Note: Before everything, I need to tell everyone now. Do not forget to look at the author's notes at the bottom of every chapter. It may contain some hints, teasers, or important announcements about D-Tour, okay? I don't want to make a new chapter every freaking time I need to tell everyone something [unless it's super important]. So never forget the A/N below. It will be your bff during the course of D-Tour. I'm only doing this note before the chapter once, btw. It's irritating to me when I read things and the A/N is above the chapter. :c

.oOo.

D-Tour’s manager draws attention for stunning good looks!
by AKApop – September 22, 2010 at 10:37 pm



D-Tour’s handsome manager has been spotted very recently in the newest episode of SBS’s“Stop and Ask for Directions With D-Tour!”

He appeared on the show for only a few minutes to joke around with the girls after they’d reach his hometown in Jeju-do. However, for the short time he had appeared, it seems he has definitely attracted a lot of attentions from the viewers with his masculine features, lean figure, stylish fashion, and flawless face.

Netizens have been scouring deep for any sort of information concerning the handsome manager and was fairly surprised to have found out that he had once been a famous ulzzang and a model for an online shop.

Several comments were made such as, “Very handsome indeed. Such a pity…”, “He could’ve been mistaken as an idol if no one said he was a manager.”, and “D-Tour is surrounded by good-looking men…”

Source: Star News via Naver

.oOo.

Timeline: April 5, 2009

“Hello everyone, my name is Lee Tae Jun.”

He bows ninety degrees and stands straight once more with a calming smile on his face. The five girls, drained from practice and stress, immediately respond with a bow of their own, though their eyes are consequently trained on the handsome young man in front of them.

He isn’t much older than them, probably only a few years older than their leader and oldest, Seo Jaehwa. He’s slim, and yet fit to an extent – and could easily be mistaken as an idol by random people in the street. His face could be made out of porcelain, with flawless and sharp features. He has a very handsome smile, effortless and friendly. And yet, they have to admit the most intriguing part of him is not any of these, but that indescribable glint in his sharp, dark eyes.

“From today onwards, I’ll be your trainer.” He pauses and looks upwards with a curious look on his face. “Well, actually, I’m officially one of the company’s managers. But a manager would be for official groups, right? So I guess a trainer would be the appropriate title for me.” He nods, mostly to himself.

Seo Nara, their maknae, keeps quiet as the handsome young man continues to talk to himself. She thinks he’s going crazy but then again, everyone in the entertainment world was too.

“Well, I’m not actually a trainer, per se. I’m just here to oversee your training. And you know, probably pick out whom I think is the best of the best in this cluster to star in SM Entertainment’s newest project girl group – not that I’m saying any of that is actually true. Oho, the rumors you hear nowadays are definitely something, you know?” he laughs, as if whatever he has said is funny. The girls may have been captivated the moment he flashed his smile towards them, but they are certainly hanging onto his every word now that he has mentioned the probability of a debut.

Nara deems this young man is as talkative as he is handsome. She casts a sideways glance towards their cluster’s power house [because she knows no other way to describe this girl who can sing and move as well as she can rap and groove], Ryu Nayeon and decrees inside her head that she would be a perfect pair for this Lee Tae Jun character.

[Because they have the same charisma, she decides. Nara finds the girl very amiable, not that she’d ever say so.]

Tae Jun’s monologue goes for around fifteen minutes more, not that anyone minds. Nara acknowledges the fact that so long as their manager is good looking, most of the girls in the room will be completely and utterly fine having to be talked to death if their murderer is even half as gorgeous as Lee Tae Jun.

“…alright, so, I hope everyone got everything, then?” he smiles and his eyes light up with the mirth of a child. “Do any of you have any questions for me, then?”

One hand instantly shoots up in the air and the rest of the cluster tries to hold in their groans.

Nanahara Suzuki – also known to most female trainees as the number one flirt and occasionally the boyfriend stealer – smiles sweetly, and gains a positively angelic look.

Nara hears their leader Jaehwa from beside her, praying silently to have any universal force stop her from decapitating the younger girl, because that would be rude to their guest. Jaehwa keeps an eye trained on the younger girl though, as if ready to pounce if the situation needs it to be.

[Nara also finds this girl odd but does not comment on it. She has known people far odder than her.]

“Yes?”

“How old are you, sir? Or would you rather we call you by your first name? Tae Jun-ssi? Or is that too informal for your tastes as well.” She asks, genuinely curious. Or she could very well be simply trying to flirt with this young man. Nara is not too sure; maybe a mix of both.

The rest don’t seem to be too keen on the idea.

[But then again, Nara doesn’t think anyone could understand Nanahara as she can. But then again, Nara doesn’t think anyone could understand Nanahara’s thinking, period.]

“I want to say it’s a secret because no one really should reveal one’s age so easily. But it certainly is safe to say I’m most probably older than any of you.” He smiles and winks and even the leader hears several subtle swoons from the girls. “And ‘sir’ is too… old. I’m not that old, yet. And Tae Jun-ssi is too formal. I want to be the guy you girls can depend on, like a brother! So just call me oppa, okay?”

A chorus of sighing yes escapes their lips and it takes them another moment to register everyone had done it. Lee Na Na awkwardly coughs and shakes her head a little, trying to hide her embarrassment and putting back her fierce and charismatic look.

“So, uhm, you said something about debuting… do you mean they’re starting to pick out some of us already?” she asks coolly, inspecting her nails as if it’s no big deal. Of course it’s no real big deal for her. Nothing is.

[Or so Nara thinks. She isn’t too sure about her, far too intimidated by her charisma to even approach her properly.]

Tae Jun smiles whimsically and balances on the balls of his feet. “Oh, I never said anything about that…” he mumbles with a far-away look. He’s acting childish and no one is too sure if this is a turn-off for them, or positively adorable. “But I never said anything to contradict that either, did I? But I do suppose it would be rather… good to have one of you girls fulfilled your dreams, right?”

He is aggravating the girls even more. Nara can tell he knows what he’s doing as she finally recognizes the glint in his eyes. She doesn’t know how to describe it but she knows it’s not something she’d be proud of.

[Nara is not sure if she likes him. Nara is not sure if she is being judgmental either.]

“Oh, just tell us will you?” Jaehwa snaps. Even their leader seems to be anxious with whatever hidden meaning there is behind Lee Tae Jun’s words. Nayeon steps up and crosses her arms over her chest, a smirk placed carefully on her pretty face.

“I agree, oppa,” She stresses the words in a playful manner. “Come on, we’re big girls. We can handle a little bit of truth.”

Tae Jun keeps his tongue in his mouth and grins brightly instead. He makes a zipping motion over his lips before winking back at them again.

Nara decides that no one really is in their right mind when touched by the drug that is the fame and fortune and every other benefit of the Entertainment world.

Tae Jun waves them all goodbye and tells them to keep working hard as he will keep an eye on them constantly. Nanahara once more says an inappropriate, flirty comment and Nayeon has to retort sarcastically for her to shut up and glare. But Tae Jun merely laughs it off and bids them good luck and drops another hint of that mystery project group. He closes the door and the girls all know not all of them will make it.

They exchange wary glances, but their stances are confident and fiercer than ever.

[Nara thinks not even she is immune to the poison of show business]
 

.oOo.

A/N: I'm sorry for not posting this sooner but I didn't finish on time and I was away yesterday [watched the Hunger Games - asdfghjkl.] Also, is it completely different from what you've expected from the teaser? Well I just live to disappoint~ /SHOTDEAD. Okay, okay. So maybe the teaser was actually what happened after the chapter - it's still considered, right? Right? D:

By the way, major props to my ever so amazing Nikki [dominikki] for helping me with D-Tour's own variety show, "Stop and Ask for Directions with D-Tour". She is amazing. And so is everyone else, okay.

The uhlzzang I used is Gwak Min Jun, btw. Don't worry though - Lee Tae Jun is only the main manager [the one who manages the group's schedule as a whole]. There are a whole lot more gorjass managers to come. Because every idol needs to have a manger, amirite.

Also, applications are officially CLOSED. I'm only waiting for one more application before I finally decide. I'll be posting that wikipedia page to tell you guys who I picked. So until that goddamn page is up, those picked will be kept a secret. [Unless you can see the hints in the chapters... or can read my mind. e_e] so until then, feel free to send in ideas [scandals, possible news headlines, varieties, etc.].

G'luck to everyone!
-Gie