A few days after the article about Do-hee’s ambassador selection was published.
From her first appearance to her current activities, Do-hee has never missed a chance to stir up buzz, and today she found herself at the center of discussions across various communities.
[Idol selected as the first high-end ambassador in a small-medium entertainment company]
[Do-hee Lee Instagram update.jpg]
[Do-hee Lee in a photoshoot after activities.mp4]
It wasn’t just about delivering information.
It meant that she was inevitably becoming the subject of a steady stream of comparison posts.
Especially in the K-pop community.
[Honestly, it’s funny that they compared Min-seo and Lucy to Eun Se-ra and Do-hee; not only is there a personal gap, but Three M and Pure Girl haven’t proven themselves as a group either.]
─ LOL, was it just those fans comparing them for real?
─ I don’t think they can even do that anymore; they were only able to compare because of the agency’s influence when getting the ambassador gig.
[I’m hesitant, but am I the only one who thinks Do-hee is the number one among girl idols? After this activity, even with Lira selected as an ambassador, it really feels like a generational change.]
─ LOL? Did they really go crazy trying to compare her to Lira now? Do they not know Coral Blue has 100 million YouTube subscribers? It’s just ridiculous since Seven.
└ But… even if they talk about Lira, Coral Blue might break apart and not do group activities anymore, you know? Hehehe…
─ Lira could do solo activities, but she will never outshine Do-hee’s buzz, so don’t worry. LOL, Topist is what it is.
─ This isn’t an air opinion, just stop feeding the delusions, please.
[But I think it’s safe to say Do-hee is definitely the number one soloist of the fourth generation. Originally, it was a two-top situation with Sara and Do-hee, and it was said that Sara rose higher after Ailee’s debut due to agency influence, but globally, Do-hee’s search index has always been much higher.]
─ The ranking between Eun Se-ra and Do-hee was already established when they were in the same group.
─ Please, stop comparing those two; they’re both good.
└ For real, Sara and Do-hee are just a couple; there’s nothing else to say.
However, the noticeable posts lurking below the surface were not just simple comparisons with other groups.
They were malicious attempts to sow discord among the members of Debonaire.
[Packaging it as if they’re just on the same level as Yoon is quite laughable… If they were really that good, Yoon would’ve become a high-end model like Do-hee…]
─ I agree. The other members are still new to debut, so it’s understandable. But come on, comparing fan money and Chanel after doing Seven together is just hilarious.
[Yoon is really the biggest victim; if it weren’t for Do-hee, that rare visual would have made her the center of popularity, for sure.]
─ That’s my point, LOL. Right now, the visual main duo in the industry is Eun Se-ra and Yoon.
[Yoon keeps becoming more likable, and despite being grouped together with the company since Seven’s debut, she doesn’t seem phased at all by the comparisons.]
─ Even if Do-hee is a bit prickly with her older sister, she puts up with it well. LOL.
└ Yoon just grew up in a loving home, so she understands a lot better, you know?
[Kim Seo-yoon isn’t the problem, it’s Topist because look at Hana Kwon and Park Ye-eun—they got picked by Burberry right after their second activity.]
─Yeah, the disparity in the agency management is serious.
─But if Kim Seo-yoon didn’t have chemistry with Lee Do-hee, wouldn’t Seven’s debut be uncertain? Like it or not.
└That’d be Park Ye-eun, she stuck with Lee Do-hee and skyrocketed in rank.
[One good thing about Debonaire is that there are no ambiguous members in their positions.]
─Yeah, each one seems to have a distinct role and charm.
─?? Lol, I just think the producer did his job well. Nowadays, aside from the leader, most groups don’t assign main roles at all, so what’s the point of Debonaire being the exception? It’s clearly to avoid any one person being vague!
└I’m really curious, when did Topist announce they were suing? What guts do you have to throw around such nonsense…?
└OMG! Scary! Lol, better delete that comment.
And Kim Seo-yoon was somewhat aware of the uneasy atmosphere as well.
[My idol is Chanel, but your idol is just… the debate over ‘Idol Luxury Ambassador Hierarchy’ controversy spreads.]
That was the title of the article Seo-yoon was looking at.
To sum it up:
The competition for luxury brands to recruit ‘ambassadors’ has intensified due to the expanded influence of K-pop idols’ global fandom, creating the illusion that being an ambassador is a measure of popularity and influence.
These days, agency competitiveness is no longer judged by appearances on popular entertainment shows but rather by attracting global ambassadors.
Seo-yoon partially agreed with the article but then flipped the window.
“Well, it’s not like I have much to say.”
However, she couldn’t help but be curious about public opinion, so she started looking it up.
Sure enough, the community was filled with colorless comparison posts.
“This place never changes.”
Starting with who is better than whom, it wasn’t the first time they’d spun stories and debated over Do-hee’s and her own expressions, so she was used to it.
“I guess I’m used to it… or something.”
Of course, since it was her dream and something she enjoyed, Seo-yoon had already come to terms with it.
Becoming an idol means being on the chopping block of public opinion and constantly being compared to others.
So, Kim Seo-yoon coolly gestured to Lee Do-hee, who had just stepped out of the shower.
“Hey, Chanel whatever.”
“Oh my? Did you just call for me?”
“Yeah, come here.”
Do-hee’s eyes sparkled with delight.
The reason she called her Chanel was simple. Unfortunately, Do-hee wouldn’t respond unless she called her Chanel the whole day.
─Hey, Lee Do-hee.
─Baby~
─Pretty Do-hee~
─Ah, not that, Lee Do-hee!
Anyway, Seo-yoon sighed and looked at the screen.
“Hey, it says we’re competing against each other?”
“Uh-huh? Seo-yoon Unni might think so, but…”
And then Do-hee darted into the room, hands forming a flower shape around her face.
Do-hee quickly dashed into the room.
“Chanel, who is kind and nice, doesn’t know about that. Stop looking at those kinds of posts and get some sleep since we have an event tomorrow~ If Chanel goes to bed early, her skin will be great~”
“Oh…”
This was such a ridiculous guess. They used to laugh it off while browsing community posts together.
“Oh my… That crazy Rahi for real.”
But now, the nonsense comments bothered her slightly, possibly because the fatigue accumulated from living as an idol was weighing on her.
Every day had been filled with events lately.
“I guess I should go to bed too, yeah.”
Seo-yoon entered the room, turned off the light, and tried to sleep.
*
Paris Spring/Summer season.
One month before S/S Fashion Week.
Although I experienced it this time, each brand usually provides their ambassadors with a list of outfits for the fashion shows and the airport in advance.
“Wow.”
And today I came to choose my clothes.
“Wow, this outfit costs… ten million won? That’s really excessive. Really excessive.”
Honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted to go through this at all if it weren’t for my image.
“Jackpot, jackpot!”
“All of this…”
Seeing the staff coordinators shrinking at the price didn’t feel good.
It’s just clothes after all.
“It’s not like it’s armor or anything.”
The sisters who were carefully checking the clothes naturally asked me.
“Do-hee, how do you want to dress? Do you have a concept in mind?”
My opinion was the most prioritized when it came to outfit selection.
“I just prefer something comfortable… like clothes that are comfy for long flights…?”
“That outfit does suit my style though.”
Yet, when it came to picking outfits, I never really gave any clear answers to the staff.
The turning point was at the beginning of Seven’s debut.
Despite my true desire to dress comfortably and stylishly, I had to maintain the cute ‘maknae’ image.
Fans obviously wanted the latter direction.
“Since fitting the idol image is important, too.”
From then on, it became a habit to leave it to the stylist sisters who were professionals.
“Thanks for your hard work today as well.”
After all, the coordinating staff wouldn’t deliberately put someone in something weird.
“How about this? You said you wanted comfortable clothes, so what about autumn warm tones?”
I didn’t want to be seen as someone picky about the outfits either.
The final sum for the chosen pure and fresh-looking outfit, including the bag, was nearly eighteen million won.
The total cost, including the bag, was almost 18 million won.
That night, I showed the fitting photos to my older sisters.
“Do you really think this makes sense?”
“Not at all! Anyway, Chiyo is a genius, so she’ll become an ambassador soon enough!”
“What are you talking about? I was just asking if it’s expensive.”
“Right? It’s quite pricey.”
As expected, Woo-ah Unni was the only one who understood my true feelings immediately.
“Honestly, the amount isn’t that important, right? Remember our friendship rings that were only 10,000 won each?”
“You two got matching friendship rings?”
“Yup, before you and Seo-yoon Unni joined! When I was in middle school. That day, Do-hee was also cast on the street, so I remember it clearly.”
“Oh~ that was the day Do-hee got scouted by JS?”
“Exactly, and back then, Do-hee said she would turn our company into a top-five entertainment agency.”
Woo-ah Unni chuckled at that happy memory.
“Did she really say that? Given her personality, she probably meant it even more.”
“That’s what I’m saying~”
“By the way, I still treasure that ring a lot.”
Suddenly, I felt a tickle at the back of my mind as I saw my sisters laughing and chatting about my past.
I couldn’t remember where I had put that ring.
In the first place, there were more than a few people I had made friendship rings with.
I had them with the Seven members too, and even with the current members during our trainee days.
Of course, the two recent group rings were safely kept on my desk.
However, the only one I had made personally with Woo-ah Unni…
“Hey, Do-hee, you didn’t lose it or anything, right?”
Seeing my expression, Woo-ah Unni’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
“Oh, no. It’s probably in our home drawer.”
“Probably?”
“No, almost definitely.”
“Right? What kind of ring is it?”
It seemed the ring held more meaning for Unni than I thought.
Seeing the light smile on Woo-ah Unni’s face, I could momentarily catch a glimpse of her pure childhood eyes.
“But Unni, our Do-ah… when she was little, she was absolutely crazy about shiny things, you know? So she might have played with it a few times. She seriously rummages through her older sister’s drawer!”
“Really?”
But despite my excuses, there was a hint of sadness in her smile.
“Do-ah is still young… I guess that could happen.”
“Yeah, I’ll look for it next time. But I’m sure it’s there.”
Knowing my mom’s personality, she probably organized it in my drawer. If I can’t find it next time, I’ll have to sell it to Do-ah.
It can’t be helped, Do-ah.
You should think of it as the allowance your older sister gives you.
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