Debut or Die - Chapter 302

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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 302
【T-Holic’s Show Business】 Testa Edition.
Given how much recognition they’ve gained recently, it’s a variety show that most people have seen at least once through clips, so viewers had certain expectations and preconceived notions.
-T-Holic’s middle-aged guys are gonna mess with Testa so much lolololol
-Ah, I think they’ll be really cute.
-Have fun and come back safely!
Hilarious T-Holic. And the vivid reactions of guests we haven’t seen before!
When the show invites guests, it primarily captures laughs from T-Holic’s funny antics and the guests’ reactions to them.
Skillfully weaving in the guests’ promotional purposes between these moments was also a reason for the show’s positive reception.
The perfect picture where both Testa’s fans and T-Holic’s fans could benefit and feel satisfied!
However, this episode with Testa… had a noticeably different atmosphere.
[M-Generation, Witness the Spicy Heat of the Z-Generation!]
[Cha Yu-jin: I’m a tiger!]
[Ha Jin-tae: I see. So our friend Cha Yu-jin is a tiger.]
[They can’t recover from the tiger comment made by someone born in 0X]
T-Holic got pushed back relentlessly from the very beginning during self-introductions, and eventually started filling their airtime with their own reactions.
-lololololololol
-Insane, Testa’s Z-generation madness lol
The clever editing interpreted everything through the lens of generational gaps, scraping together only the funniest conversations and reactions.
It was a different flavor from what this show usually offered, but it was definitely funny.
‘Testa really does overflow with personality!’
The Graduate Student burst out laughing several times while watching the early parts of the main episode following the preview.
It also felt oddly gratifying that T-Holic’s only refuge seemed to be Park Moon-dae.
[Park Moon-dae: Then just one verse…]
Park Moon-dae reined in the two youngest members who were running wild like madmen, then calmly carried out what needed to be done.
Promoting the tour, mentioning the connection with T-Holic, singing a song…
Park Moon-dae’s fans watched with pride and admiration.
-Park Moon-dae’s mature charm, what’s going on
-Actually, my child is the youngest in the line, so he is the leader of the youngest line.
-Park Moon-dae has really grown up
It was truly the textbook example of an idol leader appearing on a variety show! Eventually, the generational conflict that had been running wild on screen gradually settled down.
Moreover, once the actual game began, T-Holic took control of the atmosphere again.
After winning the mini-game where you read words by mouth shapes, they secured an easy position, but then realized the rule where they ‘had to be persuaded’ and were left bewildered.
[Receive 1 Billion Won VS Get Stranded]
[MC Kim Mak-nae: Alright, use the opponent’s argument well and give a clear answer to ‘why I was persuaded’~]
It contained the kind of funny twist you’d expect from a variety show, packed in nicely!
“Ahahaha!!”
It was funny when Cha Yu-jin and Kim Rae-bin failed at the mini-game, but to think that was actually a good thing!
Cha Yu-jin on screen was even giving a thumbs up to his teammates.
[Cha Yu-jin: We’re good! Kim Rae-bin! You lost well!]
[Kim Rae-bin: Your lip movements are too fast and inaccurate, so you actually brought this advantage on yourself!]
[You guys are complimenting us, right…?]
Those tiny reactions meshed perfectly with T-Holic’s despair, making it even funnier.
And Park Moon-dae cleanly summarized the situation once more.
[Park Moon-dae: Everyone did well. From here on, let’s win and do our best.]
[Cha Yu-jin: Go TeSTAR!]
[Kim Rae-bin: Yeah!]
-Sounds like a kindergarten teacher lolol
-If you cut just this scene, you’d think it’s a sports match
-Park Moon-dae seems so mature
After laughing heartily on the channel app, viewers warmly praised the team’s atmosphere.
At the same time, they anticipated how this composed Park Moon-dae would react to T-Holic’s absurd remarks.
-Is the Tibetan fox finally coming out lol
-He seemed pretty smart, curious how he’ll react
-The more rational the guest, the more flustered they get I’ve seen lolol
And this expectation seemed like it would be fulfilled soon while T-Holic dragged the game along with quibbling.
That is, until Park Moon-dae revealed his true nature.
[Park Moon-dae: I think our team members would choose being stranded over a billion won.]
Park Moon-dae spouted nonsense with a serious expression.
“…??”
The Graduate Student momentarily wondered if she’d misheard.
But Park Moon-dae began ranting like a madman, shamelessly laying out absurd claims with an unbothered face.
It was a level of seriousness that diverged entirely from T-Holic’s comedic shamelessness from moments before.
Because instead of trying to win, he was pushing the argument for their side to lose!
As if representing that true sentiment, even the caption appeared.
[Park Moon-dae: We can’t abandon our convictions just over this one corner segment.]
[Madness]
-Damn Park Moon-dae lololololololololololololololol
-Tibetan Moon-dae’s face looks like that?
-What kind of nonsense is this~~~~~
What’s more, the scene of Testa members agreeing one by one was pure comedy. Persuasion was completed in a single exchange.
[That… makes that much sense?]
Moreover, Park Moon-dae’s logical structure itself was concise and easy to understand.
Based on experience, being stranded was more meaningful—what could anyone do about it!
-More infuriating because it’s persuasive
-Understood. Being stranded is the best. Definitely being stranded. Must be being stranded.
And then T-Holic got caught up in it, countering as the situation flipped completely opposite from usual.
Normally it would be right to agree with Testa’s words then flip suddenly, but caught off guard by unexpected nonsense, the reactive rebuttal came first.
[Martin: Everyone! Please, let’s think about this realistically…. Does being stranded even make sense??]
[Kim Rae-bin: Looking at this argument from a realistic perspective, it makes even more sense. As Moon-dae hyung mentioned earlier, even if we get stranded, it’s within modern civilization!]
And then the footage quickly flashed past.
Clips from Testa’s island survival variety show.
[Claims from Experience]
[What We Gained: Variety Show Success, Next Album Title, Money, Fame, Enlightenment]
[☆Wow, Being Stranded is Better Than a Billion Won!☆]
[Intriguing, isn’t it…? by Production Team]
The moment the Production Team conceded, the viewers agreed too.
-The argument’s the one that’s wrong
-Damn, those kids must’ve really enjoyed it lolololol
-Oh so Testa experienced an amazing stranding during their island variety show lololololololololol
-Isn’t that Stockholm syndrome? They’ve fallen in love with being stranded
Of course, T-Holic, unable to see the footage on screen, refused to yield and pushed forward with different logic.
The key argument was ‘But it could still be dangerous! People could get seriously hurt!’
However, Park Moon-dae only muttered sadly.
[Park Moon-dae: Wouldn’t it be more accurate to call that a tragic accident rather than a stranding?]
[Ha Jin-tae: A stranding is an accident tooooo!!]
-lololololololololol
-Jin-tae’s veins popping out of his neck lololol
T-Holic should have been convinced, but upon coming to their senses, they were bewildered to find themselves desperately trying to lose anyway.
The Production Team felt the same way.
The production crew, who had edited in a background of a swirling universe and galaxies, threw in equally grandiose shaking subtitles.
[Gen Z… Terrifying!]
-Please don’t lump us together
-No, Moon-dae is just being Moon-dae
-The Popcorn Chicken Feet Squad hasn’t gone anywhere, their original spirit lives on
And the Graduate Student realized.
‘Moon-dae… was a four-dimensional character all along.’
Recently, she’d been so focused on his cool and witty side that she’d forgotten—her idol had been an extraordinary personality from his first appearance, performing 【POP☆CON】….
In the end, through this process, T-Holic’s final resistance had evolved into a serious and logical approach.
[Martin: But! That’s Testa’s case! Not our team, right? It shouldn’t be, right? We hate being stranded!]
However, Cha Yu-jin asked cheerfully.
[Cha Yu-jin: Senior, have you ever been stranded?]
[Martin: Oh, no]
[Cha Yu-jin: Then you don’t really know if you hate it! You have to try it to know!]
[!!!!]
Park Moon-dae spoke calmly to the opposing team, whose mouths hung open, his fingers interlaced.
[Park Moon-dae: Wouldn’t it be more rational to trust the testimony of a junior member from the same profession who has actually experienced it firsthand?]
[Cha Yu-jin: Right. Experience is important!]
[Kim Rae-bin: Truly wise words indeed.]
-Spouting wisdom like that, seriously lololololololol
As the chat messages overlapped, a massive stamp subtitle appeared across the screen over the face of the T-Holic member who looked foolish.
[Now that you mention it, that makes sense…!]
And so T-Holic obtained a hollow victory….
[MC Kim Mak-nae : Alright, now it’s time to wrap up~ Everyone, are you ready with your reasons for being persuaded?]
In the end, T-Holic declared nonsense from their own mouths.
[Ha Jin-tae : Survival is… because we’re idols! We provide opportunities for growth and financial gain through new experiences….]
[Ha Jin-tae : So… survival is! Worth setting as our goal next year rather than a mere billion won! Argh!]
[MC Kim Mak-nae : Okay~ Very persuasive!]
The moment those words came out, applause erupted from among the production crew. It was from uncontrollable laughter.
[Ha Jin-tae : Don’t laugh, you guys!! Is this funny?? We’re actually going to make survival our goal next year!]
Meanwhile, the three Testa members nodded their heads.
[Park Moon-dae : Although we lost, I think we fought well.]
[Martin : What are you saying, when you tried your best to lose!]
[hahahahahahahaha]
The camera capturing the gentle faces of the Testa members one by one was comedy in itself.
“Ah, seriously!!”
The Graduate Student burst into giggles!
Park Moon-dae finally relaxed his expression and began saying things like “that was enjoyable.”
With the clear indication that this was entertainment, only Kim Rae-bin wore a bewildered expression before looking shocked, which drew another round of laughter….
Then the next segment came.
[Win the game and get promotion, lose and receive a penalty.]
[So, what penalty was given to Testa??]
So far, the penalties had mostly been ridiculous meme recreations or comedy sketches.
The Graduate Student stared at the penalty wheel with a beaming smile, heart pounding with anticipation.
The penalty wheel that had been spinning slowed down gradually….
[!!!!]
A shocking penalty was revealed!

* * *
“Ah~ today’s shoot went really well.”
“You all worked hard.”
“Thank you so much!”
I bowed repeatedly alongside the two of them to the T-Holic members.
The moment the cameras cut, these guys became composed as if their earlier excitement had been nothing but an act.
‘So it was all for the show, after all.’
The barrage of insults they’d hurled at each other vanished, replaced by the demeanor of coworkers who’d known each other for years.
‘That might be the secret to their longevity.’
Then one of them—the one who’d been most animated during filming—casually struck up a conversation.
“You speak well. Are you particularly interested in variety shows?”
“…?”
A casting offer. I answered cleanly.
“Variety shows are great. But according to my agency’s policy, I want to focus more on our album.”
“Ah, I see~”
He understood immediately. Then, sipping water, he continued slowly.
“This is advice from a senior, but… it’s hard for a group to succeed long-term doing only music activities. It’s ironic, but to keep a group going, each member needs to succeed individually.”
“Hmm.”
“People get bored quickly, and their hearts aren’t always constant.”
Speaking from experience, it seemed.
Meanwhile, a similar conversation was unfolding beside me.
Kim Rae-bin was carefully presenting a T-Holic album he’d brought and getting it signed.
“Thank you so much, senior…!”
“Come on~ what’s this about? Is there anything else you need?”
“Well, then! I’d be grateful if you could give me advice on what’s driven you to continue group activities for so long!”
Kim Rae-bin’s eyes sparkled, and the T-Holic member scratched his head.
“Hmm, don’t rely too much on each other?”
“Yes…?”
“We didn’t decide to be friends because our hearts aligned. We’re close because we were put on the same team. If you remember that, things become easier.”
It was surprisingly sincere advice.
‘So he’s saying your teammate isn’t your friend, so don’t expect perfect compatibility.’
Watching Kim Rae-bin bicker with Cha Yu-jin, he must have had various thoughts on his mind.
Still, perhaps because of Kim Rae-bin’s earnest demeanor, the T-Holic member let slip something he normally wouldn’t, and he seemed slightly flustered by his own words.
“I see!”
But Kim Rae-bin interpreted this in his own way.
“That’s exactly the parallel with family. It’s like how you can’t choose your family.”
“…??”
“Though we didn’t come together for the sake of bonding, I believe genuine solidarity can grow within that bond!”
“Uh… yeah. Fighting!”
The T-Holic member looked bemused, but having encountered all sorts of characters by now, he didn’t press further.
‘…That guy’s hilarious.’
I let out a quiet chuckle and turned my gaze back to the man who’d just made what amounted to a variety show connection proposal.
“Still, we’re focused on concentrating our efforts on group activities for now.”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“Right. If that’s what your agency wants, there’s nothing to be done about it.”
After wrapping up the conversation with appropriate courtesy, I approached Kim Rae-bin, who was putting away his autographs, and asked him a question.
“Can you prepare the penalty within four days?”
“No problem.”
Kim Rae-bin smiled brightly.
The penalty we’d be receiving this time was… a childhood dream for the M generation.
An anime opening theme song.

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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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