Chapter 114
Chapter 114
What’s the deal with TeSTAR and the Rookie of the Year award this time?
I could guess what the post was about, but I clicked on it anyway.
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[Isn't it a bit much for TeSTAR to get Rookie of the Year?]
: Shouldn't they be seen as an extension of Idol Inc. rather than a normally debuted rookie group?
I think they should be viewed as a variety show project. Honestly, they're just snatching opportunities away from other rookie groups.
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As expected.
I pretty much anticipated this reaction.
Wasn't this the same thing I heard when our promotions overlapped with VTIC? That we were the ones ruining the industry's ecosystem.
Honestly, I could understand where they were coming from.
Idol Inc. was just too successful.
Since the group debuted with the halo of such a massive hit audition program, it wasn't strange for people to talk about the "tyranny of broadcasting stations or conglomerates."
However, the participants went through hell while filming that show, and the higher-ups had practically given up on Season 3, expecting it to fail. It felt a bit unfair to be criticized blindly like this.
Regardless, public opinion isn't strong enough to change the current trend.
Looking at the comments, the atmosphere was so one-sided it was almost embarrassing to call it a fight.
The later comments mostly ended in mockery toward the original poster.
Hmm, this kind of atmosphere isn't exactly great either.
The post seemed like bait, but the problem was that comments mocking the performance of other rookie groups that debuted this year were popping up here and there.
They didn't seem like TeSTAR fans; they just seemed like people who enjoyed being in a position to ridicule others.
It's not good to give the fans of other rookie groups a reason to hold a grudge for no reason.
That part felt a bit unsettling, but it wasn't a major issue.
The post wasn't popular enough to gain significant attention, and TeSTAR's performance wasn't so mediocre that someone's jealousy could prevent them from winning.
I shrugged and navigated away from the page.
Even until the following week, while we were in the middle of preparing for the year-end performances, I didn't have any major concerns about the Rookie of the Year award.
The mirrors in the dance studio were fogged up with moisture.
"Let's take a break, whew, and then go again~"
"Heugh..."
"I'm... I'm dying."
If Cha Yu-jin was saying things like that, I didn't even need to explain the state of the others.
Well... Cha Yu-jin probably has it the hardest.
It was because the song we were practicing had a fairly long solo choreography section for him.
Since we even added a mid-air wire stunt in the middle, the final product would probably look amazing... but the problem was that it was incredibly exhausting for the person performing it.
"Want some water?"
"Yes..."
I tossed a bottle of water I had been holding to Cha Yu-jin.
"...Me too, please."
"Moondae, mercy for me too, please."
I threw water bottles to both Se-jins who were further away. The practice room fell silent for a moment. Everyone was busy pouring water down their throats.
Only after quite some time had passed did Seon A-hyun speak up tentatively.
"S-still... I think it'll look really cool when we perform it."
"Right."
"I believe it will be a magnificent stage, provided the cameras capture it properly."
Laughter broke out here and there at Kim Rae-bin's words. Kim Rae-bin looked slightly flustered, seemingly unable to understand why everyone was laughing.
What a funny guy.
I let out a short laugh and pulled out my smartphone. I intended to use the break to check the progress of the Rookie of the Year voting.
However, the manager walked into the practice room carrying a bunch of drinks, so I naturally put my phone back down.
"Hyung!"
"Coffee!"
"Thank you so much for getting them iced..."
The manager asked as he handed out the drinks.
"Right... guys. Is practice going well?"
"Yes!"
"If we maintain this practice schedule, I think we'll be able to handle the award ceremony well."
"Hmm, that's good! But guys, sit down for a second."
"...?"
Ryu Cheong-woo, who had been reporting our progress as the representative, was slightly taken aback but calmly gathered the members.
"What is it?"
"...Is there an additional schedule?"
"No, it's not that. Um..."
The manager had a troubled expression. After hesitating a few times, he continued seriously.
"They say... an article is likely to be published tomorrow. Regarding Idol Inc."
"...!"
"T-Net tried their best to block it, but I guess it didn't work out. We're preparing a rebuttal article on our end too, so don't worry too much."
"...What kind of article is it?"
"Um, it's a rumor about your participation in Idol Inc., but it'll be fine since we already have all the evidence to refute it. ...It seems like they're specifically targeting Cheong-woo, so Cheong-woo, don't be flustered."
I barely suppressed a groan.
Of all times, it had to blow up now.
This was 100% the controversy regarding his relationship with the writer.
The writer was keeping their mouth shut, so I thought nothing would happen for about a year.
It seemed like because the group was doing so well, many people were digging for dirt.
Ryu Cheong-woo seemed to have guessed what this was about as well; his face was dark, but he didn't look panicked.
He just asked cautiously.
"...Is there anything else I should explain separately?"
"I haven't heard anything like that... Wait a second."
The manager stepped out to take another call with a flustered expression.
Naturally, the atmosphere among the remaining members plummeted. The adrenaline that had been offsetting the fatigue from practice vanished instantly at the news.
Keun Se-jin asked seriously.
"Hyung-nim, I know you're tired, but could you give us a brief explanation of what's going on?"
"...Of course."
Ryu Cheong-woo repeated the same story to the members that he had told me during our previous drinking session.
To summarize, the writer had contacted him for recruitment through a clan association, as he was a distant relative she had barely ever seen.
Most of the members felt relieved, sensing that as long as the explanation was handled well, it wouldn't escalate into a major problem.
"Um, so you guys aren't really anything to each other~"
"Right... I think once the explanation is out, it won't spread too much."
Ryu Cheong-woo still had a bitter expression.
"I'm sorry for creating unnecessary controversy at such an important time."
"I-it's okay! H-hyung, don't worry too much..."
"Well, what can we do about something that's already happened? Let's just hope it gets resolved well!"
Bae Se-jin quietly added his two cents.
"...Ryu Cheong-woo, if you're saying that, I should have left the group a long time ago."
"...!"
This guy was even doing self-deprecating humor now.
And Cha Yu-jin replied brightly.
"That's true!"
"Hey!"
"Haha!"
The atmosphere lightened up a bit because Bae Se-jin's indignation was funny.
"Well, worrying won't solve anything~ Shall we continue practicing?"
"That is a wise decision."
The manager, who returned after finishing his call, looked somewhat bewildered to see us back at practice, but he left looking relieved.
And the next morning, after I had just fallen asleep due to exhaustion, ignoring all worries, articles started pouring out.
[TeSTAR's Ryu Cheong-woo Recruited Through 'Relative Chance' by Idol Inc. Writer]
[The Uncomfortable Truth of Audition Programs: Does TeSTAR Also Have the Power of Blood Ties?]
[TeSTAR Debuted Through Idol Inc. The Writer's Relative Was Former Medalist Ryu Cheong-woo.]
It was the lineup I had expected.
Comments flooded in instantly on the few articles that appeared in the social section rather than the entertainment section.
"Don't look at the comments."
"...I know."
Ryu Cheong-woo had a worried face.
"...The fans must be having a hard time."
Fortunately, rebuttal articles also popped up immediately.
[T1 Stars: 'Writer is a relative? Ryu Cheong-woo is someone she had never even seen before.']
[Idol Inc. Writer is more distant than 15th cousins with Ryu Cheong-woo... Not even considered relatives.]
Usually, in these cases, rebuttal articles often failed to receive proper attention.
However, because the response was made so quickly and Ryu Cheong-woo's existing image was good, it was able to reach the top of the portal news tabs.
Of course, the fans' efforts played a huge role.
-
Most TeSTAR fans were convinced, and public opinion quickly began to recover.
The company's PR team also contacted us separately.
"They say it shouldn't be a big problem. Still, let's stay off social media for a while, Cheong-woo."
"...Yes. Thank you."
Ryu Cheong-woo looked relieved, but he seemed somewhat troubled because he couldn't post anything like an apology or a thank-you to the fans.
I suppressed a sigh.
...I probably shouldn't mention this.
In fact, I had confirmed that they had failed to completely recover public opinion in several online communities.
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[Am I the only one who still feels 'off' even after seeing Ryu Cheong-woo's rebuttal article?]
: It's not enough to just brush it off by saying they're distant relatives and not blood-related~ Ryu Cheong-woo got such a good edit in Idol Inc.
I think the fact that he was recruited without properly going through the preliminaries is a foul. We don't know what kind of deal was made during the recruitment process.
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The suspicion and criticism toward Ryu Cheong-woo grew increasingly intense, and eventually, the arrows were aimed at TeSTAR as a whole.
Of course, since this atmosphere wasn't normal, it didn't last long and subsided to some extent.
This was because people who were tired of it all and felt it wasn't that big of a deal eventually became the majority.
The company seemed to have pushed it down the priority list to focus on managing the mainstream media first, thinking that these places would quickly move on once another issue broke out.
As a result, the sentiment questioning TeSTAR's legitimacy didn't disappear immediately and remained as an uncomfortable lingering presence.
And before long, this topic finally started coming up again.
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[About TeSTAR's Rookie of the Year award]
: Their results are a fact, so there's nothing we can do about the Popularity Award or the Bonsang... but I wish we could give the Rookie of the Year award to another group ㅠㅠ I feel so bad for the kids who got it snatched away...
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The difference from last time was that people were now actively agreeing.