Top Star by Luck

Chapter 66

Café del Dia.

The Wednesday-Thursday drama that had successfully aired up to its second episode.

If one were to analyze the structure of this drama, it consisted largely of two episodes.

The first part was the Korea segment.

It was about [Sung Jin Woo], who was newly appointed to Café del Dia’s first branch, successfully leading the shop.

Now, the shooting for the second part was about to begin.

It was the overseas segment.

Two years had passed, and the three of them were participating in the World Coffee Championship (WCC) to promote the café and aimed for an award.

The part to be filmed today was one of the earliest scenes in this segment.

‘Can they do well?’

Director No Ho Yeon, holding a bundle of papers in his hands, nervously looked out over the middle of the coffee farm.

There, a man was squatting, scooping coffee into a bag.

Swoosh.

Swish.

Sitting alone in the coffee field, he continued scooping the coffee berries into the bag, again and again.

Among the green fields, his white clothes stood out noticeably.

However, he didn’t appear to be particularly lonely.

Nor did he look exhausted.

Rather, it seemed more like…

‘He feels reliable.’

Even though they had dressed him loosely, the naturally broad back gave off the vibe of a photoshoot.

‘Hmm, he’s got assertive shoulders.’

It was surprising.

To think someone could reveal their identity with just their shoulder blades, without even showing their face.

That broad back was slowly becoming one of the identity markers of the actor, Lee Min Ki.

Step.

In the meantime, two people walked slowly from the far end of the coffee field.

Though they didn’t seem to have a particularly solid upper body like Lee Min Ki, they instead possessed long legs and a cool, chic face.

And the other was a woman with a gentle expression, as if she couldn’t refuse a request for directions from a stranger on the street.

It was Kim Ji Hwan, who played the role of [Cha Young Hwan], and Seol Ha, who played the role of [Oh Yoo Na].

‘Oh, please.’

Director No Ho Yeon shut his eyes tightly.

No, as a director, he couldn’t close them completely and only half-opened them.

‘They’ll do fine, right?’

It was a scene where the two main characters approach the protagonist, who was harvesting coffee berries, and strike up a conversation.

There was nothing particularly special about the scene.

It was an acting scene most actors could handle easily, so why was his heart racing like this?

‘They did decently during the script reading. Please, just don’t let it come out weird. Even something average would be fine, just please.’

0.5 seconds.

Lee Min Ki, hearing the sound of footsteps, stood up and looked back.

As he saw the people behind him, a smile appeared on his lips.

In the next moment.

In that heart-pounding moment for everyone.

“Jin Woo-ssi.”

Kim Ji Hwan also smiled lightly as if responding to him and spoke.

“Is there money lying around over there?”

With that one short line.

With a completely nonchalant line, Director No Ho Yeon’s eyes opened wide.

‘It’s natural!’

His voice was natural.

His expression was natural.

His steps were natural.

It was strange.

It was just a greeting scene.

Even so, Director No Ho Yeon’s pupils expanded as if he had just witnessed a resurrected rock star shouting out loud.

But it wasn’t over.

The next scene was even better.

“Young Hwan-ssi.”

Not to be outdone, a voice filled with laughter, as if greeting a long-time friend, flowed from Lee Min Ki’s lips.

“How was Korea?”

“Korea?”

Kim Ji Hwan slightly raised one corner of his mouth and gave a light chuckle as he spoke.

“Thanks to you leaving the shop and running off to search for coffee beans, I almost died. So, what, you’re not going to say thanks?”

“I didn’t come here to have fun. I came here for work, so there’s no need for thanks.”

It was an extremely ordinary conversation.

The kind of light conversation shared between two colleagues who had known each other for a long time.

“The air is nice, the mountains are nice, the water is nice. If I had known it was this kind of place, I would’ve said I’d come instead.”

Seol Ha also chimed in.

“Isn’t this practically a vacation spot?”

“Seol Ha-ssi, the internet here is slow.”

“No wonder Jin Woo-ssi wasn’t answering my calls. Give me that bag too.”

Seol Ha joined in and started picking up the berries.

Kim Ji Hwan, caught up in the mood, also did the same.

The three of them naturally continued their conversation while gathering berries.

It was a scene with nothing special.

Just a dialogue scene.

But.

‘It’s so natural.’

Director No Ho Yeon felt touched for the seventh time already.

It was natural.

Not just the acting being natural, but what was important was that none of the three characters had lost their essence.

“You still can’t tell the rotten berries apart?”

[Sung Jin Woo] was still prickly.

“Do baristas really need to know that?”

[Cha Young Hwan] was full of complaints.

“Are you two fighting again?”

[Oh Yoo Na] found herself stuck between the two.

Maintaining their character traits while having a casual conversation—that was what made this feel like a miracle.

In conversations, naturalness was everything.

If the actors felt even a little bit awkward with each other, the viewers would instinctively notice it too.

So many times, when episodes changed, characters would collapse, and people would drop out of the show.

‘Maintaining the existing character while subtly changing the relationships is never an easy task.’

If anything, it might be one of the hardest things to do.

How was this possible?

How did Lee Min Ki and Kim Ji Hwan, who used to bicker both on-screen and off-screen, end up working together so smoothly?

The answer was simple.

‘Ji Hwan-ssi improves incredibly fast.’

‘He said it’s not about making himself stand out, but about observing the other person and fitting himself in.’

It was because the two of them had actively communicated over the past few days.

On the day of the drama’s first airing.

By chance, five people, including them, ended up having dinner and watching the drama together, which led to a discussion that lasted all night.

And through that, a miracle happened.

‘Ji Hwan-ssi isn’t as prickly as I thought.’

‘This guy has a broad perspective, even when watching the same work. It’s deep too.’

The uncomfortable relationship between them cracked, even just a little.

Acting, after all, grows in steps.

In the past few days, Kim Ji Hwan had shed the layers of discomfort that had built up inside him and advanced beyond them.

‘Competition is competition, but you still learn what you can.’

Their improved relationship off-screen was now being reflected in their on-screen performances.

But Lee Min Ki was just as surprised.

‘Senior Choi Yoo Chang was right.’

Suddenly, Lee Min Ki recalled the lesson from Choi Yoo Chang, a million-tickets-seller actor, during the filming of [Forever Green].

‘Unless it’s for another role, as a lead actor, it’s best to get along with everyone on set.’

He had said that improved relationships would directly lead to improved performances.

If there was a wall in the heart, it would show on-screen too.

Until now, the competitive spirit between them had coincided with the relationship between [Sung Jin Woo] and [Cha Young Hwan] in the story, making things work out well.

But with this new chapter, they needed to take a step further, and they had now arrived at that point.

“Jin Woo-ssi, isn’t your skin a bit too tanned?”

They were becoming friends.

“When roasting coffee beans, they get charred too. But it’s better for the outside to be burnt than the inside, isn’t it?”

“…Haha, are you saying I came because I was burning inside?”

“Feeling a bit guilty?”

Of course, there was still a faint trace of bitterness in their jokes, but the bond was clear.

To be precise, they weren’t quite friends, but rather frenemies.

But it was a definite change.

As clear as the difference between seawater and river water.

“Since we’re on the subject, Young Hwan-ssi, you can at least tell the difference between Robusta and Arabica now, right?”

“Haha, I certainly know better than someone who can’t sell a cup of coffee for less than five thousand won.”

“Wait a second! You two stop fighting already.”

“It’s not a fight, Young Hwan-ssi is just—”

“Enough!”

Unable to watch them bicker any longer, Oh Yoo Na intervened.

“Jin Woo-ssi, aren’t you going to offer your guest some coffee?”

“…You’re lucky Seol Ha-ssi is here. Follow me.”

At last, the scene came to an end.

The reunion scene.

As their meeting, after two years following the commotion in Korea, was drawing to a close.

Director No Ho Yeon, mentally and physically drained, leaned back and mumbled.

“Cut.”

* * *

[Café del Dia] continued its successful broadcast.

On the second day, the ratings reached 10%.

It had already recorded slightly above the average rating, but in the drama industry, it was the following week that really mattered.

‘Viewers only remember dramas with rising ratings, but there are actually more dramas whose ratings drop.’

That’s why avoiding a decline was crucial.

Even if the first week’s viewership could be attributed to marketing efforts, the real performance of the drama would be revealed starting from the second week.

Hence, many people in the industry often decided the show’s fate by the third week.

And.

Café del Dia soared, as if to prove that their worries were unfounded, like a plane cutting through the clear blue sky.

[Episode 3: 11.7%]

[Episode 4: 12.1%]

[Episode 5: 12.2%]

[Episode 6: 12.4%]

It didn’t just maintain its ratings; it recorded a steady increase.

At this point, the performance of [Café del Dia] was being summarized.

A well-made drama.

It might not have been a huge box-office hit, but it was at a level where it could proudly place its name on the list of winners of that quarter.

[Director No Ho Yeon nailed it.]

[Lee Min Ki, Kim Ji Hwan, and Seol Ha—the chemistry between these three is insane.]

[The drama overall just feels so fresh, LOL.]

[Watching this makes me want to drink a cup of coffee.]

[You know what’s really infuriating? This airs at 10 PM.]

[I need to sleep, but this makes me crave coffee, LOL.]

[Caffeine is killing me at night, sigh.]

It also contributed to the sleeplessness of the Korean population.

As the successful airing of Café del Dia continued, the show’s performance caught the attention of not only the viewers and broadcasters.

In a certain prominent building in Mapo-gu, on the top floor.

A man was busy reviewing documents while seated in the CEO’s chair.

“Sir, I’ve just organized and sent over the materials you requested yesterday.”

“Oh, thank you.”

It was CEO Song Jin Bae.

As the head of Beomcheon Food Company (BFC), he was a man with ambitions to make every citizen in the country drink at least one cup of coffee a day.

He casually drank his coffee while scrolling through the report he had requested.

“The response isn’t bad.”

It was an analysis of the success of [Café del Dia] and its marketing trends.

It outlined how they could leverage this show to invest and achieve a certain level of sales.

As CEO Song Jin Bae fixed his eyes on the screen, his secretary asked curiously.

“I didn’t expect you to personally review this, sir.”

“Promotion is something that always has to be done. But if we’re going to do it, we should do it smartly.”

“Have you already decided on the model you’ll hire?”

“Do I even need to say it?”

CEO Song Jin Bae responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Lee Min Ki. There’s no one else worth considering.”

It was Lee Min Ki.

Perhaps it was inevitable.

There was no one else who could represent Café del Dia as its main face other than Lee Min Ki.

Hearing CEO Song Jin Bae’s words, the secretary smiled faintly and said.

“I see the event from the last presentation left quite an impression on you.”

“Didn’t I say? You have to be able to distinguish between the real and the fake. In the end, the only thing that works in this world is the real deal.”

“So, you’re saying that Actor Lee Min Ki is the real deal.”

“He’s a rare kind of real.”

High praise was showered upon an ordinary actor.

From the secretary’s perspective, it was quite astonishing to see CEO Song Jin Bae, who rarely praised celebrities.

‘It wasn’t just rare.’

It was practically unheard of.

No matter how good the image of a celebrity was, most of the time, they were treated like disposable commodities.

So, Lee Min Ki was truly an exception among exceptions.

‘Is that actor really that remarkable?’

For a moment, the secretary recalled his performance.

The scene where he brewed coffee while wearing a white shirt and apron did look pretty cool.

His broad shoulders stood out vividly in the memory, contrasting with his delicate face.

It did suit him well.

‘His visual appeal is indeed impressive.’

In just a few weeks, the internet had turned the image of a man brewing coffee into a new romantic ideal.

There really wasn’t anything more to say.

Of course, the secretary wasn’t particularly interested in Lee Min Ki.

In fact, he liked Seol Ha more.

‘I just wish more people recognized how amazing women in white shirts look.’

Her white skin, long hair tied back neatly, and that bright smile—just thinking about it made his heart race.

It was frustrating how Seol Ha wasn’t getting more attention, overshadowed by the two male leads in the drama.

‘Tsk.’

If only the world would start a coffee craze.

Please.

And a white shirt craze too, please.

With a sense of regret, the secretary clicked his tongue and asked CEO Song Jin Bae.

“Should I contact his agency today then?”

“If you can set up a meeting, go for it.”

“Yes, I’ll make contact right away.”

Just as he was about to leave the CEO’s office after finishing his business.

“One more thing.”

CEO Song Jin Bae called him back just before he reached the door and added one last thing.

“Other companies must’ve contacted him already, right?”

“Yes, most likely.”

The secretary nodded repeatedly.

It was practically a tradition for people who filmed food-related dramas to immediately get offers for food-related commercials.

Given Lee Min Ki’s visuals, there was no way offers hadn’t come in.

Perhaps, he had already finished filming one.

‘In these situations, it’s often better to secure the deal first, even if it means paying cancellation fees later.’

The secretary figured that CEO Song Jin Bae was being overly cautious.

But he couldn’t say that out loud.

Instead, he replied with a soft smile.

“Since Actor Lee Min Ki is still relatively new, he might be cautious. But given how well the drama is doing, it’s highly likely he’s already in negotiations.”

“I see.”

CEO Song Jin Bae nodded as if he expected that and said.

“If there’s already a contract, tell them we’ll pay the penalty for canceling it too.”