Chapter 1
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Canceled Debut
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Prologue
How many minutes had passed since I came to?
Opening my eyes, I wasn't in the familiar dormitory but lying in an all-white hospital room—that could wait.
Not knowing exactly where I was might've been a big deal too, but who cared.
Nothing topped the shock and importance of the words floating in midair.
Would you like to execute the System?
[Yes][Execute]
"What is this...?"
I pinched my arm, slapped my cheeks, even chugged the water beside me, but it wasn't a dream. No matter what I tried, the text refused to vanish.
And one more thing.
"What's the difference between Yes and Execute...?"
User's voice has been recognized.
Applying the System.
...No, wait a second. What did I just do?
But ignoring my panic, sentences rained down like a downpour.
System booting up.
User's vital signs are faint. System objective has been updated.
Activating body.
Tigers leave their pelts behind when they die, humans leave their names!
The more widely your name spreads, the more your life force grows.
Collect Likes on SNS to purchase items!
One week of time charged.
User's Remaining Time
167:59:59
Amid my disbelief, I reflexively read the words before me.
"No way..."
No matter how many times I scanned it, it made zero sense.
Remaining Time? Likes? What kind of bullshit is this?
And hey, man.
"Where'd that one second go?"
Chapter 1
Lee Do-jun, seventh-year trainee at GH Entertainment.
To elaborate a bit, leader of the idol group Flame, on the cusp of debut.
That was how I introduced myself to others.
The initial spark for becoming an entertainer wasn't anything lofty.
Just that passing thought everyone has at least once: I wanna be like those celebs on TV.
Some turn it into action, but back then, I hadn't committed that far. Luck smiled on me instead.
On a fall field trip to an amusement park, I bumped into Kim Min-jae, a road manager at the time.
His offhand question flipped my life.
"Hey, ever thought about being an idol?"
"An idol?"
I started out half-curious, but as time wore on, it turned serious. Singing, dancing, acting—everything set my heart pounding.
It was fun. Skills inching up fueled my greed. By the time I realized I wanted to keep going forever, it hit me.
This was my path.
That's how I toughed out the endless trainee grind with no promises.
But.
"...What the hell happened?"
Name: Lee Do-jun, Gender: M, Age: 23.
That's the patient info tag on the hospital bed I'm sitting on now. Fine up to here. No errors.
The issue? The admission date beside it. A full half-year ago.
Dad rushed in upon hearing I woke up, bawling his eyes out. Once he calmed, he dropped the bomb: I'd been out cold for six months.
Six months?
I didn't buy it at first. But proof piled up quick.
Phone, TV—everything screamed the time gone by.
Does this even make sense?
I calmly pieced back memories.
To me, it'd been just days ago: wrapping up seven trainee years at idol powerhouse GH Entertainment, prepping debut.
Chosen leader of their new group Flame, grinding nonstop practice, heading to shoot the title track music video.
Still fresh: gaping at the set.
Checking blocking, cameras rolling—all crystal clear. Then... nothing after "action."
...Problem starts here.
What went down? Incident on set?
Tried wracking my brain, but zilch.
"Do-jun!"
My head snapped toward the voice. Kim Min-jae, Flame's manager, flung the door open and barreled in.
Our eyes met; he startled, then beamed, hurrying over.
"You good? Anywhere hurt?"
"I'm really fine now."
Not convinced, he grilled me repeatedly: "For real?" Same back-and-forth 'til he finally exhaled in relief.
"Dude, hospital cleared you, but six months comatose? You have no idea the worry. Gotta double-check you're solid."
Fair point.
"Felt so guilty facing Dad..."
"Huh? Why you sorry, bro?"
Caught off-guard by my question, he hesitated before probing gently.
"You remember nothing?"
"Remember what?"
Woke up, boom—hospital.
His face softened with regret as he slowly recounted that day.
"We checked marks, rolled into main shoot—set collapses, you drop. Absolute mayhem. Those hacks got paid to half-ass it like that...?"
"...Set collapsed?"
"Seriously blank?"
That's why I'm asking, genius.
Anyway, he kept going: ambulance call, set in uproar, him raging from above—all laid out.
But one snag hit me midway.
"Sued their asses for damages, blacklisted 'em from GH forever..."
"Hold up."
"Yeah?"
"Bro, so the shoot?"
"Uh..."
"Music video! New crew, reshoot, right? Or done already?"
Chaos on set—no way finished. Half-year later, showcase dates missed? What's the deal?
"...Picked fresh company, reshot."
"And me?"
Shot around me? Or late join planned?
His reaction felt off. Face clouding, lips twitching like he dreaded it.
"Why the face? Spit's freaking me out. Spill. What's the plan? Late join cool?"
"Do-jun. Your debut..."
Trailed off, words stuck. The stall amped my dread.
No way, right?
"...Got canned."
The hell? Ears busted since waking. Tinnitus or what?
I smacked both ears like shaking out water.
Watching, he squeezed eyes shut like steeling himself, then blurted it.
"Exec Director said shareholders won't wait indefinitely. Even if you wake, might not be stage-ready right away."
What...?
"Bro, no... you mean..."
"Pushed for later join, but no ETA on waking—tons of pushback. So... bumped this round."
"What're you even saying? Bro, joke's too far."
Waited ages post that. No punchline.
"Joke, right bro?"
"..."
"This is a joke."
"...Sorry."
"Sorry for pranking?"
"..."
Still zipped.
So not a joke? Bro's messing cruel-like?
How?
"Ah! Gotta be a dream."
Yeah, dream. Debut stress nightmare, obvious.
Yanked cheeks wide. Stung. Nah, dreams don't hurt.
Yanked harder—searing tear, tears pricking.
"Yo, quit it."
Kim snatched my arm, done watching. Cheek fire, vise grip, sterile hospital stink assaulting nose.
All hyper-real. Stupidly so.
No dream.
"...For real? No joke, no dream?"
Say it's not. Now.
Please...
Kim's reply unchanged.
"Sorry it turned out this way, Do-jun..."
"Debut... canceled...?"
Hours after Kim left, it still hadn't sunk in. Felt like dreaming still.
Woke at midnight, zoned out the window. Our talk looped endlessly in my skull.
"...Makes zero sense."
Could nail title choreo now, melody ringing clear.
Just a quick nap, yet worlds shifted.
Monster Rookie 'Flame' Dominates All Charts Just 5 Months Post-Debut
Portal search for Flame: profile pinned atop hundreds of articles.
My name nowhere in it.
"Ah..."
Chest seized, breath catching.
Heard it from Kim, but secondhand vs. eyes-on? Different beasts.
This situation sane?
Long trainee haul, weathered every ugly sight, proud survivor.
Knew debuts tanked on wild whims sometimes.
"But why me?"
Silence answered. Muttered the curse again.
"Debut canceled. Debut canceled..."
Words pack power, they say. Chewing it over sharpened the sting.
Hammering home: no dream.
Yeah, knew it from Kim's first words. Reality, cold.
Years more wait? Three? Four? Could drag longer.
Too late. Age creeps.
Three years: twenty-six. Ancient for idols... Wait, trainee that long viable?
"...Fucking insane."
Mid-MV shoot, and this mess.
What hit me? Kinda know, kinda don't wanna.
Could've waited a little.
Indefinable storm raged. Thoughts flashed, vanished endless.
"Anyway... debut's off?"
Stared blankly out window, hollow void gnawing.
How long? Window hazed. Rain?
Ceiling too, milky.
Drip. Drip.
Bug-chirping night beyond glass. Rain rippled solely in my room.
Then.
24 hours have passed!
Collect Likes to purchase the user's time!
139:59:59
What now?
The translucent line from waking reappeared.
Thought it'd ghosted for good, so why back?
Hand through it again.
That hallucination crap? Brain damage?
"...Or dream?"
Wish it were.
"Should be good for discharge tomorrow."
"For real?"
"Yes. Hard to believe half-year coma. No rehab needed."
Week post-waking, boredom peaked—discharge greenlit.
Eat, sleep, phone games, chit-chat with visiting Kim: fine short-term.
Hospital rules chafed.
Skipped TV deliberate. Dodged celeb news portals. Bad vibes incoming.
GH's rare idol launch: Flame cruising. Weighted my chest.
Bros thriving? Great.
But spectating soured it. Inescapable. Better blind.
Post-discharge: what next?
Banked on surefire debut. Was inches away.
Star slipped grasp, back to heavens.
And...
Glanced up: weirdo timer ticking relentlessly.
Brain fried for sure.
Told doc: standard "shock hallucinations possible."
Sigh auto. Wished it all dream. Everything blocked.
Then.
Tick.
Second hand somewhere. Eyes flicked to hallucination.
[00:00:05]
Great, tinnitus too. Zero normal left.
[00:00:04]
Countdown mid-thought.
Four seconds? Was it that low? Vanish at zero?
[00:00:00]
The instant it hit zero.
Corner timer slid front-center, like day one.
Huh?
All time consumed.
User's life has run out.
Followed by blood-red text, ominously sharp.