Debut or Die-Chapter 416
The glamping site next to the Mo Hot Spring in Gapyeong was winding down as the weekend drew to a close.
By lunchtime, the guests who had stayed the two nights since Friday were packing up, and hardly anyone new was arriving. It was early summer, uncomfortably hot but not yet peak vacation season. And it was already evening.
“Hope you’re enjoying your stay~”
The part-timer manning the outdoor counter was leisurely attending to the occasional guest—until the next party arrived.
ding
The door opened, and suddenly a crowd poured in. Seven tall men in hoodies and colorful masks looked completely out of place at a summer glamping site. With avant-garde baseball caps and sunglasses, they seemed even more conspicuous.
‘...Just for social-media clickbait?’
At the back, the biggest guy was cradling a small white dog.
‘A sports-club field trip?’
That didn’t quite fit—most of them were surprisingly skinny. And this place usually drew families, not college groups.
‘Hmm?’
Just as curiosity was about to peak, the well-built man in a gray hoodie and mask approached the counter politely and asked,
“Hello~ we have a reservation.”
“Certainly—may I have your name, please?”
As the part-timer checked the booking, he thought to himself: great voice, tall, even makes those glimpsed eyes look handsome.
‘...Drama major?’
But he didn’t bother asking. True to his work-for-pay principle, he completed the quick check-in.
“So one Royal Caravan and one Sunset Ondol, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
From behind, the black-hooded figure in sunglasses whispered to his group:
“Make sure we’re marked as pet-friendly.”
“Oh, right.”
“Yes—we have the pet-friendly option.”
Before the question even reached him, the part-timer sensibly answered—and felt a strange dissonance. Despite their ridiculous outfits, their voices... they sounded familiar.
“Here you go....”
“Ah, thanks! So we head that way, right?”
“Yes! Just follow that left past the parking lot, and you’ll see it immediately.”
“Got it~ thanks for the clear directions.”
That upbeat tone, that manner of speaking... he’d heard it somewhere. But they’d already turned away to rejoin their friends.
‘Hmm.’
Just then, a soft voice drifted from their direction:
“Mung... would you hand me the dog?”
“Sure...!”
The one in white and a baseball cap lifted the little white dog and draped it carefully over his shoulder—and the part-timer was struck like lightning.
That’s the dog from that variety show! The exact same setup. And that show featured...
‘That kid’s grandson!’
And its cast...
‘Oh my god.’
The employee covered his mouth in shock. It was TeSTAR—seven members, exactly matching their builds. How had he not recognized them?
‘Even their fashion props...’
Despite trying to conceal their faces, they’d opted for such eye-catching outfits—it was like a reverse psychology ploy.
‘Wait, that’s Cha Yoo-jin!’
One with sunglasses was twisting his neck just like Yoo-jin. He’d even seen a YouTube Shorts compilation of that alone.
‘Whoa....’
Thanks to their individual popularity, the mental scan was over in an instant. Guarding the luggage was Bae Sejin. Studying the pamphlet was Kim Rae-bin. Park Mundae was the familiar voice in sunglasses. Ryu Cheong-woo held the dog. Seon Ah-hyun was the one who answered the pet question... and the guy I spoke to was Lee Sejin!
The part-timer balled his fist in excitement.
‘No wonder he looked so handsome!’
He’d just had a handsome vibe!!
Then a productive thought hit him:
‘Au-au... an autograph.’
But his sensible working-adult mindset held him back—besides, there’d be a chance again at checkout.
‘I won’t miss it then...’
‘Darn it!’
He wanted to tell someone—anyone! His sister, even!
‘She’d flip out....’
As he excitedly opened his KakaoTalk...
“Um.”
“......?!”
He looked up to see shy, smiling eyes above the mask.
‘Ryu Cheong-woo! Ryu Cheong-woo!’
His brain screamed, but Cheong-woo just spoke softly:
“We really came here to relax. Could you keep this visit secret, at least for a few days?”
“Ah—of course... yes.”
Secret? Absolutely!
“Thank you. Oh, and please accept this.”
He trembled as he received a luxury bath-salt set as a gift—or bribe—and watched the presumed TeSTAR drift away in a daze.
“Mung-ge, let’s go!”
“Arf, woof!”
“Don’t encourage him....”
They really did come just to relax?
‘They must be close.’
The part-timer pocketed his phone. He thought of his sister, whom he’d cut off without hesitation, and nodded in admiration at this idol group taking a camera-free family-style healing glamping trip.
‘Aren’t they sick of seeing each other all the time after ten months?!’
He couldn’t imagine the insane twists and turns they’d gone through to reunite after so long.
I have to admit it.
‘It’s basically their first vacation in ten months.’
Including the time they couldn’t rest before, it’s over a year. So, determined to go somewhere amazing, they’d endured endless searches and debates over the travel destination—until finally agreeing:
“As expected, the place Ah-hyun went to is the best.”
“Right?”
“.......”
At that point, I wanted to ask why they’d been banging away on laptops in the salon waiting area instead of sleeping, but I found the answer in Bae Sejin’s words:
“Well, it did look the best from the start. But since Ah-hyun had already been there, it might’ve been boring for him.”
“Oh, no...! It’s definitely not like that. It’s amazing, so I want to go with the members!”
“Hyung....”
The atmosphere instantly warmed. They’d spent hours debating for this conclusion—and now it was forgotten.
Ryu Cheong-woo smiled kindly:
“Great. Ah-hyun, could you tell us more about the activities you loved there?”
“Yes...!”
“Okay~ then our destination is Gapyeong Healing Glamping!”
And they’d booked a regular-price Rotent the same day.
‘I’m not sure you can call it a tent, exactly.’
I surveyed our reserved spot at the campsite’s furthest edge, surrounded by lush trees. The decorative canopy only pretended to be a tent—the interior was healing-floor ondol heating and pine wood. Plus an outdoor hot tub.
All the comfort of camping without the hassle. Perfect for truly relaxing.
“...! They say the hot spring water is right here.”
“Mung-ge, want to try it? Hey, do you want to go in, Mung-ge? ...Whoa, hold on.”
“Don’t torture the dog.”
Even if pets were allowed, that was clearly a pool for large dogs—they’d need a life vest to get that pup in.
Fortunately, as they excitedly inspected the interior, a magical decision emerged:
“Let’s eat dinner first. It’s getting dark.”
“Good idea~”
Hunger always wins.
“True! We’ve been starving.”
Not the best comment from someone who’d just eaten mini potatoes at a rest stop, but from then on it was time for barbecue and campfire.
They built a fire with logs in front of the caravan.
“Ooh.”
Without staff around, this was rare—but the meat grilled perfectly without issue.
‘Tastes great.’
I stoked the fire while Kim Rae-bin solemnly flipped the meat on the grill.
“Hey, Mundae. Can I try grilling some, too?”
“Hahaha, Ah-hyun, could you wash these mushrooms for me?”
“Ah, sure...!”
And peaceful time flowed on.
Thanks to their bribery at the counter, no one came or stared—just a kid occasionally peering from a distant caravan.
“My pup wants some meat too~”
“Hey, could be allergic.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
After idle chatter, they bathed, split into rooms, and slept soundly.
“Don’t set an alarm—sleep as long as you want.”
“Great idea. That’s leadership.”
I slept first on the ondol floor, incense burning and insects chirping.
It had been ages since I hadn’t needed «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» to think about quotas or goals.
The next day I woke past noon and tried horseback riding nearby.
“Yippee-ki-yay~!!”
Cha Yoo-jin dominated the riding, and Ryu Cheong-woo’s gleeful pursuit seemed to surprise the staff. They really shouldn’t have called seasoned athletes “beginners.”
‘They could’ve isolated those two on an advanced course.’
“Hey, Mundae-Mundae, what is Yoo-jin saying?”
“No idea.”
“...Maybe I should Google whether it’s an offensive term—ah!”
“Oops, hyung.”
Just then, Bae Sejin nearly lost his balance on his horse but regained it per the instructor’s cue—and someone leaned over to whisper:
“Hyung, that’s a cowboy shout....”
From afar, Yoo-jin’s “ee-hee-yah” rang out.
“Ahem, as long as it’s not problematic, we’re good.”
Bae Sejin rode competently thereafter, though it felt oddly performative. And the one who whispered, Seon Ah-hyun....
“You ever ridden before?”
“Mm-hmm! Not often, but sometimes.”
I’ll just note he was another “seasoned athlete.”
‘He’s good at riding too.’
Clearly they’d tailored the course accordingly.
“Oh, really? Didn’t know that—okay, Sejin’s in charge.”
So the next day they went to a sheep ranch none of them had visited.
“Looks like we can buy some wool...! I’m thinking of making a sweater.”
“Ooooh~!”
“Ah-hyun, if you wear that at Christmas and post on the official account, it’ll be perfect.”
No rush or efficiency—just time wasted in that way.
No filming, no “proof” photos, no broadcast episodes or buildup material—just pure rest and play.
“S’mores are delicious. Hyung, let’s have s’mores—buy marshmallows!”
“Sure.”
Yoo-jin got serious.
“...! You’re serious? Are you okay?”
“I’ve never felt healthier.”
They went wild even over “let’s make s’mores.” That day they bought chocolate and biscuits, roasted marshmallows over the fire, and ate them under the stars.
“Mundae-Mundae, we have to double our jogging tomorrow.”
“Got it.”
It was almost the first time in ages they’d gathered simply to have fun, without a single thought beyond that. The beach pension had been canceled when Kim Rae-bin’s grandmother collapsed.
‘...This isn’t bad.’
They made full use of the hot spring too. Evening soaks in the open-air bath were the perfect end to the day.
“I want to buy this—for the cabin! I’ll pay.”
“Nowhere to put it.”
The hot water eased the tension, and memories from that bizarre system world spilled out.
“Did you know? While harvesting strawberries, Kim Rae-bin grilled a ton of meat. I heard that from Rae-bin.”
“No way?”
“No wonder it grilled so well—it’s a learned skill.”
“I’m underage, so I couldn’t harvest strawberries delicately, hence I helped prepare the snack. But thank you for the praise. I will continue to improve!”
Seated in the outdoor hot spring, they tossed off comments regardless of context.
“Have you contacted the VTIC seniors?”
“Yeah. Seemed like they’re doing well.”
“That’s nice~”
“I never expected to get close with that senior like this.”
I recalled the list of recommended works Ju-dan had given me yesterday and raised an eyebrow. The other two had also called fairly often.
‘We did spend over half a year together in one group, so it makes sense.’
Ryu Cheong-woo, as if reminiscing about our “Wishes” days, said gently:
“Come to think of it, we never did a proper tour there. It feels like we’re doing that for the first time in ages.”
“Right. I’m looking forward to it.”
Not just Yoo-jin—heads nodded all around. Then Cheong-woo added playfully:
“Ah, only Sejin’s done it before, right?”
Big Sejin smiled wryly.
“You can’t call that a proper tour.”
“.......”
“...Yeah, fair enough.”
Thank goodness he didn’t get serious.
“Anyway, I missed our group so much~ Now that we’re on tour, let’s give amazing performances, okay?”
Got it, you little rascal.
“Huh? Mundae-Mundae seems quiet.”
“Well, you asked something obvious.”
“...!”
Rest is nice, but my mind works best with some excitement.
“Let’s rock this tour.”
Smiles spread across Big Sejin and the others.
And so that day’s conclusion was reached.
It was the fourth night—the last of the trip.
And checkout morning came.
“Thank you so much for everything. We had a great time!”
“No, thank you...!”
We gave the silent counter staff and owner autographs and selfies, then boarded the van back to Seoul, each sporting a neck pillow and grinning.
“That was fun.”
“This camping trip made me realize the value of rest.”
“Next time, let’s go to the beach!”
“Sounds good.”
Amid their chatter, I pulled out my phone, opened the group’s official account, and suddenly remembered:
I’d brought a backup phone just in case.
“Looks like we’re all presentable.”
“Hmm?”
Fortunately I was camera-ready, having planned for a selfie at the counter.
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
So, after some discussion, we pulled out the spare device—the one for the W app—mounted it in front of the passenger seat, adjusted the angle, and went live....
ding
“Hello, Lovuers!”
-???
#1 viewer
What’s going on?
Comments flew by, asking what was happening so early in the morning, with greetings pouring in.
Then a reasonable question appeared:
Are you filming?
“Filming? No~ we’re just heading home after our trip!”
Then the members chattered excitedly:
“Well, we did hot springs, horseback riding... we even petted baby sheep. Oh, and I brought Mung-ge with me!”
“Oh, that was hilarious, Mundae-Mundae—Yoo-jin made a lava flow with marshmallows, and your face at that moment~”
“Huh, speaking of lava, that reminds me—yesterday Ah-hyun nailed the barbecue! We were all so surprised. It was delicious.”
“Photos? Uh, I didn’t really take any....”
“Hmm. Videos... oh, I do have a Mung-ge video!”
Seon Ah-hyun laughed and showed on his phone the pup floating on the grass in a tube.
[Woof!]
That was the beginning and end of their broadcast material.
“Um... this isn’t like a show or anything—we’re really just on our way back from vacation!”
That was it.
?
Show us your faces, TeSTAR
You bunch of cruel end-teasers
Silence overtook the chat.
‘...Did we just play too much?’
I realized: this was just a status update, but listening closely, it was unmistakably content-worthy footage of them on break.
So it piqued immense interest, yet delivered no actual substance—just empty hype riding the live stream.
Come back, guys, camp with us again soon!
Thus began the great chaos that followed.
