* * *
It was the first fan signing event.
Unlike trainees from major agencies who already had fans even during their trainee days, there was no way he had any familiar fans.
Of course, “Kang Dojae” was also new, but back then he had such a scruffy appearance that no one recognized him coming in and out of the office.
‘…Does this person know Kang Dojae?’
Dojae was momentarily flustered.
However, even in “Kang Dojae’s” memory, there was no face with pink hair.
“You don’t remember, do you? Well, we did meet very briefly.”
The pink-haired person muttered in a disappointed tone.
Still, they weren’t being unreasonable, demanding Dojae to remember, but the looks from the fans on either side of her were becoming more hostile.
Their eyes were mixed with suspicion and jealousy, wondering, ‘Where did you meet our Dojae?’
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
Since it might be someone who knew “Kang Dojae,” Dojae apologized first.
He then looked more closely at the face with pink hair.
For some reason, it seemed familiar.
“No, it’s been a year already, and it was dark then… It’s natural not to remember. You must be flustered?”
“Where did we meet?”
“At the performance in front of City Hall! I helped you with the performance!”
“Ah!”
As soon as he heard the explanation, the memory came back to him.
It was the first performance he saw after coming to Korea.
It was also the performance that made him choose his current company, so of course, he hadn’t forgotten.
“You made a place for me back then. Thank you.”
At Dojae’s thanks, the pink-haired girl, Sunmi, beamed.
“Oh! You remember! No, thank you! I was grateful to enjoy your handsome face up close. That day felt like my birthday… No, I’ll make that day my birthday!”
Sunmi’s playful comment made Dojae laugh lightly.
“Thanks to you, I could enjoy the Big Boys’ performance well.”
“Oh, you came to see the Big Boys’ performance.”
“What’s your name?”
“Right, I’m Sunmi!”
Naturally asking her name, Dojae wrote “To Sunmi” on the photo on his jacket.
“Sunmi, who did you come to see that day?”
“Uh, well…”
It was like asking who she had been a fan of before.
Confident Sunmi hesitated at Dojae’s mischievous question.
“If it’s hard to say, you don’t have to.”
He didn’t really need or expect an answer.
Sunmi’s face turned red as Dojae toyed with her emotions.
Though just twenty, Sunmi had been following idol singers since elementary school, making her a fan for ten years already.
She had a lot of experience with fan signings.
But she had never been this nervous before.
Seeing Dojae in the bright light, he was even more handsome and cooler.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he seemed to glow.
He even had an oddly attractive aura.
On top of that, he was so skilled.
‘I’ve got more fan signing experience, but why is this oppa so relaxed?!’
Sunmi, who had been flustered for a moment, answered boldly.
“Who else would I come to see that day? I came to see you, oppa! You were the only one I saw.”
“Really?”
“Of course! Honestly… I thought you were more handsome than any celebrity. You were a trainee then, right?”
“I joined Kingdom after that.”
“Oh, I see. Oppa, thank you so much for debuting. I thought I’d never see you again after that day…”
“No, I’m more grateful that you like me. And for coming to this fan signing event.”
Dojae’s reply made Sunmi’s face turn red again.
“I bought over 40 albums just to come see you, oppa.”
The relaxed Dojae’s eyes widened.
He knew she’d probably bought many to increase her chances…
“That many?”
“Everyone here probably bought that many. MOST is really popular. It’s growing every day.”
Dojae, who had studied Korea’s cost of living and market prices diligently to make money here, realized this was an incredible investment of not just time, but also money.
He thought they had come just because they cherished their time, but…
The staff member checking the time in the back signaled that it was time to move on to the next member.
Sunmi quickly spoke to Dojae.
“Ah, could you draw a heart next to my name?”
Dojae did his best to draw a heart.
He also added “Thank you very much” next to it.
His handwriting was so neat it looked like it came from a textbook.
“Oh my… even your handwriting is handsome.”
“Thank you. Please support our other members too.”
“Of course. I’m already a fan of MOST, including you, oppa. I’ll be back! Please remember my name!”
“Yes, Sunmi.”
Called by her name, Sunmi clutched her chest as she moved to the next member, Kyuseong.
***
By the time about 50 out of the 70 lucky fans had received their signatures, all the members had gotten quite used to the atmosphere of the fan signing event.
Even Heungmin’s awkward laughter gradually lessened.
As time passed, they seemed so perfect that it was hard to believe it was their first fan signing event.
They captivated the fans not just with heartfelt comments but also by waving and posing for cameras whenever they had a moment.
Each time, loud cheers erupted from the fans.
“Kyah!”
“Wow. Dojae and Louis’ fan service is no joke. So is Woochul’s.”
“I expected Louis and Woochul, but Dojae is totally surprising.”
“Right? I thought he’d be super serious just from his Twitter tone.”
“He’s not only a genius with his looks but also with fan service… perfect.”
“But isn’t Kyuseong’s shyness super cute?”
“Yeah, I love it. Ah, the guys are so great.”
Thanks to that, the smiles never left the fans’ faces at the fan signing event.
They were extremely satisfied.
Of course, even the perfectly adjusted Dojae faced some challenges.
“Dojae, could you show us some aegyo? Louis did it earlier, but I want to see yours… I’m your fan.”
“…Ah. Aegyo…”
Dojae trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
The request for him to show some aegyo had already been made several times.
He wanted to meet his fans’ expectations as much as possible, but this part was difficult.
‘I practiced after seeing many others do it in videos, but…’
It still felt awkward.
Despite having a lot of experience as a prince, there had never been a situation where he had to show aegyo to someone.
‘No, even if I were an ordinary person, it would still be rare.’
Unless he had been born with a bright personality like Louis, it would be hard.
He had tried once before, but the fan had turned red and apologized, saying they would never ask him again.
He felt incredibly embarrassed, wondering how poor his attempt must have looked.
“I’m sorry, but… I’m still not used to doing aegyo, so could I try something else…?”
Promising himself to prepare some decent aegyo within the next few days, Dojae asked for understanding.
“Aww, come on, do it! Quickly!”
When he said this, most fans usually let it go.
But the fan in front of him was quite persistent.
“I’m sorry. I’ll practice and show you next time.”
“Are you telling me to come to another fan meeting? Do you know how much this costs? That’s too much…”
It felt almost rude.
“You’re already refusing as a rookie?”
“It’s not like that…”
She seemed older, but from the moment she started speaking informally, he didn’t feel good.
Even so, he could tolerate it up to that point…
“Forget it! Just wear this and make a V sign!”
Dojae took the rabbit-shaped headband that the fan handed to him.
Woochul, who had already accommodated the fan’s storm of requests once, glanced at Dojae and sighed invisibly.
“That’s hilarious! The rabbit look suits you!”
“Thank you.”
Dojae tried his best to meet the fan’s demands.
When he smiled and made a V sign with his fingers, the shutter sounds went off like crazy.
Seeing that not only the fan in front of him but also other fans seemed to enjoy it, Dojae smiled a bit more.
“This too!”
But the fan immediately pulled out another headband.
It was a flower crown that he had seen many times in fan meeting videos.
Without a word, Dojae placed the flower crown on his head.
As soon as he did, there was a reaction from the fan section again.
Meanwhile, time was passing.
“Please move along now.”
It was when the staff told the fan that their allocated time was up.
“Wait a minute!”
The fan, sounding irritated, pulled out a new accessory.
“You can’t do this.”
The staff spoke firmly, but the fan was stubborn.
As the staff seemed about to call for Jung Giljoo, Dojae took the accessory and placed it on his head.
This time, it was a black ikseongwan, a traditional Korean headpiece worn by kings of Joseon.
It was something very familiar to Dojae.
Even though the ikseongwan the fan handed over was a cheap imitation, it looked quite fitting on Dojae’s head.
“Oh my! This looks good too! Quickly, show some aegyo!”
“…”
Dojae glanced ahead.
He saw Jung Giljoo approaching with a stern expression.
He wanted to handle this smoothly if possible.
However, seeing the fan shouting informally at the staff, he realized this couldn’t continue.
At the same time, if Jung Giljoo came and pulled the fan away, it wouldn’t leave a good impression at the first fan meeting.
“Dojae, hurry up!”
“How dare you. Such insolence.”
His low but clear voice echoed quietly in the signing hall.
“Uh…”
The excited fan flinched for a moment.
The person filming Dojae with a camera from the waiting area zoomed in, swallowing hard.
The atmosphere changed dramatically as Dojae, who had been smiling the whole time, now looked serious.
“Time is up. Please step back now.”
There was a brief silence between Dojae and the fan.
Looking at the fan, who had turned rigid, Dojae relaxed his expression again.
“…Did I look like a king?”
“Huh? Oh! Wh-what? You surprised me. That was amazing!”
“I’ll practice my aegyo too. So, see you next time.”
“Huh? Oh…”
The fan, half-dazed, nodded.
It was just as Jung Giljoo was about to pull the fan away.
Dojae gestured to Jung Giljoo that it was okay.
The fan, now moved to Kyuseong, seemed to have calmed down a bit.
They probably felt uneasy, wondering if Dojae’s words were really just an act.
‘Phew…’
Dojae sighed inwardly.
He now understood why Manager Kim Seokchul ’s warnings had been unusually long today.
‘You can’t accommodate every request just because they’re fans.’
But he couldn’t upset them either.
Maintaining a proper balance was crucial, but very challenging.
‘I’m happy to meet fans, but it’s hard because they’re fans.’
Dojae thought as he looked at the next fan.
***
The event concluded with the celebration of their first fan signing and a cake to celebrate their number one spot.
All the members boarded the car in high spirits.
As expected, the internet was flooded with articles about Park Sora mentioning MOST on the radio.
-Park Sora has an eye for talent
-Agreed, she has a good ear too
-Who are you to judge Park Sora?
-If even Park Sora acknowledges them, they must be legit
-The song is really good, though. Different~ Different~ So catchy haha
-Hope MOST only walks the path of success!
-Didn’t she also speak well of Candiz? Women seem to like them
-They’re all handsome
-Among recent rookies, they’re the best
-Isn’t The Origin better?
-When is the due date?
-MOST seems to perform better on stage..
Along with the comments praising MOST, there were also mentions of The Origin.
Being compared to The Origin, who debuted earlier, wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
While browsing his account to post on Twitter, Heungmin shouted loudly, “Dojae!”
Startled, Dojae, who was checking entertainment articles, turned to Heungmin.
“Look at this. When did you do this? This is your video… How many RTs does it have…”
“RTs?” (Retweet)
* * *
*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*
Aegyo video?