194 - Upki Girl

< What do you want Aliya to do? > The two men and I relocated to a coffee shop not far from the fan signing venue. They introduced themselves as close associates sent by the Sultan of Brunei. I already sensed something unusual when I heard the word "Brunei." The Southeast Asian man named "Osman" was, if traced distantly enough, a cousin of Riya and worked in the Prime Minister's Office of Brunei. The Korean was his attendant. It seemed similar to the relationship between Riya and Cassie. Osman apparently spoke no Korean, as most of the conversation was handled by his attendant, who occasionally translated for him. After exchanging formal pleasantries, they explained the reason for their visit—a story I had somewhat anticipated. “His Highness plans to bestow the title of ‘Dayangku’ upon Princess Aliya.” “What does Dayangku mean?” “Simply put, it means His Highness will now officially recognize Princess Aliya as a royal family member, moving past any previous acknowledgment of her as merely an illegitimate child.” “Oh…” “After earning your degree in England, you’ll return to take up a public position in Brunei.” “Does that mean she has to leave Korea?” “Yes, it seems maintaining a career as an entertainer might be too difficult.” “But why now? I heard they had almost severed ties.” That part seemed to require the employer's explanation. The attendant asked Osman, and his answer was swiftly translated back. “He regrets to inform that it's a matter within the royal family, so he can’t disclose it.” “Does Riya know?” “Yes, it's been communicated through her assistants. However, since there’s been no response, we made the bold move to visit her at work. His Highness wanted to see for himself what she’s been doing.” Of all things, holding a foot-washing event! Regardless... Riya did seem a bit off these past few days. She’d ask what things would be like without her as if she were about to leave, leaving a lingering wistfulness. Her lack of urgency about the current four-member setup and her willingness to skip recording the title track now make sense. Seems like she’s keeping her options open, preparing for the worst-case scenario. Yet, since she completed the recording, she hasn’t made a final decision. “What if Riya refuses?” The answer, filtered through translation, was severe. “All of her financial shares and properties will be reverted to the Brunei royal family. This was a condition prearranged with her late mother, something the Princess should also be aware of.” “A contract?” “Yes, an agreement stating she must return if the royal family and country request it, given her royal lineage.” “Is refusing an option?” “If the Princess seriously considers her future, refusing isn't a wise choice. She’d be going from a conglomerate to penniless overnight.” It felt like the message was intended for me. That if I truly care for Riya, letting her go is the better decision. Yet, it implies she can decline if willing to discard everything. The attendant spoke as if confirming I was Riya’s guardian. “She should depart at least a week before Ramadan. Seeing it’s until May 8th by Korean dates, she should have plenty of time to wrap things up.” Haha… That’s precisely the week of our mini-album comeback. *** When I returned after my talk with the two men, the fan signing event's atmosphere seemed somber. The situation seemed centered around Seowon. An uncle fan, who had coined the nickname ‘Bear Pooh’ for his soft, round features reminiscent of Winnie the Pooh, was wiping away tears. As one of the early fans of Upgirl, he was a consistent attendee at fan signings and known for his quiet camaraderie with the members. But there was Seowon, in fox ear headbands, not reprimanding him. What’s this, a fight? Surely she didn’t hit him? Considering Seowon’s usual behavior, it seemed a possibility. The event appeared to be momentarily halted, with other members and fans directing sympathetic gazes in his direction. Fearful, I quickly made my way to Jangwoo. “What’s going on?” “He seems to be moved.” “Huh?” He said it was moving for Seowon, the queen herself, to wash his humble feet. Jangwoo clarified that Bear Pooh himself stated this, not some assumption from him. Seowon was encouraging her fan in her own unique way. “I felt that even someone like me deserves to be loved. Thank you so much, Seowon.” “You’re a grown man crying among all these people?” “To me, it’s something immensely touching. A woman like Seowon washing the filthy feet of a nobody like me… Though, I did clean them thoroughly before coming…” “Oh please, what kind of nobody is Bear Pooh?” “An unadapted societal failure, maybe…” “It’s okay. I’m a societal misfit too. But Bear Pooh hasn’t stayed inside for two years, right?” “Seowon is more like an A-list hermit…” “See, even an A-lister like me lives so confidently, so what’s wrong with Bear Pooh? Just stepping out to events like this means you fit into society more than well. It’s something I could never imagine doing. Don’t belittle yourself so much. Just lower yourself to me.” “No one’s ever told me anything like this before… sniff…” “This is embarrassing. Stop crying. Don’t you see how awkward the atmosphere is thanks to you, Bear Pooh?” “Oh, sorry, sorry…” The atmosphere, initially subdued, gradually livened up after Eunbyeol's repeated reassurances of "It's okay! It's okay!" encouraged the embarrassed fan to apologize hastily to everyone around him. The foot washing event then resumed smoothly. While some found the over-emotional fan's reaction amusing, I found the moment to be quite significant. Seowon, who had previously been known for hurting others, was now genuinely comforting someone, not merely as part of fan service but with heartfelt empathy. "Jangwoo, was it just me, or was that really touching? Seowon actually comforted someone." “Yes, I’m just as surprised.” "Both Riya and Seowon are finally getting closer to being real people." “Oh, by the way, who were those people?” Jangwoo asked about Osman and his companion, and I candidly filled him in. "Riya might end up leaving." "What?" "Her father is set to formally recognize her as a royal and wants her back in Brunei." “Whoa…” “If she refuses, all her wealth and hotel stakes revert to the royal family. She's already been informed.” “What’s she going to do?” “I have no idea. We’re not in some typical power-play contract with her, like other companies. It’s completely Riya’s decision.” “Ah…” Jangwoo looked at Riya, seemingly lost for words. Surprisingly, Riya was engaging with a fan, seemingly irritated. “She probably hasn’t decided yet. If she had, she wouldn’t have recorded for the title track 'Violet’. She doesn’t want to inconvenience the team, even if it’s okay with others.” “Probably. If she leaves, she knows we’d have to re-record…” “She’s not going, right?” “Judging by her personality, I'd say she’s staying…” Yet, why do I feel so uneasy? Suddenly, Riya snatched a fan's baseball cap with a swift motion, almost knocking against his head. What just happened? It seemed her hand struck his temple as she seized the hat. The surprised fan lunged at Riya but was thankfully stopped by the bodyguard standing behind him. “Why the sudden rampage...?” The event hall fell silent in shock. I rushed over to Riya, grabbing the wrist holding the cap. She was still visibly upset, making high-pitched noises. A stern look inadvertently crossed my face as I applied pressure to my grip. “What’s going on?” “This thing is a spy cam!” “Huh?” The ordinary-looking baseball cap had a tiny lens nestled between the logo. “What the…?” Upon inspecting inside the hat, I found a USB port and a power switch. Incredibly, at an event where picture-taking was perfectly allowed, someone resorted to this absurdity? The fan, now hatless, began babbling excuses about not having taken any photos, claiming his friend asked him to do it. The number of camera shutters being clicked by the press and fans around us increased dramatically. “Let’s step out for a moment. Jangwoo, can you manage the situation?” “Yes.” I led the perpetrator and the bodyguard out of the event hall. He was a shady-looking man in his twenties, with a face I didn’t recognize. “Why were you taking hidden camera footage when regular photo-taking is permitted?” “I didn’t take any! I just put it on without knowing…” “But you said your friend asked you to…” “Well… yes. I mean, no…” He was in a state of panic, clearly unable to recall what he said earlier. Sensing something amiss, I used the laptop and USB cable I had on hand to check the footage captured by the spy cam. The man was frenzied, threatening to report this breach of privacy, escalating suspicions further. Ultimately, he was restrained by two bodyguards as I opened the USB folder. “Oh dear…” He was a habitual offender. There were numerous folders—not only featuring our group but also categorized sections for various currently active girl groups. Candid shots of ordinary people on public transport abounded too. The folder named ‘LoveOne’ showed videos dated two days prior. The footage quality was peculiar. The viewfinder had an ominous green tint, indicating an infrared camera, and it was a high-resolution camera capable of capturing beyond undergarments, rendering skin clear and explicit. Seems like I've become a ‘LoveOne’ fan from today... No, wait… What is happening in this world? Could there really be extraterrestrial beings with ultra-advanced civilization working overtime somewhere? “Wow… This kind of thing truly exists.” “Should we report this?” the bodyguard asked. I answered without hesitation. “Yes, please do.” *** < X-ray Spy Camera Offender Awned at Upgirl Fan Sign Event > A man in his twenties was caught in the act at a fan signing of the girl group Upgirl. He was caught secretly filming the members using an infrared spy cam hidden in his hat. The Hanam Police reported that after confiscating A’s camcorder and mobile phone, they found many photos and videos of women and girl groups previously captured. A is being held for violating the special law on the punishment of sexual violence crimes. Meanwhile, member Jin Riya of Upgirl noticed something amiss as A was recording the members, leading to his immediate apprehension by on-site security and managers, revealing his criminal deeds. —Simpson1: Upgirl again??? —tmdcjf2237: This sitcom group never has a dull day. —Lua: Chaos in other fandoms too. Fans at the scene say he’s attended nearly every signing for active girl groups lately.