The evening of December 23.
Around 6:30 p.m., the front of the grand hall Plaza at Paradise S City, where the red carpet had been laid out, was absolute chaos.
A red carpet stretched from the end of the long photo zone all the way to the entrance at the top of the hall steps. Advertising boards and barriers lined both sides, and dozens of lights had been set up. Between them stood what looked like at least several hundred people packed tightly together. Broadcasting staff, reporters, and members of the press were all busily snapping photos with large cameras.
Who were they photographing?
"Kim Heotae! Kim Heotae is here!!"
"Mr. Heotae! Hello!"
"Please look this way and give us a wave!!!"
They were taking pictures every time an actor appeared.
Papapapapak!!
Papapapapapapak!!
The sky was dark, but the constant bursts of flashing light made it feel almost like morning. Behind the reporters, an equally large crowd of spectators and fans screamed and cheered.
"Aaaaaah!! Oppa!"
"Oh my god! This is insane! It's a gift!! A gift!!"
"Wow! You look incredible!!!"
"Ah! Don't push!!"
Seen from above, all you could make out was a sea of heads.
"Ms. Heejeong! You've been nominated for the Popularity Award this year! If you had to describe how you feel in one word, what would it be?"
"I feel like I'm going to throw up."
"Hahaha! Thank you!"
As more actors arrived, the pace of people walking the red carpet steadily increased, and with it came an unbroken storm of camera flashes.
Papapapapak!!
Papapapapapapak!!
It was only natural.
There were now just two hours left until the Blue Dragon Film Awards began. Because of that, the cheers and shouting from the hundreds of fans and reporters only grew louder. There was clearly a much bigger crowd than last year. The reason was simple.
This year's Blue Dragon Film Awards had gone all out, from the venue to the scale of the event.
And just like every year, the stars of the festival were the actresses.
"Jimin! You look gorgeous tonight!"
"Thank you!"
"What's the concept? The dress concept!"
"Nothing special. I'm just wearing what they gave me!"
"Hahaha! You're just wearing what they gave you?!"
Despite the cold weather, the actresses calmly walked the red carpet in thin dresses.
"Junga! You were on Celebrity of the Day!"
"Oh, hello."
"That dress looks amazing on you, right?!"
"Right? I love it too!"
After crossing the red carpet, each actor would stop at the photo wall set up at the entrance to the hall, pose for about thirty seconds, then head inside under the guidance of the event staff.
It repeated over and over.
But the heat of the event only kept building.
All kinds of actors stood out. Some looked awkward in this kind of setting, while others hurried across the red carpet in long strides. But most moved through it naturally. Veteran film festival actors responded with nothing more than smiles, waves, and expressions.
This went on for around thirty minutes.
Despite the winter weather, the area around the red carpet grew hot as the hundreds of reporters suddenly became excited.
"Hong Hyeyeon! Hong Hyeyeon!!"
"Hyeyeon! Over here?! Where are you?!! Ah! Hyeyeon!!"
"Hello, Hong Hyeyeon!!!"
Hong Hyeyeon had just stepped out of a white van in a red dress. As she leisurely walked the carpet with the support of a sturdy bodyguard, the reporters and fans on both sides screamed at the top of their lungs.
"Hyeyeon! Just one word, please!!"
"Congratulations on the success of Hanryang!!!"
"When will we hear news about your next project?!!"
"Kyaaah! Unni! You're so pretty!!! Your face is a work of art!!"
"Is Kang Woojin not coming with you???"
"Hong Hyeyeon! This way!! Over here!!!"
Without saying a word, Hong Hyeyeon waved to everyone. The way she carefully looked around and made eye contact with people felt almost excessive. The moment she arrived, the camera flashes went completely insane.
Papapapapap!
Papapapapapapapap!!
As famous actors continued arriving one after another, including Hong Hyeyeon, Ryu Jungmin, Jin Jaejun, and the cast of the drama Island of the Missing, not only Kang Woojin's fellow actors but also top stars with no direct connection to him made their appearances.
At that moment—
"Ugh, it's freezing!!"
Among the hundreds of reporters, one wearing a thick long padded coat glanced at his wristwatch and muttered.
"When is he coming?"
His cameraman answered.
"Who?"
"Who else? Kang Woojin, Kang Woojin."
"Ah."
"All the reporters here have been talking about Kang Woojin for ages."
By then, about sixty percent of the invited actors had already arrived. The hundreds of reporters were eagerly waiting for the appearance of the most talked-about actor, and the fans were the same.
It was Kang Woojin.
And then it happened.
Vrooom.
A black van pulled up at the far end of the red carpet where the reporters were gathered. It was a familiar vehicle. In an instant, many of the reporters shouted.
"Who is it!! Who is it!!"
They started pressing their shutters before they had even confirmed it.
Papapapapapapak!!
There were so many flashes going off that the black van almost looked white. A staff security guard approached the rear door of the vehicle.
Then the door opened.
Thunk.
The actor's face appeared immediately, and the gathered reporters and fans erupted into a huge roar.
"Kang Woojin! Kang Woojin-ssi!!!"
"Woojin-ssi is here! Hello!!!"
"We've been waiting for you!! Please say hello, Woojin-ssi!!"
"Kyaaaah!! Oppa!! We're Kang Hearts!!"
"Ahh!! Don't push!!"
Woojin slowly stepped out of the van, dressed in the shoes Hong Hyeyeon had gifted him, a black tuxedo, an unusual bow tie, and the watch Hwalin had also given him.
At the entrance to the red carpet where Kang Woojin stood, a blinding storm of flashes exploded. His face looked expressionless, almost like a perfect poker face, but in truth, what was happening inside him was far more intense than usual.
Part of it was the concept.
Part of it was completely real.
'Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait. This is insane! What the hell is this?! Where am I?? My feet won't move!'
Exploding tension.
A pounding heart.
Difficulty breathing.
Slightly trembling hands and feet.
Kang Woojin felt as if his soul was about to leave his body.
It was a crisis.
At the exact moment he needed to think most clearly, his body had frozen. The scene was dazzlingly beautiful, so much so that he could barely see straight.
'Ah! It's too bright!'
It felt like his circulation had stopped. Even his thoughts seemed to stall. After getting out of the van, Woojin just stood motionless at the entrance to the red carpet.
The hundreds of reporters happily kept taking pictures.
Papapapapap!!
The gathered reporters? The fans?
It was not as if Kang Woojin was unfamiliar with this sort of thing. He had already gone through countless press conferences in Japan and elsewhere, and every time, he had dealt with them calmly.
So why had he frozen up now?
Because of the grandeur.
Because of the glamour.
The entrance to the hall in the distance looked like a gate to another world, and the atmosphere of Korea's biggest film festival wrapped itself around his entire body. Even for someone like Kang Woojin, whose sense of concept was extraordinary, this moment could not possibly feel ordinary.
"..."
Where even was this?
Why was he here?
Just a few months ago, he had been an ordinary office worker going home and relaxing with YouTube after work, and now hundreds of reporters and fans were crowded in front of him, taking his picture.
'N-no. Get it together, Kang Woojin.'
Woojin suddenly became aware of where he was standing.
But the tension spreading through his body like an infection refused to settle.
'I don't care, just walk. Please.'
His field of vision narrowed, and the noise around him was so loud his ears were ringing. His hands and feet were still trembling.
But Kang Woojin focused all of his concentration on one thing.
Walking.
He walked straight toward the finish line without letting anything shake him. There was no time to think about anything else.
One step.
Then another.
Strangely enough, his attitude looked like an aura to everyone else. There was something mysterious radiating off him. The reporters could not help whispering among themselves.
"Wow, what's with Kang Woojin? He's so cold."
"Look at that style. He's calmer than half the top stars here."
"Isn't this his first film festival? His expression hasn't changed once..."
"People say he really doesn't show emotion, and I guess it's true?"
As Kang Woojin continued walking the red carpet, his vision slowly widened. Oddly enough, once he settled into the moment, he found himself feeling calmer than expected.
'...Huh? Maybe this isn't so bad?'
Finding a bit of courage, he slowly turned his head to the right. There was an enormous crowd and countless cameras. Calmly, he raised his hand.
Then Kang Woojin turned his head to the left.
The same sight met him there, so he raised his hand again.
He did not smile.
He remained calm the entire time.
And yet, Kang Woojin himself felt satisfied.
As a result—
'Whew, I did it.'
Woojin stepped onto the photo zone at the entrance to the hall and turned around. The red carpet he had just walked stretched out before his eyes. His eyes widened.
Mission complete.
Woojin felt his heartbeat slowly begin to calm down.
'Does this feel kind of like riding an amusement park ride? It's thrilling in a strange way.'
He was starting to get used to film festivals.
The reporters who had filmed Kang Woojin's walk checked the footage they had taken.
"It was short, but his posture was the best out of all the actors."
──────────
An hour later, inside the vast hall Plaza.
The interior of Plaza, where the Blue Dragon Film Awards ceremony would be held, was truly magnificent. More than a thousand seats had been arranged across the first and second floors of the massive hall. The ceiling was extremely high, with dozens of lights hanging overhead. The overall atmosphere resembled an opera house, and three giant screens had been installed along the left wall. Camera staff were scattered all over the place.
Above all, the huge stage at the front was the most striking feature.
In contrast to the generally dark mood of the hall, the stage glowed in orange. Decorations reminiscent of fireworks, a giant screen, a podium engraved with the Blue Dragon Film Awards logo, a softly lit stage floor, and a life-sized trophy statue standing to one side.
It was impressive.
Even Kang Woojin, seated in the audience, thought so.
'This is incredible, wow... seriously.'
Woojin was there as an actor, but at his core he was still like an ordinary citizen, and the way he looked around was more like a tourist's. He was still having trouble understanding why he was sitting there at all.
And on top of that—
'There are way too many great actors here.'
Countless actors who led the Korean acting scene surrounded him. Woojin almost did not know what to do with himself. There were so many that it felt hard to tell whether they were actors or mannequins.
That was exactly it.
Kang Woojin had stepped into this dazzling world, and in that world he was now the sensation throwing everyone into shock.
He understood just how absurd all of this really was.
Honestly, it was his first time seeing so many actors in one place.
All of these actors know me?
He felt a strange thrill.
In fact, the actors around him had been stealing glances at him for quite a while now.
And that was not all.
"Okay, let's sweep across the seated actors. Ah! We got Kang Woojin too!"
Even the broadcasting crew responsible for the Blue Dragon Film Awards live broadcast were paying attention to him. His seat was roughly in the middle of the first floor, and around him sat top actors like Jin Jaejun, Park Panseo, and director Kim Dohui. The main team behind Drug Dealer was also seated nearby.
Naturally, Kang Woojin was sitting among the Drug Dealer team.
At that moment, Jin Jaejun, dressed in a gray suit, leaned in and whispered to Kang Woojin.
"Woojin-ssi, have you ever been to a film festival before? How are you this calm?"
Veteran actor Park Panseo, seated on Woojin's right, added a comment of his own.
"Haha, seriously. Anyone would think you were a regular at these things. This is your first Blue Dragon, right?"
Coming back to his senses, Woojin looked around the interior and replied.
"Yes, it's my first time at the Blue Dragon."
"And yet you're already starting off like a star who's used to the spotlight. Look around. The other actors keep glancing at you."
Jin Jaejun added,
"The atmosphere got lively the moment you came in."
"Really?"
"They didn't come up to you? Once the ceremony's over, they're all going to completely let loose and start talking your ear off. If it gets tiring, just run."
The hall lights dimmed even further. Noticing that, Park Panseo looked toward the main stage and spoke.
"Are they about to start? Let's see what the order is."
Jin Jaejun answered as though it were obvious.
"The Blue Dragon is the same every year. It starts with the Best New Actor award and then moves on to the Audience Award, right? After that there's a short film screening and the congratulatory performance."
"Ah, so the core staff awards come after the performance?"
"Yep."
"Haha, Woojin-ssi, then you'd better be ready right away."
Kang Woojin quietly lowered his head, but the sense of reality around him kept growing fainter. He was seeing and hearing so much, but now that he was actually in the middle of it, everything felt strange. The list of awards went on and on, but nothing was really registering in his ears.
Then, in that moment—
♬♪
Lively music suddenly rang out, and all the lights in the hall poured onto the stage. A PD from the broadcast team with an intercom around his neck signaled toward the stage. The lights embedded in the floor began moving, and the giant screen behind it changed as well.
A promotional video began playing.
Soon, two familiar figures appeared at the hosts' station on the left side of the stage. They were well-known broadcasters. After a brief greeting, Kang Woojin, though he was watching it live, somehow felt as though he were watching television.
In any case, after exchanging a few light jokes, the hosts continued with the cue cards in hand.
"Alright! Then let's begin with the very first segment of the Blue Dragon Film Awards!"
"This category is for the most outstanding rookie actors of the year. The presenters will be last year's Best New Actor winners, Go Sojin and Park Yumin!"
Once the introduction ended, music played again, and one actor in a navy tuxedo and one actress in a beige dress walked out onto the large stage. Standing at center stage, they greeted the audience, then began speaking into the microphones.
"I received the Best New Actor award on this stage last year, and now I'm the one presenting it, so I'm really nervous. What about you, Yumin-ssi?"
"I feel the same way. It feels so fresh."
"Right. This year too, the nominees are all such outstanding actors that I'm not even sure I'm qualified to make this announcement."
"But you still have to do it. Pull yourself together."
"Haha, alright."
Soon, the male actor glanced down at the cue card and continued.
"Then let us meet the nominees for the first category of the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards, Best New Actor."
As soon as he finished speaking, video clips began playing on the giant screen above the stage and on the monitors throughout the hall. Short scenes from films, intense performances from actors, and the actors' names flashed by quickly.
Among them was a familiar role.
"Don't your eyes look like a drug dealer's eyes? More like an informant's eyes. You're an informant, aren't you?"
The actor playing Lee Sangman in Drug Dealer.
It was Kang Woojin.
In the end, five nominees were shown.
[Park Taewoo from Depressed Man / Ha Sangil from Cunning Hand / Ahn Ilhoon from Keyword of Betrayal / Kim Geon from With You / Kang Woojin from Drug Dealer]
Each time a nominee's name was called, that actor appeared on the audience monitors. The last nominee was Kang Woojin, and his expressionless face appeared on the giant screen.
Meanwhile—
"Who do you think will win? It's obviously going to be Kang Woojin, isn't it?"
"I don't know. Kang Woojin is the one everyone's talking about, but—"
"The judges' scores matter too, right?"
"Yeah. But Lee Sangman's acting really was incredible."
"Are the judges the same as before?"
"Right."
The audience filled with actors began to buzz.
"I'm voting for Kim Geon."
"Hm, his acting was good too, but doesn't Kang Woojin stand out more?"
"Are people all expecting an upset? It's clearly Kang Woojin."
"Drug Dealer was rated R, right? Does that affect the evaluation?"
"I think it'll be Park Taewoo. His acting was calm and solid."
Some of the opinions were cold and logical. Others carried a trace of jealousy.
In any case, one envelope was handed to the male actor presenting the Best New Actor award. Inside it was the result.
"Now, we will announce the winner."
At that moment, Kang Woojin could not think of anything. No, his mind felt completely blank. He just stared ahead. And yet, somewhere deep inside, a sharp thrill was rising.
Because vaguely, faintly, he was realizing that this was an extraordinary moment.
A great many people were feeling the same way he was.
In the closed restaurant were Kang Hyuna and Woojin's parents.
"Please... please!!"
"Hyuna, be quiet. Woojin is standing there so bravely."
"Please, our son!"
"Honey!"
At a bar, Woojin's close friends were huddled around the television, watching with pounding hearts.
"Say it! Say it, Woojin! Call our Woojin's name!"
"Ah, damn it. I'm so nervous!"
"It's fine, he's definitely going to win."
"Kim Daeyoung, your hand is shaking, you idiot."
Naturally, the many major industry figures attending the Blue Dragon Film Awards, as well as the countless people watching on TV, were thinking the same thing.
And then, on the Blue Dragon Film Awards stage—
"Best New Actor!!"
The male actor checking the result card brightened and spoke.
"Wasn't this person incredible this year? Creating a sensation in his very first year after debuting! Congratulations!!"
He shouted loudly into the microphone. His gaze was directed toward the rows of actors before him.
"The 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards! Best New Actor! Kang Woojin from the film Drug Dealer!!"
At the same time, thunderous applause burst through the hall.
Clap clap clap clap clap clap!!
Clap clap clap clap clap clap!!
Hundreds of actors all turned to look in one direction at once. Every camera from the broadcast team focused on the actor whose name had just been called.
Then, among the many audience members, one man quietly rose to his feet.
"..."
It was Kang Woojin.
And his face was expressionless.