Debut or Die-Chapter 213
The stage installed on the set was modeled after an open-air amphitheater with tiered circular steps, like one you might find in an American park.
In other words, it was a small arena with a 360° opening, meaning the audience could be right up close on all sides.
‘It’ll be a fresh experience, at least.’
While the invited locals trickled in and passed security checks, I sat in the waiting room with a camera on me and received an envelope.
The glittery swirl was so American.
As the AI MC explained in English, the in-ear delivered the translation.
[Inside this envelope is each participant’s signature song, chosen by them!]
[Our K-POP mentors will learn all three of these songs within one hour.]
[Shall we see how it goes?]
No need to see—we already knew the candidates in advance.
‘Of course, it wasn’t narrowed down to just these three from the start.’
They’d handed over a list of a dozen-plus songs, giving us a heads-up that the final three would come from that list. Since they were pop songs, we might not know some of them at all.
And they’d likely chosen the final three by having the participants compete in running or fighting or whatever.
I could already picture a contestant yelling, “This isn’t the damn song I wanted!”
[Nervous?]
[A bit, yeah.]
A predictable question with a predictable answer, and I tore open the envelope.
“Hmm.”
As expected.
‘I won’t even need an hour.’
I’d just let the jet lag wear off.
The set buzzed with murmurs.
Locals, arms crossed and holding gift bags of wine or cosmetics (all sponsored by T1), waited for the stage with mild curiosity.
It wasn’t a renowned show, and apart from “a NetPlus production,” they knew nothing.
[They say they’re going to sing.]
[I’d rather they did a magic show!]
A mother-daughter pair shrugged and chatted.
Behind the stage, cameras rolled on the participants hearing the audience’s murmurs.
Eight people had chosen “singing” as their talent to become celebrities on this “Intro Stage.”
Each audience member held a button.
[When you press the button, a light will flash right there!]
[Press it whenever you like what you hear.]
[Warning! They think everyone on stage is a contestant and don’t know about our secret K-POP mentors!]
[Now, let our “K-POP” camp participants come up on stage!]
The audience cheered reflexively as nine people rose on lifts onto the stage.
[Wow!]
The participants, equally reflexive, waved or bounced excitedly. How that excitement would be edited—into arrogance or childishness—remained to be seen.
In the corner stood a young Asian man in a large hoodie.
Unlike the other boisterous contestants, he barely moved and was all but invisible.
Of course—it was Park Mundae.
[First song is... oh! Phil Garcia’s “Drive It”! Ready, set, go!?]
It was a few-year-old R&B/pop hit, a staple on this country’s audition shows.
[Ooh~]
The audience gave polite applause for the familiar choice.
But when the rules followed, their wonder turned genuine.
[Contestants on stage will sing whenever they’re randomly selected.]
[Press the button mercilessly if you like it! The more lights stay on, the longer that contestant sings!]
[If there aren’t many lights... well, next!]
Laughter rippled through the crowd at the AI’s cheeky delivery.
[Ha ha ha!]
The better the reaction, the longer they sang; a poor reaction meant the end.
It was a simple, brutal rule—easy to follow and wildly entertaining!
[Now, starting with number 1... go!]
Music filled the space as the contestants, feigning calm, passed the mic around.
Number 1 blinked and took the mic.
With a trembling voice, he managed a decent note.
-“I drive the car without hesitation~ With a mighty engine and shining headlights, I, I have them~”
[Oh....]
Those politely pressing the button paused the instant he stumbled.
[Next!]
As the lights dimmed, the AI swiftly picked number 5.
-“I’m no steady guy, but I’m wild. That’s my charm....”
And so the song hopped from person to person.
Most barely got through one line; a few made it two or three.
It was inevitable.
Suddenly called by the AI, with the visual cue “one mistake and you’re out,” even the smooth stumbled.
-“My eyes see, see... damn it!”
[Ne-next!]
The contestant, unable to finish a line, was now jeered by the crowd.
Just as the audience grew ruthless with familiarity—
[Number 7!]
Number 7, standing quietly in the corner, got his first call on the scoreboard.
[...]
A flash of the lit-up cue, and the hooded Asian youth casually lifted the mic.
The music started exactly where it should, as if it had always been his part.
-“Such a sight makes me live
Racing through the city lights again
Run, run, between stars and glow—”
[Oh!!]
His pleasant voice resonated solidly through the speakers.
With distinct equipment and a clear contrast in tone and power.
Tap-tap! Click! Tarararara!
Brightly blinking lights sprang to life all around, triggered by rapid button-pressing.
The song surged forward.
-“Run, run.
Between stars and glow
Tonight.”
Even at the high note of the chorus, his voice never wavered.
If anything, the melodic section stood out even more.
[Wow!]
The frenzied button-pressing didn’t let up, and Mundae’s run continued.
Pababababoom! Pababoom!
Lights flashed in every direction.
Some contestants gaped, watching what 7 was doing.
But Park Mundae didn’t show off further.
Instead, just before the second verse, he smoothly dropped the ad-lib and politely set the mic down.
[Then, next!]
The AI MC’s bright call drew a sigh of regret from the audience—but for good reason.
‘This is the moment to push once more.’
Park Mundae knew the rule’s blind spot.
‘People get used to stimulation.’
What mattered wasn’t singing continuously but surpassing the previous high point.
If you just coasted, past the climax people wouldn’t be as impressed—so they’d stop pressing.
Thus the strong singers before barely made it two or three lines.
Mundae skipped the verse’s slower intro.
‘And I get the shot of giving the next contestant a chance.’
As a mentor, he needed to look magnanimous, so no one online accused him of hogging the spotlight.
And Park Mundae had already calculated it.
‘Given the number of contestants... I’ll get another turn at the end.’
By the pattern, after a full rotation, it would be his cue again.
[Too bad, next!]
Thanks to Mundae’s excellence, the audience had grown stingy, and most contestants fell after one line.
And as planned, he got the final pre-chorus call just before the last chorus.
[Ooooh!]
Amid the crowd’s bias and eager cheers, he grabbed the song from the first note and never let go.
-“Run, run
Blow the horn, blur the lights
Tonight—”
Park Mundae held that stage for a total of one minute and three seconds.
Thus ended the first “Intro Stage,” so overwhelmingly dominant it wasn’t even a contest.
[The winner is... number 7!]
[Waaaaah!!]
‘He earned it.’
Instead of bowing, Park Mundae waved in tune with the crowd’s mood, a wry smile on his face.
From behind the camera, production staff were already drooling.
‘Wonder if they’ll use it in the promos?’
And sure enough, they did.
[K-POP? I don’t listen to that.]
[You call that music... no, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think boy bands here are music either.]
[My sister’s obsessed and honestly she’s crazy.]
“Oh, a teaser?”
“Exactly!”
In the car, Cha Yoo-jin excitedly shook his phone showing the NetPlus app to the members.
They all instantly focused on the short preview clip.
It cut between predictable “I’m too uncool for K-POP” lines and brief real-footage snippets.
[This summer.]
[For reality contestants starved for fame—]
[K-POP baptism rains down!]
“Look at the subtitles.”
“They translated it well.”
[AAAH!!]
[What the hell is this sh—]
Clips of screaming contestants and laughing K-POP idols.
Then quick cuts of me singing and a shocked contestant beside me.
“You did vocals for two more teams, right?”
“Yeah.”
They must’ve used my first appearance since the reaction was most intense.
“I heard everyone won.”
“Of course. They were singing their specialties—how could they lose?”
He beamed; he must’ve dominated the dance stage too.
[K-POP, do you know it?]
[Do you like it?]
[Wanna try?]
[K-NOW]
As the title appeared, “Episode 1 Coming Soon” and the date flashed.
Normally NetPlus drops a few episodes at once, but they must’ve agreed to release one by one.
“Cha Yoo-jin, set your reminder so you don’t forget and can watch immediately....”
“I know!”
“Knowing and doing are two different things!”
‘Anyway, airing’s not far off.’
Since filming went well, there was real hype about episode one’s reaction.
And by then a new event awaited.
Seon Ah-hyun, noticing the date too, exclaimed:
“Oh, that’s our move-in day...!”
“Right?”
“I’m glad we ordered that big TV after all!”
“Sounds great!”
It was moving day.
At last we were relocating to the new dorm.
