103 - Upki Girl

< Goodbye Lukaku > The Yeongdeungpo Times Square is a well-known location for fan signings. With a stage inside, performances are often held, and we decided to sing 'Hug Me' as the opening act. Typically, fan signings to commemorate album releases involve a raffle among those who purchase an album at the designated location over a set period. However, 'Hug Me' was released as a digital single, so there were no CDs for sale. Instead, the event allowed entry to the first 100 people who arrived, without any pre-raffle. In most cases, the event fills up with just fans. However, during the last fan signing when I had run away, perhaps due to a strange timing, we didn’t reach the 100-person limit. This led to a tear-jerking scene where the kids had to advertise on site to fill the space. They laughed while sharing that it was an amusing experience, but it seemed to have bothered them nonetheless. The lively atmosphere buzzing with talk of the 'Heart-Pounding Revolution!’ game somewhat calmed as the car entered the parking lot. "Do you think not everyone will come today either…?" Perhaps trying to brace for impact, Hongi, who is perpetually lacking in confidence, was the first to bring it up. Seowon responded cynically. "We're not popular. Just let it go. It's easier if you give up." It was clear to anyone that this was a guise for humility to avoid getting hurt. The remaining three balanced out the gloomy negative vibes emanating from the two. "Hey, we can just gather them on the spot again like last time. We had a blast then, remember? Wasn't it fun for everyone?" "Stop it, you're tickling me!" Eunbigi poked Seowon in the side while being playful. "I thought it was fun too. It felt like creating new fans or something." When the leader Yoni added this, Riya, the unofficial fan club president, provided closure. "It's their loss if they don’t come when it’s free. Just wait till the sisters make it big; they won’t be able to see us even if they want to. We’ll make it so they have to buy 100 albums to attend, and then people will swarm." "But everyone who did come to the fan signings said it was a blast." I chimed in, and the stylist manager, who was two years younger than me, agreed. "That's absolutely true. I'm not just saying this; despite the poor timing of the album release, your team is the most charming and fun I've worked with. Don't be discouraged." "Just like Riya said, the day when it’ll be canceled due to too many people is not far off. Enjoy the freedom of now. Don’t forget that you’re destined for success." "Oh~ MunoMuno~ So cool, MunoMuno~" "And Riya, stop talking like it’s someone else’s story. It’s ‘us,’ not ‘the sisters.’" "Oh~ MunoMuno charisma~ I almost got scared, Alia." "Hiss! Riya, I told you not to say that your sister was scared." "I'm sorry, Yonboss. I won't do it again, promise." After parking the car and having a phone call with a related party, we moved to the waiting room. The staff who guided us was a man in his late twenties wearing a suit, and he asked for a photo with us, saying he was a fan of Upkick Girl. It was the first time we heard something like that from an event official. Although the dream of 'waking up as a superstar overnight' is yet to be realized, I could feel Upkick Girl's recognition slowly rising day by day. "Hand it over, I'll take it for you." "Yes, thank you." After taking a group photo with him, Alia continued with her question. As if to gauge the popularity of her sisters, she has been asking this kind of question more frequently. "Who’s your favorite among the sisters?" The question seemed to catch the staff member off guard, both at being called 'ajusshi' and at being asked directly who his favorite member was. He gave the best possible answer. "I like all of you." Despite his words, I noticed where his eyes fleetingly lingered after Alia's question. Haha, was he that one’s fan? You’re just like any other man, I see. The SSS-level attention-deprived Seowon, seemingly curious, asked again. "Oh, but you must have a favorite?" "Haha, no, I really like all of you. Everyone has their own charm." The staff member tried to evade, but Seowon, known for being relentless like a new employee at a multi-level marketing company even with family and friends, wouldn’t let it go. "Not allowed. Liking everyone isn’t an option. You have to choose one. Otherwise, you can’t leave here. Quickly now." "Hey, why are you doing this, putting him in a tough spot?" Even though Hongi, who was getting her makeup retouched, tried to intervene, Pitbull Seowon's tenacity didn’t waver. It was as if she was an inquisitive wife questioning a husband who came home wearing an unfamiliar scent. "Wow, really, where’s your conscience? You’re trying to like all these pretty girls? That's greedy! Just one. Who is it? Quickly! Come on!" Our clingy little fairy strikes again... The staff member eventually had to admit his favorite member. As I expected, it was that one. "Yeonhong." Haha, see? Eyes never lie. Yeonhong is becoming quite the rising strong contender in the male-dominated communities with men over their late twenties talking about her. Sometimes, I see comments that cross the line, so I haven't told the girls. But she's gaining stock as the next generation's physical powerhouse in the girl group lineage. The reaction ‘Don’t you ever lose weight’ is so common it's left me in a dilemma about whether to tell her to stop dieting. Of course, she should lose some weight for the balance on stage. "Oh, Honghong unni~" The atmosphere in the waiting room heated up at the staff member’s confession. All of us, except Hongi, teamed up to tease him. "Oh my, looking at your red face, you must really like her." As usual, Yona, who never misses such moments, looked at him steadily and spoke calmly, which made Eunbigi almost die of delight. "Hahaha, his reaction is genuine, for real! I’m all fluttery." "Hong, give him a hug already." "I’m against this match! But how old are you, ajusshi?" "Uh? I'm twenty-nine." "No way. Only that? You look over thirty." "Seowon unni, ease up on the brutal honesty." "I thought you were older than Muno. Muno was thirty-five, right?" Under the girls' barrage of teasing, the staff member’s smile grew increasingly awkward. I quickly stepped in to mediate. "I'm sorry, sir. Our girls are just playing around. The more you react, the more they like it, so please just ignore them." He laughed it off with good humor. "Hahaha, it’s fine. This is the charm of Upkick Girl, isn’t it?" "Since you've confessed, the two of you should take a photo together. I hope you two get married." "Han Seowon, why are you being like this…" While Hongi was at a loss, blushing, the staff member appeared eager not to ruin the mood. "Oh, really? I’d be thankful." "Ajusshi really likes our Hong unni, huh. His reaction now is different from when he took the photo with us." These girls sure have a way of making something out of nothing. Hongi looked as if she would shrink to the ground to hide. Her tics, worsening from anxiety or embarrassment, made her continually blink and shrug, which was pitiful to watch. Eunbigi pulled out a Bluetooth mic and handed it to Hongi. "Yeonhong, hello, this is Entertainment Weekly reporter Eunbigi. I heard you ranked number one in the Upkick Girl popularity poll. How do you feel?" "Stop it. Why are you all like this…" "Wow, I think it's the first time I've seen Hongi unni make this kind of face. She looks so feminine." "Yona, why are you joining in too…" Even I was a bit surprised. Hongi’s same old reaction to compliments due to her lack of confidence now appeared as humble grace. Just as I felt during our recent tussle, it seems I need to completely let go of the image of Hongkaku, our formerly unrivaled tank. If even I, who knows every A to Z about Hongi, see her this way, it's a testament to a truly successful transformation. Hong, you can enjoy it now. Pressed by the kids, the staff member and Hongi eventually took a picture together in private. "You should be set to come out at 10:50. Please come out escorted by the security." "Yes, thank you." After he left the waiting room, while the others had their makeup checked, I decided to go with Jangwoo to check on the stage situation. The walk towards the signing stage felt a bit heavy. "What if we still don't fill up today... The kids would be really disappointed..." "That was a special situation. Except for that time, it’s never happened before, right?" "Right? I really hope it was just that." Though I played strong in front of the kids, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. Most fan signings are conducted by purchasing a certain amount of merchandise and through draws. Even though ours is free, we didn’t fill up last time, forcing the kids to attract people personally, which was genuinely disheartening. I thought there was some buzz online, but the lack of response made it even more disappointing. Was that time an anomaly, as Jangwoo suggested, or is this our current reality? If we again fail to meet our expected number today, it might lean towards the latter. Thankfully, however— "Wow… this is record-breaking." "Are these people really here to see our kids?" It was the former. With about thirty minutes still to go, there were hardly any empty seats among the hundred placed chairs, and there were plenty standing behind the guidelines, unable to get a ticket. I checked the stage just in case the signing event was happening elsewhere, but the banner behind the stage clearly displayed our kids' group name and picture. Given the mall and cinema were here, maybe passersby just stopped to kill time? But that didn’t seem to be the case either. Most seated fans were familiar faces, core fans, and those standing held Upkick Girl placards or shopping bags intended as gifts. Their conversations were even more explicit. "Where did you come from?" "Oh, I came up from Busan to see Eunbigi. It’s my first time at such an event, so I’m really nervous." "It’s my first fan signing too." "Where do you live?" "Ah, I’m living in Seoul for school now, but my home is in Daegu." "Who’s your favorite?" "Oh, I’m an all-fan." "All-fan…? What’s that?" "It means I like all the members, no favorites." "I’m new to liking idols, so I don’t know much about the terms. I know what a fan signing is, though. That’s a fan signing, right?" "Yes, that’s correct." "I happened to catch ‘The Raised Girl Group’ broadcast, and Eunbigi was so cute I became a fan. I’m going to support her from now on." "Hehe, Eunbugi did look pretty cute there." "Eunbugi?" "Oh, because Eunbigi looks like a Squirtle, fans call her Eunbugi." "Wow, I have so much to learn. I didn’t understand a thing." "Join the official café and browse around a few times. You’ll naturally get familiar with it. I thought Hongi looked especially pretty in this broadcast." "Ah, Hongi is pretty too. I was torn between Eunbigi and Hongi before deciding on Eunbigi." "Heh, can’t you like both?" "Haha, I’ve never been good at having divided loyalties." Wow, Hongi’s really doing well. Listening to the conversations, it was clear that Hongi’s popularity had certainly surged. Once she completely evolves, won't she just dominate everything? In any case, it became evident that most of the crowd gathered here were fans of our kids. My heart was pounding with excitement. "Jangwoo, can you believe this?" "Maybe we’re finally getting some traction. Oh? Attorney Woo is here too." "Attorney Woo? Where?" "Right there, in the middle of the front row." "Oh, you're right." < Goodbye Lukaku > End