Chapter 111: Kick-off (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: Kick-off (1)
In the idol scene, survival programs carry immense weight.
The moment a promising show is announced, it monopolizes all the hype.
Established idols fret over losing their fans, existing fans watch their timelines get flooded with show-related issues, and the contestants enter a fierce battle of wits, desperate to land a breakout hit.
For the sake of the broadcaster's massive advertising revenue, those involved repeat a cycle of offense and defense—investing their emotions, time, and even money—until the program ends.
Of course, Idol Dynasty Annals wasn't that influential in its early days. Nevertheless, the viewers suffered every day.
≫ F*ck, why did I step into this mud pit?
I got my ankles caught just to see something good, f*ck.
Even without having watched a survival show myself, I knew all too well how viewers shed tears of blood when the idols they support are held hostage.
I booked a meeting room at UA to coincide with the day my vacation ended.
Then, I shoved all the Spark brats inside.
"It’s shameless of me to say this after being the one who insisted we go on the show, but you guys need to get your stories straight with me regarding your 'reason for applying.'"
This was to solidify the team's "attitude toward Idol Dynasty Annals."
Fans try to look at everything their idol does through rose-colored glasses.
If there's a pitch deviation on stage, they worry if the idol's condition is poor; if the choreography is intense, they praise how cool it is while simultaneously worrying about the idol's joints.
But the story changes once their idol enters a competitive system.
Even if they know in their heads that their idol is a hard worker who practices diligently, their hearts grow anxious. They start feeling like the idol might crack their voice again at a crucial moment.
In an era where razor-sharp choreography is a must, they get nervous if the dance isn't perfectly synchronized.
They start fearing that the segment will immediately circulate at 0.5x speed with a caption like "The actual skill level of ◯◯◯, who was praised as a synchro-dance idol."
They become restless, wishing for perfection and praying that they won't have to hear the phrase "mistakes are part of your skill level." As a result, they can't watch the performances with a peaceful mind.
And I have no intention of putting Sparklers through that kind of ordeal.
I'm already grateful enough that they've accepted me as part of Spark; I can't make them suffer any more penance.
"The reason for applying is that you want to stand on stage more. The goal is to make every stage fun."
"Isn't that obvious?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon asked back.
"Before I answer that, I want to ask everyone. What do you think a 'fun stage' is?"
At that, the boys offered their own answers.
Flashy performances, singing good songs, having a twist, being perfect.
Finally, Jeong Seong-bin, who had been listening to the members' answers one by one, spoke up.
"Isn't it a stage that's done well?"
"As expected of Seong-bin. Your understanding of the fandom is sharp."
A stage that isn't lacking no matter where it's showcased.
A stage that anyone who watches has no choice but to acknowledge.
A stage where fans can just trust, watch, and enjoy comfortably without any anxiety.
"You remember back during Challenge Living, right? In this country, 'doing well' still directly leads to 'enjoyment.'"
And we plan to make every stage fun.
As if sensing the words that would follow, the boys swallowed hard.
"Let's make a stage where no one can object even if we take first place, and where people find it strange if we don't."
"……."
"Let's go in with the determination to win against whoever we face. While having fun."
And so, Spark's concept was decided—quite unilaterally—as "skilled players who do whatever they want without caring what others think, but are so good that no one can really say anything."
By catching the last train for the Idol Dynasty Annals casting, Spark became the "youngest" of the show. After all, they were fresh rookies who had only debuted three months ago.
"Spark is the youngest group on our program. How do you feel?"
Perhaps because of that, many of the interview questions during the pre-meeting were related to their years of experience.
Questions like whether it was burdensome being the youngest, or if they had any close senior groups, were tossed around.
Even so, the maximum age gap was only about a year.
It wasn't that we hadn't discussed this part when deciding to appear.
Except for Jeong Seong-bin and Lee Cheong-hyeon, these guys had social skills that hit rock bottom. They wouldn't do anything to get themselves hated, but they weren't exactly the type to be bubbly and charming either.
Still, thanks to the "smile training" I'd put them through since their trainee days, the proper posture of an idol was etched into their very bones.
Even now, they were carrying on a friendly interview with the production staff.
This was enough.
Unless they found someone they genuinely wanted to be friends with, I had no intention of telling them to force their social skills just because they were on the same program.
Relationships are important within the same group, but they don't necessarily have a positive impact on results.
"We don't know which seniors we'll be with yet, but we plan to approach it with enjoyment!"
Jeong Seong-bin replied.
For the record, that was a lie.
I had already shared with the members everyone I could remember who was likely to appear. Thanks to that, they even had to practice pretending to be surprised when they heard we were the youngest.
First, there was Parte, who would undoubtedly be the core cast of this season among the six groups.
An eight-member performance group that debuted last year.
"Let's try not to get involved with Parte if possible."
"Huh?"
"Let's avoid them."
The members looked flustered at my announcement.
"What's with the reaction?"
"Isn't that a bit of a contrast to saying we should aim for first place, Hyung?"
I kindly explained to Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had somehow become quite bellicose.
"I'm not saying we should avoid them because I think we'll be compared."
"Then why?"
"I'm saying we should avoid them because nothing good comes from being associated with them."
As soon as I finished speaking, Park Ju-woo looked away. It seemed he was remembering the memory of hearing Song Min-il's medley of curses while running at the Han River.
Even without the Song Min-il incident, Parte was just as controversial as Spark had been in the past. Even I, who knew almost nothing about idol affairs other than Spark's, could recall a few major incidents if I thought deeply about it.
Dating sasaengs, two-timing, tax evasion, attitude controversies...
There was nothing more to say. Nothing would be allowed for Parte other than the most objective evaluation. Period.
The next big prospect after Parte was All-over.
They were a group that showed good chemistry with Parte and benefited the most from Idol Dynasty Annals after them.
I didn't remember this team at all, so I searched them again. And I found a face that made me wonder how I could have forgotten.
One of them had gone to jail.
For a moment, I almost got confused about whether Idol Dynasty Annals was a program famous for its controversies. So, I decided not to allow anything for this team either, except for objective evaluation.
On the other hand, there were groups that didn't particularly bring anything to mind. For those teams, I stopped at just sharing their group names.
"And Log, Sticky, and Berion will be appearing. We'll be the youngest."
"Hyung, how do you know all this...?"
"Thanks to meticulous analysis."
They didn't seem to fully believe me, but whatever.
"What is Spark's target rank?"
"They say to dream big, so shall we go for first place?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon then smiled nonchalantly.
Jeong Seong-bin and Park Ju-woo also beamed. I could see cold sweat running down their backs, but I'd give them extra points for at least not showing it on the outside. I hope they maintain this posture until the final broadcast.
After the pre-meeting, we gathered in the UA meeting room again.
It was to prepare for the Self-PR Stage that would take place on the first recording day of Idol Dynasty Annals.
I, who had actively pushed for the appearance on the show, took on the roles of host and concept proposer. Thanks to that, I spent my entire first vacation making nothing but PPTs.
"Cheong-hyeon, did you hit the record button?"
"Yeah. You can start!"
Lee Cheong-hyeon gave me the okay sign.
That guy, as soon as it was his turn to be the secretary, immediately paid for an app subscription, saying he would use the AI subtitle generation function to write the transcript.
He said he would personally supplement any lacking parts, so I told him to do as he pleased.
Anyway, the important thing wasn't Cheong-hyeon's digitalization, so moving on.
"Then, we will begin the concept meeting for the Idol Dynasty Annals Self-PR Stage on May XX. Everyone checked the agenda I shared beforehand, right?"
"Yes, I've compiled the opinions the members sent and posted them in the group chat."
Jeong Seong-bin scraped the opinions from the message window and displayed them on the monitor. Simultaneously, Kang Gi-yeon, who was sitting by the door, turned off the meeting room lights.
"Half the opinions were to use the 'Youth' theme, which is Spark's unique concept, and the other half were that an image makeover is needed. Are the opinions you each posted still valid?"
"Yes."
"Yeah."
The boys nodded.
The screen was filled with the arguments they had sent by the deadline.
I told Seong-bin he did a good job and then scanned the monitor once more.
Jeho
Summary: Desires a new concept
Reason: Maintaining the same image won't leave a lasting impression.
Seong-bin
Summary: Desires to maintain the existing concept
Reason: Considering the nature of a Self-PR Stage, I think it's right to show the team's true colors.
Ju-woo
Summary: Desires to maintain the existing concept
Reason: I think the current concept suits the members well.
Cheong-hyeon
Summary: Desires a new concept
Reason: Due to the nature of survival programs, it's necessary to leave a strong first impression. / Excessively similar concepts can feel boring. / Since many programs often give 'stages for fans' as a theme, I think the Youth concept is more appropriate for a fan-dedication stage.
Gi-yeon
Summary: Desires to maintain the existing concept
Reason: There must be a reason why fans like the current concept → I expect there won't be much resistance from the general public either.
They even attached reasoning; excellent.
As for Lee Cheong-hyeon... I feel like I’ve raised a tiger cub, but still.
"In my view, everyone's points seem valid. So, I'm going to propose a plan that incorporates these opinions as much as possible."
I immediately flipped to the next slide of the PPT.
The main theme of this stage appeared: "The Clumsy Survival Entry of Rookie Idols."