Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 3

Acting with fervor for quite some time.

“Phew.”

Downing the water bottle, I felt refreshed, as if the fatigue was washing away.

It feels good to sweat after a long time.

No, ‘good’ is not enough to describe it; I feel a sense of elation.

Min-ki sat on the floor, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

‘How long has it been since I’ve concentrated this much?’

Even he was surprised.

All he’s ever done is practice acting alone in front of a mirror in the practice room, but he was unbelievably absorbed.

How should I put it?

It felt like his whole body was correctly following his instructions.

‘Not tripping, no cramps, no choking, no being blinded by the sunlight. No sneezing either.’

Everything was so smooth.

As he was smiling to himself, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

‘…Could this be because of luck too?’

Surely, others don’t experience this so consistently.

‘Was my concentration scattered because I was worried about slipping and breaking my ankle?’

If so, this is too much.

Even acting is subject to luck. The results are different even with the same effort.

He shuddered, not wanting to believe it.

“You’re working hard from the morning.”

“……!”

Someone spoke from behind.

‘Who is it?’

Min-ki was startled and tried to get up, but it was a man wearing a hat pulled down low.

He smiled and said.

“Are you a student here? What’s your name?”

“I’m Lee Min-ki. I’m learning in the audition class. How long have you been here…….”

“I’ve been here since a while ago.”

“Ah.”

Suddenly, his face flushed.

There was no one around, so he was excited and did all sorts of weird acting, and he saw it all.

He knew that actors should get used to this kind of thing, but he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

“You must have been very focused on your acting.”

The man chuckled and said.

“By the way, I haven’t seen many students with such good acting skills.”

Min-ki was surprised by those words and said.

“Good acting skills?”

“Yes, it was excellent.”

The man seemed puzzled by his words and asked back.

“Your vocal tone is well-set, your diction is clear. Your expressions are natural without being too exaggerated. You don’t have any bad habits, and it’s very clean. I can feel that you’ve practiced a lot.”

“…….”

“Above all, Min-ki’s strength is the detail in his gestures.”

He moved his fingertips lightly and said.

“Usually, acting skills are revealed in the hands. Inexperienced people have awkward hands. But I liked that about Min-ki. You have good observation skills.”

Praise poured out.

He rarely heard such generous praise.

But Min-ki’s mood was rather ambiguous.

‘I’m glad to be praised, but I don’t know if I should be happy about this.’

In reality, he was unknown, but he had been working professionally for several years.

Being praised as a student at an acting academy wasn’t something to be simply happy about.

How should I put it?

It’s like a math major being praised for being good at quadratic equations.

More than anything.

‘Who is this person?’

This man was a complete stranger.

He had been attending the academy for quite some time, but he didn’t even remember seeing this face.

Judging by the way he came up and evaluated his acting, he seemed to be someone important.

“Thank you. By the way, are you by any chance from the academy?”

It was the moment he asked, just in case.

“Oh, I was so excited that I only talked about myself. Just a moment.”

He rummaged through his inside pocket and took out a business card.

And the name written there was quite something.

[JC E&M]

[Head Acting Exclusive Trainer]

[Kim Ah-sung]

Trainer.

Moreover, he was an exclusive trainer at a huge agency.

“…….”

Min-ki’s mind became dazed as he held the business card.

‘He was a professional.’

He smelled like someone in the industry. People who have worked in this field for a long time have that aura.

Confident and a bit cocky.

So he guessed that he might be a working professional.

But even so.

‘JC affiliated.’

JC is a company that ranks comfortably within the top five in the Korean entertainment industry.

And the exclusive trainer there visited the acting academy and had been watching his acting from the morning.

He wasn’t someone who should be in this kind of academy.

If he were his past self, who had only been a minor role, he would have been an talent he couldn’t even dare to talk to.

‘Why is someone like this here?’

The moment curiosity poked its head, trainer Kim Ah-sung continued.

“The director here asked me to give a special lecture. But I had some free time today, so I came early, and I happened to be peeking at Min-ki’s practice. I’m sorry, what should I do?”

He chuckled.

If it were a little earlier, it would have seemed like a frivolous laugh, but now even that change in expression felt heavy.

Nothing had actually changed, but that’s how Lee Min-ki saw it.

“Hey, Min-ki.”

Trainer Kim Ah-sung said casually.

“If you get in, is there an agency you want to go to?”

“Daon.”

“Ah, Daon isn’t bad. They have a lot of successful people.”

Trainer Kim Ah-sung seemed to agree with Lee Min-ki’s opinion, but he made a somewhat suggestive expression and said.

“But why Daon of all places? I don’t recommend it.”

“Why?”

“That’s a secret.”

He changed the subject and said.

“So, why there?”

“Because my favorite actor is there.”

“Ah, that’s why. I see. That’s reason enough.”

It’s a bit unnecessary.

He wondered why he bothered to ask.

“Then I think I’ll be coming here often for a while.”

Trainer Kim Ah-sung smiled and said.

“Min-ki, can you come 30 minutes early every day at this time?”

“Yes?”

“If you’re okay with it, I’ll give you some pointers, even if it’s just for a little while. Keep the business card.”

His mind became even more confused, but he said as he left the practice room.

“Oh, everything is good when you’re acting, but your movements are a little stiff. You’re too conscious of your ankles. Just loosen that up. Being meticulous and detailed is good, but anything in excess is poison.”

* * *

That day.

Min-ki couldn’t concentrate on his acting class.

The lesson teacher was late, so the class was subtly delayed, but it was because he was so shocked by what happened in the morning.

‘I received a business card from someone at JC [JC E&M, a top Korean entertainment agency].’

He even said he would watch his acting directly.

A JC exclusive trainer.

Was he lucky?

Originally, no matter how hard he tried, he never received any attention.

But he suddenly received attention from someone in the industry.

‘Was it all just because I was lucky?’

Min-ki fell into 고민 [gomin – a state of worry or contemplation].

‘Is luck that big?’

He was truly confused.

Such a 기연 [giyeon – a stroke of good luck or a serendipitous encounter] that he had only heard about on the internet had come to him.

But he didn’t know yet.

Luck was also luck, but all of this was 빛을 본 [bicheul bon – came to light or became visible] because he had 쌓아둔 [ssahadun – accumulated or built up] something.

He was the one who came out early in the morning to practice.

He was the one who concentrated and gave a good performance.

It was possible because Lee Min-ki, not anyone else, was in that place.

‘Ah, I’m 혼란하다 [honranhada – confused]. I’m 혼란해 [honranhae – confused].’

He didn’t know it himself.

He was waiting blankly for the instructor to come.

“Oh, Min-ki, you look like you’re in a good mood today.”

A man spoke to him from the side.

A man with yellow-dyed hair and his whole body wrapped in high-end brand casual wear.

Kim Tak.

He was someone who took classes with him in the acting academy audition class.

Min-ki instinctively 벌렸다 [beollyeotda – widened or increased] the distance between him and him by about 2mm.

‘This person is a bit 껄끄러운데 [kkeolkeureounde – unpleasant or uncomfortable].’

He couldn’t avoid him altogether because he was taking the same class, but he didn’t want to get close to him either.

Because Kim Tak was a person who was 고픈 [gopeun – hungry or eager] for attention.

‘He 무시했었지 [musihasseotji – ignored or disregarded] me 엄청나게 [eomcheongnage – tremendously].’

There are many actors who like to 튀는 [twineun – stand out or be flashy], and among them, there are always people who try to 튀는 [twineun – stand out or be flashy] by 삼아 [sama – considering or using] other people as 먹잇감 [meogeitgam – prey or a target].

Kim Tak was also such a person.

“It’s audition season these days, so the atmosphere is a bit 싱숭생숭 [singseungsaengseung – restless or unsettled], right? Some people 데뷔 [debut] and 떠나는 [tteonaneun – leave or depart] in an instant, while others 남는 [namneun – remain or stay] for a long time. Oh, I’m not saying this to Min-ki. Haha.”

See?

Less than a minute after he started talking to him, he made a 발언 [bareon – remark or statement] that 깔보는 [kkalboneun – looks down on or belittles] him.

It was 증거 [jeunggeo – evidence] that he didn’t 배려 [baeryeo – consider or care] at all.

He was 운이 나쁘다 [uni nappeuda – unlucky].

It was 하필이면 [hapil이면 – of all things or unfortunately] that such a person 들러붙다 [deulleobutta – cling or stick to].

But it’s 괜찮다 [gwaenchanta – okay or alright].

In the past, he didn’t know the 분위기 [bunwigi – atmosphere or mood] of the industry, so he 맞춰 줬지만 [matchwo jwutjiman – 맞춰 주다 (matchwo juda) – 맞춰 주다 (matchwo juda)] this kind of person’s 비위 [biwi – whims or temper], but now he doesn’t need to do that.

He knew that Kim Tak was just a 자갈 [jagal – pebble or gravel] that would 쓸려나갈 [sseullyeonagal – be swept away] in the end.

‘There are many people who 연기 학원 [yeon-gi hagwon – acting academy] to 놀려고 [nollyeogo – to play or have fun].’

Not everyone who 다닌 [danin – attends or goes to] the 연기 학원 [yeon-gi hagwon – acting academy] is 진지한 [jinjihan – serious].

태반 [taeban – majority or most] are satisfied with the 타이틀 [taiteul – title] of 배우 지망생 [bae-u jimangsaeng – aspiring actor] and 머무는 [meomuneun – stay or remain] in that 자리에 [jarie – place or position].

“Ah, yes, well. That’s right.”

He didn’t even feel the 가치 [gachi – value or worth] to 상대할 [sangdaehal – deal with or interact with], so he was trying to 흘리려는 [heulliryeoneun – let it flow or brush it off] it 대충 [daechung – roughly or vaguely].

“Speaking of which, Min-ki said he wanted to go to Daon Entertainment, right?”

Kim Tak 꺼냈다 [kkeonaetda – took out or brought up] a 민감한 화제 [mingamhan hwaje – sensitive topic] without 개의치 [gae-eochi – caring or minding].

“Wasn’t today the 1차 발표일 [1cha balpyoil – first announcement day] for Daon Entertainment? I didn’t 넣었 [neo-eot – put in or apply], but Min-ki 넣었죠 [neo-eotjyo – put in or apply]? You 떨어지셨던데 [tteoreojisyeotdeonde – fell or failed] the last time you 넣으셨던 [neo-eusyeotdeon – put in or apply], did you 붙으셨 [buteusyeot – pass or get accepted] this time?”

In the 찰나 [chalna – moment or instant] that he was 깔깔거리는 [kkalkkalkgeorineun – laughing or giggling] 홀로 [hollo – alone], Min-ki 내쉬고 [naeswigo – let out or exhale] a 한숨 [hansum – sigh] and 말했다 [malhaetda – said].

“I 붙었어요 [buteosseoyo – passed or got accepted]. 1차 [1cha – first round].”

“……네 [ne – yes]?”

Kim Tak’s 말이 굳었다 [mari gudeotda – words froze or stiffened].

동시에 [dongsie – at the same time], a 작은 균열 일었다 [jageun gyunyeol ireotda – small crack occurred] in the 공기 [gonggi – air] of the 데뷔 준비반 [debut junbiban – debut preparation class].

“I 연락받았 [yeonlakbadat – received a call or notification] in the 아침 [achim – morning]. Here.”

Min-ki, in the 내친김에 [naechingime – while he was at it], 꺼내서 [kkeonaeseo – took out] even his 핸드폰 [haendeupon – cellphone] and 보여 주었다 [boyeo jueotda – showed] the 합격 통지 [hapgyeok tongji – acceptance notice] to him 아예 [ahye – completely].

Kim Tak, 들여다보던 [deuryeodabodeon – looking into or peering at] that for a 한참 [hancham – while], 휘둥그레졌다 [hwidunggeureojyeotda – eyes widened].

“언빌리버블 [unbelievable]……진짜 붙으셨네 [jinjja buteusyeonne – really got accepted]?”

“서류 [seoryu – documents] is 보는 거니까 형식상 [boneun geonikka hyeongshiksang – seeing is a formality].”

“그, 그렇죠 [geu, geureotjyo – that’s right]? Haha.”

Kim Tak, 당황스러웠는지 [danghwangseureowotneunji – embarrassed or flustered], even after 마주하고 [maju hago – facing or confronting] 현실 [hyeonsil – reality], 비비며 [bibimyeo – rubbing] his 눈 몇 번이고 [nun myeot beonigo – eyes several times] 재확인한 [jaehwaginhan – reconfirmed] in the 끝에 [kkeute – end], 말했다 [malhaetda – said].

“그래도 방심하지 마세요 [geuraedo bangshimhaji maseyo – don’t be careless]! They say 1차 [1cha – first round] is 원래 넣으면 다 붙는다잖아요 [wollae neo-eumyeon da butneundajanayo – originally if you put it in, everyone gets accepted]. 진짜 [jinjja – real] is 2차부터잖아요 [2chabuteojanhayo – from the second round]? Ah, I’m saying this so that Min-ki can 잘 준비해서 붙으시라는 [jal junbihaeseo buteusiraneun – prepare well and get accepted]!”

Kim Tak, 전환한 [jeonhwanhan – switched or changed] his 기세 [gise – momentum or spirit] 어느새 [eoneusae – somehow], 이어나갔 [ieonagat – continued] 말을 질리지도 않고 [mareul jillijido anko – without getting tired of talking].

This person is 대단하다 [daedanhada – amazing or impressive].

He should 법도 물러설 [beopdo mulleoseol – also retreat or back down], but does he 모르나 [moreuna – not know] to 읽을 [ilgeul – read] the 분위기 [bunwigi – atmosphere or mood]?

So, he was 찰나 주려는 면박 대놓고 [chalna juryeoneun myeonbak daenoko – about to give a direct rebuke].

“다온 1차 붙으셨어요 [daon 1cha buteusyeosseoyo – did you pass the first round of Daon]?”

A person 끼어들어서 [kkieodeureoseo – cut in or interrupted] 대뜸 말했다 [daetteum malhaetda – suddenly said].

But that person was also 꽤 익숙한 [kkwae iksukhan – quite familiar] to Min-ki.

유선아 [Yu Seon-ah].

She was a 툭 튀는 [tuk twineun – stand out or be noticeable] person even in this 데뷔 준비 과정 [debut junbi gwajeong – debut preparation process].

‘This person.’

She 남아 있었다 선명하게 [nama isseotda seonmyeonghage – remained clearly] in Min-ki’s 기억에도 [gieogedo – memory].

She was 남달랐는데 [namdareun-de – different or unique] from 외모 [oemoe – appearance] to 연기력 [yeon-gilyeok – acting ability], and I remember that she 데뷔 [debut] quickly as 그만큼 [geumankeum – that much] and 금방 반을 나갔던 [geumbang baneul nagatdeon – quickly left the class].

She 바라보며 [barabomyeo – looking at] Min-ki 말했다 [malhaetda – said].

“Wow, I 넣었는데 [neo-eonneunde – put in or applied] there too. Nice to meet you. We’re 오디션 동기네 [odishyeon donggine – audition classmates] same.”

“선아 씨도요 [Seon-ah ssido-yo – Ms. Seon-ah too]?”

“You 아시네요 [asineyo – know] my 이름 [ireum – name].”

“I just 있어서 기억 들었던 [isseoseo gieok deureotdeon – heard and remembered].”

Because the 강사 [gangsa – instructor] 칭찬했으니까 워낙 [chingchanhaesseunikka woneok – praised so much].

She 말했다 웃으며 [malhaetda useumyeo – said smiling], 뭐가 기쁜지 [mwoga gippeunji – what’s happy].

“Anyway, I 연락받았 [yeonlakbadat – received a call or notification] this 아침 [achim – morning] too. I thought I was the only one here who 준비하는 [junbihaneun – preparing] 다온 [Daon], but there was a 동지 [dongji – comrade].”

She 말했다 생글생글 [malhaetda saenggeulsaenggeul – said with a bright smile], who has 거의 없는 섞어본 길게 말을 평소 [geoui eomneun seokkeobon gilge mareul pyeongso – rarely mixed and talked long usually].

“사실 [sasil – actually], they say 다온 1차도 꽤 깐깐하게 본다고 해요 [daon 1chado kkwae kkan-kkanhage bondago haeyo – Daon’s first round is quite strict]. They 늘어놓고 종이를 적은 지원자 이름을 책상 위에 [neureonohgo jongireul jeogeun jiwonja ireumeul chaeksang wie – line up the names of applicants written on paper on the desk], and 틀어서 선풍기 [teureoseo seonpunggi – turn on the fan] in front of that, and 뽑는 [ppopneun – pick or choose] the person who 간 제일 멀리 [gan jeil meolli – went the farthest]? I know this is too 농담 [nongdam – joke], but still.”

It’s 놀랍다 [nollapda – amazing or surprising].

Was she 원래 [wollae – originally] a person 많은 말을 [maneun mareul – talkative] like this?

I remember her as a person who 금방 데뷔해서 떠난 [geumbang debwihaeseo tteonan – quickly debuted and left], but she was 준비했었구나 다온 [junbihaesseotguna daon – preparing for Daon].

“……그래도 2차 [geuraedo 2cha – still the second round] is 아는 거죠 붙어야 [aneun geo-jyo buteoya – know that you have to pass].”

Kim Tak, 밀려난 [millyeonan – pushed back] to 뒷전으로 [dwitjeoneuro – background] in the 사이 순식간에 [sai sunshikgane – moment], 말했다 with a 뻘쭘한 표정 [ppeoljjumhan pyojeong – awkward expression].

“그래도 2차부터가 진짜죠 [geuraedo 2chabuteoga jinjjajo – still the second round is the real thing]. 안 그래요 [an geuraeyo – isn’t it]?”

“맞아요 [majayo – that’s right]. If we 붙으면 [buteumyeon – pass or get accepted], 민기 씨랑 저랑 한솥밥 먹는 거네요 [mingi ssirang jeorang hansotbap meokneun geoneyo – Min-ki and I will be eating from the same pot] in the same 기획사 [gihoeksa – agency].”

“…….”

This person is 강하다 [ganghada – strong].

A person 보려는 부정적으로 뭐든 [boryeoneun bujeongjeogeuro mwodeun – trying to see everything negatively], 잃어갔 존재감을 [ireogatt jonjaegameul – lost presence] in front of a person 보는 긍정적으로 뭐든 [boneun geungjeongjeogeuro mwodeun – seeing everything positively].

She 이었다 말을 개의치 않고 [ieotda mareul gae-eochi anko – continued talking without caring].

“민기 씨는 준비하셨어요 연기 혹시 어떤 [mingi ssineun junbihasyeosseoyo yeongi hoksi eotteon – Min-ki, did you prepare any acting]?”

“분이 배우 좋아하는 there in 다온 [buni baeu joahaneun there in daon – actor you like there in Daon]. I’m 고르고 중에서 영화 출연한 그 분이 [goreugo jungeseo yeonghwa chulyeonhan geu buni – choosing among the movies that person appeared in].”

“Ah, you 있으셨구나 계획이 [isseosyeotguna gyehoegi – had a plan].”

두 사람 빠진 삼매경 이야기에 어느새 [du saram ppajin sammaegyeong iyagie eoneusae – two people fell into a trance in the story somehow].

그렇게 잠시 뒤 [geureoke jamsi dwi – after a while].

“수업 시작합니다 [sueop shijakhamnida – class starts].”

The 강사 [gangsa – instructor] 도착하며 늦게 7분 than 레슨 시간 [dochakhamyeo neuje 7bun than reseun shigan – arrived 7 minutes late than the lesson time], 시작됐다 수업 본격적인 [shijakdwaetda sueop bongyeokjeogin – class started in earnest].

틈도 준비할 없이 [teumdo junbihal eopsi – without time to prepare].

“기억하죠 거 냈던 과제 시간에 지난 [gieokhajyo geo naetdeon gwaje shigane jinan – remember the assignment we gave last time]? 보죠 해 바로 없으니까 시간 [bojyo hae baro eopseunikka shigan – let’s see it right away because there’s no time].”