Debut or Die - Chapter 334

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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 334
Big Sae-jin believed me.
‘How did this happen?’
I have no idea either. Last night, I wondered if I’d received some kind of buff, so I even opened my status window, but there was nothing unusual.
In my completely normal state, Big Sae-jin accepted my circumstances.
‘This… can work.’
I’m still dazed. But… of course I’m not unhappy about it.
It was strange, though. I’d never been this honest before.
I hadn’t even predicted that his attitude wouldn’t change after hearing everything.
Because of that, I think I overdid it a bit at today’s Concert.
‘My lungs feel like they’re about to fall out.’
“Here!”
“Thank you.”
I caught my breath and looked down at the towel and smartphone the staff member handed me.
‘And I didn’t even need to go that far.’
Actually, inside this phone was a contingency plan I’d prepared for last night’s revelation.
‘Big Sae-jin has a practical personality.’
And I thought that for someone like him to accept the kind of nonsense that only appears in web novels, I’d need to shove physical evidence in his face.
But how could such a thing exist?
All I really had were circumstantial details.
‘Testimonies from people involved.’
Since words were the only cards I could play, I tried to secure them in various forms and types.
First, there was Ryu Chung-woo.
-If I can help, of course I should.
But he suggested we talk first, just the two of us.
Next was Big Dal.
-Um… should I video call with Lee Sae-jin?
He was thrilled. Nothing more to say about that.
Besides, I arranged to meet Big Dal later and even set up a promise to bring Big Sae-jin along.
The next part was the problem.
….
If I only recruited people who were friendly with me or whom Big Sae-jin didn’t know well, wouldn’t there be room for suspicion?
I needed to recruit someone Big Sae-jin saw as an adversary to get the full spectrum.
Chung-ryeo.
-Really?
He seemed puzzled about why I’d bother doing this, but he didn’t refuse.
He just said this instead.
-I don’t mind… but I’m not recommending it.
-He won’t believe it anyway.
Yeah, damn it. Actually, I suspected the same thing.
But I believed him.
‘He believed me just from my explanation.’
I won’t deny it. Maybe it was the drowsiness talking, maybe my mind wasn’t working right, but as I headed back to my room late that night after everything ended, electricity ran through me from head to toe.
Thanks to that, I did something yesterday that would’ve been buried in controversy if it went up on the Internet.
In the early morning before sleep, I sent a text to my senior.
[I believed you]
And this is the reply that came this morning.
[Really?]
[Bring them next time ^^]
Am I insane?
‘Why is he casually inviting me like that?’
I had no idea what he was scheming. I tore my eyes away from my smartphone with an uneasy feeling.
That’s when it happened.
“…What are you doing?”
“Just checking if there were any messages.”
“I see.”
Bae Sae-jin happened to strike up a conversation. He paused for a moment, then finally spoke with an eager expression.
“You two… made up, right?”
I laughed. I figured there hadn’t been a good time to tell him while preparing for the concert, and here he was asking the moment it ended.
“Yes.”
“Phew….”
Bae Sae-jin let out a long, relieved sigh as the tension drained from him. I could’ve died from embarrassment.
I looked at him anew.
So this guy was the reason they pushed back the gathering time, huh.
“Thank you.”
“What, for what?”
“For delaying the time and for telling Lee Sae-jin to talk with me.”
“…! Y-you heard that?”
“Yes. Not on purpose—I just happened to overhear. Thanks to that, I got the courage to apologize too.”
Bae Sae-jin’s face flushed crimson. I let out a snort of laughter.
“But you didn’t need to apologize to her either, hyung.”
“I know, I was just trying to break the ice…!”
“….”
So that’s what it was.
“She’s got a completely different vibe from you….”
“….”
Was it really that obvious?
Bae Sae-jin looked like his soul might escape from his mouth at any second.
“I’ve never been in a situation like this before…. I’m not sure if I did the right thing.”
“You did great.”
What are you talking about? We’ve been discussing this the whole time.
Still, I understood what Bae Sae-jin was trying to say. Did he have any history of attempting to mediate between peers?
‘Back in high school, it seemed like he voluntarily ostracized everyone around him.’
He probably didn’t expect his first attempt at this would work so well.
“Well, anyway… I’m glad we made up….”
Bae Sae-jin looked as though he’d burned through his life force from this novel experience, yet he seemed quite satisfied.
‘Maybe I should make him a late-night snack.’
I was about to open my mouth when I noticed Big Sae-jin breaking away from his conversation with Ryu Chung-woo and approaching me.
‘Did he seriously mark us separately, one each with Ryu Chung-woo?’
This kind of treatment was a first for me.
Big Sae-jin approached and gave me a few meaningful glances before addressing Bae Sae-jin.
“Hey, hyung.”
“Huh?”
“Thank you. Chung-woo hyung told me. You pushed back the assembly time for us, right?”
A flash of ‘you told him that?’ crossed Bae Sae-jin’s face, but satisfaction seemed to win out.
“Well, we’re a group, aren’t we? With things like this, it’s better if we all, you know, agree together. …And! I didn’t think of it alone… everyone agreed.”
“….”
“I mean, you could say you caused a disruption to work, sure, but this too….”
“I don’t think that way.”
“…!”
Big Sae-jin touched his neck. He must be embarrassed.
“I didn’t know hyung cared about this place so much. I’m not being sarcastic—I really mean it.”
“….”
I thought about slipping away quietly, but there was a chance another fight might break out, so I decided to stick around for now.
Bae Sae-jin didn’t seem angry, but his expression had settled into something more composed.
“Why… did you think I wouldn’t care?”
“I thought you’d care about other members’ issues but avoid getting involved. It’s awkward, isn’t it?”
“…!”
For the record, I was the one surprised.
‘Since when does this guy just say whatever’s on his mind without filtering?’
Even Bae Sae-jin, who had been forcing his words through a filter, was beginning to loosen up.
“It is awkward.”
“Yes.”
“But the concert’s tomorrow, and I got involved in your fight too… so I did what I could.”
“….”
“You would’ve done the same.”
“…!”
Big Sae-jin’s face looked like he’d been struck. Bae Sae-jin spoke with a rather convincing expression.
“Ahem, am I wrong?”
“…No.”
At that moment, Big Sae-jin’s expression softened and he let out a chuckle.
“Of course that would be the case. Hyung, anyway, I was just misunderstanding things on my own. I’m sorry.”
“….”
“And thank you. Really.”
“Yeah. Well, you worked hard.”
The atmosphere lightened considerably. I shrugged my shoulders.
“…Park Moon-dae! You worked hard too!”
He’s dragging me in because it’s awkward.
“It’s nothing. We should head down soon.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Only then did the three of us begin walking down the Corridor at a brisk pace. The others had already gone to the Waiting Room.
In the meantime, Big Sae-jin suddenly burst into quiet laughter and even threw out a joke.
“By any chance, hyung, was that why you were in the Living Room when we were roommates? Doing what you can do?”
“No… that was actually uncomfortable.”
“….”
“….”
“Yeah. Well.”
“Ahem, next time we’re roommates… let’s try talking a bit too.”
Big Sae-jin challenged me once more.
“Hyung, you didn’t even answer properly when I tried talking to you!”
“No! That was because I really had nothing to say!”
I knew this would happen.
Still, honestly, it’s much better now that I’ve said what was bothering me.
‘I understood in my head that there was no malice between us, but I couldn’t really feel it.’
Now I’m experiencing it firsthand. I shrugged my shoulders.
“I really don’t understand you sometimes, hyung, you know?”
“I know. I’m the same way.”
It looks like Big Sae-jin and Bae Sae-jin will settle things at this level this time.
It was significant progress.
‘They won’t explode even if I keep them together.’
I accepted this unexpected gain with considerable satisfaction.

* * *
I went through a similar process while entering the Waiting Room and preparing to leave.
-Hyung! Welcome!
-Hyung, this tastes good. Try some!
They tried to hide it, but it was all written all over their faces.
‘I know you all fought and made up, and I feel proud I contributed in my own way’… that kind of atmosphere.
Even the staff seemed to have heard the rumors, grinning as they passed by. Damn it.
-Haha, thanks~
Big Sae-jin didn’t stop smiling. He seemed quite embarrassed that I knew everything. I get it. I’d feel the same way.
But he still quietly left me with a message.
-Park Moon-dae, if any problems come up, tell me anytime? I’m eager to see the person you mentioned introducing me to~
Yeah. If he wants to confirm it with his own eyes, that’s not bad.
‘It seems like Ryu Chung-woo already talked things out on his own.’
…I felt somewhat relieved. I straightened my shoulders. Then another guy caught my eye.
Sun Ah-hyun.
He was sitting alone in the corner looking at something, and when our eyes met, he startled visibly.
“…? Why, why…?”
“Nothing.”
Now that I thought about it, from his perspective, two of his same-aged teammates—everyone except him—fought and made up. That must have felt like sitting on pins and needles.
‘I didn’t realize I’d understand this much.’
And going forward, there would probably be more things I’d have to discuss while leaving him out.
I dodged the issue for now.
“Sorry for making you worry.”
“Oh, no…! I was concerned, but I knew you’d m-make up.”
Sun Ah-hyun smiled softly, then added in a small voice.
“Um… if M-Moon-dae ever has worries, you can tell me too, anytime.”
“….”
Surely he wasn’t testing me knowing everything already… well, of course not.
“Thanks.”
“N-no problem.”
Sun Ah-hyun smiled and began gathering his belongings. I found myself wondering absently.
‘How would he react if he ever found out…’
I had no idea. I didn’t even know if Big Sae-jin would trust me in the first place.
Well, anyway, I had no intention of dragging Big Sae-jin into this situation like that, so Sun Ah-hyun wouldn’t really be left out.
I decided to pick up my own belongings beside him.
That’s when I noticed it. Bae Sae-jin’s electronic device… was it an e-reader?
“This is yours, hyung.”
“Oh? Yeah.”
I handed it to him, and in the process, the device screen lit up.
It was locked, but the book title was visible.
[A Day Where Fighting Is Okay]
“….”
“…Just for reference!”
“Yes.”
A self-help book.
He really… must have worked hard on it.
‘If I don’t praise him now, this would be ridiculous.’
I opened my mouth immediately.
“You’re definitely… once you start something, you seem to do it well.”
“…!”
Surprisingly, Bae Sae-jin didn’t flinch at my words. Instead, he murmured in a slightly excited voice.
“Right. Same with producing. I thought I couldn’t do it, but once I actually tried, there were things that went well… I was shocked.”
“….”
“From now on… I’m going to try being more proactive.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Yeah.”
Bae Sae-jin seemed to have made a new resolution.
And an opportunity to act on that resolution came sooner than expected.
A few days later.
“We got a response from the Film Company.”
“Ooooh.”
The OST inquiry for the movie being made using the Ruin Factory’s game worldview had been safely delivered through T1.
However, Ryu Chung-woo, who received the company’s contact, laughed awkwardly.
‘…Awkwardly?’
“It’s positive.”
“That’s huge!”
“Woooow!”
Cha Yu-jin, who had been looking forward to this the most, whistled. But Ryu Chung-woo’s awkward expression didn’t fade.
“But… the deadline is incredibly tight.”
“Pardon?”
Don’t tell me.
“It looks like we’re pushing hard right now. So if we really want to participate….”
“If we want to?”
“We have to submit a demo within four days?”
“…!”
It was insane.
Everyone reflexively looked at Kim Rae-bin. This was a situation where we needed an expert’s opinion.
But I already knew the answer.
‘It’s obvious without even looking.’
As expected, Kim Rae-bin’s… eyes were wide open.
“Indeed, Park Moon-dae! You’ve brought such a powerful policy—four days of intensive training per week—because you foresaw this crisis!”
“….”
Let’s say that’s true.
K-pop Inferno Camp… reopened.

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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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