Chapter 347: Closing (5)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Just before Kang Woojin's name resounded at the closing and awards ceremony of the 74th Cannes Film Festival, Woojin, who was actually sitting in his seat, had no particular thoughts. It would be accurate to say he didn’t have high expectations. But he had imagined it.

‘If I win Best Actor here at Cannes, that’d be seriously insane.’

After all, he had personally experienced the explosive atmosphere of Cannes, the grand festival of the world’s filmmakers, for about ten days. Numerous foreign reporters, directors, and actors acknowledged him or mentioned him on social media. At that level, if he were to officially win the Best Actor award,

'It would just be over.'

It was obvious that not only Korea but the entire global film industry would be buzzing. But that was as far as it went. It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel any desire, having come this far, but Kang Woojin let go of any attachments. For one thing, the words that Choi Sung-gun had said to him before the closing and awards ceremony had a significant impact.

‘There’s definitely a possibility that you, Woojin, could win the award. But in the end, it’s people making the decision, and the ten judges are no different.’

Even though Choi Sung-gun wanted Kang Woojin to win more than anyone else.

‘Especially in huge festivals like this, it’s hard to say the selection is based solely on acting. Things like an actor’s career, aura, and recognition factor in too. Even if your acting is overwhelmingly strong, sometimes those backgrounds get reflected in the evaluation. There’s a high chance of biases or discrimination. So let’s not get our hopes up.’

He gave a realistic and candid piece of advice.

‘The goal of using Cannes as a stepping stone has already been achieved. In fact, the impact was several times bigger than we expected, and you’ve left a strong impression on many people in Hollywood. That alone is a huge achievement.’

Choi Sung-gun’s advice was generally right. Yes, Kang Woojin had seen the Cannes Film Festival not as the main goal, but as a stepping stone. Strictly speaking, it was a misconception held by Director Ahn Ga-bok and Choi Sung-gun, but in the end, everything had come true in reality. Just two years into his career, his entry into Cannes had explosively raised his recognition among famous filmmakers overseas, including Hollywood.

Even if he were to go to Hollywood now, quite a few people would recognize Kang Woojin.

If they didn’t recognize him immediately, they’d find out with a little research.

That’s why Kang Woojin let go of his attachment. Well, in fact, for the ordinary citizen Woojin beneath his public persona, even being on this absurd stage felt surreal.

At that moment, it happened.

“My eyes didn’t deceive me.”

The name of the Best Actor of this year’s Cannes Film Festival resounded across the grand hall of the ‘Palais des Festivals’, echoing Kang Woojin’s name, who was maintaining a calm facade after letting go of his expectations.

“The 74th Cannes Film Festival ‘Best Actor’ Award goes to… Kang Woojin from ‘Leech’.”

Immediately, Woojin didn’t have much of a reaction.

“......”

He didn’t register it right away. It was because of the Italian director’s awkward pronunciation on that grand stage and because he hadn’t been expecting it, so he didn’t realize it immediately. It wasn’t until the cameras in the hall, the over 5,000 ‘big shots’ from all over the world, were all staring at him that Kang Woojin suddenly snapped to attention.

‘Uh- what?’

At that moment, Director Ahn Ga-bok and the entire ‘Leech’ team quickly turned their heads toward Kang Woojin. Woojin remained calm on the outside. But inside, he was cursing up a storm.

‘…No way, fuck. Me?’

A few more times.

‘Is it real??! Really???! Holy shit! What is this? Is this a hidden camera prank?!’

However, his indifferent expression remained intact. Rather than putting on an act, it was more accurate to say his mind had blanked out from shock and confusion. What the hell? Is this real? No, it has to be a dream. But damn, this dream feels insanely vivid??

While Kang Woojin’s brain was still tangled in confusion,

The atmosphere in the grand hall started to turn strange, and the reaction of the thousands of audience members was similar. Murmuring, whispering, curious looks, mouths open in surprise. The reason was simple. For the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival’s ‘Best Actor’ award to be called out in the name of a Korean actor,

“Kang Woojin? Where is he?”

“My god, isn’t this the first time?”

“As far as I know, it’s the first.”

It was the first time, both for Cannes and for South Korea.

At that moment, a blonde woman in the vast, quiet hall stood up.

-Swish

A woman with blue eyes filled with joy and certainty. Miley Cara, a global superstar, had become the catalyst. Following her, thousands of audience members stood up one after another.

And then,

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!

A standing ovation erupted.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!

The host on stage, the ten judges, the distinguished guests filling the first and second floors of the hall, the reporters and broadcasting teams, and even Woojin’s own ‘Leech’ team nearby,

Everyone was clapping wholeheartedly.

Even,

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!

The tens of thousands of spectators watching the Cannes Film Festival from the screens set up along the beach outside the hall were busy clapping as well. Of course, not everyone was. About 30% of them were glancing around, wondering, "What’s going on?" This sentiment was likely shared by some of the 5,000 attendees inside the hall where the closing and awards ceremony was taking place.

Because ‘firsts’ and ‘changes’ always come with a degree of ‘resistance’.

At this point, Kang Woojin, dressed in the white-toned tuxedo, had,

-Swish.

Unconsciously stood up from his seat. His expression remained stoic, but inside, he was a complete mess.

‘Fuck, seriously. What is this.’

Rather than not believing his current view, he was simply overloaded. Who could possibly remain calm in such an absurd situation?

-♬♪

A fanfare-like music filled the hall, loud enough to make his ears ring. The endless roar of applause. Congratulatory remarks from nearby dignitaries. Multiple cameras rushing toward him. Flashing lights. It wouldn’t have been surprising if he had fainted or lost his senses.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!

But on the surface, Kang Woojin was the very picture of calm composure. His well-honed ‘damn-my-way’ tough-guy persona instinctively took over. Woojin shook the countless hands thrust toward him. It was a series of handshakes. Director Ahn Ga-bok’s elderly voice, with his short white hair, reached his ears.

“Congratulations, truly. I’m proud that you hold the title of South Korea’s first actor.”

Veteran actor Sim Han-ho grabbed Woojin’s shoulder and patted his back.

“What I couldn’t achieve in decades, you’ve done in just two years. I’m genuinely happy. Stand tall, Kang Woojin.”

Today, Oh Hee-ryung, looking more captivating than ever, embraced Kang Woojin. Her eyes were red. He also heard the excited congratulations from Jin Jae-jun and Han So-jin. From Woojin’s mouth came nothing more than a humble “Thank you”, and the flashing lights and applause only intensified. The world was congratulating Kang Woojin.

The interesting part was,

‘Ah- whatever. I think I'm starting to feel okay now.’

In a situation where he wouldn’t be blamed for losing his mind, Woojin’s emotions were actually calming down. Was it the adrenaline? In any case, Kang Woojin,

-Swish.

Amidst the swarm of cameras and explosions of celebration, looked ahead at the host and the ten judges waiting for him on the stage.

“......”

In this moment, only a brief thought crossed Woojin’s mind.

Take a step forward. And no looking back.

His concept act for the sake of appearances was, in this absurd moment, the biggest strength he could rely on.

-Step.

Woojin, radiating indifference, walked along the aisle. On both sides, dozens, hundreds of dignitaries continued their standing ovation. His ears were ringing, but Kang Woojin kept his steady stride. Some members of the audience tilted their heads curiously.

"Is he not happy? Isn’t he too calm?”

“That can’t be. He just won Best Actor at Cannes, and as the first. He must just be really nervous.”

“For someone nervous, his walk is very composed. Maybe he was confident he would win?”

“I understand; I’ve seen his performance in ‘Leech’.”

Kang Woojin was about five steps from the stage.

‘It’s blinding.’

He could feel the intense heat of the spotlight bearing down on him. By this point, the live broadcast on YouTube, streaming through the cameras surrounding him and capturing the explosive celebration, was,

-?????? Is this real??!!!!!!!!

-LOLㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋfuckㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Chills!!! CHILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh Crazy!!!!

-Is it true???

-Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

-Kang Woojin!! KANG WOOJIN!!!!!!!!

-No... wow... I’m getting goosebumps…

-Epic

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋinsaneㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The live chat was in a frenzy.

Languages from around the world, including English, filled the chat, but of course, Korean was overwhelmingly dominant. Korean comments were being updated like crazy, not stopping for even a second. Despite it being well past 3 a.m. in Korea, the frenzy was real, and the waiting room adjacent to the hall was also in a state of total chaos.

“Waaaahhh!!!”

It was the waiting room where a few Korean reporters, Choi Sung-gun, and Woojin’s team, along with the film company and distribution team for ‘Leech’, had gathered.

“Woojin! Woojin did it!!!”

“Aaaah! Amazing!! CEO-nim!! Woojin hyung!! Woojin hyung did it!!!”

“Yeah yeah! That’s right!! It’s our Woojin!!”

“Kyaaaa!!”

"This is crazy!! This is CRAZY!!! Kyaak!!!"

“It’s really oppa, right?! That’s really oppa going up, right?!”

Everyone was busy hugging each other and jumping around as they watched the live broadcast on the large TV.

“This can’t be real!! No!! It is!! It definitely is!!!”

“Uwaaah!! Aaaah!!”

“With my own eyes!! I’m seeing this moment with my own eyes!!”

At this moment, they weren’t different teams anymore.

They were simply proud Korean citizens.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!!

The endless screams, shouts, and applause. It was more than justified. This was national glory at its finest. It was a moment when not only Korea but the entire world came to know the name Kang Woojin, surpassing even Cannes itself. It was monumental enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if the president stepped forward.

And so, due to the time difference, it was around 4 a.m. in Korea, and the entire country was shaking with excitement.

In Jinju, Woojin’s family:

“Kyaaa!!!!! Mom!! Dad!! Oppa!! Oppa won!! He actually won!!”

"Oh, oh my goodness."

“......Sob.”

“Mom! Get a hold of yourself!! Dad! Mom is acting weird!!”

And the group of Kang Woojin’s close friends, gathered at Kim Dae-young’s house:

“Holy!! No!! What the hell is this!!!”

“Hey hey hey!! Kang Woojin won Best Actor at Cannes??! For real???!”

“He’s...crazy. Woojin really won Best Actor at Cannes?!”

“Call him!! Try calling him!!”

“You idiot! You think he’ll pick up?!”

“Stop him! Someone stop that moron!!”

At that moment, the Korean media was also moving quickly.

『[Breaking News] Leech's Kang Woojin becomes the first Korean to win Best Actor at Cannes』

As soon as Kang Woojin’s name was called at Cannes, articles began to flood in.

And then,

-Swish.

Kang Woojin at Cannes was stepping onto the stage as the winner of the Best Actor award. The applause and cheers from the host, the judges, and the thousands of spectators continued.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!!

In his white tuxedo, Woojin calmly stood before the host, the Belgian actress. The host, smiling brightly, extended something toward Kang Woojin.

It was the Best Actor trophy.

A trophy with a palm leaf encased in glass. It was a scene unprecedented in the history of Cannes and in the entire Korean film industry, and as Woojin gazed down quietly at the trophy in his hands, a shiver ran through him.

'So this is that- thing I've only seen in photos.'

The funny thing was, it didn’t look all that extraordinary. Perhaps, from Kang Woojin’s perspective, it didn’t seem much different from the trophy he received at the Blue Dragon Awards. Maybe it was due to his true self, the core of Kang Woojin, rather than his “monster actor” facade. Then, the host gestured to Woojin toward the standing microphone at the center of the stage.

It was time to give his acceptance speech.

“......”

Kang Woojin, whose poker face was firmly in place, set the trophy down on the podium. At this point, his body was almost moving on autopilot. His heart had cooled down to an icy calm. Just think about the concept, the concept alone. Acceptance speech? Hell. How could he have prepared anything? Regardless, Woojin stood in front of the podium. Directly in front of him, he could see dozens of foreign reporters with large cameras.

-Pabababababak!

They were frantically photographing Kang Woojin on stage. The thousands of dignitaries behind them, who had been giving him a standing ovation, began to sit down one by one as Woojin prepared to speak. The ten judges on stage did the same.

-Swish.

Kang Woojin lifted his head.

‘This is insane.’

Seeing this grand hall from the stage was truly a spectacle. Soon, an interpreter approached Woojin from his left, ready to translate his words into French. Although Woojin was fluent in French, he didn’t stop her. The reason was clear. He didn’t really have a planned acceptance speech or anything, but there was one thought that kept stimulating his mind.

With a calm expression, Kang Woojin opened his mouth, ignoring the broadcast and press cameras as best as he could, and spoke to the thousands of powerful figures seated before him. Naturally, he kept his voice as deep as possible.

“Bonsoir.”

He started in French. What should he say next? Hmm, let’s just say whatever comes to mind.

“I’m not particularly good with words. And standing here right now doesn’t feel real.”

His flawless French took everyone by surprise, the interpreter beside him, the dozens of reporters in the front, the host, the chairman of Cannes and the broadcast team, as well as the thousands of audience members. Of course, quite a few of them remained calm; they had already witnessed his French during the second screening of 'Leech'.

But they were the minority.

Most of those here showed obvious surprise. Still, Woojin’s low, steady French continued.

“Um- thank you. I’m truly honored to receive an award at this grand festival. I’m deeply grateful for the great film 'Leech', and for all the colleagues and staff who worked alongside me.”

His French was as fluent as any native speaker’s. It far surpassed the level of practice or preparation. The interpreter blinked, clearly taken aback.

-Swish.

After a brief pause, Woojin shifted his gaze slightly to the right. And then, he changed languages.

“I am Kang Woojin, an actor from Korea.”

A low-toned Korean. Despite the impression his French had left, Woojin deliberately continued his speech in Korean. It wasn’t because he had some grand message. He simply wanted to give his acceptance speech in Korean at this international festival.

“At this very moment, I believe many people in Korea are celebrating. It’s probably early morning there, but there are fans who stayed up to watch.”

A moment for the interpreter to translate. However, Woojin didn’t need her help. He could handle it himself. In a quiet voice, he repeated what he had said in French. The murmuring in the audience grew louder. This was also a first in the history of Cannes, a Best Actor winner translating his own Korean acceptance speech into French.

But Kang Woojin didn’t care about that. He stopped his French translation and continued in Korean.

“This is an incredible award. Last year, when I won Best New Actor at Korea’s Blue Dragon Awards, I said something. I said, ‘This year it’s the New Actor award, but next year, I will have the Best Actor award in my hands. So better watch out.’ And here I am, holding the Best Actor award. It didn’t even take a full year.”

As Woojin translated his words into French again, his mind was wandering with other thoughts. How bold should he be? A bit of consideration. But it didn’t last long. Whatever, screw it, he’d been through this before.

Woojin resumed his Korean speech with confidence.

“Recently, I got a house in LA, so next year, I’ll set my sights there.”

Even at Cannes, he didn’t forget his 'no backing down' attitude.