A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 23

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

A Regression Guide for Idols Who Lost Their Initial Intentions Episode 23

“So you see that exact crime scene from the past on that planet! Then you come back to Earth and catch the culprit!”

I don’t know about anything else, but I can tell the CEO was deeply moved by Sherlock Holmes and Interstellar recently.

It’s slightly better than the pre-regression concept of crossing multiverses to unite a soul split in two, but can’t he give up on that damn multiverse thing?

Watching the Planning Director clapping beside the CEO who was even planning the music video content, saying it was such a great idea, I felt the harmful effects of a connection-based company.

I even began to suspect that the composer who gives us shitty songs might also be one of the CEO’s connections.

“How about it? This time it’s good, right?”

It was time to pour cold water on the CEO who was looking around at us with a confident face.

“We figured you’d do this, so we prepared a concept too.”

“No, where else can you find a concept as brilliant as this? A fresh perspective interpretation, huh?”

“But what about the original artist?”

At my hand signal, Ryu Jaehee stood up abruptly and walked confidently to the front of the conference room.

I remembered the youngest line’s boastful words about completing an eye-catching, attention-grabbing, absolutely amazing PPT, and leaned back in my chair with a chuckle.

Let’s see just how well they made it.

Finally, the PPT that Kim Dobin had made all night was revealed on the conference room screen.

‘…Is this for real?’

Seeing the state of the PPT, my mouth fell open.

Not only Gyeon Hajun and Seo Yehyeon, but the staff’s expressions weren’t much different from mine.

A blue Bonobono filling the screen.

Why We

Should Do

a High Teen

House Party

Concept

And a truly honest title written in 46pt Gulim font rainbow-colored letters.

‘These bastards, this was why they desperately wouldn’t show it?’

In the midst of chaos, alone. No, Ryu Jaehee, who had composure along with Kim Dobin, pushed up his glasses and opened his mouth.

“Then I’ll start the presentation now. As you can see, the topic is why our group Reve should adopt a high teen house party concept for Mini Album 2.”

When he pressed the space bar, the large title shook with an earthquake-like motion and moved to the next page.

The still-present bluish Bonobono and densely written gray Dotum font text with zero readability were visible.

“Now, first, what is a house party that appears in high teen movies?”

I couldn’t stand the title doing another shaking animation and banged my head on the desk.

If it’s moderately shitty, at least I’d get angry, but it’s so shitty that instead of anger, I can only laugh.

“Fresh concepts in the early debut phase have already officially established themselves in the male idol scene. The combination of high teen and house party can show a fresh and youthful image while simultaneously capturing a party concept suitable for dance genre songs…”

On top of that, photos that spread wide over the dense text, roll around once, and bounce like balls.

Showing maddening animation motions.

“Oh. It’s not playing? I’ll just search and play it for you. Just a moment.”

The behavior of just inserting a black rectangle and lying that the video won’t play.

That damn Bonobono appearing every time a page is turned.

‘Haha, we’re screwed.’

As I was just letting out helpless laughter in a daze, I heard Ryu Jaehee’s closing remarks, not knowing when the presentation had ended.

“That’s all.”

Of course, there was no applause.

I was preparing myself to humbly accept the time-traveling detective concept when I heard clapping sounds from beside me.

‘Wow, how kind. Clapping even for such a presentation.’

Moved by the kind heart, I turned my head toward the source of the sound, and there was the CEO clapping with an expression as if deeply impressed.

Damn, I take back what I said about being kind.

After just watching and one or two people joining in, applause was soon completed.

The CEO with a satisfied smile praised.

“Wow, I don’t know who made the PPT, but they have good sense.”

The PPT, not the concept.

As expected, he had a different perspective from others.

“The concept lacks a bit of originality and creativity compared to the detective concept I was thinking of, but since our kids made a PPT and brought it, I should step back this time. Right, Director Lee?”

“Oh my, of course. You’re so generous, CEO.”

And I made eye contact with the Planning Director who turned his head and let out a sigh of relief.

If you’re relieved enough to sigh, then stop him. Don’t agree like a sycophant from the side.

“Then let’s work thinking of the comeback date as around mid-January next year. Everyone okay with that?”

“No.”

Everyone’s eyes in the conference room focused on me. Without wavering, I continued firmly.

“We absolutely must come back this year.”

“You know December is practically no activity with year-end award shows and festivals, Eden. If music shows go on break, it’s 2 weeks of activity at most. And it’s September now, wouldn’t a November comeback be tight?”

“Then we must come back at the end of November. Absolutely.”

“Why? Is there some reason?”

I had completely erased the 2nd album activities from my memory, but seeing the pre-regression charts, I remembered clearly.

Before regression, Reve came back in January for exactly the same reason the CEO mentioned.

And the tragedy started from there.

January wasn’t just comeback war level, it was worthy of being called comeback hell.

A rookie girl group from a major entertainment agency and a first-tier male idol group that came back with a shocking concept.

A solo ballad singer who was strong in music sources.

A second-tier male idol group making their first comeback after all members, including the youngest, completed military service.

Solo activities of a first-tier girl group’s main vocalist.

Unit activities of a major agency’s first-tier male idol group.

Among all that, the failed idol Reve, who came back with a Black Soul song wearing feathered gothic looks, couldn’t even get a chance to leap forward and failed miserably.

They could have gotten attention with a strange concept, but they didn’t even get that attention and failed very miserably.

‘And February is too late.’

Six months was enough time for fans who had barely flowed in to not endure the hiatus and drop off.

Especially at a point when the only song we had was without even a music video.

No matter how much we appeared on variety shows and released self-content, it couldn’t compare to one music source activity.

In a case like now where we’re ambiguously popular, major variety shows wouldn’t call us anyway.

If I insisted this was my intuition here, it obviously wouldn’t work.

If I told the truth that I experienced our failure firsthand and came back through time, I’d naturally be treated as crazy.

Then what works best when dealing with the future in Korea? Wouldn’t it be shamanism?

“My grandmother looked at my fortune a few days ago and said my monthly luck would be very bad in January next year. So she told me not to do big things in January.”

“Couldn’t you just not do big things?”

“Obviously comeback activities are the biggest thing. If this activity fails because of my monthly luck, how could I face the members? Oh no, if we fail, I’ll take responsibility and leave, oh no.”

The members looked at me like I was crazy, but I stubbornly continued the passive attack.

I had picked good songs and concepts, so I couldn’t fail just because we set the wrong comeback date.

Being the only one who knows the past is truly lonely work. Why must I alone bear this heavy fate?

As I was being self-deprecating, the system displayed a system window in front of my eyes instead of answering.

[Project to Regain Initial Intentions for Idols Who Lost Them!]

[Essential Condition – You who disappointed 30,000 fans, make 30 million fans happy! (11,002/30,000,000)]

Oh, right. Thanks for reminding me why I’m doing this.

But only 11,000 now. When will I fill 30 million? I can fill it before I die, right?

As I was blankly looking at the status window, the CEO, who seemed to think I was spacing out, cleared his throat to bring my mind back to reality and carefully spoke up.

“No, Grandmother’s fortune reading might be wrong, and deciding comeback dates based solely on fortune telling is…”

“What? Are you saying our grandmother is giving money to some scammer? How could you say such a thing…!”

When I widened my eyes and covered my mouth, the CEO quietly shut his.

As expected, the grandmother + shamanism combination was the best for persuading people.

Remembering my grandmother’s displeased tutting, saying she’d rather spend money on beef than fortune telling, suddenly made me feel guilty.

Grandmother, I’m sorry for being such an unfilial grandson.

I’ll make this comeback successful and visit you next New Year’s with red ginseng and a Korean beef set.

* * *

The comeback date was safely set for the end of November.

The activity concept also remained unchanged as a high-teen house party concept.

Considering it was early September now, the D-day until comeback was less than three months away.

Currently in the USB, there were three completed songs that could be put directly into the album without revision, including the title track .

If I get one song from Sangyeol hyung and roughly add One Chance, that would fill five songs.

These were songs I had stockpiled to use one by one in future album work, but in this urgent situation, I had no choice but to use them.

As I was organizing what needed to be done step by step in my head, I frowned at the stinging gaze that had been poking at me and turned to look beside me.

“What is it? If you have something to say, say it.”

“No, I don’t really have anything to say.”

The owner of the gaze that had been staring intently at my profile, Ryu Jaehee, scratched his cheek and awkwardly averted his eyes.

“Then what? Are you going to praise today’s presentation?”

“It’s just, it’s fascinating. That hyung believes in fortune telling. And of course I should praise you, right? My perfect presentation moved the CEO’s heart, didn’t it?”

What moved the CEO’s heart wasn’t your presentation, but that damn Bonobono PPT that perfectly matched the CEO’s weird taste.

I clicked my tongue at the youngest who was under a huge misunderstanding, then bluntly said one thing.

“I don’t believe it.”

“What?”

“I said I don’t believe in fortune telling.”

Ryu Jaehee, who had only been blinking as if he couldn’t immediately understand, opened his mouth wide.

“What, then what about what you said in the meeting? You didn’t really push back the activity date because of hyung’s monthly fortune?”

To the question I couldn’t answer, I just shrugged and replied indifferently as if it was nothing.

“That month’s luck is bad though.”

“Hyung, why are you talking like it’s some ghost story?”

“Can I ask you one thing?”

Even to the question thrown instead of an answer, Ryu Jaehee nodded obediently rather than frowning.

“What did you think when I insisted on this year’s comeback in the meeting?”

I brought up the doubt that had been bothering me since the meeting.

The situation was similar in some ways, but unlike when I pushed forward arguing for follow-up song activities, my Initial Intentions wasn’t reduced.

Now was the time to reveal the standard for ‘encouraging discord among members’ that reduces Initial Intentions.

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