As (cross my fingers) my knees are finally starting to be on the mend (yes, it has taken a year, FML), I’m excited to say I am starting to actually leave my house again. You know what this means?!? KTOWN! Woohoo. Today, I was on a mission. One mission. To get Junsu’s new CD. To which I will say I was successful. Very successful. So successful, he may have killed me.
Just a little bit.
So, the Korean bookshop in Ktown, in my time here, has morphed kind of more into a Kpop shop. It has lots of CDs, the magazines featuring the photo shoots we see all over the internet, and various swag, like calendars, bracelets, towels (weird), trading cards, etc. All priced reasonably well.
Who am I kidding? They are expensive AF.
But what else are we going to do? It’s not like there’s lots of competition out there driving the prices down to a reasonable rate. No. If you want this stuff, you save the cash, and you fork it over. And over. And over.
So, Junsu’s CD came out this week. The last time he had a CD release, Flower, I bought it in Ktown (I couldn’t resist), and it came with a free poster. So, I headed in and crossed my fingers that this time would be the same.
First off, you go in, you wander into the Tony Moly, which is attached to the bookstore. You do this because its bright, it’s shiny, and it’s Korean skin care. As a woman and a fan of K-anything, you can not resist the lure of Tony Moly (which handily, is probably the best priced Korean brand out there. This, unlike the bookshop, is actually pretty reasonable.) Once you do the loop around, you head to the big guns, the Kpop CDs!
Now, as I’ve been there many a time, I know exactly where the Junsu items are kept. I’ve drooled over many a product on that shelf. No Junsu CD. However, there was a big empty space next to the Junsu CDs which, in my brain, meant that they were either getting them in or had just sold out. I was momentarily distracted by this:
Hot fudge! Taemin. Man.
So, I went to the counter and awkwardly asked if they were getting the new Junsu album in. She looked at me like I had no idea what I was talking about, which I’d expect from, you know, any other music store, but this is Ktown. Junsu! Of course, it may have just taken her a moment to process that not only did *I* know who Junsu was but that I also knew he had a new album. Collecting herself, she went to the computer.
“Half hour.”
“Uh… what?”
“It will be here in a half hour.”
Wow. I’m not sure what struck me more, the fact that they were getting the new Junsu CD the day I happened to come in for it, or the fact that she knew exactly when the shipment was due in. I worked in retail. That’s some magical knowledge right there.
So I told her I’d be back, parked myself at the Caffè Bene down the street, and lurked worked. Later on, I packed up my belongings, held my breath, and walked back in. There it was. And it was a thing of beauty.
Yep. All of my little Junsu prayers were answered. I was able to buy the CD and got a free poster out of the deal. A free poster I didn’t even have to embarrassingly remind them at the counter for. He saw the CD and immediately dug in the bin for it. Ahhh… may the Junsu blessings shine down upon you, young shop clerk.
I’m not going to lie. For a girl on a limited budget, even though I was expecting it, there was still quite a lot of sticker shock happening. $32. THIRTY-TWO DOLLARS. For a CD. That I could have gotten on iTunes for like $12. What am I? A money-throwing-away idiot? Who even buys actual CDs anymore?
But then again. It’s Junsu. A Junsu fan gotz to represent. Plus, you know, that ‘free’ poster.
Here’s the thing though, not only did the CD come with a poster which I will embarrassingly display on my refrigerator. Possibly replacing the Flower one, or possibly, if I decide I really have no self-respect, will go up there along with the Flower one. A Kpop CD (if it’s sold in one of those fancy schmancy boxes) comes with a book with lots more pretty, pretty pictures. This Junsu CD? I’m happy to announce CAME WITH TWO.
Are you ready to behold the wonder that is my photobooks? First off, the whole collection:
Each book seems to have a different style of pictures, red book, cute Junsu:
Are you dead yet? No? Then how about Blue Book’s smoking, effing hot Junsu:
I no longer know which I prefer. I think that’s the mark of a true fan, right?
Anyway, also, if you’re interested, here is the poster, which will be embarrassingly gracing my refrigerator. Are you sure? Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
No Comments