Chapter 281
Chapter 281
TeSTAR’s roommate content was usually a short video that ended in one or two episodes.
But to grandly attach a season number and then add zombies?
Even without a long, detailed analysis of the reasons, it hit intuitively.
‘This… is going to be fun!’
Content that feels like it’ll be fun just by imagining the simple reactions was bound to send expectations skyrocketing.
The thumbnail and title, which pulled off the perfect clickbait, had a magical power that made even those who thought, ‘I should watch this over the weekend,’ and then forgot about it, click the video immediately.
The graduate student was no different.
She had intended to go home, wash up, and finish her chores before playing it with a pious heart, but she ended up playing the video right there on the subway.
‘Thank you, Bluetooth earphones!’
The first thing she heard was elegant string-based classical music.
Dan-da-dan-dan-da-ra-ra~
[Today’s Story]
[Researcher: Through scientific methods! We plan to find and match the most suitable roommates among you.]
[TeSTAR: Wow! (Sparkle sparkle)]
Then, accompanied by a somewhat clumsy, cheerful recorder BGM, TeSTAR appeared, eyes sparkling as they clapped their hands.
[TeSTAR’s curiosity and joy...]
[Kim Rae-bin (Cute Maknae): It was a fascinating experience. I feel like I’ll get to know myself more deeply!]
[Seon A-hyun (Flower Deer): Wouldn't this side be warmer...?]
However, the atmosphere shifted completely with black captions and eerie sound effects.
[Transcend into zombies!]
[Kim Rae-bin: Aaaagh!]
[Lee Se-jin (Vocal Mastery): Hwaaaagh, damn it!]
Kim Rae-bin screaming while stuck in a ventilation shaft, Ryu Cheong-woo sliding with a laser gun, and Cha Yu-jin hanging onto furniture in the dark flashed by.
The last shot showed the members running down a smoke-filled hallway with flickering lights.
[TeSTAR: Aaaagh!!]
[↑ Tricked by the production crew again]
“Pfft.”
The graduate student hurriedly bit her lip. It was so funny her stomach felt like it would burst from holding in the sound.
[♡ Always making the filming worthwhile ♡]
‘Hold it in! Hold it in!’
To avoid becoming a subway maniac, she did her best to take deep breaths.
Even so, she couldn't take her eyes off the screen. It was already hilarious!
The video was now parodying the opening of a famous classic sci-fi movie, rolling out captions along with a grand OST.
[May XX, a research lab in Ilsan]
[The TeSTAR members, having reached the season for roommate reassignment, gather once again while recalling the past three assignments (actually, they’re always together). However, the conspiracy of the evil, attention-seeking production crew lurks in this place.........]
Against a black space background, highlights from previous roommate videos drifted past.
Bae Se-jin getting scammed, Cha Yu-jin taking first place, Park Moon-dae throwing a card and chasing after Lee Se-jin...
Then, TeSTAR appeared on screen, standing inside a clean white indoor space with perfectly normal, excited faces.
[Lee Se-jin: Everyone~ What content are we doing today?]
[Ryu Cheong-woo: Let’s all say it together.]
[TeSTAR: ‘Roommates are Science!’]
As expected of idol content, the first half of Episode 1 was packed with psychological test results. Since it was something fans would be curious about, they hadn't cut it out.
[Chinchilla VS Rabbit: Who is stronger?]
[Bae Se-jin: (Pupil earthquake) Wouldn't a rabbit be stronger? They, uh, have teeth.]
[The members who do not lose their professionalism despite a series of somewhat strange questions]
The questions didn't look credible at all, but knowing that everything was about to be wrecked by zombies made even that part funny.
And seeing the members bickering or cooperating while answering was always a pleasure to watch.
[Cha Yu-jin: Chinchillas have teeth too!]
[Bae Se-jin: (Effect of flying into space)]
For the record, that last one was a chat message sent by the graduate student. She was venting her inability to scream this way.
‘Aaaaah!’
She thought she was smoothly falling deep into fan life, but her choices were still sufficiently like a normal person's.
In that way, Episode 1 fully showcased the heartwarming and humorous flavor of idol content to the point where one might forget about the zombies...
But the promised twist faithfully popped up in the latter half before the episode ended.
[Researcher: Ugh!]
[Collapsing...?]
Clack. Bang!
The office being sealed off by iron doors was shown through spectacular editing.
The effects were so fast and suspenseful that even though the viewers knew the situation was about to change, they were forced to focus.
However, the way TeSTAR immediately huddled together in the center as soon as things went south was adorable.
[TeSTAR: ...?]
[Sudden zombie atmosphere]
The situation ended comically with TeSTAR frozen, trying to figure out what on earth was happening before realizing they had been tricked.
[Lee Se-jin: Director!!]
The real-time chat exploded.
[Unexpected escape from the Zombie Lab!]
[What is TeSTAR’s coping method?]
And from here, the individual interview data for TeSTAR began.
[Kim Rae-bin / Rapper / Age 20 / Born Nov 11, 200X / Rabbit]
[The coward rabbit of this area, but a worker of the era]
[Counselor: Based on the score distribution, he is very diligent and kind, with a clear sense of self. The synergy will be great when he encounters good feedback and advice.]
On the screen, clips of Kim Rae-bin from past TeSTAR variety shows flashed by, hinting at the active role he would play in the zombie escape.
Mainly the eccentric feat of tearing off the perfect weight of hotteok dough with one hand.
Fans burst into laughter at the cute description of him being a real rabbit instead of a Medieval Rabbit, but the video didn't stop.
[Cha Yu-jin / Center / Age 21 / Born Mar 06, 200X / Tiger (Self-proclaimed)]
[Reflexes and wild instinct, the neighborhood boss of this area]
The introduction style was somewhat similar to a heist movie introducing members of an all-star team gathering to steal jewels, which hyped up the atmosphere even more.
And finally, the graduate student’s bias appeared.
‘Moon-dae!’
[Park Moon-dae / Main Vocalist / Age 22 / Born Dec 15, 200X / Puppy]
‘It says Puppy!!!’
The graduate student was moved by something so trivial.
[Brilliant ideas and judgment, the Tibetan Fox of this area]
[Counselor: He has strong introverted tendencies, but he’s a mature figure who has developed many extroverted elements himself. So, I think he uses both elements appropriately when making judgments.]
[Counselor: However, he is a bit of a perfectionist. (Laughs)]
A clip of Park Moon-dae with a serious face, calculating the number of hotteok and drinks sold so far, flashed by.
‘Ah, seriously, so cute...’
The graduate student felt happy as she checked the real-time chat.
The last one in the introduction, which went in reverse order of birthdays, was Ryu Cheong-woo.
‘Huh? If Se-jin is February 7th... and Cheong-woo is October 28th, isn't Se-jin the eldest?’
The graduate student wondered about the order as she recalled the screen that just passed, but she let it go, thinking it was because Ryu Cheong-woo was the leader.
[Reliable leader, dazzling survival skills]
[Counselor: He has a strong independent and proactive nature, and it’s impressive that he’s in the position of an inclusive leader.]
[Counselor: His psychology is very stable.]
On the screen, clips of Ryu Cheong-woo looking perfectly fine while taking care of the members and smiling in all sorts of horror-related content played.
And then, back to the main story.
[Cha Yu-jin: Wait, wait!! There’s a door back here!]
The video ended completely with the members finally discovering the ventilation shaft behind the production crew and crawling into it.
[TeSTAR Dream Team!]
[Will they succeed in escaping the lab filled with zombies!]
‘Ah, so the zombie stuff starts for real from Episode 2!’
Actually, for something that had the title since Episode 1, there wasn't much zombie talk, but thanks to the solid setup of the incident and the preview of the roles, it provided both satisfaction and anticipation.
As a result, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.
The graduate student savored the lingering excitement while looking at posts from a few people she followed on social media.
‘Ah, Yeon-ju must have seen it too, right?’
She contacted her fansite master friend and chatted excitedly again, only to let out an internal scream.
‘I missed my stop!’
For the record, the fansite master’s reaction was, ‘I’m dying of curiosity to know if Moon-dae is scared of zombies too.’
And exactly one week later, TeSTAR’s zombie escape was revealed.
[Kyaaaaagh!!]
[Lee Se-jin: Ugh-mmp (Mouth covered)]
The editing, which well-combined suspenseful chases, battle scenes, and the members taking care of each other, was top-notch.
In particular, the part where they came out of the vent and blocked the entrance with a cabinet received praise for being just like a zombie movie.
Episode 2 was a good mix of two parts: the members finding laser guns and taking down zombies through discussion, and them moving cautiously because it was too much to handle.
So the balance between catharsis and horror was excellent.
In particular, Seon A-hyun calmly doing fearless things in a corner was even highlighted through separate editing, contributing greatly to strengthening his character.
And Park Moon-dae’s fans were also satisfied. The fansite master sent this message to her friend.
[Yeon-ju: This is a precious variety show that gave us the valuable information that Moon-dae is only half-scared of zombies]
This was because Park Moon-dae was scared of the presence of zombies he couldn't see, but once they actually appeared, his face turned into that of a Tibetan fox.
Fans produced countless GIF files while rewatching Episode 2, which ended with TeSTAR sprinting toward the back door.
Overall, the fans, who were very satisfied, were all immersed in peaceful enjoyment.
There were no particular questions or controversies.
This was the established theory.
However, on the day the long-awaited Episode 3 was released.
[Ryu Cheong-woo: You should give me the ID card. Moon-dae.]
[Park Moon-dae: !!!!]
As soon as the scene appeared where Ryu Cheong-woo pointed a laser gun at Park Moon-dae, who was showing off his brilliant reasoning after returning to the first room, the reaction exploded.
And while the two were staring at each other in the movie-like frozen screen.
The screen rewound and returned to Ryu Cheong-woo’s individual consultation cut.