The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut - Chapter 11

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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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The Gate Burst Open on My Debut Day (11)
Yoo Sung had many fans thanks to his handsome face, exceptional dancing, and vocal talent.
However, whenever he prepared for team performances, he clashed with other trainees, earning him plenty of detractors as well.
I’d been on teams with Yoo Sung several times myself, and each time he’d participate minimally in team practice while throwing himself into individual training.
‘Based on over a dozen regressions, I’ve confirmed Yoo Sung’s debut probability at 60%.’
Given his visuals, skill, and the buzz surrounding him, that wasn’t a particularly high percentage.
Yet across dozens of timelines, he’d never dropped out even once.
And despite minimal participation in team practice, he always delivered flawless performances.
‘High risk, high reward—that’s what it means.’
I thought this while looking up at Yoo Sung.
“What are you staring at?”
“Huh? Nothing.”
Yoo Sung furrowed his brow as if displeased.
I pushed myself up, my thoughts drifting.
‘His manners are really something….’
Yoo Sung’s personality couldn’t be called good by any stretch.
Suspicious and sensitive—that was his nature.
But because he desperately wanted to debut, he knew how to hide his true self when cameras were around.
‘Hmm….’
I rolled my eyes and scanned the surroundings thoroughly.
There were no visible cameras.
“Why are you here?”
I spoke with a slight smile playing at my lips.
It hadn’t even been twelve hours since Yoo Sung grabbed me by the collar.
The resentment from being forcibly enrolled in the Guild couldn’t possibly have dissipated already.
Yoo Sung, who’d clamped his mouth shut at my question, suddenly hurled what he’d been holding.
“Huh?”
I reflexively caught what Yoo Sung threw.
A chill rose from my palm.
It was cold mineral water, freshly dispensed from the Vending Machine.
“Drink it.”
“Uh… thanks.”
Why suddenly this?
I was curious, but I didn’t press the matter.
It seemed unlikely he’d give me a proper answer anyway.
“I’m heading out.”
“To the Dormitory?”
“Yeah, you should wrap up soon and head back too.”
Was Yoo Sung worried about me?
I blinked in surprise, my eyes widening as I looked at him.
Seeing my reaction, Yoo Sung chuckled and continued.
“Don’t drain yourself completely today, or you’ll be sluggish tomorrow.”
“Sure….”
It wasn’t concern—it was a jab.
I exhaled silently and gazed down at the water bottle Yoo Sung had given me.
“I’m heading out.”
“Oh, wait a second.”
I pointed at the water bottle toward Yoo Sung and spoke.
“Thanks for this. I’ll drink it well.”
“….”
“I want to go upstairs and rest too… but I still feel like I’m lacking a lot, so I need to practice more. Don’t wait for me—just sleep.”
“Why would I wait for you?”
Yoo Sung let out a hollow laugh as if exasperated, then turned and left the Practice Room.
Just before leaving, he muttered something toward me.
“I’ve got a pretty nasty personality.”
“What?”
“…Just keep that in mind.”
I stared blankly at the closed Practice Room door and thought.
‘What am I supposed to do with that?’
Okada probably already knows Yoo Sung has a nasty personality.
Even after regressing dozens of times, human hearts remain utterly unpredictable.
I opened the cap of the water bottle Yoo Sung gave me and drank it straight down.
“Ah, I feel alive again.”
I’d slept a little, and with the cool water, my head felt refreshed.
It was the perfect state to resume practice, but there was something I needed to check first.
I walked toward the filming equipment stacked in the corner of the Practice Room.
‘It should be here somewhere….’
I skillfully moved aside several pieces of filming equipment and bent down to peer inside.
‘Found it.’
A camera lens glinted from within the shadows.
I pretended not to see it and restacked the equipment.
Yoo Sung thought there was no camera, but that’s only a thought someone unfamiliar with Jang Hyuk-soo would have.
‘The only place on the Filming Set where Jang Hyuk-soo’s eyes can’t reach is the Bathroom.’
I replayed the words Yoo Sung had just said to me.
‘That rude tone… Jang Hyuk-soo will love it.’
He definitely wouldn’t edit it favorably.
He’d make Yoo Sung the villain and me the victim being harassed by him.
On the surface, it doesn’t seem like it would disadvantage me, even if Yoo Sung doesn’t realize it.
But….
‘That’s not how this should go.’
A victim character?
That’s even worse than becoming a villain.
A victim character is a double-edged sword.
People sympathize with victims.
Not that sympathy is a bad thing.
Sympathy can develop into affection.
The problem is that people demand victimhood from victims.
A victim must never offend anyone and must be morally flawless.
If a victim stops seeming like a victim, people begin to attack them.
‘I can’t destroy this either….’
A violent thought flickered through my mind for a moment, but I quickly suppressed it.
There was an episode where I actually went mad and destroyed everything without caring….
I shouldn’t think about that.
It’s not even a good memory anyway.
But it definitely did relieve the stress.
‘Then there’s only one way.’
Accelerate my relationship with Yoo Sung.
Or rather, make it appear as though it’s developed.
My plan for the future began to take shape in my mind.
* * *
Time flew by like an arrow.
Classes all day, practice, classes, practice….
Today was the last dance and vocal lesson before the first evaluation Stage.
The dance lesson went smoothly thanks to the positive trainer, but the vocal lesson was different.
“Chowol… you…. sigh….”
“I apologize.”
“It doesn’t seem like you’re neglecting practice, so why isn’t your vocal improving? Hmm?”
I really have no idea either.
My skills are improving, but the pace of improvement is far too slow.
“Fine, okay… keep working hard. If there’s anything you don’t understand, come to me… sigh.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The final lesson concluded.
After eating dinner, I headed straight to the Practice Room.
From the first day until now, I hadn’t slept in the Dormitory even once during this entire week.
I practiced through the night in the Practice Room, and when I could barely endure anymore, I’d drape the blanket I’d brought from the Dormitory over myself and catch a few minutes of sleep.
As I entered the Practice Room, a familiar face greeted me.
“Hyuk-soo! Wow, you’re here?”
“Did you eat a nice dinner?”
“Yes! The Korean rolled omelet was delicious!”
“That’s good. Let’s practice.”
“Yes!”
Okada had become my Practice Room companion at some point.
After helping her out a bit during the first day’s dance class, she’d clung to me whenever she got the chance.
She kept chattering away in broken Korean from beside me, and since I couldn’t exactly tell her to stop, I’d been accommodating her. Now she followed me around like my subordinate wherever I went.
Since things had come to this, I decided to use Okada for whatever advantage I could get.
“Have you been practicing your pronunciation much?”
“Um… I’ve b-been doing it constantly…”
“…It’s fine. I’ll help you.”
“Yes, thank you, Hyuk-soo!”
As I naturally mixed Korean and Japanese in our conversations, Okada’s Korean improved rapidly.
But her pronunciation was still quite rough.
‘Okada failed the stat evaluation Stage because she couldn’t speak Korean… and she’ll fail the first evaluation Stage, the theme song Stage, too.’
It was a fact that hadn’t changed across dozens of loops.
This loop, I’d helped her with pronunciation practice, but from the current situation, it didn’t seem like much would change.
But now wasn’t the time to worry about others.
“Okada, could you watch my dancing?”
“Yes!”
Okada sprang up from her seat with a confident smile.
I taught Okada Korean pronunciation, and she taught me dancing.
Honestly, it was a trade where Okada was losing out, but she didn’t seem to mind much.
Or rather, Okada absolutely loved when I taught her pronunciation.
I couldn’t figure out why she enjoyed it so much, though.
“Phew…”
Three hours had passed since practice began.
We’d continued practicing without even light conversation.
Eventually, my stamina completely depleted, I collapsed to the floor gasping for breath.
“L-let’s rest for 10 minutes…”
“Okay…”
“If you’re tired, go back to your Room and rest for today.”
“No, no! I’m going to practice more here!”
I smiled to indicate she could do as she pleased.
Only then did Okada, reassured, sit down on the floor beside me to rest.
‘Status window.’
With the first evaluation just one day away, I checked my status window for a final review.
[Basic Stats
Vocal: D+
Dance: D
Appearance: B+
Charm: B]
Dance had risen from D- to D, but considering the amount of practice, it wasn’t much of an increase.
‘What am I supposed to do?’
There were situations where the Charm stat worked and situations where it didn’t.
I’d changed the song selection for the Stat Evaluation Stage to showcase my Charm stat, but the theme song for the First Evaluation Stage prioritized Vocal and Dance stats over Charm.
Hunt the Stage, being the theme song, demanded a far higher level of performance than Girl Story’s Look at Me Now.
If my Vocal and Dance were sloppy but my Charm stat was high, I’d definitely get criticized for being all flash with no substance.
“Hyuk-soo? What are you doing?”
Okada, who’d been resting beside me, spoke up.
I rolled my eyes to look at her without turning my head.
“Nothing. Just thinking.”
“Ah, you look troubled.”
“It’s… the First Evaluation tomorrow. That’s why.”
Okada’s eyes widened at my words.
She fell silent for a moment as if considering something, then spoke carefully, word by word.
“Hyuk-soo. Don’t worry too much.”
“Hm?”
“You can debut. I will…”
Okada looked at me with eyes so earnest they seemed to pull me in as she spoke.
It wasn’t strange for kind Okada to offer comfort to me when I was struggling.
But having practiced together and seen all my abilities, did she genuinely believe I could debut?
Okada hesitated, opening and closing her lips, before finally finishing her sentence.
“I will… do my best.”
What?
Hearing Okada’s words, I nearly let out an incredulous laugh.
‘What effort are you going to make?’
Her expression didn’t seem insincere, but honestly, there was nothing Okada could do by trying harder.
That’s when an unfamiliar notification sound rang in my ears.
―Ding!
[Sub Quest progress has been updated.]
[Check your Sub Quest.]
‘What?’
Startled, I immediately checked my Sub Quest.
[Sub Quest: Recruit Allies
Description: Recruit allies for a successful debut.
Allies Recruited (1/6)
Success Reward: Gate Manifestation Suspended (180 days)]
The ally recruitment progress had changed from 0 to 1.
‘What in the world is this…?’
Before I could make sense of it, a new window appeared before my eyes.
[Hidden Quest cleared.]
[Hidden Quest: Recruit your first ally.
Reward: 1 Trait Draw Ticket]
This actually works?
I let out a hollow laugh, gazing at the translucent window before me.

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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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