I’m Debuting With The Bias I Killed – Chapter 75

Author: Cireng

Chapter 75

“That’s all for today’s class! Thank you all for following along so well–”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

Only after taking a group photo with the students, signing autographs, and fulfilling the final requests for selfies did the studio finally become quiet.

“I wonder if they replied…”

The moment she casually opened her messenger, she burst out laughing at the pile of replies waiting for her.

“A hacker?”

[Seori: If you really are Yuzu-nim, may I ask why you contacted me?]

[Seori: I’m actually a huge fan of yours.]

[Seori: Honestly, it doesn’t make sense. It’s strange that Yuzu-nim even knows who I am.]

[Seori: Your account really was hacked, right?]

“Hmm…… I can see why she’d think that.”

After thinking for a moment, she raised her phone.

Click.

A selfie with not even a hint of desperation. Then she sent it immediately.

[Not a hack KEKEKE]

[(Photo)]

[Do you believe me now?]

Words immediately appeared on the screen.

(Typing)

Disappeared.

(Typing)

Disappeared.

After repeating this about ten times, a reply finally arrived.

[Seori: Hello, sunbaenim. I’m sorry for being rude without meaning to. I thought there was no way someone as famous as you would contact me. If I offended you in any way, I’m truly sorry. I’m really a fan. It has been my longtime dream to become a choreographer like you. It feels like a dream, and I still can’t believe this is happening.]

“Wow, that’s one chunky reply.”

[Seori: But may I ask what you contacted me about?]

“It’ll be faster to talk in person.”

There was no such thing as being shy around strangers in Yoo Seong-ah’s life. She might have had shamelessness, but not shyness.

She immediately sent a reply.

[Are you free today? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about in person.]

“It’s better to finish it all at once than drag it out.”

[Seori: Yes, yes. I’m free anytime!]

[Where do you live? I can come to you.]

[Seori: No. I should come to you!]

“Oh, I like her.”

And so, when it was nearing 11 p.m.

The two met at a beer pub near Yoo Seong-ah’s dance studio. When Seori said she had arrived thirty minutes earlier than their appointment time, Yoo Seong-ah silently gave her a passing grade in her head.

The moment the door opened and Seori sprang to her feet, Yoo Seong-ah almost laughed, but managed to hold it back.

‘Still, I need to make a decent first impression.’

“Hello.”

Seori bowed deeply at the waist.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Seori.”

“Nice to meet you.”

When Yoo Seong-ah held out her hand, Seori’s eyes widened. She hurriedly wiped her hands against her pant legs several times before taking the handshake with both hands.

‘Cute.’

“Sorry for contacting you so suddenly. You were surprised, right?”

“Yes…”

Seori smiled awkwardly.

“I still can’t really believe it.”

Yoo Seong-ah smiled and sat down.

“I sent it in a hurry because I was just about to start class.”

“Oh, no!”

Seori hurriedly waved her hands.

“Just the fact that you contacted me despite being busy…”

Her voice gradually grew quieter, while her shoulders curled inward more and more. The unmistakable aura of an introvert radiating from her voice alone made the corners of Yoo Seong-ah’s lips curl upward. The instincts of a powerful extrovert who had collected introverts like completing quests began to stir.

“Then, I’ll get straight to the point.”

Yoo Seong-ah leaned forward.

“The Boys Code production team contacted you, right?”

In an instant, all the color drained from Seori’s face.

‘Huh?’

She looked like she could collapse at any moment.

‘Her mental strength is much weaker than I expected.’

“How did you…….”

Her startled eyes suddenly stopped.

“Ah!”

“That’s right. My younger brother is appearing on the show.”

“……”

Seori’s face stiffened even more. Yoo Seong-ah immediately waved her hand.

“Don’t misunderstand.”

Yoo Seong-ah smiled.

“Until recently, my little brother danced like a squid.”

“What?”

“I mean, he didn’t even have the skill to plagiarize anything, whether it was plagiarism or not.”

Only then did Seori’s expression relax a little.

“Then……”

“He wants to apologize to you, Ms. Seori.”

“The person who plagiarized it wants to apologize?”

Just then, the beer and fried chicken they had ordered arrived. Seori hurriedly grabbed the bottle.

“I-I should pour it for you……”

“It’s fine.”

But Yoo Seong-ah naturally took the bottle from her.

“He said this.”

Yoo Seong-ah set the beer bottle down.

“Since he went onstage using that choreography, he wants to apologize to you in person.”

“……”

Seori silently stared at her glass.

“If you’re avoiding contact because you don’t want an apology, I’ll make sure to tell him that. But if that’s not the case…”

Yoo Seong-ah met her eyes.

“I was wondering if you could accept my little brother’s apology.”

The surroundings were still noisy. Drunk people laughed and chatted, while the smell of fried chicken filled the restaurant.

Amid all that, Seori quietly opened her mouth.

“The apology……”

Her voice trembled.

“I want to accept it.”

“……”

Yoo Seong-ah waited for her to continue.

“I actually agonized over the exposé for a really long time. I was scared of people finding out about me too…”

Her hunched shoulders trembled slightly. It was easy to tell how anxious she had been since the incident broke out.

“Still……”

Seori bit her lip.

“It’s my choreography.”

Yoo Seong-ah nodded.

“You did well.”

It was a short sentence. Seori’s eyes instantly turned red.

“If you hadn’t, that choreography would have remained that trainee’s work forever.”

“Thank you……”

Yoo Seong-ah poured the beer again. Once again, Seori’s hand was too late, falling helplessly onto the table without knowing what to do.

“But honestly, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do from here…”

Seori squeezed her eyes shut, as though her thoughts were a mess.

“I was confused. I’m furious that my choreography was stolen, but when I saw people praising the choreography, part of me thought, ‘Can my choreography really be loved this much?’…… I hate myself for even thinking that way.”

Yoo Seong-ah quietly watched Seori. It was the kind of emotion anyone might feel when receiving overwhelming attention for the first time.

“Ms. Seori, let me ask you one question.”

“Yes!”

Seori’s eyes sparkled again. Even in this situation, there was a clear determination to answer her role model’s question properly.

“What do you want most? A choreography fee? The trainee being kicked off the show? Rights to the choreography?”

After thinking, Seori answered.

“I… want to correct the situation so that everyone knows that I’m the one who created that choreography.”

“Hmm.”

“If that happens, I’ll be satisfied.”

Yoo Seong-ah felt relieved in one sense after hearing Seori’s answer.

In fact, if Seori negotiated a compensation agreement with the production team, there was one thing Yoo Seong-ah hoped she would avoid: directly demanding that he be kicked off the show.

If Go Jae-seong were kicked off immediately, it would certainly be satisfying. But looking at the situation, public opinion about Go Jae-seong was sharply divided.

If Seori demanded that he be kicked off and Go Jae-seong actually left, people would curse Go Jae-seong at first.

But after that?

‘The arrows would definitely turn toward Seori.’

It was bitter, but this was something Yoo Seong-ah had learned through experience. The public was simpler and crueler than people thought. Once the person they had been cursing disappeared from in front of them, they immediately looked for the next target.

‘They’d say she ruined a young trainee’s future over nothing more than copying one piece of choreography.’

It had been difficult enough for Seori herself, and someone as timid as her, who had already become this anxious from merely posting an exposé, would never be able to withstand that.

“Um, sunbaenim…?”

Yoo Seong-ah lowered the hand she had been resting her chin on. Then she leaned closer and asked,

“Then, Ms. Seori, how about we do this?”

“Do what……”

After hearing her proposal, Seori’s expression became complicated. Hope and fear, pressure and relief were all visible on her face.

“You can speak clearly, right?”

“Yes……!”

Her voice was still quiet, but her answer was clear.

“Let’s work together sometime.”

In an instant, Seori’s eyes changed completely.

“Your choreography was good.”

“You…… saw my choreography?”

Yoo Seong-ah nodded.

“You definitely have your own color too.”

Seori, who had been frozen for a while, opened her trembling lips.

“I, I…….”

She took a deep breath.

“I’ll do anything!”

“……”

“Really!”

Seori hurriedly added,

“I’m good at running errands too.”

“……”

“I’m good at cleaning.”

Yoo Seong-ah asked while suppressing a laugh,

“What about choreography?”

“Ah.”

Seori froze for a moment before answering seriously.

“I’ll…… work hard at that too.”

“Pfft!”

In the end, Yoo Seong-ah burst out laughing. Her laughter was loud enough to shake the pub, causing people nearby to glance over.

“You’re really cute.”

At those words, Seori’s face turned bright red.

***

The first thing I checked as soon as I woke up in the morning was Yoo Seong-ah’s reply.

[Big Sis: You’d better treat me well.]

[Big Sis: Seori will contact you sometime today.]

“Ah, thank goodness……”

A sigh of relief escaped me naturally.

I prostrated myself on the bed in the direction of where my family home was. I hoped this sincerity would reach Yoo Seong-ah.

[Thank you, Noona.]

[Noona, you’re the best.]

[I really respect you more than anyone else in the world.]

“Seong-woo, are you ready?”

The moment I sent the messages, Han Sang-yoon’s voice came from outside the door.

“Yes.”

“I’ll empty this before we leave.”

Han Sangyoon stopped when he saw Jidongseok holding the trash can.

“You… are you really Dong-seok?”

“Ah, hyung!”

Ji Dong-seok raised his voice as if he were wronged.

“I’m not the old Ji Dong-seok anymore, you know?”

Now it was a room with only Han Sang-yoon, Ji Dong-seok, and me left. After losing his allies, Ji Dong-seok had been forcibly transformed into a clean human being.

“By the way.”

Han Sang-yoon asked while tying his shoelaces.

“Were you okay yesterday?”

“Huh?”

“Things were hectic because of the Go Jae-seong situation.”

“Ah, I’m fine.”

I nodded.

“I also told the production team that we should apologize to the original creator first.”

“…Aren’t you upset?”

I thought for a moment before smiling.

“I can’t pretend I don’t know just because I’m upset.”

“……”

“You know that too, hyung.”

“What…”

“Controversies in a survival show ultimately remain as a label on the debut group.”

Go Jae-seong falling out would not be the end.

‘There was a plagiarism incident on Boys Code. He didn’t even properly apologize.’

Even if Go Jae-seong failed to debut, rumors like ‘the group that debuted with a scandal-ridden member’ would probably run rampant. Controversies were remembered for their sensationalism rather than their cause and effect.

In the end, that label would be carried by the debut lineup. Choi Un-jo and Song Woo-joo, who had agreed to apologize as well, probably thought the same way.

“And.”

I added as I picked up my bag.

“I’m not particularly upset either.”

At least I already knew about it.

“Let’s hope it gets resolved well.”

“Yes.”

The moment we arrived at the venue, the production staff immediately called us over.

‘This is starting to feel less like being summoned and more like getting arrested……’

“How did it go?”

“Did you get in touch with Yuzu-nim?”

Their anxiety was plainly visible on all their faces.

“I talked to my sister, and Ms. Seori said she’ll contact you today.”

The production staff deflated like balloons losing air after hearing the answer.

“Phew……”

“That’s a relief…”

“You really did us a huge favor, Seongwoo.”

“Ahaha……”

Being treated like a hero was still unfamiliar to me. I smiled appropriately, finished greeting them, and hurriedly escaped to the filming set.

A little while later.

“Hello, trainees!”

Kang Se-jun appeared with a booming voice.

Today he was wearing double denim. It was a combination most people wouldn’t even dare attempt, yet it suited him strangely well.

“It was an incredibly fierce round of voting.”

Kang Se-jun smiled meaningfully.

“There were especially a lot of votes aimed at eliminating one another.”

Nervous breaths could be heard here and there.

“Then, let’s reveal the voting results right away!”

Once again, the first-place team and the first-place trainee from each team would receive benefits.

As expected, Turn over took third place among the teams. Joo-han alone hadn’t been enough to bring in votes for the entire team.

“Next is the second-place team.”

The names of the two teams rapidly alternated on the screen.

[BLACKOUT]

[YOUR BOY]

And finally, it stopped on…

[BLACKOUT – Amnesia]

“Wow!!”

“No way…”

“Oee!!!”

Exclamations erupted from all around.

I-yul tightly bit his lip and vigorously shook his interlaced hands. He looked so cute that I almost laughed.

“Congratulations, Seong-woo!”

Choi Unjo was the first to hold out his hand.

“Thanks.”

“The first-place team is automatically Your Boy.”

A brief round of applause followed, and Kang Se-jun looked at me.

“Trainee Seongwoo, how do you feel?”

His intention in asking me first was painfully obvious.

“I think it would have been the first-place team no matter who came in instead of me.”

I looked to the side.

“The team members helped me so much, and they were very receptive to my ideas, so I think we were able to create an even better stage. I’m really happy that we even got a good result.”

“How about trainee I-yul?”

It was such a sudden question that I expected him to think for a moment.

“I think we got first place thanks to Seong-woo-hyung.”

But I-yul answered without hesitation.

“Our team was really in trouble, but Seong-woo-hyung played a huge role.”

Han Sang-yoon and Ji Dong-seok silently nodded as well. My face felt strangely hot.

“What a heartwarming team dynamic.”

Kang Se-jun smiled and flipped through his cue cards.

“Then, let’s announce the first-place trainee from each team.”

There was no upset in Turn over; Joo-han took first place as expected.

“I’m glad I was at least able to get the individual benefit.”

Joo-han would probably maintain his position as a candidate for overall first place this time too.

“Next, the first-place individual trainee from Blackout is……”

I really had no idea here.

Most of the audience at the venue probably still didn’t know about the controversy surrounding Go Jae-seong. Besides, the stage itself had objectively been good. But on the other hand, there must have been quite a few spite votes after the previous competition.

With everyone holding their breath, Kang Se-jun looked down at his cue card.

“Ah, it’s this trainee.”

The way he deliberately dragged it out one more time was exactly what you’d expect from a survival-show MC.

“The first-place individual trainee from the Blackout team is trainee Choi Un-jo.”

“Whoa??”

Choi Un-jo’s eyes widened.

“Me?”

Then he pointed at himself with his finger.

“Really?”

The trainees burst out laughing as well. I smiled too.

It was a huge relief that Choi Unjo took first place individually. At least it would lessen my guilt a little.

“Lastly.”