A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 29

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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 29

Adora is a girl group.

And a pretty solid second-tier girl group with a strong fanbase, three years our senior. If we get involved with them, we’re the ones who’ll get screwed.

“I’m just a fan though… couldn’t I get an autograph…?”

“Don’t go near them. Don’t even give them a reason to connect us.”

At my sharp gaze, Kim Dobin shrank back while stealing glances at Adora with lingering eyes.

Before rehearsal, Kim Dobin had been looking around while watching the Adora seniors go on stage for their blocking check.

“Huh, Senior Yuan isn’t here? Is she late because of a personal schedule?”

“But with one person missing, the choreography does get a bit tangled.”

I rubbed my throbbing temples as I watched Kim Dobin, who claimed he had memorized all of Yuan’s parts, dancing along to the music seriously.

At least it was fortunate that he was dancing seriously rather than goofing around, so even if he got filmed, he wouldn’t become the subject of gossip.

“Don’t waste your energy before rehearsal and just stay still.”

“Come on, you know how much stamina I have. Don’t worry about nothing.”

“Fine. Just stay still since you’re being distracting.”

“Yes sir.”

There were eyes watching us.

As a small-medium agency idol lacking experience and popularity, our performance order was early, but our blocking check and rehearsal order was late. Still, the waiting time before going on stage didn’t take long.

When we got on stage, the AR started playing.

What we were doing now was a simple blocking check. Rehearsal would happen after everyone finished their blocking checks, about two hours before the event.

The music cut off abruptly after the first verse ended.

Since the bridge wasn’t included, it probably took about 1 minute and 10 seconds. That was why the blocking check waiting time wasn’t long.

Rehearsal would be the full song, so the waiting time would be longer than before.

I sat slouched with my chin propped up, cynically watching groups with connections gather in the temporary tent made for waiting rooms, chatting harmoniously, then let out a sneer.

We too, or more precisely, only I used to have a group I’d chat and show off friendships with like that.

Speak of the devil and he appears – what I saw before my eyes as soon as I thought about it definitely wasn’t pleasant.

“Eden hyung, long time no see! Hajun hyung, hello too!”

“Wow, what did you guys put on your faces, rubber flooring? So thick and elastic, it’s just like rubber.”

When I spoke with words somewhere between admiration and sarcasm, the KICKS member still tried to pick a fight with me with that same grinning face.

“Hyung, what kind of way is that to talk to a senior?”

“Ah, yes yes, six-month senior-nim. What business brings you to speak to this utterly lowly failed idol with a White House on the Hill concept?”

“No, Eden hyung, don’t talk like that, I just wanted to clear up some misunderstandings between us-“

“I clearly heard with these two ears directly from a KICKS member who is definitely a six-month senior-nim, so I don’t know what misunderstanding there is between us to clear up.”

“No, just tell me who you heard it from-“

“Don’t you know the Whistleblower Protection Act for internal informants? That internal informant must have been so sick of hearing others being badmouthed that they risked internal reporting. You conscienceless guys did wrong, so why are you trying to hunt down and punish the one guy with some conscience?”

“Ah, hyung, please-“

“I heard you guys even made detailed scorecards for rating girl groups’ looks. Instead of spending time hunting down the internal informant, find some wholesome topics that aren’t badmouthing or rating people’s looks and work on your team unity first.”

I deliberately cut off his words while speaking sarcastically in extremely formal language.

As the finishing touch, I put my hands together and even bowed with a prayer gesture, making his face turn bright red.

Since the detailed scorecard for rating girl groups’ looks came out of my mouth, now they can’t deny anymore that there’s an internal informant in their group.

Unity my ass. Go have some internal division instead.

I could hear our youngest line whispering among themselves behind us.

“Wow, so reassuring. Even hearing it as teammates is satisfying, I wonder what the other side is thinking.”

“They say our family’s little bastard is most reliable when he’s biting others.”

“Hyung, if Eden hyung heard you call him a little bastard, wouldn’t you die?”

“I believe Eden hyung understands metaphors.”

“Out of all the metaphors, you chose little bastard and you might get beaten up for it.”

“I don’t know, I’m a bit scared now and want to take back what I said.”

Those guys really… I can hear everything, you bastards. Are you not thinking anything while witnessing the end of people who badmouth others?

As the KICKS member kept glancing back as if asking for help, the KICKS leader sauntered over.

The KICKS leader, who had been standing with arms crossed looking down at me as I sat slouched with my chin propped up, opened his mouth.

“We’re making a comeback next month. Mid-November. It’s a digital single though.”

“That’s quite too much information. So what?”

“Why, you guys are preparing for activities too. From the looks of it, you’ll probably come out around next month too. Last time our activities overlapped at the tail end so there was no collision, but this time is different.”

Ah, did they comeback in November? I only looked at the January charts next year, so I didn’t know that. Even if I had known, it wouldn’t have mattered much.

My indifferent eyes met with eyes full of malice.

We were pretty close during trainee days, so why did it become like this? I guess I really have no eye for people.

“I’ll properly crush you guys and make you admit with your own mouth that you only made it through luck.”

“Now you’re finally showing your true colors. You must have worked so hard suppressing your true nature while pretending to be friendly all this time. Whether we’re lucky or skilled, you can check the results directly next month, and from now on I’ll kill you if you talk to me, so know that.”

[Threatening language containing prohibited words detected.]

[Initial Intentions -2]

I was grinning and using extremely formal sarcastic language until the end, but when my Initial Intentions got deducted and pain rushed in, I wiped the expression off my face completely.

“Hey, I’m giving you 10 seconds. Get lost.”

When I growled with my voice lowered threateningly, the KICKS guys turned around, trying not to look rushed while salvaging their last bit of pride.

[Profanity detected.]

[Initial Intentions -2]

I grimaced sharply at the pain rushing in once again.

Damn, every time I meet those guys, my Initial Intentions get deducted by 2 points at once. At least with Seo Yehyeon it’s only 1 point per deduction.

How could I not use profanity when dealing with guys like that?

“Why do they keep poking at someone who’s just sitting quietly? Making people lose their temper?”

“They were always like that. They just pick and choose who to do it to, so the old you didn’t know.”

“Those damn bastards are saying I’ve become easy prey now?”

As the furrow in my brow deepened, Ryu Jaehee muttered gloomily.

“KICKS should have seen that expression…”

At the stinging gaze I’d been feeling, I adjusted my chin prop and raised an eyebrow.

“What, why are you looking at me like that? Thinking about the legendary good-natured group that almost came to be again?”

At that question, Seo Yehyeon shook his head briefly.

“I was just thinking that you do speak relatively gently to me.”

“That’s right. If I talked to hyung like I did to those bastards earlier, you’d obviously cut off conversation with me and live pretending not to see me.”

“You think everyone has cookie-crumb mentality.”

Yeah, that’s from experience.

Soon the performance rehearsal began. We checked our stage costumes, hair, makeup again and tested our in-ear monitors.

I slipped out of the waiting room to watch Adora, who had taken formation on stage. Yuan’s spot was still empty.

The Adora managers were huddled together whispering among themselves under the stage, then one of them approached Manager Hyung.

“Excuse me, the person who was dancing Yuan’s parts from below during the stage blocking check – would it be okay to put him on stage briefly during rehearsal?”

“Huh? Who was dancing…?”

Since this happened when Manager Hyung was away, he looked back at us to get an explanation of what was going on.

Manager Hyung was speechless when he made eye contact with Kim Dobin, who couldn’t look more eager.

“Me!”

The Adora manager’s expression brightened when he spotted Kim Dobin raising his hand enthusiastically.

“Yes, that’s him. Well, Yuan is running a bit late due to a personal schedule, and the other members are complaining that the blocking doesn’t work well when they rehearse with her spot empty… so they told me to bring that kid who was dancing below the stage earlier…”

While the Adora manager gave a lengthy explanation, Kim Dobin was pressuring our Manager Hyung with his eyes to quickly agree.

As soon as Manager Hyung nodded, I grabbed Kim Dobin’s arm as he was about to quickly follow the Adora manager.

“Doby, if you try anything like getting phone numbers, you die and I die. Got it?”

“Yes!”

As I gripped his shoulders with both hands and emphasized it grimly, Kim Dobin broke out in cold sweat and desperately nodded his head.

Like a puppy that had fallen for the temptation of being given food, Kim Dobin followed behind Adora’s manager with eager steps…

“Why does his face look like that?”

“He looks like he’s about to explode. Why is he so red?”

“I wonder if it was really the right choice to let Dobin hyung perform on that stage. Looking at his state right now, I don’t think he’ll even remember the choreography.”

“At least we don’t have to worry about any scandals.”

He had watched the choreography video once on Adora’s manager’s cell phone below the stage, and now he was on stage listening to the Adora members explain the positioning.

With his face red as if it might burst, his body stiff as a board.

“What if he acts like that in front of other girl groups too?”

“Eden, what’s with calling your own teammate ‘that thing’?”

“Fine. I’ll call him ‘that guy’ from now on.”

“When I saw him at music shows before, he was fine in front of other girl groups. He only acts like this in front of Adora seniors.”

Seeing him like that, I suddenly regretted sending him to the rehearsal stage.

“Damn, that guy… I mean, he’s not going to go crazy and suddenly confess or do something insane like that, right?”

“Come on, the way I look at Seo Raon senior is probably the same as how Dobin hyung looks at Adora seniors. I know pretty well since we’re roommates.”

“How would I know how you look at Seo Raon senior?”

At that casually thrown remark, Ryu Jaehee gave a clear and clean answer.

“You don’t see an idol as the opposite sex.”

As Kim Dobin took his position in the formation after memorizing all the positioning, a bouncy and cheerful melody rang out.

As if he had never been stiffly nervous, Kim Dobin was pulling off the fresh choreography with a bright smile, and Ryu Jaehee, who was standing next to me, was capturing it all on his cell phone camera while holding his stomach and laughing.

“Pfft, did that hyung swallow Yuan senior whole? He’s even reproducing her facial expressions perfectly.”

I also took out my cell phone to film him naturally moving through the positioning and matching the choreography as if he had originally been an Adora member, narrowing my eyes.

“Why does he seem more excited than when he performs our stages?”

Recalling that I hadn’t attended this event in the first round, I just let out a wry smile.

Seriously, isn’t Kim Dobin that guy receiving the most benefits from my regression?

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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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