I’m Debuting With The Bias I Killed Chapter 51

Chapter 51

 

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a stark white ceiling.

‘Ha, this again…’

It was a sight I hadn’t seen in a while, since the filming of the signal song.

“…Hyung?”

Even with my head throbbing, I knew who it was right away.

Kang I-yul, who had been sitting in the chair beside the bed, hurriedly got to his feet.

“Are you even supposed to be here?”

“I came to get checked out too, so I stopped by for a bit before heading back to the practice room.”

I couldn’t prevent it completely.

My head naturally drooped.

I knew it was impossible to keep him from getting hurt at all. Even so, if I had noticed a little earlier, if I had moved a little faster…

“Why did you do that?”

His low, subdued voice interrupted my thoughts.

“Why do you think…?”

The moment I tried to sit up…

“Ugh-”

My entire body throbbed with pain.

“Wow, this is no joke.”

I deliberately let out a playful groan, pretending it was nothing serious. But Kang I-yul bit down hard on his lip. Apparently, it hadn’t helped much.

“Hyung, you almost ended up in serious trouble because of me.”

“You know that much.”

I deliberately shot back.

“Why did you do it?”

Kang I-yul’s gaze dropped to the floor.

“……I don’t know how I’m supposed to repay you.”

The tips of his clenched fingers had turned white.

“Repay me for what?”

I waved my hand with a smile.

“Anyone would’ve done the same.”

I had simply been nearby.

“Ugh, but how long am I supposed to stay here?”

“They treated your arm completely, and they said you can be discharged tomorrow.”

Only then did I look down at my throbbing arm. It was tightly wrapped in white bandages.

As expected, the bloodstains at the scene had been mine.

Now that I had confirmed it, a delayed shiver ran through me. Still, I supposed I should be grateful it had ended with injuries this minor.

“What about filming?”

“They said they’ll resume as soon as you return tomorrow, hyung.”

“That’s a relief.”

I absolutely couldn’t miss this mission. I had to end up on the same team as Kang I-yul.

“That’s what you call a relief?”

His voice came back sounding incredulous.

I instinctively tried to shrug my shoulders, but another wave of pain came rushing in, so I quietly lowered my arm.

Seeing me like that, Kang I-yul’s expression grew even darker.

“I’m really sorry. Even your face…”

“My face?”

Only then did I realize why the area around my eye had been stinging. When I looked into the small hand mirror I-yul handed me, I saw a little bandage stuck beneath my eye.

An idol’s face was their weapon, after all.

“Hmm-”

After examining it from various angles, I let out a small laugh.

“Not bad, though?”

“What?”

“Doesn’t it remind you of the signal song?”

Kang I-yul’s eyes widened. His expression seemed to say, Did this hyung injure his brain too?

“I think we should go with a delinquent concept for the next round.”

“……What are you talking about?”

“Why?”

I raised my chin even more brazenly.

“Doesn’t it suit me?”

I deliberately let the corners of my mouth droop.

“Won’t all my fans leave because I’ve gotten ugly?”

Thanks to Yoo Seong-ah, I was confident in my ability to act dejected.

“Ah, no. That’s…”

“Would the fans really not like it?”

He moved his lips several times before finally answering reluctantly.

“No, hyung. As you said, it suits you well. It reminds me of the signal song, too.”

“Really?”

“I-I think the delinquent concept would suit you, too.”

“That’s a relief!”

When I beamed, Kang I-yul seemed to realize belatedly that he had been tricked, and he closed his mouth.

Even so, his expression still said he had something left to say.

“So don’t worry too much.”

“……Yes.”

Since he still looked apologetic, I deliberately put on a fierce expression.

“How do I look? Pretty scary, right?”

“No…”

Kang I-yul eventually let out a hollow laugh.

“Not at all.”

He laughed, so that was good enough.

‘A hollow laugh was still a laugh!’

Although it had only been a day, my hospital stay had been quite enjoyable.

I had even become fairly close with the other people sharing my hospital room.

As I packed my things, the elderly Mr. Lee in the bed beside me held out an apple that had been cut rather unevenly. I promptly opened my mouth and said, “Ah,” and the apple slipped right in. A refreshing sweetness naturally brought a little hum from me.

“What a shame. You’re leaving after just one day?”

“Yeah. I’m busy.”

“You really remind me of my grandson.”

“Did you have a grandson this handsome? You must be from a family of handsome men-”

At that, he laughed so hard he nearly lost his breath, asking where such a cheeky kid had come from.

Thinking of my late grandfather, I acted even more affectionately than usual for no particular reason.

“Um… what code was it?”

“Boys Code, boys.”

“Right, Boycott.”

“Come on, Grandpa. You can’t do that. I’d be sad if you boycotted me.”

The patient from across the room, who had come to say goodbye, joined in.

“That’s right. We have to be fans. Fans.”

I was practically the only patient there who was young enough to be their son or grandson. I had quite a hard time refusing all the pocket money they tried to give me.

“Handsome young man, you have to debut-”

After exchanging our final goodbyes, I headed straight to the practice room.

The moment I opened the practice room door, everyone’s eyes turned toward me at once.

The production staff was the first to approach.

‘What’s going on?’

“Seong-woo, are you feeling all right?”

“We’re really sorry about yesterday. We never imagined an accident like that would happen.”

They looked so apologetic that I actually felt awkward.

It must have been because of the danger level.

“Are you sure you’re okay to start filming right away? You should’ve rested another day.”

“Yes. I received proper treatment, and I’m back!”

When I raised my bandaged arm high, the production staff awkwardly averted their eyes.

“Then see you at the filming site later.”

“Yes!”

Only after the production staff stepped away did Han Sang-yoon approach me.

“I was seriously shocked.”

Han Sang-yoon rubbed his chest.

“You guys weren’t coming, the bus was about to leave, and then an ambulance suddenly came in…”

“Exactly. So many things happened, you know?”

“Did you hurt your face too?”

Kang I-yul’s shoulder, which was beside me, flinched.

I calmly pointed at the bandage beneath my eye.

“How is it? Wasn’t it kind of cool?”

“…Huh?”

“Like, a rebellious kid kind of vibe?”

Han Sang-yoon made an utterly baffled expression.

“What are you talking abou–”

“It suits you, doesn’t it?”

Kang I-yul suddenly cut him off.

“…What?”

When Han Sang-yoon asked again, Kang I-yul cautiously added,

“You do look… delinquent-like.”

‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’

I desperately suppressed the corners of my mouth, which threatened to shoot toward the heavens.

Han Sang-yoon looked back and forth between I-yul and me. He had the expression of someone wondering whether both of us had hit our heads in the accident.

“I-yul, why are you…?”

It was difficult to hold back my laughter. Because I knew all too well how hard Kang I-yul was forcing himself right now.

“Filming for team selection is starting! Everyone, gather in the studio!”

“Okay-”

After the first public vote, a large number of new viewers had joined. This fifth round was an important turning point in turning those viewers into genuine fans.

With Kang I-yul and me injured right before that, it was understandable that the production staff would be breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Let’s go, too!”

I waved toward Kang I-yul, whose ears were still slightly red. He nodded and followed behind me. The injured areas were still throbbing, but if this was the result, I could get hurt several more times.

When we arrived at the studio, the first person to catch my eye was, as expected, Kang Se-jun.

‘What is he this time, a magician?’

The black cloak that reached down to his ankles immediately seized my attention.

“If you wore that, you’d probably clean the studio floor with it.”

“What are you talking about? If you wore it, you’d trip over it and fall.”

They had prepared an outfit like that for nothing more than team selection filming. I had thought it was extraordinary even when watching it on television, but seeing it in person was much more intense.

‘If I’m still surprised after several weeks, that says it all.’

“Boys Code has already made it all the way to Round 5! What could this round’s mission possibly be?”

By this point, the trainees were quick to catch on.

“A new song mission?”

“Are they going to do an even older song?”

“Is there anything left?”

Amid the countless guesses, the screen lit up.

 

[CODE MISSION 5: When are you STRONGEST?]

-The boys have reached the fifth gate.

There is only one way to decipher the code: Prove the moment when you are at your strongest.

 

“The mission is a position battle, designed to bring out your strengths to the fullest.”

Dudung-

A solemn sound effect rang out for no particular reason.

“Only talents with an irreplaceable position can pass through the gates of debut.”

 

[Vocal Position: 5 people / Dance Position: 6 people / Rap Position: 5 people]

[First-place Position Team Benefit: 500 points, First-place Individual Benefit within Each Team: 1,000 points]

 

‘Oh, finally.’

This was the mission I had been waiting for the most.

“The order of position selection will proceed according to ranking, starting from Code 1.”

“Ah…”

“Then, shall we check the mission songs?”

 

> Vocal: Shine (Original Artist: Lee Seol)

> Dance: Dynamite (Original Artist: Sam Ian)

> Rap: Either All or Nothing (Original Artist: Rough)\]

 

“Oh-”

“Whoa, a song by Rough?”

“Vocal is out for me-”

These were songs that every trainee had probably performed at least once during a monthly evaluation. They were familiar and welcome, but the song selections were not easy to challenge.

“But the original songs are so strong…”

They were perfect for being compared to the originals.

“We’ll have to think carefully.”

“Hey, aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? They’re picking from the top ranks first.”

“That’s disappointing-”

The production staff temporarily halted filming and gave them ten minutes to think.

And I stood up.

To create a variable that hadn’t existed before my regression.

 

***

 

Go Jae-seong was also planning to make a different choice this time compared to the past. Before his regression, he had chosen the rap position, and the result had been disastrous.

He had been unable to overcome the wall known as Choi Un-jo, and his team had also performed below expectations.

Round 5 had ended without a single benefit.

But this time was different.

‘What about me now?’

He had claimed Code 1, received recognition for his choreography skills, and ranked near the top in the public vote.

He was now an undeniable trainee within the debut lineup. No matter how modestly he tried to view things, the only person who could currently be considered his rival was Joo-han.

Moreover, he knew the future, so there was no reason for him to lose.

Joo-han and Han Sang-yoon are going to dance.

Go Jae-seong slowly recalled the information from before his regression.

Kang I-yul was in the dance team, too.

Since three members of Impactor had been on the dance team, first place for the team had overwhelmingly belonged to the dance position.

His gaze turned toward Yoo Seong-woo.

‘Yoo Seong-woo will eventually come to dance, too.’

If he wanted to aim for first place as a team, there was only one option.

“Then, Code 1. Trainee Go Jae-seong, please choose your position!”

Without hesitation, Go Jae-seong walked toward Dynamite.

“Just like in Round 4, did you choose the dance position again so you could create the choreography?”

He put on a slightly surprised expression.

“Huh? I’m a little surprised because I feel like you completely saw through my inner thoughts!”

Laughter spread through the studio. In his mind, he could even picture fans suffering over this scene after turning it into a meme.

“We’ll look forward to your performance in this mission as well.”

Shortly afterward, Joo-han also chose the dance position. Just as he had expected.

“Codes 1 and 2 have both chosen the dance position one after another.”

“Trainee Joo-han, was there a reason you chose the dance position?”

Joo-han answered with a broad grin. His dimples sank deeply into both cheeks.

“I’m going to get Code 1 again with what I’m best at!”

“Oh, we’ll look forward to it.”

Despite the audacious answer, Go Jae-seong maintained his poker face.

Because he would be the one laughing in the end.

Next was Yoo Seong-woo’s turn.

Go Jae-seong waited for his choice with his nerves on edge. If there was one variable in this survival show, it was the appearance of Yoo Seong-woo.

He watched as Seong-woo walked toward Dynamite.

As expected…

“Huh?”

“Wow, Codes 1, 2, and 3 all……”

At that moment, Yoo Seong-woo changed direction.

 

[Vocal Position]

 

“……?”

Go Jae-seong’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.

“Was there a reason you changed your mind at the last moment?”

“I’m still not good enough to call dance my position. This time, I’ll properly show you my vocals!”

It was a shame. But Yoo Seong-woo going to a different team might actually be more advantageous for maintaining his place in the debut lineup.

Thinking that, he nodded.

Afterward, Han Sang-yoon chose the dance position, while Choi Un-jo chose the rap position.

The proceedings were unfolding as expected, and he smiled again.

‘As expected, the future didn’t change.’

More precisely, not unless he changed it himself.

And now there was only one person left: Kang I-yul.

‘He was dance team even before my regression.’

If Kang I-yul joined the dance team, he intended to bury him completely.

He would use everything at his disposal: the power of Code 1, his choreography creation skills, and his influence within the team.

“Code 6. Trainee Kang I-yul, please proceed.”

One step, then another. Kang I-yul walked forward.

Go Jae-seong greeted him with a bright smile as he drew closer.

“Uh, hyung. Your shoelace.”

“Ah- Thanks.”

He bent down to tie his shoelace.

It had only taken a few seconds, just a brief moment.

‘By now, he should be standing in front of me.’

He confidently straightened up.

“……Huh?”

There was no one in front of him.

“Trainee Kang I-yul, you’ve chosen the vocal position?”

Kang Se-jun’s voice rang through the studio.

Go Jae-seong slowly turned his head.

Kang I-yul was standing in front of the vocal position.

For a moment, his mind went completely blank.

‘No. That can’t be…’

Before his regression, Kang I-yul had definitely been in the dance position.

He was certain. He even remembered the stages he had performed afterward in exact detail.

‘Then why? Why was he choosing vocals? What… did I miss?’

His heart sank.

There had been many changes to the future since then.

The team compositions, Joo-han’s ranking after he had been eliminated, and even his own success.

But none of those had been a problem.

Because he had intervened. Because he had changed the future himself.

But this was different.

He hadn’t touched Kang I-yul.

And yet the future had changed.

Cold sweat ran down his spine.

It was the first time since his regression.

The first time he had considered that the future he knew might be wrong.

If one thing could change, then two things could change as well.

Three, four, even ten.

Someday, the information he possessed might lose its meaning entirely.

Go Jae-seong clenched his fists without realizing it.

The future changing was far more frightening than he had imagined.