Chapter 204
Chapter 204
TeSTAR’s Working Holiday received a great response on WeTube, gaining quite a bit of recognition even among overseas K-Pop fans.
Following their game collaboration song and the impression they made with Haengcha, many evaluated that this reality show had swung the gates wide open for an influx of international fans.
However, it goes without saying that they hadn't quite broken into the international mainstream yet. It was more like their name was becoming known among people who already liked the genre.
So, when I heard they had appeared on an American program, I wondered what that was about. I thought maybe the hotteok had gone viral, but...
Upon checking, it turned out that a completely unexpected, minor detail had caught people's attention.
"This! Look at this!"
As soon as we arrived at the dorm, Cha Yu-jin shoved a short video clip at me that was being shared on social media with English subtitles.
It was the scene from Reality Season 2 where we went out to eat with Cha Yu-jin’s mother.
Because we had split into teams to divide the roles, Cha Yu-jin, Ryu Cheong-woo, and I had accompanied her for the meal... and the setup of the meal was quite unique.
[I won the lottery! I thought it would be nice to go with you guys.]
It turned out to be a dining spot provided by an American cooking survival program.
Our production crew had been thrilled and managed to snag a few shots through on-site negotiations, but honestly, it wasn't a comfortable seat.
[Wait, Hyung, that’s not cooked.]
[Really?]
[Oh dear, let’s ask them to cook it more!]
When Ryu Cheong-woo sent back the white fish dish he ordered because it was raw, an enormous roar erupted from the kitchen.
[This fish is so cold my hands are getting frostbite just touching it!]
[...]
It seems survival programs follow a similar route no matter where you go.
It was a wonderful experience that brought back vivid memories of being scolded by trainers every time I messed up during Aju-sa.
Apparently, this scene was aired exactly as it was on the cooking program's side as well.
However, there was a misunderstanding. They thought the members were brothers.
It was because Cha Yu-jin’s mother had used a phrase like "A meal with my son who returned after a long time :)" when she applied.
Thanks to that, the scolding gained a narrative.
[Those customers! They’re having a meal in their hometown with their mother for the first time in a year after working overseas!]
[You are ruining their precious time!]
[Enough! Everyone out of my kitchen, now!]
The judge actually said those lines.
Furthermore, our stoic faces as we listened to the commotion in the kitchen—whenever those were filmed—were broadcast as the finishing touch.
[It reminds me of the old days.]
[I know, right?]
These lines were even kindly provided with subtitles.
And contrasted with the frantic atmosphere of the kitchen, it seemed to be quite hilarious. It briefly flared up as a sort of East Asian meme on the American internet.
With comments like that, it seemed a caricature meme was circulating, saying things like, "To East Asians who live such intense lives, American survival shows are just daily life lol."
Naturally, it quickly caught the eye of K-Pop fans who already knew TeSTAR.
This commotion became quite well-known in American internet communities and became a hot topic due to the funny twist.
And it didn't end there; the climax was that it almost escalated into a controversy.
Later, the misunderstanding caused by Cha Yu-jin’s mother’s story was well-explained, but regardless, after riding the wave of everything from humor to controversy, it seems it went quite viral.
[This is the segment where we introduce stories that have recently become famous on the internet!]
In the end, it was even briefly reported on a news-style broadcast in the US that covers internet gossip. That was exactly what Cha Yu-jin was showing me.
"It’s amazing!"
"It sure is."
I realized that a person can go viral through the strangest coincidences.
I wondered if it was really something to be this excited about, but I suppose from the perspective of someone seeing it in their native language, it might look even funnier.
Cha Yu-jin hummed "Just Me" half-heartedly while browsing English pages. I shook my head and headed toward the kitchen.
"Moon-dae, Moon-dae, there’s more barley tea~ Hyung is being generous, you can drink it!"
Stop with that "Hyung" crap.
"I'm good."
"Heol, are you ignoring my mother's sincerity?"
"..."
I eventually gritted my teeth and took out the barley tea. Keun Se-jin burst into laughter.
That guy, seriously.
It was a bit irritating, but regardless, this situation was only possible because we were all lounging around the dorm this afternoon.
...It’s been a while since we’ve had some leisure time.
Since that damn "Truth" verification had been postponed, this was a nice change. It seemed like there wouldn't be any problems as long as we put effort into the post-production of the comeback single starting the day after tomorrow.
The song is mostly done; we just need to do some final edits.
It was a single intended to be a light fan service and a way to check our momentum from the reality show before putting full strength into a conceptual studio album.
If everything went according to plan, the latter half of the promotions would overlap with the university festival season, allowing me to rake in a decent amount of the Status Effect quota.
Good.
Except for this godforsaken game system where nothing was certain, the near future looked peaceful.
...I didn't realize that a variable would pop up the very next day, making those thoughts feel utterly foolish.
It was the news that the General Manager had gone off the deep end.
The problem was that damn American meme.
Naturally, since it wasn't something that would evoke massive long-term empathy, the meme died down quickly, but some people remained interested.
From people already interested in K-Pop to those looking for something different out of boredom, some started digging deeper.
And eventually, they discovered Re-listing! Idol Inc. on Netplus.
In other words, American viewers had belatedly latched onto Re-listing! Idol Inc. through various communities.
The sensibility might not have suited American tastes, but because its provocative nature was guaranteed, it seemed to have gained some word-of-mouth.
Of course, it wasn't an achievement on the level of entering the Netplus daily US Top 10.
It was just a minor success where Aju-sa was being recommended by the algorithm to American viewers who had watched a Korean drama or variety show at least once.
However, it seemed to have struck the General Manager differently.
To him, it probably looked like his push for "appealing to the US through reality shows" had actually succeeded.
In fact, the reality program itself hadn't even become a hit, and he had likely forgotten that the project had been modified away from his original vision.
No. He probably thinks it would have blown up even more if it hadn't been modified...
A superior intoxicated with a strong sense of conviction and achievement that "he was right" was no different from a runaway train.
It was even worse because the debut of the junior idols, Mirinae, had been quite successful.
Shit.
The fortunate thing was that the Management Department Chief seemed to be working hard to tear down the General Manager’s behavior.
He’s a guy worth the effort I put into manipulating him beforehand.
"He says a person who steals an artist's achievements shouldn't be running a company."
"Wow."
This was what the third manager, the Chief's cousin, read from a text message he received with a bored expression.
They must have properly fallen out.
I hoped they would keep biting and fighting each other as planned so that nothing would progress. Once we released the single and started promotions, it would all fizzle out anyway.
Just keep up the power struggle for four weeks.
"I'm grateful they're looking out for us so much."
"Yeah, well."
The third manager brushed it off as if he weren't interested and went back to playing a smartphone game.
He really has no interest in this job.
Still, this guy was the type to do exactly what he was told or asked without trying to slip away, so he was more useful than the first manager.
Plus, since he had no experience in professional life, he would just show me texts like that without knowing where to draw the line.
"...Guys, let's move."
"Okay."
On the other hand, the first manager seemed to be under considerable stress from the changed ecosystem, as his slacking attitude had significantly decreased.
This was also convenient. Moreover, the newly arrived Chief Manager was working quite efficiently.
Still, Ryu Cheong-woo is doing too much work.
Since the two road managers who actually accompany us only do what they're told, Ryu Cheong-woo ends up proactively checking the management.
Normally, the managers should check everything individually, and Ryu Cheong-woo should just be at the level of providing feedback.
I should probably figure out a way to get some competent people into the TeSTAR dedicated team.
I’ll have to plan that out more. For now, preparing for the next promotion was the priority.
The current schedule was a meeting regarding the promotion outfits.
"I'm going with red hair!"
"Sure. Do whatever you want, Yu-jin."
"Hehe."
"Se-jin-ssi... Bae Se-jin-ssi, do you have any intention of dyeing your hair a brighter color? We think it would suit you well."
"...! I think it might look weird... No, if it's necessary, I'll do it..."
"We're not forcing you! We just thought it might be a good image transformation."
"Image transformations are great~ Moon-dae, how about piercings?"
"You do them."
"M-Moon-dae, you don't like piercings..."
"They're just okay. Do you like them?"
"N-No! I've just never tried them..."
"Wow, look at Park Moon-dae's favoritism."
Thanks to our increased influence, our opinions were now being reflected quite a bit in hair and makeup.
"Good job today~"
"See you again the day after tomorrow!"
Hmm, piercings.
After the meeting ended, I was moving toward the recording studio while reviewing the details that hadn't been finalized yet.
"I-I'm really sorry, but if you have a moment, could you stop by the Management Office?"
"Ah, yes."
A cautious call came from the Management Office.
What is it?
I had a bad feeling about this unexpected summons, and it seemed I was right.
"TeSTAR members, don't worry!"
It was because the Management Department Chief, who had called us, said this with a bright smile as soon as he met us.
Why does this guy look so happy?
"I'm sure you've been struggling mentally because the General Manager kept insisting on targeting the US for this comeback."
"N-No, it's fine."
In the first place, the General Manager's orders hadn't been directly handed down to us. Besides, it was awkward to just laugh when he was badmouthing his superior right in front of us.
At Ryu Cheong-woo's lukewarm response, the Chief replied with even more energy.
"No, it's not! We must respect the artist's abilities and wishes! That's why I secured a firm commitment through this meeting."
"Excuse me?"
I was appalled, thinking he had called us just to brag and appeal to us, but more than that, I was terrified of what kind of "commitment" he had secured.
And then, the damn words came out.
"For this TeSTAR promotion, the General Manager agreed that even if he doesn't specifically send you to the US, you will be successful enough in the global market!"
"..."
"So, without worrying about a US debut, you can just make the album you want, just like you've been doing!"
You crazy bastard.
Suddenly, we were in a position where we had to turn a fan-service single into a global hit.