Debut or Die - Chapter 504

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Shortly after STier Ryu Chungwoo woke up.

 

The stage practice…… had gone more smoothly than ever.

 

“Then let’s start with this song, is that okay?”

 

“We’d appreciate it….”

 

Ryu Chungwoo quickly mastered TeSTAR’s latest songs and hits that the members had painstakingly selected without a word.

 

He was actively learning more than just the songs and choreography, much to the dismay of Keun Sejin.

 

“Aigoo, Hyung-nim. It’s no problem if you take a break and slow down the tempo~ We’re on a break from the tour anyway!”

 

“I see.”

 

But Ryu Chungwoo stuck to his guns.

 

He didn’t seem particularly unnecessarily wary or prideful. He simply asked for what he needed and proceeded to practice with dignity and speed.

 

‘Hmm.’

 

And it didn’t stop there.

 

He even started monitoring the stage videos of the original TeSTAR Ryu Chungwoo, as well as various TeSTAR videos.

 

“Well, if you need, I can… give you more details…!”

 

“Oh, it’s okay.”

 

Despite Seon Ahyeon’s nervous suggestion, he calmly continued monitoring.

 

The reason was simple.

 

“It’s the first time I’ve ever done it, so I’ll have to make up for my lack of stage experience.”

 

“…….”

 

“If necessary, I’ll ask you some questions without holding back.”

 

“N-No…! Please feel free to ask me anytime…!”

 

And STier Ryu Chungwoo, it turned out, was starting to embody a very similar feel to the original Ryu Chungwoo in his latest songs….

 

“…Almost the same, right?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

It took him only three days to get to this point. It was like watching an extreme rehabilitation exercise.

 

So, I couldn’t help but say this.

 

That evening.

 

[Just roll the dice-]

 

I looked over the doorway to see Ryu Chungwoo watching the stage footage again on the big monitor in his room.

 

I turned and asked Cha Eugene, who was ransacking the kitchen.

 

“Do you have any idea why he’s doing that?”

 

Wasn’t it nice that he was cooperative?

 

Sure, he was good to work with. You might be relieved to find out that what you thought was going to be fucked up was not fucked up.

 

But whether it was normal was another question.

 

‘He wakes up and the world is different, and he accepts it so quickly?’

 

When I woke up in Park Moondae’s body, I stumbled out of bed. When the status window popped up, I accepted the reality because I realized that if I didn’t come to my senses, I’d lose my mind.

 

But I couldn’t believe that people could be so calm just because someone talked around them.

 

He even treated the original STier members and Bae Sejin, a former member, well without any agitation.

 

Could a human being do that?

 

‘Not even a gold medalist in archery.’

 

Wasn’t this a bit strange? If I were in his shoes, I’d probably take someone hostage to get the unvarnished truth.

 

‘I have a feeling that runaway Cha Eugene is the more common reaction.’

 

So I asked someone who had experienced it.

 

And this was the answer.

 

“Umm… yeah. It’s weird, but I’m not sure.”

 

“…….”

 

Cha Eugene’s own memories of his time as a STier member were more about big events and feelings than details, so he couldn’t really analyze anything specific like principles of behavior.

 

However, he shrugged his shoulders and said with a fairly serious face.

 

[For the record, I don’t feel like that mysterious Hyung is ‘pretending’ to cooperate with our team].

 

Hmm.

 

‘Well… I’d have to agree with him on that.’

 

If you only pretended to cooperate while secretly thinking about stabbing people in the back, it was bound to show when you practiced to the point of exhaustion.

 

I wondered if a person’s relaxation came from physical strength.

 

‘Differing priorities can be read.’

 

However, that STier Ryu Chungwoo was consistent. He was ‘genuinely’ preparing for his stage part with great care.

 

I didn’t doubt it.

 

‘If so.’

 

I could ask him myself.

 

He wasn’t as non-communicative as Stier Cha Eugene. Besides, he seemed to be observing his surroundings, so I was sure he could sense that I meant no offense.

 

“Give me one.”

 

“Oooh.”

 

So I grabbed some of Cha Eugene’s popcorn, popped it, and we headed to his room together.

 

It was convenient that my roommate happened to be the target.

 

“Hyung.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Stier Ryu Chungwoo looked up from his monitor and gave me his customary goofy grin.

 

“Do you have a message for me?”

 

“No. Not really.”

 

I plopped down next to him and held out the popcorn. He looked a little surprised, but took the popcorn without a word.

 

I tossed some popcorn into my mouth and chose my words.

 

I tried not to sound too serious.

 

“We were wondering if we’ve been pushing you too hard. It’s not like you’re going to get in trouble if you take a break from group activities, so it’s okay if you take it easy until you get settled in.”

 

“…….”

 

“ I mean, if you’re pushing yourself like this, you could end up falling.”

 

“Mmm.”

 

Ryu Chungwoo chuckled softly. Okay, I was trying to be funny.

 

‘Seriously though.’

 

Open your mouth.

 

Luckily, he rubbed the back of his neck as if to ease the pressure, and soon opened his mouth with a faint smile.

 

“Yeah, it’s not like I’m under any pressure. It’s just that the group seems to be doing well, so I figured each of us should do well.”

 

“…….”

 

“Well, for now, I’m a member.”

 

I sensed a strange sentimentality in his tone.

 

‘…He’s overlapping with his own group.’

 

The STier he was originally a part of had disbanded.

 

But here, TeSTAR was currently doing well and had even renewed its contract.

 

In the case of Cha Eugene, he felt a sense of disconnect from this difference, but this guy seemed to feel a kind of… sense of responsibility even in his current state.

 

To maintain the status quo.

 

‘Hmm.’

 

Well, it was all speculation, but at least I knew he wasn’t doing it out of malice toward this team.

 

I nodded inwardly.

 

‘But there could be more to it than what he’s saying.’

 

Besides, I still didn’t know what he was thinking, so I decided to steer the conversation in a direction that would ease the tension.

 

“Thank you. And please talk to me without formality. You’re older than me.”

 

“Um… haha, I suppose?”

 

STier Ryu Chungwoo seemed to consider this for a moment, but soon spoke coolly. I guessed this part hadn’t changed.

 

‘That’s right.’

 

Just as I was about to bring up other things to gauge his remaining wariness….

 

“Moondae hyung is actually older.”

 

I almost threw my popcorn.

 

‘When did he get here?’

 

I turned around to find Cha Eugene staring at my popcorn with a distant look on his face.

 

‘You can pop your own.’

 

Why would a guy with a whole box begrudge me something that was already taken?

 

But I couldn’t argue with him when I saw him gobbling it up like it was his.

 

And while I was looking at Cha Eugene for a moment, I heard Ryu Chungwoo ask in a questionable voice.

 

“He’s older?”

 

“Moondae hyung was originally an adult.”

 

“You’re an adult too.”

 

“You know what I mean! Moondae hyung mental (?) age is older than Chungwoo hyung. Yep!”

 

“…….”

 

Okay.

 

Ryu Chungwoo didn’t freak out, since I’d given him a summary of my tumultuous paranormal experiences.

 

However, that didn’t mean he accepted it with a smile. He was completely flustered.

 

‘No, Cha Eugene, why is that guy bringing this up…? Well, I get it.’

 

Maybe I should think of this as an opportunity to talk about it.

 

“Well, technically, he’s right.”

 

An opportunity to make him drop his guard, naturally. I rubbed the back of my neck and opened my mouth.

 

“Well, now that you mention it… I think the more important fact is that I’m related to you, Hyung.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Wasn’t the world originally based on school ties, regional ties, and blood ties?

 

Let’s go with blood ties.

 

“Well, my name used to be Ryu Gunwoo. As you can tell, I’m from the same lineage as the Pungsan Ryu Clan.”

 

STier Ryu Chungwoo looked dazed, as if he’d been hit in the head.

 

“You probably don’t remember me, because I only went on a few family trips with you when I was younger, and you didn’t remember me from before either, and I only have videos of the family trips…”

 

“…….”

 

No answer. Did I fail?

 

‘If he thinks I’m lying, I’m screwed.’

 

At that moment.

 

Ryu Chungwoo slowly opened his mouth.

 

“If you’re older than me… do you wear glasses and read a lot of books?”

 

“…!”

 

No way.

 

“Do you remember me?”

 

STier Ryu Chungwoo raised his eyebrows slightly.

 

“Umm… I don’t actually know what you look like, and I don’t know your name. When I try to remember, I can only vaguely recall that I had an older brother like that.”

 

His face brightened slightly.

 

“Well, judging by your reaction, I guess I’m right in my description.”

 

“Oh!”

 

Cha Eugene exclaimed, and I was… a little stunned.

 

I didn’t expect this.

 

‘He remembers me?’

 

Come to think of it, TeSTAR Ryu Chungwoo had never had to listen to such specific situational conditions and try to remember who ‘Ryu Gunwoo’ was in his head.

 

Before that, I had to play a family vacation video first.

 

Anyway, I pulled myself together and answered.

 

“Yes. I think that’s me.”

 

You’re spot on.

 

“Oh!”

 

You can stop marveling.

 

Anyway, a faint smile crosses Ryu Chungwoo’s face.

 

“It’s strange. I never thought I’d meet a relative like this.”

 

“Me neither.”

 

“Haha.”

 

And I suddenly realized that up until this point, STier Ryu Chungwoo had been quite nervous.

 

‘His demeanor has changed.’

 

His behavior was the same, but his gestures seemed more relaxed.

 

He was wary after all.

 

‘How could he not?’

 

Now he seemed more human.

 

And in this situation where strangers, or people he knew, became strangers, he seemed to relax a bit because he was just meeting his relatives.

 

It was a simple, uncomplicated relationship.

 

“So, should I, um, use formal speech from now on? How do I originally do it?”

 

“You just kind of mixed it up as you went along.”

 

“Ahaha! Okay, I’ll do that.”

 

And with that, I think the blood ties thing worked.

 

“Let’s do it from here.”

 

“Yep!”

 

Ryu Chungwoo treated the members in a more relaxed state after that, and it didn’t take long before he seemed to have spoken to all of them.

 

And then.

 

“I don’t think we need to reschedule this program, I’m sure I can do it.”

 

At his insistence, his participation in the survival program was not postponed, but went ahead as scheduled.

 

The filming of the first stage began.

 

The good news was, it wasn’t a survival show.

 

It was a preview for the program.

 

It was a self-introduction stage.

 

* * *

 

The renewal of the <Genuine Match>.

 

<Genuine Match Final> had generated quite a bit of buzz on the internet despite its cheesy name.

 

It was thanks to the lineup.

 

[Reborn <Genuine Match> unveils its stellar cast… from Grand Prize idols to legendary vocalists].

 

It was hard to believe that it was a renewal of an already declining program, with so many big names.

 

The production team’s talent acquisition power exploded when they seized TeSTAR.

 

-The lineup of singers is good as it is a highly anticipated entertainment of the public television.

 

-Marshmallow reunion? Must watch!

 

-Honey voice Moody Goddess~ I want to see the stage soon^^♡♡

 

-It’s surprising that MBS is risking its reputation!

 

Despite the fact that the negative reactions poured in at the beginning of the article and promotional video, they were overshadowed by the genuinely surprised commenters who didn’t laugh at the news.

 

Of course, there was one name in the lineup that got the most attention.

 

‘TeSTAR!’

 

-TeSTAR is really coming out? Is this real?

 

Usually, the only time a group big enough to win the grand prize showed up on survival show was when they were long past their prime.

 

Even that was barely enough for them to make an appearance after much deliberation.

 

For a group whose popularity had already risen to its peak, no matter how promising the program was, it was no different from a poisoned chalice since there was a higher chance that it would diminish their reputation.

 

It was easy to become a talking point or a sacrificial lamb for a new name, the new kid on the block, ‘the rookie who beats the famous group’.

 

The same was true for program producers.

 

It was less surprising and less entertaining to see an already famous group win.

 

Besides, TeSTAR debuted on another broadcasting station’s survival show!

 

If there was a cast member who could perform better than TeSTAR, or even on par with TeSTAR, they would be favored!

 

-If TeSTAR wins here, it will be official that Tnet > public television, but they will never let them win ㅋㅋ.

 

-TeSTAR fans are already saving up for the eventuality of their own demise.

 

-Why the hell did they decide to appear on this show?

 

The internet was full of anticipation, not knowing the agreement between the PD and TeSTAR.

 

Even if half of those expectations were for the possibility of seeing TeSTAR fail.

 

A few days later.

 

The moment the opening stage of <Genuine Match> was revealed on WeTube.

 

[Dream of a blue dream like the day]

 

People felt like their minds were blown.

 

-Aㅋㅋ

 

-They came out on stage and it was like this

 

-They’re going to chew it up again ㅇㅋㅇㅋ I’m confident.

 

The performance consisted of each cast member performing for one minute and passing the baton.

 

From there, TeSTAR’s self-introduction stage, which appeared just before the end, was as intense as it was short, with exquisite remixes of their debut and latest songs.

 

[Yeah!]

 

As if they had only one minute to perform, they cut out the preamble and edited it down to the bare bones, leaving only the core!

 

Just as any movie that was introduced with a summary of the plot seemed to be interesting, the stage with fast development and wow points was perfect for modern tastes.

 

-This is it

 

-Wow, this is a survival group

 

-TeSTAR I’m so excited for this; crazy

 

Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

 

TeSTAR was originally an extremely well-recognized and popular group on the program, on the level of ‘at best, they’ll just end up where they are’.

 

Added to that, their impressive opening performance raised expectations even higher.

 

Park Moondae and Lee Sejin, the twin homepage masters, also gave a sobering assessment.

 

‘It would have been better to keep it moderately ambiguous.’

 

But the die was cast, and TeSTAR had to start the first survival competition under these conditions.

 

And it wasn’t without a silver lining.

 

‘By the next stage of the competition, if we do so well that we meet the already sky-high expectations….’

 

An image that no one could refute would be complete.

 

First impressions were everything in survival.

 

TeSTAR was created to shatter preconceptions, in a good way.

 

And TeSTAR themselves knew it.

 

* * *

 

Immediately after the opening stage ended.

 

“Phew.”

 

“Thank you for your hard work~”

 

At the backstage at the filming set of <Genuine Match>, I had a hunch.

 

‘We did well.’

 

This was obvious even without seeing the reaction.

 

In fact, I wasn’t even worried. The only variable was STier Ryu Chungwoo, who had practiced for days, and I could tell just by looking at the rehearsal stage.

 

‘He’s a guy who never makes mistakes.’

 

And indeed, he delivered a performance that fit the bill. You could almost mistake him for the original Ryu Chungwoo.

 

But….

 

‘He looks like he’s out of his mind.’

 

The problem was, right after he got off the stage, he was in a weird state.

 

“…….”

 

STier Ryu Chungwoo stood there, breathing heavily, wordlessly.

 

Even the staff looked at him, as if in shock.

 

‘It’s been too long.’

 

It was probably his first performance since STier disbanded, and I remembered that Cha Eugene had similar symptoms.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

I walked over to him and offered him the water bottle I was holding.

 

Ryu Chungwoo took it in a daze, and then jerked his head up as if he’d come to his senses.

 

He opened the cool bottle and drank.

 

Gulp gulp.

 

Sigh.

 

After nearly emptying the entire bottle.

 

“Thank you. …It’s been a long time since I’ve done something like this.”

 

Ryu Chungwoo smiled brightly, concentrating on his own monitoring from behind the members who were watching the monitor.

 

‘He looks fine.’

 

I chuckled.

 

Everything seemed to be going well.

 

Until then.

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