[After Survival, T.O.Z’s Daily Life?! Reality Episode 1 Preview]
Even immediately after the live ended, as if they had been waiting, Music Days’ official channel dropped a reality show preview for T.O.Z.
It was nothing more than a short video with a couple of dorm cuts and the members waving both hands saying, “See you on September 14th!”, but its impact was tremendous.
For fans who had been drying up day by day with anticipation and worry for the debut, and from AG’s characteristic scarcity of updates, even that alone was an overwhelming stimulus.
[ILikeEnglishGuys @logaaaanUKUK Wait, suddenly there’s too much being released, they really feel like idols about to debut. There’s too much to eat, I can’t eat it all. I have to watch T.O.Z and Roholli all day today]
[⎿I think you’re smiling right now, though?]
[What the hell is coming out in just one day? They did a live, there’s a reality preview, later there’s a MV teaser too, and even concept photos…?]
[AG trait: standing still, then 3… 2… 1… and dropping everything at once]
[⎿So you don’t like it?]
[⎿⎿Do it like this just one more time, you crazy bastards. I’m letting this slide because I’m happy today]
And so, amid fans picking up and eating the crumbs that had poured out all at once today, their expectations grew higher and higher.
Among the bait overflowing like a burst dam, there were two things that fans most busied their hands and mouths with.
“…
Ah. It’s just a preview anyway. You Jenia folks have waited such a long time for us, haven’t you? Then I should tell you at least this much.”
“Wait, Chunyong. Didn’t you just brush past something way more important?!”
One of them was the fandom name that Kim Chunyong had revealed in passing.
[No but how is an idol’s name Kim Chunyong < Are you okay? LOL ㅠㅠ He just blurted out the fandom name like that, and Bang Yuchan beside him was freaking out]
[⎿He’s got guts as extraordinary as his looks… He could clearly see the manager behind him, but he just went for it and smiled refreshingly]
[⎿⎿(photo)(photo) Is this Yongyong’s fan-recruiting timing? A personality as fiery as his looks, yet go see the shy Kim Chunyong in front of fans before you go♡]
[⎿This Jenia doesn’t miss an opportunity….]
While everyone had vaguely predicted that T.O.Z’s fandom name would be a dog’s name, having a member say it directly was a different matter entirely.
The satisfaction of knowing our idol doesn’t look at the company’s mood and satisfies the fans’ expectations.
On top of that, the satisfaction of confirming a fact they had been curious about and waiting for, for so long!
[HowIsAnIdolsNameKimChunyong-nim, I’m really so thankful you took the lead that I’m tearing up, fuck… Now I’m not just a T.O.Z fan, I’m a Jenia]
[⎿Definitely, since he’s not from AG, it seems he doesn’t look at the company’s mood and just goes for it boldly??]
[From now on, I declare that HowIsAnIdolsNameKimChunyong < and I are one body. That he is an ally is already a proven fact, and any curses toward him are considered curses toward me]
[Ha, fuck, I think I’ve really fallen for Chunyong now too… just seeing Kim Chunyong sitting next to Siwoo and smiling brightly]
In reality, even after T.O.Z’s debut was confirmed, there still remained people who found Kim Chunyong’s presence rather unwelcome.
After all, no matter how much it had been a rumor and the clarification was over, a trainee who had been the subject of so much controversy had become a debut member.
[Ah, but honestly KCY bothers me… No matter how much it was a rumor, it’s true that there was such controversy, right? They’re just debuting, how could that work in their favorㅠ]
[⎿I checked this person’s log and they’re a Jihwaseong anti. Yes, scold Jihwaseong Ppuyeom to do better and stop attacking other hardworking members!]
However, even Jihwaseong’s fandom—who had held the largest share among those who found him unwelcome—had to keep their mouths shut for today.
Because among T.O.Z talk on community boards and SNS right now, the story that held the largest share alongside the fandom name was that of Jihwaseong and Kim Chunyong.
[※The most replayed scene in the aforementioned WeTube video]
“Didn’t you and I share a room, hyung?”
“…
Ah, when we slept together in the wardrobe room?”
“Yes. Reality spoilers might be too much, but I think I can talk about this. Let’s finally reveal it for real. There was no ghost in that room!”
“Well, of course there was no ghost. But what Logan heard back then was you—.”
“Come on, hyung! That’s not what we’re supposed to say. Ah, you’re acting like you don’t know.”
“Oho? What did you just say to hyung? You, come here!”
“Aack, Yongyong hyung!”
Why did that scene—which wasn’t very long and merely showed Kim Chunyong and Jihwaseong exchanging something like a comedy skit—become such a hot topic?
It was because the stance Jihwaseong had shown until now and the relationship between the two had never been publicly revealed before.
While it was true that Kim Chunyong had been the one to enter that wardrobe room first in order to improve the relationship between Jihwaseong and Son Jeha, that wasn’t something fans watching the live could have known.
Therefore, the reaction was inevitably….
[No, Jihwaseong shared a room with Kim Chunyong, and not Son Jeha or Jang Siwoo?? Did something happen between them??]
[⎿I knew they weren’t on bad terms, but the same room right in the dorm… There’s something we don’t know]
[Look at that narrow personal space, crazy, they’re so damn close]
[What should the ship name be? Someone who’s good at naming these, hurry up and come out]
[⎿I immediately propose Bomkkot, this one works]
[⎿⎿You, just go. I’m only letting this slide today because they look close]
…bound to explode.
Jihwaseong, who had shown himself closer to the AG-trainee members, naturally appearing close to Kim Chunyong!
This caused great confusion for Jihwaseong’s fandom, which had been terribly at odds with Kim Chunyong’s fandom.
Honestly, no matter how much they hated him, how could they be told to hate a member who was that close to their idol?
From the heart of a fan who wishes for their idol’s happiness, isn’t that a very twisted way of expressing affection?
[Jihwaseong fans need to use good judgment. If you intend to wish for the idol’s happiness, you need to respect his relationships early on]
[⎿Right, it’s not like there’s a huge problem, and hating a member who just debuted together to death is weird…]
[No, but Jihwaseong and Kim Chunyong were on good terms from the start; it was only Jihwaseong fans who were being fucking extra LOL so much anger in their hearts ;;]
The one who put the exclamation mark on that flow was Bulnasseoyobul, who until now had left countless posts mocking Kim Chunyong.
[Bulnasseoyobul @fireworksday Fuck, Hwaseung is calling him Yongyong hyung. This is hard for me. I’m going to lock my account for a while]
[⎿Yes, go resolve your denial phase before stanning and come back!]
Setting aside what stance she—who had run into Kim Chunyong at Apgujeong Station entrance, taped his post-it, and thought inwardly, “Maybe he might be okay”—would take afterward.
“Whew….”
Kim Chunyong, who had checked all those reactions from the very back seat of the van, let out an exclamation mixed with bewilderment and pressed his forehead.
‘So that’s why the curses that had been rising in the chat window suddenly cut off. Because I looked close with Hwaseung.’
In truth, Kim Chunyong hadn’t intended any of that behind Jihwaseong’s actions.
It was simply that, in order to adapt to the livestreams he hadn’t done often during his Rekseuregi days, he had done his best to pay attention to the reactions and behavior of those around him.
In the first place, what Kim Chunyong had prepared was a more humane method: keeping a slight distance while having a comfortable conversation.
‘I thought that would be better, but for things to turn out like this.’
But good is good.
If the snowman he had worked hard to make for atonement looked good to others too, then regardless, hadn’t it become a well-rolled snowball?
‘Well, it’s not like Hwasung read the comments and did that. From now on, I’ll have to make sure he can’t read comments. If I just check them periodically….’
As Kim Chunyong clicked his tongue over something working out well from a place he hadn’t even considered, and was worrying about what to do next.
“Chunyong.”
A familiar, soft voice called out to him.
“…
What are you doing?”
It was Son Jeha, seated diagonally across from Kim Chunyong, his face tired.
Thinking that he should bring this hyung a recovery drink when they returned to the dorm later, Kim Chunyong quickly opened his mouth before the silence could stretch.
“…
Ah, I was checking the live reactions. Once things get really busy, I don’t think we’ll have time for this.”
“I see. As expected.”
Son Jeha, who had swept his eyes over the members with their eyes closed from fatigue, leaned toward Kim Chunyong and muttered quietly.
Under the reading light in the dark car, Son Jeha’s deepened eyes were the face of someone with many thoughts.
Not because today’s first live had ended, but since after the reality show, continuously.
Chunyong, you.
“I think it would be good to cut down on that now.”
“…
Yes?”
“Monitoring, checking reactions, things like that. Um, I don’t think that’s something you need to be doing. I was going to do it originally, but you told me not to.”
“…….”
“Just like you told me I think too much or take on too much… I think you’re doing the same. Do you understand?”
Knowing what that gaze meant, Kim Chunyong rolled his eyes a few times and quickly spoke.
“…
I was planning to do that anyway! Now that, well, the manager hyung is new and all.”
“Yeah, if that’s the case, I think I’d feel relieved too.”
“Haha, yes. Ah, I got a message.”
After giving Son Jeha a vague answer, Kim Chunyong turned to the other side and checked his phone.
As it happened, the message from X earlier was similar to what Son Jeha had said.
- X: Chunyong Chunyong
- X: Good job on the live, but hey hey!!
- X: You’re so busy watching out for the members that you can’t do what’s actually important for yourself? haha
- X: Get your head straight and live, you punk
- X: If you get dropped from the group here because of poor stamina? Atonement or whatever be damned, you go straight back to emergency arrest status -3-
- X: Since it’s really debut now, keep the final rank reward in mind for real!
“…….”
The intentions behind Son Jeha and X’s words were obvious.
Worrying about the other members so much that he didn’t take proper care of himself.
His body had suffered slightly from properly sending off Jo Taeuk.
And immediately, in today’s live as well, Kim Chunyong had greatly concentrated on taking care of the other members together with Yu Hobin.
“…
Ah, where did Rex hyung go? Hyung… I-I said earlier that I wanted to drink iced tea, so he said he’d buy it for me and went out for a bit!”
“Yes. I also happened to ask him something earlier….”
“For this album, um… Rex hyung is promoting with us too. Please support us all.”
Because he felt so sorry that hyung had suffered before on his account.
Because this time, he wanted to lessen that hardship himself.
‘…I guess it showed.’
Kim Chunyong, who briefly touched his own cheek, fell silent and counted the things he had done one by one.
Honestly, it was still not enough to pay off everything he had done.
Today’s live too had ultimately been resolved thanks to Jihwaseong’s sudden action, so it could hardly be seen as something Kim Chunyong achieved.
If he traced that cause and effect one by one, the answer was that it was thanks to him maintaining a good relationship with Jihwaseong after returning, but Kim Chunyong didn’t have the energy to trace it that far.
And that alone was not one of Kim Chunyong’s past misdeeds.
[ToZ - 1st mini album ‘Six-leaf Clover’ Title “Hide and Seek” MV Teaser]
…Because, truly, the debut was soon.