[Has no one here seen Idol War? It was insanely fun.]
└ I don’t watch crap like that.
└ Same. I skipped Chicken Race because it was just shirtless male idols having a chest party, and Idol War looked like an emotional battle over who smudged their eye makeup better.
└ Emotional battle… You’re not wrong, but I don’t feel like saying you’re right either.
└ Same here. It was emotionally manipulative, but I’d still sell my organs to support it.
└ Our PerColors ㅠㅜ keep showing us your Perzique ㅜㅠ. *ㅜㅠ is a Korean emoticon for sadness.
└ What’s “Perzique”?
└ I think it’s a fan term for Personal Color—PerCol + Physique.
└ Oh, that’s clever. Perzique!
└ I was watching with my mom. At first we were trashing the “Personal Color Scattered Bean Powder Team,” but by the end we were both voting for them, lol.
└ Got chills when they sang the chorus while crying at the end.
└ And the song’s actually good. Vivid~
└ I can see it now. Personal Color shooting a makeup ad with Vivid as the BGM.
[Was Idol War really that good? The feedback looks great.]
└ It was insanely good. They said it’s a 10-episode pilot, but I hope they just jump right into season 2 after that.
└ It’s all thanks to the PD. Honestly, the format and flow were super cliche, but the editing brought it all to life. Pacing was insane.
└ Agreed. The pacing was top-tier.
└ Most variety shows have parts you just want to skip, but not with Idol War. If anything, I wished they had shown more.
└ Really? I thought the missions ended too quickly.
└ But dragging that stuff out would make it boring. You know, with slow-mo shots and captions like “A Battle of Goodwill!”—instant cringe.
└ The pacing was good, but it really came together when Personal Color left the audience speechless.
└ Facts.
└ Idol War really is a war. They didn’t edit out any mistakes. Seemed like they tried to show the stage performances as raw as possible.
└ Speaking of mistakes—Dream Girls comes to mind.
└ The Mistake Idols.
└ Mistake idols, lol. Dream Girls, lmaooo.
└ That performance was nightmare-tier.
└ What were they thinking doing live vocals with that confidence?
└ On Idol War, live vocals are mandatory. After each broadcast, KBM posts the AR (pre-recorded backing track) used on stage.
└ I checked those. Most groups still had backing vocals, but Personal Color had nothing except during the chorus. It was 100% live.
└ As expected from a MOK idol.
└ If Spain is the go-to in soccer, then MOK is the go-to in K-pop.
└ Then why couldn’t AT, who got humiliated by HSH, make it?
└ Because he is not from MOK—he is from Kim Dong-han.
In the early hours following the first episode of Idol War, conversations started buzzing across variety show fan communities.
At the heart of it all was Personal Color.
It was impossible to talk about Idol War without talking about them. And that’s when media outlets with proper sources began flooding in.
- KBM’s pilot program Idol War gets off to a great start with 7.1% viewership.
- Idol War receives consistent praise: “Showcased real music, not just packaged idol images.”
- Actress An Jia rediscovered! The top-rated moment (11.5%) goes to Personal Color’s An Jia’s stage.
- Long-time underdogs Personal Color make a flashy revolt. Will their new song Vivid top the charts?
- A strong debut for Idol War—could it reclaim the Wednesday variety throne?
Despite the late hour, these headlines were met with a flood of comments.
Of course, some people bashed the show without even watching it.
But the actual viewers were overwhelmingly positive, and the negative comments got buried in no time.
With all the top comments being favourable, more people started checking it out through replays.
Seeing this, KBM made the first episode of Idol War available for free.
Even if it meant a slight loss, their clear aim was to significantly expand the viewer pool and reclaim the Wednesday variety crown from SBN.
The buzz then carried over to social media.
Clips distributed by the MOK PR team spread across platforms, piquing people’s curiosity.
Eventually…
“Personal Color” and “Idol War” were locked into the #1 and #2 real-time trending topics all Thursday long.
“You are cursed with a wanderer’s fate.”
That was the first thing Team Leader Park Cha-myung said after hearing from Seon-ho about his conversation with CEO Kim Dong-han.
Seon-ho hadn’t shared the details of that conversation with anyone else.
He had just vaguely mentioned that he got some praise for his hard work.
That went for Kwon Hosan too. Since the conversation involved Personal Color, it wasn’t something he could casually bring up.
So the only person he could turn to for advice was Team Leader Park.
“A wanderer’s fate?”
“You were assigned to Hye-mi, then to Personal Color, and now you might have to go back to Hye-mi. What else would you call it?”
“Hmm…”
“What kind of rookie changes teams every month? And not because he’s bad, but because he’s too good. Know when to stop.”
“Why do you think CEO Kim Dong-han said all that to me?”
Park shrugged.
“Isn’t it obvious? He wants you to reel Hye-mi back in. Contract renewals usually start about three months before expiry, and her renewal is six months away—perfect timing.”
“Oh, negotiations start three months in advance?”
Seon-ho had no prior experience with contracts in the entertainment industry.
So it made sense he wouldn’t know.
“There’s a lot of loose ends to tie up once the contract ends—copyrights, sponsorships, CFs, etc. Not legally mandated, just industry practice.”
Patting Seon-ho’s shoulder, Park added,
“I know you find the CEO intimidating, but this one’s simple. He’s rewarding you for doing a good job, and using the opportunity to try pulling Hye-mi back in.”
“Then… is there no way I could be in charge of both Personal Color and Hye-mi?”
“How’s a road manager supposed to handle two teams? What if their schedules clash—are you gonna just drive for whoever pays more? You would have to be a director at least.”
After thinking for a moment, Seon-ho asked again.
“Then what if Hye-mi clearly states she wants to renew, and I stay with Personal Color?”
“Dunno? Then it should be fine, I guess? But just remember—if Personal Color flops, your shot at a promotion goes with it.”
“I understand.”
Hearing this, Park looked at him curiously.
“Why are you trying so hard to turn down the CEO’s offer? I mean, I wasn’t a fan of how he chewed Hye-mi out either, but honestly? As a boss, Kim Dong-han’s not bad.”
“How so?”
“He sticks to the rules. When a boss starts shifting standards based on their feelings, it becomes a nightmare to work under. That’s the exact reason I quit my first entertainment job.”
“Hmm…”
“Besides, you’re getting shockingly special treatment right now. Who gets offered a promotion three months in? Are you perhaps the CEO’s hidden son?”
“You know we have different last names, right?”
“So what? You’re both guys.”
“…”
Park Cha-myung, who had just thrown out a sudden team leader-style joke, chuckled at Seon-ho’s expression and said,
“Just accept it. If you liked working with Personal Color, aim for the director position in six months and slowly bring them back. The girls from Personal Color like you too, so it wouldn’t be hard.”
When Seon-ho didn’t respond, Park Cha-myung continued.
“Now that I think about it, in six months, Personal Color will probably be settled in, and the time of managers running around everywhere will be over. That’s like scooping honey, isn’t it?”
Seon-ho thought the team leader wasn’t wrong.
No, thinking rationally, he was right.
Seon-ho reflected deeply on why he felt uneasy about CEO Kim Dong-han’s offer.
The answer came quickly.
“Then there’d be success, but no happiness.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s say I bring back Personal Color in six months. What about Director Kwon Hosan? And Manager Jung Jiwoon, who will have worked hard until then? Whether Personal Color chooses me or Director Kwon, they will feel uncomfortable.”
He disliked CEO Kim Dong-han’s method of stripping away human emotions and reducing everything to a system.
During the recruitment interview with Team Leader Park Cha-myung, he had been asked a question:
‘Exactly what kind of producer do you want to be?’
At the time, he had answered without hesitation:
‘Someone who creates happiness through music.’
His life included a portion meant for Seon-ah.
In that kind of life, he didn’t want to blindly chase money or success.
During his most painful times, music was the only thing that had brought him happiness—he wanted to share that music with more people.
Seeing Seon-ho’s answer, Park Cha-myung first made a baffled face and then burst into laughter.
“To be honest, that sounds dumb, but maybe it’s because you’re that kind of guy that you were able to save Hye-mi and Personal Color.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Just don’t go around talking about happiness and all that. People will think you’re a fool. These days, ambition, money, and success are the trends, man.”
Then Park Cha-myung added,
“But I’m actually curious how far you will go. I kinda want to root for you.”
Though Park Cha-myung was a practical person who clearly distinguished between what he could and couldn’t do, he wasn’t someone who laughed at others ideals.
On the contrary, he could support them sincerely.
“If you ever need my help, just say the word.”
“Then this is exactly when I need it.”
“Huh?”
“Could you give me the CEO’s personal number?”
-This is Han Seon-ho. If you’re available to talk, I have something I’d like to discuss.
It wasn’t polite for a rookie employee to message the CEO directly, but there was something he had to confirm.
Thanks to Park Cha-myung, he had sorted out his thoughts clearly, so he felt at ease.
After sending the text to CEO Kim Dong-han, Seon-ho began working on the written interview Team Leader Choi Ki-seok had given him.
Seeing Seon-ho working at his desk for the first time in a while, employees started striking up conversations.
“What are you up to, Seon-ho?”
“Just writing up the interview Team Leader Choi asked for.”
There were co-workers from Team B as well.
“I watched the show yesterday. Great job.”
“Thank you.”
Even Shin Ho-yoon, head of the singer division, came down personally to offer a few words.
“What are the Personal Color guys up to?”
“Preparing for tomorrow’s recording. They’re at the practice room with their dance instructor. I’ll head down after I finish this.”
Clearly, the staff’s attitude toward Seon-ho had shifted.
As he was absorbed in finishing the interview, someone tapped his shoulder and handed him a coffee.
“Seon-ho.”
“Oh, Director Baek. Hello. What brings you here?”
“I have something to ask. The composer Prefer—he’s not officially under contract, right?”
“No. We work with him on a per-song basis.”
“Then do you think you could get him to listen to this?”
It was Baek Sangyeon from Team C, whom Seon-ho had occasionally run into. He handed over a USB.
“What is it?”
Baek looked around cautiously and lowered his voice.
“These are the candidate tracks for Junho’s digital single, sent by the A&R team. But Junho’s not feeling them.”
“What does he mean by that?”
“He says they don’t really fit him. But they’re too good to throw out. He wants them revised just a little…”
Baek leaned in closer and whispered,
“If the A&R team gets vague feedback, they lose it. It’s a pain. The CEO spoils them too much, and now they think they’re running MOK.”
“That sounds rough.”
“It’s more annoying than hard. They always think if a song doesn’t do well, it’s the promotion’s fault, not theirs.”
Shaking his head in frustration, Baek added,
“Anyway, both Junho and I want Prefer to do the rearranging. Could you talk to him for us?”
“What’s the deadline?”
“Well, since the company’s focusing on Hye-mi and Personal Color right now, it can take its time. Just get it in by the end of January.”
That gave about two months of time.
Seon-ho nodded without hesitation.
It was a chance to raise Prefer’s influence within MOK—there was no reason to refuse.
“Sure, I’ll talk to him.”
“He listens to you?”
“For the most part, yeah.”
“Man, I’m so jealous. Why don’t I have a friend like that…”
Then Baek whispered again.
“You know PD Joo Min-hwan, right?”
“PD Joo? Yeah, I know him.”
Joo Min-hwan was the producer who had deliberately done a lazy arrangement of Autumn Leaf by Su-rim.
“He’s got it out for you. So stay away from the A&R department if you can.”
“Me? Why?”
“He just hates Prefer. Prefer roasted him on Autumn Leaf, then beat him again on Girl In The City. And you’re the one moving Prefer.”
Now that he thought about it, the competing track for Girl In The City, which Hye-mi had chosen, was Joo Min-hwan’s.
Just as Seon-ho was about to say it’s probably fine since they’re on different teams, his phone rang.
Thinking it was CEO Kim Dong-han, Seon-ho excused himself and left the office.
But when he checked the caller ID, it wasn’t the CEO.
—Writer Min Heeyoung.
The screen showed the name of the writer for High School in Melody, which would begin filming in two weeks.
“Yes, hello?”
-Manager, this is writer Min Heeyoung.
“Hello, how have you been?”
-Sorry, I’m a bit busy right now. Can I skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point?
Her voice carried the fatigue and rush of someone overwhelmed.
“Of course. Go ahead.”
-I’ve got two things. First, I’d like Personal Color to make a cameo.
“A cameo?”
-In the first episode, there’s a scene where the main characters attend a concert. I want to include Personal Color Vivid in that scene. I just watched Idol War and their song was fantastic. It matches the drama’s vibe perfectly.
Seon-ho instinctively wanted to say yes.
It sounded like a great opportunity.
“It sounds like a great idea, but I’m not in a position to give a definite answer. I’ll pass it on to the higher-ups.”
-I figured. This is just a way to give you credit. I want them to know this contact came through you.
Then she added,
-I also heard you’re close with the composer Prefer. Could you connect me with him?
“What for?”
-After watching Idol War, I’m convinced that only Prefer can bring out An Jia’s full potential. I want him to write the song she’ll sing in the drama.