Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 24

24.

After finishing the unexpected minor role, Lee Min-ki couldn’t stop grinning all afternoon.

“Hehe, hehehe.”

“Min-ki, are you that happy?”

Lee Min-ki was startled by Yoo Seon-ah’s words.

“Ah, am I showing it too much?”

“No, it’s nice to see. I just wanted to know why.”

“Well…”

Lee Min-ki started talking about his minor role from the morning.

Yoo Seon-ah exclaimed in surprise, “It was that important of a role?”

“Yes, although most of it might get cut in editing.”

“Even if it gets cut, at least one line will remain, right?”

“I hope so. I don’t know what will happen.”

“It definitely will!”

Yoo Seon-ah shouted loudly enough to burst eardrums.

“It’s Min-ki’s acting. Everyone will recognize it. How could they cut it out?”

“…….”

“The viewers will be going crazy as soon as it airs, wondering who that person is. Aren’t you excited already?”

Well.

I am excited, but it seems like you’re more excited than I am.

Still, it’s nice that you empathize.

Lee Min-ki smiled without realizing it.

‘It would be nice to get noticed even with a minor role, but the chances aren’t that high.’

If there are two main characters in a work, there are ten supporting roles and a hundred minor roles.

The possibility of one minor role getting that much attention was small.

With so many aspiring actors, it’s an endlessly harsh market for newcomers.

Wasn’t it common for them to swarm even for roles that flash by in less than a second in small commercials or dramas?

‘There are many who end their careers being tormented by false hope with such minor roles.’

Lee Min-ki himself had lived that way and met his end.

Since his past was different, his values as an actor were bound to be a little different from the previous two.

“Min-ki, there are many stories like that, right? Someone gets cast as a minor role, gets noticed by the director, and gets promoted to a supporting role. That could happen to you.”

“Haha…….”

“Wow, is Min-ki going to blow up then?”

Yoo Seon-ah and Kim Tak were still aspiring rookies, so they had high expectations even for minor roles.

Enough to accept even rare industry anecdotes as their own stories.

But Lee Min-ki was a little different.

‘It would be nice if that happened. But it rarely happens unless you have incredible luck.’

He added a bit more reality to his expectations.

Of course.

There was one fact that even Lee Min-ki was overlooking.

“Oh, Min-ki, you’re still here.”

“Teacher.”

Kim Ah-seong said as she returned to the practice room.

“They want to see you over there?”

“Over there? If you mean…”

The fact that Lee Min-ki overlooked.

That was.

His luck had actually gotten better.

“Yeah, the production team from the drama you filmed earlier. The writer seems to like you.”

“…….”

“Surprised? This kind of thing happens sometimes.”

And that rare occurrences are also a reality that exists.

Lee Min-ki was stunned, and Yoo Seon-ah clapped her hands as if she knew it would happen.

“See! I told you they’d recognize you! I definitely said it, right?”

Kim Tak also said,

“Wow, that’s awesome.”

* * *

A general programming channel.

It is a broadcasting station that commonly bundles and services various genres of channels on cable TV.

Originally, general programming channels were close to gossip channels that only a few people watched, but recently, a change has come.

That’s because they had a huge hit with a drama.

[Gaura]

[Her Boss]

[Five Meals a Day]

A hit came out every quarter, and the era of general programming dramas had arrived.

Was it to put a turbo engine on this trend?

General programming stations aggressively recruited famous drama writers and famous actors, even at the cost of huge sums, to secure viewers.

As a result, something happened routinely.

“PD [Production Director], is that person really that good?”

“Yes, the writer will be surprised if she sees him too.”

The drama writer overpowers the PD with her authority.

Kim Hee-jin is a so-called ‘successful drama writer.’ A writer whose name alone guarantees the quality of the work.

[Kim Hee-jin’s dramas are reliable]

[At least they won’t fail]

[This time, the campus story is also interesting. I didn’t think she would be good at this kind of youth romance.]

There were more than a few viewers who trusted her and watched her work just because of her name.

Nevertheless, the reason she was producing a new work on an unstable general programming channel was because it guaranteed a freer production environment compared to terrestrial broadcasting [national public broadcast stations].

On the other hand, PD Park Yoo-chan was a rookie PD who had just taken on his first work.

It was natural that the power relationship between the two was somewhat tilted towards writer Kim Hee-jin.

“I have a certain conviction about him.”

PD Park Yoo-chan was someone who would gladly welcome this kind of relationship if necessary.

“Even though the actor is a rookie, he is very solid. You saw the filming footage, right?”

“Since the PD is saying that, I’m also getting my hopes up, but I think there’s a reason why a minor role is a minor role.”

Writer Kim Hee-jin sucked on her coffee straw with a slightly displeased expression.

“We’ll have to see the viewers’ reactions to be sure, but bringing back a villain is a big risk in terms of the plot development.”

It was a common story.

There was a reason why they didn’t forcibly add a villain to the story just because the villain was popular.

A villain should leave when they should leave.

Viewers often called for the return of a charming villain, but when they actually appeared, they often complained of fatigue.

‘I think he’s a rookie PD, so he doesn’t know very well.’

Writer Kim Hee-jin glanced at PD Park Yoo-chan and thought.

‘It’s good to have passion, but sometimes you have to go the stable route.’

Usually, the writer should push forward and the PD should demand a stable development, right?

A drama is completed through this kind of give-and-take between the PD and the writer, but perhaps because it’s a general programming channel, the system is different.

What made her even more tired was the completeness of the drama.

‘It’s definitely good, but only to that extent.’

The campus story was like that.

They used good actors.

But the viewers’ reactions were more lukewarm than expected.

The reaction was good, but the viewership was subtle.

Was it because it was a general programming channel, or was the topic of the work itself lacking?

It was a difficult situation for her to accept, as she was used to terrestrial dramas.

It’s not enough to be praised.

A drama writer is evaluated by viewership rather than artistry.

The reality was that a 20% viewership 막장 [makjang – Korean slang for outrageous or absurd] drama was rated higher than a 15% well-made drama.

‘There’s no problem with the completeness of the script. What’s the problem?’

At this rate, it will end up being a masterpiece drama that only those in the know will know.

Something needed to change.

‘I can’t ruin it any further here. I’ll look at his face first, and if I don’t like it, I’ll have to refuse.’

Whether he knew her thoughts or not, PD Park Yoo-chan said with a big smile.

“If you see him in person, writer, you will be convinced.”

“This coffee is good here.”

“Right? They use good beans here. I heard from the owner that they use almost twice as much per weight as other franchise coffees. Haha.”

That’s how the two were enjoying a moment of leisure.

Ding.

Two people walked into the store.

A rowdy-looking man and a seemingly innocent person.

But they were handsome.

Writer Kim Hee-jin stared blankly at him and thought.

‘That person is 괜찮네 [gwaenchanne – Korean for ‘not bad’ or ‘decent’].’

His impression was so innocent, but he had an overall vibe.

First of all, his physique and posture were good.

A face that would look good no matter how you dressed him up.

He had a so-called ‘face of a thousand faces.’

Of course, his acting skills would have to be good enough to utilize it.

‘Is he an aspiring actor? Or a regular person?’

It was the moment when writer Kim Hee-jin had a hopeful thought.

Creak.

PD Park Yoo-chan got up from his seat and shouted.

“Min-ki! You’re here!”

“…….”

At that moment, the coffee straw that writer Kim Hee-jin was holding slipped from her lips.

Her eyes were filled with surprise.

‘That person is Lee Min-ki? That minor role who just appeared?’

It was a hard impression to believe.

His impression was so different from the impression I saw in the filming footage.

He looked like a completely different person.

In the filming footage, he clearly had the impression that he was jaded by the world and everything seemed bothersome, but now Lee Min-ki’s face was only proactive in everything.

It was similar to the difference between a teaching assistant and a freshman.

‘Isn’t he just someone who looks alike?’

First of all, his posture is upright.

But no matter what she thought, reality was reality.

Lee Min-ki had already come right up to her.

“PD, hello.”

“Yeah, Min-ki, it’s nice to see you again after a few hours. This is writer Kim Hee-jin, who is in charge of the script for our drama. Say hello.”

“Writer, hello. I’m rookie actor Lee Min-ki!”

The moment Lee Min-ki greeted her with the brightest smile in the world, writer Kim Hee-jin had already made up her mind.

‘The problem is solved.’

* * *

A sudden casting change occurred.

That is.

[Can you free up time every week?]

[Yes?]

[From the next broadcast, no, from the broadcast after next, we will see Min-ki often.]

The two people from the broadcasting station decided to have Lee Min-ki appear more often.

It was an unexpected stroke of luck for Lee Min-ki, who was only used to minor roles.

That the story he had only heard as a legend in the industry had come to him.

Lee Min-ki, who became the main character, thought this.

‘It’s JC after all.’

That this casting change was thanks to JC [his agency].

‘Hehe, hehehe.’

Even while scratching the convenience store barcode scanner with his hands, the smile never left his face.

It’s JC after all.

Is there a reason why it’s JC?

It’s JC after all.

Since the agency is supporting me, even if I take on a minor role, it’s different from other places.

Even if I work a little harder, they pay more attention and look at me favorably.

‘You have to go to a good agency even if you fail a hundred times in auditions.’

It was entirely Lee Min-ki’s delusion.

It was thanks to him polishing his acting and appearance, regardless of JC, but there was no one to correct his delusion.

As he was floundering in delusion, the grandfather in front of him spoke.

“Oh, did something good happen?”

“Ah, customer.”

“I feel energized when you smile. Take this.”

The grandfather customer put a hot bar on the 계산대 [gyesandae – Korean for ‘cash register’ or ‘checkout counter’] and left the convenience store leisurely.

Lee Min-ki, who received the gift as if it were flowing water, burst into laughter again.

‘I’m lucky.’

In fact, it’s not just luck.

It was thanks to his impression being completely different from his previous life.

Lee Min-ki, who was jaded with a sense of failure, fatigue, and paranoia, is no longer here.

What’s here is Lee Min-ki MK.2.

Confidence overflowed from him now.

He got a good night’s sleep every night without being disturbed.

As a result of combining a quality diet and exercise, his skin was glowing.

As he started his modeling part-time job and his money worries decreased, his expression brightened even when he was standing still.

People say that many a little makes a mickle, but Lee Min-ki built a stone tower [accumulated small advantages into a significant improvement].

The changes were already steadily appearing.