Debut or Die-Chapter 273
“Let’s summarize.
After watching the current #1 video of the new season of Idol Corporation, Seon Ah-hyun reacted very badly. He broke out in a cold sweat and froze.
“Are you okay?”
“I—I’m okay....”
That was basically a repeat of what I’d said.
“......”
He later claimed he just “wasn’t feeling well,” but of course I didn’t buy it.
‘How does someone go from fine to breaking down over a ballet video?’
Still, I didn’t press him for details—I already had an idea why. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
“Park Mundae, what were you watching earlier?”
“What?”
“In the car.”
“......”
After we wrapped the schedule and returned to the dorm, Big Se-jin immediately asked.
‘Right—he was sitting right behind Ah-hyun.’
I sat on Bae Se-jin’s seldom-used bed and said,
“It was the #1 video from this season’s Idol Corporation.”
“Oh, that contestant....”
Big Se-jin pretended to know, then his face hardened. He’d made the same connection.
“...He did ballet, right?”
“Yeah.”
This season’s #1 had almost the identical background to Seon Ah-hyun. In fact, I’d nearly confirmed my suspicion:
“Chae Seodam said he studied ballet and went to Yejung Middle Schoolㅜㅜ Ballet angel?”
“Chae Seodam went to Sehwa Yejung Middle? He must know Seon Ah-hyun—there aren’t many students there.”
Rumors were already circulating: they attended the same arts middle school. And from Ah-hyun’s reaction, it was clear that this guy had a lot to do with Ah-hyun’s past trauma. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
“Ah... damn.”
Big Se-jin had already googled him and his expression turned grim.
“This guy must be nuts. What nerve to join the audition?”
“He must think differently than us.”
Or maybe he was just very clever. I laced my fingers.
“There probably isn’t any evidence.”
“There’s testimony.”
Big Se-jin shot back, “There was even a composite image once—no reason there wouldn’t be one for him. And he’s #1.”
“......”
“He’ll go viral.”
No.
“If he were going to go viral, it would’ve happened by now.”
I laid out the facts:
“He got attention from the very first theme-song stage, basically center, and he’s still #1. He’s got all the screen time.”
“...If there was dirt, it would have surfaced already.”
“Exactly.”
I tossed my phone on the bed.
“But there’s nothing. No rumors at all.”
I’d scoured anonymous sites and private accounts—clean. He’d made no enemies except Seon Ah-hyun.
“Sigh....”
Big Se-jin sighed, then said, “This is going to be tough.”
“Yeah.”
We should have acted before the first broadcast. Now he’s got a huge, aggressive audition-show fandom. If we exposed Ah-hyun’s past bullying now and he had to drop out, that guy’s fans would unleash on Ah-hyun.
I could already hear it:
“Thanks to that stuttering nerd, my boy’s career is ruined—paranoid freaks, don’t mess with strong minds.”
And many would side with the bully, since Seon Ah-hyun is a top-tier idol now:
“If Chae Seodam really bullied someone, would he sign up for the same audition?”
“All the nice stories are about him—one random bully claim, suspicious.”
“Chae Seodam has so many fans he’d destroy the bully’s life, so it’s fear, not proof.”
Such controversies are hard to adjudicate; public opinion shifts on a whisper. I arrived at an unpleasant conclusion:
“If we expose it now, Ah-hyun would have to withdraw.”
“......”
Big Se-jin opened his mouth, then shut it with a bitter laugh.
“But if we do nothing, Ah-hyun will suffer a lot, right?”
“......”
“You’re worried about that, aren’t you, Mundae?”
He was right. Someone would inevitably ask Ah-hyun mid-schedule, “Do you know that person?”
‘I don’t want that.’
Could Ah-hyun still smile and joke on music and variety shows if that happened? This was a red light on his activities.
I pressed my temple.
“This is tricky.”
Then—click.
“...What are you two doing?”
“Ah.”
Bae Se-jin entered with his packed bags, froze at the tension, and said,
“We were just discussing something.”
“Okay. No problem, hyung~”
“Then fine.”
Though suspicious, Se-jin quietly swapped books and blankets and left.
“Hmm.”
Se-jin knows now, but if he talked to others before Ah-hyun did, it’d only hurt Ah-hyun’s mind more.
Big Se-jin stood and said,
“Mundae, let’s think this through more.”
“Yeah.”
We silently agreed. Secrecy wasn’t really possible—everyone would notice soon.
“Guys, has Ah-hyun mentioned anything to you about the new Idol Corporation season?”
“Huh?”
“He was shaking so badly watching it on TV.”
T1 had plastered ads everywhere for this new season. Ryu Cheong-woo and the two youngest had sat by Ah-hyun, stunned.
“Your face looked awful! You seemed in pain!”
“Should we report it to the broadcast commission?”
“It’s not a broadcast violation—he’s a person!”
“Yes!”
Finally Bae Se-jin asked,
“You two were talking about the new season, right? He said he did ballet... could it be the same guy?”
“Yeah. Probably.”
“And so the six of us reached the same conclusion and needed a plan.”
On the day Ah-hyun went out for his solo photo shoot, we gathered in the living room.
“First, we could report him anonymously... no, that won’t work; he doesn’t live here.”
Ryu Cheong-woo nodded, and the others agreed gravely. But no new ideas surfaced. Most of us had never experienced this.
“Hmm, should we spread rumors?”
“That would only unite his fans, and if a formal expose came later they’d use that to refute us.”
“Wow, convincing.”
Se-jin leaned back smirking.
Bae Se-jin spoke nervously,
“...Does he have any SNS left?”
“You mean his personal social media?”
“Yeah—guys like that always crave attention online.”
Good thought—but I shook my head,
“He deleted everything—six months ago, as soon as season 3 was announced.”
He’d erased every trace. He’d planned ahead. I sighed,
“Then there’s nothing we can do. No clues.”
“Exactly.”
Just then, Cha Yoo-jin raised his hand,
“Let’s ask Ah-hyun directly!”
“...Ask him?”
“Yeah! His opinion matters most!”
It felt daunting, but it was the right move. Everyone else already knew.
“And we need to do it now—he’ll only get more famous.”
Meanwhile, the new season was growing on its controversy and buzz. Despite a weaker talent pool, they wove drama expertly—Ryu Seorin knew her craft. The show’s popularity even outdid Mirinae’s.
‘I have to do something.’
And fast—by the next ranking announcement, it’d be uncontrollable.
‘I guess we have to ask him ourselves.’
I nodded.
“I’ll ask him—it’s our roomie.”
“Okay.”
“And Mundae alone might spook him, so I’ll come too~”
“......”
What? Yet Big Se-jin’s plan passed without objection. That night, as soon as Ah-hyun returned and went to bed, we acted.
“Se-jin?”
“Yeah—Ah-hyun, come sit!”
Though puzzled, Ah-hyun sat.
“How was your shoot?”
“Mhm. It went fine...!”
After easing in, we got to the point:
“Ah-hyun, do you know the current #1 on Idol Corporation?”
“D-Did it show?”
“A little.”
I softened it. Ah-hyun, tense, slowly nodded,
“Yeah... we went to the same middle school.”
I threw the fastball,
“He’s the one who laughed when you got hurt, right?”
“...!”
Ah-hyun swallowed and admitted,
“Y-Yeah.”
I expected that.
“But... I’m not sure.”
“What?”
“Well, maybe I’m just sensitive. People can dislike you, right? But I can’t handle it well....”
“Wait.”
I cut in,
“If he disliked you, he’d just avoid you. The bully’s the weird one.”
“I-I don’t know if it was bullying. Not hitting or anything....”
“How did it go?”
“He treated me kindly, but it felt fake... weird things happened.”
“Like?”
“My shoes disappeared—then days later he returned them saying thanks for letting him borrow them, but I never lent them.”
“I see.”
“When I messed up a move, he laughed—later I realized he was just laughing in conversation, maybe I was too sensitive....”
This was next-level manipulation: singling out only Ah-hyun. Big Se-jin, listening quietly, asked,
“Ah-hyun, were you first-rank and he second?”
“Um, not always...but a few times?”
“Hmm. He was first at least once, right?”
“Probably?”
Se-jin grinned,
“Okay—so he did bully you. Don’t worry, he was jealous.”
“Mhm. Mundae said that too.”
Ah-hyun nodded.
“And my counselor said it wasn’t strange I was hurt.”
Counseling paying off.
“I’m much better now! It just surprised me seeing him...!”
“Of course.”
Ah-hyun relaxed. But the others felt uneasy.
“Alright, I’m off to sleep—don’t worry!”
“Mhm!”
“I want some water.”
I followed them into the hall and Se-jin threw out,
“There won’t be any evidence.”
“......”
“If I wanted someone gone, it would look like him—he treats others well. I’m sure.”
“Go rest. We’ll think.”
“...Okay. You too.”
I patted Se-jin’s shoulder and sat in the living room. Calming down, I thought about Chae Seodam: cunning, socially adept, driven by insecurity and ambition. He’d erased every trace—he was overconfident. Such people always slip up.
“......”
It was 11 PM—late, but idols stay up late. I made a call. After a short ring:
“Hello?”
“Yes? Mundae-ssi?”
It was Mirinae’s manager—the line to their #1 winner.
“If it’s okay, could you connect me to Jeong Yul-gi?”
“What??”
I convinced the shocked manager it was work, and got through:
“Hello, senior!”
“Yes, hello.”
“I’m glad to hear from you! What’s up?”
“If you remember talking about Idol Corporation a few days ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) ago...”
“Ah~ yes! Of course!”
I gripped the phone and lowered my voice:
“You mentioned some nasty contestants... was any of them someone popular now?”
“Whoa, yes!”
Good. This is where it starts.
