Top Star by Luck

Chapter 67



Chapter 67

There are many different kinds of dramas in the world.

Comedy, historical, romance, action, thriller, horror, legal, medical, and so on.

The variety is countless.

However, among these, there was a type of drama that rookie actors particularly favored.

It was none other than.

[“I just want to shoot a food drama once.”]

A food-themed drama.

A drama that features the protagonist cooking and running a restaurant.

Why do they prefer this?

If you ask the reason, it’s none other than because of advertisements.

[“Actor Won Jin challenges real-life baking in his role as a baker.”]

[“Riding the momentum of Real Chef’s cast, he opens an Italian restaurant.”]

[“The Korean restaurant from the drama has appeared at Konkuk University Station!”]

Food is an area closely tied to people’s daily lives.

As a result, it also naturally connects to companies, making it easier to land related advertisements.

Even Lee Min Ki, who appeared in the recently popular drama [Café del Dia], was no exception.

“Hehe, haha, ha.”

Lee Min Ki hummed to himself.

He even swayed his shoulders in rhythm with the tune.

If someone saw him, it would be a scene so embarrassing that he would want to crawl into a hole, but he couldn’t help it, as it was difficult to contain the feeling that he might float up into the sky.

Why?

‘Because now I’m a proud TV commercial actor too!’

It was because he had signed a contract.

Last week, with a very decent company, no less.

[“Actor, we’ve received an offer through an advertising agency for a beverage promotion model.”]

Manager Park Han Mo from JC had delivered the news.

After seeing his performance in the coffee drama, a company ranked third in the food industry had expressed interest in signing a contract with him.

[“Your Personal Barista, Coffee-O.”]

Coffee-O.

A fairly well-known franchise coffee brand.

Their specialty was offering custom menus, managing individual accounts for each customer.

‘They said the contract terms were better than average. For a rookie, this is considered the best deal possible.’

Were the contract terms good?

The fact that it was a coffee advertisement itself could be considered an enormous benefit.

In this industry, there’s a saying even a passing nutria would know.

[“An actor should not be picky about roles, but they must be selective about advertisements.”]

This meant that a single advertisement could cement an actor’s future image.

In other words, if you choose the wrong one, you’re done.

This wasn’t just a saying; it was a reality.

An actor who mostly did fashion ads often continued to do fashion ads.

Electronic products lead to more electronic products.

Insurance ads lead to more insurance ads.

Just like how warriors in a game could upgrade to paladins or berserkers, actors also followed a certain path.

Honestly, this was fine.

Everyone did this sort of thing anyway.

The problem was advertisements for loans or underwear.

‘There were celebrities who ruined their image so badly that their value plummeted.’

While the money offered was large, the risks were just as extreme.

So what about coffee?

If we talk about that.

[“Coffee advertisements are something every actor dreams of at least once.”]

It was truly perfect.

[“It doesn’t ruin your image, and it’s easy to land follow-up ads. Coffee ads have long been loved by top stars.”]

It was among the top-tier advertisements.

There was no reason to hesitate.

For a rookie actor, this was an opportunity that rarely came, and it was probably due to the success of [Café del Dia].

‘The day has come when I’m filming a TV commercial.’

How envious he had been, watching celebrities appear in TV ads.

No, envy wasn’t even the right word.

You only feel envious when something is within reach, but when it’s a world up in the clouds, it just feels like another universe.

‘I can’t believe it.’

Lee Min Ki smiled bitterly.

And this wasn’t just any TV commercial, but a coffee commercial at that.

‘Elegant, soft, sophisticated, subtle, aloof, delicate, gentle, kind, fragrant, homely…’

Those were the images that came to mind.

Although he had signed with a company ranked third, not first or second, it didn’t really matter.

Third place was still a big company.

He remembered what Song Jin Bae, the chairman of Beomcheon Food Company, had said at the production announcement, but lip service like that was common everywhere.

‘Now I’ve got both drama appearance fees and advertising income, so I don’t have to worry about money for a while.’

A big, satisfied smile appeared on Lee Min Ki’s face.

‘I’m finally free.’

He had been chased by money his whole life, but now it seemed he was starting to break free.

He should treat his family to some beef.

This time, he would go on a trip with pride.

‘It starts in two days.’

In two days, the first filming at the studio would begin.

That’s when it would all start.

“Hehe, haha, haha. Hehehe, hehahaha.”

As he rolled around the living room, holding a printed copy of the contract in joy, the phone suddenly rang.

Bzzzz-

“Gasp!”

His phone rang abruptly.

But he held steady.

‘I’ve grown now.’

There was a reason why he used to jump whenever the phone rang.

In the past, most of the calls he received were debt collection calls.

Although he still had some trauma from that, which caused him to get startled when the phone rang, he was slowly overcoming it.

‘Good job, me.’

Feeling a small sense of growth over one phone call, he answered.

“Yes, Director.”

The content of that call was somewhat different.

Lee Min Ki’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Did you say Beomcheon contacted us?”

Beomcheon.

It was the number one company in the Korean coffee industry.

* * *

It had been a long time since he visited JC’s headquarters.

As he approached the building in Mapo-gu, a man was outside smoking.

“Actor, over here.”

It was Manager Park Han Mo.

Though his face was always kind, he was surprisingly sharp with his words.

When he spotted Lee Min Ki, he stubbed out his cigarette in a portable ashtray and smiled lightly.

“Let’s talk inside. The director is waiting for you.”

“Director Seo Jung Woo?”

“Yes, we thought it’d be best to discuss this together.”

Hmm, was it that big of a deal?

As Lee Min Ki let out a small groan, Manager Park casually said.

“It’s about the contract termination, after all.”

“…”

“It could even affect your future activity range.”

Hearing the point right from the start, Lee Min Ki let out a small sigh.

“Well, that’s true.”

It was.

The reason Lee Min Ki was visiting JC’s headquarters was to discuss whether to terminate his current contract or not.

Logically, it made sense to prioritize the existing contract.

But unfortunately, the company that suddenly intervened was none other than Beomcheon.

“This way.”

Creak.

When they reached the fifth floor of JC’s office, a small conference room was prepared.

Inside, Director Seo Jung Woo was leisurely sitting and reading a book.

“You’re here.”

Director Seo smiled and placed the book he had been reading on the desk.

The title on the cover read:

[17 Reasons Why You Should Live Kindly.]

Contrary to the refined font, the title exuded a strong self-help vibe.

‘Books like that are fun, though.’

But today’s discussion had nothing to do with living kindly.

It was more about, how should he put it?

Living selfishly, or rather, without taking losses.

To put it nicely, it was about living wisely as an adult.

“Hello.”

As Lee Min Ki bowed his head and sat down, Director Seo immediately spoke up.

“Actor, I believe you’ve heard the general details regarding the advertisement.”

“Yes, it’s about whether to terminate the contract or not.”

“That’s right. To be clear about my opinion first.”

At that moment.

Director Seo launched a surprise attack.

“We should terminate it.”

“…”

It came out fast.

He had thought they would at least try to stop him, so he found the statement somewhat surprising, but Director Seo spoke as if it was obvious.

“When Beomcheon does an advertisement, they are very careful about choosing their model. Perhaps it’s because they hold the number one position in the industry, but they tend to hire only the best models they can find.”

The number one in the industry.

Suddenly, Lee Min Ki felt like he understood what Director Seo was getting at.

“You’re saying working with Beomcheon makes you number one.”

Advertisements lead to more advertisements.

This meant that while it was true Lee Min Ki was advertising the brand, the brand, in turn, was also advertising Lee Min Ki as an actor.

In short, this advertisement was like a placement test in a game.

Once you establish a connection through an advertisement with a company as big as Beomcheon, it becomes easier to work with companies of similar scale in the future.

Especially if you’re a rookie.

“Yes, advertisements lead to more advertisements.”

Director Seo Jung Woo smiled at the expected response and continued speaking.

“Just to clarify, the Coffee-O company you signed with last week is also more than a fine company.”

“Hmm.”

“But Beomcheon is on a completely different level. It’s like the difference between a hyena and a lion.”

Listening to Director Seo Jung Woo’s words made it seem as though Coffee-O was a mediocre brand.

However, there wasn’t much exaggeration in his words.

In fact, he might have said it as gently as possible.

‘There’s a huge difference between being ranked first and second in the industry, let alone between first and third.’

There was also an even bigger reason behind this situation.

“Actor, what I’m about to say is off the record. Beomcheon made a proposal.”

Manager Park Han Mo tilted his head slightly and lowered his voice.

“They said if there’s a prior contract, they’ll even cover the contract termination fee.”

“Huh.”

It was a dizzying offer.

They were basically eliminating any reason for hesitation.

Wasn’t this a bit too aggressive?

What if this got out?

Of course, Beomcheon could afford such bold moves because of their solid position.

“It’s a rare offer. It shows how much they want you.”

The image of Beomcheon’s CEO, Song Jin Bae, came to mind.

Wasn’t he the one with a stiff face?

“Anyway, objectively speaking, there’s no reason to refuse. Nine out of ten people would choose Beomcheon. Just pick the one you feel most drawn to.”

As always, Director Seo Jung Woo smiled uprightly as he spoke.

“Of course, the later you delay, the more rude it’ll seem, so it’s best to decide as soon as possible.”

Did that mean it wouldn’t be considered rude if he rejected it now?

But why?

To Lee Min Ki’s ears, that gentle voice sounded like the whisper of a devil.

‘Just because another place offered better terms, you’ll betray the company you signed with just yesterday?’

It was a common occurrence.

Lee Min Ki recalled the employee from the agency who had signed the contract with him last week.

‘He was a nice person.’

He had a face like a quokka.

The way he kept bowing and thanking him several times was still vivid in his memory.

Strictly speaking, the agency was the one giving him the job, so there was no need for him to be that humble, but the man had shown great respect.

A behavior he had never seen in the past.

The more he thought about it, the deeper his worries became.

‘Would it trouble them if I suddenly decided to terminate the contract?’

Advertising was more labor-intensive than one might think.

Though it had only been a week since the contract was signed, it was highly likely that the advertising team had already been working on all kinds of preparations.

Securing a location.

Creating props.

Designing the packaging, exchanging approval documents up and down the ladder, reviewing everything.

At least dozens of people must have been busy working all day long.

It wouldn’t be hard to guess that several more contracts had been signed during that time.

‘There are only two days left until the main filming.’

With some hesitation, Lee Min Ki asked.

“Manager, would the people over there be disappointed if I cancel the contract?”

“Yes, of course.”

Manager Park Han Mo nodded.

“If you cancel just two days before the first shoot, and you expect not to be cursed at, that would make you someone who has no conscience.”

“…….”

That was a bit harsh.

Despite his words, Manager Park maintained a beaming smile as he continued.

“They’ve probably completed more than half of the preliminary work, trying to make the most of the drama while it’s airing. If everything suddenly falls through, they’ll probably chew up you and JC like gum behind your back, calling you an arrogant rookie.”

A pang of discomfort stirred in his chest.

As if he hadn’t made his point clearly enough, Manager Park kept adding his characteristic biting remarks.

“And that’s not the end of it. Once time passes and they find out you left them for Beomcheon, how do you think they’ll react? If it were me, I’d hold a grudge forever.”

“…….”

“They might even create a blacklist and circulate it. My hands are already itching.”

Would they really go that far?

Lee Min Ki suspected that half of this was a joke, so he smiled.

But there was something to take seriously.

‘For my own benefit, I’d be leaving them out to dry.’

He could do it, but this wasn’t a matter of whether he could or couldn’t.

It was a matter of whether he should or shouldn’t.

Did he want to live a life where he only pursued his own benefit?

Did contracts mean nothing more than a piece of paper?

‘What kind of person am I?’

Lee Min Ki found himself deep in thought.

He considered it from another angle.

‘Is this fate?’

When he first got contacted by the third-ranked coffee company, he thought he was lucky.

But now the first-ranked company had reached out too.

Was this luck?

Could this really be called good luck?

In a way, luck could be a cruel thing.

It didn’t discriminate between good and evil.

Even the worst people could have good luck.

‘Yeah, like that person.’

A certain person came to mind.

Back in the day, before he died, there was a CEO of a company he worked with.

He was a man with terrifyingly good luck.

No matter what he did, things always worked out for him.

The problem was that he used all of that luck to cheat others.

He really ruined people’s lives, meticulously.

‘My contract was like a slave contract at the time.’

There were many other celebrities in similar situations.

Eventually, when enough victims piled up, the CEO blew up the company and disappeared.

Legally, it was an official bankruptcy.

Yeah, legally, there was no problem.

He probably hid a lot of money in the process.

The last thing he heard was that the CEO had bought an apartment with a view of the Han River.

‘To that bastard, maybe that was a rational and mature choice.’

The CEO wasn’t the only one.

There were others who called him up to shoot something together, only to cancel on the day of the shoot.

Did they also have rational reasons?

What was so rational about screwing people over without a second thought?

At that moment, as these thoughts ran through Lee Min Ki’s head, he felt it.

‘I’m angry.’

He was angry.

He was angry at the CEO.

He was angry at all the people in the past who had easily broken their contracts with him.

But at the same time, he was also angry at himself for being shaken by such a trivial matter.

‘Min Ki, when did you become so pathetic?’

That was it.

Lee Min Ki realized he had become pathetic.

Even if he lived without much, he was told never to live in a way that made him look pitiful, and this was a pitiful choice.

It might be difficult now, but later it would become easier. And then he would live even more selfishly.

‘Now that I’m in a favorable position, am I supposed to become just like them? Nonsense.’

Even if he had lived his life as a nameless actor, he still had pride.

Creak.

Lee Min Ki adjusted his posture in his seat.

“Whew.”

After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he finally spoke as if he had made up his mind.

“I’ll decline.”

“You mean the Coffee-O deal?”

Director Seo Jung Woo nodded as if he expected that answer.

But Lee Min Ki looked straight ahead and said.

“No, I’m talking about Beomcheon’s offer.”

“Excuse me?”

It was at that moment.

For the first time, Director Seo Jung Woo, who had been calm the entire time, widened his eyes.

As if he had heard something he wasn’t supposed to.

As if Lee Min Ki had gone off script from his expectations.

However, Lee Min Ki remained calm and continued speaking.

“I want to proceed with the Coffee-O contract. No, I will proceed with it.”

It was a firm statement.

The tone was so resolute that Director Seo Jung Woo couldn’t say anything, and Manager Park Han Mo, looking surprised, spoke up.

“Actor, I’ll say it again, but in the long run, Beomcheon will definitely be the better choice. Even if you get cursed at now, as your stature grows…”

“Yes, I think that might be true. I’ll probably get some hate for this. But still.”

Lee Min Ki spoke again.

“I just want to do it this way.”

“……!”

His voice was so unyielding that Manager Park blinked in surprise.

Want to do it.

Not whether he could or couldn’t, but that he wanted to do it this way.

That desire was clear in his voice, expression, and gestures.

“As you mentioned, the people over there are working very hard, right? If I suddenly cancel everything, wouldn’t that cause them a lot of trouble? Right?”

Maybe it was the strength in his voice, but a brief silence filled the air.

“Haha.”

Suddenly, someone chuckled.

It was Director Seo Jung Woo.

He chuckled to himself, as if something had amused him, and spoke with a voice that sounded somewhat relieved.

“Honestly, I was more drawn to that side too.”

“Excuse me?”

“I was nervous.”

Wasn’t he just telling me to reject it earlier?

Surprised by this unexpected turn, Director Seo continued speaking.

“As men, isn’t it about pride? Choosing loyalty over money shows more pride.”

“…….”

“Scars on the body heal over time, but scars on the heart don’t.”

Ah, so that’s the reason.

It was a surprisingly bold reason, considering his appearance.

Hearing a line that could’ve come straight out of a Kim Sung Mo universe made Lee Min Ki chuckle, while Director Seo smiled inwardly.

‘I picked the right person.’

On the outside, the industry was filled with dreams and hope, but inside, it was run by numbers.

Someone like Lee Min Ki was a rare find.

It might seem foolish, but Director Seo Jung Woo didn’t dislike such idealistic decisions.

‘In fact, it’s better this way.’

Manager Park Han Mo felt the same.

‘…Is this man an idiot?’

Anyone could see that Beomcheon was the better choice.

Yet he was choosing loyalty over profit?

To be honest, it was interesting.

The man was interesting.

The company might not feel the same, but from an employee’s point of view, it was enjoyable.

After reaching this conclusion, Manager Park spoke up.

“Well, it means less work for me, so that’s nice.”

That was a very manager-like reason.

“Well then.”

Director Seo glanced at the clock on the wall and said.

“Since you’re here, why don’t we have a meal together?”

“Oh, that sounds good.”

“There’s a place nearby that serves excellent marinated salmon.”

At the mention of marinated salmon, all the tension melted away, and Lee Min Ki’s mouth watered.

He’d been eating a lot of marinated salmon recently.

‘I wonder which is better, the marinated salmon made by Tae Yang or this place.’

With the tension from the meeting dissipating, his mind was soon filled with thoughts of food.

As he excitedly left the JC headquarters and walked toward the restaurant, it happened.

Bzzz-

Just as they reached the restaurant, Manager Park’s phone rang.

“One moment.”

He tilted his body to the side and slowly read the message on his phone before speaking.

“Oh my.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, you see.”

Manager Park made a somewhat awkward expression, unusual for him, and said.

“They want to terminate the contract.”

“Huh?”

“From Coffee-O.”

“…What?”

What on earth was this about?


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