Chapter 346
Chapter 346
“…It’s a huge success, isn't it?”
“Seems so.”
We fell into a brief silence after checking the comments and social media reactions to the freshly released music video.
No… I mean, the response was much better than expected.
Usually, on the day of a comeback, the atmosphere is to refrain from monitoring as much as possible because a flood of feedback—ranging from soul-crushing, filthy reactions to straight-up curses—tends to pour in…
‘But there’s no need for that.’
To give you an idea of the scale, the Korean comments, which should have been buried under a mountain of English ones, were popping up everywhere in the music video’s comment section like bamboo shoots after rain.
And these weren't just the usual supportive comments from fans; they were from netizens swarming in like they were watching a sports match.
“Uh… I think we really made something incredible.”
“Seems so.”
Ryu Cheong-woo had become a "Seems so" reaction robot.
“Is this the first time this has happened…? It’s nothing but praise?!”
“Seems so.”
That was me. I spoke up before Ryu Cheong-woo could open his mouth. Bae Se-jin practically had his nose buried in his smartphone.
I swiped through my own screen as well.
I checked just in case, and even in the places known for the most radical and foul-mouthed expressions, the overwhelming consensus was surprisingly positive.
“…….”
Well… honestly, that place is practically an anti-fan site, and I didn't expect them to be quite this graphic, but…
Anyway, that crowd prefers "bone-breaking," hardcore performances. Since we won the Grand Prize with our last title track, which targeted mainstream popularity, they had apparently been preemptively swearing at us, fearing we’d stick to that direction.
‘I don’t know why they waste their energy on stuff like that, though.’
But now that the lid was off, the performance was truly "Drill"-level bone-breaking, and it carried the nostalgia of Haengcha—their personal favorite—so it seemed they were clapping for now.
In other words, there was no room for unnecessary friction within the fandom.
“Hmm.”
“Heol, Moon-dae Moon-dae, you said so~ much that you wouldn't do it, yet here you are monitoring those weird places again….”
“Uh, I’m closing it now.”
The guy who used to browse malicious individual fan dens and get his mental state wrecked back in his early debut days sure was good at lecturing others.
Anyway, this wasn't the Idol Inc. days anymore, so I closed the page for the sake of my eye health.
Still, I felt a bit uneasy.
‘To be honest, I thought opinions would be quite divided.’
No matter how well the CG was used and how polished the editing was, we had crammed sci-fi, a modern ballroom, Haetae, and even a plague into an idol music video.
I had gone through with it while thinking that quite a few members of the general public might get indigestion trying to swallow all that.
However, they say quality trumps preference, and reputation trumps quality.
[TeSTAR’s Haetae smashes the American plague! Global reactions speechless at the appearance of Haetae-stars!]
[TeSTAR is the definition of the "Taste of Korea"! The shocking identity of TeSTAR’s new song "Savior "!]
Look at the titles these WeTube channels are churning out—the ones that have been foaming at the mouth to follow us since the movie cameo.
I realized once again.
‘It’s the national pride.’
As long as you don't overdo it, the National Pride Meta really is the best. The return on investment is insane.
‘I’m glad I insisted on it at the last minute.’
—If there are only American references, domestic public opinion might sour, thinking we’re being too conscious of the US.
—Since the reaction to "Spring Out" was good overseas, let’s just add a little taste of that Steampunk Joseon worldview, like a side story.
Of course, the more this is repeated, the harder it becomes to find the line where it doesn't become "too much," but what makes it work are sophisticated references and structure.
‘Seon A-hyun really did the work of three people.’
The guy was currently rewatching the music video reactions over and over. He must be feeling proud of himself.
‘He won’t hear anything I say right now.’
He looked like he was about to crawl inside the music video.
Of course, there wasn't a single member who wasn't currently in a state of excitement.
“The music video view count is skyrocketing at an unbelievable rate. The movie cameo was an incredibly wise choice!”
“Seems so. …Um, and Se-jin and A-hyun really did a great job coming up with the Edgar Allan Poe idea. Moon-dae’s Haetae concept fit perfectly as well.”
“Oooooh!”
At Ryu Cheong-woo’s praise—who had finally regained his senses—Bae Se-jin spoke up quite calmly.
“…I only provided the material! Seon A-hyun actually did everything.”
“…….”
The fact that Seon A-hyun was still just monitoring, unable to hear this, said it all.
The pity was that Bae Se-jin, his face turning bright red, tried one more time.
“That… Seon A-hyun did everyth—”
“Hyung, give up on getting a reaction from him. Let’s just naturally move on like this never happened.”
“Hey!”
“What about me? My acting was amazing!”
“Ah~ Yu-jin’s intensity was great too!”
“Ahem, yeah. That was definitely… decent. You used your expressions well.”
“Hehe.”
At this point, the self-praise was at the level of a drinking party. It wouldn't have been strange if someone brought out some somaek and started shouting toasts.
Next, praise was showered on Kim Rae-bin, who had reworked the arrangement in just three days, and the main dancers who had combined the choreography drafts. It would be my turn soon.
‘Hmm.’
Should I be the one to bring these guys back down to earth?
“And Moon-dae Moon-dae~ Moon-dae really put this whole camp together. He’s the number one contributor to this album~”
“Right. Actually, the one who played the leader role at the camp wasn't me, it was Moon-dae. You worked really hard.”
“Hyung, you were really cool! I acknowledge that!”
“R-Right…!”
When did Seon A-hyun snap out of it and join in?
Anyway, I let out a small smirk.
“Thank you. But public opinion changes quickly, so weird rumors might pop up again. Don't worry, though; it’ll die down over time.”
At that, they grinned. These guys?
“Moon-dae, are you embarrassed?”
“No.”
“Okay, okay, we’ll pretend you aren't~”
Should I give him a noogie?
But he quickly changed the subject. Quick-witted bastard.
“Public opinion is certainly like that, but~ maybe it’s because we prepared so hard? I want to get on stage soon.”
“I heard the pre-recording is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. I am very much looking forward to it!”
Seeing how much they had been put through while preparing for the stage, these guys were overflowing with confidence. Well, it was a forced march.
—The formation isn't right there~ Again! Don't pant so hard!
—If we could just rest for five minutes….
—Then we’ll finish ten minutes later~
“…….”
That state of squeezing out every last drop of stamina… Ugh, I almost synchronized with the memory just thinking about it. I quickly snapped out of it and returned to thinking about the upcoming schedule.
‘I should take care of one domestic music show and then head to the US.’
Looking like we’re going all-in on America is also a bad move. Who knows what will happen?
So the original plan was to tour domestically first and then appear on a few US talk shows…
But that evening, there was a slight change.
“They’re calling us there?”
“That’s what the company says.”
Suddenly, we were contacted by a major prime-time variety show on a main US channel.
“If we accept….”
“They said it’s a live performance… and it’s next Tuesday.”
“…….”
And everyone grasped the situation.
“It’s a filler.”
“Y-Yeah.”
If it were a formal guest appearance, they wouldn't call us this urgently. Someone must have messed up and left a hole in the schedule.
Keun Se-jin shrugged.
“Well~ an appearance is an appearance.”
True. Even if it was just a performance slot without an interview.
It was undoubtedly a major broadcast with higher viewership than most of the talk shows we had booked.
“In a country with that many people, imagine how many artists there are to choose from. The fact that they contacted us immediately means we were next on the list.”
“…….”
The interest we gained from the movie cameo was definitely meaningful.
“Then shall we do it?”
“In my opinion, I don't think there's a reason to refuse. If the situation allows.”
Ryu Cheong-woo’s words gained quiet agreement from everyone.
Fortunately, the situation did allow for it.
As soon as we conveyed our intention to accept, the company moved quickly to adjust the schedule.
“It’s fixed.”
“Ooh~”
It was actually an expected result.
‘It’s a relief our first domestic comeback stage was with Tnet.’
It was supposed to be TeSTAR’s first live reveal for this album, so they had every right to be pissed about being pushed back, but they yielded.
Probably because they’re both T1 subsidiaries.
‘Tnet got the exclusive comeback show for the same reason in the first place, so they backed off.’
Being part of the same conglomerate was a powerhouse move. If not, the offer or whatever would have flown out the window.
“Hmm.”
Anyway, it wasn't a bad picture for us. Since we’d return to Korea immediately after this one stage, not many fans would feel neglected.
‘The gap between the music video release and the first stage was too long anyway.’
Since we released the album on Friday to target Billboard… the first domestic music show wasn't until next Thursday.
‘That’s almost a week-long gap.’
The interval was a bit too long to maintain the momentum.
And anyone with even a slight interest in this industry would know that.
‘They’ll definitely try to use this to target us.’
Sure enough, after about two days, the excitement over "TeSTAR meeting expectations" began to settle, and voices trying to rain on our parade started creeping up.
=======================
[Personal opinion on TeSTAR’s new song]
The song is cool, but honestly, it feels like too much. Listening to the track, I wonder how they’ll even perform this live...
Same goes for the performance in the music video. But doing both at the same time? Hmm....
I suspect they’ll use pre-recorded vocals, but that’s a bit of a letdown. Live singing is TeSTAR’s biggest strength, but it feels like they’re kicking it away themselves.
I get the big picture of targeting the US, but I wish they wouldn't lose their original intent. It’s just a bit bittersweet.
+ Not an anti or a fan, just a listener. Proof attached (Screenshot of music site history)
=======================
The top three comments were like this.
“Hmm.”
Noise was indeed surfacing, but is the best they can do "worrying about the live"?
That’s great.
‘They must really have nothing else to nitpick.’
They probably wanted to cause more stress than just saying "it’s distracting" or "not my taste"… but this is actually quite rewarding.
In the meantime, in the English-speaking world, some guys who had picked up a bit of K-pop knowledge were even acting up.
It’s a total mess.
People who came in through Cosmic Gunner, existing fans, and people who like Cosmic Gunner but hate K-pop were all mixed together, throwing out all sorts of opinions.
The general consensus was: "The music video is insane, but can they actually do this?"
That was also good.
‘The buzz is sweet.’
Isn't this kind of noise destined to become a great bait for a hot topic once we perform?
‘Of course, that’s assuming we do well.’
Looking at the members' reactions as soon as the stage was mentioned earlier, I think the conclusion on whether we’ll do well or not has already been reached.
I smirked and cracked my neck.
Shall I take a look at some objective indicators?
‘Status Window.’
I summoned the hologram for the first time in a while.
It had been so long that it had been almost half a year since I properly checked my stats.
‘Since I can’t really do anything like leveling up other than just checking, I stopped looking at it.’
Still, I haven't lived a life easy enough for the stats I’ve built up to disappear.
‘They should be the same.’
Recalling the moments I benefited from distributing them well, I checked the contents anew.
‘Let’s see…!’
And I was shocked.
[Name: Park Moon-dae (Ryu Gun-woo)]
Level: (-)
Title: Successful One (Idol)
Singing: S
Dance: B+
Appearance: A
Star Quality: S-
Traits: Infinite Potential, Time of Indulgence (S), Mission Constitution (S), Catchy Ear (A)
Remaining Points: 1
‘Why are there two S’s?’
No, how did my stats increase this much when I didn't even put points into them?
‘Why did Star Quality become S-grade?’
I don't know what I did for this to rise to S. Is it the effect of stage experience?
Furthermore, my Appearance went up by one notch.
It’s no longer an A- barely hanging on to the grade; it’s a solid A.
Is this… the power of exercise and hair dye?
‘The natural increase is surprising.’
I ran a hand through my white hair and crossed my arms. It seems I’ve lived more diligently than I thought.
“Hmm.”
Somehow, I’m starting to feel quite good.
‘With these stats, it would be hard to mess up a stage….’
Hmm. Shall I give them a bit of a shock?
I distributed the last point without hesitation.
“Let’s do this.”
I smirked and crossed my arms. When I check the internet again in a few days….
[Wow… Hyung, your stats are totally like a pro idol’s…….]
“…!”
I almost fell over.
Reflexively, I tried to push away the crude, small popup that appeared next to the status window with a trembling hand.
But before I could, another popup appeared right in front of my nose.
[Heol, this actually gets through? Daebak! No, I’m sorry, Hyung, did I startle you?? I didn't know it would work either!]
Wait.
This way of speaking….
“…Park Moon-dae?”
[Yes! It’s me, Keun-dal!]
What is this?
[Hyung, have you eaten? I had mackerel with rice!]
I stared into the air for a moment with a blank expression.