Top Star by Luck

Chapter 27

The full-scale filming of [Campus Story] continued.

With only five episodes left until the finale, Lee Min Ki had been brought in as a scene-stealer.

It was a change that came as the drama reached its climax.

In a situation where receiving positive evaluations was not easy.

But the response was clear.

– MinXMin’s acting

– Who is rookie actor Lee Min Ki?

The articles proved it.

– Let’s learn more about Lee Min Ki, the buzzworthy supporting actor

– He boasts a pure look, but transforms into a regular citizen once he starts acting.

– Is this actor the same guy who cheered at that baseball game?

– Unbelievable maturity for a supporting role

– We’ve heard it from the set.

– Revealed as the next rookie from JC. As expected from JC, naturally JC.

The evaluation was good.

Not only was it considered excellent for a supporting role, but considering that most rookies’ first performances often end up as their darkest moments, this debut was more than ideal.

However, Lee Min Ki himself was feeling a certain amount of pressure.

‘…Why does it feel like my screen time keeps increasing?’

It was because his screen time had indeed grown.

Of course, there was no reason for him to complain about having more scenes.

As an actor, it was something to be thrilled about, something that could make him feel like he was flying in the sky.

After all, more screen time directly led to an increase in one’s value.

But the thing about camera time is that it’s fixed, and if Lee Min Ki’s screen time was increasing, it meant someone else’s was shrinking.

The real issue was where that screen time was coming from, and Min Ki knew the answer.

‘It’s that guy.’

It was Park Tae Gyeon.

The actor who had stirred up trouble with Min Ki not long ago—well, more accurately, the one who had unilaterally picked fights with him.

His scenes were getting cut down drastically in every episode.

Others might not notice.

But Lee Min Ki had no choice but to be aware.

‘My scenes are increasing compared to the past.’

This was because the original shooting schedule for [Campus Story] was ingrained in his mind.

‘Why though? Why is this happening?’

Although the overall framework of the drama remained the same, the details had changed significantly.

Especially with the disappearance of the sub-male lead’s presence.

“….”

Lee Min Ki could only feel baffled by the entire situation.

‘This scene wasn’t originally like this.’

There was a scene scheduled for filming now.

Namely, the one where Lee Nam Wook, the assistant instructor (played by Lee Min Ki), received a gift from the female lead as thanks for resolving her scholarship recommendation issue.

If his memory was correct, this was considered one of the iconic scenes in [Campus Story].

However, originally, it wasn’t the assistant instructor who was supposed to be in this scene—it should have been the sub-male lead.

‘Why am I doing this?’

He was bewildered.

But at the same time, it was obvious.

Writer Kim Hee Jin was subtly revising the script.

Gradually phasing out the original sub-male lead and pushing Lee Min Ki into his spot.

‘He probably doesn’t realize it, right? He shouldn’t realize it.’

Lee Min Ki’s gaze met Park Tae Gyeon’s from across the staff.

Sitting on a folding chair, Park trembled all over like a wounded animal.

As if he couldn’t contain his hostility and had to express it somehow.

Soon, he whipped his head away.

Lee Min Ki marveled inwardly at the sight of Park’s raw emotions showing so plainly.

He’s got quite the temper.

‘Now I see why he disappeared so quickly from the industry.’

Probably got into a big fight with someone.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a female actor approached Lee Min Ki, her voice full of concern.

“Nam Wook-ssi, are you free later?”

“….”

“Nam Wook-ssi?”

“Oh, sorry, I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

Startled, Min Ki quickly replied.

They were still in the middle of filming.

His attention had been diverted to Park Tae Gyeon, making him lose focus.

‘We’re filming again.’

That would be a hassle.

What if the staff noticed and became irritated with him?

But standing in front of him was the female lead, actress Han Min Seo, who played the role of “Kim Ha Na,” continuing in a worried tone.

“Haven’t you been getting enough sleep lately? I noticed you nodding off during the lecture earlier.”

It wasn’t just casual concern.

It was a line.

Apparently, she had no intention of stopping the performance.

Grasping the situation quickly, Lee Min Ki scratched the corner of his eye as if bothered by her attention and replied.

“That’s how it is for assistants, isn’t it?”

“Here, take this.”

Han Min Seo took his hand and placed something into it.

It was a bottle of ParkX, a popular Korean energy drink and the eternal companion of office workers.

Of course, it was a PPL product.

As Min Ki felt the cold bottle in his hand, Han Min Seo smiled brightly and said,

“Thanks again for the last time.”

“Huh?”

“They said you persuaded the professor, didn’t you?”

“Did I?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I already heard everything. You got scolded pretty badly, right?”

“…How does Ha Na-ssi know about that?”

“As the saying goes, ‘The birds hear the words spoken by day, and the mice hear the words spoken at night.’ Well, I have class now, so I’ll get going.”

With that, Kim Ha Na left briskly after delivering her lines.

Min Ki stood there for a moment, staring blankly at the ParkX bottle in his hand, then at the spot where she had been.

He chuckled lightly and opened the bottle just as the call came.

“Cut!”

Park Yoo Chan, the PD, shouted.

With his voice, the tension eased, and the shoot was over.

‘Oh no.’

Finally snapping back to reality, Min Ki remembered how he had zoned out earlier, wasting valuable time.

‘You idiot, you’re a supporting actor. It’s not enough to just focus on the shoot, so what if you get in trouble?’

Each step that PD Park Yoo Chan took towards him made Min Ki’s heart race wildly.

As Park closed in until his shadow loomed over Min Ki’s face, he finally spoke.

“Min Ki-ssi.”

He opened his mouth.

“Wow! That eye-acting just now was amazing!”

“….”

It was a compliment.

While Min Ki stood dumbfounded, PD Park ignored the people around them, throwing out his words enthusiastically.

“That’s it. Lee Nam Wook is that kind of character. He acts indifferent, but he’s actually very considerate of others, right? You need to control that tempo well, and Min Ki-ssi, you nailed it. Haha!”

“Right, Min Ki-ssi, that was really good.”

Before Min Ki could fully grasp the situation, actress Han Min Seo, who played Kim Ha Na, also approached and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Min Seo-ssi.”

“For some reason, whenever I act with Min Ki-ssi, it just flows smoothly. Are you used to working with others?”

“…”

“When I was a rookie, I used to have to reshoot scenes more than ten times each. Haha, not that it’s much different now.”

So she was complimenting him.

Even though Min Ki remained silent, PD Park and actress Han Min Seo continued exchanging remarks as if he were just a mannequin standing between them.

“Min Seo-ssi has been good at acting from the beginning.”

“As good as Min Ki-ssi?”

“We’ll have to see about that.”

“Huh? Really? But you said I did well!”

Min Ki, caught in the middle, could only feel more and more confused.

No matter what they were saying around him, in his head, all he could think about was Park Tae Gyeon’s sub-male lead performance.

‘Is it okay for me to be doing this here?’

It wasn’t about his role.

He didn’t care about any grudge Park Tae Gyeon might be harboring.

He was more concerned about the overall quality of the drama.

If they cut out the sub-male lead’s scenes and he replaced them, wouldn’t the viewers feel that something was off?

Wouldn’t he become the unwelcome outsider that upset the balance of the story?

In the end, though, Min Ki’s worries were completely unfounded.

‘Putting Min Ki-ssi in really enhances the scene.’

There was a reason why Kim Hee Jin was such a successful writer.

Even when she was busy and writing scripts on the fly, she could still keep the bigger picture in mind.

Adjusting the balance of the characters?

A simple task for her.

This was routine.

For her, a minor adjustment in the character’s screen time was easier than eating porridge.

In fact, she was grateful to have such a useful card in her hand.

‘I was worried this would end up being a mediocre project, but now that Min Ki-ssi is in the spotlight, the drama feels more alive.’

At least he was better than Park Tae Gyeon.

Park insisted on doing his own thing instead of working with others.

He lacked the ability to see the bigger picture.

A typical rookie actor’s dilemma.

Not to mention, his natural greed for more screen time probably played a role too.

‘Min Ki-ssi doesn’t have unnecessary ambitions, which is nice. He doesn’t try to outshine others. His chemistry works with anyone. And unlike someone else, he’s perceptive too. I’d like to work on another project with him someday.’

Her affection for him had reached its peak.

However, outwardly, Kim Hee Jin couldn’t show any of it.

The replacement of the sub-male lead had to proceed quietly, without anyone noticing.

Of course, there was one person who saw right through her intentions.

‘Why does the script keep coming back to me?’

It was Lee Min Ki.

He knew because he had seen it firsthand.

But even knowing, he couldn’t speak up.

‘Am I really just the newcomer that barged in?’

It was hard to accept that, as a mere supporting actor, he had become the center of the filming process.

He couldn’t show any signs of his discomfort.

At that moment, actress Han Min Seo approached him again, continuing to engage him in conversation.

“After the shoot today, we’re planning to hang out at a café. Do you want to come? It feels like fate that we’re working together.”

The more she asked, the more Min Ki could only smile.

“…I have a gym appointment tonight.”

“Actor-nim, do you even do personal training?”

“No, it’s not personal training, but something similar.”

The broadcast of [Campus Story] continued.

It was a show that had a dedicated audience, but remained highly praised only within that circle.

Its viewership rating had been consistently stuck at a middling level.

Considering they had brought in the famous writer Kim Hee Jin, the results were somewhat underwhelming.

However, with the introduction of Lee Min Ki in the role of assistant instructor Lee Nam Wook, the situation began to change.

– [Campus Story Viewership Trend]

– 2.44% -> 2.51% -> 2.7% -> 2.89%

The ratings were gradually rising with each episode.

This was the beginning of a turnaround.

Thanks to Lee Min Ki’s performance, his scenes started gaining traction in online drama communities.

– [Title: Compilation of Lee Min Ki’s Scenes from Today’s Episode]

– [Comments (41)]

– I think I’m switching to a new favorite actor.

– How old is he??

– I heard he’s in his mid-20s.

– Wow, he looks way younger than his age. Maybe he takes good care of his skin.

– Hahaha, I think he’s just good at playing a younger character.

– Isn’t he about the right age for an assistant instructor?

– He’s handsome, so who cares?

– His slight chuckles are the best… I wish he’d laugh like that next to me all the time.

– Can someone make an edited compilation of just his chuckling scenes?

As the ratings continued to climb, by the final episode…

– 3.13%

It settled into the 3% range, which was considered a respectable success for a weekend drama on cable TV.

Of course, considering the writer’s name, it was a break-even result at best.

But just achieving that break-even point significantly boosted Lee Min Ki’s value.

Thus, [Campus Story] became the rookie actor’s official declaration in the industry, signaling that a new talent was here to shake things up.

– [What’s his next project?]

Meanwhile, there were others feeling bitter about Lee Min Ki’s rise.

‘We should have signed him.’

Daon’s Director Kim Jong Hyuk.

Every time he checked the ratings, he felt as if he were about to cough up blood.

“Wow, that kid’s a huge hit.”

Standing beside him, Daon’s CEO Hwang In Goo commented.

“Director Kim, didn’t that guy apply to our agency?”

“Yes, in that audition a while back.”

“Really? Then why didn’t you sign him?”

“….”

How many times do I have to tell you?

You just didn’t listen.

Holding back the bile rising in his throat, Director Kim bit his lower lip while CEO Hwang waved his hand dismissively.

“Hmm, well, it’s all in the past now. Anyway, it’s time for us to start preparing too, right?”