The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut – Chapter 26

Author: rolypoly

The morning after using the item.

When I logged into Milky Way’s SNS, I froze in complete shock.

“W-what is this?”

With trembling hands, I brought the phone close to my face.

‘Did I see that wrong…?’

But no matter how many times I blinked or turned the screen off and on again, the numbers before my eyes did not change.

[RT 3,428 ♥ 5,731]

I was stunned by the retweet count, which was far higher than the two thousand I had anticipated.

Considering Han Theo’s post reached three thousand retweets in a single day, this reaction was similar to or even greater than his.

“The item effect is amazing….”

I let out a satisfied laugh and turned off the phone screen.

—Ding!

A translucent window appeared before me along with a familiar notification sound.

[You have cleared a Hidden Quest.]

[Hidden Quest: Leave a strong impression on people.

Reward: Item Draw Ticket (B) x1]

[You have left a strong impression on approximately 10,000 people!

Reward: Item Draw Ticket (B) x1 will be granted.

You can check it in your item inventory.]

After checking the status window, I slowly tilted my head to the side.

“Isn’t this the exact same as the first Hidden Quest?”

It was the first hidden quest I had cleared after awakening the status window.

Although the number of people had decreased from 2.5 million to 10,000, and instead of a regular Item Draw Ticket, it was an Item Draw Ticket (B)….

“Use Item Draw Ticket.”

Since an item I needed right away might come out, I used the ticket immediately.

A wheel appeared before my eyes, slightly different from the ones I had seen before.

“There’s no rainbow or gold?”

No matter how hard I looked, there were no rainbow or gold slots; they were all silver, bronze, and black.

Since the S-rank Stat Growth Ticket had been gold, silver likely meant A-rank.

In other words, even if the best item came out, it would only be A-rank.

—Rattle, rattle.

Without giving me a moment to feel disappointed, the wheel began to spin.

It stopped on a bronze slot.

Bronze meant B-rank.

Having inwardly hoped for silver, I felt a bit let down.

‘At least it’s not a black slot.’

Black was probably C-rank.

It was enough that I had avoided the worst.

Quickly changing my mindset, I smacked my lips and checked the item I had pulled.

However, upon seeing the item, I let out a deep, involuntary sigh.

[Charm Potion

Grade: B+

Description: Increases the Charm stat to EX-rank for approximately 12 hours.

*Distributed in potion form; can be used on others.]

Why is this showing up here again?

The Charm Potion was clearly one of the three items I could have chosen with the Item Selection Ticket.

Because of its twelve-hour time limit, it was a difficult item to use given the nature of a survival audition program where one must show a more developed self in the next stage.

“It would have been nice if an item I could use right away came out.”

I carefully organized the remaining schedule of EX-class K-POP Idol in my head.

There was a production presentation in a few days, and once that was over, we would gather in the dormitory auditorium to watch the first episode.

After that, we would film the PR videos….

“Wait.”

As I was sorting through the future schedule, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind.

“There’s no rule saying the Charm Potion has to be used before a stage, right?”

* * *

Five days after Milky Way uploaded Kim Chowol’s preview to SNS.

Milky Way repeatedly turned her phone screen off and on with trembling hands. But the numbers visible to her eyes didn’t change.

The retweets for Kim Chowol’s preview, uploaded five days ago, were surpassing 12,000.

“Wh-what on earth is happening?”

In truth, Milky Way had never expected the preview she uploaded of Kim Chowol to receive such an explosive reaction. Of course, the photo was so well-taken that even Milky Way had been startled, but that was a separate matter.

“My most recent post only has 130 retweets….”

Milky Way was famous enough that anyone who had liked K-pop for a long time would know her.

However, having many people who knew you and having many people actively looking for you were two different things.

It had been 15 years since Nexus debuted.

The fans of Nexus had scattered.

Some liked other idols, others liked webtoons or web novels instead of idols.

Many were busy with corporate life, marriage, or childcare.

Since Milky Way was the only fansite master of Kim Junwoo left who was consistently active, that said it all.

And, well, she felt bad for Chowol, but… Kim Chowol tended to lack buzz compared to other eye-catching trainees.

If those 12,000 retweets had been the reaction to a Han Theo preview instead of Kim Chowol’s, she wouldn’t have been this surprised.

Of course, she was surprised, but the joy outweighed the shock.

Naturally. The trainee she supported was becoming famous.

“It’s a good start.”

She hoped things would continue to go well so he could definitely debut.

Milky Way smiled and tucked her phone into her pocket.

She made an effort to ignore the fact that the retweets for Kim Junwoo’s preview, which she had uploaded alongside Kim Chowol’s, were only in the double digits.

“Who did you come to take photos of?”

While checking if her camera was working properly, someone next to Milky Way spoke up.

A woman holding a massive telephoto camera was looking at Milky Way with eyes full of curiosity.

Milky Way rolled her eyes and glanced around.

Before she knew it, people holding “cannon” cameras were gathered in swarms.

The place where Milky Way stood was the production presentation for EX-class K-POP Idol.

They were all people gathered to take photos of the trainees appearing in the hit program.

Milky Way gave the woman who had spoken to her a subtle, inconspicuous scan.

‘She doesn’t look like a data-seller.’

A data seller referred to someone who took photos of celebrities themselves and sold them to others for money.

They had an incredible scent for money and appeared like ghosts at any event that seemed profitable.

But seeing as she asked who Milky Way came to shoot, she likely wasn’t a data-seller.

Usually, data-sellers just took their photos quietly and left.

“I’m here for Kim Chowol.”

Milky Way answered with a bright smile.

Though she was wary at first, her heart pounded at the thought that this woman might be a comrade.

‘This woman might also be someone whose life has been collateralized because of a love that arrived suddenly, just like me.’

Unfortunately, Milky Way’s guess missed the mark completely.

“Kim… who?”

The woman tilted her head as she spoke.

If one were tactless, they might think she was asking again because she truly didn’t hear.

But Milky Way was a fansite master who had survived 15 years in K-pop, a world rife with jealousy, checking, factions, and secret feuds.

She could immediately grasp the hidden meaning behind the woman’s reaction.

‘She’s looking down on me because I like a trainee with no recognition.’

Hah….

A hollow laugh threatened to escape, but Milky Way held it in.

Getting angry here would make her the amateur of amateurs.

Milky Way curled one corner of her trembling lip upward and spoke.

“Kim Chowol. It’s Kim Chowol.”

“Kim Chowol…. Was there a trainee like that? Ah, I’m sorry. I came to shoot Han Theo, so….”

The woman, having scanned Milky Way from head to toe, said with a smirk.

The woman before her was making a grave mistake.

The popularity of the trainee one likes does not become one’s own social rank.

“Well, I suppose that could happen.”

Milky Way said with a shrug.

“I take it you haven’t been a fan for long? Kim Chowol’s guild was Han Theo’s opponent in the first evaluation.”

“Wait, what?”

“Ah, I suppose you might not know. The first episode hasn’t even aired yet. I attended the audience recording, you see.”

“Ugh….”

The application for the first evaluation of EX-class K-POP Idol had been open for a very short time, long before filming began.

Most fansite masters who started liking trainees late couldn’t even apply.

“Still, if you had looked around the communities a little, you would have known Han Theo’s opponent was Kim Chowol’s guild. Are you sure you really came to shoot Han Theo?”

The woman clamped her mouth shut, having nothing left to say.

The woman was likely indeed a Han Theo fansite master.

‘And she probably knew who Kim Chowol was, too.’

The problem was that she knew Kim Chowol but pretended not to.

The reason was easy enough to guess.

It was because people were still fighting on community sites and SNS over the result of the guild match between Han Theo and Kim Chowol.

“I’m really sorry to bother you. Make sure to take lots of photos of Kim Chowol. I’m busy taking pictures of our Theo.”

Having hurriedly ended the conversation, the woman whipped her head away and began fidgeting with her camera.

‘Wet behind the ears, thinking she knows everything….’

Milky Way gave a snort and went back to checking her camera.

The production presentation would proceed in order: participant photo time, program introduction, MC introduction and greetings, production team and judge introductions, and finally, a Q&A session.

There was a lot to do, but the most important thing at a production presentation was the photos.

“When are the kids coming?”

“I don’t know, it’s starting soon, so won’t they be out shortly?”

“Ah, I’m so nervous. I wonder how handsome Han Theo is in person.”

“Hey, honestly, Yoo Sung is better looking than Han Theo.”

Two fans who weren’t fansite masters but had just come to see the trainees were giggling and chatting.

Perhaps because the first episode hadn’t aired yet, most were fans of the eye-catching trainees. It was only natural, as the only content “crumbs” were the Music Day stage video and the first evaluation previews.

‘Our Chowol is handsome, too.’

Milky Way thought, pouting her lips.

Of course, while he might fall short of Han Theo and Yoo Sung, who possessed blatantly flashy looks, Kim Cho-wol was sufficiently handsome.

Milky Way resolved to create a separate account dedicated to Kim Chowol and diligently upload his photos.

‘I’ll make sure my idol debuts!’

If she managed to make Nexus—who was on the verge of becoming a failed idol group—a success, getting a single trainee to debut was nothing.

It wouldn’t be easy, but it was possible.

“Oh? Those are the trainees over there, right?”

“Gasp, you’re right. Hey, turn on the camera, quick!”

“Theo, where is Theo?”

The crowd began to buzz.

Milky Way also raised her camera and moved her head here and there, searching for Kim Chowol.