Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 193

193

“With so little time left, now?!”

Director Shim Sung-bo urgently tried to calm Joo Ha-na, whose voice was filled with astonishment.

“Shh, shh. Keep your voice down.”

“This is America. They won’t understand Korean anyway.”

“They do these days.”

There were many eyes watching them.

Myar Pictures was already the hottest topic at this awards ceremony.

And not just any hot topic, but a special treat, like freshly fried french fries in savory peanut oil.

In this industry swarming with reporters, one wrong word could make you the main story in the morning news.

“Anyway, that’s not the point. Let’s calm down first since we don’t know anything yet. Raising your voice won’t solve anything.”

“You calm down first. This is an official event, so maintain your composure, okay?”

“……Save some face for me.”

Director Shim Sung-bo pressed his throbbing forehead at Director Jin Joo-yeon’s remark.

‘When are you coming, Actor Lee?’

There was really not much time left until the awards ceremony. The situation was urgent.

Whether they would receive an Academy Award or not, proceeding with the ceremony without the main actor would be a farce in itself.

‘Rumors are already spreading that he’s retiring from acting due to the pressure, and now he’s not even showing up at the awards ceremony?’

There was no telling what kind of rumors would circulate.

There might be discord within Myar Pictures. It could even impact the company’s investment value itself.

Yes, worrying about the company’s value in this situation might seem greedy, but as a manager who had to provide for many, it was something he couldn’t ignore.

‘Please!’

Director Shim Sung-bo was anxiously hoping for the best, discreetly, since there were many eyes watching.

“Ah, Director, you were here. I’ve been looking for you.”

A man approached them.

In an instant, the eyes of everyone turned to that one man. He was already famous, apart from Myar Pictures.

No, famous was an understatement.

At least in America, it would be stranger not to know him.

A situation where every move had to be carefully watched. This was the same for Director Shim Sung-bo.

‘If it’s this person.’

He still didn’t know.

“Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

* * *

‘Wow, I’m screwed.’

Lee Min-ki let out a hollow laugh.

‘How could I make such a mistake?’

He had arrived at the airport.

He had coordinated his schedule to coincide with the Academy Awards, and everything was fine up to this point.

It was a long-awaited overseas trip, and he had JC [presumably his manager or assistant] meticulously calculate the time difference to avoid any potential schedule issues.

Normally, there shouldn’t have been any problems.

Yes, except for the fact that a sudden typhoon occurred on the expected day, completely disrupting the departure of his flight.

“……I was supposed to arrive at least half a day early.”

Due to the natural disaster, the schedule was delayed, delayed, and delayed again. He tried to urgently book another flight, but that too was canceled.

Cancellation, cancellation, cancellation.

The repetition of cancellations.

In the end, Lee Min-ki boarded a plane a full 10 hours later.

Lee Min-ki swallowed his tears as he checked the time again.

‘Is the world trying to screw me over?’

Life is full of ups and downs, so was this the downhill after the uphill?

Did [Turns Out I’m a Musical Genius] become too big of a hit, causing this backlash? Did he use up too much luck, leaving only misfortune ahead?

That didn’t make sense.

No matter what, how could an entire day’s flight schedule be ruined like that?

‘The weather was fine.’

What the heck.

The misfortune he felt for the first time in a while was so unfair that he had nowhere to complain.

However, looking at the situation at hand, it was already over.

Because.

‘How am I supposed to get to the awards ceremony in an hour?’

That’s right.

It was too far.

It would have been different if he could have landed at LA city airport, where the Academy Awards ceremony, the Kodak Theatre, was located.

But unfortunately, it was all messed up due to the disaster.

Because the airport schedule was disrupted, he had to come to Riverside, a neighboring city almost 2 hours away.

‘The awards ceremony is way too far.’

About 20 hours on foot, 6 hours by bicycle, and at least an hour and a half by car.

Considering the possibility of traffic jams during the evening, it wouldn’t be surprising if it took 3 hours.

No matter what he did, it was impossible to make it on time.

“Sigh.”

Lee Min-ki sighed.

He knew.

He was definitely screwed.

Whether he would receive an award or not, his opportunity at this awards ceremony was gone.

Rather than being late and getting criticized, it might be better not to attend at all. Then, at least, they might be lenient, saying he was absent due to a natural disaster.

But.

‘Originally, the person waiting is more painful than the person making them wait.’

He didn’t want to make them wait.

Myar Pictures was like family, with whom he had shared joys and sorrows.

Was it human to make family wait?

Even if he was ridiculed by the American media, he would attend. Even if he attended after everyone had left and made a belated appearance, he had to attend and apologize to the production team.

‘Okay, let’s leave now.’

Lee Min-ki was about to hail a passing taxi.

Beep, beep.

A sudden phone call came to his phone. As expected. Looking at the caller ID, it was someone familiar yet uncomfortable.

“……Director.”

It was Director Shim Sung-bo.

‘Ugh, whatever I say will sound like an excuse.’

But let’s not avoid it.

If he had already decided, let’s convey what he had to say clearly. Lee Min-ki strengthened his resolve, organized the list of excuses he would make, and answered the phone.

“Yes, Director, I’m sorry, but I was delayed due to a problem with the plane. I’m going to grab a taxi right now and hurry……Yes?”

Lee Min-ki’s eyes widened at the unexpected words from the other end of the line.

“Don’t leave, wait? Here?”

* * *

Shortly after.

At the Kodak Theatre in downtown LA, where the Academy Awards ceremony was being held, the hottest place in Hollywood today, there was a name that was rising as a real-time topic.

“Did Lee Min-ki end up being absent?”

It was Lee Min-ki.

“The people from Myar Pictures are all there.”

“He’s not coming.”

It was quiet.

No matter what, they thought he might arrive late, but in the end, it was like this. Even now, as the awards ceremony was being broadcast live, Lee Min-ki’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

“Congratulations. Best Adapted Screenplay, Ricky The Youngboy!”

The host announced the winner with a great shout.

Soon, applause erupted.

But what should the people at the venue say?

“So, where’s Lee Min-ki?”

While applauding with their hands, their minds seemed to be focused elsewhere.

One of them, clapping without any spirit, cautiously put forward a plausible hypothesis.

“Didn’t the organizers give him a heads-up in advance? That he was nominated but wouldn’t receive an award.”

That Lee Min-ki was so afraid of embarrassment that he didn’t attend.

It was known that the Academy Awards were kept secret until right before the award ceremony, but that wasn’t always the case. In the case of overseas stars whose attendance was uncertain, they were often notified in advance.

“In the end, Turns Out I’m a Musical Genius failed to win an Academy Award.”

“He might receive the music award. He just won’t receive awards like Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, or Best Screenplay.”

“Huhu, if that’s the reason, it’s understandable that he’s too embarrassed to come.”

“Even if there’s an unavoidable reason, he should still attend. Are all Korean actors like that?”

Their faces were filled with mockery and even a hint of displeasure.

To be nominated for the Academy Awards and not attend. This was an insult to the American film industry itself, beyond personal circumstances.

“The headline for tomorrow’s magazine is set. An Asian star actor tramples on the pride of Hollywood.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, that’s why non-Americans are like this.”

“Shh.”

“Come to think of it, William Lockhart isn’t here either. Maybe he won’t receive the music award either?”

“That person isn’t even from the film industry in the first place. Wasn’t he just trying to get a foot in the door using his fame?”

“He’s washed up.”

But there was still time left.

As with any awards ceremony, the Academy Awards traditionally listed the awards in reverse order of importance.

Supporting Actor, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Animated Feature Film came first.

Only after giving out nearly 20 awards in order did they move on to the main awards such as Music, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture.

Was this the reason?

‘Turns Out I’m a Musical Genius isn’t receiving any awards?’

The entire Myar Pictures team had been sitting still for a long time.

Some of the awards they were likely to be nominated for had been mentioned earlier. For example, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects, and Production Design.

But [Turns Out I’m a Musical Genius] did not win.

“Congratulations. Odin Universe’s new film, Full Court! This is already the third award today. You must be proud.”

“I’m honored to receive this on behalf of our production team who worked so hard.”

It always went back to AST [presumably a rival production company].

Perhaps because it was a field where the more money you poured in, the better the quality, there were limitations for Myar Pictures, which had a relatively low budget.

From the beginning, the close relationship between the Academy Awards organizers and AST had been famous for a long time.

The same was true for Cinematography.

“Hotel Tokyo! Inoue Takahiro! Congratulations!”

“Thank you.”

Cinematography traditionally tended to be awarded to masters with a strong artistic inclination.

It was a disadvantage for Myar Pictures, which prioritized commercial appeal over art itself.

Disadvantageous.

They didn’t receive it because it was disadvantageous.

“Myar has bad luck with awards.”

“Come to think of it, Manmantu didn’t win an award either?”

“Tsk tsk, it seems the production team is greatly disliked behind the scenes.”

They had made such guesses, but it was all just excuses.

In the end, it was because they were lacking.

“Best Screenplay! Dawn House!”

Before they knew it, the awards ceremony was slowly progressing to the main awards.

In just a few minutes, the main categories such as Best Actor were scheduled to proceed.

To them, even Director Shim Sung-bo seemed to have given up slightly. In fact, he always had that look in his eyes, but they could usually read his expression.

‘It’s over.’

That was the conclusion they had reached in their minds.

“Hmm?”

Someone opened their mouth.

“……Don’t you hear a strange noise somewhere?”

It was exactly as they said.

It was a strange noise.

No, it was something more than just a noise that bothered them.

“Like a vibration.”

It was a vibration.

A vibration, so subtle that it could be faintly felt through the building, especially the windows, was affecting the awards ceremony.

“It’s bothering me.”

“What on earth.”

The murmuring in the audience began to rise.

Because the Kodak Theatre had excellent soundproofing, and even more so because a subtle noise was heard at a time when it should be solemn.

“Which shameless person.”

“Is the building old?”

Even the host seemed to have sensed the unusual atmosphere. He stopped talking, which he had been doing so freely for a long time. Amid the unusual situation, the people at the awards ceremony were all looking around.

A man in a tuxedo came up to the stage and whispered something into the host’s ear.

“What’s going on?”

“Did an accident happen?”

Why right before the most anticipated main category?

Was it something so urgent that they had to stop the awards ceremony and intervene?

Did a building collapse nearby?

Just as everyone’s questions were focused.

“Thank you for waiting.”

The host turned his head and said with a bright expression that revealed all his teeth.

“Just now, an actor has arrived at the Kodak Theatre.”