novelraw Chapter 172: Meeting (1)
Chapter 172: Meeting (1)
The official name of the meeting was ‘1st Spark Fan Meeting Planning Meeting’.
But in my mind, it kept morphing into the ‘The Great Escape from the Ultra-Boring Fan Meeting Emergency Countermeasure Committee’.
I had no intention of witnessing another fan meeting where both the fans and the idols looked like they had nothing to say. We needed thorough preparation.
Fortunately, the Spark members were enthusiastic about preparing for the fan meeting.
I had thought at least one or two of them would suggest leaving it to the dedicated team, but surprisingly, they all stepped forward, eager to plan it themselves.
And that was how we ended up sitting on the floor of the practice room, surrounded by scattered scrap paper and laptops.
Jeong Seongbin, scanning a list of fan meeting content from various idol groups, said,
“We should definitely include a Q&A session with the fans, right?”
As expected of someone who knew what they were doing. Questionnaires, Q&As, and Post-it note questions were essential communication tools.
“A lot of groups do cosplays too. Like movie or anime characters…”“Ah, I was looking at that too.”
Kang Kiyeon chimed in with Park Joowoo’s comment.
“Costumes are good. I think everyone will like the event aspect.”
Lee Cheonghyeon also showed interest. Judging by his word choice, though, it seemed he didn’t really understand what cosplay was.
“I don’t think it’s just about putting on makeup.”
I added, and a question mark appeared on Lee Cheonghyeon’s face.
Park Joowoo handed Lee Cheonghyeon a piece of paper, and his face lit up with surprise.
“What’s this? You dress up exactly like the character?”
“That’s right. More than you imagined, right?”
“Awesome! I definitely want to do this!”
I felt like I’d seen someone say something like this on social media before.
What was it again? A highly developed muggle is indistinguishable from an otaku…?
“We’ll be singing too, right? I was thinking, an acoustic arrangement of ‘With List’ would be perfect. It’d be perfect for the autumn vibe, what do you think?”
Then Lee Cheonghyeon lamented that no one in our team could play the acoustic guitar.
“Acoustic guitar would be perfect for this vibe!”
“If we had someone who could play that, we would be a band, not an idol group.”
Choi Jeho grumbled. At that moment, Jeong Seongbin stepped forward hesitantly.
“Um… I can play it if the chords aren’t too complicated.”
So, we actually did have someone who could play it. I could almost hear Park Joowoo’s yearning for a band concept ignite. I glanced at him, and sure enough, his eyes were sparkling.
“Alright, then I’m doing this! Okay? It’s decided!”
“Okay, okay.”
Jeong Seongbin chuckled, calming down the excited Lee Cheonghyeon.
“We should also do Kiyeon’s random play dance that went viral on IDC.”
At my words, Kang Kiyeon’s face turned red.
But it was a fact. His popularity had skyrocketed after he nailed the random play dance.
Even his old performance-focused videos started resurfacing, so there was no way we could let go of this content.
“The oldest hyungs should do something too.”
Lee Cheonghyeon said, playfully twirling his pen.
“Sorry, but please don’t lump Choi Jeho and me together. Being born in the same year is the extent of our relationship in this lifetime.”
“As if I enjoy being associated with you.”
Choi Jeho shot back. As always, the ever-kind Jeong Seongbin tried to smooth things over.
“Hey, why are you two like this? You usually get along so well.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Those hyungs don’t say a word in their room.”
And just like that, Lee Cheonghyeon completely shattered Jeong Seongbin’s efforts.
But jokes aside, I really didn’t want to be paired with Choi Jeho.
First off, my stats were too lacking. I knew our generous fans tried to gloss over it by calling us the ‘hyungs with different styles’, but the intensity of our visuals was just too different.
The same went for our skills. Even with the same moves, people said Choi Jeho had graceful dance lines, whereas the best comment I ever got was ‘Iwol always keeps his angles sharp!’.
I was training hard to at least match the other members’ level, but every time I stood next to Jeho, I turned into a slug. It was just depressing.
And to be completely honest…
After regaining my memory data, I started feeling uncomfortable around him again.
The anger I had felt towards him right after regressing resurfaced.
To be fair, Choi Jeho didn’t actually do anything wrong. His only crime was standing out too much—so much that even Manager Nam’s daughter took notice.
Besides, the system was doing a good job of suppressing my negative emotions. Otherwise, my feelings towards him wouldn’t have stopped at just discomfort.
Something about being around him made me strangely unsettled, so I wanted to avoid collaborating with him for the time being.
“How about a ‘Would You Rather’ game? Making Iwol hyung the main dancer vs. Joowoo hyung doing a solo variety show.”
“Our Kiyeon has a talent for creating ‘Would You Rather’ questions.”
I applauded Kang Kiyeon’s idea. Park Joowoo’s face turned pale.
***
“Guys, the physical samples for the fan club kit are here!”
“Really?”
At Jukyung-nim’s call, we abandoned our practice and headed upstairs to the meeting room. A large navy blue box sat on the table.
Despite the dark navy background, the box didn’t feel gloomy thanks to the vibrant fireworks printed on it. The colorful, circular fireworks evoked a festive atmosphere.
The small fireworks surrounding the ‘A’ in ‘spArk,’ Spark’s official stylized name, resembled a Ferris wheel and blended well with the design.
The contents were adorable, too.
Since fans tend to hesitate when using stickers, we had insisted on including two copies of each—one for keeping and one for using. Inside were individually signed stickers with handwritten messages from each member, project reports from the Flowering era, and a six-photo life strip from With List. The name section on the activity reports was left blank so fans could write their names or nicknames.
‘The photos… No pixelation, no smudges on the postcards…’
While the others were busy admiring the kit, I was busy checking for flaws. This was a habit I’d developed from filming unboxing videos while doing proxy purchases.
“Wow, the journal planner… looks really practical.”
Lee Cheonghyeon, who had excitedly opened the journal, suddenly lowered his voice.
“Yeah, I’m thinking of switching to this one.”
Kang Kiyeon even asked Jukyung if he could get a diary by signing up for the fan club himself.
Of course, we’d collaborated with Eumjisarang and worked hard to make it both aesthetically pleasing and practical! II had painstakingly picked out every single page layout, thinking about how I’d want it if I were using it myself!
But if you guys start using it, we’ll look like shameless idols self-promoting fan club memberships!
There were other items as well, but I was particularly pleased with the 12-piece photocard set we had painstakingly taken. Each of the six members had two versions: an idol version and a casual version.
I had to empty my entire external hard drive for the casual version photocards.
Among them, my top pick was undoubtedly Kang Kiyeon smiling brightly amidst soap bubbles.
It had the refreshing coolness of a fountain and the warmth of solar heat coexisting on his face. Both his face and the soap bubbles shimmered with rainbow colors.
If I had submitted it anywhere other than UA, Kang Kiyeon’s photo would have definitely won Photo of the Year. Be grateful, UA.
“We’re really getting a fan club now.”
Jeong Seongbin’s voice trembled. Even without looking, I could tell he was deeply moved.
“That’s right. Everyone’s busy, but let’s work hard until the fan meeting. Fighting!”
“Fighting!”
Everyone shouted enthusiastically.
My heart fluttered. It was a different kind of nervousness than I felt at fansign events.
* * *
Won Chaehee. 27 years old. She was seasoned K-pop fan who once boasted a dazzling career as a homma, but after her bias became a VIP at a nightclub, she vowed never to set foot in the idol world again.
It was only recently that she dusted off her long-sealed camera.
The appearance of a man whose beauty defied the laws of physics. A visual so striking it signaled the dawn of a new era. At that moment, Won Chaehee felt that her past self had perished, and a new version of her had been reborn.
‘I’m just dipping my toes in. These days, there are idols with rotten personalities right from their debut.’
Won Chaehee repeated this mantra over and over.
Nevertheless, she filled out the application form for the newly opened fan club recruitment, waited for the kit, and the day it arrived, immediately replaced the journal she’d been using for six months, plastering the cover with the members’ handwritten stickers.
She really needed to break the habit of spending money the moment she got hooked on something. But it wasn’t easy.
‘I heard there was a lot of talk about the agency, but I guess they’re doing their job now.’
Overall, the Sparkler 1st Generation Kit was excellent. She didn’t regret her purchase.
How many god-awful pieces of merch had passed through Won Chaehee’s apartment trash can? She’d taken one look, sighed in frustration, and tossed them all—swapping them for a better camera lens, which was probably the smartest decision she’d made.
When the fan meeting announcement dropped, she scoured the depths of the online community she once frequented, looking for any information on Spark.
Had they ever cancelled a schedule last minute? Did they often give half-hearted reactions? …Most seasoned K-pop fans, tired of investing not only time and money but also their emotions, probably shared Won Chaehee’s concerns.
Fortunately, Won Chaehee’s worries turned out to be unfounded. So, she put her old skills to use and attempted to secure a ticket. Her skills as a homma, securing her a spot at every event of her bias, hadn’t faded.
And the moment the tickets vanished…
≫ @minamhunter
Did anyone actually succeed in getting a fan meeting ticket?
Boom
Anyone?
A post from a well-known Sparkler appeared on Won Chaehee’s timeline.
≫ @minamhunter
No wonder getting into the IDC audience was so easy
I must have used up all my luck then
≫ @minamhunter
Guys, meaningful fan meetings are meant to be held at Gocheok Dome
Otherwise, it’s literally illegal under some law
I’m going to set UA on fire
└ It’s you who’s against some law
≫ @minamhunter
Not a single person I know got a ticket, how is this possible??
Are our kids already superstars????
I believe those who get tickets will leave generous reviews with their fiery loyalty. Please, I’m begging you
Social media was buzzing, reflecting the fierce competition.
‘I should… go and try to get some decent photos.’
The idol fandom was a brutal, cutthroat world. If fans didn’t help each other out, who would? Seeing the desperate cries of the well-known fan, Won Chaehee decided to embrace the spirit of generosity.