While stanning the member in charge of Shaolin.
The 108 Arhats Formation had done some studying up on Shaolin in the meantime.
Mount Song was one of China's Five Great Mountains, the actual home of the Shaolin Temple.
The Kichi guys had gone all the way to Mount Song to film an idol variety show opening.
"But damn, it looks so cool..."
So this was what it meant to have a rich agency's backing.
Just then, the 108 Arhats Formation's face got a close-up, along with the following captions.
-108 Arhats Formation (Shaolin/22)
-Specialty: 108 Arhats Formation
-Comment: Requires gathering 108 people to demonstrate.
"..."
They went all the way to Mount Song, filmed it looking so badass, and this was the caption...?
"Cool... it's still cool."
She brainwashed herself into thinking it was cool while feeling proud of herself for quickly snagging the nickname.
The next scene featured Joo Ja-ha sitting on a rock with a plum blossom branch in hand, against a backdrop of a misty mountain peak.
She didn't know much about the Huashan Sect, but this was probably filmed at the real Mount Hua too.
Once again, Joo Ja-ha's face got a close-up with captions.
-Joo Ja-ha (Huashan Sect/23)
-Specialty: Ja-ha Divine Art
-Comment: Not the volcano that erupts magma.
"These captions gonna keep being like this?"
Joo Ja-ha tossed the plum blossom branch, and the screen transitioned.
Amid an ancient bell toll, Lee Tae-geuk stepped out from behind a massive bell.
As rumored to have studied under the Wudang Sect leader, Lee Tae-geuk showed off some flashy martial arts moves.
Dry fallen leaves scattered across the ground flew up with his movements.
And of course, the close-up with captions.
-Lee Tae-geuk (Wudang Sect/25)
-Specialty: Tai Chi Fist
-Comment: Not the taegeukgi flag, it's the black-and-white taiji...
The 108 Arhats Formation started getting used to these captions.
Next up was Namgung Jun's back as he walked out of a palace-like mansion.
Namgung Jun flung open the grand doors with both hands, and the angle shifted to a close-up of his face.
-Namgung Jun (Namgung Clan heir/23)
-Specialty: Emperor Sword Form
-Comment: Namgung Clan leader, but doesn't represent all Koreans named Namgung.
"It's starting to make less and less sense..."
The next shot was an antique sliding paper door.
It slid open to reveal another inside, which opened to yet another—three layers of sliding doors in total—before the figure seated deep within lifted his head.
The 108 Arhats Formation couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
On screen was the Martial Alliance Leader, First Sword.
-First Sword (Martial Alliance Leader/26)
-Specialty: World's Greatest Swordsmanship
-Comment: I will uphold the ways of the jianghu.
"The leader's face is all about chivalry and jianghu honor..."
The leader unrolled a scroll-like document and elegantly stamped it with his seal in a crane-like motion.
Then, the screen split into four quadrants showing the members receiving and unrolling scrolls in their respective locations.
The scene continued as all the members gradually gathered in front of the grand doors Namgung Jun had opened.
"Where's the Heavenly Demon?"
As the 108 Arhats Formation tilted her head at the screen.
The members who'd entered the palace-like mansion with Namgung Jun ventured even deeper.
They finally arrived before an iron door plastered with talismans.
The leader peeled off the talismans with a tense expression and flung the door open.
"Whoa..."
The 108 Arhats Formation was speechless for a moment.
On screen was the Heavenly Demon, wounded and breathing heavily, bound in chains.
A close-up captured the Heavenly Demon glaring at the members with crimson eyes.
-Wi Hwa-jin (Heavenly Demon/24)
-Specialty: Heavenly Demon Divine Art
-Comment: Do those damn fans really like this stuff?
She didn't even register the savage burn in the comment.
The 108 Arhats Formation hurriedly opened Twitter to check reactions.
Sure enough, they matched her expectations.
[My chest is freaking out, my chest is freaking out]
[I came for the super rare long-haired guy and accidentally locked eyes with those pecs]
[Wait, what the hell did I just see? Isn't this rated for ages 15+?]
[Great exhibit of the rep's tastes... gonna sue]
[Yes, sir rep, yes yes lots of people yes yes got screenshots]
[Enlightenment]
[Those muscles are insane, a century-honed body is on another level]
[Excuse me, the Heavenly Demon's seducing with his chest over here]
[Didn't notice with the adugeom all bundled up, but one layer on and I get why people stan the Demon Lord]
[I'd solo for a century with that body]
[Didn't peg Heavenly Demon as scary like that;;]
[Our boys ditching the cringey concept for decadent now?]
[Six years in, time for the decadent concept, bigger jianghu incoming]
[Don't get any bigger here lol]
The 108 Arhats Formation left a short, punchy "insane" on her own Twitter.
On screen, the leader was freeing the Heavenly Demon from his chains and extending a hand.
The Heavenly Demon's sharp expression softened a bit, and the title appeared.
[Orthodox-Demonic Joint Camp Chaos]
"Whoa..."
[They said variety show but filmed a whole movie]
[This is gonna be huge]
[Yeah, all Kichi's got is money, looks like they're going all out this time]
[Totally hyped, they built that building just for this shoot lol]
[Heard Heavenly Demon's catering during adugeom shoot matched the staff count, they're really pushing him hard]
[Poor Namgung Jun]
[I know someone at Kichi, says Heavenly Demon's a Chinese billionaire's son]
[So he's Chinese?]
[Chinese member makes me uneasy? What if they flop?]
[Chinese billionaire son lol I saw Heavenly Demon before debut, he borrowed money from a high schooler for PC bang, get your facts straight lol]
[Calling him a Chinese billionaire heir is wild, but countering with 'borrowed from high schooler for PC bang' is even wilder]
[The PC bang story is real tho;;]
The 108 Arhats Formation chuckled at the PC bang tale too.
Man, as expected from Kichi, whose rep was rumored to be the Gold Bar King.
Pouring this much into just the opening.
"How much cash are they burning for this variety show..."
But her thoughts were immediately proven wrong. After the opening ended, the screen showed the familiar dorm living room.
"?
[?]
[What?]
[?????]
[Isn't that the dorm they've used since rookie days?]
[Looks like it]
Captions appeared at the bottom of the screen.
-Namgung Clan Grand Mansion
Huh?
The first to emerge from a room into the living room was the 108 Arhats.
Even though her fave appeared, the 108 Arhats Formation stuttered from cognitive dissonance.
Ignoring that, the 108 Arhats plopped down on one end of the sofa and began meditating.
Then Joo Ja-ha burst out of his room and bellowed energetically from the center of the living room.
-Joo Ja-ha: Qi circulation breakfast! Qi circulation lunch! Qi circulation dinner! Qi circulation breakfast end!
"Ah, what...?"
[Jaha??????]
[Lmaoooo death lololololol]
[Where's the grand mansion lololol where's the qi breakfast lololol]
[Knew it would be like this lololol]
[Seksi decadent... huh? Real seksi decadent this time? >>cringe<< Tch, Kichi always...]
[Ridiculous but hilarious lolololol]
"I-it's funny. It is funny!"
The 108 Arhats was still meditating.
The 108 Arhats Formation sensed she wouldn't hear her fave's voice this time either and despaired.
* * *
Right after episode 1 ended, I uploaded the raw opening video to WeTaxi and N-Tube without subtitles.
We were already a global group, and the visuals hooked even casual viewers, spreading like wildfire. The opening hit 100 million views in a single day.
The Heavenly Demon, reading N-Tube comments beside me, looked quite satisfied.
"Everyone's praising the Sovereign."
More like praising your chest, to be precise.
The Heavenly Demon barely appeared in episode 1. He'd holed up in my room watching N-Tube all day, so it was only natural.
Still, posts about him kept popping up, so the chained scene had clearly stirred up all sorts of fan service... no, otaku urges.
The Heavenly Demon asked with genuine curiosity.
"With reactions this good, why haven't you gone decadent concept yet?"
"Image wears out too fast if you do."
"Aren't idols six years in supposed to do decadent as the meta?"
"Where'd you hear that... Well, the rep said it didn't fit the wuxia concept and banned it."
"Qi breakfast, lunch, dinner's fine, but decadent's not? What a weird guy."
Tell me about it.
I watched the Heavenly Demon liking every comment praising him, then suddenly felt off.
"Heavenly Demon, you speak Japanese?"
"What're you on about."
"You just liked a Japanese comment."
"I don't know about that."
I tapped the comment he'd liked.
"What's this say?"
"Something about how the nya nya at the end is cute. Then two cat mouth emojis. Likes cats, I guess."
"That's a W. What about the one below?"
"Come to California too."
After making him read a few more, I realized.
The Heavenly Demon had some isekai trip perk like auto-translation—he could read any language.
But he couldn't parse alphabets or foreign words phonetically written like "Salamat Shafi."
"Jealous."
"Huh?"
"Heavenly Demon, what if you took TOEIC? Full score would sell that brainiac sexy image. Or go live on U-Live and read all the foreign fans' comments. Your dynamic vision means you could handle them all, right?"
"Admin, you're no normal one either."
Hearing that from idol Heavenly Demon made me question my life choices.
A knock came, and the Alliance Leader entered.
"Hyung, thinking of a group U-Live for episode 1 celebration. Mind filming?"
"Yeah, sure. About time. In the living room?"
"Yes. For anyone who missed it, they can watch the edited broadcast."
"Got it. I'll bring Heavenly Demon. Tell everyone to come comfy."
"Yes."
The Alliance Leader paused on his way out and turned to the Heavenly Demon.
"Heavenly Demon, sleeping here again tonight?"
"Indeed."
"Hyung's uncomfortable too, and if it's just you and me with separate rooms, member discord rumors might start. Sorry about last time, so could you come back to our room now?"
"Hmph. Whatever discord."
I blinked in shock, looking between them.
The Alliance Leader and Heavenly Demon had shared a room only briefly.
And in that time, somehow the Heavenly Demon wasn't at fault—the Alliance Leader was sorry?
The Alliance Leader sighed helplessly.
"I'll... yield."
"About time."
"You take the second floor from now on."
...Hold up.
"You two fought over bunk bed bunks?"
"We did rock-paper-scissors best of three for top bunk, and Heavenly Demon lost."
"Listen."
Starting sentences with "listen" meant Heavenly Demon was basically Korean now.
"It was clearly the Sovereign's victory, but the Leader kept insisting he won."
"You threw rock all three times."
"Nothing beats the Sovereign's rock."
"..."
Wasn't a hundred-year-old geezer fighting a twenty-six-year-old over bunk beds embarrassing?
"My pride's hurt. Not going back."
"Sigh... What'll make you come back?"
The Heavenly Demon huffed arrogantly, not acting his age.
"Beg on your knees, and I'll consider."
"No, you can't do that to a fellow member."
*Twang.*
"Leader, don't actually kneel."
"Ah."
The Alliance Leader, who'd dropped to kneel in a flash, froze mid-motion and looked up at me.
...Could I really leave these two as roommates?
But reconciling them meant I'd secure my double bed fully.
With that thought, I decided.
"Since the Leader yielded, you'd best graciously forgive and return."
"Why?"
"Because people call those who can't 'petty'—'total loser' in modern terms."
"I'll return."
Good thing Heavenly Demon was simple.