Chapter 36

Preview

For idols, SNS was a means of communication. Posting about group comebacks, fan signing events, and minor news allowed fans to quickly and easily access the information, thus amplifying its impact.

At Hanul Entertainment, they created a group account for Theora. Individual accounts were left to personal discretion.

While entertainers often caused problems through SNS, Hanul Entertainment trusted their idols. The Theora members were known to be smart and ambitious.

They had often seen the members' diligent and ambitious sides during debut preparations and had a firm trust in Namchulok, the leader. They believed the members could prevent any issues from arising on their own.

While it was said that one shouldn't sell themselves based on personality, Theora was an idol group that made people want to sell their personality.

The official Theora accounts were set up on various SNS platforms. The official logo and silhouette photos of the members were uploaded.

When the photos were posted, notifications went out to those interested in Hanul Entertainment's artists and to journalists and industry insiders who were sensitive to entertainment news.

Anyone could tell that it was the logo and silhouettes of an idol group.

While rumors had been rampant about Hanul Entertainment launching a male idol group, this was the first official announcement. Below the logo, the album and music video release dates were prominently displayed, along with "COMING SOON."

The next photo showed six silhouettes with dates two days apart.

News articles about Hanul Entertainment launching a new boy group were also posted online.

And the next day.

A photo of Park Haju, who had a face that anyone could tell was handsome, was updated. It came with a brief description: "TEORRA, Park Ha, Lead Dancer/Sub-Vocalist."

– The representative visual of Hanul is here!

– Surprised by the face

– Looks like an actor, but he's an idol...? Dances and sings with this face... Delicious

└He had fans since his trainee days

└I need to lie down

– Park Ha was well-known among Seed fans for his good looks

└Finally, our Park Ha is here

└Now I'm glad he didn't join Seed

└Back then, people were mad that he didn't debut

└Switching to Theora? Seed has no future...

– Can I become a fan too...?

– We were middle school classmates; he was popular for being bright and cute.

– It's a bit disappointing it's not a video, but it's almost like a fashion spread?

└Okay

The first to be revealed was Park Ha, followed by Namchulok.

(Photos)(Photos)(Photos)(Photos)……

– Just looking at him, how did they know my taste...? Fox face

– Looks sharp when not smiling, but a fox when smiling

└If it were an anime, he'd be a squinty character

└I get it lol

– Looks like he could do modern dance choreography

└Dancer, but does his face resemble an actor?

└Good-looking people look like everyone

└Correct

– Looks gentle when smiling, but has charisma when not. The contrast is great

└Gentle, but not easily tamed. You know what I mean?

– Wow, his name confirms he's a male lead

– Wait, wasn't there a child actor named Seohun?

└Right, the chubby-cheeked child actor. I wouldn't have recognized him without the name

└He's become a sports team member

└We're probably the same age

– He's probably 20

└Thankful he's an adult. It eases my conscience

└Haha

– He grew up well. Good-looking idols are rare...

└Such idols should be preserved!

– Round name, round face

– This is the type that draws in fans

– Cute, cute, cute, cute

└Has dimples

└Rabbit or hamster type

└Clearly the cute member

– Want to pinch his cheeks. His eyes are so bright and cute

– He's a baby, I need to raise him

└Clunk, clunk

└Police officer, there's a dangerous person here!

– Wow... I think I'm becoming a fan. I can't stop looking at the photos

– I think I saw him on Show Me The Gold. An idol?

– His face looks three-dimensional, like a mixed-race person

└He's not mixed-race, as mentioned on Show Me The Gold

└Snake face, but with big eyes

– He's the main rapper, right? Hanul must be serious this time

└Seed couldn't match him in terms of skills

└Despite the noise, his skills were recognized

└So his skills are guaranteed?

└Probably

– Once you get hooked on such a person, you can't let go

And finally.

– I'm going to cleanse my eyes

└Okay

└Haha

– A friend of a friend is a Hanul trainee and said he immediately recognized his voice

└Such a precious visual? I'll eat him up!

└Heard he became a debut member right after joining the company

– Popular look, cold but handsome

└Good looks never go out of style!

– Hanul Entertainment is a face specialist this time

└They must be serious

– We'll wait for the songs and music videos, but for now, let's keep an eye on them

We were told that the Theora members would be revealed one by one through the official account, but we couldn't check the reactions.

Since we didn't know what kind of reactions would come, we were told not to check on our phones. The company would show us the situation when appropriate.

The company seemed worried about how the members would take the public's first evaluation. They were also prepared to respond if any issues arose.

Fortunately, there were no past scandals or negative comments. So the members were allowed to check the official Theora account.

“Wow! They say I'm handsome! Theora's visual! Of course! Wowww!”

Park Ha, who had the biggest and fastest reaction, read a few comments and then jumped into Seohun. Seohun, unfazed, held Park Ha steadily. He had done this many times before. Despite his muscular build, his strength remained.

“Not bad.”

Olan, despite the comments filled with compliments, remained calm. He didn't blush and analyzed which aspects were well-received.

“The people who commented seem nice.”

Overall, the comments were positive. There were a few negative ones, but they were negligible. It was surprising to see so many compliments, especially on an anonymous SNS platform.

“Judging by the visuals alone, we passed the test.”

“Chul, our profiles are going up today, right?”

“Yeah, let's check it out.”

The photos on SNS were concept photos for the album. Some had light makeup, but overall, they stuck to the album concept. The profile photos showed individual charm, similar to actor profiles.

“We're really close to debuting, aren't we?”

The colder weather made the impending debut feel even closer. The thought of debuting as an idol soon made my stomach churn. A mix of excitement, anticipation, and worry. I wondered if the other members felt the same, even if they didn't show it.

“Once the teasers come out, we'll debut.”

The album release date was January 12th, which was also our debut day. Since it was early in the new year, we had to focus solely on debut preparations during the end and beginning of the year.

“I heard from the staff that there's something else before the album release.”

Chul, our informant, brought up a new topic. Park Ha, who hadn't heard this from his close staff, had wide eyes.

“Huh?”

“There will be a special event before the debut.”

“Will we do a busking somewhere? We can't sing our own songs until then, right?”

Seohun's guess was quickly dismissed. Busking could help promote Theora, but they could only perform cover songs before the album release. It would be more effective to busk after the debut.

“They said it's ambitiously planned, but they won't tell us what it is.”

“I'm curious!”

It might be a new promotional method. The company usually consulted us on most business-related matters and shared new information, making Chul's mention of the event even more intriguing.

“Let's focus on our tasks and prepare. Everyone, get up.”

Theora's first schedule was the debut showcase. So the members were fully invested in practice, except for debut-related schedules. It was challenging, especially with the stage performances of the included songs. At least one song was a slow, emotional ballad, which was a relief.

Not long after, the official Theora channel was created on Newtube. We immediately subscribed and played the videos. There were three videos in total.

“There's not much content to post yet, right?”

The date for the teaser release hadn't arrived. Were these introduction videos? But three of them?

We quickly played the first video. With only one phone, we leaned in close to the screen.

The first video, as expected, was an introduction. The logo appeared, followed by a group photo. Then, the photos slid one by one, similar to the ones posted on SNS.

The second video showed us practicing. The manager had been filming, but we thought it was just to get us used to the camera. We didn't expect it to be posted as an official video.

Our dance practice, falls, and recording processes were dramatically edited.

The third video showed our daily lives. Eating, sleeping, and playing around.

Seeing ourselves from a third-person perspective was different. Was this really us? I felt like a playful puppy.

“I didn't expect this. I thought they'd emphasize our singing, dancing, and rapping skills...”

“I was sure it would be posted. Fans would find it interesting.”

“Haha. I thought you knew, Won.”

Was it just my misunderstanding? Olan and Chul seemed to know. If fans liked it, it should be posted, but “I thought the manager's camera skills were too amateurish and the videos wouldn't be used...”

According to the members, the manager wasn't skilled with the camera, but even amateur footage could be edited well. The important thing was to capture our natural selves, so the manager was the one filming.

“So, everyone knew except me.”

The members didn't deny it. Seohun comforted me, saying the lack of awkwardness made it cuter. I noticed Olan's tone softened whenever the manager held the camera. I should have noticed.

Still, if someone likes it, I'll think positively. As an idol, if fans like something, we should work hard for it!