Chapter 159
Chapter 159
The Japanese program TeSTAR appeared on was a morning show, with the time 7:41 displayed in the upper corner.
Man, K-Pop has a certain status now. Why are they appearing on something like the Japanese version of AM Plaza?
The high school student felt a bit dissatisfied, but since he’d already turned it on, he decided to keep watching to see what they were up to.
Korean subtitles, likely added by a fan, were overlaid on the screen.
[A super-express K-Pop group has arrived!]
[Korea’s national idols, TeSTAR]
Then, TeSTAR’s career history and achievements flashed across the screen, interspersed with music video clips and award ceremony footage.
[Their latest album sales reached a staggering 1.1 million!]
[Is the secret their seven unique charms, formed through a survival audition?]
[We asked Hallyu fans in Shin-Okubo!]
Short interviews with K-Pop fans on the streets of the Koreatown followed.
[They definitely feel like they have the most momentum lately.]
[My bias is Moon-dae. He’s a cute puppy who’s great at singing!]
[Everyone has a different bias.]
[It’s touching to see how hard they work, and they’re just so cute.]
Oh… so they’re actually popular in Japan?
The high schooler’s unimpressed expression softened slightly.
With flashy sparkling effects, the video finally announced TeSTAR’s entrance.
[The super-express idols from Korea]
[Are entering the studio now!]
Dun-dun-dun!
Accompanied by somewhat blunt sound effects, TeSTAR entered the pastel-toned set against a backdrop of four or five panels clapping.
They looked sharp in navy suits accented with traditional accessories.
Look at those leg lengths.
While the high schooler felt a sense of vicarious satisfaction, TeSTAR smiled and bowed politely without showing any signs of nerves.
[Hello! Take your STAR, we are TeSTAR!]
[Waaaaah!]
[Welcome! Please introduce yourselves one by one!]
[Yes!]
Following the MC’s request, the introductions proceeded, with the members mixing in very simple Japanese or using English.
Knowing they didn't have much time, they each added a brief highlight of their characteristics.
[Hello. I am TeSTAR’s leader, Ryu Cheong-woo. I was formerly a member of the national archery team.]
[Huuuh?!]
[For real?]
[Yes. I was a gold medalist.]
He then smiled and passed the mic to the next person without hesitation.
The panels’ reactions grew even more intense.
[He’s so cool! It’s dangerous!]
[That must be his charm point!]
The person who made the subtitles had even included the panels’ whispering in small, colored text. It was mostly things like "So cool" or "So cute" whenever a member was caught smirking.
[I am Bae Se-jin. I was a child actor and…]
[He’s a total tsundere!]
[…!]
As Bae Se-jin hesitated, trying to wrap up his intro, Lee Se-jin cut in.
[Tsundere??]
[Hahaha!]
After drawing out a burst of laughter with Bae Se-jin’s dumbfounded expression, Lee Se-jin continued his own introduction with a grin.
[My name is Lee Se-jin, and since I have the same name as this tsundere hyung here, I made the nickname ‘Keun Se-jin.’]
[Keun?]
[‘Keun’ means ‘big’ in Korean~ Yep. I’m in charge of dance in the team!]
Thanks to the training he received as a trainee, fluent Japanese flowed from his mouth.
[…Hello. I am… Seon A-hyun. I majored in… dance. …Please take care of me.]
[I’m Park Moon-dae. You can think of me as whichever image you prefer: a singing puppy or a Tibetan fox.]
[HELLO GUYS, I’m Eugene. Please remember me! Thanks!]
In that manner, the turn finally reached Kim Rae-bin, who was standing at the very end.
However, this time, a question came from the panels. They had noticed that the accessory Kim Rae-bin was wearing—cleverly disguised as a decoration—was actually a brace.
[Is something wrong with your leg?]
[Yes. However, it will not interfere with showing you our performance.]
When the translator relayed Kim Rae-bin’s clever answer, the panels nodded and marveled, saying things like, "His confidence is great."
Their dance is freaking intense, though. What is he planning to do?
The high schooler watched with a skeptical eye.
[TeSTAR’s performance is coming up next~]
Normally, an ad break would have been here, but because it was a cut version, the video skipped straight to the stage.
On a platform atop the cleared set, the lights swirled, and the performance began with Japanese subtitles.
—Even if you struggle, you cannot escape
Today, the procession arrives, it is here
Draw one more line in the records
Now, the procession arrives, it is here
They’re so damn synchronized.
Since they had already practiced the formations without Kim Rae-bin, the choreography was seamless.
Moreover, because the opening featured Cha Yu-jin—who was fired up for their first full-group performance in a while—the immersion was incredible.
The extremely static camera work actually highlighted the details of the dynamic performance quite vividly.
The high schooler shut his mouth and focused on the stage.
—Haengcha
Wait, he’s not coming out?
The guy who said he hurt his leg didn't appear at all even after the first verse passed. The high schooler found it a bit strange, but soon pushed it out of his mind.
I’m pretty sure the ‘Groom’ guy is doing the doubling throughout the chorus, right? Damn, my ears are so good.
He was too busy watching the stage.
Actually, since this was his first time properly seeing the performance for "Haengcha," he just stared blankly through the first verse and the start of the second.
Then, just before the final pre-chorus.
The high schooler barely noticed Kim Rae-bin walking out from the back with slow steps.
What’s he gonna do?
Just as he thought the momentum might die down, the choreography formation shifted subtly. Then, the members suddenly pulled back like a receding tide and lifted Kim Rae-bin up.
“…!”
With a fierce glint in his eyes, Kim Rae-bin began his part while perched on the backs and arms of the other members, as if riding a palanquin.
—Someone who visited in the middle of the night
The door handle smashed and torn apart
Bang, bang, bang
The sound of it rolling and bouncing
Simultaneously, the formation changed.
—He has appeared now
Warning, and warning again
Approaching with a swagger
Slow and thrilling
Riding down the arms and torsos connected to the floor, Kim Rae-bin slid forward lightly as if landing, supporting his body with his arms to push himself up.
Then, standing at the very front in the center, he glared into the camera.
—Me.
“Holy crap!”
Whether the high schooler was impressed or not, Kim Rae-bin didn't stop his rap.
He kept going right into the next part.
Huh?
Only then did the high schooler realize.
TeSTAR had removed and rearranged similar parts from the first and second halves, then dumped a massive chunk of the latter half onto Kim Rae-bin.
Wow, that’s ballsy.
Because it was a rap-heavy song, Kim Rae-bin’s momentum was terrifying.
There was no specific choreography for Kim Rae-bin as he walked forward, but because the surrounding members moved like his limbs, it looked like a deliberate performance.
And as if inheriting that momentum, Park Moon-dae’s vocals soared during the climax at the very end.
This is it!!
Then came the final dance break.
After a series of movements so flashy that Kim Rae-bin—who had moved to the back—wasn't even visible, TeSTAR intentionally pulled the formation far back.
There, they joined up with Kim Rae-bin for the ending shot.
[Haengcha]
“They’re so good.”
The high schooler unknowingly slapped his desk. On the screen, the camera was zooming in on the panels’ faces after the performance ended.
Every single one of them had wide eyes.
Man, is this where the thumbnail comes from?
The boy chuckled.
In the video, the members of TeSTAR stood up and tidied their clothes. Then, they immediately smiled and bowed toward the camera.
[Thank you!]
[That was TeSTAR’s Haengcha~]
The video ended there.
And the high schooler was certain.
They honestly killed it.
He could see why the view count was so high. Just watching it filled him with a refreshing dose of national pride.
Finding it interesting, he checked the comments, which were buzzing with fans and Koreans who were equally entertained.
“Oh….”
It turned out it was a pretty popular program. The high schooler shrugged.
Is there anything else fun?
Feeling hyped, he looked at the related videos, and a string of reviews about the Japanese reaction to TeSTAR popped up.
[Japanese broadcasters left speechless by TeSTAR’s traditional Korean stage!]
[Japanese TV goes wild over TeSTAR’s performance]
The national pride channels are having a field day.
The high schooler usually didn't watch these because they were cringey, but he clicked on one, telling himself it was just because he was bored.
Incidentally, at around the same time, Park Moon-dae was also monitoring the situation.
*
Did they only pick the good reactions?
I suspected there might be some cherry-picking involved. I shoveled some room service into my mouth while skimming through the video at double speed.
It was annoying that content that could have been a simple text post was made into a video, taking twice as long to consume.
Still, I’m busy enough learning English; Japanese is out of the question.
The fact that I’d managed to pick up basic greetings and conversation in just two weeks was entirely thanks to my traits.
I shrugged and organized the information I’d gathered from fan SNS and WeTube channels.
Seon A-hyun’s reaction is good.
Kim Rae-bin also got a lot of attention, likely because his center part in the latter half was impactful, and the rest of the members were doing well across the board.
…There are more mentions of me than I expected.
I wasn't sure exactly what clicked, but it seemed I was being received as a sort of "eccentric" character.
Whatever.
Anyway, the conclusion was that the overall reaction was very positive.
Of course, the fact that there was enough of a splash to be considered an achievement meant there couldn't only be good words.
[Japanese Net Uyoku foaming at the mouth over TeSTAR’s popularity]
The content of this video could be seen as a typical example.
Below these, the video uploader had attached comments mocking them with counter-evidence.
Typical.
It seemed we’d checked off all the nonsense usually thrown at K-Pop groups that gained even a little bit of fame in Japan. I guess the reaction really is good.
I shrugged and finished my monitoring.
And sure enough, a few days later, I heard news from the company.
“It’s going to be officially aired in Japan?”
“Yeah! They said the TV station over there bought it because the reaction to you guys was so good!”
It was the news of the official Japanese broadcast of Re-listing! Idol Inc.
…Will it be okay?
The content was provocative enough that it might work in Japan, but I wasn't sure how popular a survival program would be when the conclusion was already out.
“Man~ it brings back memories!”
“Y-yeah.”
“It was hard, but it was rewarding.”
Several members shared their thoughts on the news of Idol Inc. being aired after so long.
Since they had won and debuted, it seemed the experience had been beautified in their minds, and some were talking about it like it was a difficult exam period they’d overcome.
Of course, there were those who didn't feel that way.
“…It should have been canceled.”
That was Bae Se-jin.
Anyway, the news about Idol Inc. didn't end there.
“Ah, come to think of it, you guys know they’re doing a new season of Idol Inc. this time, right?”
“Heol. Really?”
“They’re actually doing it.”
“Yeah~”
The manager casually brought it up.
“So~ they’re asking if you guys could make an appearance?”
I knew it.