Debut or Die - Chapter 358

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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 358
By the end of May this year, Testa had become an undisputed first-tier group both domestically and internationally, flawless in every regard.
What did their direct junior group Miry-nay—or more accurately, Park Min-ha, who was essentially Miry-nay’s leader—think of Testa?
‘Well, I just think of them as seniors, you know?’
Besides, I hadn’t seen them much lately anyway. The company had created separate zones for the label, so our paths rarely crossed.
But there was one thing.
‘…I’m so jealous! I really envy them!’
Testa had managed to slip out of the Director’s grasp, which was somewhat irritating, but honestly, there was no role model I envied more.
…And there was a certain senior member who had contributed greatly to making her think this way.
‘…Did he intentionally announce the label at the awards ceremony like that…?’
Yes.
It was Park Moon-dae, Testa’s main vocalist and the one who played the “soft bean cake apple cake puppy” character.
Park Min-ha let out an internal scream.
‘A puppy, of all things!’
That person who manipulated the company, who was extraordinary to the point of being exceptional, whose thoughts were impossible to read, but who somehow always ended up in exactly the right place at the right time when he got serious…?
“….”
‘When I list it out like this, he really does have the makings of a natural idol in some ways.’
Either way, he was terrifying.
Because of him, I’d been breaking into a cold sweat trying to talk members out of attempting to befriend this successful senior group.
‘If romantic connections become poison for idols and he sends our members away…!’
But I couldn’t understand how someone so frightening could appear so harmless the moment the cameras started rolling.
‘…In reality, he has quite an unapproachable aura.’
Through years of self-management and (though Park Min-ha didn’t know it) stat investment, Park Moon-dae already exuded the atmosphere of someone in a profession where cameras were always present.
Yet when I watch the videos, the friendly puppy image suits him so well that it’s downright eerie.
It was something to admire.
‘…He’s truly remarkable.’
So I naturally made a resolution of my own.
‘When contract renewal season comes, we’re really going to do this right!’
With sharp, decisive actions, I’ll never let anyone take advantage of us, and I’ll protect this group…!
But right in the middle of all this, a call came from the person himself.
And it was very meaningful.
-Do you happen to have any worries these days?
“….”
The moment I heard those words, all sorts of possible bad endings flashed through Park Min-ha’s mind.
What? What is this?
‘W-what is he thinking….’
So I responded like a reaction robot, playing it safe.
“I have the usual worries that everyone else does! But honestly, I’m satisfied with this idol life where I can meet fans like this right now….”
-Mm. Yes.
Park Moon-dae didn’t interrupt and listened attentively to everything I said.
My repertoire of socially appropriate responses was rapidly depleting.
‘Ugh!’
The pressure to say something more intensified.
‘Please, just stop!’
We’re not exactly in a position for mutual counseling, are we, Senior?
Fortunately, Park Moon-dae threw me a lifeline just before Park Min-ha suffocated under the weight of silence.
-Then I’m relieved. But is there perhaps another kind of concern troubling you?
“…W-well, when you say ‘another kind’… what exactly do you mean…?”
-I was wondering if the Company has been treating you well lately.
“The Company?”
-Yes. Since Testa spun off as an independent label, there’s been some distance, and I’m not entirely sure what’s happening.
Park Moon-dae spoke matter-of-factly.
-But it seems like they’re continuing to operate all the groups with America as the primary focus. Since we’re also active there these days, I was curious how the junior members are faring.
“Ah.”
That, then.
Park Min-ha’s mouth opened reflexively in that instant.
Because that was genuinely something she’d been worrying about—something that had accumulated over time.
Though afterward, she’d regret it with a ‘I got hooked’, the trap wasn’t really a trap at all—it was genuinely a stepping stone toward a decent proposal for Miry-nay as well.
Of course, it was also true that Park Moon-dae had set the hook.

* * *
-…So, we’re working hard even now!
“Mm.”
I organized the information Park Min-ha was explaining in considerable detail—Miry-nay’s current situation and the subtle details about that rookie group gleaned from between the lines.
First, Miry-nay’s current position was….
‘Ambiguous.’
Stagnant.
This one had her own thoughts too, so instead of badmouthing the Company, she glossed over it smoothly—but she clearly knew that the momentum and controversy from their debut had largely faded.
And rightfully so. They kept churning out music tailored for overseas markets and focused promotions there, so naturally their connection with the domestic audience weakened.
‘Still, the fanbase is decent.’
Because their original content was solid and the quality of their promotional activities was high, the influx of new fans remained steady.
‘It’s become quite patterned.’
In short, they’d become a fanbase-oriented idol group—public interest had dropped and their music sales weakened somewhat, but album sales were still rising.
‘At this point, they’ve at least settled in as a successful idol group.’
But if they could just break through with public appeal once, they could truly capture everything—yet the Company kept chasing America, which had to be infuriating.
And then a rookie female idol from Young-rin Company emerged.
And she started hitting it big.
-Y-yes, these days there are so many talented people! We’re thinking we need to work even harder….
What this really meant was simple.
‘She’s feeling threatened because their positions overlap.’
A trendy female idol with global recognition, especially in Western markets.
Two with similar images.
The problem isn’t just that their images overlap in the American market—their selling points in South Korea become muddled too.
And typically, the more formidable newcomer naturally claims the position.
So perhaps now, before all the buzz shifts entirely to that new female idol, is the perfect timing.
I crossed my arms with my smartphone wedged between my neck and shoulder.
‘…This could work.’
Miry-nay has an established first-tier image and powerful album sales.
The new female idol Powty has weaker physical sales for now, but strong international streams, and domestic streams are rising on the back of that momentum.
Each has their own strengths and weaknesses.
‘The game is perfectly balanced—easier to orchestrate.’
There’s nothing quite as entertaining as watching similar positions jockey back and forth.
I reached my conclusion. But there was one more hurdle to clear.
‘It’s not my call.’
The person involved’s intention mattered.
I offered appropriate responses to Park Min-ha’s remarks while waiting, then opened my mouth again as things wound down.
“Yes. Thank you for telling me. And I have one more question.”
-Yes?
I asked slowly.
“Would it be better for the group if more people took interest in your activities, even if things got a bit turbulent?”
-….
‘Turbulent’ meant she understood what I was implying.
‘Getting criticized, that is.’
Naturally, lower buzz meant less backlash.
Speech patterns, hand gestures, cosmetic procedures, old photos… rather than endure the torment of baseless rumors hammering away at your mind, would she prefer the stability of the current situation?
‘Someone with Ajusa experience might well have trauma from this.’
I waited.
But moments later, a firm voice came through the phone.
-Of course.
Good. She had guts.
I approved the conclusion I’d reached with satisfaction.
“Then would it be alright if the company proceeded that way?”
-Uh, how exactly?
Like this.
Starting the very next day, articles began flooding the entertainment section.

* * *
[Powty’s Unstoppable Global Debut Momentum… ‘Girl Group Record Shattered’?]
[Powty Surpasses Miry-nay and Blue Rain, Claims ‘Search Index #1’]
[Miry-nay Announces Comeback, ‘Was the Monster Rookie on Their Mind?’]
The articles either stated it outright or hinted at it subtly, but the underlying message remained consistent.
‘Didn’t Powty surpass Miry-nay the moment they debuted?’
Subtle implications of Powty’s dominance saturated every article.
And predictably, the kind of responses you’d expect began flooding in.
All manner of extreme outcries.
-Stop dragging them by the hair already
-If you’re gonna do this, bring Young-rin back instead… you crazy bastards got blinded by the rookie. Who built your building for you?
-But objectively, Powty’s numbers ARE better than Miry-nay’s, so why all the fuss? lol
└Stop with the attention-seeking
└I want to believe it’s just attention-seeking… 🙁
But there was one thing everyone agreed on.
Everyone naturally assumed Young-rin Company had orchestrated these promotional articles.
After all, media plays targeting senior celebrities in similar positions were traditionally effective methods for boosting recognition.
Of course, Young-rin Company wouldn’t be foolish enough to not plan similar press releases themselves, and I’d actually confirmed they were doing exactly that.
When our company contacted the media outlets, they said Young-rin Company had already promised to provide promotional materials first.
Which made things convenient.
-So it worked out well, right? We just had to change the subject and it was perfect.
The employee had said that with a slightly excited tone.
In other words….
‘This is helping them out.’
I nodded to myself.
It was a form of contribution.
They were going to do the publicity anyway—we just got ahead of them and lent a hand. Our company should be grateful.
Well, they were probably aiming to target Testa rather than Miry-nay anyway… but what did we care.
I scrolled down my phone screen.
The articles were being picked up everywhere, creating quite the buzz.
“Good buzz volume.”
Miry-nay’s fans might find it exhausting, but trending topics were better for consumption than mentions dying out and stagnating.
Rivals were good motivation after all.
‘Besides, Miry-nay’s coming back soon anyway.’
I hoped this domestic buzz would carry over when they did.
-Yes. The song is great!
They seemed confident about it.
I chuckled and tossed my phone aside.
Now I just had to wait until Miry-nay made their comeback and the results came in.
‘Once things ripen, the company will release press materials about our records… if we’re lucky, the mission results should show within two weeks.’
So as long as there are no other unexpected complications, I’ll pass this hurdle.
‘Clean.’
I stood up from my seat with a light stretch.
“Ah.”
There’s one more thing I need to handle.
Until the results come out, Testa needs to maintain a completely separate image from these guys and keep building momentum independently.
To help with that… an independent activity with both buzz factor and good ventilation.
What else could it be?
‘A successful solo variety show.’
As it happens, the production crew that had us selling hotteok in America reached out again.
The timing was perfect.

* * *
“Hello~”
“Hello!”
“Oh, Testa members, please sit down! Oh my!”
A few days later, we were called in for a meeting about a new variety show.
“Starting with the title….”
As soon as we looked at the presentation materials, the logo was already printed out.
【That House’s Grandson】
The naming sense alone gives me a sense of what’s coming.
‘This is going to be chaotic.’
The vibe screams absurdity, which is actually reassuring.
Several familiar writers explained excitedly.
“You’ll go down there and do some light cooking, tend to a vegetable garden… we’ve prepared something really healing for you.”
“Aha, yes!”
Obviously there’s a trap. The members exchanged glances and nodded knowingly.
‘What could it be?’
‘Feels like they’re going to put us through endurance training.’
‘That’s plausible.’
Are they going to have us go fishing in the rural area this time?
But the writers stood firm.
“Oh, this time it’s definitely not a trap! We’re just adding some fun with mini-games… anyway, it’s absolutely not.”
Right. Let’s pretend to believe them.
“Really?”
“Yes!”
The writer nodded emphatically. We were about to smile and nod in agreement, but the writer added something first.
With eyes burning with indignation.
“You can even sue us if you want, really!”
“….”
A lawsuit?
Ryu Chung-woo’s face twisted into an awkward smile. The others wore similar expressions.
‘He seems serious about this.’
So they wanted to create some modest healing program that would soothe the weary hearts of modern people.
“Since you’re idols, you could tie in some direct community service and make it feel meaningful! You could even perform for the residents….”
Kim Rae-bin looked impressed.
“…! That really does sound like a meaningful opportunity!”
“Yeah, you’re right. The concept is good.”
Bae Sae-jin looked somewhat relieved as he shuffled through the documents again, while Sun Ah-hyun was jotting something down.
Everyone seemed at peace.
“…Yes.”
And I turned to look at Big Sae-jin.
He was desperately flashing a smooth smile, but the moment our eyes met, his eye twitched.
‘There it is.’
We were in serious trouble.
‘Healing, my ass.’
These production crew members had completely lost their sense of entertainment.

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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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