Top Star by Luck

Chapter 80

The car, which had been driving for a long time, came to a stop.

“Actor.”

At that moment, Manager Park Han Mo, who had been looking back, opened his mouth.

“We’ve arrived.”

“…”

“Actor?”

“…”

“Actor.”

“Ah.”

Only after being called several times did Lee Min Ki barely come to his senses.

“Sorry. I’ve been out of it lately.”

He had been mentally training, repeating scenes in his head so much that he didn’t pay attention to what was happening outside.

“It’s fine. You’ve had something unpleasant happen recently.”

Was it because the incident with the assailant had only happened not too long ago?

Manager Park Han Mo, usually very relaxed, spoke in an unusually serious tone.

But it was different.

Lee Min Ki was lost in thought for a completely different reason.

“Because it’s the day I face off against Kim Do Ha.”

It was as simple as that.

Today was the day of the double interview with Kim Do Ha.

More precisely, it was the day for a showdown in acting between him and Kim Do Ha.

He had prepared thoroughly.

It wasn’t just a day or two of practice, but this time, he had put in a particularly meticulous effort.

[Min Ki, your vibe’s a bit sharp these days.]

Even Kim Ah Sung, the trainer, pointed it out in surprise.

[It doesn’t suit you.]

[… ]

[Just do it the way you always do.]

It wasn’t that he took it lightly.

Rather, thanks to that, when he was with Trainer Kim Ah Sung, he could focus on his practice with the same condition as usual.

Recalling that moment, Lee Min Ki smirked as he spoke.

“I just want to win, if possible.”

“Win, huh?”

Park Han Mo’s eyes glimmered with a little curiosity at the unexpected comment.

“When I look at you, actor, I think that you always give your best, even in the smallest things.”

“Sorry?”

“Objectively speaking, it’s just a small interview, isn’t it? It’s rare to see someone prepare so sincerely like you.”

“Ah.”

Lee Min Ki let out a small exclamation, realizing the difference in perspective between him and Manager Park Han Mo.

‘Right, to others, this probably doesn’t seem like a big deal.’

Indeed.

To Lee Min Ki, who knew that the “60-second Acting” content would become a big hit in the future, this acting could never be taken lightly.

But to others, it was different.

No matter how trivial the project, it would just look like he was giving his all.

‘For a rookie actor who has continuously succeeded without failure, this is a time when one might start to get arrogant, but he’s really straightforward.’

That was how Lee Min Ki appeared in Park Han Mo’s eyes.

Always humble, always diligent.

It was as if the weight of the task didn’t matter from the start; he tackled even the smallest tasks with an attitude of utmost sincerity.

To the manager, it naturally stood out.

‘If a rookie actor, who just had a hit project, is this sincere even about a small interview, he’s bound to succeed in anything he does in the future.’

Just as Park Han Mo was about to get lost in thought, he blinked and cleared his mind.

“Go ahead. Stretch and prepare yourself.”

“Yes, thank you for driving me!”

Lee Min Ki nodded politely as he got out of the car.

The fact that he still expressed his thanks made the manager chuckle.

For the manager, these small gestures gave him a strong sense of fulfillment.

But this much was something quite a few celebrities also did.

Yet, Lee Min Ki added another step.

“And about the dinner plan for tonight. You remember, right?”

“Yes, why?”

In a puzzled voice, Manager Park Han Mo asked, and Lee Min Ki beamed brightly.

“I’ve made a reservation at a premium Hanwoo omakase restaurant for tonight. Look forward to it.”

“…”

“Manager, let’s do our best today as well.”

With that, Lee Min Ki clenched his fist and disappeared into the studio entrance with energetic steps.

A moment later.

Left alone in the quiet car, Manager Park Han Mo gripped the steering wheel and let out a small laugh.

‘He still remembers the promise to treat me to Hanwoo if he succeeded.’

A person who doesn’t forget even the smallest promises.

* * *

At the same time.

‘Hmm, so this is what it’s like?’

A man sitting on a chair in the broadcast station’s waiting room chuckled.

In his hand, a phone played a continuous stream of videos of a certain man.

It was footage of the rapidly rising actor, Lee Min Ki.

[Just because your life is tragic doesn’t mean it’s all bad. There’s a saying I like. Your ruined life is everyone’s fault. But destroying yourself now is your own responsibility. Got it? The one tormenting Seol Ha right now is Seol Ha herself.]

It was a scene from *Café Del Dia*, considered one of the most iconic moments.

The male lead, Sung Jin Woo, confesses his feelings with clumsy advice to the female lead, who has suffered from a troubled family background.

[Why can’t Jin Woo speak any better?]

[Yes, I’m that kind of person.]

[It must be nice, having no regard for others.]

[It is. Absolutely. I’ll probably live carefree and long. Unlike some people.]

[… ]

[Why worry? There’s no point in worrying when it doesn’t change anything. Do you think someone will forgive you just because you feel sorry? Do you think the world will rage with you just because you’re angry?]

After a brief silence.

Sung Jin Woo spoke again.

[You need to take action. Even if you work out for just 30 minutes a day, a year from now, you’ll be a different person. People can change that easily. So what kind of person do you want to be a year from now, Seol Ha?]

The past can’t be helped, but the future is something you can shape.

So holding on to the past and tormenting yourself is just self-punishment.

That’s what he meant.

[Is there someone who owes you money and won’t pay it back? Does it make you so mad you could die? Don’t hate them. It’ll only stress you out. Just sue them.]

It was clearly a heartfelt message, yet the lines themselves were so cheeky it made you want to slap him.

Still, thanks to Lee Min Ki’s acting, the character came to life.

The scene ranked 3rd among the top 5 moments chosen by viewers.

After watching the scene for a while.

“Pfft.”

Kim Do Ha puffed out his cheeks and chuckled softly.

‘Wow, that’s so cheesy.’

The acting felt cheesy.

No matter how the viewers rated it, at least in his eyes, Lee Min Ki’s acting seemed that way.

‘Did he learn acting from Japanese dramas?’

It felt overacted.

Of course, it wasn’t necessarily bad to unleash your emotions at the right moment.

But it felt like he had gone too deep into it.

To Kim Do Ha, this was amateurish method acting.

Moreover, method acting was long out of fashion.

‘If it’s obvious, it’s already over.’

Acting is about naturalness.

Once, method acting’s chronic flaw became apparent.

In the pursuit of natural acting, the naturalness itself is ruined.

It happens when the actor becomes too immersed without realizing it.

Unless you’re at a certain level, it’s the kind of acting where the actor is the only one enjoying themselves.

That was Kim Do Ha’s view on method acting.

It was also something people in the industry commonly said.

[Method acting is something done for self-satisfaction.]

[They have no idea how hard it is for the people around them to keep up.]

[Right. Like a midfielder who thinks he’s good at soccer? Or a midlaner who thinks they’re great at jungling? That kind of feeling.]

It was a misconception often made by rookies being pushed by their agencies.

They think they’re in that role and getting attention because they’re good, when in reality, it’s because they have strong backing.

A sardonic smile appeared on Kim Do Ha’s lips.

‘There are tons of self-proclaimed method actors like that.’

Unless you’re a master, method acting is just arrogance.

To Kim Do Ha, Lee Min Ki’s acting belonged to that category of fake method acting.

Of course.

It was largely a matter of personal taste.

Kim Do Ha was the type of actor who focused on classical acting, which was the opposite of method acting.

Rather than being swayed by the role, he prided himself on interpreting the character.

Thus, he was almost repulsed by seeing others being consumed by method acting.

‘Today will be easy.’

It was no wonder Kim Do Ha felt confident about winning.

“Definitely.”

As he re-read the script, his certainty grew.

Moreover, there was a huge flaw in method acting, one that no genius of method acting could avoid.

Even if it wasn’t Lee Min Ki, even if it were a giant in Korean cinema.

No, not just that.

Even if it were one of the great Hollywood legends whose name was etched in the Hall of Fame, there was an unavoidable flaw in method acting.

‘It’s predictable.’

If Lee Min Ki was a method actor, he would never be able to reach Kim Do Ha’s level.

‘If we get closer later on, I’ll have to point this out.’

Since they’d likely clash, it would be better to have someone at least somewhat useful.

With that thought, Kim Do Ha turned his eyes back to the script to calculate more possibilities.

* * *

A room draped in dark black fabric on all sides, resembling a

black box.

Inside, with a camera focused on them.

“Hello, I’m Lee Min Ki.”

“I’m Kim Do Ha.”

The two finally greeted each other face-to-face.

Across from them, where the camera that viewers couldn’t see was set up, an LED monitor displaying the interview instructions flickered.

[1. Please introduce yourselves briefly.]

They had already greeted each other.

They had spent a few minutes leisurely chatting in the waiting room.

They knew enough about each other.

But they needed to show the viewers something they’d want to see.

“Now that I think about it.”

Kim Do Ha was the first to speak.

“I really enjoyed watching your *Café Del Dia*. I learned a lot from your role as Sung Jin Woo.”

“…!”

At the sudden compliment, Lee Min Ki’s forehead twitched.

“They call you an acting powerhouse, don’t they? But that term feels strange. Actors are supposed to be good at acting by default, aren’t they? You don’t hear people calling someone a ‘powerful baseball player,’ do you?”

Kim Do Ha continued speaking in a tone so sincere that if you heard it in an interview, you’d want to hire him on the spot.

“In that sense, I believe the term ‘acting powerhouse’ emerged because there are so many rookie actors who fail to meet the audience’s expectations.”

What was he trying to say?

Was he implying that he should be embarrassed to be called an ‘acting powerhouse’?

At the moment Lee Min Ki tensed up a little, Kim Do Ha continued.

“For an actor like you, Lee Min Ki, there’s no need for the term ‘acting powerhouse.’”

“…”

“Because you’re already a complete actor.”

It was pure praise, straight from the heart.

No matter who heard it, they would think, ‘Wow, this guy is so full of goodwill,’ and be genuinely impressed by his kind words.

It suited someone who was currently one of the most popular MCs.

Whoever listened to this interview would surely have nothing but good things to say about Kim Do Ha.

But Lee Min Ki knew better.

‘His tongue sure is slick.’

He knew exactly what this man had done, so he was well aware that Kim Do Ha’s words were just sugar-coated, broadcast-friendly lines.

But it didn’t matter.

“Thank you.”

There’s a proper time for everything.

“In fact, I’ve also learned a lot from watching your acting, Kim Do Ha.”

“My acting?”

“Yes, from *Will You Marry Me or Not*, *Pennant Race*, *Chemistry*, and *I Can See It*. I’ve watched every one of your works at least ten times.”

At Lee Min Ki’s words, Kim Do Ha’s gaze sharpened slightly.

It was as if he was saying, ‘I’m not going to stop you, so go ahead and keep talking.’

Picking up on that signal, Lee Min Ki continued.

“To me, Kim Do Ha, you were like a textbook. A textbook that clearly showed what good acting was. It felt like you were the North Star for sailors, guiding them on how things should be done.”

This wasn’t just flattery.

Kim Do Ha’s acting was indeed marked by perfectionism.

While it didn’t have overwhelming strengths, it was at least flawless.

That had influenced Lee Min Ki as well.

Of course, the fact that there were over a hundred actors from whom he had learned acting, not just Kim Do Ha, was a secret.

“I hope to learn something from you again today.”

“…Haha, I’d be happy to.”

Kim Do Ha responded with a soft laugh.

“But if you’ve learned from me, shouldn’t you treat me to a meal?”

A small laugh spread through the studio.

Enough with the formalities.

The real battle was about to begin.

From the other side of the camera, PD Na, who was in charge of the show, spoke.

“Today, for the viewers, we’ve prepared a very special content as a fan service.”

It was starting.

The 60-second acting.

This was the highlight of today’s show.

“Ah, ah.”

At that signal, Lee Min Ki lightly stretched his neck.

At the same time, a small thrill appeared on Kim Do Ha’s lips.

‘Alright, show me.’

Show me the limits of amateurish method acting.

There’s no ill will, but there’s definitely some mischief.

And then, a few seconds later.

“Ah, ah.”

When the impromptu acting began in earnest.

“…”

Kim Do Ha’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘It’s not there.’

In Lee Min Ki’s acting, the chronic flaw of method acting.

It wasn’t there.

All that was left was clean acting.

Like a freshly ironed shirt, it was perfectly crisp and classic acting, sparkling right in front of him.