Top Star by Luck

Chapter 11

Daon Entertainment Audition Venue.

The first thought that came to Lee Min Ki’s mind upon arriving at the stage he had dreamed of for years was:

‘I’ve arrived.’

He was finally standing here.

Breathing in this air, in this place, inside this building, on his own two legs.

Thump, thump, thump.

Just the realization of that fact made his heart pound as if it would burst.

In his past life, he hadn’t even made it past the document screening stage, let alone been given the opportunity to audition.

But this time, all he could think about was passing, no matter what, and making this building his second home.

‘No, I must make it happen.’

Getting too excited wouldn’t do him any good.

Lee Min Ki took a deep breath to calm his nervous breathing.

After submitting his documents at the reception desk, the staff quickly handed him a number.

“Please make sure your number is clearly visible on the outside of your clothes. There’s a waiting room over there. Wait there until a staff member calls your number.”

“Yes.”

Even the small number tag felt like a precious gift as he gently touched it before attaching it to his chest.

Number 17 (Group 4).

It was a relatively early order.

Mulling over that number, he quietly stood in line, which stretched out from the audition hall.

‘No sign of Seon Ah yet.’

He looked around but couldn’t find Yoo Seon Ah anywhere.

Perhaps it was because her audition was scheduled for later in the afternoon.

Regrettably, their schedules didn’t overlap.

In some ways, this was bad luck for her but good luck for him.

It was generally believed that audition success rates were higher in the morning when the judges were less fatigued.

‘I’m lucky.’

But looking down the hallway, it was too early to feel relieved.

‘Everyone here looks pretty impressive.’

Each person’s appearance in the waiting room was striking.

Though there weren’t any overwhelmingly handsome people, they all easily surpassed the average person in looks.

The average here was the top.

Even those who could be considered unattractive weren’t just ordinarily unattractive.

They had a distinct, memorable look, the kind of unattractiveness that would stick with you, like a crooked nail protruding from a wall.

Faces that were weapons in themselves, people like that were all around.

But Lee Min Ki knew.

‘Almost everyone here will be rejected.’

He knew that nearly all of these people would be eliminated.

That short-haired woman taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

That man anxiously tapping his long legs on the floor.

That good-looking man taking selfies against the backdrop of the waiting room.

Not only would they fail the audition, but they also wouldn’t make any noticeable impact in the industry later on.

‘And I heard only two people passed this audition.’

Lee Min Ki remembered vividly, down to the exact number of successful candidates and their names.

Out of nearly 1,000 applicants, only two would pass.

A 500:1 ratio.

That was the competition he now faced.

‘This industry really isn’t easy.’

The competition was overwhelmingly tough.

In truth, Lee Min Ki had some confidence in his skills.

Even though he had been a nobody, he had accumulated experience in the field, which gave him an advantage over the usual aspirants in terms of input and output.

But auditions weren’t determined by skill alone.

Sometimes, it came down to innate uniqueness.

He had done everything he could.

He had prepared the gangster role that the casting director supposedly liked, polishing it to the best of his ability.

But if he still failed…

‘No. I shouldn’t think like that.’

It was a meaningless assumption.

Right now, he needed to focus only on passing.

Instead of worrying, he decided to mentally review his prepared performance to enhance its precision.

It was at that moment.

“Haaaaah.”

Someone in the waiting room let out a massive yawn.

‘Who was that?’

His voice stood out so much that when Lee Min Ki turned to look, his eyes widened in surprise.

‘Kim Ji Hwan?’

Kim Ji Hwan.

Lee Min Ki remembered his name and face clearly.

Because…

‘He’s one of the successful candidates.’

Kim Ji Hwan was one of the two people who had passed this audition.

Actually, there was one more reason Lee Min Ki was so surprised.

Number 16 (Group 4).

The number attached to Kim Ji Hwan’s chest.

It was just one number different from Lee Min Ki’s, 17 (Group 4).

Which meant…

They were in the same group.

‘This is terrible luck.’

For a moment, Lee Min Ki was seized by a wave of shock.

He had been so happy about passing the document screening and getting the opportunity to audition, only to end up in the same group as one of the successful candidates.

Kim Ji Hwan, who had beaten the 500:1 odds.

He remembered well.

An actor whose signature look was a nonchalant expression, and though he didn’t stand out much in terms of acting in professional scenes, he was at least competent enough to avoid criticism.

But perhaps due to his good fortune with projects, he had only been cast in successful productions.

Thanks to that, he easily ranked among the top ten male rookies in their 20s.

At first glance, he might seem manageable, but to the past Lee Min Ki, Kim Ji Hwan had been a figure far beyond his reach.

‘Is this even fair?’

Of all people, to be grouped with him.

There wasn’t a rule against picking two people from the same group, but if a skilled person was in the same group, there was bound to be a direct comparison.

What little hope he had had vanished in an instant.

[Hahaha! Adios!]

But it wasn’t the first time his mental strength had been weak.

Lee Min Ki quickly shook his head, pulling himself together.

‘The competition ratio doesn’t matter. I should remember what my teacher always said.’

Kim Ah Sung had repeatedly emphasized one thing to him.

[You know what aspiring actors always use as an excuse? Saying they failed because the competition was too tough.]

[Isn’t that true?]

[No, not at all. They just failed because they weren’t good enough. Judges don’t pick a set number of candidates; they choose as many as they can, provided they’re talented enough. Trust me, I’ve judged plenty of auditions.]

In other words, as long as he performed well, he would be chosen, no matter what others did.

Recalling Kim Ah Sung’s indifferent face, his nervousness faded.

‘That’s right, I didn’t come here to beat 500:1 odds, I came to win 1:1.’

Whether Kim Ji Hwan was here or not, he was himself.

Just as he steeled his mind—

“Group 4, please come in.”

A staff member called out loudly.

Soon, Lee Min Ki, Kim Ji Hwan, and three others headed toward the audition room.

With nervous hearts in tow.

* * *

What should be said about the audition room that Lee Min Ki arrived in?

It was more businesslike than expected.

‘It looks just like a TOEIC class room.’

The space was so ordinary that it made him uncomfortable in its normalcy.

If it had been more like a stage, with lights pouring down, he would’ve felt more at ease.

There was one staff member holding a camera.

And another staff member whose role he couldn’t figure out.

There were two judges.

Perhaps it was their intense stares, but the other participants from Group 4 looked visibly tense.

Except for one person.

‘This guy is completely unfazed.’

Kim Ji Hwan.

He remained as indifferent as ever.

So indifferent, in fact, that he looked sleepy.

Perhaps he was only managing to hold back a yawn because the judges were present.

“Let’s begin the audition now.”

One of the judges, a man with a stern expression, adjusted his glasses and spoke.

“Contestants numbered 16 to 20, please come up one by one and perform. The task, as informed beforehand, is a 1-minute-and-30-second freestyle performance. Once you finish, please exit through the door you came in from.”

Starting with contestant number 16.

In other words, Kim Ji Hwan would go first.

Then, it would be Lee Min Ki’s turn.

‘Of all times, I’m right after him.’

It would make for an easy comparison.

Before Lee Min Ki could shake off the pressure, Kim Ji Hwan confidently walked forward.

Even as he stood alone before the judges, he still didn’t show a single sign of nervousness. Observing him, Lee Min Ki thought:

‘What kind of performance will he show?’

It was Kim Ji Hwan, after all.

One of the two people who had passed this audition.

Would he overpower the judges with an intense, immersive performance, or would he deliver a flawless, stable act?

Before any tension could rise, anticipation crept in.

‘…Huh?’

Lee Min Ki had to question what he was seeing.

“I don’t care. Do whatever. I don’t know how these old fogeys evaluate me, but honestly, I don’t care. I have my own way of working.”

The lines flowed out smoothly. He still showed no signs of nervousness.

He wasn’t particularly bad, either.

But that was it.

‘That’s too ordinary, isn’t it?’

Kim Ji Hwan’s acting was plain.

While his natural looks drew attention, his performance didn’t leave much of an impression.

It even carried a somewhat half-hearted air.

‘Honestly, even Tak would’ve done better.’

It was only slightly better than Kim Tak’s.

He wasn’t bad, but he didn’t stand out either.

That alone made him excellent compared to the average aspiring actor, but for someone who had beaten 500:1 odds, it felt underwhelming.

“Thank you, that was fine.”

“Thank you.”

After finishing his short performance, Kim Ji Hwan casually threw out a greeting and returned to his spot, showing no sign of regret.

‘This is suspicious.’

At this point, it was confusing.

Were they evaluating something other than acting?

Doubt started to creep in, but there wasn’t time for long contemplation.

“Number 17, please step forward.”

It was his turn next.

‘Phew.’

As soon as Lee Min Ki heard the judge’s voice, he quickly shook off all unnecessary thoughts and stepped forward.

There was no point in overthinking things now.

Kim Ah Sung’s words were right.

Lee Min Ki was himself, and others were themselves.

“You can begin.”

“Yes.”

After a brief pause, Lee Min Ki carefully stepped forward, took a deep breath, and began his performance.

“Do I look like an easy mark to you?”

And then…

Both of the judges and three other contestants shared the same thought:

‘He’s really good.’

The atmosphere in the room shifted in an instant.

* * *

One of the judges at Daon Entertainment.

Director Kim Jong Hyuk had a small smile on his face the moment Lee Min Ki started acting.

‘He’s good.’

It was his immediate thought upon seeing Lee Min Ki’s performance.

‘This is more than enough.’

There was nothing to criticize about his acting.

Kim had already watched 200 performances in the past few days, but Lee Min Ki’s stood out above the rest.

“No matter how trashy someone is, there are two things you don’t mess with. Money and women. But you went and touched both, didn’t you, punk? Do I look like your lackey right now? That’s not how this works.”

The lines were strong.

But the irony was that the strength of the lines came across as pure bravado.

It wasn’t because he lacked power.

Every subtle tone and movement was crafted to portray a false sense of confidence.

‘Wow, if he knows what he’s doing here, this is really impressive.’

His limbs trembled ever so slightly.

Though he spat out confident words, his body betrayed him with fear.

He was scared.

The character Lee Min Ki was portraying was a terrified gangster, unsure of what to do.

“Go ahead, hit me! Let’s see who really loses, huh?!”

Who was he talking to?

Kim Jong Hyuk could instinctively tell.

‘There’s a muscular man standing in front of him.’

It felt as if someone was actually standing before Lee Min Ki, an opponent with a stern personality and a rock-solid physique, someone intimidating.

This was something that happened often when watching skilled actors perform.

It was as if an invisible person was there, performing alongside the actor.

This quality was especially valued in the modern era, where green-screen acting had become more common.

“I’ll let it slide this time. But next time? You won’t even get a scrap of mercy. I’ll gouge out your eyes with a spoon, you hear me?!”

The pathetic nature oozed out.

Every gesture was annoyingly slick.

Annoying, but somehow endearing.

He was the kind of person who would stress you out if you were around him, but you’d find yourself wondering what he was up to if he wasn’t.

And it wasn’t just his personality.

You could almost see the signature tracksuit, the symbol of a low-life thug, on him.

‘He’s amazing.’

Kim Jong Hyuk couldn’t help but be impressed.

‘Is he really a rookie? He doesn’t seem like one. Maybe he’s a veteran? No, if he were, he’d likely prefer more stable performances because of his nerves.’

Of course, the tension on Lee Min Ki’s face wasn’t acting.

He was genuinely nervous.

And rightfully so.

Audition venues were meant to be nerve-wracking, especially with a successful candidate standing in the same room, right before his turn.

It would’ve been stranger if he wasn’t nervous.

Ironically, that’s what gave his performance its unique flavor.

Why?

Because the character he was playing was supposed to be nervous.

[When I watch your acting, Min Ki, I notice something.]

It was here that Kim Ah Sung’s coaching came into play.

[On the surface, you act confident, but there’s a corner of you that feels defeated, like you’re afraid of losing. Let’s bring that out.]

Rather than a generic thug, he portrayed a pathetic gangster full of empty bravado.

It was a character that suited Lee Min Ki all the more.

‘Wow.’

Kim Jong Hyuk once again marveled internally.

At the same time, he felt regret.

‘If only the CEO were on board, I’d sign him on the spot.’

There was a fundamental problem with this audition.

No matter how well someone acted or how much potential they showed, they still had to pass the CEO’s approval.

How many people had been dropped at the final stage by the CEO?

Even though they were called judges, they could only advise.

The final decision wasn’t in their hands.

“Maybe I’ll bury you in this industry for good.”

As Lee Min Ki’s performance reached the 1-minute-30-second mark, Kim Jong Hyuk had one thought:

‘I want to see more.’

For now.

He would enthusiastically recommend him to the CEO.