On the evening after the first day of the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival, people walked the darkened streets, talking about the films they had seen.

“There was really something amazing in there this time.” “Right? How did they even come up with such a unique way of directing?”

Everyone at the short film festival loved cinema, so most conversations revolved around the direction and cinematography. But eventually, the discussion always came back to one film.

“Kim Dong-hoo... I knew he could act, but I didn’t expect him to be that good.” “It’s not just that he acts well. It feels like he becomes the character.” “And what’s up with his martial arts skills? Isn’t he also known for playing piano?”

In the end, everyone was talking about The Hero.

“I liked how the black-and-white visuals masked the brutality. The choice to keep everything in just black and white was intentional, too.” “Yeah, while private justice is illegal, sometimes the law fails to properly judge those who deserve it.” “It’s funny how self-defense doesn’t even count in that case.” “Exactly, the other guy started the violence, so it’s only natural to respond, right?”

In The Hero, the protagonist never makes the first move. Even in typical hero stories, the good guy never strikes first.

The audience related to the passive nature of the hero...

“But still, there’s the law. You can’t just beat someone up because you’re stronger, right?” ...but some criticized him too.

It was a natural reaction. In fact, The Hero posed many questions without offering clear answers.

“But that last scene... it was pure art.” “Yeah, you mean the part where he runs away?” “Right. It felt like he was escaping not just from the scene but from everyone.” “That was amazing. And even though his face wasn’t clearly shown in that scene, you could still tell he was handsome, right?”

The audience laughed, nodding in agreement as they praised Kim Dong-hoo’s looks.

“If only his face had been completely hidden... maybe his good looks wouldn’t have been so distracting.” Hearing this, Kim Soo-jin giggled from beside him.

“Did you really come all the way here just to tease me?”

Kim Dong-hoo, disguised in casual attire, responded in a low voice, amused by her teasing. Soo-jin, clearly enjoying this, smiled as she replied.

“Well, if you had invited me, this wouldn’t have happened!” “I’m not even a key person here. How could I send an invitation? I’m just an actor.”

Just an actor.

Soo-jin’s eyes widened at his words.

‘He really means that.’

He probably knew the influence he held right now, but it wasn’t false modesty—he was simply humble. Still, wasn’t he allowed to boast a little?

“At your level, you can definitely invite someone!” “Well, maybe if it were your mother. But not yet for me.”

Smack!

Without thinking, Soo-jin lightly hit Dong-hoo’s shoulder, not enough to hurt.

“Why would you bring up my mom?!” Couldn’t he be more careful with his word choice?

‘He’s so cute.’

As Dong-hoo chuckled at her reaction, they both laughed together.

Meanwhile, in Kim Dong-hoo’s fan café, things were going wild.

Though the café still didn’t have an official name, its rapidly growing membership made it one of the fastest-growing communities online. The café’s main goal was, of course, to shower Kim Dong-hoo with love and admiration.

Rumor had it that the café’s admin was secretly an employee from Dong-hoo’s agency, as they were famous for getting official information faster than anyone else.

Among the latest news was a fresh announcement:

[Kim Dong-hoo will be appearing in The Hero at the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival. Please show him your love and support.]

The announcement that Kim Dong-hoo would be featured at the festival sent the fans into a frenzy.

With a whole week to plan, the fans arranged their schedules to make it to the event.

ㄴHe’s still stunningly handsome in black-and-white. ㄴSeriously, his face is like a sculpture. Even with shadows, he looks amazing. ㄴFirst time at a short film festival, but there are so many other interesting films here too! ㄴRight? Thanks to our Dong-hoo oppa, I’m getting to experience all this!

Fans of Kim Dong-hoo soon caught the attention of curious passersby.

“Huh? Is there a film festival happening over there?” “Kim Dong-hoo? The guy from High Dream? He must be appearing.” “Should we check it out?” “Yeah, we were looking for something to do anyway.”

Inadvertently, this became extra promotion for the Mise-en-scène Festival. The surge in attendance left festival staff scrambling, while the head of the Korean Film Directors’ Association could hardly contain his grin.

“Let’s keep this momentum going!”

Thanks to Kim Dong-hoo’s presence, the estimated audience for the festival reached around 20,000, about double the usual turnout. How wonderful would it be if every film festival could be this successful?

And so...

“Before we begin the awards ceremony, let’s hear a few words from the judges.”

It was finally time for the closing ceremony of the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival.

+++++

Thump, thump, thump.

Director Lee Seong-deok’s heart pounded uncontrollably. Even after taking calming pills, he couldn’t stop his body from trembling.

‘Shouldn’t have had that coffee earlier.’

But without the caffeine, he might not have made it through the day. Yet now, he regretted it.

He muttered to himself, lost in his thoughts, unable to raise his head.

The judges’ remarks, the words of wisdom from the venerable bearded director Kang Sang-hoon, and praises for the success of the festival... nothing reached his ears.

He stole a glance at Kim Dong-hoo, who sat composed beside him. How could someone ten years younger than him be so calm?

‘Is this what they mean by stars being born, not made?’

While Lee Seong-deok’s mind wandered, the awards ceremony marched on, with winners being announced left and right.

“And the winner of the Best Film in the ‘Five Thousand Punches’ section is...”

The Hero! Congratulations!

Clap, clap, clap.

Cheers erupted as the winning film was announced, but Director Lee still had his head buried, too nervous to even listen.

Then...

“Director, you’ve won! Please go accept the award.”

Kim Dong-hoo’s voice was the only thing he could clearly hear. Startled, Seong-deok shot up from his seat, awkwardly springing onto the stage.

“Uh, um, I, uh...”

He had hoped for this, but never fully believed it would happen.

“Th-thank you, thank you so much! I’ll continue to... make good films...!”

After his muddled acceptance speech, he was about to leave the stage when another announcement came.

“And now, for the Audience Award... The Hero! Congratulations!”

He was getting another award.

“Wh-wha...?”

Naturally, Director Lee froze, and the ceremony continued smoothly, as expected.

After all...

“And for Best Actor, the winner is Kim Dong-hoo from The Hero! Congratulations!”

The plan was simple: just get someone else up there who could give a proper acceptance speech.

Clap, clap, clap!

Flash, flash, flash!

The cameras burst into action as Kim Dong-hoo stepped confidently to the microphone.

‘Three awards already?’ ‘This is insane.’ ‘He really is handsome.’ ‘Look at that figure, he’s like a sculpture.’ ‘No way he’ll get the Grand Prize too, right?’ ‘If he gets the Grand Prize... that’s four awards. It’ll be historic.’ ‘There’s no way they’ll give him that.’

While journalists murmured among themselves, Kim Dong-hoo began his acceptance speech.

“Thank you very much. Through this short film, I’ve learned so much about what it means to make a movie. As an actor who is still learning, I’m incredibly grateful for the overwhelming love and support...”

Though short, his speech was heartfelt. Especially when he named every crew member who worked on the film.

Sniff.

Standing behind him, Director Lee Seong-deok was in tears.

“I’ll work hard to become an actor worthy of this award. Thank you.”

“Huhuhuhuhuh... th-thank you... so much...”

And with that, the acceptance speech ended.

Blinded by tears and unable to see straight, Director Lee was led off stage by Kim Dong-hoo.

Hahaha.

The moment brought some laughter to the ceremony, and as the special jury awards, director awards, and technical awards followed, the ceremony continued smoothly.

Only one award remained: the Grand Prize of the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival.

Director Kang Sang-hoon took to the microphone.

“Hello, I’m Kang Sang-hoon. It’s truly an honor to be invited to present at the Mise-en-scène Festival.”

Let’s not waste any time. Here’s the Grand Prize.

His direct manner earned a few chuckles from the audience, who were all eagerly glancing at one side of the room.

The eyes of the audience seemed to say they already knew who the winner would be. As if to confirm their suspicions...

“The Grand Prize goes to... The Hero! Congratulations!”

“Waaaaah!”

Director Lee Seong-deok broke down in tears right on the spot.

‘Pathetic fool!’

Kang Sang-hoon glared at him from the stage.

How could someone so fragile be the first to direct our Dong-hoo?!

Thankfully, he did a decent job. If not for the four awards, Kang had planned to confront him.

Step, step.

Once again, Kim Dong-hoo helped guide the crying director to the stage for the acceptance speech.

But they didn’t even manage to give one properly. In fact, Kim Dong-hoo had to translate the director’s sobs into coherent words.

And so, the ceremony ended in a lighthearted and joyful atmosphere.

“With this, the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival awards ceremony has come to a close. Thank you to everyone who participated.”

As the event concluded, and people began to head out to after-parties, one voice stood out.

“Dong-hoo! Congratulations!”

Director Kang Sang-hoon rushed over to greet him.

“Thank you. I’ll continue to work hard to live up to the award.” “Ah, you’re always so well-spoken! I was going to contact you anyway, but here you are.” “Huh?” “Gotta get ready for the Endless Frontline premiere, right?”

It’s already that time.

Kim Dong-hoo nodded.

“Well, with The Hero doing so well, it’s only going to boost our project’s profile.”

When an actor does well, all their related works get a bump.

“...That’s true.”

Wait a minute. Could this mean that Endless Frontline’s status is going to rise, too?

For a moment, Kim Dong-hoo was curious just how successful Endless Frontline might become.

+++++

That evening, as Director Lee Seong-deok sobbed through the after-party, the internet was ablaze.

『First-ever four-time winner at the Mise-en-scène Festival—What kind of film is The Hero?』

『Kim Dong-hoo sweeps the short film awards with his debut! An unstoppable force!』

『A different level of acting. Who is this actor dominating the screen? In-depth look at Kim Dong-hoo!』