K-Producer C83 Rookie of the Year

The host turned his attention to Byul-ho, a playful smile on his face. "The young CEO, Byul-ho — it seems you're quite beloved by your Ascend members!"

Byul-ho just smiled warmly, not bothering to correct the "CEO" title. It had become such a habit for everyone to call him that, he'd grown used to it.

As the ceremony progressed, the anticipation in the room grew palpable. Finally, the moment for the Rookie of the Year award arrived.

The host's voice rang out, "And now, for the award we've all been waiting for — Rookie of the Year! Our nominees are: Ascend, ZE:A, MBLAQ..."

The camera panned across the nervous faces of the rookie groups. The host paused, building suspense.

"And the winner is..." he opened the envelope slowly, "Ascend!"

The auditorium erupted in applause. The camera zoomed in on Ascend's table, capturing their shocked expressions. Jae-sung's mouth hung open in disbelief, while Min-jae and Sung-ho hugged each other, tears in their eyes.

As they made their way to the stage for the second time that night, their steps were shaky, overwhelmed by the moment. They bowed deeply to the audience, their faces a mix of joy, gratitude, and utter disbelief at their unexpected double win.

Jae-sung took the microphone with shaking hands. "We... we can't believe this. When we came here, we weren't expecting to win anything at all. Byul-ho hyung even told us not to expect much, that being nominated was already a huge honor. But then we won Best Dance Performance, and now... this..."

Min-jae stepped forward, his voice thick with emotion. "I know we're repeating ourselves from earlier, but we have to say it again. Everything is thanks to Byul-ho hyung. Without him and Golden-Star, we wouldn't be here."

Yoo Jae-suk chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "We keep hearing the CEO's name. Why don't we invite him on stage? Byul-ho-ssi, come join your group!"

The camera panned to Byul-ho, who looked surprised at the sudden invitation. A staff member quickly approached him, gesturing for him to make his way to the stage.

As Byul-ho walked up, the audience applauded, some whispering about how young he looked. He joined Ascend on stage, bowing politely to the hosts and the audience.

Lee Hyori turned to Byul-ho with a warm smile. "Byul-ho-ssi, your group clearly thinks very highly of you. How does it feel to see Ascend bagging two awards tonight?"

Byul-ho took the microphone, a humble smile on his face. "I'm definitely happy for them. They've worked incredibly hard to get here. But I hope these awards don't go to their heads. Awards are nice, but they're not the most important thing. I hope they continue to work hard and achieve even more in the future."

The audience applauded Byul-ho's thoughtful response, many nodding in agreement.

Meanwhile, at Byul-ho's house, Kim Seon-woo sat in front of the television, watching his young master speak on the national broadcast. A proud smile spread across his face as he listened to Byul-ho's words.

"Ah, young master," Seon-woo murmured, his eyes glistening slightly. "If only your parents could see you now. They would be so proud."

He chuckled softly to himself, remembering the young boy who used to run around the house, dreaming big dreams. Now, here he was, making those dreams a reality.

As the camera panned back to Ascend and Byul-ho on stage, Seon-woo raised his tea cup in a silent toast. "To you, young master, and to all the great things you'll achieve."

As the news of Ascend's double win spread, fan communities across Korea erupted with excitement. In various online chat rooms and fan cafes, Ascend's supporters couldn't contain their joy.

On one popular fan forum, user AscendRising2010 posted: "Did you see that? TWO awards! I'm so proud of our boys!"

The comment section quickly filled with enthusiastic responses:

LoveSentenceForever: "I can't stop crying! They deserve this so much!"

KimLiSung8: "Best rookie AND best dance performance? Ascend is unstoppable!"

In another thread, a heated debate was unfolding:

AscendWillRuleKpop: "I told you all! Ascend will surpass Big Bang one day. These awards are just the beginning!"

BigBangVIP4life: "Lol, dream on. Two rookie awards don't mean they'll ever reach Big Bang's level."

AscendWillRuleKpop: "Just wait and see. Remember this moment. Ascend is going places!"

As the night went on, fan-made congratulatory posters flooded social media platforms.

***

As Byul-ho and Ascend descended from the stage, they were met with a sea of stares. The auditorium hummed with a mix of admiration and curiosity.

Scanning the room, Byul-ho's gaze landed on the Big Bang members. Most seemed indifferent or mildly impressed, but when his eyes met Seungri's, Byul-ho felt a sudden surge of irritation.

Seungri's expression was one of conceited indifference, a smug look that seemed to dismiss Ascend's achievements. To anyone else, it might have appeared as simple disinterest, but for Byul-ho, armed with knowledge of Seungri's future misdeeds, that expression was infuriating.

For a brief moment, Byul-ho imagined the satisfaction of his fist connecting with Seungri's jaw. The urge to act on this impulse was strong, fueled by the frustration of knowing what this man would do in the future.

But Byul-ho quickly pushed the thought aside. This wasn't the time or place, and he knew better than to act on such impulses.

The Ascend members, still riding high on their unexpected wins, were oblivious to Byul-ho's internal struggle. They chattered excitedly amongst themselves, clutching their awards and beaming with pride.

As they settled back into their seats, Byul-ho leaned in towards the group. "Hey, how about we celebrate later? My treat."

The members exchanged knowing glances, grins spreading across their faces.

Jae-sung nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, hyung. It's only natural, right? A reward for our big wins."

"Yeah," Min-jae chimed in, puffing out his chest playfully. "We're award-winning artists now. We deserve some special treatment."

Byul-ho shook his head, a chuckle escaping his lips. "What's this I'm hearing? Didn't I warn you guys about getting arrogant? Two awards at the Korean Music Awards and suddenly you're all high and mighty?"

The group burst into laughter, drawing curious glances from nearby tables.

"We're just kidding, hyung," Sung-ho said, nudging Byul-ho's arm. "You know we're not really like that."

Hyun-woo nodded, his eyes still shining with excitement. "But we are allowed to be a little proud, right? Just for tonight?"

Byul-ho's expression softened, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Alright, alright. You've earned it. But tomorrow, it's back to work, understand?"

"Yes, hyung!" the group chorused, their voices a mix of excitement and determination.

***

Later that evening, Byul-ho's car pulled up in front of a high-end restaurant in Gangnam. As the Ascend members piled out, their eyes widened in surprise.

"Whoa, hyung," Jae-sung said, his voice filled with awe. "This place looks really fancy. Are you sure this is where we're eating?"

Byul-ho nodded, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Why not? I thought you guys might want to feel like rich celebrities for a night."

Min-jae laughed, adjusting his tie nervously. "But we usually just go to the pojangmacha or some barbecue place."

"Well, tonight's special," Byul-ho replied, guiding them towards the entrance. "Consider it a taste of what's to come if you keep working hard."

Sung-ho chuckled, elbowing Do-hyun playfully. "Hear that? We're fancy now. Better work on your table manners."

As they entered the restaurant, the maître d' greeted them with a polite bow. The group looked around in amazement at the elegant decor and well-dressed patrons.

Hyun-woo leaned in close to Byul-ho. "Are you sure we can afford this, hyung?"

Byul-ho smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. Tonight, we celebrate in style. Just don't get used to it, alright?"