Cha Eugene

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## Cha Eugene

* Webtoon
* Webnovel

## General Informaton

### Alt Name Spellings

Cha Yoojin
차유진 (Hangul)
车唯辰 (Hanja)
Eugene Ignacio Cha
유진 이그나시오 차 (Hangul)

### Family

Grandmother
Parents
Older Brother (Ethan)
Older Sister
Younger Sister

### Group Role(s)

Lead Dancer
Center

### Agency

Unnamed (Before+During ICorp)
T1 Stars (Debut)
Stars Orbit (ch 456)

### Representation

Tiger 🐅
Cat 🐱

### Autograph

**Cha Eugene (차유진)** is a member of "TeSTAR". He is the lead dancer and center.

## Background

- Cha Eugene, a Korean-American, who came to Korea to participate in the Idol Corporation survival show. He was in the same agency as Kim Raebin. He is known as Caliboy, a Korean-American from San Diego, California. Growing up, he was very popular in his middle school and played football as the quarterback. He is also fluent in three languages, including Spanish, which he learned from his South American grandmother. He is said to have a college scholarship despite that he still left for Korea after he learned about K-POP
through street casting.

- Before Ryu Gunwoo returned to the past, Cha Eugene was ranked first in Idol Inc. He was a strong candidate for the debut team, with exceptional stats and characteristics. His abilities were at the level of a cheat key, and even Park Moondae called him a monster. Even in a difficult group project, he managed to pull off a great performance by himself. His teammates, who were not as skilled, seemed to dance well because of him.

- During **the System Update (Beta v1) arc**, it revealed that unlike how successful his journey with TeStar was, Cha Eugene's career before Park Moondae's regression was not good at best and terrible at worst. Cha Eugene returned to the US after his idol activities in Stier were over and he didn't see Kim Raebin for years. After moving back to the US, his parents offered him a surfing board to start a new life at the beach but he refused because he thought it would have been more annoying to meet and chat all day long with people flirting and surfing boards every day. He didn't want to waste his life pathetically and settled down to work in an unfulfilling life at the car repair shop. He did receive offers from other agencies when his 5 years contract ended, but most of them were small and only posed as suggestions.
- During his trainee days, Kim Raebin said that Cha Eugene enjoys going to crowded and outdoor places such as cafes, meat restaurants with beautiful scenery, to Kim Raebin's parents' house, and especially to the beach of Ganghwado to clear his mind because it reminds him of his hometown in San Diego. According to Park Moondae, Ganghwado was also where Stier first had their variety show.
- Stier Cha Eugene seemed to be a distant and unfriendly person when he was first introduced because he was in a completely unfamiliar environment without anyone he knew, the situation was very stressful for him. He's blunt and uncompromising when it comes to his freedom, individuality, and what he dislikes. Originally, Cha Eugene had a very simple theory of life that he had learned from his grandfather, which was "If you don't see a solution, find it. If you can't find it, give up and try in a new direction". He has lived by that thinking and developing that way before he debuted. However, in the few years that past he couldn't "give up" by himself even in a very bleak environment. Even though there was no fundamental solution in sight, he held out by making the best choice every moment. Unfortunately, all of his and his teammates' efforts and optimism couldn't bear growth, their contract was terminated at the end. He was hurt by the sheer contrast of his time in TeStar versus his time in Stier because the world where Park Moondae regressed to is the "happy and perfect" world to him, which rewards the fact that he didn't give up unlike how things ended with Stier.
- However, he is still Cha Eugene, jaded as he was, Stier Cha Eugene is still a considerate and sincere person, he still cares and is grateful for his friend Kim Raebin, and is moved by Park Moondae's dedication that he is willing to listen and do what he can as a "payback" for the trouble he caused when he ran away. In episode 479, Cha Yu-jin from the group Stier made a surprise appearance as a guest in Water Bomb, even though he was not scheduled to attend due to his physical condition. The audience perceived it as a pun and reacted passionately to his performance on stage with the talented group EX. While witnessing the public's interest in his performance, Cha Eugene from Stier realized that he couldn't give up being an idol because he loved it. The buzz around their performance soared and they received positive feedback, despite being unwell and having poor accommodations. Additionally, the news of their successful performance was buried, and even the show of Iter, which was conducting noise marketing through TeStar, was kept in check.
- Upon returning to the dorm, he apologized to the exhausted members and thanked them for the opportunities. In a clear reconciliation mood, where basic trust was established, the system update for the company was launched. It was achieved early and TeStar's Cha Yu-jin returned. According to Cha Eugene, Stier's memory details were erased, but he remembered them like a vivid dream or childhood memory. Thanks to this, Cha Eugene, who had become strangely mature, later helped Ryu Cheong-woo and Kim Rae-bin when they were overshadowed by Stier's ego.

## Appearance

At the beginning of the novel, Cha Eugene is described as having wavy red hair, along with light brown eyes. Alongside this, he has very noticeable fangs and often has a mischievous smile, hence why he is often compared to a cat or a tiger. Throughout the novel, Cha Eugene dyes his hair many times, one of the colors being dark brown/black and recently blonde. He is athletics and is noted to be well-toned. His clothing size is 110, though he said that his body size changes every time he exercises, and this is the number from the birthday interview.

## Personality

- Cha Eugene is shown to be extremely energetic, straightforward, and very optimistic. He's pretty expressive and has a habit of whistling when he's in a good mood. He is part of the maknae line and is close with Kim Raebin, although they usually bicker, they care for each other as close friends. He is a glutton and often hungry so when he is down on his feeling, it is easy for him to feel better when there is food around or talk to Kim Raebin. Sometimes, he has trouble reading the atmosphere, but when push comes to shove, he can be quick to come up with solutions, as he's been shown to come up with clever ideas that bring unexpectedly great results. Although he is rather spontaneous with his opinions and looks like a guy who does whatever he wants at first glance, he is considerate if others seem to be in trouble and easily lend his helping hands.

- When he speaks Korean, his grammar is a bit off, so it can be hard for him sometimes when he wants to articulate himself clearly when there is a language barrier between him and other members, which is also why he likes to talk to Park Moondae who don't have much trouble understanding him. Although he comes across as an air-headed jock, he is actually quite clever and sharp. He has an odd instinct about different things, even if he doesn't appear to be the type to store information that doesn't seem important or interesting enough to him in his brain. He might be also one of the more emotionally mature people in the group, he has a positive and active way of thinking with an honest attitude of stating facts that are surprisingly very insightful and practical. Although, with his love for food and carefree nature, he is willing to turn a blind eye to bribery and tricks by his group and the label's production team as long he gets something in return for his silence and cooperation. He is a determined guy who, when puts his mind to something, he'll give his best efforts and seize any opportunities given to him. He is quite talkative and has an inconsistent sleeping schedule as he either sleeps early or stays up late on the Internet and bothers his roommates.

- Cha Eugene is incredibly adaptable, given how he manage to speaks the language and lives there as a trainee and is quick to pick up anything he learns. He is a very talented performer and a highly charismatic entertainer with a deep love for stage, others in his team would usually have to plan their stage thoroughly with him as he can easily captivate the audience's attention, especially with his skill "Black Hole". He can be quite reckless and usually bulldozed over things, but he means well and his simplicity tends to help the group more when they are stuck overthinking. He is a confident person and is well aware of his and TeStar's capabilities, he is realistic so his words are not empty as it is what he believed from learning and surviving in the industry with them for years.

## Status Window

 Rapping
 PhysicalAttractiveness
 Charm
 **Black Hole (A)** [CH 27]**Black Hole (S)** [CH 200] | (A) A force that sucks everything in. Stage Immersion +150%.(S) A force that sucks everything in, a captivating impulse. Stage Immersion +180%.

## Traits & Likes

* According to the roommate reassignment content, he is a "destructive explorer" type. The production crew's comment was, "Agility and a sense of the wild, the alley leader of this area."
* He doesn't like accessories, but he like sunglasses. He often uses the sunglasses emoticon (😎).
* He has a habit of breaking his neck.
* His favorite foods are chocolate bars and chicken soup.
* His hobbies are football, baseball, and surfing.
* He said he really likes Korean-style pizza.
* He expresses his emotions honestly, has a very bright personality, and is full of energy.

## ETC

* He was serious about American football, but after he entered high school, he realized that my physical condition was limited. Even now that he's an idol, he still loves American football. In the "reality world", he was performing well as an American football player despite the limitations of his physical condition as mentioned above, but after awakening, he felt that it was somehow strange that it became so easy even though he knew the game of American football.
* He can keep a writing utensil standing above his nose.
* His motto is "Just try it".
* He grew up with 5 large dogs.
* He said he knew of K-POP through a stranger and it seems he came to Korea through street casting.
* Has a prenatal dream, which is a dream of a golden lion climbing a large tree and eating an apple
* He was a trainee at the same agency as Kim Raebin for a long time before appearing on Idol Inc.. They are of the same age and are very close to each other. In the System's reality world, Cha Eugene persuades the pre-awakening Kim Raebin, and during Stier's arc, Kim Raebin persuades Stier Cha Eugene, even in a state where he has lost his memory.
* He is one of the members who speaks English along with Park Moondae and Seon Ahyeon. Unlike the two members before him, English was his native language, so difficult Korean vocabulary or expressions were usually explained in English by Park Moondae.
* He's a third-generation Korean born and raised in the United States. Thanks to his unique 4-dimensional language skill, it unintentionally adds to the comedy in this work.
* Although he is considered 'child-like' due to his lack of Korean vocabulary and the fact that he uses somewhat straightforward written expressions. However, the monologue from Cha Eugene's point of view shows him to be quite a calm and thoughtful. When he wants to communicate accurately, he will speak in English, and Park Moondae and Seon Ah-hyun will interpret his words.

## Relationships

* Kim Raebin: Cha Eugene and Kim Raebin have been close friends since they were trainees and often spend time together, they usually share lighthearted bickering over small things from Cha Eugene's carefree manners, food, work, etc. Their relationship has always been consistent and they understand each other the most in TeStar. Whether one of them is in a slump, both know to comfort and cheer each other up, such as how Cha Eugene eased up Kim Raebin's tension during their songwriting camp when Kim Raebin was in his burnout phase or how Kim Raebin was the first to tell others that they were persuading Stier Cha Eugene, not having a genuine conversation with him to know him, which makes it hard to build mutual trust. Despite having a lot of personal connections, he always has a soft spot for Kim Raebin and cherished him as a best friend, not minding when the other is rambling and probably doesn't understand most of what Kim Raebin says, he still listens, remember, and give his honest opinions and feedbacks.

## Gallery

### Webnovel Illustration

#206#300 (with TeSTAR)#300 (with TeSTAR)#413 (with STier)#642 (with TeSTAR)
### Official Fancam Thumbnail

Idol Inc. Shining StarIdol Inc. 1st Team MatchIdol Inc. 3rd Team Match
### Others

Pre-debutBirthday 2023 (1)Birthday 2023 (2)
### Quotes

* "Am I your boyfriend?" - Chapter 153, on TeStar's SNS account.
* "[But hyung, don't worry too much about it. How could you change everyone's mind to your own liking?](...) [My mom said that people who hate me will keep appearing in my life anyway! So, just ignore it, and voila! Things move on. Don't stress yourself about it.]" - Chapter 174
* “Then, I'd say 'I know~'! I know what I'm good at!” - Chapter 259
* "He understood what I said. So I enjoyed chatting with this person" - Chapter 266, Cha Eugene about Park Moondae
* “Why should I reply to them? [We don’t even have enough time to show our cool and best sides. And I’m happy!]” - Cha Eugene's philosophy about his job in chapter 266, he wanted to bring joy, not to show pain or negative energy.
* "[I’m really doing this for the team. I never thought I would do something like this in my life.]" - About performing as a magical girl in chapter 303
* "I like seeing how Kim Raebin is so comfortable" - Chapter 308
* "[We are the same age. It's the matter of pride]" - Chapter 308
* "[Kim Raebin must have wanted to say this, so I'm saying it in advance. Since we're BFF] - Chapter 308
* "Well, it seemed like everyone didn't have many friends." - Cha Eugene noted about other member lack of social life in chapter 352
* "[We all have our own circumstances, but that doesn't mean we can act two-faced]" - Cha Eugene about Cheongryeo in chapter 372
* "I'm going to find Kim Raebin" - Chapter 372
* “Kim Raebin, I found you!” - Chapter 372
* “Our stages are here. And they're also in reality. Even if you use it in the multiverse, it won’t disappear! You must not forget that. Okay?” - Their stages are in their mind is what Cha Eugene mean in chapter 391
* "Hi!! what are you doing? I'm Cha Eugene! 😎 Did you eat delicious food? Eat well, think good thoughts, and have fun exercising! I like it best when I’m relaxing. Contact me again! XOXO" - Part 2 comeback celebration event. This message is sent to shareholders at the time of Idol Inc. and in chapter 33.
* "If the opportunity presented itself, he was a person who would not miss that chance." - Chapter 479
* “Thank you my fan” - Stier Cha Eugene thanking Park Moondae in chapter 482
* “But Moondae, I know this. Time heals everything. So, if Moondae hadn’t come back in the past, I would have performed again. Other people are the same as me.” - Chapter 483
* "[We would have continued with it somehow. Because I loved it so much.]" - Stier Cha Eugene talked about being an idol again in chapter 483
* “OK. Considering hyungs’ ages.” - Chapter 571
* “Hey, listen! That’s not your choice. We talked about it together. Chungwoo said it. Do you remember?” - Chapter 577
* “More people come to see me than my brother.”
* "There aren't many audiences who only watch Moondae. Are you worried that people will be disappointed? It's useless. Everyone liked me..." - Chapter 577
* "Did you laugh? Are you feeling better?" - Chapter 577
* “Kim Raebin! I’m good at English too! No need for Ethan!" - Eugene being jealous of his older brother Ethan in chapter 598
* “Because I ’m a good boy who cares about my friends’ feelings!” - Chapter 607
* “Chungwoo! Let’s go somewhere other than hiking! I’d rather shoot!” - Chapter 619

## References

1. ↑ He sets clear boundaries and is very blunt with what he thinks, wants, and dislikes no sugarcoating or lightening it up with lighthearted jokes. According to Park Moondae, from Stier Cha Eugene's point of view, he would likely find it hard to open up to other TeStar members besides Kim Raebin and Park Moondae. From his point of view, Bae Sejin is the one who blew up the group with his drug allegations, Lee Sejin is the one who voluntarily dropped out of the program due to school violence, and while he shows a obideient reaction to Ryu Chungwoo, it probably due to his former fear of Stier Ryu Chungwoo's discipline.
2. ↑ One member was arrested for drug dealing, the song they didn't choose became the title song, the group's name was given to the projects they didn't participate in, their albums were canceled, and countless rumors made a helpless situation.
3. ↑ In the case of Stier Cha Eugene's EX stat. In the next chapter, Park Moondae mentioned that when he returned as TeStar's Cha Eugene, his stat returned to S+
4. ↑ Stier had been waiting for that miraculous moment when the public's interest would return, an element that had been absent despite their active participation
5. ↑ His original hair color is black
6. ↑ He still keeps the American football with him, since it is something he considers to be a comfort object, and it might be implied that he either sometimes practices or not out of touch with the sport yet
7. ↑ Although other members begin to get used to his way of speaking in English and can understand his metaphorical words pretty well, as shown in chapter 633, he seem to be more honest and comfortable when he speaks in Spanish
8. ↑ 182cm is not short even by American standards, but professional quarterbacks usually exceed 190cm
9. ↑ I honestly don't know what this means.
10. ↑ It was a large entertainment agency, but it went bankrupt due to a lawsuit filed by a leading idol over an unfair contract
11. ↑ In Park Moondae’s opinion, "they treat each other like idiots"
12. ↑ There are differences between the three English styles. Park Moondae speaks English as a typical foreign language, Seon Ahyeon focuses on sophisticated and high-level vocabulary, and Cha Eugene speaks in a free-spirited style that befits a Californian. Worse, Park Moondae also thought that Cha Eugene was unlikely to use official vocabulary well (Chapter 335). There are many times when he uses 'like' is used in one sentence (Chapter 163).
13. ↑ He's not familiar with the Korean language and culture
14. ↑ Strictly speaking, it is difficult to say that he is four-dimensional. He has an observant nature and is not oblivious to his surroundings. He displays surprising insight when needed and is confident in his abilities. He has a uniquely American positive mindset which sets him apart from the Korean culture which is accustomed to competition, giving him a sense of detachment.
15. ↑ From Park Moondae’s perspective, Cha Eugene’s translated lines are indicated in square brackets. However, during System Reboot's arc, Park Moondae disappeared, so the English expression was used as is (in quotation marks without brackets). (Chapter 550)
16. ↑ Play word from 오늘/Oneul (Today) to Ohhhneul.