//TN: The lyrics that are in cursive were originally in English.

The stage was still dark.

On the stage without lights, the sound of a subtle and heavy bass resounded like a dull moving machine.

Most of the fans had already streamed the song but it was a different kind of energy to hear it at the scene. The tempo that was faster than expected created suspense, and above that, there was an electronic sound.

Dweeee-!

It was the same thunderous riff melody that appeared in the trailer.

Then, the lights lit up on the stage like lightning as if startled by the thunder.

A stage set resembling a back alley in a sci-fi game was revealed under the pale lighting without a hint of warm tones. However, school props such as desks and blackboards were placed here and there as if they were discarded.

TeStar turned around and looked in different directions.

Cha Yujin slowly turned his head and looked forward.

The moment he finished singing the low rap, the striking riff melody ended. And on the spot, a moombahton music style unfolded.

//TN: Moombahton = an electronic dance music genre, derived from house music and reggaeton -Wikipedia

The early first dance break started with a fast rhythmic melody that didn't sound too upbeat. The group choreography, with Cha Yujin as the center, gave out a machinery impression. And the moment Cha Yujin disappeared behind the formation, the song began.

The vocal melody was completely different from the song in the trailer. Although the reason was unknown, this sub-song 'Better Me' seemed to have only sampled the backup instruments from the trailer's song.

However, this was a trendy dance song that seemed to suit an idol much more.

Thanks to that, TeStar was powerfully dancing on stage. It would make people wonder if they even had time to breathe.

The moment they entered the pre-chorus, Kim Raebin and Keun Sejin's vocals connected with each other and echoed.

The two separated after performing a rather aggressive duo choreography where they had to grab each other.

Then came the second pre-chorus part.

Park Moondae came forward and suddenly the electronic sound from the trailer came back. And even the lyrics were similar to the one in the trailer.

The high notes went up perfectly.

The trailer and vocal melody were completely different, but the level of difficulty was indisputable.

And Park Moondae sang the high note all along with the dynamic choreography that came out while being tangled up with other members. It created a slightly sorrowful ambiance.

'Wow...'

Kim Raebin's fan had forgotten to cheer and admired it as if she was watching the contest program, but soon came to her senses and focused on the stage.

Finally, Kim Raebin appeared in the chorus!

Kim Raebin sang the chorus in a melancholic way with a glaring look.

The chorus returned to moombahton style and was loosely intertwining with the flowing low-pitched vocals and vivid beats.

Then Ryu Chungwoo came forward and took over the next chorus.

The lyrics and atmosphere seemed to wander, but they somehow sounded meaningful and abstract.

Thanks to the harmonious combination of the stage, choreography, and costumes, the stage looked like they were wandering in a dystopian world, not reality. Thanks to this the noticeable neon signs and equipment slightly lightened the melancholic mood at the heart of the intense song.

As soon as the melodic chorus ended, the choreography for the second verse with Cha Yujin's sharp rapping became more intense and complex.

Compositions continued to be added to the instrumental, and the beat grew more intense as if it were climbing endlessly toward the peak to the point of bursting.

And the moment the chorus should come out after the bridge...

Instead of a beat drop, all the instrumental was removed and only the intense riff melody played by itself.

Dweeee-!

And in the absence of beats, the final chorus erupted only competing with the riff melody.

Park Moondae, who came after Ryu Chungwoo's vocals, caught and recorded the last extremely high note.

It was so loud that even the AR could not be heard properly.

'Omg!'

The audience cheered internally.

When listening to the song, both the riff melody and the voice sounded processed, so you would get tired of it after listening to it a few times, but seeing it on stage was extremely dramatic.

In addition, the moombahton beat, which started again right after, was catchy.

Keun Sejin with a big smile jumped out to the center during the final dance break. And the instrumental from the first dance break was altered. As if the conflict had been resolved, the atmosphere continued to be lighter and more cheerful.

However, the choreography became more intense due to the increased foot movement, so it was rather impressive in terms of difficulty and attraction.

It wasn't until the end of the song that the title of the song came out as the repetition hook once again and the song ended.

And the internal shouts immediately burst out.

"Waaaaaagh!!!"

"Ahhh!!"

"Oh my god!!"

The performance of the sub-song that would make anyone shout, was a great composition that was enjoyable to watch and listen to.

What was even better was that the performance could be watched a few more times since they had to record it repeatedly.

TeStar members stumbled and gasped for air as they were running out of breath because the song had no part where they could take it easy, then they waved their hands in gratitude.

Some members used the techwear equipment to fan themselves as it was too hot.

Then, after a while, Ryu Chungwoo talked to the staff.

"Haah...haa, so the next take... Yes? It's good like this?"

TeStar's expressions brightened.

"Wow, they said we did it in one go!"

That sentence was like a thunderbolt coming from a clear sky.

'No!!'

Even rehearsals had already been completed due to equipment maintenance, so the only thing fans could see was that performance!

But, of course, there was no turnaround. TeStar belatedly figured out the situation and made a fuss.

"Director, don't you think we made a mistake with our voices?"

"I didn't look at the camera!"

However, it didn't work. Thanks to that, they were sorry and disappeared after doing some aegyo and dancing.

"..."

As a result, the fans left the recording studio 20 minutes after entering.

The only thing in their hands was cream bread and americano from a restaurant that TeStar had prepared.

'...Kim Raebin!! Park Moondae!! Why do you have to be so good!!'

Kim Raebin's fan ripped off the cream bread unaware of what she was thinking. It was delicious so she was even angrier.

* * *

That evening, both TeStar's sub-song and title song performances finally got their first broadcast.

Perhaps because the director had fled and because of the many recent incidents that happened, the company gave us time to sleep during our activities.

Thanks to that, I was able to see the reactions of the first stage at midnight on the same day at the dorm.

Of course, there were a lot of views on the title song on WeTube and other sites, but when I went to social media and community pages, all the reactions to the sub-song were almost identical.

I clicked on a post with over 500 comments.

Generally, there were a lot of good comments. Sometimes there were aggros who threw around comments before watching it but those kinds of guys always show up.

Of course, I also found the thing I expected among those comments.

It was mostly comments like that.

'It was worth the shot.'

Of course, doubtful reactions also popped up, but there was no further development.

It was because the groundwork was already laid out.

After all, when there was a good excuse, it would somewhat mix in and then people would move on.

'It's a relief the company was slowly trying to change salons.'

Thanks to this, I was able to raise my appearance to A- without any difficulty.

And the reason why I chose to invest in my appearance... was because Ryu Chungwoo who was B+ recently went up to A-.

After going through so much trouble during Idol Co, it seems that the aftereffect had disappeared now. From what I can see, the ability to observe things has improved.

Anyway, if it continued like this, it seemed like I would be left alone as B in appearance and it would be like a comparison of screenshots between the members' appearances, so I made the investment now that the timing was right.

'It was a good choice.'

Ah, the other point I invested in the singing stat and made it into an A+.

As I kept practicing the last chorus of that sub-song, I had a strong feeling that I would lose my voice someday, so I couldn't help it.

'Although, it's a bit disappointing.'

In fact, it was because I felt like I could naturally raise my singing if I waited a little longer. However, it couldn't be helped since the comeback was right around the corner.

'I should save the remaining point as I planned.'

I shrugged and turned off my phone. I had to go to bed right away because the schedule started tomorrow at dawn again.

'Let's look at the reaction to the title song more tomorrow.'

And the next day, while waiting for the music show and looking at the reactions to the title song, I heard some strange news.

"You guys have a variety show shoot next week."

"Oh~"

"Where is it?"

"I hate birds."

The manager gave a thumbs up in the midst of the sour reactions that showed how they couldn't escape the afterimage of .

"It's a variety show where you shoot arrows on horseback!"

"..."

At that moment, everyone's eyes turned to Ryu Chungwoo.

//TN: I found a playlist that has all the 'debut or die' songs and they're pretty accurate to the ones described in the novel. It's a good reference to what kinds of songs they're performing since I for one can't really imagine it just from the descriptions.