Ch.65First Rookie Award

After the commotion caused by method acting quickly subsided.

People applauded me and Sujin for successfully completing the final shoot.

“You really worked hard!”

“The synergy between you two is no joke! You should definitely film a romance together someday!”

With these enthusiastic responses coming to an end,

I was able to leave the set without an after-party thanks to my minor privilege.

There was a passionate conversation with the director in between.

But even that ended quickly due to work hours because I was a minor.

Leaving behind the busy set that was being cleaned up.

Sujin and I walked toward where the van was waiting.

“Done crying now?”

I couldn’t help teasing her a bit more.

“…”

But shouldn’t there be some kind of response to this?

After her earlier reply, Sujin had just been nodding without much reaction.

Then, as we moved away from people,

When it felt like only we remained under the streetlight.

“Hey, Kim Donghu.”

Sujin slowly opened her mouth.

“Keep your promise.”

With our steps now halted,

Not even trying to hide her cheeks that had turned red like a ripe persimmon,

Sujin looked at me straight on.

“What promise?”

At my question, as if in disbelief.

Sujin stretched out one hand.

Her fingertips, slightly curved from the chilly wind pushing against them,

Were nonetheless pointing clearly at me.

“You said you’d hold my hand.”

Hand.

At those bold words, I was about to look around but fixed my gaze on Sujin instead.

When you spoke without caring about others watching,

What could be more foolish than me anxiously checking our surroundings?

So I also reached out my hand,

And at the moment our fingertips touched.

“Did you hear earlier? They said our synergy is no joke, that we should film a romance.”

Sujin smiled broadly and slipped her outstretched hand into her pocket.

“How pretty do you think I’ll be by then?”

Sujin’s bold question wasn’t really a question.

The answer was already determined, and there was no need to say it out loud.

All I could do was express agreement.

“Very?”

“Of course, I’ll be unbelievably pretty! You’ll be really surprised.”

“You’re pretty now.”

“Of course, hehe… Ah, no, not that! You know what I mean!”

At Sujin’s words, I shrugged my shoulders.

My expression genuinely showed I had no idea what she meant.

“Hmm… so you’re going to keep acting like this even after what I said?”

Sujin moved toward my hand that was still extended into the air.

Step by step.

What awaited at the end of those careful footsteps, like walking on feathers?

Sujin stopped in front of my hand,

Then gently took it and placed it on her cheek.

“Your Highness, would you promise to hold this maiden’s hand whenever she cries?”

“…”

I couldn’t answer and just nodded silently.

As if pleased that my body moved as if enchanted,

Sujin continued.

“This maiden worries. Your Highness’s heart is so tender that when this maiden makes an even greater request…”

I truly look forward to seeing if you’ll nod with that clueless face.

“…Did you just say you’re worried?”

“That’s just a figure of speech, dummy. Anyway, keep your Christmas schedule open too, so we can spend it together.”

“Ah, that might be difficult this time. I’m planning to spend it with family.”

I did want to spend it with her like last time.

But now that my mom is pregnant,

I needed to cherish time spent with family for a while.

Before I could explain this situation, Sujin quickly accepted.

“Well, we have plenty of time.”

“Huh?”

“Instead, let’s watch the first episode of Eclipse together. If you refuse this too, I’ll cry.”

“Okay, I’ll definitely watch the first episode with you.”

Sujin seemed satisfied with my answer.

With light footsteps, she breezed past me and slipped into the van.

Only then did I notice my surroundings.

The fact that we were in a secluded alley,

That we had somehow, as if by magic, carried on like this without anyone noticing,

‘What was that all about?’

It felt so unreal that I had to laugh.

With that feeling, as soon as I arrived at the van.

Pop.

With a tiny firecracker sound, a cake suddenly appeared before my eyes.

“Congratulations on your final shoot, Donghu!”

“You worked hard, it’s about time you got some rest.”

Receiving modest congratulations from Manager Seokho and Miju noona who had joined as a stylist,

I thanked them as I got into the van.

“By the way, Donghu, was it very cold outside?”

“What? No, it was fine.”

“Really? Your face is so red, I thought you might be cold.”

“…”

At the mention of my red face, I couldn’t say anything.

Our private conversation couldn’t be leaked.

All I could do was

Just smile faintly and put some cake in my mouth.

+++++

The end of November came suddenly.

I was enjoying a sense of leisure I hadn’t felt in a very long time.

‘It’s not bad to rest like this occasionally.’

Except for the upcoming award ceremonies and potential advertising offers,

All my entertainment-related schedules had been cleared.

As for other schedules:

>Donghu, I’ve arranged everything just like you mentioned before!

>We’ll have a light sparring session in April

>Then you can easily win the National Youth Sports Festival in May!

>And then continue straight through to the youth division!!!

>Let’s aim for a boxing medal at the Asian Games or Olympics!

The boxing competition next year, and:

>Donghu, you haven’t forgotten our promise, right? We’re hanging out next week!

>Is the time okay for you, Donghu? If it’s too much, we don’t have to

>Donghu, let me know if you’re free. I reached Challenger in League.

>Kangsik is really f***ing good at League, he’s insane;;;

Meeting up with friends at an internet cafe next week.

Actually, since that was just hanging out, it couldn’t really be called a schedule.

‘But boxing, huh.’

Boxing was what I learned most thoroughly from Coach Paek Sangha.

It was also the most basic of striking fundamentals,

And with strong basics, everything else becomes easier to learn.

Swish, swish.

Power flows into my casually extended fist.

‘A medal, huh.’

It’s not like I hadn’t thought about it.

With talent that could do anything,

I wondered if I could win a medal and get a military exemption.

But I hadn’t seriously considered it yet.

The military service could wait until I could properly use a phone there.

‘Now that I think about it, it’s unfair.’

I already served once, didn’t I?

‘…I wonder if there’s a script about a boxing prodigy somewhere.’

It was a night that made me think such thoughts.

+++++

Late November.

Around the time discussions about award ceremonies were starting to emerge one by one.

There was one film festival that opened its curtains faster than any other:

“Hello viewers! The long-awaited Blue Dragon Film Awards has finally begun!”

It was none other than the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Broadcast journalists, each equipped with large cameras, captured the wide scene.

Lights reaching endlessly upward, fences and security guards preventing intrusions.

They were all tense about what was about to unfold.

The highlight of the Blue Dragon Film Awards,

Or rather the highlight of any award ceremony, the red carpet came into view.

Everyone wondered how stunning the many actors would look as they arrived.

Just as curiosity was bubbling up:

“Ah, a car is just arriving now. Let’s see who will be the first to show themselves.”

“The car door is opening… and, ah!”

The first to appear was:

“It’s the Endless Frontline team.”

“Director Kang Sanghun, actors Han Taegeon, Seo Myungwoo, and Ko Changsik have entered together.”

Even as they said this, they felt someone was missing.

The four mentioned were indeed key figures in Endless Frontline, but

The person with the decisive impact hadn’t appeared.

‘Could they not be coming?’

‘It doesn’t make sense to skip the Blue Dragon Awards.’

While everyone was thinking this,

The MC threw various questions at the Endless Frontline team who had reached the photo zone.

Their determination regarding the Blue Dragon Awards,

How they would approach it, and so on.

After asking several routine questions,

The MC wanted to ask the one thing everyone was curious about,

But couldn’t bring themselves to do so and was about to swallow their disappointment when:

“Our youngest is quite bold, you know. He prioritized his leading role first.”

Actor Han Taegeon suddenly blurted out.

“What? Pardon?”

Leaving the confused MC behind:

“I wanted to ask you to take good care of our youngest who will follow later. It’s his first film festival.”

“Still, he’ll do well. After all, he’s an actor I’ve got my eye on…”

“Oh, a car is coming. We’ll be going now!”

Actor Han Taegeon, quickly stopping Director Kang Sanghun’s doting, hurried away with the team.

Though it was a brief interview, there seemed to have been some bombshell statements?

The MC still didn’t understand what was meant,

And neither did the journalists.

They couldn’t quite grasp who the “youngest” referred to.

As the red carpet event continued:

An unfamiliar vehicle stopped in front of the red carpet.

Just when people thought all expected guests had arrived, they wondered who it could be.

“Director, we should get out together for these things.”

“B-but how can I walk alongside actor Kim Donghu?”

“We’ve come all this way, what are we supposed to do now?”

A strikingly handsome figure emerged from the car.

Showing off his tall, slender frame as he appeared:

“Don’t be nervous, okay?”

“Y-yes!”

With the appearance of Hero’s lead actor Kim Donghu and director Lee Seongdeok,

People immediately realized what actor Han Taegeon had been trying to say.

‘He made a commercial film that reached 10 million viewers and now he’s at a film festival for a short film lead role?’

Everyone’s jaws dropped at this audacity that couldn’t be denied.