The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut - Chapter 27

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Gate Burst Open on My Debut Day (27)
‘What makes a person attractive?’
Through dozens of regressions, I had endlessly contemplated the elements that made someone ‘attractive.’
A beautiful smile, expressive features, a pleasant voice—there were countless factors that could make a person attractive, but the most fundamental element was appearance itself.
Of course, there were plenty of idols who received the assessment: ‘Good-looking, but lacks charm.’
‘But that’s only because they’re mediocrely handsome.’
Who could ever say such a thing about Han Theo and Yoo Sung?
Anyway, returning to the main point—having obtained the Charm Potion, I found myself wondering.
‘If appearance influences charm, then what about the reverse?’
There were people who were handsome yet lacked charm, but conversely, there were those who weren’t particularly striking in appearance yet possessed such magnetism that your eyes kept returning to them.
If appearance could influence charm, couldn’t charm also influence appearance?
If I used this Charm Potion not during the stage performance but before the photo time at the Production Presentation… what would happen?
[Charm Potion has been used.]
[For approximately 12 hours, your Charm stat becomes EX-Grade.]
[Base Stats
Vocal: D+
Dance: D
Appearance: A-
Charm: B 〉 EX]
[Due to the linked effect of Charm (EX), your Appearance stat (A-) increases.]
[Base Stats
Vocal: D+
Dance: D
Appearance: A- 〉 A+
Charm: EX]
Checking my status window, I broke into a satisfied smile.
I had never been this excited about a Production Presentation before.
* * *
At the Production Presentation, we wore the theme song costume for Hunt the Stage.
A black suit, white shirt, and harness.
It was an outfit that had delivered quite an impact to viewers.
Changing clothes in the Waiting Room filled with dozens of men, I discovered a significant problem.
“Hyung? What’s wrong?”
“The pants are too loose.”
“Huh? Did you put on different clothes?”
Okada, who had finished preparing first, tilted her head curiously as she asked.
Okada seemed to think I had mistakenly put on someone else’s pants.
“No, I’ve lost weight. Um, sorry, but could I borrow a belt? My waist is too small for these.”
I asked the Stylist if I could borrow a belt.
The belt held the loose pants snugly in place.
With my makeup and hair styling complete, I turned to glance at Okada.
“Want me to do yours too?”
“Yes!”
Okada answered brightly, as if she’d been waiting for this moment.
I chuckled softly and deftly worked on Okada’s makeup and hair.
“You have quite the knack for this.”
The Stylist, who had just finished with another trainee’s makeup and hair, remarked in admiration.
“You’re Kim Chowol, right? Did you study makeup professionally?”
“I didn’t study it formally—I just picked it up through YouTube since I was interested.”
“You’re self-taught? And you did your own makeup today too?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, that’s amazing! I thought you’d come back from a salon. You’re really talented. If you get a chance later, could you share some of your secrets and tips?”
The Stylist kept glancing at my face as she spoke.
I laughed awkwardly and dodged the question.
‘It’s not really the makeup—it’s the item….’
Of course, I had put in extra effort with my makeup today.
If my appearance stats suddenly jumped, people might get the wrong idea.
“So, what do you think? How does my face look today?”
I turned to Okada, who had been standing beside us listening to our conversation with a blank stare, trying to redirect the Stylist’s attention.
“Your face?”
“Do I look more handsome than usual?”
Today, thanks to the item, I objectively and subjectively looked more handsome.
Okada, who always overpraises me, would normally shower my face with compliments.
But her reaction was different from what I expected.
“Um….”
Okada didn’t answer my question and instead scrutinized my face with a puzzled expression.
The longer Okada observed my face, the more anxious I became.
“I’m sorry. I’m not sure….”
“No, it’s fine. These things happen.”
I answered casually, but in truth, I was shocked.
‘Did the item not activate?’
That worry flickered through me, but I calmed myself by recalling the status window I’d seen so clearly.
Okada probably just had extremely poor eyesight or something like that.
“You’ve always been handsome!”
After all, she says things like that with complete sincerity….
I nodded, pushing aside my shock and concern.
“Once everyone’s ready, we’ll head out.”
“Yes!”
The trainees who had finished their makeup and hair styling answered loudly in unison.
‘Alright, now for the real thing.’
I continued to monitor Yoo Sung and Okada’s positions as I moved.
As we arrived near the Production Presentation Building, I could see crowds of people gathered thickly around the building’s entrance.
“Wow, there are so many people.”
“Did they all come to see us?”
The trainees murmured excitedly.
Since this was still just the Production Presentation, it was this crowded—but once Episode 1 aired, far more people would recognize us, and the buzz would explode exponentially.
I found a suitable spot and made one final adjustment to my tousled hair.
People who noticed our arrival began to murmur.
“They’re here, they’re here!”
“Kyaaaah! They’re so handsome!”
The trainees, unaccustomed to receiving this much attention, all seemed a bit stiff.
I planned to blend the freshness of a trainee with the composure of someone who had lived before—playing the role of “a trainee still a bit shy and awkward, but genuinely committed to fan service.”
“Huh? Who’s that? Was there someone who looked like that?”
“Who? Wow, he’s really handsome.”
The people who spotted me first gasped and began to whisper.
When I turned my head and greeted them, they blushed and started taking photos.
‘Looking at people’s reactions, the item seems to be working well….’
But why did I look the same to Okada as always?
Could it be that Okada always thought I was handsome, so the item looked the same to her whether I used it or not?
‘That’s definitely possible.’
As I walked while pondering this, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd.
It was Eun Ha-su, who had filmed my preview and posted it on SNS.
‘Did she come to see me?’
I hoped that thanks to the preview, she would become one of my fans.
Without thinking, I smiled brightly and waved at her.
When our eyes met, Eun Ha-su stared at me blankly with her eyes while her hands frantically pressed the shutter of her telephoto camera, taking photos like a madwoman.
‘Oops, did I smile too much?’
I needed to be more measured.
After all, I was still a trainee unfamiliar with people’s attention and cheers.
I had made a mistake out of genuine joy.
‘Gaining fans is always a happy thing.’
And they’re essential for placing first.
Surely almost no one here had come specifically to photograph me.
But the moment I appeared, people began taking photos of me as if enchanted.
The fan next to Eun Ha-su, and another person beside her holding a Han Theo slogan.
‘So this is the power of Appearance A+ and Charm EX.’
I gave a light wave to Eun Ha-su, who was photographing me, and to the fan standing beside her.
“Chowol! A cheek heart, just one cheek heart?”
A cheek heart?
That’s my specialty.
At the request of Eun Ha-su’s fan standing beside her, I made a heart shape with my hands.
Of course, I didn’t forget to fumble awkwardly a few times to make it look natural.
‘Huh? What’s that?’
Eun Ha-su, who had been diligently taking photos, suddenly turned to the fan beside her with a bewildered expression.
The fan seemed to have a guilty conscience and deliberately avoided Eun Ha-su’s gaze.
‘Do they know each other? Or did something happen between them?’
Curious as I was, I couldn’t very well go ask, so I quickly lost interest.
“Sung-i!”
I called out to Yoo Sung, who stood awkwardly among the other trainees, glancing around uncomfortably.
The moment I, who was the center of everyone’s attention, called out to Yoo Sung, the cameras swiftly pivoted toward him.
Startled, Yoo Sung furrowed his brow at my gesture, but he quickly composed his expression, mindful of the cameras.
“What.”
“Let’s take a photo together.”
“Why would I.”
“Because people will take it for us?”
You really are something—Yoo Sung was probably the only trainee at the Production Presentation who would ask why photos were being taken.
Despite his handsome features and outstanding abilities, Yoo Sung tended to become somewhat withdrawn in front of his fans.
But that was his problem.
“Hey, you can’t just decide that!”
“Come on, let’s hurry. Everyone’s waiting. Smile, smile. Give us a smile.”
I draped my arm over Yoo Sung’s shoulder and pointed with my other hand toward where the crowd had gathered.
With this, the Production Presentation reviews later would definitely mention how close Yoo Sung and I seemed.
“Hyung, will you take a photo with me too!”
“Sure. Should we all take one together? We’re in the same Guild anyway.”
“He’s a mercenary. There’s only me and you in the Kim Chowol Guild.”
Yoo Sung grumbled unnecessarily about not wanting to take a group photo, but Okada and I paid him no mind.
“When did we ever care about that? Sung-i, see that person over there? They’ve been photographing only you this whole time—look their way and smile for them.”
Yoo Sung’s head turned in the direction I was pointing.
Yoo Sung’s fan startled when their eyes met, then began snapping photos frantically.
Unlike me, Yoo Sung, living his first life, awkwardly pulled up the corners of his mouth.
Yoo Sung’s lips trembled slightly.
“I need to practice smiling.”
“Shut up.”
Yoo Sung clicked his tongue, embarrassed.
With me, who stood out thanks to my item, and Yoo Sung, who stood out even while doing nothing, together, nearly everyone was watching us.
Yoo Sung, Okada, and I thoroughly enjoyed the attention and gazes of the crowd.
“It would be nice if Ijae hyung took a photo with us too…. Where is he?”
Thinking it would be good to take a photo with Seo Ijae as well, I craned my neck upward to search for him.
He had been in front of me, but now he stood alone in the back, isolated from the crowd.
Seo Ijae seemed to have received a tremendous shock, staring blankly at someone in the throng of people.
“Ijae hyung?”
Sensing something amiss, I found myself drawn to gaze at the figure standing at the end of Seo Ijae’s line of sight.
‘That person is….’
The person Seo Ijae was looking at was a Winter Boys Fan holding a professional camera.
She was no ordinary fan.
This Winter Boys Fan had come to see Seo Ijae.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————