20. Debut (1)
A weekday morning in February when winter still hadn't gone yet. Black Tweet Nickname 'Jikbang' buried her face in the pillow and slept for a long time. She should be getting up soon, but the aftereffects of the company dinner yesterday were too much.
A phone call~ A phone call~ Jikbang rubbed her eyes that wouldn't open at the loud ringtone and grabbed her cell phone that was plugged in. Even though she had slept in late after the monthly vacation, her stomach was churning.
'Ouch, my head is ringing......
The person on the phone was Cheongmi, who had been Jikbang's friend for 5 years and now lived next door. What's she doing at this hour? Jikbang muttered a complaint and answered the phone.
"Hey......."
[Check Tamra.]
[Tamra is short for Timeline]
Tut. The phone call ended. Jikbang swallowed her bewildered feelings and fumbled to turn on her cell phone. When she turned on the SNS with the black bird motif, aka Black Tweet, she saw Tamra in chaos.
-Guys, something really big is coming today... While waiting, read the old articles and like them (article link)
Jikbang turned over while lying down. When she clicked on the attached link, a large article came to mind.
[Lime Ente, Establishing a Sub-Label? O&M MUSIC Announces Debut of 'New Male Idol']
What is this?
She rubbed her eyes in a hurry, thinking that she was still half asleep. However, she wasn't seeing things wrong.
Jikbang calmed her pounding heart at the title that made her not know where to start. When she searched for the issue on a portal site, related articles appeared one after another.
[O&M MUSIC Newcomer 'Intro' to Debut on February 15th → Unconventional Producer Selection a Hot Topic]
[Intro, Surpasses 1 Million Followers in 6 Days Since Opening SNS... 'HOT' Even Before Debut]
All of these articles were from a certain period of time. However, Black Book, as well as communities with even a little interest in idols, were still burning. The number of mentions had not decreased until now.
"Huh, what is this......."
Jikbang, who has been a K-pop fan for 10 years, has now calmed down and taken a deep breath while being a fan of all K-pop idols.
Her black-tweet timeline was chewing, tearing, and enjoying this topic without missing a single opportunity.
- Wow... All the members are promoting their personal videos, but when I see their faces again, I get carried away and understand
└These are the ones who have been coming to my Tamra for a while???
└ㅇㅇ They released a pre-released song a few days ago
- I am really shocked at Pyo Seung-soo turning everything upside down. When I see him really dealing with Lime's business, I get so mad I go crazy.
└Huh? All of a sudden? Pyo Seung-soo is still quiet these days.
└Planet hasn't been able to make a comeback since the accident, and it seems like he's releasing a label for a rookie. Ah...
- Hey guys, the CEO of OM Label is Planet's former manager (article link)
└ I know this person in the picture ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Didn't Planet mention him sometimes? I saw it on a live
- Official account here @INTLO_official And this @INTLO_xwx seems to be the account the members use, so I'll leave it here. If you're interested, see it
└Ty
The promotional video was a cut of a part of each member's concept photo behind-the-scenes cut, and even that short video had a ton of quotes.
- Visuals pass
- Pyo Seung-soo finally made a contract with the devil? Why are they all good-looking?
- BRUHHH Damnnnnnn (Foreigner burning meme)
Office worker Jikbang, who had been suffering from overtime work for a while, was surprised to see Tamra, who had come in after a long time. For some reason, she felt like she was falling behind.
Jikbang went to Intro's official account and pressed follow. Not only the pre-released song, but also the concept photo and music video teaser were all out.
While looking through the account, Jikbang realized something.
'In the concept photo... Yoo Young? I think this guy has Cheongmi's taste.'
Jikbang sent a message to Cheongmi. And in less than a second, Cheongmi replied.
[Crazy about a man with pure and innocent beauty (D-DAY): Ah, got caught? Haha]
[Jikbang: As expected, ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I knew it ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Crazy about a man with pure and innocent beauty (D-DAY): Wow... Isn't he so damn handsome]
[Crazy about a man with pure and innocent beauty (D-DAY): The music video comes out at 6? Please watch it with me]
[Jikbang: Okay, I'll do my duty]
[Crazy about a man with pure and innocent beauty (D-DAY): Thanks ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ]
[-Cheongmi is short for Crazy about a man with pure and innocent beauty]
After finishing the piled-up housework and having lunch, she sat down in front of the computer, and time passed quickly.
Jikbang let out a small exclamation after browsing the official account and finding the article. Surprisingly, the general producer of the intro was 'Yoo Young', a member of the group.
'Even if Lime doesn't have anyone else, isn't it a bit too much for a trainee to be the general PD?'
Jik-bang thought of Choi-ae [favorite] and shook the thought away. Even after leaving the fandom, she still cheered him on from time to time, but after the accident, it became a sore thumb.
'I really loved Han Ah-won........'
Jik-bang, whose heart beat only for the rapper with a strong impression, checked the intro profile and scanned the positions within the group.
The rapper in the intro... Baek Han-gyul is too young, and Yoo Young has a kind impression.
'Oh my...... I'll be a light fan this time too.'
She made a firm resolution and got up her stiff body.
The rookie from Lime Entertainment who came out a few months ago didn't continue the lineage that had been passed down from Planet but came with a moderately easy-listening song. The disappointment at that time was really something she didn't want to think about again.
'Ah, I have to set up an intro account notification.'
Jikbang checked her computer clock after leaving a message to Cheongmi.
A notification popped up as soon as it was 6 o'clock.
[INT'LO (Intro) - 'LOVE OVER' Official M/V]
She clicked on the music video as if she was possessed.
***
An empty classroom. The back of Baek Han-gyul's head, lying face down on his desk alone, is reflected on the screen.
Ding-dong. The school bell rings.
Baek Han-gyul raises his upper body. He turns his head to look at the window, and the scene changes.
A game console in an empty game room. Baek Han-gyul sits down in front of it and looks at the screen.
INSERT COIN!
After the screen and Baek Han-gyul alternately appear, the word COIN is erased soon after. The word LOVE is newly filled in the empty space.
Ding-dong. The game console's screen is already broken. The bell rings once more, and a neon sign and a pleasant melody come in.
- This game has already started, come on,
- Everything is according to my will
Baek Han-gyul, sitting on the game console, slowly spit out rap in a low voice as if chewing. The rapping contrasts with the beat and melody.
He looked quite badass in his gray uniform and jersey.
- We're already on the board
- I'm addicted to your love
- Focus your senses, listen, yes
Baek Han-gyul turns his head and snaps his fingers, and the screen goes dark for a moment.
- Now, me, to you
The game room lights up again after a blink. Hwang Bo-kyun was sitting in Baek Han-gyul's seat.
He rolled up his shirt sleeves, got down from the game console, and stretched.
- Ready to Love and Love, this feeling just
- Started (Game) No time to hesitate
- One step closer, two steps further away
Hwang Bo-kyun walks through the game room as if he were dancing while singing neatly. The game room he followed was broken in places, and pieces of the building were scattered messily.
After briefly showing the broken glass scattered on the floor, the camera follows Seol Yi-soo, who passes Hwang Bo-kyun as if passing him a baton.
- You don't have to worry or be concerned
- Don't worry about anything else and just tell me what you want
Seol Yi-soo, who arrived at his destination, opened the cabinet in front of him without hesitation. Bam.
The moment Seol Yi-soo loosens his tie and picks up the gun in the cabinet, a sharp blade of swords sweeps in.
- Roll Roll Roll, Roll Roll Roll
- Spreading victory, dyeing the stage
Lee Aram comes out among the members who were dancing around Baek Han-gyul.
Wearing a blazer, he adjusted his collar and smiled faintly while making eye contact with the camera.
- Roll Roll Roll, Roll Roll Roll
- I'll bring it to you, all of this
Unlike the light melody, the addictive chorus sweeps the space.
The performance scene fades out, and Ryu Hyun-seung, wearing a bulletproof vest over his school uniform shirt, aims his gun somewhere.
- Let's follow the gaze.
- Came back without dying
Yoo Young is seen through the scope.
- From now on, my turn, everyone, be very tense
- Don't miss this love I never disappear
- (Umm) Step on the traces I left behind and climb up
Yoo Young leisurely raps and aims the sniper rifle at the heart-shaped plate. The lighted heart shines like a target.
- Now, here, to me
As the lyrics and gunshots blended like a harmony and a hole was made over the heart, Yoo Young smiled with satisfaction.
In the meantime, a playful atmosphere was created as scenes of Hwang Bo-kyun and Lee A-ram pointing guns at each other flashed by.
- Don't run away, come play with me
- If you don't like it, give me a signal
Ryu Hyun-seung ran and ran to the school he reached.
An Jung-woo, who had been waiting for him with a relaxed expression, nodded his head.
- You don't have to worry or be concerned
- Don't worry about anything else and just tell me what you want
An Jung-woo's face filled the screen with a refreshing high note. An Jung-woo took off his goggles and shrugged his shoulders as he turned around.
Seol Yi-soo crunches the candy.
- Roll Roll Roll, Roll Roll Roll
- Spreading victory, dyeing stage
- Roll Roll Roll, Roll Roll Roll
- I'll bring it to you, all of this
During the point choreography, various paint bullets pour down on Baek Han-gyul, who is standing in the center.
At that moment, as if the game is over, the 8-bit dot sound mixes with the melody.
BI-Bit Bi-
When the music stopped, the game room returned to normal. Baek Han-gyul, who was sitting on a folding chair, looked at the game screen.
GAME OVER
A notification that the game was over floated across the screen. Baek Han-gyul made a blank expression upon seeing that, and the beat repeated.
BI-Bit Bi-
Baek Han-gyul looked up after looking away from the game console. He saw the members gathered above the game console, looking at Baek Han-gyul.
- The illusion of one night that scattered in an instant
The distorted sound soon found its normal place.
- Even if reality ends, even if it breaks, I am alive.
- All of this space, scene, (Re)play
The members enjoying the game in their school uniforms and the performance scene of them dancing in their bulletproof vests intersect, and the neon sign and reality rippled haphazardly.
G────? OV-?R
The notification that the game was over was erased from the screen. The graphics melt and shatter to form a heart.
- Roll Roll Roll, Roll Roll Roll
- Spreading victory, dyeing the stage
Dot characters based on the intro members swept across the screen and fell down one by one.
The members' faces were zoomed in to the bass sound that was coming in.
- I'll bring it to you, all of this
The atmosphere heightened, and the chorus, contrasting the dark space, was repeated lively.
- Right now, at this moment, us
Suddenly. All the lights in the game room went out. Soon after, letters were typed as if typing with a crackling sound.
LOVE OVER
INT'LO_
With the black screen, the intro's splendid debut music video ended.
***
Lime Ente's signature pop-style beat, detailed sound, addictive highlights, and even splendid concept visuals sprinkled as seasoning.
Jikbang, who was blankly watching the video, thought.
'I'm doomed.'
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