Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 50

50. Luck-Based Top Star

Episode 50

[Real Protein? What’s that?]

[Never even heard of it]

It was a brand I had literally never heard of.

Real Protein.

I roughly knew it was a protein supplement, but even few people knew that such a product existed.

[It’s domestic?]

[Aren’t domestic products a bit meh? Pros all eat imported stuff]

[They seem to have prepared a bit. The ingredients are pretty good.]

[I heard domestic ones mix in flour and sell it.]

[They’re a listed pharmaceutical company]

The Korean health scene is small, but news travels fast.

If you don’t know at all, you don’t know, but once the name is mentioned, it spreads rapidly like a fire in a field.

This is where Lee Min-ki’s strength was revealed.

‘If it’s that level, maybe I can do it too?’

Lee Min-ki’s body was realistically good.

If the bodies of professional bodybuilders are unrealistically good, like something out of a comic book, Lee Min-ki’s body is a bit different.

It’s definitely good, but it’s the kind of body that makes you think you could achieve something similar if you work hard enough.

It felt within reach.

Yeah.

‘I don’t think I can’t compete?’

There was a subtle sense of ease.

Of course, in reality, it’s impossible.

Just like people are born with their faces, they are born with their body structure.

Lee Min-ki’s frame wasn’t just exceptionally proportioned, but also surpassed the top 1% in terms of having a beautiful and pleasing body.

But.

[I’ll get Lee Min-ki’s body in 3 months.]

Originally, celebrity looks feel really approachable if they’re handsome in an unassuming way.

[I’ll try it first]

[lololol sucker, getting fooled again?]

[It’s not even that expensive compared to imported stuff, isn’t it worth trying?]

[True, you eat 30 scoops in a month anyway]

Moreover, the general public had low awareness of professional bodybuilders.

No matter how great a protein supplement is, there was always a bit of a *burdensome feeling*, and Lee Min-ki targeted this niche.

[This is the supplement]

[Lee Min-ki – Official advertising model contract with Han Kyoung Pharmaceuticals]

[Additional ad images released]

[10-month workout schedule and before & after reveal, join us]

[Make exercise a part of your life, Real Protein]

Moreover, the period of 10 months, neither too short nor too long, proved effective.

It was good for approaching the general public.

That’s how, after a few weeks.

Han Kyoung Pharmaceuticals was able to get what they deserved.

[Lee Min-ki effect ‘Sales increase by 11 times’]

* * *

Daon Entertainment.

A management company that stood out even among the agencies that advocated for small elites.

They had been suffering from a serious stomachache recently due to one thing.

“Lee Min-ki, that guy is really doing well.”

Lee Min-ki was the cause.

Need I say more?

The fact that Daon Entertainment rejected Lee Min-ki, who even came to the audition himself, during the screening process was already a famous story.

“Isn’t he one of the top rookies these days?”

“Unless they’re idols who built recognition during their trainee days… he’s got the most potential.”

Lee Min-ki is doing well.

That was tantamount to proving Daon Entertainment’s incompetence.

Of course, there were many agencies that rejected Lee Min-ki at the document screening stage.

But at least that was a document cut.

Few places dropped him after seeing his skills directly at the audition like Daon.

“Did you see the audition recording from last time?”

“He was good back then too? He doesn’t have a great body like now, but he had a desperate feel. Raw, you could say. He was already better than most rookies, not worse.”

“Why did the CEO drop Lee Min-ki?”

“Don’t you know? He picked his friend’s son instead of Lee Min-ki.”

The audition behind-the-scenes story was spreading publicly among the employees.

But is it just Lee Min-ki’s story that comes up?

There were three letters that followed his name publicly.

“Who is that CEO’s friend’s son?”

“Don’t you know? It’s Kim Ji-hwan.”

“Was Kim Ji-hwan a parachute hire [hired due to connections]?”

It was Kim Ji-hwan.

The actor who came in instead of Lee Min-ki.

With a tall height and chic face, he was someone who could be called a promising rookie.

[Kim Ji-hwan participates as a supporting role in a Wednesday-Thursday mini-drama]

[Captivates women’s hearts with his eye acting]

[His height is ‘stylish’]

Daon was pushing him, so he was making some progress.

He grew so quickly that it was almost embarrassing to predict that he would become a bad actor in the beginning.

But.

That was it.

“He’s not quite as good as Lee Min-ki.”

It’s lacking.

Compared to Lee Min-ki, who had already appeared in a decent drama and a hit movie, and even succeeded in advertising, there was a noticeable lack.

“Why did they pick him over Lee Min-ki?”

“That damn CEO’s friend’s son.”

“That’s why you shouldn’t pick actors based on connections.”

Perhaps because he was constantly being talked about.

As the person involved, there was no way he couldn’t know that people were talking about him here and there.

‘How absurd.’

That person, Kim Ji-hwan, frowned as he eavesdropped on the employees’ gossip near the smoking area.

Is Lee Min-ki such a great guy?

But so what.

Why bother comparing and mentioning him?

‘It’s not like I skipped the audition and got in.’

Kim Ji-hwan was inwardly upset.

Didn’t the two of us compete fairly and squarely at the audition and I won?

Wasn’t that why I was chosen?

Of course, behind the scenes, his parents’ influence had a 400% or more effect.

[Hey, don’t worry about it. You’re doing well in your own way, so just practice your acting.]

Daon’s CEO Hwang In-gu encouraged him, but encouragement didn’t make him feel better.

Rather, he just thought that they were looking down on him.

Even at home, it was the same.

[Lee Min-ki, is that guy famous?]

That’s what his father said.

[Sales are not good because of that guy, the atmosphere is not good, I don’t think it will last long.]

Need I say more?

“Who was it? One of our investors, Ivreum. You know that pharmaceutical company?”

“Yes, the place where the CEO often brags about his son.”

“That’s right, it seems that CEO’s son wants to challenge the entertainment industry.”

Pharmaceutical company Ivreum.

That was the company run by Kim Ji-hwan’s father.

And ironically, it was also competing with Han Kyoung Pharmaceuticals in the protein supplement market.

[The pride of supplements, Ivreum]

[A new era of supplements born from the scientific technology of the California Research Institute]

Of course, Ivreum’s supplements were different.

If Han Kyoung Pharmaceuticals researched and developed supplements on its own, Ivreum only brought American products and sold them with their name and packaging.

Ivreum was such a place.

A supplement/nutritional supplement distributor disguised as a pharmaceutical company.

But even so, it is true that they had been doing well with marketing.

That was.

[Market share is not good]

Recently, their sales have decreased as they lost market share to Han Kyoung Pharmaceuticals.

That anger soon poured out of his father’s mouth and onto Kim Ji-hwan himself.

[I heard he’s doing commercials with exercise, can’t you do that?]

“……”

It was a situation where the blood in his forehead seemed to be flowing in reverse.

It’s not like Kim Ji-hwan hadn’t tried exercising.

He had tried it in his own way, and he was doing it steadily.

That’s why he couldn’t help but feel more resentment towards Lee Min-ki.

‘How is that a 10-month body?’

He must be cheating.

A cowardly guy.

Lee Min-ki’s face, which he had briefly encountered at the audition, gradually felt hateful.

‘He pretends to be innocent on the outside, but inside, there’s a snake coiled up.’

But there was no answer right now.

He couldn’t engage in hostile business just because he didn’t like it.

Even if he had a backer, it was true that he was a rookie actor.

“Hoo.”

He was sighing like that.

“……Huh.”

“Actor?”

The employees who had been smoking in the corner and gossiping about Kim Ji-hwan until just now found him and froze like stones.

“I…….”

“Don’t smoke too much. It’s not good for your body. Oh, take some magnesium.”

“Ah, thank you.”

With that one word, the employees ran away as if fleeing into the distance.

This sight is also annoying.

To think that pathetic employees can’t say what they want because they’re watching a rookie actor.

As a result, Kim Ji-hwan came to this conclusion.

‘It’s all because of Lee Min-ki, that guy.’

Lee Min-ki is the root of all evil.

Being talked about in the company.

His position as a rookie is shaken even though he debuted at the same time.

Even his father’s company sales are falling.

He could only say that it was all Lee Min-ki’s fault.

‘If I ever run into him again, I’ll crush him properly.’

Kim Ji-hwan gritted his teeth, vowing revenge on the young Lee Min-ki.

And.

That day came sooner than expected.

* * *

JC Office.

Lee Min-ki said with a slightly surprised voice.

“A drama?”

“Yes, I found a good work. Take a look.”

Director Seo Jung-woo slid an audition announcement in front of Lee Min-ki.

But the content was a bit familiar to Lee Min-ki.

Work Introduction

Title: Cafe del Dia

Director: Noh Ho-yeon

Genre: Youth Romance

Leading Actor: Undecided

Recruitment Gender: Male

Audition Role

Leading Actor (Male): Age in the drama 20s

#Established or rookie actor

#Preference for those with experience participating in dramas

#Those who can film in Seoul

Cafe del Dia.

A drama about two men and one woman causing incidents against the backdrop of a cafe.

“There hasn’t been a work in this position for several years. It seems that we will be able to get a decent response. The role we are picking this time is…….”

Director Seo Jung-woo continued with a formal explanation.

But even without listening to it, the contents of the work were clearly contained in Lee Min-ki’s head.

‘It was quite an interesting work.’

Lee Min-ki also remembered the contents.

He is omnivorous and watches almost everything, and [Cafe del Dia] was a work from a terrestrial major broadcasting station [a major national television network].

There’s no way he wouldn’t have seen it.

Rather, he repeatedly watched it several times to study and analyzed it thoroughly.

‘It was a work that joined the ranks of well-made dramas with a good script and decent results. But participating as the lead.’

There was a burden in participating as the lead in a terrestrial drama.

Now that he is heading towards his second year since his debut, Lee Min-ki has not yet had any leading roles.

He only experienced supporting roles twice.

‘I think the competition rate for this kind of thing is basically several hundred to one.’

Can I really get in?

Wouldn’t it be a waste of time if I failed?

After worrying for a while, Lee Min-ki shook his head to shake off his *idle thoughts*.

Since when have I been worrying about that kind of thing.

It doesn’t make sense to calculate the probability of failing or not.

Rather, do I want to appear or not?

I decided to look at only this one thing.

“The fact that it is a food-related drama is also an advantage. If you appear, it will be easier to get advertisements later.”

Director Seo Jung-woo continued his explanation in a low voice even while Lee Min-ki was lost in thought.

“Perhaps, even though the work did well last time, I don’t think there will be any need to worry about not having a place to appear in advertisements.”

“Well, I definitely knew that thrillers aren’t always good.”

“I stopped you.”

“But I’m glad I appeared, right?”

Director Seo Jung-woo smiled at Lee Min-ki’s words.

“Yes, the work did well, and the image of the actor is not a one-off game.”

That’s right.

Because it’s not a one-off game, it’s not the end just because you fail once.

“The actor’s position is quite good right now. A rookie with proven acting skills and visuals, there’s nothing like it. [Whenever You’re Green] has qualitatively upgraded the actor’s career.”

There are not only the eyes of the public.

There are also the eyes of industry people.

After going through [Whenever You’re Green], Lee Min-ki’s value has definitely increased by one level.

“But there’s one thing that bothers me.”

“What is it?”

“Cafe del Dia is a *popular* work. So there will be quite a few actors aiming for the lead role. They said they are picking a male actor in his 20s, so rookies will be the center.”

“A rookie actor.”

Come to think of it, this was originally a love triangle work.

Not one man in his 20s appeared, but two.

Who was the other sub-male lead besides the male lead?

‘No, who played it.’

It was when Lee Min-ki’s thoughts reached this point.

‘Ah.’

It came to mind.

The name of the actor who appeared in Cafe del Dia and began to raise his stock in earnest flashed through his head like lightning.

Kim Ji-hwan.

That rookie actor I met at the Daon audition before.

He, who has come to shoulder the future of Daon, was the main character of Cafe del Dia.