Superstar 820
by Cristae“Lichelle!”
“Jun!”
Waaaah!
Although it seemed like they had just met yesterday, Seo-jun and Lichelle Hill greeted each other as if they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, which made Evan Block laugh.
Because she was wearing a dress, Lichelle Hill’s greeting was less intense than usual (which somehow felt regretful), and her gaze turned to Jonathan Will and Kirk Lawrence.
“Oh. Jonathan, you look great. Lawrence, it suits you too.”
“Hahaha. Lichelle, you look beautiful too.”
“Thank you.”
With a bright smile, Lichelle Hill introduced the cast and director of Someone.
“This is our Someone’s director!”
“Nice to meet you. I really enjoyed Shadow & Knight.”
Seo-jun also smiled and shook hands warmly with the Someone team.
There were actors he had seen before and others he met for the first time. One of them seemed to be a rookie actor, and the hand shaking Seo-jun’s and the eyes looking at him trembled slightly.
“I-I’m a fan, Jun—I mean, Ri!”
“It’s okay to call me Jun. The movie was really fun. Your acting was great too!”
When Seo-jun said this with a big smile, the rookie actor was moved.
My god!
I shook hands with Jun! Jun saw my acting!
I’ll never forget today for the rest of my life.
After greeting the She & Knight team, the Someone team laughed and exchanged a few words with familiar actors and directors before taking their assigned seats.
“That actor from earlier, he seemed like a fan of Jun.”
“The other actors’ eyes sparkled when they saw Jun too.”
Jonathan the director and Evan Block laughed as they said this, and Kirk Lawrence nodded in agreement.
The way the actors looked at Seo-jun was like watching a star among stars. Somehow, it even made their own shoulders feel proud.
Of course, Kirk immediately remembered the first time he acted with Seo-jun and felt a bit embarrassed.
‘Why was I like that…….’
Remembering the days when he had been awkward with Seo-jun made Kirk Lawrence mentally cringe.
At the reactions of those three, Seo-jun simply smiled bashfully. He couldn’t deny it, especially since even now, sitting in his seat, he could feel everyone’s eyes on him.
‘Of course, not all the gazes are friendly…….’
Seo-jun’s sharp senses picked up on the sharp stares.
Some admired his acting, some approached due to his buzz-worthy presence that shook the world, but there were also those who disapproved of him just because he was an Asian actor in a foreign country—even though he had been active in Hollywood for over ten years.
But Seo-jun didn’t care.
There were always going to be people who complained, no matter where he was (even in Korea).
‘As long as they don’t cause any harm.’
Especially not to his precious projects or close acquaintances.
His friends would probably freak out, saying things like, ‘That acting freak!’ and ‘You should think about yourself first!’
As long as it didn’t cross the line like the attack during the filming of Over the Rainbow 2, Seo-jun was willing to overlook most things.
‘……Though Daho hyung wouldn’t let it slide.’
Thinking of Ahn Daho, who was probably watching the awards ceremony somewhere, Seo-jun smiled. Somehow, he felt Taewoo hyung, full of passion, would also roll up his sleeves.
Anyway.
Because of the atmosphere he sensed at the venue, Seo-jun didn’t expect to win Best Actor.
‘There will be plenty more chances.’
Since he would act for the rest of his life, he’d have endless opportunities.
‘And I don’t act just to win awards.’
If he hadn’t received any awards so far, he might’ve been greedy. But Seo-jun had already received awards from other film festivals, the WTV Awards, Cannes, and even the Academy Awards. He was full of genuine joy to celebrate others winning.
In fact—
‘I’d like to act with them someday!’
Seo-jun cared more about the actors than the awards.
Each time the faces of Best Actor nominees appeared on screen, Seo-jun clapped and sincerely congratulated them. In the second round of voting, he had voted for only one actor, who happened to be among them.
Finally, Seo-jun’s face appeared on the screen.
Thinking of the sprouts, his family, friends, and viewers watching on TV, Seo-jun smiled radiantly and waved as if to greet them.
[There are many kinds of movies in the world. We laugh, cry, are moved, angered, frightened, and comforted through them.]
After the introductions, the host holding the envelope with the winner’s name began to speak. Everyone listened intently. The host drew laughter with a bit of humor, then raised their voice.
[Hoping for more amazing performances to come, I’ll announce it. The Oscar goes to……!]
Who would win Best Actor?
Tension blanketed the ceremony hall, and Seo-jun got ready to clap.
And then the host shouted.
[Seo-jun Lee!]
……Huh?
The surprised man’s face was caught on camera.
With each blink of his wide-open eyes, his fluttering eyelashes showed just how shocked Seo-jun Lee was.
Those who had voted for Seo-jun reacted faster than he did.
Waaaaaah!!
The awards venue erupted with applause and cheers. Evan Block, director Jonathan Will, and Kirk Lawrence snapped to their senses.
“You better go, Jun?”
“Waaah! Jun! Congratulations!”
“Congrats.”
“Go to the stage, Jun!”
“Congratulations! Ri!”
Wait, is it really me?
The movie I starred in… wasn’t it a superhero film?
Still dazed, Seo-jun snapped out of it at the cheers from the three and others around him, and stood up with a joyful expression. The applause grew even louder.
“Did you all vote for Ri? I thought I was the only one.”
“Director, you voted for Ri too?”
“Yeah. His acting was really amazing. I even want to work with him in the next film.”
“Wow. Since it was a hero movie, I thought I was the only one. Turns out, everyone thought the same!”
Light laughter filled their conversation.
Yes.
Like a hidden masterpiece, because it was a superhero movie, which didn’t quite match the vibe of the awards, everyone thought they were the only one who voted for it—but it turned out most people had.
“You couldn’t not vote for him.”
At the Someone director’s words, Lichelle Hill, who had also voted for Seo-jun, smiled brightly and nodded.
“Exactly. You’d have to be blind!”
Or trapped by prejudices of race and genre.
Looking at a few who seemed displeased, Lichelle Hill shouted toward Seo-jun walking to the stage.
“Jun! Congratulations!”
Hearing her voice, Seo-jun turned back and smiled brightly.
[/Seo-jun Lee!/]
……Huh?
If ‘Korea’ could speak, it might’ve said something like that.
Broadcasters Park Young-jin, Yang Si-eun, and Movie Guest, as well as the filming staff and the sprouts and Koreans watching the broadcast, all had the same expression.
……Uhh?
Three seconds of silence passed—which could even be considered a broadcast accident—though cheers could be heard from the Academy Awards footage, none of the three commentators said a word. Or rather, they couldn’t.
[……Holy……]
At that moment, Movie Guest muttered without realizing it.
A word that might be frowned upon on terrestrial broadcast, though easily thrown around on YouTube—yet no one seemed to care.
Because they all felt the same.
In fact, it seemed like Movie Guest’s words signaled everyone to snap back to their senses.
[Aaaaah!! Best Actor! Best Actooooor!!]
[Actor Seo-jun Lee! Seo-jun Leeee!!]
Park Young-jin and Yang Si-eun shouted so loud they could barely be understood,
“Waaaah! Seo-jun!!”
The sprouts watching nervously on TV burst into tears and wildly waved their light sticks,
“This is insane!!”
Students watching the broadcast in class with their teacher screamed,
“Seo-jun won an award!!”
Office workers watching the live stream while pretending to work jumped out of their seats, and people watching from banks, hospitals, buses, and taxis all cheered.
It felt like Korea had exploded.
[Right now! Actor Seo-jun Lee is walking to the stage! Huge cheers are coming from the audience!]
Having suddenly jumped from his chair with both arms raised, shouting “Best Actor!” Park Young-jin finally calmed down and sat back.
[Of course! That means many of the people there voted for actor Seo-jun Lee!]
[Ahhh!]
Yang Si-eun and Movie Guest, who had also raised their arms, appeared to regain composure—if not for their flushed faces.
[With this, actor Seo-jun Lee becomes the first Korean actor to win! And the second to win Best Actor at the Academy Awards!]
[And at age 23! If you exclude his own record, he’s the youngest recipient ever!]
As Park Young-jin, Movie Guest, and Yang Si-eun continued, viewers were filled with chills and emotion.
- Excluding his own record, he’s the youngest again! This is insane ㅠㅠ
=22 Aaaaaah!!
=FYI: Before Seo-jun (at age 12), the youngest Best Actor winner at the Oscars was 29.
=Insane lol he cut it by 17 years lol
-As expected of Seo-jun. I’m not even surprised anymore.
=Who said Seo-jun wouldn’t win?
=Everyone said that lol
=22 All media in both Korea and the US said Seo-jun had the lowest odds among the five candidates lol
=33 Even foreign press said so.
=But he ended up winning?? lol
=Everyone said just being nominated was impressive lol
=Seo-jun: Nominee? Is that something you eat?
=Seo-jun: There’s no such word as ‘nominee’ in my dictionary. Only ‘winner.’
=LOL
-My little sibling is a sprout and is bawling right now.
=ㅠㅠWho wouldn’t cryㅠ
=Go check the fan cafe. It’s a sea of ㅠㅠ right now.
=They’re canceling the backup trophy lol, the one they planned to give if he didn’t win lol
=LOL were they seriously going to make a trophy? lol
=I think they did the same 10 years ago lol
-Oh. Seo-jun Lee is giving his acceptance speech.
“Congratulations, Jun.”
“Thank you.”
Seo-jun, having received the Oscar trophy from the host, stepped up to the mic to give his acceptance speech.
Clap clap clap!
The applause was more subdued than earlier, but still filled with warm congratulations. Seo-jun smiled gently and began to speak.
“/Hello. I’m actor Seo-jun Lee./”
As always, Seo-jun Lee’s speech began with a Korean greeting.
“To be honest, I really didn’t expect to be standing here today.”
Laughter echoed throughout the venue.
Everyone had seen Seo-jun’s shocked face when his name was announced.
Seo-jun continued with a smile.
“When I heard I’d been nominated, and even when I was just called as the winner a moment ago, it felt like a dream. People say reality is more like a movie than movies themselves, and today feels like one of those days. Just like 11 years ago. That day was truly like a movie too.”
11 years ago.
At those words, people remembered again that the actor standing there was the youngest recipient of the Academy Best Actor Award.
Perhaps they were witnessing a legendary actor who would go down in global cinema history.
“Sometimes, I wonder if I’m doing well, if I’m meeting everyone’s expectations.”
Seo-jun looked at the golden trophy in his hand, then turned his head to look ahead.
“At times like that, these trophies give me confidence. They say I’m doing well, that people are expecting more. I feel like I’ve received that message again today, and I’m truly happy and grateful. I’ll continue to act with joy and passion, so as not to disappoint you all. Thank you so much.”
With a radiant smile, holding the trophy, Seo-jun looked like the brightest person in the world that day.