A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 254

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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 254

I crumpled up the blank paper and threw it to the side of the stage where I had tossed my jacket, then continued rapping.

‘Bring a piece of paper, pretend to read lyrics from it because you can’t memorize them, then show it’s blank at the end.’

It was a brilliant refreshing idea provided by Seo Yehyeon, who had been scolded by me several times in our early debut days for not memorizing lyrics.

To think he was imagining this while getting chewed out by me. Damn cheeky.

“Hey, you scared me!”

As soon as the beat stopped, Yongcheol Hyung jumped up and pointed at me with an angry face. The other producers chuckled.

“Wow, D.I. got pissed.”

“But I really thought there were lyrics written there until you showed the back.”

Only after Wonbaek, who was sitting next to him, calmed Yongcheol Hyung down did he let out a long breath and plop back into his seat.

As I picked up the blank paper trash I had thrown away and put my jacket back on, Jiwon Hyung gestured for me to zip it up.

“Zip it up, zip it up. Zip it back up, quickly.”

It seemed like too much stimulation for those hyungs who were already struggling with chest exposure, so I obediently zipped it up to my neck.

“That outfit was so amazing for the performance that I didn’t even notice it.”

“By any chance… was that outfit targeted at us?”

At Wonbaek’s cautious question, I answered seriously and immediately.

“Of course not.”

It would be troublesome if you misinterpret fan service for our Daydream like that. If you want to be the target, just become Daydream.

“Right? It’s not, right?”

Wonbaek lowered his microphone with a relieved face. Why is he relieved anyway?

“Wait, isn’t it written with ink that shows under special lighting? Give me that paper.”

“I don’t have that special lighting in the first place.”

I smoothed out the crumpled paper and handed it to Gongchul. After examining it under various lights, Gongchul let out an exclamation.

“It really is blank. The performance was insane.”

December, who was receiving relatively less attention due to my attention-grabbing, was biting his lips with an anxious face.

I understand that feeling well since I experienced it with Yupi. But what can you do, it’s a competition.

“Phew, the second performer’s attention-grabbing was too powerful.”

“But still…”

The producers who had been discussing with their team partners finished voting.

“Both of you make us look forward to seeing how much more amazing you’ll be as you continue to rise, so it’s really unfortunate and regrettable that we have to choose just one person in this situation.”

BQ9 grabbed the microphone and gave us calm consolation. As expected, being a fellow survival show runner-up, he knew how to say comforting words to the eliminated.

“The winner who will advance from this revival match is…”

Moltic, who paused for a moment, looked at me and raised the corner of his mouth.

“Congratulations, Eden. We’ll see you on the next stage.”

Even at this expected result, I showed a humble smile on my face and bowed deeply.

“Thank you.”

I also lightly shook hands with December, who had been my revival match competitor, and returned to backstage.

As expected, an interview that might or might not be included in the actual broadcast was conducted, and in that interview I said it was good competition.

“Do you have any final words?”

“Final words? Thank you to our Rev’s Eldest Hyung who provided the idea.”

I pointed at the camera lens with my index finger and gave a light wink.

If this interview made it to the actual broadcast, I could clearly picture Seo Yehyeon frowning and showing disgust while watching.

Is this what they call repaying kindness with enmity?

* * *

“Hyung, hyung, did you get revived?”

“Yeah, man. I got revived.”

I patted the top of Kim Dobin’s head as he looked up at me again and returned to the dormitory triumphantly.

I think the cipher that first appeared in Season 4 as a guerrilla mission came after the third preliminary round.

I nodded my chin, recalling the cipher mission that achieved the highest viewership ratings beyond the diss battles before the main stage.

Why did it achieve the highest viewership? Because the microphone battle with time-limited elimination turned into a real fight.

While rapping, someone grabbed someone else’s microphone in the middle, leading to collar-grabbing and fistfights, and in the midst of this, a third party stole the microphone and rapped, creating a situation where the fisherman benefits – how could this not guarantee viewership?

Honestly, completely cutting off someone’s rap in the middle to steal their microphone wasn’t polite either. The problem was returning it with collar-grabbing and light hooks.

Anyway, because of that fight, there was someone who was eliminated at the end for not being able to rap due to lack of time.

Because of that, they received all kinds of criticism and changed the rules from the next season.

‘Right, let’s prevent the fighting itself!’

If I stop the brawling that was the biggest cause of the viewership spike before regression, wouldn’t the stimulating development that those DropNet guys wanted disappear?

I haven’t forgotten the humiliation of the revival match yet.

I’ll somehow lead this cipher in a direction DropNet doesn’t want.

“The filming gap is pretty short this time?”

Ryu Jaehee, who was looking at the dates next to me as I checked the cipher filming schedule for the guerrilla mission, said. The cipher filming day was just three days away.

“There’s also the fact that I went through the revival match, and ciphers are filmed in one take without cuts.”

TOP 30 filtered through the third preliminary round and revival match. These thirty rappers had to showcase rap ciphers.

Time limit: 10 minutes.

Stumble over lyrics and you’re eliminated, fail to meet the minimum 15 seconds and you’re eliminated, fail to rap within the time limit and you’re eliminated.

In other words, as long as you don’t make mistakes and can freestyle rap for at least 15 seconds within the time limit, you won’t be eliminated.

It was much less burdensome than the first and second preliminary rounds judged by producers and the third preliminary round’s 1-on-1 matches where someone had to be eliminated.

“Anyway, each person gets 20 seconds at most, so there’s no pressure.”

“But there was nothing like this until Season 3, right? It’s a completely new mission. Hyung, will you be okay?”

Ryu Jaehee probably thought I wasn’t nervous because the format up to the third preliminary round was the same as previous seasons.

Of course, my vague memory of the format from before regression contributed to my lack of nervousness, but it wouldn’t have mattered even without those memories.

“Hey, I’m Yoon Eden.”

Because I can handle it with skill.

So don’t worry and help me think about cipher outfits instead, I said, lightly ruffling Ryu Jaehee’s hair.

Originally, I was going to stop the fashion show for now and go dressed quietly in street look, but since it’s a situation with rappers gathered in groups, street look would definitely get buried easily.

“I’ve had enough exposure. Any more would just be brain-dead. So give me some outfit ideas without exposure.”

“To really stand out among those hipster looks without exposure, this is it.”

Ryu Jaehee smiled playfully and showed me a photo on his phone screen.

“Okay, approved.”

I snapped my fingers and immediately cheerfully shouted okay. That’s perfect.

The day of the guerrilla mission cipher.

Finally, the rappers narrowed down to Top 30 gathered in one place.

I saw several rappers I knew from my underground days, and there were many I had no connection with at all.

Whether they chose wariness over showing off friendly connections, they didn’t approach me first.

Since I didn’t feel the need to approach them first either, I just exchanged brief eye greetings and looked away.

‘Let’s see. Is the Top 30 roughly similar to before regression?’

After exchanging awkward greetings with Yupi, who had used me as a stepping stone, and looking around, I spotted Skoen, who had been the runner-up.

Who was the rapper that grabbed the other guy’s collar back then?

While looking around searching, I discovered two somewhat familiar faces and approached between them.

I’m confused about which of the two was the one who got grabbed or did the grabbing, but anyway, the fact that being between them would allow me to safely stop the fight.

“You have a total of 10 minutes for the cipher. Grab the microphone on any beat you want and rap for at least 15 seconds. The person who grabs the microphone first gets the opportunity to rap on that beat.”

“Stumble over lyrics and you’re eliminated, fail to meet the minimum 15 seconds and you’re eliminated, fail to rap within the time limit and you’re eliminated.”

The eyes looking at the microphone placed in the center of the stage were those of predators.

‘Shit, I didn’t really need to be here.’

Feeling the crowd surging along with the microphone’s movement, I regretted my choice. Why did I have to stand in the spot that gets caught up in everything the most?

As the 10-minute time limit gradually decreased, those who hadn’t rapped yet became impatient, their eyes blazing as they participated in the microphone battle.

Since I was aiming for the finale, it didn’t really matter to me.

Finally, one of the causes behind the ratings surge grabbed the microphone.

There’s a condition for elimination that requires rapping for at least 15 seconds. Seeing the behavior of the rapper next to him trying to snatch the mic after just 10 seconds, I immediately understood why collar-grabbing fights broke out.

I would’ve grabbed his collar too in that situation. Though I wouldn’t have let the mic get stolen in the first place.

I blocked with my whole body another cause of the ratings surge who was approaching with gleaming eyes, trying to steal the microphone.

The guy glared at me, but it wasn’t particularly scary. Rather, when I looked down at him with a serious expression, he flinched instead.

Ratings surge cause #1, who noticed I had protected him, passed the microphone to me as a gesture of gratitude, but there was a hand that snatched the mic before mine could reach it.

It was Hyeongjin.

With less than a minute remaining, those who still hadn’t rapped were me and one other rapper next to me.

And there were no regulations about overtime in the rules.

Seeing that Choi Hyeongjin would definitely force overtime rap just to screw me over, I casually draped my arm over his shoulder and counted the remaining time.

12, 13, 14, 15 seconds. Okay, done.

I gave him enough time to finish, then firmly gripped the microphone and wrestled it away by force. He looked at the mic that had left his hands with bewildered eyes.

Ignoring him, I passed the microphone to the rapper who was on the verge of tears.

The rapper who received the mic in confusion quickly grasped the situation and started rapping. 30 seconds remained.

After exactly filling 15 seconds, I took the politely handed microphone and decorated the cypher’s finale.

As I spoke about respect, hip hop’s proper spirit, through freestyle, I thought anew that today’s costume choice of a three-piece suit was the right decision.

The moment I filled exactly 15 seconds, the cypher’s beat and microphone cut off abruptly.

I had safely passed.

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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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