Debut or Die-Chapter 271
“Make a documentary yourself?”
“Whoa.”
Kim Rae-bin’s fan—so fed up that even seeing the word documentary made her stomach twist—felt a chill.
“Hey, come on....”
Isn’t that just stirring up trouble?
But the thought sank beneath the surface almost immediately.
Because the Testar on screen looked so unguarded.
It was early morning, and the shaky-handed videographer nudged the members sprawled on the floor as he filmed them.
[Let’s eat.]
[Wow.... I’m sleepy.]
[...I want meat.]
“...??”
More than intimacy, their actions felt plain and unscripted—like reality, without agenda or embellishment.
There were plenty of polished Testar videos crafted by producers, but this was the first time they’d seen footage so unconcerned with an audience.
Di-ri-ri-ring—
The slow accompaniment was the bare-bones live of Kim Rae-bin’s “Magic Is You” acoustic guitar, barely mixed, filling the room.
[Hm.]
[Don’t you know?]
[A bit.]
Between cuts of rehearsing concert choreography, they huddled around for playback checks.
In one hotel room, eating ice cream and staring blankly at foreign TV.
In another country’s hotel, playing board games and throwing cards.
[Haha!]
The videographer’s laughter rang over the guitar. The screen shook.
Short clips continued.
“.......”
Before she knew it, Kim Rae-bin’s fan was watching without a second thought—and didn’t even realize it.
They danced, tossed and caught props, checked their dyed hair, ran offstage laughing—and the camera followed their every move.
When the accompaniment passed the bridge into the climax—
Whaaah....
Panoramic photos she’d taken of concert prep and after-parties flashed by.
A beach photo of them holding fireworks; Park Mundae grilling meat at the after-party; Lee Se-jin shaking a drink. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Cha Yoo-jin laughing as he climbed on the rehearsal set....
Countless candid moments of Testar, captured when and how no one knew, poured out like a meteor shower....
“.......”
The audience fell silent, their occasional screams stifled.
Only then could Kim Rae-bin’s fan scream inside.
“You... you dirty bastards!!”
The hall was drenched in melancholy.
Fans who had severed ties even with a documentary to save Cha Yoo-jin surely watched through tears.
She felt her own eyes sting.
With the hall’s mood so charged, it would have been odd not to be moved.
“Ha.......”
She recognized her own surge of emotion with unfamiliar surprise.
“Okay, at least it works....”
It wouldn’t last forever, but of course adding this seasoning to the concert’s magic had to have impact.
“When the concert ends, the mood will lift for a bit....”
But the members weren’t done.
[Encore prep]
Under that subtitle, silent footage showed the members ordering chicken and chatting in the studio.
Then they strolled casually into the recording booth.
[In other countries we sang hits from that country. So... we thought we’d do the same in Korea.]
A shot of a handwritten note, then the screen went black.
The gentle guitar faded after its climax.
And a caption appeared.
[Testar Debut Celebration]
[200X]
[The song most listened to the year Testar were all in Korea]
Dry ice rolled out, awakening the stage’s scent.
Instead of the Idol Corporation medley, a rich, lyrical accompaniment began.
“...!”
A familiar, lovely melody.
A carol sample released at year-end the year Cha Yoo-jin and Kim Rae-bin—the youngest Testar members—were born.
[Getting Better]
The carol, rearranged as a Korean-style ballad, filled the venue beautifully.
A lift rose slowly through the dry ice from beneath the stage floor.
The members, clad in tidy winter casual wear, stood atop it.
Bae Se-jin, in a coat, took the mic first.
-When a trivial mistake becomes a wound
And you feel like you might collapse from a little hurt
His unadorned voice sounded surprisingly sincere.
-I just sit by the window
Thinking of who I’ll be next year
Seon Ah-hyun raised his clear low notes.
Lee Se-jin added harmony for the next line.
-On the same season, the same day
When I suddenly think back and look around
An orchestra swelled. The live band, which had pounded out intense sound, switched to soft strings and keys.
Above it, clear, strong voices rose.
-On this gloomy day
Becomes fertilizer for my heart
Those sharp pains
Become the sturdy screws of me
It was Park Mundae’s voice—solid, emanating from his pink hair under a gray muslin jacket.
Ryu Cheong-woo’s mid-low tones held the center harmony.
-When I go down, eventually
On that day, I will be myself
Cha Yoo-jin sang the final line with a smiling face.
-I won’t feel anything
It sounded refreshingly freeing.
“...Ah.”
Lyrics, song mood, and the preceding footage combined into a crazy synergy.
“These bastards... they really pulled out all the stops.”
Stifled sobs murmured under the sound system.
She tried to think it was too on-the-nose, like an internet meme of someone pretending not to cry.
-I won’t feel anything
The song proceeded earnestly, tenderly, without excess.
Fans slowly waved lightsticks in time, their lights twinkling.
The sampled carol melody spread in hums.
-Du- durururudu-
Like sinking into a warm, deep sea, the audience was immersed.
-Happy new year to you
I know you’ll be okay.
In a warm low tone, the song ended.
“.......”
“It’s a scam.”
Kim Rae-bin’s fan muttered as close-ups of the smiling members filled the big screen.
“They just... sucked every drop of my concert high....”
Maybe because she was a solo fan, she felt strangely defeated.
Her emotions felt drained.
“You love Testar so much, you bastards... Rae-bin....”
Watching Kim Rae-bin in a cute white puffer coat holding hands with the members, she felt a complex sense of defeat....
Unlike before, even fans of their own idols who’d usually win debates, in this moment none felt triumphant.
But she steeled herself again.
“It’s only for a moment! By next week, this high will be gone....”
[Thank you for listening.]
[How did you like the song we prepared?]
“It was amazing!!”
“Waaah!!”
She couldn’t help it—it was the audience’s reflex.
The members smiled expectantly, stepped off the lift, formed ranks, and turned.
[Next up, our encore song.]
“That outfit??”
Her thought froze. The members flung off their coats.
Underneath: leather pants and white linen shirts—classic stage uniforms.
“Oof!!”
Predictable, yet it worked.
Amid screams as they hurled their gloves and hats, the lights snapped off.
And a sweet intro played.
It was “Wheel (Day).”
-Turn the wheel
So it flies far away
The melody rings, so beautiful
Touching my heart let it pop
“Huh.”
They’d done that song before.
Well, (probably thanks to whoever wrote it) it was a good stage even on repeat, but it was odd.
-Turn the wheel
To visit your dream
Stay here today as is
It won’t end let me in
The outfit felt a bit sharp for “Wheel”—unbalanced.
“Hmm.”
Did they rush a replay?
Kim Rae-bin’s fan was cooling off.
-Flying now
Whee-whee-whee whoosh!
“...!!”
Suddenly, the familiar whistle cut into the song.
Heavy bass and beats crashed in...
And like magic, it dropped.
-Jump off
No parachute needed
Just jump
“It’s Drill!!”
Yes— the chorus of their double title “Drill (Night)” devoured the song instantly.
Pinpoint lights replaced the wistful, refreshing “Wheel” mood.
Glow-in-the-dark paint on their leather pants flashed under the lights.
And the “Drill” point choreography slammed in mercilessly.
“What the heck!!”
Only then did everyone realize.
-It comes in Come in
(let me in)
They’d combined two titles into one song—a remix!!
On the broadcast, a subtitle appeared.
Testar – “Daybreak” (Wheel + Drill)
The new song’s title.
-ㅅㅂ I didn’t expect the challenge to be a new song preview
-Genius idols lost their minds
-Are they crazy? Are they crazy? CRAZY?
-Song is sick; what is this
While viewers chatted, the song raced on.
In the chorus they fully mixed both songs, creating new lines.
-like a drill
I dig in and catch you
Yes, it’s beautiful
Touching my heart let it pop
No idea exactly what they did, but the mix kept both moods intact brilliantly.
The somewhat bland “Wheel” and the overly intense “Drill” fit together like puzzle pieces.
And the ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) members maintained that delicate balance impossibly well.
The stage was intense yet bubbly, bursting with playful charm.
-Enjoy the moment
That’s my thrill, ha!
Amid razor-sharp group choreography, Cha Yoo-jin’s ad-libs and tumbling landed crisply.
Ahhhh!
“Ugh....”
Kim Rae-bin’s fan gasped out of sheer exhilaration, then finally admitted it.
“The concert high isn’t going away anytime soon.”
Testar Seoul encore concert Day 1 concluded.
An hour and a half later, online reactions were:
-As expected, their main gig is everything lolol
-Testar pulling this off is insane. Combining two songs usually feels off, but they nailed it
└Right, “good + good = better”? So many tracks fail that, how did they do it;;
-Stage performance is f***ing insane. The challenge people must be so embarrassed
“Feels good.”
They’d achieved every desired effect.
Now people satisfied by the stage would cite our rough documentary as reason for peace.
And that was already happening.
-Testar is... family..
-Where’d the guy who threatened to execute family marketers go? He’s been executed, not here
-How did these seven come together? I’m so moved I’m crying Testar forever..☆
Group fans’ voices grew louder.
“When people are satisfied, they relax.”
I shrugged, put down my phone, and said,
“Turned out how you wanted~”
“Yeah.”
“Sit down and eat meat already, Park Mundae!”
I took my seat and had a late dinner, emboldened by drink and Bae Se-jin’s prompt.
Before the concert high faded, I thought of a savior to bring in.
“We’ve done our part.”
We reduced fatigue and gave them justification and satisfaction.
Next step: battle the enemy.
And just the right foe was arriving.
Someone to make fans say “we’re better than them,” “actually pretty good.”
And at the same time... an external enemy.
I recalled the article I’d checked earlier.
[Re-Listing! Idol Corporation Season 3 First Stage Revealed]
The new season of Idol Corporation.
Not female idols, but male idols—Testar’s direct juniors.
“If we can just prevent fandom leaks, there’s no better external enemy.”
I shrugged.
Let’s see what happens.
