Debut or Die - Chapter 251

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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 251
After this island survival show wrapped, having the Chuseok holiday guaranteed was a blessing—there was actually a use for it.
‘…I was planning to press ‘Verify Truth’ around that time.’
Even if my condition wasn’t great, I could recover during the holiday break, and it was convenient that everyone would head to their hometowns for the holiday.
‘I could handle things cleanly on my own.’
But now, out of nowhere, what kind of proposal was this?
‘Inviting a coworker to your house during the holidays?’
Were we trying to make things awkward between us?
Especially Chung-woo—like me as a kid, the odds of him heading to his hometown every holiday were….
“….”
‘Enough.’
Stop there… don’t speculate needlessly. It’s pointless.
Trudge.
I walked slowly up the mountain path, then just asked outright.
“Wouldn’t it be awkward for me to come during the holidays?”
“It’s fine.”
Chung-woo answered readily.
“It won’t be much different from usual. I already told my family we’d just spend time together as a family. We’ll probably just prepare some holiday food, that’s all.”
“….”
Interpreting my silence somehow, Chung-woo gave a bitter smile.
“Actually… meeting relatives is a bit uncomfortable.”
“…!”
“The Idol Corporation contacted them about it.”
Chung-woo continued matter-of-factly.
“Since articles came out about it… my parents said they won’t go during the holidays anymore.”
“….”
Right. The Ajusa writer had used the relative angle.
Chung-woo’s parents were apparently refraining from family gatherings so they wouldn’t become bait for reporters.
I chose my words carefully.
“That’s wise of them.”
“Haha, is it? Anyway, so it’s just me and my parents at home. My younger sibling is going on a trip with friends. Oh, and we have a dog too.”
“….”
“Think about it. Being alone at the dorm this time is probably going to be tough for you.”
“Huh?”
The bitter smile faded from Chung-woo’s face, and a hint of mischief appeared.
“Don’t you know? The members and the company both said you can’t be left alone during breaks because strange things happen.”
“….”
That’s… fair enough.
I recalled my track record from the last break and found myself speechless.
‘Of all things, they found out everything.’
If even one of my team members took a vacation and things went wrong or they got caught up in conflict every time, I’d keep watch.
I could try to find a way to slip out alone, but if that doesn’t work out….
‘Then… Ryu Chung-woo’s place isn’t so bad either.’
Since I’m not that close with him, I could actually get my own room and live reasonably comfortably.
Seeing Ryu Chung-woo’s parents wouldn’t be the most pleasant experience, but it would be bearable.
‘And….’
I drew in a breath.
There might be photos of my parents.
I mean, when people go on big family trips or things like that… there’s always someone who takes photos or videos, right?
‘If I could at least look through some group photos.’
If I play my cards right, even if there’s no ‘Ryu Gun-woo’ here, I could confirm whether my parents exist….
‘That’s pointless.’
I shook the thought away.
Even if there’s a record here that my parents existed, what I see now won’t help at all. It’ll only make me more unsettled for no reason.
‘Don’t fall for the nonsense in your head.’
I cut off the impulse and clenched my teeth. A grinding sound echoed in my mouth.
The problem was, the guy next to me heard it too.
“Are you that uncomfortable?”
“…!!”
“No… I mean, that’s understandable. Staying with adults you don’t know can be uncomfortable.”
That wasn’t what he meant to say.
I understood the nuance of his first question.
‘He was asking if I was uncomfortable.’
Ryu Chung-woo looked somewhat bitter, but soon his expression softened and he spoke gently.
“Well, think about it anyway.”
“….”
Maybe it would be right to just let it go here.
But I opened my mouth.
“It’s not that you make me uncomfortable. I’m not reluctant either.”
“…mm.”
Ryu Chung-woo walked down while staring at me intently, then answered easily.
“Okay.”
“No, it’s not a lie… I’m serious.”
“I got it. Thanks.”
He clearly didn’t understand at all.
I kicked at a stone in my path.
“I just don’t want you to carry some strange sense of debt.”
“…!”
Inviting a coworker over for the holidays isn’t an easy decision, is it?
If this guy were his usual self, he probably would have suggested I visit the homes of peers who seemed closer to him.
‘Instead of rambling on about his own house like this.’
But the fact that he’s doing this anyway… means this guy’s head is completely fixated on the idea that he needs to treat Park Moon-dae well.
And there’s only one reason for that.
“I wasn’t injured instead of you in that accident. I was just incredibly unlucky.”
Getting hit by the rebar in the car instead of him.
Ryu Chung-woo fell silent for a moment, but soon answered firmly.
“No.”
“It’s true. Based on the seating position….”
“Moon-dae, I have eyes too. I saw you push me out of the way. …You nearly died from that. And we don’t even know what aftereffects you’ll have.”
Ryu Chung-woo continued without hesitation.
“I quit what I was doing because of aftereffects from the traffic accident. It wasn’t even close to fatal.”
“….”
Yeah, I saw that too.
I reflexively recalled the accident scene I’d witnessed in ‘Truth Verification’—him with his arm shattered, crying his eyes out.
‘…Maybe that affected me too, in some way.’
That much is true.
Pushing the image of Ryu Chung-woo’s accident scene out of my head, I quietly listened to what he was saying.
“And you… your stamina is already depleted from the aftereffects. In the past, you wouldn’t have been this winded from a hike like this.”
“….”
“Being badly injured and lying in bed for so long must have affected your condition.”
That’s not it.
Hey, that’s because I don’t have Bacchus, you bastard.
‘I’ll pull it again in the next draw, you punk.’
And with Nectar, there won’t be any other aftereffects. I’ve been recovering at a terrifying pace.
It’s just a matter of me doing some bulking up and that’s it.
‘Cold sweat is pouring down.’
But Ryu Chung-woo, a civilian who knew nothing of such web novel logic, was pressing his brow.
“It’s no different from it happening to me instead. So how could I not feel sorry?”
“….”
Right. Anyway, Ryu Chung-woo had quit archery and gone through a difficult period because of traffic accident aftereffects, so he must have felt an enormous sense of debt toward me for taking the hit instead.
“Phew.”
Yeah, the excuse that I just happened to stick my stomach in front of the rebar probably won’t work anymore.
I thought for a moment, then opened my mouth.
“Fine then. So let’s say I saved your life.”
“…!”
“You can just keep thanking me from now on. If you need to, call on me without hesitation, and make sure you repay me.”
Telling him not to thank me would be more awkward anyway, so I might as well use this well until he feels less sorry.
“Ah, I’ll cover the stamina issue with exercise, so don’t worry.”
“….”
Ryu Chung-woo stopped walking for a moment with a dazed expression. He clearly hadn’t expected such a sudden shift in attitude.
But in the end, I burst out laughing.
“…Ha ha!”
Don’t make me laugh, it’s getting to me.
I heard Chung-woo speak with refreshing clarity.
“Got it, I’ll repay the favor.”
“Yes.”
The atmosphere lightened a bit. I shrugged my shoulders.
And as we continued descending the mountain, I added a remark.
“Still, I won’t be going to my brother’s place for the holidays. I’m going to the house that shows the least interest in me.”
“Right, get some good rest.”
I watched Chung-woo respond cleanly and shrugged my shoulders.
Yeah. If I absolutely have to go to someone else’s place, I should go to the quietest one.
Of course, the exact opposite of the quiet holiday break I was hoping for was unfolding outside, where this variety show was being broadcast.

* * *
-Absolutely huge!! Testa is the best!
“…Thank you.”
I took a call from the Production Team making a fuss.
And I completely understood why they were making such a fuss.
‘The program did better than expected.’
Episode 3’s viewership ratings came in at 6.1%.
‘For a cable idol variety show, this is off the charts.’
It was as high as CVN’s flagship regular variety shows.
The PPL for the frozen chicken we ate on the island was removed later, but since they said sales skyrocketed, it was obvious how well the response was.
The Production Team’s voices, having not just survived but achieved massive success, couldn’t have been brighter.
-We really want to do season 2!
“Sounds good.”
Of course, the higher-ups inside the Broadcasting Station must be grinning from ear to ear as well.
From what I hear, they’re even talking about pushing out the filler pilot program that was supposed to come after us and scheduling a behind-the-scenes special instead.
‘Well, it’s largely due to good luck with filming from coincidence piling on coincidence.’
With accidents happening left and right and things being unpredictable, it must have been fun and entertaining. Honestly, it’ll be hard to recreate that flavor again, so for the next season… I’m not sure.
‘Still, I should say nice things.’
This Production Team did keep their promise.
Right after the survival time ended, they spent all the remaining production budget to create a luxurious vacation for us.
The king crabs we ate then must have been three per person. Well, Cha Yu-jin had five.
“We’d like to appear again if our schedule allows. It was really enjoyable.”
-Aw~ Thank you. Park Moon-dae!
This should be enough. I ended the conversation with the PD, who was excitedly calling all the members.
“PD?”
“Yes.”
“He keeps calling.”
Bae Sae-jin grumbled. I shrugged.
“Seems like you’re in a good mood. The program went well.”
“That’s… true.”
Bae Sae-jin muttered darkly.
“…Though all that ridiculous stuff did air.”
“…”
Right. Truly… we were comedians in our own right.
Bae Sae-jin and I fell silent in the car, recalling how every foolish thing we’d done in episodes two and three had been emphasized and broadcast.
‘I’m dreading the fan signing event…’
That quiet was broken moments later by a voice from the driver’s seat.
“Sae-jin, is this the right place?”
“Ah, yes! This apartment.”
The moment Bae Sae-jin saw the navigation screen, his complexion brightened instantly.
‘The power of an apartment without a mortgage, perhaps.’
That was probably it.
“It’s the very top floor!”
Bae Sae-jin spoke with a slightly excited expression.
“My mother’s staying there.”
“I see.”
That’s right.
I’d decided to spend this holiday break at Bae Sae-jin’s place.
From what I heard, he was planning to stay quietly with his mother without going anywhere.
The excuse was good too.
-Think of it as a housewarming, why don’t you!
-Sure, why not.
-…?!
-Thank you for the invitation.
That’s how Bae Sae-jin had gotten his home raided.
‘I’d feel a bit sorry if it was just empty talk.’
Just in case, I’d brought some expensive fruit and meat.
If things went south, I was planning to stay just a day or two for appearances and then leave, so it should be fine.
“Welcome~ So you’re Moon-dae!”
“Hello.”
“Come in, come in~”
Bae Sae-jin’s Mother had a bright, gentle impression.
“I just watched your variety show again. My goodness, you boys really went through so much…”
Right. Bae Sae-jin was an only child, so watching his one and only son suffer on that island wasn’t exactly pleasant…
“But it was so entertaining!”
“…Yes, well.”
Well, I’m glad I could provide some enjoyment at least.
In any case, Bae Sae-jin seemed to have a rather harmonious relationship with his mother, just as I’d anticipated.
“Park Moon-dae is quite handsome in person. My son talked about you a lot ever since you appeared on that program.”
“M-Mom, when did I ever say that!”
“What do you mean? You said your younger brother sings incredibly well~”
“Ugh!”
Bae Sae-jin sank into mortification, while his mother laughed heartily and embraced her embarrassed son.
“….”
Well, they made a pleasant sight together.
After recovering from the shock moments later, Bae Sae-jin was patted on the back by his mother and rose to his feet somewhat stiffly.
“…I’ll show you the room.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I decided not to tease him further.
I politely accepted the tour of my room and took the opportunity to look around the entire house.
“I chose the wallpaper myself. Sky blue.”
“It looks nice. Very clean.”
“…Hmm, it’s decent enough. Oh, and this storage cabinet here, if you do it like this!”
“I see.”
Clearly proud of having prepared his own home, Bae Sae-jin came alive as the tour progressed.
After spending some time eating the fruit I’d brought and relaxing, evening arrived.
“I’ll dig in.”
“There isn’t much, but please eat plenty~”
Dinner consisted of mung bean pancakes and bulgogi japchae. Bae Sae-jin, worried his mother would prepare everything alone, had arranged delivery from a restaurant in advance.
‘It has that holiday feeling to it.’
In any case, I couldn’t deny it had been a rather pleasant time.
“Let me…!”
“Never mind, just give me the bowl.”
I finished my rice bowl cleanly and commandeered the dishes from Bae Sae-jin.
Only after that did I return to my room.
Click.
“Phew.”
Sitting on the bed, I crossed my arms.
Since I’d said I’d be alone until night with several people to contact, I had plenty of time to spare.
“Status window.”
The time had come.
‘Verify Truth’—it was time to press it.

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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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