Fan Club Frenzy and Session Standoff
Group Sound's official SNS accounts, YouTube channel, and even the White Room YouTube channel. The band had quite a few communication channels. Except that, aside from White Room, none of them were really getting updated.
Twitter (calling it X felt off) had a few tweets after launch and that was it. The official YouTube was just set up and dormant. White Room, Ha Suyeon's personal channel, had zero Group Sound content. "Do these girls have no intention of promoting themselves?" Ayoon thought.
From chasing performances for months, she'd seen other bands hustle post-show—promoting, mingling with fans to build appeal. Group Sound performed often, but afterward? "Thank you. Have a great day," a few autographs, some photos, then gone. Zero promo effort.
For Jeong Ayoon, who dubbed herself Group Sound's #1 fan, this was intolerable. So she acted. Created Group Sound Social Club on Twitter, hung a "Group Sound Unofficial Fan Club" banner. Built a cafe, posted everything. Before long, people gathered... like right now.
Most fan cafe posts were "Situation unknown, so frustrating." Some asked, "Cafe owner, any info?" But if Ayoon knew, she'd share—she wasn't one to hoard.
Frustrated, she scoured related videos for reply clues. Amid YouTube digging, one reply caught her eye.
School violence...? Ayoon pictured leader Ha Suyeon. No way that girl? Pretty face, no makeup, long hair. Vibe-wise, bassist Choi Iseo fit bully more—flashy makeup, big build.
But the hypothesis had plausibility, Ayoon admitted. She didn't want to believe it. Her first fave group a bully band? Insane.
Internet digging yielded grim results. Past posts screamed "wild youth," even if clean now.
But maybe reformed? People change. Slim odds from past cases, but Ayoon's fangirl love ignored stats, kept searching. Snapped to it: Han Seung High front. Wrinkling at peak-teen ferocity, chatting kids up...
"Why you looking for Suyeon?"
The girl called herself Park Dain.
"Let's talk during break. Gather up."
At Suyeon's call, Iseo and the girls huddled at the table. But Suyeon rummaged her bag, pulled egg tarts and desserts, laid them out.
"Whoa! What's this?"
"Bought 'em for you. Famous cafe, huge line."
Mouthwatering treats; Iseo licked her lips. None for Suyeon, though. Iseo shoved snacks her way—Suyeon waved no.
"Eat up, you guys."
"Still..."
"Nah, I'm good. Eat while we talk. Practice'll fit the deadline easy. Vocal-focused tracks, not instrumental showcases."
True, nothing tricky. Iseo munched tart, pondering. Juhyeon: ballad king charting high in streaming era. Expected tough songs—wrong. All tuned to spotlight vocals.
"Lotsa effects, tough for regular bands, but keyboard covers it. Hyeona pulls through... tweak arrangements, outsource tough bits to session pros."
"That's it?"
"Eh."
Suyeon tilted her head at Iseo's question. Issue?
"Normally, keep practicing. But their vibe? This ain't enough—they'll reject us as session."
"That... bad?"
"Their faces when talking, little things... Not workload, they hate us intruding."
Iseo thought Suyeon over-worried. Really? But replaying scoldings like "Needs to be documented"—yeah, maybe.
"What now?"
"This gig stemmed from our OST jazz session pitch. 'Concert session? Full band not bad?' But staff hates it..."
Ah. Iseo glanced at pondering Suyeon. She hustled this herself? Heart tugged. Amid bully rumors (not rumors?), she dragged this for us. We just moped post-failure, half-assed "Gig's a gig."
That hit. Iseo tossed out icebreaker to lift mood, spark drive.
"I got an idea!"
"Spill."
"Not detailed, but... Beyond session, make 'em think we're the key to smash hit. 'No one else pulls this off' vibe."
Casual spitball, anyone-could-say. But Suyeon pondered, lit up...
"Switch genres?"
She murmured.
"Juhyeon, using those girls for session?"
"Well, director mentioned, gotta. Wanted band sound once; not all concerts, just Seoul."
Staffer stiffened. Juhyeon grinned, shooed him to work.
Tired... Longtime crew, efficient, tailored to him. But stagnant.
This too. Routine shattered—unpleasant. Years smooth, now kids mess it. Juhyeon got it, but staff rejected harder: "No talent." "Bands outdated fad." Dropped loud for him.
Too comfy. Team rep: cliquey, newbie-proof. Got it now.
"Head that way."
Gruff voice opposite hall, footsteps. Band kids arrived.
That song slayed... Recalled OST Before the Meeting Ends. Jazzy tension, gummy groove—fresh for ballad guy.
Others? Standard session fare. Mild regret, entered practice room.
"That's it."
Post-play, sparse claps. Juhyeon ai-go..., clapped loud—echoed.
"Good. Band vibe beats MR."
"But might not fit our setup. Appreciate effort, but..."
Stage guy hijacked praise, twisted negative. Staff chimed: "Kinda off." "Why change? Old better." Loud for Juhyeon.
"Think positive. MR rut; band fresh?"
"Our rig's MR-optimized, Juhyeon. Band resets everything—won't magically improve."
Lazy? Hates extra work? No need better? Team innovated visuals/staging—theirs. Band? Upends comfort zone.
Juhyeon sighed. No push against united front. Singer decides shows, but no reason burn bridges for kids.
Director'll chew me out. Main act here, how bad? About to apologize—froze.
Perfect timing: raised hand.
"One more song, then decide."
Suyeon grabbed spare guitar, strummed. Familiar melody, transformed. Deeper, sadder than his melodic gloom...