Chapter 53

"Lacking in teases"

Despite several incidents pouring in over a few days, the Theora members diligently continued their practice. They usually lived in the practice room, so it wasn't anything special.

Even if the surrounding situation troubled the members, they decided to focus on their work and think about their problems.

"Absolutely, we can't let those who wish for our downfall get their way."

"Agreed! But what can we do?"

All the pre-debut schedules that were set in advance were already over. From now on, we had to carve out our own path.

"We might be able to secure local festivals, fairs, or small events."

For an unknown new idol, even one schedule was a blessing.

According to our manager, it was fortunate that such schedules were gradually coming in. By handling these, we could gradually increase our recognition.

"What about cameo appearances?"

"Cameo? That would be great!"

Green, who had a wide network in the entertainment industry, mentioned cameo appearances, which meant he was confident he could secure some schedules. Parkha, delighted, asked if it would be for a drama or a movie.

"Probably a movie? We can't all appear, but it might be possible for two of us."

"Among us, Sehoon and... hmm. Who can go and at least make an impression? It would be best if it could raise awareness of Theora."

Parkha didn't mention her own name first. She didn't forget that our goal was to raise Theora's recognition.

New idols should focus on increasing the group's recognition rather than individual recognition.

If one member's recognition becomes disproportionately high, it could disrupt the group's balance.

If only one member gets attention, they might become a target of jealousy or distance. Of course, our members wouldn't do that.

"If it were a variety show, I'd recommend Oran, but for acting, it's a bit more complicated."

Except for Sehoon, our acting skills were decent. For a cameo, which would be a brief appearance, we needed to choose a member who could make a strong impression.

"Either Parkha or Ewon would be good."

For some reason, Green recommended Parkha and me.

"Since you two have different vibes, we can decide based on the genre and role."

"True. As Sehoon said, how well the role syncs with the member is also important."

We accepted Green and Sehoon's opinions without any complaints.

* * *

After returning from the company, Oran and Green only told me that everything was well resolved.

They did bring up the topic of POT Entertainment when the members gathered, but it was a very brief summary.

The representative of POT Entertainment was reportedly unhappy with Theora, and the pressure level was not expected to be high. That was all the speculative information they shared.

Did they just skim the surface of the investigation? I didn't think so.

They definitely had more information from insiders but were keeping it hidden. If Green and Oran were hiding information, it was only to protect the other members.

If it were a company-level issue, they would have mentioned it. It might be a dirty story they didn't want to bring up, but...

I had a nagging feeling that I was somehow involved in this issue. After all, I was the only one among us who had any connection to POT Entertainment.

If I provided a pretext, and it caused harm to Theora...

Even if I could go back in time, I wouldn't join POT Entertainment as a trainee again. But I couldn't shake off the guilt towards the members.

The only thing I could do was to do my best to get through this crisis. There was no time for complaints.

"Whoever goes for the cameo must come back as a scene-stealer."

A scene-stealer. Even for experienced actors, it's not easy. To overshadow the main and supporting actors with acting skills and presence requires more than just ordinary acting prowess.

"I'll gather reference materials of scenes by actors mentioned as scene-stealers."

Sehoon, embarrassed by the members praising his acting skills, still offered to help prepare for the cameo appearance with sincerity.

Although others might see him as less prominent because he doesn't take the lead, Sehoon was like the sun to Theora. Colorless and odorless, but warmly embracing us.

"I need to take more private acting lessons. All of us."

We had paused our acting lessons after filming the music video, focusing on the stage because we were in the early stages of our activities.

But if we occasionally get opportunities to appear on TV or in dramas, it would be better to practice acting consistently.

"By discarding preconceptions and focusing on raising recognition, the possibilities are endless. If we don't mind the money, there will be people who want to cast us."

Green's perspective was that even if we appeared without pay, it would be beneficial for Theora. It would be like a free trial.

"For example?"

"For example, a genre close to a documentary where idols don't usually appear, like 'The Last Worker.' Or an independent film? Or a program or radio show with a higher age demographic, or a famous YouTuber's personal broadcast?"

"Ooh!"

It was a feasible alternative. Even if we don't get cast, the attempt itself would have meaning.

We might catch the eye of a director looking for fresh faces or someone who recognizes our desperation.

Suddenly, I remembered the actions of a manager I saw on a reality show.

"What if we go out and promote ourselves?"

The manager promoted his entertainer by handing out profile booklets and secured a casting.

It seemed to leave a good impression on the industry people, possibly because it was rare to see such proactive marketing. The fact that it was during a shoot might have helped.

What if we, Theora, approached and expressed our desire to appear?

"Would they find it burdensome?"

Green seemed to be seriously simulating the scenario in his head. I waited patiently for his answer while he rubbed his chin.

"It's possible. But in a pinch, they might at least think of us. It's rare to see such proactive idols."

"They might give us a chance out of pity. Even if they don't do us a favor."

Given the situation, Oran's comment didn't bother me. If they considered our appearance out of pity, we could use it to our advantage.

"Oran..."

"What? In our group, only you are sensitive to my tone, Sehoon."

"Really?"

"Really. How can you be so sensitive? Be glad you're a member of our group, crybaby."

Oran immediately engaged in a private conversation with Sehoon after adding his opinion. With multiple members, the topic often veered off.

Green, the leader, took on the role of organizing the unpredictable topics.

"Everyone, pay attention. If the response is poor, we can quit then. Let's try Ewon's suggestion first. Any objections?"

No one spoke up.

"The problem is that it's hard to show our songs or dances. We might end up with a variety show image. To maintain our identity as idols, it would be good to appear on music-related shows as well."

"Should we try that too, following Ewon's suggestion?"

"Should we go and beg the music show PDs?"

"Sure. Why not?"

We weren't in a position to be picky. As Oran said, to prevent Theora from sinking deeper, we had to do something.

"Instead of just begging for appearances, what if we offer to step in whenever there's a last-minute schedule change? If we can be an option in urgent situations?"

Oran's idea was to capitalize on urgent moments.

"In such situations, it won't matter if it's POT Entertainment or not."

POT Entertainment's influence in the broadcasting industry wasn't strong enough to prevent us from using this strategy. If they had tried to cut us off, we would have been helpless.

"Alright. Let's start tomorrow. I'll let the manager know in advance."

"Me! Me! I have something to say!"

Parkha, who had quietly accepted the meeting results, suddenly raised her hand.

"To increase our exposure, we need SNS!"

Recently, there's a trend of actively using SNS. The rapid spread of short texts, photos, and videos is immense. Currently, Theora only communicates through official accounts.

"Official accounts do post our photos and videos, but it's not enough! I checked, and Theora is lacking in teases!"

Tease. Originally, it means bait for fishing.

In the idol world, a tease refers to content that fans can enjoy, such as selfies or vlogs, encompassing all records of the idol that can attract fans.

"Hmm. I've seen such comments, but I didn't have the time to pay attention. Our seniors at the agency are also not very active on personal SNS."

Parkha borrowed Green's phone and was checking the fans' reactions.

Green was in charge of monitoring fan trends, so I hadn't paid much attention. He said he would filter out harmful comments to protect us from being hurt.

Parkha, nodding, seemed to have been secretly checking the fans' reactions. For the record, Oran, with his vibranium mental fortitude, rejected the idea of filtering.

"SNS and vlogs are good."

"What if we drop a tease bomb? We don't know what they'll like, so let's prepare a full spread!"

This is the 'I prepared everything because I don't know what you'll like' strategy. It's not a bad approach, as multi-member idol groups are often formed for this reason.

"Vlogs need preparation, so let's take it slowly... For SNS, if we can convince the manager, we might be able to create and manage personal accounts."

"Selfies! Let's take lots of photos and post them!"

The members readily agreed to take selfies.

Until then, we thought selfies were just a quick thing.

After Theora's debut, someone else always took photos for us, so this was our first time taking selfies. Following Parkha's suggestion to find an emotional background, Theora members decided to go outdoors. The manager, contacted, took us to a quiet cafe.

Why did he bring an action camera...?

While enduring Parkha and Green's endless instructions, we changed clothes and got in the car, driving to a quiet cafe.

It was a bit far from the practice room, but the garden was beautiful. The manager said it was a place a senior singer he used to manage often visited.

Why did the staff come along? Maybe because we had no schedules for a few days, the stylist and makeup artist looked refreshed.

"Do we really need to do this...?"

"Yes! We do!"

Before Ji-on could finish his sentence, Parkha firmly cut him off.

For the free-spirited rapper Ji-on, making a fuss over a selfie might seem uncool. But as a member of Theora, he had to participate.

"I'll show you an example first!"

The saying that good-looking people don't show desperation in selfies must be a lie. How great would the result be with Parkha's looks and desperation?

That day, Theora members had to meet a strict and picky selfie teacher.