Won’t Our Debut Be Delayed Again?
“How’s it?”
At Lee Joo Hyuk’s nod, Kim Hyun took a cutlery holder and answered.
“Perhaps since he played American football, he used his body well. He also follows the choreography well.”
“It’s refuted quickly earlier, tho.”
“I guess it’s because he’s in a hurry to follow the choreography. For that, he has to keep trying to match the sum.”
It was Kim Hyun and Kim Ju Young. They, who have been called dance prodigies since they were young, were attached to Ian and taught him to dance during private practice time without lessons since they are in charge of dance in the team.
Lee Joo Hyuk pulled out tissues and set them on the table. Kim Hyun grabbed a handful of spoons and Park Jin Hyuk grabbed a handful of chopsticks.
The job that maknae always did when Kim Yong Min was working as Diamond, in here was ‘Kids stay still, we’ll do it’. Even though the age gap is not that much, but they had unnecessarily good personalities.
“Can you please talk about that while I’m not present?”
Ian groaned while pouring water into the glass. He didn’t think the muscle pain would go away. Maybe because he stopped doing exercise that he always did in America, his body line became slimmer than before.
It was the end of December ahead of the New Year, almost two months after Ian came to the company. Joining the final 7-member debut group does not mean that the trainee evaluation will disappear. On the contrary, it became tighter.
Ian, who was still weak in dancing, only sang in the first month’s monthly evaluation. But there was no mercy from the second month. He had to get a dance evaluation in sync with the trainees right away.
“Agh, don’t.”
“Nopey? Gonna do it?”
“Ian hyung please understands. That hyung is lacking intelligent than me.”
Jo Tae Woong is bothering me again. He poked Ian’s forearm and teased him. Ian’s whole body was tingling with muscle pain, but it tasted even more like death when Jo Tae Woong teased him from beside.
Park Seo Dam took the restaurant’s remote control and quickly switched the channels.
“That…”
“Yeah?”
“I am such a person.”
The woman blushed and approached Ian. Again? What’s it this time? From where? The children whispered together.
“Ah, I am sorry. I already have an agency.”
“I think you are still a trainee, though… Please contact if you have any thoughts.”
The woman pushed her business card into the table and quickly left. Perhaps because it was pushed too deep, the business card almost settled in the middle of the table. It was as if she had proposed to all the trainees.
The woman’s behavior was rude. It could have been taken as an unreasonable act of robbing another agency’s trainees. Didn’t other trainees even suffer from a defector named Kim Young Jun.
In this strange atmosphere, Jo Tae Woong made a huuh~ as a reaction.
“The business card is right in the middle. So, besides Choi Ian she also casting us right now, right?”
“Ah hyung. Where’s your conscience?”
“In our Seo Dam’s heart?”
Ergh. Park Seo Dam pretended to throw up.
Ian smiled awkwardly and threw away the business card into the trash bin placed on each table. Three business cards were already thrown in the trash.
Maybe because there are a lot of people in the industry around here. Ian received an average of one business card a day. In some cases, they even persistently cling when it has already been given.
“It seems I have to tell CEO Lee to write a life contract for him fast.”
“We have to be nice to Ian. It would be a big deal if he got mad and moved to another agency.”
Kim Hyun and Kim Ju Young said. A thing like life contract, such creepy words.
“Ah, Kim Ju Young. Do I look so disloyal?”
“It’s sooo uncertain because your face is too handsome.”
Said Kim Ju Young while staring at Ian. Those were words that likely to appear in a romance drama, so goosebumps grew on Ian’s forearm.
“Spicy pork is here~ Auntie especially gave you a lot!”
“Thank you, Auntie!”
“Eat a lot, our handsome friend~”
The sound of stir-fried spicy pork sizzling on a stone plate was fantastic. The seven children were so engrossed in eating with their noses stuck in the bowls.
“She gives a lot of services because we go with Ian. Even though that auntie was very strict.”
“He also got macaron on the way, before. It’s a tasting event. But they only gave it to that hyung.”
“What macaron? I super-duper like macaron, though!”
Park Jin Hyuk coughed as if he was choked on something and drank water. Then he saw a familiar face on TV and he exclaimed without realizing it.
“Oh? It’s Kim Young Jun.”
“Where?”
It was the N-Net channel. Please choose your idol! Idol chosen by the people! Project Idol! 101 trainees were singing and dancing.
Ah, it became tasteless. Ian frowned as he remembered his P.I days of suffering and disillusion.
“When’s the first episode of that?”
“Already passed, maybe it was yesterday.”
“Be screwed.”
“Seo Dam-ah. Don’t do that outside.”
“Then shall I do it inside?”
Ian couldn’t afford to pay attention to their conversation. After the song ended, he couldn’t find one of the faces that decorate the ending.
Still, there should be a cut that shown that he was from a disbanded idol. Kim Yong Min’s name did not appear on the ranking table that came soon afterward.
［Really not there. Did he quit idol?]
‘Is that so…’
He couldn’t help but worry about his former self although he was currently living Choi Ian’s life.
“But if that goes well, won’t our debut be delayed again?”
“Ehey, come on!”
The children who heard that put down their chopsticks nervously. It was a taboo word among them to say that their debut would be delayed. As expected, it sounded like the mood-killer artisan Park Jin Hyuk.
***
But that truly happened!
At the beginning of the new year 2017, the ratings of P.I which started modestly became ‘skyrocket’ from episode 3.
This was because one team that wore a suit for the cover stage simply became a hot topic. And the fancam of Kang Joo Won, who will later become the 1st place, was literally a jackpot.
Not only that, the high-class fandom who wanted to hold in check Kang Joo Won’s rise in popularity started streaming fancams without sparing any number of devices. It was the beginning of the fancam war.
After P.I, a bizarre record-obsessed idol community culture that cares about views and likes of other videos such as fancams, Y-app, etc will arise.
And the emergency was the same for BHL Ent. Originally, the goal was to debut in April 2017 but P.I’s debut group would also debut around that time coincidentally.
P.I had taken over all the hot topic rankings. Existing entertainers picked their own trainees each and there were also small talks on variety shows.
It was said that the advertising industry has already started working behind the scenes for the debut group of P.I.
“We got the wrong strategy in the first place. What mysticism. They’re not even ’90s idols.”
If it was a well-known mid-sized agency, some sasaengs were hanging around in front of the company.
People who used to stan Black Rush with love words gathered one by one at the news of BHL Ent’s next group.
The 7 trainees had to go in covered up every time they went to the company to minimize exposure. Fortunately, it was winter. It was hard to imagine if it was summer.
“My sense tells that it seems Project Idol will become more popular.”
CEO Lee Byung Hun had a good sense. Seo Su Ryeon sighed and put down the file she was looking at.
<Choi Ian Evaluation. Song (A), Dance (B), Personality (Outstanding). Live familiarly with the existing trainees.>
If it is like this, they could have started their debut slowly.
“What do we do now?”
“Of course, we will make the debut. However. I’m sorry, it’s not April.”
It was a conclusion reached after a long meeting. CEO Lee made eye contact with each trainee and continued talking.
“Our plan is for December.”
“Yeah?”
Jin also did not know the exact date of this group’s debut. Ian, who thought it would have been delayed for a month or two, was also surprised.
“The momentum of Project Idol is not usual. Even if there is no internet in the dorm, you guys must have heard something among yourself, right?”
Even though this company was the first time for Choi Ian, the other trainees had personal connections or trainees with some friendly lines from the agencies they had gone through.
According to the rumors heard, some of the trainees they actually know well were living in P.I camp in Paju right now.
“If we debut with them, we’ll be completely buried. It’s not just them. The trainees who came out from there will have a different recognition from us.”
Ah, indeed. Besides the final 11-member group ‘I-One’, there was a group named ‘JIO’ which was made up of trainees with high topicality and born from the steady push by non-ranked trainees fans.
They put advertisements near their respective agencies and even send fax mails. It was a group made from real fans’ thoughts. The past Kim Yong Min was also able to join it in the early days of P.I. Of course, they were convinced that he was too old later on.
“So, we’re also going to raise awareness.”
“First, let’s unhide your SNS. We are going to do some work on the community1 The term forum probably more familiar. with those.”
Trainee For The Next Boy Group From The Agency Of ‘Black Rush’.
Currently Presumed BHL Ent Undisclosed Trainee.
Crazily Handsome Trainee Who Currently Made Chaos Among Sasaengs. Etc. It will be uploaded under the title such as those.
Even right now in P.I, fans confided the past photos of the trainees and each posted sales meme 2(g) Sales or business in here refer to activities of fans promoting their idols. Remember Monsta X’s Hyungwon Starbucks meme!? People will ask who is it and then that’s how idols get promoted. on the community. In particular, the 1st place Kang Joo Won’s cat ear mukbang worked well even for muggles3(g) Those lowly beings who didn’t know what is fangirling!! Uhm. Sorry. Those normal netizens who don’t know anything about idols. not just stan.
“We will spare no effort to support you in everything you do. First, we will keep the self-produced contents that we’re filming right now of course. Just tell me whatever you want to do. We will push you hard.”
Jo Tae Woong boldly raised his hand.
“Then, please put me in a drama.”
“Okay.”
“I also want to act.”
Ian was also tagging along. CEO Lee looked at Ian with interest. With Ian’s face, whatever is good4 A slang used here. ‘이안 얼굴is뭔들’, Ian’s face is whatever. The original is ‘넌 is 뭔들’, you are whatever. ‘넌 is 뭔들’ is Mamamoo’s song ‘You’re the best’ which actually means whatever you do is good. The ‘you’ in here can be changed to other words. . Anyway, the kid who looks like an actor is willing to act voluntarily.
“Okay. I’ll also appoint an acting teacher for Tae Woong and Ian.”
Ian sang joy inwardly. It was because he could act faster than he thought. His body was itching because he wanted to act quickly.
Lee Joo Hyuk also raised his hand.
“We are also thinking about if we should go busking, so how is it? It’s like every Friday or Saturday in Hongdae.”
“Leave the device and location to the Planning Team. Shall we upload each video of weekly busking if it’s like this?”
“Sounds good.”
Assistant Manager Park Ju Min, who was promoted as he brought Ian, took a note enthusiastically. Kim Ju Young, who had only paid attention, also slowly raised his hand.
“Can I and Hyun-i hyung go to the dance studio of a hyung we know and take a video?”
“Why there?”
“We can catch the viewers of YouTube. They have over 10 million subscribers.”
Ten million! CEO Lee gave hearty consent. The ban on outside activities was also coolly lifted.
“December is confirmed! There’s really no turning back! We won’t let you guys rot in the jewelry box like Mr. Someone. I hope you will trust and follow me.”
“… Yes.”
Kim Hyun barely responded as if he was relieved. CEO Lee patted Kim Hyun’s shoulders.
Kim Hyun was said to have been brought by CEO Lee himself after unfortunately fell from YANG Ent survival program and being released as if he had been thrown away.
Well, he had been through 3 debut failures. There must have been a lot of nervousness and dissatisfaction with the continuous backlog of the plan.
“But is there a reason it must be December?”
Kim Hyun was still not convinced. He was pouting and his tone was discontented. Haigoo that punk. CEO Lee grabbed his nape.
“Even if we failed this year due to P.I, won’t we still be able to win the Rookie of the Year award next year. You only get one chance after debut.”
［… The CEO is good at strategies.]
‘What is it?’
Jin was amazed.
“Usually, the Rookie of the Year awards are judged from October to November. It looks like P.I will eat it this year, so we are preparing for next year.”
The children were amazed by Park Ju Min’s explanation that followed. So that is CEO’s big picture! Kim Hyun also smiled brightly as his expression was released. In other words, he will do infinite push after their debut.
“If you work like a bull from December and make 3 comebacks a year, won’t you get at least one?”
“Whoa! I love you, CEO Lee!”
“You’re handsome, Byung Hun Lee!”
“Argh! The light… the light is speaking! Are you a God!”
CEO Lee sniggered at the children’s silly comments. As he left the practice room, he didn’t forget the words of encouragement.
“Everyone will be active to raise awareness, but everyone knows that teamwork is the most important thing, right? Prepare well for the monthly evaluation.”
“Yes, siir!”
By the way. The company pushes well, strategizes well, and the kids are also okay. But why weren’t they popular in Korea? Ian could not understand.
AmaliaJ’s Note
Owh. So many real KPop reference… I won’t put all reference into footnote but I hope you can guess or perhaps ask in the comments!