Chapter 64
Chapter 64
The videos Park Moon-dae had been watching were indeed the ones I had filmed. Even the message I’d left when I deleted my WeTube fancam account was identical.
I hadn't wanted to drone on about personal details like preparing for the civil service exam.
At that moment, a realization struck me like a bolt of lightning.
‘Wait, is that why the status window appeared…?!’
Because I used games as an excuse, did karma come back to haunt me in the form of a game system?
‘…I don’t think I did anything bad enough to deserve sudden death, though.’
Frankly, wouldn't it be weirder to assume someone would attach this much meaning to the fancams I took?
Still… it left a bitter aftertaste.
If that bizarre flashback I just saw was truly the "Truth," then my breath really had stopped for a moment before I woke up.
That meant the original Park Moon-dae who lived in this body had truly died.
And it wasn't like that guy had done anything wrong enough to die, either.
‘It would’ve been nice if someone had helped him… but that’s hard.’
Surprisingly, people aren't interested in others. Except, of course, when they’re looking for someone to curse out.
Anyway, the process of how I entered this body… honestly, it’s realistically impossible, but I think I understand the logic behind it now.
‘I was the only one Park Moon-dae felt any emotional connection to.’
But since I deleted the account and vanished, a status effect like "Sudden Death" must have been triggered.
Whether the entity that created this status window did it out of pity for Park Moon-dae or if it was some kind of afterlife mechanism didn't matter.
‘This should be enough to satisfy him.’
Thanks to this, the guy who used to take the fancams you loved has now become an idol in your body and is about to be filmed in countless fancams himself.
I felt a mix of pity and relief. Now that at least half of the situation was clear, I felt like I could breathe again.
“Here are the seven members of <TeSTAR> that you, the shareholders, have invested in! We ask for your continued support and investment in the future!”
As the MC shouted from afar, confetti exploded from above and fluttered down.
“Fighting!”
“Great job, everyone!”
“Let’s do our best~”
While the winners laughed, shook hands, and hugged, the red lights on the broadcast cameras went out.
It was the ending.
People began collapsing here and there, their legs finally giving out.
The stage was a mosaic of human emotions: winners approaching the eliminated contestants to offer congratulations and comfort, and participants who were simply sobbing.
And then, there was the endless wave of cheers and slogans.
I took a deep breath.
‘Now, all that’s left is our promotions….’
Ding!
[Sudden!]
Status Effect: ‘Death if Not 1st Place’ has occurred!
“…….”
[‘Death if Not 1st Place’]
: If you do not win 1st place on a major broadcast music show within the set period, you will die.
Remaining Period: D-365
You son of a bitch.
If I ever meet the bastard who made this system, I won’t let them off easy. I swear…!
At the exact moment Park Moon-dae was the angriest he’d ever been in his life.
Posts confirming the debut members of <Idol Inc.> were flooding every internet community and social media platform.
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[Idol Inc. Debut Members Confirmed (7 members)]: In order of rank: Park Moon-dae, Cha Yu-jin, Seon A-hyun, Kim Rae-bin, Ryu Cheong-woo, Lee Se-jin (Keun), Lee Se-jin (Actor)
Debut Group Name: TeSTAR
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Despite the sluggish three-hour runtime, the final episode of <Idol Inc.> broke viewership records once again, and its popularity was exploding.
Thanks to that, everyone—those who watched the broadcast and those who didn't—was busy leaving comments.
Naturally, there was a lot of talk about Park Moon-dae’s rapid ascent and his 1st place finish.
The atmosphere was mostly celebratory, but occasionally, people would pop up to sneer, saying he "won 1st place by selling his family history." There were even posts creeping up that claimed to "analyze" the situation.
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[Reason for Park Moon-dae’s 1st Place]
: The family history bombshell solidified his core fandom + gathered the muggle picks.
It’s almost like the universe helped him.
Cha Yu-jin is the type to sweep up fans with his performances. Since he doesn't have the kind of emotional story muggles like, it seems he attracted fewer muggles than Park Moon-dae.
Also, since he was at the top from the beginning, everyone thought, ‘Of course Cha Yu-jin is debuting lol.’ I think that complacency led to this.
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Of course, as soon as the fans who were soaked in the thrill of victory regained their senses, they began cutting down the bait posts like a knife.
While the fans were arguing, the casual viewers—who didn't have a specific participant they were desperate for and just enjoyed the show—giggled as they posted their thoughts on the finale.
In these circles, there was frequent talk about Park Moon-dae’s choice.
Most were favorable. It was the moment Park Moon-dae’s split-second judgment proved victorious.
In the meantime, malicious fans of the eliminated contestants and antis of the winners were subtly posting to drive a wedge between the debut members.
There was a limit to how much fans could block, and posts ruining the mood continued to appear.
In particular, the attacks on Lee Se-jin, who barely made it in at the end through the 1st place benefit, were fierce.
Thanks to numerous reports and blocks, the instances of people hurling insults at the winners on the surface decreased significantly after a few days.
Instead, the excitement of fans waiting for the debut members' activities overflowed everywhere.
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[TeSTAR Debut Song Countdown, Will They Become the National Boy Group? (Article)]
: An article came out so I brought it here! It says they’re scheduled to promote within a month (Link)
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People who had newly entered the idol fandom through the mega-hit audition program waited for the debut album with reasonable, hopeful predictions.
And as is always the case in this industry, "reasonable" was something you’d only see in a dream, not a hope.
Because of that, tension circulated among those with deep experience in idol stanning.
Overall, there was a strong atmosphere of wariness that a large corporation with no know-how but plenty of size would do something stupid out of greed for money and career building.
Fortunately, just as people were getting exhausted, a flash of new content appeared.
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[This is TeSTAR’s account!]
: Hello, everyone! We are the new rookie group, TeSTAR! Please look forward to us > _ < (Photo)
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TeSTAR’s official social media account had been opened.
The photo attached to the first post showed the members of TeSTAR sitting together in what looked like a living room, laughing.
Judging by their casual clothes and relaxed poses, it was clearly their new dorm.
Fans were greatly relieved by just one social media post.
In an instant, TeSTAR’s followers and shares began to jump by the thousands every minute.
People enjoyed the photo down to the smallest detail.
Since it was a group formed through an audition, there were still far more people mentioning only the members they liked.
Members who had done many team missions together at least shared some of that goodwill.
However, depending on those connections, the preferred groupings were already slightly divided.
With excitement and anticipation, but also carrying several elements of anxiety, TeSTAR seemed to be beginning their full-scale activities.
And the parties involved were already facing those anxieties.
“Phew.”
Well, we managed to move into the dorm.
I held back a sigh as I stepped into the entryway.
When I thought about how the dorm contract had been handled haphazardly during a week of sluggish power struggles between companies, a sigh naturally wanted to escape.
Of course, I couldn't show it.
From here to the bedrooms, it was a field of cameras.
“Whoa! This is so good!”
“It’s cool!”
“Wow….”
Because we’d signed a contract for a reality show first.