Mega-Viral “Idol-Visual” Student Turns Down FIVE Major K-Pop Agencies

In April 2025, a high school student from Japan went viral in South Korea with an Instagram reel of him getting his hair done. The student, later identified as Shusuke, was praised for his idol-like visuals.

Months later, as more people started to get curious about Shusuke’s whereabouts…

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…he addressed what happened in a YouTube video on the @MinnieNShu channel, run alongside his girlfriend!

Young Shusuke | theqoo

In the video, Shusuke clarified that he was never actually a K-Pop trainee, even though several agencies reached out to him (and even his hair salon).

| @MinnieNShu/YouTube

The answer is no to this. To be honest, I didn’t go [with] any [K-Pop] company.

I know that an Instagram reel of mine went viral, but the account linked to that video wasn’t mine. It was the hair salon’s. So even though K-Pop agencies like JYP Entertainment wanted to get in touch with me, they didn’t know how. From what I’ve heard, a lot of agencies ended up calling the hair salon, but then my hair stylist did not share anything about me because they did not want to disclose my personal information without my permission. So I wasn’t contacted right after my video went viral.

— Shusuke

While he was grateful to be shown the interest from the same agencies that discovered his favorite K-Pop group like TWICE…

| @MinnieNShu/YouTube

It was way later when I heard from the hair stylist that the salon had received a lot of calls. They said they can release my contact information if I’m still interested and I allow them. At the time, and throughout middle and high school, I was actually into K-Pop and I liked BLACKPINK and TWICE. So, yes, of course I was interested. I told the salon that they can share my contact information. The salon told me that JYP Entertainment, SM Entertainment, and HYBE had reached out.

Then, eventually, my personal Instagram was discovered. I received even more DMs once my account was shared. I was in contact with at least five different agencies, including JYPE, SM, and Pledis. In fact, most of the well-known K-Pop agencies—except YG Entertainment—did reach out to me. I even had several video calls with JYP and SM. Not HYBE, though. I think, with HYBE, it was either via text or voice call.

— Shusuke

…Shusuke ultimately chose to pursue college education.

Everyone who reached out to me were so nice. This all happened when I was a high school senior. I had to choose right then and there if I wanted to pursue a K-Pop idol career or if I just wanted to move onto college. But knowing the fact that an idol career is not guaranteed for me even if I train with one of these agencies… I decided the risk is too big. And I was actually going to a pretty prestigious school at the time. This meant, if I just went onto college as I had planned, I would at least have a stable future. So while I was definitely intrigued, I ended up choosing to pursue college education. I wanted a stable life.

— Shusuke

According to the video, JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment were the most eager to get Shusuke signed—even offering to train him from the bottom up to help him become a K-Pop idol. While Shusuke, too, seriously considered these two K-Pop powerhouses, he now attends Keio University as a politics major instead!

| @MinnieNShu/YouTube

But I mean, I don’t think I would’ve made it as an idol anyway. I don’t know how to sing. When I was in contact with some of the agencies, I told them that I can’t sing. They said it’s OK because I’d learn in training. But… all in all, I never spent a second in K-Pop training. It did surprise me when the rumors started going around that I started training because that’s when the agencies started reaching out to me. A lot of people were convinced that I’d become a SM Entertainment trainee. Well, it was actually SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment that I spent the most time talking about possibilities.

— Shusuke

Watch the full video here: