#soulcup

Anyway, after waking up at around 12 o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday, I thought, today is going to be a relaxing day. Yesterday was rough, but it’s the weekend, so I’m just gonna kick back! I check the Stray Kids’ fancafe just on a whim and I saw that they added a new event.

“Stray Kids 1st Anniversary with SOUL CUP”

WHAT THE HECK, THAT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE! Granted, I didn’t check the fancafe on Friday because of the aforementioned craziness of how busy and tiring that day was for me, but darn it, I should have because it felt like a bomb just dropped on me! I hurriedly threw on some clothes, got ready, and looked up the way to get to that cafe from my place in Jeongja.

The cafe is in the Gangdong area, literally on the first floor of the JYP Entertainment building. From my area, since I’m in Bundang, it took around an hour and a half, with walking, subway, and a bus. I got there around 3 something.

Some JYP Entertainment pictures I took. 

I got off at a bus stop across the street and passed the front entrance of the building, as the cafe’s entrance is located on the side. You just walk and pass the JYP building but turn left immediately at the edge of the building. You will see a giant red cup and there’s the entrance to the cafe.

It’s kinda hard to miss it.

A grander view of the main entrance.

Hmm, no line. “It must not be busy!” I foolishly think as I walk in, my mind numb to reality as I order a drink. I ask the cashier, “Do you have the Stray Kids cup?” to which he replies, “It’s sold out.”

I’m okay. No, really I am. I sit down after getting my mango blueberry smoothie, which was actually really yummy. I find a nice seat and see a giant projector screen on a little stage, which was playing all JYP artists’ music videos (including SKZ of course!)

(I only have video footage of the screen and such. I want to put together a little video too, I hope I can manage to get that done lol)

The atmosphere is really nice and chill, but the music videos playing throughout the cafe made me wanna jam out haha which I did. I saw some fans and... they had signed cups ㅠㅠ At this point, I also ordered a slice of chocolate salted sea caramel cake because I came all the way here so I might as well have my cake and eat it too.

As I finish my food, I remembered something from the announcement on the fancafe... The event said it was running from Saturday to Monday... which might mean... I went up to the barista and asked if they would have more cups tomorrow. She said yes. OMG OMG OMG OMG- that’s what was going on in my head. I still have a chance. I told myself, tomorrow you are coming back here and this time you will get. Those. Signed. Cups.

I woke up at 6am. I couldn’t even properly sleep that night because I had weird, random mini-dreams (unrelated lol). However, I got myself up and out of the house, on a mission. 

I got to the cafe at around 7:19 am. However, there were already a lot of fans waiting... I got in line but there were at least, hmm, around like... I can’t even estimate correctly, like 60 people or so in front of me? Don’t quote on me on that number though, because it seemed like quite a lot. And thus began my waiting game. I was nervous that I wasn’t going to get any cups, and my journey back here would be for naught. It was bitingly cold, and I was hungry.

Then I realized, negative thoughts would not help me at this moment. I plugged in my earphones and started listening to “Mixtape #3″. GOSH I LOVE THIS SONG, it always lifts my spirits and this time was no different. More and more people showed up and got in line. The line was so long, it went to the end of the street and then the line continued like across from me. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the line started moving! It moved up quicker than I had thought, but once I was in the front door, that’s when it seemed like I was only moving a few inches at a time. The line zigzagged like three times towards the cashier. A lot of Stray Kids MV’s were playing. The place was abuzz with STAYS. I tried to keep the doubts and fear out of my head. I was almost near the counter...

What I saw before I ordered at the counter! Just to further showcase the event :)

LUCKILY, I GOT THE SIGNED CUPS! ㅠㅠ

Apparently, with every drink or food you purchase, you could get one individually-signed cup, by random. I saw a lot of STAYS generally get 3, so that’s what I did. I ordered a Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, a Dazzering Milk Tea, and an affogato. I actually ordered the affogato on accident even though I don’t even really drink coffee.

Right before I ordered, though, there was a particular group of STAYS who were pretty much manning the area right before you order. They were pretty much bartering their cups for their desired member, which was pretty smart because basically everyone in line was a STAY and since the cups were given randomly to us, there was a way everyone could end up with their biases’ signatures. Except if you were Hyunjin biased, because his signed cups were pretty rare from what I heard, and whoever got his, most likely was his fan and wouldn’t want to trade. Luckily, even if I loved them all, the ones I was shooting for was mostly Chan and Woojin. 

Anyways, one STAY asked me which member I liked and I told her Chan and Woojin. She echoed it to her friends and apparently they had my biases’ cups!! She really wanted Changbin’s. With fingers crossed, after ordering, the cashier handed me my three cups and...

All 3 were Changbin’s! 

The STAYS around me spazzed when they saw my cups, and I was shook too! The same STAY asked me which members I liked again, and then began the trading. She pulled me along after passing down the news of my cups to her friends. She told me to come with her and she brought me to her friend, who had Chan’s cup! I traded one Changbin cup and got my bias’ signed cup ㅠㅠ I was taken the opposite direction, where another STAY had Woojin’s cup! I traded my other Changbin cup for it. 

Finally, I figured I might as well make another Changbin fan happy. I asked if someone had Felix’s signed cup, I could part ways with Changbin’s. Another STAY did, and that was it! I was a happy camper. I ate my ice cream and drank my coffee and milk tea happily while watching MV’s on the big screen. For all three items, it cost around 21,000 won (~$`18.47 USD) but for their autographed cups? Ummmm yes please.

Overall, it was a lot of waiting. The cafe actually opens at 9am, and it took around 2 hours to get my order in (and the cups). If I didn’t live like an hour and 20 minutes away by subway, I would’ve wanted to get there earlier x_x Then the waiting wouldn’t have seemed so bad.