Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 048
Chapter Title: Reward Vacation (1)
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However, as if that were a misconception, Min Yerin continued on without a care.
“Ah, I misspoke. If it's a favorite animal......”
Min Yerin tapped her cheek with her index finger, as if thinking for a moment.
“Lion? Leopard? Tiger? Or maybe something like a cheetah.”
Unexpected animals popped out.
“You like fierce beasts?”
“Yes. Is that weird?”
“No, not weird at all.”
“I've heard people say my tastes are unique. But something small and delicate feels like it could burst if I gripped it wrong, so it's a bit......”
She meant it put her off.
‘Too high difficulty?’
If the Child Spirit heard this, he'd surely despair.
“What about cats, then? Lions and leopards are part of the big cat family, right?”
“They're small.”
A very firm answer.
“I don't like small things.”
“Yes......”
“Was that a question?”
“Yes.”
“......I'll go check.”
Actors really were sensitive, huh.
For Yeonwoo, who'd mostly seen Kwon Sung-hyun, it was hard to understand, but watching Min Yerin made it somehow click.
Emotions fluctuated so much in such a short time.
The moment the dejected Min Yerin turned and walked away.
Sure enough.
[No way. She hates small things?! Why?! Small things are so cute and lovable!]
The Child Spirit whined as if terribly wronged.
[Leopard....... Lion....... Cheetah....... Tiger....... Where the hell do I even get one?]
“Who knows.”
[Even if I found one, wouldn't it be a problem? Just being that eye-catching would get it shot!]
“Probably.”
[Man, why is matching tastes so hard......?]
“Who knows.”
“She won't even take a cat......”
“I heard somewhere there's such a thing as big cats....... Not sure.”
“Really......? A big cat might be close to a beast......?”
“Who knows.”
Yeonwoo quickened his steps, leaving the despairing Child Spirit behind.
‘Fans.’
An utterly foreign word.
A new form of people entering his life, which had been far from goodwill.
People who might turn away the moment they learned his true nature......
‘Feels kinda amazing.’
Not a bad feeling at all.
***
A colorful coffee truck.
[Whoa....... Yeonwoo. Your face is plastered huge on there!]
The Child Spirit circling Yeonwoo exclaimed in awe.
Just as he said, images of Yeonwoo's face, captured from the drama, were stuck large on the bright yellow mini-truck, adorned with cute decorations.
[Wow....... Even a life-size panel. This is the real deal?]
And even a life-size panel of Yeonwoo.
Somehow, it showed the Grim Reaper holding a mint choco chip frappuccino.
Below it: ‘Grim Reaper Kang Yeonwoo treats you! Enjoy!’
‘......This gives a whole different kind of amazing feeling?’
How many people get to see a truck plastered with their own face?
Entertainment industry culture was still completely alien to Yeonwoo.
[Oh? It's an actor. Didn't see him from up top—must've come down first!]
A familiar back came into view.
With Kwon Sung-hyun standing in front, the mini-truck looked even smaller.
“Gasp......!”
“Eek......!”
The people chatting amiably with Kwon Sung-hyun while facing him gasped and put on startled expressions upon spotting Yeonwoo.
Kwon Sung-hyun turned at their reaction and greeted Yeonwoo.
“Ah, Yeonwoo-ssi. You made it? These folks are your fans.”
“Ah, uh...... Hello......?”
“Gasp....... Uyeon-nim....... It's an infinite honor to meet you.......”
At Kwon Sung-hyun's introduction, the two approached hesitantly.
“Hello.”
“Gasp......! He greeted us!”
An intense reaction to a simple greeting.
But.
“Uyeon......?”
One thing caught his ear.
Had they gotten his name wrong? No.
“Ah, it's short for our Yeonwoo...... Um...... Is it okay if we call you that?”
Their eyes sparkled as they asked.
“Possessive feels off, but ‘our’ sounds nice. Our Yeonwoo...... Sounds good, our Yeonwoo-ssi.”
Kwon Sung-hyun chuckled.
[They're really your fans, Yeonwoo.]
Even without the Child Spirit saying it, Yeonwoo could tell easily.
What filled their eyes wasn't contempt or disgust, but unconditional, infinite affection toward him.
“My fans?”
“Yes....... Yes......!”
Trembling voices.
“I'm still lacking in many ways, but thank you for liking me.”
Yeonwoo bowed politely to them.
“No! Don't say that! We're the thankful ones!”
“Y-Yeah! We're really more grateful......! Our quality of life has skyrocketed since you debuted......!”
The two hopped in place at the greeting.
He didn't get what they meant by being more thankful, but their vehement denial suggested if he greeted more, they'd dig into the ground insisting mutual thanks.
“I heard from the director that you went through a lot because of me......”
“Ah, no! This level of support is basic!”
One jumped in right away.
“Yeah. It's just early days, but momentum's building, so an official fan page will open soon. The agency said they'd handle it too! Then we'll go full official supporter mode, so just wait a tiny bit!”
Agency?
At that, he reflexively glanced at Kwon Sung-hyun.
“Yeonwoo-ssi's fans really cherish him. They got all tense the moment you showed up.”
The quick-witted one couldn't possibly miss the meaning.
He was a sly fox.
‘Well. We're joining an agency anyway. But when did the fan club talk happen?’
Was this pace even normal? Whatever, good things were good.
Still, he had to address the nagging point.
“Thank you for liking me. But you don't need to do all this.”
He hadn't understood half the words, but he got the gist.
‘They're talking about sending stuff like this coffee truck.’
Grateful, of course. It meant people thought of him this much.
But.
“Your feelings of liking me are more than enough.”
He didn't need fan affection expressed materially.
What Yeonwoo needed was pure ‘liking’ itself.
“I don't know why you came to like me...... But that feeling alone is truly enough.”
The greater the liking, the stronger his influence became.
Far more valuable than tens, hundreds, thousands of won.
“B-But can't we do something for Uyeon-nim......?”
“When your fan heart throbs, you instinctively wanna shower them with stuff...... Telling us to hold back our instincts......”
Somehow it felt backwards.
Wasn't not spending big money even better?
[Tsk tsk....... Kang Yeonwoo. Got fans, starting to feel like an entertainer, but you still don't get it.]
The Child Spirit shook his head.
‘......If Intent Discernment let me read their true feelings right now, that'd be great.’
Unfortunately, Intent Discernment specialized in script reading.
It helped grasp inner thoughts a bit better, but without text, effectiveness dropped.
Right now, all he read was ‘regret’.
The problem was that very ‘regret’ tied to his question.
Why the regret?
“Then we have nothing we can do for Uyeon-nim......!”
“Why not?”
“Huh?”
“Just liking me as I am—that's more than enough.”
Yeonwoo had encountered all sorts of people.
Those who started friendly but distanced after rumors.
Those with preconceptions from the start.
Those approaching to use him.
And so on.
But these were different.
Fans.
His first taste of pure, no-strings goodwill.
‘I don't know everything about the industry, but even Kwon Sung-hyun has a tiny few antis.’
What about a newbie like him?
[Think being Kwon Sung-hyun's manager makes you special?]
[Guys like you are a dime a dozen. You lucked into one role and blew up—think it'll last?]
He couldn't miss the dark emotions like envy, jealousy in the glances.
Kwon Sung-hyun, Lee Ju-ha, Min Yerin—those were exceptions.
During drama shoots, he'd sensed malice from minor actors and passersby.
[Annoying punk.]
[Lucky bastard who caught the director's eye.]
[Did he lobby the writer? How does a fresh debut get all these roles? Something's fishy.]
‘Even people seeing my face up close feel that way.’
TV or internet? Info filtered through layers distorts so much.
Yet these ‘fans’......
“Really. That feeling alone satisfies me.”
These wondrous beings sparked a ‘what if’ hope.
People who recognized Yeonwoo amid floods of malice and rumors.
Hope that he could trust their goodwill.
And that night.
[Our Yeonwoo first support after-action report!]
A post went up on a community.
***
[Our Yeonwoo first support after-action report!]
-Hello! I'm the leader who organized this support.
First, thanks to everyone who joined the support fundraiser.
Total raised: XXX million won. Click >here[for funds raised and expenses! Support details]here[. Photos first, as tradition! (Yeonwoo standing in front of the truck) (Yeonwoo holding mint choco frappuccino) (Yeonwoo and Kwon Sung-hyun photo) (Yeonwoo with leaders photo) Our Yeonwoo, Uyeon-nim, known only as Grim Reaper! In person, he had that fresh newbie vibe, shy and awkward! Different from the cold Grim Reaperㅠㅠㅠㅠ So cute in a new wayㅠㅠㅠㅠ Some love Uyeon-nim, others glare like he rose too meteorically—we all know. But look...... (Yeonwoo autograph) (Autograph text zoomed) ‘Next time, bring just your hearts’ See? Our Uyeon-nim is so kind and thoughtfulㅠㅠㅠㅠ Saw the coffee truck and got flustered, asked if we were really fans. Couldn't believe it. Well, our firepower was weak? Promised to link with agency for official fan page once he signs. Praise us—we did good! Anyway, says he needs nothing else. Fans liking him is most precious. Support banㅠㅠㅠㅠ But listening quietly ain't fandom! Wanna give something—that's fandom! Tried detailing support and review, but keeps turning into Uyeon-nim praise;;;; Full review]here
That's it from me!
The leader's account of prepping the coffee truck spread fast across communities.
The heartwarming, positive review and attached photos drew not just Yeonwoo's fans, but even those indifferent to him.