Idol Hides His Military Service

6 a.m.

It was still an early hour to be up and moving, but the airport was busy.

Incheon Airport. Packed with everyone from the people who worked there to the people who had gathered to catch a flight, this place didn’t look relaxed at all just because it was 6 a.m. on a weekday.

"Should be about time, right?"

"Isn’t that black van over there?"

"Looks like it."

And at that Incheon Airport, entertainment reporter Lee Daeho—who had come out to claim a good spot for photos—listened to the surrounding commotion and got ready to raise his camera.

'Man, do I really have to come out and shoot airport photos at my seniority?'

Even among reporters, there were jobs you couldn’t separate from airports, and those were sports reporters and entertainment reporters.

If you wanted even one line of an interview or even one photo, you had to go to the airport—because that was a reporter’s fate.

Especially these days, entertainment reporters were going to airports more often to film idols whose overseas schedules had increased sharply.

[Exy departing for a fan meeting in China]

(Departure photos of the Exy members)

↳ SY works our kids way too hard, seriously

↳ What, they finish promotions in Korea and immediately go overseas with no rest period?

↳ You can tell they’re tired just looking at their eyes

↳ Still, seeing their casual outfits cleanses my eyes...

↳ They dress so clean and neat, for real

↳ What brand is the outfit Yuhyun is wearing?

Was it because, unlike on broadcasts, you could see an idol’s casual outfits?

Idol fans especially loved airport photos.

Thanks to that, entertainment reporters ended up going to the airport as part of daily life before they even realized it, just to satisfy that reader demand.

"Yes, this Wednesday at 6 a.m., arrival at the airport. Thank you, reporter."

Also, since it was a good thing for an agency if even one more line about their group came out, they would tell reporters they had connections with about the departure news.

Asia Star News, where Daeho worked, also had a good relationship with KJ Entertainment—no, more precisely, KJ Media—so Daeho received the information and came out today to photograph Iam’s departure.

But—

"Hey, don’t push!"

"We have to take pictures too! Old guys, move!"

"No, we’re reporters!"

"We came to take pictures of them too!"

Contrary to what you might think, shooting celebrity airport photos wasn’t easy.

First, you had to compete with other reporters to claim the best spot, hoping for a better photo or maybe even a single line of comment.

And it wasn’t just entertainment reporters—there were also stalker fans and fansite masters who followed idols around, figuring out schedules and coming to take pictures, so it usually turned into a madhouse.

"What is it, why are they blocking the way?"

"This is so annoying."

"Who’s coming this time?"

Because this kind of thing happened so often that people were even saying “airport nuisance” lately, the ones who suffered were ordinary airport users.

"They’re here!!!"

Daeho, squeezed between reporters and fans and desperately waiting for Iam to arrive, finally saw a black van pull up at the departure gate number the agency had told him, and immediately raised his camera.

'It’s hard to even get usable casual-outfit shots of Iam.'

But Daeho wasn’t expecting much today.

Because Iam’s casual outfits were famous for being a complete miss.

[Sion, please... please wear something cute]

(A photo of Lee Sion paying for cola at a convenience store while wearing pajama pants and a hood pulled over the head)

↳ What is that pair of pants, is it a security blanket?

↳ Ever since Agbaek until now, why are Lee Sion’s casual photos always only those clothes?

↳ This is driving me insane—Lee Sion keeps going out like that because it’s still forgivable, right?

↳ KJ, do you not manage your idols?

↳ Tell the stylist to work!

Lee Sion was famous for showing up at convenience stores and restaurants around the dorm in the same outfit every time.

At this point, Lee Sion’s fuzzy pink pajama pants were basically a trademark.

The knees and the butt were shiny from how much they’d been worn, and the pants had even earned the glory of becoming the number one outfit fans wanted to rip apart.

And the bigger problem was—

"Why does Ryu Ayeon have those legs and still wear only sweats every day!"

"Shinyu... everything else is fine, can you please stop wearing that I Love Jeju T-shirt?"

"Can someone please smash those X-ass glasses, please!!! Ryujin, where did you even buy those?"

"Yuri is a princess, yeah, wear that frilly dress—honestly, the more I see it, the prettier it looks."

The other members weren’t much better than Lee Sion in terms of fashion sense, either.

If there was any hope at all—

[Gahyeon, are you trying to kill me on purpose?]

(A photo of Lee Gahyeon at a cafe in a refined outfit)

↳ The vibe is insane, she looks like an actor, not an idol

↳ Lee Gahyeon is tall and has that clean, open face, so clothes look amazing on her

↳ She looks like a career woman out of a drama

↳ Is it because her actual age is the closest to a career woman too?

↳ Address

↳ Almost typed it

[Yunkyung’s casual fashion sense is so good]

「She dresses exactly right for her age range, and the brands and matching are so good

I’m a middle school teacher, and kids these days copy Yunkyung’s outfits all the time」

↳ She mixes expensive brands with cheap stuff and it looks natural

↳ It’s not too simple and not too much, so it feels easy to copy

↳ She uses accessories really well too

↳ How is it that in Iam, only the youngest and the oldest dress like normal people!

↳ Do extremes connect or what?

Lee Gahyeon and Im Yunkyung were Iam fans’ only hope, showing a level of casual fashion sense that you could rank among celebrities, not just Iam.

'If the editor rejects this again because they don’t like it, I’m seriously turning in my resignation.'

Entertainment news outlets, especially entertainment-focused ones, couldn’t afford to end up on bad terms with agencies.

So in many cases, they wouldn’t post unflattering photos of celebrities if they could help it.

Just imagining the possibility that the Iam members might show up dressed terribly and he wouldn’t be able to use the photos was enough to make Daeho feel sick.

But—

Click! Click!!

"What the hell, Iam members are insane today?"

"This is crazy... it’s not even an awards show and they put this much power into their outfits?"

"Wow, they’re seriously pretty—aren’t they actor-level at this point?"

"This is insane... the editor-in-chief is going to be grinning."

"Shoot!!! I don’t care if the camera storage explodes today, just shoot everything!!!"

Seeing the seven girls step out of the van, Daeho couldn’t even keep talking—he could only blankly press the shutter.

Each Iam member stepped down wearing clothes that matched that member’s image.

Lee Gahyeon was in a chic suit, and next to her Seo Ryujin wore a cardigan and a skirt.

Ryu Ayeon wore a slightly different cardigan than Seo Ryujin’s, with jeans, and Geum Shinyu ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) wore a shirt and black slacks.

As for Yuri, Yuri wore a blazer and jeans—completely different from the long, drapey clothes Yuri usually wore—and Yunkyung wore a clean collared shirt with a cute skirt.

And finally, Lee Sion stepped out of the van last.

"···."

In the departure hall, where people had been shouting while photographing the members who got out first, a sudden silence fell.

Tap.

A long black jacket with striking white line details. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Inside it, Lee Sion wore a crisp white shirt, and on the bottom, a light-gray mini skirt.

When Lee Sion stepped down wearing an outfit that looked like officewear and also like a casual going-out look, the gathered reporters and fans could only stare blankly.

[Isn’t Lee Sion top-tier even among actors, not just idols?]

(A photo of Lee Sion saluting in a uniform outfit on the Agbaek final round stage)

「Lee Sion is obviously top among idols, and honestly, I think Lee Sion is the prettiest out of all celebrities」

↳ Have you never seen photos where idols and actors are in the same shot?

↳ Even idols people call the best can’t compete with actors

↳ Lee Sion might be able to, though

↳ That’s all stage lighting and styling

↳ For real, once you see actors in person, you won’t be able to talk

↳ Comparing idols and actors is seriously hilarious—why do idol stans not know their place?

Lee Sion’s looks had been famous since before debut, back in the Agbaek days.

"Who is that blue-eyed one in Agbaek?"

Since Lee Sion had looks that stood out even among Agbaek’s hundred trainees, Lee Sion pulled people’s attention with looks alone.

And as Agbaek continued, and now after debut, Lee Sion was being evaluated as having the best visuals among idols by far.

However—

"Kyaaaah."

Since Lee Sion constantly spat out Three Kingdoms and Legend of Valley and caused incidents and accidents with every action, the public had ended up focusing more on Lee Sion’s personality and behavior than on Lee Sion’s looks.

On top of that, since Lee Sion didn’t dress up at all off-stage, there were a lot of people who had never once seen Lee Sion properly put together outside of stage outfits and makeup.

"Lee Sion would be no joke if Lee Sion actually dressed up properly, right?"

How else could you explain fans making plans to donate clothes for Lee Sion’s birthday that was coming up soon?

Fans’ wish, praying desperately to see Lee Sion properly dressed up at least once.

Today, that wish was coming true.

'This is beyond top-actor level!'

Daeho thought, watching Lee Sion step out of the van and walk little by little toward the members.

Thom Browne.

All the Iam members were beautiful in outfits from a famous brand Daeho knew well, but Lee Sion was on a different level.

Lee Daeho was getting hit with a shock even greater than the shock Daeho had felt back at a film festival, seeing top actor Kim Heesoo—who was currently said to be the prettiest in the country.

How could you even put this into words?

When the photos Daeho took today were released, what kind of reactions would people have?

Would people still be able to say idols couldn’t beat actors in looks?

While a thousand different thoughts crossed through Daeho’s head, Lee Sion had already stepped in among the members.

Click!

Waaaaa!!!

The moment Lee Sion stood among the members and Iam was finally complete, there were only two sounds.

Cheering and shutter clicks.

The atmosphere was feverish, like being at a concert hall.

Step.

And as if responding to that cheering, Lee Sion—standing in formation—started walking little by little toward the reporters and fans.

Lee Sion came right up close.

Seeing Lee Sion up close made that unbelievable face even harder to believe, and people were spellbound, gasping in admiration.

Lee Sion watched that and gave a faint smile.

'This is insane. This is a jackpot! If I hadn’t come today, I would’ve regretted it for the rest of my life.'

Then, after sweeping a glance over the reporters and fans, Lee Sion finally opened the mouth.

"All personnel, one step back!"

***

"Take as many as you want here."

"The background here is a little lacking, though..."

"Hey now, the airport belongs to everyone. If you do that over there, other people get hurt."

"Fine. Then pose for us, at least!"

"Okay, here comes the pose!"

I never imagined this many people would flood the airport.

Today was the day the collaboration between us and Thom Browne was being revealed for the first time, so we had to be fully prepared.

We went to the shop at dawn to get makeup and hair done, then arrived at the airport early in the morning.

As for the outfits, Thom Browne even sent a coordinator separately just for today, so the members and I only had to wear what we were told to wear.

'If we dress up this much and nobody’s here, it’ll be so humiliating.'

'Still, didn’t the company call reporters?'

'But wearing these makes us look like real celebrities.'

Outfits completely different from what we usually wore, and not stage makeup but everyday makeup too—so the members had a totally different feel from usual.

"Sion, you’re seriously insane!"

I felt awkward in this look, but since everyone from the shop stylists to company employees were making a huge fuss calling me pretty, I decided to just accept it.

After we finished all prep and arrived at the airport, we got out of the van and saw a crowd waiting for us—dozens, no, easily a hundred people.

With camera flashes and shutters going off nonstop, it was hard to even keep my eyes open properly.

Whether it was reporters or even our fans, the area around the departure hall looked like absolute chaos, and—

"Who the hell is here that they’re blocking the way like this?"

I could hear the airport users’ complaints cutting through the reporters’ and fans’ cheering at us.

This place was a spot other passengers used too, so it was obvious we’d be causing a ton of trouble if we stayed here.

"Why are you taking pictures here?"

"Uh... well, other groups all take them here too, and the photos come out well, so?"

"Hm..."

I was extremely dissatisfied.

When I asked manager Yunsik why we were taking photos in this hectic space, and got “the pictures come out well” and “other groups do it here too” as the reasons, I thought, no. This isn’t it.

So I walked straight toward the reporters and fans without hesitation.

"If you go that close, it’s dangerous!"

Yunsik and Jiu were horrified and tried to stop me when they saw that, but I wasn’t very tense.

If someone tried to rush me like back in Myeongdong, couldn’t I just knock that person down?

In reality, nobody rushed me at all.

"This is a nuisance, so let’s go somewhere else and take pictures."

And I led the reporters and fans to a quieter place inside the airport.

At first, a few reporters grumbled, asking why we had to move when we could just shoot here, but when I stared quietly, they avoided my gaze and followed along obediently.

Of course, if it ended there, the reporters’ dissatisfaction could grow, so after we moved, I posed for photos the way they wanted and let them shoot.

"Is this U.S. trip for Iam just for the music video shoot?"

"I don’t know the details, but maybe the company will let us travel a bit while we’re in the U.S.?"

"Have you heard anything?"

"No. If there isn’t anything, I’m planning to sneak out at night and roam around anyway."

"Lee Sion escaping the company’s shackles... okay."

I also gave a little interview to the reporters who followed instructions well.

"Sion, you’re so pretty today!!!"

"Xie-xie. Arigato, Yours."

And I had to walk up to the fans who came all the way to the airport and sign for them, doing fan service too.

All the members, including me, were getting grabbed and having a hard time in our own ways.

The crowd at the airport had flustered us, but still, these were fans who came all the way to the airport just to see us, so we couldn’t treat them carelessly.

"Please hand letters to us."

"If you push, someone could get hurt, so please follow control!"

Manager Yunsik and Jiu were trying to control the fans and protect us any way they could.

I was worried an accident might happen, so I had no choice but to step in again.

"I am not running anywhere, so everyone, keep order!"

"Sion!!! This is a letter and a gift—please take it!"

"Take the gift and give it to your parents. I’ll gratefully accept only the letter."

"But I want to give you the gift too..."

"Hey! Are you trying to make me into someone who doesn’t know right from wrong?"

"Okay..."

"Instead, let’s take a picture with me!"

"Really?! Thank you!!!"

I signed and took photos one by one with the fans surrounding us, and when some fans brought expensive-looking gifts, I politely sent those back.

'Who am I? A monster idol who pulled in seventy million won in a single quarter.'

If I accepted gifts, other fans who saw it might later overextend themselves and bring expensive gifts too, and that would be a problem.

Seeing that the other members also accepted only letters and refused gifts across the board, I felt weirdly proud.

'Is this why Raon said we had to get to the airport early?'

Raon made us prepare from dawn, insisting we had to get here far earlier than the flight time, and my coup meter had started to fill up a little—but only now did I understand.

After we satisfied reporters and fans for a while, we were finally able to go through departure procedures.

"Ohhh, so this is the airport lounge?!"

Because the company booked our seats as business class, we could use the airport lounge freely, resting while waiting for the flight.

If it’s break time, then a smartphone is mandatory.

Like always, I pulled my phone out, went into the portal site’s main page expecting to see what fun incident had blown up today—

But what was posted there was the photos of us that had just been taken at the airport.