Chapter 173: Congratulatory Stage (2)
Chapter 173: Congratulatory Stage (2)
Rewinding the clock a little, in the Baeksang Arts Awards TF Team meeting room, after Lee Yuna’s appearance in the congratulatory stage fell through and they found Ryu Sunho as an alternative, the head writer was practically sparkling with excitement as she spoke animatedly.
“It’s not like Ryu Sunho only had a smash hit with Doctor Princess this time, right?”
“Right. Vacuum State also set an incredible record.”
“Honestly, when else are we ever going to get a chance like this? There are two works in the same year that wrote immortal records, and the lead actor of both is the same person.”
The writer continued in an excited voice.
“So let’s make proper use of that.”
“How?”
“We unify the universes of the two works!”
“Unify the universes?”
“Yes! In the middle of the congratulatory stage, we bring in Seon Minho from Vacuum State. Like a little skit, something cheerful!”
That was how the proposal for the congratulatory stage ended up being delivered not only to Ryu Sunho, but also to Moon Ganghyeok.
But the moment Moon Ganghyeok received the proposal, he flusteredly waved his hands in refusal.
“...Me, in a congratulatory stage? I can’t do something like that...”
Just imagining it made cold sweat run down his back.
He was usually quiet and shy to begin with, so the thought of doing a congratulatory stage on a live broadcast was overwhelming.
So he tried to decline politely, but the writer clung on persistently.
“Mr. Ganghyeok, please. This stage can’t be completed without you. Otherwise it’s just Han Jusin serenading Seo Yoonha. It’s way too predictable, bland, not funny, and not moving.”
“But...”
“Mr. Sunho also said he’d feel much more reassured if you were with him. He said this stage absolutely won’t work unless it’s you, Mr. Ganghyeok.”
Ryu Sunho had never said such a thing.
But the writer desperately kept talking to change Moon Ganghyeok’s mind, and in the end, Moon Ganghyeok wavered.
Right... if I can’t help Sunho, then at least I shouldn’t cause him trouble. There’ll be lots of cameras and lots of actors at the awards ceremony anyway... I’ll just think of it as filming a drama and close my eyes and do it...
And so, the current situation was that Moon Ganghyeok had squeezed out his courage and gone up on stage.
The viewers watching the live broadcast were in stitches.
Hahahahahahahahaha, are they insane?
Wait, they’re throwing Seon Minho into this sweet atmosphere?
If the enemy who killed your parents is over there giggling and singing a love song, of course you’d lose your mind lol
Damn it hahaha I was watching with the biggest smile and then burst out laughing so hard I spat on my monitor, take responsibility, Baeksang;;
Who came up with this stage plan hahahahahaha
How exactly would this catastrophic love triangle(?) be resolved?
People were now looking at the congratulatory stage from a thrillingly different perspective.
Ryu Sunho looked startled when he saw Moon Ganghyeok suddenly barge in.
A surprised sound nearly escaped him before he hastily clamped his mouth shut.
It was an improvised reaction that played off Vacuum State’s Gu Sunwoo setting that if he made a sound, he would die.
“Pfft...”
The actors in the audience caught the detail and let out quiet laughter.
Of course, it had been a pre-planned performance, so they all knew Moon Ganghyeok would appear.
But through the acting, they created just the right amount of tension and cheeky situational humor.
Step, step—
Moon Ganghyeok strode down from the stage.
The sheer weight radiating from his gait was so intense that tension naturally spread through the venue.
Tap—
In no time, he had reached right in front of Ryu Sunho.
Ryu Sunho and Moon Ganghyeok glared at each other.
At that moment, while everyone around them watched with bated breath, Ryu Sunho pointed a finger at Moon Ganghyeok’s chest, more precisely at the area over his heart.
Then he alternated that with pointing at the hospital insignia attached to his own doctor’s coat.
As if to say, I’m the one who operated on that, remember?
That brazen expression sent the room into an uproar.
“Hahahaha!”
“Ah, this is killing me, seriously!”
The actors around them burst into laughter.
Even Seo Yoonha covered her mouth with one hand, her shoulders shaking.
Even so, Moon Ganghyeok did not break concentration and continued acting.
He briefly furrowed his brow as though confused, then clutched his head as if some memory were rushing back.
A moment later, his eyes flew open and the tension left his face.
Grin—
The corners of his mouth loosened noticeably.
Then he pointed a finger at Ryu Sunho’s microphone.
It was a gesture telling him to continue what he had been doing.
Then he looked at Seo Yoonha and snapped into a crisp salute.
Loyalty!
Moon Ganghyeok, who had come down as Seon Minho, returned to his seat as Robert Moon.
Only then did the interrupted OST accompaniment begin flowing again.
““Hahahahahahaha!””
The laughter of the audience and actors mixed together, and along with hot applause, even whistles broke out.
“Sunho, that was the best! It was seriously fun.”
“I had no idea you were preparing something like this too.”
“Were you really surprised when Mr. Ganghyeok showed up? It looked so real.”
The stage had been a huge success.
As I returned to my seat, the actors around me kept giving me thumbs-ups.
It was not just the reaction of He sang well.
It was, That was fun, and, That was clever.
That’s a much better reaction.
For a congratulatory stage at an awards ceremony, raising the mood was more important than simply doing well.
I could not check the internet reaction on my phone right now, but it was easy to imagine comments like these already pouring out.
Ah hahaha, that was the funniest congratulatory stage in ages. Legendary.
Ryu Sunho and Moon Ganghyeok’s chemistry is insane hahaha
It was not excessive, no one would say it was taking itself too seriously, and the balance was just right.
Oh, and for reference, I sat with the Doctor Princess team for now.
Thanks to the host’s consideration, I was allowed to change seats, so I was planning to move to the Vacuum State team during Part 2.
“Why didn’t you tell me in advance?”
Seo Yoonha, sitting next to me, shot me a sideways glare as she asked.
“Because I thought you’d prepare too hard if I did.”
If everything matched up too perfectly, it would just look like over-rehearsed acting, and that would be less fun.
Hearing that, Seo Yoonha puffed out her lips and gave my shoulder a light thump.
“It was fun, so I’ll let it slide.”
After that, with the host’s remarks, the awards ceremony properly began.
As I looked toward the stage, I recalled the internet articles I had skimmed through in the car before arriving.
[Baeksang Arts Awards, Will It Become a Feast Only for Doctor Princess and Vacuum State... Concerns Over a Sweep]
[Baeksang D-1, With the Spotlight on Hit Works, Can Baeksang Still Preserve the Name of “Everyone’s Festival”?]
The articles had been expressing concern that too many awards might pile up on Doctor Princess and Vacuum State, that it might become a party only for them.
But the host distributed the awards with decent balance, spreading them around in a way that let everyone feel good and carried the flow smoothly.
They were all works with enough strength to justify winning, and in fact, the process created some amusing moments.
Most of the winners started their acceptance speeches with similar lines.
“Uh... honestly, I thought Doctor Princess would win, so I had already emptied my mind...”
Or:
“I thought Vacuum State would win, so I was already getting ready to applaud...”
In the television and film categories respectively, I thought ___ would win had spread almost like a catchphrase before long.
Every time that happened, laughter broke out in the audience.
Thanks to that, the edge of competitive tension was softened, and the atmosphere turned even warmer.
Of course, there were exceptions.
“Best Supporting Actor in the Television Category, the winner is... Park Juwon of Bling Bling Island! Congratulations!”
When his name was called, Park Juwon sprang to his feet in delight.
After going up on stage and receiving the trophy, he said with a serious expression, “To be honest, I thought I’d win.”
““Ooooh~!””
At Park Juwon’s bold statement, cheers and playful boos-like reactions burst out from the audience.
Then Park Juwon continued with a sly expression.
“I even gave Doctor Princess my heart, so I should at least get something back. I would’ve been disappointed if I got nothing.”
““Hahahahaha!””
His twist-filled acceptance speech drew huge laughter.
“I’ll fill the emptiness in my chest with this trophy. Thank you!”
When Park Juwon finished his speech by blowing a kiss to the trophy, the venue turned into a sea of laughter.
It was a perfectly Park Juwon-style acceptance speech.
The heat of the awards ceremony was racing toward its peak.
Countless trophies had found their owners, and now only two trophies remained gleaming on the stage.
“Well... we are now approaching the end of Part 2. There are only two final moments left: the Grand Prize in the Television Category and the Grand Prize in the Film Category.”
The faces of the actors who had been laughing and chatting turned serious in an instant.
“This year’s presenters will be the previous year’s Grand Prize winners.”
The backstage doors opened and the presenters walked out.
In the television category, because Divine Investigation had won the Grand Prize last year, Director Chae Wongi came out as the representative.
In the film category, under normal circumstances, Gong Hajin should have come out, but since he had suspended activities following a drunk-driving accident, the director of Whispers came out in his place.
They opened the envelope for the television category first.
Dum-dum-dum—
The drumroll effect heightened the tension in the hall.
“The 63rd Baeksang Arts Awards, Grand Prize in the Television Category...”
Director Chae Wongi drew it out and slowly swept his gaze across the audience.
Then he looked at me and smiled faintly.
“Congratulations! Ryu Sunho of Doctor Princess!”
““Waaaaaaah!””
The moment my name was called, cheers exploded.
Confetti burst, and dazzling lights poured down over me.
I rose from my seat and drew in a deep breath.
The colleagues around me all stood at once and applauded.
There was not a trace of jealousy or insincerity in their eyes, only genuine congratulations.
After all, we had written the miracle of a 51 percent rating, so the reaction was simply, The right person won.
I went up on stage and accepted the heavy trophy.
Only when the cold feel of the metal touched my palm did it finally feel real.
After finishing a short but strong acceptance speech and coming back down, Director Baek Junbong patted my shoulder with a pleased expression.
“Congratulations, Sunho. I knew you would get it.”
“Thank you, Director. It’s all thanks to you.”
At that, Director Baek Junbong smiled once more and clasped my hand firmly.
“And now, only the Grand Prize in the Film Category remains...!”
The tension rose again.
Everyone held their breath and looked only at the presenter’s mouth.
I swallowed hard too.
“Grand Prize in the Film Category... with respect and congratulations, Director Baek Junbong of Vacuum State!”
Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap—!
The moment that name was called, hot standing applause broke out.
And I let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness.
To be honest, I had secretly been nervous that I might win the Grand Prize in the Film Category too.
That award carried a lot of risk.
This film had openly been known as Director Baek Junbong’s retirement work, the final piece from someone regarded as a pillar of Korean cinema.
Since the narrative weight was completely tilted toward Director Baek Junbong, the most beautiful picture was for him to win the Grand Prize.
But what if I ended up winning the Grand Prize here instead?
Well, the congratulations would become awkward, and the atmosphere would quickly turn uncomfortable.
In other words, it would ruin the ending.
Then this Baeksang Arts Awards would be perfect bait for a nasty reaction that it was all just about “raising up a star.”
Even if I had done nothing wrong, it would be the kind of situation where bad-faith attacks could run wild.
All the good image I had built up earlier with the congratulatory stage and the acceptance speech would be wasted.
So the current result was the most perfect one possible.
After all, had I not already won Best Acting Performance in the Film Category?
Just as I was sincerely congratulating Director Baek Junbong on his win—
Ding! Ding!
Another piece of good news appeared before my eyes.
【Hidden Mission Achieved!】
【Won Best Acting Performance in the Film Category at the Baeksang Arts Awards!】
【Reward granted: Stat Point +1】
【Won the Grand Prize in the Television Category at the Baeksang Arts Awards!】
【Reward granted: Stat Point +1】
That filled the two missing Stat Points I had lacked.
Which meant...
Appearance and Dialogue Delivery.
The conditions were now in place to raise one of those two to S-rank.