The Monster Goes Viral
Kang Tae-san and his sister had first auditioned for Giant Kim’s music video “MAD.”
Though various internal circumstances had ultimately prevented both of them from appearing in the video, the outcome had still been favorable: one sibling landed a drama role, while the other was cast on a survival variety show.
Three months had passed since then.
Giant Kim’s new single “MAD” music video was finally released.
It shot straight into the top five on the real-time charts of the country’s largest music platform, proving the chart-killer’s name still carried weight. Yet reactions to the video itself were lukewarm compared to the song.
“The track’s good, but the MV feels kinda flat.”
“The female lead’s face is pretty, but her acting is… meh.”
“This doesn’t feel like a Giant Kim video at all. Totally mismatched.”
Giant Kim had always poured his heart into the visual beauty and artistic quality of every album’s music video, but this time he couldn’t escape SL Entertainment’s influence.
The enormous signing bonus he had received when moving from his former mid-sized agency to the major label SL had come back to haunt him.
In a dimly lit studio, Giant Kim set the empty whiskey bottle down on the table while staring at the scathing comments on his monitor. The glass clinked sharply against the surface.
“Damn it…”
If the problem had been his own judgment, it might have been easier to bear. What hurt more was that he himself found the public’s reaction perfectly understandable.
“They butchered my music like this?”
When he had first submitted the music video treatment for “MAD” to the agency, he had been certain this album would be his turning point.
Until now, Giant Kim had focused on warm, relatable romantic emotions, directing his videos like short romance films filled with detailed moments most people could empathize with.
That approach had always pulled viewers in, making the lyrics feel like personal love stories. But this time he deliberately chose a more extreme concept to break away from his previous style.
Kidnapping, confinement, violence, and the twisted love that bloomed within it—he wanted to convey raw, primal emotions both musically and visually through intense direction.
SL Entertainment, however, had no respect for his artistic vision. Citing broadcast regulations, artist image concerns, and commercial viability, they tore his treatment apart.
The final music video that emerged was nothing but artificial madness stripped of all realism—just a mundane clip that zoomed in on a pretty idol trainee’s face.
Yoo Ji-eun, the trainee who had been pre-selected, had decent visuals, but she was worlds away from the madness he had wanted. No matter how hard she tried to act terrified with that pretty, innocent face, it only looked pretty.
“My music… turned into someone else’s cash cow.”
Fueled by alcohol and rising anger, Giant Kim frantically searched through his computer files. His finger stopped on one particular video.
[Audition_KangSoYeon&KangTaeSan_FinalCut.mp4]
The shock of that day came rushing back. Director Kim Hoon-sik had praised it endlessly while showing him the footage—an energy that seemed to leap off the screen, an acting performance so chilling it felt like they had brought in a real criminal.
Giant Kim played the video as if possessed.
On screen, the criminal Kang Tae-san portrayed was terrifyingly perfect—MAD incarnate. The twisted affection and obsession running through the lyrics were captured in every glance and gesture.
“That’s it. That’s exactly what I wanted!”
He could no longer hold back. Giant Kim logged into his personal SNS account—an account with millions of followers and enormous reach. Without hesitation, he uploaded the audition video and added a short caption.
The reaction was explosive the moment he hit upload. Fans and viewers who had been disappointed by the official music video flooded in at once.
The pebble Giant Kim had thrown became a massive wave that swept across every online community. Titled “Giant Kim Audition Leak,” the video set entertainment boards and social media ablaze.
Meanwhile, the Kang siblings—who had yet to appear in any mainstream media—were suddenly thrust into the spotlight without even realizing it.
***
“Planet On Air,” commonly known as P.O.A., was a reality survival program launched by the cable channel Magnet. It aimed to eliminate the ranking manipulation controversies that had plagued idol audition shows in recent years.
Over a hundred trainees gathered at the Paju dorm were broadcast live 24 hours a day through constantly rolling cameras. To minimize spoilers from the live feed, editors worked around the clock to deliver a weekly live episode packed with raw, unfiltered footage straight to the Magnet channel.
Viewers were hooked on the unpolished broadcast, enjoying the thrill of choosing idol members with their own votes. The show had won Program of the Year in its first season, succeeded through three consecutive seasons, and become a flagship brand for Magnet.
And now Kang So-yeon had entered the brutal battlefield of Season 4.
During the first week of dorm life, So-yeon struggled to stand out among the viewers. Her visuals were striking even among the many trainees, but that alone wasn’t enough. Simply being pretty wouldn’t earn the audience’s pick. Since viewer votes carried the most weight in every evaluation, she needed something that could generate buzz and appeal to the public.
Of course, the fact that So-yeon and the other trainees were from SL Entertainment—the nation’s top three agency—drew initial attention. But among the hundred-plus competitors were daughters of famous singers, influencers with over 300,000 followers, and other headline-grabbing figures. So-yeon remained largely overlooked.
Still, true to her SL roots, she delivered solid performances in the weekly evaluations and barely scraped into the top 50 for Week 2. The problem was her screen time was far too limited.
“Ah, I messed up again.”
While practicing the evaluation song’s choreography, So-yeon’s steps tangled once more and she unconsciously frowned. In the first-week grade evaluation, she had received a C rank.
“Trainee Kang So-yeon. Your visuals are A-rank material, so why do you lack confidence?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
The sharp critique came from the nation’s top choreographer serving as dance trainer.
“You have the basics, but there’s no color to your movements. Memorizing the choreography isn’t enough. An idol isn’t just a dancer—you have to command the stage.”
“Yes!”
The vocal evaluation was equally cold. The vocal trainer caught the slightest pitch wobble in her high notes and commented, “It feels unstable. If the listener feels uneasy, you’ve failed as a main vocalist.”
The cameras zoomed in relentlessly on her face as she tried to hide her expression from the harsh feedback. So-yeon watched the A-class trainees’ performances and compared them to her own. Unlike her, they radiated confidence even in the smallest gestures.
“At this rate I’ll be eliminated. How am I supposed to face my brother?”
Her current online vote ranking after the first week was 48th. The brief early interest from being an SL trainee had given her that spot, but it was far from the debut cutoff of 6th. With half the contestants eliminated each week, even survival looked uncertain.
Then came the fateful Week 2 ranking announcement—the day 25 of the remaining 50 trainees would be eliminated.
“Let’s see which trainee has moved the viewer-producers’ hearts! We’ll start from 26th place!”
Rankings appeared one by one on the massive LED screen. So-yeon bit her dry lips, praying her rank had improved even slightly. But as 26th, 35th, and finally her previous rank of 48th passed without her name being called, “Kang So-yeon” remained absent.
“…I got eliminated.”
She had hoped that if she had any popularity she might at least make the top 25, but given she started at 48th, the pessimistic thought that she had dropped even lower crept in. Her name still didn’t appear even as the top 11 were announced.
Whispers from the other trainees stabbed like needles.
“So-yeon must be 50th.”
“What a shame… she worked so hard.”
“SL really shows no mercy.”
The broadcast always saved the borderline survivor and the last-place trainee for the very end. Just as So-yeon was about to give up completely, the MC’s voice rang out.
“Now, the first gateway to debut—TOP 10! But this week, something miraculous has happened in P.O.A. history! There’s a trainee whose online votes, video views, and comment reactions have all exploded!”
The MC paused dramatically. Every trainee’s eyes locked onto the screen.
“A staggering 38-rank vertical climb! This week’s 10th place first-timer—SL Entertainment’s trainee, Kang So-yeon!”
“…Huh?”
When her name was called, So-yeon could only echo it in disbelief. Her wide-eyed face was shown in close-up on the giant screen.
“Kyaaah, So-yeon! I’m so happy for you!”
“No way, is this real?”
“What just happened?”
Surrounded by trainees staring at her with shock and envy, So-yeon stepped onto the stage in a daze. The MC extended the microphone toward her.
“Trainee Kang So-yeon! You’ve made a vertical leap from 48th to 10th! Even coins don’t rise this fast. How are you feeling right now?”
Overwhelmed by the sudden spotlight, So-yeon momentarily lost her words. She had no idea what had happened in the past week. No matter how hard she thought, nothing explained the sudden surge in votes. Still, remembering this was live, she pulled herself together.
Facing the barrage of camera flashes, she finally spoke.
“Thank you, truly. I’ll work harder with more confidence, just like the mentors said. This is Kang So-yeon. Thank you!”
Without understanding why, Kang So-yeon had become P.O.A.’s biggest topic of conversation.
After the ranking announcement, So-yeon was called to the interview room by the production staff. Her sudden popularity spike was the hottest topic for the crew as well.
“Congratulations again, Trainee Kang So-yeon. Did you expect your rank to rise this much?”
“No, not at all. I’m still completely confused about why I suddenly received so many votes.”
So-yeon spoke honestly. The MC smiled with interest and handed her a tablet. The screen played the audition video Giant Kim had leaked days earlier. The view count had already surpassed several million.
“It’s because of this video. The leaked audition footage from Giant Kim’s music video, which you participated in, caused a huge stir. Thanks to it, interest in you exploded, and that translated directly into votes.”
“How…?”
So-yeon couldn’t finish her sentence as she watched the video. She still remembered the disappointment of failing the audition, never imagining it would bring her such luck now.
“You’re from the same agency as Giant Kim. Were you already acquainted?”
“No, I’ve never even met him. I really don’t know why he suddenly uploaded my video.”
“Lucky you. Male fans are going crazy over your visuals and acting in the footage, driving massive influx.”
The MC continued explaining.
“Your dance and vocals were already above average, but showing acting talent on top of that made a big impact. Female fans tend to like versatile trainees. Of course, most of their attention went to the male actor in the video, but a significant number still voted for you.”
“For my brother?”
“Your brother? Don’t tell me you two are actual siblings?”
No one had imagined the two were brother and sister. The MC’s eyes sparkled at the unexpected scoop.
“Shall we talk more about your brother?”
“Um… well, this person is my brother. His name is Kang Tae-san, and he recently started acting…”
……
……
……
After finishing the interview, So-yeon returned to the dorm with complicated feelings. She still couldn’t believe that she and her brother had gone viral online.
“I wonder what my brother is doing right now. He’d be shocked if he knew.”
Thanks to her brother, who had never watched a single variety show or drama because he was always working, they had gone viral. She could never have imagined it.
“Seriously. What would I have done without my brother in my life?”
Kang Tae-san had unknowingly gained a new nickname: the intense moniker “Obsessive Madman.”
And true to that name, Tae-san was currently at the Paju filming set, once again delivering his signature madman moments.