PABABABAK─!
The blinding flash of cameras continued relentlessly.
But Sua’s mind was a world apart.
She no longer worried about what to say next.
“….”
Because the answer lay in looking around her.
First, the production team of ‘Sword.’
Seo Yeon-joo was celebrating Sua’s moment with inspiration from their earlier discussion. Her smiling face revealed nothing but sincerity.
The same went for Kim Sun-il. Subconsciously, Sua could read the unusually bright expression on his face.
His face held gratitude towards Sua.
Director Park Jun’s expression was filled with emotion, while Kim I-seo’s face radiated contentment. Sua, silently falling like a meteor, received different wishes from each person aimed at her.
Hence, they were precious.
“…First, thank you.”
It was necessary to express gratitude towards those who viewed her as a meteor.
At this point, the inner Sua Association had gone silent.
Perhaps realizing that Sua would never seek help, or sensing that help was unnecessary. Likely both.
“And I promise you.”
Sua’s words flowed smoothly.
The only thing a meteor should say to those making wishes.
After all, there was but one thing.
“I’m just starting. I will prove myself to those who find me unfamiliar, and repay those who believed in me. I’ll work harder and create something even more incredible. Definitely.”
She would silently race through the night sky ahead.
She would shine even brighter.
This promise was enough.
To increase the number of people who see her as a meteor, and to allow the heartfelt wishes made upon seeing her to grow.
“This trophy remains precious to me. I’ll think of it as something shared with all of you. It wasn’t something I alone deserved to claim anyway, since this wasn’t something I achieved alone.”
At that moment, Sua faintly smiled—a subtle but distinct expression.
“…So, I look forward to your continued support.”
The scene was already painted with the sound of applause.
Director Ko Tae-min, slim and wiry, slowly curled the corners of his mouth upward.
“Something more incredible? In my next work? I’m looking forward to it.”
Sua then slowly walked off the stage at that time.
There was no need to wonder if she had made a slip of the tongue. The little Suas within her were silently giving her the thumbs up.
The barrage of camera flashes from reporters lingered like a tail.
And after a while.
The awards in other categories continued. For example, Seo Yeon-joo won the Audience Award, and Sua’s movie ‘Sword’ won the Cinematography Award.
And one more thing.
“Shall we meet the grand prize-winning work? Ah, as expected, there was no upset! ‘Sword’! Congratulations! This is the grand prize!”
Director Park Jun sprang up as if he’d been shocked.
It implied something clear.
From actor awards to the grand prize, everything.
‘Sword’s’ triumph.
◈◈◈◈◈
Three hours later, at the Nonsan Training Center.
Soldiers who had finished a day of training were resting in the barracks.
However, there was no atmosphere of friendly banter, not because the military discipline was severe.
Rather, they were all still unfamiliar.
The reason was simple. They were just enlistees.
They were still trainees who had not been assigned to their units.
But they were lucky.
Thanks to the steadily improving treatment of the military, they were able to receive mobile phones.
Is there anything sweeter than a mobile phone in the army? The barracks soon fell quiet as everyone focused on their devices.
“….”
Of course, it was natural.
Everyone was busy doing their own thing on their phones.
Some were in touch with their girlfriends, some were sharing stories with their friends, others were catching up on the backlog of news.
Among these trainees, a person with notably thick eyebrows was checking rankings.
An appearance reminiscent of a black bear.
Yes, the guy who had taken on the role of ‘Black Bear’ in Sua’s chat room.
He was doing the same as he used to in civilian life, merely checking updates on stocks and coins.
The amounts were staggering at a glance—enough to earn the title of a big player without question.
At some point.
“Hmm?”
A neighboring soldier, with earphones on and watching MyTube, tilted his head while exploring all sorts of videos, labeled as number 62.
“Hey, wasn’t there someone who mentioned this somewhere?”
His voice sparked curiosity deeply, and those around him began to react. The soldiers gradually gathered around number 62.
“What are you referring to? If it’s skincare, that’s my expertise.”
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
“What is it then? A game?”
“Just take a look.”
Number 62 lowered his phone screen so that everyone could see. There was a MyTube video playing on the screen.
[Busan International Short Film Festival Grand Prize — Lee Su-an Award Message]
“I don’t know why this showed up in my algorithm, but wasn’t the name Lee Su-an mentioned somewhere?”
The other trainees quickly showed interest.
First of all, it was a topic about a woman.
“Hmm, that’s right? Wow, what a face. She’s really beautiful. Is this just someone with the same name?”
“No, I think she mentioned acting. She seems cut out for greatness if she beat Yang Ha-rin to win the grand prize.”
“What about that figure… Ah, I feel I might get disciplined if I describe it as-is. Anyway, why are we talking about her? Is she someone’s girlfriend we’re watching?”
“Didn’t someone mention her?”
By this time, Black Bear had also become curious.
“What are you all talking about?”
Soon, questions were directed at Black Bear.
“Did you hear of someone named Lee Su-an?”
Black Bear couldn’t help but nod.
“Of course, I did, since I mentioned it.”
“Oh, right! Didn’t you say she was a friend?”
“Yes. She’s not a girlfriend, just a friend.”
At that, the soldiers in front of him widened their eyes.
“Wow, incredible.”
“Didn’t you say she was an aspiring actress?”
“Yeah! She was just someone learning how to act!”
Black Bear slowly frowned.
“One short film was made, but it wasn’t something big, so why are you suddenly talking about Sua?”
“Why not! Just take a look!”
A mobile phone was thrust in front of Black Bear, and simultaneously, like chicks in camouflage, they all began chirping together.
“She beat Yang Ha-rin and won the grand prize!”
“What about this white complexion! Envious!”
“What nonsense…”
Black Bear quietly inspected the phone screen.
A moment later.
“…What?”
There was no way Black Bear’s eyes wouldn’t widen.
Because the image of Sua standing gracefully with a broken trophy in both hands was like a photograph, and even the grand prize she had won was nothing short of extraordinary. She even displayed fluent use of Japanese.
“Wha, what…?”
“She can speak Japanese? Was she a friend from abroad?”
“Does she have a boyfriend? Please introduce her!”
“Could you do a video call next time?”
“Video call!”
Soon, the topic shifted to video calling.
“54, please! Next time, video call!”
Though video calls were no big deal, Black Bear only felt the impact of a hammer hitting his head.
After rewinding and replaying the video,
it seemed the soldiers interpreted his action differently.
“Wow…”
“She’s stunning even on a second watch.”
“Wow…”
However, what mattered to Black Bear wasn’t Sua’s figure.
Is Sua really winning the grand prize?
Okay, maybe she won an award for her excellent acting talent.
But Japanese?
What about these fluent Japanese conversations with the director?
Sua, who couldn’t even speak proper Korean, knew Japanese?
“…What the hell?”
◈◈◈◈◈
Meanwhile, at ‘Star Catch,’ a media company covering entertainment news.
Currently, the office was buzzing with frenzied activity.
Most people were holding their phones between their ears and shoulders while answering a barrage of calls, while others were furiously writing articles, as if in a trance.
This was due to the effects of the recent short film festival.
After a while,
Two men, looking exhausted, visited the smoking area inside the building. They nearly dropped dead from sitting all day.
It was to the point where they thought they’d go crazy without taking a smoke break every so often.
“Damn.”
The team leader exhaled a deep sigh first.
“Is it this hard just because one person quit?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
The man beside the team leader nodded.
He was the boss that Saeng-ji and Kim Sun-a addressed as ‘senior,’ the one who often intercepted Saeng-ji’s articles.
“Sun-a did good work. She won’t come back, but let’s push through until we hire someone new.”
“Even if I can deal with the workload, why did she quit right when it got busy? What’s wrong with that woman?”
“But, hey.”
The team leader continued puffing his cigarette while speaking.
“Do you remember that article Sun-a handed in with her resignation notice? You must have skimmed it once—it was about the Special Mobile Unit 808, revealing the true identity of Kim Yu-han, wasn’t it?”
“I remember. It was about that Kim Yu-han being someone named Lee Su-an or something.”
“These days, I’ve been thinking. Sun-a worked diligently, did she leave behind a joke article, or was she dissatisfied with her treatment?”
“Nonsense. How could a rookie journalist expose something no one knows about Kim Yu-han? It’s absurd. These days, rookies lack perseverance. Once pressured, they just quit…”.
That’s when it happened.
“Team leader! Team leader!”
Another male employee rushed into the smoking area.
It was strange. This particular male employee never went near cigarettes. But that wasn’t important now.
What he said next was.
Afterward, everyone opened their mouths wide.
“R, re, really?”
“What’s real?”
“The article Sun-a left behind!”
He excitedly continued.
“The male actor from the Special Mobile Unit 808 teaser, his name is Lee Su-an! It matches everything in the article left by Kim Sun-a!”
No one reached for their cigarettes anymore.
Time seemed to stop.
