Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 62

Episode 62

CEO Song Jin-bae.

He experienced a turning point in his life from the coffee he tasted during his studies abroad. After returning to Korea, he entered the food and beverage (F&B) business, building a vast empire.

His goal had always been singular.

The popularization of coffee.

‘I want to create a country where the entire nation starts their day with a cup of coffee.’

Driven by this ambition, he ventured into every field related to coffee. After much hardship, he now believed he was close to achieving his goal.

Unless someone particularly disliked coffee, it had already become an integral part of Korean life.

Therefore, he wanted to move on to the next stage.

‘From the consumer’s life to the producer’s life.’

Beyond simply consuming coffee, he wanted to cultivate the coffee culture itself.

That’s why he increased investment in media.

He wanted to foster a romantic perception of the barista culture.

In the process, he discovered the drama [Cafe del Dia].

The moment he learned of its existence, he knew.

‘This is it.’

This was exactly the kind of work that could uniquely shape Korean coffee culture.

However, separately from that, he had never really liked the entertainment industry itself.

Because there were so many people who treated coffee as mere gossip.

[Speaking of the future of coffee. BFC.]

[Shall we have coffee?]

He would leverage their popularity and pay them fair compensation for promotion, but he didn’t believe they had any genuine passion for coffee.

This [Cafe del Dia] was no exception.

The production team seemed dedicated, so he invested heavily, but he never sensed any real sincerity.

But.

‘Interesting.’

A moment ago, that prejudice was shattered.

[The risk in the coffee market is the environment. Specifically, global warming.]

It was Lee Min-ki who caused that crack.

He thought he was just an actor who diligently practiced coffee art, but he sensed sincerity in his words.

It wasn’t just empty talk.

[For the coffee market to last, we must first consider ways to reduce carbon emissions. I believe that is the answer for the coffee market and the overall global agricultural market.]

His words clearly conveyed sincerity.

It wasn’t the usual lip service; the desperation of someone genuinely worried about the industry’s future was evident in Lee Min-ki’s appeal.

‘How can he speak so confidently? Is it because he’s an actor and his pronunciation is fluent?’

No.

The sincerity in Lee Min-ki’s voice wasn’t due to such trivial reasons.

It was because he had experienced that future.

Because he had seen with his own eyes the graph showing the price of coffee beans doubling in just one year.

Unlike the armchair experts who engage in theoretical discussions, he was talking about things he had seen and experienced firsthand.

Even if he said the same words, his appeal was bound to be different.

‘He’s different from those nobodies.’

That was the moment CEO Song Jin-bae began to see Lee Min-ki differently, and furthermore, to perceive [Cafe del Dia] differently.

[Excuse me. I was asking about the current coffee market, not talking about the future coffee market, right?]

The armchair expert spoke up.

He tried to maintain neutrality as much as possible, but he couldn’t overlook that.

That was the driving force that made CEO Song Jin-bae open his mouth.

“The drought started last year. Because of that, the price of coffee bean futures has risen by 12% between last month and this month alone.”

“……”

“Whether that’s due to climate change or not remains to be seen, but the reality is that discussions about carbon emissions are underway at the forefront of the industry.”

With Kim Ba-wi-cham standing there speechless, CEO Song Jin-bae fired off words like arrows.

Then, with a somewhat softened gaze, he looked at Lee Min-ki and asked.

“Adding to actor Lee Min-ki’s opinion, if we were to suggest improvements, changes are needed in the way coffee beans are transported. What alternatives are there?”

“……”

Lee Min-ki frowned even more.

CEO Song Jin-bae seemed to be taking his side, but then he threw another question.

He thought he was an ally, but he was a hidden enemy.

‘Ugh, my information is starting to run out.’

Of course, from CEO Song Jin-bae’s perspective, it was a question thrown to promote Lee Min-ki.

There was no way someone who properly recognized environmental issues wouldn’t be able to answer even this simple question.

But the person in question only knew about this change and was only scratching the surface.

‘Kuaaak!’

It was a moment when his head felt like it was heating up and exploding like fireworks.

Whoosh――

Across the venue.

That is, the blue sky beyond the glass on the other side of the venue came into view.

And.

A plane leisurely passing through the white clouds came into view.

Just one plane flying at a low altitude.

It was safe to say that witnessing that sight was purely coincidental.

But that coincidence was clearly due to Lee Min-ki’s luck.

If so.

“……An airplane.”

That was a revelation.

A revelation that would ultimately bring out the decisive blow in this debate.

Deep in his mind.

Lee Min-ki, who had even found the last piece of his sleeping memory, opened his mouth.

“I heard that carbon emissions are increasing because we’re transporting coffee beans by plane these days. I think it would be good to innovate the distribution process so that fresh beans can be supplied mainly by ships.”

“Hmm.”

CEO Song Jin-bae made a short groan at that answer.

Lee Min-ki’s suggestion was valid.

However, there were also flaws.

From the perspective of a seller who procures and sells coffee in real time, there were practical flaws.

But.

‘It’s enough.’

What does it matter if he’s an actor?

It was a part that could be praised and passed over.

No, it was more than enough.

That’s why CEO Song Jin-bae could say with a satisfied smile.

“That was a good opinion. So good that I’d like to have you as our company’s ambassador.”

At that last remark, a small laugh spread throughout the venue.

They seemed to think that offering to bring him to the company was a joke.

Lee Min-ki also barely managed to hold on to his sanity and said.

“……Haha, if you just contact me, I’m always welcome.”

Ah, I thought my heart was going to drop and kill me.

Only after realizing that this sudden debate was over could he let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile.

‘I must contact him next time.’

CEO Song Jin-bae developed an even greater liking for the mere actor.

‘F***, f***, f***.’

Kim Ba-wi-cham, who had set out to attack but ended up promoting the other person, sat back in his seat unnoticed and trembled with humiliation.

And.

Kim Ji-hwan, who had been sitting still with a microphone in one hand, thought with an empty heart.

‘He researched this deeply.’

He realized the reason why, no matter how hard he tried, he would inevitably fall short when standing next to Lee Min-ki.

‘It was the difference in detail.’

That detail, whether or not he could take it one step further at a crucial moment, existed between the two of them.

It may not be necessary for acting.

Maybe he’ll never use it in his life.

But Lee Min-ki willingly studied and accepted that area beyond.

‘Hoo, I really tried hard to film this work.’

Was it still not enough?

Kim Ji-hwan shook his head at Lee Min-ki’s obsessive character research (or so he thought).

Also.

‘That’s the student I taught.’

Barista Kim Kyung-hee couldn’t hide her pleased heart and smiled so brightly that her dimples deepened.

‘Hoo, really, Min-ki, can a person be this likable?’

She knew he was sincere in everything.

But she never imagined he would come so prepared.

How could she not like such a student as a teacher?

Following her.

‘I picked the right person.’

Director Noh Ho-young also predicted the success of the work at a mere presentation.

Lastly.

‘This is news material?’

‘Coffee expert barista Lee Min-ki.’

‘I thought only his body was sexy, but his brain is sexy too?’

The eyes of the reporters who had captured today’s prey turned over in unison.

* * *

There was a production presentation for [Cafe del Dia].

Usually, when a production presentation is held, the main focus is often on the work itself.

What is the subject matter of this work.

What is the genre.

Who appears, and what is the development.

It was right to see this as a general trend.

But.

This time was an exception.

[Lee Min-ki transforms into a one-day barista]

Lee Min-ki monopolized the highlights of entertainment news.

[Surprise debate on coffee]

[Even a marketing proposal from BFC CEO Song Jin-bae?]

[He studied properly after saying he would film a drama]

[There’s a reason why rising rookies are popular]

Articles from reporters who participated in the event poured out.

Lee Min-ki was already an actor with a good image.

His head is small and his shoulders are broad, and strangely, he photographs well, so he’s good to use as news material even if he’s just standing still.

But if he’s also smart, there’s no need to explain further.

[Coffee genius after acting genius?]

Even [Star Magazine], which is known for its harsh criticism, was biased towards Lee Min-ki, which also played a part.

The reactions of the fans who were slowly emerging began to explode.

[Our Min-ki is smart too]

[That wasn’t a script, but a real-time conversation?]

[Isn’t that a script no matter how you look at it?]

[No, no, that’s not it, that person is a famous aggro user in the coffee community]

[Really?]

[Yes, yes, testimonies are coming up now. He posted an authentication post saying he would break it with facts before going on air?]

[He gave him a good lesson ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Wow… really too pathetic. Min-ki is great.]

If it was mediocre, this would be treated as a circus show staged on the spot.

But since Kim Ba-wi-cham was a famous user on the internet, even this controversy cooled down before it could even heat up.

Rather, the skills of the actor Lee Min-ki were further emphasized.

[What is that latte art? It’s the first time I’ve seen it, but it’s so pretty]

The latte art put a point on it altogether.

[I heard it’s an art that will appear in the drama?]

[ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ]

[Look at his profile focusing on coffee. It’s so sexy. I never knew that the sight of a man brewing coffee was so attractive.]

[Don’t they sell that offline?]

[Aren’t they going to sell it soon as a broadcast collaboration? ㅋㅋ]

[I’m trying to do it at home similarly, but it’s really difficult ㅠ]

It was clear without seeing more.

The main character of this production presentation was Lee Min-ki, and his stock, which had already been on a high-speed run, soared through the clouds above with just one event.

[Isn’t that something everyone who likes coffee knows?]

There were also people who belatedly tried to underestimate him, saying they knew it too.

[If you could have said it in that place!]

[I work as a barista, but I didn’t know about environmental issues]

[Me too ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[This is what they call Columbus’s egg [something that seems obvious in hindsight]. Saying you knew it from the beginning after hearing it belatedly.]

It was meaningless.

The drama community was already united as one with the rookie actor Lee Min-ki.

One day before the broadcast.

Lee Min-ki had not even appeared on the broadcast, but in terms of topicality alone, he rose to become an actor who was comfortably among the top five rookie actors.

* * *

Afternoon on the day the first broadcast of [Cafe del Dia] began.

Despite the vacation he had received thanks to the production team’s favor, Lee Min-ki rolled around on the floor without finding anything to do.

‘Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh!’

I can’t stand the tension.

My heart is pounding so hard that I feel like I’m going to die of a heart attack soon.

In the past, this would really make me collapse and be taken to the hospital.

‘Ugh!!!’

That’s right.

It’s a fact that even he himself has been forgetting these days, but in fact, Lee Min-ki is an extremely timid person, even more so than ordinary people.

If a peddler talks to him while walking down the street, his thoughts stop.

If he steps on the tile floor in the shower room, he screams with his whole body for fear of falling.

After accidentally experiencing a situation where the machine broke down at the timing when he was touching the kiosk in the restaurant, he even avoided restaurants with kiosks installed because he was afraid of it.

Human glass frog [extremely fragile].

That was Lee Min-ki.

It was only that he was trained under trainer Kim Ah-seong to hide his innate timidity.

Where would the personality he had since he was a tadpole go?

‘Ugh! Someone hit the back of my neck and knock me out!!!!!’

No matter how much you try to hide it, human nature seeps out when extreme situations come.

With the broadcast of the drama in which he starred for the first time just around the corner, Lee Min-ki’s true nature finally awakened.

“Hoo, hoo, ha, hoo, hoo, ha, hoo, hoo, ha.”

In the end, he was lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling, practicing the Lamaze breathing method, all alone with his energy drained.

Weeing-

“――Ugh!!!!”

He finally screamed in reality and jumped up at the sudden ringing of his cell phone.

It’s just a text message.

Just a text message that’s nothing special.

But a text message was harmful to the heart, especially when he was already nervous.

‘Wh, who is it?’

He picked up his cell phone with a trembling heart, covered in a blanket, and checked the contents.

“Huh?”

A look of embarrassment crossed Lee Min-ki’s eyes.

Because.

The three letters of the name reflected on the screen of his cell phone were extremely familiar.

[Actor Kim Ji-hwan]

He was his rival.

To be exact, the actor playing the rival role.