Debut or Die

Chapter 178

Sometime later. At some point in time that I couldn’t guess because of the black curtain.

“Let’s wrap things up from here. Was hubae-nim’s participation in <Idol Inc.> a good choice?”

Sitting across from me again, Cheongryeo calmly explained while writing down keywords in a notebook.

“It’s very efficient to pass the initial mission right away. Hubae-nim must have chosen it without knowing the existence of the next mission… That’s a good judgment.”

His words didn’t make me happy at all.

“But it’s a disappointing choice in the long run. In a short period of 5 years, the image burnout would be severe… The company doesn’t have a system, and it’s unclear whether they will renew your contract.”

Cheongryeo smiled weakly.

“If you are confident that you can get past the initial mission, it is better to skip the survival program.”

“…”

“When you restart, come to LeTi. I’ll put you in a position where you can debut right away.”

I could hear his inner thought saying, ‘I will put you close so that I can restart right away if my team fails again’.

I held back a snort.

‘You’re all talk.’

In this bastard’s status window, the status abnormality that caused the reset, ‘Remediation’, was inactive

In other words, the method to restart by dying was already blocked.

And this bastard, who had grasped the concept of ‘If the mission fails, you will die and go back’ must have guessed now that his mission was over, he couldn’t go back even if he died.

That’s why he wanted to use me… I got a bit stuck here.

‘How can you be sure?’

Why is he so sure that when I die, I will start over? No matter how crazy he is, isn’t he too obsessed with this?

I’d like to dig into this and knock him out of it, but the timing wasn’t good.

‘If I mess up, he’ll bash my head with a hammer.’

I shouldn’t provoke this bastard right now.

‘I have no intention of voluntarily leaving this life. In that case, I can only taste the hammer.’

And I didn’t know what would hit me.

So I had to believe the other corner of my mind.

My advantage was that I knew something this guy didn’t know.

My status window. The characteristics.

‘Let’s think.’

Before that, I would get pissed off and grind my teeth, so I would answer this much.

“So if you debut in LeTi and there is another problem with your career, you will reset again, is that what you’re aiming for?”

“No. That won’t happen.”

…Cheongryeo looked a little embarrassed.

“I’m sorry for this. As hubae-nim has heard, it is because I don’t have the correct answer. If you want, I’ll help you finish the mission faster next time.”

“…”

“Of course, let’s make a plan together so that we can do group activities in a more convenient and beneficial way than it is now.”

The fact that he seemed so sincere hurt the most right now.

‘If something similar happens again, this bastard will urge me to reset again.’

Of course, I didn’t think I could restart even if I died, but wasn’t this already obvious? He’d done it once, so he would keep doing it.

However, it was more problematic to think that the current situation in this madman’s thought circuit would be an exceptional one-off thing and that he had provided me with a sufficient compensation plan.

‘He thinks it’s not a big deal.’

Since our control points were different, he thought forcing a reset was just embarrassing and felt apologetic about it. Of course, it didn’t work.

I sighed, and Cheongryeo got up from his chair again.

“You seem tired, so let’s stop here for now… Is there anything you want to eat for dinner? I will give it to you if I can.”

First of all, it was evening right now. I managed to scoop out one piece of information.

“None. Why don’t you just let me go so I can take care of it myself?”

“That would be difficult. Hmm, wait a minute.”

And Cheongryeo left the room once again.

I had no expectations, but seeing how he reacted naturally, I couldn’t appeal to his emotions.

…That meant without a build-up, it wouldn’t work.

‘I hope this can get me through.’

I checked one of my characteristics that I had singled out in my head during the useless conversation.

[Characteristics: Bacchus 500 (B)]

– Clear mind and healthy body!

: Fatigue accumulation rate -50%

Bacchus 500.

It was a characteristic that kept me in shape. Thanks to this characteristic, I could endure only sleeping for one hour or two for a few days a week during the comeback.

Of course, taking advantage of this characteristic, I wasn’t trying to sound like I would start ideally searching around while the bastard was sleeping.

‘This place is awfully and meticulously cleaned up.’

Even the bathroom, which I confirmed with an uncomfortable and funny attitude earlier, only had the bare necessities.

‘It’s like he’s done this a few times already.’

I didn’t know what kind of person he threatened to bash their head in to get information from during the reset, but this guess seemed quite plausible.

Anyway, the situation to use this characteristic would come at a different time, not ‘while he’s asleep’.

‘I’ll wait a little until then.’

I would watch over the situation carefully until he thought I’d given up, until he thought I’d adjusted.

I looked down at the handcuffs and clicked my tongue.

This was going to be a tough vacation.

And then a few days later.

Considering the sleep interval and meal timing, I estimated it had been about three to four days.

To prevent suicide solicitation from becoming more radical, I adjusted my remarks to sound as if I was slowly sympathizing with the ‘New Life Plan’.

Like this.

“Does LeTi also start paying after charging all the trainee expenses?”

“No. They start to pay when we make a profit at the time of our debut. You’re fine with that right?”

“It’s a nice place. …I have no intention of going there.”

“Haha.”

After repeating this pattern a few times, I started touching the slightly sensitive materials to gather information.

“Even if I am on vacation, if they don’t hear any news from me, they will definitely be suspicious. Is there any call?”

“Well.”

“… Looks like you got a call.”

“Haha, is it obvious? Don’t worry, I replied in moderation. In the way hubae-nim talks.”

“…”

Does this bastard even know my screen lock pattern?

‘It was during that insurance commercial.’

I remembered unlocking my smartphone when taking pictures of the puppies at that time.

‘Damn it.’

I couldn’t expect outside help until the vacation was over.

Still, I found out that this guy kept checking my smartphone.

In that case, there was a good chance it was inside this house. I decided to remember that.

Since then, meaningless persuasion, excuses, and surprisingly good-quality Cheongryeo’s idol-related tip briefings continued for a few days.

The time had finally come.

“Today… hubae-nim?”

“…Sunbae-nim.”

My third time waking up here. Maybe in the morning or dawn.

I shoved my head to the pillow and sighed. My nose and throat where my breath passed through felt hot.

My head felt heavy. I spoke slowly.

“Do you have any medicine for cold?”

It was the terrible cold that came every time I took a break.

This time, in line with the timing of the vacation, tremendous heat and pressure poured into my body.

Even though it was not the time for me to relax mentally.

‘As expected.’

It meant my guess was correct.

‘This illness, I guess it’s really a reaction to my physical condition’s characteristics ‘

Not just Bacchus, this was also true for that one-time characteristic, ‘Sleeping only if you die’.

After using those characteristics to the fullest every time, it only hurt when I didn’t have an ‘activity schedule’, so it felt strange.

That’s why I made a hypothesis, but with this, I was almost certain.

‘It’s a mechanical classification that seems to involve the status window.’

It was only when I took a break from the celebrity activities that the burden on my body came forward.

And this painful timing was fully exploitable.

“…Medicine?”

To make this bastard flustered.

It would have been hard for him to imagine that I would lie down with a cold instead of trauma in three or four days.

“Wait a minute.”

Cheongryeo, who was coming in, closed the door again and left.

‘Good.’

First of all, he didn’t immediately say something like ‘You’re sick just in time, just die’, so this direction was very good.

‘He let his guard down.’

The thought that he was in control of the situation made him reflexively relieved. He must already be thinking of resetting in a few days as an established fact in his head.

Cheongryeo came back with medicine and water in his hands.

It was a medicine that could be bought without a prescription.

‘…He’s prepared a first aid kit.’

This was a bit disappointing. Meticulous psychopath bastard.

“It’s painkillers and antipyretics. Take some.”

It was contained within the packaging. It didn’t need to mix with other medicines, so I took them.

And I sneakily took my luck.

“…By any chance, the hospital.”

“I thought it would be too noticeable if it’s just the two of us. I’m sorry. Um… If you restart, your body will be fine right away.”

In the end, he was back with these words. This was a good thing, though.

‘I’m going to prod you now.’

I hesitated, then spoke in a low voice.

“…Again, I actually like my team right now. Even if I start over and build the same team, it will never be the same as it is now. Because the incidents and stories we share will be different.”

“…”

“I just… Could you please let me go so I can continue to live here? Please.”

Well, it was a remark that didn’t fit my personality, but if you were sick, you could turn a little emotional.

In addition, the characteristic burst out just in time.

[‘Now that I heard it, it’s true (A)’ activated!]

Good.

Of course, it only led to the other person’s ’emotional agitation,’, so it didn’t guarantee persuasion.

Look.

“…I’m sorry.”

Cheongryeo murmured briefly with a slightly expressionless face.

It seemed he only felt ‘sorry’. I got it already, you damn bastard.

It was exactly as planned.

“…”

I deliberately remained silent for a while, then slowly opened my mouth.

“…My head hurts and it’s hard to move, but I need to go to the bathroom… Please help me up to the front door.”

“Yes.”

I knew he wouldn’t say no.

Cheongryeo held me under my shoulders as if he were helping a person with disabled legs.

The moment his mind wandered and got distracted.

Therefore… The moment when he was more conscious of his thoughts than his own actions.

‘Now.’

I spun my arms and draped them over Cheongryeo’s head.

“…!”

Then I began to pull the handcuffs around his neck.

“…You!”

The metal between the handcuffs pressed down on the guy’s neck, but of course, he resisted strongly. Even if I pressed with my weight and changed my posture uneasily, I continued to pay the price.

‘F*ck.’

It seemed I broke my rib. But I could never him let go.

I forcibly twisted my arm and broke his neck.

“…!!”

“Ugh.”

I couldn’t break the neck of a strong adult in this situation with my hands restrained anyway.

Just press down until this bastard collapse…!

“….”

His eyeballs turning away as he stared this way and his face turning pale due to the lack of oxygen was f*cking creepy…

It didn’t matter.

‘Just like the simulation!’

I twisted my handcuffs one last time and hit him in the back of his head.

Tack.

With a short, violent sound, the pressure dissipated.

“…”

I had subdued him.

“Ugh.”

I shuddered and got up.

“F*k you, seriously.”

My wrists were all worn out. They looked like crap.

Still, I didn’t feel the pain because of the euphoria.

I wriggled out of the door, and fortunately, I found a useful blade.

Right away…It was a light bulb.

Crash!

The light bulb was shattered on the thrown book, and sharp pieces fell to the floor.

It was worse because it was an old product.

“Alright.”

Although I got cut a few times, I undid the bundle of cable ties that bound my legs.

Now that it had become easier to escape in case of an emergency, I proceeded as scheduled.

I moved my sore neck. There was still a long way to go.

* * *

“…”

“You’re awake.”

Cheongryeo, who was tied tightly with cable ties to the chair across from me, lifted his head without groaning.

“You bought a lot of extra cable ties.”

“…”

“You prepared plenty of tools, so I removed the handcuffs.”

I showed him my free hands.

“You’re thoroughly prepared, sunbae-nim. Thanks to that, you made it easy for me.”

And I grinned.