The Malicious Member Has Returned! Episode 36
* * *
About twenty minutes after the second episode of *Targeting Star* began, following roughly ten minutes of commercials.
Kim Chunyong, who had gone out to buy chicken, opened the front door and came inside.
“I’m back….”
“Hey, you punk, did you catch and cook the chicken yourself… What gives?”
Kim Bomi had been about to ruthlessly scold her younger brother, but she stopped at the sight of Kim Chunyong’s face, which looked almost gaunt.
“Kim Chunyong. What’s with your face?”
“What do you mean….”
“No, you look like someone punched you where it doesn’t show? Like you took a total critical hit? Mom, look at his face. Right?”
“Hmm? You’re right. Chunyong doesn’t look good. Did something happen outside?”
“No! I—I really swear nothing happened. It’s just… I felt happy coming around the neighborhood after so long, that’s all.”
“That totally looks like a lie no matter how I see it….”
Kim Chunyong forced a smile to reassure his family, then arranged the packaged chicken on the table.
The netizen reactions for episode one that he had checked before buying the chicken, after buying it, and on the way back home.
[Omg how is an idol trainee’s name Kim Chunyong? Omg how is an idol trainee’s name Kim Chunyong?]
[⎿ I cast a vote for the courage to come out proudly with that name…]
[Still, his smiling face is okay, isn’t it? He’s not that bad]
[⎿ His features are so sharp that if he didn’t smile it’d be insane lol]
Well, besides that, there were insults too, and better comments, but….
‘Overall, it wasn’t that bad in the end.’
Kim Chunyong put a chicken neck in his mouth, chewed, and nodded.
Maybe it was because he had seen and heard so many curses and malicious comments during his time as the malicious member.
The blow wasn’t as big as he had thought. There were plenty of helpful things too.
If it was a malicious comment: [Lex trash, I hope you withdraw quickly and smash your head into a guardrail]
Or: [This bastard who looks like a delinquent, some school violence scandal definitely hasn’t blown up yet]—it had to be at that level to even be memorable.
However, there was a reason why Kim Chunyong, equipped with such mental fortitude, had a cloud of worry on his face.
“So… you know.”
“What, aren’t we doing rock-paper-scissors?”
“Just take these as a bribe first and hear me out on one question.”
In the end, Kim Chunyong sneakily handed over a drumstick to each of them and finally ended up asking his family about ‘that.’
“What is it. What do you want that you’re buttering us up like this? Keep it short and sweet.”
“I’m not trying to lie just because I’m giving you these.”
“So, I’ve been thinking….”
Kim Chunyong’s voice trembled slightly.
His expression conveyed that he was worried and even afraid of something.
In turn, the family became a bit more serious and waited for Kim Chunyong’s mouth to open.
Just what had him in such a state?
Rubbing his face with his hand a few times and letting out two sighs, Kim Chunyong slowly opened his mouth.
“Is my name really….”
That old-fashioned?
At those words, the very person who had given him that name—their parent—froze, and Kim Bomi and Kim Nari covered their mouths.
“Kuh-eup….”
They were holding back laughter.
“I like it so much? But why does everyone say it’s countrified? Chun-sik, Yong-pal. It’s not on the same level as names like that, right? Please tell me honestly….”
The first thing Kim Chunyong could check on the community board was not mockery directed at him or talk about his dancing.
[Title: Targeting Star is insane lol]
[Content: No, I was watching my sibling and they said what trainee’s name is Chunyong? Like, Kim Chunyong? It’s so countrified I don’t think I’ll ever forget it even if I die]
[⎿ Ah fuck how is an idol trainee’s name Chunyong lol]
The fiery reactions toward Kim Chunyong’s name that followed him in both the preview and the first broadcast.
Because the reactions came from such an unexpected direction, he couldn’t even bring himself to click on a post blatantly titled [Is Gao Yan’s name important right now? When there’s ‘Kim Chunyong’?]
‘It has nothing to do with the contract with X, nor is it Liu Wei’s matter or Logan’s matter. I never imagined I’d end up worrying about something like this.’
Stuffing a chicken wing into his mouth, Kim Chunyong let out a deep sigh.
“No, what’s so wrong with the name Chunyong….”
Pfft.
-“Ah, seriously, don’t make me laugh while I’m drinking cola!”
“Kim Nari, are you saying my name is funny right now?!”
“Your victim complex is insane, seriously!”
While Kim Chunyong was unburdening his various worries to his family and gradually examining the talk about himself and the trainees’ reactions.
At one of Music Days’ offices, monitoring of *Targeting Star* was also underway.
* * *
Lee Hyeonjeong maintained an expressionless face as she closely examined the large screen before her.
There, Jang Siu was giving a brief interview after finishing his first ranking stage.
- “Going forward, I want to show you many good stages….”
Perhaps because the lighting in the individual interview room was slightly dark, Jang Siu’s beauty mark wasn’t standing out.
A bitter smile crossed Lee Hyeonjeong’s face as she quickly noted that and wrote the comment, “Adjust individual interview room lighting.”
“…
Bastard.”
“Still, it’s the first broadcast. We should make people pay attention to our kids.”
“Yes? But the editing is almost done already….”
“Are we in a normal relationship? We’re doing this to help each other. You can do at least this much. What’s editing, anyway? I provided our rough diamonds.”
How much the editing team had been torn apart due to Do Jaechan’s sudden “request” a week before the first broadcast.
“Guys. From now on, we’re re-editing all the parts with the AG homegrown kids.”
“Writer-nim, just kill me instead!”
Thus, the production team stuffed in an almost excessive amount of screen time for the AG trainees.
Because that was the only way CEO Do Jaechan would be satisfied.
And to some extent, it was also a show of force toward AG.
They wanted to see what effect the overflowing screen time for AG trainees would have.
[AG Trading Co. @HARDWARE_store
Our 47.5-second man is so good on stage, everyoneㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ #SonJaeha #Debut]
[Yeah @DANFOAKDFJ honestly Son Jaeha is acknowledged; I thought he was just a visual but he sings well and dances well too]
[BlackCatKiller @BLACK_catneeeero OK from today I’m betting my life on baby kitten Siu♡ immediately on, gonna buy a camera]
[Title: Ji Hwaseong Is Fucking Insane
Author: anon
Views: 3059 (HOT!)
A 19-year-old blond guy who does his own mixing and even a self-written rap on top of that? I have to vote for this man fuck…
Guys, remember this. *Targeting Star* blond high schooler Ji Hwaseong]
[⎿ Honestly An Jinwu’s face is more my type though;;]
[⎿ (Author) Ah, just vote for Ji Hwaseong on Mom’s phone and An Jinwu on your phoneㅡㅡ]
“Whew. Cute, so cute.”
Going by this alone, it was proceeding according to Do Jaechan’s intention.
But Lee Hyeonjeong knew this wasn’t the entirety of the reactions.
Her finger moved toward the upper left of her phone.
A members-only bulletin board that she hadn’t bothered entering when only the preview had been uploaded.
When she entered the screenshot-prohibited board with a Music Days account that had ranked up by posting three or more posts and twenty or more comments, hidden posts began to appear.
[But isn’t the AG homegrown narrative push too much? A bit disgusting ;; Like they already huddled together among themselves]
[⎿ I know right… Didn’t they say only strong stones survive? But we don’t even have time to see the other stones lololol]
[⎿ Seriously, isn’t the blatant neglect of other agency and individual trainees too much?? Seeing it like this makes me want to cheer for the other trainees instead]
[No but basically are they that much better compared to other agency trainees? I don’t know lol it’s just AG special treatment]
It wasn’t just the community.
On SNS, where it was easier to wear the mask of anonymity, even more scathing posts poured out.
[Yeah @FNPAPOWEJDFA #TargetingStar #AGTrainee I don’t buy forced narrative pushing. I don’t consume. I don’t cheer. AG boycott.]
[YouDieIDie @killlllkillll An Jinwu, what’s with his fang? It’s so different from the photos? And that’s an AG homegrown lol the level tells you everything, right?]
[⎿ Crazy bastard, that personal attack is insane lololol]
[⎿ Ah, this is the true charm of watching survival shows lololol]
“Haha….”
Lee Hyeonjeong pressed the back button with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
The production team had expected all these posts in advance, but that didn’t make them easy to read.
Because they were not merely criticisms but denunciations directed at trainees they had spent two months watching.
…Written by people who had watched them for five to ten minutes at best.
‘Still, I have to look. We’re people who survive on public reactions. If I don’t look? I’ll be culled!’
These things too eventually became viral marketing for the broadcast, and became ratings.
It was a fact Ju Cheolyeong had told her.
‘Well. Anyway, it’s true that having more screen time is better than none. I haven’t done that much wrong. Those kids probably like this too.’
She widened her tired eyes and calmly examined the reactions toward other trainees as well.
[ILikeBritishMen @logaaaanUKUK (Video) (Views 27K)
I made a new account because of him… A British guy playing guitar and singing an original song on a Korean male idol survival show, how is that real, insane, but his screen time is so short fuck these damn broadcasting bastards]
[No but Seong Wonhyeop really went through such a hard trainee life… Cut from debut group twice and then a survival show? If it were me I’d just cry while studying for civil service. You can really do anything, Wonhyeop-ah]
[⎿ They should have shown this kid for longer ㅠㅠ]
The evaluations of trainees who received editing with far less push than the AG trainees were certainly more plain.
Because rather than focusing on narrative, they showed the stage performance itself.
[Yeah @DNAAPEJFK (Video) (Views 5.4K)
Ah fuck watching a male idol survival show because of my younger sibling and this bastard is so funny ㅠㅠ Didn’t prepare any accompaniment or dance but so damn confident… I really don’t know about these idol aspirants these days]
[⎿ How is even his name Gao Yan ㅠㅠ]
Most of the negative opinions that mainly revolved around foreign trainees or trainees with short careers were simply trying to get SNS reactions accompanied by laughter.
And among them, there was one trainee who drew a slightly more cult-like response.
[Title: Is Gao Yan’s name important right now? When there’s ‘Kim Chunyong’?
Author: Eojjeoljjeojjeol
Views: 67224
(Picture) (Picture)
An idol trainee’s name is Kim Chunyong? It’s seriously so fucking annoying, insane
And he got utterly roasted by Min Siyeong… His future looks bleak lololol He’s not even crazy handsome like Son Jaeha and has a bit of a delinquent look so ㅠ Doesn’t it totally split preferences? The SShu unnies are already doing parodies based on looks alone, right?]
Kim Chunyong, who bore PD Ju’s full expectations.
Lee Hyeonjeong focused on his name and read down the post.
‘For all the expectations PD-nim had, it seems like nothing but bad words…’
But when she checked the comments on that post, Lee Hyeonjeong couldn’t help but widen her tired eyes into circles.
[For being like that, Jin Dasol likes him to death? Honestly, I liked him too…]
[⎿ (Author) So like honestly I like talent freaks so I took to him… And that delinquent look kinda has demand lol]
[⎿ Isn’t Min Siyeong’s evaluation basically viral marketing? Rather, everyone will remember him as the trainee who got cursed at by Min Siyeong lolol]
[Totally agree. His name is Kim Chunyong and he even got ripped apart by Min Siyeong, but he received passionate courtship from Jin Dasol < Star quality is.
In.
Sane]
‘…
It’s not that bad either, is it?’
[Chunmyeodeulda… @springdardar
No, I made an account without realizing because I’m seeping in crazy who is Kim Chunyong why do I keep watching him]
From posts declaring they’d become fans without realizing it.
[Nalbomireu @NBML__0000 #TargetingStar #KimChunyong #Yongyong (Video)
Come see Chunyong, the hidden gem who was surprised to receive praise from dancer Jin Dasol ♡]
…To “pure fan” accounts already waging fierce promotional wars.
Of course, they couldn’t compare to the AG trainees, but they were completely different from the utterly flat reactions.
In other words, just like PD Ju had said….
“Writer. A star is someone who makes both haters and fans go crazy!”
Just like those words.
‘For Trainee Kim Chunyong to really get reactions like this… Is this why PD-nim is called the Midas hand of survival programs?’
Lee Hyeonjeong’s scrolling slowly stopped.
It was an anonymous conversation about the program itself, not the trainees.
[Hey Targeting Star seems better than I thought? First of all there are only 18 so you don’t need to memorize so many omg]
[Do I need to install the voting app for this? Give me the link if you have it]
[Ah! Why are the commercials so long hurry up and give us episode 2 insane]
[⎿ I think this person will come to the fan voting groups when one episode gets released each week]
“…At this rate, won’t *Targeting Star* really come out with the highest ratings among Music Days survival shows?”
Hyunjeong thought of the long vacation that lay ahead of her and giggled wearily.
She had already forgotten the scathing reactions toward the trainees.
‘Boracay, or maybe Cebu… Anyway, I must go somewhere I can’t hear Korean.’
“Episode one came out pretty well. The ratings are good, right?”
“Ah, PD-nim.”
Ju Cheolyeong, who had suddenly approached behind her without her noticing, also had a quite satisfied look on his face.
“See, this is how you have to edit to get reactions. Making the kids fight from the start, that stuff is useless.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. You have to make them love them first, then make them fight. We just need to start showing it slowly from episode two according to our plan. It was a good call to shove all the conflict elements into episode two.”
Ju Cheolyeong, who had been repeatedly stroking his chin, spoke to Hyunjeong with a suddenly thoughtful expression.
“…No calls from the AG side yet? Like, CEO Do Jaechan. Or someone from their new talent development team.”
“They’re probably all monitoring the live broadcast, so I think they’ll call after it ends. Besides, since we gave the AG kids plenty of screen time, I don’t think they’ll kick up a fuss.”
“That’s a relief. Maybe because episode one is airing now, I’m starting to get nervous….”
The moment PD Ju finished speaking, the phone in Hyunjeong’s hand rang loudly.
Two pairs of eyes fixed on it, and both Ju Cheolyeong and Lee Hyeonjeong made awkward faces.
“…Damn it all.”
Speak of the devil.
[AG Director Shin Giho]
The tiger had arrived.