Debut or Die - Chapter 489
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these Chs are commissioned if you want your series to be translated you can contact us at discord for your favorite series.
Chapter 489
* * *
Someone claiming to be a lawyer with the same name. Bae Sejin and Keun Sejin are having a heated debate.
“…Lee Sejin stayed quiet until now and only spoke up after the person to be eliminated was decided. This is clearly strategic. It’s meant to confuse people on purpose!”
“Come on, Hyung, it’s the opposite. Talking about one’s job and abilities from the start is more unnatural, don’t you think? Think about the mafia game, everyone~ Usually, good citizens don’t do that because they’re wary of the mafia.”
Both have a point. In any case, both can’t be lawyers, and one of them is lying…
Impressive. I was inwardly amazed.
“Oh… Moondae hyung, who do you suspect?”
“Given the current situation, both seem possible.”
One is an actor, and the other excels in variety shows. They could easily pretend to have different jobs. Both of them could go all out in a trolling job if they wanted to. Right now, neither of them seems logically out of place.
“…! That’s nonsense. I just found a suspicious person early and shared it with trustworthy people!”
“So, if you’re actually the mafia, that reason is a lie too. Then it just becomes a baseless story, doesn’t it?”
What a mess. I could see the other members’ pupils spinning.
I clicked my tongue inwardly, then raised my hand. “I have a question for both of you.”
“Huh?”
“Could you explain what it means to be a lawyer? Usually, people who lie have some flaws in their stories.”
“That’s right. If you go into detail, someone is bound to show inconsistencies.” Ryu Chungwoo nodded.
Yeah. No matter how prepared they are, if you keep pressing them, they’ll end up making things up on the spot. Then, their logic would fall apart awkwardly, making no sense.
“Ah.”
Although it was hard to tell what they were really thinking, the Sejins with the same name reacted as if they were quite intrigued on the surface.
“Oh, that’s a good idea, MoondaeMoondae~”
“Then I’ll go first.” Bae Sejin jumped in as if not wanting to miss the opportunity. “The lawyer… knows how many professions there are in total and what those professions are.” And then Bae Sejin explained the professions he knew.
The others nodded and repeated the professions.
“Doctor, sheriff, detective, scholar, undertaker, clown…”
“And a lawyer.”
“That’s right.”
Bae Sejin nodded seriously.
“If your profession isn’t listed here, raise your hand.”
There were no objections.
None of them show any noticeable change in expression. That must mean their job is among them. In other words, Bae Sejin’s words are likely true.
Noticing this, Bae Sejin looked challengingly at Keun Sejin. But Keun Sejin just gave a bitter smile.
“Hmm, so you know what jobs are available…” Then Keun Sejin shrugged. “But listening to you, it really does seem like you know what you’re talking about, doesn’t it?”
“…!!”
“Are you admitting that you’re not a lawyer and that you lied…?”
“No, no.” Keun Sejin shook his head. Then, he spoke quite seriously. “It seems like Bae Sejin hyung has another job with that ability. His only lie is about being a lawyer.”
“…!!”
So, what Keun Sejin was saying was… Bae Sejin found out that fact by using abilities from another profession and pretending to be a lawyer. Indeed, it’s a possible scenario!
“No, it’s just… Honestly, it doesn’t look like an ability related to the lawyer profession at all.”
“Gasp.” Kim Raebin was shocked.
At the same time, Bae Sejin was indignant. “A lawyer is supposed to know a lot about the defendant. What’s so strange about that?!”
“No, that kind of ability just screams criminal! It looks perfect for setting up a scheme~”
For a moment, the expression on the members’ faces seemed to say, ‘That might be the case.’ And now, Bae Sejin was narrowing their eyes with a cold expression.
Is it over-immersion or acting? I shrugged my shoulders and turned to Keun Sejin, asking. “Then what is the original ability of the lawyer?”
Keun Sejin grinned and spoke without hesitation. “The ability to designate a person and know if they are innocent.”
“…!!”
Oh my gosh.
And Keun Sejin’s statement didn’t end there.
“For your information, I’ve already tried it~”
“…?!”
The atmosphere in the room changed at that moment. Even Seon Ahyeon, who had been quietly keeping their mouth shut, reflexively asked back.
“Wh-Who you used it to…?”
“Someone here in our group~” Keun Sejin lightly tapped the back of the member right next to him. And that was…
“Kim Raebin?”
“That’s right!” He grinned widely.
Kim Raebin looked like his eyes were about to pop out. But soon, he looked around and nodded, albeit with a confused expression.
“Well, of course, I’m not the culprit. I never exchanged cards in the first place…”
Bae Sejin clenched a fist and interrupted. “That’s ridiculous!”
“…?!”
Kim Raebin was shocked.
“Kim Raebin said your job was a journalist! But… there’s no journalist among the jobs!”
“…!”
“Ah, now that you mention it, that’s true.”
Kim Raebin’s eyes started to spin.
Oh dear.
“And every time I tried to reveal this fact, that person stopped me.”
“Huh?”
“Lee Sejin!!” Bae Sejin shouted fervently, then clasped his hands together and muttered. “…And there was something strange among the professions.”
“What?”
“Clown.”
“…”
Hoo.
“Remember the card game we played last time? The one where you lose if you’re holding the joker, the clown card, at the end…”
It was a thief-catching game.
Bae Sejin could be seen swallowing nervously.
“So, isn’t Kim Raebin in a similar role? Like, his mission is for us to fail.”
“Huh!?” Kim Raebin was even more shocked.
If that’s acting, we should make him become an actor too.
However, Bae Sejin continued speaking with increasing confidence, as if the logic had just clicked. “And Lee Sejin is the scholar.”
“Pardon??”
“Lee Sejin is the sacrifice, and they’re trying to win by making sure I can’t point out Kim Raebin!”
“…!!”
There was indeed such a rule.
[If you correctly deduce the Black Sheep, the culprit will be sacrificed along with the offering.]
[However, if you fail to find the Black Sheep, everyone except the Black Sheep and the offering will be sacrificed.]
In other words, the only way for the person who became the offering to survive is to prevent people from identifying the culprit.
“How about it?”
“…”
The circumstantial evidence was quite convincing. However…
Lee Sejin burst into laughter. “Ah~ I get it.”
“…?”
Lee Sejin declared like a bomb. “No, Hyung is the clown, right?”
“…!!”
“People who want to bluff usually speak first. To set the stage.”
“What? Wait, what you’re doing now is just a typical move because you’re cornered! You’re just repeating what I said!”
“Nope! Hyung is just nervous.”
“Hey…!”
The immersion was getting more intense. At this point, it seemed like adding subtitles like ‘They are really fighting^^’ would be appropriate.
Ryu Chungwoo hurriedly stepped in to mediate. “Um… Sejin, I mean Lee Sejin.”
“Yes!”
“Can we hear your reasoning for your deduction?”
“Of course~” Keun Sejin grinned. “I think Sejin hyung is the clown. There’s a high chance that he’s the black sheep, the mafia we need to catch!”
“What?!”
“Sejin, calm down, and let’s listen first.” Ryu Chungwoo was trying to calm down Bae Sejin.
Keun Sejin looked at me and winked.
“…”
“And I heard something from Moondae before coming here.”
“…!?”
That’s right. In a game like this, the one with the most influence is the one who has shared information before coming in here.
“Actually…”
“Can I say it?”
“Yeah.” I nodded.
Keun Sejin readily began to speak. “Ahyeon is said to be a Scholar.”
“…!!”
This is it.
It’s suspicious.
A ‘scholar’ is the profession chosen as the final sacrifice in this game.
“I don’t know what the first profession the fans voted for as the sacrifice was, but anyway, the final sacrifice now is a scholar.” I continued speaking calmly. “And the one who claimed to be the scholar is Ahyeon.”
“…”
“So, anyway, let’s start by asking Seon Ahyeon a question…”
“E-Excuse me.”
Seon Ahyeon spoke up with a pale face. “I… never said anything like that.”
“…!!”
What?
* * *
It was on the dimly lit altar of the cult. The people surrounding it are floundering amidst endless revelations.
“I, have a different profession.”
“Huh??”
Is there really anyone in this game who reveals their true profession?! Kim Raebin was shocked once again. Even Ahyeon hyung is involved in something like this?
Bae Sejin hyung and Lee Sejin hyung claim to be lawyers. Moondae hyung says he’s a doctor. He quickly organized the current situation in his head. So…
===================
TeSTAR’s Occupations (Claims)
Ryu Chungwoo – ?
Bae Sejin – Lawyer
Seon Ahyeon – Scholar
Lee Sejin – Lawyer
Park Moondae – Doctor
Kim Raebin – Journalist
Cha Eugene – ?
===================
This is the state of their claims. And everyone was taking shots at each other. Even now, the newly revealed Seon Ahyeon was claiming not to be a ‘scholar’!
“Then, what profession do you have, Hyung?”
“Well, I have the ability to know other people’s professions.”
“Gasp.”
“And… I used it to check Moondae… and I found something out.” Seon Ahyeon spoke with a determined expression. “Moondae is not a doctor.”
“…!!”
“Moondae lied about his job…!”
Again?
Kim Raebin turned his head so quickly that it looked like his neck might break. But Moondae hyung definitely said…
“I’m a doctor.”
Bae Sejin had a similar expression. “…Park Moondae?”
“…”
Park Moondae didn’t respond. And Seon Ahyeon continued speaking. “Moondae said he was a doctor, but… he wasn’t.”
“I am a doctor.”
“No, that’s not…!”
Seon Ahyeon, looking like tears were about to well up, spoke firmly. “Moondae is an undertaker.”
“…!!”
“What?!” In an instant, the shock once again struck the atmosphere in the room.
An undertaker?
Kim Raebin turned his head. He needed to stay calm. He had to confirm it for sure!
Moondae hyung’s reaction…
“…”
He seemed to be very calm. And… a bit embarrassed?
Park Moondae scratched his head. “Well… even an undertaker ends with ‘doctor.’ So, technically, it’s still a doctor, right?”
“…”
Everyone was at a loss for words.
“Hey!”
“Well… It just looked like a mafia game, so I thought it would be weird to be too honest from the start.” Park Moondae scratched his cheek.
The tension dissipated in an instant.
“What are you even talking about?!”
“There’s a saying, ‘Even bad laws are still laws.’ So, an undertaker is still a doctor.”
“This is driving me crazy…”
“You’re such an idiot!”
Park Moondae shamelessly muttered with a face that said, ‘Anyway, I didn’t lie,’ and everyone flipped out.
Bae Sejin is almost screaming now. “Anyway, so you admit it, right? What does an undertaker do?! What kind of job is that?! Do you have to deceive people?!”
“No, it’s not like that. It’s just… It said you could contact the dead. But since no one has died yet, I don’t know how to use it.”
“Ugh.”
“I actually found out during the midterm check. I told you, I don’t know how to use my ability.”
“Uuuh…”
Park Moondae didn’t seem like someone who was feeling guilty. It was just that he impulsively tried to use a strategy in the beginning.
Bae Sejin groaned and then shouted. “Th-Then you should have told us from the start!”
“I tried, but with two lawyers showing up and Ahyeon hiding his profession, I thought it would just get lost in the chaos.”
“…”
That made sense. With that expression, Bae Sejin accepted it, and Kim Raebin half-accepted it as well.
“And.” Park Moondae turned his head, then looked straight at Kim Raebin.
“…!”
“I think the professions that Sejin hyung mentioned are quite convincing.”
“Y-Yeah, that’s right.”
“Though I’m not sure if that’s a lawyer’s skill.”
“Hey!”
Ignoring Bae Sejin’s rebuttal, Park Moondae quickly shot back at Kim Raebin.
“So, Raebin. Are you sure you’re a reporter?”
“…”
Silence filled the room.
He bit his lip. Is this the end? And just as Kim Raebin was about to speak…
“Wait! We’ve lost sight of our goal!”
“…!”
This time, Cha Eugene, who had been quiet, interrupted!
“Our goal is to find out who the sacrifice and the culprit are. So, what’s important is something else.”
“Huh?”
“What is it?”
Cha Eugene asked without hesitation. “How did you exchange cards?”
“…!”
“[The important thing is to get the order right!] So, we need information on everyone. We can’t start by suspecting someone. That will create bias.”
“Hmm…”
Park Moondae organized the thoughts. “So, you’re saying we should start by listing all the card exchanges.”
“Yes!”
“…Makes sense.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
Quite a few members nodded, but Park Moondae calmly added, “But I think it’s better not to let go of our suspicions. From what I saw, it seemed like Eugene was covering for Raebin.”
“Huh?”
“I agree~”
“Alright. Let’s organize the exchange records first, and then make sure to ask Raebin again.”
“…Understood!” Kim Raebin answered energetically. Still, he intended to do his best until he could go no further.
“-It’s best to keep your identity hidden.”
Kim Raebin hadn’t forgotten the advice written on the job profile he received.
“Alright, let’s organize this.”
In the meantime, the members began to chronologically organize the scenes they witnessed of people exchanging cards at the entrance.
“First… Moondae and Ahyeon exchanged, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then Cha Eugene exchanged with Cheongwoo hyung.”
The alarm rang, and everyone returned to their respective starting rooms to check their cards…
Afterwards.
“Is this the end of the second half?”
“Seems like it.”
To summarize, it goes like this:
===================
1. Seon Ahyeon Park Moondae.
2. Cha Eugene Ryu Chungwoo
[Midterm Check]
3. Ryu Chungwoo Bae Sejin
4. Cha Eugene Park Moondae
===================
Exactly four times.
“We put the person with the coin in front. So, the one who suggested it.”
“Understood!” Kim Raebin nodded.
“Hyungs~ You guys said you were just going to heat up the chicken, but you ended up exchanging it! Did you do it secretly because it seemed suspicious~?”
“You were making such a fuss! We did it quickly while you were in the bathroom. Everyone else saw it.”
“Oh my goodness.”
Another argument-like banter was happening beside him, but he was deep in thought.
So, the suspect is among us… is that how it looks to everyone?
Of course, even then, there were five people. In this strange situation where Kim Raebin, who had lied about their profession, was included among the few exceptions, Kim Raebin felt like his head was spinning.
“Um, aside from what was just mentioned, is there anyone else who made an exchange?”
There was silence in response to Lee Sejin’s question. The smile on Lee Sejin’s face deepened.
“Then… is there anyone who had the dud card during the mid-term check? The sacrificial mark!”
“…”
Still, there was no answer.
It was at that moment.
“I know.”
“…!”
Cha Eugene’s eyes gleamed as he raised his hand. “During the mid-check, the person who had the sacrificial mark? That person is the mafia.”
“…!”
“Because that person isn’t showing up now. It means they don’t want to reveal their exchange record.”
If they hadn’t been the culprit, they would have definitely cooperated to figure out the exchange order and who it went to.
“Ah…!”
The members were momentarily impressed. But
“It could be the opposite, Cha Eugene!”
“Umm?”
Kim Raebin responded in a cautious voice. “At that time, the person who had the sacrificial mark didn’t exchange it, so they might still be the Sacrifice.”
“Oh.”
The sacrifice survives with the culprit only if the culprit deduction fails. The reason the sacrifice kept quiet was clear!
“Ah, but the sacrifice is a scholar right now~” Lee Sejin said as if the thought had just occurred. “If it were up to the viewers’ vote, they wouldn’t have chosen a scholar to be killed here, right? They’d pick a more noticeable profession. Isn’t that right, MoondaeMoondae?”
“That’s true.” Park Moondae nodded lightly.
Bae Sejin also agreed. “Yeah, Moondae said it…! It’s likely the detective or clown got the first vote.”
“Yes.”
So, it meant that the person who exchanged it was definitely among them.
“Ah~ but this could happen too.” Lee Sejin grinned. “The person who exchanged it early before the mid-term check might have taken it as is.”
“…!”
“Then, as Raebin said, it’s a sacrifice!”
It was at that moment.
“Ah…!”
“…?”
Seon Ahyeon covered his mouth.
What’s going on? Kim Raebin was just about to look at Seon Ahyeon with concern.
“It’s me.”
“…??”
“I think… I passed the sacrifice mark to Moondae.” Seon Ahyeon said, his face pale as a sheet. “I’m a detective…”
“…!!”
Then Seon Ahyeon straightened up. “But, Moondae isn’t a scholar. So… Moondae must have handed the sacrificial mark to someone who is a scholar.”
“…”
Kim Raebin checked the exchange list. After the mid-term review, the exchange involved Park Moondae…
4. Cha Eugene Park Moondae
“…!”
If this is true.
No way.
Cha Eugene was the sacrifice.
Moondae hyung is the culprit, and Cha Eugene is the sacrifice, the scholar…! Come to think of it, Kim Raebin realized that he didn’t know Cha Eugene’s occupation and clenched his fist as he thought.
If this is right… should I take action?
He was still looking for an opportunity to use his ‘occupation ability’!
His ability.
-When targeting the correct ‘culprit,’ you can kill them instead of the victim.
Targeting the culprit. That’s right. Kim Raebin’s occupation is ‘Sheriff.’
these Chs are commissioned if you want your series to be translated you can contact us at discord for your favorite series.
Reed chapter first at Utoon.net