JUMPING! Into Kawaii Chaos
Japanese idols danced flamboyantly on stage. In the background, technical, heavy metal riffs pounded relentlessly. The combination of pristine, soaring high notes and powerful metal sound was musically solid enough... but the actual stage performance felt like it was designed to drive you insane.
Three idols in frilly, ruffled outfits, hamming it up with cutesy aegyo and adorable charm while shaking their hips.
"Uh, this is..."
Doyeon muttered, shooting a sidelong glance at Jinseo.
Jinseo, oblivious, chimed in without a second thought. "Ooh, not bad."
She jabbed Jinseo in the side, careful not to draw attention from the kids around them. Their eyes met in a flash.
Is this really okay?
Why wouldn't it be? It's fine.
Doyeon shook her head slightly and mouthed the letters: P.D.
It hit Jinseo like a bucket of ice water. Right. They'd gotten explicit instructions from the PD before stepping into this shoot.
"I don't usually ask this of my contestants," Yoon Dong-wook had said, downing his coffee with a gulp before issuing what was less a request and more a command.
"The band you're mentoring, Group Sound—guide their arrangements to show off as much coolness and skill as possible."
"...Why?"
"It's hard to explain."
Doyeon had responded with puzzled hesitation, but Yoon kept his face impassive as he pressed on.
"Look, we're not rigging anything. We just need to nail the edit points, set a concept. Building a 'real talent' image isn't bad for them, right? Please, make it happen."
Outraged as they were by the not-quite-request, Doyeon and Jinseo had no choice but to comply. It was the shooting director's word, and after seeing the Episode 0 edit, they got why he'd said it. They'd crafted such a powerful character for the girls—not even much time had passed, and if it crumbled now, it'd be a mess.
But the concept these kids had brought? It flew straight in the face of the PD's directive. Skill would shine through, sure, but it wasn't cool or powerful in the slightest. A twist for shock value might boost popularity, but it clashed hard with the prior edit direction.
"Well, it's an interesting concept, at least."
After a quick exchange of glances, Jinseo spoke up.
"Right?!" Iseo beamed.
But before anything else could slip out, Jinseo dove straight into the negatives.
"That said, I don't think this works. It just doesn't suit you guys... but more critically, there's a fatal flaw."
"What...?"
"The core of this concept is the stage. It's about turning mismatched music, looks, outfits, and vibe into something surprisingly harmonious through sheer performance. Problem is, we can't use session musicians in our shows. You'd have to pull this off with just four of you—dressed like that, dancing, and playing. Impossible, right?"
Sorry, PD Yoon. This is the best excuse my brain can muster.
Jinseo forced out the rationale inwardly apologizing to Dong-wook. It was flimsy as hell—determined kids could poke holes in it easily. Doyeon knew it too, shooting anxious side-eyes from beside her.
"But we could totally use sessions..."
"Yeah, we figured you'd say that. And we have more than just this reference anyway."
Seoha started to counter, but Suyeon cut her off abruptly.
She didn't seem too attached to that reference, so the mentors breathed a sigh of relief.
"Got another one?"
"Yeah. Similar vein, but a different feel. Something we can actually pull off, unlike the last."
And a few minutes later, they regretted thinking that.
This new reference veered off in a whole other direction of unhinged. But at least it was better than the first. No cute factor, for starters.
The issue? Craziness filled the void left behind.
"This concept work?"
"Hm... yeah, definitely better than the last. The song's originally got that edge, so leaning in feels solid."
"Straight rock or metal arrangements would be boring anyway. Plus, we could use this live."
They rushed to approve the second reference, terrified Suyeon might blurt, "Then we'll just do kawaii metal." They missed the faint smirk tugging at her lips.
"Are you people insane?!"
On the day of the second round rehearsal, PD Yoon Dong-wook stormed in after witnessing the shock-and-awe performance, dragging Doyeon and Jinseo aside to bellow.
"What the hell was that weird-ass stage?! I told you—make it as cool and skilled as possible! What madness did you let those kids pull?!"
"P-PD..."
"What?! That their best shot? You gonna feed me that bullshit? If that's their best, what was it like before?!"
"Sorry, but we did give it our all. Check out the first concept they brought."
Still fuming and yelling, he snatched Jinseo's phone when she handed it over, calming just enough to watch. Minutes later, he handed it back with a horrified grimace.
"Okay, yeah... you did your best. Sorry... They came in with that for round one?"
"Yep. The second one's the compromise."
Dong-wook clutched his head. How the hell was he supposed to edit around this?
But seeing the first reference eased his despair a tad. At least this wasn't that—utterly unsalvageable.
"...Got it. Sorry for yelling. You're dismissed."
The two bowed and slunk out. Dong-wook crossed his arms, staring at the ceiling.
His vision had been textbook: established rock bands tackling idol tracks with pro arrangements. "Whoa, they nailed this!" edits. Safe, maybe stale, but it always worked.
But Group Sound was doing the polar opposite. Facing them felt like confronting something uncontrollable. Ominous.
"They've got basics, it's funny enough not to drop 'em. Stage quality's solid. I'll salvage it in edit. High difficulty threw 'em off into weird territory."
He muttered to shake off the unease, convincing himself. But the nagging premonition that this audition wouldn't go his way lingered.
After witnessing the Episode 0 that butchered her "girls," Seyun set keyword alerts everywhere, waiting for Invasion from Seoul 2024 audience recruitment.
Curious what was unfolding, and to cheer the wounded kids in person.
Her long wait paid off with a win. Today's theme: "Show Us Radical Arrangements." Bands tasked with idol tracks far from their genre, competing on freshness and boldness.
The audience venue buzzed with heat. Few Group Sound fans amid the crowd. Seyun felt isolated weaving through, but...
Even these other band fans will fall for my girls' charm and cheer 'em on.
She was living proof.
You couldn't grasp their explosive performances on TV or online. But live? Instant converts.
Most stages dragged. "Radical arrangements"? Mostly just idol pop turned generic band tracks.
Some stood out.
Mystica turned a bland guy-group dance hit into soulful jazz, earning big cheers. Real skill—why weren't they in Episode 0?
TWR and WEKIDS, hyped in late Episode 0, delivered languid, sexy vibes for eye candy.
"Ugh, my legs hurt."
Still, focus waned; crowds fidgeted.
"Why do we gotta watch this crap?" griped a boy-band fan girl.
"So friggin' boring. Should I bail...?" a guy muttered.
As shows dragged, attention spans crumbled.
"Next up! A track you all know, can't not know—once dominated charts with explosive hype! Vivid Orange's 'JUMPING!'"
A band doing that song?
"For real?" reactions rippled. Beepy synths, addictive lyrics—pure disco pop, MV-famous. Band mismatch city. Curiosity piqued: which unlucky souls drew it? Bound to flop hilariously.
"Here's the intro footage!"
And up popped Group Sound.
Mentor discussions, hashing out issues.
Why my girls?! Seyun screamed internally. They can't flop! Haven't shown their genius yet...
"They look kinda good at it, though?"
"Gonna drop~"
"Auditions are luck-based anyway."
Snickers floated. Seyun gritted her teeth, glaring at the stage. Her girls could nail it.
[Mentor: So, what's the final arrangement direction?]
[Ha Suyeon: We're going with... [censored] style.]
[Mentor: That's not traditional band territory. You sure you can pull it?]
[Ha Suyeon: Gotta try.]
What's [censored]? Seyun muttered.
Before she could dwell, Group Sound took the stage.
But why the original outfits?!
First: scooter helmets, white flare skirts. Cropped tees with track pants—an unholy combo. Fashion from a decade ago resurrected on a band audition? Seyun's jaw dropped.
Second: Suyeon lugging two guitars upfront. Jaw-dropper.
"We're starting."
Third: Suyeon kicked off, and the melody matched the original note-for-note. Seyun blinked. What?
And fourth...
"Everyone, one-two-three-four!"
The stage erupted. Group Sound's version differed from "JUMPING!" only in basic band tweaks. They chorused into mics, inching the song along.
Too tough, so they bailed? audiences thought.
Then Suyeon swapped guitars and unleashed brutal metal riffs—unthinkable heaviness.
Vocals held pitch and style unchanged. Original theme intact.
Loop pedal layered the OG riff while they hammered industrial-metal grit.
"Jumping! Jumping!"
Eerie balance: disco-pop hooks over metal thunder. Flare skirts, track pants, helmets—deadpan faces shredding absurdity.
Audiences plunged into confusion. What were they hearing? Seeing? Minds fracturing. Is this real? Where am I? Who are we...?