Top Star by Luck

Chapter 82

“Alcohol?”

Kim Doha’s eyelids twitched at the sudden suggestion.

It was true that he wanted to talk a bit more with Lee Min Ki.

However, it was obvious why he was being called out for drinks at this time.

‘It’s so noisy I can barely hear him, must be a club.’

It was a club.

And they were probably having fun in a private room.

Predictable, really.

‘This is a bit of a headache.’

It was a space he didn’t want to reveal to outsiders yet.

As he hesitated, unable to make a decision, Lee Min Ki spoke up.

“Who is it?”

“Oh, well…”

Kim Doha was about to come up with an excuse.

[Oh? Whose voice was that? Lee Min Ki?]

Ah, Ihle had caught on.

“Hyung, it’s just that—”

Kim Doha tried to stop him, but a drunken Ihle, now completely unstoppable, shouted out again.

[Hey! It’s really Lee Min Ki, isn’t it?]

“It is, but…”

[I knew it! Lee Min Ki! Hand him the phone, right now! Hey, you heard me? Lee Min Ki is there. Tell him to come over.]

At that moment, Kim Doha let out a deep sigh.

Now he understood why Ihle was so desperate to have Lee Min Ki by his side.

‘Another one of those times where he’s trying to impress with a girl by his side.’

A man who lives and dies by his pretentiousness.

How can someone be so consistently predictable?

Ihle truly deserved to be called a pine tree.

Though, that pine tree’s roots were as rotten as the moldy wallpaper of a bathroom.

‘This just got annoying.’

Kim Doha’s frown deepened.

‘I was trying to slowly tame him, but forcing a connection now might just complicate things.’

From Kim Doha’s perspective, Lee Min Ki looked like a diligent, hard-working person.

The type who only saw acting and nothing else.

If it were a classy bar, maybe, but could he really be coaxed into going to such a place just for fun?

… That was entirely Kim Doha’s misunderstanding.

“Who’s calling?”

In reality, Lee Min Ki was someone who wanted to dip his toes, even just a little, into this group.

And he was quite proactive about it.

“My name’s come up a few times, hasn’t it?”

Kim Doha smiled brightly and said,

“Min Ki, it’s an acquaintance of mine.”

Just as he said that, Kim Doha realized he had unintentionally let a careless remark slip.

[Hey! Hand him the phone! I know it’s Lee Min Ki. Just for a moment, give him the phone!]

Ihle had perfectly grasped the fact that Lee Min Ki was there.

Like a predator extending its claws, the situation became tense.

Meanwhile, Lee Min Ki, even though he didn’t fully understand the situation, wasn’t about to miss the chance.

‘Does he not want me to meet this person?’

Why would someone be reluctant to introduce him to someone else?

Unless there was some unresolved grudge involved, it didn’t make sense, especially since Lee Min Ki wasn’t someone with a vast social circle.

The Daon scandal was known to only a few people.

So, if Kim Doha was hiding something, it was likely something shady.

If there was something shady about Kim Doha, it would be obvious.

“They’re asking for me?”

He had to poke at it.

“Haha, he’s just really drunk.”

[Drunk? Who’s drunk! Kim Doha, are you mocking me right now?]

Kim Doha clenched his teeth so hard at the ranting on the other end of the line that they were about to crack.

[Hey, you there, can you hear me?]

“Yes, who is this?”

[You know me, right? I’m Ihle. From Lava?]

“Ihle?”

At the booming voice coming from the phone, Lee Min Ki caught on.

And he faintly smiled.

He had hoped to reel in a small fry, but this was no small fry.

It was a big catch.

‘Ihle… wasn’t he one of the people involved in that incident?’

He remembered.

Ihle.

Once a member of a popular idol group, but after the group switched to mostly solo activities, he couldn’t find his footing.

Then, suddenly, he got involved in a crime, which caused his fans to go crazy.

[Ihle, you scumbag. Did you say you wanted to be seen in the news? Well, here you are, on the front page.]

[The most pathetic guy in the world.]

[See if anyone sends you care packages in jail.]

[So the tofu you said you liked on TV was foreshadowing, huh?]

He was also notorious for his loose tongue.

He contributed to blowing the incident out of proportion by carelessly messaging ordinary people on social media.

He messaged them, saying, “I’m Ihle, the idol. Let’s meet just once.”

‘He’s not even afraid of getting caught, huh.’

To Lee Min Ki, Ihle was the kind of person who couldn’t be trusted, someone he wouldn’t want anywhere near him.

But for now…

“Wow, it’s really Ihle? I’m a fan!”

He could be the person who respected Ihle more than anyone else in the world.

[Min Ki, remember this. When acting, you need to love your co-stars, even if they were your parents’ worst enemy. But don’t actually love your parents’ enemies.]

Recalling Kim Ah Sung trainer’s vivid advice, Lee Min Ki enthusiastically shouted in an excited tone,

“I’ve watched all of your works, Ihle sunbae-nim! Wow, back in high school, everyone knew who you were. Everyone in my class was copying your dance moves.”

It was a blatant lie.

Lee Min Ki was someone who watched various works, but he never forced himself to watch anything unbearable.

Especially when it came to someone like Ihle, infamous for his poor acting.

Most of his classmates back then probably didn’t even know Ihle’s name, though they might have known Lava.

However, those in the spotlight tend to overestimate their fame.

[Oh? Really? Did you hear that? Lee Min Ki says he’s my fan! Doha, bring him over right now. Let’s meet!]

This was a headache.

Kim Doha felt like his head was about to explode.

But things were already way beyond his control.

‘If I try to draw the line now, this foolish Ihle will throw a fit later.’

He had intended to gradually distance himself, but this situation had gotten tangled up at the worst possible time.

There was no helping it.

Kim Doha let out a deep sigh and said,

“Min Ki, I’m sorry, but it seems like you’re nearby. Why don’t you show your face for a bit?”

One thing was clear in this mess.

It was bad luck for Kim Doha.

And good luck for Lee Min Ki.

* * *

In a luxurious yet eerie hallway.

‘This is really it.’

Lee Min Ki was busy looking around in amazement.

‘It’s exactly like what I saw in the articles.’

Club [Uncommon].

Its name had been repeatedly mentioned in news articles as a crime scene.

After that incident, more similar cases came to light, like branches sprouting from the same tree.

However, they merely changed the owner’s name and the store’s sign, continuing business as usual.

‘I’ve prepared as much as I can.’

Walking down the corridor, Lee Min Ki checked his equipment again.

There was a small camera on his chest.

In his pocket was a high-performance recorder.

He had brought them, just in case there was something to capture during drinks with Kim Doha.

And if he got caught, he had a plausible excuse ready.

[I often review recordings after filming to practice my lines.]

It was a common enough practice among actors.

Now, all he needed was one thing to go right.

As he walked, feeling a bit on edge, Kim Doha gave a wry smile and said,

“Min Ki, it’s a bit sudden to bring you to a place like this on a first meeting, isn’t it?”

“No, I find it interesting.”

“Interesting?”

Kim Doha asked in a somewhat surprised tone.

“Have you been to places like this before?”

“Uncommon is famous, right? It’s said to be one of the top three clubs. I’ve been here once or twice when I was younger.”

A lie.

The only time Lee Min Ki had been to a club was when he turned twenty, and within five minutes, his phone and wallet were stolen. He swore never to return after that.

“You partied a bit, huh?”

“I stopped going after preparing to become an actor. But every guy has a phase where they’re into girls, right? Besides, I’m more amazed that someone like you, Kim Doha sunbae-nim, is here.”

“Haha, sunbae-nim? No way. Just call me hyung. And I don’t come here often. It’s just that Ihle hyung is a regular here, so I come when he calls.”

The conversation between the two was filled with soulless lies, thrown back and forth.

But in this brief exchange, Kim Doha’s suspicions subtly eased.

‘He should be intimidated, but he seems natural. Has he really partied before?’

Not long after, their footsteps halted in front of a large room.

Creak.

When the door opened…

“Oh! Doha, you’re here!”

Inside, a man, half out of his unbuttoned dress shirt, was rolling on the floor.

It was Ihle.

“Lee Min Ki, huh!”

As he cheerfully waved and shouted at him,

‘Ugh, the smell.’

Lee Min Ki instinctively grimaced.

The overwhelming stench of alcohol and cigarettes

assaulted his senses.

Just from a whiff, he was already longing for the sweat of a gym.

‘What a mess.’

Ashtrays lined the table.

Bottles of expensive liquor were scattered around, their labels visible enough to hint at their hefty price tags.

But none of that mattered.

The real issue was…

‘Is that really Lee Min Ki?’

The gazes of the women around the room.

‘Wow, it’s really Lee Min Ki?’

‘He looks just like he does on TV.’

‘Heard his physique was great, guess it’s true.’

‘Hmm, it’d be nice to have him around. Does he have a girlfriend? Probably does.’

Women in revealing outfits stared at Lee Min Ki with hungry eyes.

Like predators from the feline family eyeing their prey.

‘Quite an audience.’

In the past, he might have been interested in that.

He used to be starved for others’ approval, affection, or anything resembling goodwill.

But now, his focus was entirely elsewhere.

‘Now, let’s see. Is there anything here?’

Looking for evidence.

While subtly acknowledging the gazes directed at him, Lee Min Ki combed over the table.

With some luck, maybe he could find something—anything.

Drugs, perhaps.

Or any other incriminating material.

But it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“Hyung, you’ve had too much to drink.”

“Shut up. How did the shoot go?”

“Thanks to you, it went well. You’re keeping things clean today.”

“I’m always clean.”

Although Ihle was often out of his mind, he wasn’t stupid enough to leave anything incriminating in plain sight in front of someone new.

Anything suspicious would have been cleaned up long ago.

‘This is more normal than I expected.’

Was he looking in the wrong direction?

Had he underestimated the situation?

As Lee Min Ki sat on the sofa, lost in thought, a woman with a strong scent of perfume approached him.

“Oppa, is this your first time here? Why are you avoiding my gaze?”

“……I’m shy.”

“Why the formal speech?”

The woman giggled obnoxiously.

Stop talking to me.

I need to think.

Just as Lee Min Ki was about to refocus his attention, the woman leaned in aggressively.

“Wow, you must work out. Your body’s solid.”

As she tried to touch him.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

“I’m ticklish.”

“You’re funny, oppa.”

He tried to dodge her, half-annoyed.

But then.

‘Wait.’

Something caught his eye.

‘That.’

On the woman’s wrist was a faint trace of blood.

It was a tiny drop, hard to see unless you were looking for it.

Looking closer, he noticed more droplets spaced along a thin line.

‘Did she take something? Or are those self-inflicted cuts? Maybe she scratched herself?’

Whichever it was, it didn’t matter.

It caught his attention.

Once noticed, it was impossible to ignore.

More than that, if he let it be, he might end up getting it on his clothes.

And today, he happened to be wearing white.

A handmade piece crafted by CEO Yoo Gyu Eon himself.

The only one of its kind in the world.

He didn’t mind the woman clinging to him, but if it got dirty, that would be an issue.

“Hold on a second.”

Lee Min Ki rummaged through his coat pocket.

Then, he naturally pulled something out.

“……Oppa, is that a band-aid?”

It was a band-aid.

There it was, small and neat, in Lee Min Ki’s hand.

“You carry band-aids?”

“Yeah, I get hurt often.”

Lee Min Ki answered nonchalantly.

It was true; he had often been injured and carried band-aids out of habit.

He didn’t get hurt much these days, but in the past, he was constantly bruised, swollen, scratched, and torn.

So carrying band-aids had become second nature to him.

‘It’s more like a good luck charm now.’

Even though he didn’t use them anymore, the habit didn’t disappear in a day or two, so he carried them just for peace of mind.

“Here you go.”

Lee Min Ki carefully placed the band-aid on the woman’s wrist.

Gently, yet perfectly.

With a smooth, practiced motion that showed his life experience, he quickly applied first aid.

‘Who would have thought I’d be putting on a band-aid in a club.’

The woman found the situation both amusing and absurd, letting out a small laugh.

Did he really notice the injury on her wrist?

In this dim place?

His observation skills were incredible.

Most people here wouldn’t notice a bruise or scratch.

Even if they did, they wouldn’t care.

If someone grabbed her wrist, it was more likely just part of the usual skinship, not an act of kindness.

In short, Lee Min Ki’s actions were unusual.

‘This guy is strange.’

People said he was kind on TV, but could he really be this nice?

Most celebrities who were praised for being nice turned out to be disappointing in real life.

‘Take Kim Doha, for example… never mind.’

The woman, feeling a bit off, bit her lip slightly before finally speaking again.

“……Oppa, are you a player?”

She was briefly intrigued, but she had her own work to do.

She wasn’t just sitting next to a guy she wasn’t even interested in, acting all sweet for no reason.

Kim Doha’s eyes from across the room were sharp.

She bit her lip and spoke, still feeling half-annoyed.

“You don’t seem new to this.”

“I told you, I get hurt often.”

“From acting?”

But this time, she was ignored.

Lee Min Ki’s gaze was fixed on something else.

‘Huh?’

It was just pure luck.

Really, just luck.

Luck, like a golden nugget dropped on the floor.

‘That.’

A smartphone with a cracked screen.

A familiar model, with an equally familiar case.

It was a VIVA X7, with a case branded by a sports car company.

He had seen it many times on internet forums and in news articles.

There it was, lying abandoned on the floor.