episode_0097

A little while ago.

In truth, Sua had been only looking at Seo Yeonju.

Of course, Seo Yeonju returned the question.

“Why do you keep staring?”

“Now, only the Grand Prize remains for you to win.”

Sua answered without difficulty.

Yang Harin took the Best Actress award, and now the only one left is the Grand Prize, the top award. If it’s not Seo Yeonju, who else would it be?

Seo Yeonju herself tilted her head, though.

“Well, I think differently. If I were to get an award, wouldn’t they give me something like the Audience Choice Award? From what I’ve seen, this awards ceremony seems to be focused on discovering new talent.”

“Hmm…”

“Okay, so.”

Seo Yeonju suddenly put her palms together.

“…What’s with you all of a sudden?”

“What do you mean? I’m getting ready to pray.”

“So, why pray?”

“Didn’t I say? The world is vast, and there are people who earnestly wish for a comet to fall at a specific time. I think the time has come for a comet to fall.”

‘I know she thinks of me as a comet, but….’

The problem was what came next.

“What kind of wish would you make while looking at me?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Seo Yeonju smiled brightly.

“That you’ll continue to act safely and without incident. That you’ll be my endless inspiration. Simple, right?”

“….”

Sua blinked slowly.

Because she was grateful.

Seo Yeonju didn’t hope for Sua’s success because of some petty reason, like how water drips down when a fellow actor from the same agency does well.

She simply hoped that Sua would continue to be her inspiration.

Around that time, CEO Kim Iseo belatedly took her seat.

She fiddled with two large hairpins on her forehead.

“Oh my, I was busy greeting people everywhere. Nothing special happened, right? Huh? Yeonju, did you put something in? The size seems quite different from before.”

“…It’s always been this size.”

“Oh, is that so? Whatever.”

Kim Iseo stopped herself from saying that a crow-tit can’t become a stork just by stretching its legs. After all, it wasn’t a part that would increase in size just because Kim Iseo pointed it out….

But that was when it happened.

“Lee Sua of ‘Sword.’ Congratulations!”

Suddenly, Director Yusaku called out Sua’s name in clumsy Korean. An upset had occurred.

“…?”

Sua was so flustered that she froze in her seat.

Soon, Kim Seonil smiled lightly.

“You’re not moved at all? Still, go up. This is an award that those around you wanted more than you did.”

Sua thought. No? I’m very moved?

…I’m just flustered because it was so unexpected?

After that, a tremendous amount of whispering and applause began to mix, but Sua couldn’t hear any of it.

She could only hear the faint beating of her heart. She was too nervous. Sua began to move her stiff legs.

And when she came to her senses, she was already standing face-to-face with Director Yusaku. Sua barely held onto her fading mind and repeated just one thing. Image control, image control….

“おめでとうございます. 演技は印象深かったです.” (Congratulations. Your acting was impressive.)

The little suas inside her immediately reacted.

─He’s chanting strange incantations, is it a demonic art?

─Hey, Grandma, that’s Japanese. You don’t have to worry too much. Sua sunbae has experienced Japanese scripts before. She’s already learned it.

─…Grandma? Maintain etiquette.

As Yoo Han-sua said, Sua immediately understood the words.

Japanese wasn’t much of a problem.

However, the embarrassing thing happened the next moment.

Thump!

Director Yusaku ended up dropping the trophy.

It was only natural that the trophy broke into pieces, and the atmosphere became chaotic in an instant. Director Yusaku himself looked very flustered.

“….”

But it was strange.

Right now.

Sua could see clearly what she had to do. It was only a fleeting moment before she picked up the trophy that had fallen to the floor.

“大丈夫です. これも気に入ります.” (It’s okay. I like this too.)

The special ability didn’t inject anything.

It was just her true feelings.

She was so moved by the fact that she had received an award that the trophy didn’t seem important at all.

So, she conveyed what she felt as it was.

Of course, the people across from her seemed surprised by something else.

First of all, the woman in a suit in charge of the translation was.

“…Huh? You speak Japanese so well?”

The translator glanced at the back of the stage where the staff were located.

She gave a look as if to say, why did you specifically recruit me when you have someone who speaks Japanese so well?

The stage microphone was temporarily turned off due to the commotion of dropping the trophy. So, a short chat was possible.

“Did you come from Japan?”

“No.”

“It’s too native to have learned it? No, even locals would have a hard time with this. It’s the kind of pronunciation that aspiring announcers would get if they practiced with a pen in their mouths….”

“I admit… No, thank you. You flatter me.”

Sua almost unleashed Sua Recognition without realizing it, but she held back. Be humble, be humble. Because this is an important occasion.

After that, the conversation with the translator didn’t continue. It was because Director Yusaku, who was a director, joined the conversation.

His eyes sparkled as he looked at Sua.

“もう一度驚きますね.” (I’m surprised once again.)

“Huh?”

“Your mask is impressive, and your acting is good as it is. You even have a foreign language, so you seem like you could jump into a large-scale project. Was there a reason to do a short film?”

“I’m just a rookie right now.”

“…?”

Ah, Director Yusaku, with an exclamation and a dumbfounded expression.

He seemed to have just realized that Sua was a rookie. The look on his face was quite shocked.

Of course, it wasn’t just the people on stage who were surprised at this moment.

The audience was the same.

First, Seo Yeonju and Kim Seonil in the Mystic seats.

“I heard she’s from abroad, so was her birthplace Japan?”

“No? Sua is also good at English, isn’t she?”

“If you compare them, you can quickly see where the origin is. Which language was she most fluent in, and which language was she the least fluent in. I think you can trace it back by retracing that.”

“…Come to think of it, she seems to be the least fluent in Korean.”

First of all, it’s certain that she’s from overseas. Seo Yeonju murmured and continued her conversation with Kim Seonil.

The surroundings were not much different.

“The translator is embarrassed because she has nothing to do?”

“Her name is Lee Sua, right? Director Yusaku seems so happy to see her? Are they old acquaintances?”

“An invasive species has appeared.”

Those were rational guesses in their own way. In any case, the person in front of them didn’t seem ordinary at all.

This was the same for Director Go Tae-min.

‘…I’ve heard of it. Those who want to deepen their musical knowledge travel all over the world. If that’s the case, I’m even more excited about what kind of performance they’ll show me later, right? It’s hard to hold back.’

By the time the stage preparation was finished again, the audience was very quiet, but their minds were completely the opposite.

All sorts of thoughts are intricately intertwined in the air right now.

There were misconceptions, occasional truths, and, above all, great expectations. How will the rookie, who suddenly revealed a fearsome presence, walk in the future?

At that moment.

[Sua-ssi! You can say your acceptance speech!]

One of the staff members under the stage held up a sketchbook with large letters written on it. Not only Sua, but also Director Yusaku and the translator confirmed it.

“That’s right. I need to get out of the way quickly.”

Director Yusaku and the translator quickly moved away.

Sua stood in front of the microphone, holding the broken trophy in both hands. Filling her vision were impressive-looking people. It would be a lie if she said she wasn’t nervous.

“….”

Thump, thump….

Her heart was beating fast.

What should I say? I decided to give a thank-you speech. But when I think about it, how do you give a thank-you speech? It’s strange to just say thank you and go in, right?

And it’s a shame, right? Such a good moment has come.

Even while Sua was pondering for a moment, the reporters moved quickly. They began to take pictures of Sua.

“A rookie winning the Grand Prize is insane.”

“I need to take the picture from a little further back? Her face isn’t captured from the angle of taking it from below. Her chest is too big….”

“Just in case, take a picture of that too.”

The reporters under the stage were too close. Thanks to that, Sua was so tormented by her eyes for a while.

…Camera flashes are killing me. Is it a flash grenade?

In the midst of that, even the inside of her head was noisy.

─I will deliver the acceptance speech. I have experience in ruling the world. You can see it as my specialty.

─Do you think this is some kind of Cheonma appointment ceremony? Stop it. It’s right for me to do it. I’m going to say strategic words that will help Sua sunbae’s future.

─Let’s go by the rules. According to the thank-you speech template….

In order, Wi Ji-hye, Kim Yoo-han, and Lee Kang-cheol.

But Sua didn’t entrust her body to anyone.

“….”

This is because another strange thing happened.

Instinct led her body.

The ‘Sword’ production team looking at her with heartfelt eyes, Yang Harin with her eyes wide open as if she couldn’t understand, the people who found the existence of the rookie Sua amazing….

The moment she captured all of that in her eyes.

What to say was already engraved in her mind.

As if she had known it for a long time. So, it wasn’t difficult at all. There was no need to get anyone’s help.

“…First of all.”

Finally, Sua parted her lips.

At this moment, she was a comet silently running through the night sky.