This year’s award ceremony red carpet was scheduled for me, Heavenly Yuah, and Moon Suyeon to walk together.
We are not only the leading actors of the same drama but also part of a romantic storyline, and we’re also up for Couple Award nominations.
But, wouldn’t I stand out too much wearing this kind of white mermaid dress?
“Hmm…”
I started to say something but then closed my mouth because Moon Suyeon appeared behind Heavenly Yuah in a black minidress.
Though the colors and styles were completely opposite, the dresses had a somewhat similar vibe.
Standing like this—Heavenly Yuah, me, Moon Suyeon—I can already tell what kind of picture we’ll create.
With me at the center, it seems the balance of the two sides will be quite good.
Could these dresses have been designed by the same person?
Perhaps the two of them discussed and coordinated their outfits beforehand.
Still, while Heavenly Yuah is smiling brightly, Moon Suyeon seems a bit moody.
Wearing such a beautiful dress and still looking moody? That’s strange.
“Next time, I’ll wear white, Yuah.”
“Yes, that’s the deal.”
Judging by the atmosphere, it seems Moon Suyeon also wanted to wear white.
Standing out is important at an event like this, but white isn’t exactly the preferred color.
Surely these women… they can’t feel some strange satisfaction from stepping onto the red carpet in white dresses, can they? That would be too ridiculous.
It’s better to just chalk it up to their unique taste.
“Anyway, why are both of you getting into this car?”
“Since we are going in together anyway, right? Plus, we have something to discuss.”
“If we all go separately, the entrance will get crowded.”
“…Alright, got it.”
Both got into my van as if it were the most natural thing.
There wasn’t much I could say about this.
The black van provided by Flame is spacious enough to fit three actors and their stylists.
And Heavenly Yuah was also correct—there was no issue with entering together.
Still, it feels like Heavenly Yuah got into the van for more than just the reason of entering together.
She must have been about to tell me what to pay attention to at the award ceremony.
“At the ceremony, some strange people might approach you.”
“…Strange people?”
“Sometimes, people use events like this as meeting places. There are more reckless types than you’d imagine.”
“Given your current momentum, Siwoo, fresh-faced rookies like you often attract attention from certain women.”
“Particularly, young male actors in good shape like you need extra care.”
Among celebrities who prefer to keep to themselves, there are some who look for partners within the industry. Actors like me, who are young with athletic builds, are often seen as ideal candidates to cause trouble.
I’ve also heard stories about certain older women who flirt with male actors they work with on set.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with casual encounters unless you intend to have a serious relationship; in those cases, it’s healthier to keep a distance. Constantly meeting those types of people can skew your judgment when it comes to relationships.
Especially for someone like me, who rarely ventures outside, this is really the only place to meet new people, so expect frequent approaches.
Still, something made me tilt my head at this advice: these two were the ones who deserved this caution more than I did.
Surely, more people would approach them over me.
Apparently, there’s something called the ‘master level’ when it comes to this sort of thing.
“It’s because we’ve been through it all.”
“Luna’s known in the industry as impenetrable.”
Oh, I’ve heard Taegyu mention something similar.
Apparently, more than half of a certain group had confessed to Moon Suyeon.
Surely, Heavenly Yuah also has similar experiences? Given her frequent invitations to award ceremonies every year excluding last year’s sabbatical, she must have accumulated plenty of experience.
Given the personal experiences she has, her warnings must stem from her own background. I should probably just follow them silently.
Honestly, I wouldn’t even consider exchanging contact info with other actresses here.
That kind of meeting almost always results in unpleasant situations later.
Besides, living under the same roof with someone like Moon Suyeon or Heavenly Yuah consistently raises standards so that casual interactions don’t even spark interest.
And approaching these two feels awkward somehow.
Maybe I’ll really end up as a lonely old man.
Both of them seem only to negatively influence my personal life.
*
As we arrived, the journalists were already lined up.
The area around the photo zone was crowded with people ready to capture the beautiful dresses worn by actresses.
Our group, being a major point of interest, was under constant camera flashes.
“Mr. White Siu, wave this way!”
“Ms. Heavenly Yuah, pose this way.”
“Ms. Moon Suyeon, give us a heart with your hands.”
As we walked along the red carpet, we greeted the fans gathered with light salutations before heading over to the photo zone for more camera flashes.
Most attention was on Heavenly Yuah and Moon Suyeon, but occasionally, they’d ask for me too.
I wasn’t entirely aware of my growing popularity, spending my days between filming sets and the office, but it seems I’ve become a fairly rising star.
It wasn’t such a bad feeling.
– Mr. Siu, it’s a pleasure. I’ve heard you’re one of the strongest contenders for the Best New Actor award. There are even rumors you’re considered for the Outstanding Actor Award. What are your thoughts on that?
“Uh, the Outstanding Actor Award? Too much even for the Newcomer Award. I’ll take it as encouragement.”
– Quite unusually, three couples from your drama were nominated for the Best Couple Award. Whose win are you rooting for?
“Haha, whatever couple the fans want, right? They’re all good in my opinion.”
After the photo zone, a short interview awaited me.
This wasn’t for everyone—an exclusive privilege for likely award winners.
Still, some of the questions were peculiar.
How should a newcomer like me respond when asked about the Outstanding Actor Award?
The hyena-like reporters at these award shows always confirm that broadcasting companies are staffed with somewhat deranged individuals.
“Hmm, that was an interesting question.”
“Right? What couple is Siu rooting for?”
“What couple to root for?”
“Come on, don’t you have a favorite couple?”
“Um… Elder Yoon and Yoon Seo-eun?”
“…What?”
“Alright, let’s stop the nonsense and head inside.”
“…We’ll see.”
“Victory will be mine anyway.”
It beats me how they managed to get more attention than me for the questions they asked.
Not to mention, asking such a question directly.
Even Gong Myung wouldn’t be this bold.
This year, six couples are nominated for the Best Couple Award, and three of them include me.
The Violet-Lee, Lee-Wolhee, and Elder Yoon-Yoon Seo-eun couples.
The inclusion of Yoon Seo-eun and Elder Yoon feels a bit absurd, but the Best Couple Award doesn’t necessarily limit itself to romantic couples.
Sometimes, male-male or female-female couples with great on-screen chemistry make appearances.
At any rate, I had an out because Elder Yoon and Yoon Seo-eun were among the nominees.
Selecting any one person wouldn’t lead to anything fruitful.
Frankly, I would prefer another couple wins this award.
It just seems tiring no matter who wins.
These two are unnecessarily serious about trivial matters.
“Hey, you made it?”
“Arriving early!”
“Alright, I’m just going with the flow.”
“Yang Writer also put in a lot of effort.”
“Wow, seemed insignificant to watch, but it’s more tiring than I thought.”
“Nothing in this life comes easy, right?”
“Next time, simply skipping it might be for the better.”
At the table prepared for the team of ‘Gold Rush, Joseon,’ were already seated Nam Hyun-ho and Yang Yuli.
Nam Hyunho helped escort Yang Yuli, who had no prior experience at such events, but it was clear that Yang Yuli also drew considerable attention.
A single hit with ‘Gold Rush, Joseon’ might have been enough, but Yang Yuli’s current ongoing series ‘Mother’s Song’ also performed remarkably well.
It wasn’t as though Yang Yuli would fade away after just one success. She’s skilled and her appearance is outstanding—attention toward her was inevitable.
Indeed, as Ok Writer mentioned before, Yang Yuli wore the label of a prodigy unconsciously.
Still, her already worn-out expression suggested an atmosphere of not attending such award ceremonies in the future.
“Siwoo, hi.”
“You made it, senior.”
“Wow, you really shone at the photo zone earlier. You’re a full-blown star.”
“Thanks to getting good roles. You look great, too, senior.”
“Me? I’m getting old. Sigh. But how is our table setup?”
“…Uh.”
“My fated existence …”
Shortly after our arrival, senior Kang Ji-woo, who would share our table, entered.
Kang Ji-woo is rather friendly but has a peculiar sensitivity towards how her skin looks. Even Nam Hyun-ho tends to avoid her.
Standing next to younger, fresh-faced actors highlights her age.
Unfortunately, this time, she met her match.
Among our table’s members, not a single one was easy to deal with.
With Nam Hyun-ho, Moon Suyeon, and Heavenly Yuah, Yang Yuli also had the skin of a much younger person.
Perhaps the only person she can trust is Director Bang, who manages his skin well but still dislikes this sort of environment.
Kang Ji-woo’s humorous behavior made me chuckle.
She was subtly entertaining and a great actress too.
“Then I should at least make the rounds and greet everyone.”
“Ah, you should. But don’t take it too hard, alright?”
“What is there to feel bad about?”
“You’re not some ordinary outlier. People might try to hold you back.”
“Ah, I understand. It’s not about being arrogant but rather about keeping appearances as a newcomer.”
“Then there’s no issue. Oh, and don’t punch anyone out of frustration.”
“…What do you mean by ‘punch’?”
“Insane, crazy fool, juvenile delinquent?”
“…Considering how insane and crazy you call yourself fine, but what’s a ‘juvenile delinquent’?”
“You, you’re the juvenile delinquent.”
This person calling someone else a troublemaker?
Yet, this individual was fairly perceptive. I also didn’t assume other actors would all welcome me.
I’m perceived as someone who’s rising too quickly, and I lack connections in this circle.
Here, your education matters a great deal.
Following a senior for introductions would have made the atmosphere less intimidating, but since I lack this, I anticipate little positive reaction.
“…Ah, okay. Sure.”
“…”
“Understood. Wishing you good results.”
Deciding on that, I went around the venue, but the reaction was much colder than I expected.
20~30 year-old male actors almost all gave me the cold shoulder.
“Hey, Siwoo! Fancy seeing you again.”
“Hello, senior.”
“Congratulations on your New Artist Award nomination.”
“Ah, thank you. Should I win, I’ll remember your early congratulations.”
“Haha, great. See you later.”
Thankfully, having some rapport with Yoon Ju-won made it less awkward.
Somehow, ambiguous people always cause problems.
In contrast, the female actors reacted differently. As Yoo-a had warned, some of the older female actors asked for my contact information, clearly seeking brief encounters.
Judging by appearances, some didn’t seem interested in deep connections.
After all, if someone uses these events to covertly seek contact information from juniors, their intentions likely aren’t pure.
If they were looking for healthy communication between senior and junior actors, they’d have other ways of doing it.
“XXXHotel, 000Room. XXX-XXXX-XXXX”
I even received a note with a hotel room number and phone number, complete with a heart symbol in the middle.
So, this must be one of those common offers sports stars receive after interviews with blonde reporters, right?
The person who handed it over seemed like someone who had been looking to connect with me for some time.
While digging into entertainment tabloids may reveal all kinds of stories, I didn’t expect such things to happen to me directly.
“Wow, XXXSenior…”
“What is that?”
“Nothing. It’s just trash.”
Still, everything eventually found its way into the trash can, shredded.
I don’t particularly enjoy shallow and clingy interactions.
While this senior was clearly open, overly casual people tend to be rejected by me.
Certainly, a little regret lingered, but it was a firm decision.
