Debut or Die - Chapter 473

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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 473
The medical staff diagnosed Cha Yu-jin’s condition as “stress-induced delirium.”
Since entertainment was an industry where professionals witnessed every conceivable spectacle, there had been several similar cases in the past.
“When someone hasn’t slept and suddenly comes to their senses, they might start throwing objects around, that sort of thing….”
He’d regained consciousness, and the tests showed he was in good health—an ambiguous diagnosis that rest and mental stability would likely resolve the situation.
“I understand. Thank you so much…!”
Still, the mere fact that the Communication Expert had commented on “previous cases” seemed to ease Kim Rae-bin’s expression somewhat.
“Um, I’m sorry, but for a moment….”
And Big Sae-jin began a separate conversation with the medical staff.
He was probably trying to ask about “what measures to take if Cha Yu-jin doesn’t recover on his own within a few hours.”
The staff members were rushing around beside him, making calls and working frantically. Half were probably scheduling meetings and half were urgently rearranging schedules.
‘What a mess.’
And by then, this STier member Cha Yu-jin also seemed to have grasped the strangeness of the situation.
At the very least, he would have realized this wasn’t America the moment the medical staff and employees came rushing in speaking Korean.
“Moon-dae, can you and Eugene stay here for now? I think it’d be better to divide things that way.”
“…Sure.”
And the fact that these unfamiliar people were acting as though they knew him well.
However, he hadn’t caused trouble during the examination.
-Explain Testa to me? Well, I’m not sure.
-Oh…, no. I was sleeping.
He simply responded adequately to questions posed in an uncooperative manner.
‘Is he assessing the situation?’
That was when it happened.
Bang!
“Guys!”
“…!”
The one who rushed through the door was another member who’d been in the middle of a schedule.
However, it wasn’t Ryu Chung-woo, whom Big Sae-jin had said would arrive soon.
“Hyung Sae-jin!”
It was Bae Sae-jin, breathing heavily.
Having run with all his might, he grasped the doorknob and caught his breath, his face flushed red from exertion.
“The… the filming ended early, so, phew, I came right away… Did Cha Yu-jin wake up?!”
“Yes!”
It seemed he’d been anxious the whole time and the moment it ended, he’d received word and come immediately. He greeted Kim Rae-bin and strode toward Cha Yu-jin.
‘I thought Ryu Chung-woo would arrive first.’
It seemed Bae Sae-jin arrived first because the filming studio was closer….
Wait.
‘…Bae Sae-jin?’
I suddenly realized something.
That previous life—before I participated in Idol Stock Company, before I entered Park Moon-dae’s body.
Back then… Bae Sae-jin had also debuted and been active with STier.
Briefly.
-Lee Sae-jin from ‘Idol Corporation’ arrested on drug trafficking charges.
“….”
Before making the 9 o’clock news as a drug supplier… that is.
Of course, it was also true that STier’s activities hadn’t gone smoothly from the beginning due to agency and fandom issues.
However, it was undeniable to anyone that this drug news had been the fatal turning point where STier’s career derailed.
“….”
And if the person sitting in this hospital room right now was….
“Oh.”
…Cha Yu-jin from that ‘STier’.
‘Damn it.’
I immediately moved closer to the bed. I could hear Bae Sae-jin asking worriedly from a distance.
“Are you… are you okay?”
Cha Yu-jin didn’t answer.
He simply stared at Bae Sae-jin as if he’d spotted something unexpected in an unlikely place.
Then he opened his mouth.
“Lee Sae-jin?”
“…!? Why are you asking me that….”
[I think you’ve got the wrong person, but am I really this drug dealer….]
“…!”
Damn it.
[Shut your mouth.]
I hastily lowered my voice and whispered to Cha Yu-jin, then approached Bae Sae-jin.
“He just woke up and seems a bit disoriented. He’s saying he’s in America.”
“Y-yes, that’s right!”
Kim Rae-bin agreed vehemently.
“Ah! He also mentioned brownies and chocolate chip cookies! Could the stress from restraining snacks during his active period be the cause?”
That wasn’t it.
Unfortunately, Bae Sae-jin’s eyes grew serious.
“R-really? …Ah! There’s a bakery right up ahead! I’ll go get some, so wait here!”
“…! Of course! I’ll go with you!”
And the two of them began rushing out of the hospital room.
They looked ready to sweep up every brownie and cookie in sight.
Slam!
“….”
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.
‘Sigh.’
I stared at the closed door, then sat down in the caregiver’s chair, suppressing a sigh.
I couldn’t handle this situation at all.
‘Still… let’s talk first.’
Since things had quieted down, I thought now was the right moment.
But… the problem was that I wasn’t the only one watching for the right timing.
Outside the hospital room, everyone was busy with their own tasks. Inside, silence had settled as people left.
He’d been observing the situation, and the moment my attention scattered, he made his move.
“Hey there. Umm, ‘Moon-dae hyung’?”
“….”
I turned my head.
Cha Yu-jin from STier—who’d cleverly used the title that Kim Rae-bin had called me—spoke from where he sat on the hospital bed.
[You know what kind of insane situation is happening here, right?]
“….”
[Maybe I ate some special brownie and I’m having some ridiculous K-pop hallucination.]
He pointed at his hair with his finger.
Blonde.
[But I don’t dye it anymore.]
That was the moment.
He reached out his hand.
Grabbing my shoulder, he suddenly thrust his head forward with considerable intimidation.
“…!”
[And you recognized me. Every time I said ‘STier’, every time I said ‘drug dealer’, you recognized me.]
“….”
Cha Yu-jin didn’t remove the hand gripping my shoulder.
With our eyes locked, he slowly tapped my forearm beside my shoulder with his other hand.
[I don’t know what the hell “Testa” is, but if this is some kind of prank show, you’d better prepare for a lawsuit. I don’t remember signing anything.]
“….”
Sigh.
I took a deep breath.
It was complicated.
‘I can’t just lash out and start with this.’
Given the circumstances, I wasn’t even angry.
‘This is just… a mess.’
I opened my mouth, suppressing the headache.
“First of all.”
[Hm?]
“What disbanded K-pop group member would do something like that in America?”
“…!!”
“And you didn’t take any drugs. Neither did Kim Rae-bin.”
I had no idea why they’d put drugs in perfectly good brownies in America, but still.
Cha Yu-jin’s eyes widened slightly.
The moment the grip on my shoulder loosened, I pulled his hand away.
“But there is one thing you said that’s true.”
“What?”
“Something insane did happen.”
“…huh?”
I tossed the idiot’s hand back onto the bed. It was the maximum kindness I could afford to show.

* * *
A new member.
New activities.
A new development.
Before the two of them returned from the bakery, I gave Cha Yu-jin a brief rundown of Testa’s activity patterns—not STier’s, but Testa’s.
Of course, his reaction was exactly as I’d predicted.
[I think there are three possibilities. Want to hear them?]
“What.”
[Either you got high, or I got high.]
“That’s two.”
[Or we both did.]
Damn it.
‘Why did this bastard turn into a drug-obsessed parrot.’
I barely restrained the urge to grab my head.
“Why does it all have to be drugs? Hallucinations? Is that a drug symptom?”
[That’s what I heard.]
“….”
So he’s never actually tried it himself.
Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t gone that far.
[So am I the crazy one? Listen, do you know how much an emergency room visit costs in America? You just dragged a crazy person to the hospital without thinking?]
“I’m telling you, no.”
I pressed my temples and spoke quietly.
“Just look out the window first.”
“What?”
“You don’t have to move. Just shift your eyes. Look.”
I cracked open the blinds slightly.
And Cha Yu-jin, literally just by shifting his gaze, looked outside….
“…!”
“It’s South Korea.”
Korean signage visible through the window and the familiar cityscape.
It was Seoul.
Even though I’d said we were in America, this guy had definitely spent years based in Seoul, so there was no way he wouldn’t recognize it.
“Holy….”
Creak.
Cha Yu-jin opened the window and only after confirming the space did he shift his attitude slightly.
[Are you serious?]
“Yeah.”
That meant he was starting to consider the possibility that this might actually be the truth.
“So we don’t have to worry about hospital bills. We’re a K-pop boy group. The company will cover the costs.”
“….”
“You’re in a group called ‘Testa’ right now. We’re your members.”
[Nonsense.]
[It’s not nonsense.]
I muttered flatly while listening to the sound of footsteps rushing into the hospital room, wondering if I’d successfully purchased the brownies.
“Just give it half a day and you’ll have no choice but to accept it.”

* * *
“We’re heading out.”
“Yes!”
Cha Yu-jin, whose body was healthy and showed no particularly violent outbursts or seizure symptoms, was discharged from the hospital.
Of course, all his schedules for the next few days had already been cancelled.
“Eugene, is there anything uncomfortable?”
“No. I’m fine.”
Cha Yu-jin answered very obediently to Ryu Chung-woo, who was asking gently from the front seat.
But soon he turned his head with an uncomfortable expression and muttered something.
[This damn strange world….]
“Speak.”
Cha Yu-jin looked back at me with an expression that said ‘what right do you have?’, but soon answered obediently.
“Sorry. It’s been a few months since I’ve been free.”
“….”
I remember.
Those three who continued unit activities under the STier name until the very end.
Ryu Chung-woo, Kim Rae-bin, and Cha Yu-jin.
I remembered that even those guys who were so diligently engaged in group activities had disappeared after the disbandment.
And this ‘STier Cha Yu-jin’ had apparently returned to his home country, America, right after his activities ended.
But… ‘freedom’.
‘He must have really disliked idol life.’
After all, ‘doing your assigned work properly until the end’ and ‘enjoying your assigned work’ aren’t the same thing.
‘Though the situation was pretty damn awful, to be honest.’
Even knowing that, there was an inexplicably bitter aftertaste.
“This is the Dormitory we moved to. If staying here doesn’t help with stability because we haven’t been here long, please tell me!”
“OK.”
Cha Yu-jin, who had been silently looking out the window throughout the car ride, didn’t become particularly more talkative even after arriving at the Dormitory.
He simply seemed to be roughly confirming the state of the Dormitory in a half-hearted manner.
The incident was as follows.
“This is our music video playlist, and I thought it might help Cha Yu-jin regain his senses faster if he watched it, so I brought it!”
“That works!”
“It’s been a while since we’ve watched our own stuff too.”
And so, a continuous viewing session began, starting from Testa’s debut music video, “Magical Boy.”
“….”
Truth be told, I’d deliberated whether showing him this was the right approach.
‘If I don’t show him, he won’t seem convinced.’
Cha Yu-jin didn’t appear to be that type, but he was surprisingly pragmatic at heart.
Without any prior connection, he’d only cooperate if concrete evidence materialized that he could accept.
And sure enough,
“…This one.”
“Cha Yu-jin! Do you have something to say about this song?”
“How did you pull this off?”
“…?”
-Ah, I’m getting dizzy~
What he’d captured was a music video filled with Testa dancing in a baseball uniform with a smile, set against the striking backdrop of a blue sky at the School Sports Ground.
It was “High Five.”
Originally, the first title track that the company had prepared for Ajusa’s debut group.
A song that was supposed to come out in an awkward disco style that didn’t fit the concept at all.
But.
“The company originally wanted to go with disco, but I convinced them with a full presentation. Let’s go rock instead, cleanly.”
“….”
“And Rae-bin rearranged it.”
Cha Yu-jin watched the High Five music video in silence until the end.
And then the next music video, and the next.
By the time we reached “Better Me.”
“OK, I’ll acknowledge it.”
“…?”
“Testa.”
STier Cha Yu-jin lifted his head.
On the face of the one who’d pronounced “Testa” in Korean phonetics, there was neither revelation nor bewilderment—something heavier lingered there.
Like a shadow.
“…”
…Somehow, my mood wasn’t particularly refreshed.
‘At least we’ve reached the starting line now.’
From here on, I’d need to control him carefully so he doesn’t act impulsively….
“…??”
“What is Cha Yu-jin saying right now?”
…Of course, after I explained things a bit on this end too.

* * *
A few minutes later.
“So… this Eugene is Eugene from when Park Moon-dae was still Chung-woo, right? Yeah? Is that the right way to put it?”
“I think that’s right… oh, yeah.”
Ryu Chung-woo and Bae Sae-jin exchanged confused remarks.
Despite having weathered countless extraordinary situations, this was a first for all of them, and their bewilderment showed.
Yet at the same time, there was a palpable sense of relief.
“…In any case, Cha Yu-jin isn’t actually sick, so… that’s fortunate, I suppose?”
“Well, we did figure out the cause.”
Kim Rae-bin muttered absently.
“Still, the fact that he debuted from Ajusa without Park Moon-dae’s participation… I can hardly imagine it.”
“Right? I don’t think I would’ve debuted. Oh, is it okay if I ask who actually debuted?”
Big Sae-jin posed the question.
There was genuine curiosity there, but also an attempt to get a better read on this version of Cha Yu-jin.
Cha Yu-jin smirked and rested his chin on the table.
“No, it’s not.”
“…!”
“It wouldn’t mean anything to you guys anyway. So I’m not telling. Got it?”
The atmosphere froze in an instant.

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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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