Debut or Die - Chapter 444

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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 444
This morning, one of Testa’s managers found himself unexpectedly welcoming an uninvited guest.
-Park Moon-dae isn’t feeling well today, so it seems Chung-woo called a relative. They’re apparently like family to Park Moon-dae.
‘A schedule with a member’s family….’
For him, known for his meticulous adherence to protocol, it was somewhat overwhelming, but there was no helping it.
Testa had rarely made unreasonable demands of celebrities worth tens or hundreds of billions of won. So shouldn’t he accommodate this rare exception?
At least that was the company’s thinking, and as a subordinate, he had no choice but to comply.
“Sigh….”
He resigned himself to the situation and headed out to meet the members.
Though his title was ‘daily manager,’ he steeled himself for a complicated day—having to manage someone he couldn’t treat casually while still looking after them.
And finally, he met the problematic guest….
“Hello. I’m Ryu Gun-woo.”
“Ah, yes.”
He was a handsome man who looked like Ryu Chung-woo had been locked in a library for about five years and fed only vegetables—unmistakably a relative.
Up to this point, the manager was somewhat surprised, but nothing seemed odd.
“I’ve checked the headcount, and there are no special issues with any members. Oh, I’ve already informed the company about Park Moon-dae’s situation.”
“Ah, yes.”
But from here on, something felt off.
The person was… far too quick and efficient.
“Wow~ Thanks so much, hyung~”
“Sure.”
“H-here! How about we drink this on the way….”
“Thanks.”
Moreover, the members were completely at ease with him. Anyone watching would think he’d been through thick and thin with them for seven years.
The manager’s head filled with question marks, but his body dutifully began moving through the schedule.
However, when they reached the car, Ryu Gun-woo raised his hand with a suggestion.
“Should I drive?”
The steering wheel?
Of course, it made sense for the least experienced person to do the hard work, but wasn’t this situation a bit different?
The manager hesitated for a moment, then readily nodded.
“Ah, well… yes. Thank you.”
“Of course. I should be thanking you.”
It seemed better to yield than to insist and risk an unnecessary dispute that would waste time.
Besides, the company was nearby, and he could just input the navigation. After that, he could simply claim a busy schedule and take the wheel first himself.
‘After a few trial runs, he’ll naturally give up the driver’s seat….’
But the moment Ryu Gun-woo got in the driver’s seat, he skillfully entered the navigation without even asking.
“…??”
“Then let’s head to the company first.”
“Ah, yes.”
And he naturally began checking the subsequent schedule while driving down the road.
“The morning schedule should wrap up around 1 PM—we’ll finish the meeting, stop by the salon for a consultation, and that’s it. For lunch, just let me know if there’s anywhere you want to eat.”
“I want chicken!”
“Let’s go with grilled chicken. You know a decent place? …Fine. But since it’s right before our comeback, we’ll get it boiled instead.”
The Manager sitting in the passenger seat was granted a reprieve he hadn’t asked for.
“…?”
Ryu Gun-woo checked the back seat through the rearview mirror and was even offering advice.
“Rae-bin, your hair.”
“Oh, thank you!”
There was something about his demeanor—somewhere between a kindergarten teacher and a seasoned manager—that radiated an unmistakable air of experience.
The Manager found himself speaking without thinking.
“What… what was your original job?”
“Oh, I’m a civil servant. Administrative division.”
“…?!”
An identity no one could have imagined.
Meanwhile, the car arrived at the Company.
Ryu Gun-woo smoothly used the ID card from his inner pocket to enter without even being asked, and the moment he finished parking, he confirmed the members had gone inside.
In other words, he didn’t follow them in.
“You’re… not going in?”
“…? I need to grab coffee. I’m the new guy, after all.”
How on earth did he know that?
“I’ll get it from the place with the partnership discount. Four iced americanos decaf, two chamomiles, and one hot chocolate.”
“….”
“I memorized the orders when we got out of the car earlier. What would you like, Director?”
The Manager gave up thinking.
For the record, a few hours later, Big Dal would come to the same conclusion.

* * *
“I feel like I’m dying.”
“Aw, come on, you’re not dying, you’re not~”
Lee Sae-jin laughed and handed over a water bottle. Big Dal barely managed to take it, trembling as he gulped it down.
‘Ugh!’
It was an insane forced march.
Park Moon-dae hadn’t lied. There really wasn’t a public schedule as nerve-wracking as a live radio broadcast.
Testa had already finished album recordings and pre-production content shoots for the comeback, so there were no other burdens either.
But the training schedule… the management schedule!
‘I don’t even know where I am anymore….’
Conference rooms, salons, vocal training rooms, chiropractors—moving around so frantically my head was spinning, and even during those travel times they handed out pre-interview question sheets.
[You don’t have to read it. We’re not doing it today.]
It was a popup from Ryu Gun-woo, who was holding the steering wheel—or rather, Park Moon-dae inside him.
But not reading those question sheets didn’t mean I got any rest time.
Five minutes later, the car pulled back into the Company.
The destination was the Choreography Practice Room on the basement level.
“We made revisions to that bridge section you mentioned last time. It’s a bit tricky though, right?”
“Yes~”
“Phew, you’re always so reliable.”
The Choreographer Judge, who had an exclusive contract with the Label, was scheduled to lock down the final choreography—a combination of seven different drafts—for forty minutes.
Before starting, Chung-woo gently relayed a special note.
“Ah, Moon-dae is excluded from choreography practice today due to injury.”
This was an agreed-upon arrangement. There was no way Big Dal could perform choreography he hadn’t even learned.
“Oh, really? Then I’ll start without him.”
And without even a moment to express concern or ask how he was doing, ‘Park Moon-dae’ was benched and the revised choreography was demonstrated.
‘Wow….’
Big Dal sat down in a chair, confused about whether to be happy that he’d dodged a bullet or relieved to have a moment to breathe.
And he soon forgot all about it.
‘Wow.’
-Again!
Even just watching the bridge section repeated from up close, the impact was extraordinary. Add in the fact that I was witnessing an unreleased new song, and my hands were practically trembling.
And the moment I turned my head.
“…!”
Right next to the door, leaning against the wall, I saw Ryu Gun-woo rapidly scanning the choreography with his eyes.
More precisely, Park Moon-dae inside Ryu Gun-woo’s body.
‘He’s memorizing it in his head.’
I was struck once again by how even using the same body, the impression changes depending on who’s inhabiting it.
And… actually, this was supposed to be the time when that hyung should be practicing in this body.
“….”
‘This won’t do.’
Big Dal had a peculiar pride in his Achievement(?) as a status window.
Still, I’d only ever helped Moon-dae hyung’s idol career so far… and now I’m the one causing problems!
‘This isn’t right.’
So when the next schedule came around, I thought this.
“It’s PT in the Training Room until 9:10 now.”
-This is it!
“Um, hyung!”
“Hm?”
At my call, Ryu Gun-woo, who had been leaning against the wall observing the overall situation, turned his head.
“Wouldn’t it be okay to just do some exercise? The body’s the same anyway!”
“Hmm….”
“Come on, give it a try? It’s actually pretty fun.”
Ryu Chung-woo responded readily from beside me.
Encouraged by that response, I mustered my resolve and decided once more to participate in the PT!
“Yes!”
I should not have done that.
I should have checked Ryu Gun-woo’s expression at that moment….
But lacking an eagle’s 340-degree field of vision, I now lay sprawled on the Training Room floor, utterly limp.
…The advanced course was a den that beginners couldn’t challenge with mere determination.
‘So this is how he lived….’
It felt like reaching rest after prolonged torture. I only endured because the body was at least accustomed to it.
‘Khhh….’
I drank the water Lee Sae-jin handed me like it was the elixir of life.
But that rest ended immediately.
“It’s time for us to move!”
‘Argh!’
Right. During the pre-debut activity schedule, even rest was measured in minutes….
Then someone extended a hand to help me up.
“…!”
It was Bae Sae-jin!
“Oh, thank you.”
“…It’s nothing.”
Bae Sae-jin murmured. Then, hesitating slightly, he added more.
“It’s normal to struggle when you first start, so don’t overthink it.”
“…! Yes, thank you!”
Bae Sae-jin simply nodded curtly and left, but I realized anew that he was quite kind-hearted.
Actually, most of Testa was like that.
Even amid their busy schedule, they were plainly kind to me without any territorial hostility. No one was guarded or sarcastic.
Especially the more outgoing members would strike up conversations as they passed and even check if I was uncomfortable with anything.
“Hey.”
“Huh, yes.”
For instance, in a situation like this one.
When nearly every schedule had wrapped up and the sun had nearly set, the car arrived at the Dormitory.
And that’s when Cha Yu-jin spoke up.
“Speak casually! I’m not difficult. It’s fine!”
“Uh, yeah, okay.”
Big Dal, exhausted and surrendering to comfort, readily dropped the formal speech.
And Ryu Gun-woo confirmed this chatter between the two as he stepped out of the driver’s seat.

* * *
‘Well, we got through that smoothly.’
I nodded to myself.
Big Dal had struggled a bit, but fortunately everything was wrapping up cleanly without major issues.
“Well, you worked hard today.”
“Not at all. I should be thanking you.”
I exchanged the standard pleasantries with the Manager.
For reference, the moment Ryu Chung-woo and Lee Sae-jin vouched for him, Ryu Gun-woo’s interview for the daily road manager position passed at lightning speed.
‘Blood relations really are the best.’
Park Moon-dae’s condition wasn’t great, and there were no immediate family members to provide care.
So the excuse that Ryu Chung-woo had called his close relative—a cousin—worked perfectly.
The company staff apparently thought that this version of Park Moon-dae—unusually a bit spacey and bright—looked somewhat unwell.
Thanks to that, Ryu Gun-woo was able to smoothly use mental care as his cover.
As for driving… well, after riding along a few times last night, I’d gotten the hang of it.
‘I got some help from Ryu Chung-woo, who has his own car.’
He’d been quite helpful from the passenger seat.
-Hyung, how about taking the driver’s license exam once you’re back as Moon-dae? That’d be a waste not to…
That suggestion was worth remembering.
‘Anyway, it’s been a while.’
Fortunately, my body hadn’t forgotten, and I’d navigated through Seoul all day without any major issues.
Since I was disposable labor brought in through blood relations and doing unpaid work alternating at the wheel, the existing Manager didn’t bother with unnecessary discipline.
I reviewed the entire day and nodded.
‘Doesn’t seem like I did anything that could be held against me.’
I was planning to head straight to the Dormitory and finish today dead tired…
“Moon-dae hyung!”
“…”
Damn.
Cha Yu-jin had thankfully corrected his form of address right away.
“Oh! Gun-woo hyung! Let’s go get ice cream! Me, Kim Rae-bin, and BM!”
“BM?”
[He said “Big Dal” was a special nickname? I made it hipper.]
‘Could it be Big Moon?’
It was a sentiment I couldn’t quite grasp.
In any case, Big Dal seemed genuinely intrigued by the proposal itself, his expression brightening.
However, Kim Rae-bin spoke seriously in a hushed tone.
“Hyung, given how unusual the circumstances are, I believe it would be safer to head back to the Dormitory as planned….”
“Nooo! Kim Rae-bin has betrayed us! The Kim Rae-bin who said he wanted ice cream has disappeared!”
“…! Betrayal? Saying you want something doesn’t necessarily imply you’re asking someone else to buy it for you! Cha Yu-jin is making a logical leap right now!”
“Fine. Fine.”
Yeah. Kim Rae-bin was right—heading straight back to the Dormitory would genuinely be the best call, but….
‘I need to give them a carrot, though.’
Let’s be honest. That bastard Big Dal must have felt tortured throughout today’s entire schedule.
I nodded at the Manager, switched cars, and took the wheel again.
The Manager would handle getting the others back to the Dormitory, so I’d just tag along with these guys for a bit.
“Let’s go. The Convenience Store right ahead should work.”
“Yeah!”
“Yes, hyung!”
“Wear your masks.”
The car pulled out immediately.
The drive was over in no time. I parked in front of the Convenience Store and got out.
Rather than heading inside with them, I stood out front and waited.
“Hyung! Aren’t you coming in?”
“Too tired. Pick whatever you want.”
“OK~”
I watched the Convenience Store door close, then shifted my gaze to the Road.
That taxi.
“….”
The truth was, I’d spotted that tail following our car just moments ago.
‘Of all times, it had to be now.’
Right. In industry terminology, a sasaeng.
Stalkers.

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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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