Chapter 90

Clattering Cottage (2)

“What… what is this…?”

I was so taken aback that I started to stutter. I had wanted to congratulate them on filming a NewTube ad, but I was completely flustered. To greet the viewers with various cries right from the first scene of the ad?

“Why is your expression so calm? Huh?”

They were maintaining an expression that was not just calm but also shameless, engaging in some incomprehensible dialogue.

Ham Eun-woon was a cat, Park Ha was a dog, Chorok was a fox, Seohoon was a panda, Ji-on was a tiger, and O-ran was wearing a rabbit headband. It seemed that each of them was making the sound of the animal they were portraying.

With a pose that roughly translated to “Let’s go!” or “Let’s start!,” the Theora members took off their headbands and started putting on their mascot masks.

“Mascot masks? Mascot masks in a game ad?”

The mascot costumes seemed to be custom-made to simply represent the game characters. But still, they were just mascot masks. The cute faces of the masks, which doubled as hats, were at least a relief.

As the Theora members put on their mascot masks, the background changed to a warm, forest-like setting typical of a healing mobile game. A narration appeared on the screen in large subtitles.

【Social Casual Healing Mobile Game! ☆★Smile Farm Village★☆】

The background CG, which changed according to the movements of the members transformed into game characters, was seamlessly natural.

“Seriously, if they have such high-quality CG, why make the kids wear mascot masks?”

It was clearly a deliberately shot ad. The dissonance between the high-quality CG and the low-quality mascot masks made it hard to evaluate.

The Theora members, moving against the game background, must have put all their effort into suppressing their laughter during the shoot. Especially O-ran was making a “kyaruruk” sound very well.

“Turns out, O-ran, who seems timid, is the bravest of all?”

When Ham Eun-woon, wearing a cat mask, stretched out her hand, a farming tool similar to a plow appeared with a “poof.” She picked it up and started farming.

Seohoon, the panda, shook a tree to pick fruit, and Ji-on, the tiger, lounged around in a cabin. O-ran, wearing a rabbit mask, set up a stall to do business, and Park Ha, the dog, was seen building a structure. The highlight was Chorok, the fox.

Chorok, the fox, seemed to be running for election, wearing a sash and standing in front of various animal characters.

“Guild? Is there a small community type like that?”

Even in the short scene, the game was explained thoroughly. Despite the lack of any actual dialogue.

“…This works?”

【Pre-order now with Theora’s voices!】

The short mid-ad ended before the absurdity had fully sunk in. I was so engrossed that I forgot to skip it.

It was a B-grade ad that I would have watched attentively even if Theora hadn’t appeared. Probably, regular NewTube users would feel the same.

The 20-second ad felt too short.

‘If they uploaded the unedited version, it would be even more fun.’

As if the ad production company had read my mind, when I searched for “Theora ad,” “Smile Farm Village! Theora ver. (unedited version)” appeared.

“This is it!”

It seemed they had anticipated the fans’ thoughts and showed some guts by uploading the unedited version along with the ad.

A subtitle appeared at the beginning of the scene like a warning.

【This video was uploaded with Theora’s post-approval (?▽?)/】

“Post…? Not pre-approval?”

If they had post-approval, it meant the content that followed was filmed without the members knowing they were being recorded.

When I clicked on the unedited version, I realized that the ad was a sanitized version. The footage started with the Theora members practicing before the ad shoot, and the calmness seen in the ad was nowhere to be found. Their reactions to seeing the mascot masks were vividly captured.

They were talking to a muscular man who seemed to be the manager before starting the shoot with a determined attitude, like soldiers heading to war.

Once the shoot began, the members, unfamiliar with the mascot masks, kept falling and rolling, causing NGs.

Especially when Seohoon, pushed by Park Ha, stumbled and did a backflip to land, I had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.

“Is he a stuntman…?”

Even with a script, the action was hard to pull off. It was unbelievable that they could improvise like that.

The applause from the crew could be heard, but the other Theora members were just watching blankly. It showed how accustomed they were to such scenes.

‘The more I know, the more eccentric they seem.’

Surprisingly, the animal sounds each member made were a series of praises. Despite just “nya” and “woof” sounds, the pitch, tone, and intensity varied, making it possible to guess what they were saying.

‘Their expressiveness is so good. They really are singers.’

The animal sounds, designed to be cute rather than realistic, were increasingly addictive.

“Wouldn’t it be great if they released a Theora voice dub version?”

The game company might consider it, but first, they would need to prove the promotional effect of the ad.

The ad concept was so absurd that it didn’t require outstanding acting, leading to a series of OKs. As a result, the shoot was completed quickly.

Checking the length of the uncut version uploaded to NewTube, it was less than an hour. Without changing locations, they had to pass each performance to complete the shoot.

“They really worked hard.”

Seeing this made me want to reject the idea of being an idol. It was an extreme job that required all sorts of bizarre experiences.

‘I need to start living more seriously from tomorrow.’

While reflecting, my fingers were searching for other Theora videos.

This was the period when they were full of zeal. Watching the enthusiastic Theora members gave me a boost.

This feeling should be shared with others. Even while feeling stimulated to live more seriously, I was aimlessly searching for more content, feeling parched.

If Theora continues to work hard like this, even those who are negative about idols might change their minds.

Others should know how cute the Theora members are, but it was frustrating that many still didn’t.

Fortunately, due to the popular video on NewTube, Theora’s title track was rising in the music charts. But that alone was far from enough.

Was I so absorbed in my thoughts that I lost track of my actions?

When I posted on my SNS account, it turned out to be a public account that analyzes idol songs!

“Ah!”

Because my favorite idols often changed, I had been running an account that only dealt with “music” for a long time. But I had posted something that favored a specific idol.

All my followers must have known that the account owner was a Theora fan.

I deleted the post as soon as I noticed the mistake, but the notifications had already gone out.

“Ugh….”

I wanted to be known as someone who simply enjoys idol songs, but it seemed that being an idol fan wasn’t my nature.

I sighed and roughly rubbed my face. What could I do about something that had already happened….

Comments started pouring in on a post about Theora’s title track, filled with “keyeok” comments. I flipped my phone over after checking them.

“Right! I didn’t do anything wrong, so I don’t need to be scared!”

I tried to rationalize and move on.

But soon, I had to pay the price for underestimating the influence of my account, known as an “idol song expert.”

* * *

After being drawn into Theora by Ham Eun-woon, I became a fan of all the members. The “21st Verse,” a recent active fan, was also a social media influencer.

She first encountered Theora through an SNS post.

Recently, the name “Theora” had been frequently mentioned. An incident where someone posted a mistake on an account that specializes in idol songs, revealing they were a Theora fan, had gone viral.

While browsing SNS as usual, she discovered an illustration of incredible skill.

“Wow! What talented artist drew this?”

As she was about to scroll past in admiration, she noticed something odd. She realized it was a real person, not a realistic drawing.

Even if it were a legendary dollmaker’s creation, it would be more believable than a human having such an appearance.

‘And this person actually exists in reality? In this small Korea!’

It was a result of human perseverance over countless years.

Falling for an idol for the first time was instantaneous.

At first, she denied it, saying she wasn’t captivated by a much younger boy. But soon, she found herself searching for Ham Eun-woon’s photos.

She had to admit it. She had entered the world of fandom, something she had never done even in her school days.

Once she acknowledged her love for idols, it felt like entering a new world. It was even more joyful than a crush.

Even without meeting them in person, just the fact that she liked someone gave her the energy to live each day.

While posting daily photos as an influencer, she noticed a change in her followers’ reactions.

– You must have something good going on

– Are you Hambo? ♥♥ You look so happy!

– Marry me, sis…

– I’m glad you had a good day (laugh emoji) hihii

Just a few photos and a short word, and they could tell.

‘Was it that obvious?’

Thinking that her positive mood was conveyed to her followers made her feel even more fond of Theora. She regretted not getting into fandom earlier, knowing its effects.

Perhaps because she was so deeply into Theora, she became overly excited and let her guard down.

She had displayed Theora’s albums and photobooks, which she had bought for appreciation, storage, and collection, and inadvertently posted a daily photo.

– Sis, hahaha

– You’re a Theora fan…?

– Cute

– Sis, you liking the same idol as me is so cool!!!

She only realized her mistake when she checked the comments later. The Theora album was clearly visible in the corner of the photo. She couldn’t understand why she hadn’t noticed the inconsistency while editing.

‘Should I delete it now…?’

There’s a reason why people who like idols pretend to be regular people. Accidentally outing oneself like this…

As an influencer, she usually posted high-end cosmetic-related photos, which made her dilemma even deeper.

“What do I do now?”

She had no one to consult with. It was unlikely that anyone else had made such a foolish mistake.

Unexpected help came from an unexpected place.

“Hmm…? If I play this right, I can spin it as a promotion?”

Deciding to promote Theora was a wise decision. Building a relationship with the entertainment company’s PR team could be beneficial in the long run. It could also be an opportunity to explode her follower count.

‘And maybe, just maybe, I’ll get a chance to meet Theora in person?’

This thought made her especially happy, but she decided to keep it under wraps.