Debut or Die - Chapter 348

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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 348
Testa’s new song made a considerable impact from its very first stage.
Let me start by checking the response in the country where it aired.
I typed “You got a chance,” the American variety show we appeared on, into the search bar.
Then I nodded as I confirmed that autocomplete suggestions like “who the hell are these guys in jumpsuits” appeared in English.
‘Textbook perfect.’
That single stage on the major American variety show—the one picked by the American public. We’d made a proper impression there.
This is why the first major exposure matters so much. We didn’t grit our teeth and throw in every trick for nothing.
“Why are there so many upvoted comments asking why we’re not a band? I guess our performance acting was really good—everyone’s surprised~”
“Still, by incorporating the sound effects and instruments used in the film and adding genre similarities to the bridge, it seems to connect properly.”
“Oh, you’re right. Most people don’t feel any dissonance with the music.”
“Someone here is asking who Chung-woo is. Can I answer that?”
“Hold back, Eugene.”
The various noise and mixed opinions that emerge as the film’s image connects—I find that delightful. It’s valuable buzz.
Naturally, the music video views increase, and the user growth on global streaming platforms becomes pronounced.
‘This level of exposure effect is something we can’t expect anymore in South Korea.’
We’re following the exact sequence of reactions that occurs when recognition builds through a stage. Seems like this pattern is similar whether it’s domestic or international.
-What kind of training did they receive to make this possible? K-pop idols do receive training, right?
└They’re from an audition program! It means they’re not beneficiaries-victims of K-pop’s factory system!
…Though there are some who cleverly mix truth with nonsense and post pseudo-business comments, I’ll overlook it since I plan to use that too.
Anyway, since favorable reviews are in the majority, it seems we’ve gotten proper traction domestically as well.
-So good
-This is a live without post-production? Fans won’t even need to eat, they’ll be full just from this. So damn cool
-How the hell do they do that tumbling move after the cannon drop;;; I would’ve broken my neck already
There’s a certain satisfaction in making people actually click and watch even when they would’ve normally scrolled past thinking “oh, just fans promoting,” without even clicking.
Of course, the stage itself was polished enough to meet the expectations of those who did click.
So the members who were hitting their heads saying they felt like their lungs would collapse after the stage changed their attitude.
“We did pretty well, didn’t we? Wow, even our fingers were perfectly synchronized?”
“Y-yeah, everyone, you all had great energy… it was a wonderful performance that suited the song.”
“That’s right! It was so cool.”
Even Cha Yu-jin’s declaration, now correctly using past tense, completed the clean process of confirming and accepting the truth.
‘We’ll keep going without any corrections from here on.’
I nodded with satisfaction.
And the subsequent Tnet comeback show and domestic music broadcast stages secured domestic public opinion once more.
‘The B-side got good reviews too.’
We’d developed the modern noir thriller concept using “Black Cat” extensively, and it seemed too wasteful to scrap it. So we used it for the B-side.
Unlike the title track, which is action-packed and aggressive, the B-side has an elegant flavor, so even those who were disappointed with this concept ended up choosing well according to their taste.
Of course, those who weren’t disappointed also loved it.
-I love both. From Gentleman to Agent, Testa’s god-tier value for money doing every concept in one activity
-Thanks you guys, what a feast (nom nom
Every time I monitor the situation, the members’ faces absolutely light up.
“The reactions to this stage are all positive.”
“Wow, all the fatigue just melts away.”
The best possible result we could realistically extract from the audience.
As someone from Testa, a Survival Show Program with strong buzz who’d weathered tumultuous years, this warm environment—neither scalding nor freezing—was rare.
Even when top comments appeared on news articles, only kind words were posted.
-This is what national pride looks like—Korea’s unique Haetae style~ The righteous apostle Haetae, the magnificent Testa spreading justice~
In an industry full of attention-seekers, this was practically addictive.
Wasn’t this the very idol dream everyone pursued when choosing their path to become an idol?
And right on cue, our independent label finally began releasing activity articles.
[Testa Label ‘ORBIT’ Launches… “Will Demonstrate Artist Development Capabilities”]
Ryu Chung-woo smiled slightly after reading the article.
“It means orbit, right?”
“Yes.”
I came up with it. It wasn’t intentional.
‘These guys were trying to slap some unnecessarily grandiose name on it.’
The company’s first suggestion had been Supernova.
‘Why would they try to draw attention with an agency name like that?’
Since it was an internal label under the Agency, I figured there was no need to make it stand out, so I settled on something myself.
“It feels perfect—like a planetary orbit. Hearing it again, it’s really well-named.”
“…Thank you.”
Either way, the fans loved it.
Of course, the stock traders did too.
-From Hollywood films to these guys’ trajectory, they’re doing really well. Not letting expectations slip
-Testa is excellent, boarding on the 14th floor was the right call. Planning to hold until year-end^^
Throughout the weekend, good news kept arriving—translations of overseas reactions—and fans reveled in the overflow of content.
And the public downed their premature celebration, eagerly awaiting the Billboard chart that would take shape next Thursday.
-Wait, just because one American variety show aired…?
-But this does feel like it could be a career high anyway, so don’t get complacent and keep working! Work!
-Why are there so many Testa translation accounts popping up
While finding the situation burdensome, the fans themselves grew excited too, pouring out posts in a frenzy of happiness, anticipation, worry, and confusion.
Naturally, some of it was about our activities.
-They’ll probably go to America after finishing the music broadcast rounds
-Yeah articles say they’re going, seems like they got quite a few love calls from America
He was trying to cling to Limestone while stirring up all kinds of trouble, but now he’s really gritting his teeth and making an effort to go to America.
└What? Your idols failed even after pushing themselves through bundling, and now you’re jealous because Kingstar’s getting good local reactions?
Hahahahahahaha
The backlash had lost its bite.
Bae Sae-jin spoke up, his voice trembling.
“…This is the first time people have been this genuinely supportive.”
“That’s right.”
Public favor. An atmosphere suggesting they’d solidify their position as a national idol any moment now.
The mood had been just as good when the music video dropped, and even after a week had passed since its release, it remained unchanged.
Anyone in this situation would be nodding their head, saying they were “walking a path of flowers.”
“Yeah. It’s really good.”
“Yes, yes….”
But the faces of those saying this weren’t wearing the comfortable smiles typical of people who’d gotten a happy ending.
So what were they wearing?
Expressions like cold sweat was about to pour down their foreheads.
In crude terms: ‘Oh crap, what do we do about this?’
That face you make when thinking about predetermined disaster.
The reason was… because the time was slowly approaching.
“…But in a little while, we’re going to destroy all this with our own hands, right?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded.
“…Enjoy it while you can.”
“Mmm….”
The ones who’d buried their noses back in their smartphones began savoring the sweetness of public opinion.
And within days, those responsible for the bitterness began lifting their heads.

* * *
Long before the Billboard chart rankings came out.
On a Monday when the week was beginning, an article dropped.
[Testa to appear on popular American variety show… continuing their momentum]
Up to this point, everyone clicked thinking this was what they’d expected.
They were probably just thinking, ‘Oh, another American variety show appearance.’
But reading the article carefully, they’d learn the true identity of the variety program Testa was appearing on.
[Don’t mess it up]
It’s not particularly famous in South Korea, so people might tilt their heads in confusion, but once those in the know start testifying, the atmosphere shifts.
-Ah… this has such low-brow vibes and they just make you do weird challenges and stuff, so it’s not great…
In other words, it’s the type of variety program that gives people difficult tasks to fail at, torments them, and watches their reactions.
In short: low-brow.
-This isn’t a program where successful people appear. Why would they want to go on something like this?
-After establishing themselves with the movie and their first Stage performance at such a high level… ah…
But Testa’s appearance was only one segment within this program.
Moreover, typically ten teams make up one segment, and the total airtime for all ten teams combined is only seventeen minutes.
‘Perfect for looking like the worst of the worst.’
But that’s not where it ends.
By the way, a fairly sophisticated and famous talk show airs in the same time slot as this program.
And led by VTIC, most groups with global recognition performed on that program instead.
In other words, we could have appeared there, but we turned it down to appear on this B-grade program instead.
By now, you’re getting a sense of the atmosphere.
-Are they insane
-I seriously don’t understand why they’re appearing here
Haha, this is so frustrating, I’m dying here.
It’s even the first time a K-pop idol has appeared on this show.
One of the previous production staff members even made xenophobic remarks and got fired—it’s a program with such strong local characteristics that it’s practically parochial.
There’s no way we’re being treated well.
-Sigh…
Hahahahahaha
So what happened after this news made the rounds on the Internet?
“…Well, it’s quiet.”
“Yeah.”
What happened was they’re being ignored as if nothing ever happened.
‘I knew it would be like this.’
If we acknowledged this as Testa’s embarrassing mistake, wouldn’t the vicarious satisfaction disappear and make it feel like we’re losing?
Since it doesn’t match the taste of nationalism they were enjoying, everyone is deliberately avoiding mentioning it, pretending they didn’t see it.
“The fans are being quiet about it too.”
That’s a different reason.
‘They’re holding back strategically.’
Testa’s momentum has been so strong lately that it’s even more infuriating, but at the same time, they’re keeping quiet because they don’t want to dampen that momentum.
There’s no benefit to making a fuss and canceling an already-scheduled appearance—especially one in America—when there’s no replacement.
So overall, Testa’s buzz died out, and the praise and reactions that had been heating up flickered out like a candle.
All that’s left are pathetic defense videos from nationalist channels that are worse than useless.
“….”
“….”
It’s a rare situation where they upset the public without getting a barrage of criticism, but honestly, getting cursed out might feel better.
Look over there—even Bae Sae-jin, who already knows what this appearance is for, is staring at an overseas reaction translation channel with a gloomy expression, its uploads having stopped.
“….”
“Hyung.”
“I know. It’s necessary work!”
Right. It’s all been discussed.
K-pop is no longer an unfamiliar genre in America; it’s a genre with a solid fanbase in subculture.
This definitely has its benefits, but ultimately it only reaches people who were already watching, which limits the effect.
‘That’s why we even did the collaboration with the Limestone film.’
So if we just go the plain route everyone else takes in this game, we can’t eat the entire pie that built Limestone.
Bae Sae-jin’s eyes lit up again, and he nodded.
“…We just need to execute our plan well.”
“Right.”
I shrugged my shoulders. Then I tapped Cha Yu-jin’s shoulder standing beside me.
“He’s already taken care of everything. A mainlander through and through.”
“That’s right. I trust him! I’ll do well!”
“I said I trust you!”
I let the two of them chatter away and turned to look at Sun Ah-hyun, who had stopped monitoring just like I had.
Since I’d invested so much effort into this comeback, I thought he might be bothered by the suddenly cooled atmosphere… but the bastard just flashes me a thumbs up…?
“I, of course I trust you…!”
“…Yeah. Thanks.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Right, well. That settles it then….
‘Final check.’
I rolled my shoulders and checked the top comments from our first stage one more time, still relatively recent.
There were quite a few about me.
The moment Park Moon-dae comes in, he straightens up from lying down lol he must be crazy for real
-Even with AR, if it were this obvious they would’ve added breathing sounds, but this guy has no conscience—just going all in with his vocal cords like a coward
Hahahahahaha
Park Moon-dae pulled off a triple S-rank memo; it melted so smoothly.
It was gratifying to see reactions that validated all those stat points I’d invested.
I recalled my status window.
The vocal stat with ‘S+’ displayed on it.
That’s right. I’d added my remaining stat point to vocals.
If I’d put it into dance, which is B+, it would change to A-, so why didn’t I do that?
Because I’d seen various ability grade holders in person and compared them, confirming my conviction.
‘S+ grade is the complete form.’
For instance, finally with this album, there’s someone who’s entered S+ in the charm stat.
[Name: Cha Yu-jin]
Charm: S+
This bastard could now just do narration to any song on the street and people would turn to look. Even that standout quality that used to feel a bit self-indulgent before now works as a selling point.
And… there’s someone else with a different stat at S+, in another group.
I frowned.
[Name: Chung-ryeo (Shin Jae-hyun)]
Dance: S+
Chung-ryeo.
His S+ dance grade is perfectly optimized for K-pop synchronized group choreography at the center.
The impact and power that emerges when executing the intended feeling with precise strength and nuance, ‘ideally.’
Probably even if you gathered mediocre C and D grade dancers and stood them beside him, it would still look impressive.
Considering that EX grade seems like it would be some legendary historical figure level, S+ is probably the final stage humans can reach through art.
So to completely block out the possibility of ‘my singing not working,’ raising vocals to S+ grade was the best choice.
‘I can’t miss this.’
And… there was actually one more reason I didn’t raise dance.
…Because what I’m running isn’t a solo career—it’s a group.
‘There are plenty of guys who can dance well.’
Since I’m not taking the center position for the dance break, a B+ level is more than sufficient to complete this team’s group choreography right now.
‘I need to showcase what I do best even more brilliantly.’
Executing my assigned role at an even higher quality would contribute more to the team’s overall standard.
And besides, everyone else has been doing exactly that.
I surveyed my surroundings with considerable satisfaction. The guys who’d stopped monitoring looked genuinely reliable.
In any case, this was the perfect timing to deploy my S+ tier vocals once more.
I had to make sure this shoot wrapped flawlessly and delivered results….
“Wow, looks like someone from the Production Team posted that our company directly contacted them and we’re voluntarily appearing. Man, that’s impressive, seriously.”
“….”
I’ll deal with those bastards after we’re done shooting.

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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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