Chapter 401
Chapter 401
The song flows over the stage. From beneath the puppy mask, the singer’s voice rings out.
The university student leaned in, listening intently.
—With the most beautiful heart
The confession I offer to you
Soft, gentle lyrics followed.
—With a heart of pure goodness
The love I give to you
It was a proposal song, a famous love ballad often played at weddings.
‘Ah.’
But here, it didn’t sound like ‘that kind’ of love.
Whether it was because of the puppy costume or the quality of the voice, she couldn’t tell.
—When you hear love
Please think of me
A puppy searching for a family.
The words written on the picket sign were clearly a joke, but somehow, when that joke connected with the lyrics… the humor vanished.
—Today and tomorrow
I love you
The duet, originally sung by a man and a woman, resonated with a clean, simple sincerity through the voice of the singer inside the puppy suit.
Despite having the option to choose something more provocative or intense, he had chosen this song.
Paradoxically, that choice amplified the stage’s emotional delivery. Strangely so.
—I love you.
Your House Corgi finished his final song with a deep, rich tone.
The audience’s applause lingered for a long time.
“…….”
The university student sat frozen in front of the TV, swept up in an indefinable emotion.
A strange sort of longing, a sense of nostalgia, seemed to be calling out to her. She stopped thinking for a moment and just sat there, still….
[An emotional performance by ‘Your House Corgi’!]
“…! Phew.”
The MC’s loud voice and the captions blaring through the audio snapped her back to reality. She shook her head, finally regaining her senses.
‘Anyway… that was good.’
Unless the broadcast audio had undergone an incredible amount of post-processing, the winner was as good as decided.
Without flaunting massive vocal volume or high-note techniques, he had filled every note exactly where it needed to be, creating a beautiful, complete song.
[The winner is… ‘Your House Corgi’!]
Sure enough, the winner was announced with a respectable point gap.
[With this, the singer to be produced by <The Singer I Made> is ‘Your House Corgi’!]
The Corgi pressed his front paws to his cheeks as if moved.
It was quite cute, and she felt like congratulating him on the win, but the main event was next.
‘His identity!’
After the runner-up, who had lost just short of victory, left with a regretful farewell, the spotlight finally returned to the Corgi.
[Now, at last~ it’s time to meet our winner!]
Confetti exploded.
While the Corgi performed a little skit hugging his picket sign to a chorus of laughter and cheers, the MC finally spoke.
[The creator of <Your House Corgi> is….]
On cue, the Corgi lowered his sign, raised his front paws again, and smoothly pulled off the mask.
Revealed from within was… sweat-dampened black hair and a coldly handsome face.
“……!!”
[It’s Ryu Gun-woo, the main vocal of the monster rookie group, Wishes!]
…It really was an idol.
But before she could even feel the thrill of her theory being proven right, shock took over.
He wasn’t some unknown; he was… a face she already knew!
‘Ryu Gun-woo??’
The main vocal from a certain corporate survival show she had considered stanning was smiling faintly.
‘I mean, I thought he was good on the survival show, but…!’
She hadn’t realized he was this good. Well, she had stopped paying close attention because his face wasn’t exactly her type, but still.
She never expected his identity to be a rookie.
Between his character, which walked a fine line between attention-seeking and wit, his aegyo, and his vocal spectrum, she was certain he was an idol with at least five years of experience… but a rookie?
‘And one who only trained for three months…!’
That guy, with that face, wore a Corgi mask and acted all cute without a hint of embarrassment?
While she watched the TV with her mouth agape, Ryu Gun-woo smiled and tucked the puppy mask under his arm.
Then, he picked up the microphone again.
[Hello. I’m Ryu Gun-woo of Wishes. Thank you so much for voting for ‘Your House Corgi.’]
The audience responded with a mix of groans and bizarre screams, followed by another burst of laughter.
[Can we hear your thoughts on winning?]
[To be honest, I didn’t dare think about winning. My goal was just to work hard and show everyone something I like, so… I really can’t believe it.]
[What part of it?]
[That everyone’s sense of humor is so similar to mine.]
Applause erupted. The MC, barely suppressing a grin, asked another question.
[Do you like Welsh Corgis too??]
[I like yellow puppies.]
As he said that, Ryu Gun-woo hugged the yellow puppy mask and laughed.
His cold and delicate impression suddenly softened, and for some reason, he looked… cute.
[Let’s give another big round of applause for our winning creator!]
[The ‘Your House Corgi’ created by Ryu Gun-woo will serve as the station’s mascot for the next month.]
Ta-da!
To the sound of grand BGM, the Corgi—now back in his mask—lifted one paw and cutely waved his picket sign. The university student almost reflexively waved back at the screen.
And so, the broadcast ended.
But the agitation in her heart did not.
“…….”
In the end, the university student picked up her smartphone.
This was exactly thirty seconds before a new Ryu Gun-woo fan account was created.
That was a breeze.
Since it was a special program, the lineup wasn’t great, but the fact that the reaction was bound to be good once it aired made it the perfect condition.
‘The editing turned out well, too.’
I evaluated the results with satisfaction as I watched ‘Wishes Ryu Gun-woo’ already trending on real-time searches.
I had plenty of time since I was currently sitting in the hair and makeup shop for some late-night interview schedule.
I could even check the congratulatory messages flooding my phone.
I was checking the group chat filled with strings of emoticons when a private message arrived.
-Keun Se-jin: Hahaha
-Keun Se-jin: Moon-dae Moon-dae, did you see this? (Link)
“Hm?”
I checked the link.
‘It’s social media.’
Did that Corgi start another meme?
Since I hadn’t done a proper monitoring session yet, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to look and clicked it.
A new post that had gone up just a few minutes ago appeared.
-Gun-woo is seriously so cute I’m going crazy. I haven’t slept for over a week just waiting for crumbs.
…Is this a fan of mine?
Seeing the mention of the variety show, it seemed like someone who became interested because of the mask.
‘Are you really telling me to monitor this?’
If the intention was to encourage me, I couldn’t call it a failure. I let out a small chuckle and scrolled down.
After passing some fan art of the Corgi with wide eyes, the mask, and the video of the unmasking, followed by photos from my debut activities, more casual chatter appeared.
-Actually, I’ve seen Gun-woo in person before. It was during the Wise guerrilla concert hug event with another member…
Oh.
└Ughhh ㅠㅠ
└Why didn’t you pick Gun-woo ㅠㅠ
└A friend asked me to, so I had to do a cheering message for another member.. But that member was cute too. The problem was my heart, which only beats for main vocals, didn’t flutter…
And as the conversation heated up, this person even attached a verification photo.
-The participation bracelet I got back then.. stop saying I’m making this up (Photo)
In the photo was a paper band wrapped around a wrist.
And… it was a fabric I remembered.
The sky-blue knit worn by the person who received a hug from Jin Chae-yul, and the bracelet.
It was the outfit Park Moon-dae’s first fansite master had worn that day.
“…….”
No way.
-I thought my taste had been revamped, but I guess not. That ‘Cold Gun-woo’ talk doesn’t work on me. Must protect Puppy Gun-woo at all costs.
-It would be insane to rent a high-end camera, right? I know, but I really want to…
The posts on the account ended there.
“…….”
I quietly lowered my smartphone.
“Gun-woo, did something good happen?”
“Yes. A little.”
“Oh~ Ah, it’s that Welsh Corgi thing, isn’t it!”
It was similar.
Nothing had changed because of this, but for some reason, it felt like I had returned to my proper place.
I finished the interview that day with even more care than planned.
And in the meantime, the ripple effect from the variety show was growing increasingly uncontrollable.
Let’s rewind a bit further.
The momentum had started building even before <The Singer I Made> aired, right from when the articles first appeared.
-The kids are going on variety shows (Link)
-Heol, disaster escape ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m so excited
-ㅋㅋㅋ I guess they’re only sending the members with good reactions!
Since it was common for groups to pick variety-focused members and push them onto programs, people reacted as if it were expected.
The first to air was the program featuring the three VTIC guys, which looked at various coping methods through disaster simulations.
I’ll say this first.
…Cheong-ryeo’s selection was correct.
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-I finally understand how shamanism was born
-Me, explaining a method I saw in a manga (Screenshot of Jung Woo-dan)
The friends being brainwashed (Screenshots of Jin Chae-yul and Oh Yoon-shin)
The two ‘yes-men’ drew endearing reactions as they were terrified by sudden alarms or earthquakes yet tried to do something quickly.
And Ju-dan continued to spout nonsense, but because it was actually effective, he appealed to the audience as their spiritual pillar.
While those three were appealing to the younger fan base that primarily uses social media…
Variety shows targeting a different demographic were also airing.
-The three male idols on ‘4 Feet’ are all insane. Please come back for the next season.
-So Shin Jae-hyun was on ‘4 Feet.’ No wonder my mom was talking about ‘our Jae-hyun.’
-Let’s all find happiness by looking at Ryu Cheong-woo’s arms as he lifts a 60kg Malamute (Screenshot)
The two who appeared as regulars on the new season of the problem-dog coaching program, <Though I Have 4 Feet You Are My Friend>, handled the dogs remarkably well.
They focused more on heartwarming moments than humor, but it seemed they gained more because of it.
They built a likable image by appearing reliable and mature.
-I don’t care who, just marry me
-I’m supposed to be watching the dog, but I keep looking at Shin Jae-hyun next to it. Why is he so calm and sweet? ㅜㅜ
-Wow, anyone would have lost their temper at least once, but what is that patience?
In this way, they successfully appealed to a broader middle-aged audience.
Up to this point, fans were anxious about the octopus-like individual activities, but they hadn’t completely exploded. It felt appropriate, and the success was clear.
However, the ultimate bait arrived with the next group.
-Kim Rae-bin appearing on <School Rapping>, Cha Yu-jin appearing on <The Standard of Enlistment>....
-????
Cha Yu-jin on a military variety show and Kim Rae-bin on a rapper survival show.
Fans fumed at the legendary lineup.
-Kim Tae-in is a madman, he’s crossing the line ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Is he joking?
-No, why are you putting a kid who just finished a survival show onto another one? And a rapper one at that? He barely became an idol after not even wanting to be one, are you crazy?
-Hey, even if it’s variety, sending a high schooler to the army is a bit much for the baby ㅠㅠ
The atmosphere grew heated, as if they were about to start a mass fax protest to the agency, but the shows aired before that could happen.
Specifically, Cha Yu-jin’s military show.
-Sigh.
And the situation seemed to be heading exactly where the fans feared.
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah, this guy is a trip. The drill sergeant is speechless.
-He’s probably going back to his home country after the show ends.
-If you wanted to see someone who should be exempt go, you should’ve sent Ryu Cheong-woo instead. I’m more curious about that.
-It’s hilarious, but can you feel the urge to bite your nails at the same time?
In the very beginning of the broadcast.
Cha Yu-jin appeared like any other foreign character—a comic relief role showing off 4D charm due to communication issues, or an outsider used to get reactions.
Because of his young age, viewers laughed it off, but the image of the ‘foreign youngest tag-along’ was inevitable.
-I know Yu-jin must be frustrated, but it’s so funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-But he’s still so energetic and cute ㅠㅠ He doesn’t even whine.
That was the general vibe.
However, this evaluation was completely overturned starting from Episode 2.
Because Cha Yu-jin, as they say, had a natural knack for the job.
[Cha Yu-jin: I will take it!]
-Why didn’t Yu-jin Cha fall behind during the full-gear march?
-He’s holding up damn well.
-He’s surprisingly diligent and doesn’t complain. Is he really from America, the land of freedom? He’s perfectly adapted to Korean-style hierarchy. What’s going on?
-He’s doing the helicopter rappel with a smile, holy crap ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Since it was a variety show, the actual military life only borrowed the appearance and framework; the training schedule itself was inconsistently intense for dramatic effect.
Thanks to that, there were many parts where courage or physical strength were squeezed to the limit, and Cha Yu-jin stood out in every one of them.
Moreover, when he didn’t even try to slack off, some people were genuinely baffled.
-They’re doing nothing but PT, and he doesn’t complain once? Is this edited?
-It’s probably because he used to play American football wow, A quarterback from the Land of Plenty.
└Wow ㅋㅋㅋㅋ For real?
-He was an athlete. No wonder.
-I like that he doesn’t have unnecessary, over-the-top reactions. I hate those variety-style reactions when they come to a ‘camp’ pretending it’s the army.
Ultimately, during the last four days of the ten-day shoot, Cha Yu-jin received a heavy ‘ace’ edit with no flaws to be found.
The show was already popular, so after these ten days of footage were aired over two months, Cha Yu-jin’s recognition rose to almost meme-like levels.
“Congratulations.”
On the day he returned from filming, Cha Yu-jin, who had left the legendary comment, “I thought everyone except me was a football coach,” gave a nonchalant shrug.
“I hate you, Hyung. I won’t forget this.”
Sure, sure.
“Any other thoughts?”
“The food there tastes bad. And everyone talks like Kim Rae-bin.”
Cha Yu-jin, who had only regained his own speech pattern after three days, pouted while pointing at the TV.
Coincidentally, the man himself was appearing.
[Kim Rae-bin: I will do my best.]
[Lee Seon-jung: Those words scare me now.]
It was <School Rapping>, currently preparing for the semi-finals.
By this point, Kim Rae-bin had developed an image within the program that was almost like a Grim Reaper.
Of course, there were unbelievable ups and downs, but I’ll explain those later. The conclusion was that his recognition had also skyrocketed.
Jin Chae-yul sat in the living room with a beaming smile.
“Wow, there are probably a lot of people who think Rae-bin is just a rapper, right?”
“That guy mentions Wishes every time he greets someone out there.”
“Oh my goodness.”
And with my identity being revealed today, every single member had now made their mark on the public through a successful variety show.
Naturally, the voices that had been building up finally exploded.
-Seriously, what kind of group is Wishes?
-I snapped out of it and realized there isn’t a single member I don’t know. I don’t even know their songs, but is this possible? Are they actually a comedian group?
└LOLOLoL!!
└Surprisingly, they’re even better on stage. Go watch their legendary debut stage. Every single one of them tore it up. (Link)
└They’re so good.
└Holy crap, I watched that with my mouth open. Is this for real?
└No, but seeing them all in one place feels like the universe is collapsing.
At the peak of the hype.
‘This is it.’
It was the perfect time for a new album.