Debut or Die - Chapter 416

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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 416
The Hot Spring Glamping Site in Gapyeong was gradually emptying out as the weekend drew to a close.
Before lunchtime, the guests who had stayed for two nights and three days since Friday were leaving one after another, and there were hardly any new arrivals.
It was early summer and sweltering, and this was an awkward season before the real vacation period began. Besides, it was already evening.
“I hope you have a wonderful time~”
The Part-time Staff working the counter at the entrance was leisurely attending to the sparse customers.
At least until the next guest arrived.
‘Huh?’
Ding.
The door opened and suddenly a crowd of people rushed in.
Seven tall men in hoodies and colorful masks, seemingly unbothered by the heat, cut an odd figure for a summer camping site.
When one of them appeared wearing an avant-garde character baseball cap and sunglasses, it looked even stranger.
‘…Some SNS stunt?’
The crowning touch was the small white puppy cradled in the arms of the well-built man at the back.
‘A sports team outing…?’
Though more than half of them were actually lean-framed. Besides, this place catered far more to families than college students.
‘Hmm?’
Just as curiosity was rising, one of them—a well-built figure in a gray hoodie and mask—approached the counter and asked smoothly.
“Hello~ We have a reservation.”
“Of course! May I have your name, please?”
The staff member quickly pulled up the system while thinking to themselves. The voice was pleasant, the height impressive, and even the glimpse of eyes visible seemed handsome.
‘…A film and theater major?’
But they didn’t bother asking such unnecessary questions. True to their work ethic of earning their pay, the Part-time Staff completed the check-in process efficiently and promptly.
“One Royal Caravan and one Sunset Ondol, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
Just then, the one in the black hoodie with sunglasses whispered something to their group.
“Check if the pet-friendly option is confirmed.”
“Oh, right.”
“Yes, you have the pet-friendly option.”
The Part-time Staff answered quickly and perceptively before the question could even be directed at them, yet simultaneously felt an odd sense of displacement.
For such a funny outfit, the voice was surprisingly pleasant…
Where had they heard that voice before?
“Here…”
“Ah, thank you so much~ We just head that way, right?”
“Yes! From here, if you go left past the Parking Lot, you’ll be able to find it right away.”
“Got it~ Thank you so much for the clear directions.”
That cheerful voice, that manner of speaking—they seemed familiar from somewhere…
But the two were already turning back toward their group.
‘Hmm.’
As the Part-time Staff smacked their lips thoughtfully, a quiet voice drifted over from the group.
“Mung-ge, wait—could you hold the puppy for a moment?”
“Of course…!”
The figure in white, wearing a baseball cap, accepted the white puppy and carefully draped it across their shoulder….
“…!”
The part-time staff member’s eyes widened with sudden recognition.
That’s the dog from that variety show! The composition is identical.
And that show was…!
‘That Grandson’s House!’
And the cast members from there were….
‘My goodness.’
The employee covered her mouth.
Testa!
Seven members—considering their physiques and group composition, it was so perfectly aligned that she wondered how she’d missed it.
‘Wait, the fashion choices….’
Even so, they’d normally try to be inconspicuous and cover their faces, but this outfit was deliberately eye-catching and funny—as if they were banking on that very psychology….
‘Hold on, that’s definitely Cha Yu-jin!’
There was one more oddly dressed person wearing sunglasses, and that neck-breaking pose was unmistakably Cha Yu-jin.
She’d even seen compilation videos of just that move on YouTube Shorts.
‘Whew….’
True to their individual fame, the identification was complete in an instant.
The one guarding the luggage was Bae Sae-jin, and the one intently reading the pamphlet was Kim Rae-bin.
And the man in sunglasses with the familiar voice was Park Moon-dae, the one holding the puppy was Ryu Chung-woo, the one who received it was Sun Ah-hyun….
The one who’d spoken to her was Lee Sae-jin!
The part-time staff member clenched her fists.
‘No wonder they looked so handsome!’
It was just that they had that handsome aura about them!!
And finally, a productive thought occurred to her.
‘An autograph.’
But her professional instincts held her back—calling out here would be improper. Besides, there would be another opportunity.
‘They’ll be checking out anyway.’
She absolutely wouldn’t miss that moment….
‘Oh my god!’
She wanted to tell someone—anyone! Even her sister!
‘Wow, they’d be so shocked when they heard….’
So when the excited employee opened her KakaoTalk with trembling hands.
“Excuse me.”
“…?!”
As she looked up, she saw eyes smiling shyly above a mask.
‘Ryu Chung-woo! Ryu Chung-woo!’
Her mind screamed, but Ryu Chung-woo spoke only gently.
“We really came here just to rest. Would it be possible to keep it a secret for the few days we’re here?”
“Oh? Of course… yes, yes.”
Absolutely, no problem!
“Thank you. Here, take this.”
*gulp*
The part-time staff accepted the expensive bath set—a bribe disguised as a gift—with trembling hands, watching the figure presumed to be Testa recede into the distance with a dazed expression.
“Mung-ge, let’s go!”
“Meow, meow!”
“Stop egging the kid on….”
…They came here just to rest?
‘They must be really close.’
The part-time staff lowered her smartphone, recalling her own sister who had cut ties without a moment’s hesitation.
And she nodded at the bond between the idol group members who had come to a family healing glamping resort without cameras during their active period.
‘Don’t they get tired of seeing each other every day??’
She had no way of imagining just how much chaos and hardship they had endured over the past ten months before finally coming together again.

* * *
I had to admit it.
‘This is practically my first vacation in ten months.’
If I counted all the rest I’d missed before that, it was over a year.
As a result, the guys with eyes gleaming about going somewhere truly great subjected me to an endless search and debate about travel destinations.
And finally, we reached a conclusion.
“After all, the place Ah-hyun’s family went to is the best.”
“Right?”
“….”
If we were going to do this, I wanted to ask why they weren’t sleeping in the salon waiting area and were instead tapping away on laptops.
I found the answer in what Bae Sae-jin said.
“Well, it did look the best from the start. But since it’s a place he’s already been, it might be a bit boring for him, right?”
“Oh, no…! It’s absolutely not like that. Since it’s definitely a good place, I want to go with the members…!”
“Hyung….”
The atmosphere warmed up rapidly. The fact that we’d spent hours meaninglessly on this conclusion was already forgotten.
Ryu Chung-woo laughed softly.
“Alright. Then would you introduce us to the activities you enjoyed there?”
“Yes…!”
“Okay~ Then our destination is Gapyeong Healing Glamping Resort!”
And just like that, we booked a tent that very day at full price.
‘I’m not sure if you can even call this a tent.’
“Ooh~ Nice!”
I looked around our reserved spot on the outermost edge of the campground, surrounded by lush trees.
The aesthetically arranged canvas maintained the image of a tent in name only, but inside was a heated ondol floor with hot water flowing freely and pine wood flooring.
And there’s even an outdoor bath.
The comfort of camping vibes. It’s truly healing.
“…! This is hot spring water.”
“Want to go in, Mung-ge? Does our Mung-ge want to go? …whoa, whoa, wait.”
“Don’t torment the dog.”
Even though it’s pet-friendly, this is clearly a large dog pool, and to put this fist-sized creature in, I’d need to get him a life jacket.
Fortunately, as the excited bunch looked around inside, a magical conclusion emerged.
“Well, should we eat dinner first? It’s getting dark anyway.”
“Oh, you’re right~”
Hunger really is the top priority.
“That’s right! We’ve been starving for so long.”
The one who’d eaten sweet potatoes at the rest stop had no business saying that, but regardless, from that point on came the time for barbecue and campfire.
We lit a fire with firewood in front of the caravan.
“Ooh.”
It was rare to do this without staff, but the meat grilled perfectly without any issues.
‘Delicious.’
I adjusted the fire. Meanwhile, Kim Rae-bin flipped the meat on the grill with a reverent expression.
“Um, Park Moon-dae. Should I try grilling too…?”
“Haha, Ah-hyun, could you wash these mushrooms for me?”
“Oh, yes…!”
And time passed peacefully.
Whether the bribe I fed the counter worked or not, there were no visitors or stares. Just occasionally a kid from another caravan in the distance peeking over.
“Oh my, would our little one like some meat too~?”
“Hey, the kid might have allergies.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
After passing time with idle chatter, we bathed and divided up the dormitory to sleep soundly.
“Don’t set an alarm. Sleep as much as you want.”
“That’s such a great idea? You’re truly a leader.”
I slept on the ondol floor the first night. Mosquito coils smoldered, and the sounds of field insects drifted in.
It had been a long time since I didn’t need to think about content or my next goal.
The next day, I woke up past noon and tried horseback riding nearby.
“Yippee-ki-yay~!!”
Cha Yu-jin dominated the horseback riding. Even Ryu Chung-woo chasing after him with laughter seemed to have surprised the staff.
Maybe I shouldn’t have called the ones who already exercised beginners.
‘Those two could’ve been isolated in the advanced course.’
“Park Moon-dae, what on earth is Eugene saying?”
“I have no idea.”
“…Should we search to see if it’s a problematic word? …ugh!”
“Oh my, hyung.”
Just then, as Bae Sae-jin nearly lost his balance on the horse and regained it following the staff member’s instructions, I could see someone whispering something to him.
“Hyung, that’s a cowboy yell….”
From a distance, I heard Cha Yu-jin shouting something like “yee-haw.”
“Ahem, no problem if it works.”
I should mention that Bae Sae-jin rode quite skillfully after that, though it seemed rather theatrical.
And Sun Ah-hyun, who whispered in my ear….
“You’ve done horseback riding before?”
“Yeah! Not a lot, just occasionally.”
I’ll just note that he was the third “guy who originally did sports.”
‘This guy’s pretty good at horseback riding too.’
It seemed they’d adjusted the course to match everyone’s abilities.
“Oh really? I had no idea~ Okay, Sae-jin’s got this covered.”
So the next day, we went to the Wool Farm that he hadn’t visited yet.
“I think I can buy some wool…! I’m thinking of making a sweater.”
“Ohhh~”
“Ah-hyun can wear it for Christmas this year and post a photo on the official account.”
That’s how we spent time without worrying about efficiency.
No filming, no verification shots, nothing to use for broadcast content or building up storylines.
Just time to rest and play.
“S’mores are delicious. Hyung, let’s eat s’mores! Let’s buy marshmallows!”
“Sure.”
Cha Yu-jin’s expression turned serious.
“…! Hyung, are you serious? Are you sick?”
“I’ve never been healthier.”
Even if I said to buy them, he’d make a fuss. Anyway, that day we bought chocolate and biscuits, roasted marshmallows over an open flame to make s’mores, and ate them while watching the stars.
“Moon-dae, Moon-dae, we need to double our jogging tomorrow.”
“Got it.”
It was almost the first time these seven of us gathered just to play around without thinking about anything.
The beach pension had fallen through when Kim Rae-bin’s grandmother collapsed.
‘…This is nice.’
We made good use of the hot spring too.
Using the open-air hot spring bath every evening was a nice way to wind down before bed.
“Let’s buy this. We’ll keep it at the Dormitory! I’ll pay for it.”
“There’s nowhere to put it.”
The hot water eased the tension.
Then things we’d experienced in that strange system world would casually spill out of our mouths.
“Did you know? Kim Rae-bin grilled a lot of meat while making strawberries. I heard about it from Kim Rae-bin there.”
“Seriously?”
“No wonder he grilled so well. It’s all learned skill.”
“As a minor, I was unable to harvest strawberries with precision, so I assisted with meal preparation. However, I’m truly grateful for the praise. I’ll continue to do my best!”
“Ooh.”
Scattered in the outdoor hot spring, each of us tossed out words without bothering to follow the thread of conversation.
“Did you reach out to VTIC?”
“Yeah. He seems to be doing well.”
“That’s nice~”
“I never thought we’d end up building a connection with that senior like this.”
I twitched my eyebrows, recalling the various work recommendations Ju Dan had sent me yesterday.
The other two had been reaching out fairly often as well.
‘I suppose it’s natural, considering I have memories of working together as one group for over half a year.’
As if reminiscing about the Wishze activities like I was, Ryu Chung-woo spoke gently.
“Now that I think about it, we never got to do a proper tour back then. It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve done one.”
“That’s right. I’m looking forward to it.”
Not just Cha Yu-jin, but heads were nodding all around. Ryu Chung-woo nodded along before adding playfully.
“Oh, only Sae-jin has done one, right?”
“Hyung~”
Big Sae-jin smiled brightly.
“You can’t really call that a proper tour.”
….
“No, seriously… Yes.”
He almost got serious there.
“Anyway, I really missed our group~ Now that we’re going on tour, let’s perform with real enthusiasm, yeah?”
Got it, you bastard.
“Huh? It seems like Moon-dae’s the only one not reacting?”
“Of course he’s not—you’re asking something obvious.”
…!
Rest was nice, but stimulating activities were what really got my mind working.
“Let’s do the tour properly.”
Smiles spread across the faces of Big Sae-jin and the others.
And so the conclusion of that day was reached.
It was the fourth night, the final evening of the trip.
And the morning we checked out.
“Thanks so much for everything. We really appreciate it!”
“Not at all. I should be the one…!”
We gave autographs and took commemorative photos with the counter staff and owner who had been so considerate, then boarded the car heading back to Seoul.
Everyone with neck pillows on laughed as we settled in.
“That was fun.”
“It was definitely a camping trip that made me realize rest time is valuable too.”
“Next time, let’s go to the beach!”
“Sounds good, sounds good.”
Among the chatter, I pulled out my smartphone and logged into the group’s official account, when suddenly I remembered something.
Right—I’d brought that along just in case.
“Do I look presentable right now?”
“Hm?”
Fortunately, I’d maintained a clean, well-groomed appearance in preparation for Mi-rae to take verification shots at the counter.
“Yeah, looks good.”
With that settled.
After discussing a few things, we pulled out the smartphone from the bag.
It was the W App device.
I mounted it on the passenger seat, adjusted the angle, and turned on the broadcast….
Ding.
“Hello, Reviewer!”
-???
-First!
-What’s going on?
Comments flooded in with greetings and questions about what was happening so early in the day.
Then a reasonable question appeared.
-Is this a shoot?
“A shoot? No~ We’re just having fun and uploading it!”
The members started chatting excitedly among themselves.
“Oh, what we did was… we went hot spring bathing, horseback riding… and we touched baby sheep. Oh, and I brought Mung-ge along.”
“Oh man, Park Moon-dae was hilarious back then. Eugene made lava out of marshmallows, right? Park Moon-dae’s expression at that moment was~”
“Yeah, now that Sae-jin mentions lava, I remember. Ah-hyun successfully made barbecue yesterday! We were all shocked. It was delicious.”
“Photos? Well, we didn’t really take any….”
“Hmm, like videos… oh, the Mung-ge video, we have that!”
Sun Ah-hyun smiled and showed a video on his smartphone of Mung-ge floating on the pool on a tube.
[Bleeat!]
That was the beginning and end of all our material.
“Um… it’s not really a broadcast or anything, we just went out to have fun together!”
There was nothing else.
-?
-Come on, show us Testa’s face
-Show us what you guys did
-Only showing the ending, how cruel
Silent screams flooded the chat.
‘…Did we just play the whole time?’
I realized it then.
This was supposed to be a simple update, but listening carefully, everything we’d talked about was clearly vacation content with potential for its own broadcast angle.
And it had certainly piqued the interest of the viewers.
But the actual content was empty bait overflowing through the live stream.
-Go back you guys, hurry up and camp again
As a result, the comments descended into madness.
…This was the beginning of all the chaos that would unfold afterward.

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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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