When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar - Chapter 203
# 204
Pandemonium (4)
After performing in New York, KK toured Los Angeles and San Francisco. Although there was no emergency situation like the threat of terrorism ahead of the first performance, unexpected incidents large and small occurred at each performance.
There were times when there were too many people than expected and not everyone could enter the scheduled venue, and there were times when an excited fan had difficulty breathing during the performance.
Since there were many outdoor performances, the weather was also a variable.
The performance in the rain and wind reminded me of the performance in Tongyeong, Korea.
Of course, there were many unexpected and surprisingly good things.
When a fan’s story arrived that he could not attend KK’s performance due to his illness, the V TV production team worked with KK to plan an event for the fan.
The performance was performed in the garden of a hospital in San Francisco.
Thanks to this, fans who were hospitalized were able to watch the performance through the window, and KK members even made a surprise visit to the fan’s hospital room.
As the news was reported through various media, praise for KK once again poured in.
It was a meaningful time where fans and KK could feel deep emotions.
The process of this performance was captured on camera in detail.
On the V TV side, the number of broadcast episodes originally thought to be 8 was increased to 10.
Even 8 episodes were not enough to intensively capture the performance and preparation process. The ‘COME HERE’ PD judged that each member had a distinct charm, so the more they filmed, the more they would not be able to omit any of their stories.
It was clear that a lot had happened over the past month.
KK’s popularity in the United States was heating up like a cast iron pan. It was not a momentary interest, but a passion that would not cool down for a long time.
Nowadays, there is no one who encounters mass media in the United States who does not know KK. If you know LIL or Lady Nana, it means you know KK’s name.
Once ‘COME HERE’ was officially aired, the subsequent reaction was also highly anticipated.
So the last day of filming and performance arrived the next day.
The last performance location was Las Vegas.
The city was so flashy, even dazzling, that it was a city worthy of being the finale of KK’s American guerrilla performance.
“This is the largest casino in Las Vegas.”
The members looked around and opened their mouths as they heard the words of a local Korean guide who was in charge of interpreting and guiding Las Vegas.
The city itself was gorgeous, and the largest casino in the city was definitely eye-popping.
“Wow…”
“We’re all at the casino. “Can we try it?”
“Hyung, aren’t you going to become addicted to gambling?”
“I want to try it too…”
The guide responded with a smile to the members’ chattering comments.
“Just try playing slot machines. “Just for fun.”
At the guide’s words, the members all checked the cash in their wallets.
Before the Las Vegas performance, the members seemed to have adapted well to life in the United States.
It was not easy to move to a city on a huge continent, live in a foreign place for a long time, and even perform, but the members were trying to enjoy this time in their own way.
Director Oh Baek-ho and other officials were well aware of the members’ difficulties, so whenever they moved to another city, they were considerate of allowing the members to take a day off by visiting tourist attractions instead of practicing.
“Oh… I have about 50 dollars. “I have to try it quickly!”
Hyungseo Ahn was excited and entered the casino entrance.
The guide and members followed Ahn Hyeong-seo and headed to the area where a huge number of slot machines were lined up.
In addition, two bodyguards followed behind at a certain distance so as not to inconvenience the members.
Of course, since there were so many people in the casino, some of them recognized the KK members.
However, because the bodyguards were clearly visible in the back and everyone was immersed in the world of games rather than watching stars, the KK members were able to move relatively freely.
Kim Won, the only person with experience visiting a casino, sat down and started the slot machine. The members first saw Kim Won doing it and thought about doing it themselves.
Everyone stared at the spinning slot machine screen with excitement, hoping to hit the jackpot.
“What the…….”
The result was, of course, a ‘bump’.
As Kim Won muttered in a disappointed tone, Seok Ji-hoon sat down next to him and said,
“I heard there is such a thing as beginner’s luck, so I’ll give it a try.”
“There are six of us, and one of us will get caught in something!”
When Seok Ji-hoon responded to Ahn Hyeong-seo’s words, Ahn Hyeong-seo’s eyebrows rose. Anyway, the other members began to take their seats one by one.
Because there were quite a lot of people, we couldn’t sit in a row, so we found a seat as close as possible and sat down. The guide stood behind Ahn Hyeong-seo, as if he was most worried about him.
Dowook, who was in the back, was looking for a spot to try it out at least once. An old man with white hair was standing up from the machine directly across from him.
‘I should sit there…’
That was when Do-wook sat down and saw the old man leaving.
The place itself was large, but there were so many people coming and going that it was common for people to pass by each other.
However, the movements of the young man who had just passed by the old man were clearly unnatural.
A young man says ‘Sorry.’ I said hello and tried to pass by without incident. Do-wook jumped up from his seat.
Dowook looked back at the bodyguards behind him.
As Do-wook suddenly stood up, one of the bodyguards who noticed the movement made eye contact with Do-wook.
“…… excuse me!”
Dowook pointed his finger toward the young man and shouted urgently.
At Do-wook’s shout, the eyes of those around him turned to Do-wook. The old man also saw Do-wook.
“Your wallet!”
At Dowook’s shout, the old man reflexively put his hand into the back pocket of his pants where he had kept his wallet. Naturally, nothing was caught.
As if the body reacted first, the bodyguard was chasing the young man as Do-wook pointed.
The young man’s steps were getting faster. He looked back and started running as he was chased by someone who was wearing civilian clothes but looked like he was a bodyguard based on his physique and appearance.
During the sudden chase, the people in the hall looked back at them once in a while. Dowook went back to the other side and headed toward the entrance.
As the situation became more noisy, the personnel inside the casino also began to move. Dowook quickly and concisely explained the situation to the security guards at the entrance.
At that moment, a young man who had been chased by KK’s bodyguard was coming towards Dowook.
The casino’s private security guards, who looked like giants from movies, blocked the young man.
The young man pulled away for a moment, but it was no use. The police had already been called after checking the CCTV at the headquarters upstairs.
It happened in an instant.
The members who were excitedly playing the slot machines and the old man who almost had his wallet stolen were watching with blank faces as the culprit was caught.
“thank you.”
Meanwhile, Dowook was thanking the bodyguard who helped him.
“it’s okay.”
He was a Korean private bodyguard who stayed by KK’s side throughout her performance in the United States.
In fact, this was not the first time this had happened, so the casino was handling it quickly. The pickpocket was quickly handed over to the police and was bowing his head in apology to the victim for his negligence in management.
On one hand, he even thanked Dowook for his help. Dowook wanted to talk about the case, but he didn’t think he had done much, so he shook his head.
“Uh… how did you know?”
When Do-wook, who received only a light thank you, turned around, Tae-hyung Park asked. Taehyung Park’s eyes were truly awe-inspiring. Park Tae-hyung was also sitting right next to Do-wook. Taehyung Park also saw the large old man, but he only recognized him as part of the crowd and did not notice anything unusual about him.
“I just… saw it…”
Because the members were looking at Do-wook as if they were looking at something more fascinating than a slot machine, Do-wook responded in a slightly embarrassed tone.
Dowook always had a habit of not overlooking anything and observing people deeply in order to always make the right decisions. Coupled with his outstanding physical ability, he was able to catch even a pickpocket.
Of course, it was possible because the pickpocket caught today was not a very veteran person.
An old white man wearing a shabby hat and walkers expressed his gratitude to Dowook with a wink. Dowook, who happily received a thank you, left to enjoy the slot machines again with the members.
The old man’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Do-wook’s back.
“That Asian guy who helped me… perhaps…”
The old man muttered as if he wasn’t sure. The casino manager standing next to him responded as if he was surprised. The manager was worried that he might be offended because he almost got pickpocketed just a moment ago.
“Do you know who Mr. Martin is?”
His name was Martin.
He was not a VVIP customer at this casino because he did not spend a lot of money, but he stayed in Las Vegas for a long time about once a year and enjoyed light games.
Of course, the manager knew him for another reason.
“No, I don’t know who it is. I was wondering if he might be a celebrity because he has such great looks. Don’t Asian celebrities even know that?…”
“No. He is a member of a world-renowned boy band. It’s K.K…….”
“Ah! KK? I’ve heard of it! The music video was impressive… Are you a member of that group?”
“yes. This is truly amazing. “I can’t believe a star like that would even help Mr. Martin.”
“I know. That’s amazing. “It’s like a ‘hero’ in a movie.”
The manager’s eyes sparkled with interest. It was the manager’s first time talking to Martin, and it was a great honor.
“Like a character you created?”
The wrinkles around Martin’s mouth darkened.
***
After the ‘Life Song’ broadcast ended.
A female idol group that debuted today was posted on a real-time search term on a Korean internet portal site.
1 Cancelled due to rain
2 LG Twins
3 Girls
.
.
7 Our Time
8 Life Song Replay
9 Dahye
10 Valentine
.
.
‘Girls’ was ranked higher than ‘Valentine’. Immediately after the performance, Valentine’s real-time search terms soared due to the fact that she received special treatment for stage time despite being a rookie, but it was the girls’ performance that ultimately became more of an issue.
It was exactly what CEO Jeong Hye-seong said. The unexpected appearance of a talented newcomer was a refreshing shock to viewers.
It felt completely different from the idols and girls from large entertainment companies that I was used to seeing.
Unpolished movements that do their best to the point where the sweat on their foreheads is clearly visible, making their faces and expressions more natural as they are not formalized or polished.
At the same time, the songs and costumes are as high quality as any other large agency. Solid singing skills and group dance.
Even if the stage quality was equally high, the ‘earnestness’ and ‘passion’ for the stage were bound to be expressed outside of TV as well.
As soon as the performance was over, it started going viral with many comments posted on the Internet such as ‘Who are the girls and what agency are they from? I was surprised.’
At the time of the first place announcement, the youngest Dahye’s bright eyes and a single teardrop, captured for about two seconds on the stage with all the cast members, had an enormous impact.
It was a moment enough to steal the hearts of both men and women.
It was an unusual energy. Even in the morning, music charts that were outside the rankings had entered the top 100.
Although it was only a one-time performance, those who watched the broadcast were able to think about something because they had learned something. It was thought that ‘Girls’ might overcome the limitations of small and medium-sized agencies like the next KK.
“It’s Hyesung Entertainment… It’s a company founded by CEO Jeong Hye-seong, who worked at Cheongwol. And…”
“Tell me.”
Director Seo Joong-won’s voice rang low in the office as he listened to the secretary’s report.
“There seems to be a rumor that KK’s Kang Do-wook invested…”