“Are you actually going to go through with this?” Yixing had, of course, heard the buzz surrounding Jongin’s new mandatory ‘activities’.

“What choice do I have? Even if Jongdae didn’t threaten to fire me, I am still not booking anything.” Jongin had come to terms with the fact that he might be on the decline. It wasn’t as if he was lacking in talent. In fact, had it not been for his recent fallout with the press, Jongin’s bookings would be off the charts. Unfortunately for him, three of the largest publications had decided to attack him at the same time. He really didn’t have a choice. If he ever wanted to be welcome to his mother, or even Jongdae for that matter, he needed to prove that he could be the prodigy again. He needed to prove he wasn’t a disappointment, or a bad investment.

“Jongin...if you need money, I can..”

“Don’t. Thank you, Yixing, but I can fix this on my own.” Jongin didn’t want to be harsh, but he felt it was important that he really did solve things on his own. He wasn’t sure how any of what Jongdae suggested was going to help, but he knew he wasn’t in the position to argue or even question it.

The day seemed to drag on as Jongin mentally prepared himself for the day ahead. All he needed to do was make the obsessive fan think he was exactly the way he was on TV. Jongin had been taught acting for several years. He knew how to pretend for the sake of publicity. Besides, what could a fan possibly ask for? Jongin was used to the swarms of both boys and girls at his shows. They all flopped around and flailed like they would die if Jongin got too close to them. If given the chance, most of them would probably just ask for cheesy things like playing couple games or having a pretend date just to appease their deluded fantasies. Jongin didn’t like the idea of entertaining someone who didn’t really know him and would willingly ignore his real personality just to make Jongin out to be what they picture him to be. Unfortunately, that description fit most if not all of Jongin’s fans. He learned long ago that it’s best to just not like fans. It was a lot easier to dislike them rather than getting disappointed when they ultimately turn their backs on him.

“Jongin, the fan will be here in ten. I need you out front and being polite.” Jongdae’s voice cut Jongin’s thoughts short. He heaved a deep sigh before making his way out toward the doors of the front office.

Minseok had spent the entire night flipping through the fan’s multiple social media accounts just to try to find out what exactly he was into. The most he could come up with was the fact that the fan liked black and cartoon penguins. So, Jongin was forced to wear black jeans, and a black embroidered penguin sweater. The outfit itself wouldn’t have been too bad if it wasn’t for the fact that it was 28 degrees celcius outside. He positioned him on the top step of the building and planted a smile on his face. He hoped it was convincing, because he was hell bent on holding the exact same smile for the duration of evening. All he needed to do was get some photos of him and the fan. It should be easy. Very easy.

“He’s here! They’re early and he’s here.” Minseok pushed past Jongin with Jongdae in tow. Minseok had been in a frazzle since Jongdae’s impromptu visit to the main office. Jongin guessed it was because Minseok was afraid Jongdae would connect Jongin’s failing career with Minseok’s managerial skills. Jongin felt bad for him. Minseok always tried his best and didn’t deserve to be under the same pressure he was.

Jongin squinted his eyes as he watched three figures emerge from a sleek black van, one of which in a wheelchair. He tried his best to scrape his memory to remember which of the people approaching him was the fan he met, but neither of the people looked remotely familiar. The boy in the wheelchair seemed oblivious to the world, and the blonde boy pushing him was beyond pretty. Jongin would have guessed the blonde was actually a girl had it not been for the prominent print in the saggy sweatpants he was wearing. There was one more figure walking at least ten steps behind the rest of them. He wore a black hoodie, black pants, black rimmed glasses, and had a black backpack in his hands. His eyebrows were furrowed so furiously that it looked as though he had a unibrow from afar. As the three figures approach, Jongin realized that their height was exceedingly small. He almost laughed, but he held it in like an expert. Jongdae seemed to be waiting for Jongin to say something, so he decided to start with a dazzling first impression. He’d spent the whole night studying a fact sheet about the fan's name, likes and dislikes, and strangely enough, his allergies. He wasn’t going to get the fan’s name wrong ever again. Do Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo.

“Kyu Dongsoo, welcome!” .

“Do you have brain damage? Is it really th