Debut or Die-Chapter 367
Several days later, on a holiday.
“Come to think of it, junior’s group doesn’t have a charter plane yet, right? Huh, I guess it still doesn’t make financial sense.”
Even though it was said by someone who had a talent for pissing people off, today it didn’t bother me so much.
“There’s enough demand domestically, so there’s really no need for a private jet on our route.”
“Really?”
“Whoa! Amazing! Look at these seats!”
“.......”
That was the guy next to me making a huge fuss.
Gold 2, Kwon Hee-seung, had his mouth agape as he stared at Cheongryeo’s private jet interior.
“Wow... S-senior, is it okay if I take a picture of this?”
“Only if you’re confident you won’t leak it.”
“.......”
I watched Hee-seung quietly lower his smartphone, then I took out mine.
“Want to take one?”
“No.”
As if. This is for communication.
I checked my messages again.
[Ryu Cheong-woo hyung: Have a safe trip everyone]
[Seon Ah-hyun: Take care and let me know if anything comes up!]
[Bae Sejin hyung: Mung-ge seems to be doing fine (photo)]
[Kim Rae-bin: I’m relieved the puppy is okay. I’m still on my way home. I’ll let you know when I arrive.]
[Cha Yoo-jin: (waving emoji)]
[Lee Sejin: Yep, everyone enjoy the holiday lol]
Half of them thought I was on vacation, half thought I was on business.
At that moment, the group chat updated.
[Lee Sejin: Hey, why did MundaeMundae drop to #1 and disappear? We’re not allowed to ghost, you know? (fire emoji)]
I smirked and typed.
[Me: It’s back. See you in two days.]
A few days ago, when I’d explained to those who knew the situation that I was “going to handle something,” this guy’s reaction popped into my head.
—Oh? Then I’ll just come along.
Of course he said that.
—That’s hard, though.
—What?
—I’m not saying it’s because you’d get in the way or get caught up in it. It’s a matter of structure.
—What?
—There can’t be anyone else around.
Exactly.
My hypothesis was simple and sound.
Premise: The system, the moment a status effect ends, moves to the next suitable host.
Meaning the person it can enter the fastest, at the closest distance.
Then why would it do that?
‘It can’t tolerate having no host.’
So what if you make it so that it can’t find a host for a long time?
For example... if Hee-seung clears his status effect in a place where there isn’t a suitable person within several hundred kilometers in any direction, what happens?
‘In theory, it wouldn’t hold on and would vanish.’
That was my plan.
And Cheongryeo, who’d already gone through reasoning with me about the system’s movement, immediately offered up his private jet when he heard the plan.
‘This bastard found it amusing back then, so he gave it up without complaint.’
I secretly nodded.
After glancing around the cabin, Cheongryeo naturally settled into a seat....
Wait.
“Why aren’t you getting off?”
“Hm?”
Cheongryeo tilted his head to the side.
“I don’t know why you assumed I’d be getting off. Isn’t this my plane?”
What kind of guy is this.
‘No wonder he refused payment.’
I pressed my brows together and murmured.
“I said we’ll minimize variables this time.”
“Ha ha, so are you getting on, junior?”
“...!”
“What’s the difference between you and me? Our situations are exactly the same. It’s weird if only I’m treated differently.”
Sharp kid.
Fine, actually I’d already gotten a definite answer about my own case.
Through Keundal.
—It seems the same person can’t be entered again.
—Why?
—Because it’s already been used.
The choice of words was a bit unsettling, but anyway it meant that past users of the system who’d returned to the past couldn’t be reentered.
Ambiguous, but not something to ignore. After all, it was said by someone fusing with the system.
‘So... I’m the exception for the next host.’
Still, just in case, Keundal hadn’t come along.
Strictly speaking, the system had never entered Ryu Geonwoo’s body.
‘I only extracted his mind.’
So Keundal would share my vision and observe remotely.
Then why did Cheongryeo, who was the same exception as me, want to be excluded?
Isn’t it obvious? Look at his personality.
‘He’s completely unpredictable.’
I’d thought to exclude him to avoid creating variables.
‘...I’ll have to keep a close watch.’
I sighed and answered.
“Do as you like.”
“Junior, you’re logical as always.”
Correction: this bastard still knows how to rub people the wrong way.
I roughly leaned back in my seat.
“Hyungs! Where exactly is our destination?”
“The Pacific Ocean.”
“Wow.”
A deserted expanse of ocean was going to be the execution site.
The plane continued on.
It wasn’t until after lunch, in the afternoon, that we arrived at the location.
“How does it feel to be floating in the middle of the Pacific?”
“Like it’s not the first time.”
“Ha ha.”
I’d seen it every time I flew to the U.S. for work, so it wasn’t thrilling.
I used that time to calculate.
‘If I miss this timing, we’ll be too close to North America.’
It needed to be done within thirty minutes.
I looked at the cockpit, where the captain and first officer presumably still believed LAX was our destination.
And I recalled the conversation I’d had with the person who’d hired the pilot.
About whether the system might enter them instead.
—What are the chances those people are suitable?
—That’s a gamble. Judging by their tendencies, the odds are extremely low.
Cheongryeo had grinned and suggested.
—Or we could use a helicopter to deposit him on an uninhabited island or desert. Though it’d be tough on the pilot. But wouldn’t that be better?
—Enough.
There’s a reason no one lives on those lands. They’re uninhabitable.
I can’t ask Hee-seung to risk his life to eliminate every possibility.
‘Let’s be reasonable.’
I chose the best option within realistic bounds, and this was the result.
Hee-seung, sensing the atmosphere, looked slightly tense.
“All right, shall we, uh, click it now?”
“Go ahead. One moment.”
I called up my status window. The popup appeared as expected.
[Hyung, you wouldn’t...?]
Yes, it was ready.
‘Make Hee-seung’s status-clear window pop up again.’
The popup didn’t reply. It only trembled slightly.
Still, the hologram appeared in front of Hee-seung.
“Oh, phew! You scare me every time!”
That kid really does use strange exclamations.
Cheongryeo muttered with a bored look.
“There’s nothing special about it.”
“Since only the person concerned can see it.”
“Hmm.”
Cheongryeo folded his arms and nodded.
“So like this?”
“Yes.”
I closed my mouth and assumed the same pose.
Then it happened.
[Hyung.]
Keundal’s popup appeared again.
‘If there’s no serious problem, proceed as is. If you want to say something now...’
[No, that’s not it!]
Is it not?
The popup shrank its letters as if embarrassed.
[Actually... I have a bit of hope.]
“.......”
Right. He probably wanted to live as a person too.
I knew he’d pretended not to care to avoid burdening me.
The popup trembled again, then carefully spoke one character at a time.
[Hyung, thank you so much.... For doing this for me.]
‘Done.’
It wasn’t just for him. I’d been uneasy leaving such a time bomb in place and planned to eliminate it at the first chance.
In fact, he’d practically helped me.
‘Proceed.’
[...Yes!]
“All right... I’ll press it!”
Hee-seung reached out with a nervous expression.
And he pressed it.
[!Status Ailment: ‘Make It Work’ removed!
: *^@5#& Confirm ???? Click!]
Click.
And the status window... vanished.
Without a trace, as if it had never existed.
“Ah.”
A silent stillness flowed through the cabin.
Nothing happened.
Remarkably.
“.......”
“Is this... it?”
Hee-seung’s question reflexively reminded me of my own case.
‘There was a congratulations window.’
But that was Keundal’s doing, unrelated to the system...
“Oh?”
“...!!”
Another hologram popped up before Hee-seung.
But its appearance was unlike before.
[??? ? ]
[? ?? ???? ? ??]
[: ?? ? ? ?????]
A bizarre status filled with question marks.
‘Fuck.’
I stood up.
And from across the aisle, I heard Cheongryeo’s low voice.
“Hm... I can see this one.”
“...!”
What?
“Hyung.”
There was no time to look at Cheongryeo. My eyes were fixed on the status window floating before Hee-seung.
Hee-seung’s face was etched ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) with panic.
‘...Keundal!’
No answer came to my call.
Instead, the status window...
Began to tremble.
Ududududududeuk.
Hee-seung turned his head and spoke.
[Hyung, this is weird...!]
His voice fragmented.
Like a vibration.
Piiiiing---!
Ringing.
An impossible, shattering sound echoed.
My vision went white.
‘This is....’
The next moment.
Holograms of all kinds swarmed around.
[Status A!$#6]
[Dol&[email protected]]
[■■■■■■■eum■]
[ImagimagstatusstatusimagstatusA#%2]
Something violently invading my mind....
‘Fuck, shut up!’
I gritted my teeth. Hot blood trickled from my lips, but there was no time to feel pain.
The lines distorted and flickered white.
Blink.
Blink.
‘...Ah.’
And at ten thousand meters above sea level.
No, inside a small room.
Everything tore apart.
Ziiiiiik--
There was no scream or pain.
Reality simply shattered into fragments....
And then it soared.
Fwaaah!
White out.
–Bip-bik!
What was that?
Through the haze of my heavy mind, I heard a sharp sound....
An alarm?
I thought dully, but a sudden realization told me it couldn’t be.
I didn’t know why, but that feeling lingered, and I didn’t rise.
Falling deeper, sinking farther into sleep....
If only that word hadn’t come to me.
–Daydream?
‘Fuck.’
“–Hah!”
I opened my eyes.
Bright light stabbed at me. Incandescent bulbs hung from the high ceiling, glaring down.
Black walls, and beside them, a massive full-length mirror reflecting the light across one entire side.
A dance practice room.
“......!”
I sat up and looked down at myself.
In black training gear.
I reached out, touching my shoulder and neck. I could feel sweat.
–Bip-bibibibik!
I reflexively silenced the still-ringing smartphone notification.
And I thought: what’s different?
“Huh.”
Starting with my location.
I was definitely sitting in a cabin....
No way.
I turned to look in the mirror.
Or tried to. Before I could, I saw someone else in training gear sprawled beside me.
And if that face hadn’t been so familiar....
“...!”
It was Cheongryeo.
Only he looked different from the one I’d just seen.
‘His age.’
This Cheongryeo looked about twenty.
A chill ran down my spine.
“You....”
Before I could say anything, the other person opened his eyes.
“...!!”
“Oh.”
The one who’d woken had no expression. He glanced around the practice room with an emotionless, familiar look.
As if he knew it.
As if he was confirming it.
Then, following some pattern, he turned his head.
And our eyes met.
Only then did his face change.
“...!”
First surprise, then....
“Ha ha!”
Wonder.
A vague but powerful thrill that could be described as lamentation, joy, curiosity, despair, hope, or any other strange emotion.
“Well, this is something. Something like this happens, huh?”
I barely managed to speak.
“Do you know where this is....”
“This is LeTi’s practice room. My agency!”
What?
Cheongryeo giggled as if crying.
“In this beginning, junior... or maybe not junior anymore. Ha ha!”
My mind went blank.
