K-Producer C82 First award

As Byul-ho trailed behind Ascend, he couldn't help but smile at the growing recognition his group was receiving. He was content to blend into the background, letting his artists shine.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the crowd noise. "Byul-ho!"

Startled, Byul-ho turned towards the sound. Near the front of the crowd, a small group of young women were waving enthusiastically at him.

"CEO Byul-ho! Over here!" one called out, her face beaming.

"You're so handsome!" another shrieked, jumping up and down.

Byul-ho blinked in surprise, a bemused thought crossing his mind. 'I have fans?'

He chuckled to himself, realizing they weren't up to date on his new title. With a shake of his head and a warm smile, he waved back at the excited girls.

As he continued down the red carpet, Byul-ho noticed that most of the crowd's attention remained on the artists. A few curious glances were thrown his way, but for the most part, he walked unnoticed.

It was a strange feeling - being recognized by a few while remaining anonymous to most. But Byul-ho didn't mind. His focus was on Ascend and their big night.

As Byul-ho watched from a short distance, he could see the nervous energy radiating from Ascend as they faced the reporter. Jae-sung tried to keep his voice steady as he answered questions, while Min-jae fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve.

Just as the group interview wrapped up, the reporter's eyes landed on Byul-ho. Recognition flashed across her face as she quickly made her way over.

"Excuse me," she said, microphone extended, "You're the owner of Golden-Star Entertainment, correct?"

Byul-ho nodded, offering a polite smile. "That's right."

The reporter's eyes lit up. "How does it feel to have your first group attending the music awards?"

Byul-ho paused for a moment, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "Honestly? It feels amazing. Seeing how far Ascend has come, being nominated... it's more than we could've hoped for at this stage."

"Did you expect this level of success so quickly?" the reporter pressed.

Byul-ho chuckled. "In this industry, you always hope for the best. But Ascend has exceeded even my high expectations. They've grown tremendously as artists and as individuals."

After a few more questions about the company's future plans and Ascend's upcoming projects, the reporter thanked him and moved on to her next interview.

As the red carpet event continued, established artists mingled and chatted, occasionally glancing at the newer faces in the crowd. Rookie groups like Ascend, ZE:A, and MBLAQ drew curious looks from their seniors.

Near the entrance, members of Big Bang huddled together, their eyes scanning the newcomers. G-Dragon leaned in, whispering to Taeyang, "There are a lot of new faces this year. Who are all these rookies?"

Taeyang shrugged, "I recognize ZE:A, Ascend, but the other one? No idea."

Not far from them, a small group of idols known for their sharp tongues huddled together, their voices low but their expressions dismissive.

"Look at all these newbies," one sneered, hiding his mouth behind his hand. "They think just because they got nominated, they're on our level?"

His friend nodded, rolling his eyes. "I bet half of them won't last a year. Remember that group from last year? What were they called again?"

Another chimed in, her voice dripping with fake sweetness, "Aigoo, they all look so nervous. How cute. Remember when we were that green?"

The group snickered, their eyes darting back to the rookie groups. Despite their mocking words, there was a hint of unease in their expressions. After all, they had once been the new faces on the red carpet, and they knew how quickly things could change in the K-pop world.

***

After the red carpet, the celebrities filed into the grand auditorium of the Olympic Hall, the excitement from the red carpet carrying over into the venue. Ascend, along with Byul-ho, found their seats towards the middle of the hall, surrounded by a mix of established artists and fellow rookies.

As they settled in, Jae-sung leaned towards Byul-ho, his voice barely above a whisper. "Hyung, I feel like my heart's going to beat out of my chest."

Min-jae nodded in agreement, his usual confidence replaced by wide-eyed nervousness. "Is it normal to feel this anxious?"

Byul-ho smiled reassuringly, feeling a strange mix of youthful excitement and the calm that came with his "old soul" experience. "It's perfectly normal. Just remember, being here is already an achievement. Everything else is a bonus."

The lights began to dim, hushing the chatter in the auditorium. Sung-ho gripped the armrests of his seat, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

As the stage lights came to life, the MCs for the evening, Yoo Jae-suk and Lee Hyori, stepped out to thunderous applause. Their easy banter and playful jokes helped ease some of the tension in the room.

"Welcome, everyone, to this year's Korean Music Awards!" Yoo Jae-suk's voice boomed through the speakers. "We've got an exciting night ahead of us, filled with incredible performances and, of course, some well-deserved recognition for our talented artists."

Lee Hyori chimed in with a dazzling smile, "That's right, Jae-suk. And I have to say, I'm particularly excited to see some of our amazing rookie groups tonight. The future of K-pop is looking bright!"

***

The award ceremony progressed with a mix of performances and award presentations. The early categories included Best OST, Best R&B & Soul, and Best Indie Music. The tension in the room grew as the night wore on, with each award bringing the rookie groups closer to the categories they were nominated for.

Finally, the moment arrived. Lee Hyori stepped forward, her voice filled with excitement. "And now, the award for Best Dance Performance goes to..."

The cameras panned across the room, focusing on the nominated groups. There was Ascend, looking nervous but hopeful. Beside them, ZE:A and MBLAQ sat with similar expressions of anticipation. The room held its collective breath.

Lee Hyori opened the envelope, a wide smile spreading across her face. "Ascend, for 'Love Sentence'!"

The camera zoomed in on Ascend's table. For a split second, they looked stunned, as if they couldn't believe what they'd just heard. Then, all at once, their faces lit up with joy and disbelief.

Jae-sung's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open in shock. Min-jae grabbed Sung-ho's arm, shaking him in excitement. Hyun-woo covered his face with his hands, overcome with emotion, while Do-hyun and the others cheered loudly.

As they made their way to the stage, still looking dazed but elated, the audience applauded. Some of the senior artists nodded approvingly, clearly impressed by the rookies' unexpected win.

On stage, Ascend bowed deeply, their faces a mix of joy and humility as they accepted their first major award.

As Ascend reached the stage, Yoo Jae-suk greeted them with a warm smile. "Congratulations, Ascend! This is your first major award, isn't it? How does it feel?"

Jae-sung, still looking slightly dazed, stepped up to the microphone. He glanced back at his members, then out to the audience where he caught Byul-ho's encouraging nod.

Taking a deep breath, Jae-sung began, "Thank you so much. We... we really didn't expect this. It's an incredible honor."

Lee Hyori chimed in, "Your choreography for 'Love Sentence' was truly impressive. Did you expect it to receive such recognition?"

Jae-sung shook his head, a humble smile on his face. "Not at all. We just worked hard and hoped people would enjoy it. This award... it means so much to us."

Yoo Jae-suk nodded approvingly. "Well, your hard work has certainly paid off. Do you have anyone you'd like to thank?"

At this, Jae-sung's eyes lit up. "Yes! We want to thank our fans, of course. Without their support, we wouldn't be here. And our company, Golden-Star Entertainment, especially our CEO... I mean, chairman, Byul-ho. He's believed in us from the start."

As Jae-sung continued with their thank-you speech, the camera briefly panned to Byul-ho in the audience, capturing his smile.