Chapter 267
Chapter 267
As winter drew to a close, TeSTAR began their scheduled dome tour in Japan, following their leg in the United States.
And as is typical with performances in Japan, the supply of fancams plummeted. Consequently, fans starved for content welcomed the documentary that arrived just in time.
Filling the hiatus while simultaneously boosting their reputation.
Up to this point, everything was going according to plan.
The fans were quite excited.
That was the sentiment… right up until the first release.
Immediately after the early episodes of TeSTAR’s documentary were unveiled, the reaction shifted.
Due to the nature of the platform, several episodes were released at once, allowing fans to grasp the full narrative arc by watching three episodes in one sitting.
I also saw the final edited version for the first time then… and well, I could describe it like this:
[Staff: Maybe you should sit down…]
[Park Moon-dae: … (Coughs), No. I’m fine.]
[Ryu Cheong-woo: Wanting to do your best when you can… (Edit), yes, everyone is like that. No one is going to give up.]
The documentary constantly focused on how serious TeSTAR was throughout their concerts and promotions, and how they desperately wanted to perfect the stage even in the face of pain.
However, it was excessive. To the point where the fans were agitated and depressed.
‘…I knew something was up from the way they asked the questions.’
I thought they would show some restraint after I used the Cha Yu-jin incident as leverage during the contract violation negotiations, but instead, they cut out Cha Yu-jin’s ‘side’ of the footage and extracted even more of this vibe from the other members’ segments.
Especially mine.
[Dance Trainer: It’s true that Moon-dae’s stamina isn’t what it used to be. It can’t be helped.]
[Manager: (After the accident) We are paying more attention to ensuring the artist can get enough rest during travel.]
When did they even film those interviews?
Even the dedicated team staff appeared, and the editing was so masterful that it made it look like I was fighting some heroic battle against injury.
‘Maybe I was too cooperative during the interviews.’
My answers were reasonable enough, but the synergy with the interviews of those around me made it look like I was ‘pretending to be stoic.’
As a result, looking beneath the surface, I could see fans expressing their discomfort more bluntly.
But it wasn't a massive backlash. At most, it was just a intensification of the atmosphere from when I won first place on Idol Inc. due to my ‘tragic family history.’
‘I guess I can summarize it as… mixed reviews.’
That meant the general public’s reaction was good.
This soap-opera-esque emotional code provided a grand narrative and emotional thread that kept the documentary from being boring.
=========================
[Post about Park Moon-dae’s aftereffects in the TeSTAR documentary.jpg]
(Photo) Looking at the members’ interviews, it seems his loss of stamina is more serious than expected.
(Photo) A scene of him being supported by Seon A-hyun as he comes off stage.
=========================
…Thanks to this, the image of ‘Park Moon-dae, who is excessively sincere about being an idol’ was reinforced.
Since it climbed the ‘Most Watched Content in Korea’ rankings, the production crew’s intent could be considered a success, but let me just say it was incredibly embarrassing.
“Oh~ Sincere Moon-dae-ssi~”
“Stop it.”
Keun Se-jin chuckled, tapped my shoulder, and sat on the sofa.
He was also holding his smartphone. It looked like he was monitoring Inheart and WeTube.
Keun Se-jin shrugged.
“Everyone’s only giving praise. And how long will talk about our 8-part documentary last anyway? Don’t worry about your image~”
“…I suppose.”
He was right. Just as the image of ‘Park Moon-dae who endured a tragic family history’ from Idol Inc. faded through promotions after debut, this too would inevitably be erased with time.
It wasn't like I appeared on a national variety show; it was just a documentary exclusive to an OTT service.
‘It’ll probably disappear by the next comeback at the latest.’
The fact that this guy was reacting so flippantly was a sign that it wasn't a big deal.
“Moon-dae, Moon-dae, help me pick out some funny photos of us. Should we post one?”
“If you want.”
I decided to play along with the humor to neutralize the atmosphere, concluding that the documentary’s decent quality was enough of a win.
‘As long as it didn't flop.’
But that was a premature judgment.
Some topics do not naturally get re-evaluated as time passes. They do not fade.
…That was why I had been so careful.
The incident happened two weeks later, while the documentary was in the middle of its run.
Most of the general public had moved on, but many people at least knew that ‘TeSTAR’s documentary came out.’
It was the exact timing when the remaining documentary crew had finished additional filming and left.
I was grabbed by the back of my neck in the rented studio.
“Park Moon-dae!! Did you see this??”
“What are you…”
I looked at Bae Se-jin, who was pale as a ghost, and then turned my gaze.
The smartphone.
A trending post on a community board.
1st [Cha Yu-jin assaulting a cameraman (692)]
Why is this… here?
“…….”
I clicked the post immediately.
The post had a short, silent video attached. The only text was the short phrase, ‘His personality, ugh.’
But the reaction was more explosive than ever.
And for good reason.
The video was a front-facing close-up of a scowling Cha Yu-jin roughly pressing down on the screen with his hand as if striking it.
In the comments, people had already matched his appearance to Cha Yu-jin in the early parts of the documentary and figured out that this was backstage at a concert.
And once they decided they understood the situation, the attack was one-sided.
In an instant, he was branded with derogatory nicknames, mocked, and stigmatized.
Because the act of putting his hand on the camera was captured so clearly, people decided there was no need for further debate.
The impact was even greater because Cha Yu-jin’s existing image was so bright and friendly.
“Where’s the company?”
“…They probably know. I heard the staff talking about it.”
“Wait.”
I immediately went out and started checking the latest posts. I had to gauge the atmosphere to adjust the explanation.
And the current trend was…
[An idol throwing a violent tantrum while his fellow member is sincere about the stage.jpg]
[No wonder only Cha Yu-jin didn't have any serious moments in the documentary. Now I know why lol]
[Isn't he ashamed to even look at Park Moon-dae?]
F*ck, they were starting to compare him to me.
That wasn't all.
[Ryu Cheong-woo was like that too. I guess they only gathered guys whose hands move before their mouths.]
[Did he learn that from the leader? lol]
They were starting to link him with Ryu Cheong-woo. Because there had been a similar controversy.
However, in Ryu Cheong-woo’s case, the justification of protecting safety was clear, and he was cleared by videos from other angles.
So, Ryu Cheong-woo’s individual fans were disgusted and took action.
They were cutting ties with Cha Yu-jin’s side.
And this was… because of the incidents and image Cha Yu-jin’s fandom had built up.
It was because the impact of the early days, when the voices of individual fans who liked ‘only Cha Yu-jin’ were particularly strong, had been so significant.
Even if that wasn't the case anymore, and even if the majority of the fandom consisted of entirely different individuals, the image was inherited.
Because the evidence was so clear, even those who were favorable stayed silent, and all that remained were the voices of those with a lot of pent-up resentment.
The deep-seated grievances that began with Idol Inc. and went through their debut and various conflicts had finally exploded at the worst possible timing.
Because my image had become so good through the documentary, it was… easier.
The atmosphere among individual fans was already destroyed.
Of course, the atmosphere among group fans was no different from a funeral home.
“…….”
“…Are you okay?”
“I’m…”
I trailed off. Because I wasn't okay.
I felt like Shit.
“Let’s have a meeting first.”
The company was, of course, in an uproar.
They seemed to be desperately trying to find out what happened by contacting the documentary production crew.
And the conclusion was…
“…So, someone from the documentary production crew took their computer in for repairs because it broke, and it was leaked from there.”
“Yes. Since the owner seemed to be a broadcasting professional, it looks like they even recovered deleted files.”
The employee explained, looking as if they weren't sure if they should be saying this, but yielded to the members’ persuasion.
“I’ve heard of personal information being leaked this way, but honestly, since it was a criminal act, it’s hard to hold them responsible for negligence…”
Right, I get what happened after that.
A criminal looking for anything related to celebrities caught a big fish, but Cha Yu-jin’s video probably wasn't in a field they were personally interested in.
So, for the purpose of drawing attention and showing off, they posted the text and video on one of those nasty Deep Web sites.
Then, someone among that site’s users leaked the video back to the general web for entertainment.
That’s how it spread to SNS and communities in an instant.
“…….”
But what’s the point of knowing the mechanics when there’s no solution in sight?
This wasn't a situation where a normal explanation would work.
‘The documentary crew made unreasonable demands, so he did that?’
Won't work. They’ll fire back with, ‘So your hand goes out first if you’re unhappy?’
‘He wasn't hitting it, he was pressing it, and it was to protect a member who was receiving a rude request during filming…’
Who would believe that? There’s no evidence.
They already destroyed all the data.
It would just sound like an excuse.
In the meantime, if the frame of ‘a big-label idol power-tripping over a small studio’s production crew’ gets applied… there’s really no way out.
No matter how we release an official statement, they’ll find something to nitpick.
Cha Yu-jin, who had been quietly nodding, raised his hand from beside me.
“Should I apologize?”
“Wait, wait a minute. Yu-jin!”
“Let’s wait and see.”
The members immediately started talking him out of it.
I spoke up without realizing it.
“If you apologize, you’re admitting it. Don’t do it for now.”
I didn't know if this was the right thing to say. Would it be better to just apologize? But what did this guy do wrong that he should have to apologize?
I couldn't see any other answer.
Cha Yu-jin’s video was too powerful.
Therefore, to overturn this, we needed a truth even more powerful than that.
And naturally, the truth isn't usually that impressive. It has to be processed.
‘Media play…’
No. It won't work.
Whether the company downplays it as nothing, apologizes, or explains the situation in detail, it won't work. It’ll just be boring and sound like an excuse.
We needed shocking, intuitive evidence that could be understood at a glance, but…
There wasn't any.
“For now, we’ll wait and see if the situation dies down.”
“Yes. Everyone, don’t worry too much. We have a performance next week, so focus on managing your condition…”
The meeting ended inconclusively. But the company would probably be monitoring all night and holding endless meetings.
I also stayed up almost all night monitoring for the first time in a while, my smartphone glued to my hand.
I couldn't sleep.
And the next day. The other guys looked just as bad, as if they had done the same thing as me.
Except for one person.
“Don’t go looking at the internet for no reason.”
I was talking about Cha Yu-jin. Surprisingly, he had the best complexion.
“Okay!”
Cha Yu-jin nodded. Then he added:
[Hyung, don’t worry about me too much. The truth always works out in the end.]
Blood rushed to my head.
What is this punk so confident about? Does he even know what kind of insults are being thrown at him?
“That’s why! It won’t work…”
I bit my tongue.
…Am I crazy?
I almost let out words that were useless and only served to lower morale.
And about someone else’s business, not even my own.
‘…No, we’re in the same boat.’
I had seen enough of the group fans dropping off last night.
But… I knew. In the end, this would be a problem Cha Yu-jin would have to endure mostly alone.
Once this topic passed, the group would recover, but for Cha Yu-jin, it would remain an indelible label that would be brought up every time someone mentioned a scandal.
Yet, Cha Yu-jin was surprisingly calm.
“Hyung, I’m really okay. I don’t care about that stuff. It’s not like I can’t perform on stage.”
“…….”
[Are you going to say that even if you’re okay, the team members aren't?]
“…That’s.”
[Stop worrying for my sake!]
Cha Yu-jin smiled, but in the end, he hung his head with a dejected look.
“[And I’m sorry. It’s true that I caused harm to the team. I really wanted to say that.] I’m sorry…”
“There’s no need for that.”
I answered calmly.
“I agreed that those guys were the ones in the wrong. That’s the end of it.”
“Ooh… That’s sweet. Thank you!”
Perhaps he had been struggling internally after all, as Cha Yu-jin seemed quite moved. I suppressed a sigh.
‘You’re going to keep struggling from now on, though.’
Even so, there was still no right answer.
Do I have to accept… that sometimes unsolvable misunderstandings happen?
I sat on the sofa, my back to Cha Yu-jin as he went into his room.
“…….”
It wasn't his fault. And since we took all possible measures, it wasn't anyone’s fault.
Right.
‘The situation just… happened to align in a Shitty way.’
…Is that really it?
I stood up from the sofa. Something felt off.
It felt artificial.
‘Is that really the answer?’
Of all things, Cha Yu-jin’s video, and of all the bad luck, it was leaked from a computer?
…Let’s go back to the basic premise.
‘In the first place, why was that video still on that computer?’
When we took action, didn't we have all of Cha Yu-jin’s footage destroyed?
Even if it was recovered at a repair shop, only that decisive part survived so cleanly?
Out of all that long footage?
“……Ah.”
Only then did I properly grasp the situation.
“They clipped it.”
Those bastards. They had clipped a portion of Cha Yu-jin’s film and kept it on a personal computer, thinking they might have a use for it later, like for negotiations.
Since the full context would only make them look bad, they cut out exactly the part where Cha Yu-jin took action.
‘Those sons of bitches.’
Even if the leak wasn't intentional, they were the cause of it.
‘The guys who were supposed to be making a documentary were full of nothing but greed instead of a sense of duty.’
“Haha.”
Suddenly, my head started spinning.
I quickly checked the information and roster of their studio.
If Cha Yu-jin’s image couldn't be fully recovered, shouldn't I make sure something of theirs couldn't be recovered either?
‘Weaknesses.’
I needed information.
First, I checked all the image files of the documentary contract I had received and saved.
The CEO, the producer in charge, the writer…
And the manager’s email address.
It was a company email, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the ID before the email address.
‘People don’t usually change their IDs.’
After checking the history on this studio’s homepage, I narrowed the search criteria to before its establishment.
Then, I linked the ID with common search engine addresses and searched for it along with the names in several combinations…
A few old articles from years ago popped up. It was a story about a program launch.
And at the bottom of the content, there were the addresses and names of the ‘newly joining’ studio production crew.
They matched.
‘Of course.’
There’s bound to be one or two articles that list details like that.
“Found it.”
And the title of this article?
[Production of <Idol Inc.> Season 2 Confirmed]
That’s right.
These bastards were the production crew of Idol Inc. Season 2, which had failed miserably after attempting a co-ed concept.
After ruining the program and leaving the variety department, they had moved to a studio on the educational/documentary side.
“Interesting.”
I grinned, baring my teeth.