I’m Debuting With The Bias I Killed – Chapter 12

Author: Cireng

Chapter 12

The day of the signal song shoot. Before the sun had even risen, the trainees boarded the bus. Their destination was a large studio on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.

Some wore earphones and repeatedly watched the choreography video, while others closed their eyes and muttered the lyrics to themselves.

I, too, looked out the window and tapped out the beat with my fingers.

Today, of all days, I absolutely could not make a mistake.

As soon as we arrived at the studio, people began moving around frantically.

“Let’s get ten people into makeup first!”

“Seat them starting with whichever hair stations are open!”

Half of us got our makeup done while the others had their hair styled. With staff, trainees, and the filming crew all crammed into the small space, it was practically a battlefield.

Irritated words flew back and forth. Of course, the atmosphere changed as though nothing had happened whenever the cameras came on.

“I see you again?”

I turned at the familiar voice and found the hair designer who had helped with my makeover.

“Hello. Thanks to you, I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on my hair.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

She smiled and nodded.

“I knew my eye wasn’t wrong.”

“Thank you. I look forward to working with you again today.”

“Of course.”

With practiced hands, she began arranging my hair.

The signal song ‘Boy’s Code,’ which shared its name with the program, was a song that penetrated the program’s entire concept. Boys pushed one another aside and competed with each other to pass through the gateway called debut.

That was why our outfits consisted of school uniforms with black bulletproof vests over them.

‘They really threw together everything that could possibly work with school uniforms and techwear.’

It gave off the atmosphere of participants in a death game that had once been popular.

“Was there a reason you chose scar makeup as your special item?”

The designer asked while moving her curling iron.

“I thought anything attached to my body would get in the way while dancing.”

“That’s true.”

She nodded.

“And…”

I added without much thought.

“If I’m covered in blood, at least I’ll stand out.”

The curling iron suddenly stopped.

“Pfft, wait–”

The designer lowered her head, her shoulders shaking.

‘Why is she suddenly acting like that?’

“Sorry.”

She barely managed to suppress her laughter before grabbing my hair again.

“You said it with such a serious expression.”

And then.

Sizzle

The curling iron slipped.

“Huh…?”

The ends of my hair reflected in the mirror were sticking outward on only one side.

The shape, shooting skyward as if it had no idea where the heavens ended, looked strangely familiar.

‘This looks like one of those home-shopping disaster screenshots.’

“Ah…”

A groan escaped me before I knew it. That was how shocking I looked.

“Oh my, I’m sorry!”

The designer hurriedly pulled her hands away.

“No, wait, this…”

She trailed off, then looked at the mirror again.

“Pffft.”

She burst out laughing again.

“Ah, I’m really sorry. What’s wrong with me today…”

She tried desperately to hold back her laughter, but it was already too late.

“It’s okay.”

“You’re not angry?”

“Why would I… be angry?”

“No, I mean, I did your hair like this…”

I shrugged.

“I’m used to this much.”

“Used to what?”

“I have an older sister.”

“Ah~”

She looked as though she understood everything from those few words.

‘What exactly is the existence known as an older sister?’

Compared to Yoo Seong-ah’s doll play, this was nothing.

“Your face looks like a baby, but you talk like some old man.”

“I hear that often.”

Perhaps because she felt bad about laughing so much, from then on she put her heart and soul into finishing my hair.

“Wow, you really look like a different person.”

That was how much even Han Sang-yoon praised it.

“Sang-yoon-nim, you look great today too.”

“I told you to drop the ‘nim.’”

Han Sang-yoon laughed and shook his head.

Once the styling was finished, the trainees gathered one by one.

Boys who had lost their names and were now called by codes. In keeping with that concept, huge numbers were emblazoned on their bulletproof vests instead of their names.

[CODE 1.]

[CODE 4.]

The atmosphere was clearly different from most survival shows, where trainees wore school uniforms and displayed their names on name tags.

In fact, ‘Boys Code’ didn’t even reveal the trainees’ names until the first-round self-introduction stage.

‘We were called solely by our codes.’

It was truly a ridiculously concept-obsessed show.

“Ugh, this is kind of creepy.”

Someone muttered quietly.

They weren’t wrong. Everyone wore the same outfit and had similar styling. Then they had numbers attached instead of names, making them look like products stamped out in a factory.

“Holy crap…”

“This is insane. It’s really fing– No, I mean, it’s really huge, isn’t it?”

As soon as we entered the stage, exclamations of amazement erupted from all directions. I habitually looked around.

I had watched the signal song video so many times that even though this was my first time seeing the space, it didn’t feel unfamiliar.

“Wow…”

I-yul, who had been staring in awe, quickly composed his expression.

‘Yeah. This is the time to look cool.’

A gigantic cube structure had been erected in the center of the stage. It looked like layers of glass boxes stacked on top of one another. All twenty sections had the same shape, but their sizes were different.

“Is that the center?”

There was one enormous section directly in the middle: Code S.

From there outward, the sections gradually became smaller.

Code A, B, and C.

At the very outer edge, the space was so cramped that even spreading both arms wide would be difficult.

It looked like an exhibition stand displaying people according to rank.

‘And with this structure…’

When they took a full shot, the people on the outside would naturally be pushed out of the frame.

Without even needing an explanation, the stage itself was saying it.

Who was the protagonist, and who was the background.

‘But that’s not the end of it.’

Complaints erupted from the Code C group.

“Isn’t this going too far?”

“How are we supposed to dance there…?”

“And there’s one more thing we need to announce…”

A staff member took the microphone.

‘Here it comes.’

“The Code C group will not have their lights turned on during the first verse.”

“What?”

The trainees’ faces stiffened instantly.

“There’s no lighting?”

“What? Then we won’t be visible?”

“And the center will be given a solo one-shot during the highlight section.”

This time, groans erupted. Someone simply plopped down on the floor.

‘That’s cruel.’

Having no lighting meant essentially losing the entire first verse. It also meant they wouldn’t show up well in fancams because it would be too dark.

“If this was going to happen, why did we even practice?”

“That’s seriously too much…”

Even when the program aired, this setup had received harsh criticism for being too cruel.

But at the same time…

‘It worked.’

In an oversaturated field of idol survival shows, it was a stage that left a definite first impression.

Then, I heard a light laugh.

“This is freaking sweet. I can rest during the first verse and go all-out in the second.”

‘Oh, boy.’

There really was a trainee who chose that method.

‘He got absolutely roasted even before the broadcast started.’

“Okay, everyone, move to the stage.”

“Um, can I use the bathroom for a moment…”

“Right now?”

“I’m so nervous… I’ll be right back!”

“Go quickly!”

“Yes!”

The bathroom was actually just an excuse. I simply wanted to see I-yul standing in the Code A group, even if only for a moment.

Before my regression, I-yul, who had been in the B group, had crashed into the wall several times during the signal song video. Every time, I had cursed Go Jae-seong for being in the A group for no particular reason.

He has shorter arms and legs than I-yul, shouldn’t the B group be enough for him?

But things were different now. I-yul had ample room, enough to fully extend his arms and legs, and he was moving freely within it.

“…It suits you.”

I forced myself to keep my eyes from growing misty.

And I made a vow.

‘Today’s stage will be the smallest stage of your life.’

“Trainees who haven’t gone up yet, hurry and move!”

“Yes, sorry!”

At the staff member’s urging, I hurried toward the stage as well.

“Okay, we’ll begin filming immediately after the camera rehearsal.”

Pop

The lights above our heads came on.

“……!”

A stark white light stabbed into my eyes, and my vision blurred for a moment.

Bzzzz

A low ringing sounded inside my ears.

I braced myself against the wall and took a short breath.

“We’ll begin filming the signal song. Take 1!”

As soon as the slate closed, the beat began.

Thump

The vibration rising from the floor traveled through my knees until I could feel it all the way to my fingertips. I counted the numbers out of habit.

Eight, nine, ten…

Boom!

I extended my arm.

Once again, the timing was exact. And just like that, the first take ended without any problems.

The problem was that this wasn’t a shoot where it was enough for me alone to do well.

“Let’s readjust the lighting timing for Groups A and B.”

“And the Code C group, we can see all of you rushing your movements at the beginning of the second verse.”

Again.

“Take 2.”

Again.

“Take 3.”

Again.

“Take 7.”

By around the tenth take, my body had become noticeably heavier.

“Okay, okay. Let’s go thinking this is the last one!”

“Yes……”

The short breaths I exhaled were hot.

My vision kept shaking and returning to normal, but I steadied my breathing again. The urge to yell at everyone to get their act together, consider it saving a person’s life, rose all the way to my throat.

‘Please, let’s finish this one, you bastards…….’

“Signal song, Take 11!”

The intro sounded again.

Thump

This time, I didn’t feel the vibration. It rang inside my head. My stomach churned.

Even so, I counted the numbers exactly as before.

Eight, nine, ten.

Boom!

My arm shot out.

‘Was I late?’

No, I wasn’t late.

My judgment was becoming hazy.

The heat from the lights meant to make me shine was, ironically, only making me feel nauseous inside.

I continued the movements as if clearing a quest.

‘I seriously feel like I’m going to throw up…….’

I cut my thoughts short and moved my body.

The next movement, and then the one after that. I kept connecting them.

‘If I break, it’s over.’

My mind went blank.

Now, only instinct remained.

♪ Another one shattered

♪ The Secret before my eyes

♪ Unable to stop it

♪ A revolution already begun

Before I knew it, we had entered the second verse. As if everything that had come before was merely a practice game, the real ordeal was only beginning.

Every time I moved, nausea surged up. My strength was draining away.

‘Endure.’

Even so, I never stopped.

I thought back to the moment I had clutched my broken shoulder and gotten out of the car. Even in the moment before death, I had moved because I needed to check whether Kang I-yul was alive.

‘This much……’

It wasn’t enough reason to stop.

In the end, I opened my mouth.

Just as I had practiced by singing for my life, I sang with everything I had.

It was a shout that would inevitably be buried beneath the recorded track anyway. That was why I sang even louder.

♪ Make a new history

♪ Beyond this door

♪ Shining brilliantly

♪ New world…

My throat cracked. The sound came out rough.

Even so… I kept going.

The highlight. I bounced my chest hard three times.

Thump

By now, I couldn’t even feel the pain.

Just as a stop line is no obstacle to a truck whose brakes have already failed.

♪ Keep on moving

♪ Never stop

♪ Break it

The end was approaching.

‘Just a little. Just a little more.’

The finish line was close.

♪ Open this door

♪ The only code

♪ Boy’s code

I struck the final pose. Stopping was even more agonizing.

Like grabbing hold of a spinning top that had been whirling violently. The faint vibration enveloping my entire body grew stronger. My hands began to tremble.

Even so, I kept looking at the camera until the very end.

‘Ending fairy…’

A hollow laugh caught in my throat.

“Cut!”

The director’s voice rang out.

“Okay… That concludes the group signal song shoot. Good work”

It was over.

Thud.

The strength left my legs. I collapsed right where I stood. My stomach twisted, and I started dry-heaving.

‘Strange.’

I was breathing, but it felt as though no air was entering.

My body slowly tilted to the side.