Let's Go Get That Award!
Lee Hye-ri's voice crackled through the phone.
Had he done something wrong? While Woo Dan-wol pondered that question, Han Da-sol's body froze solid.
She sat there with noodles still dangling from her mouth, completely malfunctioning. The ramen hanging in mid-air grew cold. Even though she didn't want to hear it, the silence let her imagine Lee Hye-ri's expression all too clearly.
She hadn't done anything wrong, yet her face drained of all color. In the past it might have been different, but now Hye-ri was the CEO of their agency. They weren't exactly close enough to be casual. To Han Da-sol, Lee Hye-ri was still someone difficult to approach. That was why she could already guess why the woman was reacting this way.
Woo Dan-wol's eyes turned toward Han Da-sol. She nodded, her face half-filled with terror. A wordless agreement passed between them.
Since the person currently eating with him was right there, he asked with his eyes. Han Da-sol nodded extremely quickly. Tell her not to come? That would be far too much for someone with her personality to handle.
Woo Dan-wol let out a dry laugh. The chaotic thumping sounds coming from the other end of the line suggested they were in the middle of a meeting even on the weekend. As expected from workaholics.
"It's going to get noisy after a while," he said.
"Yeah..."
"Sorry, Noona."
"It's fine. I don't mind. If there are more people..."
She didn't look fine at all. She looked incredibly disappointed. It was a subtle change in expression that most people wouldn't notice. Still, Woo Dan-wol offered a faint smile and teased her gently.
He had more or less picked up on her feelings. But being an entertainer required caution. At least in South Korea, it did.
Could he keep eating the ramen? Looking at the noodles that had gone completely soggy, his appetite vanished. Just as he was about to wrap things up, the doorbell rang.
Already? It hadn't even been thirty minutes. Even though the company was close by, he hadn't expected them to arrive this fast.
When Woo Dan-wol opened the door, Lee Hye-ri and Seong Ji-hoon were standing there, both with their hands full. How on earth had they gone shopping?
"Director..."
"Ah, Da-sol. I'm sorry. Did I interrupt?"
"Not at all..."
"Still, I thought we should be careful. You understand, right?"
"Yes."
The atmosphere suddenly felt like she was being scolded. Seong Ji-hoon immediately shouted that it was too heavy, which lightened the mood. Alcohol, meat, and even meal kits.
On a precious golden weekend, the Haesung Entertainment company dinner had officially begun.
"That was so fun!"
"Yeah, let's do it again!"
They were such clingy friends. After graduating middle school, she'd thought she wouldn't see them again. But Woo Ri-na's trio—Lee Da-bin and Jin Yu-jeong—had miraculously ended up at the same high school as her.
It wasn't a science high school or a private one. Maybe it was only possible because it was a regular public high school.
Anyway. The three of them had recently picked up a new hobby: watching movies! They met in the morning, watched a film, ate, and played around until three in the afternoon before finally parting ways.
She wondered if it was too early to call it a day, but they were only first-year high school students. Meeting at ten in the morning and hanging out until three—wasn't that plenty?
Anyway. Woo Ri-na headed home. For some reason, she had a bad feeling. It lingered all the way until she entered the passcode on the door lock.
"Oh, you're back?"
"Oppa...?"
What on earth was this situation? Woo Ri-na couldn't hide her shock. It would be more accurate to say she was stunned rather than wide-eyed.
In the living room, a large table had been set up and everyone was gathered around eating. Sizzling pork belly. Beer and soju bottles rolling across the floor.
Han Da-sol had her arm around Lee Hye-ri's shoulders, crying, while Seong Ji-hoon was begging Woo Dan-wol to please last longer. It was utter chaos. The only person still somewhat sane in the middle of it all was Woo Dan-wol.
A faint flush colored his cheeks. It was obvious he'd been drinking. Worry bloomed in Woo Ri-na's heart.
At least Seong Ji-hoon was there, so the male-to-female ratio wasn't too unbalanced. Still, she couldn't help but feel concerned.
"How much have you had?"
At the question, Woo Dan-wol made a thoughtful face for a moment before spreading all his fingers except his thumb.
"Four cans?"
He must mean beer. Even though she'd never drunk before, she wasn't completely ignorant about alcohol. She knew about alcohol tolerance and that drinking in moderation was best. However, Woo Dan-wol shook his head.
"Four bottles."
"Four... bottles?"
"Yeah. Soju."
Woo Dan-wol gave a small smile. Woo Ri-na's face gradually turned ashen. Four bottles of soju? That was impossible.
Counting the bottles rolling on the floor, there were roughly eight empties. And he was saying he'd drunk half of them by himself?
He'd lost his mind. He had clearly gone insane.
"Oppa, are you okay?"
"Mmm... It's been a while. Feels good."
"Ugh, Hyung. You have to last longer!"
"He's been like this for thirty minutes straight."
Seong Ji-hoon looked like he was about to cry. And the ones actually crying were the women.
"Huuuuh..."
"You've been through so much!"
For some unknown reason, the two of them were getting along incredibly well. Could a few awkward months really be bridged this easily with just one drink? A teary-eyed Han Da-sol and Lee Hye-ri pouring her another shot of soju. She had no idea what it meant, but Lee Hye-ri kept pounding her chest, saying she understood that heart better than anyone.
"...Have fun, everyone."
"Ri-na? Ri-na-ya?"
The only sane person, Woo Dan-wol, reached out a hand. Until she arrived, he'd been the one resignedly taking care of all the drunkards. Now even that hope was gone. The door to her room closed quietly.
She might only be a first-year in high school, but her senses were sharp. If they were all adults who could legally drink, it might be different, but a kid joining adults in their drinking session was out of the question.
She quietly closed her door, turned on her smartphone, and opened YouTube.
"Ri-na-ya..."
"Ugh, you fox!"
"Woo... Woo Dan-wol..."
"Haa..."
The company dinner that had started around lunchtime showed no signs of ending. They said daytime drinking was scary, but drunk habits were even scarier.
"Bottoms up!"
"Have another shot!"
"Please stop drinking..."
"Why aren't you getting drunk..."
"......"
Woo Dan-wol let out a short sigh. This was also why he didn't drink much. He didn't get drunk in the first place. Once everyone reached the pleasantly buzzed stage, they all passed out. What fun was there in that?
The sun gradually set. Around the time when sobriety was about to return faster than the alcohol, Lee Hye-ri opened her mouth.
"Ah, that's right."
"...?"
All eyes turned to her. In the midst of the winding-down atmosphere, Lee Hye-ri dropped a bomb.
"We've been invited to an awards ceremony. We have to go at the end of this month."
"?"
"...?"
"Why are you telling us that now..."
The Cheongsang Arts Awards. A terrestrial broadcast awards show. It boasted more authority than the acting and entertainment awards from the three major networks. This was why Lee Hye-ri had called earlier. She'd forgotten because of the brief commotion in the middle.
There were things worth forgetting, but Woo Dan-wol's house turned into a mess once again. The people who had been dazed at first all burst into happy laughter.
The work invited to the Cheongsang Arts Awards was none other than Forest of Flowers. It was Woo Dan-wol's debut project and the leading role for Han Da-sol, who had joined Haesung Entertainment! How could they not be happy? The people who had already been drinking for over five hours picked up their glasses once more.
"Guaaaak..."
"D-Da-sol!!"
"Haa..."
Of course, it was quickly cleaned up. What a joyous occasion, what a joyous occasion indeed.
The Cheongsang Arts Awards, one of the most watched awards ceremonies in the country, had begun.
It wasn't limited to just the three major broadcasters, cable, or comprehensive channels. Because it also incorporated OTT platforms, it drew even more attention.
Thanks to that, Forest of Flowers, which had aired on Netflix, received an invitation. And the drunk Lee Hye-ri belatedly revealed that I Want to Stay for Just One More Minute had also been invited, causing another commotion.
Lee Hye-ri's "Our Dan-wol is the best" stack had reached maximum capacity. The hug she'd given him while completely intoxicated became a dark history. It made her heart flutter, but also made her kick her blankets in embarrassment. To him, it had simply been drunken nonsense from the past.
The awards ceremony began. The indoor venue was quite large. Even just counting the TV category, more than one or two teams had been invited. The awards show held at the end of April was burning hot once again today.
However, the atmosphere of the ceremony gradually grew strange. As the awards started coming in—young theater awards, entertainment awards.
Various awards were being given to multiple teams and actors, but it began from the important supporting actor category.
Applause and cheers followed. Woo Dan-wol delivered his acceptance speech. Up to this point, it was somewhat expected.
Since one man and one woman were selected, Woo Dan-wol wasn't the only one who went up on stage. The other supporting actor who had played a criminal in Forest of Flowers also stepped onto the podium.
The real problem started here.
Woo Dan-wol stepped onto the stage with an awkward expression. Hadn't countless programs and dramas aired in a single year? He hadn't paid it much mind, but the results were better than he'd thought.
To be precise, it was a reasonable award given how much the viewers had supported him. Still, the awkwardness remained.
His reunion with Ju Ha-ryeong happened like this. A face he hadn't seen in a long time, a welcome one. Who would have thought they'd meet on an awards stage?
And then came the long-awaited highlight. Even if they skipped the film category since they had no connection to it, this was the TV category, considered the most prestigious.
"Waaaah!"
"Amazing!!"
Han Da-sol's eyes widened. An actor who had steadily and diligently built up her filmography rather than one who had achieved explosive success had finally made her flower bloom. In a work she did with Woo Dan-wol.
Whether it was because of his influence or not, the Cheongsang Arts Awards were being completely swept by Woo Dan-wol.