Debut or Die - Chapter 71

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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 71
The new teaser video began with an upbeat voice.
-High-five~
Against the backdrop of what appeared to be the School Sports Ground and a brilliant blue sky, Cha Yu-jin waved his hand and shouted.
Behind Cha Yu-jin, the other members were visible in formation, ready to dance.
They all wore perfectly matching striped baseball uniforms. As the chorus suddenly began, the members who had been warming up snapped into the choreography with crisp precision.
-This shot is
Tang Tang Tang
Going to fit you perfectly
-In your heart
Pang Pang Pang
Like a fanfare!
-Just bursting out!
The choreography was energetic, with broad movements and a rapidly subdivided beat.
As the chorus phrase ended, the screen froze on the final dance pose—a stance with legs extended toward the camera, bodies turned back.
And moments later.
[…Cut!]
[Phew!]
White subtitles appeared over the image of the members collapsing onto the ground at the director’s call.
[‘Hi-five’ Music Video]
[First revealed in Episode 2 of 【Testa’s Living Together TEST】!]
It was a humorous and dynamic teaser, contrasting sharply with the ethereal teaser for ‘Magical Boy’ that had been revealed first.
Naturally, comments flooded in instantly.
-Insane, two title tracks?
-Is this a pre-release? What do I do, this is good too
-Seriously, they really milked the school concept for all it’s worth lol
-One of them has to be your favorite right? lol By the way, I love both. Testa is amazing.
└lol You too? Me too!
-I only heard the bass and I’m already getting chills, the audio version seems like this one will win
└Wait, we haven’t even seen the Magical Boy choreography yet, give us a fair chance! lol
-When the drum roll comes in, my heart feels like it’s being defibrillated too; Testa really is a human defibrillator!
The internet was ablaze with excitement and enthusiasm, completely overturning the gloomy mood of the recent incident.
Though people were somewhat taken aback.
They had done their work far better than expected.
-Wait, did the agency really go into isolated training while we weren’t hearing from them? They produced two songs and both are good?
-And the concepts contrast so perfectly that they seem to be connected somehow;; Do you remember the glove and baseball in the Magical Boy teaser?
└Whoa
└That’s insane…
-Looking at the preview for Episode 2 of the reality show, it seems like the members participated really actively, so I’m already excited.
-Our debut album hitting 500k first-week sales, let’s go!
And this reaction exploded once more the moment Reality Episode 2 aired.
[Related image references and arrangement drafts.]
The members had prepared their presentation materials in just one day, and it all made it onto broadcast.
Because the broadcast cleverly connected everything seamlessly, the Director’s reckless push and any mention of VTIC’s simultaneous release were completely edited out.
Instead, Testa’s passionate approach to securing the title track was captured beautifully on screen.
-Seriously, why are these kids so good at what they do;;-
-Never imagined they’d pick all the songs themselves and nail the concept
-Plus nobody even fought! They’re so harmonious! They have different opinions but they’re persuading each other!
-Testa’s group project happiness circuit becomes reality…
Of course, skeptics emerged as well.
-A rookie said this? Haha, it’s all staged. Don’t get caught~
-It was already all decided and the idols just presented it for screen time. Don’t trust broadcast scripts!
└I guess the idol you like can’t do anything on his own. I feel sorry for him. What should I do?ㅠㅠ
└Right… hang in there!
But the fans whose hype meter had exploded simply left a comment or two and completely ignored them. They didn’t even pay much attention.
Because a feeling that this was going to succeed was already permeating everything.
-This is definitely going to blow up.
The buzz factor is already skyrocketing without end lol even a teaser scam would probably work at this point
-The music video will come out at the end of the broadcast, right?
Reality Episode 2 was closer to a production diary. However, at the end, they added a bit of variety content—a claw machine scene.
It was a cut that had been omitted when the horror movie segment was moved up to Episode 1.
It mainly captured the members adorably failing at the claw machine and engaging in mental gymnastics.
[Yeah. The machine must be broken.]
hahaha
-Ah, Big Sae-jin is so funny!
Episode 2 wrapped up with Lee Sae-jin successfully grabbing a rabbit plushie from the claw machine.
And when the music video preview text appeared on screen, the atmosphere surged with anticipation once more.
-Here we go.
-The music video is coming!
The moment the commercial break ended.
The screen shifted to a classroom window bathed in brilliant sunlight.

* * *
“The music video’s out.”
“Wait, wait a second.”
Sun Ah-hyun slid into the living room with a dramatic entrance just as the commercial break ended.
‘Perfect timing.’
I focused my attention on the screen.
The opening shot showed Park Moon-dae—me—gazing out the window. The sky was a brilliant, cloudless blue.
Then a flyer suddenly appeared in front of Park Moon-dae’s eyes.
[Sports Festival]
[Inter-School Baseball Tournament]
The person holding the flyer was Lee Sae-jin. Gone was her usual sullen demeanor; she looked like a nervous, model student.
The moment Park Moon-dae peered at the flyer with reluctance, the intro began.
Whoosh!
The song kicked off with a cheerful whistle melody.
It was some kind of modified disco with the cymbal crashes stripped from the upbeat drums and electric guitar layered on top to bring out a rock sound—honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure of the genre, but it was definitely catchy.
At least following Kim Rae-bin’s recommendation meant we’d completely shed that cheap, tacky vibe from before.
The only issue was that time constraints meant we couldn’t change the lyrics.
-OH I’ve been thinking and thinking
And I’ve made up my mind Um~
Today I’m going to throw it
I’m going to throw myself out there
Into your heart~ Shot Shot!
…That should be fine, I suppose.
“The choreography matches really well.”
“Yu-jin’s flying around?”
“Hehe.”
The members threw out comments as soon as the group choreography scene appeared.
They were probably conscious of the reality camera set up to capture music video reaction content.
‘I already saw the entire storyboard before we started anyway, so there’s nothing particularly surprising.’
The screen continued to unfold the story with choreography cuts interspersed throughout.
In essence, the plot was about model student Lee Sae-jin gathering classmates to participate in a baseball match to fill out her school record.
In the process of collecting people who weren’t participating in the sports festival, she ended up assembling all sorts of eccentrics and unique characters…well, that’s the gist of it.
“Moon-dae’s in the library club!”
“Yeah, it suits you well.”
I was mainly given a role where I was staring at books or e-books.
-You need to give off a somewhat mysterious vibe, you know?
The director kept emphasizing that, but honestly, I’m not sure about mysterious…I just came across as inscrutable.
The next person was Sun Ah-hyun. Everyone probably guessed it already, but…he was in the dance club.
“He’s really good.”
“That’s some professional-level skill right there.”
“Th-thank you….”
Sun Ah-hyun on screen was certainly impressive, performing contemporary dance with genuine passion. The authenticity extended even to the part where he reluctantly gets dragged off to play baseball afterward.
Next was Ryu Chung-woo.
“A true national representative!”
“Everyone! This hyung actually hit that shot!”
“Haha, I’ve been slacking on practice, so my form’s all rusty.”
His segment featured him being cast while doing archery, and naturally it looked completely seamless. He wasn’t an amateur, after all.
And next came… Cha Yu-jin and Kim Rae-bin appearing together.
A short comedic skit was included.
First, Lee Sae-jin forcefully opened the Sports Equipment Storage door.
Whoosh!
Then Kim Rae-bin and Cha Yu-jin, sprawled out inside the storage, came into view.
The two of them, who looked like delinquents to anyone’s eye, stared blankly at Lee Sae-jin who’d opened the door.
[….]
[….]
[…We’re sorry!]
Whoosh!
The door slammed shut in an instant.
“Hahahaha!!”
“Pfft, that turned out great.”
The guys watching the music video burst out laughing.
Honestly, I found it hilarious too.
‘Giving those two the youngest roles makes it even funnier.’
By the way, they’d insisted on those delinquent characters themselves.
‘They wanted to experience what it’s like to be at the top of the peer hierarchy, at least in a fictional work,’ or something like that.
Recalling Kim Rae-bin’s lengthy explanation, Cha Yu-jin’s cheerful comment also comes to mind.
-That’s fun!
Either way, since neither of them had particularly gentle impressions, they pulled off the menacing look perfectly.
Finally… they’d recruited Big Sae-jin, who was in the middle of a student council president election, by making it conditional on him doing a campaign speech.
“An experienced person really is different.”
“Ah, in that world he probably would’ve won~”
Big Sae-jin said this with a straight face before smirking.
‘He did that on purpose.’
Since the student council election had come up during the school violence rumor incident, it seemed he’d deliberately chosen that character for the music video to bury that story.
Anyway, the music video ended with a humorous conclusion where this motley crew somehow managed to beat another school at the sports festival.
By the way, Lee Sae-jin’s goal—the student record—was inserted like a post-credits scene at the end, adding a slight twist.
“Wow!”
“It was fun all the way to the end!”
It wasn’t confusing with awkward cuts, nor boring with excessive plot, delivering perfectly balanced entertainment. The placement alongside the group choreography cuts seemed to be the key.
“Everyone worked hard!”
“Great work!”
Relief poured out from every corner at the simple fact that one music video had been successfully released.
And then Ryu Chung-woo spoke up, deliberately casual.
“Especially… Sae-jin, thank you.”
“…!”
“That’s right. Thanks to you, Sae-jin, even us amateurs managed to pull off natural-looking cuts.”
“Huh, Rae-bin. So the older guys really did look like amateurs….”
“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant….”
I let it slide that Kim Rae-bin had been caught in Big Sae-jin’s trap again.
“….”
Lee Sae-jin bit her lip hard, but soon nodded.
And added quietly.
“…No, you all did well. And… if my attitude has been terrible up until now, I’m sorry.”
“…!”
“Oh, no….”
“From now on… I won’t avoid things like this. I’ll get my head straight.”
Lee Sae-jin had both hands clenched tightly.
‘Looks like she got her head on straight after putting out the immediate fire.’
She must have been reflecting on the events of the past few days.
“It’s, it’s fine! You, you, hyung worked hard too….”
“We’re debuting now anyway. It’s natural to go through trial and error.”
“Fighting!”
“…Thanks.”
Thanks to these easygoing guys accepting her well, the atmosphere warmed up again.
The slightly awkward air that had been flowing for days since Lee Sae-jin’s incident seemed to have cleared thanks to the music video.
Though it wasn’t as if we’d suddenly become close as more than coworkers.
“Let’s fighting~”
For instance, Big Sae-jin over there, grinning away, still didn’t seem to like Lee Sae-jin much, but… well, it was strange to expect seven complete strangers to all get along.
As long as we didn’t fight, that was enough.
‘The atmosphere should come across fine in the reality show too.’
The apology would be edited out anyway.
I rolled my shoulders and stretched. At that moment, Ryu Chung-woo spoke to me gently.
“Well then, let’s head back to the training room.”
“….”
“…Yes!”
Even the great Cha Yu-jin’s response came half a beat late.
Everyone was already tired of practice from the relentless push these past days, but we all knew we couldn’t just rest like this.
The debut showcase was only four days away….
“Let’s hang in there, not much time left.”
“Right….”
“Come on, fighting!”
After a few meaningless cheers, it was confirmed that we’d be practicing through the night again.
“….”
I wished more fans than journalists would show up at the showcase. That would at least be some consolation.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
I was pressing my eye sockets when Lee Sae-jin spoke to me. I turned my head out of courtesy, and heard a quiet murmur.
“Thanks for writing it with me.”
“…?”
Writing what?
My exhausted mind wasn’t processing things clearly.
I immediately recalled the most recent example that would fit.
“Oh, the handwritten letter?”
“…Yeah!”
Lee Sae-jin suddenly raised his voice, then quickly took a breath and calmed himself down.
“…Thanks to you, it turned out well. I’ll definitely repay you.”
“Sure…. Well, you don’t need to worry about it too much.”
Honestly, anyone with their wits about them could have written it—I just organized it quickly. There wasn’t time for anything else.
So there’s no debt, and as long as no drug scandal breaks, we’re fine.
Though… my gut feeling says that drug scandal was probably related to his previous agency anyway.
‘…But what if some other issue suddenly pops up?’
It’s not like I’ve only been blindsided once or twice—I should stay cautious just in case.
“I’m telling you I’ll repay it! …Anyway, thanks.”
Lee Sae-jin raised his voice again, then quickly composed himself and hurried out of the Dormitory.
I’d see him again in less than thirty seconds anyway.
‘…We both have to head to the Training Room anyway.’
He clearly wasn’t getting sleep either—his mind was just as foggy as mine. I shook my head and moved my feet.

* * *
Testa’s “Hi-five” music video satisfied the fans.
It was a sentence that might have sounded trivial, but it carried an enormous significance.
It meant they had fulfilled the sky-piercing expectations surrounding Ajusa’s debut group.
-Honestly, when I heard about the double title and only saw the teaser, I was a bit worried the firepower would be split… but that was needless anxiety lol
-Did you see the music video quality?~ This is what big corporate capital tastes like!
-Oh, what should I do? I’m so excited. The Magic Boy music video will come too, right?
-Please release the music for the catchy song, guys, Tekma Money ㅠㅠ
Meanwhile, tears flowed from those who couldn’t secure showcase tickets.
-Azusa They say there are no ticket sales because these crazy people sold everything in stock packages. They said the show was already sold out before the final episode!
-Does this make sense, Tinet!! Among the people who bought it, there are fans of those who were eliminated, and they say they sell scalped tickets at a high price.
└At least it ends with scalping. But what if someone with bad intentions shows up and boos at the showcase… ugh…
While fans without tickets were beating their chests in worry and frustration.
In reality, some of the eliminated contestants’ fans didn’t sell their showcase tickets even on the scalper market.
‘Let’s see how well they actually do.’
Whether actual booing or commotion would occur was uncertain, but it was definitely a risk factor that Tnet had carelessly overlooked.
And on June 18th, when the “magical boy” music video was released.
The showcase began at 8 PM that evening.

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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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