A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 313

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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 313

“Why, because of the influx of fans?”

When I replied casually, Ryu Jaehee showed a surprised expression and blinked his eyes.

What, dude. Why are you looking at me like that. Don’t you know the saying that even a dog at a village school can recite poetry after three years?

And from my experience before regression, I knew very well how unhelpful it was when only a specific member received attention.

For both the fandom and the group.

Even if this time the one receiving attention would be me instead of Seo Yehyeon, I didn’t want that pattern to repeat.

Especially after seeing Ryu Jaehee’s declining confidence in his own abilities, which was no different from my past self.

“Since the fans who came in through DTB didn’t come to see our group but came to see me, they’ll naturally focus more on me than the group.”

“Then conflict within the fandom is inevitable, and if the core fans leave due to increased fatigue from that conflict, there’s nothing good about it. The individual fans and general public fans who flowed in can leave anytime when a new issue arises.”

Since I had anticipated that much, I drastically reduced my parts in this comeback song and increased the vocal portions.

Not only that, but I put my heart and soul into Seo Yehyeon’s parts. So they would leave an even deeper impression than my own parts.

Anyway, since we’re making a comeback within a month after DTB ends, DTB’s firepower won’t have died down yet. There’s also the DTB 4 concert at the end of the year, and several rappers have already started gaining attention.

That firepower will carry over directly to the comeback of the group that the winner, who maintained his identity as an idol rapper, belongs to.

Within that attention pouring onto us, I’ll imprint not ‘Yoon Eden’ of Rev but Yoon Eden of ‘Rev’. That was my goal for this comeback.

“You asked why my parts in this song were so short, right? This is my answer. It’s a temporary measure for now, though.”

While all the members’ names went into the lyric writing and composition credits, producing was entirely my domain. Just showing through the song parts the metaphor that I don’t want attention concentrated only on me was sufficient as a temporary measure.

“Who are you…?”

Ryu Jaehee blinked his eyes a couple more times and asked cautiously.

“This is driving me crazy. Why are you doing that again?”

“Our Eden hyung isn’t someone this delicate and sharp-minded. You’re usually the type who outsources intelligence work to me.”

At that ridiculous answer, I wrapped my arms around Ryu Jaehee’s neck and gave him a light neck massage while grumbling.

“Why do our members always suspect that a perfectly normal person is possessed by a ghost?”

Well, I can’t really say anything since I once treated Seo Yehyeon like a ghost for staying awake at night instead of sleeping.

“I do use my brain to live, you know.”

To stop infinite regression, at least this much brain work is necessary.

“Still, the attention hyung gained from DTB isn’t all poison. You clearly showed your idol-like side on the final stage too.”

“The final… I’m starting to regret whether I shouldn’t have given the featuring to Juni.”

I glanced at Gyeon Hajun’s slightly open private room door and continued speaking calmly.

“I feel like I only made that guy’s skills get undermined because of me. The premise of hip hop was wrong from the start. That wasn’t hip hop, it was an idol unit song.”

From the beginning, that wasn’t hip hop. It was just a stage to nail down my identity as an idol rapper.

This was also a device to block the DTB influx individual fans who kept shouting about hip hop. Just looking at the YouTube comments, it seemed to be filtering them out sufficiently, so I was relieved.

Though I didn’t know they would turn their arrows toward Gyeon Hajun instead of me.

“I do regret making him hear unnecessary words because of that, but looking at just the stage itself and just the song’s completion, I absolutely don’t regret it.”

I raised my voice slightly. So that it could be adequately heard beyond the door that wasn’t completely closed.

“Rather, if it hadn’t been a stage I did together with Juni, that would have remained a lifelong regret. Your first hip hop survival final stage only happens once in a lifetime.”

DTB will easily continue for another 4 years from now on.

I laughed briefly and whispered urgently in Ryu Jaehee’s ear.

“Hey hey, Jaehee. This should have been enough for Juni to hear too, right?”

“More than enough. It would have been sufficient even if you lowered it by one decibel. But why don’t you just tell Hajun hyung directly? What’s the reason for putting me in the middle…?”

“Hey, this feels more sincere. It’s not some sugar-coated consideration to lighten your heart, but my true feelings that I’ve been keeping inside, you know?”

“Your directing skills have been improving month by month since DTB.”

Okay, this prevented Gyeon Hajun from unnecessarily burdening his heart and digging tunnels. Now let’s figure out what exactly caused the relationship improvement to drop by 1.

* * *

“Yeonho hyung, do your eyes hurt?”

At the Altair member’s cautious question, Cha Yeonho removed the ice pack wrapped in a towel that had been covering his eyes and smiled nonchalantly.

“No, I just watched a sad YouTube video last night before sleeping, so they’re swollen.”

“My goodness, to think Yeonho hyung would cry watching sad videos.”

The member who had been covering his mouth in mock surprise slowly lowered his hand and spoke.

“If something’s wrong, at least tell Jeongjun hyung. Everyone’s been worried because you’ve looked really bad lately.”

At the serious voice, Cha Yeonho nodded outwardly but inwardly let out a misdirected sneer. Even if he told the members, who among them could solve this?

Ah, he had tried going crazy and confessing to the members once.

Those worried gazes that looked at him then. Those voices that asked if he’d been struggling a lot and recommended rest, psychiatric counseling.

What Cha Yeonho needed then wasn’t warm concern and comfort, but simply belief.

After that confession, Cha Yeonho never again told the members about the danger level system’s existence, about his regression.

Cha Yeonho let out a deep sigh and placed the ice pack back on his eyelids.

While DTB 4 was airing, the danger level fluctuated, causing his vision to turn red and return to normal repeatedly.

Perhaps because his vision kept changing colors so rapidly, he felt phantom pain as if his eyes were burning. The ice pack was a remedy for that.

No matter how many times he went to the ophthalmology clinic or got brain MRIs, they all came back saying everything was perfectly normal.

Since Yoon Eden was doing so well on DTB, it was natural for the danger level to rise. But what was the reason for the danger level dropping, and what caused it to rise again?

And…

‘Just who is Rev’s regressor?’

In Cha Yeonho’s earliest remembered life, except for when Rev, who had been a nobody group, rose to a second-tier group through a single fancam, the other five cycles were all similar.

They would briefly gain attention with good songs composed by Yoon Eden, then after Eden stopped composing and producing, they’d suffer from rumors of discord between members and end with Yoon Eden’s departure.

The particularly notable songs were hit songs composed by Yoon Eden from the first cycle that he remembered. The problem was they weren’t Rev’s songs but ones sold elsewhere.

Moreover, Cha Yeonho’s regression always occurred after Yoon Eden’s departure. Whether Altair was destroyed by Yoon Eden or not, he consistently regressed within a month after Eden’s departure.

But to point to Yoon Eden as the regressor based on just that clue was difficult, as Eden had always been consistent.

What changed from the first cycle were only Rev’s early debut songs, that was all.

So Cha Yeonho thought those five worlds weren’t due to a regressor’s intervention, but just Rev’s brief stroke of luck that happened to settle in a twisted world while remaining twisted.

But now?

Ryu Jaehee, who brought down the perpetrators who almost debuted through TK Survival and cleared the disgrace that had been placed on him; Gyeon Hajun, who hadn’t yet turned to acting; Yoon Eden, who produced songs never heard in the past six cycles and appeared on DTB, which he’d never been on before, achieving great success; Seo Yehyeon, who didn’t challenge acting and thus didn’t earn the nickname of bad acting or update his embarrassing history.

More than one or two members had changed. Not only each individual member, but the group’s atmosphere had also changed incomparably from before.

This clearly meant someone’s intervention had occurred.

‘At least it’s definitely not Yoon Eden.’

He had long since eliminated Eden from his list of regressor suspects after their earlier incident, but seeing his appearance on DTB added another layer of certainty to that conviction.

DTB 4 was a program that Cha Yeonho had also watched before his regression.

If Yoon Eden’s appearance there had been about cleverly using changed rules to maximize attention toward himself, he might have been suspicious.

No matter how much a helper might have informed him, Cha Yeonho could sufficiently distinguish between following instructions and acting on one’s own calculations.

But the appearance of Yoon Eden that I saw on DTB 4 was pure wide-area aggro itself. There wasn’t a single trace of him using the rules—it was 100% pure aggro that would have worked in any season.

‘No, wait. If they weren’t going to tell him about the changed rules, then what was Rev’s regressor’s reason for sending Yoon Eden to DTB?’

To be honest, DTB carried too much risk that could easily backfire. Especially for an underground idol rapper with high pride like Yoon Eden.

And based on Yoon Eden’s behavior up to this point that he remembered, Yoon Eden was more likely to bear that risk completely.

If Rev’s regressor was capable of changing so many things, they wouldn’t have deliberately pushed Yoon Eden into that risk.

But Yoon Eden did appear on DTB, and with his shocking demonic star quality, he gained quite a lot from DTB.

But to say that he himself had regressed…

Cha Yeonho quickly shook his head as he recalled that crazy bastard who launched confession attacks, came out wearing crop tops and mountain club president looks, and delivered DTB disses on DTB.

Could that kind of thinking come from a regressor’s head who knew the rules of DTB 4? It wasn’t just taking a long detour—it was like rolling sideways through a thorny path.

While suspecting the three people who had shown changed behavior, the one person Cha Yeonho hadn’t suspected along with Yoon Eden came to mind.

And that person was the only one who hadn’t changed much. If he had to pick one thing, it would be getting cast as a regular member on the travel variety show?

What if he was thoroughly hiding it to avoid suspicion…? What if that frustratingly dense behavior was all an act under thorough calculation?

Cha Yeonho’s paranoia began to flare up again.

This was supposed to be the last time. There would be no more regressions.

Cha Yeonho felt both worried and excited about whether he could finally find the meaning of this regression and the meaning of the danger level this time.

* * *

“Damn, someone must be talking about me.”

I grumbled while picking my ear with my pinky finger.

“Whoa, someone must be talking about me too.”

Kim Dobin also picked his ear and nodded enthusiastically. Who the hell is talking about me and Kim Dobin together?

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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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