Debut or Die - Chapter 231

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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 231
The Emergency Room remained busy with its original purpose alone. News hadn’t yet reached the journalists.
Lee Sae-jin stared at the floor, lost in thought.
‘I’ve already contacted the Company. That much is done now.’
Unable to compose myself or remain calm, I’d screamed as well, so soon the relevant personnel would piece together the situation and the rumors would fly.
But there was no choice. Not in this situation.
With Ryu Chung-woo unconscious, I was the only one who could contact the Company, and I simply couldn’t stay calm.
“…Haah.”
Lee Sae-jin gripped my smartphone and steadied my breathing.
My hands were trembling.
Most of the members were fine. Sprained joints, fractures—that sort of thing.
We’d need to check for aftereffects once time passed, but even I had only sustained minor abrasions.
The person responsible for all this had been ejected and knocked unconscious because he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. But even that seemed merciful compared to what happened to someone else.
‘He should have died.’
Yet Lee Sae-jin held my breath, overwhelmed by an emotion far more powerful than anger toward the former Manager.
It was fear.
-Is everyone okay…!
When I checked the situation right after the accident and confirmed the members.
In the very back, next to Ryu Chung-woo, what I saw….
‘…No, it’ll be fine.’
I must have been so panicked that I perceived the injury more catastrophically than reality….
Everyone had minor injuries, and even Ryu Chung-woo, who was closest to where the rear car hit, only had a fracture in his leg. There’s no way Park Moon-dae….
It was because of the bleeding. He’ll be fine once he gets a transfusion and surgery.
Lee Sae-jin, uncharacteristically, tried to calm my mind by speculating about a field I barely understood.
It was because I’d nearly signed the surgical consent form for Park Moon-dae just moments ago.
-The patient’s current condition is… …that’s why it’s dangerous… We need to insert a tube immediately….
I tried my best to listen, but I couldn’t focus at all.
It didn’t feel real.
‘We were just… performing our 2nd anniversary concert.’
No matter how unexpectedly accidents strike, did they have to come with no warning like this?
So helplessly?
Yes, this was absurd.
‘We were doing so well.’
Wasn’t it unbearably unfair? What did Park Moon-dae do wrong….
He had talent, was sincere, and worked with all his might—in an industry where such people weren’t common. Why Park Moon-dae of all people?
His life had never been smooth sailing either.
-We need guardian consent.
-A guardian….
There wasn’t one. Lee Sae-jin’s blood ran cold.
-Um, couldn’t I just sign instead? Just….
—Just a moment.
The signatures seemed to be exchanged quickly, but instead of waiting for Lee Sae-jin’s consent, the medical staff confirmed the patient’s condition, held a brief meeting, and proceeded directly to surgery.
It was possible due to the emergency situation, but regardless, Lee Sae-jin found herself sitting in a daze, waiting for the results.
“….”
And I thought.
By now, the other members who were already in a panic would have finished their treatments as well, so they’d know what happened.
I could immediately picture the chaos—the crying, the screaming, the pandemonium.
‘Eyewitness accounts will spread soon… and once the articles come out, rumors will….’
But what good would any of that do? First, the members had to be okay.
I clenched my teeth and my fists.
‘It’ll be fine.’
At least surgery meant there was a chance for recovery.
So if Park Moon-dae regained consciousness soon….
—Then you’ll just drop dead in your thirties!
‘Damn it, why did I have to say something like that….’
I struck my knee with my fist. My vision blurred white.
‘He’ll wake up.’
He had to.

* * *
“…I’m Ryu Gun-woo.”
“Ah~ Yes. Nice to meet you. Looking forward to working together! I’m Lee Sae-jin.”
I regarded the guy offering such a smooth greeting with an odd feeling.
Even in the coma, he was still slick as ever, but one thing was different.
‘This bastard’s eyes….’
They were off.
He grinned and carried himself with easy confidence, clearly trying to seize any opportunity, but suspicion and wariness were evident in his gaze.
‘…Was dropping out due to rumors that much of a blow.’
Besides, I couldn’t fathom why LeTi would bring in someone who’d dropped out due to school violence rumors, let alone why his clarification had been handled so meticulously.
“By the way, how old are you? I’m twenty-one~”
“I’m twenty-one as well.”
“Oh, we’re the same age then.”
He didn’t even suggest dropping formalities, apparently judging that as a senior, I held higher rank.
It meant his mental state had been shattered by the rumors to the point where he couldn’t account for the recognition he’d built at Ajusa.
I suppressed a sigh and spoke.
“Should we drop the formalities?”
“Ah, should we? Sure~”
After that, Lee Sae-jin exchanged some perfunctory conversation to gather information, then left to meet with Agency representatives.
“….”
Was this right.
I’d been trying to scrape together whoever I could before the 【Casting Call】, but something left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Moreover, Sun Ah-hyun’s side still hadn’t even responded to the Agency.
After watching the 【Ajusa】 broadcast, I understood why.
‘Damn it.’
My head throbbed.
I should have forced my way into 【Ajusa】 no matter what.
Honestly, for a company like LeTi, rejecting one participant from a failed program like this and inserting their own trainee would be child’s play.
The problem was that the Agency had firmly refused.
-【Idol Corporation】? Why would they….
‘There’s absolutely nothing to gain from it.’
Adding a couple of trainees was possible through Chung-ryeo’s influence since it wasn’t an actual debut.
But an unverified trainee wearing this Agency’s name tag couldn’t appear on a low-quality program like that.
Back then, everyone thought 【Ajusa】 Season 3 would also fail spectacularly.
‘Persuasion didn’t work.’
I could have tried baiting Chung-ryeo with future knowledge to push harder, but with 【Ajusa】’s first shoot right around the corner, time made it absolutely impossible.
‘This is frustrating.’
The one positive aspect was that this Agency treated me exceptionally well.
-Gun-woo, have you really never taken separate lessons? Really?
After spending the last couple of months as a trainee, once they assessed my abilities in the first two weeks, their attitude became remarkably warm.
They had reason to be. Three years as a main vocalist after debut wasn’t something you could hide.
‘It seemed like they were even planning to add me to the debut group.’
I wanted to tell them to scrap that debut group since there’s been no debut news even three years later.
“…Sigh.”
I sat gazing at the Training Room mirror. The familiar face I’d seen for twenty-nine years reflected back at me.
To be honest, the process itself was far easier.
My abilities were already nearly complete, the company was competent, and the treatment was excellent. Besides, I already knew what song and concept I should debut with.
If I gathered only members whose abilities were verified, success after debut was certain.
And unless I couldn’t see the status window, bringing back people I’d already worked with would be best.
‘It’s only a matter of time before Sun Ah-hyun gets in touch.’
If I grabbed a few more through the 【Casting Call】 and debuted, it would be perfect. If things didn’t work out, I could even add one existing trainee.
So even though this reality was far smoother than the original 【Ajusa】 mess I’d endured….
Strangely, I wasn’t interested.
“It’s not reality, after all.”
Telling myself that waking up was the goal and there was no helping it, I ended my thoughts.
“Not reality?”
“…!”
As I turned my head, Chung-ryeo walked in through the door at the back of the Training Room.
‘Has that bastard never learned to knock?’
I responded with reluctance.
“Just something I said to myself.”
“Well, I suppose it’s about time I started thinking like that.”
“….”
“But this is reality, so don’t think that way. It’s a waste of time.”
It’s a shame, but it’s still a dream, kid.
I simply nodded silently. Chung-ryeo continued with a smile.
“Ah, you said you’d come for the Casting Call. The filming is in three days, right?”
“….”
“You won’t appear on broadcast. I’m just taking you along.”
“That’s fine.”
As if I’d actually want to appear on air.
In any case, after my future knowledge had been verified a few times, the guy who’d become eerily considerate readily agreed to even manipulate the Casting Call.
“So… this is the question that will appear?”
“Yes.”
I was reverse-engineering the system where ‘you receive transfer offers from the agency whose answers most closely match your own responses to the given questions.’
I knew Kim Rae-bin would receive an offer from LeTi Entertainment even if things went naturally.
And I also knew that Cha Yu-jin and Ryu Chung-woo weren’t the type to be swayed by this kind of manipulation no matter what I did.
So my plan was to reel in the last one.
“Since I’ve told you, you’ll probably do it as is.”
Bae Sae-jin.
If I play this right, he’s the easiest one to hook at this point in time.

* * *
And a few days later, at the Ajusa Filming Studio.
“Move this first!”
I confirmed the situation while dressed similarly to the staff, running errands for LeTi Entertainment.
‘…The odds are high.’
First, I confirmed that the agency had made contact with two members before the Casting Call and had a conversation with them.
‘Kim Rae-bin and Bae Sae-jin.’
It was through Chung-ryeo’s advice, given at my instruction.
Since Ajusa was riding such a wave of success, they were happy to pull off this kind of trick.
I had both of them advised on deals in the most tempting direction possible.
‘For Kim Rae-bin, the focus was on production support.’
-Among domestic entertainment companies, this agency invests the most budget in production-related equipment.
Their AR work was remarkably systematic, and besides, Kim Rae-bin was the type who’d been curious about the recording program VTIC uses, so there was decent potential there.
And considering his moral inclinations, I didn’t even mention the matter of question leaks.
I only emphasized that all of this was through ‘official methods.’
-It would be wonderful if we could meet through the program’s official transfer method.
Though I did add that if necessary, I could persuade Cha Yu-jin to come along as well.
‘Cha Yu-jin is someone who reads the room when needed.’
If he liked this proposal, he’d pick up on what was happening now and instinctively answer the way Kim Rae-bin would. Though the odds were extremely low.
‘And Bae Sae-jin is… safe.’
-The Legal Team is fully staffed, and we’re actively collaborating with major law firms for artist protection.
I contacted them directly with the questionnaire answers, subtly implying strength in agency disputes and similar matters.
He was already the type to be tempted—this should be more than enough.
And throughout this process, Chung-ryeo unexpectedly performed his role quite diligently, publicly promoting the agency to the outside world in my stead.
‘Using the composer as bait for the deal was the right call.’
So now it was time to see the results.
I continued my charade as a staff member and checked the filming studio.
First… Kim Rae-bin.
[I… well, I apologize. Since I’m participating, I want to do my best and commit fully to my role.]
He deliberated more than he had in reality, but ultimately refused.
‘I knew he would.’
But the important part came after.
[Here you go.]
[Ah, yes! Thank you.]
He took the business card.
In other words, should this program collapse due to some unfortunate incident or should he withdraw, he’d contact LeTi Entertainment.
And who knows what might happen in this world?
‘This is enough.’
I’d been observing this production team for three years now, and I could come up with three or four ways to dismantle Ajusa even starting from now.
Moreover, after filming ended, even Ryu Chung-woo took a business card from an LeTi Entertainment contact who approached him amid the chaos.
The results were better than I’d imagined.
‘If I can just figure out Cha Yu-jin… I could gather everyone and debut as is.’
Suddenly, a thrill ran through me.
I swallowed hard.
But not everything could unfold as planned.
[…No. I’m fine.]
“…!”
Bae Sae-jin… refused.
He didn’t even take the business card.
‘Is he insane?’
Why was he kicking away the lifeline? I knew perfectly well how much he’d agonized over this in reality.
[Yes. I wish you all the best.]
But the outcome didn’t change.
Bae Sae-jin’s decision to remain at Ajusa was confirmed.

* * *
“….”
I moved forward without opening my mouth.
‘It feels like I just got slapped across the face.’
I had planned to simply filter out anyone who wouldn’t work out anyway, but I couldn’t understand why I was doing this.
I pushed the door open.
Thinking I might as well splash cold water on myself, I entered the staff bathroom roughly.
“…!!”
“…!”
And my eyes met Bae Sae-jin’s.
He had the water running and was clearly crying, his confusion evident on his face.
‘Then why did you refuse in the first place?’
Unable to contain my irritation, I spoke to him impulsively.
“What if you accepted right now?”
“What?”
Bae Sae-jin responded blankly.
“LeTi Entertainment is a decent agency.”
“….”
Bae Sae-jin’s face turned pale, then flushed red, and finally drained of all color.
‘Did I hit the mark too directly?’
“What… you, LeTi….”
“Yes. I’m a staff member there.”
Bae Sae-jin stared at me with a dazed expression, then suddenly his face became extremely defensive.
And he responded sharply.
“You guys… would go this far to poach an entertainer?”
“…!”
“Contacting me beforehand… and stealing the questionnaire.”
‘Damn it.’
So that’s where it fell apart.
He had gotten scared.
Sending the questionnaire and even mentioning the legal team beforehand.
To Bae Sae-jin, it must have felt similar to what his original agency would do.
“….”
Bang.
Bae Sae-jin fled the bathroom.
And I had no choice but to acknowledge my mistake.

* * *
Inside the car heading back.
I crossed my arms, struggling to organize my thoughts.
‘Let’s just forget it happened.’
But the bitter taste lingered.
Chung-ryeo across from me checked that the member beside him was sleeping soundly, then opened his mouth.
“Junior Member?”
“Yeah.”
“I mean, I don’t understand. Since he didn’t join anyway, I’m just asking.”
“….”
“That last actor-turned-contestant wasn’t even a skilled participant, so why were you trying so hard to bring him along? If it were me, I’d have cut him in this opportunity.”
“…What?”
“He’s not cooperative, and he doesn’t seem particularly useful.”
“…!!”
It felt like I’d taken a blow to the head.
Why had I tried to bring him?
‘That’s because….’
I’d unconsciously been aware of it.
If Bae Sae-jin debuted as things stood, the drug rumors would cling to him and his career would be destroyed.
‘That bastard’s life…, damn it.’
I clenched my teeth.
Truth is, I know it too.
This isn’t even reality—so what does it matter if Bae Sae-jin gets slapped with drug rumors or dies here?
I have no idea why I’m wasting energy on this bullshit, damn it.
“Don’t worry about past relationships. It’s a loss.”
“….”
“Besides, they’re just collecting business cards anyway, so the roster isn’t even finalized. How about something like this instead?”
“What?”
Chung-ryeo smiled.
“Um, joining VTIC?”
“…!!”
What kind of insane nonsense was this?
‘Is this a trap?’
A new member joining a top-tier group past their contract renewal season—he had quite the talent for phrasing suicide in creative ways.
“No, listen carefully.”
And surprisingly, he began laying out a route that was actually quite plausible.

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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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