Debut or Die

Chapter 85

[Have we logged in?]

[I think the alarm has just set in.]

Although the transmission was only delayed, Testar’s members, who had no experience in this kind of live broadcasting, whispered while looking at the screen.

Then Cha Eugene shouted with a bright face.

[Oh, there’s a number!]

[Ah!]

[Hello~]

Looking at the real-time comments that popped up in an instant, Testar’s members smiled and lowered their heads, and then they waved their hands.

“Hello… Hello!”

A college student waved her hand unconsciously when she saw Park Moondae bowing on the screen.

The puppy lying on the bed stared at her with a look as if it had seen all sorts of weird things, but it wasn’t the time to care about that.

‘I couldn’t even go to the fan signing, so I have to watch the W live!’

She was planning to go to graduate school after graduating in the fall and couldn’t make time at the end of June, unlike her friend who was a homma. Thanks to that, she had to let go of the fan signing event with eyes full of tears.

‘I was thinking of breaking my saving account…’

It hurt her heart even though her friend had consoled her through a text message as she cried about how she had money but couldn’t use it. What Moondae did at the fansign… It was because she had heard too much detail…

‘When he dyes his hair blonde… I’ll meet him then.’

She concentrated on the screen, muttering that when she saw him in real life for the first time, she wanted him to have blonde hair. It was a sad self-justification…

[The reason we’re doing this W live today… It’s because we’re finally announcing the official name of our fans.]

[Woow!]

Testar applauded and responded enthusiastically to Ryu Chungwoo’s words.

Moondae was also clapping, the cloth fluttered because he moved without rolling up the big-sized sleeves.

“So cute…!”

The dog raised its ears, thinking she was talking to it, but it quickly realized that she wasn’t and it looked away from the college student with sullen eyes.

On the screen, comments were going up fast.

– I love you!

– Congratulations on winning first place??

– MARRY ME PLEASE

– ????

– It’s my birthday today, please call my name??

– Let’s make Testar’s next album a hit!

Since it was just the beginning, there were many comments like these that just poured out.

Testar seemed to want to read something, but they couldn’t read it well because it was too fast, so they just smiled instead. Because they had confirmed that there were a lot of hearts.

[It’s good to see you~ Everyone!]

[I missed you a lot~ What are you all doing? It’s 3 pm on the weekend, so it’s the right time to eat a snack~]

[I want to eat snacks!]

As soon as Cha Eugene finished speaking, the staff behind the smartphone camera sent a signal saying, ‘I will bring it to you, so please proceed with the opening as scripted.’

It seemed they were worried that the rookie who was doing W live for the first time would go off-topic during the opening.

At the sight of Cha Eugene looking like he was about to shake a carrot at any moment, the members naturally pacified him and pulled him back.

(TL note: Shake a carrot is a meme in Korea. “If you’re in danger, shake/draw/show a carrot!”, it’s something like that.)

[Haha, shall we check what we prepared first?]

[Yes!]

As Testar moved away from the camera, a desk was seen set up in the back. The desk covered with white cloth looked uneven, and anyone could see that there was something in it.

– What’s with the desk?

– Is that an album?

– I’m cheering you on from Indonesia

– ????All of the oppas are so cute!

– You all look ugly

– Eugene, are you hungry???

All kinds of questions, personal questions, and even hate comments filled the comment section but fortunately, Testar was unable to see the comments due to the distance from the screen.

Because anyone could come in, real-time comments were a mess.

The college student gritted her teeth.

‘I have to report all the haters…!’

She was barely able to check it because it went up in an instant.

She hoped that Moondae was at a distance where he couldn’t check the comments, and she focused again on Testar on the screen.

[What we’re going to introduce today is… Tada! It’s the lightsticks that we drew!]

[Wow!]

When the first white cloth was removed from the desk, panels with each member’s name were piled up.

The members clapped excitedly and each took the panel with their names on it.

[Each of us made one, and today, with you guys as witnesses, we are going to discuss and select one of them!]

[I worked really hard on it!]

[We haven’t checked our drawings yet.]

[Revealed for the first time!]

“…”

She shut her mouth tight.

Moondae holding his panel with both hands was cute. But her stomach was burning.

‘The guys in the agency really don’t understand…!’

It was absurd that they made Testar kids vote for themselves when they told the fans not to vote.

‘When the kids say they want this and that, you put them together and pick out the design…!’

It was the first time she liked an idol and her head became dizzy from the frustrating situation.

Did they make members do this when working on the title tracks and that was how the concept production presentation came out in the second episode of the reality show? Did Testar personally take on the challenge?

A strong doubt flashed through her mind.

However, since her top priority was Park Moondae who moved in real-time right in front of her eyes, the college student’s attention was on him again.

[Now, shall we reveal and explain the pictures one by one?]

[Good idea!]

[Then, starting from the right~]

Ryu Chungwoo, who was sitting on the far right, looked slightly embarrassed, but he took off the tape and revealed his drawing.

And what was in it… It was a picture of a ball made of mysterious lines.

[…?]

[…?!]

[Hyung, this… It’s a lightstick, right?]

[Pfft.]

Several people grasped the situation and buried their heads in their knees. It was to prevent themselves from bursting into laughter.

Ryu Chungwoo also ended up laughing.

[HaHa, I’m not good at drawing. Um, this round lightstick… I thought it would be nice if it has a hole in the shape of fingers to make it easier to hold and shake over your head.]

[Ooh.]

[Round like a baseball instead of a stick!]

[It’s pretty when it’s round and shiny.]

The drawing wasn’t great, but everyone held back their laughter and nodded, saying that the presentation was good.

Afterward, Testar pointed out only good things from each member and proceeded with the conversation by giving out compliments.

Because it wasn’t an event where their opinions had to be reflected, even if they went about it in a roundabout way, it was fine as long as they picked a pretty one.

[Ahyeon’s drawing looks like a magic wand, it’s so pretty.]

[T-Thank you.]

[We are… Magical Boys… So we use a magic wand as a lightstick…? That’s convincing!]

[It’s possible!]

Of course, the overly unrealistic argument was naturally ignored.

[Since the purpose of the lightstick is to make it fun for the fans to enjoy the stage, what if it makes a sound like maracas when you shake it?]

[That’s a fun idea.]

[But Raebin-ssi, wouldn’t that make our voices difficult to hear?]

[Ugh.]

Kim Raebin was defeated three minutes after his presentation began.

– ???????????

– Raebin, it’s okay??

– So cute??

– Any lightstick is fine ?

– so cute

Although comments such as ‘eng plz‘ and ‘screw you’ appeared from time to time, most of the fans were watching the screen with warm smiles.

It was the same with the college student. Before she knew it, she was smiling at the screen while hugging the puppy.

‘Now it’s Moondae’s turn!’

[Now… Moondae-ssi… Oh?]

Park Moondae on the screen silently took off the tape and turned the picture to the camera.

It was a drawing of two majestic black lightsticks.

It was fine until there. There were quite a few lightsticks in that style.

The problem was that there were traces of attempts to draw various things around it.

All of them were terribly poorly drawn, so they looked like some sort of weird amoeba.

[…??]

Then Park Moondae opened his mouth with a face that looked like he’d given up everything.

[…It just happened.]

In an instant, waves of laughter ate up the audio.

[Puhahaha!!]

[Moondae’s drawing has the most impact!]

[You… You’re worse than Chungwoo hyung!]

The members, who forgot the concept of using honorifics, looked into the picture and laughed like crazy. Even Seon Ahyeon was holding back his laughter with his face turning red.

And the college student burst into laughter.

It was half funny and half dorky.

‘I guess Moondae is really bad at drawing…!’

But the traces of him working hard to draw it were so cute that her heart was about to explode!

[Ah, sorry for laughing!]

[Right, we should listen to Moondae-ssi’s explanation!]

[…Well, it’s fine.]

Moondae on the screen cleared his throat a few times, then started to explain it piece by piece, pointing at the drawing with his hand.

[First of all… It looks like a baseball bat.]

[Mmmm.]

[It would be nice if a magic wand comes out from the inside when you turn the handle and take it out.]

[-!!]

[That’s new?]

[It’s nice?]

Everyone started to get excited, saying that they remembered the magic sword toy they used when they were young.

[Then, how about using Ahyeon’s design for our magic wand?]

[Put Chungwoo hyung’s circle in the middle!]

[Please separate the bat with one touch!]

The production cost was rising like crazy, but no one cared.

As a result, something like a mega ultra magic toy was being made.

– ??????Guys!

– Enough… That’s enough?????

– Oh my gosh

– What the heck is that????

– Can we just change into that and cheer for them?

– ????As long as you guys like it!

Testar received a pen from outside the camera and each of them added various elements, drawing a new lightstick.

As a result, it naturally began to be compared to Park Moondae’s drawing, which was in the middle of being introduced.

[Wait, then was this a magic wand, Moondae-ssi?]

[…Yes.]

Keun Sejin laughed again when he saw the shape similar to a twisted pretzel.

Park Moondae eventually covered his face with one hand and pushed the picture to the end of the table.

“Gasp…”

He looked so miserable and cute that the prospective graduate student eventually began to post real-time comments. Perhaps she wasn’t the only one who thought so, the comments were lagging due to the heavy traffic.

– ??????Moondae is so cute

– Let’s get married

-????????Keunse comfort Moondae??

– Is this what love is

– (heart emoticon)

– It looks like a worm???????

– Do anything else except drawing

– I love you!

It even passed through foreign languages.

A flood of comments poured down to the point that it was impossible to know what was what.

Meanwhile, the new lightstick design, which was completed after many twists and turns, was displayed on the screen.

[Tada!]

[The drawing of the lightstick concept, it’s decided!]

[Wow!!]

The production team would be overwhelmed by the unit price as soon as they received it, but it seemed plausible.

It was thanks to their sensible opinions.

By the way, Park Moondae took his painting back with a series of ‘It’s okay’ from the members.

Still, he must be happy that the lightstick design was completed, there was a small smile on Moondae’s face as he clapped his hands.

‘…I like black hair, too.’

Whether it was black or blonde, the college student eventually admitted that she had to see the real thing…

The members on the screen put down their paintings and organized them, and then they rushed to the front side of the desk which was still covered with a white cloth.

[Now, there’s only the long-awaited announcement left.]

[Announcement of the fandom name!]

Saying that this was also decided after discussing it together, the members who were amused stretched out their hands toward the cloth together with slightly nervous faces.

[Dadumdadum!]

[Revealed!]

Then they all picked up the cloth and threw it behind them.

“…??”