Little Pink Starfish

-What the? In the end, it was just one teaser with the rest being member-focused fancams?

-Hahaha member fancams lol

-You know… that actually makes sense? lol

-Since they couldn’t appear on music shows before, they compensated by giving us fancams like this. TT

-Sedalbaekil couldn’t perform on music shows?

-Nope! They will this week! Their first appearance is on Wednesday!

-Somebody tell me about these guys!!! Please!!!!

-How am I supposed to wait until midnight tomorrowㅠㅠㅠㅠ I want to see the MV alreadyㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-I’m so hyped for this MV.

-If Sedalbaekil succeeds, maybe other agencies will finally wake up? Proving idols can make it independently.

-LMAO stop it. It’s not idols doing it; it’s Han Sion doing it all lol

-True. From Under the Streetlight, Falling Petals, Seoul Town Punk, Crossroads, Sedalbaekil, Dropout title, ENOP title, Résumé from self-produced content, Colorful Struggle, and now this pre-release track. Nothing’s ever flopped lol

-Wow, seeing it listed like this is insane. Is this even possible?

-I wonder how the album will turn out? EP? Full album?

-It’ll probably be an EP.

-I want to see the MVㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-From now on, when crying about Sedalbaekil content, let’s cry using “TT.”

-TTTTTTTTTTT

The YouTube comments on Sedalbaekil’s teaser were overwhelmingly positive.

Especially from those who had never consumed idol content before—they weren’t sure if this was normal for idols or if Sedalbaekil was just exceptionally good.

The visuals were that stunning, and the storyline intriguing.

But some started questioning whether Sedalbaekil was truly independent.

Independent musicians sometimes produce impressive music videos with great ideas, but State Of Mind reeked of serious money.

Serious amounts.

-How are they doing this without a company?? Judging by the teaser quality, the MV probably cost hundreds of millions (KRW)!!

-Maybe they secretly signed with someone and got investments lol. They can settle accounts later lol.

-What are you talking about? Don’t underestimate Billboard and Color Show. The revenue system works differently in Korea vs overseas.

-You’re being ridiculous too. How long has it even been since they charted? You think they’ve received payouts already?

-I don’t know what fantasy you have about Billboard, but you don’t make that much from one song.

-Quit the nonsense. Billboard is where one-hit wonders make enough to retire for life.

-That’s if you hit Hot 100 #1. Sedalbaekil’s only in the minor charts.

-Why are we arguing over this? They earned it somehow lol.

Since no one but the people involved knew the facts, the debate was ultimately meaningless.

But in truth, this was a dangerous area for Sedalbaekil.

More accurately, it was the bowstring that Choi Daeho was pulling tight.

If controversy broke out, it could fuel speculation that Han Sion was using his parents’ money freely.

But for now, Choi Daeho hadn’t released the arrow, and the issue stayed beneath the surface.

While the general public responded this way, the idol community reacted a bit differently.

-hhhh

-hhhhhhhhh

-hhhhhh

-Look at TT being all confident lol

-They have every right. Even as a casual, I was shocked.

-Am I the only one who felt it was kind of surface-level though?

-What? If this is surface-level, then what’s in-depth?

-Han Sion was always this good at dancing? It’s kind of unsettling.

-(links) (links) Look at our desert fox Sion’s dance lines TTTT

-He’s more like Slytherin than a desert fox lol

-You’re overreacting over a teaserㅎ Then again, they never gave you guys this kind of content before, right?

-Huh? This is literally their first domestic promotion?

–Résumé was made for fun during self-produced content, and Colorful Struggle was made as part of appearing on Color Show…

-Oh, you must’ve confused it because both topped the charts!

-lololololololol

There was much discussion about Sedalbaekil’s K-pop direction.

The K-pop remix of Colorful Struggle (nicknamed K-pop Struggle) and State Of Mind’s teaser were certainly familiar meals made with familiar ingredients.

But the taste was different.

Some said it was over-the-top to react this much from just teasers, but it wasn’t only Sedalbaekil’s fandom responding this way.

Even the neutral general public and idol community users had similar reactions.

Something felt different.

The reason was simple.

What Sedalbaekil had accomplished so far was extraordinary.

They held a record: every single they released reached #1 on the charts.

Excluding Crossroads, which was cut from the Coming Up Next stage, most even topped the weekly charts.

If you went further, every song Han Sion composed had hit #1.

To Han Sion himself, this wasn’t special.

He always composed assuming a Billboard Hot 100 #1 scenario.

Or he released songs that already were Hot 100 material.

But to those who didn’t know Han Sion was a regressor, it was incomprehensible.

As time ticked by, more stories poured out.

The teaser had dropped at midnight Sunday, and the MV was set to drop at midnight Monday.

Just 24 hours apart, but full of discussion.

Fans rooting for Sedalbaekil hoped the MV would live up to the teaser quality; those who wished them to fail hoped the teaser was all there was.

And finally.

Monday midnight arrived.

The song dropped, and the music video was released.

---

Park Sangwoo, a violin major at music school, visited Sedalbaekil’s official channel about 30 minutes past midnight.

He’d been waiting since early evening, but got caught up in a drama he stumbled across and forgot the time.

‘Well, it’s not like it spoils if I watch it late.’

Thinking like a true casual fan, he opened Sedalbaekil’s official channel.

[Sedalbaekil – ‘State of mind’ Official MV]

The thumbnail showed the five members standing under moonlight.

No fire in the background, but clearly the same clearing from the teaser.

‘Hmm.’

They were absurdly handsome.

What must it feel like to look like that?

Thinking random thoughts, Park Sangwoo clicked play.

It was almost funny that he, a classical musician, was watching a Sedalbaekil MV.

Classical majors generally liked Sedalbaekil for their music—not for their activities.

Especially among men, there wasn’t much interest in MVs or music show performances.

He had been like that too.

But thanks to a one-sided crush, he ended up joining the fandom, and now his attitude had changed.

He wouldn’t call himself a hardcore fan, but he enjoyed the content.

He even wanted to attend a concert someday.

With such thoughts, Park Sangwoo focused on the MV.

The dark screen began to brighten, signaling the start.

“Huh?”

But the opening was totally unexpected.

‘This is Colorful Struggle!’

Not the K-pop remix—this was the original version performed on Color Show.

The prelude played as the members exchanged nervous glances on stage while people cheered below.

It looked like a high school festival, but there were no clear signs.

The song began.

Lee Iion belted out the first line like a shout.

As I look around me!

Then—tunk!—the stage lights shut off.

The members were startled, but Lee Iion continued unfazed.

Satan wanna put me in bowtie.

Tunk! Tunk! Tunk! Tunk!

The lights went out sequentially from the left, and the beat deepened and slowed.

Zzzzt.

A strange noise like radio static mixed into the beat.

The Lo-Fi signature took shape.

The same progression seen in the voting video on the official app.

Even the striped suits matched.

But now, the audience below the stage had mysteriously vanished.

Lee Iion, with a completely changed expression, opened his mouth.

What you gonna do?

A line originally from Colorful Struggle, but now it felt ominous.

Suddenly.

Pop! All lights went out.

Total blackout.

Yet an eerie red glow outlined the stage.

In that glow—

…Did you rock it?

Lee Iion’s voice rang out, followed by booming drums and harsh synths.

The fierce Lo-Fi chipmunk soul beat kicked in, and the dance began.

Under the sinister red light, Sedalbaekil danced like they were possessed.

Their silhouettes glowed under the red hue, their dance lines catching the moonlight.

“Wow, shit.”

Park Sangwoo couldn’t help but blurt it out.

In modern times, with professional dancers everywhere, we’ve forgotten that dancing is originally primal.

Since ancient times, people danced to express instinct before the gods.

In that sense, Sedalbaekil’s dancing had an entrancing, mind-numbing power.

Then.

The atmosphere shifted.

The beat’s pitch shot up sharply, becoming incomprehensible.

The eerie red light seemed to bubble like boiling liquid, ready to evaporate.

At that moment.

Silver moonlight trickled through the red glow, illuminating Lee Iion’s face.

Startled as if snapped out of a trance, Lee Iion regained his senses.

Seeing his fading, vanishing members, he shouted.

Focus!

Focus…

Focus… Focus…

His reverb-laden shout echoed.

As he looked up, three moons floated in the sky.

State of mind!!

With his final cry, a burst of red and silver light exploded.

The screen darkened, then brightened—

[…….]

Han Sion woke up, having fainted.

Next to him, a braided boy playing with a straw doll jumped up and ran outside.

People in hanbok-like outfits rushed in, looking down at Han Sion.

As he sat up—

♬♪♪♪♪

The beat started, and State Of Mind truly began.

“Whoa…”

Park Sangwoo exhaled deeply.

It felt like watching a movie intro, overflowing with meaning and symbols.

‘What did Lee Iion mean?’

Focus.

And State of mind.

Probably telling them to concentrate their mental state.

As the MV progressed, the members awoke in five distinct factions.

Like some commenters predicted, each faction appeared isolated and hostile to the others.

“No…”

But watching closely, it wasn’t just hostility.

If people from opposing factions saw each other’s faces, they died.

They either melted away or turned into mindless monsters.

Choi Jaesung had awoken among these monstrous beings.

That’s why everyone wore pure white masks when hunting or moving through neutral zones.

Thus—

[…….]

[…….]

Han Sion and Gu Taehwan, passing each other in the neutral zone, naturally didn’t recognize one another.

Each adapted to their own faction, but—

There are always forces that disrupt peace.

Instigators caused a massive firestorm, and a mass escape began.

From here, it followed what the teasers suggested.

The factions fled in different directions, but Sedalbaekil moved toward the song, masked.

And reunited.

One by one, they removed their masks and danced under the light of three moons.

La- La-

Focus on me

The music poured out as their group choreography ignited.

Surprisingly, the chorus had no individual lines.

Each member sang one word, perfectly syncing to form the hook.

Yet it didn’t feel fragmented.

It captured K-pop’s addictive chorus style—at an extraordinary level.

As the chorus and dance climaxed—

Boom!

Moonlight shone down—

[Waaaaah!!]

Returning to the concert intro.

The members were briefly confused but quickly recovered.

Han Sion grinned and grabbed the mic as the MV ended.

Thus concluded the State Of Mind MV—sure to spark countless interpretations.