Chapter 125
**ORCA OFFICIAL [Notice on Artist Privacy Protection and Fan Conduct (Link)]**
Clicking on the link, I found a notice warning against those who invade the members’ private spaces, like the company building or dorms, and urging fans to maintain order during official schedules.
People who were worried that On Raon might have been more seriously injured than they thought when he fell earlier this morning were relieved to find that the post was merely a routine reminder.
If On Raon had been seriously injured, the notice would have mentioned it, but there was no such content in the post.
Of course, even if he was in pain, the company could hide the truth from the fans and force the artist to continue with the schedule…
Considering the past behavior of ORCA and cases of senior singers, it was clear that Seed wasn’t that malicious.
– Seed, I was worried, but seeing such a post means they don’t really have a close relationship with sasaengs or the company ㅠㅠ
┗ I trust them… No, I don’t trust them, but I still believe… I really hate company relationships
While ORCA fans were cursing those who invaded the members’ privacy or excessively clung to them and those who caused On Raon to fall, another notice popped up.
**ORCA OFFICIAL [MBS Music Pangpang Mini Fan Meeting Participation Notice (Link)]**
The notice for a mini fan meeting scheduled for this evening was posted unexpectedly.
– Ah, what?
* * *
Today’s ORCA stage was broadcasted live without any pre-recording.
Although only 15 ORCA fans could enter the live broadcast venue, the fans who were there did their best, making the cheers sound loud despite the small number.
ORCA’s stage outfits today were a combination of black and white with a sophisticated, fantasy-like school uniform style.
Especially, the ending shot of On Raon, who wore white mascara on one eye and a light blue lens in the same eye, was spreading like wildfire in real time.
– (GIF) Today’s styling, which has a strong 2D feel, by the person who learned acting today
– Wow… I had no interest in real humans, but I think I’m hooked now
– This person is already so handsome that no matter what he does, he looks amazing. His real name being Damian Raon On is just the end. We can only hope he keeps up his strict self-management for life
– The different feeling from the left and right sides of his face in profile shots is incredibly satisfying ㅠㅠㅠㅠ How can he survive such makeup????
– There are a lot of stylists who dress up handsome and pretty kids weirdly, but not here
┗ Otherwise, it would be a national treasure destruction ㅠㅠ
┗ Other members being Korean is understandable, but since On Raon is American, he isn’t a national treasure but a UNESCO treasure ㅠㅠㅠ
┗ But considering both of Raon’s parents are Korean, isn’t it like a Korean artifact being discovered abroad????
┗ (off topic) Huh, does that mean On Raon has dual citizenship? What about the military?
┗ When he filled out his profile in the reality show, only America was listed in the nationality section, so he probably doesn’t have Korean nationality
┗ Oh, really? I’m not an ORCA fan, but that’s a relief hahaha
┗ The comments are hilarious hahaha
– All five members’ outfits are detailed and beautiful, fitting well. Thank you to the hair and makeup team. Looking forward to more
The stylist in charge of ORCA was currently burning with professional passion like never before.
Luckily, the stylist’s enthusiasm was not directed towards futuristic experimental spirits but aligned well with fans’ desires, making both the stylist and the fans happy.
As for the members wearing the outfits… instead of expressing likes or dislikes about the outfits themselves, they became humble in front of the clothes after hearing about the production cost and process by chance.
“This week’s number one is… Congratulations! Pluto!”
With Pluto winning this week’s number one, Music Pangpang ended.
After bowing to the point of back pain during the ending stage with other singers, ORCA hurriedly moved to the parking lot.
The system of leaving immediately without any additional tasks was a major advantage of Music Pangpang, offsetting the chaotic morning commute.
* * *
ORCA’s first mini fan meeting was held at a location neither too close nor too far from the broadcasting station.
When a Carnival stopped nearby, the fans who had arrived early, received number tickets, and lined up began to get busy, taking out their phones or setting up equipment they had prepared in advance.
When the members started getting out of the car one by one, sighs naturally flowed from various directions.
As On Raon jumped out of the car last, the fingers of Yoon Seon-woo, who lightly rested on the shutter, naturally tightened.
‘So cute…!’
Maybe because they were wearing long padding over their school uniforms due to the cold weather, the members had a strangely realistic high school student vibe.
After a group greeting that had become quite natural, the members took turns passing the microphone to introduce themselves.
Then, looking at the fans who were sitting in front of them, they showed slightly emotional expressions.
“Thank you for coming despite the cold. Honestly, this fan meeting was a bit unexpected. So, we were worried that not many people would come.”
A few other members nodded, indicating they had the same worry.
However, their fandom was never small enough to lack participants for a mini fan meeting on a weekend evening.
Though the members were still new and cute for worrying about empty seats, the fans were internally shouting, ‘That’s not true!’
“We talked about sharing the leftover fish-shaped bread with the staff if there’s any left….”
Following Kang Ji-woo’s gaze, a food truck parked by the roadside came into view.
It was a fish-shaped bread truck that they managed to rent at the last minute today.
“Looks like we don’t have to worry about that.”
Ban Yo-han said with a bright smile, making the fans laugh joyfully.
“That was sent by our CEO.”
Seo Moon-gyeol calmly explained.
Even though it was a small and impromptu event, it was their first fan meeting. So, there had to be food, according to Kang Ji-woo’s opinion, which Gwak Sang-hyun conveyed to the company. CEO Ban Ga-eul generously approved the unexpected expense.
For the record, CEO Ban Ga-eul’s generosity, which even included bonuses for employees during good times, came from a steadily growing balance in the account filled with royalties every year.
According to Ban Ga-eul, who believed that having just enough money to live on was enough, having a fat account made everything in the world look beautiful, and it naturally made one feel relaxed.
“We love you, CEO!”
“We love you!”
The fans’ enthusiastic praise for the absent Ban Ga-eul was quite amusing.
“We want to give you something even better, but we prepared this really in a hurry. Next time, we’ll prepare something better.”
“Right. Next time, with our own money, not the CEO’s…!”
Their dreams were big.
However, the members seemed sincere enough that the fans hoped to be present when it happened and responded eagerly.
“Combining our money with the CEO’s to get you even better things sounds good too.”
Ban Yo-han, taking advantage of his position as the CEO’s nephew, boldly spoke, and his shamelessness was quite funny.
The members informed the fans that they would personally distribute the fish-shaped bread towards the end of the event, marking the official start of the mini fan meeting.
The fan manager brought over a board plastered with Post-it notes and set it on a stand.
These were questions they had collected from fans before the mini fan meeting began.
While Kang Ji-woo carefully selected the first question, the other members kept the fans engaged, asking if they were cold or making small talk, ensuring there was no awkward silence.
“I’ve chosen a question.”
“What is it?”
“Which part of the ‘Liberation’ stage do you think you nailed?”
Each member took turns calling out or dancing the parts they thought they performed well, raising the energy of the gathering.
Finally, it was On Raon’s turn.
“There is a part I think I nailed in today’s performance.”
“What is it?”
“When I saw myself in the mirror after getting my makeup done, I noticed the… what do you call it again?”
“Mascara,” Gyun Seong-ha, standing next to him, answered briefly.
“Ah! They had put white mascara on one eye only.”
On Raon gently tapped the area around his eye, which still had makeup on it.
“Actually, today was supposed to be a day without lenses. But after seeing the makeup, I thought, ‘Should I try putting a lens in just this eye?’ I did, and the coordinator said it looked good, so I went with it on stage. What do you think? Does it really work?”
On Raon, who always pushed ahead with confidence, had a habit of seeking reassurance at the last moment.
“Yes!”
“It works!”
“Thank you for thinking it looks good.”
After that, On Raon turned his head slightly, showing the fans his left and right profiles.
It was clear he knew the different vibes each side of his face gave off.
Yoon Seon-woo focused on capturing the best shot before the best lighting in the world, natural light, disappeared.
While pressing the shutter, he silently showered On Raon with praises.
‘You’re a genius!’
Yoon Seon-woo felt a sense of pride in On Raon for contributing a small but self-initiated idea to the stage production, adding another piece of evidence to the ‘On Raon = Genius Idol’ theory with today’s anecdote.
“Raon, you said you were scared of wearing lenses at first. Are you okay now?”
“Oh… right.”
At Seo Moon-gyeol’s words, On Raon’s voice turned a bit gloomy as he recalled the difficult days, causing the fans to make sympathetic sounds.
“When we were filming the music video, that was the first time I encountered lenses. It’s a bit unsettling to put a foreign object in your eye, you know.”
Hearing the warm, lemon tea-like voice coming from the speaker, a passerby unknowingly let out a chuckle.
‘An idol?’
The person speaking had their back turned, so their face was not visible.
But the way the white-haired boy described lenses as ‘a foreign object in your eye’ conveyed his discomfort very clearly.
A moment later, the passerby decided to sit on a nearby bench and watch the fan meeting.
Though it wasn’t their first time seeing a fan meeting near the broadcasting station, something about this one caught their interest.
The naturally pleasing voices, reminiscent of radio DJs, and the gentle, warm tone unusual for boys their age, made the passerby want to listen a bit more. There wasn’t anything pressing to do at home anyway.
“This person drank a whole bottle of milk overnight just so I couldn’t drink it!”
Even though they would get excited and buzz with energy while talking amongst themselves, they rarely interrupted each other or said things that would make others frown. The small fan meeting continued smoothly.
And then…
“About what happened this morning…”