Debut or Die - Chapter 347

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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 347
That popup Big Dal was displaying right now—Park Moon-dae using Ryu Gun-woo’s body, in other words…
[Hyung? Are you alright?]
“…Sigh.”
I understood now. I relaxed my shoulders and let out a breath.
I thought a ghost was speaking when someone’s voice suddenly popped into my head… No, wait.
“When did you start being able to do this?”
This wasn’t a skill that guy had before.
[Uh, I’m not really sure. I just had a feeling I could do it, so I tried… and it works?]
“…I see.”
It seems the synchronization with the status window is reaching its final stages. Judging by how freely he can use it now.
It’s not exactly a positive sign, but since he’s enjoying it, I’ll keep my mouth shut instead of saying anything unnecessary.
[Wow… it’s been so long since I felt this kind of shared vision. It’s kind of like… the feeling when I use a body together with hyung?? Wow!]
Though it does seem like he’s having a bit too much fun with this…
I fell silent for a moment as the chat messages covered the status window that usually displayed only static descriptions.
It was jarring enough to make me choke.
[Can I use emoticons too? Like this >_< Whoa, it works!]
"Yeah, truly remarkable."
He's pulling off skills I never could have imagined.
I held back a sigh and got to my feet. It's a good thing Ryu Chung-woo stepped out to take a call from the company. I almost looked ridiculous there.
[If I acted recklessly, I'm sorry… Oh no, it's comeback season now—did you strain something or get hurt somewhere?]
"No."
I blocked the stream of popup messages. Does he think I'm some weakling?
"I'm fine, so don't worry about that. I was just startled because I checked my stats after a while and got focused."
[Yes…]
He seems to have calmed down. My eyebrows twitched at how the popup managed to convey nuance despite being just text.
Still, since I don't know where this might come in handy, I should run a check.
"From what you're saying, it seems you can see my situation. How much can you see?"
[Just as much as you see, hyung… Yes. It seems to be the same!]
"What about things other than vision?"
[I can hear sounds too, though they're a bit muffled. Other than that, I don't really feel anything else!]
Now I'm getting quick, sharp answers.
"Always?"
[No! It only seems to happen when you access the status window like this. It's like… when you turn on the status window, I get some kind of electronic signal!]
I see.
So when I activate the status window, he gets a call and synchronizes with me.
'I might be able to use this in an emergency if needed.'
The odds are extremely low, but say we end up stranded on a deserted island again within the next few months. I nodded.
"Yeah. At least we've got one more way to contact each other now."
As long as you're not on borrowed time, that is.
[Right??]
The popup window vibrated softly. Was it… excited about this?
It even shrank slightly before hesitating, then new text appeared slowly, letter by letter.
[Um… would it be okay if I contacted you whenever you check your status window?]
I let out a soft laugh.
"Of course."
[Thank you!]
The window expanded again. It seemed to reflect my responses quite well.
And then it began pouring out its impressions in earnest.
[Ah, hyung, watching you allocate stats was so thrilling! I really wanted to see the first live performance in person, but I'm sad I couldn't go!]
"Do you think it looks worth watching?"
[Yes! I'm so excited my heart feels like it's about to burst out of my mouth!]
Testa had made watching me a source of joy in its college entrance exam life, and now it seemed to have picked up the language fans used.
I opened my mouth to respond, but the text that rushed up came first.
[Really, fighting! Ah, I should get back to work now! Lunch break is ooooverrr]
"…."
And just like that, the popup window vanished in an instant along with a glitch.
'It's really using this like a messaging app.'
…It'll take some time to adjust to this. I rubbed my shoulders and closed the remaining status window.
Anyway, let me return to reality.
What matters now is the first stage.
'Preparation is complete.'
I've filled everything—practice volume, real-world experience, and even a hidden trump card.
…Though the phrasing makes it sound less like a performance and more like I'm entering some grand martial arts tournament.
I felt awkward about it for a moment before letting out a soft laugh.
'Well, there's not much difference.'
The only difference is I'm not holding a sword, but the requirement to deliver results without embarrassment remains the same.
'Let's go all in.'
Since it's a makeshift arrangement, I couldn't add any fancy special effects or devices. The only thing provided is the single firework already installed on the original stage.
That's what makes it better. If the audience is impressed by this stage, there's no excuse to give other than the performer themselves and Testa.
"Moon-dae. We need to go to the Training Room…!"
"Yeah."
I left the room.
The stage debut was just around the corner.

* * *
News of Testa's debut performance being pre-released on the famous American survival audition variety show, 【You got a chance】, struck the internet like a thunderbolt.
-Wow this show is brutal and hilarious, but Testa's appearing? No way lol They have two external performers per episode, but I didn't expect a Korean idol lol
-VTIC never appeared on this either right
-Already looking forward to it. What time should I watch it in Korean time?
The show was famous for calling only trendy or hot performers, and people chattered about what an excellent opportunity this was.
Of course, concerns about the live performance still popped up sporadically as if on cue.
-The title song was done so well, people were posting reviews after the pre-recording
└Fans always do that anyway, they obviously grit their teeth and say it's good lol It's not like it'll go through post-production anyway
└That American audition program barely edits anything, so I'm worried; I know Testa does well live but this?
Lee Sae-jin and Park Moon-dae's Twin Home Manager scrolled through those reactions.
'Soon enough, people will be saying Testa will definitely do well and overly praising them.'
All to make a big fuss if they mess up even slightly.
"Tsk."
She clicked her tongue.
Yet she didn't bother to stop the corners of her mouth from moving upward.
Because this person was the very one who had watched that pre-recording.
It was truly unlike her. Events and concerts were one thing, but going in person to a Music Broadcast Studio pre-recording—infamous for treating fans like garbage—was uncharacteristic.
'Was it worth waiting in that crowd at dawn, enduring poor treatment from another broadcasting station?'
It absolutely was.
In fact, she felt the free viewing didn't even balance the scales.
'It's even better because it's live.'
No post-production editing made it better. If these were people she knew, they would never neglect their appearance or movements in a situation like this.
The office worker nodded and calmly finished the editing she'd been working on.
Yet a sense of anticipation could be felt in the rhythm of her hands.
And as time passed, came the day of Testa's American broadcast performance appearance.
[Next is a congratulatory performance. The global K-pop artist and that insane band from 【Cosmic Gunner】, Testa!]
Midway through the program, a brief introduction flowed past without much fanfare or grand buildup.
There simply hadn't been enough time to prepare, and this was just the first half of an experimental congratulatory performance stage anyway.
And as always, a commercial break cut in, then the screen returned.
[….]
Where audition participants had been standing moments before on the massive stage, a group of people now stood.
Dancers in red costumes.
And among them, seven figures in black jumpers wearing masks.
-Testa!
-Oh wow they're here
'The outfits look good.'
Not overly conceptual, they'd maintained contemporary style and fit appropriate to the occasion.
As the office worker nodded in approval, the masked Testa emerged from the front after a group dance that seemed to cut through and push past the red dancers.
While the masked dancers turned their heads and glared, the beat began with an intense trumpet sound.
A song.
Park Moon-dae casually stripped off his black mask and lifted his vocal with a scratch upward.
[That desperate cry over there
Listen, the sound of my feet rushing in]
Then he applied a slow tempo to the choreography.
And charged forward.
[The first to appear
The leader!]
The ultra-high note of the first measure in the intro.
A sharp and crystalline voice without a single pitch wavering cleanly split through the air with precision.
Boom!
The sense of presence was so vivid you could hear his hand striking the floor and his feet bouncing back up.
It was a clean, singular sound—no AR added even to anchor the pitch, nothing artificial.
-?????
-Mr. Park Moon-dae
-That's live, right?
'That's right!'
That insane stability he'd heard during the pre-recording struck the office worker's ears once more.
'Is that even human?'
After that almost circus-like feat left a powerful impression, Kim Rae-bin's low and refined rap section followed with a meaningful slow choreography.
His eyes, covered by black bangs, gleamed.
[Appearance!]
Then the choreography continued with explosive, bursting movements full of energy.
[An April downpour rushing in
An unexpected visitor (Hi)
Knocking on a hardened heart, stepping forward
Into that space]
The song dropped again, ending with Ryu Chung-woo's solid mid-to-high register in the footwork-heavy choreography.
[Now the rain fell]
The drop before the chorus, entering alongside the dancers to match Piddle's playful sound.
Even buried in the fierce group choreography with the dancers, they stood out through composition and gesture.
And the sheer determination to deliver the narration and chorus as well.
[Whoa uh]
-They're singing all of it
-They must be insane;
Testa never once lost energy through the end of the first verse.
No casual passages, no moments of rest. A flowing yet explosive performance where every limb was engaged without pause, every dynamic shift executed with exquisite precision.
A momentum befitting the hero movie concept.
[That's ma Savior!]
Before the second verse intro, a slow choreography turning around with both arms moving.
The black jumper featured a fierce blue Haeтae on the back, its mouth gaping open like a tiger's—reminiscent of a university's custom apparel.
-Is this what they call national pride?
-So damn cool
-When does Testa even breathe
Comments of pure admiration, stripped of all levity, flooded in relentlessly.
Composed like a single organism, the density was so tight there wasn't even space for cheers to slip through.
Yet the stunning visual focal points and immersive quality prevented any sense of oppressive burden from that tightness.
As a result, the office worker found himself ready to leap up each time he noticed it.
'They were doing this in the pre-recording too.'
They'd always been skilled, but just when you thought they might be stretching thin, they'd uncannily bring something even stronger.
Especially that massive explosive choreography in the final chorus—even the office worker's heart raced.
-Yeah, that's ma Savior.
Click.
Lee Sae-jin at center smiled softly.
Boom!
Light scattered across the flowing, seamless choreography as the backing track erupted again.
"…!"
Pyrotechnics on the stage apparatus burst forth in sync with the explosive beat and movements.
A masterful transition into the stage.
Followed by a light, intricate, and dazzling choreography sequence.
It was a festival-like finale.
-Ring the bell, Ring my bell
I wanna be your Savior
As dancers collapsed around them, Testa raised and lowered their arms in succession, striking a grand formation.
And so Testa's first stage came to an end.
The comments and the venue erupted.
-Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
-They killed it
– Hahahaha this is going to be live? What on earth did Azusa produce?
-Never underestimate Testa again
The office worker exhaled before he could even read the comments.
'Intense. Fiercely intense.'
And as intense as they were, they were equally captivating and magnetic.
Starting completely raw without any fancy special effects, they'd concluded the stage with the raw force itself.
His jaw dropped.
'Are their joints… no, their vocal cords and lungs okay?'
The question flickered across his mind, but then again, if they held back on domestic broadcast stages and events under the guise of body management, that would be equally unpleasant to watch.
'They're making good money, so they'll manage themselves.'
This stage was truly worth the price of admission.
And it wasn't even over yet.
'During the pre-recorded broadcast, we even added a glow-in-the-dark intro performance on top of that.'
I was already curious about how public opinion would shift once that aired.
Two days after it would broadcast on Tnet, thinking of the comeback show, she cracked her knuckles.
Seeing the response, I figured it would become even harder to see them in person from now on… but what could I do? It turned out well!
She laughed without realizing it.
'Still, while the iron is hot, have them perform at a university event or two. Let's squeeze out more content.'
And surprisingly, just as she wished, Testa did manage to secure a university event.
Of course, what mattered for their career was not the event itself, but the official broadcast schedule that would follow.
At the same time.
"Haaah."
"W-water… some water."
Most of Testa, having come down from the stage, were collapsed in a state of near-total exhaustion.
Though cheers could be heard, the world spun before their eyes more than anything.
'This seems like the most physically draining performance we've ever done.'
'My lungs… my lungs feel like they're about to burst!'
It couldn't be helped.
Of course, among Testa's title tracks and B-sides so far, there were more than enough—in fact, an excess of—difficult performances.
But there had never been a single song performance that required squeezing out every ounce of strength just barely to match the energy level—a reckless undertaking of that magnitude.
'That's what makes it meaningful.'
Because it was intense.
Similarly, Park Moon-dae, sitting on the floor and pressing his ribs while catching his breath, eyes gleamed with light.
If that gut feeling he'd experienced on stage just now—that sense of nailing it perfectly—wasn't wrong, then the performance had been a success.
'Of course, I'll need to monitor it properly….'
Still, with years of experience now under his belt, his instincts for the stage had become quite reliable.
He mentally reviewed the program schedule he'd planned beforehand, then let out a quiet chuckle.
"Cha Yu-jin."
"Yes!"
"You're ready for the next stage too, right?"
Cha Yu-jin, who had been stretching solo under the adrenaline rush, grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
[Always am.]
Park Moon-dae nodded.
'Good.'
Next was phase two of market expansion.
In other words, the "closing the distance" operation.

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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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