Top Star by Luck

Chapter 7

“……”

A neatly arranged basement gym.

All around, white-haired giants silently lifted weights.

Arms swollen, as if about to burst.

Backs so broad, they seemed endless.

Lower bodies resembling tree trunks.

These elderly men, with physiques akin to monsters, were intensely focused on their workouts, completely unfazed by Lee Min Ki’s entrance.

‘Am I in the right place?’

His mind swirled with confusion.

He had researched this gym online before coming.

It was described as an owner-run gym, operated solely by the owner, with a relatively cheap monthly fee of 30,000 won.

That’s why he came here.

‘But I didn’t expect this.’

He didn’t even know who to approach.

There was no one at the counter.

Everyone was completely absorbed in their workout, leaving Min Ki standing awkwardly at the entrance, unable to speak to anyone.

Bang!

A sound like an explosion rang out from somewhere.

Startled, he turned his head to see that someone had dropped their barbell on the floor.

‘Jeez.’

But what was even more shocking was that no one even glanced in that direction.

The owner of the barbell.

Even among these unusual figures, this elderly man stood out with his remarkable physique.

He looked like a sculpture from ancient Greece.

“Hoo.”

The man exhaled a hot breath.

The gym felt cramped.

No, it only felt cramped because the sheer presence of these people was overwhelming.

The man turned his head, glaring at Min Ki with sharp eyes.

“Oh my!”

But then he exclaimed something unexpectedly friendly.

With a bright, smiling face.

* * *

In a corner of the gym, a small sofa and table were set up.

“Whew, how did a young man like you find your way here?”

The monster-like man from earlier, no, the gym owner, Kwon Joon Yong, asked as he set down a cup of coffee.

“Take a seat. Ah, don’t worry, it’s not just regular coffee—this is sugar-free cold brew, so no need to worry about carbs. Haha!”

“Uh… thank you.”

It was the first time Min Ki had ever heard someone mention carbs while serving coffee.

Something felt off.

Despite his overwhelming appearance, this owner was excessively kind in how he treated people.

‘Is his inner personality different from his exterior?’

But as he sipped the coffee, Min Ki couldn’t help but be wary of the owner’s intimidating forearms.

Those could probably tear through a tire if he flexed.

As he cautiously drank, Kwon Joon Yong’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.

“So, you came all the way here. You must be thinking of signing up, right?”

“Well, I’m still thinking it over…”

Min Ki was about to say that he needed more time to think when the owner clapped his hands and exclaimed.

“Ah! Well, that’s perfect timing! You’ve come just at the right time for our gym!”

Startled, Min Ki found the owner staring intently at him.

“Did you check how much our gym’s monthly fee is?”

“Yes, I saw that it was 30,000 won per month.”

In that instant, Min Ki thought.

Now that he considered it, 30,000 won seemed way too cheap for a facility like this. Maybe there were hidden conditions.

You know, like in those online stories.

They advertise a low price, but in reality, there are all sorts of strings attached.

‘Like how you only get the discount if you pay for 12 months upfront.’

His suspicions grew.

“Well, you’ve come at the right time! We’re running a promotion, so the real price is actually different.”

Of course.

There was a hidden price after all.

Kwon Joon Yong pulled out a pamphlet and showed it to him.

“If you pay for six months upfront…”

At that moment, Min Ki’s suspicions were confirmed.

“I’ll give it to you for 20,000 won a month. How’s that?”

Just as Min Ki was about to reject the offer.

“What?”

He realized he had misheard.

Wait, what did this man just say?

Did he say 20,000 won?

Not 30,000?

“We don’t usually do this, but we’re running a promotion right now, and the price is reduced.”

“A promotion?”

“And it’s winter, right? The timing’s perfect. If you work hard for six months, I can guarantee you’ll be ripped by summer. You’ll be showing off your body at the beach, right?”

“…”

Min Ki just sat there, listening, while Kwon Joon Yong continued his enthusiastic monologue all by himself.

“This gym is different from others. Nowadays, those PT studios are all about money, but we don’t charge extra fees here. This is a traditional owner-operated gym, and I’m always around to help out. Haha, you’ve hit the jackpot by coming here.”

The owner had already started addressing Min Ki as “member.”

“People have a misconception, thinking famous gyms are the best, but they just push supplements they import from abroad. They’re always selling something, even during classes. We don’t do that.”

This guy, who looked like he’d be quiet, was surprisingly talkative.

On top of that, he seemed desperate and a little forceful.

‘I can’t even find a moment to speak.’

Since he was monologuing the whole time, Min Ki couldn’t find the right timing to respond and just sat there listening.

But perhaps Kwon Joon Yong interpreted Min Ki’s silence differently.

“Ah, I’m in a good mood today!”

After glancing at Min Ki, he shouted loudly.

“If you sign up today, I’ll throw in a towel, workout clothes, and even a locker for free!”

The offer kept getting better.

Even though Min Ki hadn’t said a word, the deal somehow kept improving.

Kwon Joon Yong seemed unsatisfied and spread out his fingers, adding:

“You know what? I’m in such a good mood today! The first month is free. How’s that? You won’t find a deal like this anywhere else.”

Min Ki thought the offer couldn’t get any better, but it did.

At that moment, a muscular elderly man with bulging muscles approached and said:

“Hey, Owner Kwon. Aren’t you being too nice to the new guy? This is favoritism.”

“Do you think he’s the same as you?”

“What’s the difference?”

“The number of bowls of rice cake soup you’ve eaten.”

Apparently, he was giving Min Ki special treatment.

At this point, even if Min Ki were slow on the uptake, he was starting to catch on.

‘Is this place struggling?’

There was usually a reason for gyms to be so generous.

It was better to have a few members than none at all.

The more struggling the gym, the more the owner had to cut costs.

Towels and workout clothes?

That’s labor cost.

Personal training?

That’s also labor cost.

So, the owner was making these desperate, self-sacrificing offers to Min Ki.

And Min Ki’s guess wasn’t far off.

Kwon Joon Yong was blatantly showing his eagerness to recruit him.

‘What kind of gym is this, with only old men hanging around all the time, scaring away potential new members?’

Business wasn’t going well.

All because of the elderly regulars who hung out here constantly.

Having only a handful of dedicated members might work for a personal training studio, but for an owner-operated gym, it was almost a curse.

So, a young member like Min Ki showing up at the gym was a golden opportunity.

He couldn’t afford to let him go.

‘This kid… he’s got a promising look. Who knows what he could become if I train him?’

He was even good-looking.

But it wasn’t just his face.

His frame hinted at potential—small head, broad shoulders.

Sure, he was a bit skinny, but that just meant there was room to build muscle.

With the right training, this kid’s body would transform quickly.

Good age, good looks.

If he could start with Min Ki, maybe he could gradually bring in more young members.

‘I’ll at least get him to do a body profile, if not a competition.’

Kwon Joon Yong was determined to hold on to him.

Meanwhile, Min Ki’s mind was racing just as fast as the gym owner’s.

‘When I think about it, this isn’t a bad deal.’

At first, Min Ki had been too shocked by the elderly clientele to think straight.

But as he calmed down, he started to notice his surroundings.

‘Just by looking at their bodies, I can tell they know how to work out. Judging by the trophies and photos, the owner must have some experience in competitions.’

This gym had been famous for a reason. It probably failed due to poor marketing.

The gym’s exterior sign was shabby, after all.

And it was filled with muscular old men.

Maybe women found it intimidating, which explained the lack of female members. So why weren’t there any men?

‘Was it because there were no female members?’

It made sense.

But the age or gender of the other members didn’t matter to Min Ki.

His sole purpose was to build a good body.

Besides, the owner seemed eager for Min Ki to sign up.

‘Considering my limited budget, this gym is the best option. And if they’re throwing in personal training, I couldn’t ask for more.’

A professional personal trainer usually cost around 40,000 to 50,000 won per session.

He wasn’t sure how good the training here would be, but given how few customers there were, he had nothing to lose.

Satisfied with his decision, Min Ki finally spoke.

“Then what about supplements?”

“Ah, protein? You’ll have to order that yourself, preferably from overseas.”

Just as expected.

They weren’t giving everything away, after all, Min Ki thought.

“But we’ve got an extra container in the storage room. I’ll give it to you, so you can use that until your delivery arrives.”

Or maybe they were giving everything away.

There wasn’t anywhere else offering a deal like this.

Min Ki gave up on thinking any further and said.

“So, if I pay upfront, it’s 100,000 won for six months?”

Six months for 100,000 won.

At least he would try to go regularly twice a week.

As he made up his mind, Kwon Joon Yong smiled brightly and added:

“If you pay in cash, I can give you an additional 10% discount.”

“……”

* * *

On the first day of his workout.

Kwon Joon Yong might not have been the best instructor, but he sure knew how to push Min Ki to his limits.

To put it simply, his bones ached.

[Eight, nine, ten, eleven, eleven and a half, eleven and three-quarters, eleven and seven-eighths. Ah, your wrist bent. That doesn’t count. Let’s do one more! You can do it, just four more sets like this, and we’re done!]

His enthusiasm was boundless.

It was Min Ki’s first workout, and by the time he reached the end of his sets, his body was so exhausted he could barely move, but that didn’t stop Kwon Joon Yong.

[I’ll spot you, just focus on your form. Ah, your form looks perfect now. Can’t you hear your muscles cheering?]

[…It feels more like they’re on fire.]

[That’s the signal your muscles are growing.]

He didn’t let Min Ki give up and made him complete every set, even if it meant physically assisting him.

So, the first day consisted of a full two-hour session focused on his back and arms.

Afterward, the owner even helped plan out his meals according to his budget.

By the time it was all over, the world around him looked yellow.

‘The enthusiasm is great, but if I work out like this every day, I won’t have any energy left for anything else.’

He was an aspiring actor, not a bodybuilder.

With his whole body aching, how could he possibly focus on acting?

Stumbling like a puppet, Min Ki made his way to his part-time job.

“Oh.”

A message arrived.

[Sender: Daon Entertainment]

[Information Regarding the Second Audition]

The day for him to make his next move.

That moment was right around the corner.