Debut or Die - Chapter 93

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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 93
Chung-ryeo started by muddying the waters.
“Well, where should I even begin…”
“I’m listening intently.”
I deliberately knelt down. For the broadcast, I needed to appear as a rookie idol seeking advice from a senior as revered as the heavens.
Chung-ryeo smiled without conviction and offered a few perfunctory suggestions to make myself comfortable, but once he realized he couldn’t broach the topic easily, he finally began to answer.
“Well, our Agency put us together as a team from the start, and since everyone had good personalities, we became close quickly.”
Then came the standard answer about how everyone worked hard during our debut. It was clichéd, but it embodied the virtues people expected from idols.
Hmm, I couldn’t let him dodge like this.
“I feel a strong connection to the Testa members right now, and it seems you got along well with your senior teammates from the beginning too, Chung-ryeo.”
I downed the remaining coffee in one shot. Since it had settled, the taste was strong—it jolted me awake.
“It’s remarkable that strangers who knew nothing about each other came together as a team and got along without any conflict. It’s truly impressive and wonderful.”
“….”
“They’re surely all good people, but I suspect you demonstrated considerable leadership as the leader. I truly admire that.”
Moderate flattery—the kind a rookie would offer.
I hadn’t crossed the line to the point of disparaging other members.
But Chung-ryeo would have grasped what I was implying.
‘You handpicked members who suited your taste perfectly. I know it.’
…Indeed, Chung-ryeo was staring directly at me.
“Is that so.”
“Yes.”
“That’s embarrassing. It wasn’t anything to that degree.”
“It was. You’re remarkable.”
“Well, thank you.”
Now he understood the situation.
“It’s my first time having this kind of conversation in a setting like this, so I’m not sure how it went.”
“It was tremendously helpful. Thank you.”
“…You’re too kind.”
By now, he’d know who wanted something from whom. I wrapped up the conversation there.
“Well then, shall we all relax?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
After that, the typical mountain lodge survival sketch continued.
Successive landslides and a damaged back room.
And an eerie news broadcast from a radio we found in the Warehouse.
Hmm, we filmed it quite immersively. I’ll have to catch the broadcast when it airs.
Without any major incidents, filming wrapped up the next morning.

* * *
The moment filming wrapped, rain began pouring down in sheets. It was the monsoon season.
“Thank you for your hard work~”
I bowed repeatedly to those around me while offering my thanks, then pulled out my smartphone at the Production Team’s suggestion.
And I initiated a video call.
Beep beep beep— click!
Within moments, a familiar face appeared on the screen. …It was Big Sae-jin.
‘Why is he answering when I called Ryu Chung-woo?’
[Whoa, Park Moon-dae.]
[Is this Park Moon-dae hyung calling?]
I heard a commotion, and soon the screen filled with Testa members.
‘Looks like my hint about everyone coming on the call whenever someone picks up paid off.’
The Production Team had already mentioned wanting Testa to appear in a few shots as well.
Originally, they’d planned to include it in the main broadcast, but the timing made it impossible, so it seemed like it would end up as a post-credits scene instead.
[D-did filming wrap?]
“Yeah, we’re heading back now.”
[Be careful on your way.]
[R-right. B-be careful and….]
[Grab some snacks on your way back~]
“….”
With rain coming down, they were asking for quite the shameless favor. I was about to ignore them, but mindful of the camera, I responded to Big Sae-jin as gently as possible.
“You guys grab some yourselves. Eat when I get back.”
[Ooh, Moon-dae’s got a comeback ready? Nice!]
He seemed aware of the camera too, laughing it off casually. I made some more trivial small talk before ending the video call.
I’d received a text from my Manager saying arrival would be slightly delayed due to the sudden downpour.
Oh, by the way, this is the new Manager who finally arrived a few days ago. He’s actually younger than me.
“Park Moon-dae, aren’t you heading inside?”
“Ah, senior.”
I bowed my head respectfully to Chung-ryeo who’d spoken to me. I could feel a few staff members glancing over.
“My Manager said he’d be late, so I’m waiting.”
“That’s probably because of the rain. Lunch will be delayed too then—why don’t you grab a meal before heading back?”
“Right, Park Moon-dae. Let’s get some food before you go. We should’ve had a team dinner anyway, but with the rain and cleanup, we couldn’t manage it.”
The Writer passing by chimed in to help.
She’d been offering quite a bit of praise about the shots turning out well, and it seemed her impression of me had become quite favorable.
I was grateful for making the work easier.
“Then I’ll gratefully accept.”
“Of course.”
Chung-ryeo went to get the car, and I explained the situation to my Manager, who readily approved. There were no afternoon schedules anyway.
‘I’ll head straight back and get some sleep once this is done.’
Lost in pleasant thoughts, Chung-ryeo returned with the car.
‘Seven years in, and he’d be able to afford his own car.’
“Please, get in.”
“Thank you.”
I climbed into the passenger seat immediately. The door clicked shut, I fastened my seatbelt, and the car pulled away without hesitation.
Chung-ryeo didn’t wait any longer.
“I hate wasting time. Let’s skip the pleasantries and get straight to business.”
“….”
“Which year did you come from?”
“You first, senior.”
“Ha ha.”
Chung-ryeo laughed, then abruptly stopped.
…This guy’s a bit unhinged, isn’t he?
‘He just switched to informal speech and laughed out of nowhere?’
I’d need to keep checking whether he was still watching the road. I began dividing my attention between the conversation and his driving.
Either way, he’d essentially admitted it himself.
“My timeline’s already passed, so I’m not much use. I was thinking maybe I’d hear about the future that’s coming instead.”
“I don’t have much to tell you either.”
“What?”
“I was a civil service exam candidate.”
“….”
Chung-ryeo fell silent as if at a loss for words, then let out a long, deflating sigh.
His tone shifted, the tension easing slightly as he spoke more calmly.
“That’s absurd. A civil service candidate becoming an idol….”
“It was either this or death.”
“Ah, so you already know about that.”
‘…?’
Something felt off.
“When did you find out, senior?”
“When I tried to send someone back and failed—he died and returned instead.”
“…Send him where?”
“Back to his home country. He was going to bolt and open a workshop the moment his three years were up anyway.”
Chung-ryeo laughed and tapped the steering wheel lightly.
‘I’d rather be driving.’
The problem was that Park Moon-dae didn’t have a license. There was no end to this frustration.
…Either way, I’d confirmed something from that exchange.
‘This guy can’t see the status window.’
The fact that he only realized he was in a “fatal condition” after dying and returning meant he didn’t have that guidance system at all.
‘That’s why he couldn’t fill three traits.’
He was literally flying blind.
Though admittedly, having been an idol and returning with his original body intact gave him an advantage over me.
“When did you die? It seems like you died without debuting at the audition.”
If I lied here carelessly, things would only get more tangled. If this guy caught on and started mixing in his own lies, I’d be in trouble too.
I should just tell him the truth.
“I haven’t died yet.”
“…Really? Then how did you know?”
“I just figured it out. If I don’t produce an Achievement within the deadline, I die.”
“….”
Chung-ryeo stared silently ahead for a moment, then muttered softly.
“Jealous?”
“….”
In the rearview mirror, I could see Chung-ryeo’s eyes as he rolled only his pupils to glance at me sideways.
…Honestly, it was damn unsettling.
“This is exactly the right time, isn’t it? You must feel like you’re living as the protagonist.”
“…But I might die every time the deadline comes around?”
“…Ah, right. There would be differences in perspective like that…. Hmm.”
Chung-ryeo suddenly continued in a much lighter tone.
“I think of it as a kind of penalty.”
“Pardon?”
“You die if you fail at something you feel you should do. Honestly, isn’t it worth accepting? Considering you’ve come back to the past.”
“….”
I had no idea what he was talking about.
Is this guy just insane? It seems like his defense mechanism is rationalizing the situation and driving him crazy?
But Chung-ryeo surprisingly gave a sensible reason. An absolutely astonishing one.
“From my calculations… it seems like you’re given one basic instance, plus additional ones equal to the number of years you’ve come back. That’s what I figured.”
“…!”
That meant there was an end to the abnormal state.
‘So that’s why his was in a deactivated state.’
Let me calculate assuming this is correct. Then I’ve gone back three years….
‘Four times. I’ve already completed two of them.’
Hope glimmered.
…Of course, how much I could trust this guy was another matter entirely. Still, I was satisfied that I’d found someone to extract information from, and I decided to ask about the next thing that had been bothering me.
“But how did you know I came back to the past?”
“…Ah, I just figured it out?”
“….”
He’s deliberately mimicking my words. It means he wants me to go first.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘I still can’t talk about the status window right now.’
This guy seems normal most of the time, but he’s definitely a bit off when it comes to supernatural incidents like this. I’ll leave it alone for today.
“Anyway, it was fun meeting you in many ways, junior. It was a valuable experience.”
“Yes, senior. Thank you.”
“If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.”
“Thank you.”
After that, we had a quiet meal at a Korean Traditional Restaurant and returned to the Dormitory.
‘…Finally.’
I’d stayed up all night reading the room, and I was exhausted.
As I opened the Entrance door and stepped inside, the members who had no afternoon schedule popped out from various corners, waving as they passed by.
“Moon-dae’s here~”
“How was the variety show?”
“Y-you must be tired!”
“…Yeah, it went fine. Thanks.”
Wow, these guys are nice to see.
They say affection grows when you see someone’s face often, and since we’re together every day, it’s become comfortable.
I grabbed Big Sae-jin, who was brushing his teeth, and asked.
“Snacks?”
“Huh, you actually believed that, Moon-dae?”
Of course not.
But for some reason, I felt the mood and decided to ask anyway. Of course, the result was as expected.
But surprisingly, Big Sae-jin pointed at the refrigerator.
“Check it out and pick two things you want~ I bought them from the convenience store.”
“….”
My expectations… were off.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. Oh, normally it’s three per person, but since you got a solo variety show, I deducted one?”
“….”
“Haha! Just kidding~ Kidding! It’s normally two.”
This guy’s been crossing the line lately.
At that moment, my smartphone rang.
Zing.
[VTIC Chung-ryeo Sunbae: Contact me if you feel like you’re dying ^^]
“….”
Suddenly, Big Sae-jin’s antics don’t seem like much.
‘At least he’s way better than this guy.’
[Yes, understood. Thank you.]
I sent a casual reply, put the snacks aside, and headed straight to bed as soon as I washed up.
“You’re back.”
“Yes. Did anything happen?”
“Nothing. …Sleep?”
“Yes. I stayed up all night. Can I close the curtains?”
“Sure.”
After a brief conversation with Lee Sae-jin, we came to an agreement and I drew the blackout curtains, settling in for an afternoon nap.
There was monitoring to be done that evening.
[Testa’s Living Together TEST! Episode 6]
Today was the broadcast day for the reality travel special.

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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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