Chapter 11: A Fan’s Fortunate Encounter

#11

“Ha…”

Dohoon felt a pang of self-pity for chasing after celebrities while on a work assignment. He also harbored a slight resentment towards FaceA, who remained completely out of sight despite his determined search. With a complicated sigh, Dohoon trudged into the restroom.

Using the excuse of needing to wash his hands, he scrubbed them diligently, even though they weren’t dirty. Just then, someone else entered the restroom. Dohoon glanced at the newcomer in the mirror, then his eyes widened in startled surprise.

‘It’s Seonghu! Wow, FaceA! This is amazing!’

He had spotted Seonghu, a member of FaceA. While his heart urged him to shout, his professional standing and pride prevented him from showing any outward reaction. Seonghu, noticing Dohoon a moment later, also flinched and paused his steps.

“Ah, hello.”

Seonghu was the first to speak, bowing so deeply his head nearly touched the ground.

“Yes. Hello.”

Dohoon, belatedly shaking the water from his hands, mirrored the bow. He could hardly believe that a FaceA member, whom he had only ever seen in videos and photos, was standing right before him. Any lingering disappointment that it wasn’t Jaejeong, his ultimate bias, had vanished entirely.

‘He’s so small! Like a squirrel… Ah, he’s incredibly cute.’

Encountering someone in person was a completely different experience from seeing them on a small phone screen. While physically closer, he felt an even deeper sense of awe. Dohoon’s heart pounded loudly within him, encountering his favorite celebrity for the very first time.

“I’m a real fan.”

Perhaps thinking Dohoon might feel overwhelmed if he approached too closely, Seonghu stood a respectful distance away, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke. Regardless of whether he was hiding stubble beneath his makeup, Dohoon found Seonghu genuinely adorable. He finally understood why fans often viewed celebrities with a parental affection.

“I also…”

Dohoon paused, about to genuinely declare himself a fan as well. If it had been an empty platitude, he would have uttered it without hesitation, but because it was the undeniable truth, he found himself faltering.

“I also really enjoy FaceA’s music. Especially your new song.”

“Really? Thank you so much. All our members are fans of yours, Senior. Ah, thank you, truly.”

Seonghu seemed genuinely thrilled that a top star, known by name throughout South Korea, enjoyed his new song. His face showed not the slightest hint of doubt that Dohoon’s words were anything but sincere. Dohoon, in turn, felt relieved that his words were believed.

Having hastily concluded their greetings, Dohoon left the restroom, returning to his spot half-dazed. He longed to tell anyone about this incredible encounter, but the fact that he couldn’t speak to anyone about it filled him with a profound sense of regret. He couldn’t even confide in Bbaksae about this particular incident.

Even after the event began, Dohoon’s mind was entirely preoccupied with what had happened in the restroom. During a short break, he was startled almost to the point of fainting when he saw a group approaching his seat. As if they had heard from Seonghu, the entire FaceA group had come to find Dohoon. The tremor shaking Dohoon’s heart was incomparable to the nervous flutter he’d felt when he’d met Seonghu alone.

“Hello!”

Fearing their voices would be drowned out by the loud music of the venue, the members greeted Dohoon loudly. Dohoon, frozen for a moment, then sprang to his feet.

“Ah, yes. Hello.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Hyunjun from FaceA.”

Starting with their leader, Hyunjun, the members bowed one by one. Dohoon, unsure how to react, nervously looked around. He felt as if he were the boss of a crime syndicate.

FaceA, being a group with considerable seniority, hadn’t had to seek out someone to greet in quite a while.

“Hello. I’m Jaejeong.”

At that moment, a terrifyingly familiar low voice resonated in Dohoon’s ears. Dohoon gazed at Jaejeong, who was bowing before him, and when Jaejeong’s face rose again, Dohoon found himself holding his breath.

“Ah, Jaejeong-ssi.”

Jaejeong’s name, which Dohoon had only ever silently repeated in his thoughts, slipped past his lips of its own accord.

At Dohoon’s address, Jaejeong’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Dohoon, regaining his composure belatedly, quickly added:

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Ah, yes.”

Though he tried to appear composed on the outside, Dohoon was half-stunned. Jaejeong’s real-life appearance was astonishing. He had thought Jaejeong was handsome enough in photos and videos, but seeing him in person made all cameras in the world seem futile. Clearly, technology was still woefully inadequate to capture such beauty.

Just as Dohoon thought it would be a shame to let them leave after only a brief greeting, Sejin, whose face was alight with excitement, stepped closer to him, carefully observing Dohoon’s expression.

“Would it be possible to take a picture together?”

“Ah, of course.”

Dohoon felt like patting Sejin on the shoulder repeatedly. He looked around at the other members, intending for them all to take a picture together, but Sejin switched his phone to selfie mode and raised it high. It seemed he intended to take a picture with Dohoon alone. Flustered, Dohoon quickly moved to stand next to Sejin. As he lowered his head to match Sejin’s height, Sejin in the screen smiled brightly. The combination of the selfie-savvy Sejin and the awkward Dohoon made for a slightly strange pairing. Fortunately, since Sejin was the one taking the picture, the result wasn’t too bad.

“Wow, thank you so much.”

While the two took their photo, the other members stood idly by, like forgotten sacks of grain. Unable to bear the sight, Dohoon bravely spoke up.

“Shall we all take one together?”

“Would that be alright?”

Hyunjun, who had been too apologetic to ask, his eyes sparkling. Dohoon, who felt he should be the one expressing gratitude, quickly nodded.

“Senior, please stand in the middle.”

Dohoon, who was about to stand at the end, was placed in the center, with the members splitting into two groups on either side of him. Jaejeong, as expected, stood at the very end. While Dohoon was disappointed they couldn’t stand side-by-side, the thought of being captured in the same frame for the first time filled him with fresh emotion.

A FaceA staff member, appearing from somewhere, held a phone at an angle near their waist and seriously proceeded with the photoshoot.

“Now, we’ll just crop the upper body. One, two!”

After several rounds of photos, FaceA bid their boisterous farewells. They truly were polite young men. As their congratulatory performance was scheduled soon, they couldn’t linger and had to leave. Dohoon watched their retreating figures with a lingering sense of regret. As if sensing Dohoon’s gaze, Jaejeong, who was walking a little behind, suddenly turned his head and looked back. Before Dohoon could avert his eyes in embarrassment, Jaejeong offered a light nod of acknowledgement.

Watching him slowly move away again, Dohoon wondered if he might be dreaming. Liking a celebrity, admiring someone so deeply, was still a novel and wondrous experience. What could have been just another ordinary event on his schedule had become an unforgettable special memory for Dohoon, one he would cherish for a lifetime.

****

After his special encounter with FaceA, Dohoon, overwhelmed by his feelings as a fan, immediately ordered their album. It would be a lie to say he felt no burden about keeping such things at home, but as his affection grew, such practical concerns quickly faded into the background.

He had initially planned to buy just one copy as a souvenir, but after hearing that first-week sales figures were an important metric among fans, Dohoon found himself subconsciously caring. However, he couldn’t just impulsively buy hundreds of copies, so he modestly ordered fifteen of each version, totaling thirty albums. He made sure to order them through Bbaksae, having been told not to buy them just anywhere. Although the waiting period might be agonizing, he couldn’t even dream of buying them offline for fear of being photographed if he bought them himself.

Some time later, Dohoon carried the heavy box that arrived at his doorstep inside and wore a look of dismay. The thought of unwrapping each one made him a little tired, though he was immensely curious about the contents. Opening the first box, Dohoon was taken aback by the album’s surprisingly large size. He had imagined a palm-sized CD, so the large, thick album, which looked more like a book, struck him as truly novel.

Fearing he might scratch the album with a knife, Dohoon painstakingly peeled off the plastic with his short fingernails, then marveled once again at the luxurious cover. The sturdy, thick cover seemed unlikely to be easily damaged.

“How cool.”

Dohoon examined the album, which prominently displayed the words ‘D-DAY,’ turning it over before slowly looking inside. Turning one page revealed a group photo. It was an image that had never been released before, eliciting exclamations of admiration. Although they were clearly wearing long clothes that covered their arms and legs, not a single member was wearing a completely intact outfit. Each one revealed bare skin in various ways, with clothes torn here and there or jackets merely draped over them.

Seeing their mature appearances, a far cry from their youthful debut faces, filled Dohoon, who had only been a fan for just over a month, with a renewed sense of emotion.

“So, they dye their hair these colors too.”

Taeyoung, the youngest, had blue hair for the first time this promotion cycle. Since his skin was on the paler side, the bold and vibrant color suited him surprisingly well. Dohoon, who had only ever dyed his hair a few times and never bleached it in his life, felt his scalp ache just by looking at it.

His contemplation of the first page lasted so long that it took him quite a while to turn to the next. It was his first unboxing, and he was busy meticulously examining and admiring every detail.