Chapter 213
Checking the Objective window once more, Kim Chunyong vigorously ruffled his bright red hair and sprang to his feet.
The Current Objective was now winning Rookie of the Year at a popular music awards ceremony.
Thinking about what had happened after winning the rookie award still made his legs feel weak, but that was precisely why he had to push even harder.
‘To begin with, our team won the rookie award last time too.’
But a team with a reformed Kim Chunyong and new members?
“…There’s no way we can’t win.”
No longer Arrows, but the name ToZ.
The clock that had briefly stopped after Targeting Star ended began ticking again.
* * *
The saying that it isn’t truly over until it’s over was something he’d heard plenty of times before.
During choreography practice, during recording sessions.
Director Moon Yun Ha had even screamed “It’s not over yet!” while they were shooting the debut concept photos.
So the precise moment that would put the final period on Targeting Star was….
[AG Ent_]
Walking into the AG company building and signing the standard exclusive artist contract.
“Phew.”
I let out a contented sigh as I faced our company building again after a while.
Before, I’d only ever gone in and out as a provisionally contracted trainee, or as a signed artist who got nothing but dirty looks.
But now I could walk in with my shoulders squared and my head held high.
I paced around out front, waiting for the person I was supposed to meet.
Something about not expecting it to take this long to get here from the hotel, or whatever.
Fortunately, the wait didn’t last long.
In the distance, I could faintly make out a large dog—er, a person—running over in a frantic rush.
“Huff—God, Chunyong hyung! I’m so sorry for being late, really sorry!”
The pleasant voice laced with those characteristic English exclamations was par for the course.
“Dude. Any later and I would’ve gone in by myself.”
“Oh, really, I tried to get here as quickly as I could too!”
Somehow looking like a puppy exhausted from a walk, Logan wore a thoroughly forlorn expression as he tugged at my arm.
“Truly, something a bit scary happened. So, when I was leaving the hotel, it felt like someone was suddenly following me. Maybe, paparazzi?”
“…Really?”
“Yes! So I quickly got a taxi, but they were heading the exact same direction. That scared me so I got out midway and ran the rest of the way here. So sorry, Chunyong hyung.”
“…No, it’s fine. I think I get the picture.”
No, already? Those kinds of people were showing up already?
I pressed my fingers hard against my involuntarily furrowed brow and clamped my mouth shut.
It was good that the members had become the talk of the town before even debuting, thanks to Targeting Star’s reach, but this….
It was not good.
Things would improve once we had a dedicated manager looking after us, but for now, it was genuinely concerning.
“Let’s go in for now. If we’re any later, the President’s going to give us a hard time.”
“Really? But he even sent us debut presents! He doesn’t seem like the type to do that.”
“Sure, sure. The President must really like you….”
I clicked my tongue lightly and pulled Logan by the arm toward the building.
Inside the elevator we’d boarded to go sign the contracts, I cautiously broached the subject.
“…Logan. Those people who were following you earlier.”
“Oh, yes. Even though the survival show is over, I’d let my guard down since we haven’t officially had our début yet—”
“They weren’t like paparazzi, Logan. Those people are sasaengs.[1]”
“What? Sa—what did you say?”
“It means people who follow your every move and make your life miserable. Paparazzi do it for money, but these people are different.”
Following you is the goal in itself.
“…Oh.“
At my words, Logan let out a short exclamation of understanding and fell silent.
When you have a career that exposes you to the public and gain popularity through it, people start wanting more from the object of their attention.
What do they eat? What do they wear?
If they’re meeting someone, who? A friend? Family?
Surely they’re not betraying our expectations by seeing a boyfriend or girlfriend, right?
I understood sasaengs as the twisted, warped manifestation of those feelings taken in a wrong direction.
In my case….
[Anon @Tmfprlxmfptl]
Yesterday #Gangnam_Fedira appearance #Rex Trash Rex (laugh)(laugh)
Just sat in the VIP room drinking. Guess he doesn’t even have the guts to meet a girl~~
[Anon @Tmfprlxmfptl]
#Rex just drinking again and leaving, damn. No fun following this one around. Might as well try the other members next. Ji Hwa Sung maybe??]
[└ Reporting this]
[└└ ㅇㅅㅇ…Report away? I’ve got plenty more accounts besides this one lol
People who followed me around to see what worse things the already-notorious me might do, curious just how far Trash Rex could fall.
Or people who were stalking other members and happened to catch me as a bonus along the way.
But Logan’s case was different.
If the motivation was simply deriving pleasure from mocking someone, or getting attention on social media, it would at least fizzle out quickly.
But what if they wrapped that behavior in the flimsy guise of “love”?
I could guarantee that was a hundred times more dangerous.
Ding—
As the elevator doors slid open and I stepped out, I made a suggestion to Logan, who still wore a pensive expression.
“Logan, how about moving into the dorm early, before we start filming the reality show?”
“…Huh? Chunyong, what are you saying all of a sudden?”
“I think people have figured out which hotel you’re staying at. The dorm is managed by the company, so it’d be safer.”
“Holy—I understand what you mean! But it’ll take some time to get the filming equipment and everything ready.”
That was a needless worry.
“Hey, didn’t you say the President sent you a present?”
“That’s right. It was a dessert set, but I’m not great with sweets….”
“If he’s the kind of person who sends you stuff like that, you think he won’t approve of you moving into the dorm early because of sasaengs?”
“Uh… I suddenly feel more courageous. Got it. I’ll try asking! This is my first time making a request like this, but there’s a first for everything.”
His face brightening immediately, Logan wagged his invisible tail furiously and naturally reached for the office door handle, then his fingers froze.
Now what.
“Wait… Chunyong.”
There’s someone inside.
At those words, I naturally shifted my gaze toward the office window.
“…Why is he here?”
Translation Notes
[1] ↩
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