Debut or Die-Chapter 386
Did Ryu Cheong-woo really come out of the draw at this timing?
Actually, this companion draw system is like the trait draw system Keun Sejin ran before, as if it had some will to spit out whatever I needed at the moment.
“...Now that I think about it, I spun it when I called Lee Sejin, and Lee Sejin actually showed up.”
Of course, it was only the same name, a different person.
Just in case, I spoke up.
“Could you use your power here, too?”
“Ah, no. I don’t think I can do that anymore... I actually tried a few times, though.”
A small popup appeared, looking crestfallen.
“No, that’s fine. It’s better to keep it neat than to mix more with the system and cause trouble.”
Got it.
“Ah, ye—yes...!”
Right. Anyway, there’s only one choice I need to consider now.
[Companion: Would you like to awaken Ryu Cheong-woo?]
–Use 1000 Exp
Awakening Ryu Cheong-woo.
I raised my head. I saw him, his eyes shining with the immersion and sense of accomplishment he hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Hmm.”
I looked at Ryu Cheong-woo waiting for my answer and spoke.
“No, you’d better prepare a reflection statement.”
It’s more fun if you don’t know in advance, so I’ll press the awaken button a little later.
After the elimination announcement.
“Reflection statement?”
“The moment you pass, the producers will definitely ask how you feel.”
Embarrassment passed over Ryu Cheong-woo’s face. He must have thought I was giving him encouragement, as if he was sure to win.
It was real advice, though.
“Um... then wouldn’t it be fine to just say thank you?”
“I’d rather have you honestly show how moved you are. Dramatically.”
“...?”
If the producers have any sense, they’ll treat it as a huge twist.
And shortly after, when the audience had all left the stage and the eliminated contestants were finally announced one by one...
“Now, we announce!”
[“Supplementary Class” Ryu Cheong-woo]
[Confirmed Participant!]
Ryu Cheong-woo really became the final winner of this whole round.
And the only survivor among the supplementary class.
He was the one exception to the producers’ calculation that, even if skills were similar, they’d pick a familiar face over a stranger.
“Thank you, um...”
The guy who ended up holding the mic tried his best to speak calmly, despite his trembling voice.
He hadn’t been this shaken since passing AJUSA.
“It’s been so long since I poured my passion into something... I feel a bit overwhelmed. Thank you for giving me another chance. I won’t miss it and will show you an even better performance. Thank you!”
Plain but sincere—enough to convey he was truly invested in this. Excellent.
And anyone listening would misunderstand that he must have quit archery for some reason. Actually, I hope they do. It’s good to have a backstory.
“This concludes the elimination announcements.”
And Club Mebo disappeared as one of the nine eliminated, two of whom were chosen by the owner himself.
Twelve remain.
–Do you know how many were in my group originally?
–Nine.
We’re edging closer to that number. I don’t know how many we’ll end up with this time, though.
I wonder how Cheongryeo thinks about the ideal size for this short-term project group, as opposed to her own group.
“This... might require a discussion.”
Well, anyway.
Time to do what I need to do.
“Hyung, thanks.”
“You did it, so what am I being thanked for?”
As soon as the cameras shut off and we got offstage, Ryu Cheong-woo thanked me, then spoke in a firmer tone.
“I should practice hard. To keep up.”
“Mm.”
Judging by his tone, he’d already made up his mind: he’d hole up in the practice room and rehearse all night until the next shoot.
No matter who you are, that would wreck your stamina and backfire.
“When you said you were doing it, I should’ve joined you from the start. It feels like a waste.”
“Why? Did you feel you didn’t have enough time?”
He nodded slightly, unlike himself, as if he regretted not having enough time to improve his skills.
“Well, you don’t have to feel that way anymore.”
I can give him back that practice time.
“Here.”
“Huh?”
Take it. I pressed Ryu Cheong-woo’s awaken button.
[A Leap Toward Soaring....]
And for the first time, I witnessed a companion’s awakening scene firsthand.
Immediately, Ryu Cheong-woo staggered—more than I’d expected.
“What... ah.”
“...!”
Is this reaction normally this intense?
“You okay there?”
“Who is it?”
Even the staff reacted, but Ryu Cheong-woo leaned against the wall, saying nothing.
“Damn.”
Was this the correct reaction?
Just as I was about to open the status window or call 119, he fortunately lifted his head.
In a calm voice.
“...Ah, um, I’m fine.”
With a gentle expression.
“Sorry. I guess my tension just went slack.”
“Oh~”
The staff saw Ryu Cheong-woo smiling normally and backed away.
And even after the staff had left, he didn’t lose his smile.
Only his face slowly flushed.
“......”
“......”
“Th-that, Moon Dae-ni?”
“Yes.”
After a brief, heavy silence.
“Sigh....”
Ryu Cheong-woo dropped his head again and let out a long groan.
[Uh, that person....]
Right.
Before embarrassment, fear, confusion, or relief...
“...embarrassment came first.”
I quietly pretended not to notice the all-too youthful twenty-one-year-old side of him that had just shown itself.
“So... um, this was kind of an accident scenario, huh?”
“Yes.”
A little later, while tidying his things and pulling himself together, I gave Ryu Cheong-woo a quick briefing on the situation.
There was no need to hide anything; if anyone else heard, they’d think it was some movie or game story.
And, as expected from someone who already knew I’d switched bodies, he caught on quickly.
“It was kind of weird. Seeing it like this makes sense. The parts that differed from reality felt awkward.”
Instead of talking about parallel dimensions or whatever, he neatly interpreted the situation as a lucid dream or illusion.
“Maybe it’s because I made a different choice at a point where I wouldn’t normally have.”
He might have had more examples in mind, not just archery, but he didn’t bother elaborating.
This line made it clear, though.
“So that’s why the timing was perfect earlier, because you found a way to bring me back to my senses.”
“Yes.”
“So you waited until after the elimination announcement on purpose. To let me fully feel the reward of winning the audience vote on the first stage.”
“......”
“Thanks.”
“It’s just because we were filming. You don’t need to thank me.”
“Ha ha!”
Ryu Cheong-woo laughed and added,
“Just speak comfortably. Hyung, it really suits you.”
“...!”
“Somehow, even though we’re the same age, I felt like I had to call you hyung.”
Ryu Cheong-woo laughed shyly, saying that, too, was an odd part.
“It’s okay to switch to banmal when we get back. We’ve seen each other for over five years, after all.”
“...Fine.”
Ryu Cheong-woo laughed it off.
“He’s quite something, though....”
It was unbearably awkward. I ended up waiting for the others to arrive.
Luckily, as I had hinted, the top class guys, who’d finished changing in another waiting room, came running out toward the back of the lobby.
“Moon Dae hyung! Cheong-woo hyung, do you remember now?”
“Yujin.”
“Wooow!”
Cha Yoo-jin ran over and high-fived me.
Even though Kim Rae-bin was there, he comfortably called me Park Mundae.
But Rae-bin must have auto-registered “Moon Dae” as Geon-woo hyung’s nickname in his brain, because he showed almost no reaction.
He just gave a polite greeting.
“Hello, hyungs! Your stage today was really impressive.”
“Oh, now Rae-bin...”
“Mm.”
At my reaction, Kim Rae-bin’s change in tone made it clear to Ryu Cheong-woo that he had no memory.
“Oh, sorry. I switched to banmal without permission?”
“Huh? Not at all! As an elder and fellow contestant, you have every right.”
Ryu Cheong-woo laughed.
“You’re the same, exactly the same.”
“......?”
“Yes. Kim Rae-bin is exactly the same person.”
“...! Do you mean there’s been no development compared to how he looked on the previous program...?”
“No, idiot!”
“...?!”
I let those three chatter away and looked at the next person joining us.
He approached slowly after the others had finished their farewell greetings.
“Congratulations. I guess I’ll see you in the top class next time.”
Cheongryeo.
“Since the numbers have dropped, who knows.”
“Huh? It’d be awkward if you still can’t make it up there. You don’t really think that, do you?”
“......”
“Just kidding. I believe in you.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“You beat the main vocal who always had a secure spot in debut group. Of course you’ll join top class from next shoot.”
“......”
After confirming that the remaining contestant had left the lobby and the other three were engrossed in conversation, I lowered my voice.
“How did that bastard survive for seven years?”
“He was easy to handle.”
He twisted his lips slightly.
“But people always change. Their ego grows, and with some irrational self-confidence, they’ll show a different pattern.”
“......”
“Hmm... since I missed that, it’s my fault. No excuses.”
I recalled the former VTIC main vocal’s actions after causing that club controversy and leaving.
It was obvious.
He had nothing.
No SNS, no update articles, no sightings—silence.
Who would have done it?
“But people with obvious weaknesses are easy to manage. Aren’t you disappointed? You could have handled things without any big variables this time.”
“Then do a loser revival round or something.”
“Ha ha!”
He giggled.
“It’s fine. I’m not disappointed.”
“.......”
“I asked because I thought you might be.”
When I realized his form of address had changed, I turned to see the other three ending their chat and looking our way.
And Cheongryeo also looked over.
Specifically, at Ryu Cheong-woo.
“This one too?”
Meaning, “Has he remembered?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
He gave Ryu Cheong-woo a quick appraisal.
No, not just quick.
[Trait: Appraisal (A)]
Valuable resources are rare; garbage is everywhere.
: Human resource judgment +150%
He must be showing off his trait.
Then he smiled and extended his hand.
“Nice to work with you.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
They shook hands.
At least Cheongryeo didn’t start a fuss like Cha Yoo-jin did.
“If they don’t fight, that’s enough.”
Since nothing was going to explode immediately, I decided to take a moment to check my status window.
Because I’d just cleared the main quest.
[Quest: Companion Awakening] → Completed!
So far, I’d awakened Cha Yoo-jin, Bae Sejin, and Ryu Cheong-woo.
It seems the condition was to awaken three companions.
“So Cheongryeo is an exception.”
What kind of bastard is treated as a starter?
Anyway, if I succeeded in gathering enough companions, what’s next?
“What else but progressing the stage?”
The main content.
[Quest: Companion Awakening Reputation Collection Activity 1/N]
–Collect reputation
Required cumulative reputation: 1000000 Exp
The scale is insane, but fame breeds fame, so no need to adjust the period. Moving on.
I summoned the lowest popup: the companion status window.
Companion List
[Shin Jaehyun: Calculating newly added resources (*^-^)]
[Cha Yoo-jin: Recalling joyful memories (+ㅅ+~♫)]
[Ryu Cheong-woo: Checking his body status (•ᴗ•)]
Including the newly added Ryu Cheong-woo, they all appeared as expected.
Except one who wasn’t here.
[Bae Sejin: Receiving the owner’s apology (`ㅅ ´=3)]
“......”
What on earth is he doing?
I planned to contact him immediately and picked up my smartphone.
Then I saw the message at the top.
—Lee Sejin Senior: Hello Geon-woo! I watched episode five. (smiling emoticon) The stage looks like it’ll be amazing??
It was a message Lee Sejin sent two days ago.
At Jairope’s dorm.
Buzz.
“Hmm.”
It had been a while since she’d lain down before midnight, but Lee Sejin habitually grabbed her phone.
Then she saw my delayed reply.
—Wise Ryu Geon-woo: I just got home, so sorry for the late reply.
—Wise Ryu Geon-woo: Thank you for the compliment. I really hope the stage turns out great.
“Ah.”
Finally, filming must be over.
Even though I’d sent the message on a whim during regular networking, Lee Sejin was so pleased that she quickly typed back.
—Don’t apologize! It’s my fault for texting during filming (crying emoticon)
—Please speak casually! I’m not some great senior; it’s awkward hearing honorifics!
Soon after, the “1” disappeared, and a new reply arrived.
—Wise Ryu Geon-woo: Got it
—Wise Ryu Geon-woo: You can talk casually too.
“That’s right ~”
Since she’s still pre-debut, the hurdle’s low. Lee Sejin typed back even faster °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° this time.
—Haha I don’t refuse that! Thanks, hyung!
—Also change my saved name to Cool Sejin-dongsaeng haha
Only after sending did she realize.
“...What am I doing?”
Anyone would think she was a scammer or someone with no friends who can’t read distance, judging by her overreaction.
“Ah, why am I like this!”
Just as she tried to recover, a reply came.
—Wise Ryu Geon-woo: Understood
“...??”
Is this sinking in?
“Is he just stroking my ego because I’m a senior?”
It was a mistake, but strangely it didn’t feel bad.
But the replies didn’t end there.
—Wise Ryu Geon-woo: I haven’t called you Dongsaeng Sejin before; I always had Sejin-hyung
This is another random comment. Small talk?
—Oh haha that’s right, I do share a name with a few people!
Lee Sejin quickly thought of a fitting reply and sent it. She planned to wrap it up and go to sleep, but that sense disappeared.
Then came an unexpected reply.
—Wise Ryu Geon-woo: I think you know who I mean. We share the same surname too.
“......”
Someone I know?
“Wait.”
The only older person with the same name Lee Sejin might know, someone both could know, was one person.
Then Ryu Geon-woo’s replies came in succession.
—Wise Ryu Geon-woo: He’s an actor, and I’m meeting him to hang out in a few days
—Wise Ryu Geon-woo: I thought you’d find it fun, too. What do you think?
Lee Sejin sat up in bed.
