Chapter 470
Chapter 470
Iter, the rookie group from a major agency that had "benchmarked" TeSTAR, successfully drove up their buzz and began rolling out their marketing strategy step by step.
From that point on, it was easy to predict their next move.
‘If it were me… I’d start by refining the playing field.’
Now that they’d sparked interest and set the fire, they needed to lay the bait to solidify their image.
Stories began to trickle out about how incredible the group’s dedicated team was and the rigorous process Iter went through to become a group.
If they lacked the individual human narratives that a survival show could provide, they would emphasize their commercial value instead.
‘A luxury image, then.’
The one and only group handpicked and crafted by a massive corporation pouring in capital and manpower.
The image of being "high-end" and "the latest model" certainly worked.
Even though they drew massive aggro from the fans of other junior idol groups who were suddenly relegated to "budget versions," even that worked in their favor. By highlighting the excessively aggressive insults and vitriol they received, they managed to garner sympathy instead.
It was a total mess, but they probably didn’t care if they earned some resentment. Their differentiation strategy was already working quite well.
‘…Well, it’s only possible because the album itself was well-made in the first place.’
They had absorbed a wide range of "references," after all.
With the song, choreography, and MV—the holy trinity—all clicking into place, the rookie group gained momentum and surged upward, backed by the power of their massive agency and capital.
[Go, gogogo, yes, Go!]
They also nailed the concept for their dance challenge on TickTackTok.
They used a custom Iter filter that intentionally replaced the boss monster from the music video with a crude, crayon-drawn version. The gesture of mimicking shooting that monster with perfect timing became quite a trend among teenagers on TickTackTok.
Expectation, sarcasm, resentment, affection…
In that moment, Iter successfully became the "hot potato" of the idol world.
Of course, as the target audience for idols—especially boy groups—has shifted heavily overseas, a gap has formed between them and the general public, but…
‘A storm in a teacup is fine.’
The setup was complete.
They now had a tagline to introduce themselves to the public.
[Wonder Hall’s monster rookies. Shooting dance challenge is hot, WeTube views exploding.]
Since they had secured a few keywords, it became clear "why" they were appearing on variety shows and what image the public should consume them with.
That’s when it began. The public exposure.
[Today’s guests… Oh my god, oh my god!]
[I thought they were catching the boss, but they actually shot my heart? We have our sparkling superpower idols, the "Road-dols," Wonder Hall’s rookie group, Iter!]
[Waaaaah!]
“Hmm… they’re appearing on Ding-Dong-Dang Karaoke.”
“Ugh.”
“We even signed the papers to go back on that show a few months ago. I guess things just turn out this way~”
They appeared on a few of the most popular variety shows, as well as shows hosted by T-Holic themselves, showing off their fresh, rookie-like charms.
They didn't overexpose themselves.
They cherry-picked only three or four of the highest-tier opportunities available.
Furthermore, their slightly awkward, stiff, yet polite rookie attitude wasn't explosively funny, but…
The image was successfully imprinted.
‘Big agency, successful debut!’
As they gradually seeped into the public consciousness, Iter began to be accepted simply as a "new concept idol group."
‘Ah, T-Holic’s juniors? I’ve heard the name once or twice.’
‘Don’t they do those weird concepts too? All idols do that these days. But I guess they’re what’s trendy lately.’
It was a clever hit-and-run… securing that position.
“…….”
I scrolled through the media play articles regarding "Iter’s Successful Debut" and reached a conclusion.
They had succeeded in solidifying their ground.
‘Now they’ll promote these achievements overseas and start sucking up the global K-pop fandom.’
If they followed the standard course, that’s exactly what they’d do. The meticulous planning, characteristic of a major agency with deep roots in this industry, was cleanly executed on the foundation of bleeding TeSTAR dry.
Ah, and they timed it perfectly to stab us in the back when TeSTAR was at its weakest.
And at this moment, we, the victims…
“It’s about time to wrap up promotions.”
“Yes.”
Well, we didn't really react.
We were simply finishing our scheduled group activities for album promotions at the end of our three-week domestic schedule as planned.
Why?
Well, for starters, it was impossible to book more group activities just to keep that rookie group in check. We had already squeezed out as much as we could.
No, more importantly.
‘Reacting would be stupid.’
We had to maintain a policy of ignoring them as much as possible.
‘Because right now, any reaction from us would just become fuel for their hype.’
As long as they were the challengers, the underdogs, the rookies, the rising stars… this was the natural dynamic.
No matter what gesture TeSTAR made, it would be too easy for the other side to frame the narrative and build their image.
‘They probably did it hoping for exactly that.’
They likely thought that since we were at a new agency and the artists had a lot of influence, we might take some kind of action.
Or perhaps they hoped TeSTAR would get angry and leave some cryptic post.
Because we kept our mouths shut, it ended with "Iter made a successful debut mark."
That was the right move.
Though, fuck…
‘It’s not like we aren’t pissed.’
Even Keun Se-jin went to boxing yesterday instead of pilates. I suspect he wanted to hit something other than a punching bag.
‘Anyway….’
So, for TeSTAR, who chose the "wait and see" meta, all that remained were the extensions of the individual activities we had already planned.
For instance, the members appearing in variety series.
“Um, A-hyun is still out fishing, right?”
“Yes…!”
Ah, for the record, Seon A-hyun surprisingly volunteered for a program where he goes out on a boat to fish. It was a fairly wild concept, closer to "survival" content with limited supplies…
“Isn’t it hard?”
“E-everyone is so kind… so I’m… working hard and learning…!”
“I see. Good.”
Since Seon A-hyun has great stamina and naturally lacks fear, it seemed to suit him surprisingly well…
‘He was only ever a glass mental when it came to peer relationships.’
As a result, he handled unpleasant tasks like catching bugs with his bare hands or diving unassisted without batting an eye, which seemed to leave a good impression on the older generation.
It seemed to have the effect of attracting casual fans by connecting with the unexpected character traits he showed in the Hidden Route of the game.
Certainly, Seon A-hyun, whose complexion didn't change at all despite being on a boat all day, did look like a character out of a drama.
‘Does he not even get seasick?’
Then again, it would be funny if a guy who practiced spinning in the air every day during middle and high school got seasick.
Anyway, it meant that regardless of the rookie group, TeSTAR’s individual activities themselves were successful.
“Ah, Se-jin Hyung is also filming his drama this afternoon!”
“Oh!”
“F-fight… fighting…!”
“…Hmph, thanks.”
Bae Se-jin had also officially started filming.
Cha Yu-jin, who was the first to finish his individual schedule, hovered around Bae Se-jin, who was holding a script, and asked.
“Hyung, do you like filming?”
“I-it’s fine.”
“The part, is your role fun, Hyung? What kind of person is he?”
“Uh… the protagonist’s friend.”
Bae Se-jin answered bluntly, pulling his script closer. Was he worried Cha Yu-jin might rip it or something?
“There are many kinds of friends! But I think, if not best friend, the part is small. Or is he the worst friend?”
“…It’s neither, but, well, the two of them form a deep bond in a short amount of time.”
Bae Se-jin struggled to explain in the most roundabout way possible.
For the record, the reason he was acting like that was explained the day after his first meeting.
The guy who had proudly raised his fist froze at the next question.
Since he said so, we were letting it be.
And with a serious face, Bae Se-jin continued his vague explanation to Cha Yu-jin.
“And he’s a supporting character, but there’s an impressive… an impressive scene in many ways. It’s quite good.”
“Umm.”
“…He provides the trigger for the protagonist’s awakening! It’s that kind of role!”
For the record, having skimmed the original webtoon, a few candidates come to mind. All of them are roles that die midway through the season.
‘Is that why he’s so obsessed with the non-disclosure clause?’
“OK. If Hyung likes it, it’s fine.”
“Right!”
Cha Yu-jin shrugged, and Bae Se-jin hurriedly closed his script and turned his head.
“But more importantly… are we just going to leave those guys alone? The ones copying us…!”
“Hmm….”
The attempt to change the subject was obvious, but I’ll let it slide.
“For now, we’re leaving them be because us reacting is exactly what they want.”
“Right. I get that, but… we can’t keep doing this forever.”
“Hyung…….”
“Hmm, I agree with Se-jin Hyung!”
“…!”
Bae Se-jin looked back with a slightly surprised expression.
Keun Se-jin, who had just finished showering, perched on the table.
“If they feel like their hype is dying down by their next comeback, they’ll probably cling to TeSTAR even harder~. Even if they have to intentionally overlap their schedules.”
Bae Se-jin’s expression turned grim. But Keun Se-jin just smirked.
“Ayy~ but hey, we already know all that! We just have to start preparing now.”
Then the guy looked back at me.
“Right, Moon-dae Moon-dae?”
That’s right.
I looked down at my smartphone.
Spacer.
Just as I had pitted Mirinae against the rookie from Young-rin’s company last time… I planned to intentionally build up Spacer’s weight class and link them with the other side.
‘I’ll have to do some positioning.’
I quickly finished my thoughts while checking Spacer’s profile.
And actually, even without that, I had been planning to meet Kwon Hee-seung.
The truth was, with TeSTAR releasing this album… the company finally had some results.
[‘TeSTAR (★★★★★)’s Album: ’ Released!]
Album Grade: S
Digital Chart Rank: 3rd (Daily Peak)
Physical Sales: 1,823,281 copies
Total Profit: Calculating…
The figures were only at this level because we had only finished domestic promotions and hadn't started the tour yet, but the important part was elsewhere.
As soon as the performance and income were recorded, they were immediately reflected in the company grade.
[Company Grade (D+) → Company Grade (B-)]
Promotion Successful!
It was rapid.
Many things changed additionally and were given as rewards, but the most important thing was this pop-up.
[Mission Accomplished!]
Mission: Achieve B- Grade for <Stars Orbit Entertainment>
- ‘Fragment of ■■■’ can now be retrieved.
This had been achieved.
“…….”
A fragment of the system.
The thing that had caused the "Mission Failure" that collapsed the building and caused me and Keun-dal to swap bodies.
It seemed I could now retrieve it from that guy first.
Before "Mission Failure" could appear.