Chapter 22
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: The Viral Busking
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Days flew by in a whirlwind. It felt like someone had fast-forwarded the clock hands.
The debut track was locked in, the concept finalized, and even the showcase date set. All that remained was the music video shoot?
The worries about whether I'd debut before kicking the bucket seemed laughable now. Preparations were barreling ahead at breakneck speed.
In tandem, the daily practice volume had ballooned to an incomparable level.
"Hyung... Does GH grind like this during debut prep too?"
It was evening. Kim Ha-woon, cherry-picking chicken from his salad and prodding the veggies, finally asked.
I could read exactly what he was fishing for, and it made me chuckle despite myself.
"Pretty similar."
"Anyone ever starve to death?"
"People don't drop that easy."
"...I might be patient zero."
Maybe it was his youth, but Kim Ha-woon shoveled in a hefty portion for his frame, his face a mask of distant longing. He looked more beat than the others.
Wait, don't they serve rice in the morning? Sure, restricted menu, but still.
"Whine for chicken at breakfast."
"Chicken hits different at night!"
"...Fair point?"
Lee Jae-ha, who'd been eavesdropping quietly, clacked his fork down and piped up.
"Fair what? Ha-woon, not eating? Gimme."
"Ack! I am!"
Dodging Lee Jae-ha's swipe, Kim Ha-woon yanked his bowl close and vacuumed the salad like it might get snatched.
Meat, maybe. Grass? No takers—chill.
Park Tae-hoo had wolfed his down already and sprawled scrolling his phone. Jae-ha spotted it and nagged,
"Dude, flop right after eating? C'mon."
Maybe from grinding through the grind together, we'd all loosened up considerably.
'But what's the deal with this?'
Get recognized as leader by your group members!
1/3
The Status Window hadn't budged. Tested extra chicken two weeks back—nope. Chicken's a bust, huh.
This punk holding out on 80 coins with a scam?
Time ticking down...
Small mercy: Goodstar coins trickling steady. Spare moments dropping song clips and pics paid off.
Fresh time buy, coins ticked up from last. Nowhere near safe, though.
'All good. Official debut inbound.'
Worlds from that first groggy awakening.
'Nailed jumping in.'
No Kim Han-soo hand-grab, I'd be photo-hunting, like-begging drifter.
Stuck it out: radio spots, street serenades, crowd roars.
'Nudging the celeb life, huh...'
Old hunch. Items, rewards, quests scream entertainer track.
'Spot on?'
Crickets again. Pops only on its whim.
Quick dinner down, back to practice room. Relentless loop.
'Exhausting...'
Bluntly, monotonous grind. Dream routine or not, same track dozens daily—stale inevitable.
How many more reps? Familiar Kim Han-soo bark, door flies open.
"Do-jun-ssi!"
"Yes?"
"This you?"
Before processing, phone thrust forward. YouTube queued.
What's this now?
"I don't do YouTube...?"
Goodstar aside, no YouTube—froze mid-sentence.
Screen: me strumming guitar, belting.
'That night?'
Dorm night one, chicken sneak!
'...Why here?'
Title: 'Street Busker Halts All Passersby with Insane Vibe ㄷㄷ'
Views...
'...Huh?'
1.1 million...? No way.
Disbelieving blink, Kim Han-soo clamps shoulder.
"Not yours, right?"
"Nope, not me."
"Double-checked. Junk channel vids—figured."
Unclear relief-worry flickers video, eyes pivot sharp to me.
"Upload: post-dorm day one. When out? Sudden busk why."
Off-guard nail, choked. Deny now? Too me-obvious.
Day fib? He smelled blood.
"Uh, dunno...?"
Truth? No dice.
Chicken sneak-to-hassle-to-busk? Suicide.
"What? What?"
Members swarm racket.
"YouTube why?"
Kim Ha-woon cranes, lights up.
"Whoa! That time! Chi...!"
Abort, psycho!
Clutch save: 'Hep!' hand to mouth.
Too late—'Chi' loose. Kim Han-soo gleams predatory.
"Chi-what? Spill end."
"N-naw, nothing."
"Nothing? Cough it."
Ha-woon wriggles, Han-soo hound-mode.
We helpless pray-over.
"S-so chi..."
"Chi?"
"Chi-chickory! Craved, bought."
Bust. Excuse fail.
Kim Han-soo winces.
"Ha-woon loathes chickory? Veggies all hated."
"N-nope. Tasty stuff."
Cease... exposed...
Vain salvage pitier. Han-soo snickers.
"Double chickory salad for Ha-woon then."
"...Huh?"
"Love it? Or..."
"..."
"Chicken run?"
Ha-woon souls out. Mute.
Sorry, bro...
"Anyway, views ripe for promo. Album fodder."
Ha-woon mumbling double-chickory BOGO ignored, Han-soo beams.
His cheer? Relief. Else chicken hell-beat.
"Good outcome, sneak erased."
Ha-woon snaps, hollers.
"Insane vibe! Nuts! Hyung! Views! Legendary!"
Got it, but I sound unhinged...
Park Tae-hoo beams smug.
"This proves it? Fall breaks nose! We're golden!"
Nope, wrong vibe. Why smug?
Expat idioms weak. Proud flex, awkward correct.
"Careful hereafter."
Shoulder-pats our replay hype, office-bound.
'Promo ripe.'
Next day: crystal.
❤
YouTube 1M-View Busker! Pida Ent. Rookie Idol's 'Insane Real Vibe'
From morning, headlines like this topped portals, kin flooding feeds.
Idol? No way.
Song slays. Live guitar? Wild ㄷㄷ;;
Planted PR after all. Marketing insane...
Figured... Permissionless upload? Company kid.
PR or not, vocals nuts. Sound drop his ver? Teasing madness.
...Ease up on the crazy.
Radio articles mostly rave; here, half-half. Bit deflating for me, members unfazed.
"Hyung! Check! 60 comments!"
"60? Superstar arc?"
Kim Ha-woon and Park Tae-hoo freak article comments. Good ones voiced aloud.
Squirm-embarrassed, mutter,
"Hate piles too."
"But climbing! Vid viewers! Debut safe. Yeah?"
Chicken-run hype eclipsed. Ha-woon refreshes comment chase.
Marketing shade? Thrilled anyway.
Eye-roll, thumbed share button bottom.
❤
Executive Director Go Moo-seo wore exhaustion. B.O.Y debut looming inevitable.
Gravel voice to Kim Han-soo,
"Article buzz?"
"Solid. YouTube comments eclipse, but topical."
PR chief sips coffee, chimes,
"Nabbed original from uploader—we posted. No-delete pact."
"Smooth?"
"Yep. Clean."
Go Moo-seo eases, sips own.
"Sure, but nail this. VP's glare post-fiasco? Know."
"Yes."
Han-soo nods grave.
VP miffed: his 'producible idol' squad debut flop.
Especially Han-soo, Moo-seo saboteurs.
Strictly faultless. Lim Joo-won debut-push? Explosion sure.
"Chill. Pre-debut heat sans big3 rare."
Go Moo-seo grins nod.
"True. Radio gigs self-deliver. Birdlings."
YouTube views climb post-article.
Organic? Promo gold. Subtle buzz primes debut spotlight.
Reading pleased Han-soo slips,
"Prep flawless. Till staff seasoned, I'll field-manage."
Team2 idol-fresh: zero celeb vets.
Leader Han-soo plugs gap interim.
Perfect. Sip, nod content.
"Not all bends our way—no sweat."
Eyes blaze.
"Own results."
"...Sweat unavoidable."
Awkward grin ignored. Paper-flip casual,
"Leader Do-jun lock? Jae-ha plan."
"Jae-ha: Do-jun fits."
"Experienced shine?"
Group call. Members' say.
Nod, paper shuffle,
"Visual radio pitch?"
"'Park Min-ha's Languid Night' weekly guest—buzz-timing offer."
"Nabam dead-night visual?"
"Night visuals common. Upside only: face-time, article bait."
PR leaps,
"Nabam trials. Late mercy to Min-ha sparse."
Fair. Pre-debut rookie boon. Sketchy-good.
Maths done,
"Not gratis. Their ask?"
"2-week radio guest extend. Buzz airs ratings pump."
Ratings: surveys, texts, engages. Buzz guests metric hack.
"Greenlight."
"Prep stat."
"Final sprint clean."
Meet wraps. Han-soo, PR resolute exit.