The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut - Chapter 56

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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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The Gate Burst Open on My Debut Day (56)
└ㅁㅊ It’s real. Haha. This is the first time I’ve seen a trainee take post-it notes from fans.
└It feels so good to be a trainee who repays love with love.
└And coming at dawn to avoid causing trouble? That’s some real thoughtfulness
I scrolled through the endless stream of comments.
“Wow, I stuck my Post-it note way up high, but they actually took it.”
└Wait, was it you who put that sticky note on top of the Yoo Sung advertisement?
└They’re admitting it lol
└Yeah it’s me lol I didn’t put it myself though, I asked my male friend to do it
└How tall is your male friend?
└Almost 2 meters. I asked him to put it super high so no one could take it. But I never thought they actually would;;>
So the sticky note attached high on the Yoo Sung advertisement wasn’t one meant to stay untouched.
The person who’d written it seemed flustered, but fortunately didn’t appear upset.
Rather, they seemed delighted that I’d remembered to take their sticky note as well.
└But honestly, Kim Chowol and Okada aside, Yoo Sung is really unexpected lol Has that cold urban guy image
└ㄹㅇ The way he makes a face like an ice prince and collects post-it notes from fans is really cute haha.
└These quiet types tend to have soft hearts
On the contrary, kids like Kim Chowol and Okada have strong personalities lol
└Now that I think about it, Kim Chowol and Yoo Sung were both pretty weak-willed compared to the existing members lol
No one was criticizing Yoo Sung’s personality or character anymore.
└This is so obviously staged;; Come on, viral marketing needs to be subtle. What trainee goes to a subway station at dawn to see an advertisement? And then randomly bumps into a fan there?
“Honestly, and Yoo Sung just looks like he has a dirty personality, but Kim Chowol keeps sucking up to him, it’s seriously disgusting lol lol. Kim Chowol is just part of the same clique anyway.”
Of course, there were occasional negative reactions, but there was no need to worry.
└Are you jealous? Pfft lol Are you jealous? Pfft lol Are you jealous? Pfft lol Are you jealous? Pfft lol Are you jealous? Pfft lol
└Just admit you’re jealous~ It’s not our fault your oppa treats fans like trash~
Just quit being a fan and become Kim Chowol and Yoo Sung yourself lol
└And how long are you going to keep bringing up Yoo Sung’s character controversy? It was all a misunderstanding and fabrication, that discussion ended ages ago
└Because you’re a loser lol Why don’t you go outside and meet some people instead of sitting in your room typing out malicious comments
Whenever anyone showed even the slightest negative reaction toward us, the comment brigade would swarm in and set them straight.
Public opinion and the masses were on our side.
‘I thought the response wouldn’t be bad, but…’
This was beyond my expectations.
I stuck my tongue out as I watched the posts and comments continue to multiply.
Whether it was because of the EX-Grade K-POP Idol’s buzz or because of Yoo Sung’s and my recognition, news articles had started appearing online.
[‘I wanted to cherish them’… The warm heart of a trainee who collected every single fan-written sticky note of encouragement]
[Not a single one left behind: Who is this fan-service-savvy idol trainee who collected all the fan sticky notes?]
[‘Without missing a single one’… Three trainees who collected all the fan-written sticky notes of encouragement]
Beyond just news articles, mass-produced shorts were popping up all over YouTube.
I recognized many of the channels.
They were the ones who’d been milking views from my and Yoo Sung’s PR videos.
[Shocking behavior of men storming a Subway Station late at night]
[Controversy surrounding rising trainees… Community sites in chaos right now;;]
[The shocking method trainees use to dispose of fan support sticky notes]
The Mass-Produced Shorts Channel’s ability to bait attention was genuinely top-tier.
Thanks to that, the view count for the Mass-Produced Shorts video uploaded yesterday surpassed one million in a single day.
Despite the clickbait title, the actual content was heartwarming, so the comment reactions weren’t bad at all.
‘This… I can feel it coming, I can sense it.’
I closed my eyes and muttered the incantation over and over in my mind like a mantra.
It’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming…!
―Ding!
It came!
My eyes snapped open as I gazed at the translucent status window floating in the air before me.
[Hidden Quest cleared.]
[Hidden Quest: Have your name mentioned by people 2 million times or more.
*Nicknames and aliases are included.
*Online mentions on SNS and Community Sites are also counted.
Reward: Item Draw Ticket (B) x1]
A B-grade item draw ticket!
I still hadn’t used the S-grade item selection right I’d received as a special reward from the Universal Scheduler, and now I’d obtained a new draw ticket.
Of course, compared to the S-grade selection right, the B-grade draw ticket felt slightly underwhelming….
‘Whether it’s a draw ticket or a selection right, whether the grade is high or low, more is always better.’
I nodded contentedly with a satisfied smile.
“Hey, Kim Chowol! You’re eating dinner, right?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Then don’t just space out—come pick a menu.”
“Got it.”
I jumped up from my seat and dashed over to the Living Room where Yoo Sung and Okada were.
First things first—let’s eat.
* * *
Three hours until EX-Grade K-POP Idol episode 5 airs.
We gathered in the Living Room to decide on dinner.
“I’ll buy dinner.”
“Uh….”
As Yoo Sung spoke firmly, Okada hesitated and glanced around nervously.
“N-no, I’ll get it.”
“Why would you?”
Yoo Sung raised an eyebrow as he spoke.
Since the last vacation, Yoo Sung had been staying at my place and paying for meal expenses instead of dormitory fees.
But once Okada joined us, the situation became ambiguous about who should cover the meal costs.
“Since I’m staying at your place too….”
“That’s enough. If you have money, save it and buy some snacks instead.”
“But….”
“I said that’s enough. Just decide on a menu.”
Yoo Sung’s tone was blunt enough to make a stranger flinch.
Yet beneath his words lay a warmth of genuine consideration.
‘Is this what they call tsundere?’
I nodded, amused by a thought that would horrify Yoo Sung if he heard it.
“Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
I asked Yoo Sung and Okada.
I didn’t have any particular cravings myself.
But Yoo Sung’s brow furrowed sharply as if deeply dissatisfied. “You pick the menu. Don’t try to pass the decision off on someone else.”
“Pass it off? That’s such a hurtful thing to say.”
“Enough. You choose.”
I could roughly guess what Yoo Sung was thinking.
He was letting two men—one an adult, one nearly there—stay without asking for anything in return, so he believed I should at least have the privilege of choosing the menu.
‘But honestly, I don’t mind eating anything.’
Hmm….
I squinted and scrolled rapidly through the delivery app.
Then I selected a restaurant with the mindset of just picking whatever came up first.
The chosen establishment was a chicken restaurant.
Safe enough.
“Hey, choose properly. Properly.”
“I did choose properly.”
“Do you think I’m blind?”
“No, why? Chicken is delicious. Let’s get chicken. One fried, one glazed should be plenty, right? If there’s leftover, we can have it for lunch tomorrow.”
After I selected the menu and handed my phone back, Yoo Sung let out a deep sigh and placed the order.
“Let’s set up.”
We arranged the dishes and bowls on the living room table, then tuned the TV to watch EX-grade K-POP.
Just as we were nearly finishing the chicken that arrived earlier than expected.
A familiar MC’s face filled the screen.
[“Now I’ll explain the second Main Quest!”]
The nervous faces of the trainees flashed past, and the large screen behind the MC changed.
[The second Main Quest has arrived.]
[Main Quest: Guild War]
As the unfamiliar terminology appeared, the live chat began to ignite.
[Guild War? What’s that, you nerd]
[Isn’t it related to the guild we made last time?]
[The wording sounds nerdy, but it’s probably just a regular team battle]
By this point, many viewers had grown accustomed to the EX-grade K-POP Idol’s conceptual roleplay.
By this point, many people seemed accustomed to the concept play of EX-Grade K-POP Idols.
[“The extraordinary benefit provided to each Guild is… the ‘Special Mercenary Recruitment Right’!”]
The moment the MC finished explaining, mercenary recruitment began.
The camera caught me perfectly as I gestured for Yoo Sung to come over.
[Kim Chowol and Yoo Sung are super close lol]
[Huh? Yoo Sung looks like he’s in a bad mood though;;]
That wasn’t wrong—our relationship had been strained back then.
[Our Sung-i is in a great mood right now, okay? Don’t just say whatever without knowing the facts]
But Yoo Sung and I had already proven our bond.
As long as Jang Hyuk-soo didn’t deliberately cause trouble, there would be no issues going forward.
[“I’ll recruit Okada as a trainee.”
“The Kim Chowol Guild has recruited trainee Okada! Congratulations!”]
The moment the three of us—who had become famous as the Subway Station Post-it trainees—came together, the chat atmosphere warmed.
[Honestly, I thought the Kim Chowol, Yoo Sung, and Okada combination was a bit unfamiliar, but it seems they got closer while preparing for the Stage]
[All three are good at their main jobs, have great personalities, and are handsome—very pleasant to watch ^^]
[Look at Okada running excitedly toward Kim Chowol lol He must have really taken good care of her]
The reactions weren’t bad until I selected Seo Ijae.
That was because Winter Boys Homma had mentioned during the Production Presentation how grateful he was that Seo Ijae had taken good care of him.
The problem arose after mercenary recruitment ended and the trainees went to find their Guilds.
[“Finally, all the Guilds have been formed! Before you get to know your fellow Guild members, we need to decide which Guild you’ll face in the War first!”]
The moment the MC finished speaking, the large Screen changed again.
Below the mission song list, question marks appeared.
[Starlight, Nexus
??? ― ???]
The MC snapped his fingers, and the question marks began spinning wildly like a slot machine.
[Kim Chowol-Song Ha-min]
The frantically spinning question marks stopped at my name and another trainee’s.
Song Ha-min was the trainee who had formed a Guild with Han Theo as a special mercenary.
―Kuuung!
As an ominous sound effect heightened the tension, the chat began to stir.
[Huh? What?]
[Kim Chowol and Han Theo are facing off lol]
[I already knew from the audience reviews, but this really feels like fate playing a joke]
The camera zoomed in on my face and Han Theo’s.
I was staring at the Screen with a slightly tense expression, while Han Theo…
[Why does Han Theo’s expression look so fierce? He looks like he could kill someone ;;]
…was glaring at me with eyes darkened and sunken.
‘What?’
Han Theo had been looking at me with that expression?

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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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