170 - Upki Girl

< It’s All Because of Jang Woo > "I want you to show me how much you really like me." What is this? What could it be? I don't know, but somehow, my heart is racing. Is this what they call a girlfriend idol...? At a reach of my hand, my heroine Hong Yi stands! Like most romantic rookies, Choi Han-seok found himself flustered by Hong Yi's offhand comment. To him, it had morphed into, "I'm fond of you, now show me your true feelings." For someone who has lived 43 years as a single man, unable to use magic, the language of women was more complex than the seven unsolved problems of mathematics. “It's better for a man to distance himself from women and engage in self-pleasure.” Thanks to his short height of 162cm and unattractive face, he continually cycled through the stages of 'unrequited love → confession → rejection' as if it were part of his daily routine. The crowning glory was hair loss that began in his mid-twenties, leading him to give up on dating from his early thirties altogether. He took Tupac's words as his personal motto, choosing to distance himself from real women, indulge in solitary hobbies like fishing, and dutifully follow the lonely path of a five-star general-grade bachelor. But can the bonds of love and attraction between a man and a woman truly be overcome by sheer will alone? Deep within his heart, there lay a primal hope that he couldn't easily discard. "Even a straw sandal has its match. Someday, a woman who can love me for who I am, even with my looks, will appear. Should my appearance be the reason I can't date, then would all the world's unattractive men perish alone? Someday, I'll get a hair transplant, lose weight, and definitely find a pretty girl to love and marry." Of course, "someday" was the trap. Living day by day with inertia under the guise of "someday", he eventually found himself a hideously aged SSS-grade bachelor at the age of 43, both in body and spirit. In reality, far from pretty girls, even older divorced women on matchmaking dates would avoid him. His friends and coworkers found it remarkable that he maintained sanity without falling into misogyny. However, there were perilously close moments. When the festering self-doubt and defeatist mentality combined with trending misogynistic terms from the internet, it was a moment when it nearly turned into woman-hating. What redirected Choi Han-seok's mental state toward a healthier path was none other than girl groups. The group that turned him into a dedicated fan was Plan L, which exploded onto the scene five years ago with their energetic dance songs and appeal. His favorite member was Su-hyun, the main vocalist who enjoyed overwhelming love from uncle and older male fans. He’ll never forget the first fan meeting he won after buying 50 albums, where the members, the Plan-i’s, looked at him warmly. He didn't care about their true intentions. At least they didn't reject him to his face. They didn't show visible disgust at his appearance. These beautiful and cute girls, kinder and more engaging than any women he'd met in his life, were interacting with him. This was why a 43-year-old veteran of loneliness, more potent than vodka, was a fan of girl groups. But where there are meetings, there's also farewells. Plan L's premature disbandment, despite expectations it would last at least seven years, plunged his life into disillusionment. After being despondent for a while due to his favorite group's disbandment, he was led back to the path of girl group fandom thanks to Eun-Bit and Upkey Girl. Initially perplexed as to why an unknown girl group member appeared on a fishing show he enjoyed, he was surprised when she began to cry her eyes out over the giant snapper she caught. Riya, who cried alongside, and the two girls looked so pure and lovely. Through Eun-Bit, he embraced Upkey Girl and even joined their fan cafe. The turning point that made him switch to Yeon-Hong was the girl's crush competition finals stage. Searching for a performance due to his first girl group's reunion post-disbandment, he discovered it was Yeon-Hong's stage. In truth, by appearances, Yonah or Seowon would have been his types, whereas Yeon-Hong didn’t catch his eye at all. He wasn’t into rap or voluptuous figures. Yet, why he was drawn to Yeon-Hong was a mystery even to himself. Despite being a new fan who hadn’t yet attended a fan meeting, the attachment he felt towards Honki Girl was faster and stronger than during his initial entrance into Plan L su-hyun’s fanbase. At first, it was an inexplicable accident of fandom, but as he delved deeper, he thought he began to understand why. Though, based on looks, Hong Yi might seem like someone too pretty and glamorous, surrounded by men, and unlikely to reply to his texts, her true character appeared pure and good-hearted, devoted to just one man, forming his real reasons for her appeal. Unlike Su-hyun from Plan L, whom he admired solely as a fan, he genuinely liked Hong Yi as a woman. Therefore, he eagerly awaited the fan sign event, counting down the days, eager for that personal interaction with the members—his utopia of fandom and its path. The fan signing, which he viewed as the epitome of a fan’s dream, was coming up, and not only was it a one-on-one meeting event with Hong Yi, she exuded such girlfriend vibes from the start that his head was spinning and his heart felt on the verge of collapse. Ah, if only I could reveal my heart! But feelings remain unknown unless expressed through words and actions. In response to Hong Yi’s request to express how much he likes her, math instructor Choi Han-seok conveyed his utmost sentiments as realistically and concretely as he could. "If you need it, Yeon-Hong, I'd give you a kidney.” “Wow!” “Marry him! Marry him!” The overwhelming cheers and applause of the students surrounding them echoed loudly. "Yes, students, are you watching? This is the spirit of your teacher, whom you used to tease as an old bachelor. This is the path of a true fan!" Overcome with emotion! For Hong Yi, Han-seok's response was nothing short of perfect. Offering an organ is a difficult thing, even between family or friends... She was truly moved. To reciprocate, she decided to give him the same gentle patting she reserved for her younger siblings when they did something right. She also remembered Seowon's advice to treat fans as a caring older sister, regardless of their age. "There, there, wasn't that a great answer from our Han-seokie? I loved it so much, I'm going to give you a reward." —Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat! “Ugh, ah, oh, argh!” 43-year-old Choi Han-seok. Receiving gentle pats from a girl group member who could have been his daughter, had his first love succeeded in front of his students. Yet, it didn't feel bad at all. It felt like reclaiming a childhood innocence long lost. Just like back in the days when praise was earned by simply doing as his parents instructed, it seemed life would be easy just by following Hong Yi's lead. Discovering that his sensitive spot was his behind was an unexpected surprise. Though he would have no use for it... *** <Valentine Event Group 5: Aliya, Jang Woo> Name (Nickname): Kim Mi-jin (AliyaIsTruth) Story: Hello Aliya unni. I'm an "Udpke" fan going into sixth grade this year. As a girl, I can’t receive chocolates, but instead, I want to give chocolates to my older brother, Kim Jung-min, who is attending college alone in Seoul. I’d be overjoyed if my favorite Aliya unni could deliver them! Ding-dong— —Who is it? "It's Aliya." —Huh? Who? "You can't see the intercom? It's Upkey Girl's Aliya. I’m here because your sister asked me to give you some chocolates, so if you don’t open the door in two seconds, I'm leaving.” —Uh... Wait a moment... The door to the first floor of the villa opened after a few seconds. "Ugh, taking forever to even answer the intercom. A real slug." With a sigh, Ria asked Jang Woo, "What floor did she say again?" "5th floor." "Eeek! And there’s no elevator! Jang Woo, can you—" Aliya was about to say “give it to him,” but remembered Jjam Jjam’s fiery face telling her to “do it yourself!” Shaking her head, she muttered to herself. "...I guess it’s not right just to hand it over. It’s an event where I must see the fan's face myself. Sigh..." "Want me to carry you?" "You just want to tell Jjam Jjam later so she can scold Aliya, right?” "Hehe, not at all. I won't say a word to Yoon-ho." "It's fine. Think of it as experiencing the common life. Besides, it makes me mad thinking about it." "Uh? Did I do something wrong?" "You did. Just because we got a bit close, do you think Aliya would ask Jang Woo to carry her? You'd at least need to be another Jjam Jjam for that level. Be careful what you say from now on." "Yes, I'm sorry." "Sigh, this is the first time in my life I’m going up three floors on foot." Halfway up the third floor stairs, "Sigh, sigh, sigh..." Aliya, who sighed from the moment she set her foot on the first step, muttered, “Jang Woo. Aliya's legs aren’t this weak, but this is too much." "Yes. What would you like me to do?" "Go up and tell Aliya's fan to come down and meet me instead. It’s just too improper to have no manners like this." Jang Woo, internally noting that it was actually the fan’s brother and not Aliya's direct fan, kept this to himself. "If someone lives on the 5th floor without an elevator, they ought to meet halfway down. This is why Aliya believes poverty and conscience are separate matters. But normal people think all poor folks are kind-hearted." "Ah, um..." Just as Jang Woo was about to speak, a frail male voice came from the 5th floor. “Please don’t come up, stay there. I’ll come down to you.” "Sure, hurry up! It’s extremely rude to invite a lady and exhibit no manners!" “I just received the call from my sister. I’m sorry…” “It’s okay. I’ll come up, so please wait for me.” Jang Woo quickly rushed up to check on the fan. He suspected it wouldn't be necessary to explain, but he had learned that the brother of the sender used a prosthetic limb due to a disability in one leg, which explained the delayed response. As Jang Woo ascended alongside Kim Jung-min, who was cautiously descending, he offered, "Do you need help?" The client’s brother politely declined with a gentle smile. "No, I’m alright. Just a bit slow." "Alright..." “Why? Is something wrong?” Detecting an inkling of a problem from the conversation, Aliya, still below, inquired. Kim Jung-min responded, “I have a disability in my leg. If I had known in advance, I would have waited outside, but I think my sister wanted to surprise me.” ―Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter! "You foolish girl, you should have told me first!" Aliya, now alarmed, bounded up the stairs two steps at a time, and confronted Jang Woo. “Did you know, Jang Woo?” “Yes...” “Then why didn’t you tell me!” “I apologize.” Aliya glanced at Kim Jung-min’s leg. Externally, it appeared normal, but his right leg was a prosthetic and didn’t bend at the joint. To think she was blabbering about poverty and conscience without knowing... Aliya shot a fierce glare at Jang Woo with a flushed face. Though unsaid, she clearly conveyed with her expression: “It’s all because you didn’t tell me, Jang Woo. Jang Woo’s fault... Jang Woo’s fault...” According to what Aliya had been taught, in situations like this, compensating with a suitable monetary gesture was the preferable response over an apology. Apologizing is akin to admitting one's fault, and if such admission leads to legal responsibilities later, it could result in significant losses, adhering to an elite educational perspective. However, humans are social beings. In the months she had spent with the Upkey Girl members, Munno, and the Humhum family, Aliya had learned both directly and indirectly about the priority of handling interpersonal matters. The most influential impact on her character came from Eun-bit and Hong, who were the most different from her in disposition. Aliya pondered that if it were Bit-bit or Hong-hong, they would have started with an apology in this situation. "I'm sorry. Aliya was clueless complaining about the elevator-less fifth floor..." "No, it's alright. To be honest, it's quite inconvenient for me too. But this was the only place available near the university, haha..." "Because of financial issues?" "Something like that..." Feeling he might have exposed too much of his vulnerability, Kim Jung-min shrugged his shoulders as he continued. "But I am attending school on a scholarship." "That's admirable." As they conversed, their breath formed visible vapor in the chilly air. Noticing this, Kim Jung-min gestured to his room. "Oh... it must be cold. Would you like to come inside? Have a cup of coffee or something. My sister insisted I video call her." They followed him into the studio apartment. The room was modest, with just a bed, a desk, a small wardrobe, and a kitchenette. When the three sat on the floor, the room was perfectly filled. To think he managed every aspect of life—food, sleep, and studies—in a space smaller than a typical dorm bathroom... Aliya's face turned pale. It reminded her of the shabby inns she stayed in while fleeing from gangs abroad during her childhood. Her scalp heated, and cold sweat spread across her body. "Oh, sorry... Aliya needs to step outside... ah..." Aliya staggered, unable to take even a single step. Had Jang Woo not caught her, she would have collapsed completely. < It's All Jang Woo’s Fault > The End