Work Text:
(1)
"You will leave right after the first encore song, so please get ready to leave before that."
"Yes~!"
The participants of Idol Inc season 4 replied, excitement obvious in their voice. Among them was Park Minha.
Getting to watch TeSTAR sunbaenim's performance from this close is more than enough.
It's hard to even grab a ticket to TeSTAR concert, yet they're given a chance to watch it up close, and for free, at that. Minha was sure that the fans would get upset when they knew about this, but that's a matter her future self should worry about.
For now, I should enjoy and learn from this concert.
So, enjoying it, Minha did. Although she wouldn't call herself a fan, Minha regularly listened to TeSTAR songs, even the B-sides, so she knew almost every song they had sung so far.
[It spreads tonight, flash!]
The lights dimmed as the solo stage of
Kim Raebin came to an end. Minha clapped her hands in amazement.
"Oh~ I guess the setlist for the solo stages follow the order in Present MV Teaser?"
Someone exclaimed from Minha's left. It was Jung Yulgi, a participant she's quite close with.
"Is it?"
"I think so? First was Seon Ahyeon sunbaenim, then followed by Cha Eugene sunbaenim, Bae Sejin sunbaenim, and Kim Raebin sunbaenim. It should be Park Moondae sunbaenim's turn after this."
As soon as Yulgi said it, the huge screen played a VCR showing the said idol.
"I guess you're right."
"Of course I am," Yulgi looked pleased that her guess was right, before her expression changed to curiosity, "I wonder if he would perform the same way after yesterday's accident, though..."
"There was an accident? ....Wait, how did you even know about that?" Minha was startled. After all, they hadn't gotten the chance to touch their phone the past few days of practice.
"We accidentally found a trending article about it while searching for references this morning," it was Sung Harin on Minha's right who answered, "They said the stage involved lifting Sunbaenim's body and the wire wasn't fastened properly."
Minha gasped.
"Then the performance...."
"Apparently it ended smoothly that the live audiences didn't suspect anything. But turns out he fainted shortly after getting off stage."
Harin grimaced as she said that, Minha and Yulgi also shuddered. Suspension wires not being fastened properly must be painful, if not dangerous.
Without them realizing, the VCR had reached the end and the light was on again. This time, it focused on Park Moondae sitting on a chair.
That's right. If it's Park Moondae, then it must be a vocal-centric stage. Minha listened to his angelic voice solemnly while still observing the stage.
As the performance came to an end and the light dimmed once again, Minha was rendered speechless.
The suspension wire Harin had talked about was used all the way from the start of second verse until the outro of the song, which means Park Moondae had to sing while enduring whatever discomfort or pain he felt for more than half of the song.
And Flower Eve isn't an easy song to sing as well. To be able to perform it flawlessly to the point of being undetected...
Minha gulped and let out a faint laugh. She could feel her heart beating faster.
That dedication and professionalism for a perfect stage. He is a true performer, a true idol.
That day, Minha had unconsciously set Park Moondae as her role model.
(2)
Minha knew about the phrase "Noise marketing is still publicity", but she never thought that she would experience it firsthand.
"The title and concept for Miry-nay's debut album will be 'Magical Girl'"
Minha remembered clearly how the members' face, including hers, had frozen upon hearing the statement. The implication that the management tried to tie them with TeSTAR, the only senior in the agency, was completely obvious even to the most clueless member. And they all knew what would most likely follow.
Plagiarism accusations. Hates. Fanwars. Insults.
It's a highway to destruction.
They had tried to object, but it was to no avail. They hadn't even debuted, they had no power nor any clue on how to outright fight back against the agency. Desperate, Minha decided to go trough roundabout way: approaching the seniors involved herself.
I should explain the situation, so they know that it was not our decision and we have tried to refuse. At least they wouldn't see our group in bad light.
That was what Minha had originally intended. However, she surprisingly gained more than what she had hoped for. They gave her an advice she had never think of.
Using the Director's obsession with US market to change the debut song... I wouldn't have thought of it before.
"Should I say it directly?"
"No, talk about it among the members first. You can also talk with AR team members or other employees within the agency."
"......"
Minha tried to connect the dots. If he suggested to spread it around first, then...
"And after the rumor has spread around, I can then have a proper talk with the Director?"
That meant the Director need to indirectly get his confidence for his own choice shaken by the rumor. Only then could Minha convince him to choose the other option.
It was brief, but Minha could see a gleam of satisfaction crossed over Park Moondae's eyes before he nodded his head.
"If you prepare properly, it might work. We did the same when we debuted."
And he said it to reassure her that this method was possible even when done by a pre-debut group who had close to no influence within the company.
Minha nodded, deciding to follow through the plan. As she thanked the two seniors, her phone suddenly rang, so she quickly left; after all, meeting TeSTAR members was a plan made by herself in secret.
A few hours later, when the whole group and their manager gathered for debut preparation schedule meeting, a member suddenly mumbled with helpless tone while looking at her phone.
"Oh God..."
"What's wrong?"
Yulgi, who happened to sit beside the said member immediately asked.
"That... TeSTAR sunbaenim's latest post...."
That was enough to catch everyone's attention. Since their debut concept was decided, the members had been on edge when it came to news about their senior group. God knows when TeSTAR, or their fans Loviewers, would hear about Miry-nay's debut concept and how they would react to it.
Everyone, including the manager, immediately opened their phone. It didn't take long for groans and whines to fill the room.
TeSTAR account had just posted a screenshot of a folder containing the draft files of Magical Boys. The implied message of the picture was as clear as day, an exclamation that TeSTAR members participated in the song production from the scratch.
Everyone in the room unconsciously came into one conclusion. When the news about Miry-nay's debut came out, all hell would surely break loose.
Meanwhile, in the far left, Minha's eyes shook. There was no evidence about who posted it, but from the brief talk she had with the two TeSTAR members today, Minha could guess the person behind it.
This-!! This must be Park Moondae sunbaenim!!!
The Park Moondae that Minha met today was a lot more than what she had seen on screen and stage, but what surprised her the most was how good he was in strategies. Having a quick grasp of the situation, holding opponent's interest and weakness, knowing how to indirectly steer public opinion; it was something that Park Minha wouldn't have expected from a 23 year old man before their talk.
But what is the meaning of this!? Why is he cornering us further? I thought he decided to help with all those advice-- Huh, wait.
Minha recalled their conversation again.
His advice... It included convincing others that the other song is a better choice!!
Meaning that the more negative points this Magical Girl song get, the higher chance of others to lean towards the other song.
The realization hit Minha hard. Her heart started to beat faster in a mix of admiration and... fear?
Huh? Why would I be scared of him?
That random thought brought Minha out of her head and back to reality. She shook her her head slightly to remove all unnecessary thought.
Her senior had created a perfect chance for her to start the plan. She couldn't miss such chance.
Minha gathered her courage and opened up her mouth.
"As expected, don't you guys think it's better to switch the song? It's not like the genre would be in our favor if we want to enter the Billboard chart too..."
"????"
"Minha?"
"B-Billboard chart??"
Let the plan begin.
(3)
Around one and a half year after Miry-nay's debut, Minha felt the need to retract the thought that her pre-debut self had.
Park Moondae sunbaenim.. He really is someone who should be feared!
After her debut, Minha had some more interactions with Park Moondae. All of them, just like their first time, were business related. Although she was relieved that they had formed something akin to camaraderie when it came to going against the agency, she had to constantly remind herself of one thing:
Never, under any circumstances, that one should touch TeSTAR and/or make an enemy out of Park Moondae.
She never really had this thought in early days of her debut (well, she did, but out of respect and not fear), because it had always been them versus the agency. Hence, Park Moondae had seemed to be an everlasting ally. Her thought, however, changed around the time of Spacer, their junior group's, debut.
To be exact, it was the resignation of a person in the debut line-up, Chae Seodam.
The thing was, the said junior officially left because of health reasons, so Minha hadn't thought much about it. But then, rumors about him spread within people the agency, and one rumor, in particular, managed to caught her attention.
It was a rumor which said that, right before he had decided to leave, Chae Seodam had been called by the Director to his room. But he wasn't alone, because TeSTAR Park Moondae and Spacer Kwon Heeseung were also called.
Once she heard about it, Minha remembered how Park Moondae had once indirectly asked Yulgi and her about Chae Seodam when that season of Idol Inc was still filming, and she couldn't help but shudder as she made a connection.
Park Moondae was most likely the mastermind behind Chae Seodam's retirement, and he had been targeting their supposed-to-be junior since back then. However, it was unlikely that it had been caused by his own personal grudge.
That Sunbaenim wasn't the type to do that. He didn't even do anything fatal to Golden Age sunbaenim!
With one member showing hostility towards him since Idol Inc for one whole year, and another member kept being tied and had his background compared to him, Park Moondae could've drag them down the mud. Yet he didn't.
In addition, the two seemed to have no point of contact nor connection before Chae Seodam joined the debut line up.
...No, there was one.
Someone who had gone to the same school, even the same year, as Chae Seodam. Someone who was so obviously one of Park Moondae's favorite person.
TeSTAR Seon Ahyeon. He was the only link that connected the two.
Minha shuddered as fear creeped in along with realization. Her heartbeat went faster and louder that she could hear it herself.
It was then when Minha finally realized to what extend Park Moondae could and would do to anyone who tried to mess with people close to him.
(4)
When TeSTAR first announced their plan for independent label, Minha felt three kinds of emotions at once.
Betrayal. Envy. Frustration.
Sunbaenim?? I thought we were allies???
Minha screamed inwardly when she heard of the news. To think her seniors could successfully escape this hellhole of an agency named T1Stars. Well, their label would still be a subsidiary of T1, but at least they wouldn't be working under the 'Obsessed with the US Market' Director.
We want to escape too... Why didn't you bring us along...
Minha knew why. It's because Miry-nay's contract still had some time left. But she wanted to rant her frustration out anyway.
Thankfully, despite being in different label, Park Moondae still contacted her and helped her group sometimes. Minha knew he only contacted her when he could also gain profit from it, but who cares, as long as Miry-nay could strive.
Little did she know that her wish to escape will come true, in quite an extreme way at that.
[Park Moondae sunbaenim : Do you like your agency?]
Minha stared at the chat bubble for quite a long time.
Park Moondae just made a group chat consisting them and Spacer Kwon Heeseung without prior notice, and he suddenly asked that question.
What kind of nonsense--
Before Minha and Kwon Heeseung could give any response, Park Moondae explained the situation and his plan on making their groups move agency.
To be more exact, it was a plan to make their agencies go bankrupt, lower the price of group trademark right and buy it themselves, and when it's all settled up, they could move anywhere they want. In addition, Park Moondae said that, except for buying their own trademark, everything would be handled by TeSTAR.
[Park Moondae sunbaenim : I only need you two to follow one condition. Stay calm no matter what happens]
It didn't take long after the notice that T1Stars fell into utter chaos. Many staffs, including the director, left the company. The artists' schedules were halted. The company stock dropped drastically. Both Miry-nay and Spacer were suddenly offered the chance to buy their own group trademark, members of each group decided to pitch in with their personal money and bought their own rights.
So, as Park Moondae instructed, staying calm Minha did. Well, at least she tried to be as much as possible.
"Minha~ Do you want anything else for dinner?"
Yulgi flopped down next to Minha. The Miry-nay members were currently staying still in the dorm, having no schedule nor practice to go to. They had planned to have some small celebration dinner after successfully buying the group name from T1Stars; it felt like they're one step closer to freedom.
However, because of the lack of update from a certain someone, Minha couldn't help but still feel restless.
"Yulgi-unnie..." Minha let out a whine, to which Yulgi responded with a side hug.
"Woah, why is your heart thumping so loudly!? Did anything happen?"
"No. Nothing happened...." But that's exactly why I'm so nervous. It feels like the calm before a storm.
Minha refrained from saying the last part out loud. She didn't want to worry her teammates further.
I have done this kind of thing with that Sunbaenim many times, and everything turned out for the best. It's okay, Minha. Everything will be fine. Let's put our trust on him.
Without her knowing, Yulgi and Harin, who had been watching WeTube on the dorm's TV beside her since before, shared a knowing glance. She must be feeling the pressure as the leader.
(They weren't right, but not completely wrong either)
"Alright, if you say so. Then I will tell the others--" Before Yulgi could get up, a WeTube notification popped up on the TV screen. It was a new video from a subscribed channel who are quite well-known for their fast update about news related to entertainment industry.
You see, following Moondae's request to keep calm, Minha had put an internet restraint on Miry-nay members.
"If you want to, search about the agency's situation only once a day and sleep away any worry. Let's not stress ourselves too much"
It just happened that most of them either do it right after waking up or before going to bed. Hence in early evening like this, none of them would have heard any news from today.
And right now, the title of their new video, as shown on the pop-up, made the three people who read it froze up.
[TeSTAR contract renewal cancelled]
"Mi-Minha..."
Harin immediately called her, probably for explanation because she knew Minha and Park Moondae had joined hands before.
Minha could only responded with hollow laugh and immediately reached her phone.
[I heard that seniors are not renewing their contract... Congratulations on going to a new place.]
Minha couldn't hold herself back from contacting Park Moondae. Right now, when everything seemed to go awry, Minha need a reassurance that she wasn't left behind, that everything was going as planned.
[Park Moondae sunbaenim : Thank you]
[Park Moondae sunbaenim : Don't worry, everything will be alright]
And a reassurance, she received.
Minha sighed. She really couldn't win against Park Moondae.
(5)
"—So please go up the extended stage around the bridge of that song."
"Yes!" "Alright~"
Minha, Park Moondae, and Jin Chaeyul nodded in understanding at the staff's words.
It was December 31st, new year eve, and the three were chosen to be the emcees of MBS Music Festival. The invitation was a surprise to Minha. After all, since this kind of event would be watched by both K-pop fans and general public, they would only recruit idols who are well-known by the public. Moreover, the other emcees were TeSTAR and VTIC, the first-tier idols.
Has Miry-nay gotten this big?
Although no one was brave enough to say it out loud, it was the question that all Miry-nay members shared upon hearing the news. Minha, though, had another guess.
Either that, or Park Moondae sunbaenim pulled some strings, again. She quietly glanced at Moondae. Truthfully there hadn't been any evidence, but considering his past actions, Minha wouldn't be surprised if this was what had happened.
"Oh, is this the song they meant?"
Jin Chaeyul asked as the beat from the speaker changed. Park Moondae looked at the setlist taped nearby before replying.
"...Probably."
... Yeah. This Sunbaenim also doesn't know the song.
Minha held back from giving a look of deadpan (her career might end if she got caught doing that to her seniors) and chimed in carefully.
"That song is the next one. This song just happens to change beat in the middle."
"Minha-ssi, you know this song?" Jin Chaeyul asked.
"...I heard it quite a lot."
"I see! I didn't know it's such a famous song."
Well, it's not THAT famous. It's just that this song had been promoted around Miry-nay's comeback, that's why she knew.
Anyway, the three focused back on their own script. It would be both unprofessional and embarrassing to make a mistake in such big event, after all. It's only a few minutes later that the last song reached the bridge part.
"Emcee, standby!" a staff shouted.
Following their designated standing position on stage, they lined up to climb the stair. Only then did Minha took a proper look at the stair.
I didn't realized because we didn't use the stairs during emcee rehearsal, but the steps... aren't they too narrow???
Honestly Minha wouldn't think much of it if she wore comfortable shoes. The problem was, she was wearing high heels.
She carefully followed Jin Chaeyul upstages, stepping sideways and spreading her arms a little to keep the balance. As she stood on her position, followed by Park Moondae, she sneaked a glance towards the stair.
I had no problem going up but... I don't think going down will be as easy as that. I will need to be extra careful..
After making a resolve, she looked back at the audiences who filled the venue and threw a smile at some fans she recognized. Not long, the lights on the main stage dimmed, signaling the end of performance, and soon enough, the camera panned on the three emcees.
"Wow~ It was such a refreshing stage. Right, everyone?" Jin Chaeyul started the short talk.
The three idols recited their own lines from the script, trying to bridge the last performance with the next one. It was only after three minutes or so that the talk came to an end.
"Enjoy the stage!"
The light dimmed once again and the three made their way back to the stairs. This time, Moondae was the first one to go.
While waiting for her turn, Minha stared at the stairs once again. With how steep it looked like from above, she might as well descend by sitting.
Should I just use the stairs across the stage—
"Minha-ssi"
"Yes?"
Minha looked upwards upon being called and... she blinked her eyes twice.
Because... was she seeing correctly? Was Park Moondae really extending his hand for her? The Park Moondae who, just like her, would only do bare minimum interaction with opposite gender to avoid dating rumor?
Before she could overthink, however, her brain made a quick reminder.
I'm not sure why he decided to do this, but this Sunbaenim must have considered the pros and cons of his action, and he would not intentionally harm Miry-nay's image.
Knowing that hesitating any longer would only sparked bad rumors, she placed her hand on his,
"Thank you."
"Please be careful."
And carefully stepping downstairs, Minha did. She lost her balance once because one of the steps was wobbly —which, she assumed, was the reason Moondae decided to go as far as holding her hand in the first place—, but she reached the ground safely.
She retrieved her hand back and thanked her senior once again with a slight bow, to which he replied with a nod.
It was when she stood up back straight, hand still on her chest from bowing, and composed herself that she noticed something.
Huh? Why is my heart beating so quickly?
Had she been that nervous about going down the stairs? Or was she that worried about the fans' reaction? Or was it because Park Moondae held her hand—
No. Let's not go there. Minha shook her head. If there is something she wanted to avoid at all cost, it would be to develop romantic feelings for a senior she admire, respect, and fear all at once.
"Minha!"
A call brought Minha's focus back to her surroundings. She turned around and found Miry-nay's manager.
"If you're finished, let's head inside immediately"
"Ah, yes!" That's right. She had to prepare for Miry-nay's stage in around fifteen minutes. She faced her two seniors once again.
"Then, Sunbaenim, I will be going first."
"Sure." "Good luck, Minha-ssi!"
"Thank you!"
As Minha followed her manager backstage, she couldn't help but thought of what had just happened again.
The reason behind his action was clear. The stairs were dangerous, and he didn't want me, an idol under Stars Orbit, to get hurt just before my performance. I had also reacted appropriately. Had I refused, Moondae-sunbaenim would be laughed at by the public and his fans would hate me, and probably hate Miry-nay too. Now, about what will happen next.....
Clack "We're here. Please change into this"
"Okay"
Before she could finish her thought, however, they had arrived in a changing room and her manager immediately gave her a stage costume to change into.
Get yourself together, Park Minha!
Right. It's time to focus on her own work. After all, that senior would take care of the things that he himself caused, right...?