Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Seeing social media platforms abuzz with fan accounts from TeSTAR’s fansign and the subsequent downpour of malicious comments, some of Park Moondae’s fans were having flashbacks to the period when Idol Inc. was still ongoing.

- What is the matter with these people?

- They’ve really lost their minds... Ha!

- I have a feeling this is an organized attack

The malicious commenters used twisted logic, jumping through all sorts of hoops in the various communities to try and turn public opinion against Park Moondae.

The usual arguments were that he was selfish for being the only one to bring gifts for his fans, that he was being cheap by repaying his fans with inexpensive candy, and that he was begging for attention using the props fans had given him.

None of these arguments really got much traction, but refuting them was exhausting never-the-less. Any time a fan grew emotional, the malicious commenters only doubled down.

- What is going on here? And on such a great day, too

- I wish we could just be done with all this and start over with another fansign...

- It’s so tiresome every time

The fans’ confusion was quickly turning into fatigue when a notification came through, indicating that an upload had been made to the TeSTAR account.

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Hey everyone.

It’s me, Moondae (puppy emoji)

Here’s everything I received today (photos)

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Attached were different selfies of Park Moondae wearing the props from the fans separately. It seemed as though he had taken them inside the van. And that wasn’t all.

Another notification soon came through.

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I have more (photos)

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Similar photos of the other members were also uploaded—the costumes they were wearing were made varied by mixing and matching each other’s props. Each photo had been taken with such professional skill that it confused the fans.

- ??

- Moondae?

- Where are all these precious gifts coming from?

Before the fandom could even move past their initial surprise, another post was uploaded.

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And next up is another #shootingstar! (photo)

P.S. All seven of us are participating. Hope you’re excited ♡

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This post featured a selfie of Big Sejin posing with his finger’s in a V under his chin, while Park Moondae could be seen opening a box in the background. Inside the box were a bunch of lollipops of varying colors.

- Whoa

- Holy sh*t

As it happened, Park Moondae hadn’t planned to just upload photos by himself. The TeSTAR fandom had not solidified fully after starting out as a bunch of fans of only one member and so they were on guard against any solo activities.

Of course, Moondae had chosen to bring in Big Sejin first, who’d been full of confidence about the fansign event. The fans were instantly ecstatic.

- Look at all these selfies! Oh my god! Moar!

- I remember Cha Eugene, Kim Raebin, Park Moondae, and Big Sejin did that animal mask event together during the show T_T These guys care so much for their fans. We love you!

- Look at the way they’re making sure fans who missed out on going to the fansign also get something! This is the caliber of idol that survives Idol Inc

- I should have bought 120 albums. They’re so generous, damn it T_T

Park Moondae’s fans instantly felt more comfortable, since they could now confidently rebuff any malicious comment that came their way.

- I don’t like the way Park Moondae’s doing this one-man show

└ Yeah, well, Big Sejin’s up next tomorrow. It’s a relay! They’re so full of love for their fans ♡ (photo)

- The hell is that? I think I’d be upset if someone did that with my gifts. He’s piling them up on his head...

└ Haha. He put on each one separately and made time for photos! He also uploaded selfies with each prop and there were even group photos. Care to look? (link)

Such responses were usually met with silence, or spiteful comments that were reported and deleted.

- Now that’s what I’m talking about

- Moon Puppy’s got all the anti-fans handled! Yeah baby!

- This is so much fun LOL

- Moon Puppy’s a genius. This is an indisputable fact

- Moon Puppy must report every day with a selfie. If he doesn’t, he’s breaking the law, so mote it be

After enjoying a second fansign the following day, the fans went to sleep perfectly content.

- Look, Big Sejin’s giving away bubble toys LOL

- The fansign suddenly turned into the set of Magical Boys

- That’s so cute. That’s so like him after the candy Moondae brought T_T (photo)

And amid the fan’s festivities, many people were visited with a terrible dilemma. The agency, wanting to capitalize on the popularity of the event, had announced another fansign.

- Here’s the date for the next fansign (link)

└ Did they really set the date way after the first week? The agency is so clueless... It’s driving me nuts

- Oh the extra fansign they added is on the weekend. I so want to go T_T

- Everyone should go at least once

- It’s only going to get harder to go to one when they release their next album. Now’s probably the cheapest it’s ever going to be

Nobody knew yet how shocked everyone, including the fans and the members of TeSTAR, would be to learn that the minimum number of album purchases needed to realistically get into the additional fansign had risen to 180.

***

The van shook and I jolted awake. A sleepy voice said from the front of the vehicle, “Huh? Are we there?”

“Not yet.”

“Okay...”

My drowsy brain struggled to process the conversation taking place between Chungwoo and the manager.

Oh, right. We were on the move. I stretched, realizing I would fall asleep again if I stopped thinking for even a second. The first thing I did was turn on man’s best friend in the modern era—my smartphone.

[Friday, 4:35 A.M.]

So... it’s been about two and a half hours since we left. This addition to our schedule was a truly bizarre one. I pressed a hand to my aching head.

It’s nice there are no pre-recs this week, but why are they filming a variety show so early in the morning? Worse still, I’d had no idea we’d have to drive all the way to Gyeongsang Province, in the countryside. As a result, I hadn’t been able to take any photos with the gifts I’d received from the fans at yesterday’s fansign.

Should I just upload what I have? I wondered, logging onto the TeSTAR account on my phone. I decided to just post a few group photos we’d taken in the dorm.

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It’s me, Moondae (puppy emoji)

We’ve got matching pajamas. (photo)

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Hmm... Maybe that was too much. I realized after uploading that maybe people wouldn’t be interested in our pajamas. A lot of people asked idols to share unnecessary information but were often disappointed when said idols complied. It was important to be very selective about what you shared.

I’ll have to adjust how much we share depending on how people react to these photos. I heard someone stir beside me as soon as I’d finished uploading.

“Uhhh...”

Ahyeon pried open his eyes sluggishly and jerked with surprise when he saw that I was staring at him, fully awake.

“Are... are we there?”

“No.”

“Oh...”

“Get some more sleep,” I told him, closing my eyes again.

There were two more hours left until we would arrive, so I planned to sleep some more. Anyway, Ahyeon probably wouldn’t be able to fall asleep if I sat awake beside him.

When I opened my eyes again, however, we’d already arrived. It seemed my fatigue had completely eaten through the rest of the drive. A strange request awaited us upon waking up.

“Eye masks?”

“Yes. It’s important we get your honest reactions when you learn what job you’ll be experiencing.”

“Uh, okay.”

The manager had set this rule, so we had no choice but to cover our eyes. The staff made sure we weren’t able to get a single glimpse of our surroundings. I didn’t really mind, but the members were already sleepy, and with the shades on, all seemed ready to fall back asleep any second.

Eugene was about to nod off and only came to after someone poked him in the side.

“Eeaugh! Ow!”

“Let’s go!”

We stumbled out of the van at the production team’s request.

“Please take off the masks now, please!”

“Okay!”

When we removed the covers, we were greeted by... a lake and an empty field.

“Huh?”

What in the world? I wasn’t the only one who was confused, of course.

“I’m awake, right?”

“Where are we?”

Before we could say anything more, a handful of staff carried banners into view.

[Celebrating a visit by ★TeSTAR★, the nation’s top stock!]

[The birds of Korea welcome you!]

[Featuring Junam Reservoir]

An image depicting a rainbow-colored bird fluttered in the wind. We all stared in shock. The banners were written using the default font in many office programs, with the underline function greatly abused.

When I turned to look at the others, I saw that even Lee Sejin was staring slack-jawed at the banners, unable to process what was happening. Before anyone could find words, an older man wearing a cordial expression appeared in front of us, chuckling.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Kim Jeongwon, an ornithologist!”

“Oh, hello!”

“Hi!”

We still remembered our hard-learned lessons from filming the survival show. Everyone immediately recovered their composure and bowed in greeting politely.

Looks like we’re all awake now, at least. But they didn’t seem to have grasped the situation we’d found ourselves in just yet. With a friendly guffaw, the ornithologist came forward to shake our hands.

“I heard you’ll be experiencing the life of an ornithologist here today!”

“Huh? Oh, yes. We’re here to have a one-day experience—”

“Yes, that’s right! Let’s do some basic ornithology today!”

“Ornithology?”

All of us were stunned at the constant repetition of a job title we weren’t expecting to hear. The man didn’t even seem to notice.

“Birds. What marvelous creatures they are! We’re going to get more acquainted with them today!”

“Oh...”

“We’ll be filming some migratory birds!”

“Oh...”

Cameras were immediately handed out by the same staff who’d brought the banners and the members seemed finally able to pull themselves together.

“Oh, I see!”

“Birds! How nice!”

“I’m looking forward to it!”

The ornithologist gave us a proud smile.

“Haha! It’s nice to be working with such energetic young people!”

“Hahaha!”

The group chuckled together, finally in better spirits.

Ahyeon seemed to relax, and spoke to me, sounding as though he were a little excited about what was to come. “S-sounds fun, right?”

“Yeah. Moondae, you’re great at taking photos, too!”

You idiots… Of course, they have no idea. I glanced at the camera, however, coming up with an adequate response for its sake.

“Sounds like a rewarding experience...” I said.

“Haha! Yeah!”

Yep. Though not in the traditional sense... I remembered a story I’d heard from one of the older students in my college photography club. I couldn’t even remember his name anymore.

“F*ck, if you want to get migratory birds on camera, it has to be in winter.”

“You won’t spot many birds in the summer... and you’ll die because of the heat before you ever see any birds.”

I was starting to get worried that we wouldn’t make it out unscathed by the time we had to appear on the live music show this afternoon.

“Hahaha! Let’s get going, then!”

“Yes!”

The ornithologist’s cheerful laughter was starting to sound like that of a professor recruiting unsuspecting master’s students for free labor. And the members, just like innocent, unsuspecting undergraduates, followed the researcher’s lead.

“The weather is so nice!”

“The sun rises early this time of year.”

They’d be begging for shade before long. I quietly followed behind them. We walked... and walked. The members were starting to grow confused as the trek lengthened without an end in sight, and Chungwoo took it upon himself to ask what was going on.

“Uh, sir?”

“Yes?”

“How much further do we have to go?”

The ornithologist grinned. “Haha! Until we spot some birds, of course!”

Chungwoo stared silently.

“Oh! How long will that take?” Big Sejin asked. The man chuckled and waved his hand blithely.

“Now, now, there’s a question only god knows the answer to!”

The members were slowly beginning to grasp the gravity of the situation. Big Sejin quickly spoke again before they could stop in their tracks in their rising horror.

“Of course, I knew that! But I do hope we get to see some birds soon. Haha! Isn’t that right, guys?”

He was signaling the others to laugh, and not allow the mood to sour while filming.

“Hahaha!”

“Right, you are.”

The members forced themselves to smile along and our march resumed. The reservoir seemed to stretch on without end. If we kept this up, the show would become a nature documentary rather than a variety show.

Thankfully, Big Sejin was making small talk with the ornithologist, giving the cameras something to film. He was bright and cheerful, and the man seemed to enjoy talking to him.

“That’s why the crow-tits are so skinny in summer.”

“Oh, so the photos we see online are usually not taken in summer, then!”

This allowed the rest of us to simply keep trudging along, making sure to react dramatically every now and then for the camera’s benefit.

Going above and beyond, I see... But no matter what Big Sejin talked about, the bird researcher always managed to circle back to crow-tits. It was hard to know if any of this footage would even be usable.

Then, at some point, he raised his hand slowly.

“Do you see that willow tree over there? There are some birds sitting in the branches!”

“Wow!”

“Yes!”

Everyone brightened at the idea that their march might be over. Eugene was about to run toward the tree when the man cried,

“Oh no! You can’t get too close! The birds will fly away!”

“Oh! Okay...”

Eugene looked ready to attempt tiptoeing forward when the man grinned and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Now we do the duck walk.”

We stared at each other in silence. Moments later, we were all waddling like ducks toward the water.

What is this, a military training excursion? I was starting to understand why the first episode had been such a flop.