Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 630 Nominated for Best Actor! Baeksang Arts Awards Nominations!

When the van stopped outside the set of "Night Owl," the slight vibration finally woke Kwon Hyun-hyuk from his sleep.

In the dim light inside the carriage, the first thing he felt was the stiffness and soreness in his shoulders and neck from being under pressure for so long, and the touch of fabric that didn't belong to his coat—it was the thin blanket that Chou Tzu-yu had covered him with.

His eyelids twitched, and his blurry vision gradually cleared.

The first thing I saw was Chou Tzu-yu standing next to me.

She was sitting quietly to the side, the soft glow of her phone screen illuminating the gentle, focused lines of her profile.

Unaware that he had woken up, she gently slid her slender fingertips across the screen, appearing exceptionally obedient and serene.

Quan Xuanhe blinked silently, trying to shake off the last bit of sleepiness.

He cleared his throat and slowly sat up straight, the blanket slipping off him.

This subtle movement immediately caught Chou Tzu-yu's attention.

She quickly turned her face away, her focused expression instantly replaced by tender concern.

"Awake?" Her voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing his last remnants of rest, with its usual gentle and comforting tone.

"Are you feeling better? You're sleeping soundly." As she spoke, she naturally reached out and handed her a bottle of mineral water.

Quan Xuanhe rubbed his throbbing temples. "Hmm... You slept the whole way? When did you arrive?"

He glanced out the car window at the familiar nighttime set of "Night Owl," where lights shone brightly in the distance and shadowy figures could be seen moving about.

"I just arrived a little while ago," Chou Tzu-yu replied, then, noticing his expression, asked softly, "Should we wait a bit longer? Is there enough time?"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk took a deep breath of the slightly cool air outside the car window.

He shook his head, feeling his muddled mind clear up considerably: "That's about it."

His gaze fell on Zhou Ziyu's face, carrying a hint of understanding and inquiry: "What about you? Waiting for me in the car? In a bit..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chou Tzu-yu nodded obediently, a reassuring smile playing on her lips.

"Okay, I'll wait for you in the car, or we can find somewhere to sit. Oppa, hurry up, don't keep everyone waiting. I'll watch you go in."

Quan Xuanhe didn't say anything more, but simply raised his hand to soothe her by squeezing the back of her hand that was resting on her side. Then he neatly tidied up the blanket and opened the car door.

After getting out of the car, Kwon Hyun-hyuk glanced back at the van.

In reality, Zhou Ziyu would be suffering by waiting for him here, and Quan Xuanhe didn't want her to keep waiting for him, as that would be a waste of time.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk thought so, but when he thought about making Chou Tzu-yu, who had traveled all the way to find him, turn back the same way, he felt a little reluctant.

Ugh.

Let's film the movie first.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk quickly got to work on set, starting to prepare for makeup and attaching a beard to his chin.

Chou Tzu-yu sat quietly in the back seat of the van, watching Kwon Hyun-hyuk's tall figure quickly merge into the busy crowd on the set of "Night Owl" until he was swallowed up by the night and the lights.

The car windows shut out the noise of the outside world, and the interior of the car immediately fell into a silence that belonged only to her.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's scent seemed to still linger inside the car.

Zhou Ziyu gently pulled the thin blanket draped over her body tighter—the same one she had just covered Kwon Xuanhe with.

The blanket seemed to still retain a trace of his body heat.

The initial obedient waiting was gradually diluted by the long silence and nothing to do.

Bored, her clear gaze began to wander around the limited space inside the car.

There wasn't much inside the car.

Her gaze swept past the cans of energy drinks in the glove compartment and landed on a black leather binder on the center armrest of the back seat. It looked like a notebook.

His gaze shifted to two items casually stacked on the seat beside him. One was a photocopy of the script for "Night Owl," the edges of the pages curled up, with many blank spaces densely marked with thoughts and understandings in red and blue ink, and in some places even traces of erasure and correction.

Each page, densely covered with handwriting, silently testifies to the owner's deep engagement during study.

Chou Tzu-yu recognized his handwriting; it was strong and vigorous.

A small box of throat lozenges lay scattered nearby, seemingly proof that his throat had been sore recently.

Zhou Ziyu sat quietly in the back seat of Quan Xuanhe's van, a feeling of utter boredom creeping over her.

Time seemed to pass exceptionally slowly inside the enclosed train carriage.

At first, I just casually flipped through his annotations on the script, trying to feel the depth of his understanding of the character between the lines, but as the night deepened, the noise of the film set outside the window became distant and blurry.

The fatigue from days of traveling to visit the set began to creep in.

Finally, my eyelids could no longer hold on and slowly closed.

Her slender body gradually relaxed, and she slid to the window seat in a comfortable curled-up position.

Her breathing gradually became even and shallow, and she didn't even notice the thin blanket slipping down to her waist.

The lights on the set of "Night Owl" in Gyeonggi Province gradually went out. Kwon Heonhyuk rubbed his sore neck as he walked towards the van and casually opened the door.

All that could be seen was Chou Tzu-yu curled up in the chair, with a thin blanket loosely draped over her body, her breathing even and long.

She had clearly been waiting for a long time and couldn't resist the urge to sleep. Her cheek sank into the soft leather cushion, and a few strands of hair fell across her forehead.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk opened the car door very quietly, afraid of waking her.

His gaze fell on her clenched hands, her fingertips still unconsciously hooking the edge of the blanket, revealing a softness that showed no sign of defense.
His gaze paused slightly as it swept over her hand.

Quan Xuanhe's gaze swept across the car, he sighed silently, and tried not to disturb the sleeping person. He quietly stepped back out of the car and closed the door.

The chilly night wind gave him a slight jolt. He turned to his assistant and driver beside him, his voice low and hoarse with an undeniable air of authority: "We're not going back to the hotel. We're driving straight back to Seoul."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk then took out his phone and sent a message to Sana Minatozaki.

"I'll come pick up Tzuyu in a bit."

"?"

"She fell asleep."

"No, you actually..."

"Huh? What? She was waiting for me in the van, and she was already asleep when I came back from filming."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk was a little confused about Minatozaki Sana's reaction.

"Huh?! Oh."

What are you thinking about?

For no reason at all, I've misunderstood.

The van smoothly drove away from the set of "Night Owl" and merged into the traffic heading towards Seoul.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk leaned back in his chair and closed his sore eyes.

Time flows on as we move forward.

Chou Tzu-yu woke up groggily amidst the jolts, her thick eyelashes trembling.

As the street scene outside the car window gradually changed from suburban farmland to dense neon signs, she suddenly sat up straight and realized that she was on her way back to Seoul.

"...Why did you go back to Seoul?"

Her sleepy voice was filled with confusion as she turned to look at Quan Xuanhe beside her.

He had been resting with his eyes closed, but he opened them at this moment.

"I'll take you back to your dorm." Seeing her frown as if she wanted to object, he interrupted. "Staying up all night on set with me isn't fun; you'll get bored too."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk twitched the corner of his mouth but didn't answer. He just wrapped the blanket that had slipped off around her calves again.

The car slowly came to a stop in the alley behind TWICE's dorm.

The night was quiet, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow.

Quan Xuanhe opened his eyes and stretched his stiff neck.

Almost as soon as the car came to a stop, a girl wearing a mask and hat, and dressed in loose clothing, walked out from outside the street.

Her hair was casually tied up, with a few unruly strands slipping out from under the brim of her hat. The loose hoodie made her look even smaller than she actually was.

Sana Minatozaki walked a few steps to the car, opened the back door, and a warm atmosphere wafted out from inside.

Their gazes were first fixed on Quan Xuanhe.

He leaned back in his seat, his profile looking somewhat tired in the shadows of the carriage, but his eyes were clear.

Immediately afterwards, Sana Minatozaki's gaze shifted to Tzuyu, who was curled up next to him.

Chou Tzu-yu then realized that the car was already parked downstairs at the dormitory.

She just took another nap.

She subconsciously raised her hand to rub her eyes, trying to sit up, but a wave of soreness and numbness from her long-term curled-up posture made her movement pause slightly.

Sana Minatozaki immediately grabbed her arm to help her gain weight.

"Slow down, be careful not to bump your head."

As Chou Tzu-yu stepped out of the van, a gust of night wind sent a shiver through her, instantly making her more alert.

After regaining her footing, she instinctively turned to look at Kwon Hyun-hyuk inside the car.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk sat in the dimly lit car, looking at her with a reassuring gaze.

"Go back and get some rest."

"Um……"

Chou Tzu-yu's voice was very soft, as if it had been blown away by the wind. She didn't say much, just nodded, and then let Minatozaki Sana put her arm around her shoulder and lean most of her weight against her.

This gesture reveals her dependence on her older sister and her exhaustion.

Although it looks more like Minatozaki Sana is a small horse pulling a big cart.

Sana Minatozaki tightened her grip on Tzuyu's shoulder to make sure she stood firm.

"Let's go."

"Let's go, be careful on the way back."

Sana Minatozaki half-supported and half-carried Tzuyu, their shadows stretched long and slanted by the dim streetlights as they slowly moved toward the back door of the dormitory building.

Before turning the corner at the entrance, Sana Minatozaki seemed to tilt her head slightly, glancing almost imperceptibly at the van that remained stationary.

The van remained still for a moment, its taillights illuminated, and then it silently disappeared into the traffic of Seoul's late-night streets.

As Sana Minatozaki helped the drowsy Tzuyu toward the dormitory building, her fingertips felt slightly cold, but her heart was surging with intense emotions.

"Even though he knew Ziyu was going to see him, he still made me clean up the mess..."

She glanced at Chou Tzu-yu, who was leaning against her with her eyes closed, and muttered to herself.

This man is really
On the night the nominations for the Baeksang Arts Awards were announced, Kwon Heon-hyuk's name exploded on the trending topics list.

When his phone notifications came in like a tidal wave, he had just finished filming a night scene for "Night Owl" at 3 a.m., and his face was still covered in stubble makeup.

His assistant excitedly shoved a tablet in front of him: "Bro! You've been nominated for Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards!"

While Kwon Heonhyuk was sending Chou Tzu-yu back and continuing to shuttle between the two film crews, the list of nominees for the 2022 Baeksang Arts Awards was announced!

Kwon Heon-hyuk has been nominated for Best Actor in the Television category!

This is his first Best Actor nomination, and he was successfully nominated for "DP"!
Although "DP" is not very popular overseas, it has always maintained a very strong reputation.

Even bloggers who specialize in film and television editing would never miss it.

With his outstanding performance in "DP" and his actions that broke through his personal image, Kwon Heonhyuk truly shed the constraints of being an idol actor.

The screen displays the headline of the news agency's front page.

Kwon Heon-hyuk wins his first Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actor nomination for "DP"! A rising star and successor to Chungmuro ​​is born.

The accompanying image is of his bloodied profile as Ahn Joon-ho, the character he played in "DP," looking back. His eyes, which were once praised by viewers as "so expressive," have now become the focus of the entire internet.

A popular post on PANN sparked controversy surrounding the military.

"Ahn Joon-ho is not just a character, he is a mirror that exposes the festering wounds of the military! With this courage and strength that makes the whole society take it seriously, he deserves that award!"

This post quickly climbed to the top of the trending topics list, with thousands of replies.

A massive thread of support for Ahn Joon-ho, titled "Go for it, Xiao Shuai! Ahn Joon-ho deserves to be the Best Actor!" was built in a flash on Douban, and the homepage was instantly flooded with classic clips from "DP".

Kwon Heon-hyuk's epic long-take chase, traversing buildings in the dark, pushes the tension to its extreme.

That scene of suffocating anger, which erupted like a volcano after being suppressed to the extreme, has become a badge of honor for fans to repeatedly read and appreciate, to prove his acting skills.

There's really no one in the new generation who can act this well.

The film and television content creators, with their keen sense of opportunity, sprang into action, working through the night to edit a special documentary titled "Kwon Heon-hyuk's Road to Godhood! From Idol to Best Actor Nominee."

The video meticulously breaks down the character of Ahn Joon-ho in "DP," showcasing his brokenness and resilience, as well as Kwon Hyun-hyuk's dedication to physical management, action training, and gradual transformation in acting. The video's views skyrocketed past the million mark.

The screen was flooded with comments like "a pillar of the new generation", "the light of Chungmuro", and "well-deserved".

Industry upheaval and media frenzy:
The entertainment, culture, and even social sections of major news agencies quickly followed suit.

"The 'DP' effect continues to grow! Kwon Heon-hyuk's Best Actor nomination signals a reshaping of the landscape for new generation actors."

"From 'Idol Actor' to 'Chungmuro ​​Successor': Kwon Seon-hyuk's Breakthrough Path"

"Ahn Joon-ho's gaze breaks through the competition, earning him a Baeksang Arts Awards nomination for Best Actor, recognizing his acting breakthrough."

Such headlines are everywhere.

This nomination is seen as a landmark "breakthrough".

The comments frequently featured keywords such as "de-idolization" and "a model of idol actor transformation." Kwon Heon-hyuk's nomination is not only an affirmation of his personal acting skills, but is also seen as an important recognition by the industry of a new generation of actors who are capable of handling profound and serious themes.

His name suddenly carried a completely different weight in the minds of production companies and directors.

The prototype of a "successor to Chungmuro" who can carry the ratings, maintain a good reputation, and spark social discussion has already emerged.

The filming of "Night Owl" did not come to a standstill in the early hours of the morning due to the bombshell news.

The director gave Kwon Hyun-hyuk a brief but firm pat on the shoulder, while the congratulations from the lighting technicians and production assistants mingled with the background noise of the machines running.

Quan Xuanhe finally looked away from the blood-stained still on the tablet screen. A slight ripple of recognition welled up in the depths of his eyes, but the makeup still on his face, his physical exhaustion, and the work waiting to be completed made him quickly suppress this emotion.

He whispered a few words to his assistant about the upcoming schedule, took a deep breath of the cool air, picked up the script, and walked back to the filming area.

To be honest, Kwon Hyun-hyuk felt immense pressure when he saw the overwhelmingly high expectations online.

He hasn't won the Best Actor award yet, so praising him like this would be perfectly reasonable if he did.

The key point is that it's just a nomination.

(End of this chapter)