March 23, 2001
2:33 PM
"GUYS, LOOK AT THIS!" Youngwon shouted from the living room. Donghwa, Jumin, Yubin, and Woohyun rushed in simultaneously from different parts of the dormitory and looked at the TV—the five members of Miracle 5 were appearing in an interview on KBS.
"And you, Mr. Minwoo, what do you think about the member named Youngwon being the main vocalist for Mirae Boys?" the interviewer asked, which made Minwoo—the vocalist for Miracle 5—burst into laughter. "Main vocalist? Sorry, but that kkamdoongie* can't even hit a high note without his throat cracking. Their cover of SHINHWA's 'Eusha Eusha' at a recent fan meeting was terrible—and I'm not even an expert!" Minwoo replied.
Minwoo (birth name: Park Minwoo) is the main vocalist and visual of Miracle 5. He was born on October 12, 1980, in Seoul, South Korea. The son of two former lawmakers from the now-defunct Democratic Republican Party** and current members of the ULD*** Park Doosan and Kim Aena (This last one gained notoriety in 1978 after doing blackface and saying that "she couldn't defend black people being Korean" in an attempt to say that the drag queen named Francisca Wisdom (real name: Park Jihoon) couldn't defend cis women), Minwoo hails from one of Korea's wealthiest families; he is a quintessential "nepo baby," through and through. Minwoo had no qualms about trampling on or humiliating younger artists to boost his own fame and that of his group.
"What the FUCK!?" Jumin shouted. "How dare he refer to a trainee using... that term?" he added, while on the TV, Jerry and Bogeol were doubled over with laughter. "Damn, Minwoo—calling someone a *kkamdoongie*? Now that's just too much!" Jerry remarked sarcastically. "But isn't that what he is?" Minwoo asked Jerry, leaving the host feeling awkward.
"But in all seriousness, they need to train a lot to reach our level... Especially Woohyun—he needs to remember that the practice room is the large one, not the CEO's office at Mirae Entertainment," Jichan concluded. This drew an awkward, sheepish laugh from Minhyun, while Jerry, Bogeol, and Minwoo burst into uncontrollable laughter; the interview effectively became nothing more than a backdrop for these snide jabs, leaving the members of Mirae Boys feeling visibly frustrated.
"I'll be the one to show you where the dance studio is!" Donghwa nearly grabbed his weapon and lunged at the TV, but Jumin held him back. Woohyun sat down without a word, Youngwon brought a hand to his mouth, and Yubin's eyes widened in shock—no one there seemed to be smiling. "Why did he say that?" Yubin asked.
"These guys from shitty 5 just love to act like they're the big shots—they know exactly how rigorous the training is, yet they still say things like that. And on top of that, they're racist toward other trainees... it's not like Jerry is tan himself!" Jumin complained, standing up. "You know what? If they want a war, that's exactly what they'll get," he added. Everyone agreed.
The next day
9:03 AM
In the Miracle 5 dormitory, everything was seemingly calm: Jichan was reading some magazines, Minhyun was arguing with Bogeol about the dishes in the sink, Minwoo was tidying up his own room, and Jerry was looking at his computer—until he spotted a newly released written interview with the Mirae Boys. "Guys, come read this!" Jerry called out. The other four came into the living room and looked at the computer screen. "Let's see what these guys have to say..." Bogeol remarked snobbishly—but what followed made their eyes widen in shock.
(...)
Interviewer Lim Jinhee: So, boys, how would you describe Miracle 5?
Donghwa: Well... I think Minwoo learned his lessons perfectly from his super-rich mommy.
*Jumin and Yubin laugh*
Interviewer Lim Jinhee: Uh... what do you mean by that, Mr. Donghwa?
Donghwa: You know... Kim Aena, DPR, 1978... Francisca Wisdom...
Jumin: Donghwa, don't go digging that deep, hahahaha.
Interviewer Lim Jinhee: Ah, right, haha—but surely there's something good you could say about them?
Woohyun: I guess Bogeol is the one we'd have the most positive things to say about... if he spent less time beating up his classmates and more time practicing his terrible dance moves—maybe he could even become the next Jang Woohyuk if he actually did that.
*Everyone laughs*
Interviewer Lim Jinhee: My goodness, you all seem quite lively today! *genuinely laughing*
Youngwon: Ms. Jinhee, do you know what would make Yubin even livelier?
Interviewer Lim Jinhee: What's that?
Yubin: If Jichan would just shut that sewer he calls a mouth—and realized that his jokes aren't even funny to the most die-hard "anti" in the entire gayo**** scene.
(...)
"WHAT?" Minwoo shouted. No one replied for several minutes...
Finally, Jerry declared, "Alright! If you want war, you'll get war!" Everyone agreed—except for Minwoo, who remained silent.
The rivalry between the Mirae Boys and Miracle 5 had already been established, even before it was officially announced.