Top Star by Luck

Chapter 26

“Hey, you want to die?”

Park Tae Gyeon’s face twisted in a menacing scowl.

Embarrassment from his failed slapstick in front of a rookie and the bubbling dislike came together, turning him into a ticking time bomb, ready to explode.

Watching him, Lee Min Ki had one thought:

‘Why is he acting like this when he fell down first?’

It was absurd.

When he first met Park Tae Gyeon on the set, he had been genuinely glad to see him.

Park Tae Gyeon.

He had only worked for a few years before disappearing into retirement, but he had left behind a few significant pieces in that time.

His acting was quite decent, too.

Their debut years were only about a year apart, so Min Ki had thought they might become good friends.

But now, what was this situation?

“You think I’m a joke?”

Park Tae Gyeon jabbed a finger toward him.

“Aren’t you going to lower your eyes?”

“…”

“You think you’ll last long in this industry if you disrespect seniors like that?”

What was he supposed to do?

Park Tae Gyeon had made a fool of himself with that absurd physical gag, and now he was acting out.

Lee Min Ki genuinely had nothing to say.

“Hey! Lower your eyes! Are you going to or not?”

Park Tae Gyeon raised his palm threateningly, as if he were about to physically attack him.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

He continued his threats, as if demanding Min Ki to kneel and apologize.

But.

‘What does he want me to do?’

No matter how much the man in front of him lashed out, Lee Min Ki remained completely calm.

This was because he had at least a basic understanding of how this industry worked.

‘In the end, all rookies in their first year are pretty much the same.’

The industry was small, so avoiding unnecessary fights was a good idea. But there was no need to bow down.

Especially since Park Tae Gyeon was someone who would retire soon anyway.

Given all these facts, Lee Min Ki calmly replied:

“Me? Why?”

It was his fault.

Hearing those words, the veins on Park Tae Gyeon’s forehead bulged even more.

And then, in the next moment—

“Damn it!”

Park Tae Gyeon’s raised fist swung toward Lee Min Ki’s face in a large arc.

But.

‘Oh?’

It merely brushed past the empty air right in front of Min Ki’s face.

An amateur’s sloppy punch.

The world wasn’t so kind that anyone would just stand there and take a wild swing that even a kindergartner could dodge with their eyes open.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“This…!”

Park Tae Gyeon tried to attack again.

But just like before, his fists only struck empty air.

A punch that kept a safe distance.

Despite several more repeated attempts by Park Tae Gyeon—no, Park Tae Kyeon—the result was the same.

In fact, things only got worse.

“Huh, huh, huh?”

His shoes were still wet.

Slipping, Park Tae Gyeon tumbled flamboyantly to the floor.

Thud!

His second fall of the day.

“Argh!”

It was embarrassing enough to miss all his punches, but now he had fallen again.

At this point, he was about to cry.

‘Why can’t I hit him?’

The reason wasn’t something far-fetched.

It wasn’t easy to land a punch on someone.

To successfully hit a target, one needed strong legs, proper technique, and precise range.

None of these were things Park Tae Gyeon possessed.

He was simply unlucky.

In the end, overcome with frustration, Park Tae Gyeon screamed.

“Hey! You bastard! Why are you dodging?!”

“Well, I can’t just stand there and take it. An actor’s face is their livelihood.”

Lee Min Ki calmly responded.

However, that composure only further infuriated Park Tae Gyeon.

‘This bastard is mocking me, isn’t he?’

With his temper flaring to the max, Park Tae Gyeon lunged at Lee Min Ki with his whole body.

But.

‘…Huh?’

Min Ki didn’t budge.

His legs stood firm like the deep-rooted trunk of a centuries-old tree, effortlessly blocking Park Tae Gyeon’s tackle.

It was what fighters called a “sprawl.”

When an opponent lunges for your waist, you press down from above, stopping them.

It was a perfect counter to a tackle.

However, it was easier said than done, and not everyone could pull it off.

To successfully sprawl, one needed strong legs, proper technique, and impeccable timing.

And.

‘Surprisingly, I can hold up.’

Min Ki had two out of the three.

‘Is it because I’ve been working out lately?’

He had been training at a gym near his house under the guidance of Gym Manager Kwon Joon Yong.

With his one-on-one coaching and Min Ki’s naturally strong build, his body had slowly developed into something more than just average.

It wasn’t quite the body of a serious bodybuilder, but it was getting there.

His focus had been on strengthening his legs, so his stability was remarkable.

And the timing?

He made up for that with luck.

“Nngh, ngh…!”

No matter how much Park Tae Gyeon pushed, Min Ki didn’t move.

‘How is this guy so strong? He looks like a scrawny weakling.’

He was losing even in strength.

By now, Park Tae Gyeon felt like crying.

His attempt at intimidation had failed.

All his punches had missed.

He had tried to tackle Min Ki but had been overpowered.

“…Can you stop now? This is getting embarrassing.”

Meanwhile, Min Ki, in his calm voice, sounded like he was mocking him.

Even worse, his voice was gentle.

Park Tae Gyeon screamed, filled with frustration.

“Let go of me, you bastard!”

“Then you’ll just try to hit me again.”

“I said, let go!”

“You have to stop resisting before I can let go.”

Park Tae Gyeon’s dignity as a senior actor was in shambles.

Of course, with less than a year between them, there wasn’t much of a hierarchy to speak of.

But to Park Tae Gyeon, who had experienced the strict seniority system of the acting department, it didn’t feel that way.

“…”

“…”

In this humiliating stalemate, the awkward tension between the two men stretched on.

“Why is it so noisy here?”

Finally, someone bothered by the noise appeared in the waiting room, and their face hardened.

“Gasp.”

And it didn’t stop at one person.

One by one, two, three, four people rushed in.

“What’s going on?”

“Whoa.”

In no time, the number grew to seven people.

Among them, Park Yoo Chan PD made his way through the group, looked around the chaotic waiting room, and spoke.

“…Are you two practicing action scenes?”

***

The situation calmed down.

The other people left, and only four remained in the waiting room.

The main parties involved: Park Tae Gyeon and Lee Min Ki.

And the on-site supervisor, Park Yoo Chan PD, along with Writer Kim Hee Jin, who had just happened to stop by.

The four sat around a table, facing each other.

“So, Tae Gyeon, you’re saying…”

Park Yoo Chan PD twitched his eyes in confusion.

“…Min Ki spilled water on the floor on purpose? To make you fall?”

“Yes.”

“Does that even make sense?”

“I’m telling you.”

“And even if you did fall, why would you try to settle it with fists? This isn’t a kids’ fight.”

“…”

It was the truth.

With that, Park Tae Gyeon’s head drooped.

Now that his hot temper had cooled, even he realized how embarrassing the situation was.

He muttered in a sulky voice, full of shame.

“I’m telling you, he was up to something shady in the waiting room.”

“Is that so?”

Park Yoo Chan PD sighed, turning to Lee Min Ki.

“Min Ki, what were you doing when you got to the waiting room early?”

“I was memorizing my lines.”

“Hm. Good job.”

There wasn’t much more to say.

No matter how much Park Tae Gyeon claimed to be the victim, Min Ki’s alibi didn’t give room for suspicion.

In fact, if anyone had the right to feel wronged, it was Min Ki.

But from Park Yoo Chan PD’s perspective, things weren’t that simple.

‘The lead actor and a supporting actor got into a fight. Does this even make sense?’

The drama’s ratings had improved significantly, and up until half an hour ago, he had felt like he was walking on clouds.

But now, this was a mess.

He would’ve liked to sweep it all under the rug, but there was no easy side to take.

‘I can’t just throw away the lead actor, but Min Ki didn’t do anything wrong either.’

The judgmental gaze of Writer Kim Hee Jin was also weighing on him.

Though she sat quietly, the way she looked at him, as if he were utterly pathetic, was impossible to miss.

Handling the people on set was the director’s responsibility.

He was sure she saw him as incompetent.

In the end, there was only one thing he could say in this situation.

“Should we check the CCTV?”

He suggested checking everything thoroughly.

But that suggestion left someone pale-faced.

“Huh? The CCTV?”

It was Park Tae Gyeon.

Park Yoo Chan PD pointed to the corner of the room.

“See that?”

There, a black CCTV camera quietly stood, its lens pointed toward them.

“This is a broadcast station, so there are times when incidents occur in the waiting rooms. That’s why we record everything.”

“…”

Park Tae Gyeon’s energy deflated instantly.

It was like dealing with a bunch of kindergartners.

It was clear now that he had been the one causing trouble.

Sighing as if he expected this, Park Yoo Chan PD spoke again.

“To be honest, we’re all here to work, aren’t we? There’s still a lot of filming left. If we let emotions run high, no one wins, right?”

“That’s true.”

Min Ki nodded.

He had nothing to hide, so going through everything wouldn’t bother him. But starting his acting career by smearing mud on someone else wasn’t his style either.

If he could avoid this fight quietly, it wouldn’t be a bad outcome.

In fact, it was a chance to make a good impression on both PD Park Yoo Chan and Writer Kim Hee Jin.

“Alright, let’s do this. The earlier mess? It never happened. No one saw it. We all just forget about it and move on.”

Sighing, PD Park Yoo Chan continued.

“Min Ki, do you agree?”

“Yes.”

“What about you, Tae Gyeon?”

“…”

“Tae Gyeon?”

“…Fine.”

Reluctantly, drowning in humiliation, Park Tae Gyeon nodded his head.

His gaze was fixed on Writer Kim Hee Jin.

‘Even now, he’s worried about how others see him.’

In any case, dragging this on was tiresome.

Feeling somewhat relieved that the situation was finally under control, PD Park Yoo Chan spoke up.

“Alright, the reading starts soon, so get ready. Min Ki, stay behind for a moment. We need to talk.”

“Yes.”

Park Tae Gyeon was the first to leave the waiting room.

Still fuming, his steps were heavy with frustration.

Watching his retreating back, PD Park Yoo Chan shook his head in disbelief for a moment before turning to Min Ki.

“You’ve been through a lot, huh?”

“No, PD, you’ve had it harder.”

“Let’s grab a drink sometime.”

“Ah, I’m currently watching my diet.”

“…Min Ki, you’re quite a character.”

Writer Kim Hee Jin, who had remained silent with her arms crossed the whole time, also chimed in.

“I’ll remember what happened today.”

And just like that, the situation in the waiting room was more or less resolved.

***

There’s a saying: “The revenge of a gentleman is never too late, even after ten years.”

But Park Tae Gyeon wasn’t a gentleman, and his revenge came just a few minutes later.

“Alright, let’s begin scene 23.”

Script reading.

It was a moment when, regardless of physical differences, actors could clash purely based on skill.

In scene 23, Park Tae Gyeon and Lee Min Ki would be acting together.

And it was a scene where their characters were in direct conflict.

‘I’ll crush him.’

Park Tae Gyeon clenched his teeth.

There was no way he could let go of the humiliation he had just suffered.

He could feel the eyes of all the actors around him, mocking him.

Even though they had agreed to keep it quiet, everyone must have heard about it.

Of course, the eyes of those actors were not focused on him but entirely on Lee Min Ki.

‘That’s the guy from the other day, right? Things were chaotic, but this should be interesting.’

‘He seems gentler than I expected.’

‘Is he good at script reading as well as on-site acting?’

With all eyes on him, Park Tae Gyeon gripped his script hard enough to crumple the pages.

“So you’re the bastard? The one who said something awful to Hana? What a goody-two-shoes.”

His tone was unnecessarily forceful.

His voice was thick with hostility.

In this scene, the second male lead was merely testing the main character, so there was no need to be so aggressive, but Park Tae Gyeon’s personal feelings were coming through.

‘Let’s see how you handle this.’

It was a common rookie mistake.

Many beginners believed that intense emotion equaled good acting.

But.

Lee Min Ki responded calmly.

“Who are you?”

His voice was devoid of emotion, utterly confused.

Just four words.

But it was more than enough to erase Park Tae Gyeon’s presence completely.

‘Great diction.’

‘So clean.’

‘He’s got character.’

Everyone quietly evaluated Min Ki’s performance.

Meanwhile, Writer Kim Hee Jin, who had been attending the reading, smiled softly.

‘As expected, he’s good.’