Debut or Die - Chapter 56

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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 56
‘Park Moon-dae changed his name?’
A hollow sensation crept up the back of my head—an unsettling feeling.
In any case, I couldn’t afford to look awkward. I immediately picked up the microphone and spoke.
“…I’ve been Park Moon-dae since my birth registration.”
“Ahahaha!”
The MC had excellent comedic timing.
This was the truth.
‘The moment I entered this body, I pulled my resident registration certificate, family relations certificate, and everything else.’
It was only natural—I wasn’t an idiot.
I’d thoroughly investigated any element that could potentially cause problems.
Park Moon-dae had lived under this name continuously, and there were no other peculiarities. His record was clean except for the high school dropout he’d personally documented.
‘And according to his note, even that dropout was due to bullying.’
There was no reason it would be an issue for my debut.
However, that specific ‘name change verification’… there was definitely something nagging at me about it.
‘I need to search the Internet as soon as this ends.’
“Ah~ I suppose they asked because Moon-dae’s name is so unique!”
The MC seemed to sense there was nothing more to extract and quickly wrapped up the question.
I watched as another participant took their turn and waited for filming to end.

* * *
I’d just found an SNS post that had become a meme on the Internet.
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[Curious what Moon-dae has been doing with his life, but nothing comes up. Could he be an alien who changed his name?]
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‘So that was the problem.’
I felt somewhat deflated.
Since the original account owner was a famous illustrator, it seemed the post had rapidly become a meme in a short time. At least within the fan community.
-(It could be… true!)
-Considering how seriously he eats, he’s definitely an alien. Probably dispatched to investigate Earth’s food culture. Anyway, that’s it.
-Moon-dae’s true form has dog ears. I saw them.
I didn’t mind people joking and laughing like this, but the situation itself did raise some suspicion.
‘I never expected nothing would come up.’
Park Moon-dae’s birth date and name were listed in his profile.
Honestly, I’d expected his high school to be revealed during the broadcast.
I’d even anticipated comments like, “I went to the same school and that guy was weird. He kept to himself and dropped out.”
And comments of that level wouldn’t have much impact anyway. If anything, fans would have reassured themselves that since he was a victim at school, he couldn’t possibly be a bully.
‘Perhaps it’s because his appearance changed so much.’
This seemed like the most plausible explanation.
When I first entered this body, Park Moon-dae was gaunt and his hair was unkempt. Moreover, since a completely different person (me) had taken over, his speech patterns, movements, and overall demeanor would have changed as well.
Still, the story will come out eventually. It’s not like I used a fake name.
‘I wish it would come out after the program ends, at least.’
There’s no way I’ll be able to check my phone until the live broadcast.
After the talk show filming wrapped, I returned to the Dormitory and handed over my smartphone as always.
‘I should focus on practice.’
Only a week remained until the finals Stage. I couldn’t afford to think about anything else.
…But even without the luxury of free time, if a problem arose immediately, I’d have no choice but to think about it.
I came to realize this sooner than expected.

* * *
The crisis hit two days later in the evening.
While half-asleep, shoving dinner into my mouth, I received an urgent summons from the Production Team.
Based on my experience so far, I thought it was just some interview footage they needed to cut. But the atmosphere in the staff room was grave.
“Park Moon-dae.”
The Writer who had cast me at the Noraebang began speaking in a tone that barely managed to sound concerned.
“There’s… a post that went up on the Internet.”
“…Yes.”
This feeling is absolutely sickening.
The Writer was even choosing her words carefully in front of me, as if unsure how to explain this.
I felt a headache coming on and extended both hands.
“Would it be alright if I looked at it myself?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
The Writer looked me up and down, then quickly handed me her phone.
I looked at the screen. A familiar interface appeared.
It was the Online Community where the post about Big Sae-jin’s school violence controversy had been uploaded.
And at the top, I saw a title written in large font.
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[Reason for dropping out of Park Moon University: Because I was caught stealing sanitary pads haha]
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“….”
What the hell is this nonsense.
My mind reeled at the unexpected title.
It had been a long time since my head felt this completely blocked.
My brain, stunned by the shock, forced itself to read the content.
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Park Moon-dae being from Incheon Sijeong High School is already known so I’ll skip the explanation
I graduated from Sijeong and I’m the same age as Park Moon-dae. He was in class 3 and was a gloomy and weird kid. Honestly I didn’t even know his name, only found out he was Ajusa’s Park Moon-dae after seeing him blow up now
Yes, but don’t worry after reading this far, you idiots haha ​​★ A girl in my class who seems to have dropped out of Park Moon University was caught stealing sanitary pads and got beaten★
And because of this, the girl whose pads were stolen got weird rumors about her and withdrew from school not long after
And quite a few people know about this? There was chaos for a while asking if a school violence committee hearing would be opened. But Park Moon-dae withdrew and ran away!
In case you don’t believe me, I’ll verify with my yearbook and school uniform photos. But honestly, more people who know me will keep coming forward anyway~
[Photo] [Photo] [Photo]
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Below that, self-proclaimed Incheon Sijeong High School alumni were flooding the best comments section with testimonies claiming they also knew about this incident.
“….”
My spine went cold.
This was… hopeless.
It would’ve been better if he’d beaten someone up or stolen money. But stealing a girl’s sanitary pads because there was nothing else to steal?
Even if I’d witnessed it in real life, I would’ve thought he was a hopeless bastard, but for this to happen to an idol audition participant.
“Have you finished reading?”
I’ve read it, but I have nothing to say.
Is Park Moon-dae out of his mind?
‘He commits such a pathetic act and then writes in his suicide note that he was wronged by bullying?’
Yeah, if he hadn’t actually stolen it, maybe that would’ve made sense. But the problem is, how am I supposed to prove right now that this bastard didn’t steal it?
“…Yes.”
I barely managed to answer.
The Writer didn’t even bother asking pointless questions like whether it was true or not.
“You should think quickly about what to do now.”
In other words, either clean this up or withdraw—figure it out yourself.
I swallowed and answered.
“…Just… give me a moment to think, and I’ll… let you know.”
“Yes. Please do it quickly.”
I could barely form words.
I returned to the Dormitory in a daze. Since it was still practice time, the Room was empty.
If I sat at the table, I felt like I’d destroy everything on it, so I sat on the bed instead.
And I tried to think as calmly as possible… Damn it, who am I kidding.
I struck the bed.
Dull thuds echoed, but none of this frustration was being released.
‘Am I supposed to just die like this?’
What the hell am I supposed to do about this?
They shoved me into this defective body, pretended to level me up, pushed me to debut within a year—there was nothing but malice in this situation.
My head ached. I should’ve received that damn Imperturbability trait.
‘Now… what do I do.’
What came after the frustration was, absurdly, a crushing sense of helplessness.
There was nothing I could do. Really.
Because I knew nothing.
If I at least had a smartphone, I could search… no, that would be insane.
The only reason this hasn’t blown up worse is because I’m not checking public opinion right now.
No matter how much I claim I live without caring what others say, I couldn’t guarantee I’d stay sane watching unspecified masses pour out colorful condemnation.
And besides….
‘…Those people.’
What must those who had supported Park Moon-dae be feeling right now?
They’d poured everything they had—money and time—never imagining they’d be betrayed like this.
The worst part was that I hadn’t done it. It was absolutely maddening.
This overwhelming sense of being crushed by circumstances… I hadn’t felt it since becoming an orphan.
“…”
Should I just give up?
The thought flashed across my mind when someone creaked open the Dormitory room door.
“Um, um…”
“…”
I considered it a superhuman feat of patience that I didn’t tell them to get out right then.
I remained seated on the bed, head bowed, saying nothing. My brain felt like it was boiling.
“Hey, Park Moon-dae.”
Then the door burst open and Big Sae-jin stormed in.
The rumors must have already spread. It wasn’t strange that someone perceptive would catch on first.
“Is that story actually true?”
I don’t know.
I thought I hadn’t answered, but extreme stress seemed to have robbed me of control over my mouth. He actually responded to me.
“What do you mean you don’t know. Did you really drop out because of that?”
“I said I don’t know.”
I didn’t understand why he was being so annoying about it. With only the finals left, wouldn’t it actually be beneficial if I withdrew?
“…You realize you’re talking nonsense right now, right?”
I clenched my teeth.
“I don’t remember.”
“What?”
“Damn it. I woke up after trying to kill myself and don’t remember anything. Happy now?”
Thud-thud-thud.
Sun Ah-hyun, who had been standing awkwardly beside me, dropped the chocolate bar he was holding with a loud clatter.
I sighed. I’d needlessly told the truth.
At least I hadn’t mentioned that my body had switched and I’d returned to the past. If I’d mentioned seeing a status window, there’d be no way around it—I’d either be a chronic liar or mentally ill.
But what did any of that matter now? If I couldn’t resolve this situation, there was no way I’d debut within a year.
“R, r, really…”
“Yeah, really.”
It was already hard to stay composed, and now they were wasting my energy on pointless conversation.
“If you understand, just… leave me alone. I’ll sort it out myself.”
“…But you said you don’t remember. How are you going to sort anything out?”
“Get out.”
“Besides, if you don’t know anything, it’s better to have someone to consult with. You don’t even have an Agency.”
“…”
He had a point.
“Honestly, it’s hard to believe, but I don’t think you’d lie about something like this. The rumor about stealing sanitary pads is even stranger.”
“Y-yeah, that’s right.”
“A guy as sharp as you wouldn’t do something that stupid.”
“…!! N-no…. I, I didn’t mean it like that, um, w-well, so….”
Sun Ah-hyun short-circuited. Big Sae-jin ignored him.
“Right. It would’ve been different if the victim or someone close to them posted it. But looking at it, that’s not the case either.”
“….”
My head cleared a bit. I looked up at Big Sae-jin.
Big Sae-jin sat calmly on the floor across from me.
I couldn’t figure out why someone like him was sticking his nose in.
‘Is he doing this because I helped him with his problem?’
Still, it was unexpected that he’d do this right before the finals. Not that I’m in any position to worry about this right now.
“For now… let’s say we don’t remember this incident. Do you remember anything from high school?”
“High school or whatever—I don’t remember anything at all. When I came to my senses, there was just a suicide note in front of me.”
A brief silence fell.
“…The note didn’t mention anything specific?”
“There was no mention of specific incidents at all. There was an expression of grievance, but that’s something anyone can say anytime.”
“You’re cold about it, and it’s your own situation.”
Big Sae-jin let out a hollow laugh. I wanted to scoff, but I didn’t have the mental energy for it.
“U-um.”
Sun Ah-hyun struggled to join the conversation.
“S-so… if, if the person involved exists, finding and confirming it… w-would that be difficult?”
“….”
He must be talking about the girl who dropped out.
“If we’re filming like this now, there’s no time or opportunity to find her. …Unless we drop out.”
…The more I spoke, the clearer the situation became.
Dropping out to put out the immediate fire and figure out what’s really going on seemed like the option with the highest survival rate.
“…D-don’t.”
“What?”
“D-don’t quit, and, and let’s w-wait a little longer.”

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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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