The Lucky Fans (LEE JUN HO'S FANFICTION // ENG VER)

07. Sang Hee's Idea

The members of The Lucky Fans had arrived at a relatively quiet area to begin filming the second episode. The weather was mild, making it perfect for outdoor games.

With the cameras rolling, Hwang PD started explaining the details of the game. Today's theme was a math race, and the members would be divided into six teams. After sorting into teams, they received shirts in their team colors and were directed to change in the designated area.

While waiting for the next segment, Tia took turns photographing Elisa and Rhea with her Polaroid camera. Since their arrival in Korea, Tia had taken it upon herself to capture moments of the two. No one had asked her; she simply enjoyed taking pictures.

"Elisa, is your shirt too big?" Tia asked, adjusting Elisa's shirt to check the fit.

"Yes, it's an L size, but I usually wear S," Elisa replied

"Alright, let me help you get it more fitted," Tia said, neatly tying the front of Elisa's shirt to create a more flattering shape.

Seeing Elisa's new look, Rhea had an idea. She headed over to the hair and makeup staff to borrow a green headband or scarf that matched Elisa's shirt.

"This is perfect—now you look like a member of SNSD," Rhea said, tying the scarf into a headband on Elisa's head.

Elisa immediately burst into a line from SNSD's Genie and began performing a few signature moves from the song. "Sowoneul malhaebwa."

"Everyone, gather around! We're about to start shooting!" Hwang PD called out. Tia cheered Rhea and Elisa on before they joined the rest of the group.

-ooo-

All the teams had gathered at the next location. However, Hwang PD gave them a twenty-minute break to rest after their run. Rhea, Elisa, and Jennifer played a special random dance playlist of Super Junior and 2PM that Kayla had prepared the night before.

Sorry Sorry was the first song on the playlist. Everyone joined in the dance. After all, who doesn't know that legendary song? Even Hwang PD, Sang Hee, and several female staff members got in on the fun.

The next song was I'm Your Man. Along with the 2PM members, the lucky Hottest danced to it. Everyone was amazed at how well Elisa, Kyung Mi, and Jennifer performed the routine.

Now it was the lucky ELF's turn to showcase their moves to 'Bout You, alongside Dong Hae and Eun Hyuk. Although their performance wasn't overly energetic, their movements were impressively synchronized.

Rhea sang and danced the part of Jun Ho in Go Crazy, "Kkeullineun neoui hyanggie neoui momjise geureon nunbiche na..."

"Micheoboryeo!" everyone shouted in unison. Hee Chul was busy recording Rhea and the others, and it seemed he was on his way to becoming Rhea's number one fan.

They all danced the refrain of Go Crazy together. Who would have thought they'd blend so well, creating memorable moments in their lives?

After enjoying their random play dance session, it was time to get back to filming. They needed to fuel up for the next game, so their stomachs had to be ready for a lot of food.

The most amazing part was that the show had rented out an entire shopping mall just for that day's shoot. This meant no regular visitors; only the staff, The Lucky Fans members, and store employees were inside the mall.

In the employee cafeteria, The Lucky Fans members were about to take on a mukbang race. The place was filled with an array of mouth-watering dishes. As Rhea looked at the food and the board in front of her, she thought she'd have to work on losing weight right after filming wrapped up for the day.

-ooo-

That autumn evening felt cold, yet Rhea's heart raced for reasons she couldn't quite explain. It all began when Sang Hee suddenly asked to meet her at a café to discuss something important.

Waving as Rhea entered, Sang Hee had already ordered a drink for her. "You're aware of the negative comments about you, right? The first episode of The Lucky Fans didn't perform too badly in terms of ratings, but the negative feedback about you has only increased," Sang Hee said as Rhea took her seat.

Rhea was unsure of how to respond. Honestly, the comments were weighing on her, and she wasn't good at hiding her emotions. All she could do was offer a guilty smile and occasionally bite her lip.

Sang Hee sighed at Rhea's expression. "You're such a nice person. How can someone like you get such comments?"

"Thankfully, I'm not an artist," Rhea replied, trying to lighten the mood, even though deep down, she wished she could return to Indonesia.

The negative comments increased after Rhea touched Jun Ho's arm during the whisper challenge. And yes, Jun Ho's popularity had surged since the end of King the Land.

"Should I step down from this program? If my presence is causing the show to get bad ratings, it might be better for me to withdraw," Rhea said, surprising Sang Hee with her response.

"The ratings are still early and not very satisfying yet. But that doesn't mean we want you to leave, Rhea. I have an idea that could turn things around," Sang Hee said, opening her iPad to show Rhea the tentative schedule for the next episode. "I saw you during the random play dance earlier, and I think you're a great dancer. Let's use that talent to change the situation."

Rhea was puzzled by Sang Hee's suggestion. Sang Hee detailed the scheme for the next episode, believing it was the perfect solution. She wanted to show the critics that there was more to Rhea than just the negative comments, revealing why she was chosen as a lucky fan.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home?" Sang Hee asked as they left the café.

Rhea nodded firmly. "I want to visit a convenience store."

"Alright then. Be careful on your way," Sang Hee said.

As Sang Hee's car disappeared into the darkness, Rhea wandered aimlessly, following her instincts. After walking two hundred meters, she found a convenience store with only one customer—a middle-aged woman sitting inside, enjoying tteokbokki.

The woman had bought a banana-flavored milk but was sitting outside, staring blankly at it without touching it. She sighed repeatedly, lost in thought.

"Ah, why has my life come to this?" Rhea muttered, scratching her hair roughly and sipping the banana milk.

"Rhea?"

Rhea turned toward the voice. "Jun Ho-ssi?" She recalled that they had run into each other by chance twice before. If they happened to meet for the third time, it would indeed be a strange twist of fate.

Somehow, Jun Ho had already seated himself in front of Rhea, listening intently as she briefly shared her conversation with Sang Hee. His gaze conveyed a silent frustration towards the nasty commenters. He felt it was unfair to judge Rhea for not having seen the Super Show; there must be a reason why Super Junior had chosen her, just as 2PM had played a role in selecting the lucky Hottest.

Suddenly, Jun Ho stood up, walked to his car, and opened the back door. "I'll show you the most comfortable place to think," he said, his handsome face breaking into a warm smile.

Rhea glanced around to ensure no one was watching them. She really didn't want any more unpleasant comments. Honestly, it was all becoming quite exhausting!

After a long moment of contemplating Jun Ho's offer, Rhea decided to go with him. She couldn't afford to spill her emotions on the sidewalk and risk more negative headlines. Sighing, she realized she never imagined she'd find herself in such a phase of her life.