Debut or Die - Chapter 131

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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 131
The stage “I Love Waiting,” which the participants had performed at Ajusa, possessed a distinctly Eastern and wistful atmosphere that continued to accumulate views steadily even now.
Of course, beyond this song, Testa had quite a few successful team stages.
Naturally, throughout their concert preparations, various opinions emerged about which stages they wanted to perform again.
-The hero concept seems most suitable for scaling up the concert!
-To a new world… if we do it again, we could do it even better…!
-Vampire! I want to do that one!
-Hey guys, don’t you want to try performing a VTIC senior’s song? It seems possible now….
-…Please calm down, hyung.
But most proposals fell through during the discussion phase. The lineup had changed far too much.
There was a risk of giving them ammunition to claim that “you’re even taking songs away from the eliminated members.”
However, this song, which Big Sae-jin had actively pushed for, carried no such concerns.
-Haha, all our members are still here, so what’s the problem~
Daltokkee had successfully debuted all team members with Testa except for Gold 1.
Moreover, Gold 1, who would debut soon, had readily given permission via text on the condition that he would use it in his own concert as well.
Thus, Testa could prepare the stage with enthusiasm.
And now.
Seven In-young dressed in dark robes appeared at the front of the stage.
The sound of the daegeum flute rang out.
Woong-. Wuuuwoong-. Wuu- Wuuuu-.
An elegant and sorrowful sound.
Every audience member present had heard this sound at least once.
In that instant, one In-young turned elegantly backward. Then, swirling the hem of his robe, he kicked upward into the air in a backflip.
That extended, crisp line soared higher than before, then descended forward.
From the fluttering navy robe, a brilliant golden dragon robe pattern gleamed.
“…!”
The audience took a moment to comprehend the situation, but the moment the rabbit mask’s details were caught on the screen, they began to scream.
“Ah!”
“Insane!!”
Following the playful performance, the longed-for rabbit revealed itself.
And in magnificent attire at that.
-At every path where you wait for me
There’s always an excited me
Beneath the rabbit masks the members had quickly donned, ornate jade-colored tassels swayed.
The costume details, now twice as resplendent as during Ajusa, created beautiful circles and sparkles with every movement of the tall In-young.
And Testa brought forth the subtle atmosphere and slightly inhuman synchronization from back then intact.
No, it had become even more intense.
-I love waiting
My waiting is long
And always joyful
With the increased number of members, the formation and overall movements in the chorus choreography became even more grand and spectacular.
-When this waiting ends
I’ll recognize you
My heart’s already brightening
Park Moon-dae delivered the high note of the chorus with crystalline clarity. On the screen, his face still bore faint traces of glitter from the unit stage performance.
And the second verse that had been cut due to stage time constraints during the Ajusa performance continued uninterrupted this time.
The friends who had newly joined Daltokkee handled the new verse.
-With each moment flowing again
My focus remains fixed on you
Cha Yu-jin let out a soft laugh, then created dazzling movements with light footwork. Even the hem of his durumagi received the choreography.
-Even if we pass by each other, it doesn’t matter
Because I already know, so I
Daltokkee expressed the stage as if overwhelmed with emotion, unable to contain themselves, and the audience caught the same contagion, groaning with delight as they savored the performance.
The concert hall, heated with welcome and joy, was scorching.
And then came the bridge section.
-You’ve been waiting for me too
A vivid sense of déjà vu
Daltokkee delivered that phrase, which carried a bittersweet sensuality, rushing out to the Protruding Stage.
Holding fans they’d pulled from inside their durumagi.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Ughh!”
The screams from the surrounding standing area were piercing.
After the choreography where they swept the floor with their entire bodies to lower their durumagi, they now stood in shirt sleeves.
Over the white shirts tied with belts, shimmering string accessories dangled in a glittering cascade.
And finally, the end of the last chorus.
As if eagerly waiting for someone again, the choreography continued joyfully with humming and footwork.
-Hum hu hu hum- huhu
DDu-ru Du-ru Du Du
The audience enthusiastically joined in the humming, responding with excitement.
Ddu-ddu-ru ddu-ru ddu-ddu~
It was an honest, flawless group chant without a single mistake.
Caught off guard by the adorable situation, Daltokkee ultimately finished the stage with laughter far greater than the smiles they’d planned.
-Please wait
Even Big Sae-jin’s final verse was met with group chanting.
Big Sae-jin laughed softly and, with arms crossed, leaned his head against the massive wooden trunk that had come out to the Protruding Stage.
Even after the stage went dark, the cheers didn’t cease.
Waaaaahhh!!
By the flow of the show, a VCR was supposed to follow, signaling the timing for the next stage. The audience, still buzzing with the afterglow of the previous performance, anticipated what came next.
But even after several seconds passed, the stage remained dark.
A few audience members who had been cheering began to voice their confusion.
“Huh?”
“Wh-what??”
“What is this?”
Just before the audience could stir with suspicions of a Stage accident.
Suddenly, the lights on the Stage blazed back to life.
Whoosh.
A single, colossal spotlight beam.
That beam of light illuminated a massive tree stump on the Protruding Stage!
“…!!”
Where the tree had originally stood. But as if the trunk had been violently torn away, everything above was gone, leaving only a solitary stump behind.
And atop that stump… two black-haired figures sat with their heads bowed.
“…?!”
A slow, mournful string solo drifted through the air. The two figures slowly lifted their heads.
Their faces were completely obscured by rabbit masks.
However, the masks were partially damaged at the crown, with paint trickling down from the broken section.
“….”
Before the countless spectators, now silent in the unsettling atmosphere, the song began.
-Je te donne des fleurs que…
Over a chanson accompaniment, its pitch radically manipulated into something rather eerie.
The third unit’s Stage performance commenced without warning.

* * *
“Man, Ryu Chung-woo and Kim Rae-bin are really something, aren’t they?”
Backstage below the Stage.
Big Sae-jin spoke to me while hastily changing clothes with help from the staff.
“Why the sudden comment?”
“Why? Because right now they’re competing with nothing but their own arrangements and voices—no choreography. That takes guts. It’s seriously cool~”
Even while catching his breath, he was suddenly praising guys who weren’t even here.
‘What’s he thinking.’
But when I turned my head, I saw the concert behind-the-scenes camera.
‘Of course.’
Right. He really is consistent. I responded with admiration.
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Ryu Chung-woo probably considered even the risks inherent in the ‘idol concert’ format.
But Kim Rae-bin wouldn’t have needed to muster any courage at all.
‘He probably thought, “The arrangement turned out well and the live performance went great, so what’s the problem?”‘
And the arrangement really did turn out exceptionally well.
He’d taken a classical chanson from decades ago, deconstructed it, and recombined it into an indie style that’s been performing well on recent music charts.
If a concert album comes out, this will probably be the best-selling track.
Big Sae-jin grinned at my agreement.
“Right? Oh, but Park Moon-dae’s guts were amazing too. That ribbon headpiece was incredible~”
“…Yeah, it was.”
There’s a camera right next to us. Don’t forget that.
“Park Moon-dae, don’t you have anything to say to me? You saw the cowboy performance, right?”
“Yeah, it was cool.”
“Say it again with more feeling, from the heart~”
I ignored his nonsense and focused on the sound coming from the Stage.
…A sharp, catchy melodic riff layered over a melancholic beat.
-…wounds that never heal
tears harden like scabs
leaving traces down below…
Then the rap came in.
Since the iconic intro and chorus were removed, the song’s progression was entrusted to the rap.
It’s a structure people are familiar with, so it would stick in their ears even better.
But I was curious whether the song’s allure—driven purely by rap, vocals, and atmosphere—would actually work in a concert setting.
‘The atmosphere seems like it would play a big role.’
We’d decided to use the Stage set and lighting theatrically to create a strong narrative.
And on the screen, the meaning of the chanson lyrics would have appeared in black, like ink splattering.
-to the one I love
I offer flowers
today is a special day
Laughter fills the streets
-Unremarkable moments
Pile up like dust
And shine like jewels
Even now, I feel your breath.
The lyrics, which would have felt bright in the original, took on a different character when paired with the gloomy beat and rap.
‘The impression will be intense.’
And thanks to those lyrics, the next song in our initial setlist draft was actually decided unanimously.
We’d chosen to follow it with the new album’s title track.
‘The lyrical context was similar.’
I thought it was a solid structure for building momentum.
But the Company rejected it. It came down to stamina and time constraints.
-Kim Rae-bin and Ryu Chung-woo look like they’re about to collapse?!
-If we do this back-to-back, we might mess up changing costumes. That could be fatal on a new song reveal stage, so wouldn’t it be better to avoid it as much as possible?
Each point was so perfectly valid that I closed my mouth and nodded in agreement.
So we added a short talk segment and audience interaction, but whether the atmosphere will actually hold after that song… I’m not sure.
‘Talks should probably come after upbeat or lyrical songs.’
With our limited song pool, it was unavoidable structurally, but it felt like a missed opportunity.
I clicked my tongue, finished adjusting my costume and hair, and moved down the Corridor according to the blocking.
Not long after, the people who’d finished the third unit stage joined us.
“Ooh~”
“How was it?”
“Good. Way better than I expected.”
“I think we expressed everything we wanted to show!”
The faces responding were bright. The reaction seemed quite solid.
‘The cheers lasted a long time.’
Without any major concerns, the concert was proceeding smoothly.
“Going up now! Watch your seating!”
“Yes!”
We rose above the Central Stage via the lift mechanism, sitting in a line across seven chairs.
Before my eyes, countless lights filling the vast space sparkled and rippled like waves.
Waaaaaaa
The roar sounded like the voice of light itself.
‘…This is no joke.’
When I was performing, it felt less intense, but sitting here like this, stone-cold sober, my head spun.
Thinking that well over ten thousand people were sitting in every seat, in every light… No, let’s not go there.
‘I can barely handle running through the script.’
I watched Ryu Chung-woo, who would start the first talk, lift his microphone.
[It’s great to see you all again! Are you enjoying the concert? How was our unit stage?]
[Ooh~ hyung, can you hear me? Everyone says they’re having a blast, it was so good!]
[I really love it!]
I brought the microphone to my lips as well.
[Which stage was your favorite?]
Words flooded in from all directions like a tidal wave.
All of them!
Everything was amazing!
Daltokkee!
The wire work!!
Park Moon-dae’s stage~!
Their expressions, devoid of a single harsh word, resonated in my ears.
“….”
For a moment, I unintentionally closed my mouth. …My prepared response came a beat too late.
[…I loved everything too.]
[Ah, Park Moon-dae was completely moved~]
[I’m moved too!]
[This is rarer than you might think, everyone.]
After becoming the butt of a light joke for a moment, the show continued.
[Now then… we’re starting the 【Messages for Testa】 segment!]
And just as we were about to dive into the main content with the prepared questions.
Suddenly, the lights around the stage dimmed sharply.
“…?”
This wasn’t scheduled.
I caught the eyes of the slightly flustered members.
‘What’s happening?’
‘Is something wrong?’
In that moment, light suddenly poured in from behind.
It was light coming from the screen.
I reflexively turned my head, and an unplanned video was playing on the screen.
…It was Testa’s debut showcase.
[My singer who arrived like magic]
[Thank you! I love you!]
The video continued with the captions.
Nine months of activities appeared on screen in chronological order. From our first broadcast stage to the year-end stage, Testa in all sorts of costumes flashed by in cuts.
Then the screen shifted to the audience.
Somehow, people were holding identical soft purple cloths in their hands.
That was… a slogan.
The text appeared clearly on the massive screen.
[Paper airplanes sent to Testa]
[From the Reviewer]
And suddenly, the backing track of a familiar song began to play.
…【Magic is You】.
Testa’s first fan song.
Today my spirits were high, as if
something wonderful was about to happen
In the blink of an eye, the Concert Hall filled with countless voices.
With you, everything will be okay
Though unfamiliar, somehow it will be beautiful
Ten thousand voices singing in unison.
Countless voices wove together, and like shooting stars, they cascaded down from every direction alongside the light.
My breath caught in my throat.

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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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