NOVEL NEXT Chapter 133
Where am I going now?
As I watched the manager holding the steering wheel in the rearview mirror, I turned my gaze to the side and saw my daughter sitting in a plush baby seat, facing my wife with a bright smile.
Every time the scenery outside flashed by, I felt like a cow being dragged to a slaughterhouse.
Yes. I am on my way to the venue of my very first fan meeting.
“Mr. Cosmo, you seem a bit out of it. Are you okay?”
Perhaps because our eyes met in the rearview mirror a few times, the manager smiled and spoke up. It was clear from his expression that he already knew how I felt, yet him asking seemed a bit annoying.
“…Right? I never thought I would have a fan meeting in my life.”
“Still, your wife went out of her way to organize it. You have to do your best.”
“……”
If it were my own money, I could have refused. Not realizing that fact was binding me, the manager continued to speak nonchalantly.
Not my problem, huh?
“By the way, dear, did you know? The tickets for the fan meeting sold out in less than 5 minutes?”
“Uh… really? Why is that?”
Even though it wasn’t her fan meeting, my wife, unusually excited, told me a piece of news I didn’t particularly want to hear. I was just baffled.
I’m not a top-tier streamer like Mr. Park Gun-ho, nor am I an idol. What on earth could possess people to come such a long distance just to see my face?
Moreover, during a broadcast yesterday, a fan even said they were coming from Jeju Island. Wouldn’t it be better to use that plane ticket to buy some chicken or pizza? That would keep them warm and full.
Why on earth would they want to waste their time and money in a place like this?
“It’s because they want to see you that much. Oh, and I also delivered tickets to the café owner we visited before, and they were crying tears of joy.”
“Crying?”
“Yeah, not sobbing or anything, but I saw tears welling in their eyes.”
Since my wife isn’t the type to lie about things like this, I can safely assume her words are true.
Still, it’s quite amazing. It’s hard to fathom that people would go so far just to see someone they only know from watching streams, without having any actual connection.
Of course, I used to really like watching Mr. Park Gun-ho’s streams when I was younger, but if you asked me if I was a passionate fan, I wouldn’t be able to answer with confidence.
I’m grateful for the love the fans give, and it’s somewhat mind-boggling.
Perhaps that’s what motivates me to work harder on my broadcasts.
“By the way, manager, your driving skills have noticeably improved.”
By the time we arrived at the parking lot of the venue for the fan meeting, I watched in surprise as the manager executed a skillful parking maneuver.
When he first started driving for me, he wasn’t this adept. If I recall correctly, while he was decent at driving, he struggled with parking, and I had to help him out a few times.
When did he get so good?
“It seems driving around with my girlfriend has made me improve.”
“Oh right, you mentioned you had a girlfriend. I guess you went out on a date recently?”
“No, we broke up two weeks ago. So all that’s left is my driving skill now.”
“Ah….”
With an ending that was unfortunate, I sighed and silently patted the manager on the shoulder.
Someday, he’ll definitely meet a good partner. He’s such a nice guy.
“Then I’ll go in first, and I’ll get some beverages and snacks for you both.”
“Okay. Oh, please use this card for the payment and get something for you and the staff inside as well?”
“Sure.”
Though I have the company card, I wasn’t too keen on using it for this kind of thing, so I handed over my card and got out of the car.
As I stepped inside, I already knew it was going to be a lot bigger than I expected. I thought we’d just sit a few people in a cozy café or something.
Well, I did invite 150 people this time, so I suppose it’s only natural for the place to be large. I guess I was being silly.
“Yay—!”
“Our princess, you’re so excited now that you’re outside?”
“Peur!”
Somehow, it seems my baby Joo-ha is more excited than I am.
Watching Joo-ha laugh and wiggle her hands eased my tension a bit.
Well, what’s there to be tense about? Everyone is coming because they like me, and I often bump into fans while walking down the street. I can just treat it like any other day.
Clunk.
Having received a notice to enter through the back door, I casually grabbed the handle of the door labeled ‘No Entry for Outsiders’ and stepped inside.
What greeted me was a surprisingly bright and cheerful atmosphere.
The building seems quite new, and more importantly, it’s very tidy, totally to my liking.
“Mr. Cosmo! Welcome! It’s nice to meet you.”
“Wow! It’s my first time seeing Mr. Cosmo in person!”
“It’s really you, Mr. Cosmo!”
As soon as I stepped into what seemed like a waiting room, the staff members around came to a halt, rushing to greet me.
When I think of staff, I expected a more formal vibe, but they all seem so friendly. Is this the usual ambiance here?
“Hahaha…. Hello. I appreciate your help today.”
The number of staff was fewer than I had expected, but the ones who were there were all present.
I was quite surprised to hear that they had even hired a host for the fan meeting, as I hadn’t learned anything about how it would be conducted.
Just how serious is my wife about this fan meeting?
“Dear, everyone here is a viewer who volunteered to join us.”
“Huh? They’re viewers?”
As I exchanged greetings one by one, my eyes widened at my wife’s words as she quietly approached me.
Wait, so they’re not hired staff, but all volunteers?
“Yeah, but I feel bad making them work for free, so I was thinking of giving them something later.”
“Ah, right.”
Nodding at my wife’s whisper, which explained that she would reward them later, I acknowledged her thought.
That’s a good idea. Of course, the volunteers might genuinely be here out of fan admiration and passion, but it’s not right to not show at least a minimum of gratitude.
“But how did everyone end up as staff?”
“Oh, some were feeling down because they failed to get tickets when they saw the announcement at the café. So they asked if anyone with backstage experience wanted to help out.”
“And then you thought, ‘This is it!’ and volunteered? You wanted to see Mr. Cosmo’s face even if it was for free, right?”
“Ah….”
So initially, my wife was truly looking for people to work for pay, but instead, it turned into a situation where those who failed to get tickets became eligible volunteers.
Learning the backstory made it a bit amusing. My wife intended to pay people to come work, yet instead, people were begging to be chosen even without pay.
It feels like the situation has completely flipped.
“Wow…! Is this little one Joo-ha? Oh my gosh, she’s so cute…!”
“Look at her facial features already… they’re more distinct than mine!”
“I feel a bit jealous. Is this the power of genetics?”
Perhaps because there are more women among the staff, the attention naturally shifted to Joo-ha, who was being cradled by my wife.
Fearing Joo-ha might get scared, the staff were keeping their distance, observing her like spectators at a zoo watching a baby panda.
“You can come closer. Joo-ha doesn’t cry much in front of strangers.”
“Really?!”
“Then just a little closer….”
“Hi there, Joo-ha! We’re your aunts!”
Watching this scene unfold, my wife encouraged the staff to step a little closer, and they began to approach cautiously, glancing at one another.
Wow, my daughter is a superstar.
“Wow, Pir!”
“Oh my gosh, did you see? Joo-ha grabbed my hand!”
“It seems she already has the strength to grab!”
“She’s much stronger than the others. I feel like she’ll be holding her own milk bottle soon!”
“Wow…!”
While I watched the surrounding women going gaga over Joo-ha, another staff member approached me cautiously.
“Um, Mr. Cosmo, would you mind coming this way for a quick makeup session?”
“Makeup? I don’t really do makeup….”
Why on earth would I need makeup when I usually show up bare-faced for events?
As I was about to refuse, the following words made me shut my mouth.
“Actually, it was a request from your wife. She insisted we make you look great….”
“…Ah.”
At that moment, it hit me that this entire fan meeting was a carefully laid trap. I glanced over at my wife.
Wink.
Our eyes met, and it felt like she was saying, ‘You’d better just go along with it,’ and so I sat in the chair and closed my eyes without resistance.
…Well, if the lady says so, I can’t help it.
But knowing her, she might even ask me to put on a tuxedo!