Debut or Die-Chapter 417
TeSTAR’s fans were already accustomed to all kinds of chaos—from vicious private-fan wars and rumor-mongering to their agency’s own clickbait tactics.
Of course, not everything familiar was negative.
They’d come to appreciate jaw-dropping stage quality, heartfelt fan service, cute little anecdotes, and heartwarming group episodes.
Still, one thing made them hesitate to celebrate unreservedly: TeSTAR’s “variety-show attribute.”
TeSTAR + variety = hellish party
It’s all the producers’ fault
They said “go relax,” then staged a disaster—too funny to watch, so I gave up lol
Yes, it was entertaining.
In fact, their variety misadventures were so unfiltered that they always went viral, giving TeSTAR high mainstream appeal. And because they retained the vibe of “idols thrown into showbiz,” their image never felt tainted.
Fans enjoyed the content—but they also voiced another thought:
I’d love to see them just chill, no agenda
Sometimes I worry they’re exhausted... they’re killing themselves with their main jobs, you know
Since their debut had been fraught with twists, there was a quiet demand to see them carefree and barrier-free. And generally, when non-comedian celebrities do special-variety shows, it’s common to include a soothing, healing trip outside their usual routine.
“Observational healing travel!”
But now... suddenly these members had actually done that very thing.
At first, fans were thrilled:
They went camping, made s’mores, soaked completely, rode horses, played with sheep, even took Mung-ge—insane 😭😭😭
What?
Hey, where is it?
That was, until they realized—not a single photo existed.
Lovuers panicked.
Sure, it was great. They’d come back well-rested, happily promising to pour themselves into concerts. They looked radiant, full of energy. But then:
Wait, we—
Why are we being left out, Lovuers?
How can you have nothing to show?
They’d assumed there’d at least be some footage. And W App chat provided ominous hints:
[Hey, here’s some water. Drink it when you get up.]
[Hehe!]
[Whoa, are we going to explode from all this? Everyone’s just lying down.]
They already looked tight-knit as a team—but now it felt as though a layer had peeled back, revealing something deeper.
Wow, they’re all so casual with each other
(Except the Confucian-bunny hyung)
Throughout W Live, they seemed at ease—open with one another—yet listened so intently it was almost touching.
It was a unity as if they’d disbanded and then reunited. So significant.
Their group spirit is overflowing
What did they even do?
Tell us! Tell us! ㅜㅠㅠㅠ
Assuming something pivotal had occurred at their camp, W Live viewers wailed even louder. And seeing the members flustered by the lack of photos, they realized the root cause:
...The group hadn’t even guessed there’d be demand.
The kids are always doing nonsense on variety, so we assumed “healing” would be boring—our bad lol
Park Mundae spot-checking them—he’s super photogenic but didn’t take a single pic. Classic. Still love you, though.
Maybe without cameras they relaxed more? Of course, now I’m dying to know everything.
└ lolololol
They feel so bad they can’t even go overboard replying ㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋ
TeSTAR, seeing fans howl in the comments, did their best to explain:
[Um... at the sheep ranch, Yoo-jin tried herding like a sheepdog, and it really worked. It was hilarious!]
[Right. The owner laughed so hard.]
Backfire.
Aaaaah
Okay guys, we respect your epic camp 😅 (Actually, I’m crying—please, release paid content)
It sounds so fun and happy—this is jealousy, haha
That wave of desire quickly took over fan communities and SNS accounts, fueled by TeSTAR’s drive broadcasts.
A few days after returning from glamping:
Hi, TeSTAR members~ Hope you’ve been well?
“...Yes, of course. We’re doing great.”
I answered a call during pre-tour preparations.
Actually, Ryu Cheong-woo shook his head and handed me the phone.
“How’s PD-nim doing?”
It was the head PD from the variety team that had taken them from foreign street-food shows to carrot-coin challenges.
And I guessed what he’d say next:
Oh, we’re great! And we heard about TeSTAR.
“Pardon?”
The glamping—TeSTAR’s healing camp!
Right—of course. I fell silent, recalling the online frenzy of the past few days.
‘...I didn’t realize how hyped they’d get.’
The absence of any video evidence seemed to magnify fans’ curiosity and expectations.
TeSTAR went camping: cooking, hot springs, horseback riding, animals—they tried it all in a crazy vacation...
To fans, that 4-night, 5-day glamping had morphed into the ultimate mix of heartwarming, comic, and healing variety.
And amid that atmosphere, actual hints—no mere bait—began to emerge:
[Can I post this? My glamping review]
I work part-time at the site. They showed up in hilarious, suspicious outfits, checked in looking like 007.
Here’s proof (photo)
On checkout, they did it without complaint—they’re all gorgeous AND so kind; and Mung-ge is adorable. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
Ask me anything in the comments lol
Starting with that long-suffering part-timer’s review, then the campsite owner’s promo post, then eyewitness reports from the sheep ranch and riding stable.
Those photos and short clips became indirect proof—and excellent bait.
Yoo-jin riding was insane—felt like 23 cowboy movies rolled into one
Watching Seon Ah-hyun pet sheep in backlight was like a photoshoot—prince vibes
Cheong-woo and the owner’s size difference—love you both
Those shaky, low-res clips and a handful of selfies only made fans thirstier.
‘There’s proof they were there, but no substance...’
Some even tried borrowing the caravan and tent TeSTAR had used to find traces, livestreaming on SNS—only to get flamed.
You trolls don’t know restraint—it’s just privacy invasion
└ They started this mess by spilling the beans. Stop crying hypocrisy lol
└ It’s mindsets like yours that create sasaengs
This is wild. They went quietly to avoid this, you idiots lol
Just as things teetered on the brink of disaster, the tour promotion kicked in hard, calming the storm—just barely. The frenzied excitement was contained, but the protest-for-healing vibe remained strong.
I clicked my tongue.
‘After ten months in different time zones, they’re a bit rusty.’
From now on, the dumb idea of “let’s just do a live stream with no planning” is banned.
Anyway, what would our longtime variety producers say in this situation?
It’s tight timing, but the timing’s perfect! The healing show we promised—now that it’s your tour season, let’s roll cameras, TeSTAR!
Supply creation, right on cue.
They offered to film the promised healing variety show right away.
“Variety show?”
“Oh~ it’s you, PD-nim? Long time no see, PD Jung!”
Those who’d been dozing in the car started to stir. The PD, not wasting a moment, launched into his pitch without even moistening his lips.
Even on short notice, we’ve prepared thoroughly to host TeSTAR.
We’re planning a YouTube series on our channel with over 3 million subscribers.
And for the first episode, we want to feature TeSTAR.
Filming during your downtime on tour would be perfect, don’t you think?
I looked around.
‘Should I do a show of hands?’
But Ryu Cheong-woo smiled and spoke first.
“Mundae, what do you think?”
Huh?
“Sounds good...!”
“Right~ Mundae-Mundae can decide this.”
“Since you felt the greatest betrayal on that ‘That Family’s Grandson’ variety show, your call is fair.”
Understood. Since I’d been the one most screwed over by these producers last time, the hosting duty fell to me. I glanced at my phone, then nodded.
“Very well.”
Ooooh!
This was the chance to soothe fandom tensions. Since it’d run concurrently with the tour, we wouldn’t need to chase viral buzz as much—it could be a relaxing episode.
“I pledge to trust the producers for this healing show—just this once.”
We swear on our variety careers!
“You’re not, I hope, swearing that your career will betray you here?”
Silence.
...Mundae, we’re sorry. It’s our first time distrusting an idol.
The PD’s voice trembled—of amusement, clearly.
You must’ve been deeply hurt. I’m tearing up here.
“It’s nothing.”
No, you fools.
“Kuh!”
I heard writers stifling laughter through the line. At the same time, I flicked Big Sejin’s back as he snickered.
“Ouch!”
“Well, that’s settled then. Let’s do this.”
With Ryu Cheong-woo smoothing things over, everything was arranged.
We’re honored!
Thus, TeSTAR’s YouTube-style healing variety show was greenlit.
After an urgent meeting and rehearsal, filming began the moment we boarded the plane for the tour.
“We’re here to save you time!”
“OMG!”
The producers couldn’t resist a gag, so they staged a surprise appearance at a layover, like a noisy stunt—somehow approved by the airport lounge.
‘They really aren’t kidding this time.’
Seeing them put in that effort, I got the vibe: they genuinely wanted to give us healing.
I nodded to the angel-winged PD.
“Since you should only worry about the stage, we’ve chosen to respect your wishes entirely!”
“Ooooh.”
“Right now... it’s self-production!”
Soon, the PD in his serious face announced the well-discussed plan:
‘It’s simple.’
TeSTAR pairs up in teams of two; each team devises a healing course of their choice.
“And then everyone experiences them in turn! No exceptions, no rigging.”
“Ooooh~”
The solo winner of a mini-game gets to create their own course, solo.
“Congratulations, Rae-bin!”
“Congrats!”
The winner was... Kim Rae-bin. He nodded earnestly, as if this reward for winning a simple board game was almost too much.
“I’ll plan an efficient course that everyone can enjoy without stress...!”
“No, it’s fine, Rae-bin—do whatever you want!”
Heartwarming. It truly felt like a scene of genuine peace and stress-free healing.
‘Hmm.’
And the only condition was:
“No peeking at each other’s plans or sabotaging—just do what you want.”
“Got it!”
That was it—only travel budget and a time limit, which was necessary to avoid awkwardness.
Then, we looked at the internal pairings:
“Shall we do this?”
“...! I’m fine with it.”
Ryu Cheong-woo & Seon Ah-hyun, team name: HappyTrip.
“Oooh, this looks good.”
“...Isn’t this a bit over budget? Well, I’d be okay if we did less elsewhere.”
“No, hyung, I just mean it looks fun! Let’s look at the others too!”
Team Sejins, of course Lee Sejin & Bae Sejin.
I nodded.
‘The vibes are already splitting.’
Either way, both would come up with solid healing courses. The first pair is gentle by nature; the namesakes have opposite tastes and will compromise for the camera, yielding «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» a crowd-pleasing plan.
‘But that means...’
There had to be a team to spice things up.
I turned to my own partner.
“Hyung! Can I lead?”
“Sure.”
Cha Yoo-jin’s eyes lit up as he opened his browser.
That’s right.
Cha Yoo-jin & Park Mundae—team name:
“I’ll do whatever I want.”
Because this was the American who herded sheep like a guard dog, and the Korean who bit chicken feet for his first introduction.
That’s why image matters.
‘Healing is inherently subjective.’
I looked at my reliable teammate and, satisfied, began planning our... I mean, healing itinerary.
