I’m Debuting With The Bias I Killed - Chapter 18

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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 18
After finishing the stage and returning to my seat, one piece of welcome news came to mind.
[Danger Level: 83% (▼2%)]
‘I did well enough to drop it 2%?’
That number hit far harder than any praise from the judges.
‘It’s going down.’
Just that fact alone let me breathe easier.
Lee Yul strode across the stage as if purging all his pent-up frustration. His movements were fluid, effortless—the injured arm might as well not have existed.
Watching him made me tense up instead.
‘Take it easy on that arm, please.’
Every time he flicked his wrist I flinched; every turn made me hold my breath. Though he looked thoroughly delighted the whole time.
The praise poured in with such inevitability that my own shoulders lifted with pride.
Ju Han and Han Sang Yoon had also torn through their stages exactly as expected.
‘Those three are practically locked in.’
Skill, star power, presence.
The real fight for the Debut Group came down to the remaining two spots.
‘And one of them has to be mine.’
“Right, we’re wrapping up the first Mission Stage shoot!”
The moment those words left the PD’s mouth, cheers erupted from all corners.
“Finally!”
“It’s over…….”
As tension melted away, posture crumbled everywhere. Some trainees sprawled flat on the ground. Nearly ten hours straight of filming—it was only natural.
My back felt ready to snap too, but I kept my form as rigid as I could.
‘Didn’t some trainee get caught up in an attitude controversy that way?’
The cameras keep rolling right up until you walk out the door—that’s the rule.
But I’d forgotten something.
“Alright, everyone change out of your outfits and gather right back here!”
……It wasn’t over.
Go home? What kind of impossible hope was I dreaming up?
‘Right, this is what a real idol survival show looks like.’
The producers clearly meant to squeeze every last ounce out of this expensive studio.
“We’re starting the first Code announcement ceremony right away!”
“Wow, that’s insane…….”
A few trainees looked like their souls had left their bodies at the tighter-than-expected schedule.
The trainees changed back into the group outfit from the Signal Song and regathered. The stage setup had changed in the meantime.
And then.
“The long-awaited first Code announcement ceremony begins now!”
The lights came up on the darkened stage, and gasps exploded from every direction.
“Insane.”
“Wow…….”
Kang Se Jun had changed clothes again.
‘No wonder I didn’t realize they shot it all in one day.’
This time a military-style dress uniform—the shoulder line to the waist fit was obviously custom-tailored.
‘The styling team really planned this out.’
It wasn’t for nothing that Boys Code viewers said they watched just to see “what the MC is wearing.”
“Wow, he’s seriously handsome.”
“People like that actually become idols, huh.”
Even as a man, I couldn’t help but admire the visuals.
Having received the signal from the producers below, he picked up the microphone.
“Yesterday, my colleague stood behind me. Today, they might stand ahead of me.”
Boom—!
The lights danced frenetically with a grand sound effect, then locked onto one place.
Right there—the five spots that meant the Debut Group.
“So who are the five who will rise to the first Debut Group?”
I heard the sound of nervous swallowing from all around.
“How are they going to announce it?”
“Please just let it be somewhere in the middle-”
Kang Se Jun smiled and spoke.
“The Boys Code announcement ceremony is a little special.”
‘That’s why it got so much hate for being cruel.’
“You’ll be reassigned to new positions according to a new Code.”
“……What?”
“What does that mean?”
The back screen lit up.
“Starting with Code 20, each trainee will take the stage in turn and confirm their new Code.”
A demonstration video appeared. Code 20 would check their result, and if they became Code 12, they’d immediately move to the Code 12 position.
“Then the trainee who was originally in that spot gets bumped down to match their new ranking.”
“Whoa, hold on.”
Only then did the trainees’ faces begin to harden.
In short, the moment rankings changed, positions would be stolen and surrendered right before your eyes.
“……Seriously?”
“That’s just cruel……?”
Of course, a few of them chuckled as though they found it entertaining.
“If someone takes my spot, my pride’s gonna take a real hit—”
“Either way, we can only hold steady or move up from here, right?”
But that wasn’t the end of it.
Kang Se Jun tapped his chest lightly.
“Not only will your position change—your Name Badge will be exchanged directly as well.”
This was the greater humiliation.
“Wow—”
“That’s just brutal, isn’t it?”
Some trainees squeezed their eyes shut, as though they could sense the grim future bearing down on them.
‘Please, anything but Lee Yul tearing off my Name Badge.’
I didn’t even want to imagine that.
“All right, then. Code 20 trainee, please come up to the stage.”
“……Y-yes!”
A wide screen lit up behind the trainee, who climbed the stage with a stiffened face.
Tension hung thick around the first Code.
[Code 20 ▶ Code 18]
“Yes, Code 20 trainee. Congratulations! You’ve climbed two ranks and are now Code 18.”
“Th-thank you!”
The joy was short-lived; Code 20’s expression grew complicated.
“Now, please move to the Code 18 position and exchange your Name Badge.”
Two trainees appeared on the screen. Code 18 bit their lip, pride wounded. Code 20 couldn’t quite smile either.
Tug, tug-tug—
The Name Badge had been deliberately made difficult to remove. As the flustered Code 20 fumbled with it again and again, Code 18’s expression grew increasingly rigid.
‘This is just twisted.’
I wanted to rip it off myself out of sheer frustration.
“Don’t be too discouraged. This could be a stepping stone toward an even higher rank.”
Kang Se Jun tried to lighten the mood.
[Code 18 ▶ Code 20]
“Ah…….”
The atmosphere grew even heavier.
The rankings kept flipping after that. The trainees’ expressions swung between heaven and hell.
When ranks 7 and 9 swapped positions, it automatically became Go Jae Sung’s turn at rank 6 to have his Code announced.
From here on out, it was essentially a Debut Group race.
Go Jae Sung stood up from his seat.
‘Before regression, he made it comfortably into the Debut Group.’
I couldn’t let my guard down. After the midterm evaluation, Go Jae Sung had clearly grown one step further.
Everyone’s attention fixed on Kang Se Jun’s mouth.
“Now, reveal Code 6’s final Code!”
[Code ??]
The numbers inside the question mark cycled rapidly.
The best outcome would be maintaining Code 6.
‘This long of a pause… something feels off.’
[Code 6 ▶ Code 4]
And my instinct was right.
“……!”
For a moment, the blood in my entire body ran cold.
Go Jae Sung had just taken my spot.
‘At least it wasn’t Lee Yul…….’
Gasps erupted from different corners of the room.
Well, a trainee who’d been here less than a month suddenly jumping into the Debut Group—how could he not be a thorn in everyone’s side?
“Code 6 trainee, promoted two ranks to Code 4 and selected for the Debut Group. How are you feeling right now?”
Go Jae Sung’s face registered disbelief as he opened his mouth.
“Making it into the Debut Group feels like a dream…….”
Watching that nauseating expression was torture.
Kang Se Jun explained the reasoning.
“Go Jae Sung trainee’s promotion factors were Stage Presence and Performance Completeness.”
‘So that was the difference.’
My Producing Skill was superior, but if anyone asked who should go on stage between Go Jae Sung and me, they’d still answer Go Jae Sung. That’s what this meant.
It was frustrating, but I had to accept it for now.
“Code 6, please move to Code 4’s position.”
Go Jae Sung walked over.
“Congratulations!”
“Lucky you—”
Receiving congratulations from the other trainees, he stood in front of me.
“Sorry, I’m taking your Name Badge.”
Tug. Tug.
It didn’t come off.
“This isn’t coming off easily…….”
Tug.
Failed again.
‘This bastard, he’s doing this on purpose.’
The truth was, the moment Go Jae Sung’s code was announced, I’d already loosened one side of my Name Badge. A small tug would’ve made it come right off.
There’s no way he didn’t notice.
But he’s deliberately dragging it out. Letting the cameras catch me losing for as long as possible.
What the viewers won’t see is Go Jae Sung’s underhandedness.
“Got it!”
Rip!
When he gave a final hard tug, I staggered for a moment.
Our eyes met. His eyes pretended to apologize, but his mouth was clearly smiling.
They say you can’t spit in the face of someone who’s smiling at you. I can.
That’s when the camera moved closer to us.
Without hesitation, I reached out.
“I’ll take my Name Badge just fine too.”
“……?”
And without hesitation, I ripped it away.
Snap!
With a crisp sound, the Name Badge came off far too easily.
“What……?”
“It comes off so easily?”
The atmosphere in the room shifted subtly.
In all their time here, no trainee who’d lost their spot had ever torn away their opponent’s Name Badge themselves.
Go Jae Sung froze for a moment.
I lifted the Name Badge and smiled.
“I’ll keep it just fine.”
And then.
“It really does come off easily, doesn’t it?”
I whispered it softly as I passed by Go Jae Sung.
Now it was my turn. I climbed onto the stage to confirm my final code.
[Code 4 ▶ Code 6]
“Code 4’s final code is…… Code 6!”
Sixth place. Just below the Debut Group, a rank I’d just barely missed.
“Code 4 delivered a stage that showcased your potential properly. However, uneven overall skill was the largest factor in your ranking drop.”
Maybe because I’d prepared myself mentally, the shock wasn’t that severe.
“Thank you.”
I bowed my head.
“I still have much to learn, but I’ll prove it on stage.”
The rest of the announcements proceeded as expected. Apart from me, all the Debut Group trainees maintained their rankings.
“Boys Code. The Debut Group to open the first gate has been decided!”
Light bloomed from beneath the chairs of the five debut members. The brilliant staging and set design drew an involuntary laugh.
‘They say this is NIXES’s first and last grand spectacle for a reason.’
Honestly, it was a bit over the top, yet the trainees gasped in admiration.
“Wow?”
“No way—they must’ve burned through a fortune.”
The faces of the five debut members were captured one by one on camera.
In that moment, an odd feeling washed over me.
‘I have to debut with Lee Yul.’
Until now, my goal had been singular.
But when did it happen? A separate proposition had begun to surface in my mind.
‘I want to rise.’
Not merely to survive, but to be recognized.
A small but unmistakable spark of that desire burned within me.
It was a kind of thirst I’d never felt when I was a producer.
A hunger that only those who’ve stood on stage could know.
I Debuted with My Favorite Idol I Killed (Serialized)
Author │ Yoo Sue
Publisher │ Kim Ju Hyung
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae Hyuk
Address │ 401, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Ace Techno Tower 8th)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Yoo Sue 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 manner without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this provision may result in criminal and civil 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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