Debut or Die - Chapter 411

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

A Fatal Illness if I Don’t Debut – Episode 411
“I’m delighted to share meaningful news with you all today.”
Lee Sae-jin’s hosting of the awards ceremony was flawless. Even those who had been vocal about age and seniority concerns fell silent once the ceremony actually began.
Moreover, the group I belonged to also secured an award, creating a favorable moment.
“Performance Award, …Zairop!”
-Ohhhhh
-Lee Sae-jin walking out from the MC seating area was insane, so cool, preserve that formal attire
Haha, it’s cute how the kids are joining in and saying hello.
Lee Sae-jin climbed onto the stage and joined the surrounding members with a grin.
The ‘hyungs’ quickly smiled back the moment our eyes met. It was a sincere response that made it painfully obvious how carefully they were watching my every move.
‘That’s right, well done.’
They had every reason to be.
The moment I reclaimed my true self as Testa in reality, I showed the members what genuine reality tasted like.
First, the day I returned after dyeing my hair.
-Whoa~ what’s with you?
-Lee Sae-jin doing whatever he wants, nice~
Some chuckled, saying finally this guy was doing it too, while others didn’t even react, their noses buried in their smartphones. I grinned and spoke to them.
-Oh… you’re smiling?
-…?!
-But you got it right. Wow, just as you said, hyung, I’m going to do whatever I want!
And right after that, I went to the Company and reported the hair dyeing.
To the Company, which panicked at the sudden situation and wavered between coaxing and punishment, I proposed this as part of a trade-off.
-Huh? Since everyone was comfortable and doing their own thing, I thought I could too. I should have reported it first~
The members’ misconduct.
From octopus-like dating schemes to secret accounts and connections for clubbing.
Everything that Zairop’s Lee Sae-jin had meticulously identified for probation purposes, I detonated it all as a bomb.
-No…!
-Here, here, you can see the conversation history, right?
No matter how decent their performance was, they were in their third year. Naturally, the Company panicked and launched probation.
Phone surveillance, heightened monitoring of every move, emergency bells ringing—the tight management system right before debut came back and kicked the members’ backsides all over again!
And naturally, the members were furious with me.
It was basic protocol to overlook things implicitly within the team and keep quiet about them, so this kind of move was an unforgivable betrayal.
How dare the youngest in group living do this?
-Are you crazy?
-Hey.
But I didn’t even blink, just grinned wickedly.
-Is this blackmail? Oh~ I should post on SNS that I’m withdrawing because I can’t handle the hyungs’ blackmail and bullying!
-…?!
And I really did open my SNS account and started writing posts without hesitation.
Even adding the detail of attaching a melancholic photo with a quote from some lonely poem like ‘A Solitary Stranger.’
At this point, it was terrifying.
-You, you crazy bastard?
-I don’t know~ I guess so!
The youngest member, who had always conducted himself smoothly in social situations, suddenly flipped a switch and became an incomprehensible psycho—which made it all the more frightening.
It was none other than the mad genius Meta.
-Wait, wait a second.
-Please…. No, hey.
It took less than a day for the members, overwhelmed by the unpredictable situation, to surrender.
-Wow~ the Club! I mean, dancing in the Club versus practicing in the Training Room—it’s all the same, right? I’ll post proof shots of me really practicing hard at your Club on SNS, hyung!
-Ah, got it. Hold on.
‘Oh.’
Recklessness was the answer.
For Lee Sae-jin, who had spent her entire life adapting well to society and keeping her composure around others, this was a primitive thrill she’d never experienced before.
‘This actually works.’
I almost got seduced by the rush of reckless, headlong action with no future, but I soon let out a small laugh and shrugged my shoulders.
‘It feels refreshing, but it’s not really my style.’
So I finished things the way I’d always been good at.
Over the next two weeks, I worked on each member individually whenever we had time alone.
-Hyung.
-Uh, yeah…. I just need to use the Bathroom for a moment.
-Yes, yes. Actually, you’re not really that strange, hyung. I’m just disappointed in the other members, so that’s why I’m like this.
And then I would lament specific examples of misconduct that absolutely didn’t apply to that particular member.
-Honestly, juggling multiple relationships is… no, when you make a mistake, the damage is just too big, right? Does that even make sense?
-…Yeah, that bastard really crossed the line.
-Right. I don’t want to be disappointed in you, hyung. Let’s do well together. We need to maintain our popularity.
-…Ah, yeah.
Getting early-twenties members who hadn’t trained long and had just debuted to completely change their attitude was child’s play.
‘I’m a scary madman, but I’m actually on decent terms with him—I’m part of his inner circle.’
I made sure everyone harbored this exact delusion.
After that, everything fell into place.
The combination of indiscriminate whipping that appeared impartial and carrots that seemed given only to them—wasn’t that exactly what this situation was?
A balanced state where they watched each other and competed for my favor.
“Thank you so much. We’ll continue to do our best!”
In the end, we avoided the fan exodus that year and performed well enough to win an award.
‘Ah~ we really did it right this time.’
I reflected on our recent activities with quiet satisfaction. Then I checked the members’ faces.
‘Really… where do these guys even come from to debut?’
There was a time when I thought I failed to debut because I lacked the positioning or charm as an idol compared to these guys.
Now I wonder if I was just young and mistaken back then….
‘If you’re going to debut instead of me, at least do it properly.’
I wished he had strived forward believing himself unworthy of such an honor.
‘Anyway, I’m going back!’
He concluded with a sense of relief.
Of course, he hadn’t known he’d end up backing something like this on the path to getting there.
‘Sigh.’
Big Sae-jin felt slightly dizzy thinking about what would happen next, but his face still wore a bright smile as he finished his remarks and returned to the MC’s seat.
“Thank you!”
“Congratulations, Sae-jin~”
The other two hosts offered their applause. Lee Sae-jin bowed his head with a slightly melancholic expression, revealing his joy.
“Now that I think about it, the next presenter is someone you know well, Sae-jin.”
“Oh.”
Here it comes.
Big Sae-jin laughed as if curious, feigning ignorance.
“Wow, who could it be? Can we meet them now?”
“Of course.”
“This award is for Rookie of the Year.”
The display screen behind opened, and a familiar figure walked out.
“Actor Lee Sae-jin from ‘Seahorse’ and ‘Dialing’.”
It was none other than Bae Sae-jin, who would be presenting the award solo.
The well-dressed member looked like an actor to anyone’s eyes.
But Big Sae-jin knew that if this person wore idol styling, they would look like an idol too.
“Hello. As a listener who regularly enjoys K-pop, I’m thrilled and honored to stand here.”
A typical awards ceremony script followed. But the vocal tone was excellent, and it sounded natural given the nature of the profession.
“At some point, K-pop became something that feels very close to me—both a hobby and part of my daily life.”
And he even glanced back toward the hosting area as he said this.
“There’s even an idol with the same name as me, which makes it feel even more so.”
“…!”
Big Sae-jin nodded with a smile. Laughter and applause erupted from the audience.
Indeed, scripted acting was something he did well. And even if it weren’t—he was someone who worked hard.
‘Hmm.’
Big Sae-jin acknowledged it. Bae Sae-jin wasn’t someone lacking passion or sincerity in his work.
The problem was just that they didn’t mesh well.
‘That could improve with time, couldn’t it?’
Rarely, Big Sae-jin offered a lenient assessment of an interpersonal relationship he’d already ruined once.
One couldn’t say the Zairop effect had been absent.
“I’ll announce it.”
And the Rookie of the Year winner that Bae Sae-jin announced with a faint smile was Wishes.
-Escaped the fan community!
-Congratulations Lee Sae-jin lolololol
And though his acting showed no hint whatsoever, he too knew how this would proceed.
‘….’
Bae Sae-jin watched Wishes offer their thanks with an odd sensation washing over him.
And Big Sae-jin could guess what his namesake was thinking. He felt the same way.
‘…This brings back memories.’
Though not from when Zairop was on stage—from when Testa performed.
He turned his gaze away and smiled.
‘I want to go back soon.’
With only verified people in that group, the stage quality was simply exceptional.
He didn’t want to feel that sensation again—the one where his own position seemed to blur into uncertainty.
[Should I turn back the timer and revisit the past?]
He watched Wishes’ performance that followed right after their rookie award win, suppressing an ambiguous feeling he couldn’t quite identify as anticipation or anxiety.
And after quite some time had passed.
After advertisements and several more performances, the announcer standing beside me finally reads the coveted cue card.

* * *
[This award is for Song of the Year.]
“Phew.”
Nearly the end of Part Two. I sat in the Singer’s Seating Area and surveyed my surroundings.
From Testa to those VTIC bastards.
Fortunately, no one showed it on their face.
[Hyung, I’m so nervous.]
You… well, your face isn’t visible anyway, so feel free to be as nervous as you want.
In any case, the Grand Prize is finally announced.
Song of the Year, called first—probably because they’re giving it to the artist with the lowest name value first.
‘How predictable.’
Wishes.
[Our presenter is….]
And as the presenter opens the door and enters….
Isn’t that Sun Ah-hyun?
[Kim Nan-ju, Director of the Korean Recording Industry Association, and ballet dancer Sun Ah-hyun.]
What?
I watched the man in formal attire walk in, and suddenly remembered that I’d already heard about this from him in passing.
-Hey, I got a request to present at an awards ceremony… Maybe I’ll be able to see you there…!
No, I thought it would be ToneA.
Usually it’s T1 who recruits famous names from other art fields to boost the prestige of the awards ceremony.
So I naturally just brushed it off with ‘I’ll see when I get there’.
‘…Actually, having someone connected here isn’t bad.’
You never know what unexpected situation might arise.
I grabbed Cha Yu-jin’s wrist just as he was about to wave at Sun Ah-hyun, and focused my gaze on the stage.
[Good evening.]
Sun Ah-hyun entered alongside an elderly woman, listening with a smile to her words before finally opening his mouth as they neared the end.
It seemed he’d received all the promotional remarks and announcements to deliver.
The announcement of the award winner.
[Lemon Music Awards, Song of the Year. And the winner is….]
He broke into a bright smile the moment our eyes met.
[Congratulations. Wishes…!]
Waaaaaah!!
Cheers, screams, and congratulations filled the Concert Hall.
The members exchanged hugs and shoulder pats with one another.
At first glance, it looked like an expression of emotion, but it was actually an expression of resolve.
“Moon-dae hyung, let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
Cha Yu-jin patted my back. I headed straight for the Stage.
‘I can’t be late.’
As I climbed onto the Stage, Sun Ah-hyun smiled and handed me a bouquet.
I took it, letting someone else receive the trophy.
I stepped directly to the microphone. And I looked back at Chung-ryeo.
“….”
Right after.
He gave a slight nod.
It was the signal.
I immediately opened my mouth quickly in front of the standing microphone.
“Hello, everyone.”
I felt the others forming a formation directly behind my back.
A moment thick with tension.
“I’ll get straight to the point.”
I didn’t even take a deep breath, speaking as clearly as possible.
“I’m retiring.”
“…?!”
“Without any reversal. Completely.”
I continued speaking.
“I will exclude all entertainment industry activities and every possible scenario for gaining recognition or fame.”
No objections came from behind me.
Unanimous silent consent.
This was why I awakened VTIC. If the person involved didn’t know anything beforehand, they’d collapse from shock.
Huh? Huh? Huh?
But beneath the Stage, chaos and panic erupted.
“This is a retirement announcement.”
The Audience Seating filled with screams and confusion. The Production Team rushed about frantically or gestured urgently toward the Stage and staff.
I looked down at it all with an expressionless face.
Someone frantically crawls forward on their knees, searching for a sketchbook or something similar, and scribbles down words.
-What is this
But before that sentence could even be completed.
The Audience Seating.
The Stage, the awards podium, the lights, the air, the heat.
Everything stops.
-….
And filling my entire vision is… a hologram.
A status window.
[Ending]
[New Chapter Generation]
[Settlement in Progress]
[Cancel]
[Ending]
[New Chapter Generation]
[Settlement in Progress]
[Cancel]
….
The status window goes haywire again. Just like on an airplane!
‘That’s right.’
Done!
I clenched my teeth, watching the endlessly regenerating pattern of infinite repetition.
Recalling the moment I had planned this.
-If you want to get out faster, it would definitely be more certain to aim for a different method.
Chung-ryeo demonstrated one of his functions.
-There’s an error reporting function.
And the premise underlying that was….
-That errors can occur.
They wouldn’t have created a function to report something that doesn’t exist, would they.
From there, I devised the plan.
A plan to create an error so severe that progression becomes entirely impossible.
-Can you tell me exactly when the Quest completes.
-Yes, I can.
-Then give me the signal.
At the moment of game clear, simultaneously remove the essential element required for progression.
‘Activity Deactivation.’
If done before clear, it simply results in clear failure. And if done after clear, it means nothing. Already cleared, after all.
But if done simultaneously….
‘It becomes a contradiction.’
A collision.
-So when there’s an error in the algorithm….
-It bounces back.
A glitch, plain and simple.
A massive bug manifests.
[Error: Undefined.]
[※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※]
[※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※]
[Time remaining until automatic program shutdown: @#$!.]
I watched the text shifting across every hologram, my lips twisting into a grimace.
Automatic shutdown.
‘The program is glitching.’
Even Chung-ryeo, the GM, has no restoration authority over a situation like this.
‘Which means… the probability of the game world collapsing under overload and returning to reality is… high.’
I had prepared for this.
And truly, my consciousness begins to blur.
As if I were awakening, a hazy sensation of weightlessness envelops my mind….
That instant.
[——.]
Something strikes my brain with tremendous force.
Immensely.
Uuuuuuung-!
“…!!”
I bit my tongue from the impact, sharp as a spasm. Instead of weightlessness, vibrations resound.
The problem is that it… carries meaning.
A wordless force expressing intent.
Its meaning:
-Was that a mistake?
And immediately after, the Stage is erased.
Like graphics being deleted, the stage platform vanishes and the stage structure disappears.
Next come the Production Team, the audience, the Audience Seating.
Even the light from the glow sticks.
Everything fades, leaving behind only a vague, abstract world with a faint skeletal framework.
And then a voice reaches me again.
[You use that expression often.]
A voice I feel I’ve heard before.
It expresses intent through a sound that seems to hum within a dream.
[System.]
[You use that term, don’t you?]
I clenched my fist.
It was the System.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————