Of heartfelt moments and human barricades: Byeon Woo-seok Manila fan meeting
During shows, certain members of the Pulp team are given walkie-talkies so they can communicate properly with the rest of the staff. The first time I was given one, I was petrified by the prospect of it switching on and hearing a voice issuing a command through lots of crackling and static. My worst nightmare came true after the 2024 Byeon Woo-seok Asia Fan Meeting Tour: Summer Letter in Manila at the New Frontier Theater last June 22.
After the show ended and the last few fans had trickled out the exits, my teammates and I packed up our things and made our way back inside the theater. We planned to pass through the event bowl on our way to the backstage area, but we were stopped by a member of the crew, who asked us to let them finish dismantling some equipment onstage first. So, we sat down in what had been the VIP section to wait.
Suddenly, the walkie-talkie clipped to one of my teammates’ belts crackled to life, and we heard a woman’s voice saying urgently, “Lahat ng Pulp staff, labas kayo dito sa backstage area kasi dinudumog yung artist.”
We exploded out of our seats. We literally dropped everything we were holding and raced towards the exit that led to the artists’ entrance. The moment I passed through the door, I was buffeted by a wall of sound. I was disoriented for a few seconds because I could hear nothing but screaming. Then it clicked: it was the fans who had waited around at the venue for a glimpse of Byeon Woo-seok. They were yelling at the top of their lungs because they saw him leave the building, wave for a bit, and then disappear into the long black car that would take him back to his hotel.
That fact had barely registered in my brain when one of the bouncers ran up to us. He instructed us to form a human barricade to keep the fans from spilling out into the street, allowing Byeon Woo-seok’s car to pass safely. We leapt into action, fanning out along the sidewalk and linking arms. My muscles screamed in protest as I dug in my heels, leaning back with all my weight to keep the fans at bay. It felt like a wave of humanity crashing against us, each surge threatening to topple our fragile line.
The strain was evident on the faces of the other Pulp staffers, their knuckles white as they gripped each other’s arms, determined not to break. No matter where I looked, I could see my teammates struggling to maintain their balance, trying to keep from being knocked off their feet by the fans who were pushing and pulling in an attempt to get as close to Byeon Woo-seok’s car as possible. The air was thick with the mingled scents of sweat and anticipation, the fans’ pleas and security’s shouts blending into a single, urgent roar.
As hard as that moment was for all of us, I personally couldn’t blame the fans who wanted to catch a glimpse of the Lovely Runner actor. During the show, I saw for myself how charming, gracious (and yes, handsome) he was. When the fan meeting began, the audience was transported to the runways of Paris and Milan for a bit, because the way he walked onstage reminded people that he used to be a fashion model before getting his big break as an actor.
A segment titled “Every Moment with Sunjae” saw him reenact scenes from Lovely Runner, with some lucky fans plucked from the audience to play Im Sol, his character Ryu Sunjae’s love interest, played by Korean actress Kim Hye Yoon on the show. The first part of the segment saw Byeon Woo-seok and one lucky fan recreate the infamous photo booth scene from the show, to the delight of the audience. But it was his reenactment of the “cherry blossom” scene with another fan that really brought the house down.
In another segment, he sat down with Kring Elenzano-Kim, the host of the fan meeting and a beloved friend of the Pulp Live World family, to play a few games. The most hilarious part of the evening came when he was challenged to ride a minibike. He tried pedaling but struggled because of his towering height. In the end, he passed the challenge with flying colors by using his feet to propel himself and the minibike forward.
Later on, he played the “Manila-cation Balance Game,” where he had to choose between two things. He picked visiting tourist spots over a hotel staycation, “no pictures while traveling” over “no music while traveling,” and “staying in a haunted house” over “staying in a cockroach-infested hotel.” Funnily enough, at first, he picked the cockroach-infested hotel, but he later changed his answer to the haunted house.
But the fan meeting wasn’t all fun and games. It was also filled with heartfelt moments. When he sat down to watch a VCR with sweet messages from different fans, he was so moved he burst into tears. It started a little funny, though, since there was a short clip of the fans singing and dancing like Im Sol when the latter greeted Kim Tae Sung, her first crush in 2009. But it wasn’t only the fans who surprised Byeon Woo-seok; he also prepared something for the audience. A hush fell over the Filipino TongTongs as a letter he wrote for them flashed onscreen.
When the VCR finished playing, he confided to his fans that he felt unwell and was worried about not being able to give his best during the event. “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy this moment with you because of my health,” he began, then explained that the fans’ love and support gave him the strength he needed to carry on. “Your energy helped me enjoy the fan meeting, even though I felt emotional and overwhelmed.”
The fan meeting ended with Byeon Woo-seok singing I Think I Did and Sonaki (Sudden Shower), both of which appeared on the soundtrack of Lovely Runner. As he bade farewell to the fans, he said, “I’m very, very happy and this is truly a fan meet that I’ll never forget.”
Neither will the Pulp staff. As his car inched slowly down General Roxas Avenue, Byeon Woo-seok rolled down the windows to wave goodbye to those gathered outside the New Frontier Theater. Even as the crowd surged behind me, screaming, waving, and holding up their phones to take photos and videos, I managed to catch a glimpse of the actor as he drove past. In that split-second moment, I saw something in his face that made me a fan. No, it wasn’t his good looks; it was the genuine love and gratitude he felt for the Filipino fans who showed up at his first-ever fan meeting in the country. It’s nice when an artist loves the fans as much as they love him.
For an artist like that, I’d gladly form a human barricade anytime.— Julian Mauricio
