Since Hee-yeon wasn’t appearing on any music shows as part of her promotions, the types of promotional activities she would be doing widened in range. It included filming commercials, events, and even a fan meeting.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if it weren’t for you, Team Lead Na.”
Today’s fan meeting happened to fall on the same day as Jin-ah’s recording for 〈 Tomorrow’s Idol 〉, and Team Lead Na was fortunately able to accompany Jin-ah while Jung-han and I went with Hee-yeon to the fan meeting venue.
The fan meeting was hosted by the department store rather than us, so it felt a little more like a business event, but a fan meeting would be a fan meeting regardless.
(T/N: Korean department stores are multi-story buildings offering clothing, luxury goods, food, high-end services, and even events.)
After all, if not the fans, who else would go through the trouble of winning the lottery and then waiting in line inside a department store for hours?
I glanced at Hee-yeon, who sat next to me. She was sipping an iced Americano with her gaze fixed straight ahead. Her expression could only be described as total peace. However, both Jung-han (who was driving) and I knew full well that she was incredibly nervous.
“We’ll be there for hours. You should eat something before it starts.”
“I’m not hungry. And I need to watch my diet since I’m in the middle of promotions.”
It was an obvious excuse. Even the commercial director was surprised when they saw her well-proportioned body and figure even though they were used to seeing countless stunning celebrities.
The real reason she hadn’t eaten anything all day was simple. It was because she was nervous.
“At least have some chocolate.”
“I can’t. It’ll stain my teeth. What if my fans become disappointed? It’d also be a problem if someone took a picture.”
“Then… how about a piece of candy?”
“Should I…?”
She took the candy I handed her and popped it into her mouth. As the department store came into view through the car window, she let out a deep breath.
“I told you, there’s no need to be nervous. Just sing, do the Q&A we picked out ahead of time, and sign some autographs. That’s it.”
“I know. I’m not nervous.”
“Alright…”
A little bit of nerves wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, so I decided to drop the topic.
After all, fans also loved to see rookies get nervous from meeting them. Taking away that experience from them would be unfair. In fact, there were some fans who liked only rookies because of those fresh, unpolished reactions.
After parking, we followed the staff and security team into the building. The staff member leading us looked exhausted, but there was also a hint of excitement there.
“There’s been much more interest than we initially anticipated. It’s not just from your fans, but also from reporters and even casual shoppers.”
The reporters wouldn’t ask us questions. They would just be here to observe the fan meeting and write their articles. There was no way we would allow questions from them at what should be a purely fun event.
If this were a press conference, though, that would be a different story.
“We didn’t expect this many people, so managing the crowd has been a challenge for us. But we’ll be looking forward to it. My coworkers and I are all Hee-yeon’s fans. To be honest, this is my first time liking an idol. I’ve always been a rock fan.”
As the staff member waited for the elevator, they kept sneaking glances at Hee-yeon.
“Thank you.”
“Ahem. If it’s not too much trouble… Could I ask for a picture?” They asked in a small voice and looked at me for permission.
Hee-yeon looked at me as well with the obvious question, and I nodded. A smile spread across both their faces.
Click! Click! The staff member checked their phone with open excitement. Thanks to that, Hee-yeon also seemed to relax a little. Too bad for the fans, though.
We took the elevator down to the first floor, where the event was being held. When the doors slid open, the security team in front of us formed a protective circle. At the same time, loud cheers erupted.
“Huh…?”
Hee-yeon stiffened as she stepped out of the elevator and scanned her surroundings with a far-away expression.
A massive crowd had gathered on the first floor. On the second and third floors, too, people were lined up against the railings as they peered down.
Then finally, right in front of the stage was a tightly packed group of her fans. Their cheers were deafening as they overpowered everyone else’s cheers.
This was the benefit of gaining public favor. Most of the people here weren’t die-hard fans. They were just casual bystanders who joined in, but even that was a form of popularity.
When people watched out of curiosity, cheered along, listened to a song just one more time, and paid attention whenever the artist appeared somewhere… That was public recognition and favorability.
It was a crucial factor in raising the value of Hee-yeon’s name.
“What are you waiting for? Your fans are waiting.”
“Huh…?” Hee-yeon asked blankly with her still-dazed expression.
“Are you just going to stand there and keep them waiting?”
“Oh.”
At my words, she hesitantly started walking forward and continued to look about in disbelief. She must have never imagined that so many people would be waiting for her.
Her expression was so easy to read that some people started to chuckle, and the reactions of other people in the crowd were equally obvious.
“Oh my gawd, she’s so pretty! How can someone be so pretty?!”
“Wow… how can someone be so good looking?”
“I feel like I made a big mistake never watching the music video. I only listened to the song.”
“Ugh! I’m so jealous those people are gonna get to talk to her AND get an autograph.”
Their words weren’t exactly polite, but their feelings were clearly those of pure admiration.
Hee-yeon’s eyes darted around anxiously as her arms and legs moved stiffly. With the crowd’s voices ringing so clearly in her ears, she had no idea how to respond.
So, she just kept walking forward. One. Two. She moved stiffly.
As she neared the stage in the center of the first floor, a flurry of camera shutters echoed around us.
Click! Click! Click!
Since her fandom hadn’t been fully formed yet, the shutter noise wasn’t quite at the level you would hear at a press conference. And actually, the shutter noise for top idols would be even louder than the ones you would hear at press conferences.
The fans packed in front of the stage waved their arms enthusiastically. They waved so hard that their shoulders were practically about to tear off.
Even the ones who couldn’t get a spot near the stage were leaning over the railings on the second and third floors, screaming and waving.
Hee-yeon stepped onto the stage and picked up the microphone, still not able to comprehend the situation. That was when it happened.
“Hae-chun Lee!”
“The best singer!”
“It’s Hae-chun Lee!”
The fans started chanting playfully, and I felt a pang of guilt. Her fans had been starved for so long that they were still calling her Hae-chun Lee.
However, Hee-yeon’s lips twitched slightly. The corners of her mouth lifted just a little, her cheekbones rose a tad bit higher, and her eyes curved ever so slightly.
She liked it but was also shy about it. She was trying to hold back her smile.
The change happened in a moment’s notice. The fans who had been laughing and chanting about Hae-chun Lee all went silent. Everyone looked like they received the shock of their lives.
“Wow.”
“I think… I can die right now.”
“A legend.”
As her surroundings quieted, Hee-yeon bowed and said her greetings.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Hee-yeon Lee from Blue Sherbet.”
***
“Hm… There are a lot of humans here today.” Someone muttered.
He had barely managed to push through the packed crowd on his way to the second floor. Sweat trickled down his face as he traversed through the unusually crowded department store.
“This is why this world is no good. If only I had magic, I wouldn’t have to deal with something as trivial as sweat.”
He had planned to spend his hard-earned part-time wages on a scarf to celebrate his mother’s birthday. The very same mother who would one day be heartbroken when he finally left for another world.
But with how chaotic the store was, frustration welled up inside him. His gaze drifted toward the event venue.
“What’s so great about 3D women that they’re making such a fuss? Tsk, tsk.”
The true charm of the female species lied in 2D. He simply couldn’t comprehend their enthusiasm. Just in case, though, he took a quick glance. As expected, 3D women held no appeal.
He continued wandering in search of a scarf. After a few minutes, a song began playing through the large speakers on the first floor.
It must have been a popular song, seeing how people started screaming and cheering just from the intro alone.
“Ugh, my ears are going to fall off.”
However, as a singing voice flowed through the speakers, his mounting irritation slowly melted away. His hurried footsteps also began to slow.
“If it’s just a little….”
Just watching for a little while wouldn’t be betraying Rumi-chan, would it? His steps carried him toward the railing, but the space was already packed with people.
“Kuso! (Damn it!)”
With no other choice, he rushed down to the first floor, only to find the song had already ended.
“Woooooooooh!”
“Hee-yeon!”
“Unnie! You’re so pretty! Unnie!”
A hollow feeling washed over him. It felt like he had just finished binge-watching an anime masterpiece all the way to the finale.
He glanced at his phone’s wallpaper, which featured Rumi-chan. Looking at his wallpaper, he tried to console his empty heart as he prepared to leave.
Then, a new song, different from before, started to play. The increasingly deafening cheers filled the venue.
“What is this, desu?!”
The head he had just turned away now snapped back with lightning speed. The crowd’s heated reaction filled him with anticipation. On stage, a 3D female figure lifted the microphone to her lips.
“…!”
Was this how it would feel to witness Rumi-chan’s transformation? Was this what it was like to take a direct hit from a charm spell without protective artifacts?
A shock coursed through his entire body. Her expressions, combined with the emotions woven into her song, created a masterpiece. It was a perfect anime brought to life.
“Ahh! This liquid running down my cheeks… is this… tears?”
He made up his mind. If the chance to go to another world ever came, he would delay it for another forty years.
‘Forgive me, Rumi-chan.’
That other world could wait. At least, until he had fully witnessed the happiness of the only 3D female who had ever captivated him.
“I swear upon my name right now. From this moment forward… I will be your fan.”
Of course, his voice was so small that no one could hear. He cautiously approached someone nearby and asked a question.
“Excuse me, but… may I ask for that person’s name?”
“Hm? Oh, that’s Hee-yeon Lee. She’s really good at singing, right?”
“Hee… yeon… Lee.”
With a polite nod of thanks, he stood in a daze and watched her until she finished her Q&A and left the stage. As her figure disappeared completely from sight, he pulled out his phone and changed his wallpaper.
“I loved you, Rumi-chan. Farewell.”
Hee-yeon’s fanbase began to grow at an astonishing speed.
***
That evening, an interview with Do-won Yoon was posted on the JQ music magazine website.
Netizens got busy spreading it across online forums and social media. Reporters also moved quickly. Everyone knew that this interview had enough pull to become a hot topic.
It wasn’t just anyone, after all. It was YB. His influence in the rock scene was unparalleled. Even beyond rock, he was an artist with a significant influence on the general public.
The reactions from netizens were almost identical. Of course, some anti-fans were always an exception.
– Honestly, the fact that rock in Korea even exists right now is a miracle. It’s practically dead compared to before.
– I actually started listening to rock music because of Hee-yeon Lee. Guess I’m one of the people Do-won Yoon is talking about?
– Pleaaaase, come to a rock festival. Seriously, the number of people coming dropped soo much T.T The 100k attendees they reported are all fake!!!
– People act like I’m ancient when I say I like rock. Like that’s so stupid? There’s no age to music
– Hee-yeon Lee is bringing rock back to life. I wouldn’t go as far as saying she’s the hope of rock, but if Do-won Yoon says so, I’ll take his word for it lol
– Do-won Yoon… invite her to your concert… aren’t you good at that kind of thing? You always support new artists… Hee-yeon is the perfect pick…
Do-won Yoon’s acknowledgment of Hee-yeon changed how people perceived her. Even people who already had a positive view of Hee-yeon saw her in a more favorable light than before.
Those who were already her fans felt a sense of pride. He didn’t just praise her as a singer, but also spoke about the impact she was having on rock as a whole.
This ordeal was like giving Hee-yeon wings when she was already building a steady momentum. The shift wasn’t dramatic, but it was definitely noticeable.
“WAAAAAAH! Hee-yeon Lee! Hee-yeon Lee!”
“Hee-yeon! I love you more than Rumi-chan! Hee-yeon!”
Definitely, judging by the audience’s explosive growth in reactions. An increase in paycheck was also a given, of course.
—