Superstar From Age 0

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: AgRoseCrystal

Chapter 579

[SBC Acting Awards! Special Cameo Award for actor Lee Seo-jun!]

[SBC Entertainment Awards! Working Man again this year!]

[KBC Entertainment Awards! Chicks in the Forest, the talk of the town program award!]

[MBS Music Festival! Blue Moon’s dazzling dance moves!]

-Lol, special cameo award lol

=He aimed for it. He totally did lol

=You could tell who would get it even if you took the KTX lol lol lol

-I can’t believe Babel Tower was this year’s drama.

=It feels like it was just yesterday.

-Usually dramas that air in the first half of the year don’t get nominated for acting awards, but Babel Tower got all the awards lol

=It was so funㅠㅠ I’m still rewatching itㅠ

=Yeah, me too. Just release the Blu-ray alreadyㅠKBCㅠ

-The cameo impact was amazing lol

=Who would have thought that the youngest and first Korean Oscar winner for best actor and Golden Palm winner, and the Hollywood superstar and ten million actor who swept all the best actor awards at various film festivals, Lee Seo-jun, would appear thereㅎㄷㄷ Oh, of course, I’m talking about the drama.

=Lol, can’t you leave out the last part?

=Yeah, that’s really Lee Seo-jun’s career lol

=33 lol, it makes me laugh when you list it like that lol

=44 lol, 10 years ago, we would have said Oscar? Golden Palm? Hollywood star? Korean actors have it hard (sob sob) lol Lee Seo-jun did it lol

=44+) And the Golden Palm was for best director lol lol lol

=55 If Lee Seo-jun was a drama character, he would have been criticized for being unrealistic lol

=66 Now, even if a character with a more impressive career than this comes out, I feel like Seo-jun will make it real, so I can’t criticize him.

=77 Rather, I would go on a pilgrimage.

=88 lol lol lol lol

-Working Man lol I went to the ski resort and there was a superstar lol

=If he had slipped, he would have just gone home lol

=His entrance scene was also no joke lol lol lol

=The rest stop episode they did a while ago was also fun.

=22 Touchingㅠㅠ

-Chicks in the Forestㅠㅠ I’m watching it again every weekㅠㅠ

=I remember all the kidsㅠㅠ They must have grown up a lotㅠ

-Lee Seo-jun’s mukbangㅠㅠ I’m getting a lot of help from itㅠㅠ

=22 Me tooㅠㅠ You don’t know how well my kid eatsㅠ

=33 If there’s a voting event or something next time, I’ll definitely participate.

***

After the end of the year events, it was a new year.

Lee Seo-jun, who had taken a leave of absence from school, decided to spend this winter playing hard.

“Is watching movies playing?”

“Of course.”

Lee Seo-jun smiled brightly and answered Ahn Da Ho’s question.

“It’s heaven to sink into a soft sofa, cover yourself with a fluffy blanket, have some delicious snacks next to you, and watch a movie with a big screen and good speakers.”

“Haha. Did you watch one yesterday?”

“Yesterday, I went to the ice rink with Subin and Eun-su.”

He also played with Eun-su and Subin, who came to play every three days because it was winter vacation.

“We’re going to go to the sledding park next time.”

“You’re busy.”

“But it’s fun. I feel like a kid again.”

Ahn Da Ho laughed at Seo-jun’s words. Seo-jun leaned back on the sofa. Maybe because it was Da Ho’s office, it felt as comfortable as home.

“It’s winter every year, but this year it seems like time is passing faster.”

“It’s always like that before you go to the army.”

Ahn Da Ho said with a smile.

“Did you finish the Academy voting?”

“Yes. I sent it.”

Seo-jun voted sincerely, even though it was only one vote.

“The second round of voting should be easier.”

Unlike the first round of voting, which had many choices, the second round of voting had only about six candidates at most.

“How about it, do you think ONE will make it to the nominees?”

“Hmm. It might be hard. It’s a movie with a strong entertainment factor, so…”

Of course, having an entertainment factor doesn’t mean that the artistic value is low, but [ONE], which had flashy and novel battle scenes and a chase scene in the latter half, seemed to have a hard time getting nominated in other categories.

“The sound editing category seems to have a chance.”

“They did use the sound well.”

He thought of the [ONE] battle scenes and chase scenes that created tension with restrained sound effects and drew the audience’s immersion with timely sounds. Maybe it could be nominated in the sound editing category.

And in mid-January.

The list of nominees for the Academy Awards was announced.

[Actor Kim Jong-ho, Lee Ji-seok, starring in ‘ONE’, nominated for the Academy Awards for sound editing!]

Seo-jun’s prediction was right. [ONE] was nominated in the sound editing category.

-Lee Da-jin: Wow!! Congratulations!

Park Do-hoon: Congrats!

<(Fireworks exploding bear emoticon)

-Lee Da-jin: Oh, how about we have a celebration party together?

-Lee Da-jin: While watching the Academy Awards!

-Kim Jong-ho: I have to attend the ceremony, so…

-Lee Da-jin: Oh no…!

-Kim Jong-ho: Take Ji-seok with you. He doesn’t have to come because he’s an extra.

-Park Do-hoon: lol lol lol lol

-Lee Ji-seok: I…

-Lee Ji-seok: Someday…

-Lee Ji-seok: I’ll get an actor award before you do…!

Lee Ji-seok’s anger was felt all the way here. Seo-jun tapped his phone with a smile.

-Lee Da-jin: I’m in!

-Park Do-hoon: Me too.

-Kim Jong-ho: Let’s do that.

-Lee Ji-seok: …Fine, whatever.

After the small nominee celebration party, a few weeks later.

Kim Jong-ho and manager Kim Sang-woo left for America.

“Long time no see. Mr. Jong-ho.”

“Nice to meet you. Evan. You still speak Korean well.”

Kim Jong-ho, who had adjusted to the time difference, smiled brightly and hugged Evan Block.

“Congratulations on the nomination.”

“Haha. Thank you. But it’s a sound editing award… The sound director worked harder than me.”

Kim Jong-ho and Evan Block chatted with a smile. The connection that was made thanks to Seo-jun was still going on.

“I think I’ll visit you often until you go back to Korea. Jun asked me to take good care of you. Of course, I was going to do that anyway.”

Kim Jong-ho was a little taken aback.

He never dreamed that he would hear the words ‘he asked me to take good care of you’ from a foreigner’s mouth. His Korean skills were still amazing.

Compared to that, Kim Jong-ho thought of his poor English skills and soon answered with a smile.

“Thank you. Evan. I owe a lot to Seo-jun. If it wasn’t for Seo-jun, I wouldn’t have even thought of coming to Hollywood…”

“There are many actors like that.”

Kim Jong-ho blinked his eyes at Evan Block’s incomprehensible words. Evan Block explained with a smile.

“Since Jun won the best actor award, there are more and more Asian actors who are challenging Hollywood. Jun’s movies, I mean both Hollywood and Korean movies.”

Evan Block continued. Kim Jong-ho listened blankly.

“Jun’s movies, Jun’s acting changed the perception of the audience a little bit, and the number and diversity of Asian characters in the works increased. You must know that some Asian actors even got nominated.”

“Ah…”

Kim Jong-ho opened his eyes wide. It seemed that he and his acquaintances were not the only ones who dreamed of seeing Seo-jun working hard in Hollywood.

“There will be quite a few Asian actors participating in this ceremony. Korean-American actors too.”

***

The day of the Academy Awards.

Kim Jong-ho was changing into the suit he had prepared, when his phone rang.

Lee Seo-jun: Uncle Jong-ho! Are you getting ready?

-Lee Seo-jun: (A picture of Seo-jun, Lee Ji-seok, Park Do-hoon, and Lee Da-jin together)

-Lee Seo-jun: We’re at Ji-seok hyung’s house!

-Lee Da-jin: It’s 8 a.m. in Korea!

-Park Do-hoon: We’re having breakfast lol

-Park Do-hoon: (A picture of them eating together)

-Lee Da-jin: Please take good care of yourself in America!

-Lee Seo-jun: I’ll send you a list of Korean restaurants!

The messages poured out without giving him a chance to reply. He felt a bit relaxed by the familiar noise.

-Lee Ji-seok: Next time, I’ll go for real!

-Lee Ji-seok: !!

Ignoring the raging Lee Ji-seok, Kim Jong-ho checked the messages from other acquaintances. From seniors who had retired or were active, to juniors. There were many congratulatory messages.

[Congratulations. Jong-ho.]

[You’re walking on the red carpet at the Academy Awards? That’s amazing.]

[Congratulations! Senior!]

[Nominated for an award!]

Kim Jong-ho felt a little embarrassed. He didn’t mind if it was an actor award, but it was a sound editing award. He wondered if it was right for him to receive congratulations like this.

-Congratulations! Teacher!

-We’re all waiting in front of the TV!

He also received messages from his junior actors at the agency.

He liked acting so much that he taught them sometimes, and they called him teacher. And among them, there were actors who auditioned and passed for the movie that Kim Jong-ho and Lee Ji-seok were going to shoot from April.

They were promising kids.

‘Come to think of it…’

It seemed that Seo-jun was the starting point for him to open his heart to his junior actors.

A smile appeared on Kim Jong-ho’s face.

“Hyung! The car is here.”

“Okay. I’m coming.”

Kim Jong-ho put down his phone at the call of manager Kim Sang-woo and straightened his clothes.

***

9:30 a.m.

With Lee Ji-seok, who was on fire with Kim Jong-ho’s ‘lol’, Seo-jun, Lee Da-jin, and Park Do-hoon were watching the Academy Awards.

[The ONE team is here!]

[Actor Kim Jong-ho, who appeared as a supporting role in the movie ONE, was nominated for the sound editing category and…]

The director and actors of [ONE] appeared on the red carpet. Kim Jong-ho, who was being interviewed in English among the foreigners, was seen. His English was slower and stiffer than the native speakers, but he had no trouble answering.

“He was so nervous when he first met Evan and Rachel… Well, he didn’t use an interpreter during the ONE shooting either…”

Lee Ji-seok’s words mixed with admiration.

Seo-jun also exclaimed wow. Kim Jong-ho had needed Seo-jun’s interpretation during the shooting of [Survivors], but he seemed to have studied English hard since then.

“You need English as a basic skill to shoot a Hollywood movie. I need to study hard too.”

“Me too!”

Park Do-hoon and Lee Da-jin ignited their will, and Lee Ji-seok also nodded.

The [ONE] team finished the interview and entered the ceremony hall.

Soon after, the Academy Awards began, and the dazzling congratulatory performances ended and one by one the winners were announced.

[Actor Kim Jong-ho walks the red carpet at the Academy Awards!]

[ONE’s chances of winning the sound editing award?]

-It’s impossible to win, right?

=I don’t expect a win. It’s not easy to get nominated.

=22 Getting nominated is amazing.

=33 If he keeps going, he’ll get an award someday.

-If I join Seo-jun’s squad, can I go to the Academy too?

=Are you an actor?

=No, just asking.

=Lol, why are you asking if you’re not an actor lol

=But I bet the real actors want to join Seo-jun’s squad.

-Did Seo-jun vote for ONE in the second round?

=He might have coldly voted for another movie.

=Even if he did, it’s only one vote, so it wouldn’t have much impact.

=I wonder where the other Korean members voted.

=Oh. There are other members?

=Yeah, there are about 40 actors+directors+staff. Seo-jun is the youngest.

-Oh! They’re giving out the sound editing award!

=Ah…

[Actor Kim Jong-ho’s movie ‘ONE’ sadly misses the award.]

[Actor Kim Jong-ho, ‘I’m happy to be here.’]

[Kim Jong-ho, ‘I want to come back with other Korean actors next time.’]

-Too badㅠㅠㅠ

-Well, it was a sound editing award, not an actor award.

=22 Next time, get an actor award!!

-If it were other Korean actors… Seo-jun’s squad?

=Seems likely lol lol lol

=But Kim Jong-ho knows a lot of actors besides Seo-jun’s squad, so maybe not.

=22 He’s been active for a long time

=I hope everyone gets it!

***

“You can get it next time, what’s the big deal!”

Kim Jong-ho chuckled at Lee Ji-seok’s voice. It seemed like they were all together, as Seo-jun, Lee Da-jin, and Park Do-hoon also appeared on the video call screen.

“It’s local. Local!”

Lee Da-jin shouted.

“You said you wanted to go to the Academy so badly until a while ago, Da-jin?”

“Do-hoon hyung…?”

“Can’t you read the mood?”

Lee Da-jin, who smiled with his mouth but not his eyes, dragged Park Do-hoon out of the video. Seo-jun and Lee Ji-seok laughed out loud. Kim Jong-ho also laughed heartily.

“I liked Uncle Jong-ho’s movie the best.”

“I was in it too!?”

“Uncle Jong-ho, Ji-seok hyung’s movie was the most fun.”

Lee Ji-seok, who was an extra, shouted and Seo-jun corrected his words. Kim Jong-ho laughed again and said.

“Thank you all. You all worked hard, but it’s a pity, I’m not really disappointed.”

“Really? I’m glad.”

“When are you coming back to Korea?”

“Come back soon. Uncle Jong-ho!”

“We’ll be waiting for you!”

“Okay.”

Kim Jong-ho looked at the noisy phone screen and took a deep breath. He looked around the Academy Awards hall for the first time. He felt a little uneasy at the sight of the foreign actors filling the hall.

Kim Jong-ho remembered Evan Block’s words that there would be quite a few Asian actors. But when he looked around the hall, the number of Asian actors who attended was less than he expected.

Clearly.

Evan Block didn’t lie, so it must have been true that they increased.

‘But if this is the increase…’

What was it like eight years ago, when there were fewer Asian actors?

He involuntarily thought of the 13-year-old Asian actor who would have been standing here alone.

He felt a wave of pride and admiration.

“Next time, let’s come together.”

“Yes!”

The actor, who was now 21 years old, smiled brightly.