Debut or Die - Chapter 451

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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 451
Big Dal found himself in an unexpected crisis situation.
He’d thought he could relax once his body returned to normal, but an unforeseen complication had emerged.
“It’s been a while.”
Someone sitting next to him suddenly acting like they knew him.
Cold sweat poured down his face—he wanted to send an SOS to anyone who could help him understand what was happening.
And he couldn’t even run away from the Audience Seating in front of the Stage with this camera in hand.
“But after Data Pal got a job, doing this as a side gig would be pretty tough, right?”
“….”
“Well, you’d know that too.”
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about…!’
I couldn’t follow the conversation at all! Not one bit!
This person seemed to be an old acquaintance of Ryu Gun-woo’s, but I couldn’t be certain.
‘Is this… someone who dealt with data? An old contact from back then?’
But I couldn’t call Park Moon-dae. Testa’s Stage performance was coming up soon. I couldn’t let something like this interfere with our first comeback performance.
So I reminded myself.
‘If I were… Gun-woo hyung!’
What would he have done in this situation!
Since the life-or-death exam, he’d never exercised his judgment under pressure like this before, his mind working frantically.
‘…I should say as little as possible!’
And he answered calmly.
“…I’m not trying to sell it for money. It’s just a hobby now.”
“Is that so?”
That seemed appropriate!
Fortunately, the other person seemed to think so too, as no more personal questions came up.
‘…I got through it!’
Big Dal let out a sigh of relief, but in truth, Ryu Seo-jin sitting beside him was thinking something like ‘The kid’s gotten a bit more innocent.’
Thinking that having some financial cushion brings peace of mind, she asked again.
“Oh, you film Testa too?”
“…Yes.”
“Who do you mainly film?”
“Park Moon-dae.”
He could answer this without any hesitation or shame.
And he… saw the person next to him nod.
“You still have good taste in subjects.”
“….”
It was an unusual word choice. Big Dal was almost certain now.
‘This person definitely dealt with data!’
And Ryu Seo-jin also reached her conclusion.
‘He’s still selling data.’
It was a delightful misunderstanding.
That was when it happened.
[…let’s meet them now!]
The MC’s introduction ended.
In that instant, as if they’d made a promise, both of them reacted.
‘Ah, it’s starting.’
The two Testa fans, who had mistaken each other for Data Arm, turned their gazes toward the Stage in unison.
The prelude finally flowed across the Stage, where the white award ceremony lighting had dimmed.
‘It’s Savior!’
Big Dal’s heart raced as he gripped his camera, planning to capture just a few shots with his naked eye first.
-Click.
Blue and red lights flooded the Stage. And in an instant, they converged sharply on Testa, who commanded the center with their massive presence.
The costume was an ornate coat inspired by the traditional dobok.
‘Mmph.’
I couldn’t believe I’d seen it up close beforehand.
-The sound of someone calling out desperately
Hear me, my footsteps rushing forward
An introduction so familiar now I could recite it by heart.
Park Moon-dae burst across the massive Stage with long strides, piercing into the song with a thrust.
-The first to appear
The vanguard!
The electric thrill of the high note heard live.
‘Wow….’
Big Dal stared at the Stage, feeling his heart might burst with electricity.
This version of ‘Savior’ was arranged closer to retro rock, giving it a subtly modern feel.
The intersection of band sound and orchestral sound made people’s hearts race at a primal level.
‘Kim Rae-bin really is a genius….’
Big Dal, who had become acquainted with Kim Rae-bin through the ice cream incident and had relevant conversations, swallowed hard.
-That’s ma savior!
Shed your nervousness and enjoy
A night of victory!
Savior, which had rushed forward recklessly and even showcased a new dance break, concluded with a dazzling remix befitting an awards ceremony.
“Waaaaaaah!!”
Big Dal was overwhelmed by the deafening roar, but he held back because he couldn’t shake the camera.
‘My hyung didn’t bring a light stick…!’
But the regret was fleeting.
The lights on the Stage shifted, and music flowed once more.
A light interlude.
“Huh.”
…It was a new song.
Big Dal’s eyes widened.
—Clap, clap, clap— clap, clap!
On stage, a blonde Cha Yu-jin had already slipped out of formation and settled into a corner, now bathed in a spotlight.
With his hair swept back in a half-pomade style, he wore an expression of genuine admiration as he applauded the remaining members who had just finished their “Savior” performance.
At that, the members sighed and broke formation.
“…?”
Among the members stretching or doing light warm-ups, Bae Sae-jin began circulating with a clipboard, gesturing as if giving instructions.
The camera caught a range of reactions—from Sun Ah-hyun nodding attentively to Kim Rae-bin frowning with apparent irritation.
‘Acting?’
It had the structure of a musical or theatrical piece.
And then, a cheerful whistle sound.
—Phrrreeeeeee!
In that instant.
Every member on stage froze and turned toward the audience seating.
And bold capital letters—the kind you’d see in American comics—blazed across the display screen.
[PRACTICE IS OVER!!]
A school bell sound effect layered underneath. Through it burst an upbeat guitar riff and drum beat.
Testa bounded forward to the front of the stage with a carefree expression, flinging their coat aside.
As if heading out to have fun.
‘Huh.’
And what appeared beneath the discarded coat was….
Eighties American high school-style outfits.
As if each member had been assigned a role, the compositions and accessories varied slightly—from knits to jeans.
And Cha Yu-jin, who had somehow picked up a star-patterned jacket and thrown it on, sauntered over to join, settling into center position for a proper formation.
“…Phew.”
Finally, subtitles appeared at the bottom of the display screen.
[Testa – Pose (POSE)]
A mechanical-tinged MIDI sound bounced at varying pitches between beats, like water droplets splashing.
And Testa too shifted formation with bouncing steps.
—Make a pose
Whatever you want
Find your own style
Following Cha Yu-jin’s rich mid-range vocals came a similar verse melody in Park Moon-dae’s scratchy high notes.
—(Make a pose!)
Sometimes boldness too
Might not be so bad
The tempo climbed.
A disco ball spun on stage.
Between those dazzling lights, light and rapid footwork clicked into place with precision—intricate choreography.
And in contrast, upper body movements using fingers and entire arms that seemed “easy enough to follow,” striking and instantly captivating.
-Bursting like dancing flames
Melting hot summer night
Rushing through this night as if it would end
Testa blazed across the Stage like a complete symbol of color, light, and youthful exuberance.
The song soared endlessly upward, racing along briskly with the disco’s dazzling steps.
And the moment the pre-chorus passed, the melody shifted to a catchy monotone, and the bass dropped.
-Drrrrrrrr-!
Engine sound.
And a chorus close to hip-hop wove retro sounds together in a subtly contemporary arrangement.
In the refrain, Kim Rae-bin stepped forward with a bouncy rap, his feet kicking up in rhythm.
Dark fashion like EMO or goth aesthetics deepened the atmosphere.
-Slowly, slowly
Come closer
Move so you can’t escape Grab this moment
Above the heavy rock bass, synth sounds danced in syncopation.
Cha Yu-jin, having shed his jacket, changed formations with Latin dance-like steps.
-In the pose!
Don’t worry about what’s past
Think only of now come in now
That section with the catchiest melody was unmistakably the chorus to anyone’s ears.
-In the pose!
Don’t hold back on today
Now is what matters Right now
(yes) Right now!
And then again, a section where the riff melody races without vocals.
Lee Sae-jin flipped her hair and emerged with a smirk. She seemed to high-five Ryu Chung-woo, then performed a solo dance at center. That was….
‘Oh.’
It was truly the choreography from their debut song “High Five”!
That’s right. Testa had deliberately set aside an instrumental section in their performance where members could take turns adding ad-libs.
And the members followed Lee Sae-jin’s movements with joyful laughter, yet skillfully, flowing naturally into the next formation.
-Yes, I’ll remember
Your moment right now
Slow, fast, even more free
Park Moon-dae, wearing bright jeans and a short denim jacket, moved with choreography that slid across his knees as he stepped to center, singing the final verse.
-So hold on- and pose!
Boom!
Fireworks exploded.
LEDs blazed across the display screen like a fireworks show.
The choreography remained upbeat and clean until the very end. And it overflowed with energy.
Naturally, a roar that seemed ready to tear the Audience Seating apart erupted like a conditioned reflex.
“Waaaaahhhhh!!!”
“Ahhh!”
It was a party of a song.
Every element people would expect from a popular male idol group, all wrapped into one.
The swirling confetti seemed to herald the future.
‘…This is really amazing!’
Big Dal felt moved anew. That’s when he realized, a beat too late.
The person next to him was firing off shots with his camera like a madman, while he himself stood there dazed, camera in hand.
‘Oh right, photos!’
I need to take some now!
Just as he hurriedly raised the camera to his eyes.
[Big Dal.]
Huh?
Big Dal reflexively looked up.
The Popup was glowing calmly.
[I have something I want to show you.]
It was Park Moon-dae.
…Right now on that Stage!

* * *
‘Done.’
The comeback was… successful, it seems.
I’m sitting on the Stage with my knee down, frozen in the ending pose. The others are doing the same.
“Phew.”
My breath came heavy, but none of us would be panting visibly here.
Even if the Awards Ceremony was pressed for time, there were a few seconds for the ending shot of a group that was practically the headliner of the day.
And a few more seconds after the Stage lights cut out following that ending shot.
I sent the Popup to Big Dal somewhere in between—perfectly timed.
[Oh, you have something you want to show me?]
Yeah.
I took a deep breath and whispered.
‘Let me share my vision with you.’
The Popup wavered as if confused, but soon it seemed to access my senses as I intended.
And.
[…Wow!]
It seemed to finally see through my eyes.
‘This is….’
Whether you’d call it majestic or overwhelming.
Nearly twenty thousand lights, including those from standing sections, swayed in all directions around me.
It was a sight that inspired an awe almost like what nature itself could bestow.
From the darkened Stage, my vision blazed even brighter. It was as if I stood within a cascade of stars pouring down across an endless midnight sea.
‘I never thought I’d make a comparison like that.’
I let out a quiet laugh, and Big Dal seemed rather excited.
[That’s really amazing! Wow! But when I think about it all being people, it’s kind of scary too… Anyway, thank you! This is my first time experiencing something like this!]
That’s right.
And I said what needed to be said.
‘Thank you.’
[…!]
[Why, why? Um… because I acted well today?]
It’s not really that….
‘Because it’s a view I saw thanks to you.’
[…??]
I stood up as a hand lightly tapped my shoulder, and gazed at the Stage once more.
And I recalled a fact that suddenly became clear to me.
‘Why does Young-rin remember me.’
There would be many reasons. Her professional nature, or perhaps because I was unknown back then so there weren’t many cameras around.
‘But….’
If I had to pinpoint it, I think the meaning that fancam held was significant.
‘An opportunity to succeed as an idol.’
The impression and emotion toward the person who pushed that opportunity forward.
In that sense, this one was actually the most direct supporter who gave me the chance to see this view as an idol.
From back when I couldn’t even imagine becoming this.
I spoke slowly.
‘You said there was nothing I couldn’t achieve among what I have… but that’s not actually true.’
I was going to die.
If this one hadn’t wanted my survival, and hadn’t persistently remained in the status window to support me in passing the idol mission, I wouldn’t have seen this view.
‘So I wanted to show you this once.’
[….]
‘That this is a view you gave me.’
I couldn’t put this one on the Stage, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to watch this much together.
[….]
Popup couldn’t display any text for several seconds.
But somehow, I felt that this one must have nodded quietly from the Audience Seating.
“Moon-dae, we should head down.”
“Yes.”
I turned my head and began descending from the Stage, leaving the Audience Seating behind.
Big Dal’s popup appeared again after that.
[I’m incredibly happy.]
I let out a soft laugh.
It felt like everything would turn out right, like everything was falling into place.
That must have been it. The moment I stepped off the Stage, before even checking the monitoring, I confirmed this first.
‘…Mission failure Popup.’
And the result was….
‘Park Moon-dae (1 / 2)’, ‘Ryu Gun-woo (2 /2)’
[Target objective
‘Park Moon-dae (1 / 2)’
lost]
[Target objective
‘Ryu Gun-woo (2 / 2)’
lost]
[Deactivated]
I succeeded.
[Mission Failure Scenario Complete]
Victory : Player Park Moon-dae(Ryu Gun-woo)
Reward : Fragment of ■■■ 2 (2/4)
I clenched my fist.
‘Good.’
However, a new Popup appeared above the previous one.
As if it had been waiting for me to confirm it.
[Fragment of ■■■ 2/4]
[Condition met!]
[■■■ Forming]
“…!”
…Forming?
In that moment, I recalled an ominous premonition.
Based on all the circumstances, ■■■ seemed to be that thing I call the System. …If that’s the case.
‘Don’t tell me the System is regenerating like this….’
So I carefully helped this bastard so it could strut around again, and this is how it ends? With such a dog-shit result?
‘Damn it.’
No way.
I stopped in my tracks.
“Park Moon-dae?”
“Hyung, are you okay??”
Wait.
I took a deep breath and stared at the Popup. I needed to confirm properly what was happening.
However, it changed to a completely unexpected message and ended.
[■■■(ver. Beta) Ownership Complete!]
[Owner : Player Park Moon-dae(Ryu Gun-woo)]
“….”
‘Ownership?’
The System… is mine?

* * *
At the same moment.
In a stock discussion forum on the Internet.
==========================
[Last Chance to Escape]
T1 Entertainment
Major bad news coming in February. Sell everything now.
==========================
-Isn’t Testa’s comeback supposed to be a huge hit?
-Backing from a faction?
-Go die lolol
The post received a few recommendations before being buried under far more downvotes, disappearing without much fanfare.
However, no one could have predicted that a screenshot of it would soon circulate across the Internet like a pilgrimage site.
…It was a harbinger of the storm to come.

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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
—————