Chapter 85
The 3rd week of activities for Weers' second mini album.
Around the time when idol communities were burning up slightly over Weers' two consecutive weeks of winning first place on music broadcasts. An unexpected piece of news arrived.
- Weers enters Oricon Daily Chart at 3rd place!
The sudden news from Japan.
When the news first broke, most people only expressed slight surprise.
- Oricon chart?
- Looks like Weers is somewhat popular in Japan too.
- But it's been 3 weeks since the album release, why are they charting now...?
- Did something happen in Japan?
Truthfully, most famous K-pop groups had already taken first place on the Oricon chart at least once by now.
It was an era where a Korean idol charting on the Oricon chart wasn't greatly surprising anymore.
Moreover, this wasn't even first place.
Since Weers was currently enjoying the greatest popularity in Korea, the general reaction was that this wasn't particularly shocking news.
But the news from Japan didn't end there.
- Seonwoo Rin currently 1st on Japanese portal site search rankings... 2nd is Weers.
- Weers' mini 2nd album title track 'We' achieves 1st place on Japanese music site real-time chart!
The continuous news about Weers from Japan.
Only then did people start showing interest in the news coming from Japan.
However, the overall reaction wasn't very positive.
- Why is Weers' Japan news suddenly trending like this?
└ Probably started Japanese activities this time.
└ No, Weers is still doing Korean music shows right now, what Japanese activities?
- It's just media play, haven't we all seen this a couple times?
- When idol overseas popularity news comes out of nowhere, 99% of the time it's media play.
- I mean, they haven't even started Japanese activities, what Japanese popularity?
The opinion that this Weers Japan popularity news was also ultimately part of the media play that large agencies always did became the majority.
- Why would they need media play right now? This album's results are good, aren't they? Weers is popular these days.
└ Probably because solo concert ticketing starts soon?
└ Ah, they're having a solo concert.
When the opinion that it was the agency's media play was almost being confirmed, based on the grounds that Weers' solo concert pre-sale date wasn't far away.
- Weers causing a commotion in Japan right now is real. To be precise, it's because of Seonwoo Rin, but anyway, it's not agency media play.
└ How do you know they're causing a commotion in Japan?
└ That's because I live in Japan.
└ ㄷㄷ
Soon, information posts about this incident started going up on the community one by one.
- So to summarize... Seonwoo Rin went on a Japanese variety show called Prince TV, was acknowledged as a language genius by a Japanese professor, and was courted to please join as his disciple?
└ That's right.
└ And that wasn't enough, so he fought against a current fighter who is a former Japanese national judo team member and Olympic gold medalist, and ended in a draw after a close match?
└ That's also right...
└ And finally, impressed by that match, a famous Japanese band covered Weers' song?
└ Well to be precise, it's not because they were impressed, but as part of a bet...
└ You want me to... believe that?
Of course, positive reactions didn't come from the beginning.
But soon, evidence that would silence such reactions started pouring in in an instant.
- Seonwoo Rin Prince TV appearance edited version with subtitles (link)
Edited videos of Seonwoo Rin's appearance on Prince TV started spreading.
- ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Does anyone have the full version of this? I want to watch the full version.
- Isn't Prince TV a famous variety show in Japan? I think I've heard of it somewhere.
└ It's the group with Prince Jun-chan, Japan's national idol group
- So that's why Seonwoo Rin was the only one missing from the Idol House Weers episode last time.
- Anyway, I knew he was good at foreign languages, but I guess he's really a genius... ㄷㄷ
└ The professor's reaction is hilarious ㅋㅋ "Would you not become my graduate student... Please...!"
Since it was a Japanese broadcast program that was quite well-known in Korea, the community's reaction was heating up even more.
- Japanese fighter Vs Seonwoo Rin video
Then one additional video was released.
The provocative title of a Korean idol facing off against a Japanese fighter. Perhaps thanks to the title, the video spread not only to idol communities but also to other large communities in an instant.
- Wow...
- ??????
- What is this? Why is Seonwoo Rin having a match with a Japanese fighter?
└ It's a Japanese variety show ㄷㄷ
- He's holding out till the end, the opponent seems serious too.
└ This is UDT class...
- Is the opponent really a pro? Isn't the opponent just an amateur?
└ Yamamoto Takeshi, Japanese national judo team member and Olympic gold medalist... Amateur my foot.
└ Then he must have gone easy on him, it's just a variety show anyway, what's the big deal.
└ Can't you see Seonwoo Rin countering the opponent's techniques? Is that going easy?
- But if it's a draw, shouldn't we say Seonwoo Rin won? The opponent is a pro.
└ He unconditionally won ㅋㅋㅋ Look at the opponent's expression at the end, it's completely rotten ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The original video surpassed 1 million views in no time after being uploaded.
In the comment section where comments were being posted non-stop, before anyone realized, a serious discussion was taking place about who would win if the two properly faced off in an official setting, not a variety show.
***
'Watching a fight is the best entertainment, but...'
I thought while looking at the endlessly uploaded posts about who was stronger between me and Yamamoto.
'We just briefly faced off for fun on a variety show, why is everyone burning up like this. It's not like this is a Korea-Japan match or something.'
The reason people were getting even more fired up right now.
It was because this incident had become a hot topic simultaneously in both Korea and Japan.
- If there's an opportunity, I would like to have a proper rematch with Seonwoo Rin in the ring.
Due to this incident becoming even hotter after Takeshi Yamamoto posted this on his personal SNS following the Prince TV broadcast, there were more than a few troublesome things for a while.
'Does Seonwoo Rin-ssi have any intention of having a rematch with Yamamoto in Japan?'
'Aren't you disappointed with the result that ended in a draw?'
I felt like I was going to develop neurosis from those questions being asked wherever I went.
And what was even more absurd was...
- Couldn't Seonwoo Rin possibly win?
This reaction that was initially floating around the community as a joke.
- Not right away, but with about 3 months of proper training, it seems like Seonwoo Rin would win?
- Seonwoo Rin has experience in boxing, jiu-jitsu, and muay thai, if he trains properly, it seems like he could give it a try.
- ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Do people here really not know that there's a world of difference between amateur and pro? Everyone here is clueless about fighting... But if it's Seonwoo Rin, maybe?
Now posts were starting to come up seriously saying that I might win.
When this incident kept endlessly becoming a hot topic like that, even my manager asked me seriously.
'Rin-ah... if you have a rematch...'
'Hyung, does that make any sense?'
'Ah, no, it's a joke, hahaha.'
Of course, the agency wouldn't be crazy enough to push me to get on the ring.
But this kind of atmosphere itself was slightly burdensome.
It was called a draw, but looking back, it was really closer to ending it quickly before someone got hurt.
It wasn't that serious of an atmosphere in the first place.
'When will I ever do something with a fighter again.'
If I really set my mind to it and trained for about a year, it felt like I could win...
'No, don't think useless thoughts.'
Anyway, I heard that my recognition in Japan had greatly increased due to this incident.
I also heard that they were doing well on various other charts and album sales were increasing.
But it was hard to confirm that popularity in Japan right now. Because...
'There's really not much time left until the concert now.'
Weers' first solo concert.
We members, including myself, were spending busy days without even a moment to rest preparing for the concert that now only had about 3 weeks left.
We were digesting such a suffocating schedule, but.
Still, today the situation was a bit better.
"Alright, 10 minute break!"
"Woaaah!"
"Water... I need water...!"
The scenery of the practice room preparing for the concert wasn't much different from usual.
But if there was one thing different today.
"Hello WISH! It's break time right now!"
"Sweet, sweet break!"
I could see Shim Sung-ha and Kang Ah-jin waving their hands and talking in front of the camera.
And not just in front of those two, but cameras were filling every corner of the practice room right now.
It was precisely for filming the practice room vlog.
The vlog filmed today was scheduled to be released as a VCR video during this concert.
Since it was a practice room vlog, we couldn't just film ourselves practicing constantly, so today's practice was taking place in a somewhat free atmosphere.
"Rin hyung, please greet the fans here!"
"Let's meet at the concert venue, everyone."
Like how Kang Ah-jin was coming back and forth in front of me with a camera right now.
And when Kang Ah-jin was holding the camera like this, I knew that someone would definitely come running like a devil.
"Ah! The person here is the genius of geniuses! The hottest man in Japan and Korea right now! The very person who even competed against a pro fighter, Seonwoo Rin-ssi himself!"
The leader bullying that started without fail.
With a few more added to the repertoire lately, the members were having a blast.
When I showed a half-resigned look, Shim Sung-ha used a water bottle as a microphone and asked me again.
"We know that Seonwoo Rin-ssi is preparing for the next match with Yamamoto-ssi."
"That's not the case..."
"Are you perhaps scared?"
"That's not fitting for Weers' leader!"
"Ah, the sound of the people of Republic of Korea grieving can be heard all the way here..."
I could see the members collectively attacking me at my response.
There were far too many cameras filming us to show the leader's authority right now.
Knowing that, the members were probably running around even more excitedly like that.
'Counterattack.'
I looked around and then took out my phone from my pocket and said.
"Guys, did any of you happen to have a dream yesterday?"
The practice room that instantly fell silent at my words.
And.
"N-no! Rin hyung, wait a minute! I didn't say anything!"
Yujin Kim rushing toward me frantically.
But my hand was a bit faster than Yujin Kim.
[Yujin-ie... had a ghost dream... I'm scawed... Uaaahkyaaahkyaa.]
"Ah... please... turn it off..."
"Okay."
When I went to Japan, the variety show Idol House where the members collectively appeared.
Yujin Kim's appearance there, struggling with humiliation while doing outdated aegyo, had recently become my number one treasure.
Of course, I had all the other members' aegyo videos too, but...
'As expected, Yujin's reaction is the best.'
Should I say it was fun to tease him?
Somehow it felt like bad karma was piling up...
"Ugh, Rin hyung is too cruel..."
"How could you play that video."
"Yujin-ah! Yujin-ah! Are you okay? Are you alive?"
"I will not forget... this humiliation..."
In the atmosphere that had become considerably quieter like that, I gathered the members together.
"Alright everyone, gather around now."
"Yujin hyung's condition is still..."
"Yujin-ah, come here quickly before I play it again."
"Ugh."
Actually, the reason we were filming the practice room vlog today was precisely because of the unit stages we would show at this concert.
"We decided to prepare unit stages for this time, right. How about deciding the units now?"
The members nodded at my words.
Actually, it was already decided before filming the video, so a long discussion wasn't necessary.
This was more like a teaser video feeling, to put it that way?
Like that, pretending to have a meeting while leaving hints about the stages each person wanted to do along with the prepared comments they each prepared.
And finally, the decided units were...
"Wow, the maknae team!"
"Please look forward to the maknae team!"
"We won't lose to the hyungs."
The maknae team consisting of Kang Ah-jin, Shim Sung-ha, and Baek Si-hyun.
"We'll work hard."
"We'll flip the stage with song!"
The vocal team where the two main vocalists, Yujin Kim and Woo Jung-woo, united.
With that, the remaining people were...
"Hyung, let's work hard."
"Rin and I will make a cool stage."
Naturally, Park Han-hwi and I became a team. Should I call it the oldest hyung team or something.
Looking at it composed like this, it seemed like it was put together well.
'It feels like the audition days after a long time.'
The day after we filmed the practice room vlog like that.
Finally, the fan club pre-sale day for Weers' first solo concert had arrived.