Chapter 447
Chapter 447
A perfectly normal fan signing event was taking place in front of me.
"Gasp, you're so handsome...!"
"Haha, thank you."
Ryu Cheong-woo, who was dealing with the person ahead of me, remained unshaken despite clearly being aware of this entire mess.
That guy is definitely a pro.
And as for me...
[H-Hyung! Hurry and control me!]
I was looking at the pop-ups being frantically poured out by Keun-dal, who had fallen into a state of panic the moment the fan moving on from Ryu Cheong-woo sat down in front of him.
He’s started giving orders because he’s so desperate. I understand.
I sent a message as calmly as possible.
‘Right. Just say exactly what I tell you to.’
Since this fan sign was hosted by a corporation, the staff were different, and they didn't push the fans forward as briskly.
So, ironically, it had the advantage of requiring less of the insane reflexes needed for a typical, fast-paced fan sign.
You can do it!
[Yes!]
But immediately after, a trembling pop-up appeared again.
It seemed like he had written it as a stream of consciousness.
[...But this person came to see you, Hyung. I really don't know if it's okay for me to be the one doing this...]
“……”
[Gasp, I'm sorry! It's an unavoidable situation, and here I am whining... I won't think about it anymore!]
No.
It’s a perfectly reasonable thought. ...I’ve had it too.
That’s why we just have to coordinate better.
‘You played me almost perfectly on the radio.’
It was an undeniable fact that the body was TeSTAR’s Park Moon-dae. And since I was sharing his vision, we could sufficiently recreate the experience this person expected.
Of course, I knew. This person might just be someone who happened to win after entering on a whim while buying an AI assistant.
But wasn't it more likely they were a real fan?
‘If you deliver the words I send now, that person will have truly met TeSTAR’s Park Moon-dae.’
In fact, I was right next to them, listening.
‘Can you help me so they can have that experience?’
[……Yes!!]
Good.
I took a deep breath and prepared myself for real-time reactions...
"Moon-dae~ You know that Loviewer acting you did on the radio? Can't you do it just once? I really want to see it!"
‘…….’
[…….]
‘I’m counting on you.’
[Yes, sir.]
And so, Keun-dal successfully made it through the first turn.
‘I told him to stall for a bit by saying his pen wasn't working before taking the next person.’
And finally, my turn came.
The person in front of Ryu Gun-woo... had finished.
‘...Whew.’
I stared at the empty space in front of me, then finally gave up on everything and headed toward the long table.
Thud.
I sat in the chair opposite Ryu Cheong-woo. This was a first for this perspective.
‘So this is what it feels like from here.’
I was always the one looking at people from the other side. This angle felt strangely new.
And I realized I couldn't stall any longer.
‘Damn it.’
So, I made eye contact.
Ryu Cheong-woo... smiled.
‘...He’s smiling?’
"Hyung, how did you get here?"
"……!"
"You could have just called. You surprised me."
Right.
Ryu Gun-woo is Ryu Cheong-woo’s relative. So this... is natural?
It might be controversial, but the milk is already spilled. I’ll just go with it naturally.
I spoke calmly.
"Seeing you as family is different from meeting you as an idol. That's why I applied. I'm a fan of yours, after all."
Thinking about it, I was actually grateful. It made it easier to be shameless.
Ryu Cheong-woo didn't burst out laughing. He just asked gently.
"Are you that much of a fan?"
"Yeah. Watching TeSTAR content is what I do after work."
Whether the subject was me or Keun-dal, it was the pure, unadulterated truth.
And perhaps realizing that, Ryu Cheong-woo finally lost it.
"Hahaha!"
"Haha."
I tried to laugh along as I pushed the autograph paper forward. Ryu Cheong-woo was laughing even as he reflexively signed it.
‘Stop it.’
Stop it before the fact that we're relatives hits social media.
"Which content did you like the best?"
And don't act like a real fan just arrived when you know everything, you punk.
"Everything's good. The radio appearance a few days ago was funny, too."
"Ah, was it?"
Ryu Cheong-woo finished the signature with a smile and handed it back after lightly writing something on the paper, as if adding a P.S.
"Here."
This was...
"Thanks."
"For what?"
As expected, he was a guy whose character and composure were beyond reproach.
‘We picked a good leader.’
I nodded and prepared to move on to the next...
[Ah, right, Hyung! I brought those fan sign items! Since everyone said they do it...]
“……”
Items?
Come to think of it... things had been so chaotic that I hadn't noticed, but I was holding something in my hand.
‘...A shopping bag.’
I had a bad feeling.
But if I didn't give this... I wouldn't be following this guy's day exactly, and that might mess up the lifting of the mission failure.
Because of that judgment, I reached into the bag without a word.
He had even attached a tag that said 'Ryu Cheong-woo' for easy viewing. Did he do that in case he couldn't find it in the confusion of the fan sign?
‘Whatever.’
I roughly pulled out the prop.
It was... a gat.
“……”
The one from the Joseon Dynasty.
‘But why is the historical detail so accurate?’
Isn't this the jeonrip that officials used to wear? Is this what I won the lottery for... No. As long as he's happy.
The problem was that I was the one who had to give it to him.
"Ah, should I wear this?"
Go ahead.
Ryu Cheong-woo took the gat himself and placed it on his head.
The high school student wearing a hamster headband, who had been in line before me, suddenly gave a thumbs up from the side.
"It suits you perfectly...!"
I didn't pick it.
"Haha, thanks, Hyung."
Anyway... it seemed like getting an autograph from the first member, Ryu Cheong-woo, was successfully completed.
"Come again."
I'm not coming back.
However, I couldn't move on to the next person after Ryu Cheong-woo immediately. Because that person was Park Moon-dae.
Thanks to my instructions to stall for time with excuses, he was only just about to start signing for the person in front of me.
And the moment I heard that person's greeting to 'Park Moon-dae', I knew instinctively.
"Hello~"
Her voice wasn't trembling much.
Moreover, her attitude was much more natural than when she was dealing with Ryu Cheong-woo.
‘It means she’s not a Park Moon-dae fan.’
That was a relief.
I felt slightly relieved even as I popped up the response phrases for Keun-dal.
Since she probably wasn't that interested in Park Moon-dae, Keun-dal could just be roughly kind and get through it...
"Oh, right, um... Could you do that Tibetan fox expression just once?"
‘…….’
This... was something I couldn't instruct him on.
In the end, I had to watch blankly as Keun-dal struggled to imitate some kind of expressionless face to the best of his ability.
I guess that's the kind of expression I usually have. I'll reflect on that.
And soon, he broke.
"I-I'm sorry... it was a bit awkward, wasn't it?"
‘Oh.’
But even that was quite... well, as expected of the original owner of the body, it was natural.
"...!! No! It was cute! You're so cute, Oppa!"
"...?? Thank you...."
[Hyung, I'm sorry. I think I messed up a bit ㅠㅠ]
‘Have you ever thought about working in this field...’
[Pardon?]
‘Never mind.’
I almost put nonsense into the head of a lottery winner who passed the 7th-grade civil service exam.
I brushed away the useless thoughts and moved seats.
Thud.
So now I was sitting in front of Park Moon-dae, who was wearing a speech bubble hat that said 'World's Best Apple Softie' and dog ears.
Facing myself.
It was an incredibly bizarre feeling.
But since I recognized that our roles had switched, I intended to do my best.
‘Let’s see.’
I clasped my hands together and spoke in a cautious tone.
"Um, Moon-dae-ssi... I'm always rooting for you."
"Pfft."
"I've been a fan since before your debut! Ah, is this how you say it...? You're my bias!"
"Yes.... That's right. Thank you-dak......"
His pronunciation seemed to crumble just now, but it was fine. It seemed like we could keep going like this. I nodded.
Come to think of it, this guy, my signature...
"The signature... is here."
He writes it quite convincingly. It's not even surprising anymore.
‘Did you practice separately?’
[N-No, my body just remembered it. It was really amazing....]
Ah, so that's how it was.
Anyway, I continued the friendly fan sign conversation.
"Really! Thank you. I'll be sure to watch your next promotions too...!"
Of course, I didn't forget the item.
"And by any chance... could you wear this? Gasp, it's okay if you don't want to!"
"……How could I not want to? It's cute."
[...Hyung, you don't have to go that far to imitate me....... Sob.......]
I did my best.
I watched as Keun-dal barely managed to place a golden crown on his head.
‘Good.’
Getting an autograph from myself: complete.
From now on... it was the members in earnest.
While I was getting the autograph from Keun-dal, I did see Ryu Cheong-woo whispering to the others behind us.
And the seat next to Park Moon-dae was... Bae Se-jin.
‘He’s a calm guy, so he’s good for an early turn.’
I moved my chair.
At that, Bae Se-jin flinched.
“…….”
“…….”
"Hello."
"...Yes. Hello."
It seemed he had already heard the news, but why did he look so at a loss?
‘Is it because he doesn't think of it as acting?’
Then it would be better to lighten the mood a bit.
After a momentary judgment, I spoke first.
"Um, do you happen to remember? I greeted you in the restroom once before......."
"...! Ah, ah, yes."
"You've become even cooler since then."
"Thank you...."
Bae Se-jin looked me over as if he were a bit surprised.
‘Did you relax?’
However, as if he had made some kind of resolution instead, he swallowed hard and looked down at the autograph paper. Then he spoke slowly.
"That time, it was a great source of strength for me. Even if you weren't actually my fan. Regardless of that... I really wanted to say thank you."
“…….”
"Thank you for coming to the fan sign today."
Bae Se-jin, who finished the signature with 'To. Ryu Gun-woo', handed over the paper.
‘Good grief.’
"I'm the one who's grateful to you for consistently promoting."
“…….”
"And I am a fan of yours, Se-jin-ssi. I'll keep rooting for you in the future."
"...Yes."
I shook hands with Bae Se-jin.
It felt quite firm.
‘Not bad.’
I thought the conversation with him was wrapping up... but once again, one thing remained.
‘Ah, the item.’
When I rummaged through the shopping bag, what came out was...
‘...A hamster headband.’
I looked up and saw Bae Se-jin.
“…?”
"No."
A hamster headband was already on Bae Se-jin's head. The one that had been on the high school student's head earlier.
‘They overlap.’
I put Keun-dal's item back into the shopping bag.
I'm sorry, but this was a battle that ended the moment we lost the battle of wits.
And so, I moved on to the next guy.
The guy sitting in the center of the fan sign was...
"Hello...!"
Seon A-hyun.
Seon A-hyun was sitting there with a fairly reliable face.
Recalling the previous radio experience, it didn't seem like there would be any particular problems with this guy. He wasn't the type to tease people unnecessarily.
I relaxed a bit and sat down.
"Yes, hello... Ahem."
Perhaps because I had been talking for a few minutes while tense, a dry cough came out. So I quickly cleared my throat...
Seon A-hyun hurriedly grabbed a new drink that was next to him and handed it over.
"...! Water, here... Oh, there's green tea too...!"
A sudden reverse tribute?
‘Wait.’
In an instant, a cyber wrecker headline flashed through my mind.
-[Seon A-hyun Fan Discrimination Controversy] Seon A-hyun gave special treatment only to a muggle male at a fan sign?
That won't do.
"I'm fine. I'm okay. It's just because I'm a bit nervous. I've been a fan since before TeSTAR's debut, but it's my first time coming to a fan sign."
"Ah...."
Seon A-hyun hurriedly pulled the water away.
‘No.’
It wouldn't do for the atmosphere to become awkward either. There were hardly any adult men in the hall as it was, so I couldn't stand out even more.
In the end... I chose 'that' to move past this situation naturally.
"More importantly, could you perhaps wear this?"
It was the pre-emptive item delivery.
"……Of course."
Seon A-hyun hesitantly took the flower crown with deer antlers and placed it on his head.
"Aaaah!"
"A-hyun-ah! Over here!"
All sorts of screams erupted from behind.
I understood. It suited him incredibly well.
‘Where on earth did he buy something like this?’
[Ah, they take custom orders on social media!]
‘...?’
I didn't actually ask, but okay, I got it.
Anyway, I intentionally turned my body slightly so that Seon A-hyun's fansite masters could get their shots, and then shared a few more words with Seon A-hyun.
And time was up as I read the message he left on the autograph paper.
It meant the break was over.
Next was...
"Hello~"
"Yes."
Because it was Keun Se-jin.
The guy was grinning broadly and being very sociable.
And he was showing off the skill of moving his pen without even looking at the paper while making sure to move his mouth as well.
"Wow~ How did you get here?"
"Because I'm a TeSTAR fan."
"Oh my, thank you~ But whose fan are you?"
"Moon-dae's."
"Pfft."
Keun Se-jin hurriedly covered his face.
It was even more irritating because I could practically see the countless 'lol's passing through his mind... No, let's endure.
"Wow~ You two look a bit alike!"
"Oh, really? It's the first time in my life I've heard that. Thank you."
"Why! They say people originally... Pfft, end up liking people who look like themselves~ You know, there's that saying!"
Keun Se-jin said with a shameless smile.
"I am a fan of myself~"
"Pfft!"
Kim Rae-bin almost spat out his water next to him.
Fortunately, it seemed he avoided spitting on the autograph paper with superhuman patience.
“…….”
I took a deep breath.
And spoke shamelessly.
"Of course, I'm an all-fan."
"Pfft."
Don't laugh.
"I'm a fan of Se-jin-nim too. Is it because Se-jin-nim also looks a lot like Moon-dae?"
“…….”
"I'm rooting for you. You're cool in so many ways."
"...Ah, yes. Um~"
Keun Se-jin eventually held out both hands with a somewhat sheepish expression.
"Thank you!"
Somehow, I felt like I won.
I gave him a high five and moved on to the next.
Kim Rae-bin.
The guy was... serious.
"Is there... anything you want from me?"
Anyone would think he was being threatened.
Anyway, to the guy who was ready to do whatever I said, I also began to recite my requirements seriously.
"I hope you continue to show us great performances."
"Yes, sir."
"And make sure to get plenty of rest to manage your condition."
"Of course."
"If possible, it would be even better if you could sleep before midnight at least two days a week."
"...??"
Otherwise, you'll suffer once you're over thirty.
"And this, please."
"Ah, yes."
I naturally pulled out the item with the 'Kim Rae-bin' name tag from the bag. At this point, I didn't know if I had gained experience or just resigned myself.
‘Now, if I just hand this over…….’
“…….”
"……Um."
But what is this?
Some kind of white silicone lump...
[Ah, it's for your ears!]
"Ah, you can put it on your ears."
"I see! It must be an ear cuff."
It almost became a strange situation where the person giving the item didn't know what it was.
I watched as Kim Rae-bin attached fluffy angel wings to his ears and silently stood up.
Now only the last player remained.
"Hi~"
Cha Yu-jin.
The guy, who had already enjoyed a fantastic fan sign interaction, even interlacing fingers with the person before me, was waving his hand toward me.