The commute to the company for practice after school, returning to everyday life.
I was on the bus as usual, wearing wireless earphones and listening to my practice recording.
That was when a man who looked to be in his twenties approached me.
Someone whose gaze had been furtively meeting mine for a while now.
Of course, I was used to people staring at me.
There had been plenty of times they came to ask for my number too.
"Excuse me, are you perhaps..."
Still, this time... I wanted to believe it wasn't someone trying to hit on me.
If there had been real-time search rankings, I would have shot straight to number one.
I had become that much of a hot topic...
I pulled out the wireless earphones I was wearing and answered.
"Yes?"
"Um... aren't you Lee Dohui, the center from Jeodol?"
He asked in a cautious tone, yet his eyes were certain.
Finally...
Finally... someone recognized me?
Kyah!!!
"Yes, that's right!"
I sprang up from my seat as I answered.
The man seemed flustered that I got up and was even more excited than he was, but he quickly composed his expression and spoke.
"Ah, I knew it! I'm really enjoying Jeodol!"
Huh?
Only the prologue has aired so far...?
There isn't really much to see though, is there...?
"Ah... thank you~"
"Haha..."
"..."
Once the words ended, an awkward silence flowed between us.
It was my first time being recognized by someone, so I had no idea what to do.
The man seemed to feel the same.
After reading the room, I was the one who spoke up.
"Perhaps... may I offer you an autograph...?"
"Ah! Yes! Please!"
Thankfully, that seemed to be the right answer, as the man's tone was delighted.
I took out a notebook from my backpack.
When I opened it, most of the pages were plastered with signatures.
The kids at school kept asking for them, so I had prepared it in advance...
When I snuck a glance at the man, he was holding back laughter.
...The whole world is out to get me.
I quickly flipped the page, signed a fresh one, tore out the paper, and handed it to him.
"Thank you!"
"Yes~ Thank you too!"
I thought that would be the end of it, but the man still didn't leave and fidgeted in front of me.
It seemed he still had something he wanted.
I cautiously asked.
"Perhaps, a photo together...?"
That's it, right?
If he said no, I'd be mortified.
"Yes, yes! Thank you so much!"
Thankfully, it seemed I had gotten the right answer again.
I took out my phone, opened the camera app, and set it to selfie mode.
I held out my phone at arm's length.
But the man wasn't leaning his face into the frame.
"Um... you need to look here..."
The man had a bewildered expression, but soon put his face in the frame.
With both our faces in the frame, I pressed the shutter button.
After taking the picture.
The man was still making an awkward expression.
Did I do something wrong...?
The man scratched his head slightly, smiled, and soon took his phone out of his pocket, speaking to me.
"Haha... but... with my phone..."
Phone?
I looked at the phone I was holding.
My phone.
Ah.
"I'm sorry..."
"No, it's not like that. I'm the one who should be grateful."
The man chuckled.
"Yes..."
Ah... I feel like I'm going to die of shame.
After taking a selfie together with the man's phone like that.
Only now did the man smile in satisfaction and speak.
"Thank you so much! I'll definitely vote for you!"
"Ah! Thank you~ Have a nice day~"
I tried my hardest to answer as if nothing was wrong.
But my face was burning up, and I knew without even looking in a mirror that it had turned bright red.
Thankfully, not many people had witnessed my blunder.
It was 3 PM, a time with few bus passengers, so I was lucky.
'I need to get off quickly at the next stop...'
Of course, I couldn't.
"Student, are you a celebrity?"
Because the grandmother in the back seat had spoken to me.
"Haha... yes."
"Really? You look so pretty for some reason. It's nice that you're pretty! I have a grandchild too, you see..."
I wanted to get off the bus immediately, but the grandmother kept talking to me, so I ended up keeping her company until we arrived at the company.
.
.
.
That night.
A post went up on the Jeodol Season 3 community.
[Witnessed Dohui, telling the story.txt]
(Selfie photo) (Signed photo)
I got on the bus to go to an appointment, and in the back seat was someone who was obviously a goddess-level beauty.
She was covering her face with a cap, but you know, that silhouette that can't be hidden.
Her face was so small that the cap looked like it was floating.
So I got curious and kept glancing, and when she briefly showed her face, turns out it was Lee Dohui.
I asked if she was Lee Dohui, and she got surprised and stood up from her seat to greet me lol. Must have been her first time.
Anyway, I was also flustered by the situation and couldn't say anything, so it was a relief when Dohui asked first if she could give me an autograph.
But then when I was about to get the autograph, I didn't have any paper, which was awkward, but Dohui took out a notebook from her backpack as if she had just come from school.
But when she took it out lol most of the pages were plastered with signatures like she had been practicing her autograph lmaooo.
So fucking cute, I had a hard time holding back my laughter.
Anyway, after getting the autograph, I wanted to take a picture too and was hesitating over how to ask, but this time too Dohui suggested taking one first. For real, she's a goddess.
So anyway, I was about to take out my phone to take the picture, but Dohui took out her phone first lolol.
So I just snapped it without thinking, but when I asked her to take one with my phone too, her face turned bright red lolol.
I'm probably the first guy saved on Dohui's phone besides her dad, right? Jackpot lol.
Conclusion.
Picking Dohui unconditionally for Jeodol 3, so fucking cute lol.
3-line summary
1) Ran into Lee Dohui on the bus. Prettiest person I've ever seen in my life.
2) Got an autograph and took a picture
3) Unlike her face, her personality is like a clumsy goofball, so fucking cute lololol
- Wow, so jealous. Which bus is that?
- Is that the default camera? That face with no beauty filter, dㄷㄷ legendary
- lol you can tell her personality just from the story
- So fucking cute lol
- I'm gonna die from the cuteness lolol she's such a klutz
- Practicing her signature lololol just debut already
- She must have been flustered from being recognized lol
- Why is she taking it with her own phone lolol
└ She probably wanted to keep it as a memento too lol
- Ah, so fucking funny lol. Instant like
- OP, I'm jealous ㅠㅠ
- lol
It was the first story that would make me follow Dohui for life.
***
July 4th.
Four days before the first broadcast, and the Monday of the week the premiere would air.
It was the production presentation day.
63 Building Convention Center in Yeouido, Seoul.
Starting with Main PD Im Hyeonung, the photo time for the 6 trainers was in full swing.
And behind them.
A tiered platform covered by a curtain with the logo printed on it.
All participating trainees were standing on the tiered platform.
"Ah, I'm nervous."
Seoyun unni next to me was shaking her legs and spoke in a small voice.
Kim Seoyun may always look confident, but she's actually the one who gets the most nervous.
"We already did rehearsals, what are you so nervous about."
"You stop your hands first and then talk."
My hands were trembling.
"It's because I'm excited."
"Yeah, right."
"Guys, be quiet."
In the end, we stopped today as well thanks to Naeun unni's mediation.
Shortly after, as if the trainers' photo time had ended, the announcer in charge shouted.
"Now let's meet the 99 participants!"
As the announcer finished speaking, the curtain was drawn back.
Revealing the 99 trainees.
The press's cameras flashed.
"Now, participating trainees, please greet the Chuseo-nims!"
"""Hello! Chuseo, please look after us!"""
The time to introduce each trainee.
The announcer in charge was calling out each trainee's agency and name.
"The center for the title song, right? Topist trainee Lee Dohui!"
I waved my hand and smiled.
This is what everyone does, you know.
.
.
.
While standing in front of the reporters with a smiling expression like that, the production presentation ended.
'Somehow feels empty...'
Well, it took quite a long time just to introduce 99 people, so it couldn't be helped.
But on the way out of the building after the production presentation.
The real filming had begun in earnest.
When I went outside, I could hear the voices of the small fandom that had already formed here and there, along with the clicking sounds of individual fansite photographers who hadn't obtained press passes.
"Dohui!!!"
I waved to the few people holding panels with my name on them as I was leaving, when someone shouted in a loud voice.
"Dohui! Look over here!"
When I turned my head, a woman wearing a mask in this hot weather was taking pictures of me.
The shutter sounds continued.
She seemed to be taking pictures of only me.
Oh...
The Topist managers had told us.
That the production presentation photos affect the early voting rate.
Maybe that was why Seoyun unni and Naeun unni beside me were striking various poses for photos.
I too had no choice but to face the cameras and strike a pose.
"Dohui, smile for me!!!"
When I smiled brightly at the camera, they loved it.
This is fun...?
"Dohui! Do a hand heart!"
So I struck various poses at the requests of the fansite photographers.
Of course, excluding requests to puff my cheeks, poke my cheeks, or do cute poses.
I deliberately pretended not to hear them.
"Lee Dohui, you're so cute!!!"
"So lovely!!!"
...Cut it out.
Anyway, the agency said the production presentation photos are important, so I did my best.
Took some group shots with the unnis too.
And that night, as announced by the production team, the proper trailer came out.
I went into YouTube and played the trailer.
The ranking seats with the lights off.
The trailer began with the trainees' voices.
[This is a season on a different scale.]
[First, the Big Three agencies on Netflix.]
The lights on the ranking seats turned on in an instant, and the host's voice was inserted as narration.
[This year's debut members are not 11!]
[Since Season 3 began with the ambition of being the best season ever, the number of members is different as well.]
Scenes of trainees entering.
[This is cheating...]
[Coming out from a big agency like this feels like betrayal...]
[They're all such incredible people...]
Harang unni and Sera unni's cutscene fighting for the number one seat.
[Wow... Haru vs Js]
[Are those two fighting?]
Trainees' evaluation videos.
[Even big agencies are the same...]
[Looks doable, right?]
[I'm doomed...]
[We're just here to make them look good...]
As the trainees' joy and sorrow diverged, the judges' evaluation cuts came out.
[What are you doing? Did you come here to play around?]
[Isn't this great? This is legendary.]
[It's a disaster, a total disaster.]
[(Bleep---) That trainee's a natural.]
The evaluation cuts ended and the official logo filled the screen with tense music.
There were no scenes with me.
The moment I felt somewhat disappointed and sad, the logo turned off and my face appeared.
And Teacher Go Yunjeong's voice speaking to me.
[Why on earth are you being an idol?]
A tone that sounded like scolding at first glance.
And so the trailer ended.