#119

"Jeongsoo hyung, be careful, and Ga Yuna sunbaenim, you too. Don't cause unnecessary trouble for the team."

At that, Ga Yuna waved her hand, laughing as if embarrassed.

"What about me? If it's not Yoo Noah, then no thanks."

Damn. To hear that name even on the plane.

I scoffed and decided to challenge myself with a movie like Siu.

"Anyway, let's not cause any trouble. Everyone."

Then I plugged in my earphones.

* * *

As soon as we arrived at Hong Kong Airport, we boarded a bus.

Since we're from the same company, Dinaple joined us, and the rest were idols we barely knew.

Anyway, L.I.T was the youngest.

We politely greeted the seniors and took our seats.

I wanted to quietly move to the hotel, but people kept approaching us. Even though we're the youngest, our recognition has grown quite a bit.

The attention towards me was especially immense.

"Ichan-ssi, nice to meet you."

"I really liked Dinaple's last song. I heard you produced it, Ichan-ssi?"

"If we get close, will you give us a song too?"

From people just politely greeting to those desperately wanting to be friends. It seemed like it would be a tough journey.

Noticing my slight fatigue, Gyuhyung sat next to me and handed me some documents.

"Let's pretend we're having a schedule-related meeting."

Not a bad idea.

Dealing with Gyuhyung alone is better than dealing with several unnecessary people.

"Is this how we're doing it? To save money, they put us on a group bus?"

Earlier, I saw that the big agency idols were picked up by vans in small groups.

That's why they're called big agencies.

"Let's suggest to the management to rent individual vans for the next concert. Not sure if it'll work though."

Gyuhyung scratched his head, saying he thought we only had to avoid fans, not endure this from fellow idols.

While looking at the schedule, I glanced at Jaewon and Hanjoon sitting in front.

Unlike Jaewon, who easily chatted and made friends, Hanjoon put on a headset and closed his eyes.

'Ha, so that's how it's done?'

As I stared at him, Roa suddenly spoke to me.

"Hyungnim. Looking at the schedule, our performance is the day after tomorrow, so we're free until 2 PM tomorrow. Do you want to go shopping?"

I'm not really into shopping. But this time, I think I should.

"Yeah, let's do it."

I need to buy a headset or earphones to block out the noise. This won't do.

Look at Han Junyoung, wearing a disconnected headset, and no one bothers him. It's like he's put up a barrier.

So, with great determination, we went shopping.

I'm not sure why these guys are coming along too.

"Ichan. Ichan. How about food hunting after shopping?"

"Don't you think this kid needs some clothes? Let's hit the department store first."

"Why? Ichan looks good in anything."

"It's a waste because he always wears black. This noona will pick out some pretty clothes for you."

I feel utterly exhausted.

Kim Jeongsoo, Ga Yuna, and even Junhee, Jaewon's friend, tagged along.

At this point, I regret not shopping alone and staying at the hotel with Hanjoon and Siu for a foot massage.

In the store where we went to buy headsets, they were arguing about which design was better, which color was prettier, causing a ruckus.

Following Roa into a shoe store, they were noisy about what's trendy, what's uncomfortable.

I wanted to ditch them and run away, but I couldn't. Because of the suspicious presence that's been following us since we arrived.

I didn't feel it in front of the hotel, but since arriving at Tsim Sha Tsui, I've been sensing it. So, I've been keeping a close eye.

In Japan, it was due to rivalries between broadcast stations, but in Hong Kong, there's no reason for that.

Of course, I am a captivating presence, but the difference between Japan, where fan communities exist, and Hong Kong, where there are none, is vast.

So, what is it? Why are they following us like this?

Could they have followed us from Korea?

That might be the most plausible assumption.

But if that's the case, they'll try to get something out of it, and things could get dangerous.

Unable to shake off the unease, I said as we left the department store.

"Let's head back now? Providing photos to paparazzi is actually dangerous. The company won't like it either."

At that, Ga Yuna waved her hand, smiling brightly.

"Hey, do you think we're on the level of T-ara or ARCHE? Do you think people recognize our faces and follow us around?"

Laughing lightly, Ga Yuna entered an ice cream shop.

"Then, then."

Jeongsoo, smiling brightly, followed.

So, did what happened last time happen because we reached that level?

I held back from firing back.

If something dangerous happens again, I'll just take the youngest and Roa back to the hotel. The rest can fend for themselves.

That's how I felt.

But contrary to my worries, nothing significant happened.

Maybe I was overly sensitive because of what happened in Japan.

Although a slight, very slight discomfort remained, we managed to return to the hotel without any issues.

That discomfort turned into an unfunny incident that evening.

From the afternoon, we practiced in the hotel banquet hall. Then, around 8 PM, we moved to the performance venue to continue practicing.

The songs we'll perform are <Cotton Candy> and the new song .

We poured all our effort into the new song.

During the rehearsal, drenched in sweat, Gyuhyung came running with a pale face.

Fidgeting like a dog needing to poop, he guarded below the stage, then approached as soon as the rehearsal ended.

My brow furrowed involuntarily.

"What's wrong? If you need to go to the bathroom, go."

"Ichan-ah. You."

Gyuhyung, looking troubled, moved his lips and handed me his phone.

"A dating rumor has surfaced."

What surfaced? A dating rumor?

Are you kidding? Jokes should have limits.

"What are you talking about?"

I scoffed and pushed Gyuhyung's hand away, annoyed.

Now I'm hearing all sorts of nonsense.

A dating rumor about me?

"It's true. The community is in an uproar."

Surprised, the members each rummaged through their bags to pull out their phones.

Whatever. I took the water bottle Hyerim handed me and quenched my burning thirst first.

But the members' expressions were all serious as they looked at their phones.

"What? What happened?"

"Whoa. It's real. The Universe is in chaos."

Jaewon's eyes widened.

His round pupils shook rapidly as he read.

"Ichan hyung. The Filaments are weeping."

Jaewon shoved his phone in my face.

No way. Did I shake my light stick like crazy to see this? ㅠㅠ

└Channie. This can't be. This can't be happening. Dating just a year after debut? It can't be ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└Should I quit being a fan? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ My heart won't allow it yet.

Seeing a Filament's weeping post and the comments, it was clear this was no joke.

But I wasn't too worried. It's not true.

Rather, it just seemed like a ridiculous incident.

"So, who's the lucky girl I'm supposedly dating?"

"Ga Yuna."

"Ga Yuna?"

This is a bit annoying.

"Are you crazy?"

"That's what I said."

Gyuhyung also looked quite displeased.

"Would I date Ga Yuna because there's no one else? That idiot?"

I didn't hold back my harsh criticism.

His expression and tone seemed over the line, making me worry if anyone heard.

"Hyung. Can you talk about a fellow company artist like that?"

"She's an exception."

At that, the other members all nodded in agreement.

Their expressions varied, but their thoughts were the same. How could a scandal with Ga Yuna happen?

I also wondered. But I didn't feel like making a big fuss. It's not true.

"If it's not true, why worry?"

I spoke as if it were no big deal, but Gyuhyung, with a serious face, shook his head.

"Proof photos were posted, and it's chaos."

Then he found a community post and showed it to me.

"Someone took a photo of Ga Yuna turning around to talk to you on the plane and posted it. The fact that the person who posted this is a singer or staff member participating in KCON is just astonishing."

I frowned at the photo.

On the plane, the person Ga Yuna was talking to was Kim Jeongsoo. Not me.

She occasionally talked to me, asking questions, but I only gave short answers, clearly annoyed.

But, posting this photo? Confirming a dating rumor? Saying we were lovey-dovey for four hours from Incheon to Hong Kong?

Annoyance surged to the top of my head.

"A dating rumor from one photo? Aren't dating rumors too easy to start?"

"This isn't it. This is a derivative proof photo."

Gyuhyung took a deep breath and scrolled through his phone.

"Paparazzi followed you while shopping earlier."

Yeah, that's why it felt off.

They took photos after all.

But the photos would only show the six of us shopping together.

So, I could be confident.

"Can't idols shop together?"

I pointed to the phone in Gyuhyung's hand, saying the photos would show. But Gyuhyung just sighed and shook his head.

"Shopping together is fine. The problem is the photo of you two holding hands."

What nonsense is this?

"Holding hands? Me?"

"Yeah. You."

"With Ga Yuna?"

"Yeah."