The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut - Chapter 14

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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 (14)
Okada, clinging to me, spoke with a voice trembling with emotion.
“It’s all thanks to you. Thank you so much.”
“I didn’t do anything special. You’re the one who performed well.”
“No, if you hadn’t been here….”
“Yes, yes. I understand your feelings, so let’s head back to our seats for now.”
As I patted her back and spoke, Okada finally came to her senses and looked around.
The MC and ninety-eight trainees were staring at us.
“I’m… I’m so sorry….”
Okada, her face flushed crimson, returned to her seat.
“Haha, it’s fine! You have every right to be happy! Now, let me announce the results.”
As the MC spoke, the screen on the Podium changed.
[1st Wave Elimination: 62 Trainees Total]
[All Stats Decrease by 1 Level]
.
.
.
[2nd and 3rd Wave Elimination: 23 Trainees Total]
[Stats Maintained]
.
.
.
[Main Quest Success: 15 Trainees Total]
[All Stats Increase by 1 Level]
I watched the rapidly changing screen with full concentration.
Fifteen trainees had survived through the 3rd Wave.
Three of them were myself, Okada, and Yoo Sung.
Among trainees ranked outside the top 50, Okada was the only one to survive through the 3rd Wave.
“Has everyone confirmed the results? Before announcing the updated rankings, let’s hear the judges’ feedback!”
The Auditorium doors opened, and the judges took their places in a line on the Podium, wearing business smiles.
Kim Junwoo was the first to take the microphone.
“All trainees, thank you for your hard work today. I imagine you were quite shocked by the evaluation method. However, once you debut as Idols, you’ll face many situations as bewildering and difficult as today.”
A warm word from the judge after such a harsh evaluation.
It was Jang Hyuk-soo’s strategy—expertly manipulating the trainees and viewers.
“Even if you didn’t achieve good results today, the experience remains with you. I hope you’ll use today’s experience as a foundation to strive even harder.”
Sniff.
I heard someone wiping away tears.
‘Yeah, crying at this moment would look perfect on screen.’
But crying over a mistake isn’t a good choice.
‘How can you cry after performing like that?’ was the kind of malicious comment one could receive.
“Then let’s begin the evaluation. Who would like to go first….”
“Me! I’ll go first!”
The Dance Trainer raised his hand eagerly and spoke.
He gripped the microphone with an excited expression.
“Okada!”
“Oh, yes!”
Okada, suddenly called upon, lifted her head sharply.
“You were truly amazing! You did so well today!”
“Th-thank you….”
“Actually, I thought you spoke Korean quite well, Okada.”
“Um….”
It seemed the Dance Trainer had learned from the other judges that Okada didn’t speak Korean well.
Okada, having inadvertently deceived the Dance Trainer, laughed awkwardly.
“The other judges told me how surprised they were that you don’t speak Korean well. So honestly, I was uncertain about today too. I know you dance brilliantly, but singing and dancing simultaneously is a different matter entirely.”
At the Vocal Trainer’s words, I nodded inwardly.
“But you did so well today that I was shocked! How did you manage it? Did you take Korean lessons in such a short time?”
“Lessons…?”
“Ah, studying, I mean studying. Did you study Korean separately? It must have been difficult to study while preparing for the stage….”
“Yes, I did!”
Okada cut off the Dance Trainer’s words.
“I studied Korean. I practiced pronunciation a lot. My brother helped me a lot.”
“Your brother?”
“K-Kim Chowol is my brother….”
Okada glanced at me as she spoke.
The judges’ gazes turned toward me.
I said nothing, simply scratched my cheek and smiled.
“That’s right! Kim Chowol also made it through the third wave! I really didn’t think you’d survive all the way to the end… oh!”
“Haha.”
“Ah, I didn’t mean to belittle you, Kim Chowol….”
“I know.”
I understood the Dance Trainer meant no malice.
No judge besides him would have believed I’d survive to the end.
Even I hadn’t thought it possible before obtaining my trait.
Kim Junwoo took the microphone from the flustered Dance Trainer.
“I watched your stage performance today, Kim Chowol. I heard you practiced hard. That effort showed in your stage today.”
“Thank you.”
Kim Junwoo assessed the trainees’ abilities with cold precision and didn’t spare harsh criticism either.
In earlier rounds, I’d received scathing feedback from him that I’d remember for life.
But I knew it came from a desire to see me succeed, so I harbored no resentment.
I glanced briefly in Okada’s direction before continuing.
“Okada… I mean, Okada helped me a lot. She dances so well.”
I could feel Okada’s eyes gleaming like a puppy receiving praise.
“Yoo Sung, who shares a room with me, also cheered me on. Thanks to him, I was able to push through.”
Yoo Sung, who had been staring ahead indifferently, suddenly whipped his head toward me.
His expression clearly said ‘Are you insane?’ but I paid it no mind.
What else could I do?
This way, I survive and you survive too.
Kim Junwoo listened quietly to my words, then smiled slightly and spoke.
“I don’t think that’s quite right.”
Sharp bastard….
Had he caught on that Yoo Sung and I weren’t particularly close?
This was all because Yoo Sung couldn’t manage his expression.
“If cheering and encouragement could improve vocal and dance skills, there wouldn’t be a single idol in the world who couldn’t sing or dance.”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t credit others’ help or encouragement for your success. Today’s stage performance was Kim Chowol’s achievement.”
“Ah….”
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
What?
Kim Junwoo was praising me this much?
Of course, Kim Junwoo had praised me at the Stats Evaluation Stage as well.
But that was because my strategy of maximizing strengths and concealing weaknesses had worked.
I never expected to receive such high praise today.
“You did well. Really well.”
“Thank you….”
An emotion I’d forgotten while trapped in countless regressions began stirring from the depths of my chest.
How should I describe this?
This feeling that blooms when effort bears fruit….
‘It’s a sense of accomplishment.’
Ha, haha.
Laughter burst from me unbidden.
I found myself thinking I might actually come to enjoy this survival competition where life and death hung in the balance.
* * *
“Today’s rankings will determine your positions on the Music Broadcast Stage!”
1st place takes center, standing at the very front.
From 2nd to 60th place, the Stage is filled from front to back in order of rank.
From 61st to 100th place, trainees perform as backup dancers in the lower section of the Stage.
The expressions of the lower-ranked trainees listening to the explanation were grim.
“Now then, let me announce the rankings!”
The screen on the Podium changed.
All the stats from the first Stats Evaluation Stage had risen by one tier.
[Basic Stats
Vocal: C- 〉 C
Dance: D 〉 D+
Appearance: A 〉 A+
Charm: A+ 〉 S-]
Honestly, I have no idea why my Appearance stat keeps rising.
But thanks to it, I now have two stats above A+.
[Current Rankings]
[Kim Chowol 20th 〉 13th (▲7)]
[Okada Hiro 65th 〉 32nd (▲33)]
[Yoo Sung 22nd 〉 17th (▲5)]
13th place means I’m in the fourth row from the front.
‘Not bad at all.’
Satisfied with my ranking, I nodded to myself internally.
“Finally, I’ll announce the center position for the theme song stage—the face of our future EX-Grade K-POP Idol!”
At the MC’s words, every trainee’s gaze converged on a single point.
No one needed to be told.
Everyone already knew who the center would be.
The screen on the podium changed, displaying the 1st Place Trainee’s stat window.
[Name: Han Theo
Age: 20]
[Basic Stats
Vocal: A 〉 A+
Dance: S- 〉 S
Appearance: S 〉 S+
Charm: A+ 〉 S-]
[Current Rankings]
[Han Theo 1st 〉 1st (―)]
Upon seeing his stat window, I couldn’t help but curse under my breath.
‘Damn it. How am I supposed to beat that?’
Han Theo.
His real name is Theodore Han.
A third-generation Korean-American who had been living comfortably in the American middle class before suddenly moving to Korea to pursue an idol career.
His trainee period was only six months.
His agency was preparing him for debut when he expressed his desire to debut quickly, so he decided to participate in the EX-Grade K-POP Idol competition.
‘The biggest obstacle to my goal.’
With only one exception, Han Theo had always been the center of the EX-Grade K-POP Idol competition.
That single exception was the previous round, when my stats had been at their highest.
But what’s truly terrifying is that across every single round, there has never been a competition where he failed to debut.
Debut probability: 100%.
And all of them debuted within the top three.
‘How am I supposed to beat this guy? God, I feel like I’m going to be sick.’
In some ways, he was even more troublesome than Yoo Sung.
Yoo Sung’s weaknesses are obvious.
If I exploit those flaws, I can crush him completely.
But Han Theo is different.
‘I can’t figure out what he’s thinking.’
Across countless regressions, I’d observed Han Theo many times, yet he never revealed his true intentions.
“Congratulations, Han Theo! How does it feel to be chosen as the center? Give us a brief comment!”
Han Theo climbed onto the Podium at the MC’s request.
Though he stood just over 180 centimeters tall, his small face made him appear nearly 190 centimeters.
A quarter Caucasian with East Asian features blended with just 2% Western aesthetics—the exact face Korean audiences adored.
“Thank you. This is all thanks to the trainers who guided me through practice and the fellow trainees who supported me.”
Spouting lies without batting an eye.
I barely suppressed a bitter laugh as the thought crossed my mind.
Han Theo didn’t have a single trainee he was close with.
While Yoo Sung openly displayed his thorns, Han Theo smiled while building walls.
“Going forward, I hope to grow closer with my fellow trainees…”
Han Theo trailed off, his gaze sweeping across the other trainees.
I watched him with a puzzled expression, and in that moment, our eyes met.
“…and deepen our bonds.”
Was he speaking to me right now?
I swallowed a hollow laugh.
‘I’d welcome that.’
If you and I become close, I’ll expose every weakness of yours and claim first place.

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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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