Chapter 133: Thyme Film Festival Best Actor Award (END)
by GideonCEO Park Ji-bun’s face soured at the casual request, as if he were suddenly craving a drink in the middle of the day.
“Why don’t you just ask for a honeymoon trip while you’re at it?”
“We’re actually planning to go soon. We’ll have you eat noodles at our wedding banquet before you know it.”
“What…?”
CEO Park Ji-bun glared at the two of them, his gaze murderous as if demanding to know if they were serious. In contrast, CEO Moon Woo-jin, who had supported the couple from the beginning, was grinning ear to ear.
“Are you two getting married? For real?”
“We’re going to have a baby too.”
“A baby?! Well, alright. It’s good to get married early and find stability. Don’t end up divorced like me—just live happily ever after.”
CEO Moon Woo-jin was all for the marriage. CEO Park Ji-bun, on the other hand, set his utensils down and slowly unbuckled his watch, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous rumble.
“I gave my blessing for you to date, not to marry.”
CEO Park Ji-bun viewed his actors as precious assets, and his opposition was clear.
“The fans might be understanding about you dating since you’ve worked on back-to-back projects together, but marriage is a completely different story, isn’t it?”
It was a cold, business-like calculation—classic Park Ji-bun.
“There’s no need to rush. You can enjoy your relationship and get married when the time is right. It’s not too late for that.”
As CEO Park Ji-bun tried to talk them out of it, Zion stood his ground, his tone resolute.
“We’ve talked it over thoroughly.”
“Are you planning to get married in secret or something?”
“That would be deceptive. We’ll announce our relationship via a handwritten letter after the Thyme Film Festival. We’re also getting married by the end of the year.”
CEO Park Ji-bun leaned his head on his palm, as if struck by a sudden bolt of lightning.
“You just started dating. Why not enjoy it a bit more? Is there a baby on the way?”
CEO Moon Woo-jin, who had been watching, stepped in to stop CEO Park.
“They’ve already made up their minds. CEO Park, you should be congratulating them. Come on, a toast to their marriage!”
Though SUB Entertainment had been celebrating a series of victories since going public, CEO Park Ji-bun’s mood was colder than ever.
The autumn evening in Europe was more dazzling with the stars on the ground than those in the sky.
The Thyme Film Festival, an event boasting more glamour and prestige than any other, had officially begun.
Countless camera flashes strobed before the photo line, where a red carpet had been rolled out. The crowd erupted in cheers as a line of impeccably dressed actors waved and posed.
Zion, clad in a black tuxedo, was the first to step out of the car. He paused, holding the door open, and leaned in slightly to offer his hand to someone inside.
The one who took his hand and stepped out was none other than his lover, Cha Jubin.
As they walked the long red carpet under the guidance of the event staff, a relentless barrage of flashes followed them.
“Are you nervous?” Zion asked, his voice gentle.
“No. You?”
To anyone else, Jubin looked like the kind of guest who had been invited to the event simply to enjoy it. Though he was a nominee, the competition—Zion included—was so fierce that winning felt like a distant dream.
All Jubin could think about was handing Zion the bouquet and gift he’d prepared, then heading back to their room to celebrate properly.
“I’m nervous,” Zion admitted.
Ah, a two-time winner is just different, Jubin thought. It was only natural for Zion to be nervous when he was actually expecting to win. Jubin smiled, trying to reassure him.
“Relax. You’ll get what you’re hoping for.”
“Do you know what I’m hoping for?” Zion asked, leaning in to whisper in his ear.
“Of course. You want to win.”
“I want you to win,” Zion murmured.
“I’ll save that for next time,” Jubin replied.
As they stepped onto the red carpet, a barrage of flashes rained down on them. The two struck casual poses for the cameras.
Once they finished the photo op and entered the venue, the noise faded, replaced by a heavy, silent tension.
Because they were seated in the order of arrival, they ended up at a table in the center, near the back.
Checking the distance to the stage, Jubin worried about Zion having to walk all that way if he won.
“Zion, should we move seats?”
“This spot is far from the cameras,” Zion replied, his voice low.
He subtly took Jubin’s hand, intertwining their fingers. Startled, Jubin quickly pulled away, his smile fixed as he warned, “Let’s focus on the awards ceremony, okay?”
A moment later, the lights dimmed, and the Thyme Film Festival logo appeared on the screen, signaling the start of the event.
The grand entrance music swelled as the MC took the stage. On the screen behind him, the nominated films began to scroll by.
Whenever a winner was announced, Jubin offered his congratulations with genuine joy, more heartfelt than anyone else’s. At the same time, he vowed to keep striving and growing as an actor until the day he could stand on that very stage himself.
“We will now announce the nominees for Best Actor.”
Finally, it was time for the Best Actor category. Jubin glanced over at Joo-won, who was seated in the staff section. He had entrusted him with the bouquet he’d prepared for Zion.
Their eyes met, and Joo-won gave a reassuring nod and a subtle signal. He had gone to great lengths to source a bouquet of winter daphne, a flower whose scent perfectly matched Zion’s pheromones.
Jubin’s heart raced with anticipation. The moment Zion’s name was called, he would snatch the flowers from Joo-won and be the first to congratulate him.
“The winner of this year’s Thyme Film Festival Best Actor Award is…”
Jubin’s heart hammered a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
He squeezed Zion’s tense hand, waiting for the announcer to call Zion’s name.
“Congratulations to Iconic Mood’s Cha Jubin!”
The moment his name was announced, a standing ovation erupted. The applause wasn’t thunderous but a clean, resonant sound that filled the vast hall.
Jubin couldn’t process what was happening.
“Hyung…!”
Zion threw his arms around him, whispering “I love you” into his ear. The words felt surreal, completely disconnected from reality.
Zion’s name was supposed to be called. Something’s wrong.
“Me? Not you?” Jubin stammered. Seeing Zion look more thrilled for him than he was for himself brought an inexplicable lump to his throat.
“Hyung, let’s go up together.”
Zion took Jubin’s hand and led him toward the stage.
Their every move was being broadcast live. Joo-won, who had been waiting nearby, ducked out of the camera’s line of sight to hurriedly hand Zion a bouquet.
Jubin, still struggling to process the situation, felt his mind go completely blank.
Zion presented him with an exquisite bouquet—delicate, nameless white flowers nestled among the fragrant, deep-scented Daphne.
“Congratulations. More than anyone, I truly wish you the best.”
This wasn’t the bouquet Jubin had prepared. It was far more lavish and intricate.
“Good luck up there.”
This was as far as Zion could take him. From here, Jubin had to walk the rest of the way to the stage alone.
Though he was still reeling from the shock, Jubin thought of his parents and the fans watching him on screen. He forced his expression to become composed.
“Yeah, I’ll be right back.”
Jubin stepped onto the stage, bouquet in hand. A brilliant spotlight descended on him, blindingly bright.
The glare obscured the audience, but he could feel their countless eyes on him as he accepted the trophy from the presenter.
“Actor Cha Jubin, would you like to say a few words?”
The dazzling lights made the world spin, but as he approached the microphone, the moment finally felt real. This wasn’t a dream.
Jubin took a deep breath, steadying himself, and carefully spoke his first words.
“The trophy is heavier than I expected.”
A ripple of soft laughter flowed through the audience.
The sweet scent of daphne wafted up, drawing his gaze down to the bouquet. Tucked into the flowers was a card.
May you meet this brilliant moment once again.
It was the same message he had once engraved on the bottom of a tumbler—a gift he had given Jubin long ago.
Feeling his presence beside her, Jubin found the courage to speak.
“I’m Cha Jubin, an actor from Korea.”
A wave of applause swept through the audience. Jubin waited for the sound to fade before continuing.
“I can’t believe I’m here. Not only was I nominated for the Thyme Film Festival—a dream I’ve always had—but I’ve also been honored with this award.”
Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would leap out of her chest, but she took a deep breath, fighting to keep her voice from trembling.
“I want to thank the Thyme Film Festival and everyone who voted for me. To my family, the Iconic Team who helped me get here, CEO Moon Woo-jin, CEO Park Ji-bun, my ever-helpful manager Joo-won, the rest of the staff at my agency, Director Bae Eun-hye, who became my first-ever fan, and the esteemed Director Andrew Jin—my sincerest gratitude to all of you.”
As if they had been waiting for this very moment, the audience erupted into thunderous applause.
A staff member below the stage signaled Jubin to continue his acceptance speech.
“The other nominees all delivered incredible performances in their respective films. I think I was just a little luckier than the rest to be standing here today.”
In that moment, Jubin’s eyes found Zion, who was celebrating him more enthusiastically than anyone else.
“Once again, my sincerest thanks to everyone. I went through a long slump and a hiatus for several years, but during that time, a man came into my life and filled it with overwhelming kindness.”
A wave of excited murmurs and cheers swept through the audience as they saw the live translation on the screens.
The camera was now focused on Zion.
“That kindness comforted me so much. I want to say thank you for believing in me all this time. Because of you, I never lost sight of the direction I needed to move forward.”
On the screen, Zion’s eyes were already rimmed with red.
“Thank you for coming to me, Zion.”
His tearful confession, broadcast on national television, crossed time zones to reach the entire world. What they had thought would be a private moment was now shared with the globe.
“I love you so much.”
After the awards ceremony, articles about Cha Jubin winning Best Actor at the Thyme Film Festival flooded the internet.
The headlines, which once labeled him as “Do Zion’s man,” were now dominated by his own name: Actor Cha Jubin.
Immediately after the festival, Jubin and Zion publicly announced their relationship with a long, handwritten letter.
As soon as the letter was released, SUB Entertainment and MOON Entertainment swiftly confirmed their romance.
It was a perfectly iconic mood.
Iconic Mood — The End.
Translator’s Note: Hi! This is Gideon your fan translator. I did my best translating it hehe, I hope you like it, If you like my translations please leave a rating review in Novel Updates, I also appreciate it if you could donate or leave a tip, just click the Support Us button in our website, its for our site maintenance and buying raws in legal platform, we would also appreciate it if you could buy the raws directly in a legal site to support the authors. 🙂 Thankyou, I will do my best to provide quality translations, I would also love it it you can pinpoint errors in my translation, I will fixed it asap if ever. Thankyoou!
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