Chapter 58

Li Jingming came to Namsan Tower for inspiration because it is the most famous romantic dating spot in Korea. He wanted to write a love song, so the best choice was Namsan Park. It's not that Li Jingming didn't want to write about other topics, but before he could lead the trend, he had to follow the current one.

Korea today is different from the past; songs unrelated to love are almost impossible to stand out. For example, Girls' Generation's "Again and Again" surpasses "GEE" in terms of song content, singing difficulty, richness, and expressiveness, but "GEE" won nine consecutive championships, while "Again and Again" received a lukewarm response. As for addictiveness, that's just one aspect. Kim Jong-kook's songs are extremely difficult to sing, yet he still won three major awards, mainly because Koreans are not interested in the "inspirational" theme. Li Jingming is a smart person; to change the world, one must first adapt to it. This is a saying he heard many times in China, which he always regarded as a profound truth.

"You are just a dragonfly passing by, yet you inadvertently touch the heart of my long-dormant lake." Li Jingming thought of a classic three-line poem and couldn't help but whisper it. He leaned on the railing and looked down at the city bathed in light.

Love is a mysterious thing; when you don't feel it, you can't touch it, but when you do, it's right at your fingertips.

Li Jingming thought of another line, feeling closer to the feeling he was looking for. A good song needs more than just lyrics; the melody is equally important. When the emotion is right, the melody will naturally come. These lines of poetry could help him find the right feeling: "Every chance encounter on the street corner is actually a carefully arranged meeting."

"Are you hitting on me again?" A girl with a camera asked from behind Li Jingming.

Li Jingming turned around and saw it was Park Hyomin again. He remembered she was also a trainee, but how could she have so much free time? People were coming and going, and he didn't know why he kept running into this woman. "How old are you?"

"I? I'm nineteen this year." Park Hyomin's English wasn't great, but she could easily understand such a simple question.

"I meant, why is it always you?" Li Jingming looked at her helplessly. "How do you always find me? Are you a stalker?"

"Just now, you said these were your carefully arranged 'chance encounters.' Why are you denying it now?" Park Hyomin was puzzled. Could this senior have a "flirting habit"? He kept flirting but didn't even ask for her phone number.

Actually, Park Hyomin had already developed a strong interest in this senior, even a liking, but it was the kind of admiration for a celebrity. Their chance encounter at LK and their reunion at Namsan Tower made her want to learn everything about Li Jingming. She had been going to LK frequently these days. After Li Jingming debuted, she learned his name and was surprised to see him on TV. Lee Ji-hyun, a trainee from the same company as Park Hyomin, had also seen the MV and liked "Confession," downloading the song and watching the MV. Tiffany fell for Li Jingming's charm because of his pure love style, while Park Hyomin liked his fresh and clean style. How could a woman who always carried a DSLR with a macro lens not like fresh and clean?

Park Hyomin had been waiting for Li Jingming to ask for her phone number, but this was the third time they met, and he still hadn't made a move. The previous two times, he just said a few words and left. The strategy of "playing hard to get" doesn't work in flirting; once you let go, you might never find each other again in the vast sea of people. They had met three times, all by chance. Park Hyomin had developed a sense of destiny, feeling that being flirted with by him was her fate. Since she couldn't resist fate, she decided to open her heart to accept it.

Park Hyomin still had some grievances. This senior never made a clear move, and it wasn't appropriate for her to ask for his phone number. Could she say something like, "My eyebrow pencil is so thirsty, could you send me a napkin?" (A common scene in movies where a woman writes her phone number on a napkin with an eyebrow pencil or lipstick, similar to a woman deliberately dropping a handkerchief in ancient China.)

"I'm writing lyrics. Am I your life's director, arranging chance encounters with you? Did I trick you here today?" Li Jingming couldn't understand how she could take such an obvious "artistic expression" seriously.

Park Hyomin mumbled, "Who knows, everyone is the director of their own life..."

"I'm really writing a song!" Li Jingming could hear even the smallest whispers. He was puzzled; how could this girl take everything so seriously, even believing in advertising slogans? Since he didn't find beef in a packet of instant noodles when he was a child, he had become cynical. The slogan "contains large pieces of beef" turned out to be smaller than his fingernail, and he was only four and a half at the time. What does it mean to be the director of life? Can you shout "Cut!" and time will stop? Why didn't she believe what he said?

Park Hyomin stuck out her tongue, "I was just whispering, and you still heard it. Can you sing a few lines for me? I promise not to leak it."

"What?" Li Jingming was speechless. What good is your promise? Can it be used as a confidentiality agreement? Besides, he hadn't even composed the melody yet. What could he sing?

"I'm sorry, I was too abrupt." Park Hyomin realized she had said something wrong. New songs are usually kept secret; no one would share them with others. To make amends, she took out her phone and showed him a page. "But I'm your fan and registered for the official fan club."

Li Jingming suddenly remembered he had never visited his fan club website or interacted with his fans. The official fan club name for Li Jingming was "Lighters," with a small flashlight as the support item and bright gold as the support color. He set the tone, but he didn't manage the details.

Korea's fan system is very well-established. Fans handle almost everything, forming their own system based on traditions and preferences. Registering for an artist's official fan club requires real-name identity verification and an annual membership fee, so the number of official fans reflects an artist's popularity and success. With support, an artist can go further. There were already about 2,000 Lighters, not a large number, but it was only two and a half days since the application opened. The pre-sale numbers for the album had just surpassed 20,000, meaning one-tenth were contributed by fans. Artists or groups with hundreds of thousands of fans couldn't produce a hit. Li Jingming's current success was largely due to the power of the internet, so he valued it. After Park Hyomin's reminder, he planned to interact with his fans that evening. Fans don't like a distant and formal relationship.

"Can you sign for me, senior?" Park Hyomin suddenly said. She genuinely liked Li Jingming's songs but found the "flirting" senior a bit strange.

Li Jingming's eyes lit up. A signature! When he was in a high position, he would carefully consider the pros and cons before signing anything, as his signature could accomplish many things. Now, would signing feel the same? "Get a pen, I'll sign for you. This is my first time signing for someone."

"Really? That's great." Park Hyomin was thrilled to be the first to receive Li Jingming's signature, but then she worried. She hadn't brought a notebook. Should she sign it on her clothes?

Park Hyomin's clothes were all bought online, and she had so many that they were piled up in her room. She was more concerned about the significance of Li Jingming's first signature being on a random online purchase. This wasn't right; it didn't show enough respect. Since becoming a trainee, this was her first time "chasing a star" and joining a fan club.

"I didn't prepare anything today. The first time should be special. Can I go buy a notebook?" Park Hyomin said hurriedly. "Or a T-shirt?"

Li Jingming's eyelid twitched. Was he really that idle? Waiting for her to buy a notebook and a T-shirt? He turned to leave, "I have something urgent, I'll go now."

"Don't go, senior, you can't do this." Park Hyomin called out anxiously. If she let Li Jingming go, she would miss his first signature, and this opportunity might never come again.

Li Jingming took out his phone and pretended to answer a call, "Okay, I know, I'll go back now. Yes, I'm on my way."

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..." The phone suddenly vibrated in Li Jingming's ear, startling and embarrassing him. "Ha ha."

"Ah, An Hanjian, do you want to die? Calling me at this moment, making me lose face in front of a woman." Li Jingming scolded harshly after answering. An Hanjian's call was poorly timed, and his face was burning.

An Hanjian was stunned. Losing face in front of a woman? Could he have interrupted Li Jingming during a romantic moment, causing him to lose his composure? It was only afternoon in Korea, so he called, never expecting Li Jingming's night life to start so early. He vaguely heard "Senior, you can't do this" in the background. If Li Jingming couldn't perform, would he be killed?

"Senior, I didn't mean to, I didn't know you were busy. I'm sorry." An Hanjian quickly apologized, not even daring to call him "brother."

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