Debut or Die

The box was distributed when the fans left the pre-recording of the music show.

This allowed people to open the box on their way home.

The light purple box that had Testar’s logo sticker on it seemed to be openly shouting.

‘A return gift^[1]I used the word ‘return gift’ but the Korean word’s literal meaning is ‘gifts that celebrities give to fans’ for you!’

Naturally, the fans quickly noticed the situation.

‘So that’s why I didn’t get a photocard when I entered…!’

Maybe this box also contained the photocards given to those who participated in the pre-recording.

Fans who had already received cream bread, coffee, and simple snacks opened the box with joy.

‘It would be nice if there’s dakgangjeong^[2]sweet crispy Korean fried chicken inside.’

‘Heavy… Is it a drink this time?’

However, what they saw in the box were 28 large macarons that were splendidly packed.

“…!!”

“Oh, my.”

Seeing four rows of seven macarons placed side by side had a powerful impact.

People freaked out on the subway, bus, or in cars.

Of course, there were many people who never bothered to buy 28 macarons at once in their lives.

‘There were 300 of us, but 28 for each person…?’

‘What’s going on?’

Some fans wondered whether there was any mistake in the quantity.

It wasn’t just a ready-made product, either.

When they picked up the macaron, the icing was in the shape of an animal’s feet.

‘Crazy, there’s a bird’s claws too!’

‘Is this particularly small one a hamster? Is it?’

One of them even had the shape of a deer’s hoof.

Fans tried to put down the box gently while stomping their feet, beating their bed sheets, and unable to control the corners of their mouths,

‘Let’s take a proof shot and leave it alone.’

‘I’m going to freeze it forever.’

But that wasn’t the end. There was something stuck inside the box cover.

It was one more small box.

‘No way.’

‘Another one?’

The fans tore the box off and turned it over.

Then its identity was revealed.

It was a well-packed luxury brand perfume.

It was not a sample size, but the original 50ml product.

‘Heol.’

‘Wait a minute.’

‘What kind of box is this? Did they give this to all of us?’

Beyond joy, some people began to feel confused.

Meanwhile, something came out again.

Thud.

The envelope that was stuck between the boxes fell off.

The envelope… It was quite thick.

At this point, some fans were starting to get scared.

‘What else is there?’

‘How far did they go??’

When they opened the envelope while swallowing their saliva, they found a letter that looked like a copy of a handwritten note.

[To our dear Loviewer ♡]

: Thank you for coming to cheer us at today’s last music show recording.

Actually, we got our settlement this time!

Thinking about what to give you, we prepared hard to give you a present that could commemorate this activity.

We were in a hurry to give it to you before the activity ended… Even if there’s something lacking, we would appreciate it if you can look at it favorablyㅠㅠ♡

Ps. We each chose our favorite scent. One of those seven was given to you randomly!

The letter ended with a scribble saying, ‘I love you, Loviewer’.

This part… It looked really hand-written.

And, inside the envelope where the letter was taken out, there were a lot of printed photos.

They were photos of Testar that seemed to be taken at the dorm.

That’s why the envelope was so thick…!

‘Crazy!’

‘Crazy…! You crazy people!’

At this point, most of the fans who had came to the studio started screaming internally.

And on SNS, a fire started to break out.

* * *

– Crazy, Testar gave 28 macarons, a bottle of perfume, and photos Aaaah ugh, oh my gosh, guys, how can a group who hasn’t even passed one-year anniversary give return gifts like this? Uaaah (photo)

“What?”

Park Moondae’s homma tumbled off the sofa.

She couldn’t accept the reality that a big event had taken place in the last music show she couldn’t go to because she got food poisoning and was taken to the emergency room at night.

The timeline she checked with trembling hands… was plastered with the box’s proof shots.

‘F*ck!’

The homma banged her head on the sofa.

Of course, it wasn’t because she thought it was such a waste that she didn’t get free macarons and perfume.

She could see the evidence of her idol’s love for fans, but the fact that she didn’t receive it…!

It was so unfair…!

‘I could have gone!’

It was so unfair that this happened on the day she missed it, she felt like she was going crazy!

And she wasn’t the only one who felt like that.

– F*ck. My stomach is going to tear apart. I also want to eat the strawberry macarons that my kids gave meㅠㅠ

– Did they give it because it was the last music show… I got my register cut right in front of me, but it’s so frustrating

– If you were going to get four sets, it was nice to share them in the last music show, but of course, the kids would like it too… Can I have the macaron with the hamster’s paw…ㅠㅠ

Because it was obvious that they cared so much, the atmosphere began to flow beyond envy to a slight sense of deprivation.

And this return gift had become quite a hot topic in the general entertainment community.

There were many people who were interested in it because it looked expensive.

[Popular Music Testar’s return gift that looks expensive.jpg]

: (photo) (photo)

4 rows of macarons and brand perfume.

It is presumed to be handmade considering the signatures of the members on the macarons. The perfume is not just a collection, but a mixture of several scents from the same brand.

At first, most of the responses were saying that they envied the fans and that Testar was amazing, but soon people who wanted to analyze the situation appeared.

– This is a company pick, the style of the return gift suddenly changed… Considering the brand, it seems to be a commercial

– Heol, It was weird at first glance because the format was excessiveㅋㅋㅋ

– In the first place, there are many things that the return gift company does or pays half in the settlement, but it’s too much, it feels strangeㅋㅋㅋ they should have reduced it

– The price range isn’t something that a second-year idol can prepareㅎㅎ still, it must have been nice for the fans, I am enviousㅠ I also want macarons and perfume for freeㅠ

– Are they shooting a perfume commercial? Idol perfume commercial is rare. Amazing.

Whether it was malicious or not, it was a series of misunderstandings.

However, before public opinion fell into a mess, letters confirming the return gifts were posted one after another.

– Our kids… I think they were excited that they got their first payment for the first time… (Photo of the letter)

From the mention of the settlement to the fact that they picked out and bought the perfume.

The letter was basically an affirmation that Testar had prepared the return gifts themselves.

Public opinion in the general community was sorted out along that line.

– These crazy people said they paid for it and bought it themselves.

– What is this? The mind-readers got it all wrongㅋㅋugh

– It’s not an , it looks like a cash head-butt, reallyㅋㅋㅋㅋ I envy their wealth

– Is it hard to sign up for Testar’s broadcast? I wonder what they will give for the next activity, so if they give something more expensive, I want to go tooㅋㅋㅋ

└Me, tooㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Seriously?;; You went too far

– They must have received a lot of money, so they spent it like this

└Wouldn’t it be rather strange if they sold albums like that and couldn’t get this much?ㅋㅋㅋ

└Who asked?

└Why are you angryㅠ Look at Testar’s initial Chodong and release your anger♡ It’s 830,000 (screenshot)

Some aggro was successfully repelled, and Testar left a decent impression with a heartwarming return gift.

But the fans didn’t end there.

The people who connected the sightings of the members a few days ago finally appeared.

– Crazy, did you go on a dessert tour on Tuesday to choose this, guys?ㅠㅠㅠ

└Heol

└Heol, I think it’s right?

└It’s a speculation, but let’s refrain from talking like it’s an established fact…

└Check out the macaron photo. First of all, ‘Xgnet Sweet’ on the wrapper is one of the stores where AMoonRae’s sightings appeared on Tuesday… (Photo of the circled logo)

└Uaah

– That store tour… It’s not a break from the activity period… It’s a preparation for the return gift?

Fans were rather shocked because the story was overly touching.

– Let’s not overinterpret it too much or haters might come to curse on this

– It’s so cute and heartwarming that they gave the fans something delicious just because they got paidㅠㅠ

However, a review post appeared on the SNS account of the store that made the macarons.

– Xgnet Sweet review has come out… (link)

– The kids were going to do it in time with the last week’s music show… They wanted to put everything in, but they couldn’t because it was already fully bookedㅠㅠ (Insta screenshot)

– And they kept saying that this place was really good, so the owner was really proud…

It was a confirmed kill.

In a tremendous situation where everything turned out to be true, fans were completely touched and emotional and they began to fill up the posts with crying emoticons…

– They must have prepared in a hurry as soon as they received the payment. My heart is beating so fast that it’s going to explode ㄷㅏ…

– Even if I get offers from another fan club, I won’t let you go. There’s really only one genius idol Testarㅠ

– They got paid for the first time… An idol that bought a lot of expensive food and packed a lot of things that fans like… I’ll be with you forever.

– Alright. Now that you know the macaron store, you can order it and eat it. Guys, the taste of the return gift is thrilling.

The fans were deprived, rambling, and full of energy.

And they began to enjoy it by posting fierce reasoning posts about whose perfume was which member’s taste.

In addition, Testar even released most of the photos that were on the return gift at this timing on SNS.

– Testar is a real legend…

– I ordered macarons and bought the perfume. Now, if I just print the photos, I will receive the return gift

It was a fun return gift time.

* * *

I pushed the screen with my thumb.

“Hmm.”

The photos were uploaded fine.

It was the result of moving with a similar behavior principle to the first fan signing event.

‘If there are more people who are upset, it’s worse than not doing it.’

It was right for information and content to go back to everyone.

After checking the post once, I continued to monitor the reaction in the music show’s waiting room.

‘…The atmosphere is nice.’

Spending all day preparing was worthwhile.

It would be a waste of money if you spent so much and the recipient of the gifts didn’t like it.

Fortunately, it seemed the money was spent properly.

‘It was a good choice to put the perfume randomly in one out of seven.’

Thanks to this, there were only three eyewitness accounts, but it didn’t feel awkward to put the gift under Testar’s name.

‘After all, I have to start as a group, not as an individual, so that there’s no room for trouble.’

It didn’t really matter if I was the one who paid.

‘In the first place, I have nowhere to spend my money for.’

I didn’t have any family or acquaintances.

I didn’t need living expenses or a house right away, and the settlement money was so high that it was funny to say anything like this.

So from the beginning, I was going to pay it all and put it under the group’s name. The company wanted that too.

However, a variable occurred.

As soon as he heard it, Ryu Chungwoo objected.

– Moondae, you can’t do that.

– Yes?

– You picked it out and bought it during your break time. Then it should be gifts from Moondae.

– No. I don’t mind anyway. The items were chosen by the members together.

– Moondae, even if you’re fine with it, the fans won’t.

-…!

– It’s a lie for someone who didn’t pay for anything to put their name on the gift. How sad would the fans be if they knew the truth?

– …

– Even if the fans don’t know, we’re not fine with it. Right?

– Yes!

– T-That’s right!

– Hey, hyung-nim, you’re really good at talking…

Ryu Chungwoo firmly made a decision.

– At least we should share the cost.

So, with the members’ enthusiastic support, everything was blown away.

I appreciated it, but… I wondered if this was necessary.

‘It’s not that I’m worried about the aftermath if my words leak, but it’s that ‘It doesn’t work because it’s not possible’…’

Well, come to think of it, when talking about my personality, I saw an aggro that seemed to be saying what it felt like to be unloved.

‘It was meant to be an insult to my family.’

But apart from that, ‘well-raised’ could be referring to a guy like Ryu Chungwoo.

‘He doesn’t wrinkle easily.’

The type that had good resilience and didn’t fall into other side roads.

Just in time, the person concerned spoke to me.

“Are you looking at the response to the gift?”

“Yes.”

“I saw it, too, and the fans liked it. Actually, I feel bad because you did everything… Thank you.”

“Well… I only paid the money.”

“You did all the preparation by yourself, what are you talking about!”

Ryu Chungwoo lightly tapped my shoulder playfully.

“But let’s prepare it together next time. You don’t have to handle everything by yourself. You work as a team, so you have to use your teammates.”

“…Right.”

It was a topic that I would have thought about if all the team members were not 6 years younger than me.

Ryu Chungwoo smiled and hit my back once.

I rubbed the back of my neck.

‘Well… They’re cooperative.’

In the end, more than sharing the cost, this fan gift was also carried out together at the last minute.

So the picture was better. We each chose our own perfume, and we discussed the macaron plan together.

I couldn’t deny that the result of collaborating with the guys sitting there and getting their makeup fixed was pretty good…

“As expected, there is also a lack of clues as to which members prefer which scent. I think it would be better to leave hints on SNS…”

“I want more macarons.”

“Is your desire for macarons more important than this agenda?”

“Hn.”

“I-If you order on the way back…”

“Let’s stop giving in to Eugene~ The kid will start rolling around.”

“No! I’m cool!”

Big words from someone who had a brush on his face.

For a moment, I felt like an idiot.

…Actually, I’d handled all the other gifts by myself.

…Yes, there were ‘other gifts’.

While I was buying Seon Ahyeon’s birthday present at the department store, I also lightly packed presents for the company staff.

‘If you feed them one by one, they’ll pay more attention when something happens.’

It wasn’t difficult, but it was good to do it in advance.

Of course, it wasn’t anything great. I just bought stuff that they could use in the office… It was expensive indoor luxury slippers.

But it would be better than getting eaten.

‘It’s the only time I can feed these people.’

I wasn’t going to do it continuously, it was a handshake.

It would be better if it was something that could be used continuously in a working environment… Then the effect would last a little longer.

‘It was a good expense in the right place.’

I recalled the remaining amount in my account.

Then… I also remembered my last money withdrawal.

‘…I also made some donations.’

It was put anonymously into the Child Welfare Foundation.

…Since I used the parents’ insurance money that ‘Park Moondae’ received, I thought I should do that much.

That was the end of this settlement spending.

‘Life is a mystery.’

I put my smartphone down, rubbing the back of my neck.

Right on time, I heard the signal.

“Guys, go on standby!”

The live broadcast of this activity’s last music show was waiting.

“Testar is going up!”

“Yes~”

The stage was pretty fun as always.

…And I didn’t know about other situations, but it was quite reassuring to have these young guys up here.

‘…A good team.’

What Ryu Chungwoo said lingered in my head.

I brushed off my unnecessary feelings and came downstairs.

And right when I was about to think of my next schedule, I made eye contact with the manager who came running from the other side.

‘What?’

The manager raised his hands and shouted.

“Guys! You guys are on the Billboard chart!”

“…??”

“…?”

“Yes?”

What kind of nonsense are you talking about when we don’t even get good grades?

• 1. I used the word ‘return gift’ but the Korean word’s literal meaning is ‘gifts that celebrities give to fans’
• 2. sweet crispy Korean fried chicken