Chapter 72

### Chapter 72: If I Can't Debut, I'll Get a Terminal Illness

I heard that the music video for "Magic Boy" was released at midnight last night.

However, I didn't have the time to monitor it properly. The delirious mutterings of Cha Yujin, who was half-asleep, would prove that.

"Hmm...? Is my hair done?"

"The hair was done a while ago, and now we're moving in the car."

"Oh..."

Cha Yujin let out a faint sigh and fell back asleep.

That's right. Since last night, we've been moving around here and there, getting cleaned up, polished, doing some filming, some interviews...

For nearly a month, we haven't had a proper night's sleep, so it wouldn't be strange if someone started to get confused about who was who and where they were.

"Is it the showcase now...?"

"Yeah~"

Seo Ah-hyun, who asked the manager with a doubtful tone, took a deep breath. It seemed she was suddenly nervous because the event was so close.

"Well, let's show everything we've prepared over the past month. No matter where we are, practice never betrays you."

"Sure~"

"Okay, okay!"

A few members who were awake responded to Ryu Cheong-woo's encouraging words, which were slightly choked up.

Then, Kim Rae-bin, who was sitting next to me, muttered quietly.

"Actually, the amount of practice relative to the time is high, but in absolute terms, it's still lacking..."

"..."

When I looked at him silently, he quickly changed his words.

"...But I think we can perform the stage passionately enough."

"Right."

He may lack social skills, but he's perceptive, which is fortunate.

* * *

Most of the journalists attending the showcase had high expectations.

Not for Testa's skills, but for the buzz.

"At least the views on the article will be decent."

"Even if they fail, it'll be good in its own way."

Both the photographers and the columnists were eagerly waiting for the showcase to begin.

In front of and behind the journalists, the shareholders who had bought stock packages from "Aju Company" were seated.

Most of them had brought various slogans and cheering tools. Although the official light sticks hadn't been released yet, the fans' excitement was palpable despite the different shapes and colors.

Amid the overall excited atmosphere, the stage lights came on, and the opening began.

- High-five!

Wearing the same baseball uniforms as in the music video, Testa performed the choreography more precisely than in the video.

- My feet move

Zoom in~

To you

Ddan Ddan Daradara DAAN Yeah!

The choreography was lively, with frequent jumping movements that matched the upbeat song.

Whew~!

Every time they turned or kicked in sync with the whistle, the audience's focus intensified.

"They're doing well."

"The song is great too!"

The members' playful ad-libs, like playing rock-paper-scissors or greeting each other during the instrumental breaks, were endearingly charming.

"They don't seem like rookies."

"Contestants from auditions are good at this kind of thing."

The journalists, who were generally impressed, enthusiastically came up with titles.

['High-five' Testa Proves Their Star Power]

[Testa 'Home Run with the Opening!']

Meanwhile, after the opening, the Testa members briefly went backstage, and the MC took over to fill the time.

It was a familiar face to everyone in the room.

"Hello everyone~"

"Hey!!"

As the familiar MC from "Aju Company" greeted the fans, who felt both welcome and a bit creeped out, Testa was frantically changing clothes with the help of the staff backstage.

"Ah, my hair!"

"The baseball uniform is really hard to take off..."

Just as Testa, now wearing a school uniform jacket with a fancy badge, ran out, the MC skillfully engaged the audience.

"Wow, it's been a while, shareholders! ...What? You're not happy? Let's not be like that~ It's been three months since we last saw each other, right? Of course, you've only seen my face."

Amid laughter, playful jeers, and cheers, the MC smiled and introduced the next performance.

"Then, let's meet your stock again after a long time. Your stock is soaring!"

The stage lights came on again.

Testa started dancing to the prelude with a smile.

It was 'It's Me.'

"…!!"

How long had it been since the finale? The audience was enveloped in a strange sense of nostalgia.

Moreover, seeing Testa sing 'It's Me' with divided parts and smiles was a fresh experience.

It felt like watching an epilogue after a happy ending, so the audience enjoyed the stage with a warm heart.

- The one shining on this stage today.

It's me!

Yeah, you make me a Shining Star.

It's me!

"Finally, I'm shining~"

Soon, the audience joined in the chorus.

Testa, pleasantly surprised, sang even louder with a bigger smile.

It was a joyful time, even for the journalists who had watched "Aju Company," with a few of them nodding their heads.

However, not everyone was moved.

A few hearts turned cold.

'They're done with their own songs, huh.'

'Having fun with divided parts, are they?'

These were the fans of contestants who had been eliminated from "Aju Company" and attended the showcase with a biased mindset.

Of course, most fans of eliminated contestants were simply enjoying the performance.

Even if their top choice wasn't in Testa, they had some affection for the members.

However, there are always a few exceptions.

"Challenge version! Thank you~"

The incident happened during the talk session after the next song.

"I really wanted to do this version!"

"Sure~ Congratulations, Cha Yujin."

"Hee."

Cha Yujin was excitedly talking about performing a different team version of 'Final,' the song she had done in the finale, and the other members were looking at her cutely, even without the cameras.

The journalists didn't ask particularly malicious questions, but a few were sharp or had a slight trap.

"You all seem close. Who is the least close member to each of you?"

"The album preparation was done in a very short time. How was that possible?"

"VTIC came back just a few days ago on the 12th. What do you think about that?"

All were expected questions, and Ryu Cheong-woo and Daesejin smoothly deflected them.

"We're all getting closer~ But we developed a strange camaraderie during 'Aju Company'... We're surprised at how quickly we've become close!"

"The company had already prepared for the album, so we could proceed quickly. I'd like to thank Director Kwak Shin-gyun and the staff."

"I want to get the VTIC seniors' autographs on the album! It's been on my bucket list!"

The members' survival interview skills, honed to avoid malicious editing, were shining.

Then, a proper question came.

"You've chosen two title tracks. What's the unique charm of 'Magic Boy' that differentiates it from the 'High-five' stage we just saw?"

"Ah."

Ryu Cheong-woo instinctively reached for the microphone but, after a brief judgment, passed the answer to Park Moon-dae, the idea proposer.

'Since it's not a strange question, Moon-dae can handle it.'

It was a considerate action, but Park Moon-dae wasn't a fan of interviews.

'Well, here we go.'

Still, he couldn't pass the microphone back, so he took it.

"Magic Boy is..."

At that moment.

"…!"

"Ah!"

Something translucent flew from a bit below the stage and hit Park Moon-dae's arm.

"Be careful…!"

Ryu Cheong-woo, with quick reflexes, tried to pull Park Moon-dae back, but the object had come with considerable force, making it hard to block.

"…"

Park Moon-dae looked down at his arm.

It was soaked.

'They threw a water bottle.'

Water dripped from the badge to the sleeve.

Seeing his forehead was cold, it seemed some had splashed on his cheek.

His elbow throbbed a bit.

'They threw it hard.'

The performance hall instantly froze in shock.

Among the audience, murmurs, worried mutterings, and small screams filled the air.

The journalists, however, were delighted.

'Well, well.'

'Whoever it was, they did a good job~'

Park Moon-dae quickly assessed the situation.

'No strange substances.'

Given his forehead was fine, it wasn't acid or alcohol. In the worst case, it might have been the thrower's saliva.

'I'll just let it go.'

The entire incident took only three seconds to process.

His teenage years, spent always gauging situations, had prepared him for this.

Park Moon-dae smiled.

"You're quick on the uptake."

"…!?"

"It seems you predicted my answer."

He then took off his jacket, revealing the school uniform shirt the fans already knew.

The white school uniform from the Magic Boy music video.

"By watching the stage, you can fully confirm the unique charm of this song... I believe."

"…Ah!"

The members quickly caught on and also took off their jackets, tossing them aside.

"Thanks to the encouragement, let's start right away. Magic Boy."

Park Moon-dae, still with wet hair, combed it back and took the microphone again.

Soon, the sound of a music box filled the hall.

♫♪♩♪-

♫♪♩♪-

♪♩-

In the dreamy purple stage setup, Park Moon-dae, with wet hair, began to sing.

- I've been thinking about you all day

Dreaming of a sky-blue dream

And the fans at the scene instantly forgot about the water bottle incident.

* * *

Testa's showcase lasted about an hour, not particularly long. However, articles and reviews started appearing even before it ended.

Of course, the incident was mentioned in some articles.

[Testa, Soaked in Water for a Dreamy 'Magic Boy']

[The Resilience of Prepared Stars: Turning a Crisis into a Performance]

Clicking on these titles, one would inevitably see a photo of Park Moon-dae, in his school uniform, shaking the water out of his hair.

Or a photo of him throwing the wet jacket, with the water from the badge reflecting the lights, adding an aesthetic touch.

Photos of him being hit by the water bottle also appeared, but most were low-quality captures from videos being filmed.

Still, the reaction was clear.

- What kind of crazy person throws a water bottle at a debut idol?

- They were aiming for his face, lol. If Cheong-woo hadn't pulled him back, he would have been hit square in the face.

- Definitely a real psychopath.

- Did they get caught? Please say they were arrested.

- I'm already upset for missing the showcase and seeing the stage late, and now some idiot took my spot? lol, please die.

The fans were furious but deeply relieved by Park Moon-dae's response.

- ㅠㅠ It could have ended badly, but Moon-dae handled it well, thank goodness.

- He must have been shocked, but he didn't show it and naturally moved on, which is really impressive...

- Ah, Moon-dae is just clueless and really thought it was encouragement? lol, his "Aju Company" character interpretation was spot on!

└ But why bring up the character talk here? Go away.

- I was moved when the members immediately took off their jackets too. They seem to get along well.

Still, the cyber trolls on YouTube didn't miss this juicy opportunity.

As a result, such titles briefly appeared in the real-time popular videos.

[The Identity of the Water Bottle Thrown at the "Aju Company" Winner?]

[The Top Idol Hit by a Water Bomb at the Showcase!]

Ironically, the good response turned all of this into viral marketing, generating even more buzz.

"Bro, did you see this?"

And the news reached the ears of VTIC, who had just finished their first week of activities.