Debut or Die - Chapter 216

—————

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

—————

A Fatal Illness if I Don’t Debut – Episode 216
The Hell Fire K-pop Camp, which had properly capitalized on the nationalist fervor and trending status, was able to air Episode 2 following Episode 1 with tremendous interest.
And it was undeniable that Chung-ryeo’s appearance played a significant role in this trending status.
It was all because of the law of scarcity.
VTIC had been refraining from light and entertaining content like variety shows ever since the member withdrawal incident.
-It’s been a while since this was a variety showㅠㅠ
-It’s a shame only Jae-hyun appeared, but since the leader stepped up to take responsibility, it’s bittersweet… you guys worked hard
Even just watching the trailer, he’s truly the foundation of K-pop lol. Shin Chung-ryeo should be an idol for life.
And this bastard had consumed every bit of impact the mentor cast could possibly deliver in Episode 2.
‘We were lucky to get in and out during Episode 1’s portion.’
From monitoring, it looked like he’d done it all—from key judge to instructor to counselor.
-Chung-ryeo kindly roasting everyone (video)
-This is what K-pop is!
-ㅠㅠㅠㅠOur leader is always a warm-hearted person (capture)
I don’t understand why he can’t do this, but Shin Jae-hyun is watching the practice anyway lolololol He’s still the same.
Moreover, the filming duration wasn’t particularly extensive for someone as busy as a top-tier celebrity, but it seemed he’d extracted only the crucial parts.
‘The cost-effectiveness is insane.’
You really do have to watch successful people to understand them. The other mentors who appeared with him probably just wasted their filming time.
‘Now that I think about it, there were guys from Golden Age among them too.’
The group that Gold 1 belongs to.
Contact had been sparse since the industrial espionage incident, but after seeing his face again in this Ajusa production variety show, messages came through occasionally at the level of maintaining connections.
[Golden Age Ha Il-jun hyung: Moon-dae! It was great seeing you after so long! It’s a shame our filming didn’t overlap this time, see you next time!]
I sent an appropriately casual reply to Gold 1’s message and boarded the airplane.
[Yes, I look forward to seeing you next time]
Clean and simple.
People originally work best in relationships where there’s no reason to feel awkward with each other.
Especially with crazy bastards who drive people insane—it’s best not to get entangled with them, but somehow we keep getting jobs together, which is incredibly frustrating.
At least the guy coming with me listens well, so that’s a relief.
“M-Moon-dae. Did you get your passport?”
“Yeah.”
It was Sun Ah-hyun.
There wasn’t just one special collaboration stage among the mentors—the special stage that Sun Ah-hyun was part of was also being filmed this time.
‘I wonder which group complained about not having time.’
If I’d known it would be like this, I should’ve complained about not doing a special stage too.
“Sleep on the plane. That team probably won’t have much time either since even though they’ve already secured the choreography, they’ll need to work out the positioning from scratch.”
“U-uh, okay!”
Sun Ah-hyun and I ignored the data crew tailing us and some of Home Ma’s cameras, and successfully boarded the airplane.
‘They gave us good seats.’
Looks like the investment pulled through properly. I closed the curtain next to my seat to prevent any potential privacy invasion.
The Manager… I’m not sure. The second one came along, but he’ll probably be sitting well in the back on his own.
‘I should just get some sleep.’
And as I pushed the seat back to make it almost like a bed, then reached for a water bottle.
Sun Ah-hyun spoke to me in a small voice.
“Um, you know… over there.”
“Yeah.”
“Does, does Park Moon-dae… um, is VTIC Chung-ryeo uncomfortable for you?”
“Pfft.”
Water nearly shot out of my nose.
‘How did he figure that out.’
“A-are you okay?! Do you need a m-massage….”
“No, no, I’m fine.”
I waved my hand dismissively and shook my head. Sun Ah-hyun looked at me with some concern, then carefully broached the next topic.
He seemed to have thought about it beforehand.
“If you’re uncomfortable… would you want to s-switch with me?”
“What?”
“Our team’s stage—you already know the choreography, so I th-thought it would be fine….”
“….”
“I’m, I’m not good with p-people anyway, so it wouldn’t make much difference…!”
“It’s fine.”
I let out a short laugh and closed the water bottle.
Well, I’ll be. That’s actually kind of touching. So he’s worrying about other people’s relationships now.
“And when were you planning to learn the choreography again.”
“I h-have a day, so… it’s fine.”
“….”
Damn talented bastard.
“Anyway, I don’t really l-like that guy, but it’s not like I can’t work. He’s nothing special to begin with.”
“I, I see. B-but… if you have any concerns, please tell me!”
“Got it.”
Though that’s unlikely to happen, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to tell him if it did.
I stretched out on the seat that had transformed into something like a bed.
And a moment later, I asked casually, as if in passing.
“But is it that obvious.”
“Huh?”
“That I don’t like that senior.”
“…a l-little?”
“When did you notice.”
“Every t-time we meet, Park Moon-dae keeps c-clenching your fists….”
“….”
I need to be more careful.
And eleven hours later, I discovered that I really was clenching my fists.
“Hello.”
“Hello, senior!”
‘So it was real.’
The Large Dance Practice Studio where the Production Team had already installed cameras.
When Chung-ryeo arrived a step late and greeted me with a grin, my fist was genuinely expressing its own will.
‘Maybe it’s because I have a memory of scratching him.’
Anyway, thanks to Sun Ah-hyun, I learned one thing. I need to be careful when the camera is on.
‘Still, VTIC certainly lives up to its name.’
Whether I paid attention to my fist or not, everyone around me was greeting Chung-ryeo with their bodies tensed and rigid.
“Nice to meet you. Should we start practicing right away?”
Among those oozing admiration or inferiority, Chung-ryeo smoothly moved into business.
‘This is comfortable.’
I had no objection to not wasting time before practice.
And so the blocking work began.
“Let’s go again!”
The parts had all been divided beforehand, and everyone had already learned their predetermined movements through video.
But when we actually did it all together, differences inevitably emerged in spacing, height, and movement size.
Refining that was the job—normally a choreography trainer would oversee it….
“Person on the left, raise your elbows more.”
“Yes, yes…!”
At some point, the trainer had started only shouting ‘let’s go again’.
Because this bastard kept catching everything.
“During the pre-chorus, come in a bit faster. You can break the movement when you lower your arms and come in.”
“Ah… Yes!”
Naturally, it was Chung-ryeo who had the most experience here.
Watching even those who could slack off thanks to seniority and popularity getting intimidated and following along was convenient.
“Then let’s take a break. Um, ten minutes?”
“Yes!”
He seemed like he’d cut the break time sharply too.
Huh.
‘This guy is actually useful.’
Indeed, someone who’s spent decades as an idol leader is different. His efficiency is exceptional.
‘This will end quickly.’
That was the moment I was about to revise my assessment of him.
“Junior.”
“…Yes.”
I immediately took it back.
I’d moved to the corner to avoid mixing words with these guys since the camera was being adjusted, but he was deliberately approaching me anyway.
However, surprisingly, no crazy remarks came out like usual.
Chung-ryeo simply lowered his voice and offered quiet advice.
“Your movements are bold, but your joints aren’t moving correctly.”
“….”
“Look here.”
A clean demonstration followed.
A motion where I bent my entire body and snapped back, giving recoil to my upper torso.
“Your elbow and thigh touch right here.”
“Yes.”
“Why do you think they touch?”
“It seems like you’re trying to add rhythm to the motion of bending and straightening your body.”
“Exactly.”
The affirmation came immediately, but the explanation didn’t end there.
“But you can’t stop thinking at just that point.”
“…!”
“Look. You need to move while considering all the way to bending your upper body in the next motion.”
Chung-ryeo deliberately pulled his elbow out to the side more than necessary, then pulled his upper body back.
“When you do this, the arm joint trajectory widens, so the movement becomes snappier when you bend.”
Suddenly, the movement gained a certain tension.
What people called ‘taut’ or ‘crisp’—that quality.
“That’s what makes the line look good.”
“….”
“If you pay attention to the ‘why’ behind each preceding and following motion, you’ll be able to show all your current skill from now on.”
I almost bit my tongue.
Damn.
This bastard is actually being helpful.
Because I’d just understood that his advice was genuinely useful.
‘…Compared to raising my stats, I’ve been feeling like I don’t dance as well as someone with the same stats should.’
This was the kind of realization that required either talent or time.
Either you instinctively knew it like Cha Yu-jin, or you realized it through countless worries and practice like Big Sae-jin.
And conveying it in language so cleanly that even a layman could understand… only someone who’d attempted that same thing thousands of times could pull that off.
‘He didn’t waste all those years.’
I acknowledged it cleanly.
“Yes. Thank you.”
“…!”
Chung-ryeo fell silent for a moment, apparently not expecting that.
But soon he seemed to understand and nodded with a smile.
“Right. It’s better to hear this kind of thing separately, isn’t it? People get their feelings hurt when they’re criticized in front of everyone.”
“….”
“Ah, I’m not saying you’re particularly bad at anything. Haha.”
This is damn subtly irritating to my pride.
‘My dancing might be like that, but my singing is damn good.’
It was a status window thing, but I couldn’t help but say it.
“I’m not upset by something like that. During recording, you wouldn’t mind if I gave you advice either, sunbae.”
“…Ah. Yes.”
Chung-ryeo’s eyes narrowed.
But soon, as if acknowledging it, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, I guess that’s the limit of talent. I couldn’t push any further.”
“….”
He probably had. Watching someone whose vocal growth cap was B+ painstakingly climb all the way to B+ was something.
Just as I was about to feel a bit of admiration, I heard a very quiet, low voice muttering like a soliloquy.
“So every time… how annoying it is to find a young kid who sings well and still has his sanity.”
“….”
“Well, this time… I mean, even now, I can’t really call it a success. He quit anyway, right? Haha.”
…Now that I think about it, VTIC’s main vocalist was that club guy.
This won’t do. I quickly changed the subject before something even crazier came out.
“Still, you’ve been doing well with your activities.”
“I guess I’ve picked up some know-how along the way. So….”
Beep beep beep beep beep!
At that moment, a loud alarm sounded.
“Ah, time’s up.”
It meant break time was over.
Chung-ryeo immediately moved to the center of the Training Room and spoke while stretching his neck.
“Then let’s match the details now.”
And so began the obsessively detailed choreography unification work—the kind that seemed unnecessary for a one-time special Stage.
I should mention that only the Production Team was thrilled about it.

* * *
“Is it up yet?”
Chung-ryeo’s personal fan refreshed Netplus, continuously checking whether Episode 3 had been uploaded.
And that action was soon rewarded.
“It’s here!”
There was no way I could miss a variety show featuring Chung-ryeo after so long! I eagerly watched Episode 3.
But… this time, Chung-ryeo barely appeared.
“Hmm…”
Certainly, it was still provocative, and there was something cathartic about watching the participants struggle through tears and sweat, only to be refined and polished.
But since the most important person—Chung-ryeo—barely showed up, my excitement completely deflated.
‘Right… there’s no way they filmed that much footage.’
He wasn’t the main MC, and appearing as a mentor to that extent was already an impressive teaser.
“I should just watch the cut scenes instead.”
I shrugged my shoulders and decided to stop wasting time.
But then, at that moment.
[Coming up next!]
[A dazzling showcase stage by K-pop mentors unfolds!]
[Participant: Oh my f***ing god!]
[My goodness. Will the participants even be able to recreate this stage?]
Suddenly, a special stage preview appeared.
“Insane, Shin Jae-hyun!!”
And I didn’t miss Chung-ryeo’s face.
‘What?!’
I couldn’t hold back and immediately skipped the progress bar to the end. Guessing that since they inserted it like this, he’d definitely appear at the very end.
And my prediction was correct.
“Aaahhh!”
Suddenly, in a video atmosphere that had transformed into a typical YouTube stage content style.
I confirmed seven idol mentors standing in formation.
And Chung-ryeo was really there!
“Gasp.”
This was almost the first time since his second year of debut that Chung-ryeo had performed on stage with other idols!
‘Wow, Park Moon-dae is there too.’
My mind spun rapidly.
And the moment I thought that formation with the idols holding their chins up, crossing their arms or posing looked somehow familiar.
The intro started.
-ShhShhShh, Shh…!
“…!”
This was… a fresh K-pop hit song that had only been released six months ago!
And it wasn’t just any hit song either.
‘That’s a Miry-nay song!’
A hit song by a rookie female idol who hadn’t even been in the industry for a full year was playing on the screen.

—————

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

—————