Chapter 173: Symposium (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: Symposium (2)
When was the last time she’d been to a fan meeting? Won Chae-hee tried to count the years. Aside from the fact that it had been forever, nothing particularly memorable came to mind.
At the fan meetings she’d paid her own money to attend, Won Chae-hee had endured her fair share of humiliation. She’d heard more warnings from security and staff than actual comments from the idols, which really said it all.
On the other hand, the fan meeting notice posted by UA was... somewhat refreshing.
≫ [OFFICIAL] Pre-Information Regarding Participation in Spark’s 1st Fan Meeting ‘IGNITION’
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Photography Policy
─ Free photography is permitted at this fan meeting, provided it does not interfere with the proceedings. We would appreciate it if you took beautiful photos. (In cases where continuous shutter fire causes distress to other fans, staff may exceptionally request that you refrain from filming.)
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There was no photography ban. In fact, they weren't just allowing it; they were actively encouraging it.
She had never seen such a bold fan meeting before. Won Chae-hee felt her camera twitching inside her bag.
Furthermore, the venue was a famous fan meeting spot known for its excellent sightlines. She wondered just how much the company had been trashed in the past for them to be this sincere about every little detail now.
Until the fan meeting began, Won Chae-hee idly scrolled through the Spark "bait" appearing on her timeline.
‘Since the Idol Dynasty Annals finals was their last activity, will they come out in Hanboks today? Or school uniforms?’
To be honest, as long as they didn't show up in those three-stripe tracksuits, she was willing to look at anything favorably. Having actually seen a guy like that was one of the few humiliations of Won Chae-hee’s life.
But as the saying goes:
Spark is sincere about every activity.
As silhouettes flickered at the entrance, the quiet venue was suddenly filled with happy screams.
The first to appear was the leader, Jeong Seong-bin.
Atop his brown hair sat a bronze-colored floral crown modeled after a laurel wreath, and metal chain accessories sparkled on his fingers and wrists.
Wearing a white tunic with a thin, greenish shawl draped over it, he exuded a strange, classical beauty. The outfit was reminiscent of Greek and Roman mythology.
Holy shit, he’s a literal elf. Before Won Chae-hee could finish marvelling, another member stepped out.
It was Park Ju-woo, wearing a silk shirt that rippled like blue waves and light sky-blue glitter applied subtly to his cheeks.
As Won Chae-hee zoomed in, the glitter became clearer. Three or four pointed oval shapes were positioned on both of Ju-woo’s cheeks.
Is Park Ju-woo supposed to be a merman prince? While she was guessing internally, a scream erupted from one side.
"Fuck."
Choi Je-ho appeared with his bangs slicked back, wearing a burgundy shirt and a black suit set.
A chain was attached to his shirt collar, perhaps by a brooch. The gold ornaments sparkled under the lights.
Unlike Spark’s usual style of avoiding heavy makeup, his eyes and lips were done up with intense focus. Even from Won Chae-hee’s seat, his face looked like it was in 4K.
Kang Gi-yeon, who followed, looked like he was wearing clothes from an even earlier era than Choi Je-ho.
His hair, slicked back with pomade without a single stray strand, further emphasized Gi-yeon’s characteristic sharpness.
The muffler, ornate vest, and well-fitted coat created a perfect trifecta.
‘Who the hell put gloves on him? Are they a pervert?’
The spotless white gloves covering Kang Gi-yeon’s hands triggered many thoughts in Won Chae-hee’s mind.
The sound of shutters firing echoed from all directions. The interesting part was that no one was firing in bursts. It was just that the sounds of everyone taking individual, careful shots combined to create a volume similar to rapid fire.
That was when it happened. The stage entrance glowed brightly as if a spotlight had been hit.
It was Lee Cheong-hyeon’s entrance.
The elaborate embroidery on his dignified outfit, something an Academy professor in a romance fantasy novel might wear, stood out.
They say purple has symbolized wealth since ancient times, and just looking at his face, he certainly looked like a millionaire.
The color-coordinated mortarboard suited him well, too. In a way, he looked like a valedictorian. Nevertheless, Won Chae-hee was reminded of some nameless wine that supposedly cost ten million won a bottle.
It’s a loss not to see that visual with your own eyes. The thought crossed her mind even during the brief moments she spent looking through the lens.
Won Chae-hee was incredibly busy, taking a photo, looking up, then returning to her "turtle-neck" posture to take another.
There was one member left. While Won Chae-hee adjusted the angle of her "cannon," people around her were moving busily. It looked like they were taking out slogans.
‘Is it okay for an individual fan event to be this blatant?’
She was flustered. Usually, if member discrimination is severe enough for fans to prepare a slogan event for just one member, the fandom can't function properly.
Regardless of Won Chae-hee’s concerns, the final member began to walk out.
In a style quite different from the flashy fashion of the previous members—a rather nerdy one.
A plaid shirt, overalls, half-rim glasses, and vintage sneakers strongly pointed toward a specific fashion sense.
The kind of style where his hobby would probably be mining Bitcoin and his specialty would be solving a Rubik's cube really fast.
‘Wait, does the stylist just hate this guy? Is that why the fans are being so protective?’
At least the perm in his hair gave him a cute charm, and it was funny how he shuffled in despite his upright posture, but it felt somewhat pitiful.
Just as she was about to feel sympathy, loud voices erupted from the audience.
"I-wol-ah!"
"You're all better now, right?!"
Only then did the slogans the fans were holding catch Won Chae-hee’s eye. They were printed with the message: ‘I-wol, welcome back.’
‘Oh, right. I heard this is his first offline event since his injury.’
That was why the competition for fan meeting tickets had been so fierce, but she had forgotten.
Kim I-wol, looking at the audience with startled eyes, bowed repeatedly with an embarrassed, awkward smile.
Someone in the audience shouted, "Don't bow! You'll strain your head!" but he didn't seem to care. It was an impressive display of professional spirit.
Led by Jeong Seong-bin, the members expressed their gratitude to the fans who came to their first fan meeting and shared their thoughts on the formation of the fan club. Since Won Chae-hee wasn't particularly curious about the speeches, she focused solely on taking photos.
The Spark members in her viewfinder were, quite literally, all over the place.
They had thrown uniformity out the window, but the determination of each individual to showcase their peak beauty was strongly conveyed.
Spark... was a group with a strong sense of aesthetics... Won Chae-hee’s hand pressed the shutter on its own, without even waiting for a command from its owner.
"We’ve prepared some special content for today, haven't we?"
"That's right."
Jeong Seong-bin and Kang Gi-yeon exchanged lines. It seemed like they had prepared even more, though their outfits alone felt like enough. Perhaps because she had come from stanning a "three-stripe tracksuit" idol, Won Chae-hee’s expectations were at rock bottom.
"You all might have been confused because our clothes lack uniformity, but there was actually a set concept!"
"We almost ended up with hair like Ju-woo hyung's trying to decide on this!"
Naturally, people's eyes turned to Park Ju-woo, who was maintaining a bright hair tone. He must have meant they almost went gray from the stress.
What they meant by having a concept became clear during the following special stages. The members who had prepared together shared subtle commonalities in their atmosphere.
The first stage was opened by Jeong Seong-bin and Park Ju-woo.
To the accompaniment of Jeong Seong-bin’s acoustic guitar, Park Ju-woo sang a classically rearranged version of "With List."
She had wondered why they were dressed like an elf and a merman prince; it turned out the motifs were a pastoral music boy who loves nature and a Siren.
Park Ju-woo’s vocal tone was famous even outside of the Sparkler fandom for its uniqueness. This voice shone even within the ordinary fan meeting venue.
‘Hearing it in person is completely different.’
She had thought it was good when listening to the digital track, but that judgment seemed laughable now—his voice was that incredible. It was a shame this unit had only prepared one song.
Next up was the dance line in suits. She wondered what they would dance to in those clothes...
The two of them performed a waltz. Won Chae-hee doubted her own eyes.
She didn't know if that was the "correct" way to dance a waltz. She had never been particularly interested in that sort of thing.
But it was certainly cool to watch. Their lines were sharp, their movements were smooth, and they were in perfect sync with the music.
I guess idols these days have to dance the waltz to survive. Even while having such a boomer-like thought, Won Chae-hee found herself getting drawn in. The stiffness in her shoulders was gradually forgotten.
By this point, she was curious about what the last group would do. She also had a small hope that the heated atmosphere from the waltz would continue.
She felt a surge of anxiety that if they did something like a quiz battle in those scholar and grad student outfits, the mood would instantly become boring.
Whether they knew Won Chae-hee’s heart or not, Kim I-wol and Lee Cheong-hyeon stepped onto the stage with solemn expressions.
"As you all know, these two are our team’s official brains," said Jeong Seong-bin, returning to his role as MC after his stint as an elf.
"So, we decided to choose an item where they could use their brains to their heart's content."
It was over. A quiz battle was confirmed.
Now they would spend time answering things no one cared about, like the capitals of distant foreign countries...
"It’s a relay exposé called 'The Secret Stories About Each Other That Only I Know'!"
...Huh?
Are they allowed to do that? Was this mutually agreed upon?
While Won Chae-hee was bewildered, the crowd around her cheered wildly. Apparently, everyone was used to exposés and TMI dumps.
"...Are both players ready?"
Park Ju-woo asked while massaging Lee Cheong-hyeon’s shoulders. Lee Cheong-hyeon smirked as if he were more than ready.
"Do you want to go first, Hyung? Or should I?"
He even provoked him. One of Kim I-wol’s eyebrows twitched.
"Bring it on."
When Kim I-wol allowed him the first move, Lee Cheong-hyeon paced across the stage.
It was a damn struggle. She had to see that face with her bare eyes while also capturing it on camera.
"Hyung."
"..."
"It annoys you when there are no commas in numbers, even though you pretend it doesn't, right?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon chuckled.
Kim I-wol didn't back down. His dignity shone through as he didn't even lose his smile over something like that.
"If you know that, why don't you just change the number formatting? I taught you how."
"It was just so funny watching you change them every single time..."
"I'm sorry, but without commas, I can't read anything over ten thousand won."
It was an incredibly trivial story.
However, the two of them were more sincere than anyone. At this moment, Won Chae-hee wished the staff would sell some popcorn.
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Profile
Name: Jeong Seong-bin
Birthday: March 30th
Birthplace: Seoul
Height: 179cm
MBTI: ESFJ
Nicknames: Mental Pillar, Class President, Captain, Teacher, Spark’s Only Conscience
Likes: Vocal lessons, watching the news, looking at night views
Dislikes: His own shortcomings, Jeong Seong-jun’s impulsive behavior, overly sweet food
Motto: Let’s do our best so we don’t have regrets
Favorite Food: Gamjatang (Pork Bone Soup)
Preferred Scent: Cotton
Favorite Music Genre: Ballad
Favorite Sport: E-sports
Physical Feature He’s Confident In: Ankles
Personal Habit: Talks in his sleep when tired