A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 16

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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 16

To be honest, I hadn’t touched the music source since we started our activities.

In my defense, as our song became popular, our schedule automatically increased, and when we returned to the dormitory, I was so tired I’d collapse immediately.

I simply wasn’t in any condition to go to the studio.

Of course, if this had been during our debut song activities when I was frantically trying to recreate the music source, I would have somehow dragged my heavy body to the studio.

But since I had the completed music file in hand, I had gotten a bit complacent.

That damned complacency of thinking I had time until the next activity meeting also played a part.

‘Damn it, the CEO is only uselessly diligent at times like this.’

I gritted my teeth thinking of that face that smiles nicely while turning people’s lives upside down.

With all that energy, sincerity, and money spent contacting that shitty composer, why not make a scheduler instead!

But no matter how much I regretted and lamented, the song was probably already being made.

The only thing I could do now was to perfect the music source as much as possible and completely crush the disastrously failed mini album 2 title track that the CEO would bring.

‘…That one was really worse than .’

Thanks to that, both the debut album and mini album 2 were treated as non-existent albums even after we became popular.

While was occasionally sung due to its nature as a debut song, the next song was forbidden from even being mentioned.

We had barely escaped the failed idol route with , so we couldn’t plummet back into hell with such a song.

“Guys, gather around for a moment. Let’s have a meeting.”

I called the members together and scribbled large letters in my notebook with a computer marker pen.

[1st Reve Meeting]

[Subtitle: Next Album Title Track]

Considering how opinions were divided last time over extending the activities,

there was no guarantee opinions wouldn’t be divided again, so this time I held a meeting.

No matter how much my path was the right answer, if I pushed through with my opinion, it would surely cut my Initial Intentions score again for promoting discord among members.

It was my mistake not knowing there were people in this world who defied common sense.

“What meeting? Next album title track?”

Ryu Jaehee, who had rushed to the living room first and read the clearly written letters in the notebook, blinked his eyes.

“Did you call us to choose a title track from several songs? But the songs are already out? Hyung, have you heard them? How are they? Are there some decent songs?”

“I also only heard that the CEO contacted a composer.”

Following Gyeon Hajun’s comment that continued Ryu Jaehee’s machine-gun questions, I nodded and opened my mouth.

“The songs aren’t out yet, but that composer they contacted is none other than the person who composed the songs for our debut album .”

At those words, Ryu Jaehee’s complexion instantly turned pale as he stammered.

“De, debut album… you don’t mean ? That person is handling our album songs again?”

“Yeah.”

As soon as my head nodded, Kim Dobin clutched his hair and wailed as if the country had fallen.

“We’re doomed… we’re doomed…! After One Chance became popular, I had hope that we wouldn’t be failed idols anymore…!”

“No, hyung! Maybe that person suddenly received divine inspiration and will produce a masterpiece!”

Ryu Jaehee desperately shouted while shaking the completely stunned Kim Dobin.

Whether he was trying to calm Kim Dobin down or wanted to escape reality himself.

Can’t you smell the hope circuit burning somewhere?

“Eden hyung, this is totally possible, right?”

I scratched the back of my head at the youngest member’s earnest gaze as he looked at me, begging me to say yes.

“It’s possible.”

It really was.

The composer of , the song Reve had a reverse run with through fancams, was also that same person who composed .

I poured cold water on Ryu Jaehee and Kim Dobin, whose expressions had brightened from running their happiness circuits.

“The problem is the probability of that being this album’s song approaches zero.”

Not approaches – it’s zero. It’s definitely going to fail. I know because I’ve experienced it in the past.

I clearly remember how the atmosphere became miserable when we, who were excited about escaping , were presented with an even worse song – and this was 7 years ago by my standards.

I thought they’d pay more attention to the next activities since the debut album failed so badly. Oh, they did pay more attention to the money they spent.

3.5 million won, damn it.

“Probably that guy would need about 3 years to gain musical inspiration and compose a masterpiece? Well, there’s no guarantee he’ll keep producing hits after that either.”

During the reverse run, Seo Yehyeon’s face accounted for 80% of the credit, but , which was our activity song at the time, also accounted for about 20%.

With its cryptic verses and addictive chorus.

The tragedy started from there.

Just once, after succeeding in an extremely terrible gacha pull, the CEO kept commissioning songs from that composer, saying songs that could put us at the top would come from him.

It’s not even the lottery jackpot. It’s like watching someone who won second place once and then throws money away saying they’ll win first place this time.

And was both that composer’s life’s greatest and final masterpiece.

He couldn’t produce songs of that caliber afterward.

When the idol groups that promoted with my songs achieved chart #1 and received praise from critics.

We promoted with crappy songs, barely getting music show #1 wins through fan power.

The charts would exchange glances with us at #10 briefly at dawn before going down.

We only received harsh criticism from critics – anyway, there were many hardships.

To avoid repeating this tragedy, the only way was to hit it big with my song so the CEO couldn’t even think of buying songs from that composer anymore.

“Surely it won’t be worse than …?”

It’s worse.

Unable to spoil the future, I kept my itching mouth shut as Seo Yehyeon rubbed his face with his palm and lamented.

“It would be much better to buy a 70s-80s popular song and remake it.”

We had once made a comeback with that composer’s song and got miserably crushed by a girl group that remade an 80s hit song.

Watching the members unknowingly predict the future, I wondered if these guys had also regressed.

‘Probably not. If they had regressed, I wouldn’t be the only one running around frantically trying to save the group while my insides burned.’

After being momentarily flustered by the funeral-like atmosphere,

the youngest member suddenly raised his head and asked.

“So you’re having a meeting to discuss ways to prevent this? Should we give our opinions?”

“No.”

“Then why did you gather us? To prepare our hearts?”

I shrugged at Seo Yehyeon’s sarcastic words and replied.

“I just gathered you to give you a choice? Pick one of the two.”

The meeting was just a show of ‘this leader has the heart to consider what your choice might be.’

The answer is already decided, and you just need to choose.

I raised my index finger and presented the options.

“Option 1, leave the next album’s title track to me. Option 2, leave it to the CEO-“

“Option 1, definitely option 1!”

“11111!”

“How is that even a question! Obviously 1!”

“I’ll also go with option 1.”

Before I could even raise my middle finger after my index finger, they cut off my words and I was flustered by the passionate responses pouring out.

The long, long persuasive speech I had prepared for any potential option 2 opinions was rendered meaningless.

I looked back and forth between Kim Dobin and Seo Yehyeon, who had previously made my insides explode by insisting we continue activities with instead of , and asked seriously.

“Why did you suddenly become sensible? You weren’t like that before.”

“That and this are different, hyung. Before, we only had a week to prepare for activities, but now we haven’t even started yet.”

Perhaps shocked by being treated as nonsensical, Kim Dobin protested with his eyebrows bent into a ∧ shape, full of injustice.

“I’d rather you work me to death… than promote with a song worse than our debut song, I’d rather hear harsh words from you.”

My goodness, to live to see the day when Seo Yehyeon asks me to work him to death. Were you more disgusted by the debut song than my direct words?

But then why did you say we should continue activities with before, you bastard.

* * *

“Wow, I’m dying….”

I leaned back against the studio chair and let out a heavy breath.

An energy drink can that I had accidentally knocked over was rolling around carelessly on the desk.

Empty cans were already piled high on the desk.

After pulling two all-nighters, my vision naturally became hazy, but this damn system kept cutting my Initial Intentions score for having dead fish eyes, so I slapped myself every minute to stay focused.

Thanks to that, my heated cheeks were stinging. I couldn’t see for myself, but they were probably swollen and red.

I rubbed my dry eyes and clicked the save button.

Had I ever worked this intensely before, combining both before and after my regression?

When I pressed the space bar to play it, the melody flowing through the headset was flawless and perfect.

Even the verse section that had been so troublesome became much more natural than what I had worked on before.

“Ha, scary. My talent.”

I praised myself and pressed the space bar once more to stop the song, then took off my headset.

Now I just needed to do the guide recording and the demo would be complete.

Normally I would have asked Gyeon Hajun to do the guide recording without hesitation, but since I needed to convince the CEO as much as possible with this demo, I decided to get a recording from Ryu Jaehee as well.

The cozy-sized studio was bustling with people.

When Ryu Jaehee came, Kim Dobin followed along saying he wanted to watch, and Seo Yehyeon also followed to the studio saying he didn’t want to be left alone at the dormitory.

“Wow, is this your studio, hyung?”

“No, it belongs to a hyung I know. So don’t go around touching things carelessly. If you break something, forget about you having to compensate for everything—I’ll get yelled at too.”

I gave a blunt warning to the youngest member who was looking around the studio, then immediately started the guide recording.

Guide recording didn’t need to be as intense as main recording. It just needed good lyric delivery and clear melody.

“Jun, you can mumble through the rap parts, but for the last part of verse 1, ‘Turn off your phone and don’t go home tonight, all right?’ just sing that part one tone lower.”

“Hook part again. The beat is subtly too fast.”

“Da da dan, da da dan, match it to this. Again.”

“Jaehee, everything’s good but pronounce ‘right night’ clearly. Why do you keep doing ‘all right’ twice? Again.”

“Right night this shi… No, don’t pronounce it too properly, say it like ‘rait nait.’ Didn’t you go to English academy when you were young? Should I cancel your English academy? Again.”

[Speech promoting discord among members has been detected.]

[Initial Intentions –1]

Ow, this is driving me crazy. What am I supposed to do if it’s like this from just guide recording?

How much is my Initial Intentions going to get cut when we get to main recording?

The CEO really has a talent for gathering only mentally weak guys except for me. A real talent.

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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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