About 20 minutes into Episode 2 of
Kim Chunyong returned with the fried chicken.
"I'm back…"
"Hey, you rascal, what kind of chicken did you get… huh?"
Just as Kim Bomi was about to mercilessly hurl insults at her younger brother, she paused when she saw his somewhat pale face.
"Kim Chunyong, what's wrong with you?"
"What…"
"Woah, you look like you got hit real bad. Mom, look at his face."
"Oh? You're right, Chunyong doesn't look well. Did something happen outside?"
"No! N-Nothing happened. I'm just happy to be back home after so long."
"That's clearly a lie…"
Kim Chunyong forced a smile for his family and took out the packaged chicken onto the table.
Before and after buying chicken, he had checked the feedbacks to Episode 1.
[ㄷㄷ how can an idol trainee's name be Kim Chunyong? ㄷㄷ how can an idol trainee's name be Kim Chunyong?]
[⎿I cast my vote for daring to step forward under this name…]
[Still, isn't his smile okay? It's not that bad.]
[⎿With such a sharp look, it'd be disasterous if he didn't smile lol]
Well, nesides this, there were insults and better words, but...
'In the end, it wasn't bad overall.'
Kim Chunyong chewed on his chicken, nodding.
Maybe because of all the insults and malicious comments I saw and heard back then, it didn't hit me as hard as I expected. Besides, there were many helpful points.
If it were a malicious comment, only something like "[I hope Trash Rex leaves and hits his head on a guardrail]" or "[This thugish bastard clearly has some hidden case of school violence]" would be noticable.
Though, there was a reason why Kim Chunyong still looked uneast, despite that mentality.
"Um… you know."
"What? Aren't you going to play rock-paper-scissors?"
"Take this as a bribe for now and hear me out just once."
Kim Chunyong handed out a chicken leg to each of his family members and eventually decided to ask them about 'that'.
"What is it? What's with that smooth talking? Get to the point."
I have no intention of lying about this.
"So, I've been thinking..."
Kim Chunyong's voice trembled slightly, his expression showing worry, and even fear.
His family, who'd also turned a bit serious, waited for him to speak.
What on earth could make him look like that?
Kim Chunyong rubbed his palms over his face, sighing twice, then slowly opened his mouth.
"My name, really…"
Is it that tacky?
His parents—the ones who named him—froze, while his sisters covered their mouths.
"Cough…"
To hold back laughter.
"I really like it, y'know? Why does everyone call it tacky? It's nothing like Chun-sik or Yong-pal, right? Please be honest with me…"
The first thing Kim Chunyong saw on the community bulletin board was not sarcasm or comments about his dancing.
[Title: Targeting Star, this is insane lol
Content: So I happened to pass by my sibling watching it, and they said the trainee's name is Chunyong? Kim Chunyong? It's so cheesy that it's ingraved in my brain forever.]
[⎿Ah f*ck, how can an idol trainee's name be Chunyong lol]
But rather the enthusiasm to his name following the trailer and first episode.
With such unexpected feedback, I couldn't even bring myself to click on the post blatantly titled "[What's all the buzz with Gao Yan when we have 'Kim Chunyong'?]"
'Nothing related to X, Liu Wei, or Logan. I never thought I'd be concerned over this kind of thing.'
Kim Chunyong let out a deep sigh as he stuffed a chicken wing into his mouth.
"What's wrong with his name being Chunyong…"
Pfft—
"Ah, seriously, don't make jokes while I'm drinking cola!"
"Kim Nari, are you mocking my name?!"
"You have such a victim mentality!"
As Kim Chunyong vented his worries to his family and monitored the reactions directed at him, and the other trainees.
Another monitoring was being conducted in one of Music Days' offices.
* * *
Lee Hyeon-jeong kept a blank expression and closely examined the huge screen in front of her.
It was Jang Si-woo, in a short interview after his first ranking stage.
- "I want to show many more great performances in the future…"
Perhaps it was the dim lighting of the private interview room, Jang Si-woo's tear mole didn't stand out.
A bitter smile appeared on Lee Hyeon-jeong's face as she typed 'Adjust the lighting of the private interview room.'
"…you bastard."
"It's only the first episode, so we should get our kids out there."
"What? The editing's almost complete…"
"Are we friends or something? It's all for our own good. You can grant us this much. What's so special about editing? I'm the one who provided the raw talents."
How worn out the editing team was from Do Jae-chan's sudden request just a week before the first episode aired.
"Guys. We'll have to re-edit all the parts of the AG purebloods."
"Writer-nim, please just kill me!"
Thus, the production team could only give the AG trainees a bunch of extra screen time to satisfy President Do Jae-chan.
And to some extent, it was also a protest against AG.
Just look at the actual impact it has.
[AG Corporation @HARDWARE_store
Our 47.5 second boy is sparkling, ya'll ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ#SonJaeha #Debut]
[ㅇㅇ @DANFOAKDFJ
Woah, I gotta admit, son Jae-ha is amazing; I thought he was just the visual of the group, but sings and dances well too.]
[BC Killer @BLACK_catneeeero
Aight, from now on, I'm devoting myself to my little kitty Si-woo♡ and buying a camera immediately.]
[Title: Ji Hwa-seong is insane
Creator: ㅇㅇ
Views: 3059 (HOT!)
A 19-year-old blondie who makes his own remixes and his own rap lyrics? We gotta vote for this guy shii…
Guys, please remember the blonde high schooler Ji Hwa-seong of
[⎿Tbh, I prefer Ahn Jin-woo's face;;]
[⎿(Creator) Then vote for Ji Hwa-seong on your Mom's phone and Ahn Jin-woo on yours ㅡㅡ]
"Ooh. Adorable, utterly adorable."
Judging solely by this, it's going exactly as Do Jae-chan wanted. Yet, Lee Hyeon-jeong knew there was more to it.
Her finger hovered over the top left spot of her phone.
The members-only board she didn't bother to visit when the trailer came out.
As she viewed the bulletin board with the Music Days account, that had ranked up by posting above 3 posts and 20 comments, hidden posts began to appear.
[Still, aren't the AG purebloods dumping a bit too much of their backstories? It's kinda disgusting ;; Why'd they say they're all stuck together?]
[⎿Right… isn't it the survival of the fittest? I don't even have time to look anywhere else lol]
[⎿Seriously, aren't they mistreating the non-AG trainees?? This makes me wanna root for the other trainees.]
[Are they really, like, that good in the first place? I don't know lol. AG is just built different.]
Not only online communities, but it's even more vicious on SNS, where it's easier to be anonymous.
[ㅇㅇ @FNPAPOWEJDFA
#TargetingStar #AGTrainees We do not want forced content, we do not consume, we do not support. We are boycotting AG.]
[Ride or Die @killlllkillll
What's with Ahn Jin-woo's snaggletooth? He looks so different from his profile. That guy's a pureblood AG? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ showing his true colors.]
[⎿This guy's roasting him hard ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[⎿Ah, the joy of watching survival shows ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
"Haha…"
Lee Hyeon-jeong returned to the normal feed, looking slightly conflicted.
Although these kinds of posts were expected, it was still hard take in. After all, it wasn't just criticism, but direct insults to the trainees who they've been watching for two months.
…written by people who've seen them for only 5 to 10 minutes.
'It can't be helped. Our salary depends on the people's reactions. If you can't handle it, you'll fall behind!'
Even these things count as viral marketing and viewship ratings to the broadcast.
Just as Joo Cheol-young had said.
'Either way, more is better than nothing. They didn't really do anything too bad; so they probably somewhat enjoyed it too.'
She brushed off her tiredness and focused on the reactioms to the other trainees.
[I like British men @logaaaanUKUK
(Video) (27K views)
I made a new account just for him… what do you think of the British guy singing his own songs with a guitar on a Korean survival show? OMG but his screen time is so fucking short. Those shitty broadcasting stations.]
[Wow, Seong Won-hyeop really had a hellish trainee life… Cur from two debut lineups and now a survival show? I'd just be crying during the civil service exam. You're so talented, Won-hyeop.]
[⎿Shoulda given him more screen time ㅠㅠ]
The reactions to the trainees who weren't given as much editing as the AG trainees were certainly much plainer. Since they focused on the stage performance itself than the narrative.
[ㅇㅇ @DNAAPEJFK
(Video) (Views 5.4K)
Ah fuck, I'm watching a new male idol survival show because of my younger sibling, funny ㅠㅠ He didn't prepare the song or the choreo, but he's so confident… I really don't get aspiring idols these days.
[⎿How could his name be Gao Yan ㅠㅠ]
The negative comments, which mainly targeted foreign trainees or the less promising trainees, were mostly made by trolls on SNS.
And among them, one trainee drew particularly viscious reactions.
[Title: What's all the buzz with Gao Yan when we have 'Kim Chunyong'?
Creator: What to do
Views: 67,224
(Photo) (Photo)
An idol trainee's name is Kim Chunyong? That's absurb, you lunatics.
And, Min Si-young scolded him like crazy… his future seems bleak ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ He's not attractive like Son Jae-ha, and he's got a rebellious look, pretty controversial, huh? Su-shu* unnie's totally gonna rage just by looking at his face, isn't she?]
[*스슈* - Assuming that's a nickname for Min Si-young]
Kim Chunyong, bearing the full weight of Producer Joo's expectations. Lee Hyeon-jeong focused on him as she read through the post.
'It's quite negative, considering how much you expected, PD-nim…'
However, upon scrolling to the comments, Lee Hyeon-jeong's tired eyes widened.
[Jin Dasol looked like he's dying of joy, though? Honestly, I liked it too…]
[⎿(Author) Seriously, I like the gifted ones, so it's nice… plus, we needed that delinquent aesthetic lol]
[⎿Isn't Min Si-young's evaluation just viral marketing? I think he'll be remembered well 'cause of the insults lol]
[Totally. His name is Kim Chunyong, and apparently he got torn to pieces by Min Si-young, yet is being passionately wooed by Jin Dasol. < his. aura's. in. sane.]
'…It's not that bad?'
[Spring Descent… @springdardar
Wait, I got hooked without knowing and made an account. Who the heck is Kim Chunyong? Why am I even looking at him?]
Starting with posts from users who became fans without even realizing it.
[Neulbommir @NBML__0000
#TargetingStar #KimChunYong #YongYong
(video)
Check out the irresistibly charming Chunyong, surprised by the compliments from Dancer Jin Dasol ♡]
…then the loyal 'super fans'*, whose accounts are already waging a fierce sales war.
[*순덕* - A slang word for loyal, devoted fans/super-fans]
Of course, it was incomparable to the AG trainees, but also on a different level from the 'flatter' reactions.
So, just like what Producer Joo said…
"This writer, stars are supposed to drive both haters and fans crazy!"
Exactly like that saying.
'I can't believe Trainee Kim Chunyong is getting this kind of attention… is this why the PD is called the Midas Touch of survival shows?'
Lee Hyeon-jeong slowly halted her finger.
It was from an anonymous conversation discussing the program itself, rather than the trainees.
[Hey, Targeting Star seems better than I thought? For starters, there's only 18 guys, so you don't have to rake your mind over their names.]
[Do I need to install a voting app for this? Please send me the link if you have one.]
[Ahh! Why is the ad so long? Hurry up and release EP2, you crazy bastards.]
[⎿This person will toootally rage once they start airing one episode per week.]
"…
Hyeon-jeong grinned tiredly as she thought about the long vacation coming her way.
Before she knew it, she had forgotten the negative criticism directed at the trainees.
'Should I go to Boracay, or Cebu… either way, I really need to go somewhere where no one speaks Korean.'
"Episode 1 turned out pretty well. The ratings are decent, eh?"
"Ah, PD-nim."
Joo Cheol-young suddenly materialized behind Lee Hyeon-jeong, looking quite satisfied.
"As expected, you gotta edit it this way to ger some buzz. No use creating discourse right from the start."
"Is that so?"
"Right. First, we'll have them get along, then fight. Starting gradually from Episode 2, just as planned. Good thing we kept the conflicts in Episode 2."
Joo Cheol-young, who had been stroking his chin, spoke to Hyeon-jeong with a look as if he suddenly had a revelation.
"…You haven't heard from AG yet, right? Like, President Do Jae-chan. Or someone from their management."
"They're probably all monitoring the live broadcast, so they'll come after it's done. Besides, we gave the AG trainees a decent amount of screen time, I doubt they'd stir up any trouble."
"That's a relief. Maybe it's because Episode 1 just went up, but I'm getting nervous…"
As soon as PD Joo finished speaking, the phone in Hyeon-jeong's hand rang loudly.
Joo Cheol-yeong and Lee Hyeon-jeong both hardened their expressions.
"…Damn it."
Speak of the devil.
[AG Director Shin Ki-ho]
The tiger appeared.