Top Star by Luck

Chapter 41

Lee Min Ki’s eyes rolled sharply at the suspicious behavior of a person seen behind the alley.

‘Who is this guy?’

He was, quite literally, a suspicious person.

One person was cautiously holding a camera with both hands, looking around as if to broadcast, ‘I’m a suspicious person~’ with their whole body.

It was shady.

A shady aura filled the air.

Lee Min Ki’s brain instantly started working at 1.4 times its usual speed.

‘He doesn’t look familiar.’

It had already been almost a month since Min Ki had been going in and out of the studio as if it were his own home.

Not only did he visit for his own shoots, but he also stayed behind on others’ filming days, recording every scene.

From the actors to the directors, and even the staff hidden behind the scenes, people with little presence—he thought of each one as a living, moving textbook.

Because of that, he could say for sure.

‘He’s suspicious.’

The fact that he was an outsider.

‘I should check this out.’

Instead of confronting the man directly, Min Ki switched his phone’s camera to video recording mode and circled around at a distance.

He wanted to check what this stranger was trying to film.

Then, as he stood about 20 meters away, behind the man’s camera, he caught sight of a scene over the stranger’s shoulder.

‘That’s…’

Two people were standing at the other end of the alley.

And one of them was—

‘It’s actress Joo Ha Na.’

It was Joo Ha Na, the rookie actress he had appeared with, along with another actor.

Jerry.

A good-looking male actor.

In Forever Green, he played a minor role with little significance, but if he wanted, he was more than capable of landing lead roles in major projects.

‘Why is he filming those two?’

As Min Ki observed from about thirty steps away, the atmosphere felt off.

Honestly, the scene looked good.

Joo Ha Na, with her naturally striking appearance, stood beside Jerry, whose face wore a constant fresh smile.

They were a perfect pair, with not a single flaw between them.

And at that moment, the distant stranger’s camera clicked away.

‘Ah.’

A flash of an image ran through Min Ki’s mind like lightning.

It was none other than—

‘That scandal photo.’

The historic picture that caused Joo Ha Na’s “love triangle” scandal to break out.

She had been photographed with Jerry.

That picture had become representative of Joo Ha Na as an actress, so it had left a clear impression in Min Ki’s mind as well.

Could this really be a scandal?

However, thinking about it that way didn’t quite fit—the atmosphere between the two didn’t seem like that of lovers.

Min Ki knew better than anyone.

‘Those two barely spoke to each other.’

He was well aware that they weren’t close.

So was there another reason?

As he briefly pondered, suddenly—

“…Huff!”

The suspicious man, who had been snapping photos non-stop, let out a panicked sound and tumbled to the ground with a thud.

He had noticed Min Ki behind him and panicked.

‘Ah, I felt like I was about to figure something out if I’d just thought a little longer. Damn.’

Swallowing his disappointment, Min Ki walked over to the fallen man and asked,

“Excuse me. What’s with that camera?”

“I work here.”

“Really?”

A thought flashed through Min Ki’s mind.

Maybe, just maybe, this guy really could be an employee here.

It wasn’t impossible—he could be external staff.

So he asked,

“Then can you show me your ID card? The one the director handed out on the first day of filming.”

“Ah, I left it at home.”

“Oh, that’s fortunate. None of us were ever given one.”

“…”

The stranger’s eye twitched, having been caught in the lie so effortlessly.

And as if he expected as much, Min Ki let out a small sigh.

‘I knew it.’

He had only checked just in case.

Min Ki scratched his head and said,

“Let me see your camera.”

“What?”

“I don’t know what you’ve been filming, but let me take a look.”

The man flinched at that, then hugged the camera tightly to his chest, stepping back as he spoke.

“Why should I?”

“You look suspicious. You know it’s illegal to take photos of people without their permission, right?”

“Got any proof?”

“Yes.”

Without hesitation, Min Ki pulled out his phone and tapped the screen for a moment.

“Here.”

He held it out for the man to see.

The slow-playing video showed the man focusing on his covert photography over several dozen seconds.

‘Ugh.’

The man flinched.

It was undeniable proof.

Without needing to say more, Min Ki reached for the camera.

“…Ugh!”

The man glanced behind him, then suddenly bolted, trying to flee.

Or rather, he tried to flee.

Thud!

The man barely managed to take three steps before his legs got tangled up, sending him sprawling magnificently to the ground.

‘Wow.’

Min Ki marveled inwardly at the series of smooth, almost artistic movements.

‘Lately, a lot of people seem to trip and fall in front of me.’

Could this also be because of luck?

Luck was truly a powerful thing.

In fact, it was like this:

If Min Ki himself had bad luck and frequently tripped while running, it made sense that others could fall just as easily too.

That was all there was to it.

Min Ki’s luck had simply overpowered the stranger’s luck.

“Let’s not make this worse. Just show me the camera.”

Min Ki pressed a hand down on the man’s shoulder as the stranger tried to get up and escape.

But soon, the man was shocked.

‘How does this scrawny guy have so much strength?’

The strength Min Ki exerted through his upper body was unreal.

He looked skinny on the outside.

But the power he felt was on par with that of a judo athlete.

It made sense.

Why did someone who looked so skinny have such strength?

The truth was simple: it was because Min Ki had always consistently practiced low-weight, high-repetition exercises.

[“Min Ki, if you do the same workout but with high weight and low repetitions, your muscles will grow quickly. But the downside is, you lose definition and endurance. Now, here’s a question. What happens if you do low weight and low repetitions?”]

[“Your muscles grow slowly, but your definition improves, and you gain endurance?”]

[“Exactly!”]

[“But isn’t it okay if it’s just for show?”]

[“Not always. If you want a lean, sculpted body like an actor, bulking up isn’t the only solution. A carved physique comes from definition.”]

Manager Kwon Joon Yong’s guidance had paid off.

Now, Min Ki’s body was well-toned despite his modest muscle mass.

Of course—

[“But do you know something even better than low weight, high-repetition workouts?”]

[“What’s that?”]

[“Low weight, very high repetitions.”]

[“…”]

He had trained rigorously for that too.

“Let go! Let go!”

“Nope. Just show me the camera.”

“Argh!”

And so, an unexpected scuffle broke out between them.

As the commotion grew, it was impossible not to hear it, even from a distance.

Soon enough, it was discovered.

“…Min Ki?”

“Wow.”

It was Joo Ha Na.

She had approached with Jerry and now stood there, looking at Lee Min Ki with a baffled expression.

“What are you doing?”

“Catching a paparazzo.”

“That guy?”

“Yes, a bad paparazzo taking shady photos.”

“…”

***

The outcome had been decided.

Min Ki forced the suspicious man to choose between cooperating with the police or facing legal action, leaving him no options.

“Wow, this guy’s really despicable.”

“….”

“Why do you live like this?”

“….”

The man, silent and with his head hung low, obediently handed over the camera.

As Min Ki slowly scrolled through the photos stored in the camera, he was struck by a feeling of disbelief.

‘People like this exist?’

The camera’s memory was filled with pictures of Joo Ha Na.

To be precise, photos of her off-guard, unrelated to her acting.

‘What kind of terrible angles are these?’

The photos captured Joo Ha Na engaging in friendly conversations with male actors, all shot with suspiciously deliberate framing.

It seemed this wasn’t the first time, as there were dozens of similar pictures.

Among them, Min Ki even recognized some infamous photos.

The very photos that had sparked the “love triangle” scandal surrounding Joo Ha Na.

‘To think that the truth behind that scandal was something like this.’

Min Ki’s head spun momentarily.

He had grown suspicious of Joo Ha Na’s friendliness early in the shoot and had slowly begun to distance himself from her, only to realize now that it was all a misunderstanding.

A scandal caused by one malicious paparazzo.

Though it wasn’t entirely certain, all the evidence pointed to that conclusion.

‘Photos can be really dangerous.’

They were like a weakness for actors.

While other celebrities typically worked within studios, actors specializing in film often shot scenes outdoors.

That made them easy targets for paparazzi.

‘Outdoors, there’s no ID check or anything. A high-performance camera is all it takes to ruin someone’s life.’

That’s why famous celebrities in the U.S. were often accompanied by entire security teams, not just bodyguards.

As Min Ki continued to flip through the photos with a heavy heart, Jerry muttered,

“This guy’s crazy.”

“…”

“How much do you get paid for one of these shots?”

“…”

“You don’t get paid? Doing this for free is even crazier.”

His calm face belied his sharp, biting words.

With every jab, the paparazzo’s head drooped even lower.

“Wow, these photos really paint a scandalous picture. We’re not even that close. Right, Ha Na? I was just asking for acting advice here and there…”

As Jerry chuckled bitterly, Joo Ha Na glared at him.

“Ahem.”

Reading her silent demand for him to shut up, Jerry flinched and added,

“Anyway, Min Ki, thanks. If these photos had leaked, things could’ve gotten dangerous. You really saved us.”

“It was pretty obvious.”

“Haha, if photos like these get out, there’s always a big uproar. A good-looking actor like me is expected to have scandals, but for a rookie actress, it can be fatal. Once you get more familiar with this industry, you’ll understand.”

Understand?

He already did.

How could he not, after seeing how those very photos had been leaked and knowing exactly what happened?

‘But the key is prevention.’

Just because they caught him this time didn’t mean it was over.

If a paparazzo stopped after being caught once, they wouldn’t be a paparazzo.

It was necessary to take preventive measures.

And then—

A solution appeared from an unexpected angle that Min Ki hadn’t anticipated.

“Manager.”

“I came as soon as I heard.”

Joo Ha Na’s manager had arrived.

A hulking man with a mountain-like physique, his neck decorated with tattoos that seemed to writhe as he moved.

He looked more like a gangster than a manager.

‘No matter how many times I see him, I can’t get used to it.’

Min Ki had encountered him a few times before.

It couldn’t be helped.

Every time Min Ki spoke with Joo Ha Na, her manager would watch them from a distance with a menacing gaze.

“Ack!”

The manager grabbed the paparazzo’s arm with a grip like a crane lifting a heavy load and pulled him to his feet, saying,

“From here on out, we’ll handle it. You actors can go about your business.”

“Manager, wait—”

“No need to worry. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened to our company. We’ll take care of it properly.”

“Heek…!”

The word “handle” made the paparazzo’s already shrinking shoulders hunch even further.

Well, for an agency employee, dealing with scum like this was probably nothing new.

‘They’re the experts here.’

At this point, Min Ki decided to step back.

He had done his part by catching the guy on the spot.

There was no need to get involved further and risk gaining an additional troublesome enemy in the form of a malicious paparazzo.

His job was done now.

‘Nothing good will come from making this bigger.’

As they say, leave the expert’s job to the experts.

An actor’s job is to act.

Managing actors is the manager’s job.

“So, how about we go grab a cup of coffee?”

Jerry, reading the room, stood up and said.

“Oh, I’ll treat you, Min Ki.”

Joo Ha Na chimed in, seemingly waiting for her moment.

“Ha Na, what about me?”

“Pick something under 3,000 won.”

“Huh.”

It seemed like she was trying to ease the tension, considering the chaos she had just narrowly avoided.

As they were about to get up and leave—

“Actor.”

Joo Ha Na’s manager stopped Min Ki.

“Yes?”

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, this could’ve turned into a big issue. Thanks to you, it seems like it will be resolved smoothly.”

“….”

The man, whose face looked like it was carved out of stone, gave Min Ki a respectful bow.

All while gripping the paparazzo’s arm like a child’s wrist with one hand.

Min Ki stared at the awkward scene for a moment.

“I didn’t do much.”

He just laughed it off and walked away.

***

The small commotion was over.

Though it seemed minor, it had the potential to tarnish an entire acting career for someone.

As if nothing had happened, filming on set resumed.

A month and a half passed after that evening, and soon the highlight scene of [Detective Goo Hak Jin] in Forever Green was right around the corner.

‘Ah, this won’t be easy.’

It was the scene where [Detective Goo Hak Jin] was tortured and killed.

It was essentially his exit from the series.

Min Ki could feel the intense, murderous gaze of Kang Do Won, the actor playing the serial killer, drilling into the back of his head.

‘As expected, he’s a master of method acting.’

Even before the scene began, Min Ki could feel the murderous energy.

He hadn’t believed in the concept of “killer intent” before, but the aura Kang Do Won was emitting could only be described that way.

But it was almost over.

Once this scene was over, his filming schedule would be finished for a while.

He could relax and focus on his studies.

Just as he was thinking that, the makeup team began prepping him.

“Hmm, something about this doesn’t feel right.”

The art director responsible for his makeup muttered continuously.

“I was going to put him in a dress shirt, but somehow, it just doesn’t feel desperate enough.”

She was saying that [Detective Goo Hak Jin], in the middle of being tortured, didn’t look quite right.

Even though the details had already been decided in the script long ago.

“Director Yeom, can we talk for a moment?”

Leaving Min Ki sitting in a chair like a rocking doll, the two hurried into a meeting.

“Can’t we just splash some blood and water on him?”

“It just doesn’t feel right. Min Ki’s features are too soft, you know? No matter what we do, he just looks like an innocent victim.”

“Can’t we fix it with acting?”

“We’ll leave that as a last resort.”

The discussion dragged on without a clear solution.

Ten seconds of silence passed.

Then Director Yeom made a casual suggestion.

“What if we just have him take it off completely?”