In truth, Kang Woojin, who had been gradually getting used to the Mise-en-scène Film Festival, began to visibly panic.
It started when Hong Hyeyeon returned to her seat.
"Aren't you going to congratulate me?"
"...Congratulations."
Woojin thought it was strange enough that Hong Hyeyeon had won Best Leading Actor, but he congratulated her anyway.
He had been sure she would take the Grand Prize.
Her acting, career, and fame were too overwhelming to ignore.
But instead, Hong Hyeyeon had received Best Leading Actor.
"Thank you. Though I would've preferred something a little less brief."
"But why are you congratulating me in advance?"
"Why are you pretending not to know? If they cast the best actor, then the answer is already obvious, isn't it? Don't act modest."
"..."
"Anyway, I wanted to be the first to congratulate you. Even though I got Best Leading Actor, I'm not upset at all. It's an award you obviously deserve."
Just then—
Swoosh.
Choi Sunggeon, who had arrived late because of another schedule, lowered his head in greeting and stepped over to Director Shin Dongchun and Hong Hyeyeon.
He was dressed in a neat suit.
The moment he arrived, he gave Hong Hyeyeon a thumbs-up.
"Sorry, Director. I'm a little late. Wow, Hyeyeon, you won an award? What did you get?"
"Best Leading Actor."
"Well done, well done. We'll have to promote that."
Even after hearing that Hong Hyeyeon had won Best Leading Actor, the agency CEO did not seem to find it strange at all.
Watching the two of them, Kang Woojin first stood up from his seat.
Even in the middle of his confusion, he still kept his manners.
'It's a little cramped up front.'
Choi Sunggeon had been about to take the empty seat to Woojin's right, but Woojin moved to make space for him.
Because of that, both Choi Sunggeon and Hong Hyeyeon turned their attention toward Kang Woojin, who had suddenly risen.
Right at that moment—
"The Acting Grand Prize... actor Kang Woojin of the film The Private Investigator, congratulations!"
Kang Woojin's name rang out from the stage.
Woojin stared blankly toward the main stage for a moment.
Then Hong Hyeyeon, sitting beside him, let out a small laugh.
"Look at that. He stood up before his name was even called. He must've been sure the Grand Prize would be his."
Choi Sunggeon smiled too and patted Woojin on the shoulder.
"I like that kind of confidence. Congratulations. Now go accept your award first."
Director Shin Dongchun, seated to Hong Hyeyeon's left, congratulated him as well.
There was a slight misunderstanding mixed into it all, but Woojin had no time to react.
"..."
He was too busy trying to steady his breathing and gather his thoughts.
For some reason, the air inside the hall felt different now.
Sticky.
Dreamlike.
It felt as though he were drunk.
He had the strange sense that if he lost focus even for a second, he might black out.
It was close to exhilaration, but Kang Woojin had no time to process it.
Thump, thump, thump.
Because he had to walk to the stage with all his strength.
He couldn't hear the applause around him.
He couldn't hear the murmuring of dozens of people either.
Kang Woojin, who had once won a silver medal in elementary school for throwing a paper glider the farthest, had now won the Grand Prize over top actors.
It was no surprise that his spirit was wavering.
Regardless of his ability, he was overwhelmed by a sensation he had never experienced before.
From that point on, Woojin's rational mind grew hazy.
Instinct took over instead.
In other words, the concept that supported his identity became even stronger.
Before he knew it, Kang Woojin was standing onstage.
His head was still foggy.
But his expression remained perfectly clear.
Then he heard Japanese.
"Congratulations. It was truly an excellent film."
It was Director Kyotaro.
But the Japanese he had just heard didn't feel unfamiliar.
It sounded as natural as Korean.
So his response came out just as naturally, as though he were answering in Korean.
"ありがとうございます, 監督. (Thank you, Director.)"
It wasn't intentional.
But it certainly looked intentional.
"It's an honor that you thought so highly of The Private Investigator_."_
At the same time, a stir rippled through the seats near the stage.
Director Kyotaro's eyes widened slightly.
Naturally, the interpreter standing beside him reacted the same way.
The interpreter asked Woojin a question, this time in Korean.
"You speak Japanese?"
Caught off guard, the interpreter had asked reflexively.
Only then did Kang Woojin's rational judgment begin to return little by little.
'...Ah. Huh? Japanese? Did I just answer in Japanese?'
Woojin's narrow field of vision slowly widened again.
At the same time, the tension wrapped around his body gradually loosened.
"No, I only speak a little."
By the time Kang Woojin answered, he had fully regained his composure.
This was happening in front of major figures.
On such an important debut stage, even one mistake was unacceptable.
Then Director Kyotaro spoke again.
Of course, in Japanese.
"Have you lived in Japan before? Your pronunciation doesn't sound like something you learned through study."
Holding the trophy and bouquet in his hands, Kang Woojin met Director Kyotaro's gaze.
His eyes seemed to sparkle.
Maybe it was just because of the lights.
In any case, Woojin decided he might as well use a little Japanese.
He replied modestly, in Japanese.
"Thank you for the compliment, but my skill isn't all that impressive. I can only communicate at a basic level."
"Haha, no. At that level, you're practically native. Honestly, I was a little surprised."
"About what?"
"...You speak a foreign language that fluently and your acting is on that level, so why are you only appearing in short films? Are there many actors like you in Korea?"
Stuck in short films?
What exactly did he mean by that?
Kang Woojin briefly fell into thought.
Meanwhile, the interpreter found himself in an awkward position.
Should he interpret this exchange or not?
There was a reason for that.
"What's with him? Is he Japanese?"
"No, I don't think so. He spoke Korean just fine too."
"Or maybe it was something he prepared in advance?"
At that moment, around a hundred people in the audience tilted their heads in confusion.
It was strange enough that an unknown actor had won the Acting Grand Prize.
But it was even stranger to see that same unknown actor calmly conversing onstage with a Japanese master Director.
"Was his name Kang Woojin? His Japanese is fluent. Ah, maybe he worked in Japan before."
"Maybe he's a Korean-Japanese actor? That could explain why he knows Director Kyotaro."
"Is he famous in Japan or something? Korean-Japanese people usually have separate Japanese names, don't they?"
"He's a strange one."
Anyone would have found it odd.
Even people who didn't know Kang Woojin thought so, so how much stranger must it have looked to those who did know him?
Especially—
"...Japanese?"
Director Kwon Gitak, seated among the judges.
'What is this? I thought he only had overseas experience in English-speaking countries. He lived in Japan too? Is that where he polished his acting?'
Hong Hyeyeon, Choi Sunggeon, and Director Shin Dongchun all stood there with their mouths slightly open.
'He can speak Japanese too? Fluently? What the hell is this? Did he live a second life or something?! This makes no sense. I've dug this much and he's still a mystery?'
'...So he knew Japanese too. What kind of past did he live through?'
'Wow, looks like Woojin really did live in Japan before.'
Of course, Writer Park Eunmi was no different.
She was so shocked that she covered her mouth with both hands.
'Extraordinary acting, that totem-like presence, English, Japanese... I might actually have to start a religion.'
The hall, filled with roughly a hundred people, remained relatively quiet.
But inside, it churned with confusion and misunderstanding.
Yet Kang Woojin, standing at the center of that storm, had no idea what was happening.
He simply gazed solemnly at Director Kyotaro.
Right then—
Wave.
A Mise-en-scène Film Festival staff member standing below the stage twirled a finger toward Kang Woojin.
It was a signal for him to begin his acceptance speech.
In truth, the light conversation onstage had already gone on for quite a while.
Realizing this, the interpreter stopped interpreting and gestured to Woojin.
"Would you like to give your acceptance speech?"
Sensing the situation, Director Kyotaro apologized to Woojin in Japanese.
"Ah, my apologies. I must have interrupted."
Soon, Kang Woojin stood in front of the microphone.
Before him sat around a hundred prominent figures.
It wasn't enough to fill all three hundred seats.
But for Woojin, who was experiencing something like this for the first time, it was more than overwhelming enough.
"..."
Without anyone noticing, he swallowed hard.
At last, the decisive moment had come.
An acceptance speech?
What was he supposed to say?
It had to be serious.
And polite.
At that moment, the reporters positioned around the stage hesitated before raising their cameras toward him.
"I don't know who he is, but we still have to take pictures, right?"
"I came here to photograph Hong Hyeyeon and Park Junghyuk."
"What was his name again?"
"Kang Woojin. Kang Woojin."
A storm of camera flashes poured down on Kang Woojin, who maintained a calm expression onstage.
Because of that, he had no choice but to narrow his eyes.
It felt like lightning was striking right in front of him.
'Ah, damn it. I don't know. Let's just finish this quickly.'
Maybe because his thoughts had scattered, Kang Woojin decided to simply say whatever came to mind.
Of course, he made sure his voice didn't shake.
"Thank you. It was a long and difficult time, but now I have many good people around me. I won't make this long. I will use this honorable award as a whip and keep working harder than I do now, without stopping. Thank you."
As soon as Kang Woojin finished, restrained applause spread throughout the hall.
At that moment, Director Kwon Gitak smirked.
"Working harder than now and not stopping? That's frightening."
Keeping the calmest poker face of his life, Kang Woojin stepped down from the stage.
Even then, the reporters' camera flashes did not stop.
And the gaze of roughly a hundred people followed him all the way back to his seat.
The moment Woojin sat down, the The Private Investigator team congratulated him.
But Woojin, still dazed, only thanked them politely and sat there.
Then he looked down at the trophy in his hands.
As expected, the sense of accomplishment was indescribable.
'Ah, the corners of my mouth keep going up. Wait, wait.'
It was a short film.
But it was still an award recognizing his acting at a film festival.
Kang Woojin was already thinking about where in his house he should display it.
Right then—
"Best Picture! This year's winning work! Congratulations! The Private Investigator_!!"_
Suddenly, The Private Investigator was shouted from the stage.
At the same time, Director Shin Dongchun—his eyes red—shot up from his seat.
In other words, as the work that achieved three awards at the Mise-en-scène Film Festival—
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone!"
The Private Investigator swept the ceremony.
About an hour later, at a large café in Seoul.
At first glance, it looked like a spacious franchise café.
Cups and bags with the café's logo were displayed near the counter.
Every table was full.
Not a single seat was empty.
Everyone was busy with something.
Some were chatting.
Some were studying.
Some were looking at their phones.
Amid the noisy atmosphere, the customers were absorbed in their own lives.
Among them, three familiar-looking young women sat at a table near the pickup counter.
They looked to be in their early twenties.
They had the typical faces of college students.
At the moment, one of them was working on a laptop, while the other two were looking down at their phones.
Then—
"What?"
A woman in a white shirt tilted her head at something on her phone.
"Uh... I feel like I've heard this name somewhere before."
At her words, her friends responded immediately.
"What is it? Who?"
"Another guy?"
"No! It's not like that!"
Annoyed, the woman in the shirt quickly showed them her phone.
On the screen was an article.
"Look at this name! Doesn't it seem familiar somehow?"
Her friends quickly leaned in.
"Hmm? Yeah? It does feel familiar. But it's kind of a common name. It's not one of the guys you dated, is it?"
"No, it's not!"
"But this person's an actor? He filmed something with Hong Hyeyeon? Did they meet at some awards ceremony or something?"
"I don't know either. I just saw it while browsing entertainment news."
"Kang Woojin, Kang Woojin... Hmm. Where have I heard that?"
"But he's pretty handsome. He looks like a rookie."
It was at that moment—
"What are you all looking at?"
A woman with medium-length brown hair and a cap walked up behind them.
Judging by her wet hands, she had just returned from the restroom.
The question was thrown at her immediately.
"Hyuna! Do you remember the name Kang Woojin?"
The woman in the cap shrugged as though it were obvious.
"Remember? I told you, he's my oppa."
Because she was Kang Woojin's younger sister, Kang Hyuna.
And the three women sitting there were her friends.
Just then, one of the friends clapped her hands.
"Ah!! Right! Hyuna's oppa... huh? Oppa? Oppa??"
"Yeah."
"Wow, that's insane."
"Wow, Hyuna, didn't you say your oppa wasn't an actor?"
Sitting down, Kang Hyuna frowned.
"What? Why are you all acting like this all of a sudden? Why are you bringing up my oppa?"
"No! Wow! Hyuna, your oppa is in the news right now!"
"...What are you talking about? He said he was going to become an actor two months ago."
"It's true!"
One of her friends shoved her phone toward Kang Hyuna.
"It says he even appeared with Hong Hyeyeon! I think he even won an award! Wow! Your oppa is seriously handsome!"
"???"
After glancing around at her excited friends, Kang Hyuna lowered her eyes to the phone.
At the same moment—
"...What?"
Her eyes widened in shock.
Her biological older brother was in a news photo with top actress Hong Hyeyeon.
"What???"
Meanwhile, in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province...
Near the Jinju bus terminal.
The street, crowded with buses constantly arriving and leaving, was packed with people.
There were many shops around the terminal because it was always so busy.
Among them was a porridge shop.
Compared to the convenience stores and kimbap restaurants nearby, it looked much quieter.
Fitting for a porridge shop, the interior was calm.
The owners appeared to be a married couple.
The husband was looking at a monitor placed on the counter.
The wife sat on a small stool beside it, letting out a sigh.
Both of them looked young.
The husband was tall and had strong features.
The wife was average in height and had clear skin.
The problem was—
"Haa..."
The wife let out a deep sigh, clearly worried.
"I'm worried. I'm really worried."
At that, the husband—still clicking his mouse—asked without taking his eyes off the monitor,
"Why?"
"Aren't you worried? You don't seem worried about our son at all."
At the husband's answer, the wife quietly grumbled.
Around then, a customer entered.
She naturally greeted them, took their order, and returned to the counter.
Vegetable porridge.
Pumpkin porridge.
"..."
But the husband showed no reaction.
Feeling something was strange, the wife tapped him on the shoulder.
"What are you doing?"
Only then, as if snapping out of it, the husband turned the monitor toward her.
"...Hyunmi. His name caught my eye, so I clicked it... but why is our son in a picture with this person?"
The wife frowned slightly.
"What are you talking about?"
Then she looked at the monitor.
But she too quickly sucked in a breath.
Naturally.
"Huh? Our... Woojin?"
"Yeah, Woojin. But why is our son in the news?"
For that couple—
No, for Kang Woojin's parents—
『[Film Festival] Award-Winning Actors of the 'Mise-en-scène Film Festival'! Hong Hyeyeon wins Best Leading Actor, rookie Kang Woojin wins Grand Prize / Photo』
—it was an enormous shock.