Debut or Die - Chapter 255

—————

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

—————

A Fatal Illness if I Don’t Debut – Episode 255
After accepting that insane deal where the status window disappears if I can’t reach the target within 500 days.
The remaining holiday break passed peacefully enough.
I’d actually planned to return to the Dormitory a few days early and conduct a massive analysis of global trends in popular music and domestic trends for the next album, but….
When I came to my senses, I was already producing holiday food.
“…?”
“Oh my, Moon-dae makes songpyeon so beautifully~ Our Sae-jin has quite the hand with dumplings, doesn’t he?”
“Mom!”
“…Thank you.”
It seemed the toll of burning through my brain with ‘truth verification’ and the mission had some lingering effect. Mindless tasks were becoming oddly appealing.
So I just spent time monitoring 【Testa’s Island Life】—or as I’d call it, 【Disaster Chronicles】—a variety show.
[Cha Yu-jin: Woooooow!]
[Ryu Chung-woo: Everyone, watch your step!]
“They edited it quite spectacularly, didn’t they?”
“…Yeah, they did.”
After efficiently preparing the equipment, the scene of climbing the hill and receiving supplies by helicopter somehow evoked passionate sports competitions or expeditions.
And then came the feast as a reward.
[Nom nom nom]
[Enjoy, savor Testa…☆]
The visuals were actually better than just mindlessly healing. Perhaps it looked better because it contrasted with the hardship and labor of working with limited supplies.
‘The reactions must have been solid all the way through.’
And when I checked the Internet response, it really was.
-Thought it’d be boring variety but it was surprisingly substantial
-The kids are healing, but I am healing them all. Rest well, kids.
-Wish they’d continue this regularly like a set where you escape a disaster scenario and get rewards?? Would’ve been fun even without Testa lolol
└If it wasn’t for Testa… filming would’ve stopped the moment they got stranded..
└Real talk, it was only possible because it was Testa lolol the authenticity played a huge role
└?? I know you’re a Testa fan, but don’t you look down on other idols and broadcasters too much?;;ㅠㅠ
└You’re the one dismissing Testa
The fact that even this level of bickering erupted meant it was genuinely a hit.
‘They can’t suppress the opinion that it was fun, so they’re pushing the angle that it wasn’t thanks to Testa.’
It was a good thing.
What was unexpected, however, was that this ripple effect didn’t stop at the domestic market.
‘Even that hotteok-selling thing didn’t reach this level.’
Not that variety show where the Director was openly ranting about targeting America—I never expected this domestic pilot to blow up like this.
[TeSTAR in a deserted island and… DISASTER? (shocked emoji)]
The broadcast summary clip uploaded by the Broadcasting Company rapidly accumulated views, and within days, English translations and subtitles began being provided.
Disaster and luxury vacation.
Perhaps because it was such a fundamentally entertaining format that it was easy to understand, overseas fans seemed to be actively recommending summaries to YouTube reaction channels.
[Americans Overwhelmed by Testa’s Disaster Variety!]
[This is K-pop idol variety entertainment! Overseas YouTubers’ shocked reactions to explosive fun (English subtitles)]
Naturally, the flow drew in translation and national pride channels, creating a virtuous cycle of new content.
…Though it was admittedly rather cringeworthy.
[YouTuber: Oh f*** dude, are they seriously trapped in a hurricane right now?? On a deserted island??]
[YouTuber: Wait, I thought K-pop idol reality variety was supposed to be sweet and cute content, but….]
“YouTuber: Oh my gosh! Look at how shocked they are lol”
[(Instant conversion upon viewing~ Welcome aboard.)]
Adding captions like these was certainly part of the selling strategy, but there was no helping the embarrassment it caused viewers.
“Mm.”
“…What are you watching?”
“Oh, overseas reactions to our variety show.”
“That…! You’ve seen it too?”
Bae Sae-jin’s eyes light up. Given that he was the type to search for his own dancing redemption arc, he seemed quite knowledgeable about this sort of thing.
“Ah, not this person… there’s someone who picks videos really well. Just a moment.”
Bae Sae-jin pulled up YouTube on the television and entered one of his subscribed channels. He seemed to be enjoying YouTube life more seriously than I’d expected.
And the video Bae Sae-jin played was quite decent.
[Hello, this is K-pop Banzai.]
There was no distortion or exaggeration, and he’d done his homework on the backstory of which YouTuber he was translating. No forced nationalistic captions either.
“It’s entertaining.”
“…Right! Exactly.”
Among all the similarly solemn titles and channel names, it was impressive that he’d managed to find something like this. This wasn’t the kind of thing you could locate through keywords.
After that, I watched videos from that channel for quite a long time. It was easy to watch without thinking too hard.
However, during that process, I noticed a peculiar pattern.
‘There’s a flow to it.’
For instance, if a foreigner encountered Testa for the first time through this variety show, they typically asked in the comments for recommendations of Testa’s main work—music videos.
[If there are other artists I should check out, recommend them in the comments. And don’t forget to subscribe!]
Then K-pop fans would rush over and leave recommendations, mostly for “Spring Out.”
-I can’t believe you’re reviewing Testa! (laughing emoji)
-Their true talent isn’t variety, it’s the stage
Please watch this music video first! (link)
‘Spring Out’ is a must-watch. I can’t wait to see your reaction. (birthday hat emoji)
The taste of Joseon steampunk backed by capital. It had blockbuster movie sensibilities without any particular divisiveness, so it seemed to work well.
‘Though we were aiming for that from the start.’
Seeing overseas fans actually make good use of content designed for international appeal was gratifying.
And when the reaction here is good, the next move is to “extend the procession.”
-The two songs are connected as a series! I’m confident they’ll be right up your alley ☺
They didn’t forget the care of having viewers watch the teaser with all the members’ solo songs included before showing the main content.
‘And if someone asks for similar recommendations again, you introduce them to the “127 Section” game collaboration trailer….’
Then through “Better me,” which shares the same universe, they eventually arrive at “Magic Boy.”
After going through that full circle, everyone naturally volunteered to become a “Reviewer”—a magical circle indeed.
[Hey subscribers! As you all know… I’m completely obsessed with this K-pop megastar Testa lately! I mean, I’m just a reviewer, right!]
[Today I’m going to react to their latest song, ‘Nightmare’. One, two, three, play!]
While many YouTubers exaggerated K-pop reactions as a lucrative business, it was undeniably impressive.
‘The top tier always has routes like this.’
For instance, VTIC had similar pathways, mostly starting with Mountain.
In any case, Testa was wielding more meaningful influence on the global YouTube landscape than I’d anticipated.
And that wasn’t even the end of it.
[Testa’s Triumph and Rise]
Similar promotional videos with English titles translating to that meaning were circulating with surprisingly massive view counts.
“….”
I checked the one with the highest view count.
[Ryu Chung-woo, one of the eldest members and the leader, was originally South Korea’s national archery representative and a gold medalist in the Olympic men’s team archery event.]
[However, due to fatal aftereffects from a childhood traffic accident, he retired from the national team in his coming-of-age year.]
The video summarized what backstory Testa carried into that brutal Audition Program, how they debuted, and the remarkable achievements that followed.
It also showed how they recovered from the recent horrific traffic accident and held a charity concert.
In short, it was a dramatically compelling success story.
‘Must be catering to American tastes….’
The flavor of self-made success and a winding journey was as rich and deep as bone broth.
[Bae Sae-jin, Testa’s oldest member, was a child actor who appeared in a hugely famous Korean film.]
[He played a traditional Korean child shaman with such remarkable acting that he won awards at film festivals….]
“Heh….”
Beside me, Bae Sae-jin covered his face seeing his younger self performing a shamanic ritual in the video.
“Aren’t you proud of it?”
“Are you joking? I was terrible at it.”
It seemed like his standards had risen as he grew, making it look like a dark chapter of his past.
Regardless, it was clear the video was well-made, even if somewhat exaggerated.
Moreover, regarding the traffic accident, they’d cross-edited it with news footage to effectively recreate the atmosphere of the fanbase at that time.
“Mm.”
“…Everyone was worried.”
[And finally, the moment the last member was discharged, they announced a surprising plan.]
[It was an online charity concert for long-term hospitalized children.]
And the charity concert… well, from their perspective, since Testa is foreign, there’d naturally be some emotional distance, so focusing on ‘positive influence’ wouldn’t hurt much.
Foreign celebrities do tend to get a pass with ‘cultural differences’ as a convenient excuse whenever something questionable emerges.
‘Still, I should grasp their image just in case.’
I checked the comments on my phone to be safe.
-A gathering of people who desperately want to execute the Former Manager of this video
-He should rot in prison for the rest of his life.
-In the middle of the night, on the road, he stopped a car and threatened them? He’s evil that shouldn’t exist in this world
“….”
The comment section was ready to burn the Former Manager at the stake, never mind the charity concert. Even though it’s another country’s language, the hostility was palpable.
‘Frustration really is a universal emotion, isn’t it.’
Either way, it wasn’t a bad thing. A violent criminal facing backlash for their own crimes.
There was no particularly tragic backstory to sympathize with.
‘Of course, even without this, he probably would’ve faced plenty of criticism anyway.’
Besides, his future looked bleak.
I heard the Former Manager, facing the massive public fury, had been charged with attempted murder through indirect intent.
And with all eyes on him, no backing, and having made a major corporation his enemy, he’d botched the criminal trial.
“Come to think of it, the Former Manager was sentenced to 17 years, right?”
The sentence hadn’t been reduced and he’d taken the full blow. The appellate court would likely be the same.
Bae Sae-jin nodded blankly.
“Yeah. Honestly, a guy like that should spend the rest of his life in there.”
“….”
Well… even if he got out, he wouldn’t be able to live properly anyway.
Since his face had already been captured in photos by countless fans while he was working as a manager, a simple internet search would pull up his image.
Even if he’d served just three or four years in prison like other cases, he would’ve had to give up on living a normal life in South Korea.
And now that I think about it, living abroad would be difficult too.
The Former Manager’s face was plastered all over Testa’s promotional videos, which had racked up 8 million views.
‘The more Testa rises, the harder it’ll be for him after he gets out.’
And that’s exactly what would happen.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Seems like someone you’ll never have to see again, so try to relax about it.”
“…Yeah. It’s a holiday anyway.”
Bae Sae-jin nodded with difficulty.
His mother beside him smiled contentedly.
Yes, a pleasant sight.
‘Rest up before we start working.’
Once the vacation ended, I was planning to dive seriously into the new album preparations.
I fell into thought for a moment.
What did the fanbase, now trapped in this Testa algorithm rabbit hole, actually want?
‘A well-crafted song.’
Right. A deep worldbuilding was nice, and easy listening with musical quality was good, but I needed a more primal approach.
Intense, stylish choreography, visually stunning music videos, and exciting, high-budget sound.
Things that are simply fun to watch and listen to without overthinking.
There was no better cure for solidifying that viral, global momentum.
‘In other words, we need to pour money like water.’
That was the one thing the company’s upper management actually did well, so there was no problem there.
But I couldn’t keep coddling and placating these people trying to stick their spoons in and derail the bigger picture.
‘It’s a waste of time.’
Besides, I had to keep the promise I’d made to Bae Sae-jin, who’d handed over the materials I’d gathered for the lawsuit.
-I’m thinking we might be able to achieve a similar effect through a different approach instead of litigation.
The company was already on the verge of disaster after I’d tried to slip away by dumping all the attention on the Former Manager—no way I could afford to mess this up now.
‘I should go see him once.’
I spent the remaining holiday planning a pleasant meeting with the Director.
And on the first day the holiday ended, I scheduled a meeting with him right away.

—————

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

—————