Chapter 400
Chapter 400
Idol individual activities.
Usually, these take place after a group has built up several years of experience. Some groups don't even touch them even after their contracts are nearly up.
In fact, a prime example was standing right in front of me: Cheong-ryeo.
"I assume it was your influence that kept VTIC from doing any individual activities until the contract renewal."
"Let's just say I assisted the CEO in his decision-making process."
More like you forced the CEO's hand.
Regardless, common sense dictated that solo activities should be handled carefully, ensuring they didn't provoke the fandom or cause internal division. This was especially true in the early days of a debut when the priority was solidifying the group's foundation.
However... if you only wanted one decisive strike, and didn't care about patching up the individual fandoms afterward...
Then you could just go for it.
"Let's distribute the work immediately."
"There's no reason to delay."
We pulled every string and connection we had. Being under a major agency meant there were plenty of programs we could slot into, but...
‘The fact that some of these guys have already succeeded outside the group is something we can exploit, too.’
Actor Bae Se-jin and Zairop Lee Se-jin.
The cooperation of these two namesakes was already a given.
Bae Se-jin had secured the OST for the movie he was starring in and handed it over. Normally, the whole group might participate, but since we needed to focus all our firepower on the title track of the next album coming out soon, only a few members would participate for promotional purposes.
And then there was Keun Se-jin.
As expected of a program Keun Se-jin picked, it was a hit. I immediately recommended the perfect candidate—someone who had raised dogs since childhood.
"I did look after Kkami... but all I really did was trim his fur."
"Most people don't even trim the fur themselves, Cheong-woo."
And so, Ryu Cheong-woo was immediately deployed.
And...
"……."
"I've never really lost out on these types of programs before."
"Do whatever you want."
Cheong-ryeo ended up appearing as well. I didn't think he'd be bad at it, but it somehow felt more like we were running a scam now.
Beyond that, I slotted everyone else into programs that were either already successful or about to be, playing to their specific traits.
"I'm not exactly the type to be active in variety shows..."
"Ju-dan, you're famous for having the best variety sense in VTIC."
"That is a groundless rumor."
I shoved Ju-dan and the "Yes-men" into a disaster simulation observation variety show. It was Cheong-ryeo's decision, so don't even think about complaining to me.
"What about me?? I'm good at everything!"
"You're going to the army."
"…!?"
I sent Cha Yu-jin to a military variety show. Since he doesn't actually have to serve, I figured he could handle this much.
After sorting everyone out, only one person remained... well, this guy.
I sent Kim Rae-bin to the variety show I had picked out, but he insisted on calling me right before the shoot on the day of.
"Why?"
Kim Rae-bin cried out in a low voice.
That's right. I had entered him into the student rapper survival show, School Rapping.
He seemed burdened by the headlines that would read: '17-year-old Rookie Idol from Major Agency Enters Student Rapper Survival.'
Good grief, it seemed he still wasn't fully convinced.
I opened my mouth.
"Whether you've been an idol for five years or one day, you're just another idol there. That's because people consider 'idol' to be a completely different field from 'rapper.'"
"And 'student' isn't a title tied to age. Anyone enrolled in a school, regardless of age, is a student."
And in reality, the Kim Rae-bin of this world was currently enrolled in high school.
The line was quiet for a moment before a response finally came.
"Yeah. So don't worry and just go give it your best. Half-assing it would be the real insult. It'll look like you're looking down on them."
In other words, Kim Rae-bin was about to become the titan among children, absolutely demolishing the competition.
‘I can already predict the reaction.’
I reflected on my choices with a fair amount of satisfaction.
Just then, I got a message from the guy who brought the OST.
It was a very typical comment from him, the guy who had surprisingly sentimental things to say about Cosmic Gunner when the OST was mentioned. It also meant he'd be accompanying the OST singers for a short promotional schedule.
However...
That was the truth.
I had pivoted to a different activity for the sake of efficiency. The lead vocals with good tone were perfectly suited for an OST anyway.
So, what should a main vocal do to get the best value for their time?
‘If Kim Rae-bin is going on a rapper survival show...’
And if we were going with the meta of reusing proven stats...
Wasn't it obvious where I should go?
I recalled an article I had seen a few days ago.
[Only Ideas and Songs... Special Programming for 〈The Singer I Made〉]
This special program.
I was planning to appear once more on the prototype version of The Singer I Made.
Of course, I had no intention of bringing back that outrageous flower-headed 'May Groom.'
‘...Instead of that.’
I planned to create a character that people could... immerse themselves in a bit more.
I opened my laptop in the car and started drafting a company document. Since I had an afternoon schedule tomorrow, I could finish it even if I had to stay up all night.
The Singer I Made hadn't always been a high-tech program using holograms.
It started with costumes.
People appeared in person as 'singer avatars,' wearing full-body masks and special makeup that made them look like theme park characters.
And this was exactly that beginning period.
[The Singer I Made]
"Oh."
An idol fan sitting in front of her TV was watching the screen blankly.
She, who only stanned main vocals, had lost her passion after entering university.
‘There’s no one who catches my eye.’
Lately, even seeing idols in person didn't make her heart flutter. It was a clear case of a 'stan slump.'
‘I guess I’m an adult now...’
The college student watched the explanations scrolling across the screen without much interest.
[Singers Reimagined Through Ideas!]
‘...That’s creepy.’
The designs would become standardized in a few years, but since it was the early days, some truly bizarre characters passed by—almost as if they were trying to bait people with shock value.
‘Wow, that spider is way too much.’
[The Dancing Spider Queen]
[From her eight legs comes a venom that freezes people with emotion!]
Is she Medusa?
Underneath the white cobweb outfit, eight black legs were spread wide. Honestly, it was the kind of thing you'd see in a nightmare. The poor quality of the mascot suit only made it worse.
"Ugh."
Still, the singing was good, and there was a strange cult-like charm to it, so she kept the channel on. (And this was exactly why this special program eventually became a regular series.)
About seven or eight teams of all sorts of bizarre singers passed by in an instant. In many cases, they only sang for a minute, and only the winner was shown.
"Ugh."
Just as she was starting to get tired of the weirdness...
The fast-paced program finally slowed down and introduced the next participant with deliberation.
As if they were someone important.
[The next participating singer is... a dog?]
And the one waddling onto the stage was... a Welsh Corgi holding a picket sign.
A full-body yellow dog costume.
‘Huh.’
It was so ordinary that it felt jarring.
‘Did they put zero effort into this?’
The singer, wearing a blatantly cheap and common mascot suit, flailed their limbs as they climbed onto the stage.
Then, the picket sign was shown in a close-up.
[Seeking a Strong Companion Human]
"Pfft!"
The viewers, who had expected something like 'Please love me,' almost choked on their spit.
Character descriptions appeared with flashy, somewhat B-list effects.
[Your House Corgi]
[A desperate job-seeking dog who has mastered all sorts of charms and personal talents]
[Declaration of Entry: Adopt me (What?) I said adopt me]
‘What is that!’
The shiny, plastic eyes of the mascot suit somehow made the caption feel even more shameless.
"This is crazy."
Even as she said that, the college student lifted her head and stared at the screen.
‘Is it a comedian? I doubt they’ll be a good singer.’
But the music started, and the song he finally began to sing was...
—Up there, beyond the clouds!
"…!"
It was a refreshing band song that highlighted a bright, clear voice and powerful high notes.
‘Whoa.’
It was a song that blatantly showed off vocal skills, completely flipping the B-list atmosphere.
"Oh, who is that? They're good~"
"Yeah."
She responded reflexively to her mother passing through the living room, but she was being sincere.
They’re actually really good?
In that moment, the college student shifted her posture from someone just killing time to someone genuinely interested.
She was curious about the Corgi's next stage.
[The winner is... Your House Corgi!]
The Corgi moved on to the second round impressively, accompanied by a massive roar of cheers. His back looked strangely gallant.
And he didn't crumble in the subsequent rounds. If anything, he showed even more variety.
In the second round, he sang a soulful and sorrowful trot alongside another concept-heavy participant, and in the third round, he sang an emotional ballad.
His vocal tone shifted effortlessly, performing the songs like a master of his craft.
‘I can’t believe a dog mask looks handsome...’
Thinking she finally understood why people created these characters, the college student narrowed her eyes as she watched the Corgi perform his charms.
And finally, the last one-on-one battle to determine the winner.
The editing flowed briskly, without even trying to build artificial tension.
[All participating singers will sing the same song, which was announced in advance!]
When the song choice is the same, the difference in skill becomes even more apparent.
And the Corgi's skill was truly exceptional.
—Be my light
Even after this time passes
Please stay forever
The Corgi, who handled a female singer's song in its original key, practically beat the Spider into submission mentally and took the final victory.
It was overwhelming.
Waaaaaah!!
"Wow, damn."
Even though it was just a show, she felt a thrill of vicarious satisfaction from the overwhelming win.
On the screen, the Corgi was doing a fairly cute victory dance. It was a performance that looked like it came from a theme park veteran.
At the same time, she became intensely curious.
‘Who is it? Who is it?’
Time for collective intelligence!
As soon as the broadcast ended, she hopped onto the internet to check real-time search terms.
Sure enough, 'The Singer I Made' and 'Your House' were already trending.
However, no clear candidate emerged.
‘Huh?’
All sorts of guesses were flying around: 'It's an established singer,' 'It's an indie band vocal.' There were even quite a few mentions of famous idol main vocals.
Usually, when this many people were talking, the candidate would be narrowed down quickly.
The college student thought seriously.
‘It’s an idol.’
These people just wouldn't listen to idol fans because of their prejudices, but those charms and dance skills were no joke. It was clearly the product of training and experience!
A nameless idol main vocal who sings well! There are already similar cases, so I’m betting on that!
‘Wow, this is driving me crazy.’
Suddenly, a surge of tension ran through her body.
‘Why am I nervous when I don’t even know his face!’
It was the sign of falling for a new bias.
In the end, while going through a strange period of 'denial,' she found herself waiting anxiously for next week's broadcast.
She watched so many stages of nameless idols to try and deduce his identity that her eyes were bloodshot, but she couldn't pick out the one.
‘Please!’
Today was the end of this special, so they had to show his face! Then it would end in one of two ways: either her interest would cool instantly, or she'd fall even harder!
She swallowed hard as she watched the program.
[The Singer I Made!]
[A head-on clash of fiery ideas and vocal prowess]
[The second half begins right now.]
More bizarre characters flooded the screen, with a few plain ones mixed in as if just to fill the quota.
But none of them had the wit of 'Your House Corgi.'
‘He’s in a league of his own.’
Telling herself she had to give credit where credit was due, she mentally awarded the Corgi about eight technical wins while waiting impatiently for the program to end.
And over an hour later, when the winner of this episode was finally decided.
[The final opponent 'Cauldron Spaceship' will face is...?]
The dog clutching his picket sign climbed onto the stage.
[The appearance of the first-half winner]
[〈Your House Corgi〉]
"Whew."
The college student took a deep breath as she watched the TV.
In the meantime, the Corgi had changed his picket sign.
[Seeking a Tolerant Companion Human]
"Pfft."
He lowered his standards...!
‘There’s a narrative... he has a narrative.’
In an era of worsening job shortages, the Corgi secured the audience's laughter before beginning the final round in style.
Darkness slowly fell over the stage.
Click.
The spotlight turned on.
There was no change in expression on the dog mask as he held a standard handheld microphone. But from within, a pleasant voice emerged.
[There is someone I'm looking for]
The Corgi began his final song as if telling a story.