Debut or Die - Chapter 23

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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 23
The arrangement meeting was led by Big Sae-jin. And I received a decent amount of screen time.
[Kwon Hee-seung: We were lucky that Big Sae-jin is the leader!]
[Ha Il-jun: He definitely has leadership qualities.]
Judging from the interviews with Gold 1 and Gold 2, it seemed the Production Team intended to push Big Sae-jin’s position as leader.
“Heh, thank you all~”
“If you’re grateful, talk about me in the next interview.”
“Me too!”
“Of course~”
In contrast to Big Sae-jin’s relaxed expression, one participant was watching the screen in the Living Room.
I glanced at Choi Won-gil.
“….”
Choi Won-gil, who had been quiet even after coming to today’s meeting, now had obvious tension etched across his face.
I wondered how the Production Team had edited Choi Won-gil’s confrontation with me.
From my perspective, as long as it didn’t look like I was the one picking a fight, I was fine. Honestly, I didn’t care much either way.
But the editing took an unexpected turn.
They had completely cut out Choi Won-gil’s confrontation.
[The idea is good, but wouldn’t it look like we’re mocking the original song if we’re not careful?]
Moreover, Big Sae-jin’s rebuttal to my words was also removed.
Instead, a shot of Big Sae-jin raising his head seriously was inserted.
[I’ve been thinking about it, and I think there might be a way to go bold while preserving the original’s sensibility…]
And then it immediately cut to me presenting my opinion.
‘They must have thought Choi Won-gil wasn’t necessary for the story.’
To maintain the dramatic flow of the arrangement, they had erased the ambiguous confrontation as if it never happened.
‘Now that I think about it, they glossed over the part change at the beginning too.’
Choi Won-gil seemed relieved, but honestly, I wasn’t sure if he should be.
After all, Choi Won-gil didn’t get a single proper cut throughout the entire episode. He didn’t even get a decent interview.
Probably because he had said negative things about the parts and arrangement during the interview, so there wasn’t much usable material.
Anyway, none of that mattered much. What was important was my edit.
Park Moon-dae on the screen was finishing his words with a faint smile.
[Mix in some horror.]
[…!!]
Then they pulled in close-ups of each team member’s shocked faces one by one.
‘…Isn’t this excessive?’
Anyone watching would think I’d come up with an idea for the ages.
And then another interview appeared.
[Ha Il-jun: Wow! The moment he said that!]
[Kwon Hee-seung: That was it.]
[Lee Sae-jin (A): That’s… talent.]
Lee Sae-jin’s words sounded somehow bitter. But more than that, I couldn’t believe even he had given an interview like this.
Thanks to that, the Living Room was filled with cringe-worthy interview clips where everyone took shots at each other with jokes and jeers. Lee Sae-jin kept her mouth firmly shut, steadfastly watching the screen.
Then, when Big Sae-jin’s interview came on, everything erupted into laughter.
[Lee Sae-jin (B): Isn’t Park Moon-dae hilarious? (bursts out laughing) I mean, he’s got this Tibetan fox expression on his face, but his ideas are exploding everywhere—it’s just too funny, seriously!!]
Against Big Sae-jin’s commentary, Park Moon-dae reacting to all sorts of situations was cut together in rapid succession.
Sun Ah-hyun’s ranking evaluation.
[I… I… when I was young, I had an accident…]
[What do I do…]
As sympathetic murmurs swept through the audience, Park Moon-dae was shown in close-up.
“….”
Even I could see it—perfect composure incarnate.
Then came the subtitle.
[Park Moon-dae: (nod-nod)]
“Ah! That’s right!!”
“He really did that! Hahahaha!!”
Then came the trainer’s harsh critique scene.
[This kind of feedback is actually praise if you get it at a school trip talent show!]
[….]
Among the teammates bowing their heads and biting their lips, only Park Moon-dae’s serene face stood out.
[Park Moon-dae: (calm-ness)]
That was it.
All the situations where other participants were shaken.
Park Moon-dae alone had the thousand-yard stare.
“Ahahaha!!”
“That face! It’s too funny!”
“….”
Only then did I realize my blunder.
Standing alone with exaggerated reactions all around me, I didn’t look composed—I looked genuinely… a bit unhinged.
‘I shouldn’t have blamed the Production Team.’
I laughed like a madman while dodging Big Sae-jin’s apologetic hand patting my back, silently reflecting on myself.
Later in the broadcast, the arrangement process was shown briefly without spoiling anything, progressing smoothly.
[Lee Sae-jin (B): We’ll do well!]
[Park Moon-dae: …Fighting.]
I have no idea why I shouted “Fighting” with such a lack of enthusiasm…
And not long after, the Stage began.
Even the teammates who’d been chattering away fell silent, focusing intently on watching.
I stared unfamiliarly at Park Moon-dae’s face with stage makeup. That’s me.
[Oooooh-.]
Soon, an eerie intro flowed with the opening choreography, and the performance unfolded in earnest.
And the shocked faces of other waiting participants began appearing with each part change. Good grief.
At least the editing was done with some care, so the Stage didn’t feel too choppy—that was a relief.
‘Hmm.’
In any case, the Stage performance turned out remarkably well.
Especially Sun Ah-hyun’s movements were captivating—he danced like a fish in water, so much so that he looked more like the main dancer than Big Sae-jin.
‘Sun Ah-hyun’s ranking is definitely going to shoot up.’
The next most impressive was Big Sae-jin, and everyone else handled their respective parts competently. Surprisingly, Lee Sae-jin also expressed herself well facially, so she didn’t look awkward.
Choi Won-gil seemed to have lost some screen time during the chorus when he came to center—the choreography caused the camera to shift toward Sun Ah-hyun.
And I… fortunately, my bridge part came through cleanly.
[Can’t You feel me?]
This single line had the reaction cut layered over it two or three times.
‘…It’s practically a round song at this point?’
I was grateful, but at the same time, the intention felt suspicious.
‘Are they pushing the oblivious genius character angle again?’
So when the trainers’ conversation was inserted as a reaction to the bridge part, I was staring at the screen with eyes full of doubt.
[Moody: That was originally Won-gil’s part?]
[Jeok Tae-song: Really?]
[Moody: Yeah, Won-gil said he couldn’t do it, so (Moon-dae) gave him his own chorus part and even rearranged it solo… (like that).]
But they actually kept this story in.
Moreover, just from listening to the trainers’ conversation, it sounded like I had graciously given up my part and traded with Choi Won-gil out of kindness.
Well, technically that’s accurate in the end.
Moody even got an interview cut.
[Moody: Moon-dae is surprisingly softhearted.]
[Moody: But his singing is strong!]
Thank you.
Even with the same character type, “oblivious and absolutely infuriating” was far worse than “oblivious but kindhearted.”
I felt like I should send ginseng as thanks to avoid sudden death.
The Stage performance ended with the enthusiastic cheers of the audience calling for an encore.
[Encore! Encore!]
And the team’s joyful embrace was also successfully broadcast.
“We absolutely killed it.”
“Honestly, even though it’s my own performance, I thought it was good.”
“Agreed.”
Accompanied by meaningless applause, the satisfied conversations of all the team members echoed through the Living Room.
I only talked about my own share since I was watching from my perspective, but in the bigger picture, the team members actually received relatively balanced screen time.
Thanks to that, the Living Room atmosphere remained harmonious.
I’m sure there were plenty of other participants whose situations were funeral-like.
For instance, Ryu Chung-woo’s team, which performed after us… was at a level where I wanted to observe a moment of silence.
Let me excerpt a few captions.
[They chose the best song selection?]
[Well… not really.]
[Team members continuously unable to focus on practice]
[Leader Ryu Chung-woo’s Struggle]
The final touch was Ryu Chung-woo’s interview, which looked grueling to anyone watching.
[Ryu Chung-woo: …I have to pull through.]
‘Wow, they really sent that out.’
Even though I already knew it wasn’t quite that bad, watching it still left a bitter taste.
Our own guys were even casually sympathizing with him as they watched—that said everything.
“Man, what are we gonna do about them?”
“Chung-woo hyung was struggling. Well, still….”
In short, the narrative painted a picture of Ryu Chung-woo—lacking in skill but brimming with complaints—enduring a grueling process with his reluctant teammates to complete the Stage.
“Chung-woo’s got a decent personality though…. Hey, looking at it this way, he’s practically a sage.”
Gold 1’s lukewarm mutter perfectly captured the editing’s intent.
In any case, the broadcast showed us crushing Ryu Chung-woo’s team with ease.
[The score was… a whopping 82 to 401!]
[Waaahhh!!]
It was edited in a way that made us look genuinely impressive without any rough edges.
As for the individual voting segment, it ended with a subtle edit that made people root for Ryu Chung-woo’s individual votes.
[Ryu Chung-woo: I think my shortcomings were significant.]
[Park Jung-seop: Honestly, shouldn’t (individual votes) be something we win?]
[Lee Do-jun: The person leading the team bears responsibility….]
Well, our team didn’t even mention individual voting, which was clean and nice.
Both on-site and on broadcast, this was a complete victory for our team.
With Episode 3 wrapped, team members collapsed onto the floor and sofas all around.
“Wow… that really drains you.”
“I thought I’d die from the tension!”
“S-so scary.”
Even Sun Ah-hyun chimed in.
Everyone had clearly burned through considerable mental energy.
Big Sae-jin spoke from where he lay on the sofa.
“Ah, I know it’s repetitive, but… everyone really worked hard. Hey, watching the broadcast, you all did so well!”
“Big Sae-jin, you did great too~”
“Glad it turned out well.”
Gold 2 left this comment with eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“Our reactions are gonna be amazing, right?”
And as if someone had granted a wish, those words came true.

* * *
The first signs of response appeared on YouTube.
The Stage video of October 31, the team Park Moon-dae belonged to, ranked 9th in real-time trending videos.
The comments were absolute chaos.
-The arrangement and stage presence were absolutely flawless
-Such a precious performance in such a shabby place;;;
-Ladies and gentlemen, this is the stock that’s about to skyrocket.
-What? Vampires? Just wait, I’ll drive a blood donation truck over there
-I organized the names! 0:12 Sun Ah-hyun, 0:21 Lee Sae-jin (B)… (see more)
-Actobirds debut like thisㅠㅠ
-When I saw the preparation process, everyone seemed to be gentle and friendly, and it was really cuteㅠㅠ Is the gap between the performance and the stage real?
Right after the broadcast ended, similar recommendation posts and reviews climbed the trending list one after another, and some were shared tens of thousands of times.
[Ajusa Stage Reinterpreting a Female Idol Debut Song]
[Participant Team Creating Art with Malang Dalcom]
[Ajusa Episode 2 Ranking Changes Going Crazy]
Some viewers even began discovering Idol Corporation through this Stage performance and becoming regular viewers.
-I saw that vampire concept stage, is Ajusa a new season?
-I thought it would flop, but what’s with the stage quality
-I’ve never liked an idol. How can I vote for this?ㅠㅠ
Because of this, posts expressing genuine affection for the team as a whole were increasingly visible.
-I wish they would debut just like this!
-The kids are taking turns votingㅠㅠ Ah, why aren’t we already in a group?
Several quick-moving hardcore K-pop reaction channels also sprang into action.
They uploaded reactions comparing Malang Dalcom’s original song with October 31’s arranged version performance.
[WOW! It’s like, one of a kind. right?]
That video was subtitled and reposted on reaction translation channels, continuously generating domestic and international traffic.
Throughout this process, the mention frequency of team members in SNS and related communities increased overwhelmingly.
It was practically a tectonic shift.
The crowning moment came when Malang Dalcom themselves posted a reaction video of this performance on YouTube.
[Ajusa’s Hot Stage! Malang Dalcom Watches Directly? October 31’s ‘Into a New World’ Reaction Video]
With their peak years behind them and group activities concluded, the members of Malang Dalcom—except for one member who had succeeded as an actor—were living as SNS celebrities.
Two of them had joined forces, riding the wave of the trend to launch a YouTube channel.
And they didn’t miss this trending content related to themselves.
Thus, all members except the one busy with acting schedules gathered cozily together to watch October 31’s arranged performance.
“Wow~”
“Ah, this is the difficult part.”
“One of Yueun’s parts, Sun Ah-hyun? He’s my stock now.”
“Ooh~ The main vocalist is our fan! Park… Moon-dae!”
“Thank you~”
The reaction began with customary exclamations, moved into appreciation for the details, and continued with praise for the participants.
“Oh! Dried flowers on the outfit!”
“We each incorporated our symbolic flowers. Wow….”
“That’s so meticulous.”
Of course, when the bridge came around, we all gasped in unison.
“You raised the key that high?!”
“One key up?!”
“Wow, that was really cool….”
“They really must be fans of ours.”
And in the end, it all concluded with tears.
“Ah, no, why am I crying? Why am I crying?”
“Ah~ We were so moved because you did such an amazing job.”
The members, fanning themselves while tearing up, slowly opened their mouths.
“We… received more love than we deserved with our fun B-grade concept. But originally, our debut song was like this.”
Malang Dalcom debuted as flower fairies, then suddenly blew up with what people called the ‘cringe’ concept.
So there was a meme that became famous on the Internet and elsewhere at that time.
-From flower fairy to wearing flowers in hair, what a disaster lol
It was the day we appeared on the POP☆CON Stage wearing hairpins symbolizing each member’s flower.
Someone had compared that screenshot with photos from our first album’s Stage performance and left that comment.
“The truth is, we did receive more love because of the gap between our debut song and that concept, but still… we felt a bit regretful.”
Because that comment became famous, the POP☆CON song became even more of a hot topic.
They held more positive feelings than bad memories toward the cringe cute concept that had given them their peak.
But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt at all.
“We could have done so many different concepts….”
No one could remain unaffected by subtle mockery.
So they felt deeply moved by the participants who approached their debut song—which hadn’t received much public attention—with genuine sincerity.
“Thank you so much. For pulling off Malang Dalcom’s… pure concept so wonderfully!”
“Yes. The reinterpretation was amazing too. Vampire… if we get the chance! We really want to try it.”
The Stage performance, which had reinterpreted the original beautifully without damaging its essence, deepened their emotional impact.
They concluded their words in voices that glistened slightly with tears.
“That was really… an amazing Stage. We’re all buying stock too!”
“October 31, fighting!!”
“Fighting~”
As screenshots from this video were uploaded to communities and SNS, the Stage video of October 31 saw its view count spike dramatically once again.
And before Episode 4 aired.
Individual fancam videos from all the team matches were released first.

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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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