The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut - Chapter 67

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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 (67)
“How have you been? Since there’s no one around, feel free to come in comfortably.”
“Thank you for having me.”
I bowed my head lightly and entered the Judge’s Lounge.
Kim Junwoo, who had collapsed onto the sofa, pointed to the couch across from him.
“Please have a seat here.”
Once Kim Junwoo confirmed I was seated, he prepared a mix coffee from the dispenser in the lounge and set two steaming cups on the table.
Wisps of steam rose gently from the coffee as he placed them before us.
“I heard you placed third? Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
The ranking announcement results had apparently reached the judges’ ears as well.
As I sipped my coffee with an awkward smile, Kim Junwoo, who had been studying me intently, suddenly asked a question.
“Your goal is still first place, right?”
“Well…”
“There’s no camera here, so speak freely.”
“For now… yes, I’m aiming for first place.”
At my embarrassed response, Kim Junwoo burst into laughter.
“Good. If you want to succeed as an Idol, you need that kind of ambition.”
Kim Junwoo quickly finished his coffee and got straight to the point.
“So you want to do a cover stage with me?”
“Yes.”
“Why me specifically?”
“Pardon?”
I was caught slightly off guard by the unexpected question.
“There are plenty of other judges, aren’t there?”
From Kim Junwoo’s perspective, it was a fair question.
If I had to find a reason, Kim Junwoo was the first person who came to mind when I heard about the cover stage.
‘But why did Kim Junwoo’s face come to mind at that moment?’
After carefully organizing my thoughts, I opened my mouth cautiously.
“You’re not the kind of judge who would go easy on someone just because they’re a trainee.”
Kim Junwoo, who had been smiling leisurely, widened his eyes in surprise.
‘Wait, that might be a bit misleading…’
The “collaborate with a judge” reward I had received wasn’t particularly valuable.
To be honest, it was just a pretty façade with no substance.
‘Considering the skill gap between a judge and a trainee, it’s hardly surprising.’
The skill difference was severe, and trainees didn’t even have time to practice.
Even if a trainee somehow managed to learn the choreography and memorize the lyrics to perform on stage, if the judge didn’t match their level, the trainee would inevitably be overshadowed.
As a result, the stage’s quality would be leveled down, and there was no escaping public ridicule regardless.
‘But Kim Junwoo is different.’
Kim Junwoo rarely did cover stages, but the quality of those few performances was remarkably high.
“Once I’ve made up my mind to do something, I don’t want to do it halfway. But I’m worried the others might not give it their all, and… ah, I’m not trying to criticize anyone.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I realized they sounded a bit off.
Flustered, my mind raced to find a way to explain my thoughts more coherently and politely.
But when my eyes met Kim Junwoo’s steady gaze, my heart inexplicably fluttered and my words kept stumbling.
“Everyone’s a good person, and… ah, no, you’re obviously a good person too, senior.”
This is awkward.
I’d tried to salvage the situation, but instead I’d only made things worse.
To prevent the situation from spiraling further, I clamped my mouth shut and awkwardly averted my gaze.
“I heard before we started filming that I might end up doing a cover stage.”
Kim Junwoo continued speaking with an expression I couldn’t quite read—whether pleased or displeased.
“From the moment I first heard about it, I wasn’t particularly interested. Fortunately, it wasn’t something I absolutely had to do, and they said I didn’t have to if I didn’t want to, so I didn’t think much of it. I had no intention of doing it in the first place.”
Hmm….
I fidgeted with my fingers and swallowed hard.
My concern had become reality.
I’d assumed Kim Junwoo hadn’t done many cover stages because the trainees found him intimidating.
But it turned out he simply hadn’t wanted to.
‘I did one with Han Theo before. How did that go again….’
The view count was decent and it generated decent buzz.
Kim Junwoo was impressive, but Han Theo performed so well it was hard to believe he was a trainee.
Well, he’s always been good at everything.
“I never do things halfway. Not even if my partner is just a trainee.”
Kim Junwoo leaned back against the sofa and spoke with an easy smile.
“Pardon?”
“If I give it my all, the trainee would just look pitiful. They’d only be compared to me.”
Only then did I understand why Kim Junwoo had refused the cover stage.
A fifteen-year veteran idol who didn’t know how to do things halfway, Kim Junwoo didn’t want to lazily match a trainee’s level, no matter how casual a cover stage was supposed to be.
‘Wait. Something doesn’t add up here.’
So what Kim Junwoo was saying now meant… he was considering my proposal positively?
“Let’s do it. The special cover stage.”
I swallowed a sigh of relief internally.
Honestly, I’d been a bit nervous thinking he’d refuse.
“…Thank you.”
“But I’m not planning to hold back. Don’t regret this later.”
“I don’t think that will happen.”
When I firmly denied it, Kim Junwoo smiled with satisfaction and nodded.
“Have you decided on a song?”
“Um… not yet.”
“You don’t have any song in mind?”
“Well, a Nexus song might not be bad.”
“Interesting….”
When I answered without much thought, Kim Junwoo tilted his head with an intrigued expression.
“You’re confident?”
“Oh, no. It was just an opinion, really.”
I hastily backpedaled.
No matter how many cheat-like items and traits I possessed, I would never harbor the arrogance of thinking I could surpass the original artist.
“What about Starlight? You already know the choreography and lyrics, so it should be easy.”
“No….”
Was he joking?
How could I possibly beat Kim Junwoo with Starlight?
It was still the song that changed the fate of a second-generation idol group, the legendary stage of a famous idol’s career.
“It might be fun to compete for center position.”
Kim Junwoo spoke with a slightly excited expression.
A famous line from a certain manga came to mind.
‘I always give my best on stage, no matter who my opponent is. Even if they’re just a trainee.’
When I stared at him with cold eyes, Kim Junwoo awkwardly changed the subject.
“I was joking. Doing the same song twice wouldn’t be fun.”
“Ha… yes, you’re right.”
It didn’t sound much like a joke.
“But the center position is something we need to think about carefully. After all, the cover stage will be performed by me and Kim Chowol, just the two of us, right?”
Kim Junwoo pointed back and forth between himself and me as he continued.
“When two people perform together, it’s usually ambiguous to determine who the center is. Typically, the center changes with each part.”
I nodded and listened carefully to what Kim Junwoo was saying.
At least he wasn’t wrong.
I’d been continuously thinking about how to structure the stage performance myself.
“Essentially, it creates a structure where the two of us must be compared. A trainee versus a 15-year veteran idol… honestly, it’s a battle with a clear winner and loser. No one would have high expectations for Kim Chowol.”
The statement was so accurate that I couldn’t even bring myself to refute it.
“But that’s precisely why this battle favors Kim Chowol.”
I immediately understood what Kim Junwoo meant.
How much you anticipate determines how you perceive the performance afterward.
Stages were no different from movies or dramas.
“If Kim Chowol performs even decently—at a level comparable to me or slightly below—people will praise Kim Chowol. And that becomes the path to Kim Chowol’s victory.”
He wasn’t wrong.
In fact, trainees who demonstrated skills comparable to or slightly below the judges in cover stages received favorable evaluations from the public.
But… I had no intention of settling for merely that.
“So think carefully about which song to choose.”
“Yes.”
I nodded and smiled slightly.
Kim Junwoo is a remarkable person.
The eternal maknae of Nexus, the representative second-generation male idol group still actively performing, and the center of Starlight, the song that changed the group’s destiny.
But one day, I will surpass the career Kim Junwoo has built.
I don’t know when, but it will happen. Definitely.
And this cover stage will be the first step toward that goal.
* * *
“Shall we wrap up for today? I think Kim Chowol needs some time to think things over.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I swallowed a sigh and rose from my seat.
Checking the time, I realized thirty minutes had already passed since I entered the Judge’s Lounge.
‘I could have sworn at least three hours had gone by.’
Now I needed to return and finish discussing with my teammates how to approach the fourth main Quest stage.
“Oh, that’s right. Kim Chowol.”
But just as I was gathering my things to leave,
Kim Junwoo, who had suddenly remembered something, stopped me.
“Do the other trainees know?”
“Know what?”
“About Han Theo.”
Han Theo?
Why was Han Theo coming up now?
I tilted my head in confusion without saying anything, and Kim Junwoo, realizing the situation, quickly backed off.
“Never mind then.”
“I’m sorry, but could you tell me? We’re on the same team, after all.”
“Oh, we’re on the same team again this time?”
Kim Junwoo pressed his lips shut with a troubled expression.
He seemed to be deliberating whether he should say anything.
“I can’t just pretend I didn’t hear it… can I? I’ve already heard it.”
The more Kim Junwoo hesitated, the more my anxiety grew.
Was there really something about Han Theo worth all this buildup?
I slowly retraced my memories.
Han Theo was the unwavering PD’s pick and an unshakeable first place.
There had been talk about his character and narrative being lacking, but his overwhelming skill and visuals meant no one raised objections.
‘School violence? Women troubles? No, if something that serious existed, it would have come out by now.’
What could it be?
No matter how hard I racked my brain, nothing came to mind.
The fact that he’d graduated high school in America meant his past remained largely unknown.
“Well, Kim Chowol isn’t the type to spread rumors anyway…”
As I furrowed my brow in concentration, Kim Junwoo let out a heavy sigh of resignation.
“There’s talk that one of our Program’s PDs took money and pushed Han Theo through.”
“What?”
“In other words… they rigged it through bribery.”

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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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