Debut or Die - Chapter 437

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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 437
‘There’s no fresh content….’
Kim Rae-bin’s fan scrolled through SNS aimlessly, muttering darkly, when a shared post appeared on the timeline.
It was from VTIC’s official account.
[【Save the world】 Charity Concert
D-7 Commemorative Shocking News!
The indomitable guests are making their return.
(Photo)]
And the account that shared it had attached a brief, ominous comment.
-Could it be our guys?
“….”
Kim Rae-bin’s fan also felt a chill.
It was mostly a premonition that came true when her instincts were sharp.
‘Oh please, no.’
After all that chaos, Testa is appearing at the VTIC charity concert?
It felt both good and bad.
It was good that they’d cleverly announced their participation without missing the momentum while the charity concert was trending. More content was even better.
The problem was… VTIC seemed to only give them good deeds, which felt infuriating.
‘No, those bastards are responsible too. They nearly got into an accident themselves but have the audacity to act like victims—this is ridiculous…!’
It was an obvious ploy, but the fact that the Broadcasting Station got more annoyed and let it slide was an eternal regret.
Now that Testa was participating too, the charity concert would be even more successful!
Kim Rae-bin’s fan fumed for a moment, but eventually accepted reality.
Having moved past her senior years of job hunting, her combat power on the Internet had gradually diminished.
‘Well… they’ll probably perform.’
An incident had erupted before they even took the stage that day, so she couldn’t be certain, but they’d probably do a few title tracks.
So naturally, one thought came to mind.
‘…Is Park Moon-dae okay?’
No matter how strong his spirit was, nearly being crushed by stage equipment seemed like it would leave a lasting trauma.
Still, Testa had resumed SNS activity just yesterday.
-Fun board games (puppy emoji)
The attached short video warmly captured Lee Sae-jin rolling around after seeing bad dice rolls and Testa bursting into laughter.
From the scenery, it looked like an indoor setting, and seeing them all together, the atmosphere didn’t seem bad at all.
‘Of course they’d only post something like that.’
Catching a glimpse of Kim Rae-bin in neat pajamas passing by, she screenshotted it and decided to focus on the content rather than waste emotions on unnecessary speculation.
But the anticipated ‘big’ content wasn’t what she’d expected.
That afternoon, a post appeared not only on VTIC’s official account but also on Testa’s official account.
[Testa’s Advice Column
Opening Soon (flexed arm emoji)
Location: 【Save the world】 Nanum Hall]
“…?!”
She clicked on the explanation in a panic.
-Help young breadwinners and consult with Testa about your worries and struggles from your teenage years (photo)
That’s right. Testa didn’t perform on stage.
If they had performed the stage they prepared for the charity concert as planned, the stage collapse would inevitably come rushing back.
It was awkward to frame it as overcoming trauma when no members were injured. There was a real possibility that viewers would only think about the accident instead of enjoying the performance.
So they chose this approach instead.
Supplementary content for the VCR!
-Have a conversation with Testa!
They called it counseling and worries, but really… it was a video call fan signing event!
‘Aaahhh!’
Kim Rae-bin’s fan quickly found a summarized explanation post on the timeline.
-Donate to the collection box, choose your preferred member, and write your story to enter. The face of the person being counseled is hidden, but the story can be broadcast anonymously….
-And the members choose which stories to feature!
The period is just one day.
“….”
She looked back at the presentation PowerPoint she was making and tore at her hair.
“Argh, seriously!”
Forget it, I’ll stay up all night!
She, who had never won even once because of the merciless, crazy fan signing cuts, decided to make a futile attempt this time.
Of course, an enormous number of people would have entered, so the odds of losing were high….
‘Kim Rae-bin!’
She opened Word.
And two days later, she would roar when she saw the news of her winning.
Of course, she had no idea what process Park Moon-dae had gone through to plan this.

* * *
I won’t deny it. Surprisingly, life at the Pension was quite pleasant—far better than being hospitalized.
Bae Sae-jin did seriously try to persuade me to return my smartphone, but it was bearable enough.
It was a bit amusing, but those few days felt leisurely rather than tedious.
‘Could the difference really come down to having a smartphone…?’
No, I’m not some addict. That couldn’t be it.
Hmm… there were simply many minor, non-threatening variables that kept things from feeling boring.
“A cat. It came…!”
“Wow, what kind of pattern is this? The little one has yellow stripes~”
“It looks like water! That’s weird!”
Watching Cha Yu-jin try to pet the stray cat that had wandered in like a dog, only to look flustered, I nodded in agreement.
That’s exactly what I mean.
Beyond that, even though things were a bit hectic, it wasn’t a bad life. Exercising, cooking, practicing drawing.
I even thought that when I eventually retired, I could live like this.
‘Since entering this body, have I ever had time like this before?
To put it crudely, it’s like being a wealthy unemployed person, passing time doing whatever I want.
Of course, I couldn’t stay like this forever, so after observing the atmosphere for a few days, I called everyone together in the evening.
And I just said it outright.
“I feel more at ease when I’m working.”
“….”
“Rest is good too, but I need to rest on my own terms for it to actually feel like rest.”
No one looked at me with that ‘so what’ expression. Let’s move on.
“So…”
“I know.”
“…!”
Big Sae-jin answered expressionlessly.
“But even if you don’t feel at ease, you still need to rest when you should. …It really was doctor’s orders. Your lactic acid levels are way too high.”
“…!”
“I’m not lying. It just seemed like you felt otherwise.”
“….”
I looked around at the others. Even the one whose expressions were easiest to read showed no wavering.
That meant it was the truth.
“They also said if you use your smartphone too frequently, it’s good to avoid it for a while.”
“Me?”
An immediate response poured out as if they’d been waiting for it.
“Yeah. You’re completely addicted.”
“You reach for your smartphone like Park Moon-dae reaches for alcohol.”
“….”
No, alcohol’s only useful for stress relief, but there are so many things you can do with a smartphone—what nonsense is this.
Yet no one contradicts me. Even Cha Yu-jin just shrugged.
At least Kim Rae-bin had quietly made such a remark.
“But since most modern people are said to have dopamine addiction symptoms, I think you don’t need to worry too much!”
“You’re only saying that because you’re addicted to electronic devices.”
“…??”
And he sank.
Ryu Chung-woo seized the moment and began speaking. Smoothly, as if he’d prepared for a long time.
“But Park Moon-dae could have been flustered, right?”
“….”
“We were so panicked too, it seems. We’ve been through a lot before debuting… but we never thought anyone’s life would be in danger. And certainly not in such a supernatural way.”
Right.
That’s why I tried to cooperate with their attitude as much as possible, but….
“Still, I should have said this first. It seems a bit late now.”
Ryu Chung-woo smiled and extended his hand, patting my back.
“Thank you for being safe.”
Something stirred uncomfortably inside me.
“…Yeah, thanks.”
“Thank you.”
Whether it had been arranged beforehand or not, similar words echoed from here and there. Each time, the discomfort grew worse.
‘Damn it.’
I took a deep breath and answered calmly.
“Thank you too. …I’m just glad we all came out safely.”
“Yeah.”
The atmosphere in the living room where we sat in a circle eased. The strange tension that had built up over the hospital days while avoiding the topic disappeared.
Bae Sae-jin’s face was slightly flushed as he cleared his throat awkwardly.
“I, I think I was being too sensitive too. When something unimaginable happens….”
“Still, wouldn’t it help when you act in similar works later?”
“No! There shouldn’t be anything like this in the future.”
Bae Sae-jin glared at me. And asked seriously.
“Could something like this… happen again in the future?”
“I don’t know either.”
“Hey!”
“They say it seems unlikely, but honestly I’m not sure. I think we need to look into it more.”
I honestly expected him to yell again.
But Bae Sae-jin simply nodded and said this.
“…Yeah. Thanks for being honest with me.”
“…!”
“I mean, interrogating you won’t get us answers anyway… anyway, I’ll look into various things too.”
Was he planning to read science fiction novels?
“That’s great! We were all grateful to each other. It’s fine like this. Park Moon-dae, say what you want to say.”
As Cha Yu-jin finished speaking, Lee Sae-jin opened her mouth with a bitter smile.
“So, Park Moon-dae wants to work? What exactly is it that you want to do?”
The tone was quite favorable.
‘I can just say it right here.’
I even thought there was no need to leave the Pension to choose what to do, but… well.
“It’s something like this.”
I explained my plan to the members. The atmosphere of attentiveness wasn’t bad, and…
“That sounds fun?”
In the end, it passed without issue, and our new format of participation was announced through the VTIC account.
-【Testa’s Consultation Corner】

* * *
[Hello! Thank you for taking my call.]
“Yes, uh, hello!”
Kim Rae-bin’s fan swallowed hard.
On the screen was Kim Rae-bin’s face, looking at her own camera.
It didn’t feel quite real. But it was reality.
It was reality!
Her story about selling out her younger brother had been selected, and just two days later, she was video calling with Kim Rae-bin!
‘Ahhhhhhh!’
She tried hard not to make a strange expression.
‘He’s so incredibly handsome!’
Kim Rae-bin had his hair tied back in a small ponytail.
But that didn’t mean it was just carelessly tied up at home—the piercings and thick gray knit showed he’d put thought into his outfit.
And beneath his hair, the secret two-tone inner color of pale purple beige and ash purple peeked through, and it was pure bliss.
The fan sighed.
‘This is it for me…’
No joke, Kim Rae-bin could actually run a country well… or maybe he’d get scammed instead.
For a moment, regaining her objectivity, she calmly laid out the story she’d prepared.
“My younger brother and I fight so much…”
Basically, she was saying that from childhood, fighting so often with her younger brother was destroying the household and society itself.
Kim Rae-bin, listening intently, nodded seriously.
[Since I grew up with my sister and experienced many different conflicts, I thought I could help with this concern, so I requested a conversation with you.]
He requested to talk with me!
‘His word choice is perfect…’
Not just a choice, but he himself requested… ah, anyway.
Actually, she didn’t really need that help, but she was very curious what kind of help he had in mind.
Kim Rae-bin on the screen opened his handsome mouth with a serious expression.
[I think it would be good if you told your younger brother exactly where your feelings were hurt, without any sugar-coating.]
[I myself have disappointed my sister more than a few times, but I believe that with accurate feedback, those points can be corrected. Of course, it may be troublesome for you, but… I’d appreciate your consideration.]
“….”
So, this guy has been listening earnestly whenever his sister lectures him…?
‘I’m envious.’
Kim Rae-bin’s Sister clenched her teeth.
What on earth would you have to do to be born as Kim Rae-bin’s Sister?
-Wait, did you really win? This isn’t a scam, right?
-But we’re not even seeing it in person, so whether you dress it up or not, it’s still pathetic anyway… ugh! Ugh!
-Is my ugliness your fault?!
All those years of living with such a brother flashed past like a panorama.
Pretending not to care, she’d just chased away that guy who was lingering nearby trying to confirm things.
In short, utterly useless advice that drives people crazy!
Yet Kim Rae-bin’s Sister smiled brightly and nodded.
“I’ll give it a try!”
[…! Thank you so much for saying that!]
I couldn’t miss Kim Rae-bin genuinely moved by my words! And truly… it was more than worth it.
‘I should ask him to share some of his own stories too!’
Ultimately, I’d also draw out some cute words of encouragement directed at me.
Kim Rae-bin’s Sister gave herself a powerful incentive.
And at that same moment.
The 3rd Floor Room at the Pension.
[Hello.]
“…Hello, Sister.”
Park Moon-dae also began his first video call with a feeling like cold sweat might break out.
What appeared on the screen was….
[My teenage worry was being compared to my older sister.]
Ryu Seo-jin.
The younger sister of Ryu Seo-rin, who had been the Writer for Idol Corporation, and a senior from the Department of Journalism and Broadcasting in the same Photography Club as me back when I was Ryu Gun-woo.
[Ah, I used to be called Puppy… no, you can just call me Ryu Seo-jin.]
…And she was also the Twin Home Ma with Park Moon-dae and Lee Sae-jin.
He only realized it now.
‘Is this real?’

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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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