Chapter 531
Chapter 531
“Whoa.”
Park Moon-dae’s first fansite master, a fan who had supported him since her college days, had endured a tumultuous year due to a career change.
And now, she was being rewarded with an overflowing abundance of TeSTAR comeback content.
Just looking at the social media updates made her heart feel warm.
As expected, promotion periods are the best…
As a fansite master, she believed that stage-related content was the pinnacle of idol life, but the variety show teasers pouring in this time felt particularly special.
After all, TeSTAR had also had a rocky year after escaping T1.
Those T1 bastards, being so petty and mobilizing all their subsidiaries to retaliate!
Furthermore, because of the industry’s tendency to walk on eggshells around a giant like T1, TeSTAR had been implicitly ignored, as if they weren't even on the casting lists, even by non-subsidiaries.
But it looks like they’ve mostly broken free from that now.
During the last album, they had struggled so much because T1 blocked their variety show appearances, but the stiff atmosphere finally seemed to be thawing.
Our Moon-dae really went through a lot…
For some reason, her eyes felt a bit stingy.
My idol… who gritted his teeth and endured the retaliation of a conglomerate, went independent, and is now even more successful… My King-God-K-Pop-Emperor-Star…
It was a side effect of being too deeply immersed in the group’s narrative.
And today, she had visited her grad student friend’s studio apartment to properly watch the variety show featuring TeSTAR’s same-age group!
“Yeon-ju! The beer! I brought it out!”
“Okay!”
The two sat in front of the TV with the anticipation of people about to watch a blockbuster movie!
The moment the premiere countdown ended.
[Please Have Just One Drink]
[(Please)]
“Ooooh.”
As the solemn logo appeared, the two clapped enthusiastically.
The public’s demand for the sincere, unfiltered sides of celebrities had evolved over time, eventually finding its ultimate form in the era of WeTube.
The drinking show!
Various programs where guests drank while singing, eating, and doing interviews were all the rage.
And as for this particular program… it was a show that used alcohol to pull pranks.
[Seon A-hyun: Wow, hello…!]
[Pro Host: Kuaaaaah!]
[Seon A-hyun: (…)]
First, they would catch the guests off guard.
[Pro Host: Here is today’s drink.]
[Park Moon-dae: …….]
[Seon A-hyun: ……?!]
[Lee Se-jin: Hahaha.]
Then, they would perform magic with the alcohol percentage and the size of the glass.
[Park Moon-dae: You said it was just one drink….]
[Pro Host: It is one drink, isn’t it??]
Park Moon-dae fell silent as he looked at the glass.
It was a ceramic piece the size of an elephant’s food bowl.
[LOLOLOL!!]
[Pro Host: Our writer brought this….]
[Park Moon-dae: Yes…. I will politely decli—]
[Pro Host: Her mother fired this kiln herself. She brought it specifically because TeSTAR was coming… Do you perhaps not like it? Do you have a problem with the writer’s mother…?]
[Park Moon-dae: Not at all.]
It was a masterful performance, as if the host had taken a masterclass on how to trap idols using the "family card"!
[Pro Host: I’ll pour you a glass.]
[Park Moon-dae: (Behaving)]
[Glug-glug-glug-glug-glug]
[Park Moon-dae: (…)]
“Oh, Moon-dae!”
The fansite master almost spilled her beer while laughing.
On the screen, the same-age group stared blankly at the Andong Soju being poured relentlessly in front of them.
The first one to snap out of it was Lee Se-jin.
[Lee Se-jin: Mr. Host! Did you know? This friend’s nickname is Apple Softie~]
[Pro Host: Of course… I know!]
[Lee Se-jin: As expected of a pro! Ah, in that sense, how about this alcohol with the apple drawing on it? It looks good!]
[Pro Host: Ah, so the one in the glass right now is no good? Not your taste?]
[Lee Se-jin: No, no, I just meant it would be nice to start with this apple drink first~!]
Lee Se-jin didn’t fall for it.
However.
[Pro Host: So, you’re rejecting domestic traditional soju made by a Korean master in favor of American apple cider….]
[Lee Se-jin: I’m sorry.]
[LOLOLOL!!]
The guilt-tripping was endless!
The same-age group continued to be teased mercilessly within this cycle.
[Pro Host: Everyone, are you having fun?]
The combination of exquisite snacks and the host’s flashy skill of manipulating them into drinking meant the alcohol went down before they even had time to feel nervous.
And after drinking steadily out of sheer necessity, the tipsiness kicked in and the atmosphere began to relax.
That was when the filming moved into the main content.
[Pro Host: We! Have brought chicken feet from the company that collaborated with <Doll Hunter>! As PPL.]
[Oooooh]
[Pro Host: Yes. Moon-dae-ssi, you have to eat this.]
[Park Moon-dae: Me?]
Lee Se-jin burst into laughter seeing Park Moon-dae carry out the chicken feet PPL with the posture of a seasoned veteran.
He shouldn’t have done that.
[Pro Host: Se-jin-ssi, I heard you can hang upside down on those Pilates machines.]
[Lee Se-jin: Ah~ Yes, yes. That move requires more strength than you’d think.]
[Pro Host: I know how to do it too.]
[Lee Se-jin: Pardon?]
[Pro Host: I’ll show you.]
The host suddenly clung to a pillar!
[Lee Se-jin: (…)]
It was a drinking show that could leave even the great Lee Se-jin speechless.
“Pwahahaha!”
“Ugh, ahahaha!”
In the end, Park Moon-dae picked up a chicken foot for the first time in a long while, and Lee Se-jin suddenly found himself correcting the host’s Pilates posture.
And finally, Seon A-hyun.
[This person… is drinking without a word of complaint….]
He was diligently emptying his glass.
Every time the members got caught in a conversational trap, he would simply follow along and drink without arguing!
[Pro Host: A-hyun-ssi?]
[Seon A-hyun: Yes…!]
[Pro Host: Um… isn’t it hard? Without any snacks?]
[Seon A-hyun: It’s, it’s okay…!]
The host steeled his heart!
And gradually, the pre-agreed questions followed.
Their thoughts on this comeback, whether they liked their respective parts.
An introduction to Seon A-hyun’s wonderful handicrafts, Lee Se-jin’s legendary variety show moments, and why Park Moon-dae’s drawing skills were in such a state.
It was to drink.
And Park Moon-dae was no pushover either.
[Pro Host: Throughout your years as an idol, have you ever had a dark history where you felt, ‘Ah, this aegyo is a bit much even for a pro idol like me’?]
[Park Moon-dae: I’m a puppy, so I’m fine.]
Such shamelessness without even a change in expression!
[Pro Host: (Speechless)]
[Pro Host: Heh… you’re incredibly shameless.]
[Park Moon-dae: Thank you.]
“Moon-dae’s back to his senses.”
“Right?”
It was just when Park Moon-dae started showing his strong side without being pushed around by the host.
The host skillfully switched to informal speech to make the atmosphere more comfortable and then brought out a drinking game.
And the type of game was….
[Pro Host: I brought a horror game, guys.]
[Park Moon-dae: I’m leaving.]
[LOLOLOL!!]
Having admitted through several live broadcasts that he wasn’t particularly strong against ghosts, Park Moon-dae looked for an opening to escape the set.
[Pro Host: I’m a Pro Host, you’re… you’re a Pro Idol! You have to broadcast like a pro!]
[Park Moon-dae: Okay.]
[Seon A-hyun: Um, maybe, if we just played a different game….]
[Pro Host: Nope.]
[Denied]
“He’s not letting them off.”
“Oh, I love this.”
The two fans watched with delight as Park Moon-dae played a ghost story drinking game with three people who had hearts of steel.
[Pro Host: Here’s how it works. We take turns telling ghost stories. If you flinch for any reason! You drink.]
[Seon A-hyun: Okay…!]
[Pro Host: Oh, and if no one flinches at your story, you also drink. You just drink.]
[Seon A-hyun: (Nervous)]
Oh.
The fansite master saw the future in that moment.
And as expected, chaos ensued.
Ghost stories told by drunk people were a mess.
However, instead of trying his best not to be surprised, Lee Se-jin reacted loudly on purpose, and every time he did, Park Moon-dae’s shoulders would flinch, causing him to take a penalty drink.
After several hilariously absurd scenes.
[Pro Host: You finished the whole glass?!]
[Shocked]
In the end, Park Moon-dae emptied the elephant glass!
[Park Moon-dae: If I drink one more glass….]
[Pro Host: Hey, now.]
[Pro Host: We agreed on just one drink.]
But even this show knew when to stop.
[Pro Host: If you really, really want to drink, you can sign the contract for your next appearance and we can pull forward the alcohol for that day….]
No, actually, maybe they just wanted to torment the cast….
[Lee Se-jin: Uh, how about we substitute that with Moon-dae’s cooking? Moon-dae is actually a really good cook!]
[Pro Host: Really? Quick, quick, please cook for us!]
[Park Moon-dae: Yes…….]
And Park Moon-dae, who got up sluggishly without a word of complaint, began to cook diligently in the kitchen.
It seemed the tipsiness had mellowed out his sharp edges.
Lee Se-jin eventually collapsed while trying to hold back his laughter. The MC, who had been pretending to be composed, collapsed along with him.
And Seon A-hyun….
[Seon A-hyun: (Ah… I think I flinched!)]
[Seon A-hyun: (Self-penalty drink)]
He drank.
Meanwhile, Park Moon-dae carefully followed the instructions for a fire-free seasoned squid meal kit (stocked specifically in case they got drunk) and proceeded with the cooking.
For context, it was the same day Park Moon-dae had fiercely torn up the stage for his tribute performance at the AMAs.
This meant the triviality on screen contrasted sharply with that intensity.
Still, when Park Moon-dae finished the food and they all sat back around the living room table, some fairly sincere conversations did take place.
The atmosphere was much like sitting at an outdoor convenience store table while drunk, pouring out all the thoughts from the depths of one’s heart.
[Park Moon-dae: TeSTAR is….]
[Pro Host: TeSTAR is?]
[Park Moon-dae: A group that works really hard.]
[Pro Host: How much?]
[Park Moon-dae: They can’t drink.]
[Pro Host: …?]
The downside was that he was clearly a drunk person.
Still, if you followed the context, it occasionally flowed into a somewhat touching atmosphere.
[Lee Se-jin: Ah, we try not to drink alone if possible. Especially when things are hard, drinking might make us dependent on it… right, A-hyun?]
[Seon A-hyun: Yeah. Yes, that’s right! Because our goal is to promote together healthily for a long, long time…!]
[Pro Host: That! That is an attitude I really have to respect.]
It would have been nice if it ended there.
[Park Moon-dae: They can’t eat late-night snacks either.]
[Pro Host: …?]
[Park Moon-dae: I can’t eat with them.]
[Pro Host: (Interpreting)]
[Pro Host: So… you’re saying those two don’t eat late-night snacks?]
[Park Moon-dae: …….]
[Park Moon-dae: Yes.]
The host nodded as if he understood.
If they don’t eat late-night snacks with you, even an idol would feel hurt!
[Pro Host: Ah, that’s a bit….]
[Park Moon-dae: They did well.]
[Pro Host: (…)]
[Park Moon-dae: It’s a professional thing to do.]
Pardon?
[Seon A-hyun: Thanks, Moon-dae…!]
[Pro Host: No, why are you guys only being heartwarming among yourselves….]
[Edit]
Park Moon-dae threw out out-of-context remarks he would never usually say, and Seon A-hyun, unlike the cautious attitude he showed in regular broadcasts, actively participated in the conversation.
And all of it was edited with a cute feel that fit the program’s intent.
There was a peculiar pleasure in seeing these people, who rarely showed any gaps in their composure, acting so freely and naturally.
[Park Moon-dae: Actually, we’re doing a similar self-produced content now….]
[Lee Se-jin: Stop~~]
They even brushed past a teaser for their own content.
And eventually, the silent timing came when the cast just picked at the snacks on the table.
It was time to wrap up.
On the filming table, which now had the atmosphere of a drinking party winding down.
[Park Moon-dae: Then we’ll… head out now.]
[Seon A-hyun: Thank, thank you…!]
The TeSTAR same-age group stood up unsteadily and bowed politely.
The filming ended on a fairly heartwarming note, with a relaxed atmosphere that was pleasant and not at all cringeworthy.
[Lee Se-jin: Thank you!]
However.
[Pro Host: Se-jin-ssi.]
[Lee Se-jin: Yes?]
[Pro Host: Are you perhaps not drunk?]
Lee Se-jin grinned.
[Lee Se-jin: It was just one drink, why would I be drunk~]
[!!!!]
Lee Se-jin left the humble filming set coolly, leading the other two. He left his greetings to the staff in all directions with perfect composure.
[Pro Host: …??]
And to the bewildered host, the staff revealed the truth.
[Seon A-hyun: Se-jin-ssi drank two or three times more water every time he took a sip of alcohol! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
An edited clip played on the screen.
It was a cut of Lee Se-jin inconspicuously drinking water repeatedly.
Movements and timing so natural that even the host hadn’t noticed!
Lee Se-jin had succeeded in controlling his drinking pace!
He had escaped without being wrecked….
[Pro Host: …….]
[Pro Host: I lost!]
With the vow to definitely get Lee Se-jin wasted next time, the drinking show ended.
“Aaaaah!”
“That was so fun, seriously!”
The two who had been watching while drinking beer shouted with genuine refreshment.
The grad student even asked the fansite master.
“Do other people like it too?”
“Hold on.”
And it was just as the fansite master accessed an online community to check the reaction to this appearance.
She already saw a TeSTAR post at the top of the popular list.
However, it wasn’t a reaction to this variety show, nor was it about the current title track.
[TeSTAR becomes real-time Honorary American Netizens]
It was a combination of words she had never even desired.
“…?”
Why… not just an honorary American, but a netizen?
She clicked on the post, feeling dazed.
=====================
TeSTAR is causing chaos in American communities as all the memes they made are being unearthed ㅋㅋㅋ
(Screenshot)
The situation where K-Pop idols are being treated as the sudden creators of memes.jpg
=====================
…Ah!
The hotteok variety show, the Netflix drama, the alien band from the Limestone movie, and the games.
The screenshots in the post summarized all the memes TeSTAR’s content had created in the English-speaking world so far.
Whoa, if it’s like this…
The fansite master had a heart-pounding premonition that if this grew just a little more, it could lead to a massive surge in TeSTAR’s recognition over there.
It was the intuition unique to someone who understood the nature of the internet.
The opening of the floodgates for international fans!
However….
…Foreign fans.
The fansite master’s eyes almost went dull as she briefly imagined the chaos that often occurs when large groups with different sensibilities collide, but she soon overcame it.
Because right now, increasing TeSTAR’s scale was a much higher priority.
We need it to survive the military hiatus!
With a clear goal, she was prepared for the side effects.
Since going independent as a group from the company, the tendency of the toxic individual fandoms that had been famous since <Idol Inc.> had mellowed out significantly, and the overall atmosphere was quite good.
Let’s go.
So, she bravely hit the back button. It was to look at the comments about that topic as well as the variety show on domestic communities.
But what had been newly updated… wasn’t just the comments.
…Huh?
A new, recent post.
The title caught her eye as if it were being branded into her vision.
[Iter official’s recording leaked]
This alone was enough to grab her attention as a fansite master for a TeSTAR member.
Because it was that Iter, who had been hounding TeSTAR since their debut.
The problem was the phrase that followed.
[(TeSTAR mentioned)]
“…!!”
She clicked the post immediately.