Chapter 5: The Staff Smasher’s Dilemma

[Entertainment Board] Staff Smasher, Stage Smasher, My Bank Account Smasher

First off, I’m just going to laugh my ass off.

(A photo of a gentle-looking man with black hair staring at the camera with a bewildered expression.)

What is this?!

I was messing around before our oppas came on, but then I took a quick glance. Their visuals were so insane that I literally just stared, completely mesmerized.

Wow, that’s genuinely hilarious. I’ve never seen anyone break a prop on stage before. That staff looked incredibly sturdy; just how hard was he dancing?

Hahaha, I absolutely lost it. I’ve never heard of this agency before, but they won’t be buried like this. The staff concept is innovative, but that last part looked so utterly bewildered.

Yet, if you look closely, his eye corners are downturned, making him incredibly cute. Ugh, aren’t there any fancams circulating? Now I’m just loving our oppas out of loyalty.

(Comments)

—He’s so incredibly cute…

—What’s his name?

—That’s Yeon. The one who sang ‘Moonlight Palace.’ Yeah.

—?

—That Yeon? Don’t start watching from the middle; you have to see it from the very beginning.

—How could you miss the most important part? Hahahaha.

—His mistake is heartbreaking, but it’s the first time I’ve ever burst out laughing during a music show. ‘Snap!’ they said, ‘Snap!’

—Isn’t that the sound of the stage breaking? Hahaha. His pupils were practically shaking.

—This is Hari! He’s the maknae of Daon!

—(A candid photo of all the members standing together)

I rarely take photos of anyone other than our oppas, but I was completely entranced. Their visuals are no joke; they truly have god-given faces. This is legendary.

They look like actors, so why are they idols here?

—No, they’re model-level.

—And they can sing too? Isn’t that cheating? LOL.

—Agreed, agreed. Where are all those people whose oppas were ‘model-idols’? If *that’s* a model-idol, what are *these* guys? It’s a completely different dimension.

—Don’t troll. Our oppas *are* model-idols, and they *were* models. They have many model friends. Don’t post slander about other people’s oppas; don’t sow discord.

—Sow discord >> Incite discord.

—Nobody said ‘Satan,’ but oh, you’re stung, aren’t you? Annoyed, aren’t you?

—It’s not ‘Satan,’ it’s ‘Evil.’ Their fans dislike being called that. Let’s not do things that bring Daon negative attention.

—Let’s talk after you change your profile picture, kid…

—Oh, sh*t…

—I’m speechless. I thought he was small, but he’s 178 cm. I thought he just had good proportions, but… oh. Our tallest oppa is 178 cm. I feel a bit sad.

—Kids these days… are so… tall…

—Oh… damn it.

—Hahaha, I totally relate to that comment. The moment I saw it, that’s what I thought. I was mesmerized by his face, then sighed when I saw the staff.

—Hahaha, no, seriously, Yeon has *this* face? You conquered the world with your voice, and now you’re just tearing noonas’ hearts apart.

—I genuinely can’t believe it. I just joined their fan cafe, oh my goodness.

—…With… such… a fine… face… you shouldn’t… be… so… flirtatious… When… an adult… speaks… there’s… always… a reason…! Who… told you… to… shake… your body… so… shamelessly…?

—Hari just turned twenty…

—My… peers… are still… studying… for the college entrance exam!

—This country’s future…

—(3 candid photos of the members)

—They’re so handsome.

—Ah, sh*t, seriously.

—Ah… thank you, thank you. T_T

—It’s so hard to find their photos. Why did I only become a fan now?

—Noona has her empty bank account ready. (Puts in a straw)

—Noona has her life ready.

****

[Free Board] Daon’s Legendary Stage

Seriously, whose idea was this this time?

The way the performance connected to the acting award was brilliant.

One stage silenced all the speculation and controversy.

(Comments)

—It’s been so long since their last stage, so to come out with such intense preparation, I’m just grateful. T_T

—The reaction seems really good this time.

—T_T The reaction or whatever, it was truly insane.

—Didn’t you all see his eyelashes tremble as the string came undone? How can he make such an expression? He’s truly a master of facial expressions. Wow, he’s the epitome of sorrow. T_T

—But it’s a similar string to ‘Moonlight Palace,’ yet the feeling is different. On the comeback stage, he looks stronger? I don’t know, damn it, I just love it.

—He’s truly insane…

—Ha… T_T Our maknae…

—I bet all the drama fans became Hari’s fans this time, LOL.

—Seriously, I did too, LOL.

—Bullsh*t.

—?

****

Daon performed on stage several more times after that. The response remained fervent. No one had anticipated such attention for a small, unknown agency.

Whenever agency staff saw them, they would joke, “Don’t break the stage this time,” or “Just the stage, please,” as they passed by.

‘The Staff’

‘Yeon’s’

‘Staff’

Reporters often called Hari by the nickname ‘Staff Smasher.’ Sometimes, articles would even focus more on the staff’s destruction than on Yeon themselves.

Hari felt embarrassed by the nickname when he read the articles, but the CEO was immensely proud. He even suggested that Hari, who had planned to promote under his birth name, consider ‘Staffy’ as his stage name.

‘Isn’t Staffy cute too?’

However, Hari, who usually followed the CEO’s instructions obediently, turned pale and objected for the first time, ending the suggestion as a mere happening.

Daon experienced days unlike any they had known in the past two years.

‘Yeon’ and ‘The Staff Smasher’ had given Daon wings.

Interest in ‘Yeon’ was particularly intense. Requests for interviews and appearances on YouTube poured in. Despite a significant amount of time passing since the drama concluded, its popularity remained red-hot.

Especially with behind-the-scenes footage continuously being released on YouTube and social media, it seemed this popularity would be sustained for a while. In any case, it was welcome news for Daon.

In the past few days, fan cafe memberships had exploded, transforming the company atmosphere into a festive one. Furthermore, the awards ceremony performance video had spread overseas via social media, causing the number of followers on their official accounts to increase rapidly.

Jung Ihyeon’s significant popularity abroad played a major role in this.

“After this, we’re going to the radio, and then there’s an interview.”

“Where?”

“I think they’re renting a studio. It’s just a simple one, so don’t worry. You memorized the questionnaire I gave you earlier, right?”

“Yes, we’ve all studied it thoroughly.”

Even amidst their hectic schedule, offers for appearances kept coming in. While not numerous, there were quite a few calls for variety show appearances. Most of these offers centered around Hari, but some also sought out other members.

Their consistent and diligent activity, even on small broadcasts, had evidently earned them trust.

Se-an, in particular, was the most proactive among the members when it came to variety shows. Although he hadn’t appeared on any major variety shows in the two years since their debut, he had diligently participated in occasional cable broadcasts.

Consequently, Se-an was thrilled whenever calls for variety show appearances flooded in. The agency, therefore, scheduled variety show activities primarily around Se-an.

Of course, broadcasters wanted to cast Yeon, but Daon’s side largely refused, citing schedule conflicts. Their reasoning was that talk-centric variety shows these days pushed people too hard, and Hari would not be able to handle it.

Instead, they actively accepted offers for short appearances or variety shows that didn’t require much talking.

However, even Daon received an offer they couldn’t refuse. It was a call from a major terrestrial variety show called ‘Owner of the Farm.’

This program involved staying on a farm for two days and one night. It was both healing and entertaining, resulting in consistently high viewership ratings.

Considering the conditions, it was an unparalleled opportunity.

The problem, however, was that this variety show offer also centered around Hari.

Hari had variety show phobia.

****

“…Have you thought about the offer?”

The manager stared intently at Hari, their eyes wide. Perhaps because Hari had been pulled away from practice and rest, he looked scruffier than usual, making the manager’s heart waver.

They had entered an unused meeting room, so the cold winter air bit directly into their skin. Seeing Hari’s sweat-drenched forehead, the manager sighed softly and turned on the heater.

“Come here and sit down.”

“…Yes.”

Hari sat on the chair, subtly avoiding the manager’s persistent gaze.

“…So. Have you thought about it?”

“…Not yet…”

“It’s a really good program. Everyone in the industry knows that the people there are all excellent.”

The manager, who would usually back down, was uncharacteristically unyielding this time. Hari understood the reason why, and thus he hesitated, unable to voice a refusal.

Opportunities to appear on popular terrestrial variety shows like ‘Owner of the Farm’ were rare. If Daon appeared on ‘Owner of the Farm,’ they could make a significant impression on the public.

Hari knew all too well how important this was.

Despite such a golden opportunity, Hari found himself unable to make a decision easily, constantly hesitating.

“I… I’m not confident, hyung.”