Chapter 255
Chapter 255
After accepting that insane deal where my status window would vanish if I didn't win a Grand Prize within 500 days...
The rest of the holiday break passed peacefully.
Actually, I had planned to return to the dorm a few days early to conduct a massive analysis of global pop trends and domestic shifts for the next album, but...
Before I knew it, I was mass-producing holiday food.
"......?"
"Oh my, Moondae, you shape your songpyeon so beautifully~ Our Sejin’s look just like dumplings, don't they?"
"Mom!"
"...Thank you."
It seemed that overworking my brain from the 'Truth Verification' to the mission had taken its toll. I found myself craving something I could do without thinking.
So, I spent my time monitoring the variety show titled TeSTAR's Island Life, though it was better read as TeSTAR's Castaway Chronicles.
[Cha Yu-jin: Whooooooo!]
[Ryu Cheong-woo: Guys, watch your step!]
"They edited this to be quite spectacular."
"...I'll say."
The scenes of us meticulously preparing equipment, climbing hills, and receiving supplies via helicopter were edited to evoke the feeling of an intense sports match or a grand expedition.
And then, the feast given as a reward.
[Nom nom nom]
[Enjoy it, live it up, TeSTAR...☆]
The footage was actually better than if we had just been relaxing aimlessly. Perhaps the contrast of working hard under tight supplies made the reward look even more satisfying.
‘The reaction should be good until the very end.’
And when I took a peek at the internet, the response was exactly that.
The fact that people were bickering like this meant the show was a genuine hit.
‘Since they can’t suppress the opinion that it’s fun, they’re pushing the narrative that it’s not thanks to TeSTAR.’
It was a good sign.
However, what I hadn't expected was that this ripple effect wouldn't stop at the domestic market.
‘Even selling hotteok didn't get this much traction.’
I didn't expect a domestic pilot like this to blow up, especially since it wasn't even the variety show where the General Manager's blatant attempts to target the US were forced in.
[TeSTAR on a deserted island and— DISASTER? (Shocked emoji)]
The highlight clips uploaded by the broadcasting station saw their view counts skyrocket in an instant, and within a few days, English titles and subtitles began to appear.
A disaster followed by a luxury vacation.
Perhaps because the fundamentally entertaining premise was easy to understand, international fans seemed to be actively recommending the summary videos to WeTube reaction channels.
[Americans overwhelmed by TeSTAR's survival variety show!]
[This is what K-Pop idol variety is! International WeTubers shocked by the explosive fun (Korean subs)]
Naturally, the content flowed into "patriotic hype" translation channels, creating a virtuous cycle of new content.
...Though it was a bit cringe-inducing.
[WeTuber: Oh my f*cking god, are they trapped in a hurricane right now?? On a deserted island??]
[WeTuber: No, I thought a K-Pop idol reality show would be all sweet and cute....]
[WeTuber: Holy crap! Look at their facesㅋㅋㅋ]
[(Falling for them the moment they see them~ Welcome to the fandom.)]
Adding subtitles like that might be a selling point, but it was impossible not to feel embarrassed while watching.
"Hmm."
"...What are you looking at?"
"Oh, international reactions to our variety show."
"That...! You saw them too?"
Bae Se-jin’s eyes widened. Seeing as he used to look up his own "clumsiness escape" videos, he must be quite well-versed in this area.
"Ah, not that person... there's someone who picks good videos. Hold on."
Bae Se-jin pulled up WeTube on the TV and went into one of his subscribed channels. He seemed to be enjoying his WeTube life more seriously than I thought.
And the video Bae Se-jin played was actually quite decent.
[Hello, this is K-Pop Manse.]
There was no distortion or exaggeration, and they even provided backstories on the WeTubers they were translating. There were no forced, over-the-top patriotic subtitles either.
"This is fun."
"...Ahem! Right?"
I wondered how he managed to find this among all the other channels with similarly sobering titles. This wasn't something you could find just by searching keywords.
I spent quite a while watching videos on that channel. It was good for mindless viewing.
However, in the process, I discovered a peculiar pattern.
‘There’s a flow.’
For instance, if a foreigner encountered TeSTAR for the first time through this variety show, they would usually ask for recommendations of the group's main job—music videos—in the comments.
[If there are any other videos of them I should watch, let me know in the comments. Don't forget to subscribe!]
Then, K-Pop fans would swarm in to leave recommendations, mostly for Spring Out.
It was the taste of high-budget Steampunk Joseon. It seemed to go down well without much polarization, as it had that blockbuster movie vibe.
‘Well, we did make it with that intention.’
It was rewarding to see international fans making such good use of something we designed for global appeal.
And if the reaction there was good, the fans would then present Haengcha.
They didn't forget the meticulousness of making them watch the teasers—which included all the members' solo songs—before letting them see the main video.
‘And if they ask for something similar again, they point them to the 127 Section game collaboration trailer...’
After going through Better Me, which shared the same universe, they would eventually arrive at Magical Boy.
It was a magic circle where, after one full rotation, everyone ended up declaring themselves a 'Loviewer.'
[Hey subscribers! As you all know... I'm completely obsessed with these K-Pop big stars, TeSTAR, lately! I'm just, I'm just a Loviewer now!]
[Today, I'm going to react to their latest song, 'Nightmare.' 1, 2, 3, play!]
Since K-Pop reactions were a business that generated decent views, many WeTubers were likely exaggerating, but it was an impressive feat nonetheless.
‘Most top-tier groups have a route like this.’
For example, VTIC had a similar route, usually starting with San-gun.
Anyway, TeSTAR was exerting a more significant influence on the global WeTube trend than I had anticipated.
And that wasn't all.
[TeSTAR's Overcoming, and Their Flight]
Similar promotional videos with English titles like that were circulating with an unusual number of views.
"......"
I checked the one with the most views.
[Ryu Cheong-woo, one of the eldest members and the leader, was originally a national archer for South Korea and a gold medalist in the Olympic men's team event.]
[However, due to fatal aftereffects from a childhood car accident, he had to retire from the national team the year he became an adult.]
This video summarized what kind of backstories the members had when they participated in the brutal audition program to debut, and the incredible results they achieved afterward.
It also covered how they recovered from the recent horrific car accident and held a charity concert.
In short, it was a dramatic success story.
‘I guess this suits American tastes...’
The flavor of self-made success and a turbulent narrative was as rich as bone broth.
[TeSTAR's oldest member, Bae Se-jin, was a child actor who appeared in a very famous movie in Korea.]
[He played a traditional Korean child shaman and won awards at film festivals for his incredible acting...]
"Ugh..."
Beside me, Bae Se-jin covered his face as he watched his younger self performing an exorcism.
"Aren't you proud?"
"Are you joking?? I was terrible."
It seemed that as he grew up and his standards rose, it only looked like a dark past to him.
Regardless, even with some exaggeration, it was definitely a well-made video.
Furthermore, regarding the car accident, they cross-edited it with news reports to vividly recreate the atmosphere of the fandom at the time.
"Hmm."
"...Everyone was so worried."
[And finally, the moment the last member was discharged from the hospital, they made an amazing plan.]
[It was an online charity concert for long-term hospitalized children.]
And the charity concert... well, from their perspective, TeSTAR are foreigners, so there might be some emotional distance, but it didn't matter if the focus was on their 'positive influence.'
Usually, when something unpleasant happens with a foreign celebrity, the "cultural difference" excuse acts as a bit of a shield anyway.
‘Still, I should gauge the image.’
Just in case, I checked the comments on my phone.
"......"
The comment section was ready to burn the former manager at the stake, charity concert be damned. I could feel the hostility even through the foreign language.
‘I guess rage is a universal emotion.’
In any case, it wasn't a bad thing. A violent criminal was being bashed for his own crimes.
He wasn't a guy with a particularly tragic story, so there was nothing to pity.
‘Though I think he would've been trashed even without this.’
Besides, his future was pitch black.
I heard that the former manager, who faced massive public fury, was charged with attempted murder by willful negligence.
And as a case that drew immense attention, had no backing, and had turned a large corporation into an enemy, he had completely botched his criminal trial.
"Come to think of it, I heard the former manager was sentenced to 17 years."
He had been hit with the full sentence without any reduction. It would likely be the same in the second trial after his appeal.
Bae Se-jin nodded bluntly.
"Yeah. Honestly, a guy like that shouldn't just get 17 years; he should live and die in there."
"......"
Well... he won't be able to live a proper life even after he gets out.
Since photos of him had been caught by various fans while he was working as a manager, his face would pop up just by searching the internet.
Even if he had come out after three or four years like in other cases, he would have had to give up on living a normal life in Korea.
And looking at it now, it seemed he’d have a hard time living abroad too.
Not when a TeSTAR promotional video that openly showed the former manager's face had 8 million views.
‘The more TeSTAR blows up, the harder his life will be after he’s released.’
And that’s exactly what would happen.
I shrugged my shoulders.
"He's someone you'll likely never see again, so try to put it out of your mind."
"...Right. It's a holiday, after all."
Bae Se-jin nodded with effort.
Beside him, his mother smiled warmly with a pleased expression.
Yes, it was a good sight.
‘Get plenty of rest before we start working.’
Because I intended to properly prepare for this album as soon as the holiday ended.
I fell into thought for a moment.
What would the fanbase currently trapped in this TeSTAR discovery algorithm want?
‘A well-crafted song.’
Right. A deep lore is good, and easy listening and musicality are great, but I needed to take a more primal approach.
Hard and cool choreography, an intense music video with killer visuals, and an exciting, expensive sound.
Things that are just fun to watch and listen to without having to think.
There was no better remedy for solidifying the global momentum spreading like a viral fever.
‘In short, it means we have to pour money like water.’
That was the one thing the higher-ups at this company were actually good at, so that wasn't a problem.
However, I could no longer tolerate coaxing and soothing these people who were trying to meddle in the overall picture.
‘It’s a waste of time.’
I also had to keep the promise I made to Bae Se-jin when he handed over the materials he’d gathered for a lawsuit.
— I'm thinking we might be able to achieve an effect similar to a lawsuit through other means.
The company had already almost been screwed after trying to shift all the attention to the former manager and sneak away, only to get caught.
‘I should go pay them a visit.’
I spent the rest of the holiday planning a pleasant meeting with the General Manager.
And on the first day after the holiday ended, I immediately scheduled an interview with him.