Superstar 809
by CristaeWhile the sprouts were scanning the revealed videos frame by frame with gleaming eyes and saving them (they had already saved all the photos shared by sprouts who attended the fan signing), Seo-jun was singing with custom microphones, selecting songs to perform at the fan meeting together with Park I-deun and Jung Eun-seong.
“Seo-jun. Can I try that mic too?”
“No.”
Park I-deun, who had half-jokingly asked, pouted at Seo-jun’s firm refusal and then picked up a mic from the practice room and started singing the famous breakup song ‘I Didn’t Know You’d Be Like This’.
Seo-jun and Jung Eun-seong burst out laughing, and the practice room briefly turned into a karaoke room.
“Doing other stuff is always the most fun.”
“That’s true.”
At Park I-deun’s comment, Seo-jun also laughed and sang two songs with the custom microphone.
Still, they didn’t forget the original purpose.
The once-blank sheet was now filled with the handwriting of Seo-jun, Park I-deun, and Jung Eun-seong.
Some songs were crossed out with two lines, others were circled and then also crossed out, and some were marked with stars.
After reviewing the final, definitely selected songs, Seo-jun nodded. His face was full of satisfaction.
“This should be good enough.”
“Are you going to do the stage live?”
“And the choreography? No changes?”
To the questions from Jung Eun-seong and Park I-deun, Seo-jun nodded.
“Yeah. That’s the plan.”
Their faces were soon filled with concern.
The already-learned [Blue Moon] and easy-to-follow songs were one thing, but the more difficult ones might be hard to sing and dance to even for Seo-jun.
They knew how capable Seo-jun was—good enough to thrive even if he debuted as an idol.
“But you also have to prepare for the movie. Before the payment, after the payment. That one.”
At Park I-deun’s half-joking concern, Seo-jun laughed.
He thought of the often-memed Hollywood actors’ photos: one completely unkempt and the other meticulously maintained.
“Isn’t that why you’re busy?”
Jung Eun-seong nodded as if agreeing.
They didn’t know what movie Seo-jun was filming or what role he took, but surely he had to be preparing something.
“It’s fine.”
Seo-jun shrugged as he spoke.
“I’ve been preparing for the movie since the contract was signed.”
That contract… was probably last year?
With wide eyes for a moment, Jung Eun-seong and Park I-deun then grinned.
“That’s a relief then.”
“We were starting to think the February fan meeting was so small-scale you were just focusing on that.”
Seo-jun understood his friends’ concerns.
The fan meeting was on February 1st and 2nd (Saturday and Sunday).
It was now early January.
Less than a month to go. Normally, he would be swamped just with fan meeting prep.
“You take the fans seriously and you’re thorough with your work, so we were actually worried it might be taking a toll.”
“Mhm.”
At Jung Eun-seong’s words, Park I-deun nodded in agreement.
“But Seo-jun is still Seo-jun.”
“Exactly.”
Seeing Seo-jun prepare so thoroughly for both his work and his fans, Park I-deun and Jung Eun-seong smiled, shaking off their worries. Seo-jun also laughed, touched by their concern.
“Since the songs are picked now, shall we go eat lunch?”
At Seo-jun’s suggestion, Jung Eun-seong and Park I-deun nodded.
“Yeah, it’s right about lunchtime.”
“No wonder I was hungry.”
Seo-jun and his two friends left the practice room and got into the elevator heading to the 6th floor cafeteria.
4th Floor, Singer Team Office.
As lunchtime rolled around, singer team staff gathered in front of the elevator, chatting.
They didn’t want to talk about work during lunch, but this was a bit of a special case.
“What would be a good dance team to cast for actor Lee Seo-jun’s fan meeting?”
They were discussing casting the dance team for Lee Seo-jun’s fan meeting stage.
“He said he’ll give us the song list today, so wouldn’t it be best to find a team that can handle all of them?”
“He said we could cast multiple teams depending on the songs. Just focus on stage quality.”
The singer team staff widened their eyes.
“Wow. Really?”
It’s just a fan meeting (for an actor, no less), so it didn’t seem like something worth that level of effort, but—
“As expected from actor Lee Seo-jun.”
If it was that actor Lee Seo-jun, it made sense.
“Didn’t he bring in a bunch of traditional musicians for last year’s fan meeting too?”
“He sure did.”
The singer team staff nodded.
Even thinking back to the Prince Seongnyeong’s performance they saw on video—it was amazing.
Among all those traditional musicians, Lee Seo-jun had not only held his own but shone brightly. It was incredibly impressive.
“Looks like he’ll crush this fan meeting stage too.”
“Seeing him shoot action scenes, I feel like he’d nail even high-difficulty dances.”
“Seriously. If he weren’t an actor, I’d kidnap him right now…!”
Everyone nodded furiously at one employee’s joke.
“If it’s actor Lee Seo-jun, even the casting team wouldn’t mind stealing him.”
“The producing team would hold onto his ankles and beg.”
Everyone chuckled.
Then a sad voice chimed in—it was the youngest employee.
“I’ve never seen actor Lee Seo-jun in person since I joined…”
A few staff slumped their shoulders.
“Me neither.”
“He doesn’t really have any reason to come to the singer team office.”
“I saw him once in passing.”
“Where?”
“In the practice room. During last year’s fan meeting prep.”
“Then we might be able to see him this month if we go to the practice room?”
At that, employees’ eyes sparkled, but a senior jokingly scolded them.
“Focus on work.”
The employees, clearly joking, laughed and replied.
“If there’s a practice room errand, let me go!”
“Me too!”
“I’m the fastest!”
Everyone laughed and giggled—
Ding—
The elevator doors opened.
It must’ve stopped on every floor due to lunchtime because it arrived a bit late.
‘Probably crowded inside.’
Maybe only a few of them could get on.
The senior and staff looked toward the elevator, expecting it to be full.
But contrary to expectations, only three people were inside. Two of them were familiar faces.
“Oh, I-deun, Eun-seong.”
“Hello.”
“Heading to lunch?”
“Yes. You two as well…?!”
As the senior greeted the two Blue Moon members and stepped into the elevator, she was startled by the third person. So were the other staff.
“A-a-actor Lee Seo-jun?!”
Speak of the devil.
Upon the tiger’s arrival, the singer team staff’s eyes widened, and some even forgot to breathe.
“Hello.”
Actor Lee Seo-jun greeted them with a bright smile.
“H-hi there.”
The senior responded, and the staff all bowed. Still wide-eyed.
“Let’s go eat. Come in.”
“N-no thank you! We still have some work! Please go ahead!”
At the senior’s words, Seo-jun scratched his cheek, and Park I-deun and Jung Eun-seong stifled their laughter.
The elevator doors closed.
Huff! The staff, who hadn’t realized they were holding their breath, finally exhaled. So did the senior and other employees.
“…Didn’t expect to see him like that.”
“No kidding.”
“We wanted to see him, but maybe not that suddenly.”
“My heart almost gave out.”
They truly had been shocked.
Calming their racing hearts, the singer team staff pressed the button and waited for the next elevator.
“But seriously, isn’t he handsome?”
“It was like he was glowing.”
“I thought it wasn’t the same elevator we always use!”
“Felt like a movie set!”
The area in front of the 4th-floor elevator was abuzz with chatter about actor Lee Seo-jun in real life.
“They didn’t get on again.”
Same on the 3rd floor, and now the 4th.
‘…Maybe not even on the 5th floor…’
And Seo-jun’s prediction proved true.
The composers waiting on the 5th floor froze upon seeing him. Park I-deun and Jung Eun-seong, who had been holding back their laughter since the 4th floor, finally burst out.
“Pfft—hahaha!”
Their laughter echoed through the elevator. Seo-jun, pouting slightly, gently elbowed his friends. After they finally calmed down, the three of them got off on the 6th floor.
Seo-jun, Park I-deun, and Jung Eun-seong picked up deliciously prepared meals from professional chefs and sat down at a table.
“Everyone seemed… really surprised.”
At Seo-jun’s remark, Park I-deun giggled.
“Well, the singer team barely sees you.”
Ahem, said Jung Eun-seong, now composed.
“And those people looked like they were meeting you for the first time.”
“That’s true.”
Even Seo-jun remembered only two of them; the rest were unfamiliar faces.
He glanced around. Cocoa Entertainment employees were sitting here and there in the cafeteria. Some were close friends, but most were just familiar faces.
“The company’s really grown.”
It felt like things changed every time he visited.
‘Even though I come pretty often.’
Maybe it was because he only ever went to the 8th-floor practice room.
As a Cocoa Entertainment investor, that was great. But memories of the old building made him feel quite nostalgic.
“So what’s on the agenda today?”
At that, Seo-jun turned.
Back when the practice room turned into a karaoke space—
Rapper Jung Eun-seong, who said he was making a mixtape with songs he wrote and composed himself, had sung one of them. He was now looking at Seo-jun. So was Park I-deun beside him.
‘Feels like just yesterday they were trainees using “Lee Seo-jun’s Shield.”’
‘But then again…’
You couldn’t stay in one place forever.
With a gentle smile, Seo-jun answered.
“Drop the song list off at Team 1’s office, dye my hair, then prep for the movie.”
“Not practicing on the 8th floor?”
“Can’t do this part in the practice room.”
At his words, Park I-deun and Jung Eun-seong blinked, confused.
If people were surprised when they first saw actor Lee Seo-jun, there was someone who stayed surprised even after weeks. That was Seo-jun’s personal trainer, Kim Hyun-gyu.
“Just ten more.”
“Yes.”
In the quiet private fitness center, where only the actor and trainer were present—
Seo-jun, who had booked the entire time slot, responded lightly and hung from the pull-up bar.
An actor doing pull-ups.
Nothing unusual at face value—but if that actor was Lee Seo-jun, and he was doing pull-ups with his legs raised to a 90-degree angle (leg raises), who wouldn’t be surprised?
‘And he even looks relaxed doing it.’
No matter the workout or the intensity, Seo-jun always looked like he could do anything with ease.
That’s why the trainer had originally worried about how hard to push him. Excessive training could lead to conditions like rhabdomyolysis.
‘If Lee Seo-jun developed that kind of condition…’
He might not even be able to live abroad anymore. The thought still made Kim Hyun-gyu dizzy.
Anyway.
Fortunately, the actor hadn’t been in a rush to bulk up. That allowed the trainer to slowly gauge Seo-jun’s level and increase intensity at a measured pace.
‘Actually…’
It wasn’t just about the volume of training—but his body itself.