When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar

# 202

Pandemonium (2)

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah—!!!”

Everyone screamed at the top of their lungs at that spectacular start. Kim Won spun around in his seat as if he could feel the cheers as he watched the people answering his questions. The audience made louder noises in response to Kim Won’s reaction.

“I didn’t know so many people would come!”

Hyeong-seo Ahn, who took over the microphone, spoke with a face full of emotion.

Central Park, located in the center of the city, was truly enormous. Nevertheless, the number of people who flocked to see this performance was such that many of the entrances to Central Park were paralyzed.

I wondered how many people were coming, but when I saw it with my own eyes, it was huge.

Estimates at the time of entry showed that the number of people was approximately 10,000. Their shouts were enough to make Central Park reverberate.

Even now, there were many people running to see KK at the entrance.

As usual, notice of time and place was posted an hour in advance. I couldn’t believe how 10,000 people could gather in just one hour.

It was always a precious moment, but it was even more emotional because something happened right before that meant I couldn’t stand on stage.

Most of them were local fans. Hyungseo Ahn wanted to express his gratitude in person, so he kept repeating the words ‘Thank you’.

Do-wook took over the microphone from Ahn Hyeong-seo.

When Do-wook grabbed the microphone, an unknown commotion arose in the audience.

This was because Dowook’s popularity was considerable in the United States.

It was clear that it was a face that was popular everywhere. There’s even singing and dancing. It was a perfect character with nothing wrong with it.

Do-wook’s acceptance speech at Billboard and the messages he posted recently resonated deeply in the hearts of overseas fans and became an opportunity for them to like the ‘person’ named Do-wook.

In addition, some people liked Dowook as an artist who composed a song with LIL, and the passionate affection of Asian residents who watched ‘Lovers from Space’ also played a role.

“everyone.”

Dowook began greeting in Korean.

Of course, you could also say hello in English. However, here today, I wanted to further reveal my identity as a singer from Korea. This meant that they would not cower because of or many other discriminators who sent threatening messages to them.

‘We will not avoid it. ‘You are the ones who have to stop discriminating.’

I intentionally tried to convey such thoughts.

At the same time, Dowook had to be considerate of and communicate with those who came to the site, so he added English after Korean.

It was like he was interpreting himself.

“It’s only been a week…but it seems like so much time has passed. “I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”

As soon as Do-wook finished speaking in English, voices saying ‘No.’ came from all over the place.

It meant there was no need to be sorry.

Among them: ‘It’s okay!’ There were also voices of Korean fans shouting.

There were Korean fans who were studying abroad in New York or had immigrated, but they were also Korean fans who had flown in from Korea and were waiting for KK’s performance in New York at an unknown time.

About six of the fans who run KK’s fan site were staying in New York as a group, providing lodging and food, and anxiously waiting for KK’s guerrilla performance.

Dowook briefly looked at the place where he shouted, ‘It’s okay.’

There were over 10,000 spectators, but because they were in the front row, they were caught by Dowook’s gaze.

The local fans were grateful, but their passion was also great, so Dowook smiled at the camera they were holding.

“omg.”

The hand holding the camera of the fan who received Dowook’s smile trembled for a moment.

‘oh my god! Do-wook saw it here!’

I was so surprised and happy that I wanted to scream, but I didn’t want my voice to be recorded, so I kept my mouth shut.

The fan who flew all the way from Korea to film the stage even had his own sense of duty.

This was because these were performances that would later be broadcast on ‘COME HERE’, so there was no live broadcast.

Since they can’t watch it in real time, I wanted to share at least a part of it with the many fans who have to wait until it airs to soothe their disappointment of not being able to see KK in person.

It wasn’t just the fans who were taking pictures of the stage. Leading media outlets around the world, including the United States, and several media outlets in Korea were reporting.

Because it was the first performance since the terrorist threat was received, the level of attention was enormous. The success or failure of the performance would be broadcast on the news.

Thanks to its popularity, even ordinary citizens of the United States who did not know what K-POP was or who KK was joined the large number of people heading to Central Park.

For young and middle-aged white Americans, going to KK’s performance has become a symbolic act of ‘opposing discrimination.’

Of course, KK was a group with the charm to make even those people into their fans through today’s performance.

The performance prepared by KK members was enough for that.

“I will do my best to perform without regrets! “I hope you enjoy it together!”

Dowook said in a lively voice. As the speech came to an end and it was time for the song to come on, Dowook’s heart seemed to be beating fast.

Lastly, Jung Yoon-gi, who received the microphone, said, ‘Let’s go!’ He shouted coolly.

The prelude to ‘Connection’ was played along with Jung Yoon-ki’s autograph.

The members quickly formed a formation on stage.

“Oh my gosh!”

“Waaaa—!!!”

“Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

Once again, there was a roar so loud that it could be heard as far as the Statue of Liberty.

“We keep moving forward—!”

Just like the lyrics of a song, the audience’s entrance continued from the entrance until the song started. As the song started, people’s steps became more urgent.

Even though people in the back row could no longer see the stage, people continued to flock in.

Manager Oh Baek-ho and album production team leader Shim Jun watched the scene and shared their feelings in the officials’ seats on the outskirts of the stage.

“Wow… there are no other men playing the pipe.”

Looking towards the entrance, Manager Oh Baek-ho spoke first, and Team Manager Sim Jun responded.

“Now I can’t go anywhere and say that we raised them. “Because it’s burdensome.”

“Let’s just say he grew up on his own.”

“haha. “That would be nice.”

The two watched the stage, trying hard to hide their crushed feelings.

“We go on We go—!”

The expressions of the dancing members were very bright.

The voices that responded to the endless crowd of audiences seemed happy in the music they created.

***

“I heard that the CEO’s health has worsened.”

“Then I guess it’s a rumor that Director Seo will be appointed as CEO after the shareholders’ meeting next month.”

Ara Entertainment headquarters building 7th floor employee lounge.

A lazy afternoon. While drinking coffee from a vending machine, Ara Entertainment’s accounting team members were whispering among themselves.

Through a phone call from the accounting team leader, they learned that the health of the current nominal CEO of Ara Entertainment had deteriorated further.

There were many people within the company who already considered General Manager Seo Joong-won to be the CEO.

“It would be nice, team leader. “Isn’t the team leader also in the same line as the general manager?”

“right. “Ah, so I guess there will be some beans on our team too.”

“What are we? All you have to do is calculate numbers well. Isn’t there a team leader on the planning team who doesn’t get along with the general manager? “That’s it.”

“Ah oh. That……a strong person. That person is not a good match for Director Seo. Seobon likes people who are a bit gentle. “Director Jeong doesn’t get along with Director Seo, so he can’t really put in much effort these days.”

“You like being sucked openly, right? “If it goes against the grain, chop it down and press it down.”

“Assistant Manager Kim, do you want to quit the company?”

“No… It’s just that the system is too dependent on what one person says.”

“Ah, you said your college classmate was in the Planning Team 2, right? “There must be a lot of complaints there.”

“Of course. “If I even become a representative… will that really happen?”

“Isn’t he already a representative? If this new group does well, it’s confirmed.”

“What if it doesn’t work out?”

“What if it doesn’t work out? Well, something went wrong once during the Man-to-Man… So, Director Jeong has something to complain about.”

When Assistant Manager Kim made a face that said, ‘I hope so,’ the other person shook his head and said.

“Hey, if you’re an employee, just hope that the company does well. uh? And when you go somewhere, don’t show that you don’t like it.”

“guide. There is no place for that. “Let’s go to the rooftop and smoke a cigarette.”

“It’s a call. Since smoking is not allowed indoors, the lounge is useless…”

The two were having a trivial conversation as they left the lounge.

At that moment, Director Seo Joong-won and his secretary were passing through the hallway.

The two people were a little embarrassed because they had been talking about him, good or bad, just a moment ago, but they quickly bowed their heads and greeted General Manager Seo Joong-won.

Director Seo Joong-won walked down the hallway with a big smile on his face and told everyone to do their best.

“You seem to be in a really good mood….”

“I see.”

The two people looked at the back of Director Seo Jung-won with a slightly uncomfortable expression.

Of course, Director Seo Joong-won was in a good mood.

The debut of ‘Valentine’ was tomorrow. And the date for convening the board of directors regarding the appointment of the representative was set. It was next month.

One month after debut was a very short period of time, but the rookies released by Ara Entertainment achieved some results within that month.

Man to Man also achieved impressive sales for a rookie in just one month. Of course, thanks to KK, all those achievements were reduced to nothing.

Among the surrounding large entertainment companies, there were no debut or comeback schedules for female idol groups for the time being, and the current female idol fandom was returning to the same form as the Spring and Autumn Warring States period without a large fandom.

It was a very appropriate time to create a number one group.

‘representative. It took longer than I thought to get to this point. ‘I see a lot of dirty things.’

Director Seo Joong-won thought with a bitter smile.

He had no way of knowing that the dirty things he had presented to others were more than the dirty things he had seen.

***

next day.

The members of Valentine were gathered in the waiting room ahead of their debut stage.

Unlike other rookies who were gathered together in various groups and used the waiting room, the waiting room for Valentine, who came to the broadcasting station for the first time today, was extremely comfortable.

This was because I shared a waiting room with one of Man to Man’s Obin, who is currently the MC for ‘Life Song’. Even then, Obin was constantly away because he was rehearsing as an MC and going to the waiting room of other fellow singers.

“sister! “There’s a wrinkle in your clothes here!”

A waiting room where only the Valentine members and staff remain. The voice of Valentine’s leader Yeri Han rang out sharply.

“uh?”

Cody ran over and checked the clothes Yeri Han was rocking. It was a natural wrinkle that inevitably occurred due to the material.

“What if I take care of my clothes like this?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. “I’ll iron it for you.”

“huh. Please do it quickly.”

The Valentine members, including Yeri Han, were all 19 and 20 years old, younger than Cody, who was 23, but they were dealing with Cody without any difficulties.

At that time, someone knocked on the waiting room door. When Valentine’s manager answered, the waiting room door opened and a girl who appeared to be Valentine’s age peeked out.

“I came to say hello to that senior…”

They were the ones who came to say hello to Man to Man’s Obin.

These were the ‘girls’ who would debut today along with Valentine.