Debut or Die - Chapter 447

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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 447
In front of us, a perfectly ordinary Fan Sign Event is taking place.
“Oh my god, you’re so handsome….”
“Haha, thank you.”
Ryu Chung-woo, facing the person in front of him, shows no sign of wavering despite clearly grasping the full scope of this chaos.
That guy is definitely a pro.
And me….
[H-hey, hyung! Control me quick!]
As the fan moves from Ryu Chung-woo to sit in front of me, I watch Big Dal—now in full panic mode—frantically spamming popups.
He’s so desperate he’s started giving orders. I understand.
I sent him a message as calmly as possible.
‘Right. Just say what I tell you to say.’
Since this Fan Sign Event is corporate-sponsored, the staff is different, so they don’t shuffle fans through at breakneck speed.
Which actually has the advantage of requiring less insane reflexes than a typical rapid-fire fan signing.
You can do this!
[Yes!]
But immediately after, another trembling popup appeared.
It seemed like he’d written it as a stream of consciousness.
[…But this person came to see you, hyung. I really don’t know if it’s okay for me to do this….]
“….”
[Oh no, I’m sorry! It’s unavoidable, but I shouldn’t have whined… I won’t think about it anymore!]
No.
That’s a perfectly valid concern. …I’ve had it too.
So, we just need to coordinate better.
‘You practically played me identically on that radio show.’
The fact that this body belongs to Testa Park Moon-dae is undeniable. And since I’m sharing his vision right now, I can absolutely deliver the experience this person is hoping for.
Of course, I know too. That person might just be someone who bought an AI secretary and happened to win by trying it out on a whim.
But isn’t the probability that they’re a real fan higher?
‘If I send the words I’m about to say and you deliver them that way, they’ll truly have met Testa Park Moon-dae.’
Actually, I’m listening to what’s being said right here beside them.
‘Can you help them have that kind of experience.’
[…Yes!!]
Good.
I took a deep breath and prepared myself fully for real-time responses….
“Moon-dae~ you know that Reviewer character you did on the radio? Could you do it just once? I really want to see it!”
‘….’
[….]
‘I’m counting on you.’
[Got it.]
And so Big Dal safely made it through his first turn.
‘I told them to say the pen ran out before the next person comes, so drag things out a bit.’
And then, finally, my turn arrived.
The person ahead of Ryu Gun-woo… had completely left.
‘…Sigh.’
I stared at the empty space before me, then ultimately gave up on everything and headed toward the long table.
I dropped into the seat.
I sat in the chair across from Ryu Chung-woo. This perspective was entirely new to me.
‘So this is what it feels like from here.’
I’d always been on the opposite side, looking at people. So this arrangement felt oddly fresh.
And I realized I couldn’t drag this out any longer.
‘Damn it.’
So I made eye contact.
Ryu Chung-woo… smiled.
‘…He’s smiling?’
“Hyung, how did you get here?”
“…!”
“You could’ve just called, you really surprised me.”
Right.
Ryu Gun-woo is Ryu Chung-woo’s relative. So is this… natural?
There might be room for controversy, but it’s already spilled milk. I’ll play it naturally.
I opened my mouth calmly.
“Meeting you as family and meeting you as an idol are different things. So I entered the raffle. I’m a fan of yours, after all.”
Come to think of it, I’m actually grateful. It makes it easier to be a bit more shameless.
Ryu Chung-woo didn’t burst out laughing. He simply asked gently.
“You’re really a fan like that?”
“Yeah. When I get home from work, what I do is rewatch Testa content.”
Whether the subject is me or Big Dal, it’s a clean truth without a single lie.
And realizing that, Ryu Chung-woo burst out here.
“Hahahaha!”
“Haha.”
I tried to laugh along while offering the autograph sheet again. Ryu Chung-woo reflexively signed while still laughing.
‘Stop it.’
Stop before the relative thing shows up on social media.
“Which content did you like the most?”
And don’t respond like you’re a real fan when you know everything.
“All of it’s good. That radio appearance from a few days ago was funny too.”
“Oh, really?”
Ryu Chung-woo finished signing while smiling, then lightly wrote something on the autograph sheet like adding a P.S. and handed it over.
“Here.”
-I’ll let the others know right away. Don’t worry.
This is…
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Indeed, his character and composure were beyond reproach.
‘I picked a good leader.’
I nodded and prepared to move on to the next person…
[Ah, right hyung! I brought that Fan Sign Event item! Everyone said they were doing it, so…]
“…”
An item?
Now that I think about it… with everything spiraling so chaotically, I hadn’t noticed what I was holding in my hands.
‘…A shopping bag.’
I had a bad feeling about this.
But if I didn’t give it… I wouldn’t be able to follow this guy’s day exactly, and the mission failure might not clear properly. That was my reasoning.
So without complaint, I reached into the bag.
They’d even attached a tag labeled ‘Ryu Chung-woo’ for easy identification. Probably worried it might get lost in the chaos of the Fan Sign Event.
‘Whatever.’
I pulled out the prop roughly.
It was… a gat.
“…”
That Joseon era headpiece.
‘But why did they go into such detailed historical accuracy?’
Isn’t this the kind of gat that officials used to wear? And they want me to wear it… no, wait. If he’s happy, that’s what matters.
The problem is that I have to give it to him.
“So I just wear this?”
Yeah.
Ryu Chung-woo took the gat and placed it on his head himself.
The high school student in front of me wearing a hamster headband suddenly gives a thumbs up from the side.
“It looks perfect…!”
I didn’t pick it.
“Haha, thanks, hyung.”
Anyway… getting an autograph from the first member, Ryu Chung-woo, seemed to be complete.
“Come again.”
I won’t.
But I couldn’t move directly to the next person after Ryu Chung-woo. That was Park Moon-dae.
Thanks to him faithfully following my excuse to drag out the waiting time, he was only now about to start signing for the person in front of me.
And the moment I heard the greeting that person gave to ‘Park Moon-dae’, I had a hunch.
“Hello~”
Their voice was less trembling.
Moreover, their demeanor was noticeably more natural than when they approached Ryu Chung-woo.
‘They’re not a Park Moon-dae fan.’
It was a relief.
I displayed the response text as a popup for Big Dal while feeling somewhat reassured.
Park Moon-dae probably wouldn’t care much, so if Big Dal just acted kindly enough, we could slip through without issue….
“Oh right, um… could you do that Tibetan fox expression just once?”
‘….’
This was… something I couldn’t instruct him on.
In the end, I found myself watching Big Dal struggle to imitate some expressionless something with all his might.
I must normally wear an expression like that. I’ll reflect on it.
And soon after, he crumbled.
“I-I’m sorry… it was awkward, wasn’t it?”
‘Oh.’
But that was actually quite… well, it was natural, probably because he’s the original body’s owner.
“…!! No! It was cute! Oppa was totally cute!”
“…?? Thank you….”
[Brother, I’m sorry. I think I messed up a bitㅠㅠ]
‘You thinking about trying this line of work….’
[Huh?]
‘Never mind.’
I almost got a lottery winner with a seventh-class ticket to dream big.
I discarded the pointless thought and moved to a different spot.
Plop.
So now I’m… sitting in front of Park Moon-dae wearing a speech bubble hat that says “World’s Number One Apologetic Softie” and dog ears attached.
Meeting myself.
It’s an incredibly strange feeling.
But since I’m aware that our roles have switched, I’m determined to do my best.
‘Let’s see.’
I interlaced my hands and opened my mouth in a careful tone.
“Um, Moon-dae… I’ve really been supporting you all along.”
“Pfft.”
“I’ve been your favorite since before your debut! Oh, is this the right way to say it…? Favorite!”
“Y-yes…. That’s correct. Thank you so much….”
The pronunciation just now seemed a bit slurred, but it was acceptable. It looks like things will go smoothly at this rate. I nodded.
Now that I think about it, this guy has my autograph….
“Here’s my signature….”
He writes it quite convincingly well. I’m not even surprised anymore.
‘Did he practice separately?’
[No no, the body just remembered it. It was really amazing….]
Ah, so that’s how it was.
Anyway, I continued the warm fan sign event conversation.
“Really! Thank you so much. I’ll definitely keep up with your next activities…!”
Of course, I hadn’t forgotten the item either.
“And, um… would you mind wearing this? Oh, but if you don’t like it, you don’t have to!”
“…There’s no way I’d dislike it. It’s adorable.”
[…hyung, you really don’t have to go that far for me…. Ugh….]
I’d done everything I could.
I watched as Big Dal barely managed to place the golden crown atop his head.
‘Perfect.’
Getting my own autograph—complete.
Next up… the real members.
I caught Ryu Chung-woo whispering something to the others in the back while I was getting Big Dal’s autograph.
And right next to Park Moon-dae’s seat was none other than… Bae Sae-jin.
‘He’s composed enough to be a good lead-off batter.’
I moved my chair.
Bae Sae-jin flinched slightly.
“….”
“….”
“Hello.”
“…Yes. Hello.”
He’d apparently already heard the news, so why did he seem so flustered?
‘Maybe he doesn’t think of it as an act.’
In that case, it’d be better to lighten the mood a bit.
After a split-second decision, I spoke first.
“Um, do you perhaps remember? We greeted each other in the bathroom back then….”
“…! Oh, ah, yes.”
“You’ve become even more impressive since then.”
“Thank you….”
Bae Sae-jin looked me over as if startled.
‘Did his tension ease?’
Yet he seemed to have made some sort of resolve instead, swallowing hard as he bowed over the autograph sheet. Then he spoke slowly.
“You… were a great help back then. Even if you said you weren’t my fan. Regardless of such things… I really wanted to tell you how grateful I am.”
“….”
“Thank you for coming to the fan sign event today.”
Bae Sae-jin finished signing the sheet with “To. Ryu Gun-woo” and handed it over.
‘Me, really.’
“I should be the one thanking you for continuing your activities so consistently.”
“….”
“And I am a fan of yours, Sae-jin. I’ll continue supporting you going forward.”
“…Yes.”
I shook hands with Bae Sae-jin.
His grip was quite firm.
‘That works.’
I thought the conversation with him was wrapping up, but there was one more thing left.
‘Oh, the item.’
So when I rummaged through the shopping bag, what came out was….
‘…a hamster headband.’
I lifted my head and looked at Bae Sae-jin.
“…?”
“No, sir.”
Bae Sae-jin already had a hamster headband on his head—the same one that had been on the high schooler’s head earlier.
‘They overlap.’
I put Big Dal’s item back in the shopping bag.
Sorry, but this was a battle decided the moment I lost the silent standoff.
So I moved on to the next person.
At the Fan Sign Event, sitting in the center was….
“Hello…!”
Sun Ah-hyun.
Sun Ah-hyun sat with a fairly trustworthy expression.
Recalling our past radio experience, I didn’t expect any particular problems with him. He wasn’t the type to needlessly mess with people.
I relaxed slightly and took my seat.
“Yes, hello… *cough*.”
But after talking nervously for a few minutes, I let out a dry cough. So I quickly cleared my throat….
Sun Ah-hyun hastily grabbed a fresh drink from beside him and handed it over.
“…! Water, here… ah, there’s also green tea…!”
A sudden counter-attack?
‘Wait.’
In that moment, a cyber wrecker headline flashed through my mind.
-[Sun Ah-hyun Fan Discrimination Controversy] Sun Ah-hyun Giving Special Treatment Only to Male Non-Fans at Fan Sign?
This won’t do.
“I’m fine, really. I’m just nervous. I’ve been a fan since before Testa debuted, but this is my first time at a Fan Sign Event.”
“Ah….”
Sun Ah-hyun hurriedly put the water away.
‘This won’t work.’
The atmosphere getting awkward won’t do either. There are already barely any adult men in the Concert Hall—I can’t stand out any more than this.
So I ultimately chose ‘that’ to smooth over the situation naturally.
“By the way, would you mind wearing this?”
An early item distribution, in other words.
“…Of course.”
Sun Ah-hyun hesitantly took the crown with deer antlers and put it on his head.
“Aaah!”
“Ah-hyun! Over here!”
Screams erupted from behind me.
I understood. It was ridiculously perfect.
‘Where on earth did he buy this?’
[Oh, we take custom orders on SNS!]
‘…?’
I hadn’t actually meant to ask, but fine, I got my answer.
Anyway, I deliberately angled my body slightly so that Ah-hyun and his fans could get their shots, then exchanged a few more words with Ah-hyun.
And as I read what he’d written on the autograph, time ran out.
-I’m always sorry and grateful. I’ll do my best to become a friend you can rely on even more in the future. Fighting!
The break was over.
Next was….
“Hello~”
“Yes.”
It was Big Sae-jin.
He grinned widely and smoothly.
And he was moving his pen without even looking at the autograph, deliberately showcasing that skill where his mouth moved in sync.
“Wow~ How did you come to see us?”
“I’m a Testa fan.”
“Oh thank you so much~ But whose fan are you?”
“Park Moon-dae’s.”
“Pfft.”
Big Sae-jin hurriedly covered his face.
I could practically see countless laughs passing through his mind, which only made me more irritated… no, I’d hold back.
“Wow~ You two look quite similar!”
“Really? That’s the first time I’ve heard that. Thank you.”
“Why not! People naturally… *ahem*, tend to like people who look like them, right~ There’s even a saying about it!”
Big Sae-jin spoke with shameless laughter.
“I’m a fan of myself~”
“*Pfft!*”
Kim Rae-bin nearly spit out his water beside me.
Fortunately, he managed superhuman restraint and avoided spraying the autograph.
“….”
I took a deep breath.
And opened my mouth shamelessly.
“Of course, I’m an all-fan.”
“*Snort.*”
Don’t laugh.
“I’m also a fan of Sae-jin. Maybe because he looks a lot like Park Moon-dae too.”
“….”
“I support you. You’re impressive in so many ways.”
“…Ah, yes. Um~”
Big Sae-jin eventually held out both hands with a somewhat awkward expression.
“Thank you!”
Somehow, I felt like I’d won.
I high-fived him and moved on to the next person.
Kim Rae-bin.
He was… serious.
“Is there anything you would like from me?”
Anyone watching would think he was being threatened.
In any case, I began to earnestly state my requests to someone clearly prepared to grant whatever I asked.
“I hope you’ll continue to show us wonderful activities going forward.”
“Yes.”
“And please get plenty of rest to maintain your condition.”
“Of course.”
“If possible, I’d really appreciate it if you could get to bed before midnight at least twice a week.”
“…??”
Otherwise, you’ll suffer terribly once you hit thirty.
“And this, please.”
“Ah, yes.”
I naturally pulled out an item labeled with “Kim Rae-bin” from the envelope. Whether he’d developed composure or simply resigned himself to this, I couldn’t tell.
‘Once I hand this over….’
“….”
“…Hmm.”
But what was this?
Some kind of pale silicone lump….
[Oh, you wear it on your ears!]
“Ah, you wear it on your ears.”
“I see! It must be an ear cuff.”
I’d almost ended up in the strange situation where the giver didn’t know what the item was.
I watched Kim Rae-bin attach the fluffy angel wings to his ears, then silently rose from my seat.
Now only the final batter remained.
“Hi~”
Cha Yu-jin.
Already enjoying the fan sign event while even interlocking fingers with the previous person, he was waving toward me.

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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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