Chapter 8

Lucky Break to Top Star - Chapter 8 (8/200)

Chapter 8

Early morning.

Min-gi was no longer afraid of waking up in the morning.

'It’s okay to stretch.'

If it were just a short while ago, he could have injured his joints just by stretching carelessly after getting out of bed.

Or he might have rolled off the bed while sleeping.

Or, if not that, he might have been unable to get a deep sleep because of the cats next door meowing excitedly.

But now, he could sleep deeply and wake up refreshed.

This alone made him want to smile.

'Great, today’s morning is perfect.'

After waking up, Min-gi quickly prepared a light breakfast, did a brief warm-up, and ran lightly to the acting school.

In the past, even power walking was scary, but now he gradually understood.

People don’t sprain their ankles just by walking fast!

'I’m the first one here today.'

Arriving at the acting school, he broke a light sweat in the morning. Not long after, three more people entered.

"Mr. Kim Tak, you’re the latest today."

"But I took a taxi?"

It was Kim Tak and Yoo Seon-a.

"Didn’t you know? Taxis are the slowest in the morning."

"That’s so unfair."

"Even if it’s unfair, rules are rules. So, you have to buy coffee as a penalty."

This was a rule we set among ourselves.

The person who arrives last at the practice room buys the morning coffee.

'I don’t really understand why these people are in the same class as me.'

It just happened this way.

Since Trainer Kim Ah-sung didn’t say anything, we just ended up like this.

During this time, Min-gi realized a few things about the two people.

First, Kim Tak wasn’t particularly bad-tempered or had any ill feelings towards him.

"Mr. Min-gi, you like an iced Americano with an extra shot, right? In a venti size."

He just couldn’t read the atmosphere at all.

You could tell from his attitude.

It’s not that his mind was completely empty, but his actions were quite friendly.

"But drinking too much coffee can cause cardiovascular disease and make you die early."

Again, he really couldn’t read the atmosphere.

Yoo Seon-a was the one to put a stop to Kim Tak’s behavior.

"Hey, Mr. Tak, you shouldn’t say things like that in front of others."

"But it’s true."

"Don’t you know? Even if it’s true, timing and place are important. If someone keeps telling you that eating too much sweets will make you die early, you wouldn’t like it, right?"

"Oh, that’s true. I’m sorry, Mr. Min-gi. I’ll buy you lunch later."

He seems like a rich kid who grew up being pampered.

In any case, we found a balance like this.

We chatted while drinking coffee and then started the morning practice.

But today, there was a more important agenda.

"Mr. Min-gi, did you see that?"

Yoo Seon-a asked seriously.

Min-gi paused his breathing for a moment, slowly nodded, and said.

"Yes, I got a text this morning. It’s the notice for the second round of auditions at Daon Entertainment."

That’s right.

This morning, Daon Entertainment released the notice for the second round of auditions.

The second round will take place in a month.

And the evaluation criteria were just one thing.

Short and to the point.

Free acting means you can act freely, but you should show one thing you can do well.

But the number of participants isn’t just a few.

The key is to show an act that will immediately catch the judges' eyes.

"Moreover, giving us almost a month until the announcement is a way of telling us to bring the most polished performance possible."

They gave us a month.

This is quite unusual for an actor audition.

Typically, after the first round results are announced, the second round is completed within two weeks at most.

But Daon gave us a whole month.

"Even though they’re a well-known company, this is quite a bold move."

Yoo Seon-a scratched her head as if it hurt.

On the other hand, Min-gi said calmly.

"The preparation period doesn’t matter. It’s about bringing the best result, no matter what."

"The best result?"

"It means they won’t accept any tricks. As you know, in actor auditions, it’s quite common to bring a performance that was created in a short time by an acting school."

It was a common practice.

Not everyone can act well, but acting schools have the obligation to pass such people.

So, the main method used is to create a performance for them.

Some experienced interviewers could even guess which school a performance came from based on the habits shown.

"Hmm, then it seems it will be a real test of skills."

Kim Tak muttered.

He seemed to have forgotten that he didn’t apply to Daon.

"Mr. Min-gi, is there any way to approach this?"

Yoo Seon-a asked Min-gi with a curious look.

Although it might not make sense to ask a fellow student, she seemed to have some expectations of Min-gi.

And.

"I do have an idea."

Min-gi had a plan to meet those expectations.

"Of course."

"Oh."

The two were listening intently to Min-gi’s next words.

"I’m here."

Finally, Trainer Kim Ah-sung arrived at the practice room.

* * *

When Trainer Kim Ah-sung saw the notice from Daon, he said this first.

"Hmm, I see. I thought it would be like this."

It sounded like he had predicted this result.

Kim Tak asked in surprise.

"You knew?"

"I just heard it in passing."

Trainer Kim Ah-sung said nonchalantly.

"Daon basically operates according to the boss’s whims, but they do this often. I investigated and confirmed the audition methods for the past few years, and there was a pattern. This time, it was supposed to be like this."

Min-gi was impressed.

'I didn’t expect him to investigate so thoroughly.'

I thought he would just watch our acting practice, but this is quite serious.

He’s indeed a capable person.

However, providing insider information could seem unfair, so he had been careful with his words.

"Anyway, these arrogant kids think they’re something. I don’t even like the representative. What kind of entertainment company representative gets the celebrity disease?"

The last part sounded like an afterthought, but in any case.

In fact, auditions are the same everywhere.

You have to do as you’re told.

"Alright. Still, you should go to the company you want to join."

Trainer Kim Ah-sung grumbled for a while, then sat on the practice room floor in his usual casual manner and said.

"Well, it’s good. Anyway, I’ve been watching your acting all this time. I did that to decide what kind of acting you should do for Daon this time. Let’s decide today."

Over the past few days.

It was more about exploring what roles suited each of us rather than serious practice.

Choosing a favorite work and then selecting a role from it.

And practicing it.

We spent about a week out of the month selecting roles.

And the results are about to be revealed now.

"Let’s start with Min-gi."

Just as he was about to say something,

Min-gi spoke up.

"I want to try a gangster role."

"Okay, a lawyer... What?"

Trainer Kim Ah-sung asked in surprise, and Min-gi continued confidently.

"A gangster role. I felt that this would be the right choice after the last performance."

He emphasized his previous statement.

"That’s not easy."

Kim Tak muttered in surprise.

"You’re right. If it’s a bit awkward, it won’t work. It might be better to bring a more stable performance."

Yoo Seon-a agreed with his opinion.

Indeed, a gangster role is notoriously difficult.

It’s too rigid.

You have to bring out your character within that framework, which is a high bar for a newcomer.

But Min-gi was confident.

'An actor’s ability includes choosing a role that suits them. Daon wants to see that from us.'

Character selection.

It’s one of the most important skills an actor can have.

Historically, actors who can handle various roles well have been praised by the public.

But in reality, it’s different.

'A person who can do 8 out of 10 roles is not as good as someone who can do 1 role perfectly.'

Survival goes to the one who can do one thing well.

Moreover, only someone who knows their image well can bring out the right performance.

Min-gi believed he could handle the gangster image and knew it was true.

Why?

Because he had felt it deeply on the set over the years.

'I received good reviews for this role.'

Rather than blindly following the roles preferred in auditions, the performance of someone who chooses a role they can do well, even if it’s a bit challenging, truly shines.

"There are many easier and more stable scripts, though."

Min-gi nodded at Trainer Kim Ah-sung’s words and said.

"You’re right. A gangster role is difficult."

"Do you know why it’s difficult?"

"Because you have to hold a lot of energy but not let it explode, and instead show it subtly."

"You know well. But why?"

"Because it’s difficult."

Min-gi seemed to agree again and said.

"It will be more unique because others don’t do it. I know there’s a risk, but I think I can do it well."

It’s rare, so it’s valuable.

The more valuable it is, the higher the chance of getting selected.

But realistically, it’s not easy to even perform a gangster role, let alone get selected.

Many actors challenge it and fail.

But Min-gi had one more reason for his firm belief in this role.

It was because.

'...he said in an interview.'

The representative of Daon Entertainment said on a show that he likes people who can do gangster roles well.

So, if Min-gi had to choose one, he decided to do this.

"Hmm."

Trainer Kim Ah-sung stroked his chin and thought.

'Sure enough, this guy is not ordinary.'

What Min-gi said so far was, in a sense, obvious.

It’s natural for an actor to understand their image and choose a role that fits well.

But very few newcomers actually do this.

In fact, many people, even after 10 years of standing in front of a camera, still struggle to fully understand themselves and waver.

Maybe even until they retire.

'As the saying goes, "Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles out of a hundred." Knowing yourself before even starting is something special.'

Trainer Kim Ah-sung felt his liking for Min-gi grow.

'I originally planned to give him a slightly easier role, but if he wants to take the difficult path, there’s no need to stop him.'

He also knew that Min-gi had the potential for a gangster role.

In Kim Ah-sung’s view, everyone has a natural nuance.

What would you call Min-gi’s nuance?

His attitude seemed beyond his age, calm and carefree, but at unexpected moments, a persistent and fierce aura could be felt.

Especially when acting.

'Either way, it’s a quality needed for a gangster role.'

Still, he had tried to dissuade Min-gi because a gangster role is risky for an audition.

But if Min-gi wants to do it, there’s no need to hold him back.

'If I were a regular acting school teacher, I would have strongly advised against it.'

He’s not bound by the school, so he’s not bound by a set curriculum.

Therefore, there’s no need to force standardized acting.

Just helping where needed while standing back is enough.

"Alright, then show me."