Chapter 177
Chapter 177
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: The First Fan Signing
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Seul-bi Unni, you’re so cool. I cried watching you on stage.”
“Seol-ah Unni, I was in Italy and bought this hat because it was cute. Would you mind trying it on just once?”
Just as I expected, gifts from fans were piling up behind Seol-ah and Seul-bi.
Ro-si, who had yet to receive a single gift, shot a quick glance at Seol-ah’s pile, which already had more than five items.
She was smiling calmly, but I knew her personality well enough to know she couldn't be. It wasn't jealousy or hurt, but rather an anxious desire to contribute to the team's popularity. What kind of parents did Ro-si have to leave her with so much insecurity?
Since it was their first fan signing, banning gifts was out of the question, but for the next one, I’d have to organize a charity gift event or something.
“Next, please.”
It was a fan with greasy hair, wearing a hoodie pulled down low.
An ominous aura, which hadn't been there a moment ago, now flared around him. Did some sinister thought suddenly pop into his head?
I stepped in front of Seol-ah, and as my hand brushed against him, a short vision flashed through my mind.
* * *
“Hello. That’s a nice hoodie.”
Seol-ah greeted him with a bright smile.
“Heheheh. Ever had sex?”
“!”
The color drained from Seol-ah’s face.
* * *
This crazy bastard!
It hadn't happened yet, but it was definitely going to.
[Activating Trait: Soldier's Spirit (B)]
[Activating Trait: Charisma Lv 2]
An aura seeped out from my body.
‘Shut your mouth and get lost.’
My aura instantly enveloped the man in the hoodie, transmitting my voice directly into his mind. It was a heavy resonance, like the tolling of a bell announcing the new year.
The man’s body shuddered, filled with fear.
“Eek! It’s… it’s the Shadow Monarch!”
The man in the hoodie yelled something incomprehensible and, despite his heavy build, scrambled toward the exit with surprising speed.
“It’s the Shadow Monarch! Arise!”
“Pfft!”
A few people, seeming to understand what he was talking about, burst into disbelieving laughter.
“That weeb, wasn’t he a Yoo-roach?”
“Ah! Are you talking about the Greasy Weeb? Is that him?”
It seemed he was one of the anti-fans who had sided with Your Girl to attack Answer. Your Girl’s fans called Answer fans ‘Aen-roaches,’ while Answer fans called Your Girl fans ‘Yoo-roaches.’
And ‘Greasy Weeb’? A weeb with greasy hair. He might already be infamous among the fans.
[Remaining Risk Factors: 3/15]
Thankfully, I was able to get rid of him before he could spew his nonsense at Seol-ah.
There were still 200 people left, so what could the remaining three be? This was draining my mental energy more than I expected.
“Seol-ah! You came!”
“Hahaha! I’m sorry, Seol-ah-ssi. I thought that was the only way you’d look at me.”
“Pfft!”
Even the fans waiting in line chuckled at his appearance. He was a surprisingly gentle-looking man in his mid-to-late thirties.
Behind him, another risk factor approached.
* * *
“Hello!”
Seol-ah smiled and bowed her head. The male fan stared at her for a moment, then shook his head and mumbled.
“Ah… right. I’m here to see Seul-bi-ssi next to you. You don’t have to sign anything.”
“Huh? Oh… okay.”
He only got Seul-bi’s autograph, completely ignoring Yi-na and Ro-si before leaving.
* * *
If Ro-si, not to mention Seol-ah and Yi-na, had to endure that, her already fragile self-esteem would surely shatter.
With an annoyed expression, I approached the next fan, who was adjusting his glasses.
“You’re a fan of Seul-bi-ssi, right?”
“Ah! Manager-nim, how did you know?”
Fortunately, he was friendly toward me. I could probably persuade him easily.
“I’m just saying this as a precaution.”
“A pre… caution?”
It seemed he didn't know what the word meant.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t, but as their manager, I’m a bit worried. At another fan sign recently, a fan was nice to only one member and treated the others like they were invisible, which deeply hurt all the members.”
“Oh? Ah…”
“Being a manager, I find myself worrying about all sorts of things.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not that kind of person.”
“Thank you for understanding. I say the same thing to all the fans who seem to particularly favor one member.”
“Hehe. Did I stand out that much?”
“Yes, you definitely looked like a fan of Seul-bi-ssi. I can tell just by the way you look at her.”
He wasn't offended by my flattery; in fact, he seemed pleased. I let out a sigh of relief.
[Remaining Risk Factors: 2/15]
As always, I would handle the remaining two just fine. Since no one in the remaining hundred or so people stood out, their disruptive actions must be spontaneous things they hadn't planned.
Just then, a man with a bandana on his head looked at Ro-si with an anxious expression.
Is he next?
But he didn't seem to pose any risk. The man, holding a gift, passed by Seol-ah, Seul-bi, and Yi-na, and finally reached Ro-si.
“Hello.”
“Yes! Hello. Um, I believe I’ve seen you before, Ro-si-nim.”
“Ah! Where?”
“Here.”
Instead of answering, he handed Ro-si the gift. It was a succulent plant in a mini garden with a cute puppy and a puppy house.
“Aww! It’s so pretty! Thank you so much!”
Ro-si, expressing her sincere delight, then looked at the can of coffee that came with the mini garden.
“Ah! The delivery driver? This is the convenience store coffee I gave you, isn't it?”
He was the food delivery driver who had struggled alongside Answer when they were plagued by rumors, defending them and posting a long, heartfelt story about how they couldn't possibly be like that.
“Ah! That’s right! Thank you!”
“Ooooh.”
He was quite famous on the fan cafe, so even the people in line cheered, careful not to be too disruptive.
“Thanks to Answer and you, Ro-si-nim, I feel like I’m truly living.”
“I’m really grateful too. I read your story. I believe if you keep pushing through, better days will come!”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
His time was up, and he stood up quickly, but contrary to my worries, it was a heartwarming encounter. I carefully took the cute mini garden from Ro-si and placed it in her gift box.
After that, there was a man who tried to cause a scene, complaining that his allotted time was shorter than everyone else's, but I had anticipated it and started recording a video as soon as he sat down in front of the first member, Seol-ah.
“Hey, why is my time shorter than everyone else’s? Do you know how much money I spent to come here? Can you discriminate like this?!”
As expected, the moment I cut off his conversation with the last member, Ro-si, he started raising his voice and making a fuss.
“If you received less than the announced time, I will personally give you one million won from my own pocket. What will you do if you’re wrong, sir?”
“Fine, I’ll give you one million won too! I was counting the whole time!”
The man in his forties said with confidence. I played the video I had been recording since he sat in front of Seol-ah.
“Thirty seconds per member. Four members, so 120 seconds. A total of two minutes, correct?”
Seol-ah 31 seconds, Seul-bi 31 seconds, Yi-na 30 seconds, Ro-si 32 seconds. There was no room for doubt.
“Damn it. Just my luck.”
The 40-year-old troublemaker had turned his back at around 1 minute and 58 seconds. Surely, he wasn't just going to leave?
“Sir, you owe me one million won.”
“…”
“Sir?”
Watching his back as he hurried away, I scoffed.
It really takes all sorts. This might be because it’s their first fan signing. After several events, the organizers and the fan cafe usually weed out people like this.
[Remaining Risk Factors: 1/15]
Finally, just one left.
But my anxiety lingered as that last one remained unresolved, even as the final attendees approached.
Quests aside, ever since I got the system, I think I’ve become a perfectionist. Perhaps having the power to overwhelm others has given me a fear of losing.
“Ah! I remember now. It was you.”
“Yes, yes! That was me!”
The Answer members were all signing for fans, heading toward a pleasant conclusion.
He looked like a completely normal person. Just as he finished talking to Ro-si and was about to stand up, a negative, red aura suddenly surged from him, and his hand shot out toward Ro-si.
Before Ro-si could even react, I snatched his hand, and a vision flooded my mind.
* * *
His hand lunged out, grabbed a handful of Ro-si’s hair, and yanked it hard.
“Aack!”
“Haha!”
A clump of Ro-si’s hair was torn out. The man stuffed the hair inside his T-shirt and sprinted toward the emergency exit.
He was subdued by security while trying to escape, but the venue erupted into chaos. Ro-si, in deep shock, forgot the pain and trembled uncontrollably.
Her eyes were filled with confusion. It was clear this would become a lasting trauma for her.
* * *
It was a serious incident that almost happened. I threw the bastard off the stage.
*Thud.*
“Ack!”
“Kyaa!”
The startled members and fans jumped to their feet, and the security staff, a step behind me, rushed over.
The venue was in an uproar, but my anger hadn't subsided. I twisted the guy’s arm behind his back. It was a justifiable act of subduing a criminal in anyone's eyes.
“Gaaah!”
“Yoo-jun, call the police!”
“Yes!”
Choi Yoo-jun ran outside.
“What did I do wrong?!”
There was an attempt to harm, but since he didn't make direct contact, he wouldn't face proper punishment. That fact infuriated me even more.
I twisted his arm harder.
“Kuaaack!”
“Hundreds of people saw you try to pull her hair. You think you can deny it? You pervert.”
“Gack!”
The pervert’s body trembled in pain. Even for a first fan signing, where do creeps like this crawl out from?
Soon, the police arrived.
“What’s going on here!”
“He attempted an assault.”
“An attempt?”
The officer looked at the enraged fans, seeking an explanation.
“That’s right! He tried to slap her!”
“She would’ve been hit if the manager hadn’t been there.”
“I have it on video!”
The fans were just as furious as I was.
*Ting.*
[All risk factors have been eliminated.]
[Quest ‘The First Fan Signing’ objective achieved.]
Your swift action has prevented a crisis for the members of Answer. The members will rely on you, their dependable guardian, even more.
Success Reward: You will receive 1 ‘Instant Application (B)’.
Detailed Description: Allows you to apply ability points without training.
* * *
Choi Yoo-jun left with the police, and the atmosphere quickly returned to normal, the incident dismissed as a mere happening.
Everyone seemed to think it was the kind of thing that could happen at a fan signing, but knowing the full story, I could only manage a bitter smile.
Was this the system’s doing, or the machinations of some hidden figure I didn't know about, like Gyeon Sang-jin? The number of incidents and accidents felt a bit excessive.
Once all the autographs were done, a ballad-style dance track from Answer’s album began to play in the background.
♪♬
It was obvious, like any other love, it all changed
Like a starving wolf, I wanted you so badly
Your sharp tongue pierced me
Your lies stabbed me
♪♬
The Answer members began to put on the wearable gifts they had received from fans.
Seol-ah wore a pink headband with a microphone decoration.
Yi-na wore a fluffy cat-shaped hat and bear-paw gloves.
Ro-si wore a puppy neck pillow and held the mini garden from the delivery driver in her left hand.
Seul-bi, who had been surprisingly popular, struck a pose wearing a white Parisian capeline hat straight out of a classic film, a pair of completely mismatched star-shaped sunglasses, and a tiger-striped scarf that resembled a cat, drawing laughter and a flurry of camera flashes from the fans.
The members of Answer each took a microphone for their closing remarks.
“Pwease take wots of pwetty pictures!”
Starting with Yi-na’s cute aegyo—
“And please be sure to post them on Insta.”
Seul-bi’s cheerful V-sign.
“If you have any unflattering photos, please keep them for your personal collection!”
Seol-ah’s shy smile and—
“Thank you, always!”
Ro-si’s polite 90-degree bow.
Amid the fans' cheers.
As the part of the background music with Seol-ah’s high-note hook arrived, Seol-ah, holding the microphone, powerfully belted it out live.
♪♬
Traces of you have bruised my heart!
♪♬
“Kyaa!”
“Woooow!”
The fans, who had been taking pictures, cheered at the unexpected live fan service.
This wasn't a live stage perfectly tuned with EQ, but a completely raw performance without even the reverb of a karaoke room.
For the fans who witnessed this, it must have felt like receiving the ultimate gift, one that only a tiny fraction of fans ever get to experience.
Even I was feeling good, so I could only imagine how the fans felt.
♪♬
Memories of you are left in my chest!
(Your cold heart is now erased)
♪♬
Lead vocalist Ro-si’s high note followed Seol-ah’s.
♪♬
Even if you return, you can’t come in
♪♬
The background music ended with Seol-ah and Ro-si’s harmony.
“Woooow!”
The fans cheered as if they were at a concert, thrilled by the unexpected live fan service.
Seeing Answer grow day by day was incredibly gratifying.
*Bzzzt.*
–Is it wrapping up? By the way, what is all this? It came addressed to you.
It was from Daepyo-nim Park Jae-yong. The photo he sent showed a large truck filled with boxes of snacks.