Chapter 78: Showcase (1)

It didn’t take long to realize that Manager Lee Jaeyoon was not just a kind person, but also very good at his job.

After shooting the showcase VCR, we had to go straight to rehearsal—an insanely tough schedule.

Everyone had slept only two or three hours at most, so we were all practically dying.

Manager Lee Jaeyoon was waking everyone up with caffeine.

He patted Ha Junseo’s back and helped him sit up.

“This is… Junseo’s coffee. I put in three shots for health.”

“It’s decaf…”

Huh?

“Seo Haim, chocolate latte.”

“For Seohan, a weak Americano.”

He’d learned each member’s preferences in just one day, and was preparing everything so cleanly there was nothing more to worry about.

It’s my first debut in this life, so I don’t know well... but at that level, wouldn’t he be a top‑1% manager?

“Thank you.”

I lowered my head and accepted the weak Americano.

I needed to wake up, but I didn’t want to gulp down the deadly coffee that Junseo hyung had given me.

Sip.

“This much caffeine is just right.”

“Seohan, that’s called water that smells like coffee. Like coffee powder lightly sprinkled on water? That kind of feeling.”

“That makes no sense.”

“I’m serious. Want to try proper coffee sometime?”

Still, this time it was three shots, and Ha Junseo whispered that into my ear.

What is this devilish whisper?

I frowned and muttered softly.

“Maybe... the problem is sleep after all.”

“Huh?”

That kind guy seemed to be getting stranger by the moment.

In the end I couldn’t resist Ha Junseo’s heavy gaze and took a sip,

“Ugh!”

I spat it out immediately.

Is this right?

Trembling—

I clenched my fist tightly.

“Ugh... ugh.”

I’m not getting tricked twice, really.

“It’s strange... today it was really weak.”

His add‑on comment was even more absurd.

“It’s decaf, decaf.”

“Hyung, we collectively decided to call that stuff ‘deadly coffee’ as a social agreement.”

“Did we? I thought we agreed to call it decaf.”

Ha Junseo sipped his coffee with a pouty face and murmured.

If it’s too weak twice, I’ll be done for.

Just then,

Manager Lee Jaeyoon, who’d finished setting up the shoot and coordinating with the staff, burst into the waiting room.

“Alright, Seohan, let’s head into filming.”

“Oh, yes!”

With that reply, I sprung forward immediately.

Cha Seongbin, sitting draped over a chair, waved his hand and saw me off.

“Go film well~.”

“Yes—.”

In a white jacket that looked like the mood of the one worn during the first competition on Starf.

Dressed casually almost like street clothes but fully styled from head to toe, I sat in the chair set up in the middle of the filming set.

Of course, there were numerous staff and cameras waiting just for shooting the VCR.

I awkwardly smiled and lowered my head.

“Oh, hello.”

My flustered newcomer appearance was so obvious that some of the staff burst out laughing as if it was cute.

Thankfully I’d received early camera training from Starf; otherwise this kind of concept shoot would still feel awkward.

Worse yet, since I was the first up, I was a bit stiff, but the director motioned to me and spoke.

“We’re going to ask some questions now—just answer honestly as it comes to mind.”

“Oh, ye—yes! Yes!”

“Since it’ll be edited anyway, feel free, feel at ease.”

My shoulders were so tense they probably showed on camera.

Perhaps worrying that anything might be edited, I still had the old habit from Starf of choosing every word carefully.

I gave a faint smile and straightened my back.

Click—

The red light on the camera lit up.

And.

The first question appeared on the teleprompter.

[Right before debut, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?]

I couldn’t help but let a smile slip from the corner of my mouth.

Ah, it hit me hard.

[Press showcase preview jpg.]

What’s with the white suits?

What are those faces?

What’s this vibe?

—From the very first showcase, can the styling be that insane? I nearly fainted just from the previewㅠㅠ

└That white suits with gold print are so cool, they’re like angels descended from heavenㅠㅠ

└Fact: they’re aliens descended from space

└ㅅㅂ “Doubles” concept, get lost

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ stop the alien lighting, I think I’ll lose my mind

└Yeah yeah I could even embrace our kids if they were ETsㅠㅠ

└I can’t embrace ET

└222 me neither

└Look how decisive that is ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Dusty members are all “no means no”ㅋㅋㅋ they’re pretty ruthlessly cutting ties

—I swear our maknae Hamjji’s face is so bright… brighter than my future

└I lost consciousness just from looking at Kang Siwoo’s heroic face,,, why is Kang Siwoo’s nose ridge higher than the Everest range? It’d take 200,000 years to climb it~

└They nailed the debut concept, powerful‑refreshing… Nobody sticks out, everyone fits perfectlyㅠㅠ

└This time Starf’s sponsors really sharpened and picked the membersㅋㅋㅋ How can the combination be so perfect

—I actually love Seo Haim’s blonde hair more than anything else

└You teased him for being a chick, and he really came back as a chick?

└He's not Choco-Haim anymore, he's White-Haim now, our baby ㅠㅠ

└Is he the reincarnation of the Little Prince???

└So fantastic jonna jalsangim

└Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I thought you were a foreigner

└Freaking handsomeㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Showcase Preview Summary]

Cha Seongbin – Blue hair

Seo Haim – Platinum blonde

Jin Sehyun – Gray hair

Kang Siwoo – Black hair

Seo Ian – Light brown hair

Ha Junseo – Angel

Do Seohan – Hamjji

They tore up K-pop

—It was going well, then what’s with “Ha Junseo Angel” and “Do Seohan Hamjji” ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ why pop up there?

└Looks like the poster's bias is Ha Junseo and second bias is Do Seohan ah ㅠㅠㅠ

—Do Seohan as Hamjji is valid… It looked like a softer light brown cover, but today he looked especially hamster-like

└Maybe he was secretly excited? The way he was shyly bouncing at reporters’ questions was seriously… ㅋㅋㅋ I loved it

└Shyly bouncing ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ why do I totally get what that means ㅠㅠ

└If you watch the preview video, he’s swinging his arms nonstop, Byo-Seohan is truly a Hamjji ㅠㅠ

—Jin Sehyun with gray hair was absolutely insane. Team Brown Baby Squirrel vs. Gray Baby Cat will be fighting fiercely for a while

└Sehyun is a gray baby cat!!! I’ve been pushing this since the Starf days!!!!

└Either way, he’s still a baby

└And I’m still an oldie…

└This makes me cry… reallyㅠㅠ

April 27, debut day.

After wrapping the press showcase at 2 PM, all kinds of previews were uploaded, and fans screamed with joy as they checked each one.

Then, at 6 PM, the much-anticipated track and music video for “Yuyeong (spacewalk)” were released.

It was the very moment Stardust’s debut album was launched into the world.

Worried that checking music chart rankings in advance might shake their mentality during the showcase, the members had all seemingly agreed to stash away their phones and focus only on the rehearsal.

And then.

8 PM.

Fans began to gather at Stardust’s showcase venue.

For a debut showcase of a boy group, the crowd was impressively large.

No one knew how intense the competition had been just to get here.

A university student Dusty quietly gathered her belongings and took her seat along the long queue.

She didn’t forget to set up her stream to avoid interruptions.

She’d skipped class and come all the way up from Cheonan for this one stage.

It was worth it.

“You can retake a class… but a debut showcase only happens once in a lifetime.”

Having completed her rationalization, the university Dusty proudly pulled a telescope from her bag.

Once she adjusted the focus, the stage far ahead came into clear view.

“Ah, nice view.”

Being able to hold a showcase in a small venue like this was only possible during a debut. Our boys are going to be first-tier idols.

Before the actual performance, she cooled her throat with refreshing water and worked to relax her tense shoulders.

“Phew… I’m nervous.”

Now it was really time for the showcase to begin.

The university Dusty swallowed hard as she stared at the digital billboard hanging in front of the venue.

Fans in the front rows waiting for the VCR screening started murmuring.

“Don’t you think they’ll show something before it starts?”

“Ah… the kids are debuting but why am I the one nervous.”

“Just watching this with my own eyes is crazy. My heart is already pounding.”

Right then.

The lights that had brightly lit the venue all went out at once.

The concert hall was plunged into darkness.

And then.

The screen on the digital billboard lit up the dark hall.

Kang Siwoo’s soft narration rang out.

[Right before debut, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?]

Do Seohan’s face filled the screen.

“Kyaaaaah!”

“Seohan!”

Dusties screamed and shouted Seohan’s name.

Right before debut, the first thing that comes to mind…

At that single question, Seohan looked into the camera with a face full of fleeting thoughts.

From his Starf days to now.

It’d be a lie to say there weren’t any twists and turns.

He worked himself to the bone for each nail-biting competition, and among all the top-tier trainees, he did everything he could to stand out.

With every broadcast came waves of critique posts, and many times he was bashed for things he didn’t even do.

That’s how he earned the first-place spot.

Dusties who remembered those hard times together sat with satisfied smiles.

At last, Seohan quietly opened his mouth and spoke.

[Did you miss me?]

The university Dusty unknowingly let out a soft laugh.

[I waited quite a while.]

For this very moment…

[I really waited a long time.]

That one phrase, soaked in sincerity, made the university Dusty gaze up at the screen with a sentimental look.

“Seohan….”

Of course, not all Dusties nearby were that emotional.

“A baby saying it’s been a long time….”

“Seohan’s eighteen, right?”

“Seohan, what you call ‘a long time’ was just yesterday for me.”

While some Dusties teared up, thinking of their own age,

Seohan on screen smiled gently.

[I’ll show you the best stage.]

Then he added,

[So you won’t regret becoming a Dusty.]

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