The Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries an Indie Band - Chapter 113

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Former Idol Carries an Indie Band
Episode 113
“Now, let’s lift your gaze just a touch!”
Click!
“Ah! Perfect. Seo Ha, just like that one more time!”
Click!
The flash popped in rapid succession.
I’d stood in front of cameras countless times in my past life, so the atmosphere was familiar to me.
The director didn’t give me any additional direction.
The shoot flowed seamlessly.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
I was first in the individual photo shoot.
“Next, Jun Sung, you’re up!”
A pristine white backdrop with various props scattered across the studio set.
Heo Jun Sung climbed up with a mechanical gait.
This wasn’t his first photo shoot of this kind.
There had been a few of these sessions recently, but the guys still hadn’t gotten comfortable with them.
“Why’s he always standing at attention like that?”
Kim Ji Hu started offering unsolicited commentary.
“He’s so stiff.”
Kang Min chimed in.
“He’d fit right in at the military if he went tomorrow!”
Wait a second—is Lee Do Young actually a demon?
What in the world is he talking about, the military?
“Jun Sung, would you like to sit on the sofa if you’re feeling awkward?”
“Yes. Like this?”
“Oh, good. Spread your legs a bit more. Raise your chin.”
Heo Jun Sung sat on the sofa in a completely relaxed pose.
“Now, look at the camera for me!”
Click!
“Hmm……”
From that reaction alone, I didn’t need to see the shot—I already knew.
“Jun Sung, imagine an annoying jerk in front of the camera.”
“Kim Ji Hu?”
Pfft!
Ha-ha-ha-ha!
Laughter rippled across the studio in an instant.
“Or… Cha Seo Ha?”
Wa-ha-ha-ha!
Ha-ha-ha!
“Man, that guy’s hilarious.”
Kim Ji Hu and I exchanged bewildered looks, but laughter filled the studio.
“Yes, perfect! I’m Cha Seo Ha! I’m Kim Ji Hu!”
At the shoot director’s joke, Heo Jun Sung’s expression hardened completely.
The look of a delinquent through and through.
Never mind that he’s nothing like a street punk.
He wasn’t saying anything.
But his face seemed to say, “What are you looking at, you bastard?”
Click!
“Wow, that expression is perfect!”
As soon as Heo Jun Sung imagined the camera lens as Kim Ji Hu and me, he found his focus.
The shutter clicked several more times, and then Heo Jun Sung’s shoot wrapped.
Next was Lee Do Young, heading up.
The guy who’d been talking about soldiers moments before was now completely stiff.
And his friends snickered at the sight of him.
Honestly, no team beats Oktatop when it comes to laughing at a friend’s discomfort.
After Lee Do Young, Kang Min and Kim Ji Hu finished their shoots as well.
None of them got a single take approved on their first go—except for me.
But the shoot crew was genuinely skilled.
They directed each model in expressions and poses that suited them.
Even when they didn’t execute perfectly, they adjusted angles and modified lighting, doing everything in their power to deliver their best.
The knack for catching those fleeting moments.
“Now, would you all like to look at the monitor?”
The moment we reviewed the footage.
“Wait, that’s me?”
Heo Jun Sung’s jaw dropped.
On the monitor were unfamiliar celebrities, dressed in leather jackets, gazing coolly at the camera.
The same guys who’d seemed clumsy just moments ago.
But the result was far better than we’d expected.
The technical skill was definitely there.
“Kim Ji Hu’s so annoying.”
“You go to the military.”
“What?”
“Is Cha Seo Ha a pro or something?”
“He thinks he’s a celebrity.”
“Still so annoying.”
The guys were too busy cutting each other down to hide their embarrassment.
They were sheepish, yet secretly pleased.
I stood to the side, watching the whole scene with quiet amusement.
* * *
Group shots came next, immediately followed by interviews.
A quick touch-up with makeup and wardrobe adjustments.
We sat in our assigned spots and faced the camera.
“Standby. Action!”
At the cue, we faced the camera and greeted it.
“Hello. We’re Oktatop.”
Then I picked up the next line.
“We held a photo shoot with Ink Studio. We wore clothes we don’t usually put on—how were your members with that?”
Kim Ji Hu took my question and ran with it.
“Yes, we weren’t used to photo shoots, so it was a bit challenging. But the production team’s direction was so good that we had fun shooting.”
He’s good.
Really good at playing a celebrity.
“How about you, Kang Min?”
“Yes, Oktatop usually just focuses on making music, so I thought this opportunity to stand in front of the camera was really precious.”
He’s good too.
Really good at playing an ordinary person.
Then the more formulaic questions started.
“Your new single ‘Monster’ drops soon, right? Can you tell us what the song’s like?”
Lee Do Young answered with his prepared remarks.
“It’s a bit different from Oktatop’s usual work—it’s got a darker feel. But it’s a provocative track with both a wistfulness and an upbeat energy underneath.”
“It definitely sounds like a departure from Oktatop’s previous direction.”
I answered the producer’s comment.
“You could think of it as another side of youth.”
Then the next question came.
“What kind of clothes do your members usually like to wear?”
“I like comfortable clothes! Hoodies!”
Everyone laughed at Heo Jun Sung’s answer.
“I wear a lot of neutral tones. I don’t like anything complicated.”
Kim Ji Hu gave an answer that fit well.
“I prefer simple clothes.”
Kang Min gave an answer similar to Kim Ji Hu’s.
You idiot, you run around in that weird character costume at the studio constantly—where’s this act coming from?
I bit the harsh words back before they reached my lips.
I had to protect them.
“We heard this track has a lot of fashion-related meaning. Can you explain?”
“Visuals have the power to reinforce a song’s message, I think.”
I looked directly at the camera.
“If a track is rebellious, what you see should match. That’s how it feels authentic.”
Oktatop had always been that way.
We’d put music front and center and staked our reputation on it, but the music videos and album covers had always matched the tone of the music itself.
This was the first time I was putting it into words like this.
All I hoped was that the whole world would hear what I was saying.
And so the eventful shoot wrapped up, and we headed home feeling light and unburdened.
* * *
After the Ink Studio shoot, we finished all the shoots with other shopping malls and magazines.
Now all that was left was the release of our next single, Monster.
The shots would be released slowly one by one after the single dropped.
There’s only one goal I wanted to achieve with this single.
To prove Oktatop’s caliber.
Of course, we’d already proven Oktatop’s caliber to some degree.
Even now, the fact that Oktatop held the number one spot on the Sounda Chart and appeared on The Greenroom was something you’d find immediately with a quick search.
But that was just “achievements.”
We hadn’t created any kind of momentum with those achievements.
There was a general perception that “Oktatop is amazing,” but that alone wasn’t enough.
There are plenty of amazing singers, and countless artists who’ve broken into the overseas market.
We needed to demonstrate a much bigger caliber—the kind that creates actual momentum.
A few days passed, and our new single was released.
—OKTOP – Monster
Since we’d released teasers beforehand, the initial reaction wasn’t bad.
Without any special promotion, our existing fans rushed to the streaming sites the moment it dropped.
We were drawing quite a response.
—Is this really Oktatop? It’s pretty dark?
—I liked the youth vibe
└But this isn’t bad either?
└Might be polarizing though lol
—Wow but the music’s caliber is insane fr
—How’d they pull off dark yet wistful with all that momentum?
└No really, they nail this subtle stuff too—they’re amazing
—This is great but can you do the youth concept again later plz ㅠㅠ
—Wait, people saying this is polarizing? Nah, it’s just straight up good?
└No, there’s definitely something niche about it
└Yeah it’s not really mainstream vibes but the song’s solid obvi.
Oktatop’s fans were definitely discerning.
Rock and hip-hop fans tended to have demanding ears.
Even if they loved a singer, they’d brush off a new release if it didn’t match their taste.
So while the initial reaction wasn’t bad, it wasn’t the universal “100% love it” energy we’d had with Rendezvous or Oceans.
It stopped right there.
Heat that circulated only within the fanbase.
Even then, the reaction was slightly polarized.
Exactly as expected.
In Korea, music alone can’t break through to the top of the charts.
It can’t breach that wall of tears.
But the real test is now.
With the weapon we’ve prepared, things will be different.
The Monster music video.
Jo Sung Hoon’s video—it captured a side of Oktatop we’d never shown before.
The overall concept was built on a decadent aesthetic.
It didn’t lean too heavily into the idol vibe, it preserved the rock spirit, and it had enough visual polish to appeal to the masses.
Band members dressed in leather and suede, playing their instruments.
And me, singing at the center.
We maintained our raw identity within the frame.
The music video was perfectly suited to grab attention before the song even fully landed.
—The music video’s color grade is insane?
—Wow they’re all seriously gorgeous
—Wait, what’s with the wardrobe? They went all out?
—Heard they went to America and stuff, and the music video quality really has gotten better
—Feels like a lot of budget went in
—Man, just let’s say they’re idols
In truth, the music video didn’t require more budget than before.
We just put more effort into the wardrobe and concentrated the atmosphere more deliberately.
A band with no company, positioned at the top of the charts, and recently just back from America.
That band comes back with brilliant visuals and fashion leading the charge in a short span of time.
And the track they brought is slightly polarizing.
This wasn’t just ordinary marketing strategy.
It carried the meaning of being the birthplace of Hongdae syndrome, exactly as I had planned.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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