Letter 2 U

Part 54 - When you call my Name

The reunion tour finally happened and it was a huge success as expected. At their last concert the MarkJin couple revealed to their fans that they were married for more than 2 years. To everyone's surprise, they even kissed on stage and the crowd went incredibly wild. It seemed that the news were pretty well received, and many fans respected and supported their union. All their families attended that concert, even JB's father and Yugyeom's parents were there. The air of understanding and tolerance around them was contagious. Got7 had accomplished what many k-pop groups only dreamed of. They weren't just global musical icons, they became a symbol, an out and proud statement, the faces of a movement, the pioneers of a new era. They toured all around the world, expressing their message of love and freedom.

Jaebeom, Mark, Jinyoung, Youngjae, Bambam and Yugyeom had already promised their loyal fanbase that a comeback was guaranteed. Unfortunately, they had to explain that Jackson wasn't able to attend any of the reunion tour concerts due to health issues. JYPE released a note apologizing to the fans for his absence and expressing how the rapper lamented for not being able to be with his Got7 family this time, but as soon as he finished his treatment, he would join the other members and prepare for the group's future comeback. The company didn't reveal what exactly was the Hongkonger's health problem, but the fans only hoped that whatever the rapper was going through, he could make a full recovery soon, in order to join the other members for their next comeback.

Within months, Got7 started preparing for their new EP and Jackson hadn't shown up yet. During that time, the group was invited to take part in one of the episodes of the South Korean reality show Hello Counselor, but they were too busy to even think about being part of a TV program at that moment. The boys were surprised when their manager informed the 6 idols that the company had already given their okay to the producers of the program and that they had to fit that reality show in their schedule whether they wanted it or not.

Tired after a long day of practice, Got7 arrived at the filming set of KBS. The producer of the show told them that the episode they were about to film would be a special live broadcast, and while only one person would be featured as a guest, they would be the only hosts this time. The group expressed their concerns about doing something like that for the first time. Jaebeom, Jinyoung, Bambam and Yugyeom had already appeared in different occasions on that variety show as guests, but hosting it live was certainly a difficult task to fulfill. The producer assured the idols that each one of them would have cue cards and that there was no strict script to follow. According to the producers, one of Got7's unique features was their honesty and straightforwardness, and because of that, they'd do well. The boys were about to refuse to be part of the recording, but when someone of the filming crew hinted at them that the guest would be a loyal, but very pitiful Ahgase, they changed their minds.

As expected, even before the show started, the audience of KBS was exceptionally high. Viewers had only found out that Got7 would be the special hosts a couple of hours before the show was broadcasted, and according to the producers, that suspense made the episode even more exciting for the public. The scriptwriter of the program told Got6, that each one of the members would read a paragraph of the guest's letter in the beginning of the show and after that, they would know what to do. As strange and vague as it sounded, the idols only nodded at the scriptwriter and just followed the producers' lead.

According to their cue cards, the 6 paragraphs of the letter should be read following the age order of Got7, from the oldest to the youngest. That meant, Mark would be the first reader and Yugyeom would be the last. They weren't allowed to see the content of the guest's letter beforehanded. The scriptwriter warned them that such moment would lost its legitimacy if it was rehearsed. Their emotions should be genuinely raw. The format of that episode was made for the fearless Got7, the most outspoken band of that generation, the pioneers of a movement that gave voice to hundreds of Asian LGBTQ communities and turned a hashtag into an instrument of empowerment. The boys were proud to hear such a compliment, but they couldn't help but feel nervous when the cameras started rolling.