Chapter 595
Chapter 595
“VTIC… a discharge notification text?”
“Yes.”
“Why would they send something like that to you?”
My thoughts exactly.
I nodded at Bae Se-jin, whom I was seeing for the first time in a few days. The other guys, back from their vacations, were also gathered around the dining table with unreadable expressions.
‘Looks like everyone had a good time.’
Their faces were glowing, and the trio who went to the States even looked a bit tanned.
‘Those three look like they’ve put on some muscle, too.’
They’d just need to hit the skin clinics hard for a bit.
Regardless, it seemed their combat power had been fully restored by the rest; every one of them had sharp, focused eyes the moment VTIC’s discharge was mentioned.
Since our debut, they had always been TeSTAR’s greatest wall.
They were the top-tier idols who had remained firmly entrenched at the summit while we crawled our way up, evolving from juniors who couldn't even compare to them into rivals fiercely competing for the same market share.
And now, VTIC was about to storm back onto the field.
“Um, as you all know… VTIC-sunbaenim’s discharge date was already set from the start, and we planned our schedule with that in mind, right?”
“Yeah!”
“Then maybe Moon-dae should just send a ‘Good luck, sunbaenim~’ text and we can ignore it and focus on our own work… but!”
Keun Se-jin gave a genial smile.
“Since he went out of his way to let us know, why don't we double-check what we know?”
Fair enough.
I opened my mouth.
“What was our estimated comeback date for VTIC?”
“June 12th.”
The answer came without a second of hesitation.
Why?
“It’s the date VTIC-sunbaenim got their very first number one!”
This was also the reason our promotions overlapped with VTIC’s when we first debuted. Those bastards always picked meaningful numbers for their comebacks.
“They’ve had a long hiatus, and with such a meaningful date right there… we all thought the probability of them choosing that day was extremely high.”
“Right.”
Tricks like matching the release day to a specific day of the week for Billboard charts could be adjusted through teaser release dates and the like.
‘Either way, the first content drop will likely be on the 12th.’
It was the best way to rally the fandom and maximize impact.
And from now until that day… only three months remained.
“That’s why we’re definitely aiming for a comeback before that, around May.”
“Exactly~ Since VTIC-sunbaenim naturally have the advantage over us, we have to be smart about our timing!”
“Excuse me, I have a question regarding that point….”
Kim Rae-bin raised his hand high. It seemed he had been pondering this for a while.
“I am curious as to the reasoning behind the judgment that VTIC-sunbaenim would be more advantageous!”
The answer was simple.
“Rae-bin. When was our last promotion?”
“Uh… it was in January! We enjoyed the great joy of unexpectedly performing on music shows after our fan song received so much love.”
Kim Rae-bin answered like a machine gun.
“And even recently, we have been reaching out to fans and the general public through variety shows!”
“Right. We’ve been active consistently.”
“Yes!”
I nodded at Kim Rae-bin.
“Now, think of two songs you like. You happen to hear those two songs on the street one day.”
“Yes!”
“But imagine you could hear one of those songs every day, while the other you’re hearing for the first time in eighteen months.”
“……!”
“In that moment, which one would you be more interested in and curious about?”
I nodded.
“Apply that same logic, and you’ll have your answer.”
It was a matter of scarcity and human psychology.
The public’s sense of fatigue toward the long-running VTIC had vanished, replaced by a sense of nostalgia and freshness.
‘In gaming terms, their "cooldown" has reset.’
Of course, this would all be nonsense if their brand recognition wasn't above a certain level.
A long hiatus? Usually, that just leads to being forgotten. Especially if there are replacements available, you disappear in the blink of an eye.
But VTIC’s recognition was beyond that.
‘I hate to admit it, but their position is unique.’
Even now, there are no direct replacements in their specific niche.
Hoping their form would crumble after the military and expectations would cool down? What kind of delusional "happy circuit" would I have to run to think that about guys who had already produced their post-discharge album? The circuit would burn out.
Furthermore, since they basically run their agency, LeTi, the chances of their capital or planning capabilities regressing were slim.
And there was one more thing.
“Actually… we played a part in it, too.”
“What?”
“We’ve cleared out every rookie who could have been a potential competitor, so VTIC has had almost no fandom leakage.”
“…….”
“We… really worked hard, didn't we?”
It was true.
‘We did too good a job keeping the rookies in check.’
It was a side effect of our overlapping fields. We had inadvertently done our rivals a favor.
Keun Se-jin, who had literally crushed Iter after awakening his trait to EX rank, gave a nonchalant, sly grin.
“Sunbaenim really benefited from us! Since they did, it would be great if they repaid the favor by taking a nice long rest this year and not making a comeback at all~”
“Haha….”
Of course, that wasn't going to happen. Those guys wouldn't be able to stand a hiatus longer than two years. They’d be itching to come out.
‘On the flip side, if we were to wait and push our comeback to the second half of the year after they return, Bae Se-jin would have to enlist before we could even get the Cultural Merit Award.’
What a joke it would be if he enlisted and we received it next year. It might become a hot topic as "the boy group with the worst timing," though.
From across the table, Ryu Cheong-woo calmly refined the conversation as if summarizing it.
“Right. We’ve prepared for the worst-case scenario, so let’s stay focused and keep moving forward.”
“Yes…!”
“We have to.”
I looked around at the faces of the guys as they reaffirmed their resolve.
The next comeback.
The title track, choreography, B-sides, and even the intro had all been decided.
If everything went according to plan….
‘At the very least, we won't be pushed back.’
I was confident that no matter what they brought, we wouldn't lose in terms of song quality.
The only issue was the level of attention.
How could we ensure our presence wasn't overshadowed by VTIC, who would be coming out just one turn after us?
“That’s why I was thinking it might be good to add a powerful marketing move.”
Small reactions of agreement popped up here and there at my words.
Suggestions followed.
“Um, how about… a variety show?”
I had to refute that one.
“We already used that card with the Doll Hunter OST.”
“Ah…!”
I’d heard the view count was still rising rapidly.
Doing another one so soon would be overkill and might feel repetitive.
Besides, there was one decisive problem.
“That PD is taking a break.”
“…??”
An article had just come out.
[PD Jung Ham-do Announces Sudden Hiatus... “A Time to Ponder Tomorrow”]
The lead PD of the variety show squad we worked with had released a statement saying he would ‘take a break for a while to reflect and think more deeply about this work’ and then vanished.
‘No wonder he sent that overly emotional thank-you text to Bae Se-jin.’
“I-I see….”
“Wow, he’s bold.”
“D-does this mean we won't be able to produce content with him in the future?”
“At least not for a while.”
Besides, working with him again wouldn't really fit our current goal.
‘Sure, some people watch because they trust his name….’
But that’s too comfortable a viewing experience. It’s a bit weak for the purpose of fending off guys making a full-group comeback after eighteen months.
What TeSTAR needed right now wasn't familiar fun, but impact.
‘…I’ve been thinking about this.’
Ever since that Cheong-ryeo bastard sent the text.
Actually, I’d been vaguely forming a plan since my meeting with the variety show production team.
A plan to pioneer a new marketing content route.
Something groundbreaking.
“So, what do you think of this?”
“…??”
I showed them an email I had exchanged with the company.
The members blinked as a very famous name appeared in the address line.
—…Thank you for reaching out. I look forward to a positive response.
“This is…?”
“The content creator I want to nominate as an alternative.”
To be precise, I had found them by digging through a year’s worth of contact proposals sent to the company.
“Ooh!”
The members crowded around the email screen in an instant.
The room quickly became noisy with admiration, suspicion, and cheers.
“Are we… are we really doing it with them?”
“How do you… come up with these ideas every single time?”
“I knew it. Moon-dae-hyung always asks after he’s already thought of the answer!”
“Is that an insult?”
“No! It’s a compliment!”
Of course, one person was giving me a strange look.
“Um, Moon-dae… every time you’re supposed to be resting… you seem to be working.”
“…I did it after getting plenty of rest.”
It was only one night’s work.
Anyway, looking at the overall reaction….
It was very good.
I looked at the guys, who were burning with desire and a sense of challenge, and gave a satisfied nod.
“I’ll tell them to make the contact.”
“OK~”
‘We’ll strike first with this.’
I watched the members scatter with smiles after the meeting ended.
It was good to see everyone so motivated.
‘If this marketing succeeds….’
It was then.
“Ah. Moon-dae. Can you come here for a second?”
“Ah, yes.”
At Ryu Cheong-woo’s call, I naturally followed him into his room.
‘He sounded like he had something to give me.’
Sure enough, he had his hand in his bag as if rummaging for a souvenir.
But as soon as I entered the room, he zipped the bag shut.
“…!”
It was a fake.
A move to avoid drawing the attention of the others.
“Close the door first.”
This felt ominous.
I didn't protest and quietly closed the door.
Ryu Cheong-woo didn't look troubled or angry. He simply held out his smartphone to me in silence.
“I saw this when I landed today, and I wanted to know your judgment.”
“…….”
“I’m planning to inform the company.”
I quietly took the phone and looked at the screen.
It was a screenshot of a WeTube video with about 450,000 views.
[Another Top-Tier Idol Member Who Can’t Control His Attention-Seeking! What Photos Did He Post During Vacation?]
“…….”
For the record, the thumbnail was like this:
—T-T You guys don't have stuff like this, do you?
—Why am I the one posting proof when I went to Lee Se-jin’s house first? Because I’m a "gold spoon"^^ (born with a silver spoon)
…Those words were written in blood-red, serious brush script inside a speech bubble next to Seon A-hyun’s face, whose eyes were covered with black tape.
“…….”
What kind of bullshit is this?
It was almost draining.
‘It’s a Cyber Wrecker.’
There were plenty of these rumor mills these days.
Of course, it was infuriating.
But it wasn't like we were new to being insulted by rumors, and usually, things like this get shut down by fans before they even surface to the general public.
Besides, Seon A-hyun and "attention-seeking"? The keywords have to at least somewhat fit for the public to react. At this point, it was like an AI random matching generator.
‘Is this… a threat?’
I looked at Ryu Cheong-woo with a dubious expression.
He had enough experience to know he could just quietly hand this over to the company for a lawsuit and ignore it.
But Ryu Cheong-woo remained calm.
“Keep looking.”
“…….”
“Swipe to the next page.”
Hmm.
I moved my hand at Ryu Cheong-woo’s gesture.
The screenshot changed.
But… it didn't end.
“…….”
The day before.
The day before that.
And on, and on.
[Seon A-hyun Pressuring Teammates Because of His Greed for Luxury Brand Ambassadorships]
[Bullying in School? The Truth About Seon A-hyun, Who Was an Arrogant Top Student]
[Not You Again... I’m Sick of It! Seon A-hyun’s Failed Image-Making Attempts!]
They were being uploaded every single day.
If not every day, then at least three times a week. Even if they had to squeeze out the same topic, they were consistent.
The topics were layered on top of each other for months.
[Seon A-hyun’s Amazing Skill at Shaming Cha Yu-jin’s Ambassador Brand Outfits While Pretending Not to Know lol]
[Seon A-hyun’s Chilling Social Media Posts Showing His Obsession with His "Gold Spoon" Image]
Relentlessly.
Obsessively.
As if they had staked their entire lives on this.
“…….”
“Go back to the very first one.”
I moved back through the pages without a word.
I now understood what he was trying to say.
[450,000]
This view count.
At first glance, it just looked like it had successfully baited some people.
It didn't seem like a controversy worth worrying about; one might think it was just a temporary spike due to Seon A-hyun’s name value.
But if you looked back at the view count of the very first video on this damn WeTube account from six months ago….
[30,000]
The views had increased more than tenfold.
Over the past six months, their madness and persistence were slowly being rewarded in a steady gradation.
Slowly, they were growing in size.
“…….”
‘Fuck.’
Where did these bastards come from?
And the timing… no, fuck.
“You know. Our intro for this album.”
“…….”
“It’s A-hyun’s solo.”
The perfect target to be torn apart.
At the same time.
The quiet JSA located in the Demilitarized Zone.
—Hyung, then we’ll use up all our end-of-service leave and come out two weeks early to start preparing!
“Sure.”
Cheong-ryeo replied calmly to Chae-yul’s cheerful voice.
Having served without any issues, they were quietly approaching their discharge.
It was easy to manage their motivation by encouraging and fueling their excitement for their first promotions in a long time.
“The fans have waited a long time, so we should make a quick return.”
—Yes!
It was so clear.
Cheong-ryeo rested his chin on his hand.
In physics, there is something called Complexity Theory.
Things may seem complex, like a series of coincidences, but in reality, there is an underlying order, and the principles and patterns can be discovered.
Actually, it was similar in sociology, not just physics.
If one could thoroughly and meticulously grasp a person’s nature, they became remarkably predictable.
Just as he led his members to avoid complacency and strive for a perfect comeback.
—D-40
Just as he pressured his rival, causing them to further refine their own plans.
And just as that rival would search for a spark to generate buzz in order to achieve better results.
All of it would eventually be recycled as good nourishment for his own group.
Of course, even he hadn't predicted a reply like this.
—Park Moon-dae: Yes, sunbaenim. Good luck.
Re-reading that soulless reply, Cheong-ryeo gave a thin smile.
“This isn't the time to be cheering for me.”
VTIC wasn't coming back on June 12th.
Their comeback date….
Was in May.