Chapter 21 – Award Ceremony
Inside the grand lecture hall located at the heart of Korea Animation High School.
This place, usually only used when outside guest lecturers came to give special talks or when a large-scale lecture was needed, was bustling with people for the first time in a long while.
[2005, Korea Animation High School Ultimate Competition Award Ceremony]
The competition that had been held under the direction of Department Head Ma Dong-hyun not long ago.
Today, the award ceremony for that very competition was being held right here.
Teachers from the school were busily moving things around here and there, making final preparations.
At the front, near the judges’ table, the award presenters for today—along with their family members and relatives—were gathered here and there in small groups.
And of course… among them was Kang Min-hyuk as well.
‘I finally made it this far, huh.’
Min-hyuk curled the corner of his mouth upward as he slowly scanned the inside of the lecture hall.
Just thinking that in half a year, he would be enrolling here and spending the next three years of his life in this place… it felt strange. Joyful, yet somehow bittersweet at the same time.
But right at that moment—
For some reason, Hong Mi-seon’s face didn’t look entirely bright.
“Mom, are you okay?”
“Hm? Why?”
“Your expression… it kinda looks a little off.”
“Ah, no, it’s nothing. I’m just a bit tired, that’s all. Tired.”
Hong Mi-seon waved her hand dismissively and forced a smile onto her lips.
But to Min-hyuk, who knew exactly what kind of expression that was, a faint bitter taste rose in the back of his throat.
‘Well… from Mom’s perspective, it’s not exactly easy to be purely happy about this.’
In his mother’s mind, being a comic artist meant a life of poverty and never making any real money—an unfortunate profession.
(And in the year 2005, that was, sadly, a fact.)
No matter how proud she might feel that her son had won the competition, the moment she realized he was actually going to walk this path… from a parent’s point of view, it was hard to feel nothing but joy.
‘Well, this is something I’ll just have to prove to her from now on.’
For now… let’s just enjoy this moment.
Min-hyuk let out a short huff through his nose and turned his gaze sideways.
Anyway, as he looked around to distract himself, his eyes landed on the other three kids.
The first one that caught his attention was—
“Ufu fu, an Excellence Award, huh? As expected, I’m pretty amazing.”
“…Yeah, yeah, good job, good job.”
A boy among the parents, pushing up his glasses with a smug, arrogant smile.
–Khm khm. Delicious, so delicious!–
Min-hyuk suddenly remembered seeing this kid stuffing his face like crazy at the cafeteria on the day of the competition.
‘So that must be Oh Dong-gyo, the one who got the Excellence Award.’
Since all the winning works had been posted on the school bulletin board, he already knew.
A short comic titled <Mother Mother Mother>, drawn in a Japanese subculture style.
The story of a boy who’s a magical girl fanatic discovering that his own mother was actually a magical girl, and the two of them fighting evil together… a rather polarizing, difficult-to-digest plot.
Still, the solidity of the art and the directing skill were far beyond what any middle school student should be capable of. That part was genuinely impressive.
And when he turned his head again…
“Hehet, kkyuuung! Kkyuuuung!”
“Choi Gyu-rim, can you please put that doll away? I’m seriously getting embarrassed here.”
“Embarrassed? Is our Angel embarrassing you, unnie?”
“Nooo, that’s not what I mean—”
A round-faced girl was clutching a ball-jointed doll and chattering away to herself.
Sitting beside her was what appeared to be her older sister—a college-aged girl—who kept glancing around nervously, clearly mortified.
Min-hyuk stroked his chin as the memory came back.
‘That’s the kid I saw in the cafeteria too.’
–…Hehe, so cute…–
The child who, while eating, had molded rice grains into the shape of a bunny and stared at it for the longest time.
She was probably Kim Rok-hee, the one who won the Excellence Award for <Cutie Parents>.
Compared to Oh Dong-gyo, her draftsmanship and directing felt rather average…
But the dialogue was really good. The overall sense of humor, too.
The fun of the back-and-forth tiki-taka between characters, the occasional sharp, stinging lines… it had a bouncy, lively charm that really stood out.
And finally…
“Congratulations, miss.”
“…Yes.”
In one corner, sitting with a completely expressionless face and staring straight ahead, was Han Yu-ra.
Unlike the other kids who were visibly buzzing with excitement, her expression somehow looked displeased, as if she found the whole thing distasteful.
No family had come today either; the only person sitting beside her was the driver.
While Min-hyuk was staring at her like that, Han Yu-ra suddenly turned her head in this direction.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Min-hyuk gave an awkward smile and raised his hand in a small wave.
In response, Han Yu-ra’s face instantly clouded over with unmistakable displeasure.
‘I guess I’m really hated, huh.’
It was right at that moment.
Thud. Thud.
The door to the lecture hall opened, and a rugged-looking man strode up to the podium.
It was Ma Dong-hyun—department head of the Manhwa Creation Department at Korea Animation High School, and a famous comic artist known as the Comic Maniac.
“Ahem! Ahem! We will now begin the award ceremony, so please take your seats, everyone.”
The previously noisy hall quickly quieted down as people settled into their chairs. Ma Dong-hyun continued.
“Before we begin the awards, I first want to express my sincere thanks to every single student who participated in this competition.”
“……”
“This time around, we received far more impressive works than I had anticipated—works overflowing with potential. As a comic artist myself, I received a tremendous amount of inspiration. And looking at all of you here… I have no doubt that among you are the talents who will one day lead the Korean comic industry. I truly congratulate all of you on your awards, and I ask that you continue to take good care of Korean comics in the future.”
The moment Ma Dong-hyun finished speaking,
The eyes of the students waiting for their awards began to tremble slightly.
No one said it out loud, but they could all feel it in their skin.
The words he had just spoken… weren’t mere lip service. They carried real, genuine sincerity.
“Then, let’s begin presenting the awards one by one. First, the Excellence Award goes to… Kim Rok-hee, the artist of <Cutie Parents>. Please come forward.”
Clap clap clap!
Amid the modest applause coming from various places, Kim Rok-hee hurried forward, clutching her rabbit doll tightly to her chest.
Ma Dong-hyun looked straight at her, then drew a warm, gentle smile on his face as he spoke.
“Kim Rok-hee, what stood out most about your work was your dialogue and your unique sense of humor. The way you unravel situations through your own distinct perspective made you feel like a truly remarkable comic artist.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Please never forget that strength of yours. At the same time, I hope you continue to think carefully about what kind of comic artist you want to become, and what you need to do to take your comics one step further.”
“Ah… I will!”
Rok-hee hugged the rabbit doll even tighter as she answered.
Because of her characteristically small stature, she looked almost like a little kid giving a reply.
Soft laughter and warm smiles bloomed here and there among the audience. Ma Dong-hyun then handed her the bouquet and the plaque.
“Next up… Oh Dong-gyo, the artist of <Mother Mother Mother>. Please come forward.”
“Yes!”
Oh Dong-gyo shot his hand high into the air and strode confidently to the front.
“Oh Dong-gyo, your fundamentals in art and directing were truly excellent. However, in terms of character design, there were moments where things felt a little simplistic or overly derivative of existing works… If you can improve in that area, you have the potential to become an even greater comic artist.”
“Y-yes! Yessir!”
Perhaps from nerves, Oh Dong-gyo raised his hands in a slightly awkward gesture as he answered.
A classic otaku pose.
Watching the scene, Min-hyuk let the corner of his mouth curl up.
‘He’s being completely sincere.’
He didn’t say it out loud, but Min-hyuk could feel it.
The very fact that he deliberately referred to them as “comic artists” carried a clear nuance: he saw them not as mere students, but as future professionals—and he sincerely hoped they would all come to Korea Animation High School.
“Next… Han Yu-ra, the artist of <Father, My God>. Please come forward.”
“……”
Thud. Thud.
Han Yu-ra stepped forward and stood in front of Ma Dong-hyun.
Unlike the two who had come before her, who had been noticeably excited, her face showed no emotion at all, as if she were a statue.
“Han Yu-ra, you understood the theme of this competition at 200% and interpreted it beautifully in your own style. Honestly, your skill level was such that it would not be out of place even compared to professional comic artists.”
“…Well, it was nothing special anyway.”
Yu-ra muttered quietly under her breath.
Ma Dong-hyun tilted his head, puzzled.
“Hm? What did you just say?”
“……”
At that moment, Han Yu-ra’s gaze shifted—turning directly toward this direction.
‘What the— Did she just look at me?’
While Min-hyuk was tilting his head in confusion, Yu-ra squeezed her eyes shut for a second before opening them again and turning toward Dong-hyun.
“…I just wanted to say… thank you for the kind words.”
“Ah, I see.”
She looked like she had more she wanted to say, but in the end, Yu-ra simply brushed it off with a short, fake smile.
After that, the plaque and bouquet were handed over, and the final call naturally followed.
“And lastly, the Grand Prize goes to… the artist of <Chains That Connect Us>, Kang Min-hyuk. Please come forward.”
Huuuuh, let’s go.
Kang Min-hyuk rose from his seat and glanced briefly at Hong Mi-seon.
When she gave him a small nod, Min-hyuk walked toward the podium.
He straightened his back firmly, stepping forward as if pressing down hard with the balls of his feet.
Thud!
Standing in front of Ma Dong-hyun, he met the older man’s eyes.
He filled his gaze with as much confidence as he could muster.
Ma Dong-hyun responded with an equally intense look, then parted his lips.
“When I read <Chains That Connect Us>, honestly… my eyes welled up a little. The comic itself was excellent, and while reading it, I couldn’t help but think of my own late mother.”
At those words, several people in the audience nodded quietly, as if they deeply related.
Ma Dong-hyun lifted his head, looked toward Hong Mi-seon sitting among the audience, and gave her a gentle smile before continuing.
“Thank you for showing us such a wonderful comic, Kang Min-hyuk. And… please continue to take good care of your mother.”
“Yes, sir. That’s exactly what I plan to do.”
Their eyes met once more, and then the plaque and bouquet were presented.
“Well then, that concludes today’s award ceremony. We’ll be taking a group photo afterward… and parents, please stay behind for a brief meeting with me regarding the prize money and special benefits.”
“Come on, everyone, come this way.”
After that, things proceeded just like any other award ceremony.
Everyone held their bouquets, lips curved upward, posing for photos.
“Congrats, Kim Rok-hee!”
“Hehe!”
“Dong-gyo, you punk, you did great!”
“Hoho, this much is just the basics, you know.”
Families shared the joy with the winners and snapped commemorative pictures.
Click! Click!
After all the commotion died down a little—
“Excuse me, mother of Kang Min-hyuk?”
“Ah, yes!”
At Ma Dong-hyun’s call, Hong Mi-seon raised her hand slightly.
“Please come this way. I’d like to have a short meeting with you…”
“Yes. Min-hyuk, I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, take your time.”
Min-hyuk gave her a soft smile and waved. The two of them left the grand lecture hall.
Min-hyuk let out a long sigh, placed the bouquet and plaque on the seat beside him, and sat back down.
‘Huuuh… I’m surprisingly drained.’
Even back when he was an adult, he had attended events like this as a winner of the country’s biggest contest…
But somehow, right now it felt way more nerve-wracking, like all his energy had been completely sapped.
He had been in a situation where winning the Grand Prize was basically a requirement if he wanted to get into Korea Animation High School.
The exhaustion from finally achieving that, combined with the surreal feeling that none of this quite felt real yet, left him dazed.
While he was resting for a moment like that—
Sneak! Sneak!
‘Hm?’
He could feel eyes on him.
When Min-hyuk turned his head, he noticed Oh Dong-gyo and Kim Rok-hee glancing in his direction.
That look in their eyes… it was like…
‘They want to talk to me, don’t they?’
He could sense it.
The familiar hesitation kids feel when they’re debating whether or not to speak to someone they see as one of their own kind.
‘Well… maybe it’s okay to act a little like an adult here.’
There’s no downside to getting friendly early.
And with talent like theirs… there’s no way those two wouldn’t end up at Korea Animation High School anyway.
Min-hyuk curled the corner of his mouth upward and spoke.
“You’re Oh Dong-gyo, right? And you’re Kim Rok-hee?”
“Ooooh! You actually remembered our names?!”
“Yeah yeah!”
Oh Dong-gyo smacked his fist into his palm excitedly, while Kim Rok-hee nodded vigorously and bounced on her toes.
Both of them sounded unmistakably thrilled.
Min-hyuk smiled a little wider and said,
“You two really drew some amazing comics.”
At those words, the corners of both kids’ mouths shot up toward the sky, practically glowing.