Top Star by Luck

Chapter 35

Every profession has its own dynamics.

A symbiotic relationship.

For one side to succeed, the other must thrive too.

Both lift each other up while becoming each other’s sustenance.

Like a crocodile and a crocodile bird.

Like a smartphone manufacturer and the company that makes the chips inside.

Like a chip manufacturer and the foundry that makes its AP.

Somehow, they all end up intertwined.

There was one industry where this symbiotic relationship was particularly strong.

That was the entertainment industry.

To be more specific, the relationship between celebrities and entertainment journalists.

“[A good journalist always follows a good celebrity.]”

“[Exclusive scoops don’t just fall into your lap while you wait. If you want to land quick and exclusive reports, you need to build a good relationship with the celebrity from their rookie days.]”

Celebrities can only survive if they stay in the public eye.

Entertainment journalists can only produce results if the celebrity remains relevant.

The two are almost like one body.

However, the structure of the celebrity world is more like a pyramid—or even a tack-shaped structure.

While mid-level celebrities are scattered like fish on the seashore, the number of top-tier celebrities is incredibly small.

Naturally, not every celebrity can have a good journalist attached to them.

As a result, veteran journalists usually stick to famous celebrities, while rookie journalists cover rookie stars.

This was the standard practice.

“[That’s how everyone starts.]”

“[When the celebrity you cover rises, the journalist rises too.]”

“[You never know when someone will hit it big. So, don’t look down on someone just because they’re a nobody right now—build that relationship from the beginning.]”

Journalist Hong Yoo Joo, who had just been assigned her first celebrity, was one such person.

‘The endless grunt work is finally over. This is the real start of my life as an entertainment journalist.’

She became a journalist because she loved celebrities.

But contrary to her dreams, the reality of her work so far had been nothing more than handling errands while following her senior reporters around.

But that was all in the past now.

Finally, Hong Yoo Joo had been assigned a celebrity to cover.

Of course, one senior journalist and a VJ (video journalist) would be accompanying her on-site, but what did that matter?

As she gained more experience, she’d surely get the chance to do interviews on her own.

“One iced Americano, please. Size Venti.”

“Would you like it in a mug or a disposable cup?”

“Mug, please.”

Hong Yoo Joo, as a newcomer, had arrived at the scene a step earlier than others, busy preparing for today’s interview in advance.

Arriving early and waiting was just basic etiquette.

Her plan was to stick around until her senior arrived and get a feel for the place.

‘He’s called Lee Min Ki, right? He’s so handsome. For a rookie, his career seems to be going pretty well, too.’

Even just looking at his photo on her phone, she could sense it.

He had potential.

The idea was that she would grow along with him, supporting each other.

And as her standing in the company grew, she’d likely get sent to cover better assignments too.

‘But I’m a journalist, so I can’t just write favorable pieces all the time. I need to balance objectivity and subjectivity to create articles that will satisfy the most readers possible!’

As she was lost in her dreams.

“Order number 21, your Venti iced Americano is ready.”

“Yes!”

As she retrieved her iced Americano and walked back to her seat.

Suddenly, someone sitting in a chair stood up, and her body collided with theirs.

“Ah!”

At the same time, she stumbled as if she were about to fall.

In that moment, she lost focus, and the iced Americano she was holding flew forward.

Splaash!

The cold drink drenched someone’s head.

‘…I’m doomed.’

As she lay on the floor, taking stock of the situation, Hong Yoo Joo’s face turned pale.

This was JC’s building.

If someone was sitting in the cafeteria on the first floor of this building in the middle of the day, chances were they were in the industry.

In other words, her hopeful first step had just gone completely wrong.

But it wasn’t over yet.

At that moment, the person who had been soaked with iced Americano looked back at her, startled.

“…Haha.”

Hong Yoo Joo could only force a laugh.

‘…My life is over.’

The person drenched in iced Americano.

It was a face she knew all too well.

Lee Min Ki.

The very celebrity she had been assigned to cover and was supposed to interview today.

‘A rookie journalist spills coffee on the celebrity she’s meeting for the first time? I won’t just have to write a formal apology—I’m sure I’ll be banned from fieldwork for a while, too.’

She was so dazed that she couldn’t even think to apologize.

“Are you okay?”

Lee Min Ki spoke up.

With a face and voice full of concern, he looked directly at her and asked,

“You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

At that moment, one thought ran through Hong Yoo Joo’s mind.

‘He looks even better in person.’

It felt as if she could hear angels singing, and the cafe was filled with the warmth of spring breezes and sunlight.

The situation was the complete opposite, though.

* * *

The first interview was already going off the rails.

Since things had already gone wrong, he was getting his styling redone in the dressing room.

“Haha, hahahahah, haha! Ack! Hah! Hah! Hahahaha!”

Trainer Kim Ah Sung, who had just happened to walk by, burst out laughing.

He laughed so hard he clutched his stomach.

“Haha! Hahaha!”

He laughed until it seemed like he was about to pass out.

He even cried from laughing so much.

He really was laughing hard.

As he laughed, the stylist mumbled to herself in frustration.

“Min Ki, don’t pay any attention to Ah Sung. He’s always like that.”

“……”

After a long time.

Kim Ah Sung finally caught his breath and spoke while doing deep breathing exercises.

“Wow, how does everything Min Ki does end up being so funny?”

“Why?”

“How could you get coffee spilled on you on the day of your first interview? Is your life some kind of variety show? Is this a hidden camera prank or something? Hahaha!”

No sooner had he calmed down than he started laughing again.

His behavior was reminiscent of an audience watching a comedy show, and Lee Min Ki, who had just changed into a fresh set of clothes, pouted his lips and muttered.

“…I guess my life really is a variety show.”

He had been unlucky.

There was no other way to describe it.

He had dressed perfectly and come out for an interview, only to have the journalist herself dump coffee on him.

Was this even a realistic scenario? What were the odds?

No, was there anyone else on Earth this unlucky?

“Sigh…”

Fortunately, there had been spare clothes, so he managed to get a new outfit together.

‘Thanks to the stylist, I’m saved.’

It was no wonder she worked for JC; in just ten minutes, she had managed to restore his look.

However, it was still far from the calm, polished look he would have had if he’d been able to take his time.

“Hmm, it feels a bit different from natural drying, but a little moisture makes it look better. Min Ki, you look fine. Actually, I think you look even better this way.”

That’s what the stylist said, but all he could do was sigh.

“Don’t be too down, Min Ki.”

Trainer Kim Ah Sung wiped away the tears from his eyes as he spoke to Lee Min Ki.

“It’s the media who messed up with you.”

“That’s true.”

“So, who knows? Maybe they’ll write a flattering article to make up for it? They’re probably feeling the pressure. I bet they’ll do something.”

“Do you really think so?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never been through something like this before. Haha!”

Kim Ah Sung started laughing again, even though he had barely stopped.

He was a very capable man, but in situations like this, he was utterly useless.

The stylist glared at him as he rolled around laughing.

“Ah Sung, if you’re going to be a nuisance, just leave.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Just listening to him was giving Min Ki a headache.

‘Forget it.’

There was no use stressing over something that couldn’t be changed.

‘Don’t think about it.’

This was a coping mechanism Lee Min Ki had developed after years of bad luck.

Let the past be the past.

No matter how much you stew over it, all it does is make you sweat.

No one’s going to show up with a time stone and change history for you.

‘Whatever happens, it can’t be worse than before.’

With that thought in mind, Lee Min Ki stretched his arms and stood up.

“Coach, I’ll be heading to the interview now.”

“Yeah, grab me an iced Americano. Just don’t spill it all over your clothes.”

“……”

He was a hopeless case.

As he felt his affection for Kim Ah Sung rapidly declining, Lee Min Ki left the dressing room and walked to the company’s break room.

When he arrived.

“I’m sorry!”

“……”

Two people were standing before him, bowing low in apology.

To be precise, they were almost bowing at the waist.

* * *

In the meeting room.

Across from Lee Min Ki and Manager Park Han Mo sat two people.

Among them, journalist Hong Yoo Joo sat nervously, her head hung low, like a drenched mouse, unable to say a word.

On the contrary.

“I don’t know what more I can say to apologize.”

Another journalist, who looked a bit older, was busy apologizing like a nanny.

“Reporter Hong is a rookie, and she let her enthusiasm get the better of her. I can’t apologize enough for this situation, no matter how many times I say it.”

His name was Reporter Kim.

He was a veteran journalist from [Star Magazine], one of the major media outlets with significant influence.

Typically, journalists were known to be aloof, but Reporter Kim was too busy apologizing, as if embarrassed by the mistake of his junior colleague.

Someone else was chatting with him, smiling broadly.

“Ah, things like this happen when you’re working.”

It was Manager Park Han Mo.

“Mistakes happen because they’re unavoidable.”

“No, once we return, we will reprimand her severely. And we’ll make sure to issue a formal apology to Mr. Min Ki as well…”

“It’s fine. When I first started, I made plenty of mistakes myself.”

Of course, his mistakes likely didn’t involve spilling water on a client.

‘This same pattern again.’

To Lee Min Ki, this situation seemed all too familiar.

Reporter Kim continued to apologize endlessly, while Manager Park Han Mo kept dismissing it.

But what should he say?

In truth, Min Ki found it difficult to take the situation too seriously.

‘It’s not like they did it on purpose.’

It wasn’t like a rookie journalist would deliberately target the celebrity she was assigned to interview.

It was clearly an accident.

Though the stylist had scolded him for ruining her hard work, that was all.

He had lost some time, sure.

But that was it.

He didn’t feel the need to drag it out by making a big deal out of who was at fault.

In fact, something else was bothering him more.

‘If this ends up ruining the interview, that would be a bigger problem.’

The interview.

He had even skipped the after-party for [Forever Green] to come to this interview.

The last thing he wanted was to waste the day accepting endless apologies without completing the interview.

But given the current situation, it seemed difficult to get things back on track.

‘What do I do now?’

He was busy trying to figure out how to steer the conversation back toward the interview.

“Reporter Hong, apologize again.”

“I’m truly sorry…”

“We’ll deal with our mistakes formally next time.”

“No, it’s really fine. Our actor has a broad heart; he’ll laugh this off easily. Right, Mr. Min Ki?”

Manager Park Han Mo handed the baton over to him.

At that moment, Min Ki instinctively realized.

The response he gave now would decide whether today would end with endless apologies or whether they could proceed with the interview, making the day worthwhile for both sides.

The moment stretched out like an hour.

‘Wait, isn’t it getting late?’

Glancing at the clock, Lee Min Ki, startled, finally spoke.

“How about we do the interview first?”

“……”

His brief statement brought a sudden silence to the meeting room.

The situation had been passed to him to make the decision, but instead of discussing the apologies, Min Ki had essentially said he didn’t care about them.

One person was particularly shocked.

‘He wants to do the interview first?’

It was Reporter Kim.

‘Is this guy for real?’

In his experience, most celebrities were difficult to deal with.

There were exceptions, but the majority carried a sense of entitlement.

And rookies were often worse.

Not knowing the impact of their words, they’d naturally act entitled.

Most of them lacked basic social experience, which was part of the problem.

That’s why even small issues could blow up into big problems, and everyone had to tread carefully.

…Or so he had thought.

“Ah, it’s just that I have a late appointment. I have to go to the gym and work out. If we delay any further, my trainer will add extra sets. Haha… I’m sorry, but can we please start the interview now?”

Min Ki’s response was far from what a typical rookie would say.

‘The gym?’

The word seemed out of place, even random.

Or was it?

‘Wait, maybe not.’

A thought crossed Reporter Kim’s mind.

Though the actor spoke with an innocent smile, he wouldn’t have said something like that without an underlying intention.

Clearly, he was signaling that he was willing to let this go.

‘No way. Could it really be?’

Still, Kim wasn’t entirely sure.

He hesitated, thinking there might still be a chance, like a cautious outfielder preparing for a last-minute home run.

“If I’m late, it’s a big deal. My trainer is really strict. I’m serious. If I’m even one minute late, they add another set.”

Min Ki urged them with a sincere and desperate voice.

“Let’s start the interview first, and you’ll be saving a person’s life.”

At that moment, it all clicked.

‘Ah.’

Reporter Kim felt his tension melt away.

It was clear now.

‘He’s willing to let this go.’

What had been a suspicion now became a certainty.

There wasn’t even the slightest hint of anger or a desire to dig deeper in Min Ki’s words or tone.

The whole bit about his workout and trainer?

If he wasn’t willing to let this go, he wouldn’t have come up with such an excuse.

The meaning was clear.

‘He’s quite clever.’

In other words, Min Ki was signaling that he’d let this go, as long as they owed him a favor.

Sure, they could push back and argue, but that wouldn’t benefit either side.

Min Ki was basically saying he’d take responsibility for smoothing things over.

That was easier said than done, especially in this industry, where a rookie willing to do so was as rare as the Loch Ness Monster. Reporter Kim was stunned.

‘Is this guy a saint?’

Hong Yoo Joo was equally surprised.

If the interview were to be canceled, she’d have to bear much of the responsibility within the company.

It was a basic rule of journalism to ensure you got a story, no matter the circumstances.

She had resigned herself to a wasted day, but now Min Ki was offering to save it for her.

And he was doing it with lighthearted excuses that defused the tension.

‘He’s a saint. Actor Lee Min Ki is a saint.’

Meanwhile…

‘Oh no, I really don’t have much time left.’

Min Ki was actually looking at the clock, anxious about the time, as he still had to go to the gym.

‘If I get to the gym by 9, I can grab a coffee by 8:30, work out until 10, drink a protein shake, and hit the afterburn (the effect after anaerobic exercise) by 11, then sleep by 11 and wake up at 7 to keep my schedule intact.’

And there was one more important factor.

The gym near his house had a strict rule: for every minute he was late, one set was added.

No joke, really.

[“You’re leaving already? You’ve still got four sets left.”]

[“Huh?”]

[“You were four minutes late today.”]

[“But that was because of filming.”]

[“Mr. Min Ki, that’s your problem, not mine. Is only your time important and no one else’s?”]

His trainer had even stopped calling him “member” and now used “Mr. Min Ki” instead.

That chilling change in tone had shrunk his chest—literally, since it had been chest day at the gym.

‘It was hell.’

Min Ki shuddered at the memory.

Have you ever woken up and stretched in the morning, only to be hit by such intense pain that you ended up rolling on the floor?

For a moment, he thought his long-forgotten bad luck had returned.

Like back when he couldn’t even yawn properly in the morning without his jaw locking up.

As Min Ki bit his lip, bracing for the possibility of being late, Manager Park Han Mo spoke up with a grin.

“That’s what he’s saying.”

“Our actor is right. As an actor, maintaining physical condition is crucial. Our actor is so diligent about this. He’s a role model, the epitome of an actor, the standard all actors should follow.”

“……”

“He treats time as precious, as should all professionals. I’m constantly learning from him.”

Alright, that was a bit much.

But since the mistake had already happened, Reporter Kim couldn’t argue, even in jest.

While he was stuck, unable to move, Manager Park continued.

“So, how about we proceed with the interview now and discuss everything else afterward?”

He gave a knowing look, suggesting they not waste any more time.

“I have another meeting shortly, too.”

“Ah, yes, sounds good.”

Reporter Kim quickly nodded in agreement.

“If Mr. Min Ki is busy, let’s proceed with the interview first. Reporter Hong, you’ve got the camera ready, right? Set it up.”

“Oh, yes!”

They all silently agreed to put the issue behind them.

Thus, the first meeting between Lee Min Ki and the press ended amidst the anxious thoughts and uncertain glances of the three people involved, not including Min Ki himself.

* * *

And the next day.

Whether it was because of the generosity Min Ki had shown—whether he realized it or not—he received an unexpected reward.

[Lee Min Ki: The Rise of the Next Generation Star]

A large banner article was displayed prominently on the homepage of the media outlet.

[Lee Min Ki: The Rise of the Next Generation Star]

[This is what the rookie actor we met at JC was like.]

[Lee Min Ki: “I want to become an actor who is loved by the public.”]

[Kim’s Entertainment Behind-the-Scenes: ‘Lee Min Ki’]

[Today’s Star Magazine]

[What Does the Public Expect from Newcomers?]

Each headline was slightly different.

And all day long.

[LOL, why so many photos?]

[Reporter really seems into him today.]

There were notably a lot of accompanying photos too.