So I feel a couple ways about fansigns in that I want to see VIXX and talk to them in theory, but I feel a lot of pressure about saying the right thing to the members. If you just go to one fansign in your life, you can think of something really significant and then say that and be done. On the other hand, if you go to lots of fansigns, you can just chat about whatever. However, if you go to just a handful, you’re caught in the in between where you do have more than one chance to talk to them, but really how much do they actually remember you? Also, it may be my imagination, but every other fansign I’ve been to has left something lacking. The other ones are great. This time it was the great kind’s turn to have a go.
I went somewhat early to the venue because I picked up a camera from a friend on the way there. The number I picked (out of 100) was right in the middle, which personally is great to me but for pictures/view in a flat room (without staggered seats;;) is not great. Anywho, I was sitting there, and a friend of mine came over to ask me to film her while she went up. The person next to me must have heard me talking to her in Korean (mostly listening, but still) because after a while, she talked to me. She asked me (super politely and hesitantly) for a post-it, so I told her I got mine from the fan staff. It turned out to be her first fansign, so she was nervous. I told her I was nervous even though it wasn’t my first fansign. And I was. I was so nervous before going up to talk to them, but the thing is, I wasn’t nervous about being near VIXX, I was nervous because I didn’t know what to say. I think this is why I was nervous for the second 도원경 fansign too. Anywho, she and I chatted a bit here and there during the fansign and that was fun and helped my nerves.
I noticed Leo doing this...dumb thing where he was like granting people permission to approach him with a nod of his head. He was the first one in the line up and thus had such power. I guess it went to his head. One time in particular he even held his hand up so the person stopped before he decided they could approach him and nodded his head. This guy smh
Unfortunately, despite my frantically trying to jot down all that happened right when I sat down after talking to all of them, I managed to garble and forget some parts of what happened. This is my attempt at an ‘accurate’ replay of the signings.
As I have mentioned, I was rather nervous before going up to the stage, but upon actually approaching VIXX, I calmed down. Or rather, I wasn’t actually nervous. So I go up to the (unfairly gorgeous silver-haired beauty) Jung Taekwoon. I had sort of tried to think of some things to say, but I didn’t exactly get to say...anything I had wanted to really. Seriously, this guy;; I went up and he said “Hi,” so I said “hi” back. Then he said, “It’s been a while.” Which. It sort of had been? I mean, it depends what he was referring to. I saw him at his musical? And I had seen him the day before at Music Core (where he definitely didn’t see me). If he meant it had been a while since we’d been face-to-face...yeah. It had been about 6 months now that I think of it. Back to the fansign though, Leo glanced at the postcard I had written him and started chatting away. (Now I realize this may have been somewhat my fault because my first line of the letter was something about me possibly not having anything to say at the fansign. He glanced at what I had written and must have seen something about my dream because he suddenly asked what my dream was. I told him I want to be a translator and he immediately said he knows I will become one. Thanks Leo. (This Leo was such a turn around from the poor baby I saw at the LR fansign I went to. Poor sick babyㅠㅠ) He looked at the postcard I gave another time and realized there was Japanese on it. For some reason he was ridiculously surprised and said, “Japanese?!” So I told him I went to Japan. Which he then repeated. So I added that yes, I went, and I saw the hamjji that was so cute (on the postcard) that I had to buy it. He sort of ignored that comment...as he does. He also asked if I like Korea and why I do. I was reminded of the time during a 도원경 fansign when Ken asked what I like best about Korea. Upon hesitating, he offered the answer of “VIXX”, which I readily agreed was the best thing. I tried to use this answer with Leo, but I don’t know if he found it to be too jokey or what, but he was unsatisfied. He further asked if I like Korean food. (Yes.) Then asked if I liked spicy food. (Also yes.) I really feel like I’ve missed something here though because the flow of the conversation seems off...Anyway, we ended with him thanking me and 오래보자s to each other, so I won’t complain. (Except I looked at a video of me that my friend took and realized that I talked to Leo the least of all the membersㅠㅠㅠ He was leading the conversation too muchㅠㅠAgain. However, my friend reminded me that his asking me questions meant he was curious about me, so I feel better about it all haha)
Ravi was after Leo and somehow we managed to not be awkward! It is a miracle! I seriously thought that Ravi and I would be awkward with each other for all of eternity, but finally after 2.5 years of seeing him, 4 other fansigns, and semi-talking to hims once, we may have escaped Awkward Land! I think the first thing he asked me was how I have been (in English), to which I responded in Korean that I was doing well. I had already planned to talk to him about his lyrics/songs, so I told him that I like Navy & Shining Gold. I said I particularly liked the part in the song about being sorry. I also explained that I translate his songs and they are usually really hard (but this one wasn’t). He said hard at like the same time as me too though haha. (I think this was when he said sorry in English.) He said that he should make them easier, but I said no. I like that his lyrics are hard to express in another language because that means they are poetic. I feel like we might have mentioned something else here because we talked for a bit...strange. Anyway, we ended with the typical see you agains. (A side note: I kept being distracted by Ravi’s eyebrow?? The one with the scratch through it?? I kept looking at it when we talked. Even though he had a tissue sticking out of his nose as well because he had a nose bleedㅠㅠ)
Next was our Hyuk baby! I always struggle with what to say to Hyogi because...I don’t know he seems like such a mystery. This time I was prepared with a comment about his song on the album Good Day. I went up and he said hello (안녕하세요), and I replied with the same. I told him that he makes songs really well and that I quite like Good Day. I said that when I just hear the song, I feel great. To which Hyuk replied, “Oh really?” ...This kid;; I added that I like his other songs too. 안아줄게 and Milky Way. He’s really good at making exciting songs. However, this kid continued to not give me any material to work with and said, “Really? Thank you~” At this point, there was a pause where we were just looking at each other and blinking. Upon watching the video my friend shot of me, I couldn’t find this pause, but I swear there was oneㅠㅠ Silly time slowing down on me. Anyway, I figured we shouldn’t just stare at each other for eternity, but I didn’t know what to say anymore and Hyuk wasn’t helping me out either. So I literally said, “I don’t know what I should say.” Then Hyuk smoothly asked where I came from. I decided to lighten the atmosphere by saying the part of Seoul I came from, which made him laugh. (Success!) I continued by telling him I am from California. Then he just said, “California wine!” Cue me not knowing exactly what to do with that semi-statement. I asked if he likes wine, so he said yes and asked for a recommendation. Good thing I like wine too, but honestly I’m still figuring out what I like (and have a bias toward Italian wines for some reason). I thought of this almond wine I’d enjoyed before and tried to describe it. I ended with saying it was a sparkling wine, and Hyuk said, “Oh~ sparkling wine!” That was when he said thanks and we exchanged ‘see you agains.’
Ahhh, then N was nextㅠㅠㅠㅠ He is such a sweetheart and makes my heart all warm and fuzzy every fansign I go to. He seriously must steal so many hearts at fansigns. He makes you feel so special and noticed, you know? I went up to him and he said he remembers me. I wasn’t particularly surprised at this point because I have seen VIXX quite a few times, I know they’ve seen me a few times at least, and I am visually rather different than most fans. Anyway, he said he remembered me and that it had been a long time, right? On the spur of the moment I decided to ask if he knew how long it had been since I started coming to see them. He thought for a moment. Then he said, “I don’t remember exactly, but...3 years?” Although he was asking, his expression was expectant that he was pretty close. I was so...not exactly surprised but happy maybe? I told him it had been almost 3 years. I went to VIXX N Kpop sometimes back in the day. He nodded in understanding saying that that must be why he remembers my face. I told him that back then I didn’t know Korean. He seemed a bit surprised and said my Korean is good now (thanks haha). N said he hoped the radio was helpful and I made sure to say that it really was because he speaks so clearly. And then at the end he said “see you again^^”
Oh Kenneth. That kid was next. He...is always a fun one. He will probably always start in English. He said it had been a long time, so I responded in English that it had been. When he asked if I had been doing well, though, I switched to Korean to say I am doing well. I don’t recall if either of us said much else yet, but I overheard the person next to me speaking to Hongbin in Japanese. That really threw me off because my brain was suddenly like, “Japanese! You should listen to it! I don’t know what Korean isㅇㅅㅇ” I literally put my hands up to block the sound from my right side, and poor little Ken was so confused. I finally got across the point that my problem was hearing the Japanese next to me. The confusion (which he was trying to hide) immediately lifted from his face. Confusion turned to him being impressed and asking if I knew Japanese too. He was like, “You speak 3 languages? Korean, Japanese, and English?” So I told him my history of translating VIXX stuff, starting with Japanese and now mostly just doing Korean. He told me I am a genius (in English). More specifically he said, “Genius이네요!”ㅋㅋㅋ I of course denied being a genius and we said see you again before I moved on.
Last was Hongbin...with whose interaction I don’t remember very wellㅠㅠ I do know that he said my name (which I just love when he says). Then Ken leaned over (because no one was in front of him yet) and told Hongbin that I know Japanese too. Hongbin was impressed and asked how I learned Korean, so I told him. I also semi-jokingly said that VIXX helped me. (But really though.) I told him that I sort of picked up some of the members’ speech patterns because I had watched so much of their stuff, haha. I think he was somewhat amused at that (or didn’t believe me, who knows?). He also asked where I came from, so I asked if he meant now. He said originally, so I told him I was from California but now live in the area of Seoul I live in. He asked (again--see 도원경 fansign #1) how long I have liked VIXX. I said about 4 years (to keep it simple seeing as that is when I feel I became a fan rather than just liking them). He thought I said 3 years though, so I corrected him. He seemed a bit impressed at the length. I think that is all we talked about before saying our goodbyes.
After going through and getting signatures from and talking to everyone, I had to wait a while for everyone to finish. At the end, 2 people were selected to ask questions. One person asked about the order of VIXX’s names in the fanchant for My Valentine. N explained that the order was just the order that the members stand up for the choreography. (The fanchant was changed to this to match the members standing up instead of the usual age order chant.) They also shared how the members almost laughed when the fans were confused that 2 members were standing up at a time (because the music show they were on had cut the song slightly without warning the fans;;). The second question was whether they had cried when listening to a song before. They each went through and answered and they said goodbye and left. (Leo kept waving until the very end and poked his head back out after the door closed. He even opened the 2nd door, which they hadn’t gone through, to wave again. The fan manager had to point that out for us to see because everyone was already getting up to go. That precious kidㅠㅠ
