"Why wouldn't I…" Jung Min-an nearly blurted out "Why wouldn't I dare", but the words caught in his throat.
Among the many intense fanbases in South Korea's entertainment world, none were more volatile than The Apostles. Whether it stemmed from their constant clashes with mainstream media or just sheer fanaticism, one wrong move could set them off.
Jo Kwon sneered, "This is your idea of courage, Min-an?"
"You want to put on a powerful performance or not?" Their team leader, Lee Jun-seok, cut in. His sharp tone silenced the brewing argument for now.
"Heh. Four morons", thought Jang Tae-hwan as he watched the others fight like an outsider. He was the second youngest in the group, with the lowest popularity. Not only was he invisible in public perception, but even within the group, he was regularly bullied.
That whole "team spirit" fans liked to rave about? Just an act.
"Should I mess up my part on purpose?" he wondered. It wasn't that he liked Chinese idols—most Korean celebrities didn't appreciate Chinese stars swaggering through Seoul. But if he had to choose, he disliked his own team more.
Still, better not. Last time, Lee Soo-hyun was punished just for being slow to pick up Chinese pronunciation. They made him drink tea with a cigarette butt and spit in it before letting him off. Tae-hwan didn't want to imagine what they'd do to him if he slipped up.
"Looks like we won't be seeing Jo Kwon lose three times in a row after all." A little sigh of regret welled up in his chest.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A loud knock interrupted the silence. A man's voice followed. "Mr. Jo Kwon, may we come in?"
In an instant, the room's atmosphere flipped. The whole team put on smiles like flipping a switch. Lee Soo-hyun pulled over a stool and sat beside the leader, playing up the fan-favorite "leader x maknae" dynamic. Jang Tae-hwan also sat down. Jung Min-an helped Jo Kwon tidy up his stage costume. Jo Kwon, ever the aloof cool type, managed a show of brotherhood.
"Of course, come in." Jo Kwon stood to greet the guest.
The door opened. In came the host and a camera crew. This was a variety show shoot, after all. Even if the venue was the Red Pavilion, it wasn't going to be all music like Rock Night. They needed some behind-the-scenes content to fill the episode.
"Mr. Jo Kwon, everyone's here," said Hu Xiaodong, stepping in with a bright smile. "We have a little pre-show game for you."
Hu Xiaodong, a veteran host from Mango TV, was in his thirties and known for his superb stage control. Being a top-tier host, he could take freelance jobs as long as the pay was good.
"Our game is simple," Hu said, stepping aside to reveal a small AI robot holding a plastic basin filled with colorful ping pong balls. "Each of you will draw a ball, and inside is a card with a question."
Why did they keep using these creepy little robots? Jo Kwon grimaced inwardly. The square-faced things looked eerily like the flat-featured ghosts from Korean folklore. They always unsettled him.
"Jun-seok-hyung, you go first," Jo Kwon said.
"Alright." Lee Jun-seok casually picked a ball. Everyone knew the questions had been pre-approved anyway. No surprises here.
"Soo-hyun, Tae-hwan, you pick too," he added, maintaining their 'one big happy family' image.
In reality, building personas was a trick borrowed from Hollywood. Of course Korean idols would follow the American model closely.
Each ball was printed with the iQIYI logo. Don't underestimate them either—they'd be sold to fans for fifty yuan each after the show as commemorative merchandise.
It's worth noting the entire GZ group spoke Korean. Hu Xiaodong spoke Mandarin, so they communicated through a live translator.
"Let's see what we've got," Hu said, opening the first ball. The card read:
'Can you reveal anything about the new song for the finals?'
"Mr. Jo Kwon, anything you can share?"
"Our new song will be the group's very first in Chinese," Jo Kwon revealed, dropping a bombshell.
Hu Xiaodong's mind raced. These guys were going all out just to win the finals. Not only had they brought their full lineup, they were even aiming straight at the wallet: a Chinese-language track to maximize appeal.
Things weren't looking good for Chu Zhi.
"Oh? Then that's definitely something to look forward to," Hu replied with a polite smile.
Notice something? While other artists were referred to as "Teacher," Jo Kwon was called "Mr." That change stemmed from a controversy during a previous show. After fans protested the use of "Teacher" for foreign celebrities, producers switched to the more neutral, international "Mr." The subtitles simply said "Sir."
The three questions wrapped up quickly. Once Jo Kwon drew for his performance order, Hu Xiaodong moved on to the next dressing room.
He knocked on Koguchi Yoshihiro's door. No answer.
He turned to the cameraman stationed at the door. "Where's Mr. Koguchi?"
"He went to visit Mr. Chu along with a famous singer he invited from Japan," the cameraman replied honestly.
"What? The show's about to start, and instead of prepping in his room, he took his guest star to visit a competitor?"
With a helpless sigh, Hu signaled for the camera crew to follow him to Chu Zhi's room.
Inside Chu Zhi's dressing room:
"Let me introduce you," said Koguchi Yoshihiro. "This is the angelic Chu Zhi-san."
"Angelic man?What kind of nickname was that?" Chu Zhi resisted the urge to roll his eyes but still greeted her politely. "Nice to meet you, Miss Suzuki."
"I'm a huge fan, Chu-san. I really admire you," said Suzuki Kana.
Suzuki Kana, age twenty-nine, was unnaturally sweet-looking, her large, doe-like eyes brimming with charm. She was the center and lead vocalist of the Japanese group Oak 21. In China, she had plenty of fans from the platinum wave fandom. She'd also starred as the second female lead in a hit drama. Clearly, Koguchi was banking on her crowd appeal.
And with a mostly female audience in attendance—who wouldn't love a gorgeous, energetic girl?
"My fan?" Chu Zhi blinked, puzzled.
"You didn't know?" Kana fluttered her eyelashes. "You're pretty popular in Japan too. Because of your angelic looks, they call you 'Tenshi Otoko Chu Zhi'—the Angel Boy."
When it came to cuteness and raw energy, Japanese idols knew how to deliver. In a street interview once, a girl admitted that they exaggerated gestures and dragged syllables on purpose. Why? "Because guys like girls who act like that."
"Angel boy. Could've been worse", Chu Zhi thought. At least it wasn't demon-faced man.
"Where's your performance partner, Chu-san?" Koguchi asked, concerned.
As they chatted, stage crew finalized the lighting and safety checks. The audience was already taking their seats.
To prevent fights between the "Little Fruits" and Korean fans, organizers had seated them in separate sections. Any conflict would reflect poorly on the show.
"Mr. Chu, it's time to draw for your stage slot," Hu Xiaodong said, continuing the day's program.
"How do I do that?" Chu Zhi asked.
"Just tap the button on screen labeled 'iQIYI loves you' to draw," Hu replied.
Another weird drawing method. Chu Zhi tapped the screen—[1]
"I'm up first?" he murmured. In all the shows he'd done, he'd never gone first before.
"If you don't want to be first, I can switch with you," Koguchi offered gallantly. "I'll draw my order after."
What kind of over-the-top flattery was this? Even Hu Xiaodong was caught off guard. Going first was rough. The audience wasn't warmed up, and you had no benchmark to gauge your own performance.
"I don't mind going first," Chu Zhi said. He was more worried the later acts wouldn't be able to follow. He was strong, after all.
"Then let's draw for Mr. Koguchi next," Hu Xiaodong said. Since they were all in the same room, might as well keep the flow going.
Koguchi drew third. GZ group was placed second. And Chu Zhi had been locked in at number one.
Was it luck, or was the order just another stunt by the producers?