Chapter 139: Blue Dragon Film Awards
“Ah, there goes the Street Sunlight team.”
A journalist with a wide view was the first to spot Big Win Entertainment’s car and muttered.
A van pulled up to the red carpet entrance. The door opened, and three people stepped out, guided by security.
“They came together, I see.”
“Over here! This way!”
“Mr. Ha Muyoung! Right here, please!”
Pweong! Pweong!
Click! Click!
Then, another car pulled up.
Director Jin Gyeongmun and Director Bae were in the same car.
Meeting at the entrance, they greeted each other warmly with hugs, looking delighted. Fans crowded behind the fence, cheering.
“Ha-Muyoung!”
“Bora! Kang Bora!”
Bora covered her chest with her hand and bowed.
She lightly took Muyoung’s arm as they strolled down the red carpet.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“A 360-degree camera.”
As they stepped onto the stage, a camera suspended from the ceiling began spinning in a circle.
Director Jin looked awkward, only managing a smile. Muyoung, startled, followed the camera’s movement with his gaze.
“Whoa!”
“Just stay still.”
But as Muyoung kept turning to follow the camera, the back of his head wasn’t captured. He gave a thumbs-up to the camera, then casually walked over to the photo wall.
“But isn’t the awards ceremony really fun?”
It’s not something you get to experience easily.
Walking the red carpet in a fancy outfit, cheered on by the crowd—it truly feels like a festival.
“Though it’s just as chaotic.”
Cameras and eyes were everywhere.
With the event being broadcast live and filmed late at night, there were so many unexpected situations that it was hard not to feel tense. Especially for Bora, who was even wearing a dress.
“Hello! This is Jung-eun from Entertainment World!”
In the middle of taking photos, a famous comedian suddenly appeared, microphone in hand. Oh! Isn’t she the hottest star these days?
“Hello.”
“Oh my, it’s Jung-eun.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am. Hello.”
Jung-eun warmly greeted Director Jin as well.
An interview in the midst of all this chaos.
Since this awards ceremony was being exclusively broadcast by S Broadcasting, which airs Entertainment World, it seemed like the interview was arranged for that purpose.
She held out the camera to us.
“Congratulations on Street Sunlight surpassing 7 million viewers! That’s truly amazing!”
“Thank you.”
“With so many nominations tonight, are you feeling excited?”
It was a cheeky question, and everyone just laughed.
As the microphone was thrust toward Muyoung, he playfully replied,
“I’ll be grateful for whatever comes my way.”
“Oh! Perfect! Bora, your dress is absolutely stunning tonight.”
“You look incredible too, Jung-eun.”
The impromptu interview continued, as quick as a live broadcast.
As another van pulled up at the entrance, Jung-eun nodded at a staff member’s signal.
“Well, have a wonderful evening.”
“You too, Jung-eun. Have a great day.”
“Muyoung!”
“Yeah?”
As he bowed and started to walk away, Jung-eun called out to him. With a playful wink and a sly smile, she teased,
“See you in the studio next time.”
“Oh, haha. Yes, looking forward to it.”
Muyoung responded with a playful wink of his own.
The camera operator didn’t miss a beat, capturing the entire moment.
The director’s steps as he entered the venue seemed unsteady.
“Director, are you okay?”
“I’m so nervous……”
Nominated for Best New Director, he’d taken two cheongsimhwan pills since morning, but they weren’t helping at all.
He found the Street Sunlight table and sat down, groaning.
“At this rate, you’ll faint if your name gets called.”
Bora, adjusting her dress, said worriedly. But he seemed too weak to respond, only waving his hand feebly and pretending to throw up.
“Oh my God.”
“Director, you absolutely can’t mess up here.”
“……I know. I know.”
As time passed, the venue gradually filled up.
“Director!”
“Nice to see you after so long.”
“Mr. Ha Muyoung, great to see you. I really enjoyed your film.”
“Let’s work on a project together next time.”
“Wow, that would be an honor, senior!”
“Oh, is that Kang Bora over there?”
“Oh my, Director Jin! It’s been years!”
They exchanged greetings with familiar actors or introduced themselves to new colleagues.
Even before the awards ceremony began, Muyoung had already circled the venue twice.
Thump-thump! Boom-boom!
Then, music started playing, and the staff around him grew busy. Checking his watch, it seemed like the event was about to start.
“Excuse me!”
“Just a moment.”
Directors with cameras dashed around, and the lights gradually dimmed. Flower petals burst forth with a pop, and the music grew louder.
[Blue Dragon Film Awards: A Year of Greatness.]
The text appeared on the large screen, and the two MCs entered, each getting a close-up shot.
“Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Blue Dragon Film Awards. I’m Ha-yeon, your MC for tonight.”
“Hello, I’m Gu Min-gu.”
Their voices resonated pleasantly through the microphones.
Muyoung was grinning absentmindedly when suddenly his face appeared on screen, startling him.
“Hahaha!”
“Muyoung, manage your expression.”
Soft, joyful laughter filled the air.
Muyoung covered his mouth and waved.
“Yes, tonight truly feels like a joyful evening. The actors in attendance look not just bright, but radiant.”
“Indeed. They’re like stars in the night sky. Ha-yeon, shall we start with an introduction to tonight’s awards?”
A VCR segment played, summarizing the history of the awards, this year’s judges, and the submitted works.
It featured actors celebrating the successful hosting of the awards and numerous celebrity colleagues sending their congratulations.
“Huh?”
Then, a familiar song played.
A girl group appeared for the opening performance.
Though they were far away, the faces on screen looked very familiar.
“It’s Song-a noona, right?”
What’s noona doing there?
Muyoung, both surprised and delighted, clapped enthusiastically. Unlike usual, Song-a noona was dazzling in a glamorous stage outfit and makeup. This is……
‘I knew it.’
Among the actors, only Muyoung had a connection with Song-a. His face appeared on screen again, and he cheered loudly, as if to prove a point.
“My heart skipped a beat!”
The lively, refreshing song soared.
The PD in charge, watching the screen, chuckled and picked up the walkie-talkie.
“Why are you only focusing on Ha Muyoung? Are you his fan?”
“You said Ha Muyoung was tonight’s star, didn’t you?”
“Well, with the triple nomination, he’s definitely a hot topic.”
She muttered in response. Nominated for Best New Actor and Best Actor for Street Sunlight, and Best Supporting Actor for The Plague.
“Has that ever happened before?”
“I don’t think so. Even triple winners are rare. Ha Muyoung’s luck is incredible.”
“He’s landed every hit just two years into his debut. Tomorrow, at the SBC Drama Awards, he’ll probably win something else.”
“We’ll see. With dramas, things can go stale in just six months, you know?”
“Still, with a 30% viewership rating, they’ll have to give him something to make it look right.”
And that wasn’t all. Every member of the Street Sunlight team had a nomination.
The director for Best New Director, Bora for Best New Actress, Director Jin for Best Supporting Actress, and so on.
“Anyway, Director, go easy on the close-ups. Easy does it.”
Static.
But Ha Muyoung had already been on screen twice since the broadcast started.
Both the actors in attendance and the viewers at home had realized:
Tonight’s star was Ha Muyoung.
“Hmm, not many from The Plague team here?”
Bora looked around and asked Muyoung.
Only Director, Assistant Director, and staff were present, with Sung Hye-jun as the only actor.
“They must be busy. It’s the end of the year, so they probably had other schedules. Yuna caught a cold, and her camping trip with the kids got canceled too.”
“Really?”
Yuna, who had been texting non-stop.
Even in text, her chatty voice felt vivid. Song-a’s performance ended successfully, and the main awards ceremony began.
“-And the nominees for Best New Director are……”
[Street Sunlight’s Bae Cheolmin]
[Legend of Paroho’s Kang Sudong]
[Lynsan’s Park Soru]
[Go Where You Want’s Kim Egyum]
Since they were all new directors, they seemed to be around the same age. Director Bae looked embarrassed, not knowing where to look.
“Director, smile a little. Smile.”
Bora whispered, pulling his arm, but to no avail!
He figured a tense expression was better than an awkward smile.
“-Congratulations.”
Thump-thump-thump.
The distinctive sound played as the award was announced.
Muyoung suddenly wondered who composed that heart-pounding music. It captured the tension so perfectly.
“And the winner is Street Sunlight’s Director Bae Cheolmin.”
“Yes, Director Bae Cheolmin’s debut work, Street Sunlight, tells the story of a vampire and members of an insomnia club. The judges praised its fresh charm and bold direction.”
As the judges’ comments played, upbeat music blasted.
Director Bae, legs trembling, barely managed to stand and walk up to the stage. It was a wonder he didn’t trip on the stairs, but somehow, he made it.
“Uh, uh……”
He stammered as he received the trophy and bouquet.
A brief silence. For about 10 seconds, no voice was heard during the live broadcast.
But it wasn’t a mistake. Everyone watched as he continuously wiped away tears and caught his breath.
“Thank you so much.”
Tears streamed down his chin.
The man, with rough hands, wiped his face as if scrubbing it.
“Even past thirty, I was still chasing a dream that had long passed me by. Everyone around me worried. They asked if I could really do it, with so many talented people out there. They said I’d ruin my family.”
His self-deprecating humor drew sympathetic laughter from the audience.
Every art form carries risk, but films, with their tens of billions at stake, were especially risky.
“So just standing here feels surreal. I owe it to those who worried about me and those who believed in me. When I showed up with the script, Mr. Ha Muyoung readily agreed to star. Thank you, truly.”
Muyoung felt a warmth in his heart and simply smiled.
Memories of their meeting at the convenience store came flooding back.
“Thank you for believing in me when no one else did. Bora, Taeseok, Director Jin, and to the late Mr. Kang Seongbae and the production team—I owe it all to you.”
When Mr. Kang Seongbae’s name was mentioned, everyone applauded in tribute. The director, overcome with emotion, called out the names of his loved ones and bowed deeply.
“Yes, a heartfelt acceptance speech. Very impressive.”
“Next, we’ll be awarding Best New Actor and Best New Actress. Models Hwang Soyul and Taran will assist with the presentation.”
Director Bae, still sniffling, was guided backstage by staff. Bora seemed nervous now, continuously rubbing her arms.
“Whew-”
“Did you take cheongsimhwan too?”
“No, I’m kind of regretting it. I should’ve taken one.”
Best New Actor was announced first.
Muyoung watched the VCR screen, trying to calm his racing heart.
“And the nominees for Best New Actor are!”
[Street Sunlight’s Ha Muyoung]
[Legend of Paroho’s Park Yun]
[Jeolla’s Do Seonwoo]
[Hickling’s Park Byeongcheol]
The camera zoomed in tightly on the nominees.
Muyoung smiled brightly and looked straight ahead.
The two presenters looked at their cards, then grabbed the microphone.
“Congratulations! Street Sunlight’s Ha Muyoung!”
Clap-clap-clap!
As Muyoung stood up, Bora, Taeseok, and Director Jin hugged him in celebration.
He walked onstage in a daze. Staff handed him a bouquet and a stuffed toy.
“What’s the toy for?”
“They asked us to give it to you if you won.”
Muyoung hugged the white toy and smiled. But then he noticed the small writing on its backside:
[♡Congratulations on Best Supporting Actor, Ha Muyoung♡]
“Huh?”
With the triple nomination, his guardians had sent three toys, not knowing which award he’d win.
Best New Actor and Best Supporting Actor were expected wins.
The staff had prepared both toys but accidentally switched them.
“Ahahaha……”
The audience, unaware, awaited his speech.
Muyoung smiled brightly and took the microphone.
“This is truly……”
Overwhelmed with joy, Muyoung paused, looking around.
Above, sparkling flower petals burst continuously. Petals of blessing that he could finally see.
“What a beautiful night.”