Chapter 261: Baeksang (2)

Translator: Dreamcsribe

Cameras were all focused on Kang Woojin. Numerous actors, broadcasters, comedians, directors, and staff, all with faces marked by surprise, were also looking back at Kang Woojin standing up from his seat.

Then,

-Clap clap clap clap clap!

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap!

The sound of applause spread throughout the large hall. In the end, everyone in the hall was clapping for Kang Woojin. The shock was shocking, but they still had to congratulate him. Meanwhile, murmurs mixed with applause grew among the audience in the hall.

“Wow- I was surprised that Kang Woojin was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award… but he actually won it??”

“Right. Honestly, being nominated for the Best Supporting Actor in his first year at Baeksang was enough to create a buzz. But he actually won the award.”

“Ugh··· It’s enviable, but seriously, what kind of god is backing Kang Woojin? Everything he does is a big hit.”

“I really didn’t expect him to win the Best Supporting Actor award.”

From last year to this year, all the celebrities who were well-known and popular in the Korean entertainment industry were present. Even to them, Kang Woojin seemed very eccentric. A strikingly eccentric figure.

“Last year, he swept the Rookie of the Year awards at various film festivals and entertainment awards, and now he’s winning both the Rookie of the Year and the Best Supporting Actor awards simultaneously? Isn’t this the first time? Such a case.”

“There have been quite a few cases where someone was nominated for both awards simultaneously, right?”

“But this isn’t just a nomination. Has there ever been a case where someone swept the Rookie of the Year awards and then climbed up to win the Best Supporting Actor award in their second year?”

“Moon So-bin sunbae received both the Rookie of the Year and Best Supporting Actor awards at the Blue Dragon Awards back in 2002, I think? But at Baeksang, Kang Woojin is the first. As far as I know.”

“······So, it’s the first time in nearly 10 years. And at Baeksang, Kang Woojin has made history.”

“What kind of insane momentum is this in just his second year since debut-”

Sweeping the Rookie of the Year awards and numerous other awards right after debuting, making an unprecedented eight wins, was already unheard of, but Kang Woojin’s momentum didn’t stop there. This time, he made history by being the first to win both the Rookie of the Year and Best Supporting Actor awards simultaneously. Though not entirely unheard of in the entire Korean entertainment industry, it was rare enough to be counted on one hand in its decades-long history.

“Because his moves are so unprecedented, most aspiring actors have Kang Woojin as their goal. All our agency trainees talk about is Kang Woojin.”

“It’s absurd. There’s only a 1-2 year difference between them and Kang Woojin, but he’s already starring in major projects and winning the Best Supporting Actor award.”

The reactions of everyone attending the awards ceremony were not at all strange. To be precise, it was Kang Woojin’s existence that was abnormal. He was causing a natural disaster in the entertainment industry.

Then.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap!

Amid the thunderous applause, Kang Woojin, who had risen from his seat.

-Swish.

Moved towards the stage. Meanwhile, thunderous congratulations poured from actors like Hong Hye-yeon and Ryu Jung-min as he passed by.

“You’re really crazy! Woojin-ssi, you’ve caused quite a stir! Congratulations!”

“Haha, Woojin-ssi! Congratulations. You turned things upside down once again.”

Even the broadcasters and directors seeing him in person for the first time were the same. Everyone had something to say to Kang Woojin as he passed by. Thus, Kang Woojin made his way through the space between seats.

“······”

From the middle, the path to the brightly lit stage was wide open. Woojin walked nonchalantly. In front of him, a camera capturing Kang Woojin was moving backward. On the large monitor installed on the stage, Kang Woojin’s front, side, and back were displayed.

His dignified and firm face stood out prominently.

A strong persona. It was just a façade, though, because inside, he was a mess. Woojin’s heart was pounding hard after a long time.

‘Wow! Shit! Is this real??! Wa-wait a minute. Don’t trip. Stay calm! Kang Woojin, stay calm!’

He was at war alone. It was intense. However, no one knew about it. Thus, Kang Woojin focused even more on walking. His target was only the stage. The crowd of actors clapping around him didn’t even come into view. The cameras? He’d long forgotten them.

‘Huup- Whew, I’m so nervous. Only the award has changed, but why do I feel like I’m going to throw up?? But is it really sure that I’m receiving the Best Supporting Actor award?!’

Unlike his slightly arrogant exterior, Kang Woojin’s inner self was exceedingly soft. He couldn’t quite believe this was reality. He had been extremely surprised when he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award, but when his name was called by Hwalin, Woojin almost jumped up in genuine astonishment, thinking ‘Wow!!’.

The interesting part was that misconceptions were growing at the awards ceremony at this moment.

Hong Hye-yeon and Ryu Jung-min, sincerely delighted.

“Look at Woojin-ssi’s calm expression. He must know the significant mark he’s making in the Korean entertainment industry right now, right?”

“Of course he knows. That’s why he’s so composed. Just look at his face, it clearly says ‘I expected this much’.”

“······He’s not satisfied, is he.”

“Do you remember what Woojin-ssi declared at the Blue Dragon? He announced he would win the Best Actor award, so the Best Supporting Actor is probably just one step for him.”

“Ha- It’s really absurd. That character never ceases to amaze.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok and Director Kwon Ki-taek, who were sitting side by side, quietly clapped.

“Heh heh, the declaration at the Blue Dragon Awards is gradually becoming reality.”

“You mean the part about winning the Best Actor award next year?”

“Yes. Imagine how anxious the other actors watching this must be. Look at Woojin’s confident face; even after making history at Baeksang, he remains calm. Any actor seeing such an impact firsthand would be trembling.”

At this, Director Kwon Ki-taek, who seemed more amiable and relaxed despite the frequent all-nighters, looked at Woojin walking towards the stage and chuckled.

“Hmm- For some reason, I think he’ll receive that ‘Best Actor’ award somewhere other than in Korea.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok glanced at Director Kwon Ki-taek and slowly nodded.

“I agree, it would be disappointing if he didn’t.”

At this point.

-Swish.

Kang Woojin climbed the wide Baeksang Awards stage once more. However, the atmosphere was completely different from when he received the Rookie of the Year award. Woojin’s mental state was also different.

‘I’m here, I’m almost there. Just a bit more.’

He was spending all his energy maintaining his composed persona due to excessive tension. As he slowly approached the two actors holding the bouquet and trophy, he received the bouquet from the male actor.

“Congratulations, Kang Woojin-ssi.”

“Thank you.”

The golden trophy was in Hwalin’s hand. With a faint smile, Hwalin handed the trophy to Woojin. It was quieter than he expected.

“Woojin-ssi, I sincerely congratulate you. Truly.”

“Yes, Hwalin-ssi. Thank you.”

However, the internal states of the two were vastly different from their exteriors. Especially Hwalin, who, despite appearing calm, was internally bouncing with joy, barely holding back the urge to clap wildly and perform a traditional dance out of sheer happiness.

‘Eek!! Is this real? Seriously??! This is amazing! Woojin-nim is amazing!! Ha- why am I so happy??! No, I should be happy, right?!’

Suppressing the desire to hug Woojin, Hwalin and the male actor stepped back a few steps. It was now Woojin’s turn to speak.

“Um-”

However, Woojin did not immediately bring his mouth to the standing microphone. He looked down at the Best Supporting Actor trophy in his hand for a moment. What is this? Did I really receive this? It felt slightly surreal.

Ah, whatever. Let’s just say something.

Kang Woojin raised his head, maintaining an indifferent expression. But what should he say? How many acceptance speeches has he given by now? Although this was a completely different award from the Rookie of the Year, it wasn’t much different to Kang Woojin.

He didn’t have much to say.

“Uh-”

It was a crisis. No matter how much he thought, his mind was blank. But it’s the Best Supporting Actor award; he couldn’t be too boring, could he? Then, an image popped into Woojin’s mind. Ha, right. Let’s just go with that. Deciding, Kang Woojin spoke in a low voice.

“Thank you. I believe I’ve said enough in the past. So, I will briefly convey my feelings with a simple gesture.”

Soon, Hwalin and the numerous actors in the front audience seats tilted their heads in puzzlement. Regardless, Kang Woojin, maintaining his poker face.

-Thud.

He placed the trophy and bouquet down. Then.

-Sss.

Suddenly, he raised both hands and struck a pose that had recently become popular. At the same time, Hwalin inadvertently let out a laugh. Why? Because the image Kang Woojin presented was exactly like the one on the lid of the ‘Kimjaban Makguksu’ cup ramen.

‘Ha- those double thumbs up! Really, so cute!!’

The dignified double thumbs up.

Kang Woojin proudly displayed what he had always mocked. This lasted for about 5 seconds.

At that moment, the vast hall fell silent.

“······”

“······”

“······”

What does it matter? Ignoring the embarrassment rising from deep within, Woojin, who had given a dignified double thumbs up to the cameras and nearly a thousand spectators, bowed his head in greeting.

‘Phew, damn.’

Shame washed over him. But Kang Woojin somehow neutralized it with his tough act. Being shameless solved everything. Then, holding the bouquet and trophy, Kang Woojin silently descended from the stage.

At the same time.

“Pfft!”

“Haha, that guy really has a unique character.”

“Hahaha! What’s with the double thumbs up!”

The Baeksang Awards ceremony was filled with laughter.

Afterward.

Both parts 1 and 2 of the ‘Baeksang Arts Awards’ where Kang Woojin caused a stir were over. For reference, the Best Drama award went to ‘Profiler Hanryang’, and the Best Film award went to ‘Drug Dealer’. Actors close to Kang Woojin, such as Ryu Jung-min and Hong Hye-yeon, also grabbed a trophy each.

Of course, Kang Woojin was the first and last to win both the Rookie of the Year and Best Supporting Actor awards simultaneously.

After the Baeksang Awards ceremony ended, the exit process was carried out in stages due to the large crowd that had to disperse. Kang Woojin, being in the middle, had to wait a bit and was currently being bombarded by cameras from the broadcasting team.

Watching this from the entrance, the ponytailed Choi Sung-geun was overwhelmed with emotion.

“Heh, you alien! Yeah, I knew you’d win. Who else but you could win? You’re truly amazing. In all my years in the entertainment industry!”

A few tens of minutes later.

It was time for Kang Woojin and the surrounding actors to exit. As expected, hundreds of reporters were gathered near the entrance of the hall where the Baeksang was held. They were almost half-crazed.

-Pababababak!!

For the exclusive scoop that was walking calmly over there.

“He’s here!! Kang Woojin-ssi!!”

“Ah!! Woojin-ssi!! How do you feel about winning both the Rookie of the Year and Best Supporting Actor awards simultaneously!!”

“Don’t push!! Woojin-ssi!! Please pose with the trophy!!”

Questions that were closer to screams than shouts. Among them, one reporter’s shout stood out.

“Woojin-ssi!! Did you know this simultaneous win is a first at Baeksang??! Did you expect this simultaneous win to some extent??!!”

Kang Woojin, with an indifferent face, answered.

“I didn’t know, and it’s not particularly important.”

The next morning, Friday the 19th.

A little past 10 o’clock. The location was a tall building in Yangjae. A fairly large rental studio occupying the 4th and 5th floors was bustling. The 4th floor was especially hectic. Dozens of staff and production company employees were busily moving about.

“30 minutes! 30 minutes left-”

“It seems like there aren’t enough chairs in the waiting room!”

“PD-nim has arrived!!”

“I’ll guide you to the audition room!”

There were a total of three offices visible immediately along the corridor upon exiting the elevator. All of them were wide open, and a laminated sign was attached to the glass door of each office.

Waiting Room 1, Waiting Room 2, Waiting Room 3.

The interiors of the three waiting rooms, neither large nor small, were roughly similar. Dozens of chairs. Nothing felt particularly decorated. It was clear the intention was to seat as many people as possible.

Exiting one of these waiting rooms, at the end of the corridor, the main space of the rental studio came into view.

The sign on the door read.

-Audition Room

The interior here was also simple. A long desk placed at the front from the entrance, a water bottle on it, small cameras set up at the front, middle, and end. That was all. In front of the long desk was completely empty. At that moment.

-Swish.

A familiar bearded man entered the audition room. It was PD Song Man-woo, dressed in a khaki jacket. He looked around the audition room once and nodded.

“Ah- this should do.”

Simultaneously, the staff including the assistant director behind PD Song Man-woo sighed in relief. Soon, PD Song Man-woo sat in the middle of the long desk, exhaling deeply.

“Phew, I’m dead tired.”

This was the aftermath of a simple after-party held after the Baeksang Awards ceremony yesterday. On top of that, his face was heavily marked with fatigue from the recent preparations for the production of ‘Beneficial Evil’. Around this time, other personnel, not part of his team, entered and greeted PD Song Man-woo. Roughly a dozen people.

“Hello, PD-nim-”

“Oh, you’re already here.”

They were employees from the physical production team of Netflix Korea.

The reason was simple.

In about an hour, the first large-scale audition for ‘Beneficial Evil’ was scheduled to begin here.

Notifications had already been sent out to numerous entertainment companies and acting academies across the country. The official announcement was also posted. The industry was in an uproar. Communities and SNS of aspiring actors were buzzing. It’s rare for a blockbuster project to hold such a large-scale audition.

For those dreaming of becoming actors, it was a huge opportunity.

So, it was expected that today’s audition would attract hundreds of unknown or rookie actors.

In reality.

-Ding!

Currently, people who were to audition for ‘Beneficial Evil’ were steadily getting off the elevator. About 30 people had already arrived. The five who just got off the elevator were from various acting academies, each with different charms.

Some were tall like models, some had cute faces, some were handsome, some had muscular builds, and some had unique looks.

Among them, a muscular man looked nervous as he saw the many staff members.

“Phew- I’m screwed, my heart already feels like it’s going to burst.”

A tall man patted his back.

“Wanna go to the bathroom with me? Let’s puke together.”

“Shall we?”

“By the way, because Kang Woojin caused a stir at Baeksang yesterday, the participants are going to be even more packed than usual.”

“Ah- Winning both the Rookie of the Year and Best Supporting Actor awards. It was insane.”

“Yeah. It was truly crazy. But he’s my goal, so he should at least do that much.”

“I prepared a Kang Woojin scene for today’s audition. Park Dae-ri.”

“What? Are you nuts? You brought something that difficult?”

For reference, the audition method was free acting. At this moment, among the five entering the waiting room, a short woman with a bob haircut, who clearly had a cute appearance, muttered softly.

“Kang Woojin is a fake.”

“······What?”

The woman had an appearance that suited words like lovely and cute, but her tone was somewhat eerie.

“He’s a fake. I can see it.”

The tall man sighed.

“There she goes again. Don’t say weird things about my goal.”

“My mom said the same. She said Kang Woojin is possessed by an evil spirit. I agree.”

“······What does your mom do?”

“She’s a shaman.”

At this moment.

“Everyone who’s arrived, please don’t just stand, take a seat! We’re handing out number tags!!”

The large-scale first audition for ‘Beneficial Evil’ officially started.