Little Pink Starfish

Average viewership rating: 1.1%.
Capital region average rating: 1.3%.
Peak minute-by-minute rating: 1.9%.

These were the numbers for Episode 1 of Coming Up Next.

Some might raise their eyebrows at ratings in the 1% range, but in truth, this was a highly encouraging result.

MShow had never seen major success with its in-house variety shows, and Coming Up Next had the handicap of being an internal survival show from a specific entertainment company.

That’s why MShow’s variety department director had set the goal viewership at 1.9%.

Of course, he had firmly told PD Kang Seok-woo to hit at least 2.5%, but secretly, he would’ve been happy with anything above 1.5%.

And now, the capital region posted a 1.3%.

A thoroughly satisfying start.

Sure, there were naysayers who muttered that the premiere was the peak and it would only go downhill from there.

Most notably, MBS, KBN, and SBN.

But would the big public broadcasters bother trash-talking something so insignificant?

If Coming Up Next was being criticized, it meant it was being noticed.

And being noticed meant there was potential.

Why?

“Isn’t the buzz direction kind of wild?”
“Why are the clip views so high?”

Because the buzz around Coming Up Next wasn’t a brief flare-up that quickly fizzled.

It actually felt like a virtuous cycle.

People who enjoyed the show created related content, and those who saw that content went looking for the show.

The show and its content.

If even one of them had been weak, the public’s attention would have died off. The fact that interest kept circulating was proof it wasn’t just a fleeting issue.

And at the center of it all…

“Wow, this is actually working?”
“What year is this song even from?”

…was the track Under the Streetlight, sung by Han Si-on and released through Coming Up Next.

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On its release day, Han Si-on’s Under the Streetlight entered the Top 100 chart at 89.

A very respectable result.

Han Si-on didn’t have a solid fandom, and Coming Up Next wasn’t a nationwide sensation of an audition program either.

Making it into the Top 100 meant that the song had been chosen by the countless shops that put the <Top 100 Chart> on loop.

That was no small thing.

There’s a reason why the copyright revenue difference between chart positions 100 and 101 is massive.

Still, PD Kang Seok-woo felt a tinge of disappointment and decided to wait and see.

Then the next day—

“Huh?”

The song had jumped to 51st.

With a sudden leap of 38 spots, Kang Seok-woo assumed there must’ve been some trigger.

Maybe a famous singer mentioned it on their SNS, or a popular creator did a reaction video.

Or maybe a clip had hit the YouTube algorithm jackpot.

But none of that had happened.

The social media buzz, search volume, and video views were steadily climbing—but there was no single, special trigger.

Then what was going on?

“Is the music chart just soft cake right now?”

Maybe.

Maybe some of the mid-tier tracks in the Top 100 had inflated numbers.

Maybe Under the Streetlight was simply the stronger contender—like stabbing a fork into a soft cake.

But that only gets you to around 50.

People throw around “#1 on the charts” like it’s nothing, but that title is massive.

It means that, at a specific point in time, this was the most listened-to song in South Korea.

“I hope we break into the Top 50.”

That’s what Kang Seok-woo was thinking as he waited for day 3.

And then something amazing happened.

22. Under the Streetlight (new)(hot)

The song had surged another 29 ranks, landing at #22.

And now the momentum was catching fire.

• Wow, this song takes me back.
• I laughed when I thought it was a remake, but it’s actually amazing lol
• Total nostalgia. I used to sing this all the time in college.
• Jo Gi-jeong was the group sound of our generation.
• I was born in 2002… and even my age group loves this song.
• Lmao what? 2002 means you’re like sixteen, right?
• What show is this from?
• It’s called Coming Up Next. It’s on MShow.

As the ranking went up, more people joined in, and as more people joined, the ranking went higher.

Now Kang Seok-woo was confused.

“There really wasn’t any catalyst, right?”

He asked the writers to double-check in case he missed something, but they came back with the same conclusion.

They also had no idea why the song had suddenly taken off.

The answer came to Kang Seok-woo during interviews for new PDs applying for the March recruitment round.

“So, what do you think the future trend in broadcasting will be?”

During this standard final question, the name Under the Streetlight kept popping up.

“Trends move toward the future, and nostalgia pulls from the past—but if you only chase trends, nostalgia itself can become a driving force for the future…”

The interviewee finished with a mix of thoughts on Under the Streetlight‘s popularity and current trends.

The answer itself was garbage—but Kang Seok-woo couldn’t help but slap his knee.

The reason behind the meteoric rise was simple.

The power of song selection.

And the power of Han Si-on’s voice.

Jo Gi-jeong Band’s Under the Streetlight is often underrated now for its sluggish verses, but back in the day, songs like this were everywhere.

Long intros, calm and lyrical instrumentation, seemingly boring verses that slowly build, then an explosive chorus.

Bands influenced by progressive or art rock always had at least one song like that.

Even so, Under the Streetlight had remained beloved for a long time.

Which meant it was a good song.

And one with nostalgic value for many people.

So what happens when a song like that starts playing on the street?

Someone who had long forgotten about it might just look it up.

Even Kang Seok-woo had felt a twinge of joy when he heard it during filming.

That’s the power of song selection.

The second was Han Si-on’s vocal performance.

No further explanation needed.

Han Si-on’s singing was just excellent.

In fact, Kang Seok-woo had originally listened to a fully rearranged Under the Streetlight Remix, so he thought Han Si-on’s version felt a little flat.

But that was just a relative impression. It was still a great song.

And it resonated with younger listeners who had no memories of the original.

That wasn’t all.

“So this is what kids call ‘hip’ these days.”

Because there hadn’t been a song with this kind of feel in a while, it actually stood out.

Good song?
Look it up—it’s a 90s rock hit?
Kind of cool, actually?

That’s the impression it gave.

Upon realizing all this, Kang Seok-woo could only marvel.

Up until now, he had thought Coming Up Next was pushing Under the Streetlight.

But it was the other way around.

Under the Streetlight was pushing Coming Up Next.

As a result, the show’s rerun ratings and IPTV purchases were climbing sharply.

And finally, on day 4 of release:

7. Under the Streetlight (new)(hot)

Han Si-on’s Under the Streetlight broke into the Top 10.

It was hard to believe this result came from a song featured in episode one of an internal company survival audition show.

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• I’m seriously so pissed. Can’t we stop chart manipulation somehow?
• Humanity is doomed. This garbage is at #4.
• So who the hell is Han Si-on? Is it just me who’s never heard of him?
• Nope, me neither.
• Which agency is he from?
• LOL this is hilarious. Under the Streetlight is chart manipulation? Go look at the top trending clips, idiot.
• Whatever. The show’s only getting viewers because of the manipulated song.
• Uh, the top trending clip is the Vocal Top 3 reaction video, not Coming Up Next btw~
• Your tone sucks.
• LMAOO you mad your oppa couldn’t chart-stack? Cry harder.
• I bet Han Si-on’s gonna hit #1 by the end of the week. Burp.
• Manifesting a car crash and broken vocal cords for Mr. Chart-Manipulation, day 3. Not you if you didn’t manipulate.

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So this is what Korean online communities are like.

After browsing the forums Jaeseong showed me, I get how they’re different from those in the English-speaking world.

There, comments tend to be blunt.

Not 100%, but people are more likely to say exactly what they mean.

In contrast, Korean communities have this indirect, sarcastic tone.

Probably because of Korea’s defamation laws?

Right then, someone snatched my phone away.

I looked up in surprise—it was On Saemi-ro.

“Don’t look at stuff like this.”

“Why?”

“It’s just hate comments.”

This?

To qualify as hate, doesn’t it have to be something like “fashion orphan” or “attempted patricide suspect”?

Well, not that it really matters anymore.

After living as a public figure for so long, I’ve grown indifferent to hate.

It’s not that I ignore it and feel nothing, or that I’ve endured and become desensitized.

I just don’t really feel anything about it.

Probably because I can completely objectify myself.

Being hurt by others’ criticism means you can’t handle attacks on the unchangeable “you.”

But I can change who “I” am entirely.

I’ve lived as a sharp-tongued, perfectionist vocalist and also as a raw, uncensored rapper.

Sure, that duality meant I needed antidepressants and nearly developed schizophrenia.

Still, On Saemi-ro probably spoke up out of concern.

Maybe I should try being a little gentler?

“I appreciate the concern, but I’m really okay.”

“How?”

“Hm?”

“How are you okay with being criticized?”

“Try looking at it as something interesting. In a way, I’m manipulating people, right? People who wouldn’t have acted this way if not for me are now doing exactly that.”

“…”

I meant it as sincere advice, but On Saemi-ro just tossed my phone back and walked away.

Is this a late-onset puberty or something?

What a strangely prickly guy.

Afterward, I searched online to gauge the general public sentiment.

Currently, the song ranks #4 and is #8 on the weekly trending search terms.

Considering the top 3 are political, that makes it about #5 in the entertainment sphere.

But what I like most is that my song is being reproduced.

Music YouTubers are doing covers or analyses. Famous singers are uploading cover videos.

Even creators with small views but strong music credentials are hyped.

They usually say one of three things about me: “amazing,” “suspicious,” or “lucky.”

The “amazing” ones are genuinely impressed.

The “suspicious” ones wonder if I really made this.

And the “lucky” ones say things like:

“Technically this is possible, but no one can deliberately tweak things to make it happen.”
“Probably just luck. He was working on something else and reused a vocal line that just happened to work.”
“Still, to deliver it this well takes real talent.”

They believe I didn’t intentionally craft the vocal line.

Which, honestly, might be kind of true.