Chapter 611
Chapter 611
“Hey, hey, the first episode comes out today, right?”
Sitting in the living room, Kim Rae-bin’s fan ignored her younger brother’s words.
The brother, acting as if it were nothing, casually walked past her to open the front door for no reason, then asked again as he came back in.
“I asked if it’s coming out.”
“Ugh, seriously! Yes, it is!!”
What was?
The first episode of TeSTAR’s Strange Office.
Muttering something like, “Why are you suddenly having a fit?” her brother grumbled but sat down on the sofa anyway.
He was definitely asking because he felt it would hurt his pride to look it up himself, but Kim Rae-bin’s fan, already used to this, was focused on something much more serious.
It was the behind-the-scenes footage of TeSTAR’s new music video that had popped up on her social media.
Perhaps the choreography shoot had been long; there were clips of them wiping off sweat, suit jackets off, grinning at the camera or flashing V-signs.
Naturally, her eyes were fixed on one person.
Kim Rae-bin!
Her bias was wearing a black suit with a matching black shirt, skipping the tie but wearing glasses.
Of course, looking at the posts being shared, the reactions from fans of other members were no different.
‘These crazy people.’
It was obvious every time something new was posted.
TeSTAR had really… really sharpened their blades and managed themselves strictly for this comeback.
For what?
‘They did it to wear those suits.’
At just the right age, the impact of custom-tailored suits that fit each of them perfectly without being over-the-top was staggering!
‘I thought my timeline was going to be paralyzed.’
The speed at which GIFs, color-graded differently for each member, were pouring out was terrifying.
Releasing a music video that was so obviously targeted to make both fans and the public lose their minds was a huge success, and every fan was cheering.
But… to use that as a teaser for self-produced content?
She swallowed hard, remembering her dizzying private account timeline.
‘Hey… you can’t let the world-building consume everything, okay?’
She was anxious that, conscious of how the game they included in their last album had been a massive hit and a hot topic, they might have overdone it this time by going too deep into the lore.
She gripped the sofa.
‘Do you think your title track is some kind of OST?!’
Of course, there were fans who loved it because it suited their tastes, but some fans who had cheered for the clean-cut suit music video were in despair.
Kim Rae-bin’s fan took a deep breath.
Let’s not be too pessimistic.
‘It’ll probably flip the script again.’
How many times had TeSTAR done this before, only to drop an unpredictable answer and content that completely washed away all anxiety?
And the thrill and relief felt then!
‘They must have a plan this time too, right?!’
It was a kind of learned behavior.
As proof, there were quite a few people like her under the surface.
The last comment was true.
In fact, TeSTAR’s current digital chart performance was…
[1st Place: Bad Feelings / TeSTAR] (-)
A perfect, clean daily #1.
‘I thought my heart was going to explode.’
Thanks to that, the hype was burning even hotter.
The expectations were built by the sudden fan song, ‘EPIC,’ which TeSTAR had released at the beginning of the year and became a huge public hit.
And thanks to the attention the comeback itself received due to the noise surrounding the simultaneous release with VTIC.
It meant they had successfully jumped up a step without falling, but…
It couldn’t end here.
“Maintenance is what’s important.”
“What is?”
Kim Rae-bin’s fan didn’t answer her brother’s question and continued to scour the communities with bloodshot eyes.
‘We can’t get pushed back when VTIC comes out.’
VTIC’s comeback was only a few days away.
The outcome of this battle would be decided by how much they were pushed back then.
If they were pushed back significantly, it was truly over.
So, providing a big piece of self-produced content as additional bait during the week those guys were coming back was fine.
But… a full-blown fan-service video for the world-building?
That was actually problematic.
‘All the muggles are going to run away!’
It was even more of a problem because this self-produced content had gained attention through the pre-release video.
Based on her intuition from being a Loviewer for several years, public interest had reached this world-building video that looked niche to anyone’s eyes.
That was why, even though she knew TeSTAR’s successful track record, she couldn’t feel at ease.
‘Ah, muggles, fck, just don’t watch it.’*
Kim Rae-bin’s fan remembered the title of a related WeTube video she had seen recently…
[TeSTAR’s Strange Office, what kind of genre drama is it? An analysis based on the music video!]
Even YouTubers were jumping the gun.
‘Sigh.’
At least the game included in the album was only played by people who liked that sort of thing or by fans.
“Ah, please.”
Don’t let this atmosphere cool down. Don’t let it cool down!
Gritting her teeth amidst anticipation and anxiety, she played the first episode of TeSTAR’s self-produced content, Strange Office, on the TV as soon as it was released.
And the first episode she watched was…
“……!”
It was unexpected.
It was a mystery story played completely straight.
Even the horror direction was devoid of any humor, using cinematic scene transitions like a drama or a movie, creating an exquisite contrast with the comedic office skits.
Thanks to that, the shock and immersion were even stronger.
And what shocked people even more… was the quality of the production in the video.
The quality of the props and the strange creatures that appeared was on par with a big-budget drama made by Netplus.
The sense of reality in the set, which looked like a real office, and the movements of the strange creatures were as real as an actual situation.
Furthermore, they didn’t emphasize words or nuances like ‘our own world-building that you can only understand if you know all the previous content.’
The structure, like the beginning of a mystery thriller drama, had no barriers to entry beyond the genre itself.
Moreover, TeSTAR’s serious, thriller-like reactions without any playfulness further fueled the atmosphere.
Vibrate, vibrate, vibrate!
Noisy notifications for new posts rang on her smartphone, but she didn’t have time to look at them properly.
The first episode ended at the moment Kim Rae-bin disappeared.
Just as that comment said, the second episode had been released simultaneously following the first.
“Hey.”
Without a word, her brother immediately clicked the next episode.
15, 14, 13, 12…….
The 15-second advertisement was cruelly long.
Only after she had adjusted her grip on her hands several times did the next story finally begin to appear before her eyes.
[…….]
The screen showed a dark office with only a few lights on.
The silence stretched as the camera slowly zoomed in on the frozen TeSTAR members.
Only six of them.
[Manager Bae Se-jin: What… is this?]
Kim Rae-bin had disappeared the moment they proceeded with the ‘Delivery.’
Only the employee ID card he had left behind sat atop a small prop shaped like a bizarre music box that had been crawling down the hallway.
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: …….]
Amidst the white noise, Park Moon-dae slowly picked it up and suddenly turned his head.
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: By-product.]
[General Manager Seon A-hyun: Huh?]
Following his gaze, the camera moved to where the Summer Special Duty Guidelines were lying.
[3. Delivery can be registered at the tablet PC at each office entrance; By-products can be registered at the tablet PC in front of the B1 warehouse.]
That clean document was now even chilling.
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: I think this… is a by-product.]
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: A by-product notification popped up on this tablet earlier. ……After the delivery.]
An indescribable silence fell among the members.
In the meantime, Park Moon-dae placed the guidelines on the floor, sat down completely, and began to skim through them quickly.
[Assistant Manager Lee Se-jin: Assistant Manager Park, what are you doing?]
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: Checking.]
Through his slightly long black hair, Park Moon-dae’s calm, focused gaze was visible.
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: It seems like things are happening exactly as written here.]
[Manager Bae Se-jin: Ah!!]
The members immediately put their heads together and began to carefully scan the contents of the Guidelines.
Seeing the warning to be careful of safety when the lights flicker, it seemed the monster appeared then; it would be better not to go to other floors where access is restricted; let’s not enter the breakroom at all….
And.
[Seon A-hyun: Only this number 6 has a different tone.]
Even this item.
[6. Don't go to the stairs]
“…….”
Instinctive dread and analytical intelligence intersected, building tension.
[Assistant Manager Lee Se-jin: Then… should we go to the first basement floor for now?]
[Associate Cha Yu-jin: Wait. Kim Rae-bin is gone now. We don’t know what will happen next. Let’s check the 7th floor first.]
[General Manager Seon A-hyun: Yeah. But wouldn’t we have to go to the basement to find… clues about Rae-bin?]
[Manager Bae Se-jin: Well, the other offices are closer.]
The conversation was fast and intense, but in the end, what they focused on again was the Guidelines.
[8. Duty ends when all Delivery and By-product processing are completed.]
They couldn’t ignore that sentence.
In the end, it meant this would only end if they went down to the basement and ‘processed’ the by-product.
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: Let’s… try going down to the basement.]
[Associate Cha Yu-jin: ……Yeap.]
The members finally agreed to move.
And as if rewarding the viewers’ screams, TeSTAR made a sensible choice.
[Intern Ryu Cheong-woo: Then shall we go to the elevator for now?]
[Manager Bae Se-jin: I guess we should.]
It was at that moment when the viewers felt relieved.
Ding.
The screen of the tablet PC Park Moon-dae was holding lit up.
It was a new notification.
[Until next delivery
- 00:30:00]
Huh?
It was the moment the viewers blinked.
[Until next delivery
- 00:29:59]
“…!!”
A time limit!
Urgent BGM erupted from the screen.
And… the office lights began to flicker again.
[!!!!]
The members began to move hurriedly as if their feet were on fire!
[Manager Bae Se-jin: Grab what you have now!]
[Intern Ryu Cheong-woo: To the elevator!]
As Seon A-hyun carefully picked up the music box last, the members began to move through the hallway cautiously yet as quickly as possible toward the elevator.
And in the process, they witnessed it.
[Associate Cha Yu-jin: It’s gone.]
The music box had completely disappeared.
And in its place, only a dark red dragged mark remained.
Seon A-hyun adjusted his grip on the music box he was holding with trembling hands.
And that wasn’t the end.
[Manager Bae Se-jin: Over there!]
The camera’s perspective turned back, following his hand.
The focus was on Office 3, where the members had come from, its lights flickering alone.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
Inside that window, along with a booming sound, strange palm prints began to be stamped.
And following those marks, the lights in all the succeeding offices flickered one by one.
As if chasing the members.
[!!!!]
Hardly able to breathe, the members quickly arrived in front of the elevator, avoiding those marks.
[General Manager Seon A-hyun: Hurry, hurry…….]
[Assistant Manager Lee Se-jin: It’s not working, next!]
The members quickly took turns tapping their ID cards on the elevator reader, but when there was no response, they eventually used Kim Rae-bin’s ID card.
And that worked.
Beep!
The elevator doors opened.
[Intern Ryu Cheong-woo: Watch your step!]
After Ryu Cheong-woo, who had pressed the elevator button, made sure all the members were on and boarded last, Park Moon-dae repeatedly hit the close button.
And, while the handprints were chasing them, slamming against the window of the office directly opposite the elevator…….
Thud.
The doors closed.
[Going down.]
TeSTAR had successfully boarded the elevator safely.
“……Haa.”
A long sigh of relief.
The members also took a breather, taking off their jackets and sitting or leaning against various parts of the elevator.
Only then did jokes start to come out.
[Associate Cha Yu-jin: Gosh…. Assistant Manager Park, you didn’t faint, right?]
[Assistant Manager Lee Se-jin: Yeah. You’re surprisingly fine.]
Park Moon-dae’s lips twitched before he just let out a smirk.
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: Yes. I’m fine.]
[Intern Ryu Cheong-woo: Haha….]
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: An intern is laughing?]
[Intern Ryu Cheong-woo: ?!]
[Intern Ryu Cheong-woo: I’m sorry.]
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: Right. Do better.]
As the atmosphere relaxed for a moment and they were about to discuss their future plans again, the elevator continued to descend.
7.
[General Manager Seon A-hyun: Is everyone okay?]
[Associate Cha Yu-jin: We’re fine. We’re strong.]
6.
[Manager Bae Se-jin: We have all the clues we found, right?]
[Assistant Manager Park Moon-dae: Yes. I don’t think we left anything behind.]
5.
[Assistant Manager Lee Se-jin: Then now, straight to the basement warehouse….]
And then.
The descending elevator stopped without warning.
Ding.
A destination they hadn’t pressed.
“……?”
[4th floor, 4th floor.]
…Huh?
At that moment, viewers also blinked and stared blankly at the screen.
In the silence, the elevator lights began to flicker.
“……!”
Amidst the pounding white noise.
The members on the screen slowly raised their heads as if they didn’t want to believe it and began to look at the door.
The door of the elevator that had stopped on the 4th floor.
[…….]
But the door didn’t open.
The elevator just stood there.
Instead.
[Assistant Manager?]
“……!”
The faces of the members on the screen froze.
And again, muffled words were heard from beyond the door.
A familiar voice.
[It’s Intern Kim Rae-bin.]
It was Kim Rae-bin’s voice.
While reactions made of single words poured in, his same-age friend on the screen was reflexively opening his mouth.
[Associate Cha Yu-jin: Kim…….]
A hand went over Cha Yu-jin’s mouth.
“…!”
The one who moved quietly to block the sound was Ryu Cheong-woo’s hand.
And a silent mouthing of words.
[Intern Ryu Cheong-woo: Don’t answer.]
He pointed with his other hand.
At the writing visible on the paper Park Moon-dae had hurriedly pulled out.
[7. If an employee not listed on the duty roster appears, do not welcome them. Do not react.]
“…….”
[Assistant Manager?]
The elevator lights began to flicker.
And… the title caption filled the screen.
[Strange Office EP.2 / You’re Next]
Kim Rae-bin’s fan covered her mouth.