How to Avoid Debut

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༺ How To Avoid Debut – 35 ༻

 

  “I will announce the 10th place.”

 

  Only two names had been called, and it was already a high rank. Due to Kim Seongwon’s withdrawal, the number of people dropping out in this ranking announcement was one less than expected, making it six. Everyone anxiously awaited the MC’s announcement, hoping their names wouldn’t be among those six. As the results could be overturned at any moment through live text voting, even a lower rank was acceptable as long as they survived this mission. Gaon greeted cheerfully after securing the 9th place.

 

  “6th place.”

 

  Jun and Hwiyoung were called consecutively for the 6th and 7th places. As the final debut team consisted of five members, their rankings had just narrowly missed the threshold.

 

  “Wouldn’t it be disappointing if this was the final rank?”

 

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  “I’m quite satisfied with my current rank! A huge thanks to everyone who voted.”

 

  Jun replied with a beaming smile and gave a full bow to the camera. Considering his initial stage performance, Jun had shown tremendous growth. His overall dance skills were lacking, and adding singing to the mix made his voice shake from nervousness. Yet, now he was keeping up quite well. 

 

  A few days ago, he had struggled with a dance move, but he eventually mastered the highlight choreography and even filmed the teaser video. If it had been me, who had never danced before, stepping onto the stage and getting evaluated from the start, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. But Jun handled it excellently. His spirit of challenge was stronger than mine, even though he was three years younger.

 

  Hwiyoung too seemed to have grown more recently. I always thought he had stage presence, but lately, he had been paying attention to the details as well. His teaser video was so impressive, almost like a movie trailer. I was even more amazed to learn that he had personally prepared each prop and backdrop used in it.

 

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  The participants ranked 4th and 5th were unfamiliar to me. We occasionally exchanged glances and brief greetings as we passed by each other. Throughout the show’s filming, strange cliques seemed to form among participants. Most didn’t communicate with anyone outside their own circle. I just realized how problematic this was; if we ended up in the same group, we’d be members for quite a while, and such awkwardness wouldn’t be ideal.

 

  After attaching the 4th place sticker, I locked eyes with one of the contestants coming towards me. He quickly looked away. It was only a brief eye contact, yet the awkwardness felt bone-deep, which was strangely fascinating.

 

  “Yejun’s teaser was quite popular, right? It has the highest views among all participants.”

 

  There were a series of generic reactions, but Yejun nonchalantly smiled and ruffled his hair. His hearty laughter echoed throughout the shooting set, and his ranking skyrocketed to 3rd place. He usually received a rank that was within the debut range, but his sudden rise to the top tier had everyone buzzing.

 

  “Seems the teaser really had a strong effect.”

 

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  “Only two left, huh?”

 

  “Ah, I guess it’s over for me.”

 

  The soft conversation of two men sitting right in front of me reached my ears. One of them had a ranking sticker on his clothes while the other did not.

 

  “You never know.”

 

  “Are you kidding? It’s obvious who’s going to be announced.”

 

  The man with a scowling expression momentarily directed his gaze at Jigu, who was seated far away, and then shifted it to me. As our eyes met, the man immediately looked away in surprise. His reaction was reminiscent of a startled pigeon, making me feel like I had done something wrong unintentionally.

 

  The announcement for 1st and 2nd place followed the same dual approach as the previous ranking ceremony.

 

  “I’m going to take a short break.” Without waiting for a response, I immediately stood up from my chair and walked towards Jigu, holding a bottle of water in my hand.

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  “Drink this.”

 

  “Ah, thank you.”

 

  Recalling how he habitually handed me water every day, I now took the initiative. As Jigu shifted the glasses he was holding to his other hand, I noticed something. Glasses? Upon closer inspection, they had no lenses.

 

  “What’s that?”

 

  “I wear them sometimes when I want to change my mood.”

 

  Looking directly at Jigu’s face with the glasses on, his entire vibe seemed to change. His eyes appeared slightly narrower through the thin frames. It was amusing how he looked so much more mature just by putting on a pair of glasses, considering I always thought he looked cute when he smiled. His teaser, which I’d seen multiple times, didn’t give off this vibe. Maybe it was because his clothes were a bit more casual now.

 

  “Senior?”

 

  “Mhm?”

 

  “Is there something on my face…?”

 

  It was only when he awkwardly laughed and tapped his cheek with his index finger that I snapped back to reality. Why was I so entranced by those glasses? Unable to rub my eyes because of my makeup, I blinked slowly, exerting some effort, until my focus returned.

 

  “No, it’s just… You look different with the glasses.”

 

  “Is it better without them?”

 

  Having just cleaned them, Jigu swiftly removed his glasses and inspected the lenses from various angles. The reason behind this unnatural behavior was easy to decipher: He was worried the glasses might not suit him. In response to Jigu’s request for an unbiased opinion, I gave a deeply personal one.

 

  “They suit you well.”

 

  As soon as I finished speaking, the sudden realization of how cute he looked with the glasses almost made me burst out laughing. Did I fuss over such trivial style details when I was in high school? Once again, I nostalgically reminisced about events that hadn’t even taken place a year ago, fondly recalling the charm of being a high schooler. To an outsider, we might both seem naively young, but it’s said that twenty-year-olds often find nineteen-year-olds the cutest, so maybe that played a part.

 

  “We’re resuming the shoot.”

 

  Hearing the loud cue from the staff, I had no choice but to return to my spot. In just a few minutes, I was back on the stage beside the MC, meeting Jigu again. Stealing glances at each other and eventually locking eyes, we greeted each other with a handshake, even though we were only 30 centimeters apart on the stage.

 

  “The two of you consistently rank at the top. I wonder if the positions will change this time!”

 

  The MC smoothly continued his script, as if there was no contestant named Kim Seongwon. Somehow, I found myself in the 1st place position from the last ranking announcement. The main camera kept switching between us, capturing close-ups in rapid succession.

 

  Who would be the real number one out of the two of us? Whether I ranked 1st or 2nd didn’t really matter to me, but for the show, it seemed like an incredibly crucial detail, hence they dragged out the announcement.

 

  “Hahyun, do you think you can maintain the 1st position this time?”

 

  They even asked such pointless questions. Whether one ranks 1st or 5th, after debut, we’d all be members of the same group. I couldn’t understand why they were making such a fuss over maintaining or achieving ranks. Feeling as though I was being coerced into a top position, I responded nonchalantly.

 

  “I’m already quite content with where I am now, so I don’t have any particular ambitions. Jigu is also doing really well, after all.”

 

  “Exactly, just being on this stage means we are among the top contenders.”

 

  Perhaps not finding the answer he wanted from me, the MC swiveled to Jigu and posed a similar question, “Considering the extremely positive feedback from your recent teaser, do you think you could claim the 1st place?” Instead of responding to the beaming MC, Jigu locked eyes with me, smiled, and brought the microphone to his lips.

 

  “No, Hahyun hyung is exceptionally good. I don’t think there’s any room for me to surpass him.”

 

  More than his words, I was taken aback by him referring to me as “hyung,” a term used for an older brother or older male friend. It felt strange because, until now, he had always called me “sunbae,” a term for senior or upperclassman. Hearing him call me by a more intimate title felt surreal. Seeing the two top contenders merely exchanging compliments, the MC, failing to extract any tantalizing drama, swiftly moved on.

 

  “1st place goes to Park Hahyun. Congratulations.”

 

  In the end, I was again bestowed the generous position of 1st place.

 

  The sticker, a new accolade that until now had always been Kim Seongwon’s, was distinguished by its yellow lettering. Holding it, I felt an irrational thought that it was a tad heavy. On my way back to my seat, my eyes met Jigu’s from a distance.

 

  Jigu, seemingly having made a habit of smiling, beamed back instantly. But before I could return the gesture, the explanation for the fourth mission began, demanding my immediate attention. It was, after all, the final hurdle.

 

  “The fourth mission will be a solo performance.”

 

  The reactions from the contestants were muted, as if they had anticipated it. With only a few participants left and a mission to select the final five, there was no reason to proceed as teams.

 

  “The audience will be about 5,000. It’s a big stage, so you must be nervous.”

 

  The final filming location was a massive venue where end-of-year award ceremonies took place. The scale of the stage was so vast that there were concerns about contestants, who had only experienced group stages during pre-recorded broadcasts, making mistakes on a live show. Of course, such a grandeur indicated the program’s immense popularity.

 

  Three specially invited judges would account for 10% of the evaluation, while real-time text voting would make up the remaining 90%. Essentially, it was a battle for text votes. Even if the judges gave disparate scores, the differences were likely to be negligible, and their influence, quite minimal due to the low weighting.

 

  Similar to the first mission, participants had to handle both singing and dancing. The difference this time was the allowance for AR (Augmented Reality) support in the background and that the contestants couldn’t choose their songs.

 

  “You can choose your song based on the flavors of ice cream here.”

 

  Six out of thirty-one flavors of ice cream were placed on the table in front of us. I had hoped they’d provide twelve flavors, but we were told that up to two people could choose the same ice cream. Having two people perform the same song would inevitably lead to direct comparisons. Given that this was not a teaser shoot but an actual stage, the differences in skills would become evident.

 

  “Of course, choosing in public would be no fun.”

 

  “This table will be moved into the selection room. Choose your flavor inside.” No sooner had the MC’s laughter subsided than the staff swiftly arrived to wheel the table into an unknown space.

 

  Since the ice cream would melt if left out for too long, the MC began the selection process starting with the first place. It seemed like there was a perk for higher rankings, but since everything was random, it didn’t make much of a difference.

 

  “Do you have a hint on which flavor you’ll choose?”

 

  The MC gave me a secretive look, and since I hadn’t properly seen the flavors earlier, I dodged the question. 

 

  “I haven’t decided yet.”

 

  “Since you’re first, go in and comfortably choose whatever you like.”

 

  As I moved inside, I got a clear view of the array of ice creams lined up on the table. Surprisingly, I didn’t recognize any of my usual favorites. It seemed as if they had chosen flavors with divisive opinions. Mint chocolate and green tea sat side by side, creating a parade of green.

 

  Perhaps to avoid confusion, only one sample of each ice cream was displayed. Once the first person made their choice, it would be refilled for the next participant, then removed after the second selection.

 

  It’s difficult when there are too many delicious choices, but it’s even harder when none of them is particularly appealing. However, pondering over such ice cream for too long would be inconvenient for the other contestants waiting outside. I finally chose the cherry flavor. It was a type I had never seen before, but I recalled enjoying a smoothie of a similar flavor at Baskin-Robbins.

 

#FanReaction

 

  Title: Let’s rave about the teaser video! Open thread!

 

  The board seems like it’s going to crash because of everyone raving about their individual teasers. So, I opened this thread. Let’s discuss here, okay? Keep an eye out and let’s keep our comments positive hehe.

 

Comments

 

└ Hahyun only ran for 21 seconds, but it felt like an entire movie.

 

└ Seriously, he did nothing but run.

 

└ How did he create a movie vibe just by running?

 

└ I was done the moment his hair and clothes fluttered in the wind lol.

 

└ Where is that location? The background is so beautiful.

 

└ lol

 

└ This is seriously the pinnacle of innocence. The views are already skyrocketing ;;;

 

└ Jigu… those who want to lament about our Jigu, come here.

 

└ I’m here.

 

└ What’s with those glasses? Who made him wear them?

 

└ What if someone kidnaps him, damn it!

 

└ As long as you don’t do it.

 

└ Ah, okay ^^.

 

└ Isn’t he just nineteen?? He really feels like an Oppa. Jigu’s older brother ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅜㅠㅜㅠ

 

└ Ma’am, you shouldn’t say that hereㅜ.

 

└ “Oppa”: A term young females use to address or refer to older males, even among male-to-male relationships.

 

└ Please reconsider using that term.

 

└ Jung Sung truly lived up to his name after a long time.

 

└ Where can I buy it? I want to bow deeply.

 

└ Long live Jung Sung ㅜㅜ.

 

└ Hahyun’s fans cursed so much that he’s already reserved up to 150 years old.

 

Comments

 

└ LMAO!

 

└ Damn, isn’t Yang Yejun insane? LOL.

 

└ Yang Yejun is such a troll LOL.

 

└ Seriously, there’s not a single moment to skip in those 19 seconds.

 

└ I thought he went crazy when he poured the water LOL.

 

└ What’s the c going to do?

 

└ Damn, I thought he was a Yang soldier LOL.

 

└ So refreshing!

 

└ Yejun is running with his hair down LOL.

 

└ But Yejun doesn’t have long hair?

 

└ Who’s this serious bug?

 

└ I lost my top favorite and was thinking about whom to vote for, but then I saw the video and chose immediately.

 

└ Maybe your favorite was Kim…uh, never mind.

 

└ Holding back the laugh…

 

└ LOL, don’t say that just because it’s true ;;;

 

└ Yang Yejun was always a bit of a nutjob LOL.

 

└ Why? What happened?

 

└ Remember when he was on “Wannabe Rapper” and had that massive fight with the judges? Infamous lol.

 

└ A few years back, when an underground rapper targeted him in a song, the very next day he released a counter diss track. People were like, isn’t he insane? lmao.

 

└ Damn, did he swallow the entire distribution process?kekw.

 

└ The king of rapid response.

 

└ At first, his concept was super dark, like a runaway car… but as he changed genres, he became softer ^^.

 

└ Seriously, this guy is hilarious. Seems like he just lives life on his own terms.

 

└ The people who chose the novel’s songs are all different XD.

 

└ Seems like everyone interpreted the song differently because it’s so unique.

 

└ Jun looks like he’s just having fun, but Hwiyoung looks like he’s filming a movie.

 

└ For real lol. How much foreshadowing did Hwiyoung pack into those 15 seconds?

 

└ But did Hahyun really shoot in that weather wearing just that??

 

└ Right?

 

└ The clothes look really thin.

 

└ I wonder if he caught a cold ㅠ. The wind’s been chilly these days.

 

└ Aren’t you guys dressed warmly?

 

└ Hahyun should be warmer than me ㅠ.

 

└ If I run into him on the street, I’d give him my outerwear ㅠ.

 

└ Think about it once you meet him.

 

└ Uh…

 

└ Hey, does anyone know how to turn off Yejun’s teaser?

 

└ Just hit the back button.

 

└ Damn, that’s so realistic XD.

 

└ If you can’t turn it off, just watch it till your phone dies.

 

└ I keep watching him chew that gum.

 

└ 222 I want to be that gum.

 

└ Do you want to be chewed up by those strong teeth?

 

└ .. Dude, I was just joking ㅜㅜ.

 

└ Fans tend to resemble their idols.

 

└ kekw, seriously?

 

└ Fans of Hahyun, hide!

 

└ I should buy an invisibility cloak.

 

└ Hahyun doesn’t hide these days.

 

└ Is that why his screen time exploded?

 

└ There’s not much he can do..

 

└ This time, they didn’t even cut his reactions. Damn, finally!!

 

└ Hello, I’m a fan from Jigu. Jigu, I truly fucking love you. I came to like you because of your passion for music. I’ll love your heartwarming music till the end.

 

└ No swearing for Jigu fans ㅜㅜ

 

└ Haha, hello, I’m an ATM. Why? Because Seongwon needs to insert a straw into my bank account LOL.

 

└ Damn, Kim Seongwon fans are hilarious LOL.

 

[SurvivalID Board] I got a signed photo of Park Hahyun.

 

  It’s not mine, a guy from my class got it. I was passing by and there were so many people. When I looked, I saw a familiar guy getting Hahyun’s autograph. He even filmed it.

 

  (Video)

 

  Sorry for the low quality, but I’m a student from the high school Hahyun graduated from.

 

  (JPG)

 

  I borrowed it from him to take a pic. The autograph is amazing lmao. 

 

└ Wow, what is this? Damn.

 

└ Students are the future of this country. Thanks for the autographㅜㅜ I’ll swoon over this today.

 

└ From his handwriting to the fan talk, there’s nothing to criticize.

 

└ Did that guy save a country in his past life?

 

└ I want Hahyun’s autograph… shine… I wish Hahyun had asked my name and wrote it down… I wish he’d written a word of encouragement like “Do your best” and smiled at me when our eyes met…

 

└ To achieve all of this, one must debut.

 

└ Damn it, Hahyun, let’s debut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

└ Hey, that’s “shine”ㅜㅜ. Sign is “sign”.

 

└ I wrote it correctly because Hahyun is my light.

 

└ Can’t argue with that.

 

└ Look at that handwriting, it’s so bad XD.

 

└ I can’t even recognize the name.

 

└ “Always live diligently and work hard.” Is this for real???

 

└ Even my dad wouldn’t write that kekw.

 

└ Sounds like a lecture from a principal lmao.

 

└ So like Hahyun that it’s hilarious.

 

└ Thanks for uploading the autograph, but the video is concerning. He was wearing a mask and coughing in the middle; looks like he’s sick.

 

└ The video was shaky, but I could tell he wasn’t feeling well.

 

└ Hahyun hasn’t even debuted yet, and he’s not even a celebrity, approaching him like that on the street is a bit disrespectful. Especially when he looks unwell.

 

└ Agreed. Everyone swarming in, blocking the pathway.

 

└ There’s a longer video on TakerComm. Later, Jigu comes and takes him away.

 

└ ??? The Jigu we know??????

 

└ Jigu said Hahyun was at that gathering, right?

 

└ Yeah, apparently it was on their way back from school. People made way, and Jigu took him out.

 

└ Wow, that’s nice of them.

 

  [Park Hahyun Fan Account] My Experience Meeting Him in Person

 

  I don’t know how to prove this ㅜㅜ.

 

  (JPG)

 

  For now, I’ve uploaded a picture of our store’s chicken mascot… I work at a chicken shop. I don’t know if anyone will believe me, but I’ll write down everything slowly. Just for reference, I’ve been a fan of Hahyun since his very first broadcast. Despite his cursed screen time, I’ve always poured my part-time money into voting for himㅜ. I never got into the music show recordings, but I’ve consistently streamed videos, actively commented, and pressed like all day. I’ve basically given up on my real life for this.

 

  So, it happened just a moment ago. Just before midnight, a swarm of college students entered the shop. At first, I thought, “Is this a college gathering?” but from their conversations, they seemed to be classmates from the recent broadcast. Some still had that high school vibe, so I guessed they had recently graduated. They were like, “Our Hahyun was also hereㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ. I want to ask him how he looks in person ㅠㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜ,” as they placed their order.

 

  They ate a ton because of the crowd. I can’t even remember how many portions they ordered XD. I nearly died trying to get all the beer they wanted ;;. But I still managed to smile kindly and said, “Let me know if you need anything else ^^.” I lost track of how many chickens were fried haha. As everyone began eating in earnest, I had a moment to sit and rest.

 

  Shit, this is where my fan diary begins. Suddenly, there was a ringing sound. It was the bell we have attached to our store’s entrance. Normally, I’d greet customers, but the moment I saw his face, my mouth just froze, gaping.

 

  It was the very Hahyun I’d seen only on TV. How could I possibly say “welcome” to him lol? Seriously, I had makeup on, but I couldn’t care less and blinked at him like ten times. Even with makeup smudging, I couldn’t believe it and kept rubbing my eyes. I thought I was dreaming because I’d been so desperate to see him in person.

 

  On top of that, he was wearing a coat. He looked absolutely stunning. I was completely paralyzed, unable to cry or scream. He headed to the table where those college students were. It seemed like a reunionㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ. Hearing them exclaim, “Park Hahyun is here!” I knew it wasn’t just someone who looked like him. So, I didn’t wander off too far, but kept sneaking glances at him. Internally, I was like, “Hahyun, damn it, I voted for you! When will you debut? I’ve been saving my part-time money for youㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ.” I was on the verge of rushing over to him. It was tough suppressing my inner fan.

 

  I was so engrossed in admiring his face that I hardly heard anything around me. While I was trying to keep my composure, Hahyun left the shop in a hurry. Shit, I should have gotten his autographㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠ.

 

  When I finished writing this, I wasn’t even sure if this qualified as a true fan encounter. I did see him up close, within a meter’s distance… As he walked in, I think Hahyun’s coat brushed against my apron… But in the end, the most crucial part, I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t take a photo or get an autograph ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Such an incompetent fan moment. Ah, whatever. Seeing him was enough. Period.

 

Comments:

 

└ Whoa, were you there too? Someone just posted something similar, saying they saw Hahyun at their chicken smh lmao

 

└ GOGO) Wow, was he a customer there?

 

└ Man, I’m so jealous. Crazy ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ How did he look in person?

 

└ GOGO) His real-life appearance was insane. His eyes were so beautiful.

 

└ Did you save our country?

 

└ GOGO)Why would I save such a hellish country?

 

└ Sorry…

 

└ He’s working hard and enjoying it fuck ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ He’ll be even happier once he debuts.

 

└ Do the voting…. Ensure his debut….

 

└ Every time our screen time increased and I cheered, it felt so heartbreaking… Honestly, it’s not that much screen time… My younger sibling saw the fans’ reactions and asked if the screen time exploded.

 

└ I fuckin agree even if it increased, it went from 30 seconds to just 1 minute.

 

└ It’s just like sand becoming slightly coarser sand.

 

└ The comments above are explosively truthful. Let’s just be happy for now ㅠㅠ

 

└ Right, it seemed to end well with the agreed payment.

 

└ Tf are you talking about that canned coffee incident? lmfao

 

└ Once he debuts, all the cursed moments will come true.

 

└ I really want to see him on a big appㅜㅜ

 

└ He’ll probably do a solo variety show, right?

 

└ I desperately need a Hahyun self-cam… Why doesn’t he take selfies with that face?

 

└ At least we got his profile B-cut.

 

└ (JPG) fuck he’sso radiant… Bless the person who chose the B-cut.

 

└ I just wish to see more of his photos. HQ ones from the fansite, please ㅠ.

 

└ Once he debuts, there’ll be a lot of fansites waiting to snap his photos.

 

└ 2222 He’s the perfect subject after all..ha.

 

└ There’s a spoiler about the final mission. Can I share?

 

└ ????? Really???

 

└ Do you have any proof?

 

└ No concrete evidence, but it feels right. I heard the judging scores + live text votes determine the outcome. The details are very specific.

 

└ Ignore the detailed stuff.

 

└ Live text votes seem plausible??? They usually do that ㅇㅇ.

 

└ Ahh, fuck live text votes.. I’ve been honing my begging skills for this day.

 

└ I’ve registered for a twin number^^.

 

└ Going to bribe some insiders.

 

└ Hey, let’s dig up information about the judges and bribe them lol.

 

└ Can we start a fundraiser for the costs to bribe the judges?

 

└ lol I’ll be the first to contribute.

 

└ I’m preparing a debut celebration support. I’ve opened an account for it.

 

└ Crazy mastermind!!!!!

 

└ Wow, mastermindㅜㅜ I’m saving up my salary right now.

 

└ I was wondering how we’d prepare support without a fansite ㅠㅠㅠㅠ. Thank you, thank you.

 

└ By any chance, did you say you resigned..?

 

└ Yes ^^.

 

└ Fuck you really did that? lmfaooo.

 

└ That’s some amazing dedication ;;

 

└ Hahyun’s fans are this intense.

 

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