GIJS

Chapter 82 Humility is Hard

"Two hours left..."

As they counted down the time until the teaser release, 7IN's and Yu Gunja's fan, Yeonji, wrote Chinese proverbs in her notebook.

"More is better" (多多益善) – the more, the better.

It was a proverb she learned from Yu Gunja's J-Live content 'Today's Chinese Proverb.'

For her, who was eagerly waiting for the album release, more news about 7IN was always better.

Fortunately, the agency, Solar System, had been quite diligent.

They quickly announced the official team colors, fan merchandise, and the official fan club name "Chillingz," and swiftly secured communication channels like Hybeus and J-Live to minimize content shortages.

The reality show [Chillin' Days] that started with their accommodation also received a good response.

Thanks to the appropriate content and enjoyable editing, fans could vividly see the chemistry between members that wasn't visible during auditions.

"[LOL In-hyuk talking more now that he's getting close is hilarious LOL] [Meanwhile, his low rank is so cute LOL] [When Hyun-shi speaks, he gets really quiet ㅠㅠㅠ] [Usually big dogs boss around small, active cats LOL] [Hyun-shi's mom role moment is so cute ㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Thought he was just another good-looking guy, but] [He carefully looks after each member] [Gunja's brush pen was actually given by Siwoo LOL] [And they made a pact with it and did the third round together LOL] [To kidnap Gunja, bring a brush pen... and a memo...] [I also want to eat Gunja's sweet rice cakes and watch the nationwide singing contest] [I'm more attracted to valley stew than Caribbean Bay... Maybe my butt is now round?] [Damn LOL Gunja, return my youth LOL] [And Gunja's chubby cheeks are so lovable LOL]"

Yeonji also binge-watched [Chillin' Days] countless times. Especially the scene in the conference room with the dance team "Quasar," where Gunja's soft, plump belly was revealed, she watched it more than 50 times.

"Ha, it's still not enough no matter how much I watch."

Even though Solar System had released a lot of content, she still felt as hungry as if she were Hiddink.

The teaser video must have turned out well.

Honestly, there was a bit of anxiety. After all, just two days ago, the major boy group Favorite had released their teaser first.

At that point, the Favorite teaser had 1.8 million views.

While view count wasn't everything, if 7IN lagged behind, it would affect her mood.

Given the delay in uploading, the views might lag, but she hoped the video quality would still be excellent.

She heard that this time they worked with a different team than the one they had been using for the music video.

Also, she was slightly worried about Gunja's cute belly.

Although Yeonji loved everything about Gunja, if he appeared chubby in the teaser or music video, anti-fans would likely become vocal again, causing stress.

...I wonder if he has stopped eating chocolates...

[18:00]

"It's up!"

But as soon as she checked the uploaded teaser video with a pounding heart,

Yeonji realized all her worries were unfounded.

The video quality was insane. With a black background, intense colored objects, white lighting on the members' faces, and backgrounds changing three times even in a short teaser.

The costumes also pierced Yeonji's heart. The modernized hanbok was far more revealing than the traditional ones.

Every time Gunja lifted his arms, Yeonji focused on his waist. It was not due to personal interest. She was only trying to see if his belly still existed.

"...You really managed to keep in shape!"

As she wiped away her running nose, Yeonji smiled in relief. Fortunately, Gunja's body was as she had seen during the third round of auditions.

"[The teaser is absolutely insane;;;;;;;] [Solar System = God God God God] [Our Gunja really went through a tough diet] [Is anyone else rolling around like this in the world ㅠㅠㅠ] [Did you see the credits at the end? I think they worked with Visualize] [Isn't that the team that works with BET?] [No wonder the quality is so amazing LOL Must be the taste of money] [Solar System has plenty of money LOL] [ㅠㅠㅠ Ah, I'm really looking forward to the music video, it looks so tasty] [Damn, becoming Chillingz is my life career highlight] [Yeah, I'm now proudly writing 'Joined Chillingz 2022' on my resume] [Oh yeah, I submitted my resignation yesterday, now Chillingz is my workplace and my job] [I've applied for a name change to Chilgok Chil to show Chillingz is my family, that I am Chillingz] [Crazy LOL LOL LOL LOL] [Look at the fuss LOL LOL LOL LOL]"

The rise in views was also exceptional. Fans waiting for 7IN's debut were not just domestic.

The teaser video, as soon as it was uploaded, quickly surged to 2.7 million views on the first day, easily surpassing Favorite's teaser views.

Curly Music, who had uploaded their video two days earlier to avoid falling behind, looked foolish now.

"Waiting eagerly" (寤寐不忘), waiting with bated breath.

Yeonji's new proverb after the teaser release.

She thought the thirst would be quenched after the teaser was released, but it was the opposite. The teaser, which had perfectly stirred her curiosity, made her even more eagerly anticipate 7IN's next content.

Now, the next step was the release of the full album and music videos.

The day fans awaited was not only awaited by them but also by the members of 7IN, who were excitedly looking forward to that day.

Time slowly passed, and finally, on album release day,

The teaser video's views, which had already exceeded 4 million, predicted success. Although Favorite's comeback teaser video also surpassed 2 million views, it was only half of 7IN's teaser views.

Seeing this crazy trend, Min Kang-hoo bit his nails. He was sick of seeing the Lupi dolls. Although he wanted to flatten Yu Gunja and 7IN's noses somehow, the atmosphere wasn't favorable.

After all, they were still rookies with a lack of core fandom.

In terms of music rankings, album sales, and music video quality, Favorite would still lead.

How impressive could a hastily put-together music video and choreography team's song be?

While Min Kang-hu was mentally convincing himself, reality was turning out differently from his expectations.

* * *

As soon as the music video for 7IN's debut album double title [Origin] was released, it began showing a crazy rise in views.

The visual aesthetics of the music video also lived up to the teaser's high expectations.

The video transitioned from an Eastern backdrop using objects like plum blossoms, bamboo, and celadon to a space filled with cyberpunk elements.

From a serene and mysterious setting resembling a scholarly retreat to a modern stone building reminiscent of the Louvre Museum.

From the top of a gracefully curved tiled roof to the pinnacle of a skyscraper seemingly reaching the moon.

The theme of the music video was "transition of spaces."

The outfits, designed based on traditional hanbok, and the accessories overflowing with Eastern vibes seemed to explain why they were called the "Seven Scholars."

However, the music and choreography did not feel outdated in the slightest.

With a catchy geomungo riff and a crisp bass rhythm, the boys danced as if they had found water.

Thanks to the teamwork honed through 'A-Yuk-Si,' fans experienced chills every time the group dance segments came on.

[2:02 ~ 2:11 The group dance is so thrillingㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Every time Ki yu-chan is in the center, my heart skips a beat] [What's up with the boys' dance linesㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Quasar's choreography is really reliableㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [I'm going crazy, just replaying the group dance partㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [1:51 Love this moment] [I love the boys' group dance! It's so lovely!] [That dance helps with my bowel movements! How many pairs of underwear do we have at home?] [ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋWhat's up with this translation appㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋFans are so funnyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

The climax was the dance break section in the bridge.

After untying the sash from their outfit and closing their eyes, the group performance incorporating tutting (a dance style using the arms, hands, and fingers to create precise angles) began.

The precise tutting looked as if a scholarentering a king's court was paying respect to the monarch.

Moreover, due to the loosened costume, every time some members raised their arms, their lower abdomen and sides were revealed.

[2:59 2:59 2:59] [ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋWriting '2:59' three times without any explanation is so funnyㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [I saw it in the teaser, but it's even better when watched in full, Gunja^^] [Where did the chubby belly from 'Chilling Days' go?] [I'll have to rewatch after a blood transfusion] [I thought scholars would always wear long robes, but] [10 points... 10 points] [Clapping while doing a handstand from when he unties the sash] [It's even better because it's not just trying to be sexyㅠㅠㅠ]

After the dance break, the music video concluded with a repetition of the chorus. It was the first time for the 7IN members to see the final version of the music video, not just the edited version.

"Taewoong! The views are already 170,000!"

"What? Already?"

"No, no! It's 230,000!"

"Huh!?"

"Oops, no! It's 280,000!"

"What!? What's happening—!?"

Every time Gunja pressed the refresh button, the view count skyrocketed by tens of thousands. For Gunja, it was an unimaginable occurrence.

Gunja's appearance in the music video was quite different from what he had imagined.

During filming, he just moved and danced as directed. He had some doubts about whether such a great result would come from it.

But seeing the completed music video made his mouth drop open. The dazzling visuals and flashy movements kept the eyes and ears constantly engaged.

Gunja was at the center of that splendid video.

Gunja, sending a gaze that seemed to pierce through the screen, danced as if his body would break.

"...Is this really me...?"

Humility is a virtue of a scholar. Scholars are supposed to be humble as they accumulate virtues.

Let's be humble, let's be humble...

Even as he repeated this to himself, seeing his own image in the video, vulgar thoughts kept surfacing in Gunja's mind.

"Taewoong."

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I... think I came out looking pretty cool."

"What? Haha, of course! You look cool because you are cool."

Gunja blushed and grinned at Taewoong's honest praise. No matter how much of a scholar's temperament Gunja had, this was hard to resist.

At first, when they were given costumes made from quite limited fabric, Gunja wondered why he was dancing in such humble attire.

But maybe the sexy scholarconcept was more fitting for him than he thought.

"Hmm, hmm-."

Gunja, with a satisfied expression, was watching the music video for the fourth time.

Beep beep beep.

With the sound of an alarm, Hyunsu grabbed his phone and opened the music platform application.

"Hyung, it's been an hour!"

"!"

"We need to check our chart entry!"

Finally, the chart entry ranking for 7IN's debut album 'Origin' was revealed.