211 - Upki Girl

<This is Why It’s Called BitCoin, Isn’t It?> <NamuWiki> Artist: 5―BBA Members: Jung Jin (Leader), Kang Cheol, Soo Ho, Him Chan, Jun Debut: 1997, 1st Album [5 Best Boyz A+] Awards: ―1998 Newcomer Awards at Gayo Awards, Media and Record Awards, and Music Festival ―1999 Seoul Gayo Awards, Gayo Awards, Top 10 Stars at the Music Festival Official Disbandment: 2001 The dawn of the first-generation boy groups is often defined by the two powerhouses, H5 and Seezeks. Objectively, H5 was the indisputable top tier, with their rivals Seezeks slightly behind as a 1.3 tier, followed by a proliferation of boy groups that mostly ranked below the second tier. However, there was a group that once threatened even the dominance of H5, delivering short-term impact—this was none other than 5―BBA. They emerged like a comet, climbing to second place with their debut song <Hero>. Their second album's title track, <Silence of the Stars>, sold over 600,000 copies despite the market slump, putting them in the running for first place. At that time, their competitors for first place were industry veteran Moon Se-hyung and the newly debuted girl group Rosemary. Since both teams were nearing the end of their promotion cycle, 5―BBA looked like a strong contender for the top spot. However, the IMF crisis hit, causing the abolishment of music show rankings, meaning they couldn’t secure the number one position. Following consecutive mega-hits with their first and second albums, 5―BBA faced challenges due to internal issues within their agency starting with the release of their third album <5Mae BulMang (5寐不忘)>, marking the beginning of their decline. An additional setback occurred when the title track from their fourth album <Return> faced broadcasting restrictions, coupled with internal troubles at their agency, ultimately leading to their official disbandment with the release of a best album in 2001. ―――――― “Hold my hand tightly so that I don’t fall!” Stop it, dammit. Singing up to the first verse should be enough fun, right? I thought she’d sing a line and stop, but Eun Bit finished the first verse’s chorus with a clear high note and then transitioned into a scat beat, keeping the acapella dance break going. “Booms, pew-pew-pew pew, dudududut, pi-pipipit tsch-huh~ tsut!” Whoa! Showing off a sideways flip without support—stop that already. What are we even doing at a client meeting? I thought I was immune to typical antics, but I’m starting to feel embarrassed. No. It’s because I’ve built up a tolerance that I let it go on till the first verse. Any other manager would have stopped her in the B part. At the client meeting, it was me, Upkey Girl, CEO Kang Cheol, SPC team leader from Ripple Girl, and two advertising agency staff. Thanks to Eun Bit’s well-known mischievousness and entertainment persona, the atmosphere wasn’t bad. That’s just how she is. The clients seemed amazed that Eun Bit remembered a song and dance from 20 years ago. The fact that her singing was steady and the dance moves were somewhat polished made this possible. If her skills were lacking, they might have taken it as mockery. But the real issue was that CEO Kang Cheol’s expression had turned somber. He initially smiled as if it was adorable, but his face became heavy. No matter how much of a fan he is, if he’s upset, it’s all over. For him, 5―BBA might hold bad memories. Yet oblivious to this, Sib-ah’s face burned with pure desire to sing the full song. I thought, this might be a good time to intervene. At that moment. “Like the stars shining since the dawn of time!” Whoa, what’s happening now? Kang Cheol, seated at the head of the table, suddenly stood up and began rapping. “You who stood in for my heart! Why! Why! Why! Just why! Why! Why!” He continued rapping with the gestures from his active years, supported by Sib-ah with doubling on the rhyme parts. “Even if it’s the will of the heavens!” “Heavens!” “Even if the moon and stars and sun!” “Sun!” “No matter what, nothing can stop our love, you say!” “You say!” “Just you and me, we don’t need anything else!” “Else!” Ah. I remember this. It sounds quite dated and simple now as a 90s rap, but this was the killing part of <Silence of the Stars>. The member who sang this part gained considerable popularity, and it seemed it was Kang Cheol’s part. “Without you, nothing else in the world matters!” “Even if the sky calls me, I have no regrets~” What’s this natural flow? Kang Cheol didn’t stop at rapping; he also performed the choreography to match Eun Bit’s singing. Of course, it didn’t have the flair of his active days, but just remembering the entire choreography was impressive. Ah. Seeing Kang Cheol’s serious expression and gaze reminded me. In the early 2000s, when celebrity dating programs were all the rage, Kang Cheol’s nickname was ‘Serious Handsome Guy.’ It was a nickname he earned for his sincere and passionate demeanor. Summed up as ‘Serious-Han.’ Seems this wasn’t an act but his true character. He’s so earnest that he comes off as a fourth-dimensional comedy character. Thanks to Kang Cheol, the original composer’s featuring, Sib-ah completed singing <Silence of the Stars>. Kang Cheol even added harmonies at the end section where they danced together to finish the performance. “Praying for youuu~” “For youuuu~” ―Clap clap clap clap! Hong was the first to genuinely applaud, and the others followed suit with applause. Kang Cheol and Eun Bit high-fived and bumped shoulders lightly in a friendly black-American style. Truly, soul partners had arrived. “Wow, how do you know this song? It was released on May 12, 1998.” "It’s my hobby to search and listen to songs from first-generation idol seniors on YouTube. Among them, I'm totally hooked on ‘Oppa’ seniors, and I’ve memorized them completely! It's truly an honor, from Jeolla Province, to meet you like this!” “Oh dear, the honor is mine.” “Personally, the 1998 Dream Concert stage was the best!” “Ah, yes, those were the peak times.” The look in Kang Cheol's eyes as he gazed at Eun Bit was filled with pride and fondness. Judging by his expression alone, he looked as though he might hand over his entire fortune. It was like the look one would have when welcoming a son home safely from a war zone. Sib-ah was the same. Her ability to completely memorize the songs and dances proved she wasn’t just offering lip service, but her expression radiated genuine fandom. “When are you coming on ‘Hitman’? ‘Oppa’ seniors are mentioned so much there!” “Ah, ever since season one, the writers have been reaching out... but some members are overseas, and some like me are involved in business, so it’s a bit complicated to appear on TV.” “That’s a shame. If seniors appeared, it would instantly trend again. Just sing ‘Silence of the Stars’, ‘Hero’, and ‘Roman Holiday’. Right?” “Haha, those are the most famous three songs.” “But personally, I like ‘Return’ the best.” “Oh? Seriously? That was banned from broadcasting, so we never got to perform it. How do you know about that?” “Oh? Wasn’t ‘Return’ performed on ‘Bravo High School’? The Maphogo episode?” “Huh? Did we...?” “Yes, and there was a dance battle with the Legend Dream seniors.” “Oh, right, right! Now that you mention the dance battle, I remember! Jin and I participated, right?” “Yes! That’s when you did this dance.” Amazing, Sib-ah. Not only does she know stuff even the person concerned doesn’t remember, but she also did a rough reenactment of the popping dance Kang Cheol did back then. At this point, shouldn’t she get an award? Thanks to her constant immersion in YouTube, she’s become an Einstein in this area. Caught up in Sib-ah’s wave of nostalgia, Kang Cheol repeatedly said, “Yes, yes,” diving into the trip down memory lane. The two staff from the advertising agency were busy reacting and engaging from the side. As it seemed the conversation between the two had no end in sight, the Ripple Girl joint management manager quietly whispered to me. “We haven’t made proper introductions yet, have we?” “Yes... By the way, did you know Kang Cheol is the client?” “No, I only heard he was very meticulous from the AE over there. I didn’t know it was Kang Cheol. Quite successful, huh.” “Should we wrap it up...?” “The atmosphere is good; why not let it be? Do you have another schedule?” “No. I’m just worried Eun Bit might go overboard and cross the line. They say he’s particular. It would be a shame if this gets us in trouble.” “Trouble? Look at Kang Cheol’s expression...” I am. His delight resembled that of a dog ecstatic to see someone after ages, almost to the point of concern he might wet himself. He had talked so much in that short period that there was a noticeable white trail of saliva around his mouth. Indeed, if the client is enjoying himself so much, there’s no need to interrupt. For a celebrity, a satisfied client is worth more than a building owner, they say. “Ah, really brings back old memories. We were something back then.” “Just how popular were you? Online, they say you were almost on par with H5. Is that true?” “Ah, in Korea, no team really matches H5's level. We weren't quite there, though at one point we came close—just for a short, very short time.” “Feel free to speak casually, senior.” “Is it okay...?” “Of course, we’re quite your juniors.” “Then, I’ll drop the formal speech, haha.” “Should I show you the ‘Hero’ song and dance I know, or would you like to join us for karaoke afterward?” What's all this about karaoke, Sib-ah? This needs to be stopped. “Hey, don’t pressure the CEO...” Kang Cheol gestured dismissively, stopping me. “No, no, that’s fine, but rather than that...” No, what do you mean ‘no, it’s okay’? What are you planning to say? It’s becoming clear that perhaps even you aren’t in your right mind. Picking up his phone, Kang Cheol continued speaking to Eun Bit. “I’ve been doing live broadcasts lately.” “Really? Where do you do them?” “Teenstagram.” “We do it on MuseTV!” “Isn’t live broadcasting fun?” “Yes, it has a different charm than regular broadcasts.” “I had some curiosity and tried it out because they say people communicate a lot this way these days. Surprisingly, there are fans who care because I was a celebrity once. It’s fascinating.” After a brief show of humility, Kang Cheol politely asked me. “Manager, if it’s not too much trouble, could Upkey Girl and I briefly greet my fans through a live broadcast?” I couldn’t refuse. He already had Teenstagram open, his finger poised above ‘Start Broadcast.’ Upkey Girl members were also checking their appearance in their phones, ready to appear. The members are fine with it, but since we’re in an exclusive contract with MuseTV and Internet broadcast, we need to check the contractual provisions before appearing on another platform. The SPC manager accompanying us gave the answer. “Teensta isn’t for commercial purposes, so it’s fine.” Thus, the live broadcast with Kang Cheol and Upkey Girl began. I also friended Kang Cheol on Teenstagram and entered the room immediately. Perhaps it was because it was a weekday afternoon; there weren't many viewers. About 30 people entered, and they seemed mostly women around my age. Kang Cheol interacted with them in an old-school manner. “You must be surprised to see me online at this time. I’m here for an ad meeting today. Do you know who the models are? Ta-da!” “One, two, three!” "The girl group you raised! Hello, we’re Upkey Girl!” ― jjh2827: Why is Upkey Girl here? ― chldmsrud: OMG lol ― Gracelee: Loving Ripple Girl's show!^^ ― bori22: They’re all so prettyㅠㅠ “Upkey Girl is truly the trend. It seems like they're happier to see you than me! Ah, I just sang ‘Silence of the Stars’ with Eun Bit. Haha!” “Yes! Kang Cheol senior is still flying high. I wonder if he’s practicing secretly since he hasn’t forgotten any of the choreography.” “My body just remembers.” ― bori22: Epic moment!ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ― jjh2827: Show us too lol ― kyh0830: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋPlease show us!!! ― sojeongye: What tint are you wearing, second from the left??? Kang Cheol and Eun Bit performed full-shot choreographies for ‘Silence of the Stars’ and ‘Hero.’ Seeing their ‘oppa’ dancing again after so long, the chat room went wild, and news spread among Upkey Girl fans, increasing the number of viewers to nearly 200, a personal record. “As you all know, I rarely talk about my days as ‘Oppa’. But today has really brought back memories.” ― jjh2827: Please, just once, come on Hitmanㅠㅠ ― mimim: My dying wish is to see a full stage of Oppa on TV ― sanbulpark: 5BBA X Upkey Girl Hitman, let’s go!!!! Fans kept bringing up 'Hitman', a show where current artists reimagine and perform hit songs from once-popular, now less active artists. It’s a program suited for artists like ‘5―BBA’, and I always found it odd that they hadn’t appeared yet. Caught up in nostalgia, Kang Cheol vowed to persuade his members no matter what, promising the fans. Upkey Girl members also promised to appear if ‘Oppa’ participated. “Kang Cheol senior, you’ve had great success as a CEO of a school uniform company, right? What are the other seniors doing now?” “Oh, Jin is actively working as a musical director, and Soo Ho runs a restaurant in the US.” Wait, this isn’t ‘Hitman’ yet. At some point, Eun Bit naturally took on the MC role, and Kang Cheol seriously answered. Upkey Girl’s other members provided the audience reaction from the side. Their teamwork wasn't just out of this world; it was heavenly. By the end of Eun Bit’s 30-minute broadcast, viewer numbers reached 500. After the broadcast ended, Kang Cheol’s face was vividly different from the start. His face beamed with life. “Wow, that was really fun. So, shall we go eat? What do the Upkey Girl members like? How about beef?” This guy completely lost his marbles. “Yes! Yes! We love beef!” Hong did too. As Kang Cheol donned his jacket for departure, the advertising agency head gently smiled and spoke up. “Sir, we haven’t discussed the work yet...” “Work? Oh, right, right. We’re here because of the ad. Haha! Let’s draft the contract after we eat, and AE can adjust to Upkey Girl’s conditions as much as possible. Just inform us of the filming date later. Okay? Let’s eat. Hong, you must be starving, right?” “Beef, senior.” “Let’s see... where was the good beef place again. Okay, we’ll go there.” “Yes!” A client who treats you to a good meal—a soulful partner added to the list. Kang Cheol and Hong stood up without a second thought, with the rest of the group trailing like little ducklings. Well, it was the perfect time to be hungry. But is this seriously the end...? I looked at the agency head. He, a bearded man around my age, approached with a faux-cry, shook my hand tightly, and sighed in relief. “Hah, thank you... truly, thank you.” “Oh, we’re the ones who should be thankful.” “I finally reached a contact after seven times...” It implied that we were the eighth model candidates, and everyone before us had been turned down after hardcore meetings lasting almost two hours. Despite personally selecting them, he lost interest when they met. The ad agency head finally handed me his card, exhaling a sigh of relief much like a Hydra. “Hah, feel free to reach out anytime, and I’ll treat you to a grand meal... hah, hah…” Come to think of it, I also couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. Yoo Eun Bit’s life truly is a sitcom. Even SPC manager chuckled and added: “This is why BitCoin is called BitCoin, right? This was the most bizarre client meeting of my life.” Whether Eun Bit went off the rails or Kang Cheol did, I have no clue anymore. Two days later, we received a call from ‘Hitman’ writers. They too sighed out of relief akin to a Hydra, expressing their gratitude. “Hah, we truly have been trying to get ‘Oppa’ seniors on the show for two years, to no avail. But they agreed on the condition to appear with Upkey Girl. Thank you so much.” <This is Why It’s Called BitCoin> The End.