Chapter 29 : The Stampede of Fans

Not long after the first audition for Today’s Fruit Shop, the schedule for the second round was set. 

“We’ll contact you through your agency,” they said. 

“Thank you,” I replied with a bow, stepping out of the building. 

Something feels… off. 

It wasn’t a bad vibe, exactly, but the response had been lukewarm at best. 

My acting was solid, wasn’t it?

Or… did I get too immersed back there? 

As I replayed the audition in my mind, my phone buzzed with a call from Hyungyu. 

“Did it go well? How was the vibe?” he asked, his voice crackling through the line. 

“I think I prepared well, but the atmosphere… I’m not sure,” I admitted, not wanting to get my hopes up too high. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Hyungyu reassured me.

“You showed them what you’ve got. Casting isn’t just about acting, you know.” 

“Right.” 

“Forget about it for now. Next up is…” 

Hyungyu rattled off the upcoming audition schedule, and I listened quietly, only speaking up at the end. 

“By the way, boss, when are you going to hire me as a manager?” 

It had been a while since I signed with the agency, yet Hyungyu was still personally handling my schedule. 

“I’m working on it,” he said.

“We’re holding interviews as we speak. Just hang tight.” 

“Alright~” 

“Good job today. Get some rest.” 

After hanging up, I started walking.

Since I was out, I figured I’d swing by a bookstore to pick up a few novels.

The original Today’s Fruit Shop was based on a book, and reading it had sparked an interest in other novels. 

As I made my way to the bookstore, I heard heavy footsteps thudding behind me, the pavement almost trembling beneath them. 

“Hey! Run!” 

“God, I’m dying!” 

“Shut up and sprint! If we’re late, we’re screwed!” 

Huh?

What’s going on? 

Curious, I turned around—and froze.

A swarm of women was charging straight toward me, their eyes fixed ahead like racehorses bolting from the gate. 

“What the—?” 

“What’s happening? Is something going on?” 

The sight of dozens of women stampeding down the street drew curious glances from passersby.

It was a spectacle, a spontaneous race unfolding in the middle of the road. 

“Run faster, or we’re—ah!” 

“Ow!” 

One of the girls, her long hair swinging, was too busy looking back at her friend to notice me.

She crashed right into me. 

“Are you okay?”

I asked, steadying myself. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” she gasped, looking up with wide, startled eyes. 

“It’s fine, don’t worry. Just be careful.” 

Even as we spoke, the crowd surged past, barely sparing me a glance as they kept running. 

“Sorry again!” she called out, snapping back to reality as she noticed her friends pulling ahead. With one last apology, she took off after them. 

What’s got so many people running like that? 

Curiosity tugged at me, but I couldn’t exactly grab someone and demand answers.

Shrugging it off, I turned to continue my walk. 

That’s when I noticed it—a cute cat plushie dressed in a strawberry outfit caught on my shoe. 

Phew, I’m exhausted, I thought, kicking it gently to the side. 

“God, that was brutal,” Soyoung panted, clutching her chest as she caught her breath. 

“This has to be the only place still doing first-come, first-serve like it’s the Stone Age,” Chaerin groaned, wiping sweat from her brow. 

“I know, right? Everywhere else lets you book online. Why are we stuck doing this?” 

Despite their complaints, Soyoung gazed fondly at the numbered ticket in her hand, clutching it like a treasure.

Today was the opening of Taehwan’s pop-up store, a rare event from an agency notorious for doing the bare minimum.

Entry was first-come, first-serve, so they’d sprinted from the subway station like their lives depended on it. 

“Did you see that earlier? One person started running, and suddenly everyone did,” Soyoung said, still catching her breath. 

“Yeah, and if you hadn’t crashed into that guy, we could’ve gotten a better number,” Chaerin teased, snapping a photo of her ticket for social media. 

“Ugh, don’t remind me. But still, getting this ticket is better than nothing. I saw some people who arrived just after us get turned away.” 

Chaerin grinned, trying to lift Soyoung’s spirits.

Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, “That guy you bumped into… didn’t he seem kinda hot?” 

Soyoung’s eyes lit up.

“You noticed too?” 

“Oh, yeah. Even in the chaos, I clocked him,” Chaerin said with a smirk. 

Soyoung gave a thumbs-up, grinning.

“Total heartthrob.” 

She could’ve sworn he was the most gorgeous guy she’d ever seen in real life, a whole other level compared to their beloved idol, Taehwan. 

“Honestly, my heart skipped a beat,” Soyoung admitted.

“If it wasn’t such a frantic moment, I would’ve taken a longer look.” 

“Jealous,” Chaerin sighed dramatically.

“When am I gonna get a chance to bump into a guy like that?” 

“Bump? Please, it was just a quick collision. You’re seriously gonna talk about other guys when we’re here for our Taehwan?” 

“Of course, Taehwan’s in a league of his own,” Chaerin laughed, pulling a small black cat plushie from her bag.

It was pristine, clearly cherished, dressed in an adorable outfit. 

“Look at this! Isn’t the outfit just the cutest?” 

“Oh my God, that’s the concert VCR outfit! Where’d you get it?”

Soyoung squealed, reaching for her own bag to show off her plushie. 

“I gotta change my baby’s outfit too—wait, what?” 

Her hand froze.

The soft, familiar texture of her plushie was gone. 

“What’s wrong?”

Chaerin asked, noticing Soyoung’s sudden panic. 

“Hang on.” 

Soyoung’s face paled as she frantically rummaged through her bag. 

“No way.” 

“I know I brought it…” 

Taking her plushie everywhere for fan photos was second nature—she never left home without it. 

“What am I gonna do?” 

No matter how much she searched, the plushie was nowhere to be found. 

“Maybe you left it at home?”

Chaerin suggested. 

“No, I’m sure I had it. I checked when we got on the elevator.” 

Soyoung’s expression crumpled, her eyes glistening like she’d just lost a piece of her world.

Chaerin tried to console her, but the words felt hollow. 

“Let’s look for it on the way back to the subway. Or maybe someone posted about it on V!” 

“You’re right!” 

Taehwan’s fans would recognize the plushie in a heartbeat.

Surely, some kind soul would try to return it.

Soyoung scrolled through V, searching for any mention of a lost plushie, but found nothing. 

“It might not be up yet. Just wait a bit,” Chaerin said gently. 

“Yeah…” 

Soyoung tried to shake off the disappointment.

She didn’t want to ruin Chaerin’s excitement over the pop-up store.

They shifted the conversation, and soon, it was almost time to enter. 

“What’s with these people?” 

As they lined up for entry, a scruffy-looking guy started loitering nearby, his attitude dripping with disdain. 

“Seriously, don’t they have better things to do?” he sneered, directing his question at Soyoung. “What’s even in there?” 

Soyoung, already irritated by his tone, shot back, “Just an exhibition and some merch for sale.” 

“What, you’re paying for that crap?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Total suckers,” he muttered, loud enough to be heard, snapping photos of the line with a mocking grin. 

“What the hell? Is he taking pictures?”

Soyoung snapped. 

“What a creep,” Chaerin whispered. 

It wasn’t uncommon for fans—especially young women—to be mocked or dismissed, but experiencing it firsthand stung.

Soyoung’s blood boiled. 

“Hey, why are you taking photos?” she demanded. 

The guy smirked, closing the distance between them.

“Just thought it was funny.” 

“That doesn’t mean you can just take pictures like that!” 

“Chill out, princess. I didn’t take your picture. God, you’re so dramatic.” 

He stepped closer, his tone aggressive.

“You’re getting on my nerves. And with a face like that? Pfft.” 

“Excuse me?”

Soyoung’s voice rose, incredulous. 

The crowd around them turned to look, but no one stepped in, murmuring among themselves. 

“Let it go,” Chaerin whispered, tugging at Soyoung’s sleeve, intimidated by the guy’s tattooed arm and cocky demeanor. 

Soyoung wanted to drop it, to walk away and not give him the satisfaction.

But he wasn’t backing down, clearly enjoying their discomfort as he hurled more insults. 

“If you’ve got time to waste money here, maybe fix your face first. Bet even your idols would gag looking at you.” 

“Hey.” 

A voice cut through the tension, and someone stepped in front of Soyoung, blocking the guy. 

“Stop talking nonsense and move along.” 

The newcomer was tall, his broad back shielding Soyoung.

His voice was calm but firm, carrying an undeniable authority. 

“W-What?” the guy stammered, clearly thrown off by the sudden intervention. 

“Focus on your own life instead of bothering others,” the tall man said coolly. 

The scruffy guy, dwarfed by the stranger’s height and presence, mumbled something incoherent, raking a hand through his hair before slinking away, trying to save face. 

Soyoung watched, dumbfounded.

He was so quick to pick a fight with me, but the second someone bigger shows up, he’s gone. 

“Thank you so much,” she said, gratitude flooding her voice. 

The man turned, and Soyoung’s breath caught.

It was the same guy she’d bumped into earlier.

Up close, his face was even more striking, practically glowing in the sunlight. 

Wow… he’s unreal. 

“No problem,” he said with a small smile.

“There are a lot of weirdos out there. Don’t let it get to you.” 

“I won’t. Thank you again.” 

“Oh, and I came to give you this.” 

He held out a familiar strawberry-clad cat plushie, handling it with care. 

“I think you dropped it when we bumped into each other earlier.” 

“Oh my God, thank you!”

Soyoung’s heart soared as she took the plushie, feeling like she’d just reclaimed a piece of her soul. 

“I wasn’t sure, but I’m glad I found the owner,” he said warmly. 

“I thought I lost it forever. I don’t know how to thank you enough!” 

“No need for that. It fell because of our collision, after all. Have a good time.” 

With a kind smile, he waved and walked away. 

“There’s my dream guy,” Chaerin whispered, her eyes glued to his retreating figure. 

As he disappeared into the crowd, the other fans in line began buzzing about him. 

“Did you get that on video?” one asked. 

“Yeah, it’s gold,” another replied.

“Just blur it a bit and post it on V. This kind of wholesome moment needs to be shared.” 

“Wait… doesn’t he look familiar?” someone else said, frowning. 

“The jerk who was picking a fight?” 

“No, the guy who helped. I swear I’ve seen him somewhere.” 

The girl racked her brain, trying to place him, then let out a small gasp. 

“Oh!”