Debut or Die - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Fatal Illness if I Don’t Debut – Episode 103
I returned to the Dormitory after an unproductive meeting with Chung-ryeo.
It was already 3 AM. Of course, everyone was asleep.
‘…I have to get out of bed at 8 tomorrow.’
I needed to sleep immediately. I kept my footsteps quiet and hurried to my room.
And I was startled.
“…!”
“Ugh….”
Lee Sae-jin was sprawled on his bed, staring at his smartphone while crying softly.
Light from the phone screen leaked out, illuminating Lee Sae-jin’s tear-streaked face.
‘…Maybe he’s just watching something on a streaming service.’
It was incredibly awkward.
“….”
I deliberately made a slight noise with my footsteps as I passed through the room. I wanted to give him time to compose himself.
‘I’ll shower and change clothes first.’
By the time I finished showering in the bathroom and came out, Lee Sae-jin had pulled the blanket over his head and was no longer visible.
He must have felt just as embarrassed.
‘…Let me sleep.’
I lay down on my bed. I didn’t need to wear earplugs at this hour of the morning.
But not long after, I regretted not putting them in.
“…Ugh.”
Muffled sobbing sounds came from the other bed.
Anyone listening would recognize it as someone crying with their face buried in a pillow under the blanket.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
I seriously considered putting on earplugs and lying back down, but instead I got up and approached the adjacent bed.
And I tapped on the blanket.
“Hey. Is something wrong?”
“…!!”
The blanket rustled and a coughing sound emerged.
‘Tears, snot, and saliva all mixed together….’
Since it didn’t look like something he’d want anyone to see, I crossed my arms and waited.
“…Didn’t you wear earplugs?”
“I didn’t think I’d need to at this hour of the morning.”
More rustling sounds followed. Then Lee Sae-jin’s voice became composed again, almost normal.
“…Sleep. It’s nothing serious.”
“….”
So something was definitely wrong.
At that moment, a faint warning alarm echoed in my mind.
“…Hey, don’t tell me this is about drugs?”
“Are you insane?”
Hmm, that’s not it.
I startled awake and watched Lee Sae-jin kick off the blanket before heading back to bed myself.
Even in the darkness, I could see his face had flushed red with irritation.
“Do I look like someone who’d do drugs?”
“No, it’s just… I ran into Chung-ryeo earlier today, and he mentioned someone who got hooked on drugs. It suddenly came to mind, so I asked.”
“….”
Lee Sae-jin seemed to recall some specific examples, his expression growing uncomfortable.
“…The best thing is to stay away from that kind of scene altogether. You should avoid making contact with weird people in the first place.”
“I understand.”
I shrugged and pulled the blanket over myself.
‘It’s awkward to ask more now anyway.’
Lee Sae-jin seemed to be trying to grow in his own way, so he’d tell me if something really serious happened.
Still, just in case, I should say something
“Hyung.”
“What.”
“If things get hard, tell me.”
“…Okay.”
“Tell Ryu Chung-woo.”
“…Hey!”
I waved my hand and settled into a proper sleeping position.
And I fell asleep instantly.

* * *
As the comeback drew near, I found myself juggling practice and schedules, the fatigue mounting with each passing day.
“Still, it’s more manageable than the debut album was.”
“I agree with that assessment.”
Compared to when we’d prepared a double title in just one month, this felt almost leisurely—at least, that’s what the consensus within the group seemed to be, and the praise was widespread.
Certainly. At the very least, we had guaranteed sleep time, which made everything bearable.
‘I even have pockets of time to monitor the online response.’
I pulled up my smartphone to check the current sentiment.
Hmm, until just a few days ago, fans had been piecing together theories by comparing the recently released concept photos with the album specifications.
-So the album comes in two versions, Side A and B, and that’s why it’s called Choose Your Side? Fans are literally crying over these details
-I’m betting A is fresh and bright while B is dreamy and ethereal.
└What about the trailer?
└Maybe it’s just the intro track?
└I think that’s Side B
-No, magic boy props definitely appeared in the trailer. It’s hard to see it as just a game advertisement, but the game hasn’t even been released yet, so I can’t compare…!
└Hello, teacher. Ruin Factory has only released masterpieces so far. Please give it a try when it launches..!
└Ah yes, understood.
And today, the second concept photo was released.
[TeSTAR Concept Photo ‘Side B’]
There was TeSTAR, dressed in classic winter school uniforms.
There were some connections to the previous album, but the atmosphere was distinctly different.
The classroom backdrop wasn’t simply worn or broken—it was covered entirely in rough graffiti that gleamed under fluorescent light.
Beyond the graffiti, the classroom walls revealed their true material: not the usual ivory color, but exposed rusted chrome structures in their raw state.
Several members were even holding gas masks and peculiar mechanical equipment, the gear flickering with neon-like light.
It was undeniably cyberpunk with a dystopian edge.
-Ahhhhhhh
-Insane cyberpunk
-I love it so much
-The fact that they couldn’t get winter uniforms for the last album but got them this time… our boys really learned. I’m literally falling over with joy
Crying, crying, crying—Chungwoo finally dyed his hair, everyone! It’s close to black, but… it’s still blue. I’m so happy, everyone. Be happy too!
-My brain got smashed for only predicting dreamy concept 2…
-I like both of them so much, I hope the album comes quicklyㅠㅠ
Fans were delighted without needing any image management at all.
‘The game concerns seem to have mostly faded.’
In fact, this concept photo shared quite a few similarities with the trailer, but apparently the positive feeling had dispelled most of the ominous premonitions.
And even in general Internet communities, not just fan spaces, the overall response was quite favorable.
========================
[TeSTAR Choose Your Side Concept Photo]
: Side A (Photo)
Side B (Photo)
The general consensus is that they made a solid choice.
========================
-Wow, he’s handsome
-Sun Ah-hyun looks more handsome every time I see him
-Their concepts are always over the top, feels like they’re just throwing money at it
└LOL Perfect explanation
I’m a 2D enthusiast, so I guess that’s why I ended up watching it.
-Kim Rae-bin really nails the second concept. It’s got a more decadent vibe than typical delinquent, so it really stands out
-Can’t wait for the music video. Upload it here when it drops!
There were people trying to shift the narrative, but it didn’t amount to much.
-I don’t know… Where did they say they picked it well? Haha.
└Huh? The consensus seems fine everywhere I go… people here are saying they picked well too
└It could be because fans came in droves.
If that many people are all fans, doesn’t that basically mean they ARE public opinion? lol
That’s usually how it ended.
‘Too bad.’
I let out a quiet laugh and closed the thread.
“M-Moon-dae. Did you… check the Internet?”
“Yeah, I checked the reactions to the new concept photos.”
“I-I see.”
Sun Ah-hyun didn’t bother asking what the consensus was.
From what I heard, he was training himself not to care too much about what others thought of him.
His new therapist seemed to be a good fit—Sun Ah-hyun’s face had been brighter lately.
‘I think he said he’d start serious pronunciation correction after this promotion ends.’
Yeah, I hope that works out for him.
“I-it was really hot when we were taking photos.”
The moment Sun Ah-hyun brought up the topic, cries of agreement erupted from all around.
“Right!”
“Whether it’s abnormal weather or the heat wave hitting early fall, the Set’s air conditioning was woefully inadequate!”
“….”
Thanks for saying what I was about to say.
“Still, Lee Sae-jin didn’t even change his complexion during the shoot. That’s impressive.”
“You’re so cool as an actor!”
“Right?”
Lee Sae-jin, suddenly receiving praise, nearly spit out the water he was drinking, but soon gave a small reply.
“…Thanks.”
“I’m just saying you did well because you did.”
Ryu Chung-woo laughed and resumed stretching.
By now, I was quite used to seeing Ryu Chung-woo boost Lee Sae-jin’s morale like this whenever he struggled to keep up with the new choreography.
‘Well, it’s not like I’m making things up.’
Whenever content required acting came up, Lee Sae-jin’s skill was almost always overwhelming.
Big Sae-jin playfully grumbled from beside him.
“Come on, that’s too much~ Let’s not forget there’s another Sae-jin here, everyone. I did great too~!”
“Haha!”
“Wow, hyung, that was cool.”
“Yu-jin, you have no soul.”
“I can’t lie. Ow!”
Big Sae-jin lightly put Cha Yu-jin in a headlock and then released him with a giggle. Lee Sae-jin quickly turned his head away.
‘Those two have an awkward relationship.’
Not that they seemed about to fight, but rather… they simply didn’t like each other and had no desire to associate.
“Alright, let’s start practice again~”
“Yes!”
The brief break ended and the choreography resumed.
“Watch your feet~”
“This way~”
The members, who had memorized the Choreographer Judge’s advice by heart, mimicked his tone while dancing the chorus. Everyone’s lips kept curling up as they fought back laughter.
Only Lee Sae-jin still seemed to be struggling to keep up. He kept his mouth firmly shut, watching himself in the mirror.
‘That makes sense.’
His dancing was still D+.
Since jumping one letter grade was equivalent to crossing a classification boundary, it would be difficult for someone without much natural talent in dancing to surpass it in a short period.
‘At this rate, it looks like he’ll be able to break through soon though.’
I checked Lee Sae-jin’s stat window.
[Name: Lee Sae-jin]
Vocals: C- (B+)
Dance: D+ (B)
Appearance: A+ (S)
Charisma: A (S-)
Trait: Focus (B)
!Abnormal Status:
His vocals had already entered the C range. Since it was originally higher than dance anyway, it seemed he’d raised it relatively quickly.
And since Lee Sae-jin’s dance potential stat was ‘B’, as long as he kept at it consistently, he’d climb to C.
‘And that trait.’
It was quite good.
[Focus (B)]
: I want to accomplish this
-Concentration +100%
The name and description were simple, but it seemed quite versatile. I probably would have kept it even if it had appeared for me.
‘Now that I think about it, I should organize my own stat window too.’
I pulled up my stat window.
[Name: Park Moon-dae (Ryu Gun-woo)]
Level: 15
Title: None
Vocals: A
Dance: B-
Appearance: B+
Charisma: B
Traits: Infinite Potential, That Makes Sense Now That I Think About It (C), Bacchus 500 (B), Keen Ear (A)
!Abnormal Status: Death Unless I’m Number One
Remaining Points: 3
The achievement was the result of reaching the 100s in Stage Achievements and completing the 5000s in Practice Achievements.
I gained additional stats by refreshing the popup that appeared a couple more times when I performed well on stage.
During this process, I received one trait draw as well….
[Trait: Tear Faucet Under the Eyes (B)]
-Open and close it at your convenience!
: Tear Control Ability MAX
I discarded it immediately. Damn.
Anyway, even without that, it seems I’ve picked up quite a lot.
‘…The debut activities were pretty grueling.’
I feel like I’m reaping the rewards of sleepless nights here too. But that wasn’t even the most surprising part.
…What really shocked me was that my Charisma stat increased naturally.
…I’m guessing the W Live and fan signing events had an impact.
Of course, most of the members’ stats increased naturally too, not just mine and Lee Sae-jin’s, but anyway….
“Moon-dae, stop daydreaming~!”
“…!”
I stopped my thoughts immediately at Big Sae-jin’s call.
‘Let me focus on practice for now.’
And shortly after, the final accompaniment ended.
Big Sae-jin, wiping away sweat, asked out of courtesy.
“Phew, should we start from the beginning again?”
“Let’s do it.”
“Yes!”
Big Sae-jin raised his Dance stat from A- to A, and his speed in picking up the choreography that the Choreographer Judge had given him—preserving even the feeling of it—became noticeably faster.
‘I’m envious.’
The moment I was thinking about dumping all my remaining points into Dance.
Lee Sae-jin fell to the floor during the introductory choreography that had just restarted.
“…Ugh!”
“You okay?”
“…I’m fine,”
Lee Sae-jin tried to get up but hesitated.
Then, still lying down, she grabbed her ankle and bit her lip.
…I had a bad feeling about this.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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