Top Star by Luck

Chapter 98

A calm atmosphere filled the office.

A man mumbled as he rummaged through coats in the wardrobe.

“Indeed, seeing it on site gave me a completely different impression. I now understand why you’re an actor. It was clear you’re not just any actor.”

It was Yoo Gyu Eon, the CEO.

Recently, he had participated as a costume collaborator for the [Fashion & Fashion] project, acting as both the president and designer of the shopping mall.

Clink.

He selected a piece of clothing that seemed to please him, then turned his gaze toward Lee Min Ki as he approached.

“Should I call it charisma? It was as if you transformed. I had already seen your acting skills during the audition, but on set, I found myself holding my breath at every line.”

“Haha, you flatter me.”

“When watching the scene, it was as if I could only see you.”

At that, Lee Min Ki scratched his head awkwardly, replying.

“It’s because the other actors were considerate. Since I’m the lead in the drama, they helped me out a lot.”

Yoo Gyu Eon smiled softly at this humble response.

How should one put it?

No matter how many times he listened to Lee Min Ki’s unique way of speaking, it always made him smile.

‘To think that at his age, with his career, he can maintain such an attitude.’

It wouldn’t be strange if he had gotten a bit full of himself, considering his string of successes since his debut. But there was no trace of that.

He elevated others without overly lowering himself.

He even steered the conversation in a way that wouldn’t cause the other person to feel uncomfortable.

“I’m just lucky. To be able to work on such a great project with wonderful people.”

Wasn’t there deep consideration in even that short sentence?

No matter how long the conversation went, it was always comfortable.

Suddenly, a mischievous thought popped into Yoo Gyu Eon’s mind.

‘But what if I ask him this?’

He knew Lee Min Ki was a good person.

But the better someone was, the more one wanted to see even a speck of dirt on them.

Does such a thing as an “underbelly” exist in a conversation with Lee Min Ki?

Yoo Gyu Eon coughed lightly before speaking.

“But there’s something I’d like to mention. I don’t claim to know much about acting, but I could definitely sense a clear difference between you and your co-star.”

There, he threw it.

How would he respond to this?

Was he going to say that his performance seemed superior to his partner’s in his eyes?

Or would he lower himself again, claiming it was because of his lack of understanding?

Yoo Gyu Eon had thrown him a small quiz.

“Well, that’s because…”

How should he phrase it?

Lee Min Ki’s response veered in a completely different direction.

“It was probably thanks to Director Hwang Ui Seong’s direction.”

“Direction?”

“From the script to all the circumstances on set, the director made it so that I would naturally stand out. Everything flowed that way.”

He attributed it to the system itself.

Even here, he didn’t lower himself but shifted the credit to others.

Yoo Gyu Eon laughed once again.

“Still, it was possible because you had the skills, wasn’t it? The director must have recognized that.”

Yoo Gyu Eon knew it was somewhat inappropriate.

He was aware that such questions might force Lee Min Ki into a difficult answer.

But he was curious.

He wanted to know where the limits of Lee Min Ki’s eloquence lay.

“As the lead, you naturally stood out with your performance, didn’t you?”

The dice were cast.

“There’s probably a reason why the director chose me as the lead.”

In response to his curiosity, Lee Min Ki smiled gently.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m the best. After all, both a machete and a kitchen knife are useful tools, but they serve different purposes, right?”

Yoo Gyu Eon couldn’t help but be impressed.

Ah.

So, that’s how he deflected the question here.

He’s saying that he was chosen because he was suitable for the lead role, not because he was absolutely superior.

It was an answer that dissolved Yoo Gyu Eon’s mischievous challenge in an instant.

‘He could make a great politician.’

At that moment, he found himself laughing unintentionally.

Sensing that the brief conversation was making him feel awkward, Lee Min Ki coughed lightly and continued.

“From my short experience as an actor, I’ve realized that on set, there’s nothing I can do alone. For instance.”

As he calmly continued speaking, he pointed toward the ceiling lights.

“To make me stand out as the lead, I need lighting that draws attention to me.”

Next, he pointed to a mirror.

“I also need the help of the crew and staff who reflect me as the lead.”

He then stroked the chair beside him.

“These props also become part of the mise-en-scène, highlighting me.”

Lastly.

Lee Min Ki fidgeted with the sleeves of the shirt he was wearing as he murmured.

“And the clothes you designed for me. You gave me the most eye-catching clothes, didn’t you? I think all these things come together to make me the lead.”

Finally, he brought the focus back to Yoo Gyu Eon.

He had skillfully turned an uncomfortable question into a soft and elegant compliment, like a master of tai chi.

The message was clear: I can shine because you illuminate me.

Was there a greater compliment a designer could receive?

‘He’s not some enlightened sage; I give up.’

In the end, Yoo Gyu Eon gave in.

That wasn’t just flattery.

Nor was it an eloquent technique honed over time.

It was simply his natural character shining through.

From the deepest part of his heart, he genuinely respected his fellow actors, and beyond that, he revered everyone in the industry.

That’s what made such speech possible.

‘I’m in no position to evaluate anyone.’

Yoo Gyu Eon gave up his attempt to dig up any flaws in Lee Min Ki’s character, opting instead to smile warmly and respond.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it would’ve been impossible alone. I’m always grateful.”

Lee Min Ki smiled, seemingly embarrassed by his own words.

Yoo Gyu Eon thought it was just Lee Min Ki being considerate.

But in truth, that was only half correct.

While Lee Min Ki’s personality was certainly one of consideration, it went beyond that. The questions and answers up to this point hadn’t even required thought for him.

‘Even if I don’t change, if the world changes, my place in it can shift.’

This came from the fact that he had experienced failure.

No matter how hard he worked to the point of breaking, he had once fallen to rock bottom because of bad luck.

The world had crushed him.

After living that way for a long time, he had returned to the past and simply lived as he had before.

What had the result been?

Everyone was helping him.

Almost everyone he met acknowledged, respected, and treated him as the main character.

‘I’m just thankful.’

He was grateful to the entire world.

He was working hard too.

But it was because the world recognized that hard work that he could shine.

With that in mind, Lee Min Ki repeated once more.

“By the way, all the clothes you made this time are beautiful, CEO.”

“Are they?”

“Yes, I’ve been surprised every time.”

In many ways.

“Even the casual T-shirts feel like they were made just for me.”

“Well, they were made for you.”

“Oh, I know that, but…”

Lee Min Ki coughed lightly.

In fact, this wasn’t what he had originally intended to say.

Wasn’t the current version of [Fashion & Fashion] becoming a completely different work from the one he remembered?

Director Hwang Ui Seong had rewritten a large portion of the lines to suit him.

Even some of the scenes were changing.

‘He’s probably optimizing each scene for me.’

Moreover, wasn’t the costume collaboration originally handled by another company? But this time, CEO Yoo Gyu Eon was in charge.

‘All the clothes were made entirely for me…’

That was the important point.

He remembered.

The original protagonist’s outfits had been closer to typical high fashion.

But this time, it was different, with a significant incorporation of more popular, everyday elements.

‘Did this change because CEO Yoo Gyu Eon joined the production?’

In fact, this too was influenced by Lee Min Ki’s actions.

Because he had succeeded, the shopping mall that used him as a model had also succeeded in turn.

‘What was he doing before? I’m sure he was already doing great before I went back in time, right?’

No.

This was a shopping mall that should have ended as something known only to a niche group.

Originally, Yoo Gyu Eon had struggled with running a shopping mall that never seemed to grow, to the point where he had to abandon his pride as a designer.

But this time, he had met Lee Min Ki.

Because of that, he had been able to maintain his identity as a designer while also managing the mall successfully.

‘If he hadn’t met Min Ki, I think he would have made much more niche clothing.’

In the end, he had caught Director Hwang Ui Seong’s eye.

[We judged you to be the trendiest designer in Korea.]

He joined the production team for [Fashion & Fashion].

They owed each other something.

And they paid it back to each other.

Just like the relationship between a model and a designer, they had been in a mutually beneficial relationship for a long time.

“Alright, I think we’ve rested enough.”

Yoo Gyu Eon clapped his hands lightly and checked his watch.

“We

’ve got the next schedule coming up soon. Before the other guest arrives, let’s try on a few more outfits and finish up.”

“Are you busy these days?”

“It’s thanks to you, Actor.”

With that brief small talk, they were about to get back to work.

Creak.

A person appeared in the office.

“Oh.”

“Am I too early?”

It was a woman.

A woman dressed to the nines, exuding sophistication.

She looked as if she had just walked off the center of a fashion show runway.

‘A model?’

Lee Min Ki was slightly startled, and at the same time, the woman lowered her sunglasses, equally surprised, and asked with wide eyes.

“CEO, isn’t this… Actor Lee Min Ki?”

Yes.

She knew, but she asked anyway.

* * *

Runway.

A model walking down the runway, showcasing a designer’s clothes to the public.

If singers had concerts, the runway was the main stage for models.

And among all the runways held in Korea, what was the biggest stage?

That would be.

“You said you’re here for Seoul Fashion Week?”

It was Seoul Fashion Week.

The dream stage for any Korean fashion model.

Just being able to appear there earned one recognition in the fashion world as a true professional. That was Seoul Fashion Week.

It was a place where commercial fashion and high fashion came together to determine the future direction of the domestic fashion industry.

It was only natural that any model would want to step onto that stage at least once.

Of course, in terms of scale, there were larger stages.

But in terms of prestige, nothing could compare to Seoul Fashion Week.

To put it in baseball terms, it was like Japan’s Koshien tournament.

“Hoho, thank you for recognizing me.”

Jung Ga Yeon, the director of the Seoul Design Foundation, which hosted Seoul Fashion Week, smiled sweetly.

“How could I not recognize it? It’s Seoul Fashion Week, after all.”

Lee Min Ki responded enthusiastically.

“Every fashion model dreams of walking that runway at least once.”

He himself had once dreamed of it.

He had wanted to participate in Seoul Fashion Week and become a true professional.

During the time when he had hit a wall as an actor and felt lost, he had considered pursuing a career as a fashion model while at least earning enough to pay the bills.

“Did you look into it, Actor?”

“Oh, only briefly.”

In the end, he had felt a similar wall there and returned to acting.

Jung Ga Yeon smiled as if she understood.

‘Well, fashion models need natural physical attributes, especially at the higher levels.’

Yes.

It was Lee Min Ki’s natural physique that had been lacking.

There was no need to even mention body proportions—the immediate problem was his height.

Lee Min Ki stood in the mid to upper 170s, which was fine for female models, but seriously insufficient for a male model.

Without an extraordinary background, a male model would need to be at least 183 cm tall to even consider entering the field.

‘Hmm, still, his proportions are excellent.’

Of course, this didn’t mean that Lee Min Ki’s body was inadequate as a model.

After all, not every model had to be a high-fashion model.

For a commercial model, the standards were a bit more relaxed.

Lee Min Ki’s body had qualities that appealed to mainstream demand.

‘I see why he’s been gaining popularity lately. His figure is memorable. Even if he’s not overwhelming, you want to keep looking at him. It’s addictive.’

Jung Ga Yeon instinctively scanned Lee Min Ki’s physique.

‘His height is lacking, and while his proportions fall short for a full-time model, the overall aura is great.’

Aura.

It was a difficult-to-define vibe that naturally emanated from Lee Min Ki.

Like the rings of a tree, it was effortlessly there.

That made Jung Ga Yeon smile.

‘This is an unexpected find.’

She had come for a different purpose.

Her original intent was to discuss Fashion Week matters with CEO Yoo Gyu Eon, but as her schedule had freed up, she had arrived early and stumbled upon this fortunate encounter.

Once again, networking really did require putting in the footwork.

With a subtle smile, Jung Ga Yeon turned to Lee Min Ki and asked.

“By the way, Actor, I heard you first debuted as a fashion model? How did that happen? Did you originally dream of becoming an actor?”

“Well…”

Lee Min Ki paused for a moment to recollect the past before speaking.

“At the gym.”

“The gym?”

“Yes, while working out diligently, a fellow member unexpectedly introduced me to CEO Yoo Gyu Eon.”

“That’s right. A relative of mine introduced Actor Lee Min Ki to me. At the time, he was an unknown.”

Yoo Gyu Eon nodded in agreement.

“Back then, I wasn’t too enthusiastic since it was just a favor from an elder. But meeting the actor turned out to be, well, what should I say… one of the biggest strokes of luck in my life.”

“Haha… CEO, I’m grateful, but if you praise me like that, people will misunderstand.”

“I’m serious. The truth is the truth, so what else can I say?”

To think he would express his gratitude like that.

In his gaze toward Lee Min Ki, there was a firm sense of appreciation.

That only made Jung Ga Yeon even more astonished.

‘For Yoo Gyu Eon, the designer, to give such high praise?’

It was because of who Yoo Gyu Eon was.

It wasn’t unusual for designers to speak highly of the models they worked with. After all, if they didn’t think highly of them, they wouldn’t collaborate in the first place.

But if it was coming from CEO Yoo Gyu Eon, it was another story.

‘This man is notorious for being particular about models. Could it be that their relationship isn’t just professional?’

Jung Ga Yeon knew Yoo Gyu Eon to be incredibly discerning.

He was so notorious that people joked that once a model worked with him, he would be so drained of inspiration that he wouldn’t work with them again.

Yoo Gyu Eon’s infamy was well-known in the industry.

For someone like that to be showering praise so openly.

‘Hmm, could it be…?’

She pondered for a moment.

Then, her eyes sparkled as she asked.

“Actor, would you be interested in a fashion show?”