Hyunseung, recalling something he’d seen somewhere, held the ending pose, chest heaving as if out of breath. (T/N: Ending fairy?!)
The effect was tremendous.
“Ah, my heart….”
Someone clutched their chest saying their heart might stop.
And someone else, so shocked, burst into tears.
“H-hic, hic, hic—.”
In an even more severe case….
“S-someone, please call an ambulance!”
A person suddenly groaned and fainted.
The fan meeting hall, quite literally, turned into bedlam in an instant.
Well….
They’d just seen with their own eyes, even if only in profile, the face they’d only ever glimpsed like a mirage in dreams. The reaction was only natural.
“Please step aside for a moment.”
HS immediately pulled his helmet back on, came down from the stage, and ran toward the person who’d collapsed.
“You there, please call 119.”
A fan standing right beside him pulled out her phone with a voice shaking like a leaf: “Y-yes, oppa, I’ll call.”
“I think she’s still conscious….”
Staying calm, HS lifted his shield and began gently shaking the fainted fan to rouse her.
“Huh? You’re Miso, right? Hey, you okay? Come on, wake up.”
In her fading field of vision, not only did she face HS’s features head-on—he remembered her and said her name, and then…
“HS….”
Leaving that one last, will-like word behind, she finally let go and blacked out.
HS immediately lowered his shield, scooped Jin Miso up in a princess carry and lifted her.
Then he turned toward the woman who’d said she’d call and asked,
“Did you call 119?”
“Y-yes? Y-yes—.”
“Very good. Good job.”
At HS’s words, the woman felt like she might swoon. She really wanted to file a report—of marriage.
I might faint too….
With clear regret, she wetted her dry lips.
Soon after—
“Staff, please handle the wrap-up in the hall. A few of you, come with me.”
The staff who’d gathered around moved like clockwork and exited with HS.
That, too, had a huge effect.
“Kyaa! Did you see him lift her like it was nothing? He’s insane!”
“Look at that decisiveness. He sorted everything in one go.”
“Ugh, I should’ve fainted too. I could’ve been in his arms….”
With one mind and one voice, the fans began to praise HS. In that moment, everyone’s fandom level powered up another tier.
Meanwhile, one staffer assigned to manage the scene carefully approached Jayble, left standing alone on stage.
“M-Mr. Jayble, could I ask you to join the MC and help close out the fan meeting?”
Jayble nodded, looking like he’d been put out.
“Sure, let’s do it.”
He took off the helmet, smoothed his tousled hair, and straightened his clothes.
Given the situation, what else could he do?
“That punk leaves the cleanup to me and runs off taking all the cool credit….”
Still.
“HS fans, please take your seats again. From here, we have a piece of top-tier news to deliver.”
Judging by how things were unfolding, the collab album was as good as a guaranteed hit.
The fainting incident at the fan meeting thankfully ended without complications.
Of course, thanks to it, the community boards got very loud.
「 Guys, did you see the article that just dropped? They say someone fainted at HS’s fan meeting lolololol. According to interviews with fans who came out afterward, it seems she fainted after seeing HS’ face lolol. If she really fainted from seeing his face; like, how handsome is he??? lolol. Ah… does this mean Etches is finally going to reveal his face? I’m holding my breath and diamond-handing it till that day, fr. 」
Only those with invitations knew the venue or exact date/time. They hadn’t invited any reporters.
↳ nibus: We shouldn’t be reading this. We should be heading to the venue right now. Please, someone drop the location—whatever it takes, I’m going.
↳ yenn: Did he freaking reveal his face???????????????????
↳ Chan-love: The face reveal at last ♬♩♩ I’m unwell
↳ onsoyou: Let’s watch together, huh? Let’s watch together
↳ Yeon-i: Think the hearts of the fans who got face-attacked are okay? lol
↳ TooBad: Damn, give us a vid pls
↳ garfield: Face-blast us!!!
↳ nirvana: Those 500 just hit the jackpot
However, a post went up on a major forum saying groups of women wearing gaudy hats (with a flame mark slashed across them and dangling rainbow hologram film—fan-service hats Hyunseung designed himself and gifted) were gathered in front of some art hall in Seoul, and the quicker reporters headed for the hall.
「 So I just passed by an art hall near Hongbae Station and saw something weird, okay? What the heck are these hats? Anyone know what they’re doing? Are they filming a variety show here? + photo attached 」
↳ keul-seung: Those are the hats Etches handed out to fans,, it’s the fan-meeting dress code,, how do I know? I’m in that photo.
↳ SpringSpringSpring: Noooo~~~! This will be immortalized forever!!
↳ serious: lololol At that level it’s a punishment round~~~ amazing E! Etchis!!
↳ Rodoqregina: Why are we embarrassed… I apologize on his behalf
↳ Vanya: Is it just me…? I’m a little… just a little embarrassed of our oppa
↳ Ain—WritersAreSoCute: rjd (legend) hat with lace what is happening lol
↳ Tina: Aesthetic sense: paralyzed lol
Well, thanks to that, along with a “no aesthetic sense” controversy, Hyunseung also gained a heartwarming story about rescuing a fainted fan.
Ahh.
If that had been all, Hyunseung wouldn’t be face-down on the sofa right now, muttering like a lunatic.
“I shouldn’t have done it….”
Maybe the collab album stage had no mentions or photos because fans kept their word not to film, or maybe they were just keeping it all for themselves.
Thankfully, not a single line or photo about that leaked.
[ Guys, you’ve been starving for crumbs, right? Dropping the video of Etches’ cutesy clown show. ]
But videos and photos of the Peekaboo Family stage he’d done for fan service and the A.N.P challenge were pouring out simultaneously.
Ordinarily, only the artist’s fans would watch this kind of fan-meeting footage—
but since Hyunseung had been such a mystery man, even non-fans clicked the videos, unable to rein in their curiosity.
As a result, barely an hour after the fan meeting ended, the views on “HS’ Clown Show” video were rocketing sky-high without fear.
Views 11,597
Likes 5,605
Comments 3,002
Should he have confiscated everyone’s phones at entry?
↳ I’ve decided, my dream is those white bear-paw gloves.
↳ Leather rider jacket + white bear paws.. the dissonance is wild yet it’s cool and cute—just take it all, king;
↳ My heart already shattered to pieces during the bbuing-bbuing… take responsibility..
After loading the fainted fan into the ambulance, Hyunseung had practically fled back to HQ to escape the swarming reporters and followers.
This got bigger than I expected….
After the staff called to say the fan had woken up, the onrush of fatigue and regret had him digging himself a mental bunker.
“Hyunseung…”
Director Kim gently tried to coax him.
“On the contrary, you could use this to build a friendly image….”
“Should I build such a friendly image that I run for Peekaboo Family class president?”
Apparently, the psychic damage was severe.
Ding!
Just then, Hyunseung fished his buzzing phone out of his pocket.
[ 7 unread messages ]
When did all these come in?
[ Today..the last..stage..was truly..the best.. I’ll keep it..in my heart..for a long time..^^ ]
First was Kang Hajun.
Ignore.
[ Good work. ]
[ Good work. ]
Seo Jini and Ahn Jiho, true to their taciturn natures, had sent very formal texts. Did they coordinate? How are even the periods identical?
[ You didn’t tell me you were going to sing yourself, did you? So I only got to hear it from backstage! Otherwise, I would’ve dashed to the sound booth the moment the stage ended! You’re so mean! ]
Next was Jung Arin. As expected, even her texts were noisy.
[ What happened to the fan who fainted? But seriously, even as a guy watching another guy, today you were drop-dead handsome; like, suffocating; ]
After that came Choi Junhyeok with his signature cheeky attitude.
[ By any chance… are you very angry I came to the fan meeting without permission today…? I’m really sorry.. ]
There was also a message drenched in Yoon Jaeyi’s timidity.
[ I gagged the fans, so don’t worry. Just take good care of the one who collapsed. ]
And Jayble’s terse but most welcome text.
Sliiide—
Hyunseung was just thinking he needed coffee to settle his stomach and started to stand.
Ding!
A text came in from Kim Dojin.
[Babybeaw loves FwameBeaw theee moosht]
Apparently Dohee had sent it from her brother’s phone.
Ding!
As expected, Kim Dojin followed up with an explanatory thank-you.
[ Seems Dohee really loved your Peekaboo Family stage today. She wanted to text you herself. Thank you for inviting us to the fan meeting. ]
Right.
What good is regret? The embarrassment is only for a moment anyway.
If today became an unforgettable memory for someone, that’s enough.
The release date for HS and Jayble’s collab album drew near.
[ [Official] A meeting of two geniuses: HS X Jayble collab album drops at 6 PM today, surprise release! ]
A&R staff and engineers gathered to listen through the tracks of the Hyunseung X Jayble collab album, one by one.
“Man, to think we didn’t even get to lay a finger on these tracks….”
They kept thumping the space bar with wistful hands and replaying the tracks till they were worn smooth.
No wonder.
Mastering for this album had gone to Jayble’s side, so not only did they not get to do any post-work…
“Mr. HS is really too much….”
They were only now hearing the audio that had already been unveiled at the fan meeting.
“We’re fans too, you know, in our way and he didn’t let us hear it till today? On top of that, he sings this well? That’s just cheating….”
“Forget that. How could he borrow someone else’s hands without sparing even a single line for us? I’m keeping this in my heart forever….”
Overtaken by nameless sorrow, the engineers gave off a gloomy aura.
Clap, clap!
Watching this, one team leader smirked silently and then clapped to inject some pep.
“Still, other than the folks who went to the fan meeting, we’re the only ones who get to hear it early, right? Let’s not be too salty.”
The engineers pursed their lips and answered, “Okaaay…”
Soon, as if they’d never hated HS, they were chirping praise like baby birds.
“Honestly, it feels like Jayble benefited from HS on this album. Right?”
“Sure, sure. No way he’d have done it alone.”
“When geniuses meet, you get this kind of mayhem.”
“Every time we say ‘this is the best yet,’ but this is the real best yet.”
Then they all turned to the team leader and asked:
“Think this one crashes the charts too?”
The team leader hummed and then, after a beat—
“Crash the charts? No.”
He said it flatly. The engineers jumped, firing back like a machine gun.
“Why? The online buzz is great, it’s an HS x Jayble collab album and they’re singing on it, the quality’s insane. How is this not going to be a huge crash?”
Calmly nodding, the team leader added an “Mm-hm.”
“This album won’t just be a huge crash. This is a multi-car pileup with a rollover.”
Right.
In that moment, the team leader felt certain that all the “huge crashes” predicted so far were nothing.
“While we’re at it, wanna make it a bet?”
He was confident: the moment this album dropped, it would flip the scene upside down—an ultra-massive crash.
“What kind of bet?”
“I’m putting my money on ‘the title hits #1 in a day.’ Where are you placing yours?”
And then the engineers shouted in unison again.
“Obviously on ‘a day is enough’!”
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