Woo-Hee put on her shoes and was about to leave the house when their family helper asked, “Where are you going? You’re not watching the awards ceremony?”

“I made plans with a friend.” 

“That’s a pity. You should leave after watching your brother receive the award if you can.”
Woo-Hee smiled awkwardly, avoiding any eye contact with the lady. It seemed there were no doubts in her mind that Red Enemy would receive the award. 

“Well…there’s been no confirmation yet as to whether or not it will receive the award.”

“What! Everyone is saying that Red Enemy will be getting the award, though?”

Their helper wasn’t the only one who assumed Red Enemy would win the award –– a lot of people seemed to act as though it was a given that Red Enemy would get it. Woo-Hee found their attitudes towards the award ceremony interesting but also worrisome at the same time. 

The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, had always garnered public attention, and that was particularly true this year. Unlike the previous ceremonies, even those who were typically uninterested in the event watched it live this time around. Perhaps, it was because a Korean movie was nominated. 

Just being nominated in and of itself piqued the public’s interest, which in turn became anticipation. And gradually, the anticipation turned into conviction. Presently, the public was watching the awards ceremony with pride –– just like how they felt when the Korean national team won an international competition. 

That was the result of a combination of various factors: the pride they had for Red Enemy, a movie that enjoyed unprecedented success in Korea, as well as their faith in Actor Chae Woo-Jin. This was piled on top of the already-existing anticipation the public had. Additionally, thanks to the media blindly singing praises for it, people took it as a given that Red Enemy would be getting the award. While Woo-Hee understood their feelings,...