NOVEL WEB Chapter 120
Chapter 120
There are various types of critics in the world.
[Through this movie, the director intends to show that all people are interconnected like dietary fiber, and that the more bonds they feel, the healthier and better-designed society becomes…]
The type that provides long and detailed explanations, requiring readers to sit down and carefully read through.
[It evokes the breeze on Montmartre Hill. Each breath is precious. As a result, it deepens.]
The abstract type, so vague that even a shaman would feel their blood pressure rise and slap the critic.
And then.
[A two-hour Lee Min Ki photo shoot.]
The type that responds with short, intuitive sentences that stick in your head.
Why is that?
In this Lee Min Ki movie, there were especially many of the latter type.
[Director Hwang Ui Seong is a good director. Lee Min Ki is handsome.]
[Fashion and fashion explode, and fashion explodes too.]
[Hwang Ui Seong delivers the ultimate expression of appearance supremacy through Lee Min Ki.]
[What happens to humans when talent is given to a genius who doesn’t need it.]
Director Hwang Ui Seong was originally known for making good films.
Even if people had divided opinions about his works, there was no question about their quality.
However, this time, there was more noise surrounding the movie than usual.
Perhaps because a major rookie like Lee Min Ki approached him out of nowhere.
Some might have wondered if the director was stricken with artistic madness.
[Hwang Ui Seong’s reputation is ruined.]
[Is Min Ki going to start shooting only art films now?]
[I’m also uneasy about how he’s dabbling in fashion these days.]
However, all these doubts were neatly washed away with one review from Star Magazine.
[The most accessible movie by Director Hwang Ui Seong! The most entertaining film starring Lee Min Ki!]
Accessible and entertaining.
Could there be more intuitive words than these?
With just a week left until the movie’s release.
[Should we take a gamble and watch it~~~~?]
Audiences began to look forward to Fashion and Fashion—for better or worse.
Meanwhile.
[If you have eyes and ears, you’ll understand.]
[I don’t have much to say.]
Director Hwang Ui Seong’s comments at the preview screening spread across the internet, thanks to some skillful massaging.
There was always a reason why someone attracted so many antis.
With only two days left until the movie’s release.
Lee Min Ki prepared to reap some rewards for all his hard work.
Namely.
“I didn’t expect you to be auditioning already, Actor Lee.”
As Director Seo Jung Woo put it, Lee Min Ki was auditioning.
“That’s right. You really never know with life.”
Lee Min Ki laughed.
Today, he was indeed here for an audition.
However, many elements of the sentence were omitted, including the subject.
To clarify the context:
“I never thought I’d be working as a judge, less than three years after my debut.”
Lee Min Ki was participating in an audition as a judge.
And not just any audition.
“These were people who used to prepare for auditions alongside me as fellow challengers.”
He was evaluating his former academy and audition colleagues.
That’s right.
A few months ago, Lee Min Ki had made a bet with JC Entertainment.
[If I can gain one million followers in three months, I’ll film anything you want. But if I reach three million, you’ll host an audition.]
Using the special audition as bait.
JC Entertainment kept their promise.
The audition was held privately without any official announcement, and among the participants were promising talents like Kim Tak, Yoo Seon Ah, and Kim Ji Hwan, quietly scouted by JC.
And Lee Min Ki was seated as one of the judges.
‘I came to the office for a morning meeting and got kidnapped.’
There was no prior notice.
He’d only come to handle some business when they suddenly dragged him into judging.
‘You really can’t predict life.’
Could this even be allowed?
Feeling dizzy from the situation, Lee Min Ki asked.
“I know all of these people. Isn’t it unfair for me to participate in the judging?”
“It’s not entirely without risk, but there are benefits as well.”
Director Seo Jung Woo quickly countered Lee Min Ki’s concern.
“The longer you stay away from the field, the duller your instincts become. At a time like this, we need an actor with broad experience to see things others might miss. Whether they’re familiar or unfamiliar, your perspective from the judge’s seat will reveal something new.”
“…”
His words were smooth.
In simpler terms, it boiled down to: “Judge with your own eyes.”
In truth, Seo Jung Woo had another reason.
‘He’s a man of incredible luck.’
The more he got to know Lee Min Ki, the more uncanny his luck seemed.
Whatever he did, things worked out well.
Even the people around him benefited from his fortune.
‘I bet whoever Lee Min Ki picks will end up succeeding.’
It might just be superstition.
But in auditions, intuition and gut feelings often played a surprisingly big role.
Instincts and impulses.
In that sense, Director Seo Jung Woo decided to trust Lee Min Ki’s choices.
After all.
‘If I don’t agree, I’ll just reject them myself.’
As the final decision-maker, it was up to him.
If things crossed the line due to personal connections, he’d cut it off himself.
By the way.
Kidnapping Lee Min Ki to be a judge wasn’t entirely random either.
His involvement was kept secret to prevent potential bias among the participants.
And there was also the hope that Lee Min Ki would evaluate purely based on his instincts as an actor, without knowing the participants’ backgrounds.
“As for commercial appeal, growth potential, and other marketable aspects, I’ll handle those evaluations.”
Director Seo Jung Woo smiled.
“You, Actor Lee, can simply judge as a member of the audience.”
“That sounds tough.”
“Yes, auditions are always tough—for both challengers and judges.”
That made sense. This was an investment from their perspective.
And deciding someone’s future with a single word, disregarding their lifelong efforts, could never be easy.
“What’s the sequence?”
“Didn’t they tell you?”
“No, I was just kidnapped.”
“We’ll evaluate three people at a time.”
“Won’t the evaluations get mixed up?”
“That’s a fair point. However, being able to perform properly in front of others is also important for an actor.”
Actually, he knew this already.
He just wanted to make small talk because the atmosphere felt awkward.
So, as another judge from JC Entertainment sat nearby, the two whispered quietly.
“It’s starting.”
The sound of a knock came from the audition room door, perfectly synchronized with Director Seo Jung Woo’s words, followed by the careful opening of the door.
Of the three people who entered, the woman standing in the center caught immediate attention.
‘No way.’
Lee Min Ki couldn’t possibly fail to recognize her.
‘Why is that person here?’
Meanwhile.
The same thought occurred to someone on the other side, looking at Lee Min Ki.
‘Why is that person here?’
With the rise of social media, a new profession has emerged.
Influencer.
Derived from the word "influence," it refers to a person who impacts others.
Initially, it wasn’t considered a profession.
The term simply referred to someone with a large number of followers.
But at some point, things changed.
Having a large following became a significant source of income.
And eventually, it reached a point where:
[Influencer OGZ declares independent fashion label.]
The term "influencer" itself solidified as a legitimate profession.
And right here.
Standing before Lee Min Ki was someone who had thrived under the title of influencer.
‘OGZ, we meet again like this.’
OGZ.
A female influencer who had gained considerable fame in fashion and art circles.
With over 600,000 followers on social media, she was a prominent figure, known for her goddess-like makeup that rivaled many celebrities.
But to Lee Min Ki, she left a different, stronger impression.
‘I suffered so much harassment because of this person.’
And it all started with social media.
Lee Min Ki had once posted a question on her SNS.
[May I ask where you got this coat?]
He’d asked because the coat she wore looked stylish.
It had a unisex vibe, so he thought it might suit him.
But how did she respond?
[I made it myself. Why are you framing me? Are you implying I can’t make my own clothes? This makes me feel quite unpleasant.]
It had been a rather cold response.
What followed was a massive ordeal for Lee Min Ki.
People mocked him as someone trying to gain clout by challenging an influencer.
[Preparing to be an actor, huh?]
[LOL, he must be jealous because he’s a nobody, and OGZ is a top influencer.]
[Honestly, people like this are the most pathetic.]
[Trying to latch onto someone famous but failing miserably? LOL.]
Over 80 critical comments were posted beneath his reply.
It was outright witch-hunting.
Even thinking about it now made Lee Min Ki grit his teeth in frustration.
‘I was so scared I deleted my account.’
Luckily, he had just made the account, so his face wasn’t revealed.
That was the story.
OGZ.
She was one of the main reasons Lee Min Ki quit social media.
‘At first, I wondered if I’d done something truly wrong.’
But later, he realized.
She enjoyed gaining attention by playing the victim while portraying others as shameless aggressors.
Turning insignificant issues into major grievances was her specialty.
What a perverse hobby.
Well, all of that was in the past.
But something about this “past” felt slightly different.
‘Would she even remember me?’
Yes.
This wasn’t something from his time after going back in time.
It had occurred when Lee Min Ki was still a trainee, just a few years ago in the current timeline.
‘So much has changed.’
It was almost laughable.
Back then, he was careful to even exchange a word with her, but now the roles had reversed.
An influencer trying out for an audition.
And a rookie actor ranked number one in Korea, sitting as a judge.
“Nice to see you.”
It was the moment Lee Min Ki murmured softly without realizing it.
“Actor, please refrain from showing favoritism,”
came Director Seo Jung Woo’s light-hearted jab, making Lee Min Ki smile.
“I know.”
Lee Min Ki’s unique, gentle voice echoed through the quiet audition room.
OGZ, Eun Ki Joo, felt her heart shrink to its limits at that smile.
‘No way, it’s really Lee Min Ki. He’s one of the judges? This is insane.’
She never imagined such an opportunity would come.
She’d always dreamed of entering the entertainment industry, pushing her connections at JC to the limit to secure this spot.
And now, a big-name actor like Lee Min Ki was sitting right there.
‘So this is JC.’
The shock left her head spinning.
Meeting Lee Min Ki in person turned this audition into an opportunity too good to miss.
‘I absolutely have to get close to him.’
She had seen Lee Min Ki’s SNS account.
He’d gained over 3 million followers in just three months.
Yet he followed fewer than 20 people.
I need to be one of those few.
Even if she failed the audition, building any connection with Lee Min Ki would suffice.
For influencers, a link to a “real celebrity” was a treasure beyond compare.
Even if it wasn’t a genuine relationship, it didn’t matter.
As long as the public thought they seemed close, that was enough.
[Influencer OGZ flaunts her connection with Lee Min Ki. Truly the best of the best.]
A single article would do.
That alone would generate a trickle-down effect worth more than enough.
Lost in thought, she snapped back as Director Seo Jung Woo spoke.
“Please give a brief introduction.”
Eun Ki Joo, who had been daydreaming, quickly put on her brightest smile.
“Hello, I’m Eun Ki Joo, a fashion influencer active on SNS.”
The next words were crucial.
Determined to focus entirely on Lee Min Ki, she opened her mouth.
“Though it’s our first meeting, it’s an honor to be judged by Lee Min Ki, an actor and model who represents Korea!”
From the start, her strategy was to stick solely to Lee Min Ki.
The other two judges didn’t matter.
She would leave a strong impression on him and later send a follow request on SNS.
Even just showing off a slight acquaintance with him would yield immense benefits.
“Actor, is that how you feel?”
Director Seo Jung Woo smiled as Eun Ki Joo tried to calm her pounding heart.
“Thank you,”
Lee Min Ki said with a smile.
“But I’m sorry, haven’t we spoken before?”