Debut or Die - Chapter 5

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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 5
The iconic intro that the entire nation knew by heart faded away, and an upbeat vocal struck my ears.
I struck the signature opening pose I’d memorized.
One of the judges spit out the water he’d been drinking.
-Oh, me too! I love you~
My heart’s racing! The feeling is~ like popcorn!
POP! POP!
The exploding beat just rings out~
This feeling overflowing in my chest!
Tap tap tap—with simple footwork, only Young-rin, who’d requested the dance, nodded seriously. She seemed to be the only true professional here.
Soon enough, a section came up that roughly half my peers could dance.
-POP! POP!
You’re my Popcorn~ (Oh Yeah!)
My heart
CON CON CON CON
Control it~
The chorus of Malang Dalcom’s “POP☆CON,” released a decade ago, pounded forcefully against my eardrums.
Infamous as the forbidden song during college entrance exams, it had been the primary culprit that ruined countless test-takers’ listening comprehension sections with its absurd lyrics and dangerously addictive melody.
For the record, I took that exam too. Just couldn’t afford to retake it.
-POP POP!
The bursting Popcorn~ (Ooh~)
It was famous for all sorts of people uploading cover dances, which spoke to how straightforward the choreography was.
To put it bluntly, even elementary school kids could pull it off with practice.
Honestly, if they’d released this during the original craze ten years ago, it would’ve been nothing but criticism. But now, I figured I could frame it with nostalgia and turn it into comedy, so I chose it.
Of course, I was dancing seriously the whole time.
If I, as a contestant, grinned and made it obvious I was in on the joke, it’d come across as unlikeable.
I had to give the impression that I’d prepared diligently within the bounds of what I could execute.
Of course, I actually had worked hard. I’d leveled up while practicing this too. Achievements unlocked: “First Movement” and “Ten Movements.”
Watching the judges applaud and laugh their heads off, I felt like I might’ve made a mistake somewhere… but whatever. They’d evaluate it however they saw fit.
I stopped dancing after the final move of the first verse.
As I caught my breath and bowed my head slightly, applause came—this time a bit more composed.
“Thank you.”
Young-rin grabbed the microphone first, but it was the Choreographer Judge who jumped in.
His eyes were bloodshot from laughing so hard. He looked like he might’ve actually cried from it.
“Wow, man… I never would’ve dreamed that’d come up. Weren’t you like ten years old when Popcorn came out? Did you prepare that as a talent show act back then?”
“Not exactly, but I’m a fan of Malang Dalcom, so I prepared it.”
“Kha!”
For reference, Malang Dalcom’s most recent album had dropped four years ago.
Her peak was so far in the past that a twenty-year-old claiming to be a fan seemed unusual.
It wasn’t even the kind of thing that could be used as a point of criticism, even if I were the opposite gender.
As expected, the Choreographer Judge burst into laughter at the question.
Beside him, Moody hummed contentedly.
“Ah… that’s adorable~”
“You worked hard, at least you gave it your all!”
The Young Male Judge chimed in.
The suspicion that had flickered across his face when I mentioned having no experience had completely vanished.
Only then did Young-rin finally open her mouth.
“That doesn’t mean I did well, though.”
I saw this coming.
It was exactly the kind of moment that would get close-ups and sound effects in the edit.
And that line would probably pop up in oversized red text with a dramatic “boom” effect.
I mentally mapped out the editing angles while waiting for the rest of her evaluation.
“Your movements lack refinement. Even if you receive positive feedback based on the current atmosphere, the upcoming missions will be challenging for you.”
“I’m prepared for that.”
Not me—my status window was.
Regardless of what I’d swallowed back, Young-rin nodded heavily.
“I see.”
Then she softened her expression and added:
“…In any case, your effort shows. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you.”
I think I’ve said “thank you” about ten times today already. I wonder if this pace will continue.
Around that point, the judges were exchanging opinions without holding their microphones so I couldn’t hear them.
And this is where another cruel element of this show rears its head.
They rank everyone from 1st to 77th place right after the first evaluation. And they assign seats accordingly.
Using the provisional rankings that come out immediately after the judging.
And if the next contestant performs better while the seats are full, the rankings shift and someone has to give up their seat.
The show’s signature move is filming lower-ranked contestants getting bumped down one seat at a time until they’re sitting in last place, crying.
Fortunately, I don’t think I’ll sink that far.
My ranking should be around 24th place.
“Park Moon-dae’s ranking is… 17th place!”
They’d deliberately inflated my score by about five spots to capture that dramatic moment, so the actual result was close to my prediction.
‘Looks like the atmosphere gave me about three or four extra spots.’
Once the judges’ rose-tinted glasses come off with time, I might have to quickly surrender my seat to some middle schoolers.
While thinking this somewhat numbly, I couldn’t help but find it a bit amusing as I bowed respectfully.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll push you hard in training, so make sure you rank higher next time.”
The Choreographer Judge said with a grin. If my skills don’t improve after this, he’ll probably flip his attitude immediately, but I had my status window.
‘I wish I could capture a scene of that choreographer being impressed.’
I bowed once more and headed toward the seating area.
The ranked seats grew larger, more ornate, and more luxurious as they ascended. The difference was so blatant it bordered on tacky.
The seat at 17th place where I would sit looked like a leather chair that a corporate executive might occupy.
As I settled in, a contestant sitting diagonally across at 15th place greeted me. He had a gentle impression and appeared to be around Park Moon-dae’s age.
“Hello~”
“Hello.”
“You sang so well!”
“Thank you. You must have done well too.”
“Huh? Aha!”
I hadn’t seen him perform properly, so I couldn’t say for certain, but judging by the rankings, that seemed to be the case—and my comment seemed to land well.
The contestant laughed out loud and pointed to the name tag attached to his chest.
“I’m Lee Sae-jin!”
“…!”
I almost gasped. I answered with the most composed expression I could muster.
“I’m Park Moon-dae. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Pleasure to meet you~”
I naturally ended the conversation and looked ahead just as the next contestant entered. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the name I’d just heard.
Lee Sae-jin.
A name that debuted through this very program. In other words, a guaranteed connection to victory.
But there’s a problem.
After this ends, next year his drug trafficking scandal breaks. Distribution charges, no less.
I definitely saw that name on the 9 o’clock news at the gukbap restaurant near my one-room apartment.
[‘Idol Corporation’ alumnus Lee Sae-jin arrested on drug trafficking charges.]
…I should avoid talking to him from now on.
Timing was everything when cutting ties. Well, let me check my status window during this intermission.
[Name: Park Moon-dae (Ryu Gun-woo)]
Level: 5
Title: None
Vocal: A-
Dance: D
Appearance: C+
Charisma: C
Trait: Infinite Potential
!Abnormal Status: Debut or Death
Remaining Points: 1
First, I’d gained a point from leveling up after that stage. It seems I unlocked the 【First Stage】 achievement.
And the Dance and Charisma categories also appeared to have been generated from that stage.
They were inactive during practice, but do they only appear once officially recognized? I’m not sure of the exact criteria.
In any case, I’d sensed it vaguely while practicing… even if I’m being generous about Charisma, it seems Park Moon-dae simply lacked talent in dance.
A D in dance seems to be just average for a normal person.
I’d need to invest points in dance two or three more times to make any real progress.
On the other hand, the Appearance category revealed a new possibility for the status window. My evaluation had increased simply by paying attention to my actual appearance, without investing any points.
Separate from the status window’s level-up effects, it meant I could raise my stats independently. That was quite a positive element.
Finally, there was one more unusual popup displayed. Small, right next to the status window.
[Successful Performance!]
You impressed the majority!
: General Trait Draw ☜ Click!
‘Something strange appeared again.’
Still, seeing words like ‘success’ and ‘impressed’ gave it a strong sense of being a reward.
I clicked the draw while pretending to touch my head. Then something quite interesting appeared.
It was a grayscale slot machine image. The slot next to the already-pulled lever was spinning rapidly.
But the speed gradually slowed. Soon I could even make out the contents of the slots.
A few slots were brass-colored; most were gray.
[Iron Heart]
[Shame Eraser]
[Crocodile Tears]
[Sleep is for the Dead]
[Look at Me!]
[….]
“….”
No, it’s good that I can guess what kind of trait it is just by looking at the name, but… aren’t these names a bit too crude?
I watched the slot machine with dampened expectations. In any case, it seemed like it would stop soon.
Thump, thump… thump!
Pollen burst from the slot machine.
The stopped slot was brass-colored.
[Trait Acquired: ‘Sleep is for the Dead (D)’!]
When activated, you don’t feel tired even without sleeping.
Experience acceleration bonus +30% during 00:01~04:00
Lasts one week. Single use.
“…!”
Surprisingly, I got a very useful trait. The name is… a bit odd, though.
Anyway, it was called a ‘draw’ for a reason—literally a draw. Even luck-based gacha elements showed up; this is fun.
I confirmed that ‘Sleep is for the Dead (Inactive)’ had been added to the Traits section at the bottom of my status window. Let me think about when would be the most effective time to use it.
“Participant Kang Min-jo is… ranked 56th!”
The evaluations continued steadily.
So far, no debut members had been announced except for the suspicious medicine dealer next to me.
I watched the next participant enter.
A tall, lean figure with long limbs climbed onto the stage.
Being alone, this participant had no particular connections with other trainees.
Murmurs spread among the participants seated in the ranking section. Of course, it wasn’t because this participant came up alone.
“Wow!”
“Insane.”
The participant who entered was exceptionally handsome. I could even hear the judges below openly marveling at the sight.
“He looks like a beautiful deer~”
From my perspective, his visuals were at a level where he wouldn’t need to worry about debuting.
The kind of talent that wouldn’t even need to appear on a survival show. He clearly would have made it somewhere after this program.
But looking at the nameplate on his chest, it was a name I didn’t recognize.
[Sun Ah-hyun]
With that face and still unable to debut? He must be severely lacking in skill. He’s better-looking than most active idols I’ve seen sell direct cam footage.
Hmm, if I were to convert it to a status window… all his abilities except appearance would probably fall between F and D.
‘If I could see other people’s status windows, I could know for sure.’
Remarkably, the moment I thought that, a window actually appeared beside the participant.
“…!”
So others could see it too.
[Name: Sun Ah-hyun]
Vocals: B- (A)
Dance: A (EX)
Appearance: A+ (S+)
Charisma: B (A+)
Trait: Grit (Inactive)
!Abnormal Status: Lack of Self-Esteem.
It was a dazzling status window. Impressive enough that I thought he’d easily place in the top 10 at this evaluation. The numbers in parentheses must be maximum growth potential? If so, his future looked bright.
But the last item caught my eye.
[Abnormal Status: Lack of Self-Esteem]
With that face? I would’ve expected arrogance to show up instead.
In any case, being able to check others was an enormous advantage. If things got tough, I could probably survive by just rubbing shoulders with entertainment companies.
As I was interestingly examining the entries, I heard the MC’s voice.
“Yes, please introduce yourself!”
And Sun Ah-hyun picked up the microphone.
His hand holding the microphone was trembling noticeably.
“A-ah, h-hello….”
“…!”
It wasn’t a nervous slip-up. The speech pattern was awkward enough to feel distinctly out of place.
It was a clear stutter.
Moreover, I could feel that he was acutely conscious of his speech impediment. The anxiety and shame hit hard enough to be overwhelming.
So that’s why. I instantly understood Sun Ah-hyun’s status window.
Still, with this level of appearance and skill, he could’ve turned the stutter into a compelling narrative, so why hasn’t he debuted?
Is it really the ‘Lack of Self-Esteem’ abnormal status that’s the problem? I wonder if I could learn more details….
[Lack of Self-Esteem]
: Self-loathing.
All ability stats reduced by two tiers.
“…!”
Another popup suddenly appeared. I didn’t expect I could check the detailed options just by thinking about it.
‘How very useful indeed.’
I should check my abnormal status again and see how much time I have left.
I’m being sarcastic, but truthfully, the content of that status abnormality was more severe than I’d anticipated.
If I got a debuff like this in a game, I’d just quit. But since this is the game of life and I can’t reset, the other side must be pretty frustrated too.
“Sun Ah-hyun, is it… difficult when you speak?”
“I… I, I had… uh, an accident when I was… young…”
“Ah…”
On stage, the sob story segment was beginning.
More precisely, Sun Ah-hyun seemed to be explaining his condition, while the production crew was trying to turn it into a tearjerker narrative.
Artificial reactions erupted from the other participants around me.
Especially that guy with a pitiful expression, nodding his head sorrowfully—he’d definitely be used in reaction cuts.
Since he was even delivering lines like that.
“What should I do…”
You shouldn’t approach such sensitive topics that way.
Even the slightest editing mistake and you get comments like ‘that reaction is violence too.’
I simply stared ahead with an unmoved expression that said ‘I see.’
The judges offered some generic words of encouragement before carefully requesting the performance.
“Then Sun Ah-hyun, could we see your stage?”
“Yes, yes…”
The performance that followed wasn’t bad. Just decent enough to view favorably overall.
In other words, if the status window was accurate, that participant performed below his actual skill level.
“Sun Ah-hyun, you’re ranked 18th!”
Without mental fortitude and strategy, this is what happens. Ranked lower than me with that status window.
Either his skill felt decent enough, or they didn’t want to say anything negative, because the evaluation was positive.
“You did well~”
“I’m looking forward to seeing more from you.”
The judges offered various encouraging remarks. Someone even gave a thumbs up.
But Sun Ah-hyun’s face was dark as he bowed deeply in gratitude.
He tried hard to hide his expression as he left the stage, then followed the MC’s guidance to the seat next to mine.
“…”
I felt like I should say something…
Sun Ah-hyun kept glancing at my seat but didn’t speak.
He probably didn’t want it to look like I was ignoring him on camera.
But I couldn’t be bothered to open my mouth. So I just gave a slight nod to the side.
Sun Ah-hyun flinched in surprise and kept nodding his head repeatedly.
“The next participants to be evaluated are 5 people! Choi Jin-su, Hong Sung…”
I counted the remaining participants in my head, then let out a weak sigh.
Still a long way to go.

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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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