Chapter 44: Blooming Days for Cherry Blossom (2)
The singers who arrived late were all in a fluster in the temporary waiting room at Yongpyong H Resort. They didn’t even know where their waiting rooms were because they were in a hurry due to the delay caused by the heavy snowfall and were unfamiliar with the location.
However, being the first to arrive, we had already figured out the layout and were proceeding comfortably with our rehearsal. As Cherry Blossom took the stage, Han Myung-Ho and I surveyed the audience area.
"Less than half are filled."
Perhaps due to the snowstorm, only about 20% of the outdoor seats were occupied. But there was a bigger issue than the lack of audience.
"Mr. Han, the stage is quite slippery because of the snow. What if the girls fall?"
Without any surrounding snow barriers, the stage was accumulating snow. The staff were clearing the snow intermittently but the melted snow continuously left puddles all over the stage. Falling on the hard acrylic surface could result in, at the very least bruises, and worst, fractures.
"What should we do?"
Fortunately, I was prepared for this.
"I brought sneakers just in case. They should be much safer than heels. Can the girls wear them instead?"
After some consideration, Han Myung-Ho decided to prioritize the girls’ safety.
"They might look odd without heels... but you’re right. Safety always comes first. Let's go with your suggestion."
"Then I'll go grab the sneakers once the rehearsal is over."
"No, go now. I'll take care of the girls. I’ll meet you back at the waiting room."
I was relieved that Han Myung-Ho took my advice. In my past life, many singers had slipped on the wet stage.
I nodded and hurried to the parking lot. Opening the trunk of the van, I grabbed four pairs of white shoes. As I was about to return, a group of high school girls wearing 'CHERRY BLOSSOM' caps caught my eye.
‘They are Cherry Blossom’s fans.’
"Excuse me."
The girls, who were giggling at their phones, turned toward me. "Yes?"
"You're Cherry Blossom fans, right? Oh, I'm their talent agent, by the way. I’m not a weird person."
However, the fans glared at me with wary expressions. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Take a look at this pass yourself. It says I’m part of the attendee’s associate team, doesn’t it?”
When I showed my blue pass, indicating my affiliation with the associate team instead of the yellow pass for the staff, the fans began to scream excitedly.
“Oh my goodness! Where is Cherry Blossom right now?”
“Cherry Blossom is here today, right? Everyone has been disappointed that there are no idols on-site right now. Oh! Has ZIZAK oppas arrived yet?”
Only then did I notice the ZIZAK cheering sticks that the girls were holding in their right hand.
‘But that’s okay.’
It was only natural for the fans to support numerous groups. I was just grateful that they were not anti-fans of Cherry Blossom.
"I don't know about ZIZAK because they're not from our agency, but I’m sure they will be here soon. I heard they value their fans a lot."
When I praised the fans’ favorite group, their faces brightened.
"Um, Mr. Talent Agent. Could we maybe take a picture with Cherry Blossom?"
That was exactly what I’ve been wanting to hear. I wanted to say yes right away but needed Han Myung Ho's permission first.
"They're rehearsing right now, but I'll try my best to find some time. Want to come along?"
The four fans nodded while beaming.
Following closely behind me, the fans discussed how other agencies didn't care about the fans but Cherry Blossom was different.
“See? I told you Cherry Blossom is different from the other idols.”
“Hey, do you remember when Golden Road’s talent agent pushed me last time? I had my clothes ripped back then.”
I asked the fans to wait for a moment and rushed back to the waiting room with the shoes.
In the room, Lee Ju-Yung was busy ironing Cherry Blossom’s stage costumes on the hangers.
"What's that?"
"Oh, these are non-slip sneakers."
Once I explained the stage conditions, Lee Ju-Yung quickly understood. "I see. The shoes look nice. I was worried, but these shoes should match the costumes well."
‘Of course they would match. I deliberately chose the best sneakers to match the two different outfits for today's performance.’
Click.
At that moment, Cherry Blossom returned to the waiting room with an excited expression after finishing their rehearsal. Sae-Ri, who was giggling, saw me and made a peace sign with her hands.
Sae-Ri beamed with confidence and proudly shared her success. "Yoon-Ho oppa, I didn’t make a single mistake today!"
"Good job, Kim Sae-Ri! Excellent!"
"Give me a high five!"
Slap!
"Yay!"
When I gave a high five to Sae-Ri, Yang Eun-Bi shook her head and opened her mouth. "Sae-Ri, do you have a separate battery to charge your energy or something? Aren’t you tired?"
"Nope, not tired at all. I feel like I can do really well today! My energy and spirits are at max levels!"
Sae-Ri's lively mood brightened the atmosphere in the waiting room.
‘Oh, I almost forgot.’
I informed Han Myung-Ho about the fans waiting outside.
"Fans?"
Cherry Blossom did have fans, as they were active in their second album promotion until very recently. However, they didn't have dedicated fans showing up at the venue—at least until today.
Woo Yeon-Hee’s eyes widened with surprise. "Really? Our fans came to the site?"
"Yeah, they’re waiting outside the waiting room right now."
I nodded and asked Han Myung-Ho. "Could the girls take a picture with the fans?"
Han Myung-Ho smiled. "Why not? Let’s do whatever you want, Yoon-Ho!"
Han Myung-Ho and I hurried to take Cherry Blossom outside the waiting room to meet the fans.
***
It was incredible.
The four fans from the Hoengseong Girls' High School screamed in ecstasy upon meeting Cherry Blossom. Their enthusiasm was so intense during their photo-taking session with Cherry Blossom that it drew the attention of passersby. Thanks to them, the other people walking by even asked to take pictures with Cherry Blossom.
The fan encounter was a resounding success.
After returning from meeting the dedicated fans, the Cherry Blossom members were visibly uplifted. The strong support and enthusiasm from the fans seemed to have invigorated them.
Woo Yeon-Hee joked with a bright smile. "It feels like only good things happen when you come, Yoon-Ho oppa."
"So, you want me to stop coming?"
"No, I wish you would always come."
"Really?"
Woo Yeon-Hee smiled with her eyes curving into crescents. For some reason, she was looking more alluring than when I first saw her.
'It’s so interesting how her image keeps changing.'
Initially, I only noticed her beauty. But the more I observed, the more facets of her personality revealed themselves. She radiated a comforting warmth, occasional playfulness, and even a subtle sexiness.
Being labeled as 'the mother of the group' might have limited her, but she could certainly show many more charms with a dedicated stylist to develop her image. The same could be said for the other three members.
'I should suggest getting a dedicated stylist for the new song.'
At that moment, Sae-Ri who was dancing playfully chimed in. "Me too, me too! I totally agree that Yoon-Ho oppa should always come! It feels like we always have a good day when he is here~"
Sae-Ri’s dance, which was supposed to express the blooming of Cherry Blossom according to her, seemed a bit acrobatic due to her awkward movements.
‘As expected. Sae-Ri sucks at dancing.’
Yang Eun-Bi wiped the sweat off her forehead and nodded in agreement. "Yoon-Ho oppa, when will you join us again? I’m going to ask Mr. Han if he can book us as many schedules as possible on days that you join us."
Yang Eun-Bi playfully stuck out her tongue and openly expressed her desires. But strangely, it wasn't annoying at all.
Lastly, Eun-Ah hesitantly reached out and gently grabbed my sleeve as she finally spoke up.
"What is it, Eun-Ah?"
"I just wanted to say thank you for today."
For Eun-Ah, this was a big expression of gratitude. The simplicity of her 'thank you' somehow made my heart flutter unexpectedly.
Feeling a bit shy, I scratched my head. "Don't mention it. Let's do well today, just like this, okay?"
"Okay~!"
A renewed sense of ambition to lift these wonderful kids to greater heights surged within me.
'Yes, I'll make sure your spring truly blooms.'
Soon after, Cherry Blossom changed into their stage outfits and put on the white shoes I had brought.
"Let's gather for a quick cheer before going on stage."
At Han Myung-Ho's cue, Cherry Blossom huddled together and placed their hands in the center.
"Shall Eun-Ah lead the cheer for today?"
Eun-Ah's face turned bright red, but she bravely shut her eyes tight and led the cheer.
Then, the rest of the Cherry Blossom members joined in with the chant.
"Cherry~ Cherry~ Blossom! Please let us bloom this time!"
‘Yikes. What a peculiar cheer.’
Yet the members kept a straight and serious expression as they shouted such a peculiar cheer.
‘I guess it’s a testament to their desperation and longing for success.’
The moment their hands shot up in unison, the door opened with a knock and a staff member entered.
"It's time to go on stage. The live opening is in five minutes."
Cha Tae-Hee personally came out to escort us, showing her care and attention.
***
Meanwhile, the four girls from Hoengseong High School who took pictures with Cherry Blossom were busy examining the photos on their phones.
"Wow, I look like a squid next to Eun-Ah. I shouldn’t have stood beside her"
"Haha. I look like a flatfish. This is ridiculous. I can't show this to anyone else."
"I stepped back 30cm, but why does my head still look so big? Hey, is this camera distortion?"
"Stop deluding yourself and look at Eun-Bi's photo instead. She's slim but one part is bulging. I wonder if I can look like that if I diet?"
"No way. I asked her but she said it's all genetics in her family."
Despite the heavy snowfall, the girls were so engrossed in the photos that time seemed to fly by.
"Hey! The show is starting!"
"Let's go! There should be lots of seats because of the snow."
The announcer took the stage, grabbed the microphone, and announced the start of the KBC Music Stage at Yongpyong H Resort.
"Today's KBC Music Stage is at Yongpyong H Resort. Welcome to the open broadcast, everyone~."
Ba-bam~ bam!
As the loud background music blasted from the speakers, Cherry Blossom quickly popped onto the stage and took their set positions. The sight of Cherry Blossom preparing for their performance while wearing thin flare skirts in this blizzard made the high school girls shiver.
"Wow, they'll freeze to death at this rate."
"But where do you think Sae-Ri got those shoes? They're so pretty."
"Probably from Seoul."
"Hey, what can't you buy online these days? We don't live in the countryside. You live in an apartment, right?"
"Yes. But we don't even have a mall in Hoengseong."
"What do you mean we don’t have a mall! Hanwoo mall is still a mall!"
"What the heck? Hey, are those even comparable?”
“Ah, forget it. I’ll search for those shoes online later. I’m gonna order the exact same design~."
The girls giggled and laughed at one girl's comment. However, as the performance began, their chatter quickly died down.
"Looks like it's starting. Everyone be quiet."
Their argument seemed to be forgotten as they all focused on the stage. The background music thumped and Cherry Blossom began their choreography. However, no one was cheering loudly for them.
The songs 'Pretty Pretty' and 'Shiny Sunshine' weren't bad, but they just weren't catchy enough for people to sing in the karaoke or to showcase their vocal prowess. The performance was good thanks to Cherry Blossom’s hard work, but the choreography wasn’t outstanding.
Nevertheless, the high school girls clenched their fists in support as they remembered Cherry Blossom's kindness in taking photos with them.
"Hey! Let’s cheer for them."
"Yeah. We should repay them for the photo!"
The Hoengseong High School girls started cheering loudly after counting down and shouted at the top of their lungs.
"Yessssss! Cherry Blossom!"
The girls’ support continued unabated throughout the first and second performances. The shouts of the girls were incredibly effective, inspiring others around them to gradually start cheering for Cherry Blossom as well.
Because Cherry Blossom lacked a well-known cheer, some of the audience simply clapped in rhythm as their way of showing support while some of them sang along to the song.
The cheer was out of sync and chaotic, but it was enough to support Cherry Blossom who began to dance even more passionately. This enthusiasm caught the attention of more people, who started capturing the moment on their phones.
Flash, Flash!
At the same time, the photos that were taken were also being uploaded onto social media. Comments began to pour in and the reporters started to ride the wave of growing interest and drafted news articles about Cherry Blossom.
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