[DASE Days ‘No Games’ Teaser #1]
Minseong’s face crowned with a jewel-encrusted crown under the blue sky.
‘Blonde with a crown, so flashy, but all I can see is his face.’
A visual impossible to find in reality. The college student, mesmerized, clicked the thumbnail. Then the video played, accompanied by a drum beat.
First, Minseong’s face appeared, looking into the camera. A playful smirk. But he wasn’t wearing the crown from the thumbnail.
The scene changed to a European-style castle. A room with antique interior. Members gathered around an antique round table.
One by one, their faces appeared as they dealt playing cards and assessed each other.
The shot of Minseong wearing the crown filled the screen, then faded to black.
[DASE]
The logo appeared and the 30-second video ended.
“Oh…”
Are all teasers like this?
The college student was dazed.
The 30 seconds flew by quickly. But the drum beat still echoed in his ears, and one syllable heard just before the video ended stuck in his head.
‘Days? A rookie group?’
He had already searched for Days on a portal site, but there was too little information. The few blog posts he clicked were all just scraps of republished articles.
Losing interest quickly, the college student decided to pursue his original plan.
“Let’s watch some vlogs.”
The next day.
[DASE Days ‘No Games’ Teaser #2]
“Huh?”
After a busy day, the college student got into bed and, as always to end the day, opened YouTube. By coincidence, a sequel to the video he watched yesterday was up.
The still flashy thumbnail showed Baekya wearing a frilled shirt that looked like something from medieval times.
The shot was composed with him perched on a castle window, looking down.
“This one’s even shorter.”
The video was 28 seconds.
Actually, the one from yesterday was 30 seconds, but the last 10 seconds were just the logo… The college student was annoyed but decided to be tricked once more.
Again, the drum beat played with the video.
A large chandelier swayed. Under it, on a fancy antique chair, Yuyeon lay sideways holding a crown in one hand.
His tousled blond hair. His gaze fixed on the ceiling. At the end of it, a transparent thread reflected in the light stretched out the window.
His lips curled up slightly. The scene shifted.
Inside the castle, Yulmu, Jihan, Cheong, and Baekya were running around.
A cut of Minseong seemed to be searching for something, opening a wardrobe and a door.
Then the scene switched to a brief group dance.
Kill me if you want to win
A cut of Baekya from the thumbnail passed by. A hand holding scissors cut the thread, then the screen went black.
[DASE]
The logo appeared and the video ended.
‘I want to watch it again…!’
What was this? Surely he had no thoughts, but maybe it was because he liked the song.
The college student hit replay. And soon he understood why.
Kill me if you want to win
Paused on screen.
The man sitting on the tall window in the thumbnail was staring at him. The college student quickly captured the screen.
Opening messenger, he found ‘Siyoonbun’ among his contacts. He was confident that her friend, who had been obsessed with AIM’s Siyoon since high school, would know.
[Me: Teacher, do you know who this is? T_T]
[Me: (photo)]
[Siyoonbun: What lol Why aren’t you asleep at this hour?]
[Siyoonbun: Who is that?]
The college student knelt on the bed, awaiting his friend’s verdict solemnly. Finally, the identification came.
[Siyoonbun: Ah, that’s him.]
[Siyoonbun: The juniors of our babies.]
[Me: So what’s their name!!!]
[Siyoonbun: Cute, though.]
[Siyoonbun: Seems like Baekya?]
“Baekya!”
Another newcomer had entered the idol world with no entrance or exit.
The approaching year-end. ID Entertainment was nothing short of a war zone. Proving this, Dongman, who had turned into a human wallflower upon arrival, was just rolling his eyes at the entrance.
He happened to visit the planning office but didn’t dare say hello.
“Um, excuse me…!”
He tried to speak up, but surprisingly no one paid any attention. His ignored hand was embarrassing.
Naturally turning around, Dongman feigned nonchalance and placed his hand on the whiteboard in front of him.
“Hmm. There’s a lot here.”
[December Events]
The schedules for all affiliated artists were packed for the month. Especially toward the bottom, there were many year-end broadcasts, various awards ceremonies, and Days’ debut.
“Come to think of it, it really is just a few days away.”
Dongman looked at the stack of Days’ album boxes piled on the side of the central table. Promo-only, unsigned, and without barcodes.
“I wanted to take a quick look since I came.”
Dongman’s eyes dripped with lingering affection as he looked at the unopened boxes.
“Manager Dong? What are you doing there?”
At that moment, someone recognized Dongman, who turned with delight.
“Team Leader!”
“Ah, sorry. I was supposed to deliver the albums. I didn’t even realize you were here, too busy. Is that them?”
“Yes, yes!”
Due to industry secrecy, the whole company was security sensitive, but the planning team and studio floors were especially strict.
Therefore, someone had to be sent down one by one to receive items, and Dongman had gladly offered to deliver them while passing through the lobby.
“This place looks busy no matter when you come.”
“The year-end and AIM’s overseas tour make it even crazier. Thanks anyway. It must have been heavy.”
“No problem. But when will you look at these?”
The team leader, sipping cold coffee and finally relaxing, asked. It seemed like a closing remark, but Dongman didn’t seem ready to finish the conversation.
From their first greeting, his eyes kept glancing at the taped boxes.
“You brought them because you wanted to see the albums, didn’t you?”
“Did it show? So when will you look? Others should get some breathing room.”
Dongman’s shameless answer made the team leader chuckle. But since he wasn’t wrong, the leader soon called the team together.
“The Days albums have arrived. Let’s take a look and rest a bit.”
Employees trapped in the conference room were released. Some recognized Dongman and jokingly warned others to keep out.
Soon, the team leader tore the tape and finally revealed Days’ first album.
Though their debut song ‘No Games’ was a digital single, not a full album, just seeing the promotional CD was nostalgic.
“Oh~!”
As the box opened, admiration burst out simultaneously. The transparent CD case had the group’s concept photo cover of the card game at the round table. It looked like a scene from the teaser.
The members sitting around the round table playing cards, with Days’ English logo embossed above.
“This could sell as is!”
Excited, Dongman picked up a CD and looked at the back. It showed a photo of a high school in Bukchon, where the music video was filmed.
“I’m really curious about the song.”
Since the teaser release, Dongman had watched it more than 50 times a day. Suspected of being a robot, he probably contributed significantly to the views.
“Tomorrow, right?”
“Yes. Tomorrow at 6 p.m. Ah~ Manager, I’m so nervous.”
A rookie beside Dongman rubbed his chest and answered.
Others might think company employees get to hear the song or see the music video first, but absolutely not. Except for A&R and composers, everyone’s the same.
Especially near debuts or comebacks, the atmosphere was ultra-sensitive to leaks and everyone guarded themselves carefully.
“If you’re done looking, hand them back!”
The day before the music and video release. There was no room for carelessness in his vocabulary.
The albums quickly returned to their original state. After the release, they would be signed by Days and distributed to broadcasters and media.
‘I hope those kids do well.’
Watching the albums moved into a locked storage, Dongman quietly prayed.
Finally, the awaited D-Day. Days gathered in the practice room, ready to debut.
Soon after, when the music and video were released, it would truly be their debut.
“Wait, was that a massage chair? What’s with the vibration~”
“Baekya, are you okay?”
In the practice room’s rest area, Baekya’s legs trembled uncontrollably on the sofa. Yulmu joked to help him relax, and Minseong looked on worriedly.
“Sigh... I’m fine. Just a bit nervous...”
“If you’re this nervous before the music release, what will you do on stage?”
Jihan offered water, and Baekya took it with trembling hands.
“Thanks.”
“Hyung, if you keep this up, you’ll faint when the music video comes out.”
Yuyeon worriedly interrupted Baekya as if it was his own problem. The manager shouted loudly.
“Hey?! Guys, it’s up!”
“Oh my gosh! It’s really up. Click quickly!”
Cheong slapped the manager’s arm, urging him on. At that moment, Baekya’s system window popped up in front of him. His trembling body froze.
[<I Want to Become an Idol! (3)> Completed!]
[Level Up! Lv.7 → Lv.8]
[Quest reward granted: 1 Star Point]
[Level up reward granted: 1 Star Point]
The real game was only just beginning.