MTV Awards 'Best Kiss' Performance (2)

No way...

That was the first thought that flashed through Sion's mind.

They said they'd strictly block outsiders from the set during filming!

But in this case, how should he put it...? He wondered if Elena could even be classified as a mere "outsider." She was, after all, the daughter of Olga Asimov, the very anchor of this sitcom. Just using the excuse of "coming to greet the director" would be more than enough to grant her access to watch the shoot. In a way, she felt like the princess of a kingdom.

Since our eyes met, I can't exactly pretend I didn't see her.

As Sion offered a subtle nod from a distance, Frederic approached Elena's side.

"Elena! What brings you here? Come to think of it, I heard you got into Stanford, but...!"

"I was just curious to see how the shoot was going."

"Of course! We're doing absolutely perfect. We just wrapped up, actually. Want to grab a cup of coffee?"

Hearing this, Elena glanced back at Sion and shook her head.

"I can't. I have prior plans."

Without a single "sorry" or "that's too bad" that usually accompanied such rejections, Elena made her intentions clear to Frederic with her usual icy expression. Then, she walked right past the crew packing up their gear and headed straight toward Sion. The entire sequence felt like a beautifully choreographed scene from a movie.

Wow...

She's gorgeous as always.

Seriously, when those two are in the same frame, it's a masterpiece.

Sion Lee, dressed in a nerdy knit sweater and chinos. Elena, wearing a long skirt, a knit top, and glasses, looking as if she had just walked out of a lecture. Her studious look blended perfectly with Sion's costume for the sitcom. Clutching her college textbooks to her chest, Elena stopped in front of Sion, a soft smile gracing her lips before she spoke.

"I never imagined I'd run into you in a place like this."

"Dressed like that, you don't look like an actress at all. I almost didn't recognize you."

Sion teased her with his usual playful banter. Encountering his familiar attitude after so long, Elena couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. Meanwhile, the onlookers who were pretending not to pay attention were utterly dumbfounded.

Elena... laughed at a joke like that?

What on earth did you do, Sion Lee?! What did you do to Elena?!

To most industry insiders, Elena Asimov was absolutely not someone who would laugh at such trivial jokes. She was beautiful, elegant, and perfect—a rising star destined for greatness, who had already built an impeccable career, network, and academic pedigree despite her young age.

Word of her intense professionalism and dedication on every set she worked on had spread, earning her the respect and high expectations of many in the industry.

Furthermore, her family's strict upbringing, which kept her from socializing privately with other actors, had inadvertently created a mystique around her, making people admire her even more.

"Well, I am a college student right now."

Yet at this moment, in front of Sion, she acted exactly like any other girl her age.

"That's why it's comfortable. I'm sure everyone is just pretending not to know or care to be polite, but I'm enjoying being a normal student for now."

"I thought we wouldn't see each other for a while, so I gave you a pretty dramatic farewell. Isn't it a bit strange that we're reuniting so soon?"

"I thought so too, but we're bound to see each other again soon because of what's coming up, aren't we?"

Sion tilted his head slightly at her words.

"An event? What event?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Has the news not reached you yet...?"

"Unlike a certain princess who can waltz onto anyone's set, I'm a bit slow on the uptake."

"And because I'm that princess, I can hear the news early and deliver it to you, can't I?"

Elena giggled, easily deflecting Sion's snarky remark.

"Let's go. There's a nice cafe on campus. My treat today."

"...Don't tell me the 'prior plans' you just told Frederic about was me?"

"Oh my, forgetting an appointment with a lady. How could a gentleman do such a thing?"

"Come on, El. Aren't you being a bit too pushy today?"

"It's true that we have something to do together, isn't it? We need to get our stories straight for our joint project."

Mimicking Sion's playful tone, Elena spun around with a light joke, gesturing for him to follow.

She had completely adapted to Sion's conversational style, her gestures carrying a subtle pressure that left him with no room to escape.

It was a shocking scene—enough to make an onlooker wonder, Is Sion actually getting pushed around...?

Though their exchange was brief, anyone watching could feel a sense of intimacy that went far beyond being "just close friends."

And so, Sion followed behind Elena with a reluctant, sour face, looking like an ox that had just been reined in.

Everyone on set stared blankly at the retreating backs of the two as they left the filming area.

Seeing Elena Asimov at university suddenly reminded Sion of an anecdote about another actress.

The Hollywood superstar, Brooke Shields. Ruling the 1980s, she had been active as a child star in Hollywood from a very young age.

The problem lay in the "business model" that accompanied her rise.

Hollywood had sexualized and sold Brooke's image since she was a minor. When she grew up and enrolled in Princeton University, she suffered immensely because of that image.

Even before she matriculated, the campus newspaper published vulgar articles like "Seven Ways to Sleep with Brooke Shields," which became a massive societal scandal at the time.

As such, blending into normal society was one of the hardest things for a celebrity to do.

It was a situation where everyone knew you, but you knew no one. You became the target of envy and jealousy while receiving special treatment, and you could never show your true self because of people trying to leech off your fame.

However, Elena's situation seemed distinctly different.

Times have changed, for one.

And the influence of the Asimov family undoubtedly played a part. In fact, since entering college, Elena had remained surprisingly free of Hollywood gossip.

It wasn't just because she was inactive. One would expect cash-strapped college students to dig into her private life or snap photos of her daily routine to sell to tabloids.

Like a photo of her in the shower, for instance.

Even if it was a crime, it was something easily orchestrated by bribing a broke college student. Sion suspected Olga was somehow blocking all of it behind the scenes.

"Alright, Sion. First of all, congratulations."

"Thanks?"

Those were the first words out of Elena's mouth as soon as she returned with the coffee and sat down.

Even if they were somewhat used to Elena, the presence of an actor like Sion Lee—who boasted an even higher level of public interest—inside a campus cafe was enough to shock the studious Stanford students.

Students sitting near and far stole glances at the pair. Shrugging off the attention with practiced ease, Sion continued the conversation.

"For what? My birthday is still a little ways off."

"Perfect. We can celebrate your birthday party on that day too."

Elena smiled brightly, speaking with emphasis as if telling him not to forget.

"You know MTV, right?"

"Of course."

MTV. Launched in 1981, it was a music television network that had driven the cultural trends of American youth for over a decade. Now, it was expanding its influence across the entire pop culture market, spanning television and film.

Elena's brief explanation was that they were hosting their very first awards ceremony this year.

"It's probably a parody of the Oscars, much like the Golden Raspberry Awards where you famously won. The concept is to showcase their own unique color with a younger sensibility... and I heard you're winning Best Actor this year. Congratulations."

"For Fragments of You?"

"Yes. They said your performance resonated deeply across generations, or something like that."

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just a bit touched."

Sion shrugged as if it were nothing, but in truth, he felt a lump in his throat.

In my past life, despite acting for so long, the only awards I ever received were three Golden Raspberries.

As if breaking that curse, he was now moving past those three Raspberries to win his first Best Actor award at the youthful MTV Movie Awards. As an actor carrying forty years of unfulfilled yearning, he couldn't help but be deeply moved.

Sensing the subtle shift in his usual conversational rhythm, Elena smiled softly and reached across the table to gently squeeze Sion's hand.

"I'm truly happy for you. It's a precious result of your hard work."

"Sniffle, sob..."

"Are—are you crying? No, right?"

"El."

"Yeah?"

Seeing a rare, vulnerable side of Sion being touched by his own award news, Elena's tone softened.

"The coffee is ready. Could you go grab it? I'm thirsty."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Oh, right. Just wait a second."

Nodding meekly to hide her embarrassment, she got up to fetch the coffee.

In the meantime, Sion completely composed himself and took a deep breath. When Elena returned with the tray holding two cups of coffee, he smiled and took a sip as if he had never even pretended to cry.

"..."

Elena pouted.

"Ah, this coffee is great. It tastes even better since El brought it to me."

"I'm not going to tell you about the other award you won."

"That's fine. If I'm getting an award, our agency should have gotten wind of it by now. I'll just ask when I get home."

"Ugh..."

"Anyway, thanks for letting me know the good news early."

Sion dialed back his playfulness and offered a warm, genuine smile.

"It really means a lot to me. Truly."

His first Best Actor award in a true sense. Although the MTV Movie Awards didn't carry immense prestige at this point, Sion was simply overjoyed by the fact that his acting was being recognized by the public.

Observing Sion's expression, Elena's slight annoyance melted away, and she spoke up.

"And we're also slated to win Best Kiss that day."

"...Best Kiss?"

"Yeah, isn't it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an interesting category? I guess it really is a ceremony with a youthful vibe. Apparently, they choose the most wonderful kiss from movies and dramas released over the past year. ...Well, back then, I was so immersed in playing Noah that I kissed you without thinking, but I never imagined we'd win an award for it."

Recalling the memory, Elena looked away with a slightly bashful expression.

And she probably had no idea of the massive shockwave that had just surged through Sion's mind.

If I play this right, I could pull off something incredibly fun.

Although it didn't exist yet since this was only the inaugural ceremony, the "Best Kiss" category at the MTV Movie Awards would eventually develop a long-standing tradition: re-enacting the kiss during the acceptance speech.

What if Elena and he started that very tradition at the first-ever ceremony?

Whatever happens, it'll go absolutely viral.

The only question was whether Elena was mentally prepared to go along with it.

The MTV Movie Awards were held on September 14, 1992.

Exactly one week before Sion's twentieth birthday, and two weeks before the premiere of Season 3 of The College Player.

In many ways, the MTV Movie Awards were scheduled at the perfect time.

"Just happened to hear it from a close source," Sion replied.

After contacting Charlie Kang, the head of his agency, and confirming the scoop that he had indeed been selected as a winner, Sion's next steps were fully set.

Sion felt that the sentiment of this era was truly unique.

It's like the youth want to celebrate their youth and separate themselves from adults.

The youthful image of the MTV Movie Awards, tailored exclusively for young people, would continue ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to achieve meaningful success, which was undoubtedly a positive milestone in the long history of Hollywood.

Because so many people are looking forward to it.

Above all, it was a golden opportunity for Sion to promote The College Player.

Thus, until September arrived, Sion focused on his scheduled commitments while keeping as low a profile as possible.

He knew all too well that keeping quiet before making a massive splash only doubled the impact.

Although a few behind-the-scenes photos from The College Player had leaked, the three troublemakers had thankfully kept their heads down and behaved during filming, preventing any further drama.

What's gotten into them?

Sion didn't have to look far to find the reason.

"H-here, have some water."

"...Thanks."

Susan had become noticeably kinder to him.

Although she still pouted and glared at him whenever she got the chance, she hadn't shown up to the set drunk since the shoot at Stanford University.

With Susan behaving, Chelsea, who had previously been hesitant and keeping her distance, also began approaching Sion comfortably to chat.

"Who is your role model as an actor?"

"I don't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have one."

"Mine is actually Olga. ...P-please don't tell her! It's embarrassing!"

"Are you asking me to be your partner in crime?"

As Sion's relationship with the female leads improved, the atmosphere on set grew noticeably warmer.

Of course, there were still black sheep who resented collaborating with Sion.

Frederic Pederson, who played Kyle, and Dominic Cobbs, who played Max.

"Damn it, we're completely sidelined."

"Does it make any sense to treat the two main leads like this?"

"Exactly. Ever since that bastard Sion Lee joined, everyone's been completely ignoring us. The other day, I asked for some water, and the staff member actually asked if they could bring it after they finished moving their gear!"

"Wow, that's insane. Don't they know the shoot can't even run without us?"

"Fuck, I know... But what drives me crazy is that I can't do anything about it. Whenever Sion Lee catches me complaining, he always makes a scene. It's like he's trying to play the hero protecting the staff."

"Ha! You might as well tell me Bruce Wayne is Batman! That brat caring about the staff when there aren't even any reporters around to write an article about it?"

"Oh, that's actually a pretty good analogy, but wait, isn't Bruce Wayne actually Batman?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Is Bruce Wayne really Batman?"

"..."

Staring at Dominic, who asked with absolute sincerity, Frederic seriously wondered if the guy was joking, or if he wasn't actually American.

In any case, as time passed, the atmosphere on set gradually returned to normal.

Sion Lee had taken complete control of the set, ensuring that none of the four young actors could throw tantrums or abuse their power.

It was bound to happen. He had the powerful backing of Olga Asimov, was the highest-paid actor after her, possessed otherworldly looks, and delivered flawless acting. Who could possibly challenge him?

It was defeat after defeat for Frederic and Dominic.

Yet, they still stubbornly tried to stand up to Sion. Or rather, Frederic did.

"You're going to the MTV Movie Awards too, right?"

"Huh? Of course. If we don't go, who will?"

"I'm thinking of asking Elena Asimov to go with me as my date."

"...What? You think Elena would go with you?"

"You idiot, you never know until you try. When we talked at Stanford the other day, the vibe wasn't bad at all. Maybe not the old me, but the current me is pretty much on her level now. Wouldn't it be great to take a girl who's studying hard at college and show her around an awards show?"

"...You must really be going through a lot of mental stress."

Completely oblivious to the fact that Elena would obviously be attending the ceremony for Fragments of You, Frederic spun his delusions.

Beside him, Dominic, who had regained a rare moment of clarity, simply patted his shoulder in encouragement.