“The Grand Prize award is not foreign to many,” Phoenix continued.
– The human race is fucked. It’s just the grand prize, but everyone speculated about such outrageous things.
– The grand prize is the greatest prize, right?
– Oh wow. Such a high level of comprehension! Who would have thought?
“However, instead of having a grand prize for each category—a common practice in this country, this grand prize is reserved for the entity that had made the most contributions to the entertainment industry in the span of the six months that we are celebrating. Therefore, each individual, franchise, show, and the like has the opportunity to win this prestigious award,” Phoenix read.
Everyone who was trying to leave placed their belongings down and paid full attention to the front. There was no doubt. They all wanted this.
It was a top-secret award, which meant that even the hosts weren’t aware of who the winner was.
Of course, they, too, were secretly hoping for it to be them.
In fact, Phoenix needed it.
Very much.
So, when Sora started opening the envelope, they were enveloped in silence, everyone paying attention to the action—well, maybe except for Zeno.
Please save him from his existential crisis.
“And the first grand prize awardee for the Asian Artistry Awards goes to…”
Sora was the first one to see it, and she kept it to herself, a small smile appearing on her lips.
Phoenix tried to peek, but Sora placed the envelope firmly against her chest.
“I think nobody can refute this,” she continued. “I believe this certain someone is truly leaving a huge mark in our country’s entertainment industry.”
There was a beat of silence before she finally revealed the winner.
“Congratulations to Zeno Han!”
Zeno Han.
Zeno Han.
Zeno Han.
His name echoed in his mind. Not 25—a mere number, but Zeno Han.
It was then that he finally snapped out of his thoughts and looked around, only to see everyone standing and looking at him with wonder, envy, rage, and all other emotions a human could feel.
Phoenix finally caught a glance of the cue card and couldn’t help but purse his lips when he saw that it was real.
He clenched his left fist inside his pocket. He thought Daebak was in on it, but what was this? How could they give it to Zeno?
Zeno finally stood from his seat, receiving claps from everyone despite the varying emotions on their faces.
– I’m so happy. My Zeno won so many awards.
– Isn’t he officially a part of the Rookie Class now?
– Yes, and the fastest one to do it, too!
– I feel like I just watched my kid graduate from elementary school. That’s how emotional I am.
– Is it just me… or does it look like he’s going to cry?
Meanwhile, Zeno felt it.
The Pain Trial was here. It started with the bottom of his spine before it spread all over his body. The worst part was that it felt even worse than before. Was this because he had exceeded his original mission of getting four awards by three now?
He truly didn’t need another award if it was going to be this painful!
Still, he had no choice but to walk up to the stage despite feeling like his body was being snapped into two, tied to the back of a very old van, and paraded around a spiked road that had seagulls laughing at you at every meter.
Zeno wasn’t exaggerating.
He kept it in, though. He couldn’t really writhe in pain in front of millions of people and hundreds of artists!
Zeno arrived at the stage and received the plaque, a different one compared to the rest of his awards. This one was clear, appearing like it was made from diamonds.
The words Grand Prize Award were engraved along with his name, and it was only then that he realized what award he had won.
At that moment, all he could feel was the pain, and he had utterly forgotten about his second mission to deliver a tear-jerking speech.
However, with the pain intoxicating him, he began to speak without much of a thought.
“I’ve been called here multiple times,” he started, voice a little strained but still low and warm. “And I want you to know, it’s not something I can get used to.”
There was a small ripple of polite laughter in the crowd. He smiled faintly, but behind the curve of his lips, his fingers gripped the edges of the award tighter.
“I don’t know what the criteria is, truly,” he continued. “But I don’t think I deserve it. Not in the way you think I do.”
Well, he didn’t need it because it was so damn painful!
He continued, sounding like he was about to burst into tears. In reality, he was trying not to curl into a fetal position.
“The staff who work tirelessly behind the camera, the people who ironed my costumes, who adjusted the lights so the shadows fall just right on my face—they’re the ones who should be up here.”
He blinked a few times as his vision started to blur from the pain inching across his chest like heat.
“This award… is meaningful. So, I want to share it with everyone. Cast, crew, background extras, coffee runners. Everyone who held this project up with bare hands.” He lowered his gaze. “Because, to be honest, I didn’t need another award.”
He paused again. The crowd was silent.
“I truly didn’t expect this,” he said with a weak chuckle, appearing paler than before. “And I mean that. I’m someone who forecasts things really well.”
Laughter rippled again, gentler this time, even fonder. But Zeno’s smile faltered.
His throat constricted.
His body trembled.
And before he could stop it, a tear escaped down his cheek.
Gasps broke across the venue like glass, shattering. The camera zoomed in, catching the tear tracing down his handsome face. A single drop. His lashes fluttered, and another one fell.
“My goodness, he’s crying…” someone whispered from the audience.
“Even his crying is pretty,” a comment online said, one of thousands streaming through.
But for Zeno, it was no performance.
It was fucking real because of the pain!
In addition, it made him say things he would have never said out loud in this lifetime.
“To be able to live a life with meaning…,” he whispered, chest heaving slightly, “That’s something I wasn’t used to.”
The words escaped before he could censor them.
The pain wasn’t physical anymore. It was soul-deep.
“And to live this way now… I wonder what kind of life I had truly been living before all this.” He blinked slowly, trying to piece himself back together.
Another thick silence greeted him, some sniffing in the background with how sincere Zeno sounded.
He glanced at the trophy in his hands again.
“So to those who feel like they’ve been stuck,” he continued quietly, “in that slump where you’re just… existing. Breathing but not living—I want to tell you, there’s something out there for you.”
His lips trembled. His eyes were red now, and he couldn’t hide it anymore.
“And if there truly is nothing, then…” he looked up, a strange half-smile playing on his lips.
“Then maybe life itself is that something.”
[Fame Meter: 100%]
[Eligibility: Complete]