Jin Mi-so had been digging into nothing but “Etchis” for over a year.
At first, because she wanted to know so much, she sometimes even felt resentful.
Couldn’t he at least stay active here and there even if it meant wearing the helmet?
Yes.
Enduring a fangirl life with not a single piece of crumb was no easy job.
Even so, the reason she had been able to drill only one well until now was…
“Just for a moment.”
… because of the bare face (actually she only saw his eyes) HS had shown her… and because of the music.
True, the only stan-activity she could do was infinite streaming and replying to comments that dissed HS…
[If Choi Jihyun shows up, HS will get buried again ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
▸ Nope. The winner’s HS anyway.
[Feels like HS is doing image-making these days;]
▸ This isn’t called image-making, it’s called “fact.”
What was certain was that even this made her happy.
Above all, the fact that with “Peekaboo Family,” he was exerting a good influence on many people made her proud and filled her with self-esteem just for being his fan.
“HS, I knew you’d do it!”
Yes, by now she loved not his face but his heart, his music.
“Ah, I’m exhausted!”
As always, she finished getting ready for bed and jumped onto her mattress.
She was tired enough to pass out at once, but like always she played the “HS playlist” she had made.
No matter how tired or busy, it was one routine she could not skip.
— Yellow Pong!
Today’s first track was “Peekaboo Family.” At first she’d found it hard to believe HS had written a children’s song, but besides the good meaning in the song, it was far more addictive than she had expected.
Yes. Not long ago, she’d been on the subway listening to “Peekaboo Family” and, yelling “Hey, Ho!” loudly. She had felt vaguely embarrassed.
Well, what if it’s embarrassing? That just means the song is that good and addictive, right? Thrilling, the best, HS!
Was there any genre he couldn’t master?
No, such a thing couldn’t exist and if it did, it would not be within human domain.
Ah, perhaps he wasn’t even human.
“Right, HS is a god. Hey, ho!”
It was while Jin Mi-so was babbling to herself and surfing the sea of information…
“Huh?”
Blinking, she saw a new message in her e-mail box.
“Uuuaaaaaaah?”
Immediately she shot up from bed. Then, with a crashing noise, missed her step and fell off the edge.
But the shock in her mind was greater, so she had no time to feel pain.
“No, no way!”
Kneeling in front of the phone she’d dropped on the floor, she ruffled her hair.
“Phew…”
At last she took a deep breath and, with trembling hands, opened the newly arrived mail.
[Greetings. This is LS Entertainment.]
Why is LS contacting me?
[I am Manager Kim Woohyun, Management Team 2, LS Entertainment.
First, thank you deeply for leading and energizing the “G-HS” café.
The reason we are sending this e-mail is none other than to invite members of the current fan café, selected by lottery, to HS’s fan meeting.
…
…
We ask for much assistance.]
After reading to the end, Jin Mi-so collapsed onto the floor and pinched her own cheek.
“Ow…”
With summer long gone…
“That’s strange? It does hurt… what is this?”
… a midsummer night’s dream-like event had come to her.
To Manager Kim’s eyes, Hyunseung these days seemed to have sharpened his ferocity even more.
For the past few days, he hadn’t contacted anyone—or even left the studio, it seemed.
At last, with worry mounting, Manager Kim made a little time and decided to check on him.
“Iced Americano, one extra shot, venti size, please.”
With the coffee the kid liked in hand…
Knock, knock, knock.
He tapped three times, out of habit, then carefully opened the door.
“Whoa.”
Instantly his cheeks flushed hot.
Though it wasn’t hot weather now, apparently the air conditioner wasn’t on and he hadn’t ventilated. Hot air escaped through the crack.
“Dongjjok-a…” (“Eastie…”)1
He called while gazing at Hyunseung’s back, seated at the console.
But with a headset over his head, Hyunseung heard nothing.
“I brought coffee. Why won’t you drink it…”
Manager Kim murmured wistfully.
“Really, he’s a brute.”
He nodded in mixed admiration.
Truly, his ability to act was incredible. The moment he’d said he would do fan service, everything moved at lightning speed.
Really, though. The kid had never once held a fan meeting (countless times in his previous life), somehow he knew exactly how:
he neatly picked the venue he wanted, asked them to reserve it, and even fixed the date.
Was he preparing gifts too?
Thanks to that, all Manager Kim had to do was book the hall and hire an MC, so it was very easy.
In the smoothly flowing “fan meeting” event, only Eastie seemed frantic.
He’d absolutely acted like he’d never stand before people. What had changed his mind?
“Hm…”
Manager Kim hummed in wonder, boring holes into the back of Hyunseung’s head.
These days, if anyone could cause that change in the kid’s heart…
Could it be Dohee?
No, no.
Holding a fan meeting for Dohee would be too wild a guess.
Whatever it was, ‘The fans are lucky.’
People who’ll come to this fan meeting would be the very first to hear Hyunseung’s new solo album.
Yes.
For fans who had waited so long, it would surely be a time of reward.
More than anything, Manager Kim hoped that by taking this chance, Hyunseung, who seemed to have shut the world out, would face a slightly wider world.
Tap, tap.
Listening to the constant clicking of codes, Manager Kim was seized by a nameless feeling.
Finally, “Dongjjok-a, I’ll leave the coffee.”
Thinking staying longer would only disturb him, Manager Kim placed the cup and left the studio.
“Hello?”
Right away, he made a call somewhere.
“Set up a meeting, please.”
The promo-planning staff asked in bewilderment,
— All of a sudden?
It was abrupt, but…
“Yes, it’s about the HS fan meeting.”
Since our Eastie wanted to do something, I’d better do everything I can for him.
Meanwhile, after roughly finishing a track, Hyunseung took a notebook off the shelf.
In this life, might this be the first and maybe last fan meeting?
Since he was going to do it, he’d better do it well.
Sketch, sketch.
Thinking so, he began drawing on the notebook.
Sketch, sketch.
He wasn’t that good at drawing, but what he drew looked obviously like a cap. After a moment…
“Nice.”
Smiling at the sketch that took barely two minutes, he stretched to loosen his stiff body.
“Huh?”
On the table sat a cup of coffee.
The ice hadn’t fully melted and droplets clung to the plastic. It must have been bought not long ago.
It was probably Manager Kim’s doing and not a ghost. At least make some noise.
Slurp, slurp.
Smiling, Hyunseung wet his dry throat.
Really…
That man’s consistent. He’s always bringing coffee to see him.
Slide.
His eyes moved to the box of letters.
Yes.
Maybe the new album should include a song for those who are always on my side, who worry about me?
It might be fun to make at least one track holding their hearts, and my heart toward them.
Besides, speaking it directly would be embarrassing.
Clack.
He hurriedly set down the cup and straightened up.
Tap, tap.
And then, he began to pour the melody springing up in his head.
Seeing the corners of his mouth curled up, whatever was being born, it looked to be something huge.
Hyunseung wasn’t the only one busy with production these days. Jayble was also burning with work.
The reason: to release a solo album for the coming year-end.
Roughly, rumor had it HS was cooking up something big.
Yes, the distribution companies were abuzz. The kid’s impact had grown tremendous.
This year, yes, this year at least, not some childish “erase the loser” fight like last year.
Seriously, he intended to compete properly.
‘I will win.’
Paradoxically, at this moment Jayble was looking forward to HS’s next song.
‘What will he put out?’
Swallowing the odd nervous churn, he hammered the master keyboard.
Tak, tadadak—
His fingers raced, punching countless chords that lined into a respectable picture.
Probably, if another composer heard, they’d drool and beg to sample it.
But Jayble, dissatisfied, even erased entire sections.
Money chord.
He obsessively pursued something beyond the so-called money chord.
Before he knew it, his back was drenched with sweat.
How much time had passed?
He was in such focus that even in the air conditioned room felt hot.
Ding!
A text arrived from a number he had never seen.
Spam?
He was about to ignore it and keep working.
Ding!
Another message came right after. He finally picked up the phone.
Soon, Jayble dropped the phone onto the desk.
[First time contacting you. This is HS.]
The sender was none other than HS.
[Let’s do a project together.]
What followed was something totally unforeseen:
a Jayble × HS collaboration?
Definitely, no one had ever pictured such a pairing.
Netizens kept framing him and HS as rivals, hoping they’d bet on chart battles again.
Could it be sent by mistake?
While Jayble stared suspiciously at the text—
Ding!
One more provoking line arrived.
[Salieri, scared?]
With a snort of incredulity, Jayble replied.
[Call.]
Thus, a collaboration no one could have expected was formed.
- A nickname Kim has settled on for Hyunseung based on previously decided “Bronze nugget” joke. ↩︎
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