I’m Debuting With The Bias I Killed - Chapter 17

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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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Episode 17
The judges’ standards proved far harsher than anticipated. As if by prior arrangement, they dispensed criticism in steady streams.
“Honestly, I’m a bit frustrated.”
Song In-hyeok sighed.
“You’re supposed to show what you do best. Why is that so difficult?”
“Why do they all overestimate their own abilities like this?”
The atmosphere in the waiting area grew heavier by the minute. It was hard to smile when it would soon be their own turn under scrutiny.
At least once the single-digit Codes began, compliments started trickling in.
“Next is Code 6’s Stage.”
This was where the audience truly began to focus.
Go Jae-sung seemed to have overhauled his Stage considerably since the Mid-evaluation.
“The arrangement is much more refined than it was at the Mid-evaluation.”
“Thank you!”
Of course, his Producing level remained similar to his pre-regression mixtape.
‘Before the regression, that level of skill would have been plenty.’
But not now, unfortunately.
“Did you rework the Choreography yourself?”
“Yes, I did!”
That must have been why he’d put more effort into the dancing.
“It’s incomparably better than the Mid-evaluation. Really impressive.”
“I incorporated the feedback you gave and worked hard on it.”
The Choreography was entirely different from both the Mid-evaluation and his pre-regression Stage.
‘What is this…’
It was well-made. No, more precisely—
‘It’s too well-made.’
The structure was clean, and the key choreography movements grabbed attention immediately.
Especially in the hook section—the move that cut off the beat half a beat late before entering had that trendy style from before the regression.
‘Is it just my imagination?’
But if it looked respectable even to my eyes, which despised Go Jae-sung, then good evaluations were inevitable.
Particularly Jackie P, the dance trainer, showered him with praise.
“It has that quality of choreography from a famous overseas dance crew. Such polished execution.”
“I even want to dance it myself.”
“Then why don’t we dance it together?”
With that confident final comment, Go Jae-sung’s evaluation wrapped up in a warm atmosphere.
‘Was he always at that level?’
The gap seemed too significant to chalk up to mere improvement.
Had my participation in Survival somehow driven Go Jae-sung’s growth as well? An unsettling question circled my mind.
Next came Code 5. Choi Un-jo’s Stage felt like the scene at a hip-hop festival. He had the bearing of someone who’d long since secured his debut slot.
And then, finally, it was my turn.
“Code 4, please come up to the Stage.”
Perfunctory applause, and eyes fixed on me as if taking my measure.
I climbed the Stage slowly.
“Hah…”
One deep breath.
“Code 4 trainee, please introduce your prepared Stage.”
I adjusted my grip on the microphone.
“Yes. The Stage I’ve prepared today is an original composition, and the title is ‘Yu Seong-u.'”
Judge Jackie P spoke up.
“Your trainee period has been short, and this must be your first time on a Stage like this. How are you feeling?”
My mouth had gone slightly dry.
“More than I expected.”
I smiled honestly.
“This Stage is really big.”
My voice carried unmistakable tension.
“The Mid-evaluation might’ve been a fluke.”
“No matter how well you perform, stage fright ruins everything anyway.”
And the judges’ conversation, barely audible.
“Still.”
I gripped the microphone a bit tighter.
“I’m going to show you everything I’ve prepared without any regrets.”
Kang Se-jun nodded.
“Then, Code 4’s stage begins. Code on.”
* * *
The lights brightened slowly.
Beneath a pristine spotlight, a boy stood with a single Guitar slung across his body.
An oversized checked shirt, tousled jet-black hair, clunky horn-rimmed glasses.
The outfit was far too plain for a Stage.
Or rather, it would have been better to call it rustic.
That was precisely what made him stand out.
Like the other trainees, his name was revealed publicly for the first time since Survival began.
[Yu Seong-u]
Three characters floating across the screen—whether it was the song title or the trainee’s name remained unclear. Jackie P’s lips curled up without thinking.
‘Did they calculate even this.’
If the production design was planned down to this detail, the sensibility behind it wasn’t ordinary.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, the guitar string sang out softly.
Ting—
A clear, light note. The Studio fell silent in an instant.
[I yearned for
those shining stars]
The opening phrase.
The boy’s voice trembled just slightly.
“Hmm?”
The air at the judges’ table shifted.
The fingertips gripping the Guitar quivered faintly. His breathing was uneven.
The characteristic awkwardness of someone stepping onto a large Stage for the first time.
“Goodness.”
Jackie P’s eyes narrowed. It was different from how he’d been at the Mid-evaluation.
‘He’s nervous.’
But something was strange.
[One day, will I too
shine as brightly as that star]
The raw breathing audible throughout didn’t grate on him.
‘Why is that?’
Jackie P’s fingers began tapping slowly against the table.
Tap.
……Tap.
[When tomorrow
fills me with uncertainty and fear]
The mind that had been meant to evaluate the Stage was already following the song.
[I close my eyes quietly
and imagine myself on that Stage]
The boy closed his eyes.
“……Ah.”
Only then did Jackie P understand. The reason Yu Seong-u’s clumsiness on Stage hadn’t bothered him.
This song—no, this Stage wasn’t meant to be perfect from the start.
It had to be uncertain, clumsy, wavering.
Only then would the song become real.
[Though still afraid,
I have this premonition]
Things were shifting, bit by bit.
His rigid shoulders relaxed, and his gaze no longer fell to the ground.
Power began to seep gradually into the fingertips plucking the Guitar.
[That it will become a wonderful journey]
The boy smiled for the first time.
‘He’s getting the hang of it.’
No—he was growing.
Right now, in this moment, before the audience.
[I look forward to
my own tomorrow]
Strength filled his trembling voice.
Jackie P found himself leaning forward without realizing it.
[The size of dreams
shifts with every passing day]
The boy’s body began moving to the rhythm. Gestures swaying with the song, his voice growing louder with each phrase.
[Watch over me
as I sing]
And then came the face of someone who had begun to enjoy the stage.
‘Insane…….’
Jackie P swallowed a quiet curse under his breath.
This kind of stage was dangerous.
Not because it was technically overwhelming. But somehow it reached into something deeper.
At some point, no one had taken notes anymore. The mere fact that they were evaluating him seemed to fade away.
[Have faith in me
and my tomorrow]
The guitar strokes accelerated. The boy’s eyes came alive in turn.
Even the camera operator instinctively pulled the zoom tighter. Wanting to capture that expression in greater detail.
[Come with me
on my journey]
A soaring high note, clean and open.
‘Was he capable of this?’
At the mid-evaluation, they had marveled at his Composition skill. Now his Vocal prowess was beginning to stay with Jackie P.
[If you believe in me
I will give everything
and shine bright]
Not mere song lyrics—a promise to the people who would one day become his fans.
Jackie P suddenly understood.
The most dangerous thing on this stage right now was neither his Composition skill nor his Vocal.
It was the irresistible urge to cheer for the boy before his eyes.
That was the greatest talent of all.
[Becoming the brightest
star in the sky
I’ll run toward you!]
The climax erupted in a torrent.
As if a real shooting star were falling onto the stage itself.
Because there had been that awkward beginning, this moment blazed all the more brilliantly.
“Waaaaah-”
The cheers that had been held back burst forth.
And in the center of it all, Yu Seong-u stood breathing hard and laughing. This was the first time his smile had been so radiant his mouth was wide open like a cavern. Jackie P let out a small murmur of admiration despite himself.
The stage light met his braces and glinted with exquisite brightness.
“……Heh.”
Even that was dazzling and radiant.
* * *
In truth, at first he had planned to merely pretend to be appropriately nervous. But the moment he stepped onto the stage, he understood.
‘Acting? What are you—’
Was he supposed to fake trembling, fake clumsiness, and draw the stage into his performance?
Ridiculous.
His practice alone in front of the mirror suddenly felt absurd.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
His heart was pounding like mad.
‘Wow, this isn’t a joke—’
The fingers gripping the Guitar trembled uncontrollably.
And why were there so many cameras?
Finding the red light? Forget it. Just keeping his eyes open felt like a miracle.
[I yearned for it
those shining stars]
The moment he released the first phrase, he knew.
‘I’m screwed…….’
Acting? He didn’t have the luxury of it.
It felt like I’d slipped back to those days when my sister dragged me onto the stage. It was almost a miracle I wasn’t crying now.
Yet as that memory surfaced, somehow my breathing eased a little.
‘All right. Just show everything.’
Trembling or not. Afraid or not.
No pretense.
That third grader—Yu Seong-u—who’d danced through his tears and still managed to nail the ending pose. He was still inside me.
The moment I decided that, my body began to loosen, bit by bit.
Once I stopped forcing myself to find the camera, the camera found me instead.
For the first time, I felt a sensation flood through my body.
‘Wow…’
Now I understood why idols were so obsessed with the stage.
For those few minutes, every gaze fixed solely on me—that electric thrill.
It was a sensation you could never feel anywhere but on stage.
When I came back to myself, Kang Se-jun was speaking.
“The way you transformed was impressive.”
The other judges nodded in agreement.
The strategy I’d calculated from the start had paid off.
‘Though I didn’t expect to be this nervous.’
I swallowed back a hollow laugh.
“We thought the song was good at the mid-evaluation, but the finished version is so much better.”
“Thank you!”
This time, Park Jae-hun picked up the microphone.
“You’re a lot better at singing than I expected?”
Those words meant more to me than the others.
The truth was, Producing alone wasn’t enough to make the Debut Group.
In the end, an idol was a performer on stage.
“You were pretty nervous at the beginning, weren’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“But—”
He chuckled.
“That nervousness actually suited the song perfectly. So this is… well, I don’t know what to say.”
“Thank you!”
“I think you have a natural sense for it. You gave off the vibe of someone who’s watched a lot of good performances.”
‘A true professional spots these things.’
“I do enjoy watching performances.”
“That’s a good hobby.”
And finally, Song In-hyeok picked up the microphone.
“Good stage. For this mission’s theme, it was the best showcase of who you are.”
His voice was calm. But what came next mattered.
“However.”
There was indeed more.
“What the other judges praised will likely be the last time you can do it.”
It sounded like a warning.
“You didn’t dance at all this time. Intentional, I assume?”
“Yes. I felt it wasn’t yet a strength of mine.”
Song In-hyeok’s mouth curved upward slightly.
“Good judgment. But from the next mission on, you’ll have to dance and sing.”
“Yes.”
“Then your clumsiness won’t be an advantage anymore—it’ll be a weakness.”
The pressure bearing down on me from the front. Yet strangely, instead of fear, I felt exhilaration.
It was the same when I was a producer.
Someone’s doubt, and the thrill of overturning it with skill.
I knew that sensation intimately. And it was a rush I hadn’t felt in far too long.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Yu Seong-u the trainee as a more polished idol.”
Song In-hyeok closed his evaluation sheet.
And smiled very faintly.
“I’ll be watching.”
I tried to hold it back, but my mouth lifted into a smile.
“Yes!”
I answered with a grin.
“I hope you’ll have high expectations for us.”
As I returned to my seat, the heat of their stares pressed against my back.
I turned around without thinking, and the trainees were watching me.
Their eyes had changed entirely from before.
Not the gaze they cast on a newcomer, nor the look reserved for a trainee who’d gotten lucky and shone once.
It was the gaze of a rival who might steal their place in the Debut Group.
I Killed My Favorite and We’re Debuting (Serialized)
Author │ Yu Sseu
Publisher │ Kim Ju-hyeong
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyeok
Address │ 401, Acetech Techno Tower 8th, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Yu Sseu 2026
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder, and the contents may not be used in any form or by any means without the permission of the company and the author.
Violation of this may result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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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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