Superstar 828
by CristaeNext, Seo-jun headed to Dodger Stadium.
The photo displayed there was of Seo-jun throwing the ceremonial first pitch. Wearing the LA Dodgers uniform, holding a bat—he looked like a real player.
“If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was a baseball player.”
“Right?”
Looking up at the giant photo, Choi Taewoo commented, and Seo-jun laughed.
Just then, they heard Korean being spoken nearby.
“Dad, is that guy a baseball player too?”
A little kid was pointing at Seo-jun’s photo, asking his dad. It seemed to be a tourist family from Korea.
As Seo-jun and Taewoo giggled at the genuine misunderstanding, they overheard the dad reply.
“He’s not a baseball player, but I wish he were… Please come to our team, actor Seo-jun…”
The dad’s wistful voice—clearly a baseball fan—made Seo-jun and Taewoo struggle to hold in their laughter.
“Um, excuse me…”
At that moment, the child’s mother approached them.
Just as Seo-jun and Taewoo had recognized them as Korean, the family had also realized these two were Korean—maybe wondering if the foreigners with them were part of the group or not.
“Ah, yes.”
“If it’s okay… would you mind taking a picture of us?”
“Of course.”
Seo-jun, face partly hidden under his cap, gladly accepted and took the camera.
Click!
He snapped a bright photo of the smiling tourist family. When the child gave Seo-jun a snack as thanks, Seo-jun gratefully accepted and turned to Taewoo.
“Taewoo hyung, should we go get lunch now?”
“Yeah, let’s.”
It was 1:30 PM.
A little late, but time for lunch.
1:30 PM, March 9, LA time.
5:30 AM, March 10, Korea time.
Beep beep…!
Lim Yena shot up in bed the moment her alarm rang. She had taken the day off.
Last year, she’d spent the entire night browsing SNS and [From Sprout], but this year was different. She had plans today.
“Yoojung! Wake up!”
“Mmm… okay!”
Lim Yena shook awake her friend, Song Yoojung, who had been sleeping on the floor. The two quickly got ready. With hearts fluttering like kids before a field trip, they were dressed and prepped in no time.
“Let’s go!”
With their bags and camera in hand, the two sprouts raced downstairs and got into the car.
“Here, Yena.”
“Thanks.”
Sitting in the passenger seat, Yoojung pulled out a bread roll from a plastic bag and handed it to Yena, who was already starting the engine. The two munched happily.
“This is good!”
“It’s the most popular one lately.”
With a morning sugar boost from sweet cream bread, the two sprouts hit the road with energy.
It was still early, so the roads were mostly empty.
Checking her phone, Yoojung said,
“Photos are already being uploaded.”
“Already? The sun’s just starting to rise!”
“They’re sprouts.”
Ah. That explained it.
“Well, we’re doing the same thing this early.”
All around the country, other sprouts were probably on the move too.
Yena and Yoojung laughed.
“Any posts from abroad? Especially LA?”
Every sprout knew Seo-jun was in LA.
“Of course! His letter isn’t up yet, but—”
Yoojung read aloud the posts while Yena focused on driving. When stopped at lights, they’d check the pictures together.
“They hung documentary photos at the Sea Save Center. At Dodger Stadium, it’s the first pitch photo. And at LA Music University and nearby parks, people are performing.”
“Performing? What kind?”
Yena perked up. Yoojung summarized a translated post.
“A kid saw a picture of Grey at LA Music University and started playing the violin. Said they could perform Over the Rainbow.”
“Ohhh. That makes sense. My little cousin once randomly showed us taekwondo moves without anyone asking.”
They both laughed.
Kids are the same, whether Korean or American.
Yoojung continued reading.
“At first, only the kid played. Then suddenly someone else joined in on violin. Super good too—people thought they were a pro.”
Damn.
Yena could picture it.
“Sounds like a movie. Like something out of OverRay.”
“The sprout said the same thing. Then a flute joined in, then more instruments—viola, oboe—and everyone played Over the Rainbow together. Oh! There’s a video here.”
Just the story was heartwarming—now there was a video?
“Play it! I want to hear at least the audio.”
Yoojung excitedly pressed play.
The video started with a sprout filming Grey’s photo. When a slightly clumsy violin melody began, the camera turned.
“It’s a bit rough, but not bad.”
“Yeah.”
For two sprouts with sharp ears when it came to Seo-jun-related music, it wasn’t bad at all. With a little more practice, it’d be great.
Then—
Another violin joined in. The two girls widened their eyes.
“Whoa… that’s amazing.”
“Seriously talented.”
It wasn’t just skilled—it blended with the kid’s melody perfectly. It didn’t overpower the child but enhanced it, turning mistakes into part of the harmony.
True ensemble.
Then a flute joined in.
Then more instruments.
The melody grew richer and fuller. Yena, unable to watch while driving, still pictured it clearly:
A kid playing violin.
More and more people joining in.
She felt her chest swell.
“If I could play an instrument, I’d have joined too.”
“I know, right?”
Yoojung nodded.
“The sprout wrote that the first musician was incredible. The parents were going to stop the kid at first.”
“Really?”
If they had, they would’ve missed out on this magical moment.
“That person was so cool. Playing like that in front of people isn’t easy…”
“The parents also wrote a thank-you note. They said the kid was overjoyed and now dreams of becoming a violinist like Grey, or like the adults who played with them.”
Hearing that, Yena and Yoojung grinned.
“Yeah. That kind of experience would do that.”
A memory none of them would ever forget.
“The story spread. People are now performing at LA Music University and the park too. Still going on.”
“That must be so fun…”
Yena spoke with envy, and Yoojung’s eyes sparkled.
“That’s okay! We’re going to enjoy it too!”
“Yeah! We’re going to have the best time!”
And thus, actor Seo-jun Lee’s birthday tour began.
[What are these photos? Banners appeared all over the world overnight!]
[Korea filled with actor Seo-jun’s pictures!]
[Birthday messages from fans included in each one!]
[Seo-jun’s fans kick off the ultimate birthday tour!]
[This is what a superstar’s birthday looks like!]
— Came to work and found a huge photo of Jin Nattra on my office building. Nearly screamed, LOL
=22 It felt like I was hit with cold water first thing.
=33 Like my soul woke up. The aura from that pic is crazy.
=You must work near Gwanghwamun Plaza, huh? That’s a Shadowman 3 filming site.
— In Yeongwol ㅠㅠ There’s a banner of Danjong smiling wistfully at the exile site ㅠㅠ
=Here at Seongnyeongdaegun’s tomb ㅠㅠ There’s a big smiling photo of him too ㅠㅠ
=Busan beach filming site has a pic of Garam smiling ㅠㅠ
=They’re all smiling but why am I crying ㅠㅠ
=Sprouts everywhere crying as they take photos LOL
— There’s a baby Seo-jun banner near my house. Is there a placement system?
=In Daejeon, we’ve got Master Hwa’s photo. Wasn’t Hwa filmed in Gangwon?
=Where is that?! I want to see the Master ㅠㅠ
=22 Tell me! I need to take a pic with a Taegeukgi!
=Sprout info) Character banners were placed at filming locations. Others are random.
=Ah. That’s why our school (Seo-jun’s high school) got MOEB-436.
=Should we be calling him “sunbaenim”?
=I’m a teacher.
=…Oh.
=LOLOLOL
— Cheongryong-nim is at the Milky Way Center! Go with the kids!
=It’s huge. Kids will love it.
— MBS put up Springdol and Oscar banners LOL
=SBC did Walking Man. KBC put up My Royal Physician LOL
=Even cable channels put something up LOL
=Even TV stations are celebrating his birthday LOL
— The Escape theme park put up two banners.
=Two? What scenes?
=Go Juwon shooting his bow… and… the zombie knocking scene LOL. Huge and terrifying ㅠ
=That’s actually scary LOL
— As expected of sprouts;;; Last year was more toned down (except the donation amount), but this year it’s all-out Seo-jun takeover.
=22 Total takeover ㄷㄷ
=puffs chest
=That’s how we do! strut
=You guys love him too much LOL
— OMG look at this (link)
[Uniform: Help me…ㅠ (+Seo-jun birthday banner review)]
I’m a sprout working at a highway rest stop between Seoul and Gangwon.
You’ll know where if I say it’s where Walking Man was filmed, right? Hehe.
Anyway.
I wanted today off for Seo-jun’s birthday but couldn’t get coverage ㅠㅠ
Still, they’re keeping the banners up for 3 days, so I’ll go touring tomorrow and the day after LOL
I heard we’d get a banner at the rest stop too, so I was… no, very excited.
And this morning—it was there!!
A huge photo of Seo-jun! I loved it so much ㅠㅠ
All the sprout messages were heartfelt ㅠㅠ I cried, seriously ㅠㅠ
But… haha…
Since our rest stop is on the way to Hwa filming sites, I thought it’d be a Nameless Artist photo, right?
But nope. LOL
(It was a photo of Seo-jun eating butter potatoes.)
Yup, this one.
(Him munching butter potatoes.)
Too cute—here’s another.
From the Hwa team’s endless stock, they picked this one!
At a rest stop!
Where I sell butter potatoes!!
‘Sprout-me’ took excited pics.
Then ‘worker-me’ came back to reality.
I was screwed.
I am screwed.
Thinking about the wave of sprouts coming, plus random people seeing the banner…
My head started spinning.
It’s obviously a butter potato ad. That pic LOL ㅠㅠ
My boss didn’t know anything and was prepping like usual, so I said:
Me: Boss.
Boss: Hm?
Me: We need to order more potatoes. Pre-cooked ones.
Boss: ……Huh?
Me: And more butter.
Boss: ???
Me: A lot more.
And I’ve been selling non-stop since.
Now lunch rush is over ㅠㅠ But afternoon is still ahead ㅠㅠ
My arms hurt ㅠ I’m dying ㅠ Save me…
+) But my boss said I get a bonus today! Gonna eat something delicious on my Seo-jun birthday tour!
— A sprout literally feeling Seo-jun’s promotional power LOL
=Now I get why all these companies beg to work with him LOL
— Still, you didn’t run away LOL
=How could you leave the boss to handle it alone ㅠㅠ
=Our sweet, loyal sprout ㅠㅠ
— Wow! Butter potatoes! They were delicious!
=Thank you! <3
— Now I want butter potatoes.
=22 Should we go?
=Please don’t come! LOL