Little Pink Starfish

After Self Made episode 2 aired, a few issues surfaced among netizens.

There were three main ones.

First: Choi Jaesung’s MOL-play-based track.

The video was already popular online, especially among gamers.

And it wasn’t just MOL users—anyone who enjoyed games likely saw it once through YouTube’s algorithm.

The public’s question was simple:

-Is it really made only with gameplay sounds?

-No way. He definitely used other instruments.

-But you can hardly hear any actual instruments.

-Maybe he mixed them subtly.

At first, this seemed minor.

But the real issue was the sequence of events.

-Did they receive an ad offer first?

-Obviously. They made the track first and layered in game sounds later.

On the show, Sedalbaekil’s track went viral, and the game company reached out afterward—that’s where the episode ended.

But the audience knew what followed.

[What did you just say?]

[You said MOL has no personality?]

[Is that really so?]

Because shortly after, the MOL ad featuring Choi Jaesung as model began airing, with that track playing.

Hence, people started questioning whether the show’s sequence was staged.

If the deal was made first and the show only dramatized it afterward, that would make Self Made a manipulated program, undermining its entire premise.

“Man, everything turns into a controversy these days.”

“Well, PD-nim, the more popular Sedalbaekil gets, the more antis they attract.”

“I know idols deal with all kinds of scandals, but this seems ridiculous.”

“Honestly, it’s not that bad compared to some.”

“Still, whether instruments were used or not doesn’t seem that important…”

PD Kang Seokwoo discussed this with his head writer, but the solution was simple.

A straightforward response.

They uploaded the full, unedited work session between Han Sion and Choi Jaesung to M-Show’s YouTube channel.

It showed exactly how Han Sion manipulated the raw gameplay sounds.

For example, Choi Jaesung had simply used sword-clashing-on-shield sounds for kick drums.

But Han Sion applied EQ adjustments to create entirely different timbres.

He’d strip down the lows and boost the highs to make it sound like sharp brass instruments, or tweak the low-mid EQ to resemble a 909 drum kit.

It sounds easy but is incredibly difficult.

Without exceptional sound balancing senses, the result would feel off.

Most viewers didn’t sit through the two-hour video breaking down EQ, mixing, and mastering.

But among musicians and audio enthusiasts:

-Dude, this is basically a masterclass.

-Even instructors at my practical music academy can’t do this.

-Forget instructors. University professors couldn’t pull this off either.

-I work in mixing/mastering professionally. I can’t do this.

-We knew Han Sion was good at composing, but his mix/master skills are this insane too?

-What’s mix/master?

-Mixing and mastering. This level takes ridiculous experience.

-Maybe it’s absolute pitch?

Musicians and music production communities went wild.

Though young and relatively new, Sedalbaekil had already become the face of K-pop’s current evolution.

Their full-length album The First Day had shifted the industry’s entire album production trend.

Labels used to avoid full albums to save on production and promotion costs, but things changed.

Now strong R&B vocalists were preparing full-length records again.

Even Drop Out decided to expand their tracklist to include Selfish in their own full album.

As long as the music was strong (extremely so), full-length albums could generate better returns.

To peek inside the mind of Han Sion—the captain, helmsman, and producer steering this cultural shift—was a golden opportunity.

They reached a conclusion:

Han Sion, with his insane talent, really didn’t use any additional instruments.

Naturally, this spread to the broader public:

-There are still people bashing HipSion? LOL.

-The more they hate, the stronger HipSion grows.

-I mean, it’s nuts. Most would’ve added a drum kit at least.

-That wouldn’t be hip, though.

-Yup.

While this was happening, MOL’s game company took it even further.

They requested sample sources from Han Sion and used them for a Christmas event.

During the event dungeon, players had to configure a specific attack pattern. When properly set, the attack sounds resembled carols.

It was part of their attempt to shift their reputation from a predatory heavy-spender game to a more user-friendly image.

-You guys feeling good about MOL these days?

-The Christmas event’s generous too.

-Yup, even potion efficiency buffs are coming.

-Becoming a Choi Jaesung fan? Respect.

-Respect.

-Respect.

Their desperate strategy seemed to be working.

That was the first controversy.

The second issue was even more absurd:

The name “Masked Bandit” being supposedly inappropriate.

-There are viewers who’ve been victims of robbery… ‘Masked Bandit’ is a bit much.

-Without a company managing them, Sedalbaekil seems reckless.

-They can be thoughtless.

-And shooting gestures while receiving money? Problematic.

Of course, Sedalbaekil didn’t respond directly.

They simply announced that all busking proceeds were being donated.

Their fandom didn’t react either.

Longtime fans knew these kinds of forced controversies often originated from rival fanbases.

In the end, only the general public’s reaction mattered.

As it gained attention, people started mocking the complainers.

-LMAO. Then Take Scene should be bashed for their “runaway ninja” concept.

-And Tension for impersonating marine agents.

-That’s Ocean.

-Isn’t Ocean part of Tension?

-It’s a spinoff unit.

-Same thing, LOL.

-Half of Sedalbaekil’s scandals come from Take Scene, the rest from Tension.

-Take Scene, fine—but why Tension?

-They’ve hated Sedalbaekil since Coming Up Next killed their chart dominance.

-What about NOP and Drop Out?

-Those are more complicated. Han Sion wrote their No.1 song, so there’s no real hate. Just a bit of envy.

-My friends in Dreaming all hate Sedalbaekil.

-So do Flower-fans, LOL.

-Seems like there isn’t a single fandom that likes Sedalbaekil.

-They stole everyone’s rice bowl.

-Took every record possible.

-Are they appearing on year-end music festivals?

-Probably not. Feels like they’ll skip.

Though the public mocked rival fans, they weren’t entirely on Sedalbaekil’s side either.

Especially after Han Sion’s final comment in episode 2.

This was the third controversy.

-Isn’t the Apple ad thing ridiculous?

-Yup. HipSion’s confidence is over the top.

-To Apple, they’re just unknowns.

-You probably need a Grammy to get their attention.

Han Sion knew Apple cared nothing about artist fame—but the public didn’t perceive it that way.

So many thought his statement was arrogant.

Some suggested maybe they’d at least get a meeting:

-If they even land one meeting, that’s huge.

-Season 2’s in the U.S., right? He’s setting up that storyline.

-Yup.

-I respect his skills, but the Apple ad thing is absurd.

No one believed it possible.

Which made people even more curious about Self Made episode 3.

Everyone wondered where this was headed.

The key point: Not a single viewer—including TiTi—correctly predicted what would happen next.

Even TiTi didn’t believe they’d actually land an Apple ad deal.

At that moment—

Han Sion and the Sedalbaekil members were in California.

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While Self Made season 1 gained momentum, Sedalbaekil began filming season 2 in the U.S.

For reference, they had earned over a billion won, forcing the network to surrender.

The production agreed to maximum cooperation within reason.

Han Sion understood that demanding billions more in budget would be absurd.

But that meant…

“PD-nim.”

“Yes?”

“Looks like great weather for sailing.”

“…Sailing?”

“Yes. A mega yacht would be nice, don’t you think?”

“Mega yachts are extremely expensive rentals…”

“Then should we settle for a banana boat?”

Sedalbaekil now had full control over the U.S. schedule.

Not that they made outrageous demands—at least not enough to ruin the program or drive PD Kang crazy.

They’d jokingly suggest something impossible, Kang would flinch, and then they’d settle on their real (still extravagant) request.

And then—they secured the Apple deal.

“What kind of magic did you pull?”

“Pardon?”

“Several members of the I Branding team brought your songs forward. Multiple people discovering unknown tracks at the same time—it’s suspicious.”

Han Sion just shrugged.

“Good music is magic itself.”

In truth, it wasn’t complicated.

He simply researched cafés, pubs, and restaurants frequented by Apple Park employees and negotiated reasonable deals with the owners.

It wasn’t like he asked them to play terrible songs—they enjoyed the music themselves.

What surprised even Han Sion was how quickly it worked.

Originally, he had prepared Plans A, B, and C.

If A failed, he’d try B, then C, and finally directly email headquarters as a last resort.

But everything was resolved with Plan A.

‘Well, these are people who once picked an obscure LP-only track for an ad…’

Han Sion thought nothing more of it.

But his members couldn’t believe it.

They knew Han Sion was a genius composer, but to actually secure an Apple ad deal just because he said, “Let’s try for Apple,” felt like magic.

“One of these songs will be the main theme for next year’s WWDC.”

And Apple didn’t just buy one track—they licensed three of the nine songs.

Of course, Self Made’s cameras captured all of it.

While Sedalbaekil filmed peacefully (only PD Kang remained nervous), it happened.

“WOW! Long time no see!”

Five white men arrived at their hotel.

One was the world-famous Chris Edwards.

The remaining four—

“We’re recording Players. You ready for directing, Sion?”

—were the GOTM members, who had walked alongside Han Sion through many lifetimes.