Debut or Die - Chapter 290

—————

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 290
This week’s music broadcast special format was something we’d already participated in several times before.
‘A group K-pop concert.’
Tnet held a global-aimed concert called TaKon every six months.
Sure, it was broadcast live to dozens of countries while the infrastructure couldn’t properly support it—a typical broadcasting company’s overreach—but at least it looked polished on the surface.
Since they’d even secured VTIC this time, they seemed ambitious enough to split it into two days with Part 1 and Part 2.
And Testa? Wasn’t it obvious?
As Tnet’s cash cow, we had to perform on both days.
Only now, the broadcasting station had two sons instead of one.
“Hello, seniors!”
Day one. At the rehearsal venue, I encountered Ajusa’s debut group for this season. I’d heard they were doing a cover stage of our song.
Among the energetically greeting trainees, I could see Gold 2’s grinning face.
They’d debuted at number one in a nail-biting, dramatic fashion—their mouths must have been split wide open from smiling.
“We’d really appreciate your guidance, seniors~”
“Oh, we should be asking for your support~”
Big Sae-jin still had perfect chemistry with them.
Of course, the one worth paying attention to wasn’t here.
The one who’d quietly slipped through when we all bowed our heads together in greeting.
“….”
Chae Seo-dam was among the debut group.
The same guy who’d pulled stupid stunts on Sun Ah-hyun back in high school, then couldn’t break the habit at Ajusa and got exposed for everything.
‘This bastard’s got nine lives.’
Remarkably, in the latter half of Idol Corporation, this guy received editing that gave him a “desperate effort barely clinging to life” correction and debuted at number ten.
Only then did he apparently kiss the other person and come out with a proper clarification that “it was all a misunderstanding,” which conveniently aligned perfectly and won over the general audience’s hearts…
-Talking about misunderstandings, this lying bastard with nothing but a big mouth in the debut group… ugh, I’m so pissed
-Since when could dating and desperation coexist for idols?
-Chae Seo-dam’s fans are really persistent lolol we’re not buying this forced narrative PD’s pick
Well, it seemed he was getting quite a bit of hate from fans of the same debut group for these reasons.
‘Still, debuting is unconditionally an advantage.’
If you get eliminated due to controversy, the opportunity to climb back up is different from the start.
Whether this guy had some hidden depth or it was just coincidence, it didn’t matter much anyway.
Sun Ah-hyun barely paid attention to him anymore.
“Um, fighting today…! I’ll cheer you on!”
“Thank you so much!”
He was just cheering on the others.
Since the person involved was like that, we’d simply settled on treating this guy as if he didn’t exist.
Moreover, with Chae Seo-dam—who’d been number one—falling, Ajusa’s momentum for this season itself had stalled, so this debut group… hmm, I’d need to produce them well.
‘That Director?’
I wasn’t particularly nervous.
“Don’t be too nervous, and I hope you’ll put on a great stage.”
“Yes!”
So what I’m considering right now is simply the advantage we can gain from this rather unwelcome encounter.
‘As long as we can use it.’
Buzz value, that is.
“We’ll see you again next time!”
The moment we finished our greetings and parted ways, Big Sae-jin casually remarked.
“You switched locations with them, right?”
“Yeah.”
The timer for the first timing had already been set.
“Testa, up!”
“Okay~”
As I stepped onto the rehearsal stage, the crisp dawn air rushed across my nose.
The view of the outdoor stage.
Originally, this outdoor concert hall was meant for Ajusa’s debut group to perform on, but we switched it under the pretext of ‘reminiscing about our past.’
‘How convenient.’
Thanks to this, the story will unfold perfectly.
I recalled the weather forecast I’d checked days ago.
The probability of precipitation on the day of the performance was 70%.

* * *
“Damn it!”
“Ugh, shut up!!”
Kim Rae-bin’s Sister didn’t even respond to her brother’s words—she just pushed herself up from her seat. It was after she’d smashed the keyboard she’d been using with her fist.
Crack!
It was the result of a battle—no, a finger war—with VTIC’s fans.
‘They’re surviving off overseas dominance while their domestic popularity is plummeting!!’
Her combat prowess, which had been escalating since the charity concert, showed no signs of stopping. But now was the time to calm down a bit.
“Hey, you said you were watching this?”
“Yeah. Move.”
Without bothering to correct his speech to call her noona, she pushed her younger brother aside and sat on the sofa.
TaKon was being broadcast live on the television.
[NEXT STAGE]
[TeSTAR]
I’ve lost count of how many times they’ve teased his next stage, but it should be about time he appeared. The broadcast is almost over anyway!
And just like that, Testa’s intro VCR began to play on screen.
“That was good…??”
But she was left speechless by the sight of the concert hall being captured by the camera from a distance.
It was absurd.
“…What is this?”
“What?”
Why would they?
‘Why are these guys standing on the Outdoor Stage?’
Since TaKon runs live broadcasts, they alternate between two stages for quick maintenance.
And this time, due to the Concert Hall’s structural constraints, the stages were divided into outdoor and indoor.
So how does this usually work?
Senior groups get the indoor stage, and exceptionally popular teams get called indoors even if they haven’t been around as long.
So naturally, I thought Testa would be indoors too….
But they were standing on the Outdoor Stage.
And on an evening when a downpour was pouring down at that!
‘Why is the treatment like this, damn it!’
For her, who had already grumbled that calling the first-tier groups on consecutive days as if they were her own lineup was nothing short of hostage-taking, her head was burning with fury.
By the way, SNS was filled with fans who had already witnessed that this TaKon’s Ajusa Debut Group was indoors, and an almost hellish silence was flowing through it.
The fact that she hadn’t noticed while fighting with VTIC’s fans was actually a blessing for her.
She was already angry enough!
…Still, the moment Testa was close-up, Kim Rae-bin’s fan momentarily forgot her anger.
‘Whoever this idol is, they look really good.’
Testa looked flawless from every angle.
‘Kim Rae-bin’s silver robe is insane.’
Whether they adapted the music video outfit or not, the sight of a white shirt with a flashy robe cardigan draped over it, soaked in water, glistened moistly….
“…?”
Water… is falling on his hair?
‘Where did the cover go.’
Even though it’s called an Outdoor Stage, they should at least provide a waterproof canopy.
No, the weather forecast clearly said it would rain, so naturally all the stages up until now had prepared canopies.
But suddenly, there wasn’t one.
‘No wonder the rain was so noticeable…!’
“These crazy bastards…!”
She almost cursed aloud, but before she could, the stage began in earnest, and she reflexively focused on it instead.
The start of a rhythmic, exhilarating song, Testa bouncing on their feet.
[Take your STAR
On the day stars pour down]
A refreshing sound pours out.
Testa didn’t seem to care whether they were soaked by the rain or not.
Rather, as the raindrops struck them, a new flavor burst forth.
‘Huh?’
As evening fell and the lighting grew stronger, the water droplets clinging to the accessories and robe wrapped around their feet and arms reflected the light and sparkled.
Whoosh.
Thanks to the choreography that featured particularly many movements of kicking and spinning limbs, even the splashing water seemed like part of the stage.
And with every step they took, water droplets scattered like ornaments.
Beneath that… were bare feet.
‘…!’
The legs are long… no, more than that….
‘There’s water pooling everywhere??’
Whether they’d removed the overhead covering when performing on the indoor stage earlier, there was quite a bit of water accumulated on the floor.
‘This is far too dangerous….’
Yet thanks to being barefoot, Testa didn’t slip.
Instead, the performance unfolded cleanly and beautifully, just as it would on dry ground.
In fact, it looked even better.
‘What….’
With each barefoot step, her toes sank halfway into the water before pulling free. And rings of water splashed upward in response.
Especially as the chorus arrived, the way the water rose in sync with the pointer choreography’s steps was exquisite.
[We Fly so far]
Water surged between the large formations. The robe fluttered, sending droplets scattering once more.
It captivated the eye.
A stage where brilliance overwhelmed the usual freshness.
With the costume and hair made even more striking by the water, it was no different from a meticulously choreographed underwater performance.
‘Ah.’
And she realized it in a flash.
The decorative colors of the robe and the gemstone colors of the limb accessories… they matched the tail fin colors from that music video.
A mermaid-themed performance, adorned with symbols flowing through the water.
‘They planned it this way intentionally?’
They choreographed the stage by running barefoot in the rain for this concept? Even blew off the covering?
It was absurd. Yet Testa’s appearance on television was so striking that question marks and exclamation points swirled through her mind.
[Beyond the horizon to the island’s end
Today will surely sparkle]
Sun Ah-hyun’s acrobatics traced clean vertical parabolas of water droplets as the ending approached.
Thanks to the members supporting him from behind, instead of looking precarious, admiration came first. The choreography was eye-catching.
And the final movement of humming while sitting… instead, they linked arms and turned backward together.
[Umm]
The ending came as they looked up at the rainy sky in time with the final bass line.
And so the performance ended.
“….”
[Toot-toot-toot~ The broth is exquisite!]
The screen changed to an advertisement. But Kim Rae-bin’s Sister remained sitting on the sofa.
Her younger brother tapped her thigh with his foot.
“Hey, they’re really good, huh?”
“….”
It was too good and too incomprehensible.
No, this wasn’t something that could be summed up as just being good….
In other words, how absolutely stunning this was,
“Seriously!”
Kim Rae-bin’s fan immediately grabbed their phone.
I had to find out what on earth was happening!

* * *
“Ugh!”
“Cha Yu-jin! Your feet okay?”
“OK! I’m fine!”
Cha Yu-jin peeled off the transparent nubbed protective pad stuck to the soles of his feet.
Even with the staff’s help, it stung, so he’d torn it off himself.
What was that, you ask? Anti-slip equipment made from synthetic rubber.
‘Running barefoot across that water-logged marble floor would be suicide.’
We’d custom-ordered these before the comeback even started. I shrugged and peeled off the one on my feet as well.
“Ah, does it hurt…?”
“No. It’s fine.”
The adhesive stung a bit, but there wouldn’t be any aftereffects.
And we’d just seized an even bigger opportunity.
“You know, we just did incredibly well!”
“Oh, really? I thought so too, Eugene~”
“Hehe.”
“I hope the viewers enjoyed it and felt good in their hearts!”
“Yeah. It has to be good.”
Bae Sae-jin spoke firmly. Well, he’d suffered the most during completion due to stat differences, so he had the right to say such things.
I chuckled and nodded.
“Right.”
Then let me check.
The moment I returned to the waiting room, I draped a towel over myself and logged onto the Internet.
The relevant communities… already had reactions.
[Idol who performed in downpour just now]
[TaKon stage that became legendary]
[Testa’s stage just now dangerous VS cool which is it?]
[Testa’s breathtaking moment]
It was chaos.
I figured it would be the same on social media, and I was right.
Posts were pouring in like crazy, and ‘downpour’ and ‘Testa what’ were trending.
-Mimi | Are you serious?
-How am I supposed to process this
-Regardless, our kids are geniuses for real;;>
-Is something wrong with my eyes this looks better than a normal stage oh no I can’t think like this
No, that’s the truth. It couldn’t help but look good.
‘The choreography was designed with water in mind from the start.’
To be precise, it was choreography commissioned while simulating its execution on a stage set with water filling up to ankle height.
I wanted to capitalize on the album’s unique summer and ocean concept.
‘It was meant for the concert.’
And I just threw it in here instead.
And naturally, when you add one more well-considered element to something already good, it becomes even more entertaining.
‘I knew the reaction would come.’
I anticipated that if it exploded right when the buzz had been simmering for two to three weeks and was about to stabilize, it would definitely have an impact.
Plus, I added an element that would make it even more impressive.
‘This situation.’
Since no one can tell whether this is planned or an unexpected situation caused by the weather, people will keep talking about it.
It’s already started.
-Their response and crisis management are so good
-This is definitely planned
-If it was planned they would’ve already flooded it with ads, looks like damage control to me lol
-Why would Testa come to an outdoor stage in the first place, obviously it’s a special stage, can’t talk sense into these idiots for real
-Predicting the weather forecast to time the stage with a downpour..? Isn’t that too much of a stretch?
I hope the continued discussion spreads the stage performance far and wide.
‘YouTube’s cyber critics will have their moment when the water situation peaks.’
I checked the video spreading even faster thanks to the controversy, then started making calls with the company.

* * *
Testa’s performance in the downpour emerged as a hot trend by week’s end amid various speculations and admiration.
Since many people were already aware of Testa’s activities through the competition with VTIC and their well-executed songs, they felt interest even more easily and attached themselves at a frightening speed.
It wasn’t just a well-executed stage—people could add their own opinions about this unique situation!
It eventually escalated to safety concerns and caught fire in multiple ways, but before the controversy officially emerged, an official statement was cleanly released through articles.
[Testa’s Performance in the Downpour? “Not an Accident, but Consideration”]
[TaKon’s Breathtaking Downpour Stage… A Natural Set Created on the Spot]
Testa had changed their stage on the day of rehearsal out of consideration for their direct junior’s first joint concert performance.
And after noticing the weather conditions, they restructured the performance as an event, taking safety precautions and wearing protective equipment.
Articles that received thorough vetting from the agency appeared consistently on entertainment news mains, advertising Testa’s stage.
It’s a clean truth, except for the changed circumstances before and after.
And Testa even posted the non-slip protective gear they wore at the time on SNS, showing their excitement.
=======================
Ah-hyun did ballet in those and it was so cool, we all copied her lol
(video)
=======================
-I thought they were using the Tnet kids as a shield for good deeds, but it was the truth
-What were you guys trying to show at the concert anyway, I’m definitely going this time, let me get tickets!!
-♡♡♡♡
-This is the first idol who’s genuinely devoted to being an idol;
Since it came out quickly, there was no risk of Testa’s authenticity being compromised, and since the accident was legitimate, there was no concern about their status diminishing—a flawless explanation.
Yet the video that had already spread continued to gain momentum, showing no signs of dropping from YouTube’s trending videos.
People praising them, people finding fault, people creating controversy videos using this incident as material.
And people re-recording and uploading dance challenges comparing versions with and without water.
Everyone contributed to the buzz, pushing Testa’s song up the charts.
Thanks to this, Chung-ryeo could easily make his calculations.
“….”
That Testa would dominate the domestic market.

—————

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

—————