Debut or Die - Chapter 92

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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 92
“….”
I met the other person’s gaze. Then I muttered softly.
“…I have a feeling I’ll remember this every time we record from now on.”
“Haha!”
Chung-ryeo waved his hand.
“You don’t need to worry. Actually, I just made it up. I modified the recording studio ghost story a bit.”
“…I see.”
“But the recording studio ghost story is real, right?”
“…!”
Chung-ryeo laughed a few times and spouted nonsense before disappearing, saying he’d go wash up.
“…Sigh.”
I let it slide.
I made an effort not to show my exhaustion.
‘That bastard definitely knows.’
Someone who knew about this damned status window or regression had just tested me with ghost story smoke and mirrors.
‘How does he know?’
He didn’t seem certain. It meant he hadn’t directly confirmed my condition… so did he deduce it from circumstantial evidence while possessing background knowledge?
…No, this is also ambiguous.
‘There are too many uncertain points.’
I wiped cold sweat from my forehead under the pretense of clearing my head. And I made my next decision.
Soon Chung-ryeo returned.
“Good thing you brought a rechargeable electric kettle. Mix it appropriately with cold water and use it.”
“Ah, thank you so much.”
I accepted the cylindrical device Chung-ryeo offered.
It was an electric kettle, not a thermos.
‘No wonder an Americano was brewing.’
Marveling at the Production Team’s attention to unnecessary details, which resulted in only cold water coming out, I did what I had to do.
‘Status window.’
First, I check that guy’s status window.
Based on the patterns so far, the traits and abnormal conditions usually contained hints suggesting what kind of person that individual was.
‘There’s no harm in checking.’
But the moment the popup appeared.
An unexpected hint came crashing down.
[Name: Chung-ryeo (Shin Jae-hyun)]
This person cannot currently be confirmed.
※Required Condition: Confirming the second ‘Truth’
“…!”
I immediately turned my body toward the bathroom. It was to hide my agitation.
And I moved slowly to the bathroom and closed the door.
“….”
There was no camera in the Bathroom.
“Sigh….”
But the microphone was still attached. I kept my mouth shut to avoid saying anything foolish, and checked my status window again.
[※Required Condition: Confirm the second ‘Truth’]
I hadn’t misread it.
To check Chung-ryeo’s status window, it meant I had to claim the ‘Truth’ reward I’d been holding back.
‘Is it pushing me?’
Or perhaps the game was demanding this because Chung-ryeo was genuinely connected to this situation.
‘It feels like viewing level-restricted content in a game.’
Either way, both seemed plausible enough that I couldn’t be certain.
‘…They want me to restart the abnormal condition with such vague hints?’
It was insane. That’s why it bothered me even more.
‘If the purpose was to push me, they could use more extreme means.’
What if my status window was dangling a carrot because that bastard truly had a clue?
“….”
I’d make a decision.
‘Either way, I can’t keep living with this abnormal condition hanging over me.’
My assumption that the abnormality would disappear if I just kept clearing—strictly speaking, that was nothing but wishful thinking.
And no matter how much I delayed this, it was 300 days. After that, I’d have to claim the reward.
‘I might as well take what I can get now.’
I didn’t know how Chung-ryeo would respond if this moment passed. Better to finish this while we were both still exploring.
‘…A popup.’
[Successful 1st Place!]
You have achieved 1st place through the broadcast music program Popular Music!
!Time Limit: Satisfied (Great Success)
!Abnormal Condition: ‘Death if Not 1st Place’ Removed!
: Confirm Truth ☜ Click!
I slowly raised my hand and brought it to ‘Click!’.
And just like last time, my vision went dark.

* * *
A cold wind swept across the rooftop of a high-rise building.
“….”
A man held a cigarette between his lips, smoke scattering in the biting winter breeze.
Though the frigid air should have provoked a cough, he didn’t so much as blink. He simply gazed downward with sharp, piercing eyes.
The glittering night cityscape sprawled beneath him. An advertisement played on the massive screen across the way.
A brand he had once endorsed.
Or rather, his group had.
‘Where did it all go wrong….’
As he watched the vibrant imagery, he fell into contemplation.
An overseas expansion at the wrong moment? A concept out of step with the times? Members who’d lost their original passion? Investors at the Agency throwing money at meaningless ventures?
“….”
And then he reached a conclusion.
‘It was wrong from the beginning.’
The group composition itself had been flawed from the start. There were far too many useless members.
No—not useless. They were obstacles.
‘If I’d formed it, it wouldn’t have turned out like this.’
Only then did he admit it. He had lived his life all wrong.
‘Sentiment, tears—those are only useful when you’re selling them.’
People are creatures of endless desire—standing makes them want to sit, sitting makes them want to lie down. Personal circumstances, unavoidable sob stories… it’s all just cheap excuses spilled from the mouth and peddled for profit.
“….”
With that admission came a strange sense of relief. The man smiled faintly and flicked the cigarette butt skyward.
It tumbled down past the railing.
Clang.
With the sound of the railing being struck, the man plummeted from the high-rise building onto the road below.
But when the man regained consciousness.
“…!!”
He opened his eyes in a small room of a residential house.
“…What….”
The screen of an old mobile phone he’d picked up displayed a boy’s face.
…It was himself before he became Chung-ryeo.

* * *
“Gasp!”
I drew a sharp breath and snapped back to reality.
I immediately turned on the water.
And he turned on the water right away.
Creak.
Cold water gushed out with a squeaking sound. I splashed it directly onto my face.
“….”
It was identical to the Park Moon-dae incident. This third-person perspective structure, peering into someone else’s past circumstances.
And… this one was definitely Chung-ryeo.
‘What the hell.’
This bastard came back from the past too.
Piecing it together roughly, it seemed like he’d destroyed his career, returned, and succeeded.
The thought that this fit a web novel plot perfectly made me laugh bitterly, but irritation surged up even faster.
‘So you blocked the status window to prevent me from checking it…!’
Because if I confirmed it through the status window, the ‘truth’ reward would be meaningless.
No, more than that—why was this even a reward in the first place?
Park Moon-dae’s past had direct relevance to my situation, so I let it slide.
But whatever nonsense Chung-ryeo pulled, what did it have to do with me that you’d grandly call it a ‘reward’?
‘You should give hints related to the status abnormality instead…!’
…The rising fury only subsided after I dunked my head in cold water for quite a while. And I finally arrived at a rational conclusion.
‘…It must mean I can obtain hints.’
If I could gather information from someone who’d experienced this strange supernatural phenomenon, I could definitely understand how this situation was unfolding.
In that sense, this status window does seem to be providing hints step by step, like progressing through a game….
Ding.
[‘Excellence or Death’]
: Failure to receive the Rookie Award at the most prestigious domestic awards ceremony within the set period results in death
Remaining time: D-365
…Seeing it pull this stunt again, it really does seem like it just wants me to suffer.
‘Still, this is a bit better.’
A Rookie Award should be within reach unless something unexpected happens.
That vague ‘most prestigious’ criterion does nag at me, but there are only three candidates anyway. By objective metrics, there’s no way I’d lose.
In this era where it’s hard to secure mainstream appeal, no rookie debuting in the second half could surpass TeSTAR from Ajusa.
‘If anything, a broadcast number-one ranking would be harder.’
I calmed down somewhat and wiped the water from my face.
Then I picked up the pot I’d received from Chung-ryeo and walked out of the bathroom.
“Thank you for letting me use it. I’m really grateful.”
“No need for thanks—I’m just glad it was useful.”
I returned the pot and sat across from Chung-ryeo.
Then I pulled out some snacks from my backpack and offered them.
“You’ll be up all night, so how about having something sweet?”
“Ah, thank you.”
Chung-ryeo accepted it immediately, but she merely pretended to open it and didn’t eat.
‘I can’t tell if she’s managing her diet or just being cautious.’
I pretended to rummage through my backpack while checking Chung-ryeo’s status window again.
This time it displayed properly.
[Name: Chung-ryeo (Shin Jae-hyun)]
Vocals : B+ (B+)
Dance : S+ (S+)
Appearance : A+ (S-)
Charisma : A (A+)
Trait: Judgment (A)
!Abnormal Status : School Grounds (Inactive)
‘This is insane.’
These stats are absolutely broken—like a veteran player’s character.
I’d planned to check the trait first, but my eyes were drawn elsewhere. I nearly bit my tongue.
‘But unlimited potential doesn’t seem to be the case.’
My vague assumption that all stats might have an EX ceiling turned out to be wrong.
Anyway, let me refocus and check what I originally intended to see.
First, the trait.
[Judgment (A)]
: Valuable things are rare; garbage is everywhere.
-Human Resource Assessment +150%
‘A talent fit for a businessman.’
If that “truth” memory I saw earlier is genuine, it might be a talent gained from reflecting on life before death.
What bothers me, though, is that there’s only one trait.
‘Was there no trait lottery or anything like that?’
…The difference between us was quite stark.
Anyway, let’s move on.
Next is the abnormal status.
[School Grounds (Inactive)]
: Try again.
-Upon failure, return to the beginning.
…Chills ran down my spine.
And I recalled the conversation from just moments ago.
-This time, I’m determined to become an idol with no controversies, working hard at it… but what’s this? I keep dying in accidents and returning to the past!
‘That idol urban legend I spouted earlier… was that about her?’
Could it be that if I fail to remove this type of abnormal status—the “if you do this, you die” kind—the status window resets to when it first appeared?
It was an eerie deduction.
However, this abnormal status was in an “Inactive” state.
That alone was a significant discovery. It meant there was a way to deactivate it.
‘First, the inventory is complete.’
Next comes the deeper investigation.
I set down my bag and fixed my gaze on Chung-ryeo once more.
“Have you finished checking the snacks?”
“Yes. Nothing special.”
“Haha.”
You’re still uncertain, aren’t you?
As expected, this bastard doesn’t know much about me. He was just fishing.
Which means I have the informational advantage here—now it’s my turn to probe.
Let’s see what you’ve got.
“Um… Senior, would it be alright if I asked for some advice?”
“Of course. Though I’m not sure how helpful my advice will be… Do you have something on your mind?”
“Yes. Actually… I was wondering, how did you first start building relationships with your senior teammates?”
“…Hmm, by ‘start’ you mean?”
I retrieved my cold coffee and deliberately took a slow sip. Then I continued at a leisurely pace.
“Our team’s formation process was quite unique, so I think we have a strong sense of shared understanding about that. But I’m curious how it was for other groups.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. How did VTIC’s seniors come together and debut?”
“….”
Clearly, in that ‘truth’ recollection, he identified ‘members’ as the fundamental cause of VTIC’s failure.
‘He definitely swapped out members at some point.’
I don’t know what methods a mere trainee employed, but it’s an almost certain deduction. After all, VTIC is currently thriving as a top-tier group without major controversies.
“Hmm, that’s an interesting question.”
Chung-ryeo smiled and picked up the snack I’d offered him.
Crunch. The nuts disappeared with the sound of chewing. I waited for his answer with a composed expression.

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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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