high, the height at which humans feel the greatest fear.

Lee Min-ki, who was standing 7m above that, looked straight ahead.

‘The West Sea is quite beautiful when you look at it like this.’

The scenery was truly spectacular.

Blue islands were dotted between the blue horizon like licorice.

The sight of fish splashing was clearly visible even from a distance.

Meanwhile.

‘It would be better if I couldn’t see the bottom.’

The dangerous terrain was visible on the ground.

A place where sharp rocks like the jaws of a wolf protruded here and there.

The waterside between them.

That was the place he was going to jump from.

‘I was prepared, but it’s a bit scarier when I see it in person.’

He would die if he made a mistake.

As he recalled that fact, a cool, sharp wind lashed at his wet cheeks.

He felt even more chilled to the bone.

“Hoo.”

Lee Min-ki took a deep breath for a moment and decided to trust himself a little more.

No, to be precise, he trusted [Nam Seok-gu] in Manman-tu from his previous life.

“You can jump right away when you’re ready.”

“Yes.”

After taking a deep breath in his heart, 5 seconds later.

“Hup!”

Lee Min-ki ran straight ahead like a short-distance runner, then kicked off the ground and soared into the air.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a new sight unfolded before Lee Min-ki’s eyes, along with the feeling of cutting through the wind.

‘Ah, I’m flying.’

He could only say that at this moment.

Do you know the feeling of being wrapped in the wind?

It was a feeling that most people would never feel in their lives.

Even road bike racers who maintain a speed of 40 km/h, and bike racers who are addicted to adrenaline.

All of them eventually had a frame to firmly support their bodies.

But now, only the wind was supporting Lee Min-ki’s body.

‘So this is what it feels like.’

Now I know why there are people in the world who take air diving as a hobby, risking danger.

I couldn’t understand it when I saw it on the internet, but I understood it in an instant.

His body understood before his head did, and in just 0.8 seconds.

――――――――――――Whoosh!

Lee Min-ki’s body began to fall straight down.

The ground was falling so fast that it was terrifying due to the acceleration of gravity.

The fear of rushing backwards towards a huge blue wall filled Lee Min-ki’s head.

‘I’m scared.’

He might even want to pass out.

But, he knows.

If he passes out here, it will be really dangerous.

After falling into the water, he has to somehow float to the surface on his own.

If he’s not careful, he might drown.

The production team had safety personnel on standby, but that didn’t mean it was safe.

‘I have to hold on.’

In a moment where time felt as clear as if he could grab it with his hands.

Lee Min-ki glared back.

And 20 seconds later.

When he felt like he was splitting cold tofu in half with his toes.

Splash!

The seawater embraced him from all directions, as if to bless Lee Min-ki’s successful landing.

But.

“……Ugh, bububub!”

Lee Min-ki couldn’t do that.

‘I, I can’t feel my legs.’

From the moment his feet touched the water, he couldn’t feel his legs as if they had never existed in the first place.

He can’t swim.

He was just waving his arms helplessly.

It’s right to stay still.

The seawater is salty, and there is enough buoyancy, so it might be better to stop the body.

But.

‘What should I do? What should I do?’

In the midst of the confusion, Lee Min-ki’s mind was not as clear as before.

Shudder.

His breathing is getting shorter. As much as that, his consciousness was also flowing out of his body quickly.

In the shock that he felt like he would sink as soon as he lost his mind even a little, the sea was no longer beautiful.

A huge water ghost.

A ghost with a blue body and full of salt, so much so that the inside of his nose was paralyzed by the saltiness, wrapped around him, mocking his struggles.

‘Big…… deal…….’

It’s over.

He pushed himself too hard.

Even though his luck has gotten a little better, how could he do such a stupid thing.

He should have just left it to a stuntman.

That was the moment when Lee Min-ki’s consciousness reached this point.

Splash.

‘Huh?’

He felt something soft and huge pushing his body from behind.

And at the same time.

Booooooom――!!

Lee Min-ki’s sinking body began to cut through the water and soar upwards.

As if a torpedo was piercing through the water, Lee Min-ki’s body also stretched out quickly towards the land.

Not by Lee Min-ki’s power, but by the power of a second propulsion.

‘Is it a safety agent?’

0.2 seconds before shaking off the water ghost, Lee Min-ki’s last thought was this.

And 0.2 seconds.

“Cough!”

Lee Min-ki, who barely came out to the outside with external force, grabbed the floor and vomited seawater violently.

“Ugh, uweek!”

It’s not something a male actor who sells with a handsome image would do.

But there was no time to worry about that.

“Cough, cough! Cough!”

Coughing bursts out like crazy.

It was already too late to worry about consciousness or anything.

At the same time, as the coughing gradually subsided, he also heard the sound of footsteps approaching him quickly.

Splash! Splash!

It was the sound of the production crew’s footsteps.

‘Ugh.’

Lee Min-ki, who belatedly came to his senses, raised his head and looked ahead.

In front of him stood three staff members, led by Director Shim Sung-bo’s shocked face.

“Are you okay?”

Director Shim Sung-bo asked with a voice full of worry.

“Ah, well, yes.”

Lee Min-ki, who belatedly grasped the situation, coughed embarrassedly and replied.

He had been warned about safety several times, but he almost caused an accident by overdoing it.

He was about to ruin the [Manman-tu] work itself.

If he didn’t feel ashamed as a person, it would be shameless.

Nevertheless, there was something he had to say in order not to become an even more shameless person.

“Um, thank you for saving me. Thank you.”

“Yes?”

“The safety agent. You saved me, right? Where are you…….”

It was the moment when Lee Min-ki looked around.

Only then did Director Shim Sung-bo swallow his saliva as if he had realized something.

“The safety agent didn’t save the actor.”

“Yes? Then.”

The words that came out of Director Jin Joo-yeon’s mouth, who arrived a beat late, literally shattered Lee Min-ki’s expectations at least nineteen times.

“It was a whale.”

It was a whale.

“Yes?”

Lee Min-ki asked back with a dumbfounded expression, as if he thought he had misheard.

“A whale?”

“Yes.”

Director Shim Sung-bo opened his mouth as if he was forcibly spitting out the truth like a war correspondent being tortured.

“……It’s hard for us to believe, but it was definitely a whale.”

“…….”

“I’ll say it again, it was a whale.”

Was it really a whale?

It doesn’t seem like a lie when I look at his expression.

Has his acting improved?

‘You can be an actor.’

I still think he’s teasing me, but Director Shim Sung-bo continued in an infinitely calm voice.

“I don’t know if it was a dolphin or a whale, but a huge fish-like thing came and pushed the actor to the land and left. Over there.”

“Over there?”

“I don’t believe it either, but it really came out like that. Hoo.”

He’s serious.

But I think it’s right to believe him since the director is saying it.

Yeah, that’s right.

Lee Min-ki took a light breath and opened his mouth.

“A whale?”

Believe it? I don’t believe it at all.

You have to trust people moderately.

Director Shim Sung-bo nodded as if he had expected his reaction and said.

“It’s natural that you don’t believe it. Just a moment. I have to show you what I filmed, but first, let’s wipe off the water.”

“No, I want to see what you filmed first.”

“Okay.”

Lee Min-ki hurriedly walked over and went to the nearby camera with Director Shim Sung-bo.

“Now, if you look here.”

And when he checked it, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter, leaving his fear behind.

“It’s really a whale…….”

Just like Director Jin Joo-yeon said, it was a whale.

A whale that suddenly popped out of the water pushed him to the land, then made a U-turn and disappeared into the distant sea.

The mystery of nature.

Lee Min-ki twitched his eyes at the sight that seemed to have been translated as it was.

‘Does this make sense?’

No, really.

Does it make sense?

Did whales live in the West Sea [Yellow Sea]?

‘No, they can live there.’

Whales are famous for wandering freely as far as their size allows, without a fixed area.

But it happened to be near the filming location.

And it saved me again?

‘Is this luck?’

It was a situation where even the person who benefited from it couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

“Should we reshoot…….”

Lee Min-ki, who had forgotten the crisis of death in front of the miracle, muttered softly.

“No.”

Director Shim Sung-bo shook his head and said.

“Why would we throw this away?”

“Yes? It’s an accident scene.”

At the moment when Lee Min-ki had a question, Shim Sung-bo said as if it was natural.

“God gave it to us. We have to use it as it is.”

“…….”

“I told you last time, right? If the NG [no good – a filming term for unusable footage] looks good, it’s an ad-lib.”

I don’t know, but it seems like he liked it very much.

Lee Min-ki just stopped asking.

It’s because he’s not in his right mind yet after surviving a life-threatening crisis.

However, only one thing was clear.

‘I’m going to hear CG [computer graphics] sounds.’

Even if I report the facts as they are, the audience won’t believe it.

I wouldn’t believe it either.

Lee Min-ki shook his head and said.

“I’m not going to bungee jump next time.”

“Yes.”

Director Shim Sung-bo shook his head vertically and said.

“I’ll take it out even if you ask me to put it in.”

His life as a director was almost over.