Chapter 111: The End of 2006

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Entertainment All Around, No Ads
Story Timeline: November–December 2006
Recommended Song: Lee Hyori – Hey Mr. Big

Disclaimer: This story is purely fictional; any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental.

Lee Hyori, Kang Ho-dong, Han Chae-young.

Each of these names alone commands attention. After ending her contract with her former agency DSP in November, Lee Hyori had been seeking a new contract. ONE, now financially robust and optimistic about her, especially with the connection to Kang Yi-han, secured the contract smoothly. Kang Ho-dong’s signing was unexpected yet understandable. As one of Korea’s top hosts, Kang Ho-dong had long sought collaboration with a larger company to expand his career. Though ONE lacked a dedicated comedy division, its strength made it a good choice. Moreover, ONE’s signing of Kang Ho-dong suggested ambitions to enter the comedy scene.

The real surprise was Han Chae-young’s signing. As a leading figure in television and film, her joining ONE seemed incongruous. While ONE had some involvement in the film industry, its roots were in music, and its film capabilities were still limited. The media speculated wildly—was ONE’s ambition to expand aggressively into film, or was there some other undisclosed reason? Likely, only those involved knew the truth.

Originally, ONE’s list included an even more heavyweight name: Jang Dong-gun.

When Lee Ran contacted Jang Dong-gun, there was no surprise; it was a natural step. Yet Jang Dong-gun declined without hesitation: “I truly regard Yi-han as a younger brother, and I will do my best to support him. But personally, my current agency treats me well. I won my Best Actor award there, and I have no plans to leave now. If I ever decide to change my environment, rest assured, you will be my first choice.”

Although ONE failed to sign Jang Dong-gun, this interaction revealed ONE’s ambition to explore multiple fields. Whether it would succeed remained to be seen.

By the end of 2006, the newly established company ONE had stirred the Korean entertainment industry into a chaotic whirlpool, yet the year-end awards ceremonies proceeded smoothly.

Naturally, Super Junior, with Han Geng, won Best New Artist. Han Geng was deeply moved, tears uncontrollable as he stood at the microphone delivering his thank-you speech in Chinese. After so much hardship, Han Geng finally received his due honor.

Meanwhile, Big Bang, with G-Dragon, faced hesitation over attending due to company mergers and Yang Hyun-suk’s influence. Ultimately, like Kang Yi-han, Big Bang chose not to attend any award ceremonies but appeared as performers at the Golden Disc Awards.

The most significant success was TVXQ, whose title track was penned by Kang Yi-han. With this album, TVXQ swept the major awards at every ceremony, reaching the pinnacle of popularity. After departing from MS, TVXQ earned their first and last major accolade at ABC Company—now effectively ONE’s artists—through solid talent, strategic planning, relentless effort, and a high-quality album.

During his acceptance speech, Kim Jae-joong mentioned Kang Yi-han but choked up, unable to continue: “Yi-han hyung, thank you... truly thank you.” Beyond gratitude, Kim Jae-joong struggled to express his feelings toward this brother just a few months older. The fans and supporters present understood the bond and knew what Yi-han had endured this year, shedding tears in this emotional moment.

Watching the five young men cry with joy, Kang Yi-han felt a complex mix of happiness for their hard-won success, comfort in recognition, confusion about the future, and anticipation for his own comeback.

Though Kang Yi-han did not attend the awards or parties, he remained the most prominent artist at the MKMF and Golden Disc Awards. His song “Can I Love You?” won Most Popular Song, Highest Popularity, Best Album, and Best-Selling Album. However, since he was absent, organizers reallocated most of his awards to others, leaving him only the Most Popular Song prize, as “Can I Love You?” was undeniably the year's biggest hit.

Why, then, was Kang Yi-han still the star of the ceremonies? Because the representatives accepting his awards were formidable. Typically, absent artists are represented by their managers or company executives, but Kang Yi-han’s makeup artist, Seo Hyun, accepted on his behalf—an embarrassing moment for the organizers, further inflamed by Seo Hyun’s remarks.

Upon receiving the trophy, Seo Hyun approached the microphone and said, “Thank you all for your support. I believe everyone understands why Master Yi-han is not here. Even without this trophy or any others, everyone has seen and remembered Master Yi-han’s achievements in 2006, and that’s enough.” Then Seo Hyun turned sharply and exited, leaving the organizers bewildered and the event somewhat farcical.

In truth, Seo Hyun was extremely nervous, barely able to stand. Lee Ran had coached her to deliver a warning: don’t provoke us lightly. Though no one was named, the message was clear. Especially the last sentence implied the awards were meaningless, causing immense awkwardness for the hosts.

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The following day, newspapers flooded the news with coverage, questioning the awards’ credibility once more.

Nowadays, many awards are tainted by favoritism or behind-the-scenes dealings, no longer fair or representative of the year’s work. Simply put, Kang Yi-han’s album outsold the runner-up nearly twofold, yet he did not receive the Best-Selling Album award—likely indifferent to the accolades himself. Calls to abolish award shows resurfaced, and after the three major networks canceled their ceremonies, other events faced renewed challenges.

Alongside musical awards, film industry ceremonies began in December.

After much consideration, Kang Yi-han decided to attend the Blue Dragon Film Awards. It was his first public appearance since April, eight months prior, and no one had been informed in advance. On the red carpet, after announcing Kim Jae-joong’s name, the host unexpectedly called Kang Yi-han’s.

The audience instantly fell silent, murmuring in surprise. Although Kang Yi-han was nominated for Best New Actor, no official word of his attendance had been shared, leaving media and fans unprepared. As Kang Yi-han followed Kim Jae-joong from the car onto the red carpet, chaos erupted. Screams drowned out the speakers; security struggled to contain the surging crowd pressing forward for a closer view. Eventually, order was restored.

“Yi-han hyung, your popularity’s undeniable,” Kim Jae-joong whispered.

“You just love to talk nonsense,” Kang Yi-han retorted softly, pinching Kim Jae-joong, who struggled to maintain his composure.

Amid cheers, Kang Yi-han strolled the red carpet. Both he and Kim Jae-joong wore simple attire: Kim in a black suit with a dark purple shirt and a large black scarf for warmth, exuding sensual charm; Kang Yi-han in a black suit and shirt adorned subtly with black satin ribbons and silver-thread patterns, a fur shoulder wrap adding both flair and warmth against the biting wind. His slightly long black hair flowed freely in the breeze. If Kim Jae-joong’s entrance was sexy, Kang Yi-han’s was irresistibly magnetic.

Smiling and greeting the crowd, his presence vibrated through the venue, the floor trembling subtly beneath the roar of fans. The short 100-meter carpet was met with nearly unanimous shouting, winter’s chill obliterated by fervor. By the time they completed the walk, everyone was soaked in sweat.

The ceremony’s ratings soared to unprecedented heights following Kang Yi-han’s appearance. When nominees for Best New Actor appeared on screen, viewership peaked, the camera cycling among candidates. Kang Yi-han appeared calm; winning at Cannes was already a surprise, so he didn’t expect more. Yet when his name was called, disbelief flickered across his face.

Kim Jae-joong nudged him, “Congratulations, Yi-han hyung.” Though also nominated, Kim sincerely celebrated Kang’s win.

The standing ovation was universal.

Kang Yi-han gazed at the trophy, its facets sparkling under the lights. After a long pause, he steadied his racing heart and whispered, “Thank you,” before stepping down.

His brief words momentarily stunned the hosts, but all knew the depth and complexity behind that simple “thank you.”

Back at their seats, Kim Jae-joong stood to embrace and congratulate Kang again before sitting.

If the Newcomer Award didn’t rattle Kim much, the Best Supporting Actor category did. Being his first acting role, Kim felt he still had much to learn, but the film’s success and acclaim sparked hope.

Seeing Kim too nervous to speak, Kang patted his shoulder encouragingly, “You can do it.” Kim smiled, his anxiety easing. When the winner’s image froze on screen, it felt like an eternity. Upon seeing himself, Kim blinked in disbelief, then joyously jumped, clutching Kang and exclaiming, “Hyung, it’s me, it’s me!”

Kang embraced him firmly, then gently urged him to accept the award.

Holding the trophy, Kim tried to speak but choked up, tears streaming freely. He let them shine under the spotlight, finally saying, “I’m truly grateful to receive this award. For my first acting role to be recognized so greatly, I don’t know what to say. Thanks to the director, the entire crew, and the Blue Dragon judges.” Turning his head to wipe uncontrollable tears, he bit his lip before continuing, “But most of all, I want to thank Yi-han hyung. He’s had a tough year, but now the skies have cleared. Please continue to support Yi-han hyung steadfastly. Yi-han hyung, you know I love you.” Kim’s words stumbled out as he left the stage.

The applause lasted unbroken.

Back at their seats, Kang said nothing, but his tear-filled eyes spoke volumes. He embraced his good friend tightly—no words needed.

After several emotional highs, the ceremony approached its climax: Best Actor.

When Kang Yi-han’s image appeared among the nominees, the crowd’s cheers could be felt even by viewers at home. The suspense felt eternal as the winner was announced—Kang Yi-han.

Sitting still, he felt Kim’s warm embrace but his mind went blank.

At Cannes, Kang had savored his success abroad alone; now, in his homeland that had witnessed his fall, he was finally affirmed. His emotions overwhelmed him.

He barely remembered walking to the stage, clutching the trophy so tightly his knuckles turned white, pain numbed. At the microphone, he paused nearly half a minute, speechless. The audience waited in silence.

Finally, Kang leaned in and said, “Thank you to everyone who gave me this award, and to all who helped me achieve it. Lastly…” He paused to swallow back tears, raising his eyes to the ceiling to hold them back. After another long moment, tears still glistening, he looked at the audience with red-rimmed eyes and said, “Lastly, thank you to everyone who believed in me.”

Those few words were spoken with great difficulty, voice breaking several times. After finishing, he raised the trophy and stepped back quickly, tears flowing freely as he wiped them away and strode backstage.

The applause lasted nearly three minutes.

Those fortunate to attend were left overwhelmed by emotion, tears their only outlet.

At the 2006 Blue Dragon Awards, “Can I Love You?” dominated, winning Best New Actor, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress (Kim So-hee), Best Director, and Best Film. Except for Best Actress, the film swept the major awards.

Time for some chatter—today brings two updates, this being the second. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend and thank you for your support!

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