Chapter 77

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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After rearranging the choreography on Sunday evening and collapsing, I woke up and it was next week.

It meant it was time to confirm the first week album sales tally.

The result was…… terrifying.

“…670,000 copies?”

“Yes!”

I asked the manager one more time.

“Not the pre-order volume, but the sales volume?”

“…You even know such a thing? Anyway, it’s the sales volume!”

“…….”

For reference, the pre-order volume referred to the amount that retail stores ordered in advance in anticipation of the album being sold.

‘I suspected it might be this side because they usually stock more than initial sales.’

To think that 670,000 copies really went out.

‘It doesn’t feel real.’

No matter how severe the album sales inflation was then, it was a sales volume that really seemed to paralyze the senses.

Considering that TeSTAR’s fan base is formed mainly in Korea as expected of those from an audition program, it was even more immense.

It even increased more than the original.

‘Wasn’t it originally 600,000 copies.’

Surely the initial sales of the group debuting with was 600,000 copies. I couldn’t tell where the 70,000 came from and who bought them…….

“…They say it’s a new record for the debut album sales of a male idol?”

“Oh, oh-oh-oh…….”

“Holy moly.”

The other guys also seemed overwhelmed for some reason rather than being happy.

If it were about 300,000 copies, they would have rolled on the floor and been happy, but seeing a double score pop up, it seemed they were a bit scared.

Of course, a guy who regained his senses soon popped out. It meant he started making a realistic judgment.

“…Does this mean we might get 1st place next week?”

“…!!”

In an instant, the tension surged.

Ryu Chungwoo opened his mouth.

“What is the sales volume of VTIC seniors this week?”

“I will check.”

Kim Raebin started searching immediately. He was able to check the weekly sales volume directly from the album chart.

[LONG NIGHT / VTIC 312,608]

“…!”

“Whoa.”

It was a figure that couldn’t be believed to be in the 2nd week.

At that point, I really became curious about their initial sales for that album.

“…Wait a minute.”

I touched Kim Raebin’s smartphone screen a few times and checked VTIC’s album sales for the first 7 days, the initial sales.

[1,872,863]

“…….”

Ah, we failed.

“Whoa~”

“Haha.”

“1st place, a day will come when we get it if we work hard!”

The tension disappeared instantly. The members started to laugh and encourage each other.

They expected it, but because the basic score was this much different, the competitive spirit also disappeared.

At least this tallying, where the album sales were twice as different, was the right time, but it looked difficult as we were pushed back significantly in digital music.

‘It’s not like the album volume will go out well even after the initial sales for us……. Probably it’ll be difficult in the 2nd week too.’

The digital music ranking was continuing to rise slowly, but it was also doubtful whether we could push out VTIC who was firmly attached to 1st place.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Shall we prepare to go out?”

“That would be good.”

“Fighting today too~”

The members scattered to change into their outing clothes.

The manager muttered words like ‘This is not it….’ a few times, but he soon accepted the reality and let out a deep sigh.

‘It seems he had other thoughts.’

Well, he’ll handle it himself.

What the manager newly brought up was immediately after getting into the car.

“You guys know the fan signing starts in two days, right?”

“Whoa.”

“Already?”

The members became very tense. They had heard about it when starting the activities, but they had forgotten the date because the schedule was busy. The manager nodded.

“Right. Since they bought so many albums and are cheering enthusiastically, you should do well~ Treat them with sincerity~”

“Ah, of course!”

Maybe he threw the album sales volume first with the thought of building up like this. He looked relieved for having said it even then.

‘Fan signing event.’

I do need to put in some spirit to not make mistakes while talking to a hundred people in a row at once.

However, there was a member for whom this acted as a side effect. Because Seon Ahyun’s face turned pale in an instant.

“I-I-I don’t think I can do it.”

“Why?”

“Eh? B-Because I’m not g-good at t-talking…?”

“…? Hyung, you’re good at Korean now.”

Seon Ahyun, who was caught in Cha Yujin’s nonsense, started to be more confused.

I sighed and cut in.

“You’re the careful type, so you rather won’t make mistakes. Don’t worry too much.”

“…T-Thanks.”

Seon Ahyun replied with a faint smile, but his face didn’t look like he wasn’t worried.

In the first place, he hadn’t had many conversations with fans.

Although he occasionally sees fans at close range while coming and going during schedules, usually he just had to exchange greetings or fan service quickly and get in the car quickly.

The ones who persistently stick around the dorm or convenience store occasionally are sasaengs, not fans, so they were difficult to put in the sample.

‘Anyone among the members would be nervous to have a conversation one-on-one…….’

“The time should pass quickly~ so we can see our fans’ faces~”

“…….”

Except for that guy.

Keun Sejin in the front seat was humming and rummaging through his smartphone.

‘He’s confident, that’s what it is.’

To think I would confirm the examples of idol extremes ahead of a fan signing event like this.

…What about me?

‘I don’t know.’

If it was a famous idol’s public fan signing event, I had gone to take photos as a proxy for money several times.

But I had never heard what kind of conversation the two had while receiving the signature. Because the space itself was noisy and bustling, most of the sounds were ground away.

‘Well… I did see them wearing headbands a lot.’

That would be a bit embarrassing but there’s nothing I can’t do, so let’s pass.

I turned my brain, where only pure images remained, and clicked my tongue. There’s no substance.

‘Shall I look up what kind of conversation they mainly have.’

Coincidentally, I’m inside the car while moving and there’s no reality camera. I immediately accessed the SNS with the smartphone and started searching.

[Fan signing event review]

‘Since I put ‘review’ at the back, I should be able to roughly filter out the homma photos’.

But before moving to the popular posts tab, a newly popped up latest post caught my eye.

“…!”

Wait a minute.

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[TeSTAR fan-sign cut this time is 120 copiesㅋㅋㅋ It’s a weekday but crazy seriously! Since I’m totally out… please upload many fan signing event reviewsㅠㅠ (Photo)]
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The image attached to the post was a capture of an authentication post saying they bought 100 copies and failed.

“…….”

120 copies?

Honestly speaking, this thought came first as soon as I saw it.

‘…Exactly how much is this?’

The fixed price of TeSTAR’s debut mini album was 15,000 won. Even if they pulled up the discount rate by joint purchase, etc.…… 11,000 won would be the lowest price.

‘Even if calculated with that…….’

It was 1.32 million won.

“……Huh.”

My brain ran rapidly.

‘Even if the conversation is long, it would be a 1 or 2 minute cut.’

Since TeSTAR had 7 members, it meant we had to do a value of roughly over 180,000 won per person.

‘Isn’t this efficiency too low?’

Could I do a value of 100,000 won with a 1 minute conversation? Of course, I wasn’t confident.

‘Should I just…… do everything they ask me to do.’

Other than that, no special measure came to mind. I put down the smartphone and pressed between my eyebrows.

Although I had gone to take photos of guys whose fan-sign cut was over 100 copies, to think I would be the person involved.

I was breaking into a cold sweat.

* * *

Park Moondae’s first homma arrived at an art hall located in Mok-dong where the fan signing event was being held after making full preparations.

The cozy stage and audience seats accommodating 300 people accepted the 100 waiting people without difficulty.

And the waiting number was distributed.

[07]

‘Hurray for the early number!’

Thinking that she would be able to talk to Moondae before he got tired, the homma joyfully set up the camera quickly.

And when it slightly passed exactly 7:30 PM.

TeSTAR entered from the side of the stage.

In an instant, a cheer loud enough to make the ears deaf filled the small art hall. Originally it would have been a situation where the sound of taking photos was heard first, but before that, the excitement of the first fan-sign was full.

TeSTAR, who was entering while waving their hands and looking slightly shy, stood in front of the signing table set on the stage and bowed in greeting.

“Take your STAR! Hello, we are TeSTAR!”

“Waaaaaa!!”

It was an official greeting befitting rookies who were not yet familiar with fan signing events. Fans cheered enthusiastically, but inside, each was crying out for the member they were cheering for.

Park Moondae’s homma was the same.

‘Moondae black hair!! Ah I like it so much!!’

It wasn’t the first time she saw Park Moondae’s black hair in person as she had gone to the pre-recording several times, but she liked it every time she saw it.

It might be because Park Moondae at the time she first joined the fandom was black-haired.

‘Gold hair was also good, but after all, it’s black hair.’

She briefly recalled her friend who was a hard-core gold hair fan, but she soon erased it and focused on the camera quickly.

She had to take good photos and spread that face widely.

‘It seems he gets more handsome every time I see him.’

Maybe because of the album concept, the black-haired Park Moondae wearing the white summer uniform, which is the current stage costume, had a mysterious refreshing atmosphere.

‘This is not 주접 (exaggerated praise) but the truth…!’

While she was muttering like that, TeSTAR, who finished the greeting, slowly went back to the table and sat down.

‘Moondae is at the very end.’

The homma muttered that it was a good thing she brought one gift for each of the other members just in case. Because it would be a bit awkward not to give anyone anything while going to the end seat where Moondae was with hands full of gifts.

“Starting in numerical order~”

The fan signing event proceeded in earnest soon.

Because she received an early number, she was able to start receiving signatures without waiting long. It was right before Moondae met the fan of the first number.

The first runner was Ryu Chungwoo.

“Hello!”

“Ah, hello.”

Seeing Ryu Chungwoo greeting first, the homma stammered slightly.

‘He’s also handsome.’

She had seen him being called by nicknames like Confucian-man in places like SNS, and seeing him directly at a close distance, she seemed to know the reason.

‘He looks like a physical education student who would appear as the male lead in a webtoon…….’

She shared a few words of light small talk, and after a high-five, handed over a small red ginseng box.

“Whoa, thank you!”

“A-ei, it’s nothing~”

The first signature ended warmly. And the next order.

“Where should I sign for you?”

It was the child actor Lee Sejin. Lee Sejin, who had a delicate and neat impression, wasn’t particularly proactive, but he wasn’t insincere either.

“Who did you come to see?”

He even threw a question first, unexpectedly.

“Ah, I came to see all of TeSTAR~”

“Is that so? Thank you.”

Lee Sejin replied without any special sensitivity and finished the signature cleanly.

‘It’s fresher than I thought.’

Somehow, the image that was updated as she received signatures one by one was decent.

The members who received signatures next were the same.

“Um, then I will try to do it by finding a blank space that doesn’t cover the face while standing out as much as possible…….”

Kim Raebin, who signed shyly while showing he was very tense contrary to his sharp impression, was also good.

“Which album cover do you like the best? I like the violet one the best!”

Cha Yujin, who was more excited than the fan receiving the signature and added all sorts of scribbles around his signature and threw a bomb of questions, was also cute.

‘He was really annoying in the early stages of Ajusa.’

Praising herself that it was a good thing she didn’t say anything useless at that time, the homma praised herself.

And Keun Sejin appeared.

“Welcome~ how did you feel while coming to the first fan-sign today? I was really nervous!”

“I was also nervous!”

“A-ei, it seems you weren’t nervous~”

With a friendly way of speaking, Keun Sejin made her spill what she did during the day, her current mood and state, and even her worries in an instant.

Moreover, a high-five came out automatically even though she didn’t say anything.

“See you again next time~”

“Yes…!”

‘…I think we became friendly?’

It was a feeling of building an inner friendship alone with the handsome Department of Management representative. While vaguely guessing that the opponent treats almost all of his classmates friendly.

While the homma was impressed by the 인싸 (insider) vibe felt from the conversation of only 2 minutes and 30 seconds, she became very spirited for Moondae’s turn which would come soon.

Thinking like that, she intended to pass over Seon Ahyun quickly.

‘…but it was such a tremendous face to say that…….’

“N-Nice to meet you…!”

Seon Ahyun smiled brightly and listened to her words with sincerity. Thanks to that, she received the signature almost as if she were possessed.

Seon Ahyun even added a sincere P.S. below.

[Thank you very much for coming today, Jiwon-nim! I will work harder and show you a cool appearance in the future!*^^*]

‘…He is indeed a natural monument.’

With that face and that personality. It would be hard to maintain even as a character.

…And now what remained was the long-awaited 최애 (most favorite).

She swallowed her saliva and looked back at Moondae.