I’m a Genius Idol but my Passive is Sunfish Chapter 36
The time was summer. It was probably around this time last year.
She had followed a friend, who was a homma for AIM’s Yeonha, to the ID building. She had complained about why anyone would take photos of idols in this killing heat, but she stayed by her friend’s side anyway.
There was no other reason. She had simply been bribed with the promise of fried chicken.
While her friend took photos, she just had to stand in front of a tripod with a camcorder attached. Easy-peasy.
When they arrived at the scene, she saw many people like her. People looking around, unable to focus, clearly the same type as her.
She heard they had turned some street in Gangnam into a ‘K-POP Street’, and since it happened to be in front of the ID building, the agency’s artists were appearing for promotion.
A moment later, the main doors opened, and Yeonha appeared, accompanied by bodyguards.
“— KANG YEONHA!!!!”
A fan’s thunderous voice was followed by an explosion of cheers. The flashes from homma and reporters went off like fireworks.
“Ugh, my ears.”
Still, since she’d come all this way, she figured she might as well see the famous AIM in person, and craned her neck forward.
But was this what they called fate?
Like a salmon swimming upstream, one brown-haired head caught her eye as it tried to push its way backward through the frenzied crowd.
“…Who is that?”
“Ex-excuse me. Please let me thr— ugh!”
That was the moment the sun rose on the fandom life that should have never set in her life.
It was the ‘White Night Phenomenon’ (Tl note: it’s ‘Baekya Hyeonsang’ in korean).
***
[Boy Group “Summer King War” First Contender is DASE, Comeback Showcase]
Comeback D-1.
Late in the afternoon, DASE’s comeback showcase and press conference were held at a hotel in Samseong-dong.
DASE entered following the MC’s introduction. Standing in their designated formation, the members greeted everyone according to the leader’s cue.
When the MC asked them to introduce themselves one by one, the microphone went to Yulmu, standing at the edge.
“Hello. I am DASE’s Yulmu.”
Starting with his low, mid-range voice, Jihan, Baekya, Minseong, Yooyeon, and Cheong finished their greetings in order.
The photo session followed immediately.
A barrage of flashes poured over DASE as they gathered in the center. Then, when the MC asked for an introduction and thoughts on their first mini-album, Minseong took the mic.
“In this mini-album WANT ME, we tried to capture as much of the diverse charms of the six members of DASE as possible.”
He also added that because it was their first comeback since debut, he was very nervous and was actually shaking right now, but he hoped people would look kindly on it since they prepared hard.
“Yes, thank you, Minseong. By the way, your makeup is very unique. May I ask what the concept is?”
Sparkling stickers were attached to the members’ faces. Cheong answered this question.
“It’s a doll concept. We just came out of the factory. Fans can play with us now.”
‘…Play with us?’
The line the company wrote definitely wasn’t that.
The moment Baekya felt tense, Yooyeon, who was next to him, gently pulled the microphone toward himself to add an explanation.
“He meant that the concept is ‘playing with dolls.’ You’ll be able to see what Cheong meant at midnight tonight.”
“Yes. Thank you both for the kind answers.”
The MC’s questions continued.
“Before we introduce the songs, could we hear how the DASE members have been? Any recent news?”
This time, Jihan took the mic.
“Thankfully, we got to film our first reality show. Thanks to that, I was able to build many good memories with the members. Other than that, I think we spent most of our time in the practice room.”
A clean answer. Several reporters typed away quickly with satisfied expressions.
When the MC asked for a song introduction, the mic was passed to Baekya.
“The title track of this comeback, WANT ME, is a pop-dance track that mixes tropical house and hip-hop. It’s a song with an impressive, exciting, and refreshing sound.”
He did it without stuttering.
Having finished the prepared script without mistake, Baekya let out a short breath and lowered the microphone.
“DASE is aiming for the Summer King title this year. Then, which member fits this title track best?”
Baekya was flustered by the MC’s impromptu question.
‘Who should I pass the mic to? Or are they asking me?’
While his mind went blank, Minseong took the mic naturally and answered.
“I can confidently say it’s Baekya.”
“Mr. Baekya? In what way?”
“First of all, pink hair suits him best. And his expressions and gestures when performing the chorus are really refreshing.”
At Minseong’s answer, Baekya’s face turned so red it looked like it might explode.
When the MC asked whether they’d be able to see a new kind of cute gesture following the famous ‘biting heart,’ Yulmu grabbed the mic as if he’d been waiting.
“On stage, you’ll see peach juice bursting.”
Cheong clapped and nodded in agreement, while Jihan suppressed a laugh and patted Baekya on the back.
The MC began to wrap up, saying they couldn’t help but look forward to it given such confidence.
“Well, we’ve talked with the DASE members. We’d also like to hear about your future plans and aspirations.”
At the final question, the members’ eyes turned to Minseong. The leader raised the mic.
“Yes. We worked really hard on our first mini-album WANT ME, so we hope you give it a lot of love.”
Minseong also stated that their plans were set through the end of the year, starting with this promotion.
“During the ‘No Game’ activities, everything was a first, so it felt like a whirlwind. But we expect there will be many more opportunities to see you more often this time. We will work hard. Please watch over us.”
The hour-long press conference ended with DASE’s group greeting and thanks.
[DASE Showcase, Returning as 6 Members, 6 Colors of ‘Doll-dol’]
[DASE Baekya, Peach Juice Expected to Burst on Stage]
[ID’s All-Time Rookie Returns!]
[Comeback DASE “This Album Will Bring Us Closer to Fans”]
Articles with favorable titles flooded out.
Clicking on the articles showed photos of DASE in identical clothes and hair. Occasionally, photos were uploaded showing members reapplying stickers that had fallen off each other’s faces.
– Oh my god, 4 hours left.
– That sticker is doing its job well ^^ Yeah, keep falling off like that!
– Juice bursting lmao. It’s official now that Baekya is a peach.
– Midnight ‘WANT ME’ MV pre-release, 6 PM digital release, 8 PM YouTube Live.
└ I’m running to the official site as soon as it hits midnight.
– Telling us to play with them..? How do you think we’re going to play that you’d say something like that?
And then, midnight.
The moment DASE’s music video was released, the official website changed.
***
[23:59:58]
Click!
The page refreshed the instant the clock hit midnight. At that moment, fans split into two camps.
First, the MV camp—Boksoong.
“Holy sh*t.”
Just like at the press conference, the thumbnail showed them standing side by side, holding hands, facing forward. The shock was so fresh that the curse flew out without passing through her brain.
Meanwhile, another fan was just as excited for similar reasons. This time, it was Baepsae of the Official Site faction.
“Kyaa! What is this?! Crazy! Totally crazy! They’ve lost it!”
Hitting F5 revealed a kitschy game intro design. A bright yellow background, with white hand-drawn lace framing the screen.
[♥ DASE’s Dressing Room ♥]
The cute sign caught her eye first, with mini DASE figures scattered around like stickers.
The wardrobe in the center, which had been there since the teaser, was now wide open. A newly added button was activated in the bottom right corner.
When she hovered the cursor over the ‘How to Play’, a pin stuck into a heart-shaped pincushion as the mouse-over effect.
===========================
Please style DASE beautifully ♡
- Select one member you want.
- Use the prepared clothes, accessories, and hairstyles to dress them up.
- Share the saved image on social media with a short outfit concept and the mandatory hashtags.
#DASEDressingRoom #WANTME
- Winners will receive a DASE autographed CD.
===========================
▶ START GAME
There had never been an idol like this before. Was it just a concept, or was ID Entertainment genuinely serious about DASE?
The plan to just check the website and then watch the music video was long gone. After pressing the start button, Baepsae couldn’t help but marvel at the newly changed screen.
[Please select a member!]
Six frames hung on the yellow background. They were ID-style photos of DASE with pink hair and white t-shirts.
Without hesitation, Baepsae chose Baekya. The other members’ frames disappeared, and a 3D character in basic clothing appeared on the screen.
With fair skin and round eyes, the character with pink hair looked exactly like Baekya.
“Ugh. So freaking cute.”
The overwhelming cuteness made Baepsae clutch her chest.
Scanning the UI quickly, she clicked the hairstyle icon first. As soon as the icon was activated, various hairstyles were scattered over the wardrobe.
From straight hair to permed hair, comma hair, and more, various styles were available for selection.
Every time she clicked, the Baekya character’s hair changed. Her Baekya didn’t have a single hairstyle that didn’t suit him.
“This one’s pretty, that one’s pretty too… what do I do?”
Surely, most of the fans who entered the dressing room were suffering from the same dilemma.
After careful consideration, Baepsae chose a curly hairstyle that slightly revealed his forehead.
Finally, she moved on to the next step. This time, it was the outfit.
Comments (0)