We Are the Future
Global Standard We are the future♬! With that declaration that they were the future, an upbeat dance beat began filling the practice room. The sound came from Yoo Yun-ho’s old Tiffany phone. Though the Tiffany phone had been released four years ago, Yoo Yun-ho still had no intention of replacing it. It was more than adequate for calls, internet browsing, and listening to music. Even now, the ringtone from the Tiffany phone was making the practice room—which was large enough to be called a small sports field—resound with HxT’s song.
“Huh? Yunho-yunho, Leader-nim, I think your phone’s ringing?” Choi Hee-chul called out to Yoo Yun-ho in a playful voice. Yoo Yun-ho stood there blankly, as if lost in thought, completely unaware that his own phone was ringing. At the sound of “Yunho-yunho,” Yoo Yun-ho flinched and stood up to grab his phone from the table.
“Micky Hee-chul-ssi, could you keep it down a little? Our leader is worrying about his debut stage so much he can’t even hear the ringtone.”
“Kuk, ah, I forgot. As expected, Choi Kang-chang-cheon-ssi thinks big.”
The one who responded to Choi Hee-chul was Choi Chang-min, who had received the stage name Choi Chang-chang-cheon. The two got along so well that they were fully absorbed in teasing the dazed Yoo Yun-ho.
“Ah, seriously! Um, hello?”
-Yunho-ya! It’s me!
“Ah, Hee-jun hyung?”
-Hey! You signed an idol contract? Congratulations, you punk! You were always singing about debuting like that, and now you’ve really become a junior.
“Thank you.”
Yoo Yun-ho felt a deep sense of emotion at Hee-jun’s words. Receiving congratulations from a senior he idolized in a situation that still didn’t feel real made it seem like he had finally crossed a great mountain.
-Hey! So what’s the name of the debut group? Ah! You must have decided on a greeting slogan too, right? Then let’s do it properly once!
But at the following question, Yoo Yun-ho became troubled. Still, it only lasted a moment. He thought that he couldn’t keep disappointing others and showing an unsightly side forever. Since the chairman produced hits every time, he decided to trust him this time as well.
“Um, well……”
Even though his mind had changed, his mouth didn’t open easily. It still felt awkward.
-What? Is it a secret even from me?
“Ah, it’s not that.”
-It’s because it’s the first time and you’re embarrassed, but the more you practice, the more naturally it comes out. According to the manager hyung, the press release will go out today, so it’s not a secret.
Yoo Yun-ho steeled himself, tightly closed his eyes, and shouted the greeting.
“We are T! Hello! We are TVXQ!”
-……
“It’s TVXQ. It’s short for Dongfang Shenqi.”
-Huh? TVXQ? Really?
“Yes, really.”
When Yoo Yun-ho confirmed it, a loud, rolling-stone-like laughter of “Puahaha” came through the receiver. Even a senior from the same agency hadn’t imagined such a bold choice.
-W-who came up with the name? Was it Representative Han?
“It was Chairman Yoo Jae-won. The chairman gave it to us directly. He also personally created stage names for all the members, including me. Um, mine is Yunho-yunho.”
At Yoo Yun-ho’s continued words, the laughter from Hee-jun on the other end of the line abruptly stopped.
-Huk! The chairman? That’s huge! Wow, as expected, the chairman’s sense is on another level!
Then came a complete 180-degree change in evaluation. Just moments ago, he had clearly heard “Puahaha” laughter, but suddenly it was “huge.”
-Don’t worry! There must be a greater meaning behind it. How could ordinary people like us understand the chairman’s grand vision? He’s definitely planning something extraordinary even now.
Hee-jun hyung’s voice changed in an instant. Around the same time, Yoo Jae-won, who had finished the idol contract along with the group name, concept, and debut single album settings at Dream Entertainment, was at his hometown house in Deokjin-ri. While someone had expected him to be devising an extraordinary plan, Yoo Jae-won was sitting side by side with Tiffany, leisurely watching TV.
Energy Pa! What was unfolding on the specially ordered Bordeaux HDTV was the figure of Son Goku unleashing a powerful energy blast. It was the first episode of the Dragon Ball remake that Yoo Jae-won had proudly announced at IDDC 2002. Through NBC, one episode aired every Sunday from 10 to 11 a.m. Each episode was 50 minutes long, quite lengthy, but it never felt long while watching. The level of completion of the animation, perfectly reborn with 21st-century cutting-edge computer graphics, was truly on another dimension. Naturally, it greatly appealed not only to children but also to the young generation that had grown up watching Dragon Ball. Advertising slots during regular broadcast time had sold out early, and reruns continued to air two or three times during the week. Even the ads attached to the reruns had completely sold out, to the point that a second Dragon Ball boom was beginning again in North America. Weekly viewership numbers easily exceeded ten million households, lightly surpassing the postseason ratings of most popular major sports. Accordingly, Fantasy Universe’s popularity also gained momentum. Dragon Ball’s popular characters all appeared, and being able to use the techniques seen in the animation exactly as they were in battles served as a tremendous popularity factor. Thanks to that, Fantasy Universe’s user maps were also booming, and naturally, the most popular among the user maps was still the AOS genre. “Defense of the Ancients” was the most popular map, and modified maps that followed “Defense of the Ancients” with a few changes were also popular.
-See you next time!
While lost in thought for a moment, the words “See you next time” appeared on the Bordeaux TV. Then Yoo Jae-won glanced at Tiffany.
“Why?”
The quick-witted Tiffany immediately read Yoo Jae-won’s expression. The reason Yoo Jae-won hesitated was simple. He wanted to watch the next episode right away, but he wondered if Tiffany would understand. Tiffany’s movie tastes were those of a typical American. Watching Japanese animation together was a first for them. When they were in the United States, they had both been too busy to catch regular broadcast times, and only now had the opportunity to watch together come.
“Did you enjoy it? Shall we watch the next episode right away?”
Yoo Jae-won asked cautiously.
“There’s more?”
Fortunately, Tiffany showed interest in the next episode as well.
“Yeah! There are two more episodes!”
The Dragon Ball remake had been airing one episode per week since American Thanksgiving week. Since it was now early December, episode 3 had already been released.
“Then hurry up and play it.”
At Tiffany’s words, Yoo Jae-won immediately operated the remote and played the second episode. The fact that the Dragon Ball remake, which hadn’t aired in Korea yet, appeared directly on the TV at Yoo Jae-won’s house was thanks to Timeflex. Although Timeflex hadn’t officially launched its service in Korea yet, there was no problem with subscribing to the North American Timeflex from Korea to watch content. The Dragon Ball remake was uploaded to Timeflex after its broadcast ended, and naturally, it had instantly become the most popular content. That was why the luxury of watching the Dragon Ball remake, which was only airing in North America, from the comfort of home wasn’t Yoo Jae-won’s exclusive privilege. As a bonus, there was also a subtitle service for those weak in English, supporting not only Korean but also Chinese, Japanese, and various European languages. Thanks to that, Timeflex subscribers in Japan were also increasing meaningfully, showing just how powerful content could be.
“Does Tiffany like animation too?”
Yoo Jae-won continued with a hopeful question.
“No, I sometimes watched Pixar or Disney animations, but I didn’t deliberately seek them out. This is my first time watching Dragon Ball too, but maybe because it’s something you made, it’s more fun than I expected!”
As expected, Tiffany had no particular interest in subcultures like animation. Nevertheless, the reason she enjoyed watching the currently playing Dragon Ball was because she knew it was a work produced by Yoo Jae-won. She was thinking not just as a simple hobby but also from a business perspective, so even if it wasn’t her taste, she could enjoy it as much as she wanted. Even if she had no particular taste for animation, the fact that she understood this much was something to be grateful for. After watching all the way to the latest episode 3, Yoo Jae-won turned off Timeflex.
-Next news. The Presidential Candidate Primary Preparation Committee of the Unified National Party has confirmed internet voting for the presidential candidate primary. This is a complete turnaround from just a few days ago when there was internal conflict over internet voting. It has been reported by a key party insider that Chairman Yoo Jae-won’s proposal during his surprise visit to the Unified National Party headquarters this afternoon was decisive.
The news was in full swing on the terrestrial broadcast. It was about Yoo Jae-won’s visit to the Unified National Party that afternoon, and seeing it through a third party’s eyes on television felt new. Besides, watching evening news on terrestrial TV made Yoo Jae-won feel peckish. After watching three 50-minute animations in a row, he had momentarily forgotten about dinner.
“Shall we order something simple for dinner?”
“Yeah! Then I want soy sauce chicken!”
At Yoo Jae-won’s suggestion to eat simply, Tiffany shouted for chicken. Under normal circumstances, this would have been impossible. If the Yoo Jae-won couple said they came from America, his parents would have prepared a table so full the legs would break. But now, both parents were absent from the hometown house. They were on a business trip to Jeju Island as a couple. Yoo Jae-won’s father, Yoo Bong-man, had gained tremendous social reputation as the chairman of the ID Foundation and Deokjin School Foundation, and his mother was serving as a director at ID Investment, managing quite substantial assets. Above all, the title of being Yoo Jae-won’s parents carried more weight in Korean society than any business card. Thanks to that, not only companies but also the government and local governments were eager to host his parents, and his parents acted solely based on whether it would benefit Yoo Jae-won or not. No matter how good the pretext, they firmly rejected invitations that seemed problematic, and accepted those that seemed helpful, just like this time. This Jeju Island trip was an event hosted by the Jeju governor, and they had accepted it after judging that it would help with Yoo Jae-won’s large-scale business in Jeju Island. Moreover, Yoo Jae-won and Tiffany’s trip to Korea this time had been decided quite hastily, which was why their schedules had ended up misaligned. Thanks to that, no one could complain even if dinner was chicken instead of a table full of nourishing dishes.
-Tiffany Yoo, wife of Chairman Yoo Jae-won and Chevron’s Future Strategy Front Manager, visited Daewoo Heavy Industries’ Geoje Shipyard for the launching ceremony of the LNG carrier Pacific No. 2.
At that moment, Tiffany appeared on the news. The reason they had parted ways right at the airport was because of Tiffany’s visit to the Daewoo Shipyard, and one of the purposes of the visit was precisely the launching ceremony of the LNG carrier named Pacific No. 2. The way the Daewoo Shipyard welcomed Tiffany on screen was as if they were treating a VVIP. It was more lavish than even a presidential visit would have been.
-Chevron was a representative oil company that suffered greatly from the Kobe Steel scandal in ’97. Deeply disappointed by the Kobe Steel scandal, Chevron canceled the LNG ships ordered from Japanese shipyards and chose Daewoo Heavy Industries instead.
-LNG carriers, which create high added value but require high technology, had been monopolized by Japanese shipyards. Due to the Kobe Steel scandal, Chevron turned its eyes to Korea for the first time. Afterward, as Daewoo Shipyard successfully delivered LNG carriers to Chevron, doubts disappeared, and it became the catalyst for Korea to sweep the world shipbuilding industry with reasonable prices and reliable performance.
The television news explained in detail Tiffany’s background and the reason she received VVIP treatment. The Kobe Steel scandal dealt a severe blow to Japan’s steel and shipbuilding industries, and the Korean shipbuilding industry reaped the reflected benefits. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the shipbuilding industry, which had been struggling due to the IMF crisis, was completely revived because of that incident. It was truly like a benefactor to the shipbuilding industry. Moreover, Chevron was planning to order additional LNG carriers. Currently used to bring gas from the Middle East, in ten years they would be used to export American gas to allied countries, thanks to that vision.
“It was a very enjoyable event.”
The champagne Tiffany had brought popped successfully at the launching ceremony, and Pacific No. 2 floated on the water without any issues with all its functions. The working-level staff who came with Tiffany still needed to properly inspect the ship after launching it, but if there were no problems this time as well, there was a very high possibility of additional orders to Daewoo Heavy Industries.
“Did you do well with your work at Dream Entertainment too?”
“Of course! I debuted one idol group and even gave them a cool name.”
Yoo Jae-won enthusiastically explained what had happened at Dream Entertainment. During the conversation, the doorbell rang with a “ding-dong.” The chicken that was their dinner had been delivered. After finishing dinner with savory soy sauce chicken and refreshing beer, the two went to bed early. Tomorrow’s schedule was just as busy as today’s, with things like acquiring a broadcasting station and attending events.