Debut or Die - Chapter 484

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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 484
Featuring.
When a musician, typically a singer, releases a song, it refers to a guest participating and singing a portion of the track.
Usually, it’s common for a guest with different characteristics from the original artist to participate.
This gives the album a fresh appeal or added strength.
For instance, a vocalist for a rapper, a female for a male, or a senior artist for promotional purposes for a junior with less recognition.
But here’s the thing.
-VTIC Senior Shin Chung-ryeo: Junior, would you happen to be interested in featuring?
Could it really be for a VTIC song?
‘…A top-tier male idol featuring on another top-tier male idol’s song?’
The internet version overflowing with verbal abuse immediately came to mind.
It would be an absolute disaster.
Of course, I could certainly draw attention with this kind of controversy….
‘Why would I?’
There’s nothing more to think about here.
-I apologize, but we’ve recently taken on many new projects, so it’s difficult to take on new challenges at this time.
I paused from looking at my status window and immediately sent a reply.
‘He can’t seriously be asking me to feature on his song.’
I wanted to figure out what his real intention was behind sending such a sudden message.
And not long after, my smartphone rang again.
The reply that arrived was….
-VTIC Senior Shin Chung-ryeo: Is that so?
-VTIC Senior Shin Chung-ryeo: You should at least be interested.
“….”
-VTIC Senior Shin Chung-ryeo: Isn’t it better to help each other than to be indebted? It looks good too.
Look at this guy.
‘Is he seriously bringing up the debt he’s been holding over my head since he helped me out a few times recently?’
This is the same bastard who tried to smash my head in, but admittedly, he’s been cooperative afterward and there’s value in what he’s settled.
I’ve also received crucial help from him a few times since then.
‘But it was mutual, you bastard.’
Where does he get off acting like only he helped me? On top of that, he’s backstabbed me more than once.
I started typing a message with the opposite meaning, as if I didn’t understand what he was saying.
-You don’t need to feel indebted, senior.
But I stopped there and paused.
‘Hmm.’
This guy doesn’t seem to be simply trying to provoke me.
It’s annoying, but also quite intriguing. I rubbed my chin and then edited and sent my reply.
-Whose song is it?
Though it’s awkward to say from my own mouth, like stagnant water from decades past, he’s someone who knows how to discern matters.
He’s not the type of clear-headed guy who just wants to do things together because he’s close with someone.
He wouldn’t ask for my feature on his own album. So that means….
‘This must be a connection.’
Who is it? Could it be Malang Dalcom….
Ding-
-VTIC Senior Shin Chung-ryeo : Of course it’s my song.^^
“….”
Is this guy insane?
I called him.
“Senior.”
-Junior.
“Is there more you’d like to explain?”
I heard soft laughter through the phone.
-Yes.
And so an impromptu meeting was arranged.
Though it felt almost like a duel.

* * *
Chung-ryeo had called me to an outdoor cafe we’d visited once before.
‘Did he buy the place?’
Whether he’d rented it out entirely this quickly or was actually pulling some scam, there were no other people around again.
Instead, this time a yellow dog was happily bounding across the grass.
“The grass grows well in summer, so Kongi seems excited too.”
“….”
Woof!
I looked down at the dog dropping a ball at my feet and wagging its tail furiously.
What… you want me to throw it?
‘Here goes.’
The soft ball traced an arc across the yard, and the dog shot off like an arrow in pursuit.
And I turned to look at the man across the way.
“You can go inside if you’re hot.”
“I’m fine.”
It was still cool, being close to dawn.
I waited without speaking first, arms crossed, for the one who’d made the proposal to explain himself.
That was only proper.
And propriety was observed.
“Well, you probably already know I’m preparing an album.”
Yeah.
“You know all VTIC members have enlisted, right?”
Yeah, I know.
As I nodded, he annoyingly nodded back at me.
“There’s a song I want to use, but there’s a part in the bridge where the vocal range doesn’t match.”
“….”
“Well, given the situation, I think the Junior Member would be the right fit. What do you say?”
Is he serious?
“Does a guy on leave lose his voice or something?”
Anyone watching would think Ju Dan was staging a recording strike.
But Chung-ryeo didn’t bat an eye.
“You can’t engage in profit-generating activities while serving.”
“Wouldn’t something made before enlistment be an exception?”
“Recording while on leave doesn’t fall under that category. It could cause problems if word gets out.”
And he smiled gently.
“I’m sure the Junior Member understands.”
“….”
Understands?
That word getting out would be problematic—I’m supposed to understand that?
‘…Ah.’
Damn it.
‘This bastard heard about it too.’
I picked up the ice water and drank. Then I opened my mouth.
“Did it leak from LeTi?”
Cha Yu-jin’s escape from the Dormitory.
The fact that it reached even Wonderhole’s agency—who had been busily preparing a reverse viral campaign against us—in such a short time.
Could the source have been LeTi?
‘LeTi invested nearly half of our company’s funding.’
In that process, contact networks between related parties were inevitable. Naturally, it meant personnel exchanges had occurred.
And the story of Cha Yu-jin’s escape from the Dormitory could have leaked that way.
But Chung-ryeo casually corrected me.
“Right. ‘It leaked all the way to LeTi’ would be the accurate way to put it.”
“….”
“I understand. You must have a lot on your mind right now. Information control is tricky when you’re already stretched thin, isn’t it?”
He leaned his upper body forward slightly and rested his arm on the table.
“If the Junior Member does the featuring, I’ll tell you where the rat is.”
“….”
“Seems like a fair trade. What do you think?”
Hmm.
I set down the glass with only ice remaining onto the table.
“First, I need to verify.”
“Hm?”
“I need to confirm whether the information about our company that you heard is accurate.”
That bit about it leaking to LeTi.
Chung-ryeo, who had been listening quietly, answered without hesitation, his composure unshaken.
“Cha Yu-jin left the Dormitory.”
“I don’t know why he left.”
“There were rumors about stress-related hospitalization and member conflict… but who knows.”
He didn’t seem to believe that narrative himself.
Yet he showed not a shred of doubt about the fact that Cha Yu-jin had deserted.
‘That confidence is absolutely lethal.’
Either way, it was good. I could tell this guy had a clear grasp of the situation.
So then, the next question.
“Why do you want to use me?”
“….”
“Wait. Don’t give me that ‘you’re just the right fit for the situation’ nonsense. If it’s about song quality or promotion, there are plenty of other options besides me.”
Starting with having Ju Dan record before his enlistment, or if the song was discovered late, there were no shortage of male soloists with strong vocals dominating the market.
‘There’s even the option of just rearranging it.’
So why specifically use a rival first-tier male idol?
“There’s a specific reason you need me as a featured artist.”
“That’s right.”
“…!”
Chung-ryeo gave a clean affirmation.
And then he smiled, amused.
“Want to take a guess?”
I could kill him.
“Well, I already figured it out, right? I was just asking if you might be able to guess too. But it’s fine if you can’t.”
He had the information handed to him, while I had to deduce it—I didn’t see how that made us equal in ‘guessing.’
‘Looks like I lose if I get angry.’
So I laid it out plainly.
“I’m not a mind reader. How would I know what you’re thinking?”
“Mm.”
“But I can think about it from my own perspective.”
In reverse, that is.
‘If I were Chung-ryeo, and I absolutely had to use Park Moon-dae as a featured artist?’
How could I benefit from using a same-tier rival male idol as a featured artist?
“If I had to use you, how would I do it?”
Then it becomes clear quickly.
“No matter what I do, I lose money. It becomes controversial, so I’d have to defend against it.”
Fanbase division, conflict, rumors.
From there, a public opinion battle would erupt and feelings would be hurt—I’d need an impressive concept strong enough to defend against that.
The time, money, and manpower to create that concept?
It would be far more profitable to redirect that into album promotion instead.
So how would I do it?
“So… I’ve been thinking about whether there’s any way to completely block controversy before it even starts.”
There’s only one method.
“If we were under the same company, there wouldn’t be any controversy.”
“…!”
That’s right.
Seniors and juniors from the same company naturally have more freedom with featuring collaborations.
It means fans conceptually ‘accept’ a wider range of activities.
In other words, if Testa’s agency, ‘Orbit Stars Entertainment,’ were completely a subsidiary of LeTi… that’s what it means.
Having come this far, I could reverse-engineer the reason behind his proposal.
Setting the narrative.
“You’re trying to put my name into your activities… to more clearly show that our company has aligned with the LeTi line?”
…In other words, it’s like this.
-??Who’s Park Moon-dae all of a sudden
-Oh, he’s with Testa’s company, the LeTi side
Okay, okay. So that’s why you did a featuring.
Wow, that’s crazy! I heard they were close, and now that they’ve moved to the Entertainment Company, they can do stuff like this too lolol
Chung-ryeo withdrew his arm from the table.
And he smiled.
“You got it.”
“….”
“As you probably already know, LeTi is also investing in platform businesses. Online concerts, broadcasting, fan social media—that sort of thing.”
Chung-ryeo continued speaking while adjusting his Americano cup.
“And the importance of platforms in this industry is… well, you’ve probably felt it yourself, junior.”
“….”
“So looking at it long-term, we need to boost our image’s weight class a bit more right now.”
This guy essentially has control over LeTi, his own entertainment agency.
So he can boldly invest his own album into expanding the company’s business capabilities.
‘For the group’s long-term survival.’
Because he can do whatever he wants with the company!
‘Crazy bastard.’
“So you want to demonstrate more influence over our company?”
“Hm? Demonstrate? Isn’t it just stating facts? Half the investment capital didn’t disappear, did it, junior?”
Chung-ryeo stared at me intently.
“And… you’d understand, junior.”
What.
“This isn’t a proposal where only LeTi benefits unilaterally.”
“….”
I let my thought process cool for a moment.
Then, calmly, I began calculating again.
‘Testa’s benefits.’
“…You’re trying to make up for the deteriorated relationship with T1 using LeTi’s platform?”
“You understand well.”
But it’s obvious you’ll just get pushed back and blocked by us anyway.
Besides, how can you even compare to a major broadcasting company platform like T1?
‘But honestly, showing some level of alignment in this situation isn’t necessarily bad….’
I hid my complicated thoughts and answered sharply.
“That’s just rationalization. Obviously LeTi comes out ahead.”
“That’s why I prepared additional compensation.”
…The matter of Cha Yu-jin’s dormitory escape.
‘Hmm.’
I crossed my arms.
I could almost hear the sound of scales tipping back and forth in my ears.
It made sense. This wasn’t something decided by personal connections.
That’s when it happened.
Chung-ryeo opened his mouth gently again.
“There’s one thing I want to make clear.”
“….”
“I have no intention of doing anything that would harm Testa. It’s just….”
Chung-ryeo smiled softly.
“I’m planning to do everything I can with the situation I’ve been given.”
“….”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing too, Junior?”
I realized who he was referring to, even though he didn’t explicitly name them.
-ĭter.
Against that rookie actor.
“….”
“In that sense, a strategic alliance.”
Chung-ryeo extended his hand.
“What do you think?”
“….”
I let out a short sigh.
And I asked.
“What’s the deadline?”
“This year.”
The answer came back immediately.
I grasped the hand on the table without hesitation and shook it.
“Of course, this is my independent judgment, and if the group rejects it after discussion, that’s the end of it.”
“Understood.”
As if that would happen, his eyes seemed to say.
“And one more thing.”
I adjusted my posture.
“You obviously know this, but featuring on the title track is overreaching.”
“Hm?”
“At most, aim for a B-side or the second sub-track.”
“….”
It was a natural and sensible suggestion. Well, even without me saying it, that’s what would’ve happened anyway.
But Chung-ryeo paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Huh?
“I never said I needed your feature on my solo album. I said I needed it for the ‘song I’m planning to use.'”
“….”
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any issues for either side.”
“….”
Right, damn it.
Yeah, I overestimated him.
‘That bastard isn’t the type to take losses on his own album….’
From now on, instead of wasting even a sliver of my time worrying about that guy’s career, I should focus on my own stamina.
I drained the melted ice and roughly patted the dog’s neck. The dog’s panting grew louder.
The guy across from me opened his mouth again.
“Oh, and about the rat,”
Perfect timing for you.
‘I was going to bring that up anyway.’
“You don’t need to tell me about that.”
“…?”
“I’ll handle it myself.”
I laughed inwardly.
Because I knew that if the flow reached this point, even this guy wouldn’t easily back out.
“But I want to add one more condition.”
I laid out the condition that had become increasingly concrete as I arrived at the meeting and conversed with him.
Chung-ryeo’s expression shifted as he listened, and soon.
“Ha ha!”
He burst out laughing.
“Junior, you’re really greedy, aren’t you?”
Look who’s talking.
I ruffled the dog’s head once more as it brought the ball back, then threw it again.
“Want to cancel?”
“No.”
He stopped laughing and nodded.
“Yeah. Let’s do it that way.”
I knew he would.
I ended my conversation with him smoothly like that. And beneath the summer morning sky….
[Hyung! Is something wrong? I haven’t been able to reach you lately….]
Hm? A popup appeared.
‘Ah, Big Dal.’
It had been a while since he contacted me.
Things had been chaotic because of Cha Yu-jin for a while, so his messages had been sparse. It seemed he was worried.
I was planning to contact him anyway, so the timing worked out perfectly.
After explaining some background, I simply declared the current situation.
‘The System upload is already complete.’
[What?]
‘New popups keep appearing. There’s even something called a survey.’
[…A survey?]
Yeah, I’m confused too.
‘Anyway, I’m outside right now. Let me head back and we can talk in detail….’
That’s when it happened.
“Um, Junior Member.”
What?
But before I could even respond, an unexpected voice came again.
With content I never could have imagined.
“A survey?”
“…!!”
What?
I whipped my head toward Chung-ryeo so hard my neck nearly snapped.
He was looking precisely at me… no.
At the empty space in front of my eyes.
Where the popup was.
“….”
No way.
“Can you see it?”
“Yes.”
Chung-ryeo raised his hand.
And then… with his index finger, he poked right at the popup.
“I can see it clearly.”
[Ahhhhhhh!]
…And so.
An unwanted status window counselor was added.

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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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