“He’s the type of guy who knows exactly what his charms are,” my friend randomly said as we waited for Jung Hae-in to reclaim the stage during his “Smile” fanmeet in Manila.
I laughed at how candid and how serious she said it. But it wasn’t something I could disagree with. The 30-year-old actor did bring his best sides that night—the balladeer wannabe, the competitive cutie and the cheesy romantic.
Filipino fans did nothing but swoon over the Korean star, his every move elicited shrieks of kilig and amusement without fail. And it was his disarming smile that, whenever flashed, would render the Kia Theater completely silent. It was a moment that stretched for a couple of seconds that everyone wanted engraved in their mind (or captured in their camera rolls).
Here are 5 Super moments we’ll never forget the day Jung Hae-in spent with his Filipino fans:
1. Singing is his hidden talent
Hae-in opened the show with “Today, I Miss You,” a song that’s part of the “While You Were Sleeping” soundtrack. After an outfit change, he sang IU’s “The Meaning of You.” He didn’t hit the notes perfectly, but kudos to his sweet and soothing vocals that we hope we get to hear more of. Though he seemed a bit awkward at it, Hae-in promised to work on some dancing moves to show in his next fanmeet.
2. Losing at basketball
If there’s one thing this fanmeet game taught us, it’s this: It pays to spend time in the arcade. But it did teach Hae-in not to oversell his basketball skills, where he even volunteered to shoot at a farther distance. As it turns out, the lucky fans who challenged him on stage were athletes. The actor was in shock as they hit the buckets over and over, and accepted his defeat saying, “even if I shot in front of the basket, I still don’t think I’d win. They’re just so good!”
3. Going down memory lane
We were given a peek at Hae-in childhood as pictures and diary pages from his youth were flashed on screen. Fans were told he learned Taekwondo and piano as a kid, and it was also revealed he struggled with Math (#same). Just when we thought this segment couldn’t be more adorable, Hae-in took one look at a photo, suddenly laughed and said: “I’m so thankful they cropped this photo. I remember I was just in my underwear!”
4. Falling for his cheesy lines
Every fan’s mission that night was to share their overwhelming happiness and love (and lots of kilig) with and for the Korean actor. But Hae-in managed to beat everyone in that category. He shared a dozen of sweet remarks that night but this was what made every one’s heart beat a little bit more faster: “I know we have a language barrier, it’s obvious between you and me. But we were all able to communicate through love,” Hae-in said. We’re sure the audience was able to feel it—not just his untiring effort to please and thank his fans, but the sincerity of each of the words he has spoken that night.
5. Every fan’s dream come true
“Do you think it’s possible to fall in love with a fan?” This was scribbled on a sticky note that Hae-in randomly picked to answer. With both hands on the mic, he didn’t hesitate one bit and gave the answer everyone was hoping for: Yes!