The Fan Band

"This works out for me, too. Perfect time to tell you, so the people waiting on you don't lose any more of theirs."

"......Thank you. Truly."

"For someone who came all this way to invite me, though, aren't you a little too shocked?"

At that they glanced at one another, and one of the women who had been hesitating spoke up, careful.

"Usually people start with the money. You didn't say a word about it, so......"

"O-of course I meant to tell you right away. It's just that we still haven't finished agreeing on it inside the Band......"

The woman who had pressed me so urgently to join offered it like an excuse. I looked at her, scratched my cheek, and answered. Did a gathering like this even need upkeep? I'd never used Band myself. Then again, with everyone running around like this, some money had to be involved. Still, the way things stood for me, I couldn't spare much. How much was I supposed to put in?

"Costs? What costs? Are there maintenance fees?"

"Ah, n-no. A joining support fee......"

"Usually, when someone agrees to join, we pool a little money as a thank-you and give it to them......"

"......You what?"

Unbelievable. They'd found a very refined way of saying they were shaking people down. They did this to people who gathered because they liked them? This wasn't even a fan club run by an agency. They really thought they were idols. I already knew the sort who showed up like this had a bad name, but taking money on top of it was a bit much.

"It's fine. I have no intention of taking anything like that, so just keep your promise. You know that if you break it, there's nothing I can do either, right?"

Five heads nodded in unison again. I turned to the woman who had spoken as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"......This is the first time. Someone being this kind. Looking out for us like this......"

"Oh. So you've followed other people ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠around besides me?"

The moment I said it, four of them glared at one woman. Her face went oh no, then drained pale. She was so startled I started to wonder whether I ought to ease off jokes like that.

"Why'd you quit?"

It was pure curiosity. I hadn't meant anything by it, but when tears welled in her eyes I flinched before I knew it.

"Wh-why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?"

I looked hurriedly to the others, but they only shook their heads, just as lost. The big woman behind her patted the crying one with a careful hand, and the startled woman seemed to come back to herself. She wiped her tears and rushed to speak.

"N-no...... It's just, I remembered something that person said......"

"What did they say, to leave you like this?"

"......Th-that me liking someone could be a wound, to the person themselves......"

"......Who? That person. I should at least know the name. Who do they think they are, talking like that?"

What a ridiculous thing to say. An actual sociopath? And from the sound of it they'd said it to her face — someone with a real problem in their character. Better to just curse a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠person out. At least then you could tell yourself they'd lost their temper and slipped. The tearful woman was just opening her mouth when a hand covered it.

"You don't need to hear it."

Kim Eunji shot a look at another woman standing blankly beside them, then hauled the crying one off and vanished behind the rest in a single motion. The woman who had caught that look seemed to realize it a beat late. She hurriedly blocked my view, beamed, and opened her mouth.

"S-Shinwoo, you really don't need to worry about it."

"Of course not. But how do you take care of your skin? Could you tell us which cosmetics you use......?"

They were plainly trying to cover the talk behind them. My ears pricked at it anyway, and while I answered the question they'd tossed me as if nothing were wrong, the voices drifted through.

"Are you insane? Are you trying to drive a wedge right now?"

"Ah, th-that's not—"

"Don't give me that's not. Do you have any idea how many people get hurt if Multimales start fighting? Didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you hear about Cheonho-dong last year? Let two Multimales so much as move and the whole commercial district shakes. The tenants on those huge lump-sum leases all cleared out at once, the thing blew wide open, and it spread into a deposit-fraud mess that had the entire country in an uproar. Don't tell me you don't know. Among us, not knowing that is unbelievable."

"I—I really wasn't trying to. I'm so sorry. I just, without meaning to, when I saw Shinwoo's eyes......"

"Enough. Are you a plant? Or were you planning to drag us back into the press? With Shinwoo's name stapled on? You're already skating a dangerous line. What's your ID?"

"I—I'm really not...... I'm sorry, Vice President......"

"I said give me the ID."

"......LeeShinwooBitnari......"

I nearly choked. What kind of ID was that? And she was still clinging on. At the name the woman gave in a trembling voice, Kim Eunji's face tightened.

"So your name's Bit-na-ri, I take it?"

"Yes...... Kim Bit-na-ri......"

"How long have you been pulling these stalker-fan stunts? You crawled all the way out here at this hour — why couldn't you stay quietly crushed in a corner instead of stepping up? Shinwoo's considerate, so he gives you a little attention, and you go and cross the line completely?"

"I'm truly sorry...... I didn't mean to......"

"I understand how you feel, so I won't demand you be expelled. But you're banned from approaching. If I see you around Shinwoo again, an expulsion demand is a given, and I'll report you to the police. Remember that."

"Ah, b-but......"

"Why? Did we take a joining fee from you?"

"......No......"

"Then shut up and apologize to Shinwoo first. What you just did is practically a serious crime. You that eager for a taste of a holding cell before they ship you off to the military?"

"......I'm sorry, Vice President......"

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Shinwoo. A man that kind — and a Multimale that unspoiled — I've spent ten years on these stakeouts and never once seen it. He even looks out for us. Dirty the space around our Shinwoo one more time and I will personally make your life miserable."

"Yes......"

"I— no. Shinwoo just saved you from nearly causing an incident. Don't come around later with a thank-you."

The woman came toward me with her head bowed low, and beside her Kim Eunji's face was thick with apology. I quietly decided to pretend I hadn't heard a thing. From Eunji's words I'd picked up one piece of information that was new to me. Right — if Multimales went at each other, the damage would be enormous. And fandom, as expected, was a profound world. The hierarchy was firmer than I'd thought. Come to think of it, I'd sunk too far into that woman's story. I needed to keep a little more distance.

"I-I'm sorry."

"It's all right. And you're welcome to come by. I heard everything Eunji said, and we can let it go this once. I asked without thinking, too."

"We do have to make these things clear as we go......"

"I know. If anything, I'm grateful."

"......Thank you." She sniffled.

"I'm sorry. We'll put out another notice. We never meant to upset you......"

"Thanks to you, Eunji, I'm not upset at all. I'll be counting on you from here on, too. I didn't know."

"Ah......"

Kim Eunji flushed and went shy to a degree that made it hard to believe she had just been barking like a drill sergeant. She bowed deeply in apology, and looking at the woman still sniffling beside her, I figured it was better to change the subject. Might as well throw in a little lip service and soothe them while I was at it.

"Anyway, I suppose I ought to pay a bit more attention. So I don't go glancing off at anyone else."

"Ah......"

"......There. I sent the join request. I don't think I'll be able to check in very often, though."

"Y-yes, th-thank you......"

"Just you joining is already more of an honor than we deserve, Oppa......"

"Honor, please. Then let's say hello now and then. I'm exhausted. I need to rest."

At that, the five of them — all staring at the phone of the woman who had shown ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me the Band — gasped at once and hurried to speak.

"Y-yes! Oppa...... Sorry for taking your time."

"Please rest. We'll g-get going too."

"We're sorry. And thank you so much......"

"Everyone get inside already. We're really going to miss the last train."

I waved at them, then slowly turned, punched the code at the villa entrance, and went in.

"......Hoo......"

Only after I had climbed one flight did the tension let go. I had tried to stay as natural as I could, careful not to put them on edge or provoke them, and it seemed to have worked.

A fan Band. Unbelievable.

And their personalities were better than I had expected. If it stayed like this, it was plenty acceptable. If someone crossed the line someday, I could deal with it then.

It definitely feels different from the celebrity fandoms I know.

They were far more careful than the stalker fans who turned up in community posts and humor threads. Maybe it was the concrete hope that they might actually end up with me, but I could feel every one of them trying not to rub me the wrong way. The woman who had been sniffling didn't seem to have done it with some scheme in mind, either. She had only been trying to answer what I asked. Maybe Song Gayeong running wild with a knife had reset my sense of how low a person could go, but at this level they were welcome anytime. I only had to remember a proper distance. Get too close, and it might turn into another Song Gayeong.

I really do get treated like something special.

Of course I wasn't about to take those women's words at face value. I would have to watch and see. Still, judging only by what I had confirmed today, there didn't seem to be much to worry about.

Hm.

I eased against the wall and looked out the stairwell window. They were still gathered in a tight circle, heads together, and didn't look ready to scatter anytime soon. I lifted my phone and sent Rahee, who would be waiting, a message telling her to head in first.

I sent back that I would see her tomorrow, then let out a sigh. I had joined the Band, but I couldn't bring myself to actually open it. It was the embarrassment and the itch of dozens of ants crawling up my back.

Still, I ought to at least leave a hello.

I couldn't let myself get carried away. I tried to stand one step back and think of it as if it weren't about me. I had no intention of being too good to them, either. I knew well enough that treating people well and then slipping once was the fastest way to get torn apart. For my own sake, a proper distance was essential. Today I'd had no choice but to get close — I needed to read their tendencies and judge whether they were dangerous — but that was as far as it went.

Mm.

Climbing the stairs, I drafted a suitable greeting and switched the Band notifications off for the time being. I sighed at the screen, and the moment I pushed up the door lock, the phone rang.

I answered without much thought, expecting Hyunji's bright voice, the one that always sounded pleased.

But it wasn't Hyunji's voice. I checked the number again. Hyunji's name, sure enough. Anxiety shot up all at once. I knew women were safer in this world, but it seemed I still hadn't adapted down in the instinctive parts. Time would take care of that.

Her way of speaking had a tendency to drag. On an ordinary day I might have found it cute, but I was worried about Hyunji, and it grated. I didn't know the situation well enough to press her, so I kept quiet and listened.

I cut her off as she started to give me the address and went on myself. Good. It wasn't somewhere far, like Hongdae or the streets by Ewha.

I hung up, sank into thought for a moment, then looked at the screen and let out a short laugh. Kids these days, I was thinking, were exactly the same as we had been.