Debut or Die-Chapter 269
As time passed, even the fun of attacking the controversy would grow stale without fresh fuel. Especially those who’d already gorged themselves on five days of hating Cha Yoo-jin were electrified by this new twist. It wasn’t stripping away their target, but supplying a brand-new one.
“They really went overboard bullying staff”
“Where do they even churn these people out? Always popping up and harassing crew members”
“IdolCorpImpact, lol”
“This isn’t Mafia—what kind of twist is this?”
“The staff must’ve been terrified—thank goodness they recorded it, sob”
Even if the crew hadn’t targeted a famous idol like Yoo-jin, the scandal still resonated—Idol Corporation is such a well-known series, and Season 2 had famously flopped. People reveled in the revelation of the producers’ background, as if a secret had been exposed. And, to make piling on easier, they reinstated Yoo-jin as the victim—just as they once ridiculed Park Mundae.
“Because of these assholes, Yoo-jin got blamed for nothing; I’d have gone insane”
“I feel sorry for Yoo-jin—speechless”
“I suspect the crew leaked the video; maybe he got on their bad side?”
└ “Fuck”
└ “That’s chilling...”
Smoothly, public opinion pivoted to portray those producers as far worse insiders than Yoo-jin. Many fans and observers felt genuine relief at this sudden reversal.
“They all jumped on him, now humanity’s dead”
“They told us to stay neutral, but the video was the only solid proof, right? Wait just a bit...”
└ “Honestly, the context seemed so clear back then—can’t blame those who hated him”
└ “I’m a fan, but I’m relieved now; that’s more comforting—these jerks never change”
Even if they couldn’t fully grasp the situation, there was no stopping the momentum. Those who’d wanted to justify their attacks on Yoo-jin stayed silent, and people attacked the crew, restoring Yoo-jin’s image. His recovery rode that resurgence, and when the agency quietly issued a statement, it intensified.
[“We feared harming a third party”...T1 Stars clarifies TeSTAR’s Cha Yoo-jin position]
“I couldn’t speak sooner because I worried our statement without recording would harm the staff”
└ “😭😭 It really makes me cry”
“Yoo-jin, you’re amazing—why do you suffer so much? I hope only happiness follows you”
“He’s incredible; I don’t think I could’ve waited like he did”
“Thank goodness the staff came forward—always treat those around you well”
Of course, some sensed something off beneath the lines, even amid this happy turn.
“But why did Yoo-jin push the camera? They really filmed staff like that? Hm”
“It must’ve been during the doc shoot—they didn’t care, since they’d edit anyway”
└ “They’ll attack anything—even the transcript, you won’t believe it?”
└ “Did IdolCorp staff hire plenty of temp workers? Lol”
“They had the transcript—what took them five days? Did they feed it to the media?”
└ “They said they’d send a lawsuit to T1 Stars”
But this angle was mercilessly shut down by Yoo-jin’s fans, now soaring on newfound energy. They flooded the net with news and frames to soothe their shock.
“The IdolCorp 2 producers... can’t help wrecking lives”
“Yoo-jin stopped their bullying, yet he got blamed—tsk”
“No wonder no one spoke up—it’d ruin that IdolCorp-origin studio, right? Lol, I’m disgusted”
With so many strong voices in the fandom, public opinion rapidly swung back. And each time that shift slowed, a new article or piece of evidence surfaced:
[IdolCorp 2 Producers Release Statement]
[Staff Misunderstanding.jpg (feat. Statement)]
[T1 Finally Cuts Ties with Bullying Studio]
After four or five of these cycles, the controversy finally cooled and dissipated. Cha Yoo-jin shed the stigma.
I checked the latest articles and comments on the doc scandal:
[“Bullying Studio” shutters doors... FilmJ website closed (21)]
Only a few dozen short emotional outbursts remained.
“Hm.”
I looked up from the screen.
“It’s over. I think it’s passed.”
“Phew!”
“Wooaaa...”
“Thank goodness, Yoo-jin...”
All around, the members cheered, relieved that things were settled and could focus on performance prep—so they’d barely monitored the internet until now. The usual atmosphere returned.
‘More ruckus from people not involved than the ones who were.’
I glanced at the one guy calmly cracking open a beer on the sofa.
Clink.
Cha Yoo-jin set down his can and spoke seriously.
“Hyung, you’re a genius.”
He knew how to flatter. My evidence operation must’ve impressed him.
“Thank the masseuse. All I did was pass her recording to the agency.”
[Of course! I want to give her a gift...]
“Absolutely not. Just say thanks.”
If we tried to reward her, more spinners would emerge. The agency would handle her benefit, so better to just send gratitude.
“Umm, okay.”
Yoo-jin nodded, then politely offered me his beer.
“...?”
“It’s non-alcoholic! Hyung, drink up! Thank you so much.”
“...Sure.”
On closer look, it really said “0.0%.” Now he even watches after my zero-alcohol habit. I took the can, feeling a bit awkward.
“Cheers, Mundae!”
“Wait... I haven’t even opened mine yet...”
“....”
I waited a moment, then obliged, and the guys finally drank with cheer.
“Nice—eating tastes better when you can relax, right?”
“Yes! This hotel’s room service is delicious.”
Right. We were all in the suite—the weekly day when we share a room, as Cheong-woo suggested. With the Japan tour wrapped, it was both a celebration and Yoo-jin’s comeback commemorative mood.
Looking at the spread of food and drinks, I shrugged.
‘They’d planned another tour date—maybe an encore at Tokyo Dome—but shelved it for caution amid the Yoo-jin uproar.’
So we’d return home tomorrow.
Of course, not to rest.
“Let’s finish strong with the encore in Korea.”
“Sounds good~”
We’d hold an encore concert in Korea soon—a welcome thing for our home fans after weeks of fatigue.
‘If you look at it that way... it was unlucky to overlap the tour with the controversy, but at least the Japan shows had almost no footage circulating. Yoo-jin could perform more comfortably.’
And the leak hit before the next show, so we were lucky.
I reviewed the past tour’s performances.
‘Yeah, the tour itself went well.’
Though special in-house shows have a distinct flavor, overseas gigs had their own charm.
‘Each locale got a local-language translation or a regional hit cover—fresh each night.’
I settled into simply enjoying the performance and my beer—zero-alcohol though it was. Then I heard chatter:
“Yoo-jin’s worked so hard despite everything—good job. The audience must’ve loved it.”
“...You did well.”
Even Bae Se-jin awkwardly patted Yoo-jin’s back. Alcohol, maybe? I watched until ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) someone caught my eye and suddenly spoke:
“Mundae, you did great too.”
“...Right. You were amazing, too.”
“...??”
Big Se-jin burst out laughing again.
“Hey, you threw a fit—phone, sofa, the works! Remember?”
“....”
I briefly recalled my outbursts.
‘Right.’
And groaned.
“...I was just pissed.”
“Why? Because you worried about our member Yoo-jin, right?”
No. It was because no matter what I did, there seemed to be no solution—frustration boiled over. But Big Se-jin, with his arm around Yoo-jin, was grinning from ear to ear:
“Ah~ our team vibe is really great~”
“....”
Well, yeah.
When you think about it like that... it might be true. I never expected to feel such belonging in this group. And emotions carry power.
I finally smiled and spoke up.
“Yeah. I was worried. I couldn’t help it.”
“...!”
Then I looked at Yoo-jin.
“You held up well. Good job.”
If he’d run off, it’d have been twice as hard to recover. But he stayed calm, and we managed.
“.......”
Yoo-jin remained silent, lips pressed tight.
‘Come to think of it, he didn’t respond to the others earlier either....’
Before the thought finished, Yoo-jin began to sob.
“...!”
“Yoo-jin?”
Instead of answering, he grabbed Rae-bin’s head. Startled, Rae-bin dropped his champagne.
“Yoo-jin!”
“Waaah!!”
No one—not even Seon Ah-hyun—moved to stop him. It was the first time Yoo-jin had cried over this.
“......hmm.”
Finally understanding, Rae-bin nodded.
“Hng...”
Yoo-jin clung to Rae-bin’s head and cried his heart out for a long time. It was a cathartic night.
The next day on the flight home,
Rae-bin—mindful of the situation—said he forgave his friend fully.
“She could’ve been barred from group activities—that’s scary. I understand the anxiety.”
True enough. T1 had neatly discarded that studio—it was a bigger risk to the group than a single small company. Better to preserve a hugely profitable and influential idol group than a struggling doc studio. Of course, in time some blame would return to Yoo-jin:
“Still cheap to shove first”
“Is Yoo-jin really in the right? Impulsive...”
That was expected—such controversies never vanish cleanly. Yoo-jin would now have to be doubly cautious to avoid anything similar.
‘It’s uncomfortable.’
And the biggest problem: the fandom’s internal unity had shattered. Most group-fans who’d attacked Yoo-jin felt sorry and relieved, or remained wary. The tension was sealed by this single wave of solidarity. But the personal-fan side...
‘That won’t heal naturally.’
Yoo-jin’s individual fans had taken a massive shock. Once the incident broke, many of other members’ personal fans had immediately called for Yoo-jin’s removal:
“I’ve seen him for years—he acts fine—but he gets dropped the moment something happens? Imbeciles.”
“Yoo-jin solo? Might be better than this dirty scene.”
“It’s too tangled... I’m not asking for sides, but those who attacked him were too harsh.”
“I never thought Yoo-jin would cause trouble—why hate him the instant something happened?”
Honestly, multiple bad factors had built up, so you couldn’t blame just one side—but that deepened the rift all the same.
‘This needs... a separate approach.’
It seemed this Korean encore concert must be leveraged well—on many levels.
