Chapter 156: The Night of “Byeonghwa”

‘Ah… so this is where it ends.’

Director Jo Joong-hoon of Byeonghwa, whose hopes of winning the Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series award had ultimately been dashed, quietly accepted reality.

It was undeniably disappointing.

After all, he had no idea when—if ever—he would stand at the Emmy Awards again.

K-content had undoubtedly become a global trend, but only the very best productions in each field managed to rise to the top. Jo Joong-hoon understood this reality better than anyone.

That was why he had secretly desired the directing award.

Purely in terms of ability, he believed he was no less capable than the other nominees.

‘But in the end, recognition made the difference.’

Jo Joong-hoon had already figured out the reason for the outcome.

Yet the disappointment faded quicker than expected.

‘Then again, Byeonghwa didn’t succeed because I directed it well. If anything, this result is fair.’

He knew better than anyone that Byeonghwa hadn’t become a global sensation simply because of his directing.

In truth, there had been projects in the past where he believed he had directed even better.

Back then, he had been satisfied with leading those works to domestic success. Historical dramas, by nature, had always seemed limited to local audiences.

At least, that was what he had once believed.

But Byeonghwa proved otherwise.

The fact that he was attending the Emmy Awards right now was proof enough.

The series demonstrated that even a historical drama could captivate a global audience—as long as the writing and performances were exceptional.

Rather than a weakness, the historical setting had become something fresh and distinctive.

And at the center of it all was one person.

Kang Tae-ha.

As both writer and lead actor, Taeha had practically carried Byeonghwa on his back.

Jo Joong-hoon genuinely believed this.

And he wasn’t the only one.

Everyone connected to Byeonghwa attending tonight’s ceremony felt the same way.

That was why he could swallow his disappointment.

He simply hadn’t contributed enough to justify winning such a major award.

That was the undeniable truth.

‘Come to think of it, the director who won the Emmy for directing before also wrote the script himself.’

But Jo Joong-hoon wasn’t at that level.

Even objectively speaking, Byeonghwa still lagged behind some of the stronger contenders in terms of overall impact.

‘So there’s no point dwelling on it… though that doesn’t make the regret disappear completely.’

Still, there was comfort in one thing:

Byeonghwa’s overall results had been far from disappointing.

Winning only the costume design award at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards had been unfortunate, but Taeha had already secured the writing award.

To Jo Joong-hoon, that outcome felt inevitable.

‘Taeha may have lacked recognition compared to the other nominees, but his skill more than made up for it.’

When talent levels were similar, recognition usually tipped the scales.

But overwhelming ability erased such disadvantages.

That was exactly why Taeha had won.

After all, Taeha’s writing had been the driving force behind Byeonghwa’s success—a low-profile historical drama with almost no international recognition.

No one could dispute that victory.

And then there was Song Ji-eun.

She had won Best Actress, triumphing over competitors of comparable caliber.

Another monumental achievement for Byeonghwa.

‘Unlike me, recognition worked in her favor this time. Good for her.’

Jo Joong-hoon sincerely congratulated her.

Global recognition was also a kind of skill.

There was nothing to envy.

If anything, it only made him reflect on his own shortcomings and work harder.

Three awards already.

That alone was an incredible accomplishment.

Even though they had failed to win Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, those categories had always been long shots.

‘More importantly… the night isn’t over yet.’

His gaze shifted to Taeha, who sat quietly watching the ceremony with surprisingly little expectation.

‘Best Actor still remains.’

Strangely enough, Jo Joong-hoon believed Taeha had a very high chance of winning.

The reason was simple.

Recognition stopped mattering when someone’s skill became overwhelming.

And Taeha’s acting in Byeonghwa had been overwhelming.

In Jo Joong-hoon’s eyes, there were few actors—across drama, comedy, or miniseries—who could rival him.

‘Maybe only Robert Wiseman. And he’s competing in the miniseries category.’

With that conviction, Taeha winning Best Actor felt almost inevitable.

And sure enough—

“Kang Tae-ha.”

The announcement echoed through the hall.

Winner of Best Actor.

At that moment, Taeha’s calm expression shattered.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

He looked completely unprepared—as if he had never once imagined winning.

‘He always underestimates himself,’ Jo Joong-hoon thought.

Perhaps that was one of Taeha’s greatest strengths.

In an industry full of politics, rivalries, and hidden agendas, Taeha stood out.

Humble.

Talented.

And somehow effortlessly good with people.

Standing on stage with his second Emmy in hand, Taeha demonstrated that charm once again.

“I remember wondering earlier, after receiving the writing award, how long it would take before I stood here again.”

A pause.

“How long has it been? About thirty minutes?”

Laughter rippled softly through the hall.

Taeha smiled faintly, glancing down at the trophy.

Then his expression shifted.

“It’s beautiful.”

His voice quieted.

“So beautiful that… I wish I could show it to the twenty-four-year-old Kang Tae-ha.”

Sadness flickered across his face.

Regret, too.

The smiles in the audience faded.

Everyone instinctively focused on him.

“The Kang Tae-ha back then was fragile,” he continued.

“He struggled mentally while desperately chasing the dream of becoming an actor.”

“But he couldn’t stop.”

“Because if he did, the anxiety would swallow him.”

“He felt like he wouldn’t survive otherwise.”

A brief silence followed.

“That is why Kang Tae-ha closed his eyes… without ever holding this trophy.”

No one in the audience understood the true meaning behind those words.

Not Jo Joong-hoon.

Not anyone else.

Because Taeha was standing here now, speaking to them.

To everyone else, it sounded like metaphor.

But those words carried unbearable weight.

The Emmy Awards hall fell silent beneath it.

Then Taeha concluded:

“To anyone chasing their dream right now…”

“Love yourself for continuing to chase it.”

“Never stop giving yourself that love.”

“If you do, you’ll eventually find room to let yourself rest.”

“I’ll continue striving as an actor.”

“Thank you.”

It was the kind of message anyone who had struggled through life and achieved something meaningful could understand.

And everyone in this room had done exactly that.

As Taeha returned to his seat, warm applause filled the hall.

Jo Joong-hoon clapped sincerely.

For the first time, he felt he truly understood Taeha’s mindset toward acting.

And he felt proud.

Proud that he had been able to create Byeonghwa alongside someone like him.

He silently hoped they would work together again someday.

Fortunately—

That opportunity came sooner than expected.

“Byeonghwa.”

The name rang out across the venue.

Winner of Outstanding Drama Series.

Even Jo Joong-hoon had never expected this.

***

Best Drama

The moment Byeonghwa’s name was announced, Taeha froze.

Completely stunned.

He covered his mouth with both hands, unable to speak.

Even winning Best Actor had already been beyond anything he imagined.

That was why, overwhelmed by emotion, he had spoken about the younger Kang Tae-ha.

And honestly—

He didn’t regret it.

If anything, he was glad.

It was something he had always wanted to say to people struggling the way he once had.

The way Kang Tae-ha had.

But Best Drama?

He had never imagined the night would go this far.

His thoughts blanked.

He couldn’t even stand.

Seeing this, Song Ji-eun and Jo Joong-hoon hurried over first.

“Come on, Taeha.”

“You’re the main character tonight.”

And it wasn’t just them.

Everyone involved with Byeonghwa gathered around him.

Because no matter what—

Taeha had to be the one holding that trophy.

Taeha finally snapped back to reality and slowly stood.

Then, for the third time that night, he walked toward the stage.

But this time—

He wasn’t alone.

Behind him stood Song Ji-eun, Jo Joong-hoon, and the rest of the Byeonghwa team.

Taking the microphone, Taeha smiled awkwardly.

“Thank you for giving me the chance to make a third acceptance speech tonight.”

A ripple of laughter spread through the audience.

“But…”

He glanced back at his team.

“I’d like to give this opportunity to the people who truly made Byeonghwa shine.”

And with that—

Taeha handed over the historic Best Drama Series acceptance speech to those who had not yet stood on the Emmy stage that night.

Still—

No one present could deny it.

The true star of this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards was Kang Tae-ha.