BIE 111

Chapter 111…

Southeast Asia Tour?

“Why Japan, of all places!”

Even if you weren’t poor, this was outrageous.
This wasn’t right.
Japan…

“They didn’t even serve food!”
“It’s a short flight.”
“Still!”

Come on, Gam Dong, how can you think that’s normal?
They charge all that money for the ticket and still can’t give you a meal?

“Why’s Suhan acting like that?”
“Ah… he recently added ‘try every kind of airplane meal’ to his bucket list, but I guess today’s flight didn’t serve one.”
“Ah… pfft!”

You’re laughing? You think this is funny?
I thought Siyeon noona and Juhwan would understand me!

Still, the airport staff were kind.

Anyway, as I was trying to shake off the pain of being ignored by Gam Dong and the sadness of my ruined bucket list, and stepped through the arrival gate—

Kyaaaaaa!

“Wh-what’s that!?”

A deafening scream tore through the air.

“Soo-sama!”
“Soo-sama!”
“……Huh?”

I froze mid-step, staring blankly.
What… what was this?

A massive crowd surged toward me, waving signs with my face on them.
There were posters from my new movie.
Even photos from Righteous Spirit carefully cut out and pasted on cardboard.
And it wasn’t just me.

“Oh-sang! Oh-sang!”
“Siyeon-san, kireeeei (so pretty)!”

Juhwan and Siyeon noona, who arrived with me, were also being screamed at by fans.
Some even held photos of Juhwan from his old idol group days.

“They said you used to be an idol, but you’re actually popular, huh?”
“Hey! I told you, I had some recognition in Japan and Southeast Asia!”

Juhwan puffed out his chest proudly.
Quite a few people were chanting his name.
But the most shocked of us all was Siyeon noona.

“Uh…”
“Are you crying?”
“Huh? Oh… it’s just weird.”

Siyeon noona looked overwhelmed by the scene.
She’d always been a supporting actress, never the center of attention—she must not have expected such a welcome overseas.
Honestly, neither did I.

“Not even at Incheon Airport was it like this…”

Sure, plenty of people recognized me back home.
They took photos and asked for autographs.
But not like this—packed crowds, shouting at the top of their lungs.

“This is crazy!”

I couldn’t help but step forward, mesmerized.

Gam Dong, Oh Juhwan, and Yeo Siyeon stared blankly at Woo Suhan.

“He’s the lead actor—should he really be doing that?”
“Uh…”
“Director Cho, please stop Suhan hyung!”

Suhan’s road manager, who had come in place of Director Park from GB Entertainment, looked on the verge of tears.

“What am I supposed to do…”

Gam Dong just chuckled and shook his head.

“Hoooly crap! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s gooo!”
“Kyaaaaaa!”

He’d been doing this for thirty minutes already.
At first, he just took photos—
as if he were determined to take a picture with every single person there.
Then he started hanging out with the fans who claimed to be there for him.

The typically polite and restrained Japanese temperament had long vanished—Suhan’s chaos had infected everyone.
Even when airport police arrived and corralled them into one section, Suhan just kept playing with the fans.

“Ah…”

Then Juhwan’s eyes widened.
He spotted fans holding signs with his name too.

“Looks like they’re your fans.”
“……Ugh.”

Juhwan’s few remaining fans had been stolen away.
Eyes brimming, he suddenly dashed forward—
not out of the airport, but toward Suhan.

“J-Juhwan!”
“Minna-saaaan! (Eveeeryone!)”

His manager tried calling him back, but it was too late.

“Come closer! Come to me! Come closer!”

Despite once being a “failed idol,” Juhwan broke into his most popular song and dance routine beside Suhan.

“Wow… he’s working harder than during that five-million-subscriber busking event…”

Siyeon murmured in awe.

Their fan service continued until airport police finally broke it up.

“Are you insane?”
“Yeah, definitely insane.”

Ah… I can’t hear you.

“You stayed there for an hour! It’s not like it was a planned event!”
“It was an event.”
“What kind?”
“A welcome event for my fans.”

Gam Dong, you just don’t get it—the feeling of being adored!
Now I understand why people say, “Just get famous first.”
Even if you crap your pants, people will cheer for you.
(Not that I actually tried it.)
Still, when I sang a little old Korean folk song, the fans with my Righteous Spirit signs went wild.

“Phew.”
“Oh? We’re on the news…”

At Siyeon noona’s words, we all looked at the small phone screen she was holding.

“Oh! Knew it!”

There it was—Japanese news footage of Suhan and Juhwan singing and dancing with fans.
Gam Dong sniffled and muttered,

“Well… at least it’s good publicity.”

And just like that, we took our first successful step in Japan.

“Why are you in the same room as me?”
“…Who else would I room with?”
“I wanted my own room!”

Gam Dong was speechless.
He wanted his own room too, but orders were orders.
Director Park and Chairman Yang had both instructed him to keep a close eye on Suhan.
Apparently, Gam Dong was the only one capable of managing his antics.

“I should lock you in your own room.”
“Hmm, I always wondered what that’d be like.”
“……”

Even threats didn’t work on Suhan anymore.
Then, as he grabbed the shower door handle, he squinted suspiciously.

“You’re not gonna shower with me, are you?”
“Just hurry up and wash!”
“Alright, I’m going in!”

And then, from inside the shower—

“Hajimemashite~!”

Gam Dong’s hair stood on end.

“Please… not again.”

He prayed for a ghost-free trip in Japan.

“Hy-hyung?”

Gam Dong nervously opened the door—
only to meet Suhan’s cold stare.

“Dude… did your tastes change?”
“N-no! I just heard you speaking Japanese—was someone there?”
“I was practicing.”
“……”

Gam Dong slumped against the door, defeated.
Even for him, Suhan was too much to handle.

“Make some noooise!”
“Kyaaaaaa!”
“I can’t watch this…”

Gam Dong buried his face in his hands.
Meanwhile, the event organizers beamed with joy.

“Seems word got out.”
“Y-yeah…”

Siyeon and Juhwan looked dazed as they watched Suhan dancing with Japanese fans like one of them.

“Are Japanese fans always like this?”

Gam Dong turned to Juhwan, who at least had overseas experience.

“No… not like this.”

Japanese fans were known for politely enjoying even upbeat songs at concerts.
Sure, they cheer, but not like… this.
It felt almost cult-like.

Then Siyeon smiled softly.

“Maybe it’s because he’s genuine.”
“Huh?”
“When we smile, sign autographs, and take photos—it’s service for the fans, right?”
“Right.”
“But with Suhan… you can tell he’s really grateful and happy.”

“Ah…”

Juhwan fell silent, recalling the early days after his debut—
when every single fan felt precious.
He even took pictures, promising to treasure them forever.
Now, he couldn’t even remember where those photos went.
Back then, his heart had been full of gratitude.
Later, it just became an obligation.

“Ugh… that’s embarrassing.”

He scratched his head.
He remembered yesterday at the airport—
how he’d rushed in jealousy when Suhan stole his fans…
but ended up genuinely having fun.
He’d almost forgotten what that felt like.

And judging by Suhan’s manager’s exhausted face,
GB Entertainment wasn’t used to this kind of chaos either.

Then Juhwan suddenly stood up.

“Screw it!”
“Huh? Juhwan! Not again!”

He charged toward Suhan.
His manager’s desperate cry echoed in vain.

“Hajimemashiteee!”
“Kyaaa! Ju-sama!”
“Aishiteru yooo!”
“Come here, let’s sing together!”

Suhan slung his arm around Juhwan’s shoulders—
and Airport Part 2 began.

“Come closer! Come to me! Come closer!”
“Come closer! Come to me! Come closer!”

Now they were perfectly synchronized—
and soon, even the fans joined in.

Siyeon and Gam Dong gasped.

“Huh?”
“No way…”

The fans started copying the dance moves—
and like ripples in a pond, the movement spread wider and wider.

Their Japan promo events were a huge success.

But what was supposed to be a two-day trip turned into three.
Originally: arrive at night, do a fan signing and media meeting the next day,
then a stage greeting and fly home.
But thanks to Suhan’s “incident,” the buzz exploded,
and they had to add another day to the schedule.

Still, it was great for promotion—
the movie opened in Japan at #3 overall on its first day,
a rare feat for a Korean film.

From there, the Asia tour began.
And leading the charge, of course, was—

“Kamon!”
“Kyaaaaa!”

…Woo Suhan.

“Sa-wad-dee kap!”
“Kyaaaa!”

Vietnam, Thailand—same story.
This time, Juhwan was right beside him, too.
After Japan, he didn’t even hesitate anymore.

Their agencies had given up; managers just stared, souls long gone.

Still, not everything was chaos.
Thanks to Suhan, Juhwan’s old song “Come Closer” began charting again—
cracking Japan’s Oricon Top 10.

After a week-long blitz across three countries,
Suhan had officially become a rising Asian star.

“Heh.”

Gam Dong couldn’t stop smiling.
Production rights inquiries were pouring in from all over.
Even U.S. studios were discussing remake rights.

“This… is the golden road.”