Little Pink Starfish

The first episode of Coming Up Next gave equal screen time to Take Scene and the B-Team contestants.

But episode 2 didn’t.

More time was given to the B-Team, and their story was the main track.

So when Take Scene showed up, some viewers got annoyed.

“Why do they keep showing this when it’s not even interesting?”
“Can we just see the B-Team selection story instead of Take Scene?”
“So boring.”

In reality, when PD Kang Seok-woo first finished editing episode 2, the screen time ratio was about 55:45.

Yes, the B-Team had slightly more, but the difference wasn’t drastic.

But now, it’s widened to 65:35 or more.

That means episode 2 was re-edited—and of course, the reason was Under the Streetlamp.

Interestingly, CEO Choi Dae-ho fully supported this editorial direction.

“Han Si-on has become the main character.”

Episodes 3 and 4, which hadn’t aired yet, were also centered on Han Si-on.

So then, what role should Take Scene play?

They needed to become the underdog—evoking sympathy and support.

That’s why the reduction in Take Scene’s screen time in episode 2 was actually welcomed.

As expected:

“What did Take Scene do so wrong that they get cursed out every time they appear?”
“Seriously, they’re working so hard.”
“Isn’t it Choi Dae-ho’s fault for working them as trainees for four years and then making this trash program?”
“Right? And Take Scene kids don’t even complain. No one ran away from the dorm, no one slacked off.”
“So what. Still boring lol.”
“This is giving me PTSD. Why are idols always held to such brutal standards?”

Public opinion was starting to shift.

To be fair, Coming Up Next had always planned to focus on the B-Team in the early stages.

But what’s being shown now isn’t really the B-Team—it’s Han Si-on.

The reason Gu Tae-hwan was getting so much screen time wasn’t because of his own charm but because Han Si-on was deeply involved in his journey to success.

“We’ll make Han Si-on the true protagonist. But we’ll bury the rest of SeDalBaekIl.”

That was Choi Dae-ho’s plan.

Though, when he devised this and intervened in episode 2’s editing, he hadn’t expected a stage like Seoul Town Funk to come out.

“It’s such a shame.”

If Take Scene had been just a bit less prepared—or if their members were slightly lacking…

They might’ve pushed for Han Si-on’s debut.

But Lion Entertainment had already finalized Take Scene’s debut plans.

Not just the debut song—they had scheduled music video shoots after Coming Up Next, and had already coordinated with broadcasting stations.

Even a major event agency, long partnered with Lion, had booked Take Scene for upcoming festivals.

It had gotten too big to shut down now.

So Choi Dae-ho’s goal was to make SeDalBaekIl the successor group to Take Scene.

Some members might change, but Lee Ion and Han Si-on absolutely had to be kept.

And no one was better at pulling that off than Choi Dae-ho.

As he was mulling over this, Coming Up Next returned to the screen.

The Take Scene sequence ended, and we went back to the B-Team selection.

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The Coming Up Next production team was ruthless.

Even after switching back to the B-Team, they didn’t immediately reveal Han Si-on’s song.

They showed the preparation instead.

But they knew viewers would change the channel if it dragged on too long, so they threw out quick-cut clues without getting boring.

[Your motion base is locking? Can’t you waack or vogue?]
[Sorry.]
[Well, I guess you didn’t have time to learn.]
[I’ll work on it.]
[Always “working on it,” huh.]

“LOL, Gu Tae-hwan’s rubbing off on him.”
“Like a student council member corrupted by a school bully.”
“Since when was ‘I’ll work on it’ a bully catchphrase LOL.”
“Why is the trainer bringing up waacking and voguing? Is it a girl group song?”
“Nahhh.”
“Don’t assume. Even boy group choreo uses curves and steps these days.”
“But no top-tier boy group song has that. Didn’t they say it was a 1st-tier track?”

Next came fast-cut scenes of Han Si-on practicing, followed by him talking to a sound engineer.

[Need an arrangement? You’re kinda late for that.]
[No, I don’t need an arrangement. Just want to lower the key a bit.]
[Hmm. How exactly?]
[I brought some notes.]

“Ooh, I love this. People who think high notes = talent are so cringe.”
“Facts. Knowing your vocal range is also a skill.”
“But Han Si-on’s range is super high. He did G#5 in Under the Streetlamp, easily.”
“Maybe because he has to dance too? Harder to breathe.”
“Ah, could be.”
“Was that ‘girl group song’ comment actually true??”
“No way LOL.”

Like a mystery film dropping clues, the cuts continued.

But viewers’ patience wasn’t endless.

“If they don’t reveal it in a minute, I’m checking comments.”

And just then, the screen showed Han Si-on’s song choice:

Artist: Way From Flower
Title: Flowers Bloom

“??????????”
“Way From Flower???”
“Never heard this song.”
“It was their debut track. It flopped so hard they switched to a follow-up immediately—smart move.”
“Bro, I told you it sounded like a girl group song!!!”
“Was Han Si-on a flower fanboy?”
“Possible.”
“Even if the song sounds ‘meh’ to normies, to him it probably felt like divine harmony.”

The moment Han Si-on’s song selection hit SNS, it spread like wildfire.

Way From Flower was a top-tier girl group, so covers by survival contestants weren’t unusual.

But this one was different.

The contestant was the voice behind the current #1 chart-topper, Under the Streetlamp.

And he was a male trainee.

Intriguing, to say the least.

[I’m not expecting much performance-wise.]
[Flowers Bloom, as the title suggests, has choreo that mimics flowers blooming.]
[It’s hard to express alone. One petal fluttering doesn’t mean the flower is blooming.]

Then came a short archive clip of Way From Flower’s performance.

Choi Dae-ho had been right.

Brief B-Team interviews also showed negative opinions.

But Han Si-on didn’t flinch.

He just stepped back and smiled.

Then, the MR started.

At the intro, Han Si-on didn’t move.

He stood diagonally, nodding to the beat.

“??? Freestyle choreo??”
“Dude’s stiff as hell???”

But then he started moving—and singing.

[Putting a period on this long night]
[Finally saying hi to the world]
[Dudu-Deh, Deh]

People were surprised by his solo performance.

Because it was good.

But what shocked them more:

[Yesterday I never dreamed of]
[But today is Yes For Day]
[Reaching out with both hands]
[Dudu-Deh, Deh]

The pitch was low.

But it was good.

At first, it felt unfamiliar because it was different from the original.

But it was… captivating.

Better than the original, even.

As if this was the original.

“Goodbye flower stans, hello indie fans.”
“LMAO ‘Hip Sion’ welcome aboard.”
“Yo, this is basically Britpop? Freaking amazing LOL.”
“Not technically Britpop but yeah I feel that.”
“Wait, Way From Flower had a song like this?? I’m obsessed.”

The song, which started melancholic, built to its climax.

Everyone wondered how he’d deliver the chorus.

[Bloom—!]
[Bloom—!]

The chorus returned to the original pitch.

As Han Si-on belted the high notes—originally written for a girl group—in full chest voice, the impact was undeniable.

But it didn’t end there.

The second hook hit even harder.

[Always wait, Blossom]
[Always wait, Flower]

Dropped two octaves.

But his powerful vocals still filled the screen.

The shocked faces of the judges and contestants zoomed in.

“He’s insane.”
“From now on, Han Si-on is idolland’s vocal king. No debate.”
“Wow. Han Si-on blessed Jo Ki-jung with commercial success and now he’s blessing Way From Flower.”
“STFU, Way From Flower’s already successful.”
“Oops. Forgot that debut song flopped. Trigger warning, my bad.”
“Do not feed the trolls.”
“Don’t feed the trolls? As in Han Si-on is the golden feed we give baby chick stans?”
“LOLOLOL. Crushed it.”

By the time Way From Flower fans—nicknamed “Flowerpots”—stopped smiling, the performance had ended.

First critique came from judge Blue:

[You reversed the choreography’s direction?]

A comparison clip showed Han Si-on’s and the original group’s moves.

He had reversed key gestures: opening hands became closed tugs, outward steps became inward pulls.

[You’re expressing falling flowers, right? Why?]
[When I first heard the lyrics, I felt a double meaning. They suit blooming, but also falling.]

As Han Si-on explained on screen, the audience reaction exploded.

“Holy crap. Falling flowers. I’m dead.”
“Yeah, the lyrics fit perfectly in that context.”
“Putting a period on a long night… saying hi to the world…?”
“Wow, if that’s what a dying flower says, it is heartbreaking. The last night would’ve felt long.”

Now the Flowerpot fandom was in disarray.

They admired how deeply Han Si-on had interpreted the song.

And it was their least-listened debut track.

But still… he changed it.

That bugged them.

Live discussion boards—where their fandom gathered—were torn.

Respect vs Mockery.

[There was no arrangement. Just key changes.]
[Yeah, can’t really call it “arranged.” You’d get roasted if you asked for arrangement fees for an octave shift.]

Meanwhile, the broadcast showed composer Lee Chang-jun talking to Han Si-on.

And finally came that line.

The one that would dominate YouTube and forums for the next week:

[Flowers Bloom was probably written for a male vocalist in its earliest form.]
[So I didn’t change anything. I just sang the early version.]

There was actually more to the broadcast:

[I sang this version because I’m male. If I were female, I would’ve sung the original. I really wanted to sing this song.]
[I love it. The lyrics resonate with me.]

But none of that mattered.

In viral media, only the spicy bits spread.

“Survival contestant disrespects top girl group debut song ㄷㄷ”

That was the title of the first video to go viral on YouTube.

And thus began the chaos.