Debut or Die - Chapter 465

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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 465
It’s funny to say this now, but honestly, when we were planning it, our game wasn’t supposed to have this much volume.
-Oh, so it’s a supplementary project for the USB album.
-Yes. And if people play for about a day, I think the fans will find it entertaining.
-Nice~ Since it’s fresh, won’t people talk about it on SNS? I’m in favor!
It was literally an extended music video.
It was supposed to be just a one-hour movie that came as a bonus when you bought the physical album, with choice options added to it.
It was a clever attempt to transcend the weakness of a sparse physical album through an extreme over-immersion concept.
‘…But.’
The fact that the first meeting was at the Abandoned Factory was the beginning of all our problems….
-That… seems doable? Yes, it sounds fun!
Things were good until we first brought up the interactive music video format.
-Really?
-Yes! Actually, we have a tool we were developing before? If you don’t mind, we could apply it like this…. This would work, right?
-Oh, it works, it’ll work. You said the playtime would be around an hour, right? Schedule-wise, I think we can make it work one way or another!
At that moment, I even smiled with genuine satisfaction.
I already knew everything.
‘I heard that these people were originally planning to release an interactive music video-style horror adventure as the next project for Section 127.’
After that, when they came under T1, Section 127 became a massive hit….
Well then, the outcome was obvious, wasn’t it?
‘T1 must have been singing the same old tune, demanding the next installment after Section 127.’
So they couldn’t stand T1 Plays’ insane parachute executives trying to milk Section 127 to the bone, and they defected.
That’s the established theory in the gaming community… well, among game enthusiasts anyway.
But if they happened to bring out a genre they’d started developing back in the day but abandoned, they could recycle it and make some funds for their next project while they’re at it.
-But the physics engine and those kinds of implementations are a bit of an older version… If you wanted to add action elements to the game, it would require more development time.
-Oh, we’re really fine with just adding choice options!
It didn’t matter.
We weren’t trying to create some legendary masterpiece with incredible gameplay, and they said it would be fine as long as the visuals were stunning and players could just select routes.
It was enough if the fans could feel like they were interacting with us.
-Ah, in that case, we’d just need to polish the UI a bit….
So the conversation progressed smoothly and pleasantly, and in that harmonious atmosphere, I spent an enjoyable time signing autographs for the staff.
And then this topic came up.
-Oh! Then would you like to come watch us film our music video?
-Huh, is that okay?
-Come on, of course it is~ We’re going to work as one team now, and we’d be grateful if you’d watch!
-If game development experts like you could watch the process of content being created and give us feedback, it would be really helpful!
And that’s how the two representatives and several key production staff members were invited to the filming site—what they called a music video but what was really a game content and film hybrid.
And… on the day of filming.
“…!!”
“Phew, it’s been a while.”
“There’s no official crank-in here.”
They all stood slack-jawed and wide-eyed at the dazzling equipment and setup that Bae Sae-jin had brought in through his connections.
‘Of course, it’s all coming out of my pocket….’
No matter how well Bae Sae-jin had performed as a child actor or shown outstanding capability in cameos, capitalism didn’t run on talent alone.
This was why capital was so important.
I could practically hear the sound of a billion won burning away.
‘At least the filming location was secured in advance….’
I was grateful we’d found an appropriate building in a Provincial Area. If worst came to worst, we could patch things up with post-production CG, but still, I couldn’t believe we’d managed this much.
“Moon-dae, eyes down a bit~”
“Yes.”
I narrowed my eyes following the makeup artist’s direction, and watched Big Sae-jin standing in the center of the Filming Studio in a police uniform, taking the first shot of the day.
“Hmm, does this feel about right?”
It was Big Sae-jin filming the prologue.
He’d taken on the role of a jailer character—like an urban legend of a seemingly friendly police officer who actually kidnaps people—but he’d written the dialogue himself.
So he could deliver it as naturally as possible.
‘We were never professional actors to begin with.’
We usually made characters speak in ways as similar as possible to how members normally talked, or if that wasn’t feasible, we drastically reduced their dialogue.
As for Lee Sae-jin… the acting lessons she’d received while working at Zairop in the virtual world created by the System had somewhat influenced her landing this role.
-Wow~ so that miserable group life actually helps like this! I guess hardship and adversity really do become stepping stones for growth, haha!
-That hyung’s got his fists clenched. He definitely has trauma.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without Bae Sae-jin’s coaching.
Even now, Bae Sae-jin was watching Big Sae-jin with hawk eyes after finishing the first take, firing off feedback.
“No. Talk more like you normally do. If you try to express that you’re deliberately hiding something because you’re conscious of the story, beginners just end up looking more unnatural.”
“Ah.”
“Once the BGM and the other actor’s reactions come in, it’ll look suspicious enough. Don’t try to get ahead of it and make it seem ominous yourself.”
“Yes, yes. Ah, hyung. About the camera person wearing it like this across the shoulder….”
Lee Sae-jin showed no sign of awkwardness at the reversed situation, asking questions with a cheerful demeanor and seeming to absorb everything.
‘Well, with a 60-day schedule, there’s no room for hesitation.’
And he’d wrapped the prologue shoot even more successfully than expected.
“Cut! Excellent~”
“…! Thank you!”
I chuckled as I heard light exclamations of “pretty good” and saw approving glances exchanged among the crew.
“…You did well!”
“Thanks to your excellent teaching~”
The two namesakes exchanged compliments somewhat awkwardly.
“Oh my, if only the car doesn’t break down, we could do one more take… but I guess this is it!”
Even at the end, Big Sae-jin didn’t miss the chance to appeal to the behind-the-scenes camera—very much in character.
And immediately after, we moved locations and started shooting the main scenes. After all, Bae Sae-jin hadn’t promised the crew much time.
‘The schedule is killer.’
By the way, from the main shoot onward, we handed the baton to the established actor.
And he tackled the most critical scene first.
[….]
In other words, Bae Sae-jin shot the gate escape attempt scene and nailed it in a single take.
‘…It was overwhelming, though.’
His acting carried an almost tangible presence—like watching Cha Yu-jin on stage.
Bae Sae-jin certainly pulls his weight on stage now, but when compared to acting, the difference is noticeable.
The Director seemed thrilled today more than any other moment.
“Hey, our Sae-jin’s still got it~”
“Ah, well… thank you.”
Bae Sae-jin looked a bit bashful, though clearly pleased with himself.
After that, filming preparations proceeded smoothly and the schedule ran tight.
“Yes, moving to Secret Room 3 next!”
The silver lining was that to save time, the shooting order was fixed so everyone barely changed costumes.
Though that meant I remained trapped in this disgustingly uncomfortable restraint suit….
‘If this doesn’t look good on camera, I’m hunting down whoever designed it.’
That’s what I thought as I got through the day.
“Hey, Moon-dae. How’s this…?”
“Looks incredibly convincing.”
I was nodding at Sun Ah-hyun, who walked down the Corridor wielding a baton with sharp precision.
“Excuse me.”
“…? Yes.”
The people from the Abandoned Factory—or rather, the Industrial Complex—had followed us here, and suddenly the ones who’d been quietly enjoying themselves began actively engaging in conversation.
“Did you happen to think of anything else regarding the progression method?”
What is it.
“That ending cut you filmed first—the key device design from it. You said you’d produce an album based on that design and put a code on the photocard, right?”
“Yes.”
But here’s the thing.
“Seeing it in person, it’s just so good. The gate design, the composition, the costumes—everything is just….”
The Female Representative clenched both fists. The Male Representative hurriedly continued.
“What if the character who enters the code changes depending on which member’s photocard it is?”
“…??”
“Or alternatively, affinity points accumulate based on the existing choices, and we build from that….”
Wait a second.
All those ideas that had come up among the members but were cut due to time and environmental constraints….
were now pouring out of the developers’ own mouths.
“….”
Apparently, the Filming Studio, the costume concept, and even Bae Sae-jin’s acting had all triggered these people’s preferences.
But still, no matter what.
‘Do these people not understand what practical thinking means.’
I barely managed to ask.
“That would be wonderful, but… do you think it’s actually feasible?”
“…It won’t work?”
How would we know?
“But wouldn’t you want to try? Those ad-libbed moments that got you NG’d during filming—they’d make great alternative choices, and they looked really good to use…”
“…”
“Oh, and I noticed Eugene’s escape scene too. It has that comedic ending vibe that pops up midway through? I think we could use it like that!”
“Did I film that well? Was it good just now?”
“Hold on.”
Where did you even come from?
Both representatives were nodding in perfect unison at Cha Yu-jin, who had suddenly burst in wearing a straitjacket with wide, gleaming eyes.
“Yes!”
“We want to use it, you know?”
“Then let’s use it! Umm, please use it!”
“Wow!”
The guy who had vehemently opposed this concept was praising it, so of course it felt good… But wait, before that.
I barely managed to open my mouth.
“…Do you have time for this?”
“Ha ha, well, we’re just adding existing footage as choices, so…”
So what?
“We, who are free from labor laws, can just work overtime!”
“Exactly!”
“…”
So… the ad-libbed scenes and NG footage that were originally supposed to be cut were being salvaged as choices and comedic endings, which meant the volume had exploded insanely.
It didn’t end there.
“And you mentioned there are three versions, right?”
“Yes. But they’re only different in the USB album design and prologue…”
“Wow, wouldn’t adding some personal events really bring out that feeling more?”
“…??”
“If we revive some of those discarded scenarios here…”
That’s when it happened.
“Wait, there are discarded scenarios? Really?”
“Yes! Look at this!”
Before I knew it, the Director had joined in, and extended filming was decided on the spot.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to memorize the script…”
“Ah~ anyway, it’s similar to your personalities, so don’t worry too much about the script and just go with the flow of the situation!”
“…”
“You wrote it anyway, so why make it so difficult! If you’re going to act, you need that kind of experience too.”
We’re idols trying to do stage work.
…But that counterargument was impossible due to the existence of numerous acting-capable idols led by Bae Sae-jin.
And even the leader…
“Ah, we’re fine with that.”
“…!”
…So in conclusion, we’d created something absurd—a single game exceeding two and a half hours in volume.
‘It’s 2.5 times what we had.’
Moreover, with three versions implemented across bad endings, comedy endings, normal endings, true endings, and hidden endings, the actual playtime had expanded exponentially.
As a result, the buzz seemed to have tripled beyond our initial projections.
Whenever anything happened, insane commentary about the game emerged, and streaming clips kept circulating, maintaining the topic’s relevance for days.
-The trending Testa game lately.. I tried it too.
-You guys know that? If Ravin doesn’t check even once in the lab, there is a route for accidents to occur. Bottles are in trouble, and mental issues are in trouble haha ​​(video)
-The hidden ending causing chaos among Testa fans—Sun Ah-hyun (horror warning)
Of course, not everyone commenting had actually played our game.
Most were just watching short clips circulating online, edited videos, or fan reactions—laughing and moving on.
‘It’s not even a mobile game but a packaged game—what mainstream appeal could it possibly have?’
It was essentially an expanded concept of a fan-targeted music video universe.
While it certainly helped album sales meaningfully, it wasn’t an astronomical boost.
‘Since we released streaming too, there’s a backfire effect where people with moderate interest are satisfied with that.’
However, the fact that the game created an incentive drawing new potential fans and that existing fans were satisfied was quite favorable….
We’d captured the most important thing.
I didn’t expect Testa to make a comeback like this lol
I already have the title melody stuck in my head from watching so many reactions lol
We’d essentially etched ‘Testa is making a comeback’ into the Internet itself.
Moreover, by weaving the title track’s chorus melody throughout the game, anyone who watched it—whether streams or reactions—would have it lodged in their ears.
‘If we can just get people to hear it once, that’s enough.’
And as expected, Testa’s music rankings were comparable to when T1 had backed us with their insane promotion.
‘…! That’s right.’
Now that we’d announced the comeback this way, we just needed to deliver the finishing blow on stage.
‘And that’s today.’
We would perform our first comeback stage live. On broadcast television.
“Hmm.”
I smiled. The results were quite satisfactory.
Though….
[Moon-dae! Would Testa be interested in more serious game projects? We were thinking—what if Testa’s characters appeared as cameos in a comedy ending for our next title….]
“We’re fine. Really, we’re fine.”
The Ruins Industrial Complex people, who’d come to see us as fellow colleagues… I’d think about that later.

* * *
“…Yes. Thank you.”
Bae Sae-jin thanked the person on the other end of the phone once more.
Despite the long time since their last contact, the Director had readily accepted his call.
The director of the drama where he had made a cameo appearance as a shaman last time.
During his child actor days, she had also been part of the production team for that ten-million-viewer film where he played a young shaman—naturally, she was someone who both wrote and directed films.
She had created this opportunity for him.
That’s why he was able to meet with film producers he’d known since his child actor days and attempt this difficult request.
‘…I’m glad I gathered the courage.’
It had been an absurd marathon, but… it felt like the first time he’d contributed so much to the team like this.
‘…And the response was good too.’
Now he just needed to focus hard on the stage. It was the moment he recommitted himself magnificently to this activity.
-Remember? When you were little, you suddenly started crying on the filming studio set—big fat tears—and all the adults were so startled.
-Yes, yes?
-You said so coolly, “I was holding onto the emotion, so why would I do that~” You were so bold for a kid.
“Um… ahem, yes.”
Bae Sae-jin barely suppressed a cough.
The Director, who had been cheerfully recounting memories, suddenly murmured in a low voice.
-It’s really a shame. Such a waste.
“….”
-I really enjoyed filming this time, Sae-jin. Jung-jin was happy to see you after so long too.
“Ah.”
Bae Sae-jin recalled the actor who had played the driver role in the prologue scene.
He had been a senior from his child actor days.
‘…He did a great job.’
For a moment, he was lost in those memories.
-Your sister actually landed a really good script this time.
A direct proposal came through the phone.
-You’re at the right age now. Don’t you want to give it a try?
“…!”
It was thirty minutes before Testa’s first comeback stage live performance.

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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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