Read Part 1 HERE !
I arrived at the venue just before 4:30 PM. By this time, the lineup for P1 entry had already commenced.
My first order of business was to determine the location of fansites. Having reserved the PPP Cheering Set from spinoff, it was my duty to obtain and pay for the set before they packed up to enter the venue themselves.
Spinoff wasn’t the nicest person to interact with at first glance, but the transaction went smoothly, even though I did not bring exact change ($18 USD – sans EMS fees!!)
What followed was a seemingly endless wait to enter the internal quarters of the venue. SubK staff checked and scanned tickets during this time; a green wristband was given to us as well.
The security check also went smoothly, and most of us had filed into a sectioned gym area by 5:30 PM. I had made an earnest request to excuse myself in search of a bathroom once I had made it inside. By doing this, I had lost my original spot in the first half of the crowd and fell to the final third of attendees. Whether this change in order had altered my experience cannot be ascertained.
Hi-Touch commenced at roughly 6:10 PM as opposed to the scheduled 6:00 PM. The line began to shift forward gradually, and soon enough, it was my turn.
As with all Hi-Touches, I had come prepared. My legs were feeling feeble as our row stepped up. My heart swelled with nervous excitement and anticipation.
Like always, the anxiety disappeared the minute I began moving towards the boys. It was like seeing old friends – you know, the kind you always miss.
As with all Hi-Touches, I had come prepared. My legs were feeling feeble as our row stepped up. My heart swelled with nervous excitement and anticipation.
Like always, the anxiety disappeared the minute I began moving towards the boys. It was like seeing old friends – you know, the kind you always miss.
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The order was: Yugyeom, BamBam, Jinyoung, JB, Mark, Youngjae, Jackson
My biggest fear was the SubK would rush the hi-touch participants, and this was exactly the situation that took place. The entire scene appeared hurried for no reason whatsoever. A combination of SubK staff and venue staff were monitoring the entire scene with the eyes of a hawk, rushing and yelling at fans to keep moving.
I was able to greet the first two members with the words I had planned to say to them, but majority of my memory is foggy. I don’t even remember their faces, let alone their respective reactions.
My biggest fear was the SubK would rush the hi-touch participants, and this was exactly the situation that took place. The entire scene appeared hurried for no reason whatsoever. A combination of SubK staff and venue staff were monitoring the entire scene with the eyes of a hawk, rushing and yelling at fans to keep moving.
I was able to greet the first two members with the words I had planned to say to them, but majority of my memory is foggy. I don’t even remember their faces, let alone their respective reactions.
My personal recount is as follows:
- Yugyeom; “역시 막내 on top!” (translates to “As expected, maknae on top!”)
- BamBam; “Please never stop smiling!”
- Youngjae; “퉤영재 안녕!” (“Twe Youngjae, hello!”) I had intended to say “퉤수달 안녕!”, which was a combination of his own mispronounciation of “Choi” followed by a reference to his resemblance to otters, but did not succeed.
- Jinyoung: “Your songs give me so much strength!” was the phrase I managed to spit out in a ridiculously hurried manner. The Korean equivalent I had planned was much too long and wordy to remember, so I opted to relay my message in English in hopes that both of us could understand it in the milliseconds that I was provided. Recently, Jinyoung’s English has witnessed a stunning improvement, so I was certain that he could understand me.
- JB; A staff member had shouted at me to not grab the members’ hands, causing me to blank out on the spot instead of telling him “次のアルバムを楽しみ！”, which translates to “I’m looking forward to the next album!” in Japanese. It was an incredibly awkward moment where my concentration was broken and I merely stared at JB blankly. A total of five milliseconds passed before I could regain composure and touch his hand delicately. (ARGH!!)
- Mark; Still stunned from the backlash I received while interacting with JB, I did not have the brainpower to say anything to Mark. But, in all honesty, I didn’t know what to say to Mark anyways.
- Jackson; By the time I reached Jackson, I had recovered and was able to say, “唔好咁搏, 要休息呀!” (which translates to “Don’t stress out, (you) need to rest!” in Cantonese). Some attendees had reported Jackson looking uninterested and tired, but I was convinced that he had looked straight at me and acknowledged my words. Whether he will remember these words or not is a different story.
It took a great deal of concentration to utter the things I had so meticulously prepared. Regrettably, my efforts were shattered when rushed and imposed upon by a loud staff member. For all I can recall, I did not even get the chance to examine Jinyoung’s facial features in our brief interaction. In the few seconds that our eyes met, I didn’t even have the opportunity to gaze into his eyes or handsome face. SubK had stripped me of my allocated Hi-Touch rights.
As we departed the area, staff members rushed us outside of the venue yet again without break.
As we departed the area, staff members rushed us outside of the venue yet again without break.
Once Hi-Touch had concluded in all its frazzled frenzy, it was time to hunt for subsistence before the three-hour show. In retrospect, I had chosen the wrong path entirely; had I been aware of the barriers arranged before the main entrance of the venue in preparation for entry of P2 to P5 ticketholders, I would have rapidly removed myself from the stampede-to-be.
All of a sudden, I found myself, lightstick and fanboard still in hand, being dragged into the vacuum of eager attendees.
All of a sudden, I found myself, lightstick and fanboard still in hand, being dragged into the vacuum of eager attendees.
It wasn’t until a few minutes of armed combat (read: protecting my delicate personal belongings with elbow strength and the sheer will to survive) that my struggle ended and I emerged triumphant and intact on the other side of herd.
Across the street was Shake Shack – one of the spots I had eagerly added to my LA to-go list a year prior, only to neglect amidst the chaos of KCON.
The tables outside were occupied, as were all the spots in the burger shack’s interior. I took a few minutes with the menu after joining the slow-moving lineup, and eventually settled on the ShackBurger and a small Iced Tea.
As a first-time visitor, it would have been fitting to select the set of greatest popularity, namely the ShackBurger, crinkly Fries, and Concrete frozen custard shakes. However, it was in my best interest to keep my diet free from an excess of foreign materials to prevent protests from my digestive system during the upcoming show.
Orders were taken in a swift, no-nonsense manner: the cashier attendants were welcoming but not quite friendly in a genuine sense. Her tendencies were not rushed, though, despite the infinitely expanding crowd behind me.
Orders were taken in a swift, no-nonsense manner: the cashier attendants were welcoming but not quite friendly in a genuine sense. Her tendencies were not rushed, though, despite the infinitely expanding crowd behind me.
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A numbered buzzer was provided upon conclusion of the order. The intention was to alert customers or order completion without the need for a loud speaker/paging system.
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