Big Life

Chapter 152: Tremble in Fear (11)

‘Geez…’

Oh Myung-Suk hid as Ha Jae-Gun’s car passed by the entrance. He wanted to approach Ha Jae-Gun’s car when the staffer stopped Ha Jae-Gun’s car at the entrance.

Oh Myung-Suk took the long route back. Park Do-Joon had already made quick work of the situation, so he decided to just meet Ha Jae-Gun normally.

Meanwhile, Ha Jae-Gun’s family was greeting Park Do-Joon after the car was handed over to the valet.

“Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!” Myung-Ja and Ha Jae-In were both in shock as they gawked at Park Do-Joon standing in front of them in a tuxedo suit. Moreover, he was the male lead of the novels Ha Jae-Gun wrote.

“Oh, dear, I thought they were exaggerating when they said that the handsome celebrities all had halos behind them. It’s really true now that I’m seeing one myself!”

“How are you so handsome, and how do you look like a statue?!”

Park Do-Joon dismissed their compliments with a wave of his hand. “I should be the one surprised. Jae-Gun said that he’d be bringing his family along, but I wondered why he brought two female actresses along.

”Mother and Noonim, you’re both beautiful. If both of you wore fitting dresses, you’d both look like nominees for the awards ceremony.”

“Ohoho! You don’t have to make such a joke…!”

Myung-Ja and Ha Jae-In’s faces both turned red, and they giggled nonstop. While Park Do-Joon was laughing together with them, he winked surreptitiously at Ha Jae-Gun. He wanted Ha Jae-Gun to forget about the unpleasant encounter earlier, to which Ha Jae-Gun smiled bitterly in return.

“You’ve arrived, Mr. Ha?”

“Ah, editor-in-chief.”

Ha Jae-Gun shook hands with Oh Myung-Suk before introducing his family to the latter.

“I’ve mentioned him many times before, but this is OongSung Publication Group’s Editor-in-chief, Oh Myung-Suk.”

“Hello. My son compliments you a lot, saying that you’re a great person. Thank you very much for your help and for allowing him to achieve greater heights.” Myung-Ja grabbed the hem of her hanbok and bowed.

Oh Myung-Suk bowed deeply in return as well and said modestly, “Don’t they always say that talented people will naturally stand out? Mr. Ha would have eventually become famous even without me. I was just lucky enough to have gotten to know him before he was famous.”

Despite meeting for the first time, Ha Jae-Gun’s family could feel the sincerity in Oh Myung-Suk’s voice, and they were gratified to know that someone like him was on Ha Jae-Gun’s side.

“Mr. Ha, let me take care of your family. You may follow Do-Joon from here on,” Oh Myung-Suk proposed.

As a nominee for the awards, Ha Jae-Gun and his family were assigned different seats.

“I’m grateful but also sorry that…”

“I have to be there, too, so there’s no need for you to apologize.”

Myung-Ja then approached Ha Jae-Gun. She fixed his shirt and necktie. She dusted both his shoulders before finally hugging him. “See you later, son. Don’t feel burdened, either. It’s already great that you could attend an awards ceremony like this, so I’m really proud of you.”

“I will, Mom. Don’t worry about me, and go take a seat. You too, Father. Noona, see you later.”

Oh Myung-Suk led Ha Jae-Gun’s family to the far end, leaving Park Do-Joon and Ha Jae-Gun alone. Park Do-Joon finally stopped smiling and sighed.

“Didn’t I tell you to change your car earlier?”

“Yeah.”

Park Do-Joon put up his finger, emphasizing, “I’m telling you again right now, I don’t think that it was your fault. I might sound funny, but that’s what I’m saying. I’m not sure about you, but that was unacceptable. You were with your family, after all. That’s what I think.”

“Thank you for thinking of me.”

“Argh, I almost flared up earlier,” Park Do-Joon grumbled.

Just then, Woo Tae-Bong approached from behind. He looked around carefully before saying, “Do-Joon, we should be going now.”

“Oh, right. Jae-Gun, I’m sorry, but I’ve got something to attend to. I’ll see you later inside.”

“All right. See you later.”

Park Do-Joon hurried off to the car park. Before Woo Tae-Bong followed him, he explained to Ha Jae-Gun, "He has to walk the red carpet first."

"...?"

"He saw that something was happening when your car arrived, so he alighted and rushed over here first just before the march."

Ha Jae-Gun's eyes widened in shock. This meant that Park Do-Joon had spotted him from afar and ran to his aid. Did he not think twice because of the unpleasant encounter Ha Jae-Gun was facing earlier?

Ha Jae-Gun actually found it weird seeing Park Do-Joon in the car park earlier.

"I'm really sorry. I'll see you later then."

Woo Tae-Bong finally hurried after Park Do-Joon in the distance. Ha Jae-Gun watched Park Do-Joon get in the car once more.

Ha Jae-Gun had always thought that it would be hard for him to meet another good friend like Park Jung-Jin, but now, his heart pounded faster at the thought of having met another great friend.

***

The huge hall that could hold up to four thousand people was filled to the brim.

Ha Jae-Gun's family, along with the other audience members, filled up the seats on the second floor, whilst the people related to the awards ceremony, directors, actors, and staffers filled the seats on the first floor.

Ha Jae-Gun sat in a row with Director Yoon Tae-Sung, Park Do-Joon, and a few other staff members. Just then, someone extremely familiar approached Ha Jae-Gun, who was sitting on the leftmost chair.

"It's nice to see you here."

"Oh, Chae-Rin."

Lee Chae-Rin grinned like a small child and sat down in the row in front. She was in a piece of elegant off-shoulder dress, and her hair was in a bun, making her look more mature and beautiful than she was.

"I got nominated for the TV variety category."

"I see," Ha Jae-Gun replied and looked toward Park Do-Joon at the same time.

Park Do-Joon only looked forward, not even throwing a quick glance in their direction. Lee Chae-Rin was the same as well.

‘They seem to have agreed to pretend not to know each other.’ Ha Jae-Gun concluded in his mind and smiled at their effort.

“Oppa, you look great in a suit today. You look more like a celebrity instead of a writer.”

“Thanks. You look like a goddess, too.”

“Lies. Yu-Ri kept teasing me that I look like an ahjumma.”

“She’s just envious. But what if rumors about us come about if people see us talking so sweetly together?”

Lee Chae-Rin covered her mouth and burst into a chuckle.

“I’d be thankful if there were rumors of me and Jae-Gun Oppa. I’d probably be thankful to that cool, chic guy a few seats away for helping me get closer to you, too.”

“Hahaha.”

The awards ceremony began with an opening show by a famous Hollywood actor. The extravagant lights and sound effects filled the entire hall, and the audience’s roar also reached its peak.

‘I hope Do-Joon will get an award.’

Even if it was from There Was A Sea or Summer in My 20s.

Ha Jae-Gun hoped that Park Do-Joon would get nominated for at least one category. Park Do-Joon might not have shown it on his face, but Ha Jae-Gun could tell how much he was hoping to receive an award this time.

‘As expected of Shim Dong-Yeop. How could he be so smooth with words?’ Ha Jae-Gun exclaimed with admiration inwardly and fell for the host’s charms. He was able to enjoy the moment without feeling burdened about getting awarded.

However, Park Do-Joon couldn’t relax. Park Do-Joon was so anxious that his legs were choking, and he even began biting his nails. His desire to win an award had dominated his mind so much that he couldn’t hear the host.

The host continued. “Official photos of the awardees will be uploaded in real-time on the official Twitter account. We will be giving gifts through a lucky draw later, so we’re looking forward to everyone’s participation. Now, let the 51st Baeksong Arts Awards ceremony begin!”

The first category was the Best Rookie Actor (TV) Award.

The names of five nominees were called, and their videos were shown on the large screen and the name of the final winner was then allied out. The awardee then made their way up to the stage.

Park Do-Joon’s anxiousness was at its peak. It was soon his category. The next award was the Best Rookie Actor (Movie) Award.

‘Where is the camera at?’

Park Do-Joon’s eyes darted around. All the staff of the awards ceremony, including the host, already knew the details of the awardees. This meant that the cameras would be capturing them from their angles first in order to capture the surprise looks on the awardees. Park Do-Joon was well aware of that as well.

Lee Chae-Rin next to Ha Jae-Gun looked anxious as well, and she was busy twiddling her fingers.

Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t watch anymore.

“Don’t worry, he’ll get an award tonight,” he muttered.

Lee Chae-Rin smiled bitterly and shook her head. “I’m actually hoping that he won’t get an award.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t it a good thing to own an award tonight?”

“He’ll definitely cry later. It’ll break his heart to be crying in front of others when it’s not even a movie.”

Ha Jae-Gun looked at Park Do-Joon and smiled. “Didn’t you also say that he’s a cool and chic person? How will someone like him cry in front of others?”

“He will definitely cry.”

Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t continue further and looked away from her. Was there some other special reason for an actor to burst into tears aside from the sense of accomplishment he would get from winning an award?

No matter how Ha Jae-Gun thought about it, he wasn’t able to get an answer.

“…Now, shall we take a look at the nominees for the Best Rookie Actor (Movie) category?”

Ha Jae-Gun perked his ears up and looked ahead. The lights in the hall dimmed, and a video played on the large screen. The images of five actors played through one by one, and the last was Park Do-Joon for There Was A Sea.

“Now, I’ll be announcing the winner. The winner of the Best Rookie Actor (Movie) Award in the 51st Baeksong Arts Awards is…”

As the expectation in the hall climbed to its peak, the hall went silent.

Park Do-Joon shut his eyes tight.

There was nothing but darkness. The name of the winner would be announced, and the lights would be turned on in just a few seconds.

However, there was no cameraman on him.

‘That’s it… I’m sorry, I’ll do my best in my next project.’

It would be the end for him if he couldn’t get this award right from the start. He thought that there wouldn’t be any more opportunities for him in the future.

Park Do-Joon kept apologizing to the people who loved him in his heart.

But immediately after…

“Mr. Park Do-Joon from There Was A Sea! Congratulations!”

The audience’s roars echoed in his ears, and dazzling lights filled his eyes.

The camera was so close to the bewildered-looking Park Do-Joon.

Ha Jae-Gun reached out from behind Yoon Tae-Sung and slapped Park Do-Joon on his shoulders. “What are you doing? Can’t you hear the applause? Get on stage.”

“Huh? Oh, okay…”

Park Do-Joon started moving after the push from Ha Jae-Gun.

The host continued to speak as Park Do-Joon made his way onto the stage.

“Mr. Park Do-Joon played the role of a gangster in the movie who had to survive the toxicity of the harsh reality. He showed off a realistic and human touch in his acting. He is growing day by day and has established his image as an actor with a passion for acting. Congratulations!”

Park Do-Joon accepted the trophy and bouquet amidst the continuous cheers and applause. He then stood in front of the microphone, about to deliver his speech.

He smiled shyly at the audience and said, “Uh… Mm, thank you so much. Thank you to all the viewers who enjoyed watching There Was A Sea. And uh… Director Yoon Tae-Sung, thank you for trusting and supporting me as well. And um…”

Park Do-Joon looked upward and shook his head lightly. His unique, indifferent voice was still there, and his face seemed to be provoking his haters, daring them to curse at him again.

However, that wasn’t his intention at all.

Lee Chae-Rin, his manager Tae-Bong, and even Ha Jae-Gun knew. They knew that Park Do-Joon’s heart had to be pounding heavily against his chest at the moment. He had to be having a hard time breathing while standing on the stage.

“I would like to thank Tae-Bong hyung for always helping me out during on-site filming. And to the writer who wrote the best novel and my friend, Ha Jae-Gun, thank you. And… uh… also to the few staff who had been putting in so much work for me, thank you. I know it’s never enough.”

Park Do-Joon’s words slowed, and his speech was slowly getting filled with filler words. His eyes were getting moist to the extent that Ha Jae-Gun could even see it clearly from his seat.

Park Do-Joon gnashed his teeth, trying hard not to cry.

As the huge screen was showing his face, the audience on the second floor gave him cheers and applause as encouragement. Ironically, their encouragement only served as a trigger for his emotions to burst.

“In this world… in this world—ah.”

Even Woo Tae-Bong felt his heart ache, and he looked away. He could already guess what Park Do-Joon was about to say.

“And my most beloved hyung… in this world…”

Park Do-Joon’s cries broke his speech.

Ha Jae-Gun finally knew of the fact that Park Do-Joon had an older brother and fixed his eyes on him, gulping. He had only heard that Park Do-Joon was estranged from his family, but he wasn’t aware of the details.

“Thank you for raising me in father and mother’s stead…! Ah, I’m very thankful but…!”

Park Do-Joon scrunched his nose and paused his speech again. He couldn’t control his tears, which were dripping down onto his shoes.

“I’ve won this award, but can’t even see you… My brother had painted all the exteriors of the buildings in the neighborhood. You’ve worked so hard for me… Hyung, how can I show this to you? I’ve become an actor and even got an award. I managed to keep my promise, but you’ve left… I miss you, hyung. I miss you so much. Sob…sob…!”

Everyone waited for Park Do-Joon, who covered his face while still holding the bouquet in hand and sobbing. A considerable number of people in the crowd sniffled in the silence as well.

Woo Tae-Bong sobbed while holding his nose.

Soon, Park Do-Joon calmed down and continued. “And I’ve got another friend whom I’m extremely grateful for. He has been supporting me, so thank you, really.”

Those were for Lee Chae-Rin.

Tears finally flowed down Lee Chae-Rin’s face.

Ha Jae-Gun handed her a piece of wet tissue, but he was struggling to breathe as well.

Park Do-Joon finally left the stage.

It was now time to award the Best Rookie Director. It was unknown if it was because of Park Do-Joon, who had just won the Best Rookie Actor award, but Ha Jae-Gun had a good feeling about the next award as the host took over the microphone.

“Director Yoon Tae-Sung from There Was A Sea! Congratulations!”

The slender Yoon Tae-Sung rose up next to Ha Jae-Gun. He headed toward the stage with an extremely calm expression. He looked as if he was going to receive what he deserved.

“Thank you for giving me this amazing award. A senior whom I liked before once said this—A good scenario makes up seventy percent of a movie. It became clear to me that he wasn’t lying while I was directing There Was A Sea. I’m extremely thankful to Writer Ha Jae-Gun.”

Even the director thanked Ha Jae-Gun in his speech after Park Do-Joon.

The camera panned to Ha Jae-Gun and broadcasted his awkward and shy smile across the country.