Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 195

195

[Turns Out He’s a Musical Genius] shattered all expectations, sending Korea into a frenzy.

From Lee Min-ki’s somewhat late arrival at the awards to his winning of the Best Actor award.

‘If it had only been this, I wouldn’t have been particularly surprised.’

It’s only natural.

[Turns Out He’s a Musical Genius] was the highest-grossing film of the year.

What’s so strange about the lead actor winning Best Actor?

Of course, the fact that he’s Asian, which is disadvantageous for awards, is unique. Furthermore, amidst the Academy Awards sometimes being mocked as a local awards ceremony, the fact that a Korean person won is also noteworthy.

It’s a matter worthy of special mention.

But this alone wasn’t enough to say that it shattered all expectations.

What was truly surprising?

[Best Picture – Shim Sung-bo, Jin Joo-yeon]

[Best Director – Turns Out He’s a Musical Genius]

[Best Original Score – William Lockhart, Son Hee-jeong]

The fact that it won four awards.

[Unbelievable]

[What is happening right now?]

[Breaking News) Mr. Kim Gu is beaming]

For a Korean movie to win just one award at the Academy Awards is a major event, but it won a whopping four.

[Is this even possible?]

[Honestly, if you didn’t expect it, thumbs up]

[It seems like it only got 4 because it’s a local awards ceremony]

[LOL, if it were an international film festival, it would have won like 10 awards~]

[Nationalists are weeping]

[Lee Min-ki will have 4 nationalities starting tomorrow]

It’s also worth remembering that the Academy Award win led to a second wave of popularity, finally surpassing $1.4 billion in sales.

They even released a director’s cut, seemingly determined to milk it for all it’s worth, eventually hitting $1.5 billion.

That’s how [Turns Out He’s a Musical Genius] became a cultural phenomenon [a ‘syndrome’ in Korean terms, referring to a widespread trend].

“Ah, these days everyone’s just making music movies.”

The syndrome was still ongoing.

Jam Acting School, having produced the top actor Lee Min-ki, quickly rose to become the number one acting school.

An aspiring actor who entered the school, while looking at actor recruitment ads, clicked his tongue and grumbled.

“It’s all because of Lee Min-ki, you know. These days, they only make music movies. Look, this one says they’ll only accept people who can sing.”

It was the influence of [Turns Out He’s a Musical Genius].

Music movies, which seemed to have faded after a brief surge, have exploded like crazy in the last three years.

So much so that there are claims that one out of every three new movies is a music movie.

“Ugh, I don’t have the money to go to a vocal training academy.”

The tuition alone is tough.

To him, who wouldn’t stop complaining, a female student next to him chuckled and said.

“Hey, Lee Min-ki didn’t know how to sing either, but he went to an academy to learn how to make the movie.”

“I’m not Lee Min-ki, though. There’s a difference in talent. And you should add ‘sunbae-nim’ [term for senior/older colleague] after his name.”

Bae Woo-joo glared at her, offended that she had so casually called the name of a respected senior actor.

“I don’t really respect Lee Min-ki.”

Of course, it didn’t work.

“Yoo Seon-ah sunbae-nim is better than Lee Min-ki.”

It was because she respected Yoo Seon-ah more.

“Didn’t you see the article recently? Yoo Seon-ah sunbae-nim won Best Actress at the Turkey Film Festival.”

The Turkey Film Festival.

In the art film world, it was considered one of the four major film festivals.

Recently, Yoo Seon-ah appeared in [The Sun Gallery] and received critical acclaim, eventually conquering one of the four major film festivals.

She was praised for her overwhelming acting.

“I think Yoo Seon-ah is the best actress in Korea. Hehe.”

Just as Bae Woo-joo took Lee Min-ki as his role model, she took Yoo Seon-ah as her role model.

But that also meant.

“That’s not true.”

It was also the perfect position to be refuted.

“Joo Ha-na is better.”

Joo Ha-na and Yoo Seon-ah.

The competition between the two for who is the best young actress in Korea was fierce.

Bae Woo-joo said in an obvious tone.

“Honestly, shouldn’t actors be judged by their box office success?”

Commonly, Joo Ha-na is known for box office success, and Yoo Seon-ah for acting. Since they each have different strengths, the debate only gets bigger.

The female student’s eyes lit up at the words that she couldn’t possibly ignore.

“…Let’s fight.”

“Good, an acting battle.”

That’s how a farce was about to unfold in the midst of all this.

“Are you practicing hard?”

“……!”

A person suddenly poked his head in from outside the practice room. But that person’s identity was unusual.

“Director?”

The man who discovered Lee Min-ki when he was just an aspiring actor and contributed to making him a world-renowned actor, the director of Jam Acting School.

Having produced Lee Min-ki and Yoo Seon-ah alone is already legendary. But there was one more reason that made him an even more special leader.

‘He never gives up.’

No matter who the opponent is, he never gives up and teaches them until they debut.

[Jam Acting School Director? That person is crazy. No matter how untalented they are, he doesn’t stop until they give up themselves.]

[I said I was going down to farm, and he followed me all the way to Haenam on the train;;]

If they don’t have money, he even gives them living expenses to teach them.

There isn’t even a scholarship grade division that is common in other acting schools. He provides equal education to everyone.

He was a figure who couldn’t help but be respected as an educator.

“You’re all working so hard, this year’s harvest will be bountiful.”

The director smiled, shaking his plump jowls.

What came out of his mouth next was enough to take the students’ souls away.

“Actually, today, we have invited a special instructor from Neutral Zone for you all.”

The fact that they invited an instructor from Neutral Zone, the actors’ dream, was such a thing.

“From Neutral Zone?”

Bae Woo-joo muttered in a daze.

Neutral Zone.

What kind of place is that? Isn’t that where only monsters hand-picked by Lee Min-ki are gathered?

From Lee Min-ki himself to Joo Ha-na and Yoo Seon-ah, who had been constantly mentioned until just now, as well as the Shim Sung-bo & Jin Joo-yeon director duo and William Lockhart.

A place where success was guaranteed as long as you entered, regardless of boundaries from music to dance to art.

The best trending label.

Neutral Zone was a place where even the name made the hearts of newcomers burn.

“Perhaps, who is it?”

That’s how Bae Woo-joo’s eyes were shaking with anticipation.

“Kim Tak, you’ve probably heard the name, right?”

“……!”

Bae Woo-joo couldn’t help but open his mouth wide.

Who is Kim Tak?

Isn’t he the actor who recently rose to become a top-tier male actor, saying that he seems to be really immature with his role as an immature third-generation chaebol [a wealthy heir]?

His acting skills are so outstanding that they are evaluated as if they are not acting at all.

“He’s Lee Min-ki sunbae-nim’s classmate.”

Moreover, the fact that he was Lee Min-ki’s rival during his rookie days was also such a thing.

“Is it really Kim Tak sunbae-nim?”

“We had a hard time inviting him for the students of our Jam Acting School. Hehe. It’s a rare opportunity, so learn as much as you can.”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

Bae Woo-joo shouted repeatedly in a joyful voice.

Being able to receive direct teaching from current legends. Just that alone made the smiles never leave the faces of the students here.

Meanwhile.

In some place, a completely different situation was unfolding.

* * *

In a corner of Songdo.

A place that resembles a cargo container rather than an office.

A blonde man muttered, clipping his toenails in a sloppy posture.

“Tak teaching others? Ah, this is a no-go. It’s ruined. It’s like an elementary school student teaching a kindergartener.”

“No, what’s wrong with that? He might teach better than you think.”

“Pfft, I can see it now. Tak is the type to just brag about himself in a position where he’s supposed to teach others.”

It was a strange sight.

Kim Tak is quite recognized among the new generation of male actors who are said to be at their peak these days.

Moreover, he is famous for calling himself Lee Min-ki’s only rival.

Is he being teased this much just because he went out to lecture at an acting school? The man, who had been grooming his toenails for a long time, smiled mischievously and said.

“I know, because I’ve taught him.”

That’s right.

The man’s identity was none other than Kim Ah-sung, the trainer who taught Kim Tak.

These days, he is more famous as the trainer who guided Lee Min-ki. He said to the man who was making a dissatisfied expression across from him.

“People who haven’t done much lecturing have a characteristic. Instead of telling the students what they need, they just go on and on about what they want to say.”

“Are you saying Tak will do that?”

“There’s a high possibility.”

“You’re too harsh in your evaluation of people.”

“I’m not like that to everyone. Tak is special.”

It was an extremely harsh evaluation.

But unlike the words that had been poured out earlier, the following words were unexpected.

“I would have been less worried if Min-ki had taught instead.”

That’s right.

The identity of the man he was talking to was none other than the most famous Korean male actor in the world, Lee Min-ki.

“How about it? Going to give a class next time. I can even go with you.”

He waved his hand as if he was disgusted by Kim Ah-sung’s subtle words.

“No thanks. I’m not the type to teach others.”

Lee Min-ki thought that he was not someone who should arbitrarily control other people’s lives.

The weight of the voice follows the career.

That meant that even a joke from someone whose career was a little too outstanding could be taken as a life motto by someone and ruin their life.

“Why? You’ve been through a lot. I think you’d be good at teaching others? They say that people who work hard teach better than geniuses.”

“Is Tak a genius?”

“Self-proclaimed.”

Wow, that’s harsh.

Why don’t you give him even one compliment?

Lee Min-ki chuckled at Kim Ah-sung’s nonchalant words.

“Still, it’s unexpected.”

“What is?”

“No. That, you came here.”

Lee Min-ki looked around.

The studio finished with exposed concrete came into his view.

It was a space exclusively designed for Mayar Pictures in the newly created International Film Industry Cluster in Songdo.

Lee Min-ki said while looking at the sunlight seeping in through the windows.

“I didn’t think you were interested in filming movies.”

That’s right.

Kim Ah-sung took a vacation from his trainer job for the time being and jumped into filming a movie.

‘I thought you would stay in the education field for the rest of your life.’

I thought he had filmed a few works as a minor role and supporting role and then completely changed his direction to education, but suddenly he returned to the screen.

I couldn’t even imagine it because he didn’t talk about himself very much.

Lee Min-ki even felt a subtle emotion.

“I didn’t know I would be acting with you.”

“I always had a desire to return.”

Kim Ah-sung shrugged and said.

“I just postponed it again and again because of personal reasons.”

“What reasons?”

“At first, it was money issues.”

“Did you have a lot of debt?”

“No, I’ve never had debt?”

“Yes?”

But why did you give up acting because of money problems?

The moment Lee Min-ki’s eyes were filled with bewilderment, Kim Ah-sung stretched and opened his mouth.

“I opened a class to earn living expenses for next month right away. But somehow the number of people I was teaching increased. I couldn’t just tell the students who were already learning that I was going to act and to get lost. I thought I should take responsibility for the students right away, so I kept teaching… and my life has come this far.”

Living like water flowing.

Lee Min-ki was slightly surprised by the secret that he had hidden for years, considering that he was saying it as if it were not a big deal.

‘As expected, he is a responsible person.’

Isn’t he saying that he temporarily put aside acting because he thought he would be negligent to the students if he worked as a lecturer and an actor at the same time?

It’s easy to say.

But people who say difficult things easily are rare. Even if the opposite is all over the place.

“……”

Unlike his light words and actions, he had an infinitely heavy mindset. Is this why he was able to become a good educator?

Lee Min-ki said while staring at him blankly.

“Hoo, from now on, we’re not teacher and student, but rivals.”

“Yeah, right.”

Kim Ah-sung snorted.

Is he burning with a desire to win? Or is he finding it ridiculous?

What kind of reaction will he show to his student’s provocation? The moment Lee Min-ki’s heart was pounding like a child before a picnic, Kim Ah-sung said in an absurd tone.

“You like beating up old people.”

“……”

Can’t you at least make one reaction predictable?

Lee Min-ki sighed and said.

“I’m a little sorry for this meaningful work. This work. As soon as it’s released, it’s going to be hugely controversial. Socially.”