TL by Miru
I'm a Genius Idol but My Passive is Sunfish: Episode 61
Unlike Nara who lives in Incheon, Sparrow resides in Seoul. Even on a weekend, she experienced the dreaded "subway hell" and felt exhausted before the concert even started.
'It's the first time I've ever had to line up from the stairs at the ticket gate.'
Commuting had never been this intense... Sparrow had been encountering all sorts of new experiences since becoming a fan of DASE. She marvelled privately at how orderly the queue was without anyone's instructions.
'This is truly the attitude that shapes the amazing K-pop fan culture!'
After a long wait, Sparrow finally made it through the ticket gate. Exiting, she hurried towards Gate 3.
"Pant, pant."
Sparrow managed to arrive just in time for their meeting and looked around for Nara. But then, an unexpected issue arose. It was autumn, a time when many donned trench coats. Everyone at Munhak Stadium seemed to be wearing a trench coat and holding a sports towel.
'Is there a dress code or something...?'
Confused, Sparrow stood there until Nara noticed her first.
"Sparrow-nim!"
DASE was her second deep dive into fandoms, and years of experience allowed Nara to quickly identify Sparrow. In truth, Sparrow didn't quite remember Nara's face. It might sound like an excuse, but they hadn't met since the fan signing event. Besides, unlike her, Nara's messenger profile picture was of Jihan.
"Did you run here? You could have taken your time."
"No way, I couldn't let you wait. But what's with the towel?"
Sparrow's gaze turned downwards.
"The towel? Oh, this thing?" Nara enthusiastically unrolled the lengthy item she was holding.
"Ta-da! Isn't it lovely?"
[I love you, Jihan]
What appeared to be a towel was actually a slogan, a banner filled with a declaration of love for Jihan, commonly used by fans.
"Sparrow-nim, didn't you bring anything?"
"What? Oh, I..."
Sparrow awkwardly fiddled with her empty hands.
'Should I have brought one too...?'
While she was contemplating, a thrilled scream erupted nearby.
"Kyaaah! So pretty!"
Both Sparrow and Nara instinctively turned towards the sound. It turned out that nearby people were also fans of DASE, each holding slogans with familiar names. One particularly noticeable one had a pink background with bubbly fonts.
[Peach Baekya]
Sparrow's eyes widened at the sight. The surprise didn't stop there. Turning it over revealed a printed image of Baekya with a leafy peach pin in his hair while he shyly poked his cheek, unseen on any fan page. And there were small peaches floating around. Truly, it was an extraordinary item!
"Ex-excuse me."
Overwhelmed by impulse, Sparrow stopped them.
"Where can you buy that?"
Though the fans initially regarded her cautiously, recognizing the banner in Nara's hand eased their wariness.
"Are you a fan of DASE?"
"Yes! I like Baekya!"
Desperate for information, Sparrow earnestly pleaded for them to share where she could purchase it. Moved by her sincerity, Fan 1 readily shared the details.
"It's Baeksang-nim's peach slogan. But..."
"...but?"
Such clauses often precede disappointing news.
"It's already sold out, so it'll be difficult to get it."
Thud. Sparrow collapsed to her knees once again. The cartilage that barely had a day off was strained yet again. Nara, startled, quickly helped Sparrow to her feet.
"S-sparrow-nim, are you all right?"
"The peach banner..."
She hadn't even known it existed. She thought herself a pro fan by now, but apparently, she still had much to learn. After collecting herself, Sparrow and Nara made their way into the stadium.
"I'll also try to find a peach banner together with you."
Though uncertain, Nara comforted Sparrow, handing her a piece of chocolate.
"Thank you, Nara-nim..."
Sparrow seemed to regain some of her energy, and Nara felt relieved seeing this improvement.
"Why do you have so much luggage?"
Sparrow asked if she was travelling somewhere after the concert. Nara shook her head.
"I naturally tend to pack like a trader."
It seemed excessive for even a peddler to carry, but Sparrow couldn't quite say that aloud. It wasn't as if she was Doraemon with a magic pocket, yet Nara's eco-bag seemed to lack nothing—water, chocolate, and power banks were just the basics, but the real showstopper was the large black pouch she now pulled out.
"What's that?"
"Oh, this? It's a telescope."
"...Why do you have a telescope?"
Sparrow looked bewildered, glancing back and forth between Nara and the telescope.
"Well, you're supposed to come to these concerts to cheer, not just to stare at their faces, but you know, we all have our desires."
This was new to Sparrow. She had read posts about vigorously cheering to energize the idols, but...
'I also came here to see their faces, though.'
Despite being seated on the third floor, she had been content with the large electronic display.
"...Is that one for professionals?"
"Yes, it's for professional use."
The device looked more serious than Sparrow had anticipated, making her similarly earnest.
"Isn't it disorienting to use that on the big screen?"
As Nara was attaching the telescope to a selfie stick, she paused to respond.
"It's fine. I'm not using it for the screen. And Sparrow-nim, I don't trust cameras."
Her distaste for unreliable broadcast cameras was evident, a sentiment Sparrow could understand.
"Also, at the end when all the performers come out for the final stage, it really comes in handy."
"Wow, I see... But why attach it to a selfie stick?"
"Ah, this? It's all good, but it can get kind of heavy.
She explained that by connecting it like this, the selfie stick serves as a support, so her arm wouldn't hurt.
'What on earth are you, "Jihan's Nara"...'
In that moment, Sparrow learned yet another insider tip, appreciating Nara's resourcefulness. Nara advised her that it wouldn't hurt to get one if possible.
'They're a bit cheaper if I buy it directly from overseas.'
While exchanging such trivial conversations and waiting for the concert to begin, the lights illuminating the audience seats gradually dimmed.
"Hello, everyone~"
The MC for the evening, a well-known second-generation idol who had recently returned to full-time activities, greeted the audience. Youngsam, who resumed his activities in earnest after his discharge from the military, was in charge of today's proceedings.
"K-pop idols unite! The K-Concert, sponsored by the Korea Tourism Organization and Incheon City, starts now!"
The stadium erupted with the cheers of 40,000 fans as the lights went out.
* * *
- AIM's K-Con cue sheet! Pluton and Black Sign, Little Universe (Photo of cue sheet.jpg)
└ Is there no DASE?
└ I just found this haha. I think the juniors are doing No Games and WANT ME.
DASE was slotted as the ninth performer, a relatively late spot for a rookie group. Fellow debut groups BB9 and Blossom were listed fourth and fifth, respectively.
"Let's double-check our staging directions before we go up," the leader gathered the members.
Only two acts remained before DASE's turn. The current act was performing their final song, so only one act was left before them.
"On the main stage, we start with 'No Games' and move to the extended stage while doing our talk. Then it's 'WANT ME' on the extended stage."
The staging direction wasn't complicated. There was a route on each side leading to the extended stage, so they only needed to split into groups of three and decide amongst themselves.
"The youngest ones on the right, we'll take the left."
"Got it~"
Chung playfully fluttered Baekya's sailor collar in response.
"Are you okay now, spice simp?"
//TN: Chung is mispronouncing the word spice wimp which is "maepjjili" in Korean—someone who's not good with spicy food.
"..."
What was he saying again?
Baekya looked up at Chung with a sour expression.
"It's not spice simp, it's spice wimp. And I'm not a spice wimp."
"Really? But everyone except you ate it well, so you are a spice wimp."
Chung teased Baekya with a mischievous smile. Yuyeon, amused by their conversation, held his stomach with tears as he heartily laughed.
"Stop teasing the kid. We need to go up soon."
Jihan, who had been laughing secretly, pretended to be serious as he chided Chung.
"Just you wait until we get down the stage."
The determined hamster vowed revenge on the wolf. Meanwhile, as the time for DASE's performance drew near, an event organizer signalled that they were up soon.
"DASE, let's get ready."
The members followed Namkyung and the staff backstage. Once the preceding team's performance ended, the MC would briefly introduce them and launch directly into 'No Games.'
"Now! Up next, oh~ we have someone very special! A group that has been the talk of the town since their debut, making headlines across the entertainment scene."
Youngsam continued, "A group that recently returned as dolls, capturing not only the hearts of the fans but also mine."
"DASE! We'll meet them in just a moment."
As his introduction concluded, the members burst onto centre stage. With the stage lights dimmed, the myriad of fan lights in the audience shone distinctly.
'Wow, it's beautiful...'
Baekya, captivated by the magnificent sight, gazed enchanted at the sparkling lights of support. He suddenly recalled an interview he had seen once with another idol.
[After a concert, when I go home, I feel so empty it hurts. It got to a point where I was terrified of performing.]
[The fear that one day those lights would all fade made it impossible for me to step onto the stage again. I suffered from severe stage fright for a long while.]
At that time, he hadn't understood those words, dismissing them as the trivial complaints of a successful, beloved idol.
But now, seeing the collective sea of lights, he could somewhat grasp the sense of emptiness the idol had described.
'The red lights must be for AIM, the blue for Boy's Universe.'
The stadium's third floor was starkly divided into red and blue waves, resembling a flag.
'I wonder if our fans are out there somewhere too.'
Without official light sticks or a fan club, it was hard to spot DASE's supporters, but the volume of cheers gave Baekya a tangible sense of their presence. He clenched his fist, firming his resolve.
'I mustn't make any mistakes today.'
[Immense Resolve!]
[A New Quest (Event) Has Arrived!]