Debut or Die - Chapter 141

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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 141
The boxes were distributed right after the Music Broadcast Studio’s pre-recording ended and the fans were filing out.
As a result, people opened the boxes on their way home.
The pale purple box, complete with Testa’s logo sticker, seemed to be announcing itself loudly.
‘This is a reverse sponsorship!’
Naturally, all the fans quickly caught on to what was happening.
‘No wonder they didn’t hand out official photo cards at the entrance…!’
The box likely contained photo cards for those who participated in the pre-recording as well.
Fans who had already received cream bread, coffee, and simple snacks several times before opened the box with pure joy.
‘I hope there’s fried chicken strips inside.’
‘It feels heavy… Is it a beverage this time?’
But what appeared inside the box was twenty-eight beautifully packaged macarons.
“…!!”
“Ugh.”
Seven macarons per row, arranged in four neat lines—the sheer volume was overwhelming.
People gasped in shock on the subway, on buses, and inside cars.
Naturally, many people had never bought twenty-eight macarons at once in their entire lives.
‘We had 300 people at the recording, and they’re giving 28 macarons per person…?’
‘What is this?’
Some fans even suspected there might have been an error in the quantity.
And they weren’t even mass-produced items.
When I picked up a macaron, I could see animal paw prints piped in icing on the shells.
‘Insane, there’s even a bird’s paw print!’
‘Is this tiny one a hamster? Is it a hamster?!’
There were even deer hoof prints.
Fans stomped their feet, tapped their seats, and couldn’t control their smiles, yet they tried to carefully fold the box away.
‘Let me just take a photo for proof and keep it safe.’
‘I’ll have to freeze it forever.’
But that wasn’t the end. Something was attached inside the box cover.
There was another small box.
‘No way.’
‘Again?’
Fans tore out the box and flipped it over. Then its contents were revealed.
It was a well-packaged luxury brand perfume.
And not a sample size, but a full 50ml bottle.
‘What.’
‘Wait.’
‘Is this a lucky box? Did they really give all of this?’
Some people began to feel confused beyond mere joy.
And then something else emerged.
Thump.
An envelope wedged between the boxes tumbled to the ground.
The envelope was… remarkably thick.
At this point, some fans were beginning to feel genuinely nervous.
‘What else could possibly be in here?’
‘How far did they go with this…?’
Swallowing hard, I opened the envelope and found what appeared to be a photocopy of a handwritten note.
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[To Our Beloved Reviewer♡]
: Thank you so much for coming to support us at today’s final Music Broadcast Studio recording.
Actually, we received our settlement this time!
I thought about what would be nice to give you, and I wanted to present something that would be a memorable keepsake of this promotional period, so I prepared it with all my effort.
I was in a rush to give this to you before the event ended… I’d really appreciate it if you could overlook any shortcomings♡
ps. For the perfume, we each chose a scent we like. One of seven different options was randomly included!
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The letter ended with a scrawl that read “Love Reviewer.”
This part… it really did look like genuine handwriting.
And inside the envelope that had contained the letter were numerous printed photographs.
They were photos of Testa that appeared to have been taken at the Dormitory.
That’s why the envelope had been so thick…!
‘Insane!!’
‘These crazy guys…! These absolute crazy guys!!’
At this point, most of the fans who had come to the workshop began to scream internally.
And on social media, things were catching fire.

* * *
-Testa’s gone absolutely insane with 28 macarons, perfume, and photos, ahhhhh ahhh seriously what kind of reverse fan service is this before they’ve even hit their first anniversary ahhhhh (photo)
“What??”
Park Moon-dae’s Home Ma tumbled off the sofa.
She couldn’t accept the reality that a major event had unfolded at the last fan meeting she’d missed due to food poisoning that sent her to the emergency room late at night.
The timeline she checked with trembling hands was… plastered entirely with box verification shots.
‘Damn it!!’
Home Ma slammed her head repeatedly against the sofa.
It wasn’t about the free macarons and perfume, obviously.
Seeing tangible proof of her idols’ love for their fans right before her eyes, and not being able to receive it…! It was just so unfair…!
‘I could have gone!’
Of all days to miss, something like this had to happen—she felt like she was going crazy from the injustice of it all!
And that sentiment wasn’t hers alone.
-My stomach is going to rip. I also want to eat the strawberry macaroons my kids gave meㅠㅠ
-Was it because it’s their last music broadcast…? Ugh I really got cut off right at the deadline, it’s so disappointing
-If they were going to give 4 sets, it would have been nice to distribute them to the last week’s music room, but of course it’s the kids’ wish… Hehehe, I only have one hamchi sole macaron… ㅠㅠ
Because they’d shown so much care, the atmosphere had begun to shift beyond envy into something closer to a sense of deprivation.
And this reverse fan service became quite a hot topic in general entertainment communities as well.
Because it looked expensive at first glance, many people took interest.
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[Testa’s Popular Music reverse fan service that looks like a considerable amount.jpg]
: (photo) (photo)
4 sets of macarons with brand perfume
Macarons presumed to be handmade with each member’s signature. The perfume isn’t uniform either—apparently multiple scents from the same brand are mixed in.
=======================
At first, most reactions were fans being envious and impressed by Testa, but soon people began analyzing the situation.
-This has to be the company’s doing, the reverse fan service style suddenly changed completely.. seeing the brand makes it look like they filmed an ad
“Wow, I thought something was off about this from the start—the composition just looked way too much, haha.”
From the start, the Entertainment Company usually handles it or splits it 50-50 during settlement anyway, but since they’re doing it like this, it does feel a bit off lolol. They should be a bit more discreet about it.
-The price range is not something that a 2nd year old can prepare for? Haha. Still, the fans must have liked it. I’m jealous. I also want macaroons and perfume for free.
-Oh could they be filming a perfume ad? Idol perfume ads are rare, that’s interesting
Whether sincere or malicious, it was a chain of misunderstandings.
But before public opinion could sink into negativity, verification posts with reverse fan service letters began pouring in one after another.
-Our boys… got their first settlement and seem to have excitedly bought this right away… (letter photo)
The letter mentioned receiving settlement and carefully selecting the perfume.
The letter was as good as confirmation that Testa had personally prepared the reverse fan service.
General community opinion settled at that point.
-Crazy they bought it themselves after getting their settlement
“What, your fortune telling was all wrong lol, ugh”
-It’s not an ad, it’s like hitting cash. I’m really envious of your wealth.
Is applying to Testa workshop difficult? I’m curious what you’ll give out at the next activity—if you give out something more expensive, I’d want to go too lolol
Me too lol
└For real?;; That’s crossing a line
-They must’ve made a ton of money, spending like this
“If they sold albums like that and didn’t receive it, wouldn’t that be weird instead? lol”
└Who cares what anyone says?
Why are you mad? Look at Testa’s initial response and cheer up♡ It’s 830k (screenshot)
A few provocateurs were successfully shut down, and Testa left a favorable impression with their thoughtful reverse fan service.
But the fans didn’t stop there.
People finally started connecting it to the member sightings from a few days ago.
-Crazy, is this what you were planning on picking when you went on a dessert restaurant tour on Tuesday? ㅠㅠㅠ
└Whoa
└Whoa, that makes sense?
└Let’s not talk about speculation like it’s a confirmed fact…
└I checked the macaron photos. The packaging definitely says ‘X Gourmet Sweet,’ which was one of the places spotted with members on Friday… (photo with logo circled)
└Ahhhhhhh
-That café tour wasn’t… a break during their activity period… it was… preparation for the reverse fan service…?
The fans found this narrative so touching that they were actually overwhelmed with emotion.
-Let’s not over-interpret. If we’re wrong, the haters will use this to attack them
-It’s so cute and heartwarming just to give something delicious to the fans just because they paid the bill ㅠㅠ
But then a review even appeared on the SNS account of the shop that made the reverse fan service macarons.
X Gourmet Sweet review just came out.. (link)
-The kids wanted to include all of them in the last week of the music show, but they were already fully booked so they couldn’t do it. (Inheart Capture)
-And because they kept saying this place was really delicious, the owner was apparently so proud…
It was confirmation.
Faced with the overwhelming reality that everything was true, the fans were completely overcome with emotion and nostalgia, flooding the posts with crying emoticons….
-They must’ve scrambled to prepare right after getting paid oh my god my heart is beating so fast I think it’s going to burst…
-Even if I get a call from another fan club, I never pass it up, and blah blah blah, isn’t this a real living genius idol tester?ㅠ
-Getting their first payment and… buying expensive food in bulk and wrapping up gifts for the members for fans… I’m with you guys for life
-Okay, I know the macaron shop now, I’ll just order and eat from there—the taste of reverse fan service is thrilling…
The fans were overflowing with excitement, completely forgetting any sense of deprivation.
And they started happily writing intense detective posts about whose taste preference each fragrance represented.
On top of that, Testa even released most of the reverse fan service photos on their SNS at this timing.
-Testa really is legendary…
-Ordered macarons and bought the fragrance too—once I get the photos printed, I’ll have received reverse fan service too
It was a joyful time of reverse fan service.

* * *
I swiped the screen with my thumb.
“Hmm.”
The photos had uploaded successfully.
It was the result of moving according to the same operational logic as the first fan signing event.
‘If more people feel disappointed, it would be worse than not doing it at all.’
Information and content should be shared with everyone.
After checking the post I’d uploaded once, I continued monitoring reactions in the Music Broadcast Studio waiting room.
‘…The atmosphere is good.’
It was worth spending the entire daytime preparing.
If I spent money and the recipient didn’t like it, what greater waste could there be?
Fortunately, the money seemed to have been well spent.
‘Putting in a random fragrance from seven types was also a good choice.’
Thanks to that, even though there were only three eyewitness accounts, it didn’t feel awkward to include the gift under Testa’s name.
‘As expected, starting with the group rather than as an individual prevents any potential discord.’
It didn’t really matter that I was the one paying.
‘Besides, there’s nowhere else the money needs to go.’
With no family or acquaintances, what did it matter?
I wasn’t in a situation where I needed living expenses or housing right now, and the settlement amount was so substantial that it would be laughable to complain about this.
So from the start, I planned to handle the payment myself and put the group’s name on it. The Company wanted it that way too.
But then a variable emerged.
Ryu Chung-woo objected immediately upon hearing it.
-Moon-dae, that won’t work.
-Pardon?
-You picked it out and bought it during your own rest time. So it has to be a gift from Moon-dae.
-No, it’s fine. The members chose the items together anyway.
-Even if you’re fine with it, the fans won’t be.
-…!
-Someone who didn’t contribute anything having their name on the gift is a lie. The fans would be so sad if they found out the truth.
-….
-And even if the fans don’t know, our hearts won’t be okay with it. Right?
-Yes!
-Ma, that’s right!
-Wow, hyung, you really know how to put it well~
Ryu Chung-woo settled it decisively.
-At minimum, we need to split the cost.
…So that’s how, with the members’ enthusiastic support, we ended up splitting everything equally.
I’m grateful, but… I wonder if it was really necessary to go that far.
‘It’s not that I was worried about the word getting out and the fallout, but rather “it’s not done, so it can’t be done”….’
Hmm, now that I think about it, when talk came up about my character, I think I saw some criticism saying I showed signs of not being loved.
‘That was a fiery ad-lib.’
But separately, I’m starting to think that “well-raised” might actually describe someone like Ryu Chung-woo.
‘No wrinkles, so to speak.’
The type with good resilience who doesn’t veer off into side paths.
The person in question happened to speak up.
“Did you see the gift reaction?”
“Yes.”
“I saw it too, and the fans really loved it. Honestly, you did all of it, so I feel sorry and grateful to you.”
“Well… I was just planning to cover the costs.”
“You prepared everything by yourself, so don’t say that!”
Ryu Chung-woo tapped my shoulder lightly in a playful manner.
“Still, next time let’s prepare together from the start. You don’t have to handle everything alone. We’re moving as a team, so we should use our teammates well.”
“…Right.”
It’s a topic I might have actually considered if all my teammates weren’t at least six years younger than me.
Ryu Chung-woo smiled brightly, patted my back once, and moved on.
I rubbed the back of my neck.
‘Well… the kids are cooperative, at least.’
This fan gift ultimately became a full team effort beyond just splitting costs in the final stages.
That’s why the result looked better. Everyone picked their own fragrance, and we consulted together on the macaron designs.
I can’t deny that collaborating with those guys sitting over there getting their makeup touched up produced something pretty decent….
“Still, we lack clues about what fragrance each person prefers. It would be better to leave hints through SNS and such….”
“I want to eat more macarons.”
“Is your macaron craving more important than this matter?”
“Yep.”
“W-we can order some on the way back….”
“Come on, Jin, let’s stop~ you’re going to wear yourself out.”
“No way! I’m cool!”
They’ve got a lot to say with brushes in their faces. For a moment, I feel like an idiot for hesitating.
…Actually, I’ve already handled the other gifts on my own.
…That’s right. There are ‘other gifts’.
While buying Sun Ah-hyun’s birthday gift at the department store, I casually picked up gifts for the company staff as well.
‘If you feed people things like this one by one, they’ll pay a bit more attention when something goes wrong.’
It’s not difficult, so why not prepare ahead of time while you’re at it?
Of course, it’s nothing grand. Just some expensive indoor premium slippers suitable for office use.
But it’s better than food.
‘Food is only good in the moment for these people.’
If you’re not going to keep restocking, it’s a waste.
It was better to choose something they could continue using in their work environment. That way the effect would last longer.
‘A pretty reasonable expenditure in the right place.’
I thought about the remaining balance in my account.
And then… I recalled the final withdrawal amount as well.
‘…I made a donation too.’
I’d deposited it anonymously into the Children’s Welfare Foundation.
…Since ‘Park Moon-dae’ had used the insurance money from his parents, it felt like I should do at least that much.
That was the end of how I’d spent this settlement payment.
‘Really, life is unpredictable.’
I rubbed the back of my neck and set my smartphone down.
Just then, I heard someone calling.
“Everyone, standby positions!”
The final live Music Broadcast Studio performance of this promotional period was waiting.
“Testa, we’re going up!”
“Yeah~”
The Stage was always quite enjoyable.
…And while I couldn’t speak for other situations, having these young guys here did make me feel reassuringly secure.
‘…They’re a decent team.’
Ryu Chung-woo’s words lingered in my mind more than I expected.
I shook off the unnecessary sentiment and came back down.
And just as I was about to think of the next schedule, my eyes met with the Manager rushing over from that direction.
‘What’s this?’
The Manager threw both hands up and shouted.
“Guys! You made the Billboard chart!”
“…??”
“…?”
“Huh?”
Our performance has been poor—what nonsense is he talking about…?

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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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