Debut or Die-Chapter 370
The backstage of the awards ceremony was a whirlwind as the live broadcast approached.
“So-hyun, here!”
“Sohyun has arrived!”
This year, MallangDalkom was crazily busy, with members often showing up late because of personal schedules and rushing to get ready.
A staffer preparing for the performance merely nodded in approval.
These kids are all so pretty.
Though tired, MallangDalkom exuded that polished aura only idols under intense management possess.
They must’ve picked the prettiest ones from the start.
One reason that thought came to mind was standing right beside the staffer.
“Let’s get this right.”
“Yes!”
The trainee dancers who’d come with them were equally dazzling.
So I heard Retti’s putting everything on the line for this new boy group.
Celebrity gossip isn’t always reliable, but half of it tends to be true.
The seven or so trainees were all undeniably good-looking.
Hmm.
Finding a momentary lull, the staffer casually studied their faces. They might be on music shows around this time next year.
And one-sided observation like this is just fun!
Then the staffer spotted someone unusually calm.
...! That has to be Retti’s trainee.
A boy in black slacks and a shirt, with an almost dark impression. Neat features, a refined beauty.
Yet there was a cool, understated delicacy about him.
Oh.
Just as the staffer murmured in admiration, the trainee turned his head toward the staffers, as if he had something to say.
“...!”
Their eyes met.
Oops.
Just as the staffer tried to look away innocently,
Ah—he’s smiling.
The trainee ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) dipped his head gently, then raised it, smiling naturally—as if he’d been through this a hundred times.
There was no hint of forced warmth.
The staffer hurriedly nodded back, inwardly amazed.
Wow... they really train them right.
But actually, it wasn’t that.
Ryu Geonwoo—once a fifth-year top idol in TeSTAR and now a Retti trainee—secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
I almost had to ask for my own mic back.
He was so at ease in this atmosphere that his subconscious relaxed.
Besides, the thin glasses perched on his face felt awkward and drew his attention more.
Wearing contacts beneath fake, lensless frames... What on earth is that selling point?
A trainee dancer out-styling the idol himself—what were they thinking?
They probably already got flak for this at some point.
If anything, they’d been criticized more than less.
But the moment he saw MallangDalkom’s outfits, all judgment vanished.
...Seriously, that much?
Layers of chiffon and glittering faux crystals everywhere, like a red carpet at a film festival.
He wondered how anyone could dance in those, but after comparing to his own costume, he understood.
So it’s some kind of butler-or-servant concept.
It was cheesy, but over-the-top themes were all the rage.
As long as people know we exist, that’s enough.
His part was only a short intro dance.
“Please take care of us~”
“Thank you, senior.”
He nodded to So-hyun—whom he’d only rehearsed with once—then fell into step with the other trainees.
Nearby, someone whispered low enough to be half-heard.
“Damn, she’s so pretty.”
“Yeah...but her personality’s kinda...”
Wow.
Thanks to that, Ryu Geonwoo fully grasped why Cheongryeo had picked up VTIC’s members.
They hadn’t grabbed Shin-o and Joodan from the back row for nothing.
Landmines everywhere.
The agency must be so desperate they picked recruits based on looks and talent alone, unable to tell appropriate from inappropriate.
“Hm?”
“Nah.”
Cheongryeo, standing next to him, noticed his gaze and offered an explanation.
“Oh, that one—they tried her out once as an experiment... around her third year after debut, her girlfriend posted a character assassination online.”
“......”
“Heh, people really don’t change, huh?”
Even if that guy had been buried in cement and thrown into the Han River on some timeline, he wouldn’t be surprised.
Anyway, that was the end of small talk.
“I’m not going to overdo it on our first stage, I think.”
“Yeah. They’ll handle it.”
Each trainee, mindful of their own circumstances, took the stage alongside MallangDalkom.
And that night...
On an online forum devoted entirely to celebrities—especially idols—a post appeared.
---------------------==
[Retti’s Next Boy-Group Debut Lineup Expanded]
It’s academic consensus that the trainees in MallangDalkom’s intro just now are the debut group.
---------------------==
The post used GIFs of the trainees caught in the periphery and leaked selfies to identify them.
Most were already quietly known among the agency’s veteran fandom, but there was one new face:
Sohyun’s brief intro partner, Ryu Geonwoo.
---------------------==
They say he was supposed to be a private trainee, but it looks like he’s in the final debut lineup?
---------------------==
This year, MallangDalkom’s so-called “goofy” concept stage used an over-the-top princess intro that dominated the performance, so there was no need for the trainee dancers to steal the spotlight with skill or looks—yet there was a singular moment:
– Woah, that private trainee’s eyes, lol
– He’s ghost-like in his eye contact
Ryu Geonwoo had unknowingly locked onto the camera with uncanny precision.
He tried not to overdo it—impossible after his experience—but avoiding the lens would’ve looked even stranger, so he begrudgingly accepted it.
And that choice backfired—in a good way.
– What’s up with the private trainee turning his face to the camera with Sohyun? Total visuals
– I know, right? Only Jae-hyun? and that private trainee hit the camera dead-on. They’ll pick those two as the debut core, lol
– Oh no, Retti’s new thralls are melting my heart again.
Cheongryeo, who knew how to modulate intensity from decades of experience, and Ryu Geonwoo both got mentioned a lot in the comments.
– Retti really has a pine-tree lineage, lol
– Wow, the facial bloodline is clear, lol
– Please, knowledgeable Retti fans, tell me who the glasses hottie is. Who is he?
└ We don’t know... He’s a private trainee
└ Maybe a sasaeng fan knows
Of course, the reaction ended there.
He’d only appeared as a dancer once, so only the hardcore Retti fans glanced and moved on. Yet for him, it felt surprisingly nostalgic.
It’s been a while since I did this kind of monitoring.
Ryu Geonwoo closed the forum on his phone.
Fortunately, he hadn’t changed expression trying to adjust, so he didn’t stand out.
Still, being newly recognized reminded him strangely of the day AJUSA’s first stage was revealed.
“....”
A few supportive comments made him feel oddly good again.
A strange nostalgia washed over him.
[♪♪♫♪♬♪~]
On TV, the Gold Disc Awards replay was in full swing.
Ryu Cheongwoo—who’d been absentmindedly making a PPT on his laptop—suddenly looked up, startled.
“...! That’s you in the back?”
“Yeah.”
Suddenly, the idol trainee had debuted on screen.
Wow.
Yet even on TV for the first time, his cousin showed neither excitement nor nerves.
Instead...
...satisfaction?
Yes. He looked pleased.
Who knew someone could feel that way watching his first stage?
He’d been mistaken for his cousin when they were younger precisely because of that calm demeanor.
It’s not me who’s weird.
Ryu Cheongwoo shrugged, then paused his PPT and watched the TV with Ryu Geonwoo.
“Oh, he’s on again.”
“Yeah.”
He’d thought to tease him, but the chance never came.
Whenever he caught Ryu Geonwoo on screen, he looked astonishingly natural.
Ryu Cheongwoo genuinely admired him.
“Bro, you weren’t wrong about doing this idol thing. You’re good.”
“Huh.”
But he didn’t notice that his brother was clenching his fist.
It finally arrived!
Only after the awards replay did my status-window pop up.
[Reputation is increasing....]
+Exp 10000
They’re really giving it away.
Even for a private trainee just revealed, this much? In a real game, they’d have gone bankrupt.
Whatever.
I grumbled but decided to spend all that reputation.
Right as something else appeared.
[Condition met]
: 〈Recruit Teammate〉 unlocked!
-〉 Move
At last.
A new feature. They even made a flashy tab with an image banner: a shadowy figure shaking hands.
[Recruit Teammate]
Find a comrade you share a bond with.
Of course.
I figured from 〈127 Section〉 this would be it: a gacha system.
Just fancier than the trait draw—basically the same content.
But it says you might get someone with a connection...
I glanced at Ryu Cheongwoo beside me.
“Hmm? You gonna try?”
“No.”
He knows all about my situation, but might not be that close here.
Anyway, let’s spin it.
I left the living room for my bedroom, closed the door.
[Bro! Are you doing this now? Good luck!]
“Yeah.”
I watched the chatter and moved my finger.
Ten draws... not yet.
I’d start with one.
I pressed the button; the screen spun, a star streaked through the black void of space...
...and it fizzled out?
[Failure!]
Well.
[Try again?]
– Use Exp 1000
I stared at the status window, speechless—then reality hit.
A thousand reputation just gone.
“....”
This... damn pay-to-win game.
[Sorry! Sorry! This isn’t my fault! Really!]
“...I know.”
Come to think of it, 〈127 Section〉 did have these lousy misses at low rates.
And setting this awful exchange rate—blame BM, those game-dev bastards.
T1!
...now that I think about it, it’s my company.
But who cares. I guarantee those money-crazed bastards.
Wait.
My eyes snapped open. I scrolled through past pop-ups.
And there it was:
[– Recruit to awaken.]
Recruitment and awakening are separate.
No way...
“...They’ve set separate XP costs for recruitment and awakening.”
Of course.
Recruiting is gacha, awakening is leveling up—of course each costs.
Basic... gaming common sense.
“...Phew.”
I took a deep breath.
[Bro, you okay??]
“Yeah.”
Totally fine.
I tapped ‘Recruit Once’ again.
This time, bronze and silver flashed through the void, and a portrait appeared.
Seems like it worked...
[★★ Kim Ikje / Sub-Vocal]
[★ Lee Haram / Sub-Dancer]
[Accept as is?]
Who are you?
No need for exclamation.
Why are random nobodies showing up?
It’s obvious.
One- or two-star? They’re guaranteed filler characters.
I held back a groan and covered my face.
But where did the stars even come from?
〈127 Section〉 had no star system—where’d this generic gacha mechanic come from?
[It’s not me who did this.]
“I know.”
It must be the system.
Maybe I misread—it didn’t want me to settle here? What the hell?
...Or.
Are they sabotaging me?
They even added that awakening prompt to make me quit.
Ridiculous.
Anyone can dump money into gambling. No willpower needed—just press a button.
I sent the new recruits to the reserve inventory without welcoming them.
Then spent 5000 of my remaining 7000 XP, hammering the button five more times.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap!
[Eek!]
Don’t freak out—this was already planned expenditure!
Again, light flashed half-heartedly.
[★ Choi Dongho / Sub-Rapper]
[Failure!]
[★★ Jin Yuntae / Visual]
[★ Kim Seokwon / Sub-Dancer]
More unknown names whizzed by. And another failure.
“Fuck!”
But on the last spin...
An aurora light flared.
[~♪♬♪~]
Musical notes arced over the stars.
“...!!”
I swallowed hard.
No way.
This time, someone who knows me? A dazzling light burst across the void and into the status window.
Then the next line appeared...
[WOW!]
[★★★★★ Cha Yujin / Center]
“......”
[.......]
