Debut or Die - Chapter 242

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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 242
A few hours earlier. Behind the Stage set up for Testa’s non-face-to-face charity concert.
“Do you need water?”
“I’m fine.”
Chung-ryeo was accustomed to the Backstage environment.
From modest provincial festivals back when ‘things weren’t going well’ to stadiums filled entirely with VTIC staff.
He had repeatedly experienced every tier of the industry, and that familiarity had accumulated in layers, forming deep strata within his inner self.
Because of this, VTIC’s members had grown accustomed to their leader’s composure.
To that figure who never showed agitation or clumsy responses in any situation—as if born for this very work.
So they too had quickly become unflappable after debuting, as if infected by his demeanor.
“Wow, this is kind of making me nervous.”
“Right? I guess this is what it feels like to be a guest.”
“Yeah. You’re supposed to perform better at someone else’s celebration!”
VTIC chattered nonchalantly in front of their YouTube upload camera, waiting as usual for Chung-ryeo to jump in at the right moment.
It was the right call.
“Since it’s such a meaningful project, I hope it helps our junior members at Testa.”
“Right~ Thank you so much for inviting us to such a great event, Testa juniors!”
The members waved at the camera with smiles, and Chung-ryeo smiled while thinking.
‘No, it’s a loss.’
Speaking such absurd words with sincerity.
Because he’d selected members based solely on accident rates and stage quality, none of them had picked up on it keenly enough.
At this rate, they’d end up just fattening someone else’s wallet.
‘If we do well, we’re suckers. If we do poorly, we’re has-beens.’
All of them as guests at a junior’s concert, and on top of that, performing the juniors’ songs as first-tier seniors in the same industry.
Of course, he couldn’t blame only the members.
‘The trap is just too attractive to resist.’
Chung-ryeo recalled how this appearance came about—the conversation during Park Moon-dae’s hospital visit.
Park Moon-dae’s initial proposal about the charity concert.
-What about doing it as a co-host?
-Well…
At that time, VTIC’s schedule was on the verge of becoming murderous.
They were preparing for a full group comeback.
After Chung-ryeo’s solo album achieved tremendous success, VTIC’s range of movement had expanded significantly.
The executives’ hesitant attitude about delaying domestic album releases out of concern for visible VTIC decline had disappeared.
As a result, the album preparation gained momentum without Chung-ryeo needing to do any special work.
And like all idols at VTIC’s level typically did, they were scheduled to appear on domestic Music Broadcast Studios for a week for appearances’ sake, then tour overseas.
But balancing stadium tour rehearsals with new concert preparations?
‘Impossible.’
There wouldn’t even be time to sleep. Just visiting Park Moon-dae’s Hospital Room had already cut into Chung-ryeo’s sleep time.
If it was like this during preparation, there was no need to mention what it would be like after the comeback. It was a determined future too obvious to even call a prediction.
Chung-ryeo stated the facts.
-We won’t have time during our active period.
Park Moon-dae didn’t seem particularly flustered.
-Then what about as a guest?
-Hmm.
-If it looks promising anyway, the platform will want to get a foot in the door too.
Park Moon-dae’s explanation was straightforward.
He would secure an exclusive contract with LeTi Entertainment’s platform for this charity concert format.
Then LeTi, as a gesture of goodwill and promotion, would have Chung-ryeo—who happened to be on friendly terms with Park Moon-dae—make an appearance.
-So basically, I just do some random stage and add my name to it.
In that moment, Chung-ryeo understood.
‘He already knew?’
Park Moon-dae had known that a joint production was impossible given VTIC’s current schedule, and he’d steered the discussion toward this structure.
Chung-ryeo’s eyes narrowed.
‘He’s using me as a guest… I see.’
And the request for just any stage.
On the surface, it seemed considerate of his senior’s busy schedule, but in reality, it meant he could show up with nothing prepared.
While Testa performed a specially trained concert stage, Chung-ryeo would perform a standard concert alone.
It was a matter of weight class.
If things went wrong, his status would take a hit.
It wasn’t quite as bad as Park Moon-dae appearing as a guest on VTIC’s tour, but it was still a risky move.
-What do you think.
Yet refusing outright was also dangerous.
He hadn’t forgotten.
‘The recording.’
The conversation recording from the kidnapping would be in Park Moon-dae’s cloud storage.
The main vocalist had already made headlines once. If this came out, VTIC’s career would be finished.
However, Chung-ryeo judged that Park Moon-dae was unlikely to release the recording.
‘It would turn into a mud-slinging match.’
Park Moon-dae’s activities would suffer greatly too. So from the perspective of someone with a mission remaining, it was a card he absolutely couldn’t use.
But… Park Moon-dae was fighting for his immediate survival, so he might bluff and threaten Chung-ryeo with the recording if things came to that.
And in that moment, this friendly relationship would collapse.
Chung-ryeo didn’t want that either.
So after quick deliberation, he smiled faintly.
-Sounds good. Guest appearance.
-Then….
-Oh, we’re planning to have all of VTIC go out there.
-…!
-That’s fine, right? I think it’ll draw more of an audience too.
It was insane.
If Chung-ryeo appeared alone, even in the worst-case scenario, the damage could be minimized by framing it as a guest appearance due to personal connections.
Park Moon-dae had probably considered that the worst outcome for Chung-ryeo would be limited to that degree.
However, Chung-ryeo had no intention of unilaterally sacrificing himself in such a manner.
-….
Park Moon-dae remained silent for a moment, then nodded calmly.
-Alright.
-Yes. Then let’s do it that way.
In other words, this was a calculated gamble.
Having VTIC appear carried far greater risk of damage than Chung-ryeo appearing alone.
But simultaneously, if it paid off, the gains would be far greater. Because the two groups would be directly compared.
And since Chung-ryeo understood VTIC’s stage quality, he calculated the odds cleanly.
‘Over seventy percent.’
And he raised the stakes further.
-I think it would be fun if we swapped songs with each other too.
As a bonus, wouldn’t that also solidify Park Moon-dae’s lineup?
“….”
Having finished reminiscing, Chung-ryeo smiled faintly.
In the end, this was a game he had orchestrated.
It was only natural that the members had agreed when they thought ‘the purpose is good and it looks fun’—because he had selected them that way. Ones easy to handle.
But their true strength lay entirely in their primary craft.
Chung-ryeo recalled Park Moon-dae’s condition once more.
‘Four hundred thousand viewers.’
Did he know how many viewers their online concert had drawn in a single day last year?
Six hundred ten thousand.
That was purely the paid count on this platform.
So now that VTIC’s group appearance was confirmed, there was no problem with Park Moon-dae’s survival.
‘Though I’ll have to accept some Testa fanbase leakage.’
Wasn’t that something he had brought upon himself?
He couldn’t take responsibility for Park Moon-dae’s regrets as well.
‘Hmm, should I introduce him to Kongi?’
Chung-ryeo thought of his dog and briefly considered ways to offer comfort.
“Let’s go.”
“VTIC wins again today! Ah, victorious~”
The tacky cheer that the director had set during their debut spilled from the member’s lips like a joke.
Through all those countless restarts, somehow only this remained unchanged. Perhaps because he had never bothered to change it.
Because he had always wanted to win.
“VCR ending in ten seconds!”
Chung-ryeo watched the stage structure open before his eyes and felt a strange tingle crawl up his spine.
It had been too long—it felt unfamiliar.
That sensation of taking risks and rushing toward an uncertain outcome.
It was a challenge.
[Ah.]
A brief test sound that came through the in-ear monitor.
And the stage began.

* * *
The moment VTIC walked onto the stage and settled into their formation with ease.
The comments were plastered with question marks, exclamation points, and exclamations, replacing each other faster than anyone could read.
It wasn’t just the comments here.
-Yo VTIC
-VTIC is really here
-Testa fans what’s happening lol
-Insane
People were rushing to access the Testa concert after seeing the real-time reactions on SNS and panicking.
And the platform’s timely pop-up notification sent to people who had subscribed to VTIC caused countless viewers to click in confusion.
[VTIC has appeared!]
The VTIC logo, even rendered as an emoticon, was attached to the pop-up notification.
And in that moment of chaos, VTIC began their stage.
Wee-oo, wee-oo, wee-ooo!
A siren wails as low drums begin to sound like formal applause.
Rough, fast, intense percussion and brass instruments that heighten the tension.
And the iconic riff melody layered beneath.
-Procession
-Wait, Procession?
It was Procession, Testa’s signature track.
But the elegant, oriental aesthetic that Procession possessed had vanished without a trace.
In its place, technical electronic sounds and an orchestra surged over an intense trap beat.
And VTIC, dressed in form-fitting suits with black harnesses and gloves draped over them, reinterpreted Procession’s choreography faster and more contemporary.
-Procession, they arrive. Today-.
No matter how you struggle, there’s no escape
They come. Procession, they arrive.
And the rap becomes slower and groovier, skillfully supporting the performance.
The space where choreography shaped like a massive beast would fit disappeared. Instead, it was covered with sharp, authoritative group formations like special forces with tactical positioning.
As if capturing a beast.
And the following gesture like a salute, with the bass intensifying.
-Now, they have appeared warning upon warning
Approaching in eights, slow and thrilling
Me, me, me, me
-Take off
The rap’s beat changed. It pours out like a rush, inciting aggression. And the chorus.
-The long-awaited day has finally arrived!
Oh, Oh, Oh….
The backing track suddenly dropped at a different moment than the original.
-Never get away from me Yeah
An oppressive, languid wave choreography. Then sharp, precisely executed group formations once more.
Before the flag-wielding dancers moving like cavalry units, VTIC pushed themselves to the absolute limit of the stage, driving forward with feverish intensity.
They no longer had a main vocalist.
Yet they obliterated the absence of vocals with rap and performance.
Absence be damned—they made the audience hold their breath, overwhelmed by sheer presence.
-Wow
The comment section had slowed to a crawl. Extreme concentration made people forget to applaud.
Red lasers and blue lasers, and beneath an even deeper, more majestic riff melody, VTIC unleashed themselves.
The second verse intro was skipped along with its performance. The backing track jumped straight to where the bridge of “The Procession” should have entered.
The members paused momentarily, turned around, and locked into formation.
But instead of the promised melody, a familiar rap chorus came in.
-Mountain Lord
Their claws are hella sharp
Readily tear you apart
You can’t catch them like that
No, you can’t.
And the iconic choreography using hands and hips.
-??
-Mountain Lord
-Wait, here?
One of their signature tracks. “Mountain Lord.”
The melody and bass interwove contextually, and Mountain Lord swelled larger.
As the song’s most symbolic traditional wind instrument reference was added.
-Make me a Boss
That’s right, exactly
VTIC had woven two songs together using “beast” as the keyword, and pulled the “traditional style” keyword entirely into their own territory.
As if to show who did it first.
As if they had completely rearranged “The Procession” to escape being a mere imitation.
And that attempt was remarkably convincing.
-So damn cool
-Mountain Lord! Mountain Lord! Mountain Lord!
-Look at the caliber of the award-winning track
The excited general audience and VTIC’s fans responded enthusiastically as Mountain Lord consumed The Procession and dominated the second half.
A stage was most persuasive in its most entertaining moments.
-Mountain Lord
Their claws are hella sharp
Let me prove it
An explosive final dance break.
And with VTIC forming a four-member formation between massive flags, the stage came to an end.
Yet the comments poured in endlessly with admiration.
-Absolutely killed it
-Insane, VTIC really is something else
-Why are the kids here?ㅠㅠ
-Chills
-Wow, they’re seriously incredible
VTIC caught their breath, waved to the departing dancers, and smiled at the camera in greeting.
Then they sat in a chair a staff member had quietly brought over and even did a brief talk segment.
[Thank you for choosing such a great option, everyone!]
[It was really fun~]
They would have appeared regardless of which option was chosen, but they shamelessly accepted the applause and praised the concert’s concept.
Of course, they didn’t forget the jokes.
[Oh, and by the way! We’re also holding a concert~]
[If you’re interested, please come check it out! Haha!]
People wailed in the comments.
-We don’t have tickets…
-This is too much of a scam
-Now I get why they’re so close with Testa
And even some fans who had tickets lamented beneath the surface.
-ㅠㅠㅠYou crazy guys, if you’re going to do something like this, give me a notice ㅅㅂ
-You’re doing well. You can’t defect even if you try to stop him from defecting… For a thousand years, ten thousand years, enjoy the 1st team, mugglesㅠㅠ
-I bought a resold ticket and came, can’t believe I’m doing this lol X
-LeTi you greedy bastards, when are you gonna stop using these kids to expand your business? They’re good so you do this every time
Hahaha but honestly it does feel refreshing lol I bet the exam spoiler fans are grinding their teeth right now haha Of course the people who missed the live broadcast are probably super pissed too but I watched it live so^^
The atmosphere had completely shifted.
Apart from comments like ‘They’re being so competitive to beat the Junior Member lol’, there was nowhere to find criticism of VTIC at that moment.
It meant even the antis couldn’t bring down this stage without resorting to mental gymnastics.
And Park Moon-dae was watching all of this unfold from the Backstage.

* * *
If this had been a live performance, the screams would have been deafening.
I shoved a water bottle into my mouth.
Terrifying bastard.
‘I’ve really summoned a tiger here.’
Of course, I’m planning to skin it thoroughly and use the hide.
‘I can’t let the momentum slip away like this.’
Testa’s next stage was just around the corner.

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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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