Chapter 149: Establishing Measures to Prevent Recurrence (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149: Establishing Measures to Prevent Recurrence (2)
‘Assistant Manager, what do you usually do in your spare time?’
‘I just left the office after locking up yesterday, too.’
‘Ah...’
Twelve years of doing nothing but studying until high school graduation. Then the military, followed by Hanpyeong Industry.
For the vast majority of my life, leisure time simply didn't exist. At most, playing the bass a little back in my university days was the extent of my hobbies.
And now, I was given a period of rest where I had nothing to do, nothing I could do, and no bass to play. I was stuck in an empty dorm that wasn't even my own home, unable to even step outside.
‘I’m bored.’
Resting? It’s the best.
There isn't an office worker in the world who doesn't love lying in bed. I, too, spent all of yesterday just lying down.
However, there is such a thing as mob mentality.
Six people live in this dorm, and five of them are living a God-tier life, leaving to practice in the morning and returning late at night. How could my mind be at ease when I’m the only one doing nothing?
Thanks to that, I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was the only one wasting my life away.
When I habitually turned on my laptop because I wanted to do something...
『spArk’s Treasure Vault
Please enter the password.』
...Only a lock screen message that made my blood boil appeared. For the record, I tried to break into it and failed.
‘Should I monitor the final performance?’
Since I had collapsed right after the stage ended, I hadn't actually seen how Spark’s performance was broadcast.
When I accessed MeTube on my phone, which I hadn't handed back yet, the full-version videos of each group's performance appeared one after another.
‘Huh?’
Something was strange.
I checked the six latest videos once more. Then, I looked back and forth between the view counts and the titles.
≫ Parte - 『Crown』 │ 790k
Log - 『Final』 │ 630k
Spark - 『Market Price Song』 │ 1.34M
All-over - 『Utopia』 │ 580k
Sticky - 『Dreaming』 │ 420k
Berion - 『Goal』 │ 270k
Wasn't Spark’s view count way too high?
The thumbnail already had a gold ribbon for reaching 1 million views. It was about 1.7 times the count of Parte, who took first place.
Below it, a string of videos with cringeworthy titles like ‘Idol who collapsed during a live broadcast’ and ‘Male idol showing fighting spirit despite injury’ followed.
‘If the videos are blowing up this much, it means there was a reaction of some kind.’
Postponing the stage monitoring for a moment, I headed to the community boards, where the traces of a massive firestorm were clearly visible.
≫ Let’s talk about the Awangsil finals lol
.
.
.
And the long-awaited Spark hahahahaha
My jaw literally dropped. Maybe it’s because the other teams brought such intense, gritted-teeth performances for the final, but Spark felt like they really stood out?
And I finally realized why this place turns into a sea of fire every time Spark comes on.
They are a definitive visual group, seriously hahahaha Even in Hanboks, everyone’s shoulders are as broad as the Manchurian plains.
Every time Lee Cheong-hyeon comes on, I can’t breathe, then Choi Je-ho comes on and I have to clutch my heart → I repeated this infinitely.
Just like the last competition, you could tell they poured money into this stage, so it was great. It was a feast for the eyes lol. I can see why fans are always sad that their agency is a shitty small-time one hahahahaㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
If they were in a major agency, they would’ve recorded a legend dripping with the scent of capital and full support.
.
.
.
└ Who wrote my diary here?
└ I can’t breathe every time Lee Cheong-hyeon comes on >> I thought this was me hahahahaha But he’s so handsome, it’s thrilling. Being handsome is the best.
└ Ranked #1 as the group I’m most looking forward to when they all become adults.
└ I know what you mean. It’s not stiff choreography; it’s very fluid... but the angles are razor-sharp, so the satisfaction is insane.
└ This is it.
≫ Is it okay to have six Northern Dukes in the North?
At least public security will be good.
└ I was wondering what you meant hahahahahahahaha
└ You could probably gather the Dukes and play Ruby Cube.
└ No, you can’t. Ruby Cube is for 4 players, so two Dukes would have to stand in the back.
└ Where did the Duke charisma that sweeps everyone’s attention in high society go? They can’t even join a game, their form is dead.
└ Ah, please hahahahahaha
≫ Summary of Spark’s stage, which is basically a condensed version of Awangsil (Warning: Blatant promotion post)
The immersive narrative that made me admit I was a Sparkler after going through a stan-denial period since Episode 1 of Awangsil... It’s so good I’m posting it! Let’s die together.
(Excluding the position battle since it seems to be an exception)
Review Summary: Spark, the genius idols who caught two birds—idols and the Dynasty Annals—with one stone, you worked so hard. Kim I-wol, produce for the rest of your life.
└ 1 is a bit... feels like a stretch.
└ He said he focused on ‘Idols’ too. Is the person above illiterate????
└ It’s a proper mix of both. If they were only obsessed with the Dynasty Annals, they would’ve worn Hanboks throughout the whole show.
└ I think they made a good choice. It doesn’t feel too much like a concept-obsessive while still capturing the narrative.
└ Right, I think they aimed well for the plot twist by revealing it at the end.
└ The fact that he planned this within a single survival program is insane. Agencies that bring in worldviews usually explain them over three albums, but he unraveled it all in two months.
≫ The reason Spark is the real #1
: You can tell just by looking at the view counts.
└ It’s an incomparable difference, but only ‘that’ group is gritting their teeth and playing dumb.
└ Mindless voting is pathetic... If I were them, I’d be embarrassed to take 1st place like that.
└ Why do fans who pay their own money to vote have to hear this? Anyone would think the vote count was rigged... I can see the level of Sparkler-sickness.
└ I’m not a Sparkler, I’m a nomad, but you’re getting defensive all by yourself hahahahaha Yeah, okay, your Parte, who pressures fans to vote, is the best.
└ ???: I think I’ll be upset if we don’t get 1st place ㅠㅠ
└ For real? The idol said that himself?
└ It comes up if you search ㅍㄹㅌ ㅁㅇ Bubble Pop. The full text is even more of a spectacle.
‘How many of these are there?’
It’s common for review posts to go up after a program ends, but it wasn't common for a single page to be plastered with stories about a specific group.
But now, Spark was being mentioned everywhere I looked. And with nothing but praise.
And the reason it became like this was...
≫ The male idol who fainted during today’s live broadcast
His name is Iwol, a member of Spark. He collapsed as soon as the final stage of Awangsil ended.
He’s the one there was an article about recently, and people are saying it seems to be an aftereffect.
(Photo removed)
Most reactions are that they didn't know because he looked fine while performing.
└ Friend, please take down the photo... It might be an image the person involved doesn't want shown.
└ I heard he got hit in the head. I wondered how he managed to show up. He must have really gritted his teeth to come out.
└ He definitely did. Seeing as he finished the whole stage.
≫ Iwol, I knew you were sincere about being an idol, but
I didn't want to know you were this sincere.
I thought you’d be resting warmly while eating hospital food, but I couldn't believe my eyes.
└ Wow, even the fans didn't know.
└ I bet the whole fandom never imagined it. I was eating while watching and dropped my spoon. To begin with, he was given an 8-week recovery period.
└ At that point, shouldn't he be resting...? Don't the fans say anything???
└ Sparklers were waiting in front of the agency with pitchforks, but they’re letting it slide for now because they heard the members decided on it voluntarily.
└ If UA has any sense, they won't force the kid out now... It hasn't been long since they were beaten like dogs.
└ Maybe it’s because they got trashed, but they posted the apology and official statement quickly this time.
≫ He performed so perfectly that I thought he was all better, but I was shocked when he suddenly disappeared from the screen.
└ I heard they didn't originally intend to make him dance, but he insisted on joining from the dance break, so I’m facepalming so hard. Kim I-wol, you’re a patient.
└ It breaks my heart even more that he came out with a headband to hide the wound, f*ck.
└ Now we have to lock him up like an emperor regardless of his will... Kim I-wol brought this on himself. Endure it, Kim I-wol. It’s the premium welfare you brought upon yourself.
...I think I had an influence on this. A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
In the meantime, I also checked the fan café to see what UA and the members had said.
≫ From. Seong-bin
Sparklers, you were all very worried, right?
Iwol hyung just returned to the dorm.
It’s not that there’s an injury or a problem, but they say it’s highly likely because his activity level suddenly increased, so please don’t worry too much.
Thank you for cheering and worrying for us until late.
I love you always! ♥
└ Cheong-hyeon @Seong-bin That hyung needs to be scolded. Hyung, try saying something as the representative.
└ Seong-bin @Cheong-hyeon How can I do that to hyung ^^;;;;;
└ Cheong-hyeon @Seong-bin You’re the leader!
≫ From. Ju-woo
Thank you for cheering for us until the end.
I was dazed because it was an unexpected result, but I’m really happy.
I’m planning to make an occasion for all six of us to celebrate soon. Once Iwol hyung is all better!
Until then, Sparklers, don’t get sick and take good care of your health. Health is number one.
≫ From. Gi-yeon
2nd place... Thank you. The reason we could enjoy this for a long time without getting tired is all thanks to Sparklers. Thank you. Truly.
Iwol hyung suffered the most, but right now he’s out of it because he’s sleeping. (+Je-ho hyung is also running on empty after moving Iwol hyung.)
When hyung wakes up later, please scold him a lot, Sparklers. He won’t listen to us, it’s killing us.
Please also watch the Awangsil behind-the-scenes video that will be uploaded tomorrow. Good night.
└ Je-ho What do you mean, running on empty?
└ Gi-yeon @Je-ho Good night, hyung.
There were tons of mentions of me. I wouldn't say anything since it must have been an action to reassure the fans, but I couldn't help but feel my mind going blank.
There was even a post in the ‘Hot’ section titled ‘Collection of Pro-Idol Kim I-wol’s Quotes.’ It seemed the aftermath of Awangsil had reached unexpected places.
I’m afraid. I can’t even guess what’s written in that post.
However, an idol cannot ignore public opinion.
I cautiously tapped on the post where comments were exploding.