Chapter 89: Weekly Pocket Idol (1)

First place on a cable music show, just ten days after debut.

On top of that, Stardust was still cruising within the top 20 on the Top 100 chart.

Given the trend of boy groups being swept aside upon release, this was an exceptional feat for a debut album.

And to make things better, they had something to celebrate.

It was none other than Stardust’s leader, Kang Siwoo’s birthday.

Leading up to Kang Siwoo’s birthday on May 15th, hashtags posted by Dustys were trending in real-time on JjaekJjaek.

River @river1948_aa2

How can a person be a Siberian Husky?

Happy birthday to our handsome big dog, Kang Siwoo.

#May_Star_Siwoo

#Happy_Birthday_Kang_Siwoo

Choi Bbippbbaep @bipbip290ad_2

To the cool leader and main rapper of Universe Dust, Kang Siwoo!! Happy birthday.

These past ten days since debut have been such a joy.

Let’s fill our future with even greater happiness!!! (Heart)

#May_Star_Siwoo

#Happy_Birthday_Kang_Siwoo

GlassMental @imbreaking_27a

I love you, my puppy~~!!

#May_Star_Siwoo

#Happy_Birthday_Kang_Siwoo

Dusty Yejin, whose favorite was Kang Siwoo, held her phone with a smile on her lips.

Ah, of course I have to celebrate my baby’s birthday.

Mouthing the words, Yejin carefully typed out the hashtags.

“Kang Siwoo... happy... birthday....”

Done.

Just as she was about to upload the post for the hashtag blitz—

A shocking piece of news flashed across her retina.

A bombshell that dropped out of nowhere, completely opposite to the heartwarming atmosphere just moments ago.

GlassMental @imbreaking_27a

What the hell, Weekly Pocket Idol??

They’re going on with The Core?

“Huh?”

Weekly Pocket Idol?

Why are they appearing there with The Core?

“The The Core I’m thinking of…?”

The smile vanished from Yejin’s lips.

Thump—

She shot up from bed and opened the community app.

What she had thought was just another baseless rumor from a JjaekJjaek friend was already blazing like wildfire.

“This was real?”

[Weekly Pocket Idol: Stardust VS The Core Special to Air]

3rd Gen rookie boy group showdown lol they’re filming with this kind of concept?

An article just came out. I can’t believe it.

– Not clickbait, right?

└ It’s real.

└ 222 It’s legit lolololol

└ I didn’t want to believe it either, but apparently it’s true.

└ Wow, I checked and the article really did come out….

– What is this? Stardust and The Core appearing together?

└ Isn’t that basically throwing them to the wolves of both fandoms?

└ The tension is already insane. Wow.

└ The power play is off the charts lololol

└ They're already fighting over first-week sales and streaming. Absolute chaos.

– You’re telling me they’re sending our kids into this? Haha, Doubles, you’re one of the big agencies, right? ^^ Can’t you give our kids a solo Weekly Pocket Idol appearance?

└ They’re rookies not even a week into debut, so probably not lol

└ The Core got a solo appearance for their debut album.

└ That’s because Stardust isn’t at The Core’s level.

└ lololololol it’s already started, damn it.

└ If this is how it is already, how is this supposed to be a VS special? Just a fan war?

– Whoever planned this special definitely knows how to stir things up.

└ Of all things, they named it a VS Special lololol are they insane?

└ Doubles and KJ both suck at their jobs. Agreeing to this kind of show?

└ This is their first variety show and this is what they get? Doubles, explain yourselves, damn it.

└ Doubles, explain yourselves.

“Doubles, you lunatics!!!!”

Yejin cursed out loud inside her room.

Her thunderous voice rang out, and murmurs came from beyond the door.

“What now? What happened this time?”

“No idea. Noona’s always like that.”

Normally, she would’ve gone quiet at that, but today, her anger wouldn’t subside.

Yejin checked the post again in disbelief.

Unless her eyes were lying, this was real.

The article had already been published.

Yejin buried her face in her pillow and screamed.

“This makes no sense….”

Doubles, you bastards.

When they picked such a killer title track, I really thought they’d finally started doing their job—but now they blindside us like this with the first variety show?

Just thinking about clashing with the notorious fans of The Core was dizzying.

The Dustys, having already endured their time as Starf, were beginning to form their own solid fandom. A mud-slinging battle was already expected.

Just moments ago, JjaekJjaek had been full of heartwarming birthday hashtags for Kang Siwoo, but now it had rapidly turned hostile.

– Doubles, just shut down your agency ㅠㅠ

– It’s not the first time Doubles sucked at their job, but today is legendary lol

– Stop talking about artist protection and actually do something, Doubles ㅠㅠ Avoiding these kinds of shows is the real way to protect your artists lol Can’t you see our kids are about to be torn apart by The Core’s fans?

└ Seohan, I know I’m far away, but ㅠㅠ please… just one punch to that dude’s face…?

└ lolololol why are you making our Hamjji do it lolol

└ Protect PureHamjji ㅠㅠ

Unsurprisingly, the public sentiment was at rock bottom.

Even the Dustys who normally just posted peaceful photos of the boys were boiling with rage.

These fans had stood strong through all kinds of sabotage and smear campaigns since the Starf days.

Just when things were finally calming down, they now had to face off against another fandom?

"Ah, this is driving me crazy."

Yejin clutched her throbbing head and tried to calm her anger.

Not that it was the kind of news one could easily calm down over....

Just then, a pre-release video meant to soothe the fan backlash went live.

Dding—

At the familiar notification sound,

"Hm?"

Yejin turned her head as if entranced.

A pre-release video of Weekly Pocket Idol scheduled to air this Friday.

The screen began with narration.

[These idols are rookies.]

On screen, Stardust and The Core alternated with bright smiles.

[They’re full of spirit.]

[They can do anything.]

[Shall we cry a bit?]

[…?]

[Their passion is overwhelming.]

Yejin blinked.

It was because Do Seohan had just appeared on screen along with that narration.

Wearing a soft pink knit and snow-white pants fit for spring.

He was already handsome, but the moment the camera zoomed in on Do Seohan’s face—

"Gasp…."

Was this insane?

Yejin’s eyes widened, feeling as if her first love had been rewritten.

Delicate, defined features. His fresh face shimmered under the lights.

Maybe it was the styling, but today his face felt especially flutter-inducing.

Yejin slapped both cheeks and muttered to herself.

"Yejin, get it together. He’s five years younger than you."

Have some conscience.

Our Seohan is just a baby.

Her rational mind said that, but her fangirl heart wouldn’t settle down.

It was around then that JjaekJjaek, which had briefly quieted, became noisy again.

A stream of praise for Do Seohan’s face followed.

– Isn’t Do Seohan too handsome?

└ I stopped breathing

└ En-li-gh-ten-ment

– Wow, I’m so proud he’s our center

– How could that face not be first place ㅠㅠ From the beginning, Starf existed to make our Mam-Seohan number one

└ Thank you for debuting,,,

└ Thank you for being born ㅠㅠ

And then.

One minute later.

"……."

With that stunning face, Seohan began—

Saying something completely bizarre.

[My cicada impression was really popular, so I tried developing a new personal talent.]

Huh?

"Oh no. Stop!"

Yejin, who had only seen the clip during Starf days, reached out urgently.

But it was already playing as archival footage—Do Seohan’s cicada impression.

Still one of the key parts of his fan-attracting video, and the one fans found most embarrassing yet loved the most.

That was fine, but...

Seohan, everything you do is great but...

"You can stop now."

Our Seohan is living way too earnestly.

Sometimes living moderately earnestly isn’t so bad.

Twenty-three-year-old Yejin shouted that way, trying to stop Seohan through the screen.

However, Weekly Pocket Idol MC Dodo held the mic with a delighted expression, crushing Yejin’s cries.

[Is it another insect this time?]

To that question, Do Seohan replied with a serious face.

[No, it’s a bird.]

– Damn lololololol why is a bird popping up here lolol

└ He really picks the weirdest impressions lolololol

└ I seriously love Do Seohan because he’s such a lunatic, in the best way

└ Our Hamjji, quietly unhinged

– After Mam-Seohan, now it’s Bird-Seohan…?

└ So what kind of bird?

└ A crow?

└ A magpie?

[Wandering along the mountain slope in search of food….]

"A hyena?"

[A bunting.]

– lolololololol why is a bunting wandering the mountain slope lol

– A bunting lolololol mountain slope lololololol

– Seriously (in a good way) you’re crazy

– Never thought I’d live to hear my idol imitate a bird

– A bunting lolololol it was so unexpected I just burst out laughing

└ So what does a bunting sound like?

└ Good question

└ Cheep?

"Bunting cry...?"

Do Seohan politely clasped his hands and stared straight ahead.

What kind of bird call would Do Seohan, the master of impressions, perform?

Even Yejin’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

And then.

Inside the studio, Seohan’s powerful cry echoed.

A clear, projected voice, befitting someone who once held the main vocal spot in First Confession.

A high-pitched tone that seemed to summon all the strength in his soul.

[BEEP! AE! AEEE—]

"...?"

[BEEEAAEEE….]

That clear, pure cry....

[BEEP! AEAE! AEAEAE!]

Surely, it was deep in the forest.

.

.

.

.

[This is the sound of a bunting]

https://www.neotube.com/ssdkjn99

Damn it, it's identical.

I don't want to admit it, but it's way too similar,,,

– BEEP! AEAE! AEAEAE!

└ Seriously lololololol it sounds just like that lololol

└ How much did he research?

└ BEEAAEEE what even lolololol

– No but seriously, why is a bunting wandering around a mountain slope?

└ Bunting with gangster vibes

└ Ah ㅠㅠ Seohan lolololololol

└ It's so cute how he always sets up a detailed background every time ah ㅠㅠ

– The most infuriating thing about Do Seohan is that he's so cute he bewitched me, but still hasn’t signed our marriage certificate

└ He’s a minor

└ Oh

└ I’ll go get your mom’s permission

└ Seohan worked so hard

└ Why are you like this, Do Seohan lives so diligently

└ 2222 Didn’t you see him cry on broadcast? Don’t you know how hard he’s been living?

└ It’s driving me crazy that this crying isn’t crying, it’s singing

└ Singing lolololololol

While fans continued their enthusiastic reactions.

Whoosh—

The screen changed.

[Weekly Pocket Idol ‘VS Rookie Battle’]

[Every Friday at 8:50 PM (KST) Actual Broadcast]

And just like that, the pre-release video flew by.

Could a ten-minute video really end this quickly?

Once the YouTube video ended, only a black screen reflected her face.

Still, in her ears, Seohan’s cry echoed over and over.

‘BEEAAEEE….’

Yejin, dazed, paused to think for a moment.

"Live broadcast watch… should I do it?"

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