Debut or Die - Chapter 129

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Fatal Illness if I Don’t Debut – Episode 129
“Is there a big crowd?”
“There really is!”
“Even though the concert doesn’t start for over eight more hours, there are quite a few people gathered and chatting…!”
Kim Rae-bin and Cha Yu-jin, who had pretended to go to the Bathroom and scouted outside, spoke excitedly.
The members standing on the Stage covered their faces or took deep breaths.
“Phew….”
“They’ll hear all the rehearsal sounds.”
Right. We had come up on the Stage to do a concert rehearsal.
For idols doing overseas tours, tickets are sometimes sold that include rehearsal viewing, but thankfully this wasn’t that case.
If we exposed the rehearsal at the first concert, there would probably be ten times as many nervous guys as there are now.
Of course, everyone’s already fired up as it is.
“Let’s really do well. We practiced that hard, so we need to show them what we’ve got.”
“Right!”
“Really… we really did a lot.”
Bae Sae-jin’s face had gone slightly pale. He seemed to be recalling the past training period.
‘It was pretty intense, honestly.’
There were more than a few times I thought my lung capacity wouldn’t hold up, let alone my stamina.
As a result, we brought a stationary bike to the Dormitory. Everyone unanimously agreed that the time spent with the PT trainer wasn’t enough.
Meanwhile, we had to show vibrant energy in the unit Stage production reality show, so it was no small feat.
‘…But still, this day finally came.’
I wasn’t regretful or anxious. The preparation was complete.
And that would be the same for the others.
“Right. This time, let’s trust our training and go for it.”
“Yes!”
In that solid atmosphere, Big Sae-jin quietly raised his hand.
“Should we shout out a chant before we go~?”
“A chant?”
“You know, that thing~”
“…Oh.”
Exclamation marks appeared on the faces of those who finally understood what he meant.
And moments later, hands came together with sharp claps.
“Testa’s showing something today!”
“Let’s go!”
…It was a phrase that traded embarrassment for atmosphere, but it was effective.
“We’re starting from the opening, right?”
The rehearsal proceeded smoothly without any issues.
Not much time remained before the empty audience seats would be completely filled.

* * *
The Gymnastics Arena entrance was packed with throngs of people. There were several reasons, but one of the main draws was purchasing concert merchandise.
‘I got all the MD!!’
Park Moon-dae’s Home Ma stood in line to enter with both hands full of shopping bags—the spoils of a successful hunt.
Plus, everything had decent quality!
Especially the glittering customizable parts set that attached to the light stick—it was absolutely gorgeous.
During the pre-order period, she’d already confirmed on social media that it sold out instantly based on just the preview images.
‘I actually pulled some really great stuff.’
Many fans had softened their stance as T1 recently demonstrated what a major corporation could truly deliver.
With all these solid choices, some people were even starting to turn favorable.
But Home Ma kept her guard up.
‘…Don’t let your guard down.’
Because the concert Blu-ray might reveal that the members had actually pitched designs for all these items.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel her excitement rising.
‘They really seem to have prepared intensely, don’t they?!’
Her anticipation for the concert was so high that smiles bloomed across her face. That sense of accomplishment only ticket holders could feel was already flooding in like a tidal wave.
And her seat was… Section 8, Row 2!
That exact spot Park Moon-dae had tried to challenge but failed to secure.
‘Moon-dae, I’m sitting here…!’
She’d originally planned to try exchanging for a standing ticket to get better fancam footage, but the moment she saw Testa’s ticketing video, she decided it was fate and accepted the seat.
‘I’ll just film more carefully tomorrow!’
It was the kind of leeway only someone with tickets for both days could afford.
“Um, would you like these…?”
“Oh! Thank you so much!”
She received snacks and a small photo postcard that the Kim Rae-bin fan next to her had prepared.
As they chatted and occasionally checked social media, time flew by in an instant.
It was almost time for the concert to start. The announcement echoed through the venue.
“…Phew.”
Park Moon-dae’s Home Ma skillfully pulled out her camera and tucked it away in her bag.
In that moment, the lights in the venue dimmed.
“…!”
The murmur of the crowd cut off abruptly as light poured from the massive screen.
Whoooooosh—.
Filling the screen were seven members of In-young lying in a circle on a classroom floor.
It was Testa.
Waaaaahhhhh!!!
The video unfolded amid roaring cheers.
Testa’s faces opened their eyes from the floor, each member’s face zooming in one by one, and then in the next moment, soap bubbles swept past over their heads.
The members chased after the bubbles, their bodies lifting lightly toward the classroom windows where sunlight poured in.
And then, the screen cut to black.
♬♪♩♪- ♬♪♬♪- ♪♩-
The Concert Hall dimmed once more. The familiar melody rang out in even more elaborate variations.
And before long, the venue was filled with cascading soap bubbles and the glittering light of glow sticks.
“…!”
In that fantastical space shimmering under violet lighting, Park Moon-dae’s “Magic Boy” intro began to play.
-I think of you all day long, the you I’ll meet tomorrow
In-young members began descending on wires from the ceiling.
“…!”
All seven members of Testa appeared on wires from every direction at once.
The idols surrendered their bodies to the stage apparatus, beginning to spiral and sweep across the Concert Hall.
-But reality is breathing, All the time…
Sun Ah-hyun flew past overhead, singing his part, whooshing through the air.
‘Insane!’
Screams of excitement erupted from all around.
Ahhhhhhh!!
A gentle breeze swept through from where Sun Ah-hyun had passed, tickling my hair.
Goosebumps erupted across my skin.
‘Park Moon-dae, where is Park Moon-dae?!’
Park Moon-dae was gliding past just above the standing area, slightly away from me.
‘That’s my section tomorrow!!’
His blonde hair caught the light on the screens. Park Moon-dae was smiling gently.
‘Fairy! Please be there tomorrow too…!!’
I cried out and raised my camera.
-Cast a spell
Just before the chorus of the second verse, Testa gathered at center stage during a brief instrumental interlude.
They descended from the apparatus and began the chorus choreography.
The ornaments on their school uniform costumes—far more elaborate than in the music video—sparkled under the lights.
And without a moment to catch their breath, the accompaniment surged forward relentlessly into the next song. It was “Airplane,” the title track from their second promotional period.
-My heart flutters, wanting to send it soaring somewhere
From the opening, Testa flew in on wires and instantly unleashed every title track they possessed in their first stage.
‘Unbelievable.’
The intention was clear—immerse the audience first, worry about the rest of the setlist later.
But the atmosphere was undeniable.
As hit after hit poured out, the audience’s heads were swimming with adrenaline before they could even worry about how the second half of the concert would be structured.
Testa’s first concert had begun.

* * *
Testa performed one more soft ballad from the ‘Choose your side’ album before finally moving into a lighter talk segment.
[Phew, opening was fun, wasn’t it??]
Yes!!!
The slightly trembling voice was met with enthusiastic affirmations that seemed ready to tear the Concert Hall apart.
Ryu Chung-woo, who had posed the question, appeared slightly taken aback by the fervor, but soon laughed and nodded along.
‘He’s growing on me the more I see him. Cute.’
Even as Home Ma offered this generous assessment, her eyes and the camera remained fixed on Park Moon-dae.
Park Moon-dae handed the water bottle he’d been drinking from to Sun Ah-hyun beside him, offering a small wave of greeting.
[Hello, reviewers. I’m Moon-dae… It would make me happy if you all had a fun and exciting time today.]
‘So cute!!’
The effort to deliberately mimic SNS-style speech was evident. But he seemed quite embarrassed, his ears flushing red.
‘Our puppy showed courage…!’
She was gripping the camera with fervent emotion when she heard a sniffling sound from beside her.
“He’s cute though…”
“…?”
This person next to her was clearly a Kim Rae-bin fan.
Either way, it meant Moon-dae was devastatingly cute, so she decided to take it warmly.
[This stage~ I think you’ve all already seen us preparing hard for it!]
[It’s the very first unit stage!]
The members appeared nervous, but they handled the talk segment well with excited expressions.
[Oh, which team goes first? That’s… a secret!]
[Secret!]
After playful jeers from the fans and Testa’s laughing remarks exchanged a few more times, Testa prepared to descend from the Stage.
[Is everyone ready? Then please wait with anticipation to see who comes out!]
[We’ll reveal it soon!]
And Testa waved their hands and bounded behind the Stage.
Only after deliberately showing all of that did the lights cut out and footage begin playing on the screen again.
[Bam-ba-bam!]
[Ba-ba-ba-bam!!]
The two who poked their heads out were… Cha Yu-jin and Big Sae-jin!
‘Already here??’
I’d assumed the unit focused on dance performance would appear in the latter half for pacing purposes.
And especially with Cha Yu-jin there. The Stage-destroyer Cha Yu-jin, the personal fan factory Cha Yu-jin!
‘…Ah, whatever. It’s not like Moon-dae is coming out anyway!’
She shrugged and leaned back against her seat. Since Moon-dae wasn’t performing, she could relax and just watch.
‘Well, Cha Yu-jin will be flying around… and Sae-jin will probably dance well too?’
From what she vaguely remembered seeing in the YouTube reality show, it seemed like they’d be doing some famous, older jazz-influenced R&B pop song.
The cute VCR of the two giggling ended quickly.
[So our concept is…, what would you call it, Yu-jin?]
[Outlaws of the Wilderness!]
With Cha Yu-jin’s final words, the screen cut to black.
When it lit up again, the image was truly a desolate wilderness.
‘What?’
It was the kind of landscape you’d see in a classic American Western.
Bam Bam Bam Barabarararabam
The intro began to play. Graphics appeared on screen alongside a saxophone rhythm far more upbeat than the original.
[WANTED]
[$100,000,000]
A bounty poster. Two comical cartoon caricatures snapped onto the screen with crisp effects.
-Who’s next?
The moment Cha Yu-jin’s voice, tinged with a nasal edge, cut sharply through a single phrase.
Both figures launched simultaneously from opposite ends of the center stage.
And they charged toward each other.
“…!”
Rushing in from left and right, they slid into choreography that crossed their paths, then magically sprang upright and turned to face each other’s backs.
Both tall figures wore leather pants, loose shirts, snug vests, and cowboy hats tilted at rakish angles.
Cha Yu-jin’s was a light brown, while Big Sae-jin’s was a dark brown.
-Now~ You have to know
What is right D’oh
What is Left
They threw their hats simultaneously.
As Big Sae-jin’s vocals bounced playfully along with the cheerful pop melody, dancers in black emerged behind the two grinning figures.
And they pulled ropes from their waists.
“…?!”
Aggressive group choreography unfolded from all sides.
Cha Yu-jin and Big Sae-jin began using their feet and ropes to take down the dancers one by one with bizarre, energetic movements.
Their movements echoed the dancers’ choreography while remaining perfectly synchronized with each other. Every few bars, they executed identical moves at identical timing.
This kept the stage’s cohesion seamless.
It was a sight to behold with mouth agape.
-Take my gun and
Bababababa-by Say
Goodbye!
As they entered the chorus, both ripped off their vests and threw them backward.
Hidden costume elements were revealed.
Gun holsters.
-Oh my~
They continued dancing with guns pointed at each other in one hand.
The choreography, organically connected and constantly shifting positions before returning to center, was distinctly theatrical, yet with one hand constrained, the other movements became far more explosive.
And finally.
The choreography concluded with a motion of knocking away the guns they each held.
-Say Goooodbye~~
Over the drum roll and the frenzied saxophone, the two of us carefully executed a motion that resembled tipping an imaginary hat in greeting.
And we gradually disappeared below the stage.
-Yay ha!
Before the final verse of the song could even finish, the Concert Hall was filled with screams.
‘Wow.’
So absorbed in the performance that it flew by without time for critique, Home Ma struggled to close her gaping mouth at the stage that had just vanished.
‘That was incredible….’
The moment the audience heard the keyword “Wilderness Outlaw,” it was a stage with an intense composition that delivered every element they could have hoped for—and then some.
‘…Maybe I’ll upload this stage cut on April Fools’ Day.’
Noting that the cut of the vest being thrown looked good, she deliberately kept her composure.
And like her, most of the audience members who watched the first unit stage had the performance burned vividly into their minds.
Not any individual member, but the stage itself.
It was Big Sae-jin’s decisive victory.

* * *
‘The unit stage just ended.’
While changing costumes and waiting in the wings, cheers reverberated down from the stage.
“They, they really did amazing!”
Sun Ah-hyun laughed with a bright expression. I nodded.
‘…He didn’t fall behind.’
Well, honestly, I wasn’t particularly worried about Big Sae-jin.
A few days ago, I happened to overhear the whole story about the song selection when I came out of the shower.
-Moon-dae, want to know something fun?
-What?
-I practiced the basics with that song? Ever since I first came in as a trainee.
-….
-So whenever I practiced alone, I just ended up using that one.
-…How long?
-Well… probably 8 years? Haha.
In short, Cha Yu-jin had been attached to a song that this guy had been playing with for 8 years.
Of course, just holding onto a song for a long time doesn’t mean you’ll perform it well.
But considering Big Sae-jin’s personality, he’d already extracted every possible performance element from the song, dissecting every aspect of it.
He’d definitely cherry-picked only what he thought he did well and liked, then gently coaxed Cha Yu-jin along, so the result was obvious.
‘A good stage came out in the direction that Big Sae-jin excels.’
Moreover, Big Sae-jin had added one more device.
‘…There was no solo part.’
That unit stage had no solo section where someone moved alone. They moved together at all times.
And in almost every moment they moved together, Big Sae-jin never let the audience’s gaze wander away from him.
The stage was constructed organically so that watching just one person wouldn’t be as entertaining.
Of course, without skill, no strategy would have mattered. But Big Sae-jin had the talent.
So perhaps all his strategies worked perfectly.
‘…That guy’s mind really works fast.’
I nodded inwardly in acknowledgment.
Of course, I had no time left to worry about someone else’s unit stage.
“O-our stage is… second, so let’s do well and come back!”
It was almost my turn.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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