A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 124

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Regression Guide for Idols Who Lost Their Initial Intentions Episode 124

[Tiresome carols ringing through every street

Among all the couples, only I am solo

Just turn on the TV channel, alone at home]

The first verse began with Eden’s rap.

-As expected, the nation’s top hip-hop artist Yoon Eden

-He killed it from the intro

The members gathered around Eden as the center and stood in formation.

Among the members standing in a row, Ganghan stepped forward and sang his part.

[I search through my phone contacts

Call anyone at random

Everyone says they have plans, staggering

Diving back onto the bed]

Before turning around, he looked at the camera and gave a light wink.

-Our playful leader hehehe

-Hana, wink one more time

Sion, who naturally took over the part, raised his free hand and waved it up and down.

[I don’t need comfort

I’ll pass on unnecessary pity]

The soaring high note was finished cleanly.

-Our Sion’s high notes are insaneㅜㅜㅜㅜ

-Our main vocalist is still number one there too

[Solo Solo Bell

Solo Solo Bell

I’m facing alone

Merry Solo Christmas]

After the first verse chorus ended, Eden’s part came around again.

Eden, who was rapping while crossing the stage toward Yunseong, casually draped his arm over Yunseong’s shoulder.

The two smiled and looked at each other.

Yunseong delivered his part with Eden’s arm still draped over his shoulder.

His high notes were as clean as Sion’s vocals.

-Whoa what, Yunseong and Eden have good chemistry

-I heard they were close, but it was real

-I support this combination

After the highlight section of Sion and Yunseong’s high note battle passed, the second verse chorus returned.

The On Top members showed off their group dance with perfectly aligned angles. The song was gradually racing toward its conclusion.

[Your and my Solo Christmas]

The On Top members, who finished with an ending pose faithful to the concept in time with the last verse, smiled at the camera and waved their hands.

It was a perfect stage.

* * *

I placed my arm as naturally as possible on Kwon Yunseong’s shoulder and we faced each other with smiles.

Of course, it was closer to acting in front of the camera rather than a sincere smile.

At one time, I believed without doubt that we would stand on the same stage looking at the same scenery. If I hadn’t left New Born, we might have been able to stand on the same stage.

Though it’s a hypothetical I no longer have any lingering attachment to.

The eyes facing me trembled finely. I removed my arm without hesitation and matched the choreography again.

The stage finished safely without mistakes, just as we had practiced.

When the stage ended, we returned to the waiting room and conducted the final commemorative photo shoot and interview. Once all the staff withdrew from the waiting room, we could exchange greetings among ourselves.

“Good work, everyone!”

“You all worked hard for a month.”

When the cameras were rolling, we seemed like the closest friends, but in reality, we had only met occasionally for practice over a month, so everyone still had some awkwardness remaining.

Everyone’s skills at creating a harmonious atmosphere and pretending to be close only in front of cameras were no joke, so I also appropriately played along with my 8 years of idol experience.

There’s no need to deliberately lower favorability in a project meant to raise recognition, right?

These guys aren’t like KICKS or Altair anyway.

It was an unavoidable choice since I had to become first-tier to end this damn infinite regression.

[Ryu Jaehee- Wow, I thought it wasn’t you in the making-of video, hyung ㄷㄷ]

[Ryu Jaehee- Yehyeon hyung kept rubbing his eyes while watching the video and got scolded by the stylist noona ㅋㅋㅋ He thought something was wrong with his eyes ㅋㅋ]

I chuckled at the text from Ryu Jaehee. Of course I’d regress if I acted toward you guys like I did in front of the camera.

I could feel Kwon Yunseong’s gaze continuously reaching me, but I lightly ignored it. Just as I was about to leave the waiting room after finishing greetings, I heard an anguished shout from behind me.

“Hey, Yoon Eden, you bastard!”

The moment I hesitated at the curse attached to my name, hands forcibly turned my body around and grabbed my collar.

Having been unilaterally cursed at and even grabbed by the collar, I calmly checked my Initial Intentions level first.

[Initial Intentions: 91]

Since I’ve been living quite diligently lately, 91 points was sufficiently in the safe zone.

How enviable though. He can spit out curses so comfortably.

I sighed and immediately grabbed his collar in return. Kwon Yunseong let out choking coughs as if his throat was being strangled by the rough pulling of his collar.

[Prohibited action detected.]

[Initial Intentions -1]

Deduct it, damn it.

Since this was the waiting room anyway, there was no worry about anyone seeing us besides the project team members.

And it would only be controversial if I grabbed the collar of Altair’s Cha Yeonho or a 10-year veteran senior and got into a fight – fighting with someone like KICKS wouldn’t even cause controversy.

Just rumors that we don’t get along would circulate, and each other’s fans would just become antis of the other.

The 4th year group leader clicked his tongue while watching us, and Sion (real name Lee Chaemin) and Ganghan rushed over urgently to separate me and Kwon Yunseong.

Kwon Yunseong, who was breathing heavily while glaring at me, spoke in a choppy voice.

“Wasn’t I, wasn’t I your friend? Damn it, is only Gyeon Hajun your friend? Were you happy to turn the remaining guys into complete trash and run away alone claiming to keep loyalty?”

Tears streamed down his cheeks.

That sight overlapped with his appearance from before the regression. When I grabbed him by the collar and asked why he did it, he answered with a short sneer, asking why I had left in the first place.

There was only one difference between then and now. Whether Rev had been buried or had risen to fame.

I let out a short hollow laugh and roughly swept my bangs up.

“Hey, did I call you fucking trash bastards when I left? Why are you projecting your guilt onto me and acting up, huh?”

As I poured out sarcasm, the person holding onto me gripped my hand even tighter.

“If you guys who stayed at NewBorn felt like such trash, you should have apologized to Gyeon Hajun when you met him later. What gives you the right to talk behind his back and then act like the victim?”

[Profanity detected.]

[Initial Intentions -2]

Surprisingly, the system consolidated the curses I had spat out in two separate instances into one calculation. It had even updated and seemed to have gained some flexibility.

Or maybe it secretly disliked the KICKS guys too.

The 4th year group leader shook his head as he watched us still in a standoff.

“Oh my, so young, so young.”

Being called young by someone who was twenty-six didn’t feel great. I had come back after turning twenty-seven, after all.

“Since I’ve answered the latter part sufficiently, I might as well answer the former part too. The part the person involved most wanted to hear seems to be the first sentence anyway.”

The 4th year group leader who had spoken to me turned his gaze toward Kwon Yunseong and added.

“And here’s some advice – when apologizing, don’t let your pride get in the way.”

He sighed and smoothly got up.

“Well then, I should go prepare for the stage.”

“Ah, me too. Good luck, everyone.”

Sion also quietly let go of my hand and stealthily followed the 4th year group leader out of the waiting room.

Ganghan, who had remained, watched us nervously before carefully speaking up.

“Do you need a mediator? I could stay since our team already finished our stage…”

“It’s fine.”

At my firm answer, Ganghan also left the waiting room. He seemed quite worried about leaving just the two of us alone, glancing back once every two steps he took.

When the waiting room door closed firmly and we were truly left alone, I slowly opened my mouth.

“Weren’t you my friend…”

I muttered the first sentence that Kwon Yunseong had blurted out as if pouring out what was inside him. Suddenly, I craved the cigarettes I had quit.

“Right. We were friends.”

I spoke the sentence that had now become past tense.

“I never thought of cutting ties just because you didn’t leave NewBorn. It’s just that back then, loyalty was more important to me, and back then, a stable future was more important to you.”

NewBorn’s mess of randomly inserting parachutes except for talented guys played a part too, but anyway.

“You asked why we ended up like this.”

The question Kwon Yunseong had asked behind the NewBorn building.

My answer was the same then as it is now.

“It’s simple. You betrayed my trust first. That’s the only reason, Seonga.”

How long had it been since I used that nickname? I deliberately called him as we used to when we were close, to show that we could never return to those days, and tears flowed from Kwon Yunseong’s eyes again.

“And you guys talk behind people’s backs even without guilt. Don’t rationalize with that kind of crap.”

I knew Choi Hyeonmin well from before the regression when he was everyone’s punching bag, so where do you get off trying to pull a fast one? I heard things from Parachute too.

And maybe for me or Gyeon Hajun, but did you guys have anything to feel guilty about toward our members?

Kwon Yunseong, who had hung his head low, muttered.

“…Tell Gyeon Hajun I’m sorry.”

“If you guys are human, of course you should be sorry. Talking behind the back of someone who was unfairly kicked out crossed the line.”

At my sarcasm, Kwon Yunseong suddenly raised his head. With his head held high, Kwon Yunseong looked straight at me with eyes still stained with tears.

“I’m not sorry to you, you damn bastard. Cherish that fucking friendship you ran out for, betting your future on it. Don’t cut ties with Gyeon Hajun after putting on that act.”

Kwon Yunseong smiled with frowning eyes while tears streamed down.

“Yeah, thanks for the blessing.”

I chuckled and shot back. Though we had already cut ties once in that now-vanished timeline.

Kwon Yunseong still seemed to have more to say as he continued pouring out his words.

“Don’t fail at that shitty company, and don’t come out again with another song like that fucking debut song of yours. I’m only saying this to your face now, but it made you look fucking ridiculous. You shouldn’t be like that. Don’t let people say you ran away just to sing that kind of crap, fuck.”

“Damn, like anyone wanted to sing that kind of song.”

I growled while irritably messing up my hair.

I got up and tossed the tissue that was on the table next to Kwon Yunseong.

“When you stop crying, wipe off your smudged makeup before you go.”

With those words as the end, I cleanly shook off the remaining emotions and lingering attachments like residue and turned around with relief. It had taken such a long time to hear this answer.

“Live well, you fucking bastard.”

At the final farewell from behind me, I didn’t turn around but just raised my middle finger and replied with a voice tinged with hollow laughter.

“This bastard’s cursing till the very end.”

[Profanity detected.]

[Initial Intentions -2]

[Prohibited gesture detected.]

[Initial Intentions -1]

Yeah, deduct away, deduct. It’s still in the 80s for Initial Intentions anyway.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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