The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut - Chapter 31

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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 (31)
The editing was obsessively meticulous, and I could sense a deliberate intention behind every cut.
Lyrics cut short, pitch wavering, rhythm stumbling….
The same scenes were shown repeatedly from various angles, interspersed with reactions from the judges and other trainees.
Even I, who had watched the broadcast dozens of times, found myself wincing—I could only imagine the shock it delivered to first-time viewers.
[What? Is this rigged or something?]
[ㄷㄷ I think my mentality went well;;]
Now I get why he couldn’t debut at LMH lol
A torrent of ridicule and contempt poured in, far exceeding mere criticism.
But unlike Okada, I wasn’t particularly worried about Yoo Sung.
The Yoo Sung I knew wasn’t the type to have his resolve shattered by negative viewer reactions.
‘Yoo Sung will be fine. The problem is… me.’
I fidgeted anxiously with the cuticles around my fingernails, my thoughts spiraling.
After the LMH trainees’ performances ended and a string of trainees with more compelling narratives and characters took the Stage, Han Theo finally ascended to the Podium that everyone had been waiting for.
[“Hello, I’m Han Theo.”]
The chat exploded the moment Han Theo appeared—the performance hadn’t even started yet.
[Wow, it’s Han Theo!]
[I’ve been waiting so long my neck’s about to snap]
[The protagonist always comes out last]
[Wow… he’s seriously insanely handsome]
Aside from being a third-generation Korean-American, Han Theo’s narrative was ordinary and his character unremarkable.
But his overwhelming visuals and skill made him exceptional.
‘How the hell do I beat this guy?’
Through dozens of regressions, I had come to know roughly what pasts the other trainees carried and what their weaknesses were.
But when it came to Han Theo, I knew almost nothing.
Han Theo always wore a subtle smile at the corners of his mouth, and when preparing stages together, he rarely voiced any complaints.
Even trainees who had initially found Han Theo intimidating came to treat him as an easy mark after witnessing his demeanor and reactions.
But the Han Theo who was always smiling, the Han Theo who never spoke ill of others—neither was the real Han Theo.
‘Han Theo is wearing a mask.’
A sturdy, impenetrable mask that no amount of pounding could shatter.
Even after dozens of regressions, I had never once glimpsed Han Theo’s true face.
‘If I had tried harder to get close to him, could I have at least discovered his weakness….’
Never mind.
There was no point regretting now—it wasn’t as though I could go back and change things.
‘But… when does my performance air?’
Han Theo, who was practically the protagonist of an EX-Grade K-POP Idol, always appeared near the very end of Episode 2.
So I had assumed my performance would air in the early or mid-portion of Episode 2.
But even as Han Theo’s performance concluded, mine still hadn’t aired.
‘It appeared in the preview, so they wouldn’t have cut it entirely… wait, don’t tell me these bastards—’
The moment I realized something had gone wrong, Han Theo’s performance ended.
The Screen now displayed not the dazzling Stage, but the familiar Backstage.
[“You want to change the song selection?”]
As the flustered staff filled the screen, I found myself clenching both fists without thinking.
‘These bastards… what were they thinking putting my Stage and Han Theo’s Stage back-to-back?’
* * *
The response to my Stage wasn’t bad.
[I was wondering what they were thinking when they changed the song selection right before, but it seems they made the right call]
[The dance and vocals are solid, but there’s something charming about it]
[Star quality? Charisma? Whatever you want to call it, there’s definitely something there]
But because Han Theo performed right before me, there were slightly more negative reactions than positive ones.
[Did everyone’s eyes go bad? The dance and song are both trash-tier, what charm is this freezing to death?]
[Honestly, this is rigged lol. Changing the song selection right before the Stage makes sense?]
[I want to sell fake jade to people who believe this]
[If he’d gone earlier, they would’ve sucked up to him, but of all times, right after Han Theo’s Stage lol. Seems like he’s really fallen out of favor with Jang Hyuk-soo]
Of course, the poor relationship between my Fandom and Han Theo’s Fandom played a part too.
The Han Theo Fans who had properly seized on this issue began leading the charge to curse me out, as if they were repaying the grievances they’d suffered in the Fandom war.
‘I took a hit.’
I had thought Jang Hyuk-soo wouldn’t put my Stage and Han Theo’s Stage back-to-back.
Of course, Jang Hyuk-soo and the Female PD would have known that my Fans and Han Theo’s Fans didn’t get along.
But while Fandom discord might gather buzz in the short term, in the long run it could increase viewer fatigue with the program and plant negative impressions in people’s minds.
‘Jang Hyuk-soo must have known that too….’
What was he thinking putting me and Han Theo back-to-back?
Or perhaps he decided to prioritize securing early buzz over the program fatigue and negative impressions it might cause.
Either way, what’s done is done, and I can’t change a broadcast that’s already aired, so I have no choice but to play along appropriately without crossing Jang Hyuk-soo.
‘It’s still early, so it’s fine.’
What Jang Hyuk-soo and the viewers wanted was crisis, conflict, and change and growth.
Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5… all the way to the final live broadcast Stage.
If I showed clear change and growth in the upcoming shoots and broadcasts, that would be enough.
“Good morning, everyone!”
The next morning after Episodes 1 and 2 aired.
After finishing breakfast, we gathered in the Auditorium again according to the announcement.
The MC, dressed casually, spoke energetically to the trainees who were still half-asleep.
“Alright, alright! Today we’re going to proceed with a Sub Quest that’s just as important as the Main Quest, so everyone snap to attention and focus!”
A Sub Quest as important as the Main Quest?
At the MC’s words, the trainees suddenly snapped awake and began moving briskly to their seats.
The MC scanned all the seated trainees once, then nodded toward the staff waiting in the back.
The large Screen on the Podium changed.
[Your first Sub Quest has arrived.]
[Sub Quest: PR Video Shoot]
Finally, it’s here!
The trainees’ eyes widened as they swallowed hard.
“Yes, today we’ll be filming the PR videos you’ve all been waiting for!”
PR videos were self-introduction videos where trainees presented themselves to viewers, and within a short timeframe of 15 seconds to 1 minute, they had to showcase their charm and individuality.
Though they were self-introduction videos, the limited time and the fact that a hundred PR videos would be uploaded meant trainees typically performed either difficult songs and dances that left a strong impression, or funny individual talents.
“The EX-Grade K-POP Idol program will be producing PR videos in a slightly different and special way compared to ordinary Idol Survival Audition Programs!”
The trainees swallowed hard and stared intently at the MC on the Podium.
Soon after, new text appeared below the large Screen on the Podium.
[Sub Quest: Film PR Video
Description: Clear the Dungeon and use the rewards obtained to film your PR video]
Dungeon?
At the appearance of this unfamiliar term, trainees who hadn’t yet fully grasped the program’s concept tilted their heads in confusion.
‘I may not know about the Main Quest, but I’m confident I can rank first in Sub Quest 1.’
Among the hundred trainees, only I smiled with ease and thought to myself.
* * *
“There’s no need to be flustered! I’ll explain everything step by step!”
The moment the MC finished speaking, the Screen changed.
Four black-outlined rectangles on a white background.
And inside each rectangle were three black symbols drawn.
“Is that a map…?”
A sharp-eyed trainee in the back muttered, and the MC on the Podium’s eyes gleamed.
“Correct! This is a map showing the Dungeons you trainees must conquer!”
At the word “map,” the trainees began studying the Screen more intently.
The black shapes were maps of the building’s interior from the 1st to 4th floors.
Each floor had symbols whose meaning was unclear, but they marked the locations of the ‘Dungeons’ the MC had mentioned.
“All you need to do is go to the Dungeons marked on the map and clear them!”
The trainees began speculating about what the Dungeons were and how to clear them based on the symbols marked on the map.
I was so familiar with the Dungeon locations that I could navigate them with my eyes closed, and I mentally mapped out the most efficient route.
“Depending on your Dungeon clear performance, we’ll provide rewards you can use when filming your PR video, so please do your best! Now, get ready!”
As the MC finished explaining, the Screen changed.
The map disappeared, and a red timer appeared.
[01:00:00]
The quick-witted trainees were already rising to their feet without the MC even telling them to.
“Well then, get ready….”
The trainees who had been sitting in a daze hastily scrambled to their feet.
But it was already too late.
“Go!”
The trainees who finished preparing first shot out like bullets.
But those who left first were only slightly quicker to react; they had no idea where the Dungeons actually were.
While the early trainees floundered in confusion, those who came out later mixed in with them, creating complete chaos.
I squeezed through the crowd and headed toward the location of the first Dungeon.
A camera pressed close behind me.
Feigning slight hesitation, I arrived at the end of the 1st Floor Corridor and spotted a familiar staff member standing before a box brimming with plastic balls.
“Oh? Found it! This is a Dungeon, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. You’ve discovered Dungeon #1! Please check the mission!”
The staff member handed me a sheet of paper and spoke.
[Dungeon #1 – Lose if you don’t win: Rock-Paper-Scissors, best of three!
Instructions: Play rock-paper-scissors with the staff three times and win twice
First Challenge Clear: Gold Ball
Second Challenge Clear: Silver Ball
Third Challenge Clear: Bronze Ball
If you fail to clear, you can retry after 5 minutes.]
Since I already knew the content, I pretended to read it casually.
As I returned the paper after finishing, the staff member asked with an intrigued expression.
“Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then shall we start right away? Lose if you don’t win….”
I clenched my fists, suppressing the laughter threatening to escape.
‘I’ve played this game before.’
Not just once or twice—I’d played the same game against the same opponent in the same situation dozens of times.
Which meant, in other words….
‘I’ve completely figured out my opponent’s habits and patterns.’

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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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