Top Star by Luck

Chapter 5

“That student is actually one of the worst here…”

The director’s puzzled words spilled out of his mouth.

The statement that Lee Min Ki was falling worst.

And not just falling worst, but the most worst in this academy.

Kim Ah Sung, the trainer, laughed at the absurdity of the comment.

“Haha, if that student is considered worst, then the standard of Jam Acting School must be incredibly high.”

It was the moment when he had asked for clarification, thinking there had been some kind of mistake.

“Well, it makes me uncomfortable to say this about one of our own students, but it’s exactly as I said—he’s worst.”

The director answered plainly.

So bluntly.

‘Hmph.’

Hearing that, Trainer Kim Ah Sung finally thought to himself.

‘Does this guy wear his eyes as accessories?’

From what he’d seen, Lee Min Ki was not just competent, but was performing well above the average level of most acting schools.

In fact, he was confident that if Min Ki were to step onto the professional stage immediately, he wouldn’t get scolded.

If Min Ki was considered worst, then that must mean the standard at this school was extremely high.

‘No way.’

He had visited the academy earlier that morning to take a look at the overall situation.

The result?

It was unimpressive.

He didn’t know what kind of curriculum they were using to teach the students, but overall, the level was crude.

The teachers seemed unmotivated, and most of the students appeared to be there for fun.

Even the students from the special lecture he was supposed to teach weren’t particularly outstanding.

‘Clearly, they invited me here to try and get a foot in the door with JC, but that won’t work.’

Trainer Kim Ah Sung had received many such offers aside from Jam Acting School.

He often accepted these offers as a way to earn some extra income and to scout out future talent, but most of the time, it wasn’t particularly meaningful.

So the director’s comment was even more baffling.

‘Is the director’s eye for acting so poor that the students are at this level? This industry is going down the drain.’

But there was no need to point it out.

Trainer Kim Ah Sung smiled, concealing his true thoughts.

“Come on, no way. I briefly watched that student this morning, and he was pretty good. He’s so solid with his basics that I was tempted to snatch him for JC.”

“You mean Lee Min Ki?”

“Of course. Haha, I was even thinking about marking him as ours. His fundamentals are that strong. He’s bound to get picked up soon by someone. He said he wanted to go to Daon, and Daon would be lucky to have him.”

Hearing this, the director thought:

‘Is this man out of his mind?’

The student he knew as Lee Min Ki had no outstanding qualities.

He was far below average.

Compared to students who had been acting since a young age, he couldn’t even come close.

Even among latecomers, his talent lagged behind.

Though he seemed to do decently at times, his clumsy nature led to frequent mistakes.

‘He’s failed 11 auditions in a row.’

And yet he still had the audacity to dream big, applying to Daon once again.

In short, the director had his own reasons for underestimating Min Ki.

Praising someone like Min Ki?

‘Has even the almighty JC started to lose its touch? How could they put someone with such a poor eye for talent in charge?’

There was no other conclusion.

He hadn’t particularly valued Trainer Kim Ah Sung either.

He only brought him in because of his influence at JC, thinking it might help his students if they built a connection with the company.

But this was how things had turned out.

‘Am I just wasting money?’

In that instant, both Trainer Kim Ah Sung and the director, who had once respected each other, reevaluated their opinions.

‘A businessman with no eye for talent.’

‘A man who will ruin the company.’

An awkward silence followed.

Finally, Trainer Kim Ah Sung broke the ice.

“Well, how about this?”

He was still smiling brightly as he spoke.

“Normally, I don’t do this with students, but how about a bet?”

“A bet?”

“Let’s bet on whether Lee Min Ki will pass the Daon audition or not.”

Trainer Kim Ah Sung’s eyes gleamed as he continued.

“I believe my judgment is correct. If that student passes the Daon audition, how about offering him a scholarship from this academy?”

“…Hmm, it’s not a particularly difficult thing to do.”

Most large acting schools had scholarship programs.

Jam Acting School, in particular, had a system where exceptional students selected internally would have their tuition fully refunded.

But a bet typically comes with stakes on both sides.

“Then, what if the student fails?”

The director cautiously tested the waters.

“I’ll try to persuade JC to hold an unofficial audition exclusively for Jam Acting School.”

A big fish took the bait.

From the director’s perspective, there was no reason to refuse such an offer.

* * *

As the short, or perhaps long, lecture came to an end.

“Min Ki, you’re taking private lessons from someone, aren’t you?”

Kim Tak persistently followed Lee Min Ki.

He was being unusually tenacious, especially for someone who usually ignored him.

“No, I’m not.”

“Come on, your skills have improved so quickly. Did you find some special tutor or maybe have a professional actor give you one-on-one lessons?”

“I don’t have the money for that. I need to head to my part-time job soon.”

“Haha, do you think I’m that easy to fool?”

Even though Min Ki hadn’t lied, Kim Tak seemed determined to deceive himself.

“We’re friends, aren’t we? Just be honest with me.”

What kind of “relationship” did they have?

The kind where they ignored and were ignored by each other?

If that was their relationship, then it might as well be better than the one between cows and chickens.

Min Ki, annoyed by Kim Tak’s persistence, responded to shake him off.

“You keep asking the same thing, but I’m telling you, I’m not taking any lessons. Seriously. I just practiced hard like I was told.”

That was the truth, whether he liked it or not.

Since his debut, all the way to becoming a professional, Min Ki had always practiced with a scrappy mentality.

When the academy was closed on holidays, he couldn’t even dream of renting a practice room like others. Instead, he’d practice alone by the river or in open spaces.

So, luxurious private lessons were something he’d never even imagined.

‘What’s wrong with this guy?’

But even after Min Ki had acted just once, albeit poorly enough to stutter over his lines, Kim Tak stuck to him like glue.

How could someone be so shameless?

“Haha, I won’t leave until you tell me the truth.”

“…”

This guy was persistent.

Really persistent.

Eventually, Min Ki sighed deeply and responded, having no other choice.

“I was actually a professional actor.”

“Knew it.”

Kim Tak’s eyes sparkled.

Min Ki looked at him with a pitying expression and continued.

“I worked for a few years but things didn’t go well. Then I fell down some stairs and died, ending up in the afterlife. They decided to reincarnate me.”

“So, you went back in time with your professional experience?”

“Finally, you’re getting it.”

“Haha.”

Kim Tak laughed and then asked:

“Do I look like a fool to you?”

“…”

Honestly, yes.

Min Ki barely suppressed the urge to slap him.

“Min Ki has always practiced hard.”

Suddenly, someone else chimed in.

A clear and sweet voice that was easy to listen to.

With her cute appearance.

An idol in the process of preparing for debut.

It was Yoo Seon Ah.

She spoke as if she was defending Min Ki.

“He’s finally reaping the rewards. They say acting skills improve in steps. Even if you struggle for a while, there’s always a big leap. Min Ki must’ve had that breakthrough recently.”

As Min Ki listened to her, his thoughts were:

‘Why is she more proud than I am?’

They barely exchanged words before.

But now, she was acting all friendly, as if they had been close for a long time.

The subtle gazes of those around them were beginning to be noticeable.

Whatever she was thinking, one thing was certain—they had just started talking.

‘I really wish she’d just go away.’

No matter what Min Ki thought, Yoo Seon Ah continued speaking.

“Kim Taek.”

“It’s Kim Tak, not Kim Taek.”

“Right, Kim Tak. You don’t know, do you? Min Ki gets here earlier than anyone else every morning. All just to practice.”

“Really?”

Kim Tak, with a surprised expression, asked while Yoo Seon Ah nodded.

“Yes, whenever I come early to practice, I’ve never once arrived before him.”

“Oh… so that’s his secret. I guess practice really does make a difference.”

“Of course.”

Before long, they were discussing Min Ki’s methods, leaving him out of the conversation.

It was exhausting.

He usually moved around the academy alone, and now these two were hanging around like this.

‘Can’t tell if my luck’s gotten better or worse.’

Kim Tak was sticking to him more than necessary.

“Min Ki, let’s practice together tomorrow morning. What do you think? We’ll arrive at the same time and practice together.”

“Do whatever you want.”

“Great! Tomorrow I’ll be here even earlier. Look forward to it.”

And Yoo Seon Ah also latched on.

“If I have time, I’ll join too.”

It was overwhelming.

Min Ki half-listened to their conversation and felt the eyes of other students on him, as he checked the time.

‘It’s already this late.’

It was time for his part-time job.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ve got to go.”

“Wait a minute. Why don’t we go for a meal together as fellow study group members?”

“I’m in a hurry for work.”

Min Ki quickly left, practically running away.

But what had they said earlier?

Something about a study group, right?

* * *

That evening, after finishing both the academy and his part-time job, Min Ki was exhausted, his body drenched in fatigue.

The sensation of sinking into his bed, like being absorbed into the duvet.

But surprisingly, it didn’t feel too bad.

‘I gave it my all today.’

He had lived diligently.

More than that, he felt fulfilled.

He had fully focused on his acting practice at the academy and, for the first time, received genuine praise.

Not just empty compliments, but real, substantial praise.

He could tell the difference.

It was the same during his part-time job.

‘No troublesome customers today, for once.’

He worked at a convenience store near Hapjeong.

Usually, difficult customers were abundant, especially at night, making his shifts exhausting. But today had been particularly quiet.

In fact, he had only had polite customers.

‘They even memorized the names of their cigarettes and cleaned up their tables after eating.’

Everything had gone well.

‘The stickers peeled off in one go, the barcode scanned perfectly, and even the USB fit in on the first try.’

But that wasn’t all.

‘I even won an extra bottle of soda!’

When he opened the soda, the cap read [One more free!].

He had bought one bottle, but now had two!

It might seem insignificant to others, but for Min Ki, it was a monumental event, something he would remember for the rest of his life.

His luck was improving.

He wasn’t sure about financial luck, but he definitely felt a boost in his daily life.

And tonight, even his neighbor wasn’t vacuuming late at night.

‘I’m happy.’

Surprisingly, Min Ki was feeling happiness.

That’s just the kind of person he was.

The type of guy who felt happy if he didn’t choke while drinking water.

That was Lee Min Ki.

‘I hope tomorrow is just as good as today, except for Kim Tak hanging around.’

With that small hope, he chuckled for a moment.

And then he fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, when he arrived at the academy.

“Oh, Min Ki, you’re here.”

“You’re here?”

“…”

Seeing two people waiting in the practice room, he had to slightly revise his thoughts.

No, actually.

“What’s going on? There’s a crowd?”

It was three people.