Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 31

31. The Audition Result

“……Pardon?”

Lee Min-ki, who was about to leave the audition room, stopped dead in his tracks.

It was because of the unexpected words from Director Yeom Gwang-ho.

“Read this script here.”

His head was spinning.

He was prepared to accept failing this audition. It was because he had challenged himself with a character interpretation he wouldn’t normally do.

Instead of the ordinary citizen character in the original movie, he challenged himself with a slightly more provocative character.

He thought the level of completion would be low since the time for deliberation was short.

Although Manager Park Han-mo’s words bothered him, the choice was ultimately his.

Even if it led to failing the audition for the role, he was willing to accept it.

But what was this situation?

“Hurry. We don’t have much time.”

“Ah.”

Lee Min-ki barely regained his senses at Director Yeom Gwang-ho’s continued urging and walked over to receive the script.

His heart was pounding.

Auditions were always like this, but this was even more so.

All his senses were heightened.

Unlike the dark interior, the high lumen lights pouring down on his head felt hot.

But what he had to do was clear.

‘Act.’

It was to accept the offer the director had given him.

What else could he do?

“Let’s see.”

Director Yeom Gwang-ho glanced at his wristwatch and said.

“I’ll give you a little more time, so read it calmly. Then we’ll start. I won’t take any questions about the content.”

“Yes.”

At his words, Lee Min-ki took a breath and began to read the script frantically.

And immediately after, he felt a dizzying sensation and realized.

‘This is a much bigger role.’

It was a much bigger role than the character he had been acting just a moment ago.

[Detective Gu Hak-jin]

Another protagonist chasing the killer protagonist, a sidekick-like character to the corrupt detective.

–

No, I’m telling you, it’s that bastard!

Ha, I told you, there was something fishy about him.

Where is there a perfect person in the world?

Everyone’s the same.

Everyone poops. It’s just a matter of how much.

And the ones who do it secretly are the worst.

Senior, why don’t you understand this?

Ah! Seriously! Aish!

–

It was a character who was constantly getting his blood pressure up under the corrupt detective.

He was a supporting character in name only, but practically a lead.

Of course, he was the only one who knew all these specific facts.

Not only was it not explained in the official announcement, but the role wasn’t well revealed even in the excerpted script.

But Lee Min-ki knew.

He knew well because he had seen the finished version in the theater.

‘Are they trying to give me a better role?’

After a moment of contemplation, Lee Min-ki bit his lip and shook off his 잡념 [japnyum – distracting thoughts].

‘Let’s not think that I’m the only one getting a special opportunity. They might have said the same thing to other applicants. First, let’s clear my head and focus only on acting.’

Before seeing this script, now, and in the future, what he has to do is clear.

Acting.

While Lee Min-ki began to memorize the script, there was someone who fell into a complicated state watching this scene.

‘What was I thinking?’

It was Director Yeom Gwang-ho.

He thought after seeing Lee Min-ki’s acting.

Despite being a rookie, his acting ability itself was excellent. He thought he would do an average job no matter what role he was given.

Moreover, his 순둥순둥 [sundung-sundung – gentle and innocent] face suited the ordinary citizen role well.

But he felt like he could draw out even greater potential. So he was wondering if he should give him that role.

He needed someone who could add spice to the entire work.

But not just anyone could do it.

Characters have an innate color, and only someone who matches that color can produce the best results.

There are people who transcend the character with truly overwhelming skill, but usually, that’s how it is.

Lee Min-ki’s natural physique didn’t fit the [Detective Gu Hak-jin] role.

Nevertheless, the color of his acting clearly matched that character.

‘I wonder.’

What would the result be?

He was tempted to open the lid and look inside the bubbling pot right away.

But now was the time to wait.

He had to wait until Lee Min-ki read, analyzed, and finally accepted that script.

“…….”

“…….”

Right now, at this moment.

Lee Min-ki felt the minute hand like a second hand.

Director Yeom Gwang-ho felt the second hand like a minute hand.

After a while of feeling different times for the same result.

“Start.”

Director Yeom Gwang-ho, unable to hold back, opened his mouth first, and a few seconds after the acting began.

Just a few seconds later, he couldn’t help but laugh.

‘I found him.’

* * *

“…….”

On the way out of the audition room.

Lee Min-ki blankly looked up at the sky.

‘I never thought, never thought the result would turn out like this.’

He came to audition for a minor supporting role.

But that flew up into the sky.

‘I can’t believe I got cast in the role of Detective Gu Hak-jin.’

He was stuck in a different role.

He thought they would let him know the results later, but they shouted that he had passed on the spot.

Director Yeom Gwang-ho’s voice was still ringing in his ears.

[No need to see any more.]

He thought he had failed, but they said he had passed.

Lee Min-ki wasn’t the only one surprised. Another director sitting next to Director Yeom Gwang-ho was so surprised that his jaw almost dropped.

“Hehe, hehehehe, hehehehehe.”

Laughter flowed out of his mouth without him realizing it.

If someone passed by and saw him, they might make fun of him for being pathetic, but at this moment, he couldn’t help but laugh.

A shiver ran from the soles of his feet up his spine to the top of his head.

‘Is this what they call luck?’

This was half right and half wrong.

Strictly speaking, it was luck that he got to a good role.

But everyone makes choices.

Lee Min-ki chose the latter between textbook acting and the acting he could do.

Director Yeom Gwang-ho chose Lee Min-ki after seeing that acting.

Luck may have given Lee Min-ki the opportunity, but it was his skill that seized it.

‘I should treat my manager to a meal when I see him later.’

Unfortunately, the manager only dropped him off and didn’t wait until the end to pick him up.

It seemed that even a large agency thought it was a waste of manpower to assign a dedicated manager to a rookie actor.

But it didn’t matter.

He also wanted to walk while enjoying the joy of success.

‘Okay, should I run to the gym today? Cardio is the best for warming up, and the weather is nice and cool. It’s just right.’

Oh, there’s something to do before leaving.

It’s spreading the news all over the neighborhood.

First, starting with Manager Park Han-mo and trainer Kim Ah-seong, I have to spread it to Yoo Seon-ah and Kim Tak, as well as my classmates at Jam Acting School.

‘Just bragging isn’t very good, so I should buy them a meal for once.’

There’s an old saying that if you have something to boast about to others, you must buy them a meal together.

That way, the aftermath disappears.

Lee Min-ki was a fervent believer in this theory.

‘If it’s an audition pass, um, well, yeah, beef would be good, right? Sirloin and ribs have too much fat and are a bit 부담스럽 [budamseureop – 부담스럽], yeah, I should treat them to 육사시미 [yuk sashimi – Korean style beef sashimi]. Or spend a little more and get tenderloin……!’

It’s 부담스럽 [budamseureop – 부담스럽], but you have to spend when you have to.

He still had plenty of the contract money he received from the company, and he also had a lump sum from the recent tuition fee payback.

‘I can eat beef once a week now too!’

He had developed.

He trembled with emotion at himself for being able to spend that much on a meal for a moment.

Just as he was about to make congratulatory calls to those around him and leave.

Boooong.

His phone rang.

But the call he received was a bit embarrassing.

[Min-seo: Hey]

[Min-seo: What are you doing?]

It was a call from his family.

* * *

What should he say about Lee Min-ki’s family?

They were ordinary.

Not just ordinary, but a textbook ordinary working-class family.

He had parents above him and an older sister next to him. At least his sister, ‘Lee Min-seo,’ had studied well since she was young and went to a good university.

But Lee Min-ki was different.

He didn’t have much talent for studying, and fundamentally, he had no luck.

Whenever he guessed on multiple-choice questions, he always missed them all.

He 지원하향 [jiwon hayang – applied to a lower-ranked college than his scores would allow] for college, but the competition rate exploded that year. He barely got a reserve number, but his turn was cut off right in front of him.

His college entrance exam was ruined without a doubt.

However, his parents couldn’t afford to help him 재수 [jaesu – study for a repeat of the college entrance exam].

So, Lee Min-ki gave up 재수 [jaesu – study for a repeat of the college entrance exam].

Instead, he spent his early 20s doing all sorts of odd jobs, thinking he would support his family.

So far, he would be a proud son to his parents.

If it weren’t for just one choice that followed.

[I’m going to be an actor.]

Lee Min-ki boldly declared that he would start studying acting at an age that was quite late for an actor.

His mother’s thoughts upon hearing those words were like this.

[An actor with as little luck as 과자 뽀시래기 [gwaja pposiraegi – tiny crumbs of snacks] ?]

She was shocked.

But Lee Min-ki’s will was like steel, and a long persuasion followed.

The result was like this.

[Our son……wouldn’t you do anything else?]

Not only his parents.

Even his sister, whom he had trusted, was not on his side.

[Hey, I haven’t said it usually, but I’ve been proud of you sometimes? I’ve been telling people around me that my brother is a good person……but I don’t think acting is for you. Let’s do the college entrance exam again. I’ll take a leave of absence and help you. 응 [eung – a soft affirmative] ? I can teach you too.]

The whole family strongly opposed it.

Looking closely, it was a typical reaction.

Even if someone from a typical family said they would become an actor, they would try to stop them, but Lee Min-ki’s luck, which they had watched for over 20 years, had been like that so far.

Since it was this situation, what could he do?

There was only one choice Lee Min-ki could make.

Either give up acting.

[I’ll come back stronger.]

Or give up his family.

He packed up the money he had saved and left home.

Several years passed like that.

It had been several months since Lee Min-ki last contacted his family at this point.

Including his past life, it felt like a whopping 5 years.

It was because he had been a aspiring actor from his early to mid-20s and had endlessly repeated failures until he was over 30.

No matter what his family thought of Lee Min-ki, he felt uncomfortable facing his family, so he gradually avoided them and eventually cut off contact altogether.

His face was fading from his memory.

‘But that’s over now.’

He had something to show off this time.

At least it was much better than before.

It wouldn’t be a triumphant return, but it would be a silver-lining return.

‘It’s not like families have to stick together like rice cakes, but it’s still right to not worry them.’

Today, his sister ‘Lee Min-seo’ was scheduled to visit. Under the pretext of delivering kimchi that his parents had made.

But that was just the surface appearance, and the real mission was separate.

It was to spy on Lee Min-ki’s life and report it to his parents.

‘Relationship recovery starts here.’

He would only show her a good side.

So, Lee Min-ki dressed up even more neatly than usual and came to the cafe.

Since his house was small, he suggested meeting at a cafe first.

“Hoo.”

As he was sipping the Americano he had ordered after arriving at the cafe alone, he somehow became conscious of the surrounding gazes.

It must be because he was too sensitive.

Even veterans get nervous before a battle.

……That’s what Lee Min-ki thought, but the reality was like this.

“Isn’t that Lee Min-ki?”

There was someone in the cafe who recognized him.

It was a viewer who had watched the drama [Campus Story], which had recently gained moderate popularity among women in their 10s and 30s.

That’s right.

Now was the time when people would recognize him, even if he wasn’t quite a fan yet.

“Who is he?”

“Here, here, the second male lead……is that right? Anyway, there’s someone who came out with a bit of weight.”

“Oh, he’s handsome. But he looks better in person?”

As the two were talking for a moment.

Finally, they decided.

“Should we ask him to sign?”