Debut or Die - Chapter 475

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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 475
Between us, the decision was final.
I couldn’t work with Cha Yu-jin in his current state.
Whether it was a personal schedule, a brief event, or the group reality show we’d barely managed to secure.
“There’s no helping it.”
“Mm.”
…But was it really okay if my ten-minute attempt on the balcony was enough to convince him?
I didn’t mind since I talk fast, but still—an entire month’s schedule had been set based on this.
“Ah, if I can’t do it, so what.”
“Right.”
….
Well then.
“Let’s say it’s health issues next week and remove Eugene’s schedule entirely.”
“Yes, yes. And if we push back the reality show’s air date, we can film Eugene separately when he returns and insert his footage later….”
“Right. I’ll call the PD about it first thing tomorrow morning.”
Now that we had equity in the company, handling these details felt a bit less unfair.
After quickly settling the situation,
I called out to Bae Sae-jin, who was holding a script.
I thought I should do this.
“Hyung.”
“What, what?”
“Should we switch rooms?”
“…What?”
“You seem uncomfortable around unfamiliar people. And with your schedule getting busier lately, it’s better you rest comfortably in your room.”
…That was half true, but honestly, STier’s Cha Yu-jin probably made him uncomfortable, and the room situation didn’t look great.
But Bae Sae-jin, whom I expected to jump at the offer, let out a dry laugh instead.
“Forget it. I’m not that sensitive.”
….
His self-awareness was… well, never mind.
‘Since he’s so busy with filming, he barely sleeps anyway.’
The odds were extremely high that both of us would just quietly go about our business in silence.
It was better not to keep pushing and risk creating conflict or other variables… in terms of possibilities.
‘As long as no digestive issues develop, it doesn’t matter.’
“Okay.”
I decided to wait and see. I’d leave the door open just in case.
What I hadn’t anticipated, however, was that Bae Sae-jin had grown more confident in his role as Eldest Brother, and was quite enthusiastic about it.
So when I heard shouting from that room in the middle of the night two days later,
“…!!”
‘Damn it.’
“…Moon-dae, just now,”
“Yes.”
I reflexively bolted upright and made a guess.
‘The probability triggered. Damn it.’
STier Cha Yu-jin must have finally lost his patience and gone crazy, or confused things in his sleep!
‘That bastard said he knew the other person was different, but maybe he was just running his mouth about keeping boundaries….’
But when the members came pouring out and peered into the room.
“Don’t talk like that!”
The shout was coming from Bae Sae-jin directed at Cha Yu-jin.
‘…?’
“W-what’s going on?”
What the hell is happening?
* * *
A few days earlier.
‘Sigh.’
Bae Sae-jin took a short, deep breath before standing in front of his room.
I had confidently told Park Moon-dae earlier that it was fine… but truthfully, I was somewhat nervous.
After all, sharing a space with someone who wasn’t close was still difficult.
Cha Yu-jin, changed like someone else, was the same. A stranger, that’s right.
‘Still… I’ve grown too.’
I was no longer a child who would jump up and leave or desperately avoid things just because they were uncomfortable.
I could face the situation!
And I’d already been roommates with Cha Yu-jin for well over a year now. After all, since we shared the same body, I figured I could endure it through sheer momentum.
‘…Alright.’
I pushed the door open with determination.
Thud.
“….”
But Cha Yu-jin didn’t turn around.
He didn’t even spare me a glance. He simply lay on the bed, tossing and catching an American football.
‘Ugh.’
I unilaterally nodded at Cha Yu-jin (I regretted doing so immediately afterward), then lay down on my own bed.
‘Sigh….’
I opened the script, but my mind felt restless.
I wasn’t sure if I was offended by the situation, hurt, or just feeling obligated.
But… regardless of my emotions, I found myself unavoidably curious.
‘How was I… living?’
The version of myself who had experienced Ajusa without Park Moon-dae, the version that Cha Yu-jin had lived through.
I could make assumptions.
Based on how unfamiliar Cha Yu-jin’s attitude was, I probably hadn’t debuted.
And since he only showed uncooperative behavior throughout Ajusa, he might only remember me from that first impression back then.
No, the probability of that was high.
‘Anyway, he must have gained some recognition by now, so maybe he’s doing acting work….’
But if he remained with Dream K, it didn’t seem like he’d be doing anything particularly worthwhile.
“….”
I knew these were pointless thoughts. After all, it wasn’t even my situation to worry about.
‘It’s just speculation anyway….’
Just draining mental energy on conjecture. But this was characteristic of Bae Sae-jin—diving deep into such ruminations.
‘…Stop it!’
But I’d learned how to challenge myself now!
I took another deep breath and stopped entertaining unnecessary thoughts.
Instead, I read through the script once more before going to bed.
And after managing my anxiety well and diligently getting through my schedule, I moved again the next evening at the same time.
Because I’d prepared my secret weapon.
“…Want some?”
Bae Sae-jin pulled out a recycled paper envelope from the box he’d placed by the head of his bed and handed it to Cha Yu-jin.
It was the homemade snack that Cha Yu-jin usually loved most from Bae Sae-jin.
Homemade candy!
Mother would buy it from an acquaintance’s homemade candy shop from time to time and send it to me, and he craved it so much, saying it tasted like “the flavor of home”….
“Oh, Nope.”
“….”
He craved it…or so I thought.
-Buy a lot of this, hyung! I love it.
-…I’ll mention it to Mother.
-Oh!!
‘…You ate the brownies though!’
Bae Sae-jin suddenly missed his loud, talkative roommate so much….
So, holding back the surge of emotion that nearly overwhelmed me, I pressed on steadily with my next words.
“Ahem, right. Um, and you have snacks and hobby stuff you used to keep under your bed. If you get bored… find them and use them.”
“Understood.”
He gave a verbal affirmation.
But Cha Yu-jin on the bed didn’t move. It meant he didn’t even make a gesture to look.
A subtle dismissal.
“….”
Until now, Bae Sae-jin hadn’t been certain of something because everything had been so chaotic with group interactions.
But now, having a one-on-one conversation, the perceptive Bae Sae-jin immediately picked up on it.
‘…What’s with him?’
Contempt.
Hostility, a condescending attitude.
Bae Sae-jin, who was accustomed to and sensitive to such things, instantly caught STier Cha Yu-jin’s very subtle nonverbal expressions.
Even without him deliberately showing it, I could read it because I was sensitive.
“….”
Bae Sae-jin wasn’t angry.
Instead, he turned his head toward the script, but his heart pounded relentlessly.
‘What is this?’
Why was he treating me that way? Could it be that back then, when I failed to debut at Ajusa, I’d become such a pathetically worthless person?
Now that I think about it, he’s been especially cold to me alone….
‘No, stop it.’
This felt like a victim complex. And I didn’t want to be someone who swayed at the attitude of just one person anymore!
Bae Sae-jin steadied himself and tried to shift his gaze back to the script.
That’s when it happened.
“Are you close with me here?”
“…!”
Cha Yu-jin had spoken to me.
Of course, his tone wasn’t particularly warm. It was almost like muttering to himself, something said carelessly. It even sounded like he found it absurd.
But Bae Sae-jin answered earnestly.
“We’re in the same group, so… ahem, and we share a room too.”
“Umm, isn’t this the new dormitory?”
He was pointing out that since we’d become roommates in this new place, we’d only been sharing it for a few days at most.
But Bae Sae-jin shook his head.
“We just moved, but we were roommates for over a year before this too. Since we’re using the same roommate arrangement as the old dormitory for now.”
“….”
Cha Yu-jin fell silent, but something suddenly flashed in Bae Sae-jin’s mind.
‘Huh?’
It was the next part of the conversation. Like a script, it seemed to align perfectly, organizing itself in his head like typed text.
‘If that’s the case….’
Wait, could this be an opportunity?
“Actually, it’s going to change soon.”
Bae Sae-jin swallowed and opened his mouth again, this time more proactively.
“Once we start the reality show filming, I think the roommate arrangement will change too.”
A brief glance came, as if asking ‘So?’
Bae Sae-jin spoke as gently as possible, mimicking Ryu Chung-woo’s way of speaking like an actor.
“So I was thinking, if there’s a room you’d like to use, could you participate in that filming once?”
“….”
“So that you can use whichever room you want during the filming….”
“I don’t care. Any room, with anyone.”
Why is this guy so good at Korean…!
Bae Sae-jin wanted to squeeze his eyes shut, but the real point he wanted to make was coming next anyway.
“…Right. But! It would be uncomfortable, wouldn’t it? Then you’d have to stay somewhere other than the dormitory during filming. And you wouldn’t be able to go outside much either.”
Since Cha Yu-jin would be publicly stated as being ill, he’d have to stay at the hospital or hotel continuously.
‘It must be incredibly frustrating. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to say it’s just a leg injury, skip the stage but participate in at least one group reality show….’
Bae Sae-jin was trying to organize his thoughts as calmly as possible to explain why this might not be so bad for Cha Yu-jin either.
Laughter echoed through the room.
A dry chuckle.
“Why would I do that?”
…What?
“Leaving the Dormitory is fine.”
Cha Yu-jin stared at Bae Sae-jin with an expressionless face, as if he hadn’t laughed at all.
“But where I live during that time is my choice. It’s my body, and I’ll do as I please. OK?”
“….”
Bae Sae-jin couldn’t respond for a moment.
It wasn’t because he had nothing to say.
‘This is….’
Until now, Bae Sae-jin had tried his best to understand Cha Yu-jin’s position.
How confusing and difficult must it be to suddenly possess different memories and find yourself in an unfamiliar environment, with no one else in the same situation?
Compared to his own experience at Ajusa, this Cha Yu-jin was fortunate.
He truly believed that.
‘But,’
that didn’t mean he could casually declare he’d do whatever he wanted, actions that might cause tremendous harm to the original ‘Testa Cha Yu-jin’ who inhabited this body….
‘That’s just violence.’
Taking someone else’s clothes because I’m cold wasn’t justified.
That wasn’t individualism—it was selfishness.
That’s what he thought. So,
“No.”
Bae Sae-jin’s expression hardened.
“What are you talking about?”
* * *
Dawn.
Bae Sae-jin’s voice filled the room.
“I understand that you’re confused and struggling. But… that doesn’t mean you can just do whatever you want.”
“….”
“I’m saying this because I’ve also vented stress on others like this before and had to apologize.”
“Um, hyung.”
Big Sae-jin interjected cautiously.
“What exactly did Eugene say? Let me see….”
“…During the reality shoot, he said he’d sit it out. So he’d have to leave the Dormitory for a bit….”
Bae Sae-jin clenched his fists.
“And he said he’d just wander around as he pleases during that time.”
“…!”
“And for the next month, he’s saying he’ll do whatever he wants!”
Damn.
I turned to look at STier Cha Yu-jin. He was still staring at Bae Sae-jin. It seemed like we’d exchanged words a few times already.
First, let me verify… No, if I start splitting hairs, I’ll only make this bigger.
I’ll start with a clean closure.
I deliberately refused to sympathize with Bae Sae-jin’s anger and spoke to Cha Yu-jin calmly instead.
“We used ‘health reasons’ as the excuse for Cha Yu-jin’s absence from activities. That’s the most reasonable justification we could give.”
“….”
Even Cha Yu-jin, who had experience as an idol, would have to acknowledge that.
“So if it’s acceptable, I’d appreciate it if you could show a appearance that matches that reason to some degree.”
[Say whatever you want. I’ll do it.]
Cha Yu-jin answered in a low voice.
[I’ll do the same.]
Damn it.
This bastard was pissed too.
‘Did he cross the line?’
I began trying hard not to think of an extreme solution, though I was certain it would resolve things.
That’s when it happened.
[We didn’t drag you into this situation. We’re just a few people caught up in it, just like you.]
Calm English rang out.
It was Sun Ah-hyun.
He had chosen his words quite carefully.
[I think we did our best to show the consideration we could. If there were shortcomings, wouldn’t you be willing to address them through communication?]
“….”
Cha Yu-jin fell silent.
Then he let out a low sigh.
“Your consideration has a purpose. That’s not consideration—that’s control.”
What?
[In simple terms: ‘Please don’t do any activities that could harm our Cha Yu-jin’s career when he returns.’]
“…!”
[All your attention is focused there. I’m not blaming you. But you can’t blame me either. So….]
STier’s Cha Yu-jin moved his neck.
[Testa? Unfortunately, that’s not my concern.]
And the next moment.
“…!!”
He began moving past the room toward the entrance.
“Wait,”
“What’s he doing?”
Everyone reacted half a beat too slow to the unexpectedly sudden situation.
It was a problem that Ryu Chung-woo happened to be standing on the outermost edge, and more than anything, we couldn’t move quickly because he was unfamiliar to us.
‘Damn it.’
I immediately tried to force-lock the entrance with the pad, but he opened the door first.
And in an instant, he was in the elevator and pressing the close button.
“Hey!”
Which meant,
‘…He’d already called the Elevator beforehand.’
This bastard… had he planned to leave all along?
I clenched my teeth as I turned to look at the Entrance.
“Cha Yu-jin!”
“….”
The Elevator doors remained shut, but Kim Rae-bin still asked,
“Where are you going?”
I could see his lips moving.
‘I don’t know.’
And then the Elevator descended.
STier’s Cha Yu-jin left the Dormitory just like that.

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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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