Seeing the idol-actor for the second time in the flesh still felt surreal but such a welcoming sight.

Cha Eun Woo was witty, sweet and ethereal (still) in his recent fan meet. He was playful and interactive which adds on to his overall charm. Yet, (but maybe because years have passed) he felt a grown up this time around. Honestly, it was a good thing. I had the opportunity to see him in person back in 2019 when he staged his first solo fan meet in Manila. He was 22 at that time and still carried with him a youthful playfulness. His latest fan meet was definitely shorter than the previous one, but just as fun and enjoyable.

Road to seeing Cha Eun Woo (round two)

So here are the things that happened before the fan meeting itself.

August 6, 2022 10:00 A.M.

Unlike the first fan meeting, I was not running late (hah!). As a matter of fact, I was within the vicinity (Araneta City) at 10AM because I had to attend the press conference. It was scheduled at 12:30PM but registration for the media representatives commenced at 10:30AM. I arrived 30 minutes before the start of the registration and fumbled in locating the exact venue of the presscon. Good thing one of the hotel staff directed me to the correct way. It was still early but there was already a line for the lucky fans who won seats for the special event.

Thinking I had to wait for a few more minutes before I could enter the venue, I lingered. But I noticed that there were a few people inside, some familiar faces, busy setting up their equipment. So I asked the staff at the door if it was okay to register as a media personnel. I entered the venue and registration was pretty basic. I told them my name and the institution I represent.

After signing in, the staff gave me the official media wrist band. They said to come back at the registration area after the presscon so I can have the media pass. Then I was told which seats were reserved, but mostly the second and third rows were for media people. I settled in the third row, an aisle seat. It had a pretty good view of the stage (it was a small venue so seeing Cha Eun Woo was never going to be a problem).

11:00 A.M.

The place was so cold (well, I get cold easily) since there were still a few people allowed inside. I was waiting for my friend’s arrival, at the same time trying to tell myself I was warm. Coffee and biscuits were available for press people but I did not feel like moving from my seat. As more press people arrived, I was afraid of leaving my spot, afraid someone would take it and the seats I was keeping for my friends. My friend and I were messaging each other with me asking mostly about her whereabouts (and arrival time). Last year, said friend was unable to see Eun Woo because she was stuck in traffic and decided to not just push through (I talked about the struggle I had that day here).

12:00 P.M.

They extended the media registration. It was supposed to end at noon. My friend arrived just as fans were entering the venue. I lost our (good) seats as staff told us media should now occupy the first and second rows to accommodate the fans. My friend arrived and managed to make it this time much to my delight (I was just so happy she did). Together with another friend, we settled on our seats and indulged on light-hearted chitchat (basically catching up). The place was already brimming with energy and excitement as we all awaited Eun Woo’s arrival.

12:30 P.M.

The press conference did not start as scheduled but I really did not mind. The delay gave me and my friends more time to continue our conversations. We were talking about random things now that time. The two of them decided to raid the snack area as we were kind of hungry (seeing as it was already lunch time). From our seats, we can actually see Sam Oh, that day’s host, having a conversation with somebody (I wasn’t sure who it was as I can only clearly see Sam Oh from where I sat).

12:45-ish P.M.

Sam Oh finally went on the mini-stage to greet the press people and the excited fans. Eun Woo still has not arrived at the venue so Sam Oh engaged the fans through a short trivia quiz. She asked questions pertaining to the idol-actor which avid fans know the answers by heart (e.g. Birthday and sign, reason for studying in the PH, t name a few). She also called fans up front and talked to them briefly. Some fans revealed that they travelled far (some domestic, others international) just to see him.

Around 12:55 P.M.

Cha Eun Woo finally arrived at the venue! Yay! He was so gracious and accommodating. Needless to say, the moment he showed up, the venue erupted! Fans screamed at the top of their lungs and with all that they have (hehe). Too bad the stage lighting was kind of dim but good thing that Cha Eun Woo does not need bright lights to justify how otherworldly his visual is. I took pictures and videos of him with my phone (I couldn’t do the necessary adjustments ahaha, I was in a hurry to snap some images).

1:00 P.M.

The presscon started and Eun Woo gamely answered the questions. He said that he wanted the fans to have a good time later at the fan meet and that he missed them so much. I had a Twitter thread of the press conference which I posted for Hellokpop (under HKP’s Twitter account). It was a quick presscon, I have to say but, nonetheless, it was an enjoyable one. Cha Eun Woo was as handsome and eloquent as ever.

Purple Panda’s Note: I believe the presscon took like 15mins and it took us more than that to exit the venue ahaha. The line at the elevators rivaled the queue at the Araneta Coliseum (a little bit exaggerated but felt like it and I know you got what I meant). After we managed to exit Novotel, my friend and I met up with her other friend and we had lunch then dessert. Of course, we talked a lot and that’s how we let the time passed until it was time to enter the fan meeting venue.

For those interested on my account of the whole event, I wrote a recap and it was published in Hellokpop.