K-pop fans have been lighting up social media after boy group HI-BOYZ (하이보이즈) recently reunited on stage to perform their hit single “When the Day Comes” on Mnet’s M Countdown. While many were thrilled by the comeback, others were left slightly confused.
Who exactly are HI-BOYZ? When and why did they disband? And why do the members look far too young for a group that supposedly broke up 12 years ago? The answer is simple: they never existed in the first place. Here’s the story:
For context, HI-BOYZ is a fictional K-pop boy band created for the K-drama “Resident Playbook”. In the series, the main character, Um Jae-il (played by Kang You-seok, 강유석), was once a member of the group before it disbanded. He later goes on to pursue a career as a medical professional at Yulje Medical Centre. Two of his former bandmates, Top Key and D.I, are played by TXT’s Yeonjun (최연준) and Soobin (수빈), respectively.
Since the episode aired and a special music video was released, fans have been playfully acting as though they’ve been eagerly awaiting a HI-BOYZ reunion and comeback. When the boy group performed their hit single “When the Day Comes” on Mnet’s M Countdown yesterday (Thursday, 22nd May), those familiar with the show, particularly TXT fans, played along on social media, reacting to the “reunion” performance as both devoted fans and playful haters.
It didn’t take long for the performance to go viral, thanks in large part to HI-BOYZ’s most dedicated fans. Naturally, this left some K-pop fans puzzled, as many had no idea what was going on or who the boy group even was. The confusion only deepened when viewers noticed that most of the members looked far too young to be in their thirties, as the storyline would suggest. A few who recognised Yeonjun and Soobin were also confused as to why they were in a different group with different stage names.
It’s hard not to admire the level of commitment to the bit. “Resident Playbook”‘s promotional campaign has been both clever and entertaining, especially for fans of TXT and the drama alike. Were you aware of HI-BOYZ lore, or were you just as lost as some K-pop fans?
Watch the fictional boy group’s reunion performance below:
