Chapter 69

If I can't debut, I'll get a terminal illness 069th Chapter

‘Finally, the day has come.’

Pak Moondae, the first home viewer, cracked his fingers and stared at the monitor.

Today was the day the first episode of the reality show would air.

The excitement from a few days ago when the preview was released still lingered in the chat.

- Moondae is cooking!

- Moondae is playing a game!

- Gyaahaaa!!

…The video teaser, thrown amidst chronic content shortages, was like a drug.

He had memorized the short, cutely edited preview from watching it so many times.

And now, finally, it was just before the main episode!

‘It’s starting…!’

When the ‘12+’ rating appeared, she rubbed her hands together. The teaser streaming she had been running for the view count paused, and she sat up straight, staring at the screen.

[The Glorious Debut!]

The program began by showing brief moments from the final episode of 〈Ajuza〉 and various media reactions, setting the stage for TeSTAR.

[Finally, TeSTAR (TeSTAR) has been formed]

[What has become of them?]

A meaningful subtitle.

And then, what appeared next was….

[Uhahaaa!!]

[Let's do it one more time!]

[Oh, oh oh….]

The scene showed TeSTAR members deeply engrossed in a board game.

- Hahaha

- I'm so relieved to see you doing well, sis!

- They look extremely happy

On SNS, people were buzzing, and TeSTAR looked very happy.

The fans were pleased to see the members looking relaxed and comfortable after the audition.

[Why is TeSTAR… so enthusiastic about the game…?]

With a humorous subtitle, the scene changed.

[〈May 202■, 9:00 AM〉]

[Wow!!]

[I love this house!]

The camera captured TeSTAR entering the bustling accommodation.

The members' efforts to look cheerful and the editing made them look like a pack of puppies.

‘Where is Moondae?’

Pak Moondae wasn’t running around, but he was looking around the house with wide eyes. He was wearing the yellow hoodie seen in TeSTAR’s first SNS photo.

‘He looks even cuter in a moving video…!’

As she was moved, other viewers were also discussing the casual outfits.

- Finally, we can see the kids in high-quality, moving images wearing what they want. This is the taste of debut!

- Their preferred styles are clearly shown

- Haha, everyone looked as expected, but Moondae stood out

└ Indeed, he was always seen wearing t-shirt scraps in the sightings. What's with the cute outfit today?

└ He even wore a Welsh Corgi puppet head. Moondae is really into his character…

└ That's right

└ Indeed, the mysterious effort character

Then, the scene showed TeSTAR members receiving mission cards from a robot vacuum cleaner.

[To help you become a true group, clear the mission!]

[Oh.]

[Ah… mission.]

The subsequent scenes of the qualifiers reacting sensitively to elements reminiscent of 〈Ajuza〉, slightly melancholic, were used as good comedic elements.

- Oh no

- Haha, it's so good

- Kids, we also suffer from Ajuza PTSD…

- It's a really sinful show. Now that TeSTAR is out, it should be canceled!

- Instead of a next season, let's have TeSTAR's reality show every year!

The viewers laughed and empathized.

And they burst into laughter again when they saw the members, who were deeply engrossed in the game, failing to switch gears for the roommate mission.

[Please, just one more time!]

[I want to win!]

- Hahaha

- What to do with the kids' competitive spirit? Hahaha

- Maybe it's a kind of… occupational hazard from Ajuza, where they used to pretend to be asleep

└ That seems right Hahaha

The most engrossed person and the most composed person taking the 1st and 2nd places added a subtle comedic element.

[Yeah! We won!]

[...Well, congratulations.]

The contrast between the excited Cha Yujin's celebration and the calm Pak Moondae's reaction, which reminded viewers of their team play, was even funnier.

- Moondae's Tibetan fox expression again Hahaha

- They are so different but being on the same team is so funny. Keep being close, kids! T_T

- Haha, 1st and 2nd place only swapped among themselves

- Cha Yujin seems to have a lot of luck, and Moondae is good at games? Haha

However, the reaction to the roommate results was slightly subdued.

It was a combination that no one had really thought about or hoped for.

- Oh

- So it's like this Haha

- I hope they get along well

- The roommate pairs won't stay like this until the end, right? They'll change

Still, the scene of making dinner mostly recovered the positive reaction.

The shopping team racing through the mart and the cooking team making steamed chicken in a cozy manner were both adorable.

Especially, Pak Moondae and Seo Ahyeon stood out with their unexpected cooking skills.

[Let's start by preparing the ingredients. I'll prepare the chicken. Is that okay?]

Pak Moondae immediately divided the tasks as soon as the ingredients arrived and took on the most difficult job.

It was purely because he couldn't trust the other members, but on screen, he looked quite reliable.

Seo Ahyeon, who looked like she would be good at cooking, messed up badly and was extremely flustered, earning her screen time.

[Sorry, sorry….]

[No need to apologize.]

Pak Moondae, alternating between the ruined onions and the knife that almost hit Seo Ahyeon's hand, gave her a new task.

[Can you… tidy up the table over there?]

[Uh, okay!]

Seo Ahyeon on screen instantly brightened up with a flashy effect, and the fans were delighted.

- Moondae is good at cooking too?;; I'm surprised

- Oh, Ahyeon Hahaha

- Kids, don't give Ahyeon a knife in the future (she might hurt herself) T_T Haha

- Moondae is so good at taking care of people? T_T Why did he act so coldly in Ajuza at the beginning….

└ That's the question all Moondae fans have

The scene of the members eating steamed chicken and having a harmonious conversation, which fans expected from the reality show, received positive reviews.

- The kids have big hands, they made a lot of steamed chicken Haha

- They all eat well

- The kids seem to be quite close, like comrades made in Ajuza Haha

- Stay together, kids! ♡

And the highlight of the episode appeared.

It was a group horror movie viewing.

[Hehehehehehehehehe]

The ghost face on the screen split the air with the mart's private brand popcorn.

[Uhuhuhu….]

[Oh!!]

Thanks to the production team capturing each member's reaction, the fans could enjoy building the characters even more.

- Cha Yujin is laughing? Haha

- Oh, the great Se Jin is afraid of ghosts! I thought he was so cool and popular!

- Rabin, your clothes are going to tear Haha

- I never saw Ryu Cheongwoo like this. He chose the horror movie while saying he's not scared! Haha

Before Pak Moondae's cut, his fans had already guessed.

Of course, Pak Moondae wouldn't be scared!

- The Tibetan fox expression will come out again Haha

-(Everyone seems scared. Horror movies are scary.)

└ Haha, he's already cute, Moondae T_T

- He'll probably eat popcorn while watching

But the last person to appear on screen was Moondae…

He was looking down and eating popcorn.

And every time the ghost sound was heard, the popcorn bowl would intermittently jump.

[Grgrgrgrgrgrgrgr….]

[(Popcorn acrobatics)]

Still, Pak Moondae stubbornly didn't turn his gaze towards the horror movie.

The comments flooded in.

- …?

- ?!?

- He's… scared!

- Oh my

- He's so cute, I think he's crazy

The fans were completely excited by Pak Moondae's动摇, who usually only showed a calm demeanor on the show, whether he stayed up all night for a week or won the final 1st place.

- Wow, he can't even look at the screen until the end T_T He's pretending not to be scared

- He finished the popcorn but kept holding the empty bowl! He can't let go because he's scared!

- He got up when the movie ended Haha

- He didn't notice the others, right? Moondae probably thinks he looks natural in front of the camera Haha

Pak Moondae's home viewer, unable to hold back, sent a message to her friend.

[Aaa]

[Moondae is good at cooking]

[He's good at board games too]

[But he can't watch horror movies Haha, he's so cute I want to destroy the apartment]

Despite the typos from continuously watching the screen, this was what she wanted to say.

[7 different colors]

[TeSTAR getting to know each other anew]

[What will happen tomorrow?]

The horror movie part, which brought joy to all the members' fans, concluded the first episode of the reality show.

“…Ah.”

She realized that an hour had already passed.

In front of her, the mid-commercial ended, and the preview was broadcast.

[We are in the studio now~]

The scene of TeSTAR discussing in a soundproof booth in a music studio.

And….

[We are… on our way to the announcement.]

The members, dressed neatly, entering the meeting room.

“Huh.”

There's also a segment about album production!

She was already eager to see the next episode.

She quickly opened SNS to share her overflowing thoughts.

- Honestly, I thought it would be boring, but it was super fun

- Where did the people who said the kids would be awkward go? Haha, they seem close and comfortable

- Oh, the preview and the debut-related story unfolding are so good, I feel relieved T_T

- Wow, did the god concept members choose that? Is that their Ajuza experience?

Every comment on the timeline resonated with her.

She smiled happily and was about to press the writing button when she saw a newly updated post on the timeline.

=========================

[Ah… I'm going crazy (link) (screenshot)]

=========================

“Huh?”

The link was to a portal site news address.

And the screenshot… was the article.

“……!”

As soon as she read the content, her heart felt as if it had been hit by cold water.

=========================

[〈Idol Corporation〉 TeSTAR 'Unfair Contract' Litigation Revealed]

: TeSTAR (TeSTAR) member Lee Sejin (22), who debuted through 〈Re-listing! Idol Corporation〉, is being sued by his former agency (Dream K) for an unfair contract with Tnet.

According to Dream K, Tnet pressured multiple agencies to have their artists participate in 〈Re-listing! Idol Corporation〉, which aired from January, and forced them to sign an unfair contract transferring the artists' management to Tnet if they debuted through the program.

……

=========================

She swallowed and clicked on the article.

* * *

Past midnight.

The atmosphere in the dorm was as tense as thin ice.

“…Let’s summarize.”

“…….”

“So, Sejin’s former agency… is asking for their artist back.”

Ryu Cheongwoo calmly summarized the situation.

I suppressed a sigh.

‘It was bound to happen.’

From the beginning, it was a risky move for Tnet to push for a contract that made any participant of 〈Ajuza〉 their management if they debuted.

It was probably a way to satisfy the desire to milk a group launched through an audition for a long time.

‘Usually, they would settle for a dual management arrangement and take a cut twice.’

Completely taking over management was almost unheard of in this industry.

The agency couldn’t fight the broadcaster, so they would usually back down, but 〈Ajuza〉 this season was doing so well that it finally led to a conflict.

‘Probably… the dissatisfaction had been building since the ‘Casting Call’ content, where the broadcaster unilaterally suggested a change in management.’

Moreover, Lee Sejin could be used as a solo actor, making him even more valuable.

At the very least, they would want to get their share during TeSTAR’s activities.

“…….”

Lee Sejin didn’t respond even after a long standoff. He just sat on the sofa, head down.

Big Sejin laughed and urged him.

“Bro, say something~”

At first, he tried to coax and comfort, but his tone started to change as he couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Big Sejin.”

“We need to resolve this quickly. You know our debut is only a week away, right? We don’t have time~”

“…….”

“If you don’t clarify your stance now, other agencies might join in and start talking about lawsuits.”

Big Sejin was still smiling, but his words were getting faster.

“You know, if you don’t act, it won’t just affect you. It will affect the other members too. Whether you stay or leave, talk to your agency quickly.”

‘His mental state is also breaking down.’

I clicked my tongue.

Come to think of it, Big Sejin’s agency might also join the lawsuit if they see how it goes.

Just barely passing the audition and being on the verge of debuting, the thought of this happening to Big Sejin made his blood boil.

“…….”

But Lee Sejin, instead of speaking, abruptly got up and ran away.

“……!”

“Hey.”

Bang.

And he went into his room and closed the door.

‘…Is he joking?’

To avoid the situation so one-dimensionally in his own affairs.

At this point, even I, who had no particular thoughts, started to get annoyed. What is he doing, not just once or twice.

‘…If we want to sleep tonight, we’ll have to unlock the door anyway.’

I approached the room and hit the locked doorknob from above.

Thud.

The doorknob of a household door, as expected, opened easily. It’s good to exercise.

“……!”

“I’m coming in.”