Debut or Die - Chapter 155

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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 155
What Gold 1’s Agency was thinking was painfully obvious.
‘Since they can’t hit first place anyway, they’re going for maximum impact instead.’
That group couldn’t secure first place no matter how good their song was at this point.
Even if their debut track had made a decent impression, that was only among idol enthusiasts.
A male idol group not from one of the Big Three agencies. Low public recognition.
It meant far more people wouldn’t even attempt to listen to their songs.
‘So they’re worth trying to frame against us.’
They benefited just from being connected to Testa in any way.
They’d push hard with media play—emphasizing their shared Ajusa origins, framing it similar to the VTIC-Testa simultaneous activity structure—to establish themselves as Testa’s rival challengers.
Even if they caught some flak and faced resistance from Testa’s fans, it was worth throwing out there.
Since there were plenty of people eager to scratch at Testa anyway, they’d get defensive support in return.
Of course, if the song turned out mediocre, it would just end in ridicule.
‘…They seem confident about the song, though.’
Starting from Choi Won-gil’s time and continuing now, their Agency’s touch had been exquisite.
I wished my own Agency had some quick-witted upper management, but based on my experience so far, that was hopeless—I should be grateful they at least had an approval bot in place now.
Zzzzzt.
Then a popup appeared on my smartphone screen and it vibrated.
…Talk about the tiger and it appears—it was a message from Gold 1.
[Hey guys, our activities overlap!]
[Ahem, we’ll see you at the Music Broadcast Studio, seniors.]
“….”
The kid was… actually decent.
Even if he’d vaguely sensed what was happening, he probably hadn’t thought it would cause any actual damage to Testa.
Just grateful and a bit awkward, probably.
‘Can’t ignore them anyway.’
Testa’s social standing was far superior to Gold 1’s right now.
The moment any Testa member showed discomfort toward Gold 1, that Agency would eagerly slap the image of ‘suddenly dividing people and abandoning them’ on us.
‘Well, let’s just get through this activity cycle.’
After this season passed, we’d grab another suitable group and frame the victory narrative. We needed to show the taste of victory after raising the stakes to make the story beautiful.
Besides, honestly… I was confident about Testa’s album this time.
‘It’s well made.’
Not just in terms of completion, but I believed we’d worked with sufficient appeal as an idol activity.
The teaser reactions released so far were already extremely positive as expected.
‘This feels like a career high.’
A strong premonition struck me.
I replied to Gold 1’s message that had come up in the group chat and predicted this activity’s performance.
And a few days later.
Before we even entered the first Music Broadcast Studio pre-recording, I heard great news in the Waiting Room.
“850,000 copies?”
“That’s it! You’ve hit the jackpot!”
We’d already surpassed the first-week album sales by the fourth day.
Extrapolating from the current trajectory, the probability of initial sales exceeding one million copies was extremely high.
‘Tier one.’
We’d truly entered the ranks of the top five male idol groups in the domestic market.
It seemed only Big Sae-jin had grasped the full scope of this achievement, but the rest of the members were celebrating enthusiastically regardless.
“Unbelievable….”
“I’d venture to say overseas sales have increased significantly! Given how traditionally-rooted this concept is, it should appeal to the existing K-pop preference demographic….”
“The album looks amazing! That’s why!”
We’d gotten a bit carried away and fallen into a collective state of rambling, but it quickly shifted toward pumping ourselves up.
“Let’s nail this comeback stage and show everyone why our album is selling so well.”
“Ohhhhh!!”
“An excellent point~”
“I… I really want to show you all something amazing…!”
The energy was infectious. With the stage recording just ahead, this was exactly the atmosphere we needed.
“Oh! Testa’s showing something special today!”
“Let’s go!”
‘It’s practically become our official slogan.’
As the frequency increased, I’d stopped feeling self-conscious about it—I shouted the chant once more before heading up to the recording set.
Waaaaahhhhh!
The familiar roar of the crowd washed over us.
It felt like ages since I’d been at a Music Broadcast Studio pre-recording.

* * *
‘This album feels different.’
Home Ma tried to calm her racing heart.
But it was impossible. The metrics were too good…!
‘Why are overseas sales like this!’
It was a delighted shriek.
And the metrics weren’t just album sales.
Ever since Testa had become quite the topic in overseas K-pop communities through an American talk show appearance, Home Ma’s SNS follower count had been climbing at an accelerated pace.
Then after this comeback, the number of shares on Park Moon-dae’s photos alone had nearly doubled.
On YouTube, various Testa promotional content had been receiving English subtitles added by users, and fan-made humor videos in English were skyrocketing in views.
And most importantly….
‘The music video views have exploded…!’
It had surpassed ten million views in just twenty-six hours.
It wasn’t quite at the level of top-tier domestic male idol groups in the same category yet, but it was still encouraging.
Word of mouth seemed to have caught on—the view count was still climbing at a considerable pace. The teaser views were increasing right along with it.
‘I had a feeling.’
Recalling the music video for this album’s title track, “Procession,” Home Ma felt her chest swell with pride.
‘It’s truly incredible.’
It was a shame that Ryu Chung-woo, not Park Moon-dae, was the focal point of the music video narrative, but the video itself had turned out beautifully.
‘Ryu Chung-woo’s really going to climb the ranks this time, isn’t he??’
There was no need to compare individual rankings anymore, but Home Ma found herself habitually thinking such thoughts as she prepared to cheer.
‘They’re coming up soon!’
Cheering sticks scattered throughout the venue had long ribbons printed with the album cover pattern tied in various shapes.
They were mini decorative ribbons included as a pre-order bonus for customizing the cheering sticks.
Since the cheering sticks looked like pure magic wands, these accessories seemed designed to create visual unity with the song while cheering. They looked absolutely adorable.
‘These kinds of things are cute and nice!’
But Home Ma’s satisfied thoughts vanished the moment Testa took the stage.
Testa was wearing formal attire that incorporated subtle hanbok elements in the trim and patterns.
And around their wrists, neck, and earlobes were cloth accessories tied on.
They were the exact same ribbons that fans had attached to their cheering sticks.
“Kyaaaaaaaa!”
‘Who’s the stylist!’
I was truly grateful.
Fortunately, whether there was time to spare or the broadcast preparations weren’t quite ready, they launched into a light greeting rather than diving straight into the performance.
[Everyone, how did you like the music video….]
“Ohhhhh!!!”
“Yes!!”
“It was amazing!!”
[Haha, right!]
[Should we each share our favorite part really briefly? Okay, let’s start with our Chung-woo hyung who brought it up~!]
Testa took the stage and dragged out the time with casual banter. A year had passed, and they looked far more polished compared to their early debut days.
‘They’re so cute, seriously….’
Home Ma murmured warmly, but her gaze never left Park Moon-dae.
Park Moon-dae’s hair style had changed, just as it had already appeared in the music video.
Thanks to her preparation, she managed to suppress an excessive gasp.
‘Black hair after so long….’
Home Ma was intoxicated by the wistful first memory from the Ajusa press conference.
Park Moon-dae’s black hair was considerably longer than usual. It wasn’t quite long hair, but his bangs had grown long enough to sweep gently to the sides, creating a subtle classical beauty.
‘Magnificent…!’
Home Ma swallowed all manner of fawning remarks and waved her light stick in response to Park Moon-dae’s wave.
[Everyone, Moon-dae’s black hair came out after such careful deliberation~, you know?]
[We’d appreciate your honest feedback.]
“Love it!!”
“It’s so good!!”
Home Ma could no longer contain herself and shouted enthusiastically. Similar cheers erupted from various corners.
Moon-dae, who had asked with an indifferent expression like a Tibetan fox, broke into a small smile at the response.
[Thank you.]
‘The best!!’
Home Ma wept openly, saying she came to the concert for moments like this.
But today’s highlight hadn’t even begun yet.
The Stage performance.
[Should we go on?]
[Yes.]
Testa exchanged signals with the staff and quickly took their positions, ending with a wave.
The members gathered in a semicircle, crouching with their arms hanging down.
[….]
On the stage set composed of pine trees and black and crimson fabric, the performance began.
Thump-ta-thump, thump-thump-thump, ta-da-thump-
The accompaniment, which began with gongs and drums, started the song with a distinctly modern structure alongside transformed traditional instrument sounds.
It was trap hip-hop.
In that moment, the choreography unfolded as legs extended from the floor.
It was a dance that resembled the movement of four-legged beasts.
The moment they formed a triangular formation with that peculiar movement, the intro ended and Cha Yu-jin burst forth.
-Struggling, there’s no way to escape
Arriving now, the procession, it happens
Adding one more mark to the record
Arriving now, the procession, it happens
It was a song that maximized the rhythmic, groovy taste of an iconic K-pop idol dance track.
However, the use of traditional Korean instruments added a distinctly unique flavor to the sound.
-Approaching without a sound
Predator, sharp claw
Tearing through this night
Pursuer, as I’ve resolved
The clear vocal melodies woven throughout were pleasant to hear. Deliberately sharp rap contrasted with them, enriching each section of the song.
Most importantly, no matter what part I performed, the choreography never gave me a moment’s rest.
‘Shouldn’t that part be fixed…?’
Watching Sun Ah-hyun’s section where everyone lay on the ground and sprang up with recoil, Home Ma reflexively thought.
But she soon forgot about it. Even thinking of something else felt like a waste.
-Swallowing the world
Melting it intensely
The sound that makes the tongue vibrate
Ryu Chung-woo stood at the center of the large formation that had returned in an arrow shape.
Along with the chorus, the tempo suddenly slowed. And imposing, static choreography pressed down on the atmosphere.
-Now, you have arrived
Warning upon warning
Approaching in a figure-eight
Slow and thrilling
-Me
With the drop, the accompaniment exploded.
-The day has finally come
Procession
Ending here today
(never get away from me ye)
Park Moon-dae’s high notes and Kim Rae-bin’s low rap overlapped and passed through.
-Even if I bow my head, I cannot escape
Watch carefully, right now
A thrill follows
Lee Sae-jin from the side came to the front, tilting her head.
The dance break unfolded.
-Procession
Thanks to generously pushing in the catchy beat melody, even in the dance break section where only one word was uttered here and there, the song stuck in the ear well.
But the more spectacular dance break caught the eye.
The choreography that moved the formation as if a massive beast were shifting its posture created a subtle feeling synchronized with the rushing sounds of salt and gayageum.
‘Insane.’
Since I’d only seen the choreography appear intermittently in the music video, experiencing the stage from beginning to end like this was a first for every fan.
The impact was tremendous.
Even in the latter half, vocal acrobatics came in.
-Powerfully
Even louder
My approaching footsteps
The moment Park Moon-dae hit the high note in the bridge, the final dance break kicked in immediately after.
—step
‘Is Moon-dae even breathing?!’
Home Ma, who hadn’t expected them to perform this live, was left speechless by a mix of awe and concern.
She was genuinely worried about whether they could sustain this live performance going forward.
‘Now I understand why this is pre-recorded!!’
Home Ma realized why they’d filmed the title track instead of a B-side, her mouth falling open as she watched the stage.
But not a single mistake occurred until the very end.
The moment the explosive dance break finished, the choreography snapped into formation as if being rewound, locking into a sharp final pose.
Unlike the primal, beast-like opening, the ending was disciplined and precise like a trained unit.
Ryu Chung-woo, standing in the center, gave a subtle nod to the beat of the traditional flute, and the stage was complete.
‘This is incredible!!’
“Uuuuuaaaaahhh!!”
This was the first time since Testa’s debut that they’d made a pure performance track their title song so boldly. The fans erupted with unbridled enthusiasm.
[Phew… Thank you!]
Even in the second take, filmed with a sense of ‘what a shame to stop,’ there wasn’t a single slip.
Especially since Ryu Chung-woo, who had exceptional stamina, handled the chorus intro and ending, everything looked even more stable.
‘Now I see why he got center.’
Since Park Moon-dae’s parts were solid too, Home Ma could nod in agreement without any bitterness.
[Please get home safely!]
[We hope you have a hearty breakfast!]
After three takes, Testa wrapped up and left the studio.
Since they’d fallen behind at the start, they hurried out to make room for the next group, so there was no separate time for closing remarks, but it was enough.
The performance had been that good!
‘Ah, what a great feeling!!’
Hoping things would continue to go smoothly, Home Ma popped a honey candy she’d received as a snack into her mouth as she left.
It was delicious!
I hope our Moon-dae’s future is just as sweet!!

* * *
I felt it coming.
‘So much for the sweet times.’
The moment I heard the chorus of Gold 1’s group’s title track—sent with the message ‘let me know what you think’—I had a premonition.
This song was way better than I’d expected.

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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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