Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 40

#40.

“RT?”

RT, or Retweet, was a feature on Tweety (similar to Twitter) that allowed you to share content so others could see it.

Naturally, the more shares, the bigger the buzz.

The video, edited and uploaded just 30 minutes prior, had already been shared over 8,000 times.

Dojae checked the video Heungmin mentioned on his phone.

“Which safety are you talking about? How dare you.”

A low, solemn voice resonated from the video.

‘Ah…….’

In the video, Dojae appeared to be sternly addressing the young palace maids who had made a significant error.

He was wearing an Ikseongwan [a type of traditional Korean hat worn by kings] and intended to gently dismiss the fan, but he hadn’t anticipated the video becoming such a hot topic.

Since becoming a hot topic didn’t necessarily equate to positive attention, Dojae briefly worried if there was a potential problem.

“You look like you’re filming a historical drama.”

“I was right next to you when you said that. Hyung, you’re really amazing. You sometimes talk like an old man anyway… is that why? I thought a king from Joseon [Korean dynasty from 1392 to 1897] had come back to life.”

“That fan must have felt like they were truly being scolded by the king, right?”

Woochul sighed at Heungmin’s words.

“Haa…. That fan…. If it wasn’t for Dojae hyung, she would have been scolded by Giljoo hyung and kicked out. She asked me to do a hundred poses, and she did the same to Dojae hyung…. If she had gone to Gyusung hyung like that, she would have been in trouble and cried.”

“Ah…. That could have really happened.”

Gyusung agreed with Woochul’s assessment.

The members all concurred that Dojae had handled the tricky situation adeptly.

The internet’s reaction mirrored their sentiments.

The video on Tweety rapidly spread across various online communities.

Posts compiling Dojae’s photos from the fan signing event alongside the video quickly garnered over 100 comments and became trending posts.

[A Born Idol Who Perfectly Adapted to His First Fan Sign Event (feat. A Face Fit for a King)]

-Wow, what is this? It’s the first time I’ve seen an idol who looks so good in a crown.

-All the photos are amazing… I saved them all like I was possessed.

-Dojae Jeonha [Jeonha is a Korean honorific title for a king] ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-Dojae Jeonhaㅠㅠ He suits it so well.

-He’s so handsome. He has a luxurious vibe.

-That’s right. He’s not conventionally handsome, but he’s somehow luxurious. He really looks like the Crown Prince.

-Why is his pronunciation so good, lol.

-Unnecessarily high-quality acting.

-But what’s the situation? Did he do a situational play for themㅠㅠ???? He’d be good at acting too.

-These guys’ posts are uploaded a lot these days. They seem to have a popular post at least once a day.

-Seriously hot.

-Rookie group MOST, please give them lots of attention!!!

-Everyone already has a lot of interest.

-A visual member with certainty, a center member with certainty.

-They’re good at singing too. Where do you find members like this?

-I heard that the security and manager were trying to drag this fan out because she kept holding on and wouldn’t leave, but he said that and sent her away.

-Huh???

-Is that real?

-They’re making unreasonable demands on each member; Dojae was being sensible when he said something because she kept holding on and was about to be a nuisance even after being told to move on to the next member.

-It seems like Dojae said that to calm her down because the members were already having trouble with that fan.

-Seriously, he saved the fan from being embarrassed.

-Ugh, that kind of fan should be dragged out and taught a lesson.

-They’re rookies, but they already have a troublemaker like thatㅠㅠ It must have been hard from their first fan signing.

-It’s worse because they’re rookies. It’s because they treat them well..

-I heard that MOST’s fan signing event was a huge blessing today, so I’m worried that there will be more troublemakers at the next fan signing.

-Still, it’s a relief that they handled it well with their wit.

-Is this real??? That’s amazing.. It’s amazing even if he just acted it out.

-I heard it’s real from the fans’ reviews.

-Dojae was truly the incarnation of kindness at the fan signing event. He listened to all the fans’ stories seriously and answered themㅠㅠ

-Was it Kang Dojae? This man is really 별로 [Byeolro, meaning ‘not good’ or ‘so-so’ but used here in a teasing, affectionate way].. 별로 in my heart.. Please..

-Dojaeㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

***

Even before this incident, MOST had been a subject of interest among idol fans since their debut.

Posts related to MOST were uploaded to famous online communities every day.

This video of Dojae’s fan signing event was like pouring oil on that existing interest.

The visuals and acting skills in the video alone were already attention-grabbing, but when the full context of the situation became known, he was dubbed the ‘Handling Master Idol’ and became an even bigger sensation.

Soon, fan-made captures and short videos spread not only to idol-centric communities but also to humor sites, reaching the general public.

Card news [a visually-driven format of presenting information, popular on social media] was produced with the title [The Reason Why an Idol Shouted ‘How Dare You’ to a Fan?] and uploaded to MyInstagram, one of the major SNS [Social Networking Service] platforms.

Even within MyInstagram, where sharing daily photos is the primary function, people were going crazy asking who this handsome and witty person was.

“Wow…. Hyung, is that what your signature means?”

Woochul, who was checking the fan cafe during a practice break, asked, holding out his phone.

Just because they debuted didn’t mean they could take a break from practice.

Even on days without scheduled appearances, the members diligently practiced for their next broadcast.

Dojae, who was drinking water at the water purifier, glanced at Woochul’s phone screen.

[Did you see what Dojae oppa’s [Oppa is a Korean term used by females to refer to older brothers or male friends] signature means?ㅠㅠ A new fan signing review was uploaded to Tweety, and it said that Dojae oppa drew the ‘Do’ Chinese character in Dojae’s name differentlyㅠㅠ In this era where everyone signs in English, oppa is truly the coolest in the world..]

-What kind of Do is it?

-Blessing Do!

-祹祹祹.. I can’t even write my name in Chinese characters, but now I can write this!!!

-I thought the signature looked like a drawing!!! He changed the Chinese character!!! Awesome>.< -This is the same as King Sejong's name, Yi Do, so it's even more of a frenzy in the community. -Daebak [Korean slang for 'jackpot' or 'amazing'] -He was a real Dojae Jeonhaㅠㅠ His parents' foresight is amazingㅠㅠ This occurred when the buzz surrounding the fan signing event video was starting to subside after two days. The fact that Dojae's name in Chinese characters was the same as the given name of Sejong the Great, the 4th king of Joseon, reignited the topic. Fans were delighted by the amazing coincidence and reacted with comments like, 'No wonder he has a different aura. Is he a reincarnation of the king?' "Is this what it means to say that some people are destined to succeed?" "My name keeps coming up thanks to hyung." "Ah…. Are you the emperor?" "Yes, yes!" "It's a shame. My name should have been at least the name of a president." Woochul smacked his lips in disappointment. ‘It's not a coincidence, it's actually taken from the name of His Majesty the Great King…….’ Dojae smiled lightly and shrugged his shoulders. It was a trivial story, but it was beneficial to receive attention in any form. ‘Because I'm a rookie who needs to get my name out there.’ The more he was mentioned, the better. "But what are those two talking about so enthusiastically?" Dojae muttered quietly, looking at Gijun and Heungmin, who were engaged in a heated debate on one side. Woochul, who glanced at them, whispered in reply. "He's getting scolded." He was almost mouthing the words, in case Heungmin overheard him. "Why?" "He hasn't shown any improvement in his rapping. Heungmin hyung made a new demo, and it seems like he got it checked by Gijun hyung yesterday." Woochul knew because he shared a room with them. Dojae nodded. Gijun was the leader and, concurrently, the team's sub-producer (after Director Lee Jungeop). Heungmin was already considered one of the best idol rappers, but Gijun held him to a very high standard. Of course, it also meant that he had high expectations for Heungmin. Heungmin was keeping up well. ‘He was still working on songs in between his busy schedule. He's amazing.’ Dojae thought that he shouldn't be lazy either. Dojae was also studying songwriting and composition in his spare time, but seeing the two of them motivated him even more. ‘I need to focus more on singing practice for now.’ As an active singer, Dojae's top priority was to perform the song and the stage well. Tomorrow's stage required a high level of singing ability, so Dojae calmed his mind. "We are together, together……." Gyusung's voice was heard, practicing his part repeatedly. It was when he was heading towards Gyusung to practice together. The practice room door opened, and Team Leader Kim Seokchul came in. *** The eyes of the members, who had gathered in the conference room after practice, sparkled. They had realized 'We finally debuted' and 'We have fans!' while standing on stage and having fan signing events, but this news carried a different weight. "A model!" They thought it might happen someday, but it felt too unexpected and too soon. Since they were a rookie group that had just debuted, they would typically only receive proper advertising offers after their initial album promotions concluded, even if they gained popularity. Unless they were taking over advertisements from senior groups in the same agency, like D.Origin, it was rare for a group that hadn't debuted for even a month to be offered a modeling proposal. That's why this wasn't a general product modeling offer. "Wow…. I knew it was a huge topic on the internet for a few days, but you're saying they contacted us right away?" Woochul asked, raising his voice and acting exaggeratedly. "The talks were already ongoing, but it seems that the higher-ups have fully approved it this time, as Dojae-ssi has become a hot topic in a positive light." "Unbelievable, Dojae hyung! I knew that if I followed hyung, I'd get a cookie even in my sleep." "You're not mixed race, why are you changing rice cake to cookie?" [referencing a Korean saying about benefits coming unexpectedly] Woochul said to Louis' exclamation. Louis poked Woochul's side, noticing that he had said it again. While the two youngest members were excited, Gyusung quietly tilted his head. "But what kind of promotional video is it for the city hall……." "It's a promotional video introducing historical sites in the city." "Ah! So it's thanks to Dojae hyung!" Woochul clapped as if he understood. "It's not an advertisement that appears on TV or in newspapers, but it's meaningful enough to be a model for a national institution's promotional video, so I accepted the offer." "Wow. But if it doesn't come out on TV or in newspapers, where does it come out?" "The video will be uploaded to the MyTube channel and will be shown on monitors in each district office, county office, community center, and Gyeonggi-do buses for 6 months." "Even that…. We might be able to promote ourselves instead." Team Leader Kim Seokchul nodded at Dojae's words. "Yes." "…Isn't it going to make our image worse?" Heungmin, who had been silent since he heard that the city hall had offered a promotional video model, asked. Woochul stared at Heungmin with a puzzled look. Heungmin's reaction was cold, when Woochul thought he would naturally be happy along with everyone else. "I'm just worried that if we do this, our group image will seem too… a bit cheap." Heungmin tried to soften the word 'cheap' as much as possible, being mindful of Team Leader Kim Seokchul. "Wow. What's wrong with you, hyung? Are you already full after winning first place once?! This hyung, this guy, is going to be in big trouble!" "Hyung…. Are you getting a star disease? Already? That…. I heard it takes a long time to cure." The two youngest members shook their heads at Heungmin's words. "It's something to be grateful for just to have this kind of offer come in, Heungmin-ah." Gijun also spoke to Heungmin. Woochul quickly chimed in. "That's right. We're just introducing historical sites! Doesn't it look a bit classy instead?" "Um. Yes. I know what Heungmin is saying. But don't worry, it's not like a cheap neighborhood advertisement or anything like that." Heungmin also knew that the company had accepted the offer after considering many factors. But he still didn't like it. After a moment of silence, Heungmin asked again in a barely audible voice. "I want to be excluded from the filming……." Even though it was a city hall promotional video, it was the first modeling offer they had received. But he wants to be excluded from the filming. Dojae and the members looked at Heungmin in disbelief.