Debut or Die

“The director has set the world view similar to cartoon movies. He said that the background of school in cartoons is sports, um, so it’s decided to be a baseball club.”

By the way, the original concept was retro.

‘Isn’t it too irrational to use as a school-related worldview?’

Still, it was at least suitable for a disco song.

A disco song and baseball club… It was neither rice nor porridge.

(TL notes: It was neither rice nor porridge = a project or an event that doesn’t result in anything. Like when you try to cook rice and it becomes neither porridge nor rice.)

As if they knew that, the staff kept talking about the song.

The story of the director popped out because they also felt it was unfair, but it was clear that they were regretting what they had done.

“We worked on a tight schedule, but the song came out well in our opinion.”

“Um, yes.”

Come to think of it, it was a song I had heard somewhere. Originally, this was the debut song for <Idol Inc.>’s passing participants. Although the arrangement was a bit different and there were no lyrics yet.

“Everyone… I hope you can set a concept that doesn’t feel too different from this youthful style of students.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

“If it doesn’t go well, it’s okay to just choose a song and give it to me!”

“Ah… Yes.”

“Don’t worry, just tell me quickly~”

‘I don’t have much expectation.’

I just felt the urgency of office workers to meet the deadline quickly.

‘We really don’t have much time.’

Perhaps, if it became more urgent, ‘Testar’s participation’ would be used only for marketing purposes, and the company would take care of everything.

I wonder how the album we prepared so hastily would turn out… Hmm, it wasn’t a very promising prospect.

“Thank you!”

The mood of the members coming out of the meeting was uncertain.

Everyone felt it instinctively. That the debut performance reviews were not going to be great.

Ryu Chungwoo opened his mouth.

“…Shall we do our best?”

“Yes.”

“They say we’re going to use a studio or something like that!”

Surprisingly, opinions that we should pick the results as soon as possible were gathered, even if meant staying up all night.

These guys, who hadn’t forgotten their habit of working to death in auditions, had become accustomed to choosing and thinking about the results first.

“Guys, wait!”

As I confirmed that the manager was urgently contacting the reality show crew, I felt a strong premonition.

‘I won’t be able to sleep for more than five hours.’

The great death march to organize debut activities within a month had just begun.

* * *

The studio where the reality show camera was hastily installed was in the basement of a building near the company.

‘I heard that there are no extra studios or choreography practice rooms in the company yet.’

It was an agency that had no system, mentally and physically.

“Hello~”

“We’re working from now on!”

After responding appropriately to the camera, the discussion began right away.

“Let’s choose between number 2 and number 7. A majority vote?”

“Yes!”

What I wanted to push was number 7.

The result was 4:3.

“Then it’s number 2?”

“Yes~”

It was number 2’s victory.

‘…It has become difficult.’

The people who voted for number 2 were Ryu Chungwoo, Keun Sejin, Seon Ahyeon, and Lee Sejin.

“Since the company’s song is an exciting disco, I think it would be better for us to choose a song that is easier to listen to.”

“The medium tempo in number 2 is easy to listen to. Should I say it’s like a faint youthful feeling? Don’t you think it would be nice to use it with the school concept?”

“M-Me too… Number 2.”

To sum it up, it meant that they were conscious of the company’s song and considered the school concept.

‘Hmm.’

I wanted to try persuading them, but the timing to bring it up was risky since I was beaten by the majority vote from the beginning. If I looked like I couldn’t accept the result, I would sound less convincing.

‘Should I try my luck again after a while?’

And after a while. The timing arrived with unwelcome news.

“Uh? Heol!”

“Ah…”

It was because I briefly looked at my smartphone while eating dinner and saw this article.

[Comeback war in June, from VTIC to Cha Dolche]

The article was sorting out the singers who would make a comeback next month, in June.

And among them, VTIC was in the ‘scheduled second week of June’ category.

Our scheduled date was just around there.

‘F*ck.’

So… It meant that the group worth counting on your fingers on, who could push aside Testar’s first week of debut with <Idol Inc.> on its back, would come out together with us.

“If the article is right… Our activity will overlap with VTIC sunbae-nim, right?”

Keun Sejin, who finished the calculation quickly, murmured.

“…I can get their autographs.”

“U-Uh…”

The members made awkward noises and laughed bitterly.

If the schedule was really fixed like this, we were practically sentenced to give up first place on the public broadcast.

Besides, looking at the way the company had been doing so far, it was going to be difficult.

‘Looking at how the director is so full of himself, he’ll probably talk nonsense about having a chance of winning against VTIC. Even if the staff persuaded him, it would be delayed for a week.’

Even if we considered it as the best-case scenario, it was the second week after VTIC. We would still be pushed out of the weight class.

‘There were definitely more than 1.8 million copies of the last album.’

Therefore, it meant that we had to choose the right song so that the outline of winning first place could be visible.

‘I can’t waste the opportunity to avoid sudden death.’

Now was the time to bring it up.

“…Wait a minute.”

I immediately changed my stance.

“I’m sorry for bringing this up when the agreement is already over, but no matter how much I think about it, I want to push for number 7.”

“Huh?”

The members were startled.

‘…?’

I thought they’d be annoyed that I was dragging on a conversation that was already over, but this felt a little different.

“W-Why?”

“Oh, it’s the first time I’ve seen Moondae do this. Are you feeling emotional?”

“I guess you really like demo song number 7.”

“Have the overlapping activities with VTIC sunbae-nim awakened Moondae?”

“…”

These guys were sitting there wondering.

Say whatever you want. At any rate, it had to be number 7.

“Um, Moondae. I know it’s such a shame, but it’s hard to reverse what’s already been concluded. It’s a majority vote and we don’t have much time.”

Ryu Chungwoo smiled at the other members but tried to straighten out the situation.

‘No way.’

I had a headache just imagining how angry I would be while waiting for the next album if I missed first place by a narrow margin.

‘Besides, if the next album doesn’t win first place because of poor form, I will really be at risk of sudden death.’

“Give me five minutes. I’d like to try to persuade you.”

“…R-Really?”

“Moondae even go this far?”

“It’s weird!”

I didn’t mean to, but the members started to make a fuss.

‘…What the hell did you think of Park Moondae?’

Anyway, it was a good introduction that stirred up a commotion. I quickly sorted things out.

‘If we’re going to go by a majority anyway, I only need to win one person who’s easy to persuade. The score was 4 to 3.’

“First of all, Keun Sejin… And Chungwoo hyung, you guys chose number 2 because of the concept, right?

“Ah, that’s right.”

“Yes.”

The two nodded obediently. They were willing to listen.

It seemed that after 5 minutes, Ryu Chungwoo would get it sorted out again, so I had to quickly develop a story.

“If we exclude the concept and compare the songs objectively, number 7 was okay, right?”

“I like number seven a little more. But isn’t that not enough?”

Keun Sejin immediately replied.

‘I got you.’

“Because it doesn’t go well with the company’s title track?”

“That’s right.”

“Then why don’t we change the company’s song?”

“…??”

In an instant, all the group members became noisy.

“Hyung, that’s a little…”

“It’s impossible!”

“… There’s no way we can do that.”

“But I do want to change it.”

“Wait a minute.”

Ryu Chungwoo took control of the conversation again.

“Moondae, think about it. Even if we leave out the company’s song, number 7 itself is school, youth…It’s not a song that goes well with this.”

“That’s right.”

Kim Raebin nodded sullenly after choosing number 7.

“Number 7 is a deep house song. In addition, it is somewhat dreamy because it was shot with the riff melody of kalimba… It’s hard to bring out the ‘youth’ theme. If you remove that part of the arrangement, the charm of the song will disappear.”

I shook my head.

“We can make that concept come alive without getting rid of it.”

“…”

I brought out the idea that I had been thinking about while we were talking about the concept at the company.

“…”

‘Their faces are saying it’s plausible.’

Kim Raebin already looked like he was creating something in his head with a dazed expression.

“No, that… That’s a good idea.”

Ryu Chungwoo struggled to open his mouth.

“I don’t know if the company staff will be persuaded. We’re running out of time.”

“…”

He couldn’t help but think about that. Of course, he must be worried about the director who couldn’t communicate well.

‘I didn’t want to say this, but.’

I swallowed.

Whatever.

I just had to suit the taste of the director.

“…I’ll make a PPT.”

“…!”

“By tomorrow morning.”

“…!!”

How else can we show our hard work and passion?

‘Is this how I get rewarded for going to college?’

I swallowed a sigh.

* * *

On that day, Park Moondae stayed up all night in the dorm. And the other members couldn’t sleep either.

It was because the loyalty and the conscience of putting off everything to the speaker woke them up.

Thanks to this, the presentation material became a picture that everyone made together.

“What should I look for?”

“I’ll write it down here.”

“I like this image! It’s perfect!”

However, the person who proposed the overnight PPT production was not very happy.

‘If there are too many boatmen, the boat will go up the mountain.’

(TL notes: It’s a Korean proverb meaning ‘if too many people are involved in a task, it will not be done well’.)

Park Moondae was planning to show the completed version in the morning and receive feedback.

In the first place, this work didn’t need the help of 20-year-olds who had never made much presentation material.

‘Raebin does some data research, but it’s not like I can’t do that too, so it doesn’t matter.’

Plus, he also had some goals.

‘…I have done this much, but I wouldn’t be able to knock them down if they want to go with number 2.’

It was intended to fan out the mouths of number 2 voters, who had become a minority, with a sense of debt.

Seon Ahyeon was a representative example. He was a member who chose song number 2 purely because he liked it.

“M-Moondae. D-Do you want to drink this?”

However, Seon Ahyeon was the one struggling to help complete the PPT.

He was so passionate that he couldn’t possibly do it out of conscience alone.

“…?”

Park Moondae hesitated at the sense of disparities but eventually asked.

“Are you okay with this? I am doing this to push for number 7.”

Seon Ahyeon nodded vigorously.

“I-I thought a lot about it and decided. N-Number. 2… Um, N-Next time, I’ll be greedy!”

“Um… thank you.”

“Huh, n-no! S-Since we’re all doing it together…!”

“…”

‘Why do I end up feeling a sense of debt?’

Park Moondae decided to be nicer to Seon Ahyeon.

“Where’s Cha Eugene?”

“He’s sleeping in the kitchen~”

Anyway, the night passed quickly.

And the morning when the sun came up.

“Good morning.”

Park Moondae and the members went into the company’s morning meeting with the PPT.

“How passionate.”

“Thank you.”

The director, who didn’t know the contents of the presentation yet, reacted favorably, saying that he liked the speed and attitude.

In the first place, they weren’t unknown rookies whose future was still uncertain, but a group that would become a golden goose, so it was just natural.

And five minutes later.

The director was extremely bewildered.

“Director, I heard that the baseball club concept was created by taking references from cartoons.”

“Right.”

“Certainly, when it comes to school-related cartoons, sports seem to be the trend.”

“Hm-mm.”

“And one more thing, there’s a genre that’s steadily on par with sports in school cartoons.”

“Oh~ What is it?”

Park Moondae turned over the PPT slide screen.

A magic wand floated across the screen.

“It’s the magical girl.”

“…?!”

The meeting room plunged into a whirlwind of confusion.