“Hey, toss me a tangerine.”
“Throwing it?”
“Yeah.”
Her younger sister, hair tied up in a bun, tossed her just one cold tangerine from the veranda while sitting down beside her with the whole basket.
The two were sisters, only a year apart in their early twenties. They stanned different groups—she was into The Dawn, her sister was into Hi-Five.
“Did part two of GMA start yet? When are our boys coming on?”
“No idea. Maybe in about an hour?”
“Why do you always start with ‘no idea’ when you obviously know?”
The GMA (Green Music Awards) this year had eight grand prizes, including three for the acting division. Covering multiple categories meant it was less prestigious than other ceremonies, but still, an award was an award.
Popping a peeled tangerine into her mouth, she reached for the basket her sister was hugging. When her sister tried to block with her body and failed, she sighed and acted like she was giving up.
“Anyway, how about this: whoever’s group wins a grand prize buys chicken.”
“Mm, what if both win?”
“Then we eat two chickens. Simple.”
“Deal. At least we won’t lose out.”
“Everything we do is just to eat, isn’t it?”
“Look at you, thinking deep now that you’ve worked some part-time jobs?”
‘Our boys go last, right.’
She’d already seen the stage order on a fan community post, so she knew she could switch the channel just in time for Hi-Five and The Dawn.
Right then, an interview with the singers in the waiting seats was airing.
【—Yes, hello! I’m Sung Jiwon of The Dawn.】
“Holy shit! Sung Jiwon!!”
The moment his fair, handsome face filled the screen, she spat out her tangerine and grabbed her lightstick, waving it like mad. Her sister recoiled, horrified, telling her not to touch Hi-Five’s official lightstick with dirty hands.
【Since the heavy snow fell today, we’re truly grateful to the fans who came to see us, and I want to say to the Noeuls watching from home that I miss you so much.】
“Hey hey, isn’t he seriously handsome?”
“Not my type. That baby-faced Kang Yeonhoo in the back is a hundred times better.”
“Sure, whatever~.”
Yeonhoo was decent enough. But a real man had a pretty face and a sharp body, a gentle tone yet a firm presence.
Shaking her head at her still-immature sister, she heard her mutter irritably:
“If you want someone desperate, you should stan Yeonhoo. He trained for years, he’s got seniority, and he still works that hard. Nobody’s hungrier than him.”
“Yeah, but has he ever been from a tiny company? Ever been forced out of his agency like trash? Sung Jiwon’s the best.”
“Wait, what?! That rumor’s true? That Jiwon left D.go on his own?”
“Basically official.”
It was a well-known story among Dawn fans—an anonymous post by someone who liked Jiwon since his trainee days.
She didn’t know him from his D.go days, but the Jiwon she knew now always looked happy. That alone made her want to cheer him on more.
‘And the way he loves and treasures the members... I get it.’
She tossed the lightstick at her sister, stuffed a dropped tangerine into her mouth, and scratched her stomach—when the camera angle shifted to Seo Hoyun.
For a moment, her breath caught.
Even the whole ceremony seemed to stir, and she could feel it through the TV screen.
【Hello, I’m Seo Hoyun of The Dawn.】
‘Seo Hoyun really is strange.’
Among actors, he looked like an idol; among idols, he carried an actor’s aura.
Because of that mismatched vibe, he stole the spotlight.
Her sister, peeling a tangerine, looked puzzled.
“Why didn’t you make him your face-pick? If I stanned The Dawn, I’d like Hoyun. His smile’s pretty.”
“I mean... he’s great, but sometimes he’s scary...”
“Scary?”
“Kinda like dealing with the supervisor at my part-time job...”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
Her sister clicked her tongue, glaring at her. She was unusually tolerant of Hoyun, maybe because he got along with Yeonhoo despite being rivals and often drew out his different sides.
As Hoyun answered questions from MC Yoo Jia, the camera occasionally cut to Min Jiheon, clearly highlighting their connection.
Usually sharp-featured, Jiheon softened, smiling and waving warmly when the camera caught him. Hoyun, in turn, gave an embarrassed smile and bowed.
“Hey, are Min Jiheon and Seo Hoyun still close?”
“Not close-close. More like... just acquaintances who know each other well?”
“That’s what close means!”
Snorting, her sister suddenly gasped like she remembered something.
“Oh, you know what? Hoyun’s nickname is ‘Star Catnip.’ Apparently even the most stuck-up top stars chase after him.”
“Catnip...?”
Sounded like a nickname made by the small faction pushing the ‘Hoyun as cat’ agenda.
To her, Hoyun was definitely a rabbit.
She sulked while stealing a peeled tangerine from her sister, but then—
【...—Now, the nominees for Actor of the Year!】
The last award in the acting category began.
【Such tough competition! Now let’s announce Actor of the Year!】
Everyone assumed it would go to Min Jiheon.
【——Ha Seoyeon! Congratulations!】
“What?! Ha Seoyeon? Not Jiheon?!”
Juice sprayed everywhere as she screamed.
“Yeah, Ha Seoyeon’s weekend drama was great, sure. But couldn’t they have given Jiheon something first? Honestly, isn’t everyone else below him?!”
“Exactly! Jiheon’s untouchable! Whenever he shows up at a market, everyone—men, women, old, young—rushes to greet him barefoot!”
“Not just markets! He can walk anywhere and people will come out offering food, happy to see him!”
Jiheon’s steady work earned him awards year after year, and no one ever complained.
Because the opponent was that Jiheon.
Even critics who were notoriously harsh on him admitted, “An actor who seemed stuck in a mold has shattered it and revealed something sacred. His future is exciting.”
But here, at the GMA, he got nothing.
“Unbelievable! They snub Jiheon?!”
Meanwhile, Ha Seoyeon accepted the award stiffly, as if she herself felt undeserving.
And Jiheon? He smiled wide and sincerely applauded her.
That only made the unfairness sting more.
When a nugu boy group came on stage next, she frowned.
“Who are these guys?”
“No clue.”
If she didn’t know them, their recognition must be at rock bottom.
She skimmed the cue sheet she’d saved.
“Oh, it’s them. Boys from White Cherry and Ria Purple’s company. Been around a while, I guess.”
“LV Entertainment? Of course. Famous for throwing money around.”
Neither of them cared, so they half-watched, half-ignored.
There were still Album of the Year, Performance of the Year, Global, Song of the Year, and Artist of the Year left. Surely The Dawn would win one. She hoped it would be Artist.
【Album of the Year! Ria Purple’s ‘Like too’!】
The first singer award went to Ria Purple, and Yeonri burst into tears as soon as they were named.
“Good, good for them.”
“Aw, it’s touching when she cries like that. They really suffered.”
Everyone in K-pop knew Ria Purple’s hardships, so both sisters clapped for them from the couch.
Next, Performance went to TEW, Global went to Bercy.
Now, only Song and Artist remained.
Hi-Five took the stage for their performance. Their rock remix of “Reels” had her sister screaming and swinging her lightstick wildly.
She had said, “Even if they don’t win, it’s fine.” But now that only two awards were left, she was trembling with nerves.
‘They have to get something, right? They’re good enough....’
Yeonhoo’s confident smile under the dazzling lights only heightened her anxiety.
“...Is it our boys’ turn for an award now?”
“Yeah, only two left.”
“Damn, so it’s either chicken celebration or gnawing bones for free...”
Her sister opened the delivery app, calm as ever.
Yoo Jia returned to the MC podium.
【—Next, the nominees for Song of the Year.】
“Please, please!!!”
She clasped her hands tightly, eyes shut.
‘The boys worked so hard this year, they deserve it... let them take a big prize home from their first award show....’
But hope crashed.
【...——Song of the Year is! White Cherry’s ‘Bossy’!】
“What?!”
“What the hell?!”
The kicker: White Cherry wasn’t even present.
An announcement followed: “Unfortunately, White Cherry is absent due to overseas schedules.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Fuck, that leaves only Artist of the Year!”
Everyone thought The Dawn and Hi-Five would split the trophies. But then the final announcement came:
【——Artist of the Year is...! Congratulations, Ravish!】
“......”
“......”
The grand music swelled. Ravish’s members leapt from their seats, cheering.
But the audience cam told another story—everyone looked utterly bewildered.
“...Who?”
She and her sister echoed the same.
“You know them?”
“No... oh! Wait, those guys earlier. The LV Entertainment rookies.”
“What?! Are you shitting me?!”
If Hi-Five or The Dawn had won, it would sting, but they could respect it. They’d fight about it, buy chicken, and move on.
But Ravish?
It felt like being blindsided.
Collapsing onto the floor in despair, she looked up to see The Dawn finally stepping on ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) stage to close.
【Sending my heart with a flower
Rising like a rainbow】
They sang “Lantern Festival” and “Dive” from their full album Wish.
Sung Jiwon’s pure voice, glowing in the blue-lit set, was almost divine.
【Let us dive till the end
Until we rise to the surface for air
We can’t stay trapped forever】
It was beautiful. But....
‘Fuuuck....’
That only made her heart burn darker.
When the show ended, SNS trended with obvious keywords:
‘Grand Prize Winner’
‘What the hell’
‘Hidden Camera?’
‘Fucking rigged’
‘The Dawn award’
‘Hi-Five’
‘Ravish who’
‘Some nobodies’
“...The only explanation is LV bought it.”
“No other way.”
The house was too cold for chicken.
Cursing, she stood up. Her sister immediately grabbed her coat.
“Fucking LV!”
“They picking a fight with WH?!”
At a bar nearby, they spent hours cursing LV Entertainment and Ravish.
Starting with, “I knew it was fishy when Jiheon didn’t win anything,” their rant lasted five hours before ending with, “At least GMA isn’t that important anyway....”
And the next day—
[So does Ravish hate Kang Ichae or what?]
A new controversy had been added.
