Top Star by Luck

Chapter 40

Actor Choi Yoo Chang spoke up.

“Aren’t you putting too much personal feeling into your acting?”

With that single stern remark, the hairs on Kim In Gwon’s skin stood on end.

“…!”

The person who usually only smiled wasn’t smiling now.

It was the most terrifying moment, seeing someone who typically showed only a hint of a smile suddenly change.

That was the power of Choi Yoo Chang’s words.

Like a snake whispering into the ear of a mouse, Kim In Gwon, suppressed by Choi Yoo Chang’s presence, held his breath.

“I-I didn’t mean it like that….”

Just as he was about to blurt out a feeble excuse—

Tap.

Choi Yoo Chang patted Kim In Gwon’s shoulder and spoke.

“I’m just joking, joking.”

Who wouldn’t know that it wasn’t a joke?

Kim In Gwon’s shoulders tingled as if a ghost had just passed by.

But it didn’t end there.

This time, Director Yeom Gwang Ho, following behind Choi Yoo Chang, approached the frozen Kim In Gwon and spoke.

“The atmosphere was good. What’s with the sudden fight?”

Director Yeom Gwang Ho intervened as if to mediate.

“While acting, it’s natural to give and take, right, Min Ki?”

There was a hint of sincerity in his gaze as he asked.

Lee Min Ki pondered briefly whether he should pursue the matter further or back off.

“Yes, I was just a little caught off guard.”

He made the best choice he could in that moment.

If he had gotten angry, things would have escalated.

But at the end of that, it would only cause harm.

“I’m sorry, Director.”

Kim In Gwon’s forehead twitched at the brief apology.

He realized that the apology wasn’t directed at him, but at Director Yeom.

‘This bastard, until the very end!’

However, before he could respond, Director Yeom Gwang Ho let out a sigh of relief, as if glad the situation was resolved, and said,

“Thankfully, neither of you got seriously hurt. Right, In Gwon?”

“…….”

“In Gwon.”

“…Yes.”

Kim In Gwon nodded reluctantly.

Seeing this, Director Yeom gave a wry smile internally.

‘You’ve got to know your limits.’

Throwing out improvisations with excitement—

That’s like giving the other party permission to improvise in return.

Acting isn’t one-sided.

It goes back and forth between both sides, and from this perspective, Kim In Gwon’s behavior was clearly hypocritical.

And it wasn’t lost on others at the scene either.

‘Yeah, he did go a bit overboard.’

‘What? Didn’t they discuss this in advance?’

‘I was curious to see how far he’d take it.’

While everything would be fine if the atmosphere were good, Kim In Gwon’s one-sided behavior made things clear.

He had crossed the line.

However, this worked in Lee Min Ki’s favor, as it helped him gain favor with the other actors on set.

‘Kim In Gwon is pretty mischievous, but he handled it well.’

‘That was all improvisation?’

‘If that’s the case, then props to him.’

‘His movements are impressive. So, that body built through training isn’t just for show.’

‘Min Ki, fighting!’

‘Our junior is doing great!’

It was the beginning of a reevaluation.

With the atmosphere somewhat settled, the fact that Kim In Gwon’s acting career was a bit ahead of Lee Min Ki’s didn’t matter much.

In front of the more experienced actors and directors, he was just a candle before a blazing fire.

With a ten-million-viewer actor and the director personally resolving the situation, Kim In Gwon wasn’t in a position to escalate things further.

“That aside, Min Ki.”

“Yes?”

“I just want to say something.”

Director Yeom turned toward Lee Min Ki as if he still had something to say.

“I was worried since rookies aren’t usually good at handling improvisation, but your response to the unexpected situation was perfect.”

“Oh, that’s because the stunt director guided me well.”

At those words, the corners of the stunt director’s mouth lifted ever so slightly, barely noticeable.

Director Yeom chuckled softly and said,

“Even if you’re taught the same things, it doesn’t mean everyone can pull it off. Humility isn’t bad, but you should have confidence in yourself.”

That was all.

Director Yeom genuinely had a favorable impression of Lee Min Ki.

‘His acting is good, he cooperates well, and he seems quick-witted too.’

If even he had gotten involved, it would have been a tough situation to manage.

‘I can kind of see why Yoo Chang is defending him. He doesn’t act like a rookie.’

Overall, it was like this.

Although it seemed like they smoothed things over, Lee Min Ki gained a lot from the situation.

A high evaluation on set.

It was something some people could never obtain, no matter how hard they tried their whole lives.

On the other hand, Kim In Gwon became the guy who got upset because his improvisation wasn’t received.

‘This is why it matters how you say things.’

With the situation more or less wrapped up, Director Yeom sighed and spoke again.

“Alright, we seem to have gotten too excited filming just one scene. Let’s take a breather. Min Ki, your part for this scene is done, so take a break. In Gwon, get ready for the next scene—”

He was about to direct them toward the next scene when—

“Ugh….”

Kim In Gwon began limping on one leg.

“Hey, it looks like his ankle is swollen.”

“What? Hold on.”

The stunt director immediately rushed over and pulled up his pant leg in one swift motion.

The sight revealed was shocking.

His ankle was severely bruised, swelling up like an undercooked sweet potato, blue and painful-looking.

Alarmed by the clear sign of serious injury, the stunt director’s eyes widened as he spoke.

“Whoa, you need to go to the hospital right now.”

It sounded so casual that it almost seemed like a joke.

“What?”

Kim In Gwon’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“The hospital?”

“See? This is why I told you not to push yourself too hard. You need to head to the hospital first.”

“…….”

Kim In Gwon stood there with a blank expression.

“Director, I still have action scenes left.”

“Man, your body comes first, not the shoot. If you ignore this, the aftereffects will be worse.”

“So, what, am I supposed to just sit and wait until I get better…?”

“If you have to, then yes, wait as long as it takes. What, you won’t?”

The stunt director’s usual firm stance on safety showed in his sharp words.

Even Director Yeom stepped in, placing a hand on Kim In Gwon’s shoulder and speaking with a serious expression.

“In Gwon, there’s no need to push through injuries just to finish filming. Go to the hospital, get treated first, and we’ll figure out the rest later. If you can’t do action scenes, we can try other ones.”

“Director, I can still do it.”

“Thank you, I appreciate the sentiment, but your health comes first.”

“Director….”

“Hey, someone bring some ice for a cold compress. Whoever has a car, take the actor to the hospital.”

And with that, it was settled.

Kim In Gwon, who had his big action scenes cut short, sat trembling in a chair.

‘So, I can’t do my action scenes?’

There was no need for further explanation.

The reason Kim In Gwon remained stuck in relative obscurity despite his excellent physical acting was simple—his line delivery was weak.

No matter how good his stunts were, they didn’t amount to much.

Even in action films, more than 80% of scenes involve dialogue.

If his only weakness had been his lines, that would’ve been one thing.

But Kim In Gwon wasn’t just bad at lines. His physique wasn’t particularly outstanding, and his face was plain.

Now, telling him he couldn’t even rely on his action skills—what else was there to say?

‘They’re basically telling me to disappear.’

It felt like a death sentence.

It was as if a hammer had fallen from the sky.

As Kim In Gwon sat slumped over in despair, Lee Min Ki thought to himself:

‘Safety really is important.’

No matter how good the acting is, if you get injured, it ruins the rest of the filming.

The moment Lee Min Ki deeply reflected on why the martial arts director had repeatedly emphasized safety, Director Yeom Gwang Ho shouted.

“Alright, alright, there’s no time to rest. We need to film one more scene before the sun rises. Do Won, get ready right away.”

It seemed like the next scene was Kang Do Won’s turn.

As soon as those words were spoken, Lee Min Ki pulled out a pen and notebook from his pocket.

He focused on the scene.

“Huh? Min Ki, what’s that?”

Joo Ha Na, who had been standing a little apart, suddenly approached and asked.

“A diary?”

“…No, not really. I try to write down anything I can learn on set and review it later.”

“Wow, you’re really diligent. Finishing a tough scene and getting right back to work.”

Joo Ha Na’s admiration for Lee Min Ki grew even more.

And so did Lee Min Ki’s inner burden.

The gaze that had looked kindly upon him just moments ago turned sharp again.

‘It’s nice when a pretty person is friendly, but… ha ha… I don’t know anymore…’

* * *

Joo Ha Na.

A rookie actress who was gaining popularity with her pure visuals and polite behavior.

If one were to summarize her personality in a single word, what would it be?

[Ha Na has always been the class president since elementary school.]

Class president.

Yes, she was the “class president” type.

[Did you forget your textbook? You can use mine!]

[Is this problem difficult? Should I teach you?]

[I started a study group with the others. Let’s study together this weekend.]

She multiplied joy and divided sadness.

She was friendly to everyone and enjoyed forming groups wherever she went.

Because of her innate kindness, she didn’t know how to hurt others.

In every aspect, from academics to relationships and filial duty, she had lived an exemplary student life.

However.

Perhaps because she tried too hard to be nice to everyone…

Sometimes she became the target of needless jealousy and controversy.

[Didn’t you like me?]

[Are you dating him?]

At times, she unintentionally sparked rumors.

[She’s so annoying.]

[Did you see her flirting with the guys?]

[She acts all nice, but in the end, all those fake girls are the same.]

[Did you hear she got plastic surgery after high school? Apparently, she spent over ten million won.]

She also incited envy.

Yet, despite the numerous controversies, she didn’t change her behavior.

This was because she had a strong belief.

A firm belief that there was nothing wrong with her actions.

Which, in fact, was true.

After living an upright life, she somehow ended up debuting as an actress through street casting last year.

Her appearance as a witness in Forever Green boosted her popularity even more.

She started to find the acting work increasingly fun.

“Hee hee hee.”

She was lounging on the couch with a white facial mask on her face when—

“Ha Na, you’ve been smiling a lot lately.”

Hearing the voice from the kitchen, Joo Ha Na turned her head and responded.

“Huh? Really?”

“You’ve always smiled a lot, but lately, it’s like a flower in full bloom. Hey, hey, hey, living all fun by yourself.”

Her older sister, Joo Doo Na, flopped down onto the empty spot on the couch and spoke.

“Don’t tell me you’ve got a guy?”

“What guy? I don’t raise those things.”

“Why not? You’re an actress. There must be plenty of handsome guys on set.”

“There are plenty.”

Ha Na chuckled at her sister’s words.

“But sis, just because someone’s handsome, do you have to date them?”

“Didn’t you know? That’s what you do at your age.”

“What’s wrong with my age?”

“Eight times three plus one.”

“…What are you talking about? Anyway, I’m not thinking about it for now.”

“There you go again, lying.”

“I’m serious.”

It wasn’t just an excuse.

She meant it.

Because of her overly diligent nature, she had never been that interested in dating.

Dating someone meant investing time away from work and studying.

At least until she secured her position in society, she planned to put romance on hold.

And there was another reason.

“An actress getting caught dating is a big deal, you know?”

There were also professional concerns.

The public tended to be particularly sensitive about scandals involving female actresses.

As she grumbled, Doo Na chuckled and grabbed a bag of potato chips lying on the couch.

“Still, at least tell your sister. There must be someone you’re interested in.”

“There’s no one.”

“Really? Then, what about someone good?”

“A good person…”

At those words, Joo Ha Na furrowed her delicate brows and thought deeply.

There were plenty of good-looking people.

But most young actors were unimpressive.

If there was someone worth learning from, they were usually too old.

‘Choi Yoo Chang? Kang Do Won? Both of them are over forty.’

Moreover, she admired them as actors, but it was a different category from being attractive as men.

As she mulled over this—

‘Ah.’

Joo Ha Na’s thoughts landed on someone.

‘There is someone worth learning from. Actor Lee Min Ki.’

It was Lee Min Ki.

He had a face that not only attracted women but also stirred admiration from others.

A solid body and excellent acting skills.

Even just these three traits were enough to make him an exemplary rookie actor, but there was something else that made him stand out.

‘He’s really humble.’

His personality.

Wherever he went, he smiled brightly, and if there was something to learn, he would eagerly do so.

He was considerate no matter who the other person was.

‘Actor Min Ki must be very popular, huh?’

He looked like someone who would naturally be popular.

After all, he was kind to everyone.

That kind of personality wasn’t something just anyone could have. He was probably loved and raised in an affluent environment.

In truth, it was the complete opposite.

Because of his inherent misfortune, he had been beaten down wherever he went as he grew up.

Being kind to others was not just a matter of personality, but a defense mechanism he had developed from living in a world that treated him as its enemy.

He had lived a life where even a small flaw in relationships could lead to his downfall.

‘Maybe I should learn how to handle relationships like Actor Min Ki.’

As she swam in this sea of misconceptions for a while, Doo Na suddenly slapped her on the shoulder with a laugh.

“There is someone, isn’t there?”

“Huh?”

“I was just saying, but it turns out there really is someone?”

“There isn’t!”

“There is.”

“Give me the potato chips.”

“No way.”

Thus, Joo Ha Na’s lazy day off continued to roll along in her cozy room.

* * *

A week later.

The conclusion to the small incident on set had finally come.

It had led to a disastrous outcome.

That is—

“Senior Kim In Gwon hasn’t been around lately.”

It was about Kim In Gwon.

“He’s been replaced.”

He had been replaced entirely on set.

“Replaced?”

At Lee Min Ki’s surprised voice, Choi Yoo Chang chuckled and explained.

“They checked at the hospital and said it was a ligament issue. It’s pretty serious, and it’ll take at least six weeks to heal. Even after that, it might take longer before he can do any intense movements.”

“What about the filming?”

“I told you, he’s been replaced.”

Actor Choi Yoo Chang took a drag from his cigarette and said,

“The scene he was supposed to shoot is far off anyway, and they couldn’t exactly wait for just a minor role. The schedule’s too tight. Besides, there are plenty of replacements.”

In other words, he had been cut.

All because of a single injury.

It was a terrifying thing.

Even if it was a minor role, he had undoubtedly put in blood and sweat to get it.

And now, all of that effort was wiped away by a single ankle injury.

‘He’s not someone to pity, but I feel bad for him.’

If Kim In Gwon had been a more prominent actor, they might have waited for him or adjusted the script.

But he was just a bit part actor.

On a set where everything ran like clockwork, no one was going to adjust the filming schedule for one person.

“Well, I have to go shoot the next scene. See you later. Oh, and don’t mention anything about Kim In Gwon’s situation. They said they’ll reshoot later.”

“Ah, yes! Thank you.”

“Geez, you’re so polite, always thanking people.”

Choi Yoo Chang laughed and walked away.

Left alone in the alley, Lee Min Ki stared into the empty air, letting out a deep sigh.

‘So, this is how things can turn out.’

It was chilling.

He had seen the future of this film, and he knew Kim In Gwon appeared in it.

Yet, he had gotten entangled in an unforeseen conflict and disappeared.

‘It’s not something to feel safe about just because it’s happening to someone else. It could happen to me too.’

It was best to avoid conflicts as much as possible, no matter who he dealt with.

It was a small industry, after all.

Just then—

‘Who is that person?’

Lee Min Ki spotted someone suspicious in the distance holding a camera.

It was someone he had never seen on set before.

The person was moving suspiciously, aiming their camera toward some distant place.