Debut or Die - Chapter 492
Reed chapter first at Utoon.net
these Chs are commissioned if you want your series to be translated you can contact us at discord for your favorite series.
Chapter 492
TeSTAR’s Death Game Survival.
The highly anticipated main broadcast.
[The characters, products, and organizations appearing in this program are fictional and not related to real-life entities.]
The program began, setting the mood with a very meaningful phrase. And then…
[Bae Sejin: Is this really… our dorm?]
The members of TeSTAR opened their eyes one by one in a game set that looked exactly like their previous dorm. Of course, even though the set was eerie, the fact that it closely resembled a top-tier idol’s dorm was also a selling point.
-Oh
-No way, is this really TeSTAR’s dorm?
-This is amazing
-Is it for real that they’re revealing their house on a horror show? Lol
Since TeSTAR had already moved to a different place, there was no concern about privacy invasion, which only fueled the fans’ excitement. And this setting was a great device for immersing oneself in the members’ perspectives.
[Kim Raebin: …The lights aren’t coming on.]
-Oh, this is already scary.
-If they suddenly woke up in their old dorm, they’d be really freaked out.
-The kids genuinely seem creeped out, don’t they?
It was the plan of the main writer, Ryu Seorin.
“Programs like this should start by making people understand the feelings of the characters.”
Given that Ryu Seorin, who values narrative and character immersion, is the main writer, the editing points were similar. First, the circumstances of the three people were openly shown.
This is a signal to get immersed.
The first was the lawyer, Bae Sejin.
[Bae Sejin: “Your profession is a lawyer.”]
[Bae Sejin: And the profession mission… “Make more than three people believe in your profession and abilities.”]
Here, Bae Sejin appeared to take on the role of the protagonist. Since the lawyer’s character is well-known, the viewers are as informed as Bae Sejin.
[Bae Sejin: I’m a lawyer… I know what jobs are out there.]
[Seon Ahyeon: !!]
The viewers either trusted or doubted the members from Bae Sejin’s perspective as they carried out the mission.
-What? Why did Kim Raebin say he’s a journalist? There’s no journalist on the job list.
-This feels suspicious
-How many people has he told so far? Moondae, then Ahyeon, and now Chungwoo?”
└Ahyeon seems a bit suspicious…
This is how the viewers’ suspicions are naturally redirected.
And just when Bae Sejin’s perspective starts to get boring, the second character’s perspective appears. It’s the doctor, Cha Eugene.
[Bae Sejin: Guys!]
Right after dramatically encountering another team at the entrance, it describes through Cha Eugene how the four people in that dorm proceeded.
-Wow, opening the entrance and finding the same dorm instead of an escape is terrifying… I was writing that, but wait, did this dorm just get bombed? Why is it like that, lolol.
-They completely turned the dorm upside down.
-Does Eugene being a doctor mean he will crush enemies so there won’t be patients?
└Lololol. Quarterback Eugene’s amazing door-breaking skills!
– Hey, how can you split the teams like this? Grouping Bae-Moon-Rab together, and those four are totally unbalanced. Is the exploration ability for real? Lololol
And Cha Eugene had one more role.
-I’m curious about Eugene’s reaction to meeting a fake doctor hahaha
That’s right. The production team revealed the last member’s occupation to the viewers from the start.
[Park Moondae (Undertaker) ← Pretending to be a Doctor]
…Park Moondae, who is an undertaker, is going around pretending to be a doctor. By Eugene revealing that he’s a doctor, the relationship between the fake and the real is clearly highlighted once more. Of course, it was thoroughly edited for humor.
-Hahahahaha
-This trolling is insane
Park Moondae makes doctor jokes to everyone, while the real doctor, Cha Eugene, skillfully avoids mentioning it, causing an uproar of laughter among the people. It seemed like it played the role of suddenly refreshing the heavy and persistent atmosphere.
[Park Moondae: I’m a doctor.]
[Ryu Chungwoo: Hmm, I see.]
[Cha Eugene ← Didn’t hear that!]
As Cha Eugene casually walked past the two having a conversation, the caption ‘← Didn’t hear that!’ floated around, adding a touch of comedy to the otherwise tense variety show.
-Lolololol
-I wonder when Cha Eugene will catch on, haha
-Ah, he dodge it, lol
Moondae is so cute!
Here, a graduate student who couldn’t watch the simultaneous release of episodes 1 and 2 was barely catching up on WeTube. Of course, the reason for missing the live broadcast was because she was rotting away in the lab, trying to become a PhD instead of just a master’s degree holder…
Phew. Next year, I must pass my thesis defense and get a job!
Her goal was to use that money to follow TeSTAR’s world tour and travel the world. But for now, just watching TeSTAR’s content on this sweet weekend made her happy.
She rolled around on her bed once. This kind of genre…? It’s my first time seeing a variety show like this.
Fortunately, the production team made it easier to understand by clearly illustrating the jobs and exchanges with pictures. Though the sight of a bright red sheep skull was a bit frightening…
[※When using the front door device for ‘Card Exchange’※]
[※Each person’s job remains the same, only the sacrificial mark moves to the other person※]
Ah, so the person chosen by the viewers doesn’t get eliminated right away. Instead, can they pass the card? They can transfer it to each other through that. She roughly understood and nodded.
In the end, the sacrificial mark would keep changing hands through exchanges, and the person who ended up with it at the end would die. Of course, this was what she was curious about.
So, what job did the viewers choose?
Surprisingly, as soon as she asked that question, a cut was inserted.
[Hold on a moment]
“…??”
[Exclusive early reveal for our viewers only!]
[The job you voted for the sacrifice is…]
“Ohhh?”
Large letters appeared on the screen with a thud.
[Detective – 20,347 votes]
“Gasp!”
The graduate student was momentarily flustered. Is it okay to reveal it like this? No, more importantly, who on earth is the detective?
“Uh, let’s see. Moondae is an undertaker, Eugene is a doctor, and Bae Sejin is a lawyer, so if we exclude them…”
It was one of the other four members!
[Detective Candidates: Ryu Chungwoo, Seon Ahyeon, Lee Sejin, Kim Raebin]
[Who is the detective?]
At that moment, the production team even created a four-way split screen of their faces, and she nodded in agreement.
“…?”
The screen changed again.
[※Answer Announcement※]
Huh?
[Ryu Chungwoo: I see. Ahyeon is the detective.]
[Ryu Chungwoo: And the viewers chose the detective.]
“…??”
It was time for a mid-term check. The scene shifts to Ryu Chungwoo reading his tablet.
[Detective: Seon Ahyeon / ※Ranked 1st in votes※]
Then, Ryu Chungwoo’s profile documents are shown in a cross-edit.
“…!”
[Scholar]
[The Scholar can know the first job chosen as a sacrifice and the information of the participant with that job.]
[However, the Scholar cannot speak about their own job and abilities.]
That’s right.
Scholar Ryu Chungwoo. With his job ability, he already knew during the mid-term check that Seon Ahyeon was the detective and that Ahyeon had been chosen as the sacrifice.
[Ryu Chungwoo: So, Moondae, who exchanged cards with Ahyeon, is the sacrifice now.]
And he even knew the sacrificial mark had been passed on to Park Moondae!
Ryu Chungwoo knew everything. People were excited about that fiery route!
-Wow, this is crazy.
-Ryu Chungwoo knows everything but can’t say a word. Wow, hahaha
-In this case, Chungwoo has to carry the trial no matter what, but the key is whether the kids will believe Chungwoo’s words.
└ Right, because Chungwoo can’t explain how he found out about it, haha
-Doesn’t he just have to bluff and say that his deduction is correct no matter what?
└Lolololol
People eagerly munched on their popcorn, anticipating Ryu Chungwoo’s struggles and hard carry.
And it was after the mid-term check.
[Park Moondae: Eugene, did you find gold again?]
[Cha Eugene: Yeap!]
[Park Moondae: Hmm… There’s not much time left until the end. If you don’t use it, does it disappear?]
[Cha Eugene: Uuuh…]
Park Moondae came out, creating a peculiar comedic atmosphere. He subtly coaxed Cha Eugene by making the assumption that ‘if you don’t use the gold now, it will disappear’ seem like a fact, leading Cha Eugene to propose a card exchange.
[Cha Eugene: Then, Hyung, let’s trade cards?]
[Park Moondae: Hmm… Are you sure it’s not you?]
[Cha Eugene: Yes!]
[Park Moondae: …Alright. I’ll trust you on this.]
[Hahahahahahaha]
The fake doctor tricked the real doctor! Successfully passed the bomb!
-LMAO
-Goodbye, Cha Eugene!
-The undertaker is even scamming the real doctor
-Oh, Park Moondae, this sneaky dog, used Cha Eugene’s money for the card exchange, haha
However,
[Exchange Ended]
[Current Sacrifice Marked Occupations]
[※Scholar※]
-???
-What is this?
-Why is Chungwoo a sacrifice;;;
The revelation that the scholar, Ryu Chungwoo, was the sacrifice threw the viewers into chaos once again.
-What’s going on?
-Who was the one who exchanged with Chungwoo at the end?
└Bae Sejin
└…? Isn’t Bae Sejin a lawyer? What’s going on?
└Yeah, it should have been only with Chungwoo;;;
And in that chaos, the members began to suspect each other and delved into serious deductions to find the last person who passed on the sacrifice, the ‘Black Sheep.’ The viewers were also busy making their own deductions.
-So, is Bae Sejin the Black Sheep? Chungwoo exchanged with Bae Sejin at the end
└Not sure. They might have just not shown us a few exchanges. TeSTAR variety shows always have a twist or two
-Wait, why does Ryu Chungwoo have it when Park Moondae handed it to Cha Eugene in the first place?”
It was at that moment.
[Bae Sejin: Wait! I have something to say first.]
As the members were about to start deducing around the altar, Bae Sejin began to reveal their roles and eagerly started the introduction.
-Right, let’s tell them everything now
-He’s doing well on his mission, lol
-Sejin’s lawyer role is helpful for the mission deduction. Good boy, good boy
The viewers had seen this happen several times before, so they slightly relaxed their tension and calmed their minds. That was until Lee Sejin interrupted.
[Lee Sejin: That’s strange. Because I’m a lawyer, you know?]
-What??
-I give up on TeSTAR
-Not just Park Moondae, they’re fooling Lee Sejin too
-Sejin lololololol
Just when everyone thought Lee Sejin was trolling, everything turned upside down, and Bae Sejin’s serious face suddenly came into close-up. And then, an interview is inserted.
[Bae Sejin: When Lee Sejin said he was a lawyer.]
[Bae Sejin: That’s when I knew.]
-?
-What did he know?
-Sejin?
[Bae Sejin: I might have misunderstood my own job.]
-??
[Bae Sejin: I had a rough idea of the characteristics of each job. But…]
A scene of Bae Sejin carefully reading their profile documents is shown in a flashback. Then, the documents are zoomed in on. In the job information section, one job is highlighted.
[Clown: Imitates the job of others]
[Bae Sejin: That is me.]
“…!”
[Bae Sejin: Listening to Lee Sejin’s story, I realized that my abilities are a bit too much for a lawyer.]
[Bae Sejin: I think… I’m currently under the delusion that I’m a lawyer.]
[Bae Sejin: So, because of that delusion, I’m automatically imitating a lawyer.]
On the scene, Bae Sejin snapped back at Lee Sejin, insisting that ‘he is a lawyer,’ and the cut naturally passed by.
After that, the narration overlapped.
[Bae Sejin: I have no evidence, but yes. I did feel like a clown.]
-Oh my god
-Ahhh
Everyone was shocked.
-This is the acting skill of a genius child actor, lol
-That was insane, seriously
-Are you kidding me?? Bae Sejin must be out of his mind
Meanwhile, Bae Sejin was passionately asserting his innocence as a lawyer on the screen.
-So, is Lee Sejin the real lawyer?
└Bae Sejin is acting like that even though they believe it, hahaha
└That’s crazy
-Wow, even though everyone knows, Bae Sejin really looks wronged, haha
It was the power of an actor.
Amidst that shock, the broadcast gained new momentum and continued to progress. The psychology of ‘you never know who might stab you in the back again!’
And after all the deductions and reasoning, the moment the culprit’s trick was finally revealed was what hit the viewers the hardest. Because… it was Park Moondae.
[Yes. I lost. Raebin is amazing.]
The undertaker who seemed to be trolling with humor the whole time!
-This is driving me crazy…
-So that’s why they were making us laugh
-To make us lower our guard and then pull off something so heinous
The viewers, who had exhausted all their energy, couldn’t even laugh anymore.
-So the exchange between Moondae and Eugene at the end was a fake too, to make the movements of the sacrifices more confusing during the deduction
└Lol, This is amazing, seriously.
– Wow, so did Ryu Chungwoo intentionally swap with Bae Sejin first to confuse everyone and then get the sacrificial mark from Park Moondae?
└Why would anyone want to be the sacrifice themselves, lol. Maybe Ryu Chungwoo just got tricked?
└How could Ryu Chungwoo be tricked into taking both cards alone? It seems like Ryu Chungwoo cooperated…
And then, the overly invested fans started pouring out long-winded speculations like crazy.
At that moment, the narration began.
[Park Moondae: I think it went well.]
-??
-What do you mean? You got caught.
As Park Moondae’s interview was inserted, the scene suddenly froze. Then, with a film-rewinding effect, the screen abruptly changed.
[◀◀◀]
[Start of filming, Park Moondae’s room]
In the rewound scene, Park Moondae could be seen reading his own profile as he titled his head.
[Park Moondae: The culprit?]
Then, the undertaker’s backstory, which hadn’t been shown to the viewers, was zoomed in on.
[The undertaker is the ‘culprit’ in this case.]
-The culprit?
-Isn’t the culprit that Black Sheep? The one who handed over the sacrificial mark at the end?
└ That’s something decided during the game, so why are they saying the undertaker is the culprit from the start?
In the midst of the viewers’ confusion, the scene changes again. This time, it’s during the mid-term check.
[Your card is ‘Sacrificial Mark.’]
[Current Sheep: Park Moondae]
The tablet had shown Park Moondae, who realized that Seon Ahyeon had given him the sacrificial mark, a new explanation. A warning is shown only to the person holding the sacrificial mark during the mid-term check for smoother gameplay.
[Warning]
[Those who make an innocent person a sacrifice become the “Black Sheep.”]
[The black sheep may pay for their sins.]
The interview segments overlapped.
[Park Moondae: That’s when I realized.]
[Park Moondae: When playing hot potato with a sacrifice, in the end… it’s not the person who receives it, but the one who gives it that might be doomed.]
[Park Moondae: And one more thing.]
The narration of Park Moondae’s interview overlapped with the footage of him flipping through a tablet. The Park Moondae on the screen smiled faintly.
[Park Moondae: Ah, so the culprit and the Black Sheep are separate.]
That’s right. So, the person the sheriff needs to shoot and the Black Sheep were originally different people…!
[Park Moondae: But if these two are the same person… then we just need to kill that one person.]
[Park Moondae: That makes the deduction easier.]
-OMG
And so, Park Moondae’s plan began.
[Park Moondae: I need to become the Black Sheep.]
It was a crazy utilitarian idea.
The graduate student covered her mouth.
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