Arriving at the awards ceremony in a neat suit, Park Jung-woo briefly looked around.
He saw several actors who had arrived around the same time as him.
'Neither too early, nor too late.'
Arriving at just the right time was the best.
Arriving too early or too late would only draw unnecessary attention.
For Park Jung-woo, who hadn't particularly filmed any movies this year, there was actually no reason to attend this ceremony.
The reason he came to today's ceremony was simple.
'I'm the MC.'
It was because he had been chosen as the MC for this ceremony.
Honestly, he thought it would be better for someone older with more experience to do it, but he couldn't know if such an opportunity would come again.
Everything is experience.
Just as his father always said, Park Jung-woo accepted the MC role after much deliberation.
"Actor Park Jung-woo! Is there anyone you have your eye on as a winner today?"
"What would you pick as the most brilliant film of the year!"
As soon as he stepped out of the photo zone, the reporters' voices boomed loudly.
'Like I'd tell.'
Saying the wrong thing here would instantly land him in controversy.
Still, he just had to endure a little longer; once he went inside, the reporters wouldn't be able to follow.
As Park Jung-woo walked forward waving his hand...
"Ooh!!"
"There!!"
...the commotion forced him to come to a halt.
The gazes that had been directed at him instantly shifted somewhere else.
'Who is it?'
There weren't many people who could draw this much attention.
Directors and actors who garnered massive attention this year.
It must be one of them.
With a hunch, Park Jung-woo shifted his gaze.
Then, his eyes caught the actresses stepping out of their vans.
Jo Seo-hee, and Ju Seo-yeon.
And lastly, Lee Ji-yeon.
They were the main cast of
It was only natural for the reporters to lose their focus.
Compared to an actor with no notable works this year who was just hosting, actors in the running for awards naturally gave them more to photograph.
'Well, they did dress up quite a bit... huh?'
As always, Jo Seo-hee wore a pitch-black dress that suited her perfectly.
Ji-yeon wore an impressive red dress.
This also matched her impression well.
The most unexpected was Seo-yeon, wearing a dress as white as snow.
'I was sure she'd wear a dark color?'
Considering the works Seo-yeon starred in this year and her characters, he couldn't help but think so.
From Cha Seo-ah to Yoo I-na.
She had shown acting as light as a feather in terrestrial dramas, but not in the film industry.
In movies, she was infinitely heavy, always exuding an overwhelming presence.
So, he thought she would choose a color with a relatively heavier feel for her dress.
But to think it would be white like a swan.
That was surprising enough, but what was important was Seo-yeon's demeanor.
Yes, her demeanor.
Her light, graceful steps carried a profound elegance.
Truly footsteps fit for a princess.
Seo-yeon usually had a winter-like image, so honestly, except when she showed a joyful side on variety shows, she felt hard to approach.
But today was a little different.
Like a spring breeze.
Park Jung-woo knew this side of Seo-yeon well.
Because of that, he couldn't help but squeeze his eyes shut.
He couldn't bear to watch any longer.
'She's!! Acting!!'
Everyone was captivated by Seo-yeon's demeanor bearing a faint smile, momentarily even forgetting to press their camera shutters.
It was only natural for people to react this way when a girl originally known for her cold impression revealed a soft side.
In particular, Han Sun-ah, Ju Seo-yeon's number one fan who had fiercely defended her front-row seat in a bloodbath, even teared up.
'Noble.'
How long has it been since Seo-yeon showed such a noble appearance?
It reminded her of Seo-yeon in the Viol ad she had eagerly scraped together recently.
'Why is she like this.'
At their reactions, Lee Ji-yeon looked at Seo-yeon with an unaccustomed face.
Ji-yeon had spent a really long time with Seo-yeon, but this was a truly unfamiliar sight.
It felt like back in kindergarten when she was playing Princess Yeonhwa...
Thinking such thoughts, Ji-yeon scrutinized Seo-yeon from various angles.
'Seo-yeon has sharpened her blade.'
In Jo Seo-hee's case, she simply nodded.
Right, so this was the look that almost killed Park Jung-woo once.
It was Seo-hee's first time seeing it in person too, so she couldn't help but feel a slight shiver.
It only stopped at this level because Seo-hee had been forewarned.
The day they received their tailored clothes.
Seo-yeon had said this:
"I'm planning a major image renovation."
"?"
"I found a good method recently."
Anyway, a film festival awards ceremony is sometimes broadcast live and is a place seen by many people.
Where else would be a more appropriate place to manage one's image?
'Above all, if I come out with my usual demeanor, depending on the situation, there's a chance I could get on people's bad sides.'
Though not to the extent of Jo Seo-hee or Lee Ji-yeon, Seo-yeon knew her aura wasn't the type to easily win people over.
A distant, chilly image.
It was an assumption, but if she were to win an award, that aspect would definitely become more prominent.
When she was young, she cried buckets, but would she still do that now?
She would be moved, but it was uncertain if it would show on her facial expressions.
If she expressed her gratitude nonchalantly, an article might come out labeling her a 'shameless teenager who won an award.'
...Normally that wouldn't happen, but you never know about the ways of the world.
Anyway, the solution Seo-yeon came up with was to release the princess trapped inside her own heart, but this wasn't actually easy either.
Because it meant she had to act.
Without a script, live... how on earth did she do it before.
Plus, what if she does it and gets stuck in that state all day like before?
Anyway, amidst such worries, today.
Seo-yeon successfully dressed up and came out.
'Above all...'
Seo-yeon softly greeted the reporters and walked away, waving her hand.
At Seo-yeon's appearance, the reporters couldn't even bring themselves to ask proper questions and could only watch her walk away.
'The poster came out well.'
As Director Kang Tae-jin had mentioned before, various posters for movies and OTT dramas to be released on Netflix were put up at this Blue Dragon Film Awards, and among them, one poster stood out in particular.
A dark and red poster with an image completely opposite to her current self.
At her own appearance that contrasted even more, Seo-yeon smiled faintly.
Because it was truly a massive success.
***
The star of stars who illuminated the year.
It was this year that the recently dying theater industry barely came back to life.
Because it was extremely rare for so many hit productions to come out in a single year.
But this year, counting only movies with over 5 million viewers, there were easily five.
This was a highly encouraging result, so even actors and reporters couldn't easily be sure who would win the awards.
'Except for one person.'
Several actors glanced at the girl sitting with a straight posture.
So beautiful.
The veteran actors' eyes softened as they looked at the girl.
Some young male actors rubbed their eyes, looking at her in a daze.
Ju Seo-yeon.
The actress who shone the brightest this year.
If they had to pick one, everyone would name her.
If she had starred in a movie as the lead, this year's Best Actress award would have been hers.
'It's going to happen soon anyway.'
Everyone here was certain that she would soon become the owner of the Best Actress award.
Rather, this could be her last chance to win the Best Supporting Actress award.
"Sister, don't you think you'll win the Best Actress award this year?"
"...Huh?"
Yeon A-ri, from Horizon Company, whispered to Hwang Min-hwa.
It was because she really didn't like a certain actress who was monopolizing the attention.
A-ri didn't have any ill feelings at first, but it was only natural to get annoyed when someone hogged all the attention like this.
She was also one of the actresses who had been quite active this year.
"Well, I don't know."
"Right? As expected, Sister... huh?"
"Hmph. How would I know."
At Hwang Min-hwa's blunt reply, Yeon A-ri momentarily doubted her ears.
'Is she managing her image even with me now?'
Hwang Min-hwa was the type of actress who managed her image depending on the person.
In A-ri's case, she was easy to handle, and since she had become Hwang Min-hwa's right-hand woman at Horizon Company anyway, she was one of the few people Min-hwa showed her true self to.
The usual Hwang Min-hwa would have snapped, telling her not to state the obvious.
Although it was overshadowed by
Furthermore, her acting was flawless.
Among the movies released this year, was there a female lead actress who surpassed Hwang Min-hwa?
No matter how much she thought about it, there wasn't.
'Could it be, Gyeongseong Lady?'
If she had to name one, it would be the movie still playing in theaters,
Honestly, that movie wasn't her taste.
First of all, lesbian movies didn't suit Yeon A-ri at all.
Apart from that, she thought the cast's acting was excellent.
'If it's the lead, it's that kid sitting next to Ju Seo-yeon right now.'
Lee Ji-yeon.
The girl sitting with a nervous expression on her face.
Lee Ji-yeon's acting in
It was the appearance of an actress who had awakened such a talent, as if breaking out of a mold.
She vividly felt that intensity in the latter half.
Therefore, it was excellent.
Honestly, Yeon A-ri was a bit shocked too.
For an actress whose entire career consisted of a few cable drama appearances to show such intense acting.
Clearly, if they just compared careers, she was far below her.
But, if she were to look for a time she had acted beyond the artistry Lee Ji-yeon showed in
Absolutely not.
She was definitely that outstanding, but.
'To aim for the Best Actress award... she falls short.'
A flaw was visible.
As expected, her fledgling acting skills as a rookie actress were slightly revealed in the early to mid-parts.
That worked to her advantage, but most would know it was a trick of the eye.
It was only because there was a latter half that made up for it that she received good reviews.
She herself had recognized it to that extent, so there was no way Hwang Min-hwa wouldn't know.
"What are you looking at?"
"Ah, nothing."
What could be so displeasing to her?
Thinking she was truly a person you could never fully understand, Yeon A-ri turned her gaze forward.
"Then, let us begin the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards."
Because the war of the stars was about to begin.
***
Honestly, Ji-yeon didn't even dare to dream of winning an award.
She did well in
Everyone praised her acting, but she clearly knew the parts she lacked in.
That alone wasn't enough to beat the actresses who had shown fierce acting this year.
Best Actress?
Perhaps, if Jo Seo-hee hadn't already won an award, she would have been this year's Best Actress.
Jo Seo-hee said she was better in
Acting that blazed like a spark and then faded.
'I was lucky.'
At the same time, she also thought this.
Could she pull off such acting again?
What if such an opportunity never comes again if not this year?
Will the day come when she holds the greatest honor as an actress, the Best Actress award?
Thinking like that, she felt her hands trembling like a habit again.
And the moment she looked to her side, she felt Seo-yeon looking at her with a strange gaze.
It was similar to the gaze she saw at the theater before, but different.
And then.
"I'm not going to hold you today."
A playful, yet calm voice was heard.
"I don't need it."
At Ji-yeon's reply, Seo-yeon raised her right hand and softly covered her mouth as she laughed.
'Where did the Ju Seo-yeon who smiled coldly at times like this go.'
Seo-yeon was awkward at smiling, so sometimes she would make smiles that were hard to watch.
But today, she smiled so beautifully like a flower that whenever she laughed, gazes flew towards her from all around.
At first, it was just novel and funny, but at this point, Ji-yeon felt unreasonably displeased.
After glaring fiercely at the gazes staring intently at Seo-yeon, she felt a bit better.
"Lee Ji-yeon, I know you're anxious, but could you not move so rashly?"
"...Understood."
Instead, she got scolded by Jo Seo-hee.
For reference, Seo-yeon's seat was between the cast of
At each large round table, the people who participated in the works sat together, and Seo-yeon sat right in the middle like an intersection.
It could be considered a form of consideration.
"This year, truly formidable nominees have taken their seats. I think it's a blessing that I don't have a work I participated in this year."
"I feel the same way. There were that many talked-about works on people's lips this year, so it's really hard to guess which work will take home the honor."
Park Jung-woo, who was hosting, progressed the ceremony very smoothly for his young age.
The co-hosting actress also picked up on Park Jung-woo's words and continued.
"Then, I will announce the Cinematography and Lighting Award."
The ceremony began, and they started announcing the winning works and winners one by one.
It started with the relatively lighter awards.
"For the Blue Dragon Popular Star Award... ah, right. It's this person."
"Yes, it's Actress Ju Seo-yeon!!"
Eventually, it was the sequence to select the celebrity who had been on people's lips the most this year.
The one who took that spot was Seo-yeon.
It wasn't particularly strange.
However, perhaps it was a bit unexpected, Seo-yeon went up to the stage with a slightly embarrassed face.
'Her vibe is subtly different from usual after all.'
'Did she always give off that kind of feeling?'
Even those watching on TV naturally had such thoughts.
Seo-yeon, who climbed the podium with unwavering, straight steps, tapped the microphone with her finger and opened her mouth.
"I didn't expect to stand in this position so quickly."
"Ah, so you mean you thought you'd be coming out later?"
"My, did I make a slip of the tongue?"
Park Jung-woo, who had lightly made a joke, felt the corners of his mouth twitch at Seo-yeon saying 'My.'
She even accepted the joke so naturally that it wasn't particularly fun.
Of course, the only one who didn't find it fun was himself; everyone else was laughing merrily.
"I received truly undeserved love this past year. I will work hard to meet those expectations in the future as well."
Since the awards ceremony was still in full swing, Seo-yeon's speech wasn't long.
There were plenty of awards left to be given out, so there was no reason to drag it out.
At Seo-yeon's gentle words, those who knew her well doubted their ears and rubbed their eyes.
"That's one for now."
Many people congratulated Seo-yeon as she returned to her seat, and lastly, Jo Seo-hee said in a small voice.
One for now?
It was quite a dangerous remark if anyone heard it.
'Anyway.'
Seo-yeon glanced at Ji-yeon.
She had lightly smiled at her earlier, but she was still worried.
Since she had shown really good acting this year, she wanted her to take at least one thing.
And, honestly, Seo-yeon was a bit worried about herself too.
Others might tell her not to talk nonsense, but nothing is certain.
What if they gave her the Popularity Award just to appease her?
Such a thought inadvertently crossed her mind.
It was a thought that Ji-yeon would have scolded her for if she heard it.
'I don't have a steel mentality either.'
As expected, the firmness of her mind when she was young seemed largely due to the influence of her past life.
Now that she was mentally softer than back then, her mental barriers seemed to have relatively weakened.
'Still, I worked hard.'
Seo-yeon waited quietly.
Hoping for another opportunity to stand on that stage.