Chapter 111
Ji-hyun, now seemingly used to it, posted a casual update on her fan café saying she had finished watching the broadcast, then answered Young-jun’s call.
—It’s nothing else, but the guerrilla event day is coming up soon, right? Since you helped quite a bit yesterday, I wanted to call and go over the final version of what we planned.
“Wasn’t it supposed to go exactly as we discussed yesterday?”
—That’s true, but since you gave a lot of opinions, I thought I should at least share how everything was finalized.
Saying he would keep it brief since she must be busy, Young-jun gave Ji-hyun a concise briefing, just as he had promised.
—First, before the guerrilla event begins, we’ll post an advance notice on the broadcasting station’s SNS and each agency’s SNS.
“Yes, yes.”
—As for the event itself, just like you suggested before, it’ll be an event where fans can take photos with their favorite…
“You also said it would be fine to exclude giving out event prizes.”
—Yes. You said the event itself would already be meaningful.
“Yes. I’m sure it will be.”
Those who would travel complicated, long distances, as they had discussed, were people whose affection for idols formed the foundation of their actions.
With just those people alone, they could preserve the essence of the event while still ensuring its success.
—And to further elaborate on the additional matter we discussed—
“Yes, yes.”
—We revised a few parts of the original plan and decided to operate booths on site.
“Yes, yes.”
These were things they had already talked about. Although the event would be held guerrilla-style, booths would be operated to maintain order and prevent any safety issues among the forty participants and the people present at the venue.
That way, it would be more convenient for fans to take photos, and checking attendance and managing the crowd would become much easier.
—It’ll also make it much easier to collect agreements like spoiler-prevention consent forms.
“That really makes sense. It’s exactly the direction I had in mind!”
—I’m glad to hear that. We’ll finalize the proposal like this, get approval, and then notify the participants later tonight.
“Yes. Understood!”
—Ji-hyun, truly, thank you so much. Really, thank you!
Young-jun expressed his gratitude repeatedly. Even without seeing his face, she could practically imagine him bowing his head as he spoke.
Honestly, I’m the more thankful one. Even if it wasn’t intentional, they liked Ah-young and edited things in a positive direction.
Holding that thought, Ji-hyun reassured him several times before ending the call.
A guerrilla fan meeting event, huh.
I hope it goes well. Though for now, tomorrow’s dance ability evaluation is more important.
That evening.
“Unni, did you hear!?”
The moment an announcement was broadcast throughout the dorm, Seung-hye barged into Ah-young’s room with Rin and Eun-seo in tow.
Her flushed tone made it obvious how shocked she was.
“They say it’s a chance to meet fans!”
“I heard.”
Ah-young pressed a hand against her chest, trying to calm her trembling heart. It was a strange feeling—both nervous and excited.
She had stood on offline stages countless times before, but this felt different.
The supportive comments she had briefly seen still lingered before her eyes.
Since it was a guerrilla event, not everyone would come, but the audition had been quite a hit, so maybe…
And this time they said there’d be an SNS announcement beforehand.
They said the notice would go up about three hours before the event started.
Before, the only person who really filmed me was Se-hee unni.
Thinking there might be quite a lot this time made her excited—so much so that tomorrow’s dance ability evaluation temporarily slipped to the back of her mind.
It seemed Seung-hye, Rin, and Eun-seo felt the same way.
Now almost solidified as a four-member image, the four gathered close together, chatting endlessly as they shared happy fantasies.
“I think the order will be Ah-young unni, then Seung-hye, then Rin, and then me.”
“The order of what?”
“The order people take photos with us, obviously!”
Eun-seo said, pointing to each of them in turn.
“Ah-young unni just has this… feeling. Since you’ve debuted once before, you’re definitely better at catching people’s attention.”
“Hey, it’s not like that…”
“But it really is!”
Rin chimed in from the side.
“For me, um… I still struggle looking at cameras, so sometimes I have to search for where they are.”
“Oh, right. On stage we at least rehearse beforehand, so it’s easier, but I think I won’t be able to find cameras filming me in a place like that.”
That’s true…
Ah-young nodded.
Being able to quickly find cameras directed at you, and appealing to them to draw attention—that was also one of an idol’s important qualities.
As Rin said, finding cameras aimed at you during a guerrilla event wouldn’t be easy for trainees without stage experience.
There had been times when trainees confided that they wanted to appeal but couldn’t because they couldn’t find the camera filming them.
If they struggled even on a prepared set, then in a chaotic place filled not only with large cameras but also phones and various recording devices, it would surely be difficult to locate cameras and capture attention.
What advice could she give? After thinking briefly, Ah-young recalled her rookie days and began carefully.
“We don’t know exactly how the event will run yet, but for now—”
“For now?”
“Instead of trying to find the cameras looking at you first, practice focusing your attention elsewhere.”
For example, signs with names written on them, or voices calling out to you.
At the venue, everything would be mixed together chaotically, but if they practiced observing carefully, there would definitely be things that stood out.
Since a crowd would gather that day, at least one thing—no matter what—would surely catch their eye.
“That’s where you start creating your fans.”
“Start…? Not just find one and that’s it?”
“Yeah. Every action you take on site becomes interaction with fans.”
Ah-young nodded at Seung-hye’s question.
Even when a fan had already chosen their favorite, it wasn’t permanent.
And if it was someone they had only seen briefly—just one of many contestants who stood out after only episodes one or two of an audition—then even more so.
“That’s why people say things like, ‘I became a fan after seeing them in person.’”
Though she might look like just a rookie contestant, Ah-young understood the value she held for fans she met in person.
To K-pop fans, they were already celebrities and idols.
A single gesture, a single expression, could change someone’s heart in an instant.
“People don’t come having their favorite absolutely decided. There’s no rule saying it can’t change there.”
“That’s true, I guess?”
“So who ends up choosing you as their favorite—that’s something you decide.”
There was a saying in the idol world.
You don’t choose your favorite. One day, your favorite approaches you and says, From now on, I’m your favorite.
“The way you eagerly look for your name. The way you jump with joy when you finally find it. Someone might think that looks pretty or cute and start wishing you’d notice them too.”
“Ah…”
“We won’t know which of your actions will appeal to people until the day itself, but that’s what I want to say.”
Ah-young gathered Seung-hye, Rin, and Eun-seo’s hands together and placed her own on top. Their four hands met and intertwined firmly.
“Just do your best. And don’t forget the overwhelming feelings you experience that day—express them exactly as they are. People will like that honest side of you.”
They were inexperienced audition participants. No matter that they were future idols and entertainers, at their current level, that was all they were.
The people who came there would know that too.
So they wouldn’t expect perfection. There was no need to struggle to appear perfect.
Because that was the relationship between fans and idols.
