Chapter 76

If I can't debut, I'll get a disease that will kill me - Chapter 076

Daesejin grumbled for quite a while.

"No, they're really not accepting me. I didn't even ask for the girl group's number."

"......"

If that were the case, something other than glucose would have flown.

Anyway, after Daesejin finished the candy, his mood seemed to improve, and he started joking around again once he got in the car.

"Oh, I get it. Moondae, you want to see a girl idol, right?"

No, you idiot.

'What, I've seen them enough at events.'

I chuckled and replied.

"You?"

"Ah, I got married to the fans~ Girl group? What was that again?"

Daesejin's casual words made Ryuchungwoo laugh.

Kim Raebin responded earnestly.

"That's right. We must not let our guard down against other groups, regardless of gender."

"Huh?"

"Because girl idols are also competitors...!"

"......?"

Everyone was momentarily speechless because Kim Raebin suddenly shouted with conviction.

Taking that as a signal, Kim Raebin continued more seriously.

"Think about it. Being an idol is a long-term competition. However, the number of people who like idols is limited. Therefore, the more concepts an idol group tries over a long period, the more the target audience overlaps, regardless of gender...!"

Seo Ahhyun was startled.

"Oh, I see...!"

"That's right. Therefore, we must not let our guard down against idol groups whose target audience overlaps with ours!"

"......"

"......Hmm."

A moment of silence followed.

'Just... go along with it.'

I forced myself to speak.

"Um, that's true."

"......!! That's right!"

Kim Raebin's eyes sparkled as if savoring a moment of victory. Ryuchungwoo smoothly defused the situation.

"Raebin is smart."

"Thank you!"

Behind the spirited voice of Kim Raebin, I heard Cha Yujin mutter softly.

"Is he an idiot?"

They're all ignoring each other, as usual. I get it.

* * *

The music show recordings continued every day until Sunday.

After a few days of early morning pre-recordings, my head started to spin.

At least the Friday music show pre-recording started at 9, so I could catch my breath a bit, but it still required a 7 AM start, so there wasn't much difference.

Given my 'Bacchus 500' trait, I was this bad, so I can only imagine how the others must be feeling.

'Yesterday, Cha Jin was almost out cold.'

Fortunately, he passed out in the car and didn't get hurt. The agency seemed surprised, and the previously bland diet became a bit more varied.

In the midst of all this, trying to manage the reality content in the evenings was naturally draining.

'...We have to do this every week.'

The only good part was the moment on stage, hearing the cheers. It was a remarkable structure where both fans and idols had to endure the hard times for that moment.

Thinking about how many people cry because they can't seize this opportunity made it even more so.

'People are being squeezed dry.'

I sighed.

"Congratulations, the 3rd week of June, the most popular music 1st place is... Congratulations to VTIC's Night Sign!"

Finally, the last music show of the weekend was over. I mechanically clapped for the 1st place winner.

'At least we didn't have to do a pre-recording, so I got some sleep.'

I heard that the cable audition winners were a bit biased.

No wonder the order was in the early part of the show.

Of course, there were pros and cons. Without pre-recording, the stage setup was limited.

Because the stage had to be completed in one live broadcast.

'In the first week of activities... pre-recording is useful.'

Even though it's absurd, the results are good, so it's better.

"Should we take a group photo?"

"Sure!"

"Moondae, how about a selfie?!"

As soon as we returned to the waiting room, photo requests started coming in.

'For SNS uploads, I guess.'

These photos had to be taken. Without a word, I took the smartphone and turned on the front camera.

I adjusted the angle to show all seven of us from the upper body and took several photos in rapid succession.

This way, they would be excited and choose the best ones themselves.

Sure enough, some of them started arguing about which photo to upload.

"Hey, isn't the 3rd photo the best? It shows all seven of us smiling, which looks good~"

"Your mouth looks weird. Let's use the next one!"

"Don't listen to him. Using a photo where only one person looks good is irrational."

"The photos all turned out well..."

Seo Ahhyun's attempt to mediate was, of course, ignored.

In the end, the two photos chosen by Daesejin and Cha Yujin were uploaded.

Cha Jin watched the process with a disgusted look and shook his head.

He seemed to have completely forgotten about complaining yesterday about not being in the photo.

'Ha, the team is running smoothly.'

It's fortunate that the camera is there to prevent the build-up of conflicts.

Anyway, it seems the first week of activities is wrapping up.

'...At least the stage reactions are good, which is fortunate.'

I've been checking the views and overall reviews, and they're all very good.

'Was it the right choice to focus on the dance?'

In fact... right before shooting the music video, I invested the last remaining point in the dance stat.

Because my stage presence was more significant than I expected, probably due to the 1st place effect.

'With frequent center positions, I couldn't avoid it.'

I deliberated until the last moment, but decided to prioritize strengthening the weakest stat.

'If I get a mocking meme, it'll be a headache.'

Thanks to this, my current dance stat is 'B-'.

It means I can dance pretty well.

'...Of course, with three members having A-grade dance, I didn't gain much.'

Since it's not a solo performance, I'll be satisfied with contributing to the overall quality.

...Besides, it's fun to see fans enjoying Park Moondae's individual straight camera.

"Great job, everyone~"

"The first week of activities went well!"

Before leaving the waiting room, the members and staff congratulated each other with smiles. The manager added a comment.

"Congratulations on making it into the top 10 in music charts~"

"Ha ha ha!"

That's right. As the manager said, the music chart is rising promisingly.

I recalled the 24Hits ranking captured in the group chat.

[10th Magic Boy ▲4]

[13th Hi-five ▲3]

'There really is a music show bonus, it seems.'

What surprised me was that Magic Boy had overtaken.

It's probably due to the stage performance, but the song not getting old also played a role.

'While some people find Hi-five noisy, Magic Boy must have been more appealing.'

I was satisfied that my new trait for choosing songs was quite effective.

...Of course, VTIC was still firmly at the top of the music chart. They were really impressive.

'Hmm, is it too much to hope for a public broadcast 1st place with this activity?'

Looking at the situation, it seems the next album will be released this year, and since this album's performance is good, it doesn't seem like I need to worry too much.

...But it would be better if this dog-like situation of sudden deaths didn't exist.

The deep frustration I had forgotten amidst the busy schedule rose up, but I managed to suppress it.

Getting angry won't change anything, so I need to calm down.

'...Should I be satisfied with putting us on a smooth trajectory?'

I shrugged and picked up my bag. I heard Ryuchungwoo asking the manager.

"Are we going straight to the dorm today?"

"Ah... actually, we have a sudden meeting today."

"What?"

"You said you wanted to appear on a variety show. A variety show!"

The manager said brightly, and a few of them, despite being tired, were hooked.

"Oh~ What kind of variety show?"

"Is it fun?"

The manager nodded confidently.

"It's called 'Work, Human!'"

"......?"

"It's a new program launched by TVC. You know, all the shows they produce are successful~"

"Oh!"

A few members nodded, looking intrigued. The manager added more.

"It's a variety show where you experience unique jobs. The PD is a good person, and everyone has high expectations. They said they really want to do a test with you, so let's do our best!"

"......"

...Ah, I can already sense it.

'Something felt off when they started talking more.'

TVC is a T1 subsidiary. In short, they're launching a new variety show within their own network and want to use Testa for the buzz.

Moreover, it's a program I've never even heard of, coming from three years in the future.

'They must think it will fail, so they're pushing it.'

Currently, other networks are still unsure about Testa's 1st place, so they're hesitant to send love calls to cable audition winners and are in a guessing game for variety show castings.

'They couldn't wait for that deal and decided to use the first variety show special here?'

Seeing the company make a choice that offers no productivity to the group while trying to draw a bigger picture, I lost my sense of humor.

But the clueless members are happily and energetically responding to the manager.

"Sure!"

"Understood!"

"......Yes."

I also nodded in the end.

Right. With the camera on, there's no point in arguing. Newbies don't have the right to refuse schedules, so let's just go along with it.

And as I nodded with a smile, my eyes met Daesejin's.

"......"

He has that X-like look, but what can you do?

After getting in the car, I casually asked, and it turned out that the first episode of 'Work, Human!' had received a disastrous response.

'As expected.'

I thought I had given up on the company, but it seems I had subconsciously recovered some hope while preparing the album.

Let's give up on it completely.

* * *

"Hello~"

The meeting with 'Work, Human!' was already set up with the agency, so there were cameras present.

'They've already coordinated everything.'

"I'll ask a few preliminary questions first."

"Sure!"

Since the next shooting was imminent, the meeting was hastily concluded with about ten questions and answers, without even formalities.

True to its title, 'Work, Human!' mainly asked about jobs we wanted to try.

'...Not working is the best.'

However, given my current profession, I couldn't give such an answer, so I mentioned a few unique jobs.

'They're in a hurry.'

The production team collected the desired questions and answers in a hurry and ended the meeting.

They looked extremely busy.

'The first episode's response must have been bad, so they're scrambling.'

Anyway, thanks to this, we could get back to the dorm before it was completely dark.

"Everyone, raise your hands~"

As Daesejin was filming a video for SNS, I was obligated to wave my hand. My pocket vibrated.

'I have a bad feeling.'

After confirming that Daesejin had finished filming and turned off the camera, I checked my smartphone.

[VTIC Senior Cheongrye: I'm messaging first because I haven't heard from you. Is this Park Moondae's number? ^^]

"......"

Wow, this is really creepy.

'Are they subtly criticizing me for not contacting them first as a newbie?'

I know they didn't get my number to become friends.

Still, I can't ignore it due to seniority, so I replied.

[I don't check my smartphone often, so my response was late. Sorry, senior.]

Immediately, a reply came.

[VTIC Senior Cheongrye: There's no need to apologize. I just wanted to say hello and get to know you.]

I'm so tired.

I sent a brief reply saying 'I understand, thank you' and turned off my smartphone.

'If I set it to check messages late tomorrow, it should be fine.'

Anyway, I was already annoyed by strange people who somehow found my number and kept sending messages.

I'll block calls from unknown numbers and change my status message.

'Anyway, today... I'm going home, right?'

Just as I was about to doze off in the car, I heard Ryuchungwoo's voice.

"Guys, our choreography timing is slightly off. Should we fix it now that we have some free time?"

"......"

I was immediately awake.

Looking around, everyone had a 'I want to rest' face. But since he was right, there was only a silent agreement.

I suppressed a sigh.

'...Going home?'

I need to go practice.

* * *

While Testa was digesting the intense first week of activities, the fans were enjoying the abundance of content.

This was also a driving force for Testa to follow the schedule obediently.

- The first week's music show cross-edit on YouTube is amazing (link)

- This week's reality show showcase episode was great! The kids' haircuts were so cute, and I almost cried seeing them prepare for the stage seriously. I hope Testa lasts long. T_T

- The CQ photo and interview behind-the-scenes are out. The magazine is sold out. (link)

└Oh... T_T I'm too late...

└Please print more copies... T_T

Since Testa's contract was not short-term, the agency focused on creating a group-loving atmosphere rather than fostering individual competition among members.

This effort was settling well in the fandom.

The group using a single SNS and frequently posting group photos was now a widely accepted practice.

However, there was one area where this couldn't be the case.

It was the random photo cards included in the album.

Since the random photo cards directly affect album sales, they were included according to traditional marketing strategies.

As a result, those who wanted to criticize Testa flocked to related comparison articles and engaged in heated discussions.

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

[Testa Photo Card Trading Price Ranking]

: Cha Yujin > Park Moondae > Seo Ahhyun > Kim Raebin = Daesejin > Ryuchungwoo > > Cha Jin

+) This is based on statistics from the second-hand market. No negative comments, please. (link)

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

- As expected, Cha Yujin is 1st. lol

- Park Moondae, give up the ending center. Did you feel good getting 1st by selling your dead parents?

- Cha Jin is really useless everywhere. What does he do besides taking up space in the music video?

- Finally, the bubble around Ryuchungwoo is gone. I thought he would be core based on the final ranking. lol

- Please stop pretending to be an insider, controlling the situation, and acting like a cheerful handsome guy, Daesejin. Unpopular members shouldn't act like that. T_T

- Seo Ahhyun, seeing that 3rd place is her limit, it seems she should