NBA M3 - Chapter 508: Yoona’s Concert, Cheering Her On with Mia (Patreon)

June 22, 2011.

Blake’s villa.

“Blake~ I’ve got the luggage, passports, and everything else ready. We should get going soon. If we leave any later, we might not make it in time for Yoona’s concert.”

Mia said as she finished packing the suitcase in the living room.

Yoona’s concert?

That’s right.

Tomorrow afternoon, Girls’ Generation would be holding a concert at Seoul Olympic Stadium, the largest stadium in Korea.

It could accommodate up to 100,000 people.

Without a massive fanbase, there was no way anyone could hold a concert there.

“Alright. Give me another twenty minutes. I need to swing by the training facility. Coach wants to talk to me about something. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, but hurry.”

“Got it.”

Blake answered and headed out immediately. However, the direction he drove was clearly not toward the Suns’ training facility.

About fifteen minutes later, Blake returned.

“Let’s go!”

At his call, the two set off for Korea with one large suitcase between them. They were going to cheer Yoona on at her concert and do some sightseeing while they were there.

The season was over now. The championship parade and all the other odds and ends had more or less been wrapped up as well.

After completing the Grand Slam, it was finally time for Blake to enjoy the offseason and take a proper vacation.

Next season’s preseason would not begin until around early October, leaving him nearly three months to spend however he wanted.

So for now, he was going to enjoy himself.

The next day.

At noon, Blake and Mia arrived at Seoul Airport. By 2:00 p.m., they had reached the area around Seoul Olympic Stadium.

Girls’ Generation’s concert would begin at 6:00 p.m.

They still had four hours to spare. Even if they might not stay overnight in Seoul, dragging their luggage around for four hours would be a hassle.

So they simply booked a hotel, a five-star one at that, and dropped off their luggage first.

“Hey, Blake~ Isn’t this way too wasteful? We might not even stay here tonight, so why book such a nice hotel?”

Mia complained.

Blake merely shrugged, completely unconcerned about the expense.

“Quinnie, I just checked online. Let’s skip sightseeing this afternoon and rest for a bit. Then we’ll head to Myeongdong Street.

“There’s tons of food there.

“How about we go have a huge meal?”

“Sure~”

The moment food came up, Mia’s big eyes immediately lit up.

“Barbecue, marinated crab, army stew, ginseng chicken soup, stone-pot bibimbap, and plenty more. They all seem to be local specialties. So... tempted yet?”

As Blake spoke, he showed Mia photo after photo of the food.

Her eyes grew wider with each one. Judging by the way she was practically drooling, she was a foodie through and through.

“Let’s go right now!”

Mia grabbed Blake, eager to leave immediately.

“The sun’s too strong right now. We’ll get roasted out there.”

“It’s fine. I have sunscreen and a parasol!”

“I don’t.”

“I’ll put some on you!”

With that, Mia picked up the sunscreen and carefully applied it to Blake’s face and arms. Then she tilted her head at him.

The meaning was obvious.

Are we going or what?

Seeing how adorably impatient she looked, Blake smiled and shook his head. He decided not to tease her any longer and rose from the couch.

“Go, go, go!”

“Yay~”

“Go, go, go!”

Mia jumped up happily and echoed Blake’s words.

The two headed straight for Myeongdong Street and began their happy food crawl.

...

Time flew by.

6:00 p.m.

Blake and Mia joined the ranks of Girls’ Generation fans and entered Seoul Olympic Stadium, a venue capable of holding 100,000 people.

The place was already packed.

If popularity were judged purely by how many people someone could draw to a stadium, Yoona might even have Blake beat. Of course, they were famous in completely different fields, so there was no real comparison.

“There are so many people!”

Mia exclaimed.

Even though they were seated near the front, one look across the stadium revealed a sea of people, accompanied by deafening cheers.

It was more than enough to show just how popular a top-tier girl group could be.

As they were marveling at the sight, Girls’ Generation slowly rose through the floor of the massive stage that had been set up in the center of the stadium.

“Yoona! Yoona! Yoona!”

Holding Yoona’s light sticks, Blake and Mia joined the other fans in cheering wildly as Yoona made her entrance.

Of course, the other members, including Jessica, Taeyeon, Yuri, and the rest, were also greeted with thunderous cheers from the fans.

Still, as the face of the group, Yoona was undoubtedly the most popular.

The concert opened with the smash hit “Gee,” instantly setting the entire stadium ablaze with excitement. After that came hit after hit, including “Genie,” “Make a Wish,” “Oh,” and “Hoot.”

The fans were thrilled.

“Wow~ Yoona sings so well, her dancing is so captivating, and... she’s gorgeous too. She’s seriously amazing!”

Throughout the concert, Mia kept praising Yoona and marveling at both her talent and popularity.

Blake nodded. He certainly agreed that Yoona was impressive.

Then he smiled at Mia.

“Quinnie, I’m sure that one day, whether it’s in film and television or even esports, you’ll be just as outstanding as Yoona.”

“Really?!”

“Really!!!”

Mia immediately beamed.

Looking at her radiant smile, Blake murmured, “How could the woman I love not be exceptional?”

Girls’ Generation’s concert lasted three hours from beginning to end.

When Blake left the stadium afterward, some Girls’ Generation fans naturally recognized him.

Photos, autographs.

That took another half hour or so.

By around 9:30 p.m., the two finally had some time to themselves.

“They really are a top-tier girl group. All nine members of Girls’ Generation have their own unique charm. They’re beautiful, they sing well, and their stage presence is incredible. No wonder they’re so popular.”

Even though the concert was over, Mia was still full of admiration.

Blake, meanwhile, had already shifted his attention elsewhere. He looked around and spotted a huge park nearby.

“Quinnie, there’s a big park over there. There are quite a few people around, and it even has a lake. The night view should be nice. Let’s take a walk. It should be pretty relaxing.”

Blake pointed ahead as he spoke.

“Sure!”

Still in a great mood after watching a top-tier girl group perform, Mia eagerly nodded and skipped ahead.

“Quinnie, wait for me!”

“Blake You’re too slow”

...

While Blake and Mia were strolling through the park at night, it was still daytime in the United States because of the time difference.

And at that very moment, the 2011 NBA Draft was underway!!!