Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 123

Different-Dimensional Idol – Episode 123

#123

Director Lee Jung-yeop reacted similarly to Gijun.

He then rebuked himself for not realizing the plagiarism, despite his involvement in the album’s production.

As the general manager, he seemed to feel a profound sense of responsibility.

This was blatant plagiarism.

He wasn’t sure about the legal ramifications, but as a musician, he knew it was wrong.

“Ha, geez. I thought I’d seen it all after being in music for so long….”

Director Lee Jung-yeop sighed deeply, drawing on his extensive experience in the music industry.

However, once things started moving in a certain direction, they tended to continue that way.

For better or worse.

It was hard to pause and evaluate if the direction was correct, and even harder to change course.

“Still, it’s a relief this happened before the music was released. No, it had only just been completed. Dojae…. You saved us.”

“No. I didn’t recognize it either.”

Even Dojae had heard both the original song from the Daehan Empire [Korea under Japanese rule, 1897-1910] and the South Korean version. The similarity was subtle, which made the plagiarism even more insidious.

Director Lee Jung-yeop immediately informed the company.

Kingdom Entertainment, including Planning Team 2, which had been ramping up album preparations, was initially mortified. However, they were also relieved that the issue could be resolved before incurring significant losses.

They acted swiftly.

The legal team emailed Bear Jung in the United States, demanding the return of the contract fee.

The crucial point was how Bear Jung, the plagiarist, would respond. Would he be brazen or apologetic?

Realistically, recovering the entire contract fee might be challenging.

The same applied to pursuing a lawsuit.

The legal costs could potentially exceed the contract fee itself.

For the company, the only consolation was that the contract fee wasn’t substantial.

Regardless, addressing the damage caused by Bear Jung was now the company’s responsibility.

(Bear Jung facing unexpected consequences from sources unrelated to Kingdom would become a story for another day.)

Team Leader Jung Hee-young called a meeting with the team members due to the sudden disruption in album preparations.

The purpose was to address their confusion and reorganize the schedule.

“Everyone understands that we need to choose a new title track, right?”

The members slowly nodded as they gathered in the conference room.

Team Leader Jung Hee-young felt disheartened seeing the members, who had been enthusiastic about the original title track, now deflated.

‘The song was so good. It was bound to be good since it was a variation of 2 Jackson’s song.’

It felt like they had been under a spell for the past month.

Team Leader Jung Hee-young, also feeling discouraged, tried to encourage the members.

“Director Jung-yeop is reviewing the songs he’s been holding onto… Let’s consider this a stroke of bad luck that will lead us to an even better song.”

“That’s right. There are several good songs among the ones I was planning to write,” Gijun added, addressing the members.

Contacting a new composer and commissioning a song was too time-consuming.

It was quicker to refine existing material.

Team Leader Jung Hee-young glanced at Gijun.

On the day the plagiarism was revealed, Gijun, who had initially panicked the most, had reverted to his usual quiet demeanor.

He knew that if he, as the leader, faltered, the other members would lose confidence as well.

“So, what’s our new comeback schedule?” Heungmin asked cautiously.

This was the members’ primary concern and the most problematic aspect.

Although they still had some time, it would be difficult to prepare for about three months and make a comeback in January without a title track.

This was further complicated by the upcoming awards ceremonies.

“Well… I’ll have to monitor the situation for a few more days, but….”

A suitable title track wouldn’t magically appear.

Even if they used an existing song, it would need revisions.

Releasing the album as planned was important, but quality was equally crucial.

They couldn’t simply choose any song as the title track just because they were in a hurry.

“I think a slight delay is inevitable. But I’ll adjust the work to record the B-sides first so we can make a comeback as quickly as possible.”

There was no other option.

The members nodded in agreement.

“Yes….”

“Yes.”

Dojae and Gijun exchanged glances, understanding each other without words.

As contributors to the songwriting, they were eager to work diligently to release the album as soon as possible.

The future was more important than the setbacks of the past month.

***

Subsequently, the MOST members worked tirelessly to find a new title track, but ultimately, the comeback schedule had to be postponed by a month.

One month.

It was a relatively short period, but the members felt anxious about the delay.

‘It’s not good for the gap to be too long.’

Gijun seemed calm and composed, but the other members, and even Dojae, occasionally showed signs of impatience.

New rookie groups continued to debut, and established singers made comebacks every week or two.

‘My mindset is different now compared to when I had nothing to lose.’

First place on music shows, rookie awards, and even major awards.

MOST had become a well-established group.

This delay created a gap at a time when they needed to maintain momentum and progress.

However, Dojae channeled his impatience into working even harder.

The other members did the same.

They participated in OSTs [Original Soundtracks for TV shows and movies] and performed at awards ceremonies….

The underlying anxiety fueled their relentless work on the album, even amidst their busy schedule.

Fortunately, the OST participation song unexpectedly gained significant popularity, which helped to mitigate the feeling of a prolonged gap.

The awards ceremonies and performances in Japan were also beneficial.

‘But singers need to connect with their audience through their own albums, with their own songs.’

The fans who had been eagerly waiting seemed to be reaching their breaking point.

And then came MOST’s new album teaser.

***

The fans reacted enthusiastically to the surprise teaser.

-Moo-yah-ho!!!

-Moo~~yah~~~ho!!!

A 30-second teaser video and two group photos.

MOST was worthy of strange cheers and screams in it.

-What’s the concept????? It’s insane.

-My heart is beating so fast ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Ahhh

-I’m banging my head and crying. ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ The kids’ concepts were always good, but this is something else.

-I think there’s a team chasing and a team running away, what’s the music video about?

-First of all, I know they’re both so sexy.

-Are they government agents and thieves?

-What’s with the suits?

-Is King Dojae’s silver hair for real?

-Gijun’s hair… is he performing on stage like that? Please let us have a stage with Gijun with his hair up as a government agent.

-I want to die because I’m so happy

-Don’t die, let’s live

-The opposite of living is suicide.

-Rui grew up so much ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ He’s sexy. What should I do with this feeling for this kid?

-It’s true that thief Rui is so fatal

-Has Heungmin oppa [term of endearment for older brother/male friend] always had such a good body?

-I don’t think he was like that even when he was at Korea National Sport University. Why is his chest like that in the video?

-I’m not the only one who sees his chest, right? I’m not the only pervert, right?

-I guess the company knows that the reaction was good at the awards ceremony, so they immediately have a version of Gijun with his hair up like this.

-Dojae not only breaks the camera lens, but also breaks my heart

-Is it possible to kill someone with a 30-second video and two photos?

-Wow, Kingdom must have made some money, the quality is amazing

-ㅇㄱㄹㅇ [abbreviation for “This is real/true”] What’s up with the teaser quality? Is this the taste of money??

-Our seniors and our kids did well last year ㅠㅠ

-I heard they got some additional investment? Kingdom, be more successful!

-Ah ㅅㅂ [vulgar slang, similar to “damn”] The taste of capital is electrifying!!

-It was worth the wait

-Can’t we have both teams?

-Only applause and cheers come out ㅠㅠ

-Is the title Remember???? It feels a bit weak

-It’s better than yours

-But it’s easy, so it might be good to remember as it is

-How was the song chosen ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ I’m so curious ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ

-Leaving the fandom was a futile dream

The concept of MOST’s new mini-album ‘MUST’ was ‘the chaser and the chased’.

The chaser’s basic outfit was a slightly tight white shirt.

The members used props such as leather belts, tactical holsters, and pistols to emphasize their individuality.

Overall, they aimed for a sexy, elite government agent aesthetic, and they succeeded.

As at the awards ceremony, the members all had their hair neatly swept back, and a sense of coldness seemed to emanate from the teaser photos with their neat hair and stern expressions.

Considering the members’ usual personalities, it was quite a departure, but in the photos and videos, the members genuinely seemed like they wouldn’t show any mercy.

In particular, Dojae, whose handsomeness was accentuated by his swept-back hair, exuded an air of authority.

He resembled the head of a secret intelligence organization, not just a simple agent.

It also suited Woocheol, who was naturally handsome, and the reaction to Gijun was also positive.

Since Heungmin had worked diligently to build his physique during filming, many fans were captivated by his chest, which was partially revealed by his shirt.

Rui and Gyuseong seemed slightly less comfortable with the concept, but they still possessed their own unique charms.

The basic outfit for the chased concept was leather that clung to the body from head to toe.

They used glossy leather and red props to create a sci-fi feel, like space pirates.

The expressions that conveyed a free-spirited yet precarious soul were added to the costumes, and the members in the photos felt somehow dangerous and provocative, even though their clothes were tightly fitted.

Hair and makeup also played a significant role.

The members all had bleached hair in the chased concept.

They also wore brightly colored contact lenses.

It was a different side of MOST that they had never shown before.

In particular, Dojae, who had always stuck to dark brown or black hair because it suited him best, bleached his hair silver for the first time and even wore blue colored lenses, captivating the fans.

Dojae’s rebellious look, which seemed so out of character, suited him so well that he appeared to be from another world.

It was a complete transformation from the rebellious Dojae they had seen at Byeolbyeol Chicken [a fictional or real restaurant, implying a casual setting].

Among the fans, a fierce debate erupted over which version of Dojae was better: elite agent Dojae or space pirate Dojae.

-King Dojae (Agent Dojae) vs God Dojae (Pirate Dojae)

-How do you decide

-You’re so cruel ㅠㅠ

-The greatest challenge in life ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-Can’t I have everything?

-Crazy crazy!!!!

-I vote for King God General Dojae ㅠㅋ [Korean slang expressing humor and strong support]

-So happy to be worried ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Another member, Rui, shone in the chased concept.

Rui, who seemed slightly awkward in the agent concept, appeared to be in his element in the opposite concept.

Hair bleached with a mixture of gray and pink, and striking contact lenses.