Chapter 74

If I can't debut, I'll get a disease that will kill me 074

Testa's performance on the music charts caused a huge stir.

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[Testa's 24 Hits Entry Ranking (1 hour)]

: Hi-five 85th, Magic Boy 88th - Best entry ranking for a boy group since the chart reform

One song is even higher than VTIC's ㄷㄷㄷ

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-He's on fire

-Wow, Azusa is scary

-Should we put Testa in the top 3 boy group line? Haha, let's remove Tiholic who's already washed up

└This guy is not a Testa fan. Please report this troll.

└Reported~

-I knew this would happen. The teaser was already insane ㅋㅋ

-The album sold 250,000 copies in just one day, and the pre-order period was short. They debuted as another class

-Wow, they'll get a lot of attention, right? I'm in for sure ㅇㅇ

└Hahaha, it really gives me a thrill

Their popularity in the country was already at its peak.

People who had watched 'Azusa' even once were adding their comments, causing quite a stir.

Moreover, as the competitive landscape was formed, the reaction of VTIC fans became noticeably cold.

-Debut album entry ranking updated ㅋㅋㅋ The ecosystem of the broadcasting stations is really messed up

-Just look at the numbers, it's clearly a raid

└Unfortunately, the music chart is exploding right now ㅋㅋ If it had come out a month ago, it could have aimed for the 70s

└Your theory is ridiculous ㅋㅋ Testa fans don't know the numbers in many ways~

-Enjoy it while you can~ The Azusa hype will be gone by the next album ㅠㅠ It'll be a career high for the debut album~

└Vtic fans are losing it, aren't they? ㅋㅋㅋ

└Disgusting, Tica

-Everyone had some controversy during the audition program, but it's surprising how many people are listening...

Thanks to the malicious netizens who were excitedly fanning the flames, the atmosphere between fandoms was as cold as thin ice.

However, people who were just moderately interested in idols found it very entertaining.

-Wow, so I'll be watching Vtic and Testa on the music show this week

-Sweet deal ㅋㅋ

-If this continues, won't Testa be number one next week?

└I don't know, VTIC's initial period ends today, but they sold about 180,000 copies today

└Oh my, the numbers are insane

└The key will be how Testa's stage and music chart performance on the broadcast

└Oh, Testa needs to book a lot of variety show schedules ㅋㅋ

The next day, Testa placed 'Hi-five' at 17th and 'Magic Boy' at 19th on the daily chart.

It was an incredibly fast rise, but of course, it wasn't as high as VTIC.

-Testa is insane?

-VTIC is in a different league, so let's not compare. Honestly, it's hard to believe a rookie boy group can do this on the music chart

-If they maintain this ranking, it's a huge success

Everyone was appropriately surprised and their expectations were reasonably met.

Thus, Thursday arrived.

It was the day of Testa's first music show pre-recording.

* * *

"I'm so sleepy."

"Tell me about it."

I never thought there would be a day when I would genuinely agree with Cha Yujin.

'I knew it started in the early morning, but I didn't consider the preparation time.'

If the pre-recording starts at 4:30 AM, we need to be at the station by 4:00 AM at the latest. And we need to arrive at the studio a few hours before that...

In short, it was a night shift.

'While we move around indoors, what about the people who come to watch?'

Even if they are selected by lottery, shouldn't they be paid for coming at this hour?

At least it wasn't cold, so no one would catch a cold while waiting.

"I want to sleep..."

As soon as Cha Yujin entered the waiting room, he sprawled out on the sofa.

"Should I wake him up? His voice might not come out well if he sleeps..."

"He's always like this, but he's fine. Don't worry about him."

"O-Okay."

Kim Raebin's firm words made Seon Ah-hyeon retract her hand. Her face was pale.

It seemed more like she was nervous rather than sleep-deprived.

"...Just a moment."

"Uh?"

I rummaged through my small bag and threw a pack of candy to Seon Ah-hyeon.

It was glucose candy.

"Have some. It helps when you're tired."

"O-Okay..."

"Wow, I want some too!"

Daesejin, who was looking at his smartphone, quickly tried to take one of Seon Ah-hyeon's candies but was unexpectedly stopped by her.

"I-I'll eat it all!"

"But, Ah-hyeon...!"

"..."

I silently took more candy from my bag and threw it. Daesejin caught it happily.

"Thanks!"

'...I'll have to buy a few times more than this, he'll eat as much as he wants.'

Our financial situation isn't great, so this isn't a good sign.

At that moment, the manager and Ryu Cheong-woo entered with a camera.

'Another reality show segment, I guess.'

It seemed this music show was Tnet, so they could enter easily.

The manager waved with a big smile, and Ryu Cheong-woo said with a smile.

"Guys, the fans sent us bento boxes!"

"Wow!"

"...Bento boxes!"

Cha Yujin, who had been sleeping, jumped up. I was really surprised.

The bento boxes that entered the waiting room were magnificent.

'I never thought I'd see a five-tier bento box in real life.'

I was a bit surprised as I took apart the bento box, which was filled with various dishes.

Bento boxes were usually not as good as a regular meal, just something to tide you over.

There was a sticker on the top of the bento box.

[For Testa's debut]

[It's magic♡]

At the bottom, it simply said "Testa fans."

"..."

It seemed to be a joint effort by several fan communities. Since it was the group's first debut performance, they probably sent it together instead of separately.

It was a thoughtful gesture for the members.

"Let's take a picture."

"Let's take one picture first, then open it and take another."

"Great idea. Let's have Mundae take the picture."

"Okay."

"Uh?"

I silently adjusted the angle and focus with my phone and took a few shots. Then I adjusted the brightness and saturation to correct the color.

"Really well done."

"Your skills are amazing...!"

"Thanks. Is it okay if I upload this?"

"Uh?"

I asked the members, but it was really for the manager to hear.

I haven't posted anything personal since Ijin's post, so I wanted to make sure.

There were issues with spoilers and the atmosphere.

I thought it was time to start managing it, and fortunately, the manager gave a clear okay gesture.

The members glanced at the gesture and continued the conversation.

"Of course it's fine~"

"Mundae had a good idea."

"Can we eat now?"

Cha Yujin's earnest question was implicitly ignored.

Instead, Kim Raebin nodded seriously.

"We should frequently post updates from now on."

"Right."

But you should... at least check before posting.

"Let's include 'love.'"

"Wait, won't it look like we're saying we love them because they gave us bento boxes...?"

"Wow."

While I was editing the photos, the members started writing the caption.

"There's a 180-character limit. Let's choose carefully."

"Got it!"

So the completed caption was as follows:

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[This is Testa (TeSTAR)'s account!]

: Waiting for the first music show recording! Thank you so much for the bento boxes! We'll eat and do our best to put on a great performance. We have a lot to show you, and we're really grateful to everyone who has waited for us. We love you! Let's see each other for a long time♡ (Photos) (Photos) (Photos)

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"Great! It's uploaded!"

As the members looked satisfied, Ryu Cheong-woo, who had been watching with a faint smile, suddenly looked flustered.

"..."

"Wait, what time is it?"

... 3:50 AM.

It was the early morning.

Seon Ah-hyeon turned pale.

"W-We're sending notifications in the early morning."

"Can we delete it so the notifications don't go out?"

"Of course they've already gone out..."

"..."

The atmosphere became solemn.

Of course, many idols post in the early morning, but the problem was that they had sent a group update after a month like a morning text.

Cha Yujin, who had been looking at the bento boxes with a sad expression, asked.

"Why?"

"Sending notifications in the early morning is a nuisance."

"Oh."

Cha Yujin said brightly.

"Let's apologize!"

"......!"

A little later, a new post notification appeared on Testa's account.

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[This is Testa (TeSTAR)'s account!]

: Sorry for posting so early in the morning ㅠㅠ We lost track of time... We'll definitely post during the day next time! (Photo)

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The additional photo showed the Testa members bowing in the waiting room.

I felt a bit awkward.

"Wait a moment."

"Hmm?"

"It seems we spoiled the surprise of our outfits."

"......!!"

...Fortunately, we could get the production team's understanding.

However, the members' faces, who had unexpectedly experienced a stomachache just before the recording, were pale.

"Let's think for at least 30 minutes before posting on SNS from now on."

"Yes..."

After the big commotion, the recording time was approaching.

"Let's eat the bento boxes quickly!"

"There's no time, let's eat after the recording."

"Oh..."

Cha Yujin was disappointed.

We only took the vitamin drinks that came with the bento boxes and headed to the stage.

"Wow!!"

About 200 people who had been waiting in line since the night cheered.

By the way, we hadn't even gone on stage yet. We were just walking around next to the stage.

Daesejin said seriously.

"Let's not ask if we should have eaten or not. It feels like we're the only ones eating and taking medicine in the middle of the night."

The members, who had just realized it was the early morning, nodded vigorously.

Except for Cha Yujin.

"But I didn't eat..."

"We'll eat right after the recording."

"...Yes, sir."

Ryu Cheong-woo easily defused the situation.

"Let's go on stage~!"

"Yes-"

The members went on stage following the staff's instructions.

The set was impressive. It looked like they had moved the key elements of the broken school set from the MV, with purple LED lights and a proper soap bubble effect.

'They spent some money.'

But there was no time to look around the set in detail because there were hundreds of people watching.

"This is our first recording stage. Please be kind to us."

"Please be kind to us~"

As the members greeted the audience following Ryu Cheong-woo's lead, cheers and greetings mixed with screams came from below.

"If you have any wishes for Testa..."

"Post more often!"

"Oh, posts."

It seemed they had checked the SNS post we just made, as laughter erupted from the audience. Even Ryu Cheong-woo couldn't help but laugh.

"We'll post more often, but not in the early morning."

"We'll post today!"

"How often do you mean by 'often'..."

"Every day!!"

The fans shouted at the top of their lungs. They were as enthusiastic as Kim Raebin. Impressive.

This was the first time we had such a close interaction with the audience, so I couldn't say it was completely natural.

But it had a certain fresh charm. Since it's a brief period for rookies, the fans would enjoy this atmosphere.

"Ah, let's start."

After a brief conversation, the members took their positions on stage following the staff's signal.

I was in the center for the first part, so I was at the front.

"Mundae!"

I thought for a moment and made a small heart with my hands. Not the so-called K-heart, just a regular hand heart.

"Aaaaah!!"

My limbs felt like they were about to explode, but seeing the audience enjoy it made it worth it...

It's good to have some fun even when your legs hurt in the early morning.

As the reaction settled down, the intro music started.

♫♪♩♪-♫♪♫♪-♪♩-

And strong voices came from the audience below.

'...Cheer chants.'

I never thought I'd hear this.

-I'll think of you all day

Until I see you tomorrow

"Think of you!"

I smiled unconsciously as I started the first verse.

It was a bit fun.