Chapter 43

43. New Year

Fidgeting.

The girl opened the golden card in her hand and read the names of the winners written inside.

"Ryu Seung-hyun from The King's Path. Yun Si-woo from The King's Path. Congratulations~"

"Kyaah~!"

Clap clap clap clap clap-!

The applause filled the MBS hall.

Seung-hyun stood up with a wide smile.

Jung-young patted Seung-hyun's shoulder and said,

"Say your name, say your name. If you win the grand prize, I'll tell them your name too."

"Okay, okay."

Yuri led Si-woo, who had climbed down from Dong-sik's lap, towards Seung-hyun.

"Si-woo, congratulations. Who can stop our double-decker's popularity~"

Si-woo held Seung-hyun's hand and walked up to the stage.

The middle-aged female MC introduced the two young actors who had won the popular child actor award again.

"Ryu Seung-hyun played the role of Prince Lee Yeong and Deok-gu in The King's Path, touching the hearts of viewers with his solid acting skills. Yun Si-woo played the young Deok-gu, bringing vitality to the drama with his adorable and lovable scenes."

The male MC added,

"Yes, especially Yun Si-woo, who is the youngest recipient of the MBS Acting Awards, surpassing the previous record of 6 years old."

"The future growth of both winners is truly something to look forward to."

As Si-woo and Seung-hyun stood on stage, the two young actors from the previous year who had won the award came up to present them with trophies and bouquets of flowers.

Because Si-woo's hands were small, Seung-hyun held both trophies in his hands, while Si-woo held the yellow bouquets tightly.

"Now, let's hear the acceptance speech from Ryu Seung-hyun."

Seung-hyun brought his face close to the microphone and spoke with a slightly nervous voice.

"Thank you. Um... to Director Lee Hong-gyun, Director Lee Sang-ho, the staff members, and the seniors and sisters for giving me the opportunity to play a good role... and... to the 2-6 class friends and teachers who always welcome me warmly even though I can't go to school often... to the company members, the fans who support me, and my parents... thank you. I want to thank Senior Song Jun-young and Si-woo standing next to me... I will continue to work hard to show a good image. Thank you~!"

Clap clap clap-!

The female MC said,

"Now it's time for Yun Si-woo~"

As the camera focused on Si-woo standing politely with the bouquets, screams began to rise from the second floor where the fans were seated.

Among the screams, "Papa~!" could be heard intermittently.

The Pet World CF, which had been a hit a year ago, was still being talked about.

Seung-hyun adjusted the microphone for the short Si-woo and whispered,

"Si-woo, say thank you~. Thank you~"

With everyone's attention on him, Si-woo opened his mouth.

"Thank~ you~!"

The cute and tender child's voice echoed throughout the MBS hall via the microphone.

The fans, actors, and production staff, as well as the viewers at home, all burst into happy laughter reflexively.

After delivering his thanks, Si-woo pondered what to say next and then shouted confidently,

"New Year~ lots~ of~ good~ luck~!"

"Kyaah~!"

Encouraged by the more enthusiastic response than expected, Si-woo decided to do more fan service.

'How about a heart...?'

Si-woo raised his arms and drew a heart.

"Kyaah~!"

The bouquets he was holding fell to the ground.

Realizing this, Si-woo bent down to pick them up.

Thud!

Si-woo's forehead collided with the microphone.

"Oh, what do we do~!"

Shocked voices flew from all directions.

After bending down for a moment, Si-woo stood up composedly, smiled awkwardly, and then...

Smiled...

Like when he failed to skip a stone on water-

"Uu..."

Sniffle sniffle sniffle sniffle-.

"Kyaah~!"

"Ha ha ha ha~!"

"So cute~! What do we do~!"

Song Jun-young, a strong contender for the grand prize and the lead actor of The King's Path, sprang up from his seat.

Then he sat down again quietly.

Dong-sik, sitting next to him, asked,

"...Why did you stand up just now?"

"No, it's just... he's too cute. Ha ha ha~!"

After the first part of the acting awards, which included the popular child actor award, the newcomer award, and the supporting actor award, the second part was nearing its end.

"This year, MBS dramas have received great love from the viewers."

"Yes, that's right. First of all, we sincerely thank all the viewers who have loved our MBS dramas so much this year. Our goal is to produce dramas that can be enjoyed by all generations, from young to old. In the new year, we will strive to realize a happy Republic of Korea through warm and touching dramas... "

The long speech by the MBS president, who came to present the grand prize, continued for a while.

Si-woo, who was already quite sleepy due to the late hour, almost fell asleep.

Shaking his head, Si-woo yawned and opened his eyes wide.

'...But I have to stay awake to see the grand prize. I'm also curious about the acceptance speech of this silly uncle.'

Would it be as everyone expected, with Song Jun-young from The King's Path, which recorded overwhelming ratings this year, winning the grand prize?

Or would another actor, who gave a brilliant performance regardless of the ratings, win unexpectedly?

"Yes, then the MBS Acting Awards grand prize winner will be announced by the president."

The president opened the golden card with the grand prize winner's name.

"MBS Acting Awards prestigious grand prize!"

Dun dun dun dun dun-!

"The King's Path! Song Jun-young! Congratulations!"

Pom-pom! Pom-pom! Pom-pom-pom-pom! Pom-pom-pom-pom! Pom-pom-pom-!

Following the drum sounds, a trumpet sound echoed.

Song Jun-young stood up, receiving congratulations from the people around him.

"Congratulations, senior!"

"Jun-young, congratulations!"

"Jun-young, you've worked hard!"

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Clap!

After a high-five with the mini-mini Deok-gu Si-woo, Jun-young said to Dong-sik with a beautiful smile,

"I'll be back! Senior!"

Dong-sik patted Jun-young's shoulder in congratulations and said,

"Sure, go ahead."

"Ouch, my shoulder is broken but it will heal soon, don't worry, senior."

"Go quickly."

"Okay!"

Jun-young walked up to the stage with a light step.

Clap clap clap clap clap-!

On stage, Jun-young received the trophy and bouquets and looked at the camera with moist eyes.

Si-woo, Seung-hyun, Dong-sik, and Yuri, the team from The King's Path, all thought the same thing at the same time.

'He's acting.'

Jun-young lifted his head, took a deep breath, and spoke calmly.

"It was my first time in a historical drama, so there were many challenges... "

The acceptance speech continued.

"Finally... to Seung-hyun and Si-woo, who almost spoon-fed me the character. I'm very grateful to my senior, and I will continue to act without causing trouble and in a way that won't make my juniors ashamed! Thank you! Happy New Year... "

He wanted to shout.

He really, really wanted to shout.

Like Si-woo did earlier...

'Lots of good luck~!'

But Jun-young held back.

Because he was a professional.

"Thank you!"

Clap clap clap clap clap-!

Jun-young came down from the stage with a somewhat wistful expression.

Seeing the camera turn to the MC, Jun-young extended the trophy to the team from The King's Path, who welcomed him with applause, and resolved his lingering wistfulness.

"Our The King's Path family~ lots of good luck~"

The team from The King's Path laughed and congratulated Jun-young again.

After sitting down, Jun-young called out to Seung-hyun.

"Hey, Seung-hyun. Si-woo is a trendsetter, isn't he? 'Papa~' for Christmas, 'Dad~' for New Year, and 'Lots of good luck~' for this New Year. Want to make a bet? A bet?"

Dong-sik commented,

"Making a bet with a middle schooler? You're teaching him bad things, you brat."

Jun-young laughed awkwardly and said,

"No, not really. I just want to buy Seung-hyun a bicycle as an excuse for his hard work. Do you like bicycles?"

Seung-hyun answered with a slightly embarrassed face,

"Actually... I still don't know how to ride a bicycle."

Dong-sik, Jun-young, and Si-woo all looked surprised.

Jun-young patted Seung-hyun's back and said,

"It's okay, I'll buy you one and teach you. In return, you're good at making mandu, right? Not many middle schoolers can make mandu."

"Ah... Yes... Haha."

"Maybe I should buy Si-woo a kickboard? He can ride an electric kickboard and shout 'Papa~' when he sees someone in front of him... "

Jun-young and Dong-sik's eyes met.

"...A children's kickboard. A children's kickboard. Of course, it's a joke. I have that much common sense."

Si-woo, sitting on Dong-sik's lap, smiled slightly, unseen by the adults.

'A kickboard... I should be able to ride one at four. Finally, I'm old enough to explore the neighborhood.'

* * *

As Jun-young predicted, Si-woo's "Lots of good luck~!" became a big trend among the younger generation in January and February.

It even led to the release of emoticons featuring popular characters saying the phrase.

Doh-jin and Hyun-ju were truly taken aback seeing their son, who always made a big splash with everything he did.

- Hello, this is StarKids, a specialized agency for child actors. The reason I'm contacting you is...

- This is Iluri Entertainment, which specializes in managing child actors. Although Yun Si-woo is only 4 years old, we believe he has the potential to become a future star...

- Hello, madam. This is Kids Universe. Our company, established 9 years ago, specializes in child actors...

When Si-woo turned 4, agencies started sending messages to him.

Doh-jin and Hyun-ju calmly refused all of them without being swayed by the hype.

They sensed that one day Si-woo would become a full-fledged entertainer and join an agency, but they didn't think it was the right time yet.

Even Jung-tae's mother, who brought a lot of subtle information,

And Seung-hyun's mother, the goal of all child actors,

Supported Doh-jin and Hyun-ju's decision.

And in early May.

A simple birthday party was held outside for Si-woo's third birthday.

A few kindergarten friends, including Jin-a and Kyung-ho, and Ji-ho, who would become a neighborhood friend starting next month, attended.

Si-woo's family was moving to a slightly larger house next month.

Their new home would be in the same apartment complex as Ji-ho's family.

"If you need help with the move, let me know~ If you have any questions, feel free to ask~"

Ji-ho's mother said kindly.

"Yes, thank you. Oh, is there a Go academy nearby?"

"Huh? Go? Why? Are you going to teach Si-woo Go?"

"I just want to get some advice. At what age do they usually start... Actually, my grandfather... "

The competition between Si-woo's grandfather and his uncle, who were always boasting about their grandsons, was still ongoing, unseen.

The two grandfathers discussed whether it would be a good idea to teach Si-woo and Young-su Go and have them compete when they enter elementary school at 8 years old.

Of course, this was only if the children showed interest.

Both grandfathers, who loved their grandsons terribly, had no intention of forcing them.

Si-woo, holding a spoon, thought while eating his rice.

'Go... I always went on a rampage in the martial arts world... Haha.'

He wanted to beat his uncle, not Young-su, when he was 8.

Then the competition would end perfectly.

Si-woo, holding a Robocar Poli spoon, was quietly laughing to himself when he heard Ji-ho's mother's voice.

"I remember. When Ji-yeon wanted to learn piano, we visited a music academy in the neighborhood. There was a Go academy in front of the music academy."

A word other than Go caught Si-woo's attention.

'Music academy?'

Oh.