Chapter 73

A few days later, I headed to the airport for the VMC-hosted music awards in Jakarta. Preparing for both the concert and the awards ceremony had left the members in a state of exhaustion.

To help them, my parents kept sending us tea that was good for the throat. Even on the way to the airport, I made sure to give the members dandelion tea, which they didn't want to drink.

It tasted sweet to me, but Min Jihoo, who was too young to appreciate it, found it bitter. Eventually, Min Jihoo grumbled to me, "Our mom doesn't nag as much as you do."

"I'm just doing what your mom would do," I replied.

"…That's true," Min Jihoo admitted.

I regularly communicate with all the members' parents. Especially when the kids act up, I go and teach them a lesson right away.

Hwang Saebi, buried in a puffy jacket, mumbled to Min Jihoo while dozing off, "It's better than getting nagged by your parents. They're just trying to help you succeed."

"Saebi, did you take your vitamins?"

"…Where did I put them?"

Hwang Saebi fumbled through his pockets and finally took the vitamins I had distributed earlier. These kids are so young; they don't understand the importance of health at all.

Unlike the other members, Park Sunjae took good care of his throat on his own. He finished the tea I had given him and said, "When Saebi and Hae Won are around, it's like having a dad and mom in the dorm. My parents are really relieved."

Park Sunjae showed me an empty water bottle, indicating he had finished it. At least one of them listens well.

We left early in the morning, and by the time we arrived at the airport, the sun was just rising. Min Jihoo looked out the window and said, "The sky today is really the color of sunrise."

I looked out too. As the sun was just coming up, the sky was a mix of red and yellow, and I immediately took a photo with my phone.

The First Light fan club, Sunrise, has the exact colors of a Tequila Sunrise—orange juice and grenadine syrup. I don't know who made the bizarre choice to use a cocktail for the official color, but it does fit the fan club name well.

I called out to Hwang Saebi, "Saebi, wake up."

"Uh, uh…."

I had to wake him up gradually so he wouldn't be groggy when we arrived. It seemed like he had a sleep disorder, the way he would fall asleep and not wake up easily.

When we arrived at the airport, a cold wind was blowing.

"Wow, it's so cold," I said.

We had dressed in thin clothes under our puffy jackets, expecting the warm weather in Jakarta, but the cold was bone-chilling. Despite the photographers and fans taking pictures, it was hard to smile because of the cold.

Shivering, we entered the airport and eventually warmed up enough to take off our jackets. Being a neat freak, I couldn't stand seeing the members crumple their jackets, so I folded them one by one, following a method I had seen online. Shin Jiwoon then took a photo of the eleven neatly folded jackets stacked on a chair and sent it to the official Twitter manager, saying, "Bro, you're really a Power J."

"What's that?"

"Your MBTI."

"Oh."

I haven't taken it, but I guess Han Hyoseok would be the same. He was the only member who understood my need to organize the jackets.

We had a short but productive morning, eating breakfast, drinking coffee, and browsing the duty-free shops. While the other members see flights and hotels as just business, I still get excited every time I enter an airport and am curious about the hotels. I still feel like I'm traveling. I decided to enjoy this excitement while it lasts.

We took a direct flight, and after about seven hours, we arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. An Juwon, who had just turned on his phone, told me, "Hae Won, you're trending… but in a good way."

"…I'm sorry, my mental state is pretty weak," I said, pretending to cry, and took the phone from An Juwon. I thought maybe a funny face had been captured at the airport, but it was because of the photo of the neatly folded jackets. Even worse, it had become an entertainment news story.

[Obsessive J-Type Idol]

With the music awards already drawing a lot of attention from K-pop fans and many journalists present, the photo had become a hot topic during our travel. Yang Yi-hyung had further fueled the discussion by posting the photo along with a screenshot of my Logic Pro track color organization on his Instagram.

[Sunshines~ If you want to see Hae Won really angry, just mix up the track colors^^]

What a terrifying thing to say… Still, looking at the comments, people found it thrilling. Ah, I'm glad someone understands me. The members should also appreciate this thrill…

Anyway, seeing how even trivial things can become topics, I realized I had truly become an idol. And when we completed the immigration process, I felt it even more deeply.

Overseas fans were waiting for First Light.