Chapter Sixty-Four: Year-End Review

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Entertainment Is All Around, No Pop-up Windows
Story takes place: November–December 2005
Recommended music: Eason Chan – King of Karaoke
Declaration: This story is entirely fictional. Please do not take it personally. If any resemblance is found, it is purely coincidental!

These days, Jiang Yihan was nearly out of his mind with exhaustion, still with no time for sleep, still busy every day. He had thought that, with the movie shoot finally wrapped up, he could relax a bit. But when Li Ran informed him that he had received invitations to every year-end awards ceremony—and that he was to perform at all of them—Jiang Yihan knew there would be no respite.

Rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal.

Every day, he rushed between various awards show venues, communicating with directors, lighting technicians, stage managers—rehearsing, adjusting, and rehearsing again.

The end of the year is a peak period for award ceremonies, a time to sum up the year's work for artists. Thanks to his outstanding performance this year, Jiang Yihan naturally became a favored guest at all major ceremonies.

MKMF, Golden Disc, SBS, KBS, MBC—five award shows, plus the beginning-of-year Seoul Music Awards in 2006.

He was busy enough to lose his mind.

As a newcomer, refusing these invitations would be rude, and ABC Entertainment was eagerly anticipating Jiang Yihan winning the Newcomer Award this year. So, he diligently accepted every invitation, making rehearsals the centerpiece of his life.

“Hello, senior.” Jiang Yihan had just finished his rehearsal at MKMF and was walking off stage when he ran into a veteran—Kim Jong-kook.

“Hi, you’re Jiang Yihan, right?” Kim Jong-kook greeted him with a smile, his small eyes crinkling even further, giving him a friendly, approachable air.

“Ah, senior, you know who I am? That’s really unexpected,” Jiang Yihan said, feigning surprise as he patted his chest.

This July, Kim Jong-kook had released his third solo album. The title track, “Standing Still,” along with “Cute,” and “Stars, Wind, Sunshine and Love,” all achieved excellent results, becoming top hits both online and in digital downloads. He also joined various variety shows, including X-Man and Love Letter, where his outstanding performances made him a public sensation.

“Haha, what’s so surprising? Your achievements in the first half of the year were outstanding. A lot of us have high hopes for you.” Kim Jong-kook patted Jiang Yihan’s shoulder. With his love for fitness and impressive muscles, the pat made Jiang Yihan wince in pain.

“It’s nothing, really,” Jiang Yihan said, rubbing his sore shoulder. Seeing this, Kim Jong-kook laughed heartily. “I really like your album, senior. It’s full of classics.”

“Let’s stop flattering each other—it feels weird, haha.” Kim Jong-kook’s hearty laughter made Jiang Yihan laugh as well. “Jiang Yihan, you did great earlier this year.”

“Huh? Earlier this year?” Jiang Yihan hadn’t caught on—he was thinking that he hadn’t debuted at the start of the year.

Just as he was about to ask Kim Jong-kook what happened earlier in the year, a staff member called Kim Jong-kook up for rehearsal. Kim Jong-kook smiled and ran to the stage. Jiang Yihan was left there, bewildered, scratching his head and moving forward.

Suddenly, Jiang Yihan remembered—the gathering at the start of the year. Kim Jong-kook, as a senior, likely attended that event, which explained his comment. Jiang Yihan smiled and continued onward.

He headed backstage to look for Li Ran. Li Ran had said he was attending to something, but hadn’t returned yet.

Approaching the backstage area, Jiang Yihan quickly heard a group of people arguing. Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked toward the source of the noise—the dressing room.

The door wasn’t fully closed, so Jiang Yihan peered inside through the gap. He saw Li Ran, the long-unseen Cheng Shi, and several unfamiliar faces, all gathered around two staff members, quarreling.

The argument was winding down, and Jiang Yihan only caught a few fragments.

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Li Ran soon spoke the final words: “Everyone can see how outstanding Yihan’s achievements are this year. If MKMF insists on doing things this way, then the joke won’t be on Yihan, but on your own awards ceremony. You decide what to do.” With that, Li Ran strode out, his face stiff and clearly furious.

Li Ran opened the door, saw Jiang Yihan, and pulled him away.

“Ran, what was that about just now?” Jiang Yihan tried to figure out what had happened.

“It’s about your placement on the red carpet,” Li Ran sighed, acknowledging his own lack of clout in the industry. “MKMF arranged for you to walk ahead of Lin Erxiang’s group.”

Lin Erxiang debuted in July with a five-member group called Fly. In just a few months, their self-titled debut song quickly made them popular. With strong backing from MS Entertainment, they naturally became strong contenders for the Newcomer Award at year’s end.

“Walking ahead of them—so what? Isn’t that fine?” Jiang Yihan didn’t understand why this position was so contentious.

“There’s a lot of protocol to the red carpet at award shows,” Li Ran explained. “When you arrive, where you walk, who’s before and after you—it all matters. Generally, the bigger the star, the more popular, the later they arrive, meaning they walk behind. Placing you ahead of Fly is clearly suspicious.”

“Fly has more popularity, so it’s normal, right? Are you saying…,” Jiang Yihan, busy with filming, knew little of the outside world, “are you saying MS and MKMF are colluding?”

“Well, whether it’s the company or Cheng Shi as manager, it’s obvious this arrangement is problematic.” Li Ran frowned. “You’ve been quiet for most of the year, but your achievements in the first half were stellar. One fan meeting, two major commercials, multiple number ones on music charts—your popularity is definitely significant.”

“My achievements were really that good? Haha,” Jiang Yihan said, embarrassed.

“Believe in yourself,” Li Ran continued, seeing Jiang Yihan’s confusion. “Your song topped the online charts for seven weeks, spent nearly five months in the top ten, and even now, almost a year later, it’s still in the top twenty. You dominated music shows, winning multiple championships. Most importantly, your album sales currently rank second for the year, with over 301,325 copies sold, securing you as runner-up. Do you know how many outstanding seniors you surpassed to achieve this?”

Jiang Yihan was a bit dazed and shook his head.

“The top spot is SG Wannabe, with over 400,000 sales. You’re firmly in second. Third place is Kim Jong-kook with only 240,000. The top ten includes Buzz, Shinhwa’s Shin Hyesung, TVXQ, Jo Sung-mo—these are all seniors with both popularity and talent.” Li Ran revealed Jiang Yihan’s achievements with a hint of pride. “So, whether it’s album sales, industry reviews, fan feedback, chart performance, or recognition from advertisers, your first year is outstanding. To exaggerate, you could even compete for Best Solo Artist this year, let alone Best Newcomer. Putting you ahead of Fly and claiming it’s not a setup—no one would believe that.”

“Ran, don’t stress. I should be happy with these achievements, right? My debut year was so successful—it proves both my ability and luck. If they want me in front, I’ll walk in front. Like you said, fans know what’s going on, right? I trust my Castles—they’ll support me,” Jiang Yihan said, smiling.

Seeing Jiang Yihan’s cheerful face, Li Ran thought it over and realized he wasn’t wrong, so he could only smile wryly and agree with Jiang Yihan’s outlook.

The MKMF awards ceremony proceeded smoothly in the end.

Jiang Yihan obediently followed the organizing committee’s arrangements, appearing midway through the show. His look tonight was breathtaking—a black suit with a black silk shirt, a black fur draped over his left shoulder, a black ribboned top hat, and most striking of all, smoky eye makeup with dark eyeliner that made his eyes stand out, revealing his thick, curled lashes.

As soon as Jiang Yihan stepped out of the car, all eyes were drawn to him.

Photographers’ flashes went off nonstop. Jiang Yihan smiled, greeting the fans nearby. The Castles’ screams drowned out the entire venue, as if they were all there just for him—some screamed his name, some stretched their hands hoping to touch their dream prince, others frantically pressed their camera shutters to capture their idol. Jiang Yihan’s gentle smile, occasional lip bites, and shifting expressions captivated everyone.

The short stretch of red carpet seemed to last forever, with everyone’s gaze fixed on him. Perhaps tonight, Jiang Yihan was a seductive spirit, stealing everyone’s attention.

Only when Jiang Yihan reached the end of the carpet did Fly finally appear at the other end.

Fly’s fans screamed loudly, trying to show their strength and support for their idols. But after Jiang Yihan’s dazzling display, their shouts seemed weak and insignificant.

Lin Erxiang walked the carpet with a strained smile. The excitement when Jiang Yihan passed by could be heard from afar, but now, the contrast made him feel desolate. Lin Erxiang’s hands clenched tighter, nails digging into his palms, pain piercing his heart. Envy, jealousy, resentment, unwillingness—all were useless. The comparison was too stark.

Only now did the organizers realize Li Ran’s warning—the joke was on them. Jiang Yihan’s sweeping popularity erased any sign that he was a first-year artist or had missed most of the year’s promotions. This would be the biggest embarrassment reported in tomorrow’s news.

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“Hey, you stepped on my dress!”

“Where are my shoes? Where are my shoes?”

“It’s your turn, hurry, hurry!”

“Director, director, which track is the music?”

“Buzz, quick, get ready!”

Jiang Yihan was just called backstage by a staff member and saw a chaotic scene. Earlier, he had been seated next to TVXQ in the guest section, watching the dazzling performances with mesmerizing lights and flawless coordination, but never imagined that backstage would be so disordered.

The staff dragged Jiang Yihan into the dressing room. He didn’t have time to reflect on the chaos; he quickly changed clothes.

Once dressed, Xu Xian rushed over to help Jiang Yihan with his styling and makeup. Soon, everything was ready.

The stage was enveloped in dry ice as Jiang Yihan sat atop the central lift platform, rising slowly. In front of him was a grand piano.

Accompanied by the huge symphony orchestra behind him, Jiang Yihan played the first note of this year’s hit, “Castle.”

Tonight, Jiang Yihan’s stage styling continued his earlier performance look—a white suit paired with a silver vest, hair a year uncut and slightly long, casually draped over his ears. His piano playing flowed like water, enchanting the audience. His clear, alluring voice poured raw emotion into “Castle,” making it as moving as ever.

The Castles in the audience couldn’t help but sing along. Over ten thousand people joined their voices, somewhat disorganized but united in singing “Castle.” Hearing it, Jiang Yihan was deeply moved, the feeling flowing into his music.

When the song ended, Jiang Yihan disappeared from view.

After changing back into his clothes and returning to his seat, TVXQ’s five members had gone backstage to prepare for their segment.

Then, another group of presenters walked onstage. Jiang Yihan hadn’t paid attention to what they were saying, but the big screen began showing a video—it was the Best Newcomer Award. The contenders included SS501, Fly, and others.

Most people were nervous, including Jiang Yihan; only a few, certain of the outcome, were calm—Li Ran among them. Jiang Yihan felt his palms sweating. When the presenter announced “Jiang Yihan,” he was completely stunned, so much so that when Kim Jong-kook and Shin Ji came over to hug and congratulate him, he didn’t react. It wasn’t until someone shoved him toward the stage that Jiang Yihan snapped out of it, walking forward, disbelief written all over his face as he accepted the trophy.

He weighed the trophy in his hand, grinned foolishly, then finally looked up, scanning the crowd—Jiang Ziyi, Kwon Ji-yong, Li Yimei, nearly all his friends sitting in the stands. He raised the trophy and smiled. “Thank you, everyone. The Best Newcomer Award can only be won once in a lifetime, and I got it. There are so many people I want to thank—President Li Tong, my agent Li Ran, my mother, my sister, and those who quietly supported me: Senior Lee Hyori, the TVXQ brothers, Senior Kang Ho-dong, Senior Jang Dong-gun, and so many more. And of course, my Castles, who have always loved and supported me. I love you all.” At the end, Jiang Yihan’s smile could no longer be contained, and he laughed joyfully.

Back at his seat, Jiang Yihan stared blankly at the trophy in his hands. Scenes from the past year flooded his mind—from the initial MS ban, to his hard-earned debut, his first number one, the emergence of antis, Lin Erxiang’s challenge, the grueling film shoot. In just one year, he had lived through so much.

Just as Jiang Yihan was lost in remembrance, the awards ceremony neared its end, alternating between prize announcements and performances.

Suddenly, Jiang Yihan was snapped out of his reverie. Embarrassed, he looked up and saw it was Kim Jaejoong who’d woken him, surrounded by a circle of people. Nearly all the artists had come over. He thought they were leaving because the event was ending.

Puzzled as to what was happening, Kim Jaejoong leaned in and whispered, “Bro, go up and accept your award. Congratulations.”

“Huh? Accept an award?”