GIJS

Chapter 197 Big One Has Arrived

At 4 a.m., two fans woke up in a business hotel and started their morning with a thorough preparation.

Wee-wee-wee-wee—.

Bang bang bang bang—...

The sound of drying hair and the rhythmic puffing that followed.

Usually, Yeonji and Yumin would just wipe their eyes and head out, but today they were meticulous, paying special attention to their base makeup.

Of course, the members at the concert would likely never see their faces. However, as it was the day they were going to see their favorite idols, they wanted to be fully prepared both physically and mentally.

"Unnie, do you know I dreamed about Gunja?"

"Really? So did I!"

"Wow, it seems we were in the same dream world!"

"Really? My dream was a bit naughty~"

"Wow, unnie... I'm envious..."

"Haha, just kidding! Envious? I didn't think you were that open about it."

"Well, I'm an adult now, heehee."

Even while exchanging light jokes, their heart rates continued to rise. The thought of meeting 7IN and Gunja in just a few hours excited them.

Preparation took quite a while, but it was still dark outside before dawn. To withstand the cold April morning with its large temperature fluctuations, the two of them held hands tightly and walked briskly towards the concert venue to buy 7IN's merchandise before the concert.

"The goods this time came out really pretty, unnie, did you see?"

"Of course. I'm going to buy everything I can."

"Ugh, I hope Gunja's photo card is included."

"Maybe we'll be lucky today. We had such a great dream."

As they chatted, they soon saw the long line ahead. Despite their very early departure, a long queue had already formed at the merchandise booth.

"...Wow..."

Some might mockingly say, 'They're really working hard to buy this,' but Yeonji and Yumin had reached a level where such mockery didn't bother them at all.

Instead of wasting time reacting to such comments, they had already realized that watching one more favorite video or saving one more favorite photo was a worthwhile material and emotional gain.

Compared to people who waste time on ridicule without immersing themselves, Yeonji and Yumin were enjoying a much healthier fandom life. They had started their fandom with even more bright and healthy lives.

"It's a shame that people who don't understand the charm of being a fan of Gunja."

"Who says they don't?"

At 8 a.m., the booth doors finally opened, and the line began to move. LED screens were placed at intervals along the queue to alleviate fans' boredom, displaying images of the members in turn.

"Are you tired from waiting? Just hang in there a little longer! Do some stretching and give each other shoulder massages! Alright, like this..."

A new video that they had never seen before appeared, and the fans cheered, forgetting their sore legs.

"We've prepared many beautiful items with good meanings. If you hang in a little longer, we'll be able to meet you. Just a little more!"

Gunja's image was, of course, featured in the video. Seeing it, Yeonji and Yumin felt as if all the fatigue accumulated from the early morning had completely vanished.

The line continued to shorten, and finally, Yeonji and Yumin were able to enter the sales booth. With strict control from many staff members, the inside of the booth was impeccably orderly.

As soon as they entered the booth, Yeonji and Yumin's eyes darted around. Although they had resolved to avoid overspending, they both ended up leaving the booth with merchandise reaching the purchase limit per person.

"Money... My paycheck is gone?"

"Unnie, what happened here?"

"Who knows? Hahaha..."

Despite saying that, smiles were on both of their faces.

This is why we earn money, this is why we work part-time!

After their shopping spree, it was time to check out their purchases. Since there was still plenty of time before the concert, Yeonji and Yumin headed back to their accommodation.

They spread out their merchandise on the bed and examined each item. Every time they opened a package, exclamations of awe escaped their lips.

The title of the 7IN's first full album was [七巧 : 7 Pieces]. The pronunciation of '七巧' is 'Chilgyo,' referring to the traditional seven-piece puzzle, symbolizing that seven pieces come together to form a complete whole.

True to the album's theme, the merchandise featured icons in the shape of the Chilgyo puzzle. What especially captured Yeonji and Yumin's hearts were the smartphone case and the bookmark.

"Wow, it's mother-of-pearl... It's mother-of-pearl..."

"How can it be so luxurious and beautiful... Huu—."

The navy-colored body with subtle mother-of-pearl Chilgyo icons completely won them over.

The bookmark merchandise, designed by Gunja himself, was also incredibly cute and sophisticated. The sturdy bookmark featured the Chilgyo pattern in mother-of-pearl and had a decorative red thread on its metal rim.

"Is it normal to like a bookmark this much even though I don't read books?"

"Hehe, exactly. I should start reading some books from now on."

"Hmm, Gunja said to start with [The Analects]... What should we do?"

"Yeah. I've tried eating fish, but The Analects seems hard to tackle..."

"Haha... Oh, I laughed. It's embarrassing!"

The final part of the unboxing was, of course, the photo cards. The set of fourteen photo cards contained various cards of the seven members.

"Wow, they came out really evenly!"

"Me too. Luckily, there are two of Gunja."

"Me too! Hee... They're so pretty..."

Of course, they weren't completely satisfied. If there had been more than three photo cards of their favorite, Gunja, they would have been even happier. But their disappointment was short-lived.

"Gunja said during the [Mission: ImpossiBuddha] filming that 'everything is created by the mind.' It's a bit disappointing that we only got two Gunja cards, but thinking about it another way, we could have gotten none at all, right?"

"That's right. Besides, Gunja is my favorite, but I actually like all the members, so it's okay, hehe."

"Really? Then would you not trade my Gunja photo card for your Taewoong photo card?"

"Ah, that's..."

"Haha, just kidding. I won't trade it~"

As they played with their merchandise on the bed, it was already 1 p.m. Time for the album release and music video premiere of [七巧 : 7 Pieces].

Although they had speculated about the concept of the new song and the tone & manner of the music video through teaser videos, predicting the actual content of the main music video was impossible. Whatever they imagined, Gunja and the boys would surely look more impressive and beautiful.

"Huu, huu..."

In suspense, the music video for the first title track, [Hunting Time], was released.

The opening scene was intense, reminiscent of the film [The Face Reader]. Every time a member's face was close-up, Yeonji and Yumin tightened their clasped hands. Especially when Gunja appeared, their hands tightened so much that they simultaneously screamed.

"Aah!"

"Ouch, unnie! It hurts!"

"Sorry, sorry, but I was also hurt!"

"Ugh, but it couldn't be helped... Haa, let's watch that part again..."

"That's a great idea..."

The theme of the music video was clear and intuitive. Just like the title [Hunting Time], the MV revolved around the theme of 'hunting.'

In a Korean-themed forest setting, the members, dressed in fur-trimmed outfits and camouflage patterns to conceal their presence, carefully moved as if tracking their prey.

However, the members' presence was not easily hidden even with camouflage.

Sneaking quietly and then becoming intense as if taking out sharp claws, the choreography gripped Yeonji and Yumin's hearts tightly.

"Haa—."

Just when they tried to take a breath, Gunja's solo shot would appear, choking their breath.

With a nose seemingly sculpted by divine precision, and eyes that, despite their kind demeanor, exuded an irresistible dignity, Yeonji and Yumin were mesmerized.

"...He seems even more handsome..."

"I agree... He's so, so sexy..."

The members, searching through the forest, discovered a small piece that looked like a rune. Yeonji and Yumin immediately recognized it.

"Hey, isn't that the piece from the merchandise?"

"Right, it's Chilgyo!"

Besides 'hunting,' another concept was hidden in the music video: finding Chilgyo puzzle pieces across three themed backgrounds.

To find new prey and discover the remaining pieces, the boys moved from the forest to the wilderness.

Unlike the green and black color theme of the forest scene, the wilderness scene was filled with yellow and red. The seven boys, dressed in Western-style outfits, kicked up dust as they performed their sharp choreography.

Taang, Taang—!!

The group's choreography always felt like paradise, but the point dance imitating loading and firing a Magnum revolver truly sent the two into ecstasy.

How did they come up with such a clever and impactful point dance, and how did they execute it so magnificently?

Before they could recover from the shock of the Magnum shooting dance, a second point dance mimicking throwing a hunting rope followed.

"Haa, I just want to be tied up with that rope..."

"Unnie, that sounds like something from a trot song..."

"I don't care, that's how I really feel..."

As the second chorus began, the pace of the music video picked up. Now, the seven boys were riding horses through the prairie. The scene looked so realistic that it was clear the boys were actually riding horses.

The sight of Gunja, standing tall and composed on his horse, was beyond words. Holding hands, Yeonji and Yumin had subconsciously started to press their hands against their chests to steady their racing hearts.

"Haa... This is insane..."

"Unnie, one more time?"

"Yeah, let's put it on repeat..."

Even after watching it ten or twenty times, their hearts continued to race. The music video was so artistic that it was almost painful to see it come to an end. The fact that the members had performed all the acting themselves and that Siwoo had directed it was even more impressive.

"Really, our boys seem to be able to do anything. I'm not just saying this because they're my bias; they're truly a versatile group..."

As Yeonji muttered this, the music video approached its end.

The theme after the bridge was the sea.

The seven boys, who had moved from the forest to the prairie, were now standing in clear blue water with refreshing smiles.

The background was beautiful, and the smiles were great, but what excited Yeonji and Yumin the most was the boys' cool outfits that suited the beach setting.

"...Haa..."

"...Hehe..."

Trying to shake off their lingering thoughts, the two wiped away the drool at the corners of their mouths.