Chapter 77

If we can't debut, I'll get a disease that will kill me - Chapter 077

On Sunday evening, after rearranging the choreography and just about to start writing, I woke up to find it was already the next week.

This meant it was time to check the first week's album sales figures.

The results were... terrifying.

“...670,000 copies?”

“Yeah!”

I asked the manager again.

“Sales, not pre-orders?”

“...Not exactly? But it's definitely sales!”

“...”

For reference, pre-orders refer to the amount that retail stores order in advance, based on expected album sales.

‘I suspected it might be this side because they usually stock more than the initial sales.’

But really, 670,000 copies sold.

‘It doesn’t feel real.’

Even with the recent severe inflation in album sales, this volume is enough to numb the senses.

Considering that Testa's fan base is primarily domestic, as befits someone who came from an audition show, it was even more astonishing.

And it had even increased from the original.

‘Wasn’t it originally 600,000 copies?’

I was sure that the initial sales for the group debuting with "Azusa" were 600,000 copies. I had no idea where the additional 70,000 copies came from...

“...We’ve broken the record for the highest debut album sales for a male idol group, right?”

“Y-Yeah...”

“Holy moly.”

The others also seemed more overwhelmed than happy.

If it had been around 300,000 copies, they would have been rolling on the floor in joy, but with double that, they seemed a bit scared.

Of course, someone soon snapped out of it and started thinking realistically.

“...Does this mean we could top the charts next week?”

“...!!”

Suddenly, the tension rose.

Ryu Cheong-woo spoke up.

“Senior VTIC, what were their sales this week?”

“I’ll check.”

Kim Rae-bin immediately started searching.

The weekly sales figures were directly available on the album charts.

[LONG NIGHT / VTIC 312,608]

“...!”

“Wow.”

It was an unbelievable figure for the second week.

‘Even if the last day of the initial sales period is included, it’s still incredible.’

It was on par with the total sales of a well-established male idol group.

At this point, I was really curious about their initial sales for this album.

“...Hold on.”

I tapped a few times on Kim Rae-bin’s smartphone screen to check VTIC’s first seven days of album sales, the initial sales.

[1,872,863]

“...”

Ah, it’s over.

“Wow~”

“Haha.”

“We’ll get there if we keep working hard for the number one spot!”

The tension immediately dissipated. The members started laughing and encouraging each other.

I had expected it, but the difference in base scores was so significant that even the competitive spirit was lost.

At least, with the album sales being twice as much in this week’s tally, it looked tough, especially since we were lagging in the music charts.

‘We don’t have a history of strong album sales after the initial period... We’ll probably struggle in the second week too.’

The music chart rankings were slowly climbing, but it was doubtful we could unseat VTIC, who was firmly at number one.

I shrugged.

“Should we get ready to go out?”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Let’s do our best today~”

The members scattered to change into their outdoor clothes.

The manager muttered a few times, “This isn’t right...” but soon seemed to accept reality with a deep sigh.

‘He must have had other plans.’

Well, he’ll figure it out.

The manager started a new conversation as soon as we got in the car.

“Do you know your fan signing event starts in two days?”

“Already?”

The members tensed up. They had heard about it when the activities started, but had forgotten the date due to the busy schedule. The manager nodded.

“Yeah. With so many people buying the album and supporting us so enthusiastically, we need to do our best and treat them with respect~”

“Of course!”

Perhaps the manager had mentioned the album sales first to build up the atmosphere. It seemed to have the desired effect.

‘Fan signing event.’

To avoid making mistakes while talking to a hundred people in a row, I needed to get into the right mindset.

However, it seemed to have a counterproductive effect on some members. Seo Ah-hyun’s face turned pale.

“I, I, I don’t think I can do it.”

“Why not?”

“Umm? I, I’m not good at talking...?”

“...? You’re speaking Korean well now.”

Seo Ah-hyun, caught up in Cha Yoo-jin’s teasing, started to get more confused.

I sighed and interjected.

“You’re careful, so you probably won’t make mistakes. Don’t worry too much.”

“...T-Thank you.”

Seo Ah-hyun answered with a faint smile, but she didn’t look very reassured.

‘It’s understandable.’

She hasn’t had much experience talking to fans.

Even when we see fans up close during our schedules, we usually just exchange quick greetings and fan service before getting back in the car.

And the persistent fans we encounter near our residence or at convenience stores are usually sasaeng fans, not regular fans, so they’re not a good sample.

‘It’s understandable for any member to be nervous about one-on-one conversations...’

“Let’s hurry and see our fans’ faces~”

“...”

Except for that guy.

In the front seat, Big Sejin was whistling and scrolling through his smartphone.

‘He’s confident, I see.’

I never thought I’d see such a stark contrast in the attitudes of idols before a fan signing event.

...What about me?

‘I don’t know.’

I’ve been paid to take photos at fan signing events for famous idols a few times.

But I’ve never heard what kind of conversations they have while signing.

The space is usually so noisy that most sounds get drowned out.

‘...I’ve seen people wearing headbands, though.’

That might be a bit embarrassing, but I can manage it.

I rolled my eyes, feeling a bit empty.

‘Maybe I should look up what kind of conversations they usually have.’

Fortunately, we were in the car with no reality cameras around. I immediately opened my smartphone and started searching on SNS.

[Fan signing event review]

‘With “review” in the title, I can probably skip the home fan photos.’

But before I could even move to the popular posts tab, a new post caught my eye.

“...!”

Wait a minute.

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

[Testa’s fan signing event cut 120 photos lol, it’s a weekday and I’m serious! I got eliminated, so... please post lots of fan signing event reviews :(( (photos)]

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

The image attached to the post was a screenshot of a fan’s certification of buying 100 copies.

“...”

120 copies?

To be honest, my first thought was:

‘...How much is that?’

Testa’s debut mini-album costs 15,000 won. Even with discounts from group purchases, the lowest price would be around 11,000 won.

‘Even at that price...’

It’s 1,320,000 won.

“...Wow.”

My brain was spinning.

‘Even if the conversation is long, it’s only a 1-2 minute cut.’

With 7 members, that means each fan is worth about 180,000 won.

‘Isn’t that too inefficient?’

Can a 1-minute conversation be worth 100,000 won? I’m not confident.

‘Do I just... do everything they ask?’

I couldn’t think of any other strategy. I put down my smartphone and pressed my forehead.

I’ve been to fan signing events where people buy over 100 cuts, but I never thought I’d be the one doing it.

Cold sweat broke out all over me.

* * *

Park Moon-dae’s first home fan arrived at the art hall in Mokdong, where the fan signing event was being held, fully prepared.

The cozy stage and audience area, which could accommodate 300 people, easily handled the 100 waiting fans.

Waiting numbers were distributed.

[07]

‘Thank goodness for a front number!’

Thinking she could have a conversation with Moon-dae before he got tired, the home fan quickly set up her camera.

Just after 7:30 PM,

Testa entered from the side of the stage.

A deafening cheer filled the small art hall. Although the sound of cameras would have been the first to be heard, the excitement of the first fan signing event was overwhelming.

Waving their hands slightly shyly, Testa approached the signing table on stage and bowed.

“Take your STAR! Hello, we are Testa!”

“Waaaah!!”

It was a formal greeting typical of a new group not yet accustomed to fan signing events. The fans cheered enthusiastically, but each was calling out their favorite member.

Park Moon-dae’s home fan was no different.

‘Moon-dae with black hair!! So good!!’

Although she had seen Moon-dae’s black hair a few times at fan meetings, it was always a pleasure to see.

Maybe it was because Moon-dae had black hair when she first became a fan.

‘Blonde was good, but black hair is better.’

She briefly thought of her friend, a strong blonde supporter, but quickly focused on her camera.

She needed to take good photos to spread his face.

‘He looks better every time I see him.’

Thanks to the album concept, Moon-dae in a white hanbok with black hair had a strangely refreshing aura.

‘This is not exaggeration, it’s the truth...!’

As she muttered this, Testa finished their greeting and slowly returned to the table.

‘Moon-dae is at the end.’

The home fan thought it was a good idea to bring a gift for each member, just in case. Carrying a handful of gifts to Moon-dae’s end position without giving any to anyone else would be awkward.

“Let’s start in number order~”

The fan signing event began in earnest.

Thanks to her front number, she didn’t have to wait long to start getting signatures. Moon-dae was about to meet the first fan.

The first was Ryu Cheong-woo.

“Hello!”

“Ah, hello.”

Seeing Ryu Cheong-woo greet first, the home fan stumbled a bit.

‘He’s good-looking too.’

She had seen him called a “hot Confucian man” on SNS, but seeing him up close, she understood why.

‘He looks like a PE major from a webtoon...’

She exchanged a few light words, did a high-five, and handed over a small box of ginseng.

“Wow, thank you!”

“No, no problem~”

The first signature was a warm start. Next up.

“Where would you like me to sign?”

It was Lee Se-jin, the child actor. Lee Se-jin, with his delicate and neat appearance, wasn’t particularly proactive but wasn’t indifferent either.

“Who are you here to see?”

Surprisingly, he asked a question first.

“Ah, I’m here to see all of Testa~”

“Really? Thank you.”

Lee Se-jin answered calmly and finished the signature neatly.

‘He’s more refreshing than I thought.’

The more signatures she received, the better the updated image.

The same went for the next members.

“I’ll try to find a blank space that’s visible without covering your face...”

Kim Rae-bin, who looked nervous despite his sharp appearance, was also good.

“Which album cover do you like the most? I like the violet one the most!”

Cha Yoo-jin, who was more excited than the fan getting the signature, added all sorts of doodles around the signature and bombarded with questions, was cute.

‘He was really annoying at the beginning of Azusa.’

She praised herself for not saying anything unnecessary back then.

Then, Big Sejin appeared.

“Welcome~ How was your first fan signing event? I was really nervous!”

“I was nervous too!”

“No, you didn’t seem nervous~”

Big Sejin, with his friendly tone, quickly made her talk about what she did that day, her current mood, and even her worries.

Moreover, they did a high-five without even discussing it.

“See you next time~”

“Y-Yes...!”

‘...It feels like we’ve become friends.’

She felt like she had built a personal connection with the handsome business major, even though she knew he was friendly to most of his peers.

She was impressed by the vibe of the popular member from just 2 minutes and 30 seconds of conversation, but she was also getting nervous about Moon-dae’s turn.

‘Now, the next one is Moon-dae...!’

She was eagerly looking forward to it, but then.

‘...His face was just too amazing...’

“H-Hi...!”

Seo Ah-hyun smiled and listened to her carefully. She almost felt hypnotized as she received the signature.

Seo Ah-hyun even added a heartfelt P.S. at the bottom.

[Thank you so much for coming today, Jee-won! I’ll work harder to show you a better me! *^^*]

‘...He’s a national treasure, alright.’

That face with that personality. It would be hard to maintain any character.

...And now, the final favorite.

She swallowed hard and turned to Moon-dae.