Of course, at some point in the past, there were other first-tier idols besides TeStar and VTIC.
'T-Holic.'
I was silent for a moment, remembering the guys who collapsed on the sophistry of 'being in distress is better than having 1 billion won' on their entertainment show.
Thanks to that, we did well with the magical girl theme song as a voluntary penalty.
At that time, they acted like pure idiots, but that was all for entertainment purposes. In fact, they were the ones who had an absurd heyday.
After those guys, the male group that was properly considered 'popular' barely maintained its reputation until TeStar emerged.
"This is their prime time before they enlist."
"Their title song that will be released on March 22nd is scheduled to rank 8th on music sites annually."
Cheongryeo predicted a terrible future without even blinking. Judging by the expression on his face, it looked like he had to restart quite a few times because of T-Holic.
But still…
"Let's make this clear."
We weren't in a situation where we had to consistently clear status abnormalities over several years.
"What we're trying to do is short-term. We're not trying to consistently receive the grand prize over the mid to long term."
"What's your intention in saying that?"
"We don't have to consider the complicated things in the future."
Image consumption management, consistency, fandom maintenance, a sustainable concept… There was no need for any of this.
All we had to do was beat T-Holic just this year.
"Let's focus on the quantity."
It would be decided this year.
Cheongryeo stared at me.
"I didn't know that you believed rookies would succeed just by focusing on the quantity of sales."
"It's true that if you don't know how to digest it the right way, you won't be able to succeed."
I smiled toothily.
"However, all the members have succeeded already. Half of them remember how to succeed."
"…"
These were people who had been at the top of the entertainment industry for at least 5 years and up to several decades. A product that had already proven its sales.
"We just have to come up with a good strategy."
"Tell me."
I delivered the method I had in mind according to the timeline.
Two albums.
And a method that borders on fraud.
"The idea is good."
Cheongryeo touched his chin and smiled slightly.
"This is assuming that we create a good song."
It was a comment from a guy with a brain that had compressed and accumulated a database of songs for the next eight years.
I laughed too.
• * *
"I think this will be useful."
It was the next day. As soon as we entered the recording studio, we quickly recorded seven songs as Cheongryeo remembered them and turned them into complete songs.
It was a stunt that made me wonder if he was a human being.
I listened to the songs that were playing.
Some songs I knew, some I didn't.
And what I chose…
"This one."
"Ah."
It was an R&B song from a rapper who worked hard for a long time but ended up driving under the influence.
"You chose well."
The guy nodded his head in sympathy. Well, if the reviews were good even though I no longer had the 'grabbing ears' characteristic that I originally had…
"I haven't thought of the high note for this yet. Actually, I heard this song three years later while having a drink in the fall."
"…"
Was that really necessary?
Anyway, it didn't matter.
"Good. Then let's arrange this."
And the person to whom I entrusted this…
"Can you compose music?"
"I know how to do it theoretically. But creation is the realm of the senses."
"The songs on the albums need to be good."
"I don't think I have to explain the difference between the title track and the other included songs, right?"
Okay. I guess I'd just have to give it to the company to make it.
'Still, it would be nice to include the members' names in composition and lyrics…'
And we had to choose one more song. I was furiously shaking my head.
"There's a member who knows how to handle music."
Ah.
Anyone could tell that he was talking about Kim Raebin.
The guy spoke with a genuine smile.
"Try to awaken him."
"It's not up to me."
"It's up to hoobaenim to try."
This was so annoying. Should I just try it 10 times and spit out a list of failures to this guy's face?
I pressed the 'Draw 10' button with a dazed face.
"It won't work. Being chosen so easily…"
[Leaping toward urgency…]
"… ??"
[Huh!]
[★★★★★ Kim Raebin / Main Rapper]
"…"
"…"
"I got him."
"…"
Was it true?
Wasn't this system manipulating probability just by looking at the facts?
'Is it doing this because I caught it creating lies about my parents?'
If it thought that something like this would work, it was really a stupid idea. Anyway…
'I won't refuse.'
I immediately accepted Kim Raebin as a companion. I had no intention of delaying.
And after a while…
Kim Raebin, who was scheduled to return to Gangwon-do tonight and rest for about two days, was still at the office building due to a meeting with a company employee.
"Hello!"
"Yes, okay."
And when I found him and pressed the awakening button, Kim Raebin's reaction could be summarized as followed.
1. Confusion.
"… ! So this is a fake world? Then, my grandmother, grandfather, and older sister… Are they all fake?"
2. Persuasion.
"Given that the act of awakening is possible, there is a high possibility that people are real!"
And the questions came back as feedback, and this cycle repeated forever.
"Exactly what started this phenomenon?"
"… ?? If you were over the Pacific Ocean on a private plane, whose private plane was it?"
He had no hesitation in asking questions.
Before I knew it, I had somehow ended up revealing to the guy that I could communicate telepathically with the 'real Park Moondae'.
'Is this real?'
I didn't believe it either, but I even received pop-ups from Keundal afterwards.
And this guy again… Asked questions.
"Then, which do you think is the more appropriate title, Ryu Gunwoo hyung or Park Moondae hyung?"
"… Do what's comfortable for you."
"… ! Even if the period is short, you must prefer a title that refers to the time when you had a relationship with the majority."
Okay, he could think whatever he felt comfortable with.
After a while, Kim Raebin, who had adapted to the situation in his own way, seemed to be formulating complex theories, inferences, and formulas in his head.
And after going through the process of understanding again, the conclusion reached was…
"If you need my biased abilities, I will do my best!"
Fortunately, he was productive.
Of course, it worked out.
I grabbed his shoulder.
"Even if you feel like you're slightly infringing on other people's rights?"
"… I believe hyung's explanation that there will be a tacit understanding from everyone because it is needed for the restoration of our reality…"
"Yes."
It was well thought out.
There were a lot of questions, but it was easy to get started by getting things straight at the beginning.
I tapped the guy on the shoulder.
"I'm counting on you."
"Please take care of me!"
I returned to the officetel with the guy who had awakened like that.
Of course, it didn't mean there were no side effects.
"Cha Eugene! You!"
"I told Kim Raebin to speak informally! Kim Raebin did it too late!"
"It's because you filed your birth report late, so I didn't dare to ask if you were actually older than me! That's important in Korea!"
"…"
It felt like he was having a touching reunion with Cha Eugene at the officetel, but it turned out like this at the end.
I didn't know, but it seemed like Cha Eugene made quite a bit of fun of that 17-year-old guy with no memory.
Anyway, it was only after a while that Kim Raebin regained his composure through Ryu Chungwoo and accepted the melody I presented.
It was the song about that drunk-driving rapper.
"I wish I could arrange this with just the melody, but the melody is so kitsch."
"Yes, the high note and riff… What direction are you considering for the genre?"
"House music."
(TN: genre of electronic dance music that's characterized by various subgenres, including deep house, progressive house, and more.)
Kim Raebin noded his head and listened seriously as before when talking about work.
Then I threw the bait one more time.
"Raebin. And I'm sorry, but you have to do one more thing."
"Yes?"
I played the next file.
"This is it. I hope both songs use similar instruments and have a series feel."
As I played one more melody I had chosen, Kim Raebin's face lit up.
Yes, I suffered from a pang of conscience trying to arrange an original song as if it was our own.
'… Actually, this is true.'
-VTIC's comeback schedule was adjusted, but due to the butterfly effect, it didn't come out this time. Has the composer given up?
Well, anyway.
"I see."
Kim Raebin, who did not know the additional information that it was a hit melody that someone else would come up with in the future, simply nodded enthusiastically.
"Shall we work quickly?"
"If possible, start with the latter."
I grinned.
"Let's do it first thing tomorrow."
It was the beginning of a series of presentation scenarios.
• * *
LeTi's new male group that would debut after going through an in-house survival program.
[Wishze's debut countdown… Will the music industry change?]
It didn't take long for articles about their debut to appear with the group's name using the spelling of their program 'Wise'.
-The president seemed to be reformed and showed off to Inheart.
-They'll come out with something gloomy, so that means it'll be good.
-I'm really looking forward to it. The kids are all wearing hats these days. Are they dyeing their hair?
After the survival competition, the public temporarily lost interest, but even after nearly two months, the fan base that was formed hardly dissipated.
This was because the people in question did not miss the timing.
"Even if you give the public a break, you have to keep your fan base."
"It can be through live communication and practice cameras."
In an instant, Wishze's behind-the-scenes WeTube series was launched.
After their debut, they even planned to treat it the same as reality to ensure continuity.
It was good up to that point, but the problem was next.
This was the concept of the debut song.
"The afterlife is too maniacal."
"YES! I'm so depressed!"
"Isn't that the kind of atmosphere that the existing fan base of this agency expects? And having a magic boy concept… Well, it's going to be hard to get past the president."
Even though VTIC wasn't as strong in terms of the number of awakened people, the situation was still tense.
"Wait a minute, we're not the only members, so we need to listen to other people's thoughts as well."
So, I even asked for an objective evaluation of the two guys who were not awakened by Ryu Chungwoo's mediation.
Chaeyul and Shin-Oh.
This was the reaction of the two people whom Park Moondae called yes-men.
"Wow… Can't we do both?"
"I know!"
"…"
It was his fault for expecting something from rookies who hadn't even debuted yet.
Park Moondae held back his irritation, but Ju-Dan lifted his chin.
"Indeed, a magic academy and the afterlife are both settings that are in demand. Moreover, the better you can interpret the symbols, the more in-depth it will be."
"… ??"
"Moondae, no, Gunwoo hyung. Have you ever thought of something like this?"
And Park Moondae realized what Cheongryeo meant when he said that Ju-Dan had the ability of 'sometimes hitting the jackpot'.
50 days after this meeting…
-Is it here??
-It's up, it's awesomeㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-Playing it right away
While domestic and overseas fans formed through 〈Wise〉 were waiting with eager anticipation, time finally passed and the music video was finally released.
-Oh my gosh
What people saw was the camera work going into a dark school where meteors were falling and the members standing at various facilities inside the school.
There, choreography and close-up scenes took place against the backdrop of strange phenomena.
[One
Two
Three
Now grant my wish]
Yes. VTIC and TeStar created a new concept by combining the concepts of their debut songs.
〈School ghost story.〉
This was the theme of their debut song 'Wish'.
-LeTi, holy shit. They know what they're good at ㅋㅋㅋ
-I thought it would be like this, but it's even better.
-They're handsome. They're handsome.
-I thought the concept would be crazy, but surprisingly it wasn't that bad. It's a bit like a game.
By incorporating nuances of thrill, fear, mystery, and hunting into the strong dance song and camera work, the overall tone became more intense.
Moreover, the setting was inside a school.
Although likes and dislikes may differ, there was one clear demand from those who wanted a strong debut.
It wasn't a very popular choice, but that wasn't the target of this album.
"What we are targeting is overseas."
It was the existing KPOP listener base.
As the three elements of synchronized dance, strong music, and strong concept fit together, the needs of the demand group were satisfied, and the fandom naturally increased.
Adding to the starting advantage of being a large agency, overseas momentum was seen growing at an alarming rate.
"It seems like the company is trying to focus the schedule on that, isn't that what you were hoping for?"
"Yes. It's good."
Thanks to this, they managed their debut activities in a way that thoroughly appealed to the fandom.
There were some fans who were slightly disappointed by the public awareness created through the survival showl, but the fandom steadily increased both domestically and internationally.
Moreover, it was still the end of May, and although it was far from summer, it was still hot enough due to global warming.
Thanks to this, the ghost story concept did not stand out too much and was properly buried as a seasonal special element.
'Just the right amount.'
The initial release of the album stopped at around 100,000 copies, but considering that this was before album inflation occurred, it was very respectable.
This was especially true considering that it was a debut album.
'It will be from the next album that the overseas fandom attracted here will start purchasing the album in earnest.'
Wishze made a huge appeal with a song and concept that could appeal to the global fandom like crazy.
Now it was time to move on to the next step.
Park Moondae, or Ryu Gunwoo, who came down from the last stage of debut song activities, declared to Cheongryeo.
"As planned, the next activity will not be delayed for a long time, but will be repackaged within a month or two. Don't say anything else."
"And?"
Ryu Gunwoo answered while looking at the person who asked the question clearly knowingly.
A strategy that bordered on fraud.
"And… We'll be totally changing the route. And create a completely popular song."
To put it bluntly, it was a slap in the face.
They gave overseas fans a nuance that their next album would have a similar deep concept and strong dance song feel, and drove up album pre-order sales…
'Then we can release a song in Korea that will be popular on music charts.'
In this way, the goal was to maximize album sales and lead the music charts.
Of course, they planned to minimize the feeling of betrayal through sub-songs and such, but it was still a one-time show-off that they would never have done as rookies under normal circumstances.
Moreover, it didn't end here.
"Before that, let's pursue individual activities as well."
What would be the best way to get the public to listen to a song at least once?
It was to make a mark on programs that the public watched. That was the biggest reason why many idols appeared on entertainment shows during the comeback season.
Promotion.
That was it.
'Those promotional activities… How about building up about 10 items for each member and dropping them all at once like a simultaneous bombardment?'
All members could show impressive performances through individual activities, and what if they promoted Wishze's new song there?
"I'm sure there will be aggro."
Park Moondae planned to take full advantage of the advantage of being a group of 8 first-tier idol members who knew exactly what their appeal was.