Translator: Flo

Editor: Gumi

 

Episode 1

 

The strongest were those who survived.

 

To survive in this battlefield-like place, one had to stand firm without giving in. The term “human wave” was a fitting expression. The shapes of countless people moving back and forth truly resembled waves.

 

Screams and curses were mixed in with the chaos. Eventually, a few individuals were swept out as if they were being forcibly extracted, and the voids were quickly filled by the surging crowd.

 

However, amidst the chaos, there stood someone unyielding, like a formidable fortress.

 

A sturdy figure.

 

“What the hell, seriously! Hey! Why did you book for the Rubiz area ^[1] Flo’s TMI: Wish is a kpop boy group name while Rubiz is a girl group name. The fandoms tend to have specific areas for them to cheer on their idols in the stadium for awards shows and festivals. The more popular the group is, the bigger the fandom area normally is. and sneak your way into the Wish area!”

 

A strong mentality.

 

“If you have any conscience, step back! You’re blocking the view!”

 

Enormous.

 

“Look at how tightly he’s holding onto the fence! That’s why your idols are subjected to insults!”

 

It was a man.

 

Despite the torrents of abusive language flying from all sides, he held onto the front fence without batting an eye. While he had a physique that wouldn’t be easily pushed aside, there was no guarantee that a few people wouldn’t band together and charge at him, so he had to brace himself.

 

It was a universally fair rule that everyone had to strengthen their determination to catch a glimpse of their beloved idol in full view. But whenever he faced unbearable insults, the proud yet infuriating face of Manager Park, who had successfully secured front-row seats for him, came to mind.

 

The man adjusted his mask and took a deep breath. He glanced at the expensive watch on his wrist. It was the climax of the performance. His idol, who had achieved the legendary status of being the trendsetter of all trendsetters, was about to grace the final stage. He had prepared to unleash the voice and stamina he had saved up until now. The time he had been waiting for was almost here.

 

Finally, the name of the eighth team appeared on the digital display. The man proudly retrieved the slogan he had held in his heart and proudly unfolded it.

 

[★ Lee Ruda, Radiant Beyond Measure ★]

 

“Yaaahhh! Lee Ruda! Kim Hyunmin! Kim Rio! Yoo Jihwan! Jo Suin! I WISH You, I want you!”

 

He roared with a thunderous voice and impeccable pronunciation, exerting a beast-like strength he had honed since their debut days. Leading the cheer, in perfect synchronization with the intro of the title track, the man with shoulders as broad as the Pacific Ocean bellowed at a volume of 100, leaving the girls around him completely awestruck.

 

Wait, that uncle over there is not a Red (Rubiz’s fandom) but a Genie (Wish’s fandom)?

 

Gold balloons ^[2] Flo’s TMI: 1st and 2nd generation kpop idols used to have balloons as their cheering items. With certain colours balloons belonging to certain groups. For example, H.O.T was white, Shinhwa was orange, Sechs Kies was yellow, and g.o.d was blue. rising, swaying like waves came to a standstill. People had come to see their favorite idol, Lee Ruda, yet they were amazed by that man, who coincidentally happened to be a fan of their idol. Though they cheered for their idol on stage, they couldn’t suppress their laugh at the sound of his voice.

 

Ignoring the opinions of those around him, the man leaned against the fence and unleashed his voice as if there was no tomorrow.

 

“RuDaaaah! Uwaaaah! Ruda Yaaaah!”

 

His face, concealed behind a well-fitted mask, flushed red. The expression that barely revealed itself was akin to the fierce gaze of a wild predator eyeing its prey. The veins on his neck protruded as if predicting the fate of his vocal cords the next day.

 

As Wish finished their consecutive performances of two songs and disappeared backstage, waving their hands, the man held his ground until they were out of sight. Like other fangirls, he struggled to calm his overwhelmed heart as he shouted, “Bye! Bye! Rest well! I love you!”

 

It was his first time standing in such proximity to his ultimate bias, and it felt like an instant elevation to the heavens.

 

He took one last deep breath, regaining his composure, and carefully folded the slogan, neatly tucking it into his zipper bag. He pressed it tightly, ensuring no hint of air remained, before securely storing it in the small crossbody bag he had brought along. Then, without any lingering attachment, he let go of the fence.

 

His only thought was to leave the parking lot before the traffic got heavy. He carefully navigated through the gaps between people and made his way out. However, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that countless eyes were fixated on him.

 

Was it his imagination? He unnecessarily pulled his mask up and pressed down on the cap of his hat, hiding his face. Although it was unlikely that anyone would recognize him, it would be a big problem if someone accidentally caught on or became suspicious. Because he was,

 

Cha Kyung Heon, the executive director of Taekyung Group’s subsidiary, Taekyung Food.

 

***

 

“Summarize the progress of the interior designs and report it by tomorrow.”

 

“…Looks like you had a good time last night, Director.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Yes, it looks like you did. Your voice… Yes, you had a good time…just forget it.”

 

“No nonsense. Next.”

 

Kyung Heon was trying his best to conserve his words while observing the approval requests being presented by his secretary, Jaejun. Last night, he had screamed at the top of his lungs for about seven minutes, and his voice became so strained that it wouldn’t return to its normal state within 24 hours. It wasn’t just a hoarse voice; it was a level where words were overlaid with the sound of wind.

 

“As for the simultaneous opening of the Jongno branch that you had in mind, there is a problem. The financial company we agreed to contract with wants to occupy the first floor…”

 

“Cough! Cough, cough! Ahem! Ack! Oh, sorry.”

 

“…There are many other companies. I’ll tell the real estate team to handle it. Once the budget approval comes through, I’ll ask for a review.”

 

“Ahem. Manager Park, sorry, but today’s afternoon meeting is canceled…”

 

“Yes, it should be canceled. With your voice like that, where would you even go?”

 

“You keep going on nonsense, don’t you?”

 

“No, sir. I sincerely support your wholesome fandom. Fighting!”

 

Jaejun clenched his fists one after another, as if teasing Kyung Heon’s hoarse throat, and shouted a lifeless “fighting.” Kyung Heon, who hadn’t fully recovered his strength to confront him, smiled mercifully as though to say he let it slide this time. If Kyung Heon hadn’t gone through the fiery passion when seeing Lee Ruda in the front row of yesterday’s concert, Jaejun might have lost his job.

 

While Jaejun was organizing and jotting down the tasks he had to complete by tomorrow, Kyung Heon was refreshing Twitter on his computer. He was more engrossed in saving yesterday’s concert photos ^[3] Flo’s TMI: Fansites are the fans who take photos of the idols during their performances or fan meetings. They are usually high quality images. than doing his work.

 

Amidst the alternating sounds of mouse clicks and keyboard typing, a strange and familiar sound –crack suddenly added. The ‘ㅠ’ key on the keyboard had fallen off, which Kyung Heon had pressed on two seconds ago. Jaejun shook his head, looking at the detached key.

 

“Director, it’s troublesome if you keep breaking the keyboard. It’s embarrassing to request a replacement.”

 

“Sorry. I didn’t realize I was pressing it so hard…”

 

“From now on, anything you break will be at your own expense. No corporate card.”

 

“Okay, well, just this keyboard…….”

 

“No!”

 

Thanks to Manager Park’s unwavering efficiency in work and personal matters, Kyung Heon obediently nodded. If rock-paper-scissors were executed three times, then the keyboard was self-executed three times.

 

Jaejun sighed and left the office, leaving Kyung Heon finally alone. Having been scolded by someone with the talent of a mother-in-law, he took a deep breath. Kyung Heon closed his eyes, calmly composed himself, and resumed watching the high-quality fancams ^[4] Flo’s TMI: Fancams are videos taken of a single idol performing on the stage by the fans. It used to feel really organic as if you were actually there watching in the past but the broadcasting companies upload them nowadays. . The occasional internal system notifications and document approvals that came up in the middle were handled flawlessly.

 

Kyung Heon, who had never known the concept of multitasking, had become a perfect multitasker, and 90% of that transformation was thanks to Lee Ruda, his beloved Wish. It was only in the third year he had gotten to know Ruda.

 

***

 

The first meeting was both mundane and surprising. On that day, Kyung Heon, as usual, returned home after work, showered, and was waiting for his slightly damp hair to dry completely.

 

As a self-proclaimed television addict, Kyung Heon’s daily routine involved having a beer, watching the evening news he had missed, and catching up on a few entertainment shows and dramas.

 

Starting with news that made him click his tongue, he had initially thought of watching a heart-wrenching drama but then he was drawn to an entertainment show that he usually didn’t watch and pressed Play without hesitation – that marked the beginning of fierce one-sided love.

 

Three years ago, Wish was a rookie ^[5] Flo’s TMI: Rookie means newly debuted artists in the industry. Artists with 1-2 years of experience are usually called rookies. boy group full of ambition. Young boys whose main goal was to promote themselves in any program, leaving nothing out. Moreover, only one of them, the main vocalist and leader, sang songs by senior singers instead of their own.

 

Kyung Heon’s tongue twitched as he watched the blond-haired boy on camera. His first thought was that they put a rookie singer on an unfavorable entertainment show. Furthermore, the members who appeared alongside him seemed to lack a knack for the Korean entertainment industry, perhaps due to their foreign background, and there was nothing recognizable about them.

 

Just as Kyung Heon thought, ‘They will never get noticed like that,’ the plot took an unexpected turn. The blond-haired boy, who seemed to have lost his chance in the show, ended up having a singing competition with a well-known and talented senior singer.

 

Feeling sorry for the boy who had become a pitiful figure, Kyung Heon had given his song a listen. That day! He couldn’t help but fall for him.

 

Using the expression “clear” seemed cliché, but no other description came to mind. With each syllable, each phrase… the boy sang as if he were handling something precious. Every melody was delicate. His skill in effortlessly navigating between notes was no less than that of his senior counterparts. It had the power to draw people in.

 

As the sentimental ballad stopped, a close-up shot filled the screen, revealing his face. His eyes, which had been slightly closed, slowly opened, allowing a glimpse of his eye color that had been barely visible throughout the previous broadcast.

 

The light brown color of his eyes harmoniously blended with his blond hair. As the soft stage lighting poured down, it seemed as though light emanated from his fair skin and those eyes. Lost in his immersed emotions, his eyes were tinged with redness.

 

Just like that, Kyung Heon, in his thirties, had his heart captivated by the twenty-two-year-old Lee Ruda. All it took was a single song.

 

A spark ignited in Kyung Heon’s usually composed and indifferent personality. The passion that had been hidden burst into flames, consuming all of Wish’s performances as if they were mere firewood, swiftly engulfing the night.

 

The next day, Kyung Heon arrived at work with a heavily shadowed face. Trying to balance work and being a fan had caused him to fall behind on both, creating absolute chaos. Thus, working overtime was inevitable.

 

By nine o’clock at night, he hurriedly returned home and, with a respectful posture, sat in front of the television, devouring every entertainment show featuring Wish or Lee Ruda. Each program lasted from a short hour to an hour and a half. Although Lee Ruda was a rookie, he had already been active for several months since his debut, so his face appeared here and there in various short clips.

 

Continuing to mock the agency’s inexperienced promotion team for their program choices, Kyung Heon intensified his quest to consume every nanosecond of Lee Ruda’s appearances on entertainment shows. As a result, two days and two nights were reduced to ashes.

 

On the third day, he finished watching the remaining entertainment shows and music broadcasts, meticulously gathering each video footage. He had to rewind through the programs to check the downloaded video quality and ensure there were no interruptions. The insignificance of the past three nights dissipated like scattered dust.

 

On the fourth morning, Kyung Heon worked with a visibly gaunt face, groaning in pain. When Manager Park suggested he leave early if he wasn’t feeling well, Kyung Heon slowly shook his head and pressed on with his work. All that was left was to collect and review the remaining footage, do a bit of tweeting, and make a cameo appearance in a couple of dramas. The thought of safeguarding all the past footage and walking together from that point onwards filled Kyung Heon’s heart with overwhelming joy. The night of that day couldn’t be any shorter.

 

Five days later. Kyung Heon signed the document with a shaky hand. When Jaejun asked if he was okay, Kyung Heon simply nodded without saying a word. His last memory was getting up from his seat to attend the Friday progress report and afternoon meeting.

 

How much time had passed? Kyung Heon struggled to open his eyes. The first thing he saw was the white ceiling, and his chest felt stuffy. For some reason, he felt discomfort in his right hand and realized his ring finger was stuck.

 

“D-Director, are you awake?! Can you hear me?! Haah… Doctor! Doctor, over here! The patient has regained consciousness! Director?! They say you’ve overexerted yourself! Are you really back? Can you hear me? Sir? Doctor, please come quickly!”

 

Kyung Heon let out a sigh, belatedly realizing that he had collapsed. Whatever Jaejun was shouting, whatever the doctor was saying—it all faded away in his mind. There was only one thing in his head.

 

“Ah, the music show… Today’s goodbye stage… I missed the live broadcast. Sh*t.”

• 1. Flo’s TMI: Wish is a kpop boy group name while Rubiz is a girl group name. The fandoms tend to have specific areas for them to cheer on their idols in the stadium for awards shows and festivals. The more popular the group is, the bigger the fandom area normally is.
• 2. Flo’s TMI: 1st and 2nd generation kpop idols used to have balloons as their cheering items. With certain colours balloons belonging to certain groups. For example, H.O.T was white, Shinhwa was orange, Sechs Kies was yellow, and g.o.d was blue.
• 3. Flo’s TMI: Fansites are the fans who take photos of the idols during their performances or fan meetings. They are usually high quality images.
• 4. Flo’s TMI: Fancams are videos taken of a single idol performing on the stage by the fans. It used to feel really organic as if you were actually there watching in the past but the broadcasting companies upload them nowadays.
• 5. Flo’s TMI: Rookie means newly debuted artists in the industry. Artists with 1-2 years of experience are usually called rookies.