Debut or Die-Chapter 287
VTIC’s teaser began with an ominous siren and an antique four-legged bathtub.
Wheeeee—ing~
“Hm?”
The office worker watching the teaser frowned at the incongruous pairing for a moment.
The siren slowly faded, replaced by the sound of droplets falling into the tub.
Drip-.
Drip-.
A white marble-tiled frame contained only a black bathtub. The siren disappeared, leaving only water droplets.
Click.
An image flashed by.
A red candle, a finger pressed to lips in silent warning, a worn book, a viral structure, a drop of blood, a sinister symbol.
Drip-.
And finally... a man’s foot stepping into the tub.
The speed and symbolism were staggering.
After those memory-like cuts, there was a brief silence and black screen—just enough to catch one’s breath—when elegant, soft strings filled the frame.
[Woo~ woo-oo woo-oo-oo]
A humming a cappella.
At the same moment, the screen lit up.
It was the very shot of the bathtub from before, but...
“...!”
The tub was now half-shattered, hovering in midair. A powerful, sculpted form gripped its /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ body and lifted it.
Eight tentacles of a dark green cephalopod, rendered in fierce detail.
The camera panned into the precarious tub.
Inside lay In-young, submerged up to his neck.
It was silver-haired Cheong-ryeo. The reflections in the light made his hair glint green.
‘Dyed??’
Before the viewer could think further, Cheong-ryeo opened his eyes.
[I need to understand
that it’s okay to forget
what cannot be comprehended]
A monotone melody gently enveloped the screen as light poured in from the shattered ceiling down onto the tub.
The beam also shone on Cheong-ryeo’s languid face.
‘Look at that face.’
Just as the office worker reflexively admired the emotional shot, the screens shifted to the other three members.
[Woo~ woo-oo woo-oo-oo]
In front of a massive stained-glass window, Cha-yool pressed his finger to his lips; in a darkened corridor, Shin-o held a candle; and in a forest, Ju-dan draped a black robe over his head.
Then the camera returned to Cheong-ryeo, submerged again in the tub.
He reclined fully, head under water, and the last verse ended in a low whisper.
[Blow out the candle right]
Pop.
The empty tub fell alone through the air.
“...!”
The cephalopod’s tentacles that had squeezed and supported it were gone—vanished without a trace—just before the tub smashed to pieces on the floor.
The frame froze at that moment.
Then sinister black letters appeared.
[He got a Permission to Explore my Land]
The phrase rearranged itself into an acronym of capital initials, forming the title.
[H. E. L. P.]
As the final letter flipped...
[H. E. L. L.]
...the sound of the tub shattering rang out on the black screen.
“...”
And just like that, the video ended.
“Ah.”
The office worker almost exclaimed aloud, then stopped himself.
But his brain already knew. The live reactions scrolling in real time made it impossible to miss.
OMG is it real?
m-m-m-mad, you guys
What the—
VTIC’s stealing the show again this year
VTIC had brought a crazily polished concept tailor-made to make their fans go wild—complete with a cool horror vibe perfect for summer.
“...They’ll make bank.”
As the office worker calculated potential earnings, a sober thought struck him.
He wanted to ask his own idols: “Why on earth bring a seasonal song in this climate?”
