Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 56

56

[Café del Dia].

It was a notification saying he had passed the audition for the lead role.

After a week of waiting, Lee Min-ki felt his head was about to explode.

‘Really? I actually got it?’

He stared blankly, unable to believe it.

He had prepared as best as he could. He felt like he had given it everything he had.

Still, he thought the odds of failing were higher.

‘I wondered if I had pushed too hard.’

He worried if he had gone too far trying to outshine Kim Ji-hwan during the free acting portion.

No matter how much he aimed for it, wasn’t it too much of a gamble?

The production company’s response was delayed, but finally, the result came back positive.

This proved one thing.

‘I was right.’

His gamble had paid off.

It was his first lead role on a major network.

Lee Min-ki grinned, overjoyed, repeatedly reading the message on his phone.

He must have looked strange.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah.”

Startled by Kim Tae-yang’s question, Lee Min-ki cleared his throat and said.

“That new drama by Director Noh Ho-yeon that I auditioned for.”

“Yes, you mentioned it earlier.”

“I heard I got the part.”

“……!”

Kim Tae-yang’s eyes widened.

Then he calmed down, saying in a voice that seemed to anticipate it, “Is that so?”

Kim Tae-yang muttered casually, pushed his chair back, and got up.

Creak.

He went to the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator.

Lee Min-ki, puzzled by Kim Tae-yang’s actions, asked, “What’s wrong? Aren’t you eating seafood?”

“When there’s good news, it’s not seafood.”

Kim Tae-yang closed the refrigerator door, brandishing a chunk of meat he had taken out.

“Beef is the right choice.”

* * *

One person passing an exam usually means another person has failed.

But that wasn’t always the case with auditions.

There were two possibilities.

There was also the option of two people passing together.

This time, that was the case.

It was Kim Ji-hwan from Daon Entertainment.

“Anyway, he got in. That’s what matters,” CEO Hwang In-gu chuckled, seemingly unconcerned about the details.

But Kim Ji-hwan couldn’t share his laughter.

Because.

“I got pushed into a supporting role.”

He got in, but only as the second male lead.

Gritting.

Kim Ji-hwan gritted his teeth, humiliated.

‘If you were going to reject me, you should have just rejected me completely. Why offer me a different role?’

Anger surged.

But strictly speaking, the judges were impressed with him.

Why didn’t they drop Kim Ji-hwan and instead cast him as the supporting male lead?

The reason was simple.

They sensed his impatience, desperation, and inferiority complex.

They also felt they could use those emotions to enhance his acting.

Of course, Kim Ji-hwan’s basic acting skills were good too.

Although it didn’t seem to resonate with him personally.

‘Are they looking down on me?’

There must be a reason why they made this decision. If they truly didn’t think I was good enough, they would have dropped me.

I know.

Even knowing that, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

‘I worked so hard to prepare for this role.’

Although it wasn’t public knowledge, Kim Ji-hwan had been preparing for this project much longer than the other participants.

Thanks to Daon Entertainment secretly gathering information.

“I can’t accept this.”

Hwang In-gu, perhaps finding Kim Ji-hwan’s anger pathetic, put down his documents, sighed, and said, “Ji-hwan, you seem to be misunderstanding something. You’re still a rookie actor.”

“…….”

“Our company has given you as much help as we can. If it still didn’t work out, you should know how to accept it and step back.”

“But.”

Kim Ji-hwan started to protest.

“Or could it be that what I’m saying is wrong?”

CEO Hwang In-gu’s eyes narrowed like a snake’s as he said, “They gave you the offer because they thought highly of you. It’s a favor, a favor. Do you think it’s easy to create a lead role to save someone who’s about to be dropped?”

“……Ugh.”

“You seem to have some complaints about the role, which is understandable. But running away is another story. Are you afraid of Lee Min-ki?”

Hwang In-gu’s relentless pressure left Kim Ji-hwan standing like a scarecrow.

“There are many things to consider in company matters than you think. I’m already tired of dealing with so many annoying things these days, so don’t bother me, Ji-hwan.”

“…….”

“Am I talking to myself?”

“……I understand.”

Kim Ji-hwan bit his lip tightly.

He felt a strong sense of shame.

It’s common knowledge that actors are the boss and agencies are the subordinate.

But their relationship was different.

It was more like an uncle and nephew relationship.

They weren’t blood-related, but there would be a lot of trouble if their relationship soured.

Because he was a friend of his father’s business partner.

“I was just saying. You’re doing well.”

CEO Hwang In-gu waved his hand dismissively and said, “Go in. Cut down on the alcohol. It’s not good for an actor to smell like alcohol.”

At those words, Kim Ji-hwan walked out of the CEO’s office.

A room left alone.

CEO Hwang In-gu took out an electronic cigarette, took a long puff, exhaled the smoke, and muttered, “That bastard, he’s getting too big for his britches.”

That’s how all rookies are.

At first, they’re grateful just to get a minor role, but later they take supporting roles for granted.

Then they even refuse lead roles depending on the role.

They’re often said to be getting too cocky.

‘He’s too good for his own good.’

Kim Ji-hwan seemed to be walking this path a little faster than others.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

He’s the kind of character who needs to be a little cocky.

He was more concerned about someone else.

“Lee Min-ki…… Lee Min-ki…… Lee Min-ki, huh.”

Hwang In-gu rolled his eyes as he recalled his face.

‘At first, I just thought he was a rookie who was good at acting.’

Rookies are pouring out every year.

Even if he stood out, there were originally many people who were good at acting when they were rookies.

But in the long run, nine out of ten of them were bound to collapse.

It’s rare for geniuses to go far.

On the other hand, it was common for geniuses to burn out quickly.

That’s why CEO Hwang In-gu trusted his gut.

To raise Kim Ji-hwan.

Even if that Lee Min-ki was quite talented, he had a feeling that he would have limitations in the long run.

‘He was definitely a weak-spirited guy.’

He doesn’t have the face to become a star.

He felt it instinctively.

The intuition that had brought him to this position told him so.

But why does that Lee Min-ki keep getting involved?

‘Am I unlucky? No, that can’t be.’

He’s always been lucky.

Has it been easy to establish himself in this harsh entertainment industry?

From the very beginning, he had led worm-like followers and pushed aside all kinds of competitors to get here.

It would have been impossible if he had been unlucky as a human being before being a businessman.

‘There’s no way my luck is bad.’

There are no exceptions.

CEO Hwang In-gu even had absolute confidence in his own luck and intuition.

‘Hmm, it would be fine if they didn’t overlap, but their activities are subtly overlapping. That supplement ad, and this drama too.’

What the hell is he?

It’s a bit unsettling.

It was as annoying as a drop of soy sauce on his clothes.

‘Am I overreacting?’

It was pointless to worry.

Just because he’s not bad doesn’t mean his celebrity will become popular.

But CEO Hwang In-gu was originally that kind of person.

Once he decided no, he meant no.

CEO Hwang In-gu was a much more twisted person than Kim Ji-hwan’s resentment seemed like a joke.

“약유구불 불즉시심 심하원멱…….”

Clatter, clatter.

He calmly chanted Buddhist scriptures and rolled the rosary bracelet on his wrist for a while.

CEO Hwang In-gu opened his eyes wide.

‘Ah, it pisses me off.’

He needed to vent.

There was no big reason.

There was no reason for venting in the first place.

He wanted to punish the bug that had annoyed him even for a moment.

It was a bad habit he had had since he was very young.

He was the kind of person who would steal a pencil case from a friend he didn’t like at school and throw it up into a tree, that was Hwang In-gu.

‘Okay, I’ve decided. Now that I think about it, should I make a scratch?’

There are many ways.

There were so many to choose from that he was worried about which one would be appropriate.

* * *

First meeting at Café del Dia.

As with [Forever Green], the schedule for the first day was the same.

[We will be holding a script reading from 2 PM, so please attend the conference room on time. There may be disadvantages if you do not attend.]

It was a script reading.

Also, at the [Café Rio] headquarters building, which was the filming location.

‘Hoo, I’m nervous.’

He had already experienced it once.

But Lee Min-ki’s heart was pounding like crazy, like a high school student 20 minutes before the start of the college entrance exam, and it wouldn’t calm down.

If you ask why, it’s because the position is different from then.

“Oh my, Actor Lee, I really enjoyed your last work.”

“Haha, thank you.”

“I like you so much that I always thought it would be nice to film with you someday, and I’m so happy to have this opportunity!”

How happy was she to repeat the word ‘happy’ three times in one sentence?

In fact, the way people around him treated Lee Min-ki was different.

What should I say at that time?

It was like a newbie who was lucky enough to be selected by Director Yeom Gwang-ho.

This time, wherever he turned his head, he was met with much more favorable gazes.

‘He’s a rising star.’

‘[Campus Story] was good, and [Forever Green] was good too. That supplement? I heard the ad did well too.’

‘He looks better in person than in pictures.’

‘He seems to have a good personality too.’

Interest and goodwill pouring in like a wave.

That in turn made Lee Min-ki not know what to do.

‘I’m used to bad gazes, but everyone is looking at me so favorably that I can’t get used to it.’

There was one person who was giving him a familiar look among those gazes.

‘Wow, he keeps staring. Doesn’t his eyes hurt?’

It was Kim Ji-hwan.

He was busy glaring, regardless of how people around him treated Lee Min-ki.

I thought he had failed, but he managed to sit in this seat and seemed to be burning with competitiveness.

‘I think he said that he’s the rival of the main character. Is it method acting?’

That’s right.

If Lee Min-ki played the role of the main character [Seong Jin-woo], Kim Ji-hwan played [Cha Young-hwan], the rival of [Seong Jin-woo].

Ironically, the relationship between the two in the story was exactly like the two of them now.

If [Seong Jin-woo] is an elite barista brought in from above, [Cha Young-hwan] is a decent barista who was originally there.

He was a character who burned with inferiority complex towards [Seong Jin-woo], who was better than him.

In love and in coffee.

‘I’m more comfortable with that look.’

If everyone had treated him well, he would have felt suffocated, but he felt more comfortable because he was being glared at unilaterally.

Lee Min-ki was exhibiting social skills in a very twisted direction.

Meanwhile, there was someone who was watching this scene with a satisfied smile.

‘Yes, that’s exactly the dynamic I wanted. They’re both doing well.’

It was Director Noh Ho-yeon.

He kept thinking with a smile on his face.

‘I’ve been worried about this for a long time, but now I’ll be able to see the results soon, right?’

Director Noh Ho-yeon, happy as long as the results were good, shouted in a cheerful voice.

“Okay, let’s start the script reading now. Take your seats.”

At that one word, the actors and staff who had been scattered and talking moved to their respective seats in an orderly manner.

Director Noh Ho-yeon sat in the most central seat as the facilitator.

With him as the core, the seats were arranged in order of distance according to the importance of the roles.

In short, Kim Ji-hwan was sitting right next to Lee Min-ki.

“Please take care of me.”

“……Yes.”

Kim Ji-hwan couldn’t even ignore the greeting, so he nodded perfunctorily.

But inside, his fighting spirit was burning.

‘I’ll crush you in the reading.’

In order to avenge the humiliation he felt at the audition, he practiced and practiced as if he were going to die.

To the point where his throat was blistered and scabs came out while reciting his lines.

Although the role has changed, Kim Ji-hwan was confident that he could overwhelm Lee Min-ki in any scene.

He doesn’t even find it funny to see that guy smiling with such a weak face.

If it were outside the studio, he wouldn’t have been able to exchange a single word with him.

‘Let’s see how long you can keep smiling.’

He can beat him in acting that requires teamwork, if not individual acting.

At least, that’s what Kim Ji-hwan thought.

But.

“Then shall we start with scene 13? Min-ki and Ji-hwan, please prepare.”

The moment the script reading began.

Kim Ji-hwan had to realize that his expectations were wrong.

“The world has become a better place. Right?”

A bitter smile burst from Lee Min-ki’s mouth.

“Even a guy like you is called a barista just because you roast some coffee.”

“…….”

“Aren’t you ashamed?”

It was a voice and momentum that made him instinctively want to lower his eyes.