Chapter 155
Chapter 155
It was obvious what Gold 1’s agency was thinking.
‘Since they can’t get first place anyway, they’ve decided to go for impact.’
No matter how good a song that group brought out now, reaching number one would be difficult.
Even if they had made a decent impression with their debut song, that was only among the circles already interested in idols. A boy group not from one of the Big 3 agencies with low public recognition meant there were far more people who wouldn't even bother trying to listen to their music.
‘So, it’s worth trying to frame the narrative.’
They stood to gain just by being linked to TeSTAR in any way.
By emphasizing that they were from the same Idol Inc. and using media play to suggest a dynamic similar to when VTIC and TeSTAR promoted simultaneously, they would try their hardest to establish a "TeSTAR’s rival challenger" narrative.
Even if it meant drawing glares and wariness from TeSTAR’s fans, it was a move worth making. Since there were plenty of people looking for any reason to pick at TeSTAR, they would likely receive support from the counter-reaction.
Of course, if the song turned out to be terrible, it would all end in mockery.
‘…They must be pretty confident in the song.’
From Choi Won-gil until now, the agency’s handiwork had been top-notch.
I wished the higher-ups at my own agency were half as sharp, but based on my experience so far, that was a hopeless expectation. I should just be grateful for the current "Approval Bot" situation.
Vrrr, vrrr.
Just then, a pop-up appeared on my smartphone screen along with a vibration.
Speak of the devil—it was a message from Gold 1.
[Guys, our promotions overlap!]
[Ahem, I’ll see you at the music shows, seniors.]
“……”
The kid… he was a good guy.
Even if he had a vague idea of how things were being handled, he probably hadn't considered that this could actually harm TeSTAR. He likely just felt a mix of gratitude and embarrassment.
‘I can’t exactly ignore him, either.’
TeSTAR’s social standing was currently far superior to Gold 1’s. The moment any TeSTAR member showed discomfort toward Gold 1, that agency would gleefully jump on it, painting an image of us "acting superior and discarding people."
‘Well, I’ll just let it slide for this promotion.’
Once this season passed, they would likely grab another suitable group and aim for a "winning" narrative. After raising their status, they’d need a taste of victory to make the story look good.
Besides, honestly… I was confident in TeSTAR’s new album.
‘It’s well-made.’
I wasn't just talking about the quality; I believed we had crafted something with enough charm to succeed as an idol activity. The reaction to the teasers released so far had been extremely positive, just as expected.
‘I think this will be a career high.’
I had a strong hunch.
I sent a casual reply to Gold 1’s message in the group chat while predicting the results of this promotion.
And a few days later.
Even before we entered the first music show pre-recording, we heard the good news in the waiting room.
“850,000 copies?”
“Yeah! You guys hit the jackpot!”
We had already surpassed the first-week sales of our previous album by the fourth day. Based on the general trend, if we calculated future sales… it meant the probability of exceeding one million copies in the first week was extremely high.
‘We’re Tier 1.’
Now, we had truly reached a level where we could be counted among the top four or five boy groups in the country.
Keun Se-jin seemed to be the only other one whose thoughts had reached that far, but the rest of the guys were plenty happy.
“Oh my god…”
“If I may venture a guess, I believe overseas sales have increased! Since this concept is very traditional, it appeals to the existing K-pop fan base…”
“The album is cool! That’s why!”
They were a bit excited, falling into a state of collective monologue, but the conversation soon flowed toward doing their best.
“Let’s pull off a great comeback stage and show everyone why our album is selling so well.”
“Ohhh!!”
“Excellently put~”
“I, I want to show everyone a cool side of us…!”
They were overflowing with motivation. It was a good atmosphere to have right before a recording.
“Ah! TeSTAR is going to show them something today!”
“Let’s go!”
‘It’s practically become our official slogan.’
Since the frequency had increased, I shouted the slogan—which wasn't even embarrassing anymore—and headed up to the recording set.
Waaaaaaaah!
I heard the familiar cheers.
It was a music show pre-recording, something that felt like it had been a very long time.
‘This album is unusual.’
Park Moon-dae’s fansite master tried to calm her heart.
But it was difficult. The metrics were just too good…!
‘What is with these overseas numbers!’
It was a scream of joy.
And the metrics weren't just about album sales.
After TeSTAR became quite a hot topic in overseas K-pop communities through an American talk show, the number of followers on Park Moon-dae’s fansite SNS had been increasing faster than usual.
Then, after this comeback, the number of shares on Park Moon-dae’s photos nearly doubled.
On various TeSTAR promotional content on WeTube, users were adding English subtitles, and the view counts for fan-made humor videos in English were jumping.
And above all…
‘The music video views have exploded…’
It surpassed 10 million views in just 26 hours.
While not yet at the level of top-tier boy groups of the same domestic caliber, it was still encouraging. The view count was still increasing at a significant rate, perhaps due to word of mouth. Teaser views were rising along with it.
‘I knew it.’
Recalling the music video for the title track of this album, "Haengcha," the fansite master’s heart swelled.
‘It’s truly the best.’
It was a bit disappointing that Ryu Cheong-woo, not Park Moon-dae, was the center of the music video’s narrative, but the music video itself turned out so well.
‘Ryu Cheong-woo is really going to rise up this time, isn’t he?’
There was no longer a need to compare individual rankings, but the fansite master prepared to cheer while having those thoughts out of habit.
‘They’re coming up soon!’
On the lightsticks seen here and there, long ribbons printed with the album cover pattern were tied in various shapes. They were mini daenggi—traditional ribbons—provided as a pre-order benefit for decorating lightsticks.
Since the lightsticks looked like pure magic wands, it seemed like an accessory designed to give a sense of unity with the song while cheering. It was very pretty.
‘This kind of thing is cute and great!’
However, the fansite master’s satisfied thoughts vanished the moment TeSTAR stepped onto the stage.
TeSTAR was wearing suit-style outfits that incorporated appropriate Hanbok elements in the collars and patterns. And tied to their wrists, necks, or earrings were cloth ornaments.
They were the exact same daenggi that the fans had tied to their lightsticks.
“Aaaaah!”
‘Who is the stylist?!’
She was truly grateful.
Fortunately, whether they had time to spare or the filming preparations weren't quite finished, they gave light introductory remarks instead of diving straight into the performance.
[Everyone, was the music video okay…?]
“Aaaaah!!!”
“Yes!!”
“I love it!!”
[Haha, I see!]
[Shall we each talk very briefly about our favorite part? Now, starting with our Cheong-woo hyung who brought it up!]
TeSTAR stalled for time by chatting on stage. Having passed a year since their debut, they looked much more skillful compared to their early days.
‘So cute, seriously…’
The fansite master murmured warmly but couldn't take her eyes off Park Moon-dae.
As already seen in the music video, Park Moon-dae’s hairstyle had changed. Thanks to her preparation, she managed to hold back an excessive scream.
‘It’s been so long since he had black hair…’
The fansite master indulged in the faint first memory of the Idol Inc. production presentation.
Park Moon-dae’s black hair was quite a bit longer than usual. It wasn't exactly long hair, but it was long enough that his bangs could be slightly swept to the sides, bringing out a subtle classical beauty.
‘Magnificent…!’
Swallowing all sorts of praise, the fansite master waved her lightstick back at Park Moon-dae, who was waving his hand.
[Everyone, Moon-dae’s black hair came about after a lot of agonizing deliberation, you know?]
[Please give us your honest feedback.]
“I love it!!”
“It’s so good!!”
The fansite master couldn't hold back any longer and screamed with all her might. Similar shouts erupted from all over.
Moon-dae, who had been asking with a nonchalant, Tibetan fox-like face, gave a small smile at the reaction.
[Thank you.]
‘The best!!’
Crying internally, the fansite master thought this was exactly why she came to these recordings.
But the highlight of the day hadn't even started yet.
The stage, that is.
[Are we going in?]
[Yep.]
After exchanging signals with the staff, TeSTAR quickly took their positions after a final wave.
The members gathered in a semi-circle, crouching down with their arms hanging low.
[…….]
On a stage set composed of pine trees and black and red cloth, the performance began.
Tang-ta-dang, tang-tang-tang, ta-da-dang—
The accompaniment, starting with the kkwaenggwari and buk, began the song with a highly modern structure alongside modified traditional instrument sounds.
It was trap hip-hop.
At that moment, the choreography unfolded as they extended their legs from the floor. It was a dance that looked like the movement of a four-legged beast.
The moment they took a triangular formation with that peculiar movement, the intro ended, and Cha Yu-jin burst forward.
—Even if you struggle, you can’t avoid it
Today He arrives, the Haengcha is here
Mark another line in the records
Now He arrives, the Haengcha is here
It was a song that pushed the rhythmic, groovy, and iconic taste of K-pop idol dance tracks to the limit. However, because of the unique sound from the traditional instruments, a very strange flavor was added.
—Approaching without a sound
A predator, sharp Claw
Clawing through this night
A pursuer, just as certain
The clear vocal melodies interspersed throughout were pleasant to hear. They contrasted with the rap, which intentionally made sharp sounds, making the song rich.
Above all, no matter what part they were doing, the choreography never rested.
‘Don’t they need to revise that…?’
Watching the part during Seon A-hyun’s segment where they all lay on the floor and sprang up with the recoil, the fansite master thought reflexively.
But she soon forgot about it. Even thinking about something else felt like a waste.
—Swallowing the world
Melting it hotly
The sound that rings on the tip of the tongue
Ryu Cheong-woo stood at the center of the formation, which had returned to an arrow shape.
Along with the chorus, the tempo slowed down significantly. And an imposing, static choreography weighed down the atmosphere.
—Now, He has appeared
Warning after warning
Approaching in a figure-eight
Slowly, thrillingly
—Me
With the drop, the accompaniment exploded.
—The day that finally arrived
Haengcha
Ending it here today
(never get away from me ye)
Park Moon-dae’s high notes and Kim Rae-bin’s low rap overlapped as they passed.
—Even if you bow your head, you can’t escape
Look closely now
The thrill follows
Lee Se-jin, coming from the side to the front, tilted his head.
A dance break unfolded.
—Haengcha
Thanks to the generous inclusion of a catchy beat melody, the song stuck to the ears even during the dance break section where only a single word was occasionally uttered.
But the flashy dance break captured the eyes even more.
The choreography, moving the formation as if a massive beast were changing its posture, gave a strange feeling in time with the sounds of the sogeum and gayageum that felt like they were racing.
‘This is insane.’
Since they had only seen snippets of the choreography in the music video, this was the first time all the fans were seeing the performance from start to finish.
The power was immense.
Even toward the end, there were vocal feats.
—Stronger
Louder
My arriving footsteps
As soon as Park Moon-dae in the bridge hit an ultra-high note, the final dance break followed immediately.
—Haengcha
‘Moon-dae, are you even breathing?!’
The fansite master, who hadn't expected them to perform this much live, was speechless with a mix of admiration and worry. It was at a level where she worried if they could continue doing this live in the future.
‘I see why this is the pre-recording!!’
Thinking she realized why they recorded the title track instead of a sub-track, the fansite master watched the stage with her mouth agape.
But no mistakes occurred until the very end.
The moment the explosive dance break ended, the choreography settled into a formation as if being rewound and sucked back in.
Unlike the intro, which felt like a four-legged beast, the ending was like a disciplined squad.
With Ryu Cheong-woo, standing in the center, giving a slight nod to the sound of the taepyeongso, the stage ended.
‘I love it so much!!’
“Waaaaaaaah!!”
This was the first time since TeSTAR’s debut that they had made such an overt performance piece their sole title track. The fans were excited and cheered generously.
[Whew… thank you!]
Even in the additional recording, which they did because they felt it was ‘a bit lacking,’ there was no disarray.
Perhaps because the exceptionally fit Ryu Cheong-woo handled the start of the chorus and the ending, it looked even more stable.
‘I see why they gave him the center.’
Since Moon-dae’s screen time was also decent, the fansite master could nod without any ill feelings.
[Please get home safely!]
[I hope you all eat a hearty breakfast!]
After three takes, TeSTAR finished the recording and left.
Perhaps because things were delayed early on, they had to leave quickly for the next team, so there was no separate time for ending comments, but it was enough.
The stage had been that good!
‘Ah, I have a good feeling about this!!’
Hoping things would continue like this, the fansite master popped a yakgwa she received as a snack into her mouth as she left.
It tasted like honey!
She hoped Moon-dae’s future path would be just as sweet!!
I had a feeling.
‘Forget about things being sweet.’
The moment I heard the chorus of Gold 1’s group’s title track, which he had sent asking ‘how it felt,’ I knew instinctively.
This song… it was actually too good.