Chapter 108
Chapter 108
The next in line after waiting for Ssipdeonkkum was Baek Gyeonwoo.
'He's... also handsome.'
Neat and proper, the kind of face often called an actor's visual.
I vividly remembered personally leaving a comment back when <MAKE100%> was airing to great acclaim, saying, 'He looks like he'll end up playing the class president or student council president in a web drama later.'
'But to think this guy is the team's person of interest....'
Barely a few days after debut, Baek Gyeonwoo's unexpected sides, 180 degrees different from his expected personality, were becoming a hot topic.
The reactions were half positive, half negative.
On top of that, the pathological lying rumor still hadn't been clearly resolved, and his background of originally being from a large agency overlapped with it, making his fandom particularly volatile.
Thanks to fans who liked 'Airplane-z,' it looked harmonious on the surface, but beneath the water, it was a precarious state like the calm before a storm that could break at any moment.
But Ssipdeonkkum was a body trained to the limit through stanning that notorious bundle of controversies, Wonseokit.
This level of precariousness was just considered one thrilling piece of content.
'Well, one person like this is manageable.'
In the current scene, only one out of six members is a problem? That's completely clean.
I was waiting blankly with that thought when Baek Gyeonwoo, who had been flipping through the album pages, abruptly spoke.
"Are you not interested in me?"
"Yes?"
His deep, low voice made a person instinctively use formal speech.
'......Wait, what did he just say?'
Ssipdeonkkum asked again in fluster.
Baek Gyeonwoo, keeping his gaze fixed on the album, answered calmly.
"Because you didn't say anything."
"Ah!"
Come to think of it, because of the unsavory incident with Seo Cha-gyeom just before, I'd even forgotten to greet Baek Gyeonwoo first.
Ssipdeonkkum flinched and waved his hands.
"Ah, ah, no! I was n-nervous! I... like you too, Gyeonu... sir!"
"Hm......."
Only then did Baek Gyeonwoo slowly lift his head and look up at Ssipdeonkkum.
"Really?"
"Yes....... Really."
Ssipdeonkkum unconsciously gulped.
'Feels like I'm being interrogated.'
Baek Gyeonwoo, who had been staring straight at Ssipdeonkkum, lowered his eyes back to the album and asked.
"Nothing you're curious about?"
Ssipdeonkkum recalled one of the questions he'd prepared in advance.
It was a good question to throw casually at a member he wasn't that interested in.
"Wh-what's your alcohol tolerance?"
"Alcohol tolerance......."
Baek Gyeonwoo, pen in hand, pondered for a moment, then glanced sideways at Seo Cha-gyeom next to him and answered.
"Fairly high."
"......! Whoa, so more than one bottle?"
"I haven't drunk much... so I don't know exactly."
"Have you drunk with the members? Who holds it best?"
Ssipdeonkkum's eyes sparkled with anticipation of some interesting info.
But his curiosity was blocked by a staff's intervention.
"That kind of question is not allowed~"
"Ah, ah. Yes."
'Oh dear, are they cutting me off because they're rookies?'
It's true that getting a boozer image from debut onward isn't helpful.
At Wonseokit's fan signs, all sorts of TMI questions flew around, so I'd assumed this would be fine. Ssipdeonkkum awkwardly scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.
Just then, finishing his signature and handing over the album, Baek Gyeonwoo added quietly.
"We all don't really like alcohol. If anyone, it'd probably be me."
"Ah, whoa......."
More surprising than the fact that Baek Gyeonwoo could drink well was his audacity.
'To think he'd answer anyway even after being stopped.'
Either he didn't care about the company's eyes, or he just wanted to tell the fan a little more. Whatever it was, Ssipdeonkkum's favorability toward Baek Gyeonwoo rose a bit.
Next was Kim Yuri's turn.
Leaving behind the subtle tension and goodwill received from Baek Gyeonwoo and moving to the next seat, a completely different kind of energy hit me.
"Hello!"
The moment Ssipdeonkkum met Kim Yuri's eyes, I instantly understood why he was so famous among fans for that 'pseudo-romance' vibe.
How to put it, Kim Yuri had a strong aura of a college classmate you might actually run into in real life.
Of course, there's no way anyone with that face, physique, and vibe exists in reality... but that unique atmosphere that made you mistakenly think 'he could exist' made him appear charming.
Ssipdeonkkum cleared his throat a few times and threw out a prepared question.
"S-so, I heard you were also a Mary trainee, Yuri. Is that true?"
"Ah, yes, yes! It's true!"
Kim Yuri answered excitedly, his eyes sparkling.
"Then... did you train together with Cha-gyeom?"
"Yes! I joined a bit late, and Cha-gyeom was there before me. But we got along like soulmates fast~ and stuck together every day! Do you know those daily nut packs? Cha-gyeom liked those. So I snuck a few to eat and......."
'Wow, he's slick.'
He must have instantly caught on that Ssipdeonkkum's ultimate bias was Seo Cha-gyeom and was deliberately sprinkling out Seo Cha-gyeom-related episodes.
Ssipdeonkkum was completely swept up in his pace, could only nod, and threw the next question.
"Then how did you end up coming to Sorasum?"
'Oops.'
As soon as I said it, I thought this might have been a mistake.
Usually, switching companies likely had a not-so-pleasant reason, like being cut from a debut team.
But Kim Yuri answered with an expression that showed he didn't mind it at all.
"I stormed out because I wanted to debut together with Cha-gyeom!"
"Huh, whoa, really? Then Cha-gyeom...."
"Cha-gyeom?"
Kim Yuri blinked and asked back.
"Ah, I meant, did Cha-gyeom also want to debut with you?"
No, it was a question about why Cha-gyeom left Mary.......
Faced with Kim Yuri's sparkling gaze, Ssipdeonkkum could only nod as if bewitched.
Kim Yuri, who had been rolling his eyes as if pondering, leaned his body slightly forward after a moment.
"I'm also curious about that. Can you ask Cha-gyeom next time and let me know?"
He held out his pinky finger as he said that.
'......Wow, there's no avoiding this.'
A skill that naturally secures a promise for the next fan signing event. Ssipdeonkkum found myself linking pinkies and nodding without even realizing it.
Without even a moment to feel the lingering impact of Kim Yuri's relentless energy, Ssipdeonkkum moved toward the final runner, Han Neuti.
'Neuti!'
Han Neuti had an exceptionally good image among idol fans.
Probably because of the fact that Han Neuti had been the very delinquent... no, the arch-nemesis of that Park Hyeong-tae who famously looked down on idols.
Even when Ssipdeonkkum went through the stanning denial phase, I had liked Han Neuti that much.
'It's not like... I have zero concerns, though.'
Fan theories existed that his fiery personality or impulsive behavior, proven in his past episodes, would cause a controversy someday.
Once an incident happened, all sorts of malicious nitpicking would latch on even if it was the right thing to do, so it was perhaps a natural concern.
However.
"Uh, wel... welcome."
The Han Neuti before my eyes was so very... different from the past stories.
Witnessing the voice thick with obvious tension, the awkward gestures, and even the pen holding hand trembling, Ssipdeonkkum thought.
'No, I'm in the 40s, and he's still nervous?'
Seeing that.......
A mischievous urge crept up for some reason.
'I want to fluster him!'
Maybe because he was the only member who was the same age, unlike the previous members, my suppressed impishness had kicked in.
Ssipdeonkkum asked in a voice a tone higher and more earnest than usual.
"Neuti."
"Yes?"
"Can't you give me just one spoiler or something?"
"A spoiler?"
"Yeah! Anything!"
Han Neuti, frowning slightly, opened his mouth seriously after a moment.
"In the movie 'XX of XX,' the main character is actually......."
"No no, not that kind!"
Ssipdeonkkum cut him off and corrected him, saying I meant a spoiler about your activity plans.
After hearing the explanation, Han Neuti nodded as if now understanding.
"Mm, ah, we are filming a variety show... soon."
"Huh, really? What kind of variety show?"
"That, Idol Comprehensive Review......."
"Huh! Really? Awesome!"
'Idol Comprehensive Review' was a program with fairly high name value among currently airing idol-specialized variety shows!
It wasn't a major network variety show, but it brilliantly pinpointed what idol fans liked, so even popular idols would pass through it at least once for promotion, a kind of essential course.
'Wow, they landed a good one?'
I'd thought at best they'd end up on some overseas fan-targeted variety with nothing but English subtitles!
My heart was already pounding with anticipation.
Meanwhile, Han Neuti was belatedly shaking his pupils endlessly with a 'was I allowed to say this' expression.
Seeing that, Ssipdeonkkum paid no mind and probed further.
"More, more! Tell me more! Is there anything else?"
"More... to say... ah, not really much......."
"Aren't you filming challenges? I want to see you dance to another team's song!"
"Ah, challenges! There are filmed challenge......."
"Huh, really? With whom? Who did you film with?"
Ssipdeonkkum pulled my body forward and sat up in anticipation.
'Out of the currently active teams to film with... personally, I'd prefer a girl group over a boy group!'
There was no male idol group showing HAZERD-level performance on music shows right now.
If so, dancing a girl group song would be much more refreshing and entertaining.
"That is......."
Han Neuti wore an embarrassed expression.
"I feel like I really shouldn't tell you this one... But it's really, really going to be up soon, so if you wait just a bit, um, I'm really sorry......."
"Huh? Ah, it's fine! You don't have to tell me! It's okay!"
Seeing his sincerely apologetic face, my conscience was pricked.
Feeling like an elementary schooler pointlessly teasing someone I liked, Ssipdeonkkum hurriedly soothed him.
Han Neuti began signing with care, a relieved expression on his face.
'......Is this what they call gap moe.'
No, before that, is he really that Rei?
Ssipdeonkkum felt suspicion and fondness at the same time as the turn ended.
And after quietly returning to my seat and sitting down, I thought.
'The kids... are all decent?'
Of course, since it's the first fan signing event, you could think everyone is just nervous and trying hard.
But that wasn't it.
In Ssipdeonkkum's experience of having taste-tested all sorts of rookie idols, at first fan signs, there were far more guys who wouldn't even meet eyes with fans under the pretense of a face ride.
Yet at least these members... although each in their own way, you could feel sincerity in wanting to communicate with fans.
'Maybe... they could last a while?'
Soon, after another long wait, the event's final segment, photo time, began.
And rumor had it that during that photo time, thanks to Seo Cha-gyeom directly taking a selfie for him with his own digital camera, Ssipdeonkkum became a true 'fandom convert.'
* * *
Not long after HAZERD's first fan signing event ended.
Various communities and social media were flooded with vivid reviews from fans who had attended HAZERD's first fan sign.
―First fan sign review! (photo)
―(photo)(photo)(photo)(photo)
―HAZERD review... replacing with one picture (photo)
―What's with reviews only having photos posted...
└sorry the kids are great at fan service but first of all they're too damn handsome...
―Sowol kept staring at the Wal*man a fan brought as a prop so cute lol please lift the gift ban... ㅠㅠ
―Wait is it real nobody brought Cha-gyeom fox ears? fml mind game fail
However, some of those who hadn't attended the fan sign were secretly feeling left out.
―Home theater fans have nothing to do... just drop in-house content or something
└Seems like they poured all the in-house content budget into the MV tsk;;;
―Not interviews, give us v-a-ri-e-ty-!!!ㅠㅠ the kids' chemistry is so good but you won't show this ughhh
―At least a radio show... I want to hear their voices and see them spilling TMI
―Is it normal for small companies to be this lacking in content?ㅠ
It was right when they were thinking how desperate they were for some fresh teasers.
A new notification popped up on the Sorasum YouTube channel.
[HAZERD Official #Shorts]
#With senior Yoon Haejun this is a #MAZE #Han Neuti
And at the same time, a video went up on OWR's channel as well.
[owr #Shorts]
#Answer_Me Challenge! #owr #HAZERD