With the awards ceremony fast approaching, Suhyeon arrived at the meeting spot and looked around.
A white van parked in the parking lot caught his eye.
“Hello.”
As soon as Suhyeon set foot on the ground, the van’s side door opened, and Seohan greeted him.
It seemed Seohan had also taken great care in his appearance, as the fatigue that had settled over the past few days was nowhere to be seen.
“Hello, hyung.”
“Lee Seohan, I’ll head over to the CEO first. Please take good care of Suhyeon.”
“Don’t worry.”
“See you later, Sangil-hyung!”
As Suhyeon climbed into Seohan’s van, Sangil left them with a word of thanks and turned away.
Unlike other guests, the nominees walked through the red carpet and photo zone and were seated at round tables arranged at the front.
Managers and staff naturally had to wait by the walls or in other areas.
Had Sangil entered alone, it would have been ambiguous for him to act as Suhyeon’s guardian, but with Seohan there, Sangil had entrusted Suhyeon to him for the day.
Having finished their earlier discussion, Suhyeon waved his hand to send him off without delay.
“You look great today.”
“So do you, hyung.”
As the car door closed and they had a moment of leisure, compliments were exchanged between them.
Suhyeon took in Seohan’s attire.
The black tuxedo that fit him perfectly was quite standard.
I was worried whether hyung or his stylist might not be fashion people, but thankfully, that’s not the case.
When it came to the highlights of awards ceremony, people often talked about the actresses’ dresses, but occasionally, the actors’ adventurous attempts also became a topic of conversation.
Suits with sneakers, slim jackets over wild-fit shirts, pink suits, and so on.
Their outfits blurred the lines between fashion and terror, and opinions varied over time.
These days, styles look so old-fashioned…
Unfortunately, for Suhyeon, accustomed to fashion from 20 years in the future, most attempts at dressing up looked like they came straight from the eighties.
For women, it was somewhat better, but in the case of men’s fashion, oversized fits just looked sloppy, and skinny styles were almost painfully close to leggings.
I was really worried after seeing Chaemin-hyung’s outfit… It’s truly a relief.
Chaemin, who had been nominated for the rookie award, had sent Suhyeon a picture of his outfit via SMS, suggesting they dress as a set.
It was an uncomfortably bright pink suit, like a drop of red paint had been mixed into white.
Having seen a bad example, Suhyeon was quite grateful for Seohan’s standard outfit.
Of course, it’s not that he didn’t pull it off, but pink isn’t it. No, not pink.
“Are you nervous, Suhyeon?”
Lost in thought, Suhyeon was brought back by Seohan’s question.
Judging by his furrowed brows, he seemed to think Suhyeon was afraid of standing in front of countless cameras and audiences.
“A little? Aren’t you nervous, hyung?”
“Well… Not really. I don’t have much expectation, so there’s nothing to be nervous about.”
Seohan shrugged, explaining that with all the strong contenders mentioned, his chances of winning were slim.
Whether it was modesty or not, his expression remained calm.
“Hmm…”
Hearing that, Suhyeon made a complex face.
Anyone who knew the list of nominees was aware of NBC’s bias.
Promise of the Blue Summer was a drama that had only aired for 10 episodes during the nomination period and, although it had a dramatic rise, it wasn’t really considered at the level of being mentioned in most award categories.
Yet, being nominated meant that Promise of the Blue Summer winning multiple awards was almost a given.
Plus, this year’s NBC drama male lead nominees… If we’re lucky, we might even win the grand prize.
With no extraordinary actor or top star among them, this year’s male leads at NBC had fairly average careers.
Of course, it wasn’t that there were no big stars involved in dramas.
However, Hallyu actor Oh Hwichan had moved to KBC quickly due to low ratings, and Kang Jaehee, a strong candidate until mid-year, had fallen out of contention because of a marijuana scandal.
It wasn’t that there were no talked-about dramas, but compared to the other two broadcasters, it was somewhat a lackluster year.
In such a context, Promise of the Blue Summer achieving a graceful finish was expected, given NBC’s known bias.
Seohan-hyung still doesn’t know NBC well… Well, these days they try to keep a low profile.
As Suhyeon’s thoughts reached this conclusion, he finally nodded.
Having not experienced the decline of NBC’s awards prestige, it made sense for a nominee to maintain dignity.
Looking at it that way, Sangil-hyung isn’t clairvoyant, but he sure has a sharp insight.
As Suhyeon’s thoughts drifted toward praising his manager, the car finally stopped.
The door opened with a knock, and they were greeted by flashing lights and cheers.
Stepping onto the red carpet with Seohan’s hand in his, the cheers intensified.
“Seohan-oppa looks amazing!”
“Suhyeon!”
“Please look over here too!”
Suhyeon stepped forward one step at a time amidst the cheers and flashing lights.
The dizzying array of screens flashing by and the muffled noise tormented Suhyeon, but he still managed to wave his hand with a professional smile.
I’m already tired because of the dozens of windows that keep popping up…
Despite feeling his fatigue, he occasionally looked straight into the cameras filming him.
Cell phone small lenses, regular digital cameras, DSLRs, etc.
Numerous filming devices aimed and then moved away from him.
“Promise of the Blue Summer’s Mr. Lee Seohan and Mr. Kang Suhyeon are entering. Welcome, nice to meet you!”
“Hello~ I’ll take a photo in front first.”
As Suhyeon and Seohan stepped on the red carpet and into the building, a pair of men and women welcomed them.
As soon as they stood in the middle, photo time followed, and after shooting from the left, center, and right, the two hosts approached.
“Hello, I’m Comedian Seo Taewon.”
“Hello. I’m Yu Hajin.”
“Hello.”
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes. I had a good night’s sleep for the first time in a while.”
“Ahahaha, very bold of you.”
The mic was handed first to Seohan.
As he was mentioned as a leading candidate for the Best Actor award, the interest toward him was intense.
“Kang Suhyeon, are you very nervous?”
After Seohan’s interview, the mic was finally handed over to Suhyeon.
Facing the cameras, Suhyeon waved his hand slightly and answered the host with a bright smile.
“I’m a bit excited.”
“How do you feel about being a strong candidate for the Best Couple Award?”
“Since Suhyeon is the cutest, shouldn’t Suhyeon receive it?”
“Pfft. Yes.”
Suhyeon deliberately referred to himself in the third person, showing off his youthful charm.
Then, he boldly made a statement that could have drawn criticism from adults as “disrespectful towards the other candidates” or “inconsiderate.”
But he was at an age where, regardless of the honesty of his feelings, the reaction he would receive would just be that “he’s young” or “that’s cute.”
Taking a bold stance once in a while wasn’t bad.
If I’m not harming anyone and can’t enjoy this, what’s the point of being young?
As Suhyeon intended, the host Seo Taewon praised him, saying his confident appearance was cool.
The photographers also continuously let out light laughter.
“Please enter this way.”
After the interview, Hajin kindly informed them about the entrance to the hall.
Though it was right to prioritize Seohan, a top award nominee, Hajin couldn’t help but keep her eyes on Suhyeon, captivated by his cuteness.
This darn popularity.
Suhyeon captivated those around him by effortlessly displaying “cute actions that children would do but rarely perform.”
An idol’s shamelessness, honed over four years.
He had absolutely no reason to feel embarrassed, even if it didn’t suit him.
The cameras are really busy. It’d be good even if only half of today’s photos are uploaded.
As he moved, countless screens appeared and disappeared around Suhyeon.
Leaving them as they were would have left his mind as chaotic as before.
However, thanks to setting most of them to the minimum size in advance, except for a few, the screens vanished while scattering only small lights.
Photoshop sparkling effect… I didn’t expect it to be realized in reality.
When Suhyeon and Seohan entered the hall, many eyes turned toward them.
Since it was the time for the main characters to enter, not a few people who had already arrived were waiting for the ceremony to start.
“Oh, both of you came.”
“Hyung, you really wore that outfit…”
Following Seohan, Suhyeon stared blankly at Chaemin, who was there to greet them.
The pastel pink suit, which he had seen in photographs, was now making its presence known.
It doesn’t look bad on him…
The pink suit complemented Chaemin’s delicate, fox-like features well.
The accessories he wore alongside it showed a certain sense of style, and even to Suhyeon’s eyes, it didn’t look tacky.
Still, pink is a bit much if it’s not for a stage costume.
It was simply far from Suhyeon’s taste.
“…I’ll sit over there.”
“Sangil asked me to take care of you. Seora is here, where are you trying to go?”
Suhyeon, who had aimed to create a distance as vast as the emotional gap between them, ended up sitting down without retorting to Chaemin’s words.
A table could accommodate four to five people.
Since actors with whom he was acquainted had gathered, this indeed was the right spot for him.
“Hi, Suhyeon.”
“Hello.”
As Suhyeon resigned himself to his seat, Seora, sitting at the far right, quietly greeted him.
She wore thick makeup, likely an attempt to hide fatigue from recent movie shootings.
…But it could also be because the industry’s condition is not good for the kids…
While shooting Praise, Suhyeon learned various things about child abuse.
There were children who, like the protagonist Jang Yeonwu, were more awkward and slower than their peers, and those who had grown up too fast in order not to get scolded.
For some reason, Seora’s image overlapped with that of those children.
Could it be the drama influencing my thoughts… perhaps too far?
Even so, Suhyeon couldn’t take his eyes off Seora.
Even if he exploited his age to act cutely without shame, it didn’t blur his belief that as an adult, he should protect children.
Suhyeon remained deep in thought about Seora until the ceremony started.
* * *
“Next up, we have the Best Couple Award.”
Regardless of Suhyeon’s complex feelings, the ceremony proceeded smoothly.
Awards like Best Newcomer and Lifetime Achievement marked the beginning, with comedians and veteran actors enlivening the atmosphere as they presented the awards.
“First, Gyeongseong 1920′s Kim Won and Kang Yuwon…”
And finally, the Best Couple Award for which Suhyeon and Seora were nominated.
As the candidates’ names were called, applause and cheers followed from the audience.
It was rare for an actor’s awards ceremony, but there were people continuously cheering for Kim Won’s name.
Ah, right. This year’s Best Couple is a three-way battle.
Usually, the Best Couple Award progressed with one team being significantly more popular, but this time it was different.
Until two days ago, not only Promise of the Blue Summer but also Gyeongseong 1920 and The Son-in-law Park Jung Han were in a fierce competition.
“Jiwu and Gaeun” showed the fresh, bittersweet first love of children.
“Kangchun and Okbun” portrayed a forbidden love between a policeman and the daughter of an independence activist.
And “Jeonghan and Hanmi” flirted with an office romance between a boss and his subordinate.
The actors who played Park Jeonghan, and Kim Kangchun are idols, aren’t they?
Kim Won, who played “Kim Kangchun,” and Song Haeri, who portrayed “Park Jeonghan,” were members of the boy groups Twix and Illusion, respectively.
They lived up to their idol status, boasting impressive popularity and garnering a solid fan base with their acting skills.
Of course, it doesn’t seem like all that popularity is translating into votes…
“…Lastly, Promise of the Blue Summer‘s Kang Suhyeon and Yoon Seora.”
Lost in thought, Suhyeon was brought back to the moment as the final nominees were announced.
While the cheers were quieter than those for the other two strong contenders, the applause was equally enthusiastic.
“Yes. They all shine as couples of the year. Now, let’s see who the viewers have chosen as the best couple, through the screen.”
“Please show us the results.”
