Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 37

12. Syndrome

-Boom! Boom! Boom!-

A young child, eyes glued to a small black and white TV, watched a *Black Tiger Mask* cartoon, bouncing with excitement and shouting along with the drumbeats.

The scene, capturing the child’s innocent joy, began to blur, the focus shifting from the flickering screen to a small window in the room.

Seasons marched relentlessly past the window, each transition hinting at the passage of time.

Occasional heavy rains and fierce snowstorms suggested the child was enduring a difficult life, a silent testament to hardship.

-Jijijijing!-

Then, a somber guitar chord resonated, and with it, the scene transformed, a sliver of light piercing the gloom of the room.

But the moment was fleeting, as a long, imposing shadow fell, swallowing the light whole.

The child had blossomed into an adult and returned to the humble abode of their youth.

The scene shifted to his perspective, now an adult. He slumped wearily in his faded childhood room and, as if compelled by habit, switched on the now-obsolete black and white TV.

-Jijijing!-

-Taddadang! Taddang!-

-Ding! Taddang! Dang!-

At that moment, the sounds of guitar, keyboard, and bass swelled, and the *Black Tiger Mask* symbol dominated the screen of the crackling black and white TV.

The paused screen gradually zoomed out, then abruptly cut to reveal the face of the now-adult child, Park Young-chan.

“!!!!”

In that instant, Lee Da-hye, who had been unconsciously drawn into the music video, felt a jolt that seemed to steal the air from her lungs.

The intense, electrifying aura, unlike anything she had ever encountered in her long history as a fan, sent her mind reeling.

-Thump, thump!-

As if sensing her wildly racing heart, the camera lingered on Young-chan, capturing his gaze fixed on the black and white TV for a full 30 seconds.

Surprisingly, she didn’t even register the gradual fading of the instrumental sounds.

Because Young-chan’s presence in the scene, his very essence, and that breathtaking aura had already consumed her entirely.

After an eternity of 30 seconds, the screen flickered back to life, and her suspended time resumed its flow.

Afterward, the video screen plunged into darkness, and the members of Black Tiger began to emerge one by one.

In the pitch-black void, they materialized as if being introduced individually by pin spotlights, each member showcasing their instrumental prowess.

As each instrument joined the symphony, their music grew richer and more vibrant, and finally, when the spotlight landed on the vocalist Young-chan, ‘Old Rookies Never Die (90’s)’ exploded into life.

The music video, now officially underway, focused primarily on Young-chan.

Filming Young-chan singing from a myriad of diverse angles, what was truly astonishing was how his image and the aura he projected shifted with each shot.

At times, he radiated a raw ferocity that made her feel as though he might leap from the screen and devour her, while at others, he captivated her with a breathtaking, almost sinful, decadence.

-Flap, flap-

For some inexplicable reason, Lee Da-hye found herself fanning her face, feeling as though it would burst into flames from sheer embarrassment, but the flush refused to subside.

‘Could they have used CG [Computer Graphics]?’

But if CG could truly capture and convey the kind of profound decadence he possessed, K-POP idols would have already conquered the world.

No, if even a fraction of that could be replicated with CG, this music video director would be headhunted by Hollywood in a heartbeat.

That’s how overwhelmingly potent Young-chan’s aura felt, like some kind of unfair advantage.

The reason Young-chan was able to unleash this level of decadence wasn’t due to any single factor.

It was the result of a powerful synergy, born from the merging of his past self from that other world and his present self in this world.

The end of Young-chan’s life in that world was the very embodiment of decadence.

To a degree that transcended mere ‘debauchery,’ he had abandoned his humanity and surrendered to every conceivable pleasure, including the allure of drugs.

However, simply experiencing such a decadent end wouldn’t be enough to manifest this kind of decadent beauty. More likely, it would result in a repulsive ugliness that would repel onlookers.

Yet, the reason his decadence could be elevated into decadent beauty was thanks to the inner strength that Young-chan in this world had cultivated while enduring the harsh realities of life.

The fact that his very being now carried the weight of an almost unbearable decadence was a direct consequence of this background.

“…No way.”

When the music video began with a child engrossed in a cheesy black and white cartoon, Lee Da-hye maintained a critical distance, suspecting they were exploiting childhood nostalgia for cheap popularity.

However, the instant the face of a man, presumably that child grown up, filled the screen, she forgot how to breathe.

“Haa. Haa~.”

If the screen hadn’t transitioned to showcase the other Black Tiger members, she might have succumbed to oxygen deprivation.

She had barely managed to catch her breath after nearly a minute of struggling, but even then, she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the screen.

Because the protagonist on the screen possessed a captivating charm, an irresistible allure, unlike anything she had ever witnessed before.

None of the idols she had obsessively followed until now could hold a candle to this protagonist.

Even the idol celebrated as a “face genius” [an idol known for exceptional beauty] who was successfully transitioning into an acting career paled in comparison.

‘Compared to this person…’

She couldn’t help but think that the face genius idol was nothing more than a novice compared to the music video protagonist.

Of course, if one were solely judging based on physical appearance, the music video protagonist couldn’t compete with the face genius idol.

But the music video protagonist’s decadence, which effortlessly transcended such superficialities, made her knees weak.

And that wasn’t all.

As if an ancient aristocrat had been transported to modern times, his every movement was imbued with an innate dignity and grace.

Of course, there was no way that a mere teenage girl could withstand such an overwhelming presence.

In the end, she surrendered her will and plunged headfirst into the music video, which stretched for a staggering 9 minutes and 10 seconds.

Even after the music video concluded, she remained speechless for a long moment.

It was as if she had experienced the same shock as a frog who had lived its entire life in a well, only to emerge and discover the vastness of the world.

A world that was impossibly wide and expansive.

This must be what it meant to discover a sky beyond the sky.

Of course, the shock brought with it a happiness that was almost too intense to bear.

‘Is it okay to be this happy?’

Just as anything becomes unsettling when it exceeds a certain threshold, that was precisely how she felt now.

“A, again.”

Hoping that what she had witnessed wasn’t merely a figment of her imagination, she frantically replayed the music video, watching it repeatedly, each time more captivated than the last.

Before she realized it, night had surrendered to dawn, and only then did Lee Da-hye turn her attention to the comments section with a look of quiet satisfaction.

She sought to confirm and share the overwhelming emotions that she was experiencing with others.

As expected, the comments overflowed with praise for the protagonist, mirroring her own sentiments.

There was appreciation for the music and the artistry of the music video, but the overwhelming majority of comments were dedicated to praising the protagonist.

“!!!”

Before she could delve too deeply into the comments, she stumbled upon an unbelievable revelation.

That the male protagonist, whom she had naturally assumed to be a rookie actor, was actually a member of Black Tiger.

“I can’t believe it!”

The shock she experienced upon realizing that he was also the vocalist, which only intensified her infatuation, was immense.

“Crazy. Crazy!”

Afterward, Lee Da-hye launched into a frantic search, driven by an almost manic energy.

In the process, she paused and restarted repeatedly, like a broken toy.

Knowing that idols’ music videos are often heavily edited to the point where they are considered deceptive, she initially assumed that Young-chan would be no different.

But her expectations were shattered.

The aura that Young-chan exuded on the ‘Legends of Rock’ stage was truly mind-blowing, and when he confronted the entertainment reporter during the interview, it all made perfect sense, eliciting a burst of laughter from her.

Young-chan commanded an overwhelming presence.

Of course, Young-chan in the music video was even more captivating, but to her, already viewing him through rose-tinted glasses, the difference was negligible.

What truly astonished Lee Da-hye was that Young-chan’s appeal wasn’t solely based on his appearance.

His vocals were on a completely different plane compared to even the most celebrated singers, and his genius-level composing and arranging skills had already garnered rave reviews from numerous music industry insiders.

She also belatedly discovered that he was the mastermind behind ‘Snow Lady,’ a song she had listened to countless times.

In particular, the five-minute solo guitar performance he delivered on the ‘Legends of Rock’ stage was nothing short of legendary.

People couldn’t help but shower his solo guitar performance with praise.

The praise was on a completely different level from the typical fangirling she was accustomed to.

Even the most prominent guitarists in Korea, including those revered as masters, unanimously lauded Young-chan’s guitar skills.

-I had no choice but to find God. Because I saw the God of guitar on that stage.-

-Who dares to evaluate him? At least in terms of guitar, he is a pioneer and a prophet.-

-I was saddened by the gradual decline of my hearing. But witnessing his guitar performance, I realized it didn’t matter at all. He shook my soul entirely.-

Lee Da-hye’s heart pounded in response to the heartfelt praise, which was worlds apart from the usual superficiality of idol fan culture.

“This person is real!”

She realized that Young-chan didn’t need any embellishments or artificial enhancements.

She realized that even in his raw, unadorned state, his very existence was more radiant than any idol she had ever obsessively followed.

Upon this realization, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

It was akin to witnessing a believer who had awakened from a long dream and finally grasped the truth.

Lee Da-hye, now liberated from her illusions, embarked on a mission to proselytize [convert others to her newfound faith].

As a relatively influential member of EX 1st generation [an early generation of a specific fandom], she possessed a vast network of contacts. Naturally, she targeted the fangirls who shared her inclinations first.

She invited the fangirls to a group chat.

-I’m going to terrorize the Black Tiger music video. Thank you for taking some time.-

She began with this announcement, assuring them that it wouldn’t stop our hearts for PIO [an acronym used within the fandom].

We will dissect their music videos and shake them up.

Please work hard with me.

Finally, she demonstrated her meticulousness by posting links to the videos she admired, in addition to the Black Tiger music video.

More people than she anticipated responded to her energetic call to action, which began in the early hours of the morning.

They had been harboring growing dissatisfaction with their main group, which had become almost inactive, so they flocked to her as soon as she opened the floodgates.

“It’s going according to plan.”

Of course, none of them could bring themselves to criticize the Black Tiger music video after watching it.

They had been completely captivated from the moment they laid eyes on Black Tiger’s music video or their other videos, rendering the “denial stage” [a stage in the grieving process, here referring to the initial resistance to liking a new group] utterly irrelevant.

The emergence of these dedicated fans, each worth a thousand soldiers, brought a breath of fresh air to the Black Tiger fan club, which had been expanding somewhat haphazardly.

When teenage female fans with exceptional experience and drive joined the ranks, their first order of business was to consolidate the scattered fan clubs into a single, unified entity.

They knew from experience that it was crucial to cultivate a massive, centralized fandom, rather than allowing several smaller fan clubs to proliferate without coordination.

Usually, this kind of situation was fraught with difficulty due to intense power struggles.

This is because there are significant advantages to be gained if the fan club you created takes the lead.

For this reason, the company typically intervenes and facilitates the merger, selecting a fan with considerable influence as a fan manager to oversee the unified group.

However, the Black Tiger fans, who temporarily dubbed themselves ‘Black Cats,’ agreed to merge without any such intervention.

-YC Entertainment CEO Park Young-chan.-

This was because the singer they were obsessively following held the position of CEO of the company.

It would be unthinkable for a fan to create difficulties for the singer they were supporting, let alone fail to provide unwavering support.

While company mediation might seem beneficial, the losses incurred in the process were often substantial.

Whether it involved human resources or material resources, a significant investment was required, and even then, the outcome was not always guaranteed.

However, even if the company suffered losses, it had to invest in fostering this kind of fandom.

This is because the future of the singer and the company hinges on the loyalty and size of the core fan base.

However, it was a challenging endeavor, and for this reason, many small and medium-sized entertainment companies often failed to achieve significant growth, even when presented with opportunities.

However, the Black Cats were rapidly merging and expanding without the company’s involvement, thanks to the aforementioned circumstances.

Black Tiger, who had been enjoying enthusiastic support from female fans since their debut, surprisingly did not exhibit a heavily skewed male-female ratio.

Women only accounted for approximately 20% more than men, with a ratio of 4:6, largely due to the fact that rock music typically attracts a predominantly male audience.

In addition, there were a considerable number of male fans who admired and were captivated by the raw power that Young-chan displayed.

However, it was inevitable that the difference in the ratio would gradually widen as women became more actively involved in the fandom.

The fandom that was taking shape had already surpassed the level of 2nd tier idols.

It had grown to the level of a gatekeeper of the 1st tier [a top-tier group].

This triggered a ripple effect that was even more profound than anticipated.

This is because, considering Black Tiger’s inherent nature, it was initially unlikely that their core fan base would expand so readily.

Nevertheless, the emergence of this level of dedicated fans was enough to spark a social phenomenon.

Syndrome.

It is the syndrome phenomenon.

Syndrome was originally a medical term, but recently it has evolved into a buzzword that is frequently encountered in the media.

It is used to describe a widespread interest in a social issue or event by the majority, or even the idolization or imitation of a specific person.

So, this time, the term Black Tiger syndrome began to circulate like a trend.

No, to be more precise, it would be more accurate to say that the YC syndrome, that is, the Park Young-chan syndrome, had emerged.

What’s truly remarkable is that this syndrome had developed within just three weeks of Black Tiger’s debut.

That also implied that this fervor had not yet reached its peak.

That also meant that when this fervor reached its zenith, it could unleash another unexpected wave of influence.

And that new wave began in Japan, a country that is both close and distant.

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