Chapter 461
Chapter 461
Following the news of TeSTAR’s limited edition board game album, the fans' social media timelines began to go up in flames.
The reaction grew even more intense as rumors spread that the board game’s appearance matched the one featured in the teaser images.
While the sentiment was mostly excitement and anticipation, it wasn't all positive. The issue was the limited quantity.
Even if a standard edition was released later, there would surely be a difference in content compared to the limited edition.
Thanks to this, TeSTAR’s new agency, Orbit Ent, finally started catching some flak.
In reality, they had rushed production to meet the schedule and simply couldn't manage a production run in the tens of thousands.
However, they had intentionally allowed this negative reaction to linger to some extent. It was a move to slightly cool down the atmosphere of over-deifying the label before it became a burden for both the rookie company and the group.
Besides, if the contents of the standard edition weren't significantly different from the limited edition, the complaints would soon subside.
Furthermore, since the "crumbs" regarding TeSTAR’s actual comeback took priority, the fans couldn't stay focused on bashing the agency for long.
For instance, there was this:
TeSTAR’s upcoming album wasn't a CD, but a USB. And it was a standalone configuration. The package was minimalist, consisting only of the album USB, a recycled paper box, and a single photo card.
However, the fact that they wouldn't receive a physical photobook or lyric booklet made people feel strangely disappointed. In an era where online streaming was the norm, the reason people still bought albums was for the sense of physical ownership.
Moreover, the small number of components felt somewhat meager. Even if the photos and lyrics were included as data inside the USB, the fact that they couldn't hold them in their hands made the excitement cool down.
The voices of discontent were relatively small, thanks to the high quality of the teaser and the enthusiasm for the concept—a continuation of the high-teen theme from the previous album that had ended on a somewhat regretful note.
But they were definitely there. A strange, draining atmosphere created by the voices of dissatisfaction.
‘Sigh...’
Eventually, fans who were worried about this tried even harder to find positive aspects. As part of that effort, they scoured the album pre-order page for special content not usually found in CD albums and spread the word.
But that was it. No further detailed information about the album was released even as the comeback date approached.
‘What are they thinking?’
Because of this, Moon-dae’s first fansite master was practically biting her nails off.
Concept photos had been released once, but they were a comfortable high-teen concept similar to the previous teaser. They were clean and pretty, but they lacked a distinct flair. It felt a bit too similar to the last album.
Compared to ‘Haengcha,’ which had a 30-minute teaser, ‘Better Me,’ which brought a cinematic trailer, and the movie-like ‘Promise’...
‘Only one teaser, a USB album, and a meager package...’
The dreaded word "cost-effective" couldn't help but cross her mind.
While the undercurrents swirled with anxiety, agony, fluttering hearts, and expectations, the fateful day finally arrived.
Midnight on the day of TeSTAR’s first comeback under their new agency.
Finally, the MV... dropped.
“...Haa.”
[TeSTAR ‘Roll the Dice’ Official MV]
The fansite master took a deep breath. The title was about dice, and there was a die in the thumbnail, too... How far were they going to take this?
‘Is it really a full-on board game concept? At this point, I’m worried it might be going overboard... No!’
Shaking off the useless thoughts, she clicked the MV with trembling hands.
And then...
“Huh?”
What appeared on the screen was... a wooden floor. It was the floor of the attic from the previous teaser.
But the TeSTAR members who had been sitting there were gone. They weren't the focus. It was the board game.
Tokens and cards were scattered across it.
However, the impression was different from when it had briefly appeared in the teaser. She had thought it was a typical setup where you divide spaces and move forward to claim territory.
But seeing it like this... it looked more sophisticated, realistic, like a blueprint for a building...
‘...A prison? A maze?’
At that moment, the camera was sucked into it.
[You have my dice]
A low voice echoed through the black void.
And when the screen returned:
—Doong...!
A long, straight corridor. Built of stones with varying shades of gray, it looked like part of a massive underground dungeon. A large, rusted nameplate on the floor was briefly captured by the camera.
[Keep It Safe]
The camera moved forward.
Step, step.
Along with the sound of footsteps, iron doors lined both sides. It felt like someone’s point of view.
‘Is it a guard?’
Then, the camera veered off again.
Whoosh.
The camera pierced through one of the iron doors on the left and immediately approached a figure sitting on the floor.
The figure was wearing a white outfit with a harness, a stage costume that evoked thoughts of a straitjacket or a prison uniform.
The moment she saw the figure with his head slightly bowed, the fansite master recognized him instantly.
Black-haired Park Moon-dae... with his eyes closed.
‘Gasp...!’
His eyes were slightly obscured by his somewhat long bangs. The moment the camera zoomed in on that pale face:
—Pipipipipipipipipi...
A small sound began to be heard from somewhere. A noise like a machine detecting something or starting up.
Then, Park Moon-dae raised his hand while keeping his eyes closed. And he struck down at something.
Thwack.
Along with the visual of a surveillance camera exploding in mid-air, the music exploded.
[Touching your hand
My tape winds again]
A refreshing mid-high note that felt almost lighthearted.
The screen also soared upward, eventually breaking through the dark, sealed room to reach an upper level. There, a single beam of light shone down through a grated iron ceiling.
The tempo picked up.
[The moment my heart beats
All senses go slow]
In that beam of light, someone nimbly and secretly descended using a rope attached to the end of the torn iron bars. It was Ryu Cheong-woo, wearing a tight-fitting leather suit.
Tak.
As he landed, a slightly playful smile played on his lips.
Drum beats joined in, and with a more rocking sound, the bass began to race heavily.
[A thrilling contact
Inside your silent eyes
Searching for the certain answer]
As Ryu Cheong-woo touched his ear, the cut changed to someone performing the same gesture. It was Kim Rae-bin, wearing glasses.
[There’s only one choice
Yes, take it all (one more)
Even if you lose this tightly held hand]
Sitting in front of a dark monitor room, Kim Rae-bin looked like a hacker or an employee. However, he soon tilted his head with an expressionless face as if he couldn't figure it out, then simply pulled an awl from his pocket and smashed the monitor.
Just before the monitor flickered and died, through the distorted viewing angles, Cha Yu-jin, wearing a straitjacket, looked at the camera and grinned, baring his fangs.
And as the monitor turned off, silence.
[Let’s Start, let the chaos begin]
With a low-pitched melody, the pre-chorus broke out.
[Find it, look at the face
I don't care what's next]
Cuts of each TeSTAR member running through gray corridors, sealed rooms, mazes, monitoring rooms, and various other mysterious conceptual locations were connected without a moment to breathe.
[Chaser, even today
Don't let your hand stop]
Just as she thought the overwhelming number of cuts—so many she couldn't even count—was impressive, someone’s hand blocked the view. It was a hand wearing a cotton glove.
[Find out everything
Don't be scared what's next]
The owner of the hand was Lee Se-jin. Lee Se-jin, dressed in a navy blue uniform while drinking coffee, gave a smirk. He turned his head to look at the broken monitor, then grabbed a key and hummed as he left the monitor room.
[Chaser, even tomorrow
Don't let the reversal end]
And then, the chorus.
[Just roll the dice]
Dance break.
Like a video that had cross-edited various stages, the costumes and backgrounds changed naturally. From white prison uniforms to navy uniforms, and then back to leather suits.
“Wow.”
She wondered how many cuts they had to film for this... No, it felt like it would have taken even more effort than just running around, but she was so thrilled that her heart was pounding, even if she felt a bit sorry for the members' hard work.
The fansite master swallowed hard and continued watching the video.
[Trust, take my side]
In the second verse after the chorus, the story and choreography were appropriately mixed, returning the video to a classic K-pop feel. A powerful performance video filled with symbolism.
However, thanks to the beginning, she could grasp the story quite specifically.
‘Let’s see... Moon-dae and Cha Yu-jin are, um, prisoners? Something like that. Rae-bin and Cheong-woo are phantom thieves. And Keun Se-jin is a guard?’
Bae Se-jin and Seon A-hyun appeared in the performance in various outfits, but she was tilting her head, not quite sure of their specific roles.
[Yes, this Final round]
It was when the bridge melody began to flow. Suddenly, the fast-paced screen changed to a long take.
...Tak.
It showed the back of someone standing in front of a massive iron door. The camera soon circled halfway around to reveal his identity. It was Bae Se-jin.
‘Ah, he was a phantom thief!’
He was dressed similarly to Ryu Cheong-woo. Just as the fansite master nodded:
—...
Bae Se-jin stared calmly at the iron door, then reached for the lock pad next to it. He held a strange mechanical device that looked like a key, and the camera zoomed in on his leather-gloved hand.
Vroom.
Suddenly, that hand flickered and changed several times—to a hand in a cotton glove, then to a scarred hand.
“...!”
But it soon returned to the gloved hand. And the moment he connected the key to the lock pad, a code entry box appeared on the machine.
[_____]
‘Oh!’
Bae Se-jin seemed to give a faint smile, but...
Thud!
With the sound of an impact, the screen vanished.
“...??”
[Just roll the dice
Trust, take my side]
There was nothing next. In an instant, the dazzling performance video continued.
While captivated by it, the fansite master still had question marks in her head... but eventually, she succumbed to the performance.
‘They’ll definitely give a hint at the end...!’
Indeed, a hint was given right as the song ended. But it wasn't in the way she expected. Instead of Bae Se-jin’s whereabouts, something else appeared on the blackened screen.
It was a close-up shot of a beautiful face.
“...?”
It was Seon A-hyun, with blonde hair and wearing a navy blue uniform. He looked straight into the camera and moved his lips.
—...Choose your side.
The soft sound of string instruments began to flow. As the screen slowly closed with black bars from the top and bottom, Seon A-hyun slowly turned his head and began walking down the corridor.
It was that same gray corridor from the beginning. A black riot baton swayed slightly at Seon A-hyun’s waist. One that looked perfect for suppressing someone.
“.......”
Black screen. Until only the clear sound of combat boots remained amidst the soft strings.
Thud, thud, thud...
And then, text appeared.
[Roll the Dice]
~Please enter the code
What appeared at the very end was a blinking black box. It was the same one that had appeared when Bae Se-jin accessed the lock pad in the music video.
And...
“......Haa!”
The fansite master let out the breath she had been holding.
Crazy!
‘I worried for nothing!’
The quality was like a movie! It was a bit different from conventional music videos, but this would definitely get a reaction.
‘International fans are going to lose their minds...’
She could already see it.
‘The lore is... quite grand.’
It felt like a new universe! It was so high-effort that it almost felt like a fan-made MV for a drama.
‘Is that board game that universe? Do you understand it if you play it?’
While she was racking her brain, private messages suddenly flooded her social media.
‘What is it?’
Thinking it was just fan talk, she clicked on them.
She let out a scream, her mouth hanging open.
‘Aaaaah!!’
And the next day.
‘Hurry! Hurry!’
She ended up frantically unboxing the album she had received.
She carefully yet hurriedly detached the USB—which was a prop from the music video—connected it to her computer, and tried to access the folder.
Because...
‘They made it so meaningful!’
There had to be something in the MV Extended Version! she absolutely had to see it!
‘If I just click the video file like this!’
She would be able to see the MV Extended Version...
“...!!”
However, what greeted her wasn't a video player.
[Do you want to allow the TeSTAR - Roll the Dice MV Extended Version (Playable) app to make changes to your device?]
App?
At that moment, she realized.
“.......”
‘Playable.’
A game.
The MV Extended Version... was a game!