This was their first award of the night. The acceptance speech was given by leader Kim Junmyeon, whose voice trembled slightly, but he remained composed as he thanked the company, staff, and all the fans who support EXO.
Following that, EXO was once again unsurprisingly among the "Top 10" winners.
On their second appearance on stage, the members seemed more relaxed, and their smiles were even brighter.
However, everyone knows that one of the most important awards tonight, the "Song of the Year" award, has not yet been announced.
The atmosphere became incredibly tense when the presenter announced the nominees. The intro to "Growl" started playing, eliciting a huge roar from the audience.
"The winner of the 2013 Melon Music Awards Song of the Year is EXO, 'Growl'! Congratulations!"
"Wow--!"
The deafening cheers nearly lifted the roof off the stadium. The EXO members could hardly believe their ears; after a second of stunned silence, they erupted in ecstasy!
Everyone jumped up from their seats and hugged each other wildly; some people's eyes instantly welled up with tears.
This is *Growl*! This is the *Growl* that truly made them sweep across South Korea and become a top boy group! This award is the best affirmation of all their hard work and sweat this year!
Stepping onto this glorious stage for the third time, everyone's face was filled with excitement and pride.
Kim Junmyeon accepted the heavy trophy, his hands trembling slightly.
He handed the microphone to the member next to him, allowing everyone to take turns giving their remarks.
"Thank you... thank you Melon, thank you Lee Soo-man, thank you to all the staff at SM Entertainment..." Kim Jongin's voice choked, and he couldn't continue.
Byun Baekhyun picked up the conversation, trying to maintain a smile, but his eyes were also red: "Thank you to our fans! This award belongs to you too! Saranghaeyo!"
Zhang Yixing's words were concise but his voice was exceptionally firm: "We will continue to work hard!"
Ou Yangguang stood on the side, his heart pounding in his chest, overwhelmed by an indescribable sense of emotion and accomplishment.
He took the microphone and said in a clear voice, "Thank you to everyone who supports us, thank you to the members. This honor belongs to every member of EXO. We will carry this glory and continue to roar!" His words drew another round of screams from the audience.
When the microphone was passed to Huang Zitao, this boy, who usually seemed silly, could no longer control his emotions.
Looking at the trophy and then at the sea of silver lights shining for him and for them, tears welled up instantly, his voice trembling with sobs: "I...I'm so...happy! Thank you to my members, thank you to my parents, thank you to everyone who supports EXO! We will work even harder! Waaah..." He almost broke down in tears as he spoke, bending over as tears streamed down his face.
Kim Junmyeon and Kris Wu immediately stepped forward, each putting their arms around his shoulders and gently comforting him.
This moment of genuine emotion brought tears to the eyes of many fans in the audience, who also gained a deeper understanding of the hardships the team had overcome and the joy they felt at this moment.
Finally, the thirteen people held hands and, led by Kim Junmyeon, bowed deeply in every direction below the stage.
When they straightened up, many members had tear stains on their faces, but their smiles were incredibly bright and genuine.
They raised the "Song of the Year" trophy high, a symbol of the highest honor, amidst a deafening roar of blessings and cheers from the audience.
Back in the backstage waiting room, Huang Zitao was still visibly excited. He was wiping away tears, feeling embarrassed, as the other members took turns patting him on the shoulder and teasing him, but their eyes were full of understanding and warmth.
"We did it! Kids! We really did it!" Kim Junmyeon said repeatedly, his voice filled with emotion.
Looking at the heavy trophy in his hand, and then at his partners who had been fighting alongside him for a whole year, some crying and some laughing, he was filled with mixed emotions.
From the quiet hard work at the beginning of the year, to the remarkable achievements in the middle of the year, and then to the fruitful results at the end of the year, all the sweat, tears, controversies and glory of this year seem to have been compensated at this moment.
The road ahead is still long, and there may be more challenges, but tonight, the glory belongs to EXO, to these thirteen wolf boys who roar freely in the world of music.
He is even more convinced that no matter what choices he makes in his future, the glory he created with this group of people will forever be an indelible and shining chapter in his life.
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