Today was finally the D-day for their guerrilla concert. Llana and her teammates were currently rushing toward the subway station on their way to Hongdae. They had decided to take the train instead of the bus, a taxi, or using a company vehicle.
The bus was immediately crossed out from their options because it had fixed time intervals. They would have to stop at multiple bus stops along the way, which wasn't convenient since they were on a time limit. With the limited time they had, waiting and stopping repeatedly would only slow them down and burn time.
Using a company vehicle or simply hailing a taxi would have been more convenient, but strategically speaking, the train was the better choice. While riding it, they could invite people and advertise their guerrilla concert. After all, trains were usually crowded, unlike other means of transportation where they would simply sit and wait until they reached their destination.
There had also been no more problems within their group after that tense and emotional practice. They had become more open with each other afterward. In a way, they worked more like a single unit now, often checking on one another, and the dynamics of their group had become much better.
If only Llana had experienced this kind of teamwork with her group during school activities in her past life, her life back then might have been much easier.
Anyway, they were all wearing white long-sleeved button-up shirts tucked neatly into black slacks, paired with formal office shoes with heels and black bowler hats.
The outfit had actually been Jihyo's suggestion. According to her, dressing like that would give them a slightly mysterious vibe in the eyes of passersby, making them more noticeable and memorable.
Llana and Jihyo were each carrying large paper bags. Inside were the candies they planned to give away, individually wrapped in small plastic packets. Each one also contained motivational letters written by the four of them.
Momo, meanwhile, was carrying a Bluetooth speaker and a small megaphone, while Chaeyoung carried a square container wrapped in silver metallic foil. Inside it were blue ping-pong balls that they would also distribute.
Each team had been given 250 ping-pong balls. These would serve as the votes from the people they managed to invite to their guerrilla concert.
"Quick, quick!" Jihyo urged, glancing at the electronic schedule board hanging above the ticket gates.
Llana hurried down the stairs, the large paper bag in her hand rustling as the candies inside shifted with every step. Momo clutched the Bluetooth speaker and small megaphone to her chest as she ran, careful not to drop them. Chaeyoung, being the smallest among them, had to take quick, hurried steps to keep up. Her shorter legs moved twice as fast as the others as she held tightly onto the silver-wrapped container of ping-pong balls.
Two cameramen followed closely behind, jogging while trying to keep the girls in frame.
They soon reached the platform. Without wasting a second, Jihyo quickly stepped inside.
"Come on!"
Llana and the others followed immediately. Thankfully, the carriage wasn't too crowded.
A few passengers turned their heads curiously.
Jihyo didn't miss the opportunity. Using her powerful voice, she called out brightly,
"Annyeonghaseyo~!"
"Annyeonghaseyo!" the others greeted together.
Jihyo continued, "We are JYPE's SEVENTEEN! We're going to perform a guerrilla concert at Hongdae today. We hope everyone can come and support our group! We are the Major A Team!"
The girls began handing out flyers one by one to the passengers, politely introducing themselves and answering the curious questions people asked.
"Annyeonghaseyo~"
Llana smiled brightly as she greeted two young women sitting at the side. They had been staring at her ever since the group entered the carriage, whispering nervously to each other.
"A-Annyeong!" one of them replied quickly, startled that Llana had approached them.
The two women glanced at each other before looking back at Llana again, their faces slowly turning red.
They didn't expect Llana to be so pretty in person. She looked so stunning that they found it unbelievable—they even forgot to breathe for a second. Up close, Llana looked even taller than they expected.
One of the girls hesitated for a moment before finally gathering the courage to speak.
"U-Um… excuse me…"
Llana tilted her head slightly. "Yes?"
"Uwaa! You're so pretty!" she unconsciously said, forgetting to ask her question.
"Aw, thanks." Llana couldn't help giggling a little at that before smiling sweetly at the compliment.
"A-Are you… Llana Kim?"
"Ne~"
"WOW!"
The two girls immediately squealed, covering their mouths in excitement.
"Oh my gosh—!"
"We knew it!"
"We're your fans! We've been watching the show every week and always voting for you," she said shyly.
"Yes, we are excited for your solo and your debut as TWICE ," the other added. "We are really looking forward to it."
"Oh really!? Thank you!" Llana's chest warmed at their words, a mix of happiness and disbelief filling her—seeing her real fans in person and being able to interact with them in real time.
"We're going to have a concert later. Do you want to come?"
"Is this your new challenge?" the other one asked shyly.
"Ne~ we have to invite people ourselves, and they'll be the ones voting," Llana explained.
"We'll come then!"
"Really?! If so, here." Llana handed them each a blue ping-pong ball. "This is what you'll use to vote for us, so don't lose it, okay? Make sure you come!"
"Of course! We're your number one fans. No matter what happens, we'll come," they said together.
"Aw! Kamsahamnida," Llana added, giving them each a candy packs and a flyer. "It really means a lot."
"Can we have your autograph, Llana?" they asked hopefully.
"Sorry, guys. We're not allowed to do autographs yet," she said apologetically, wishing she could. "But we can take a picture if you want."
"Sure!"
They continued moving through the train, visiting every carriage and meeting fans along the way, making the subway ride a fun and lively experience.
Before long, they reached their destination. They quickly made their way to the bustling streets of Hongdae, where crowds of people were wandering and exploring. Using their small megaphone, they called out to grab the attention of passersby.
At first, only a few people looked over curiously, but as soon as Jihyo used her "hidden weapon," everything changed.
This caught the crowd's attention. People paused mid-step, eyes widening as they spotted Llana. Some started nudging their friends. A few even pulled out their phones, whispering excitedly to one another.
"Wha—she's here?!"
"Is that really Llana Kim?!"
"Who?!"
"The composer of the trending clips you watch on reels, pabo!"
"Oh It's Llana of SEVENTEEN!"
Fans and curious onlookers began crowding closer, trying to get a better view. The group was taken completely by surprise. Even they hadn't realized just how much attention Llana could command. They had underestimated her popularity.
Llana herself had underestimated her fame.
Jihyo grinned, whispering, "See? That's my ultimate secret weapon."
Chaeyoung and Momo exchanged amazed glances, realizing just how powerful Llana's popularity really was. Even now, with the cameras rolling and the megaphone amplifying their voices, the streets of Hongdae were slowly starting to turn into their impromptu stage.