A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 382

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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 Original Intent Episode 382

‘Wow… he could smile like this too.’

The homma who had been blankly staring at Yoon Eden’s smile captured on camera reflexively let out a cheer and snapped her head up at the beat that hit her ears.

The intro that followed 【Ride or Die】 was a melody and beat familiar to fans’ ears but unfamiliar to those who weren’t fans.

【Start Again】 from the 4th mini album [Attention], which had competed with 【Ride or Die】 for the title track position.

Waaaah-

Although it wasn’t a reverse-charting song, this intense electronic dance track with its powerful beat played a major role in explosively raising the stage atmosphere that had heated up with the heavy bass-based EDM of 【Ride or Die】, properly igniting the concert hall’s energy.

Unlike 【Ride or Die】 which had leisurely and slow gesture-like choreography, 【Start Again】’s choreography was sharp and powerful group dance.

Since it was a song that had only been performed twice – once at a concert and once during the first week of comeback – encountering it in an unexpected place made it even more welcome from a fan’s perspective.

Unlike the previous song’s stage where focus was on the music, this song’s stage had backup dancers joining to fill the stage, drawing attention to the performance.

The melody that caught the ear on first listen and the addictive, easy-to-follow hook that quickly became familiar enough to hum along to the chorus also helped with stage immersion.

Even without her bias lens, the homma captured someone who caught her eye after Yoon Eden, who had overwhelming stage presence, and Kim Dobin, who grabbed attention with his dance lines as the team’s main dancer, letting out a plain admiration internally.

‘That guy’s skills have really improved a lot too.’

Seo Yehyeon, who in Rev’s early days had made them known as a group that competed with song quality and live skills despite lacking performance, was now digesting the performance quite smoothly without showing any signs of struggle.

The true ending of the ending stage was occupied by 【Cheongryuga 】, one of this year’s biggest hit songs.

The combination of modern stage costumes, elegant fan props, and fairly disciplined choreography created a stage worth watching.

Seo Yehyeon’s sijo rap that became a hot topic and spawned various covers, contrasted with Yoon Eden’s intense real hip hop rap.

And as if to make them forget the monotonous vocals of the previous two songs, the refreshing high notes delivered by main vocalist Yuje and lead vocalist Gyeon Hajun also played their part. Kim Dobin’s voice supporting those skillful vocals was also stable.

As she was frantically immersed in the stage, the song’s highlight – the final chorus – was already approaching.

Sparks bursting like fountains from the sparkle machine and confetti fluttering from the ceiling gorgeously decorated the finale.

Like this, Rev perfectly proved before the many audience members filling the seats and the viewers watching WAMA on TV that they were fully qualified to stand on the ending stage.

The homma captured in her camera Yoon Eden taking the ending pose covering his mouth with an opened fan, then subtly fanning away the confetti flying toward his face, and as soon as Rev returned backstage, she hurriedly packed her things.

She was quite curious about the reaction when she uploaded today’s preview.

* * *

“Hyung, did you hear the 【Ride or Die】 group singing and response?”

Ryu Jaehee, still carrying the heat of the stage with his sweat-drenched, flushed face, asked me as soon as he came down from the stage.

If Ryu Jaehee hadn’t given me the hint to take out my in-ear, I probably would have come down from today’s ending stage – my first time standing on one throughout both before and after regression – without hearing it.

But thanks to that, today’s stage could have one more meaning added to it.

“See, I told you it wasn’t a failed song.”

I lightly patted Ryu Jaehee’s back and grinned. Ryu Jaehee stuck out his tongue and grumbled.

“You’re saying the words I wanted to say to you yourself, hyung.”

“You have to realize it yourself – what’s the use if others tell you a hundred times but it doesn’t resonate with you personally?”

I replied with a voice tinged with laughter while receiving a towel and shaking off my hair soaked with sweat. Seo Yehyeon, who had been constantly fanning his sweat-drenched face with the prop fan, asked.

“You suddenly took out your in-ear – was it because of that?”

“Ah, I took mine out because there was an audio transmission problem. But then I happened to hear the group singing, so I thought, ah, I should let Eden hyung hear this.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

I lightly ruffled Ryu Jaehee’s hair with the towel hanging around my neck. Feeling the dampness, Ryu Jaehee immediately pulled his neck back to avoid my touch.

“Ugh, hyung! With the towel you wiped your sweat with!”

“Are you Yehyeon hyung? Since when were you such a neat freak?”

When I grumbled while putting the towel back around my neck, Seo Yehyeon got indignant asking why I was bringing him into this. Even when I call him neat, he makes a fuss.

“I hope we can stand at the ending next year too. Even if it’s not necessarily WAMA.”

Gyeon Hajun muttered while looking around the stage with a face full of lingering attachment. At those words, Ryu Jaehee and Seo Yehyeon, who were similarly looking around the stage, also showed hints of regret on their faces.

Kim Dobin replied jokingly while taking out his in-ear monitor.

“Honestly, that’s only possible if we transfer to a major agency…”

“You usually talk nonsense and think random thoughts just fine, so why are you being uselessly realistic only at times like this?”

When I clicked my tongue, Kim Dobin made excuses saying he was trying to follow hyung’s way of thinking for once. Ryu Jaehee giggled and added.

“Or maybe someone could go on a Dub Net variety show next year like Eden hyung and become Dub Net’s son. That would pretty much guarantee a WAMA ending stage.”

“To explode with as much potential as Yoon Eden, you’d probably need to go on a survival show.”

“Yehyeon hyung, let’s go on DTB Season 5.”

“Why are you doing this to me? I’d be eliminated in the first round of preliminaries. Are you planning to make that dark history preserved forever?”

The idol rappers who appeared in Season 4 only to have their dark history preserved seemed to have served as excellent negative examples for Seo Yehyeon.

“Like Conan’s bow tie, we attach an audio microphone behind a choker so Eden hyung raps with Yehyeon hyung’s voice, and Yehyeon hyung just lip-syncs.”

…What is he talking about? What’s Conan’s bow tie? Without even noticing that everyone was looking at him with confused faces, Kim Dobin continued excitedly spouting nonsense. He looked like an otaku getting excited alone because his area of expertise came up.

“Then we might be able to attract quite a bit of attention, even if not Eden hyung level? Eden hyung level aggro is probably impossible through effort alone.”

“Do we really need to go that far…? Wouldn’t it be easier for us to win the grand prize twice than for me to become the DTB Season 5 winner like that?”

Seo Yehyeon asked back with a reluctant face. But Kim Dobin poked Seo Yehyeon asking why he was taking it so seriously, making only Seo Yehyeon look like he was being overly serious with his laughter.

“Let’s try being a small company miracle once.”

I said while putting my arm around Gyeon Hajun’s shoulder, half joking and half sincere.

Let’s try winning the grand prize, taking the ending stage by beating major agency idols, and realizing all the envy and regret I harbored in one corner of my heart while watching those who held those positions before my regression.

What was an impossible dream then is now a sufficiently possible reality.

While waiting for the flight back to Korea from Hong Kong, I searched my name for a Search Quest.

Scrolling down a bit, a preview taken at WAMA immediately appeared.

EDEN81 @EDEN0801

20xx1222 WAMA

Preview #Eden

#Rev #REVE #EDEN

(yoon_eden_smiling_with_in-ear_removed.jpg)

Share 3501 Quote 97 Like 13.3k

Since the moment I took out my in-ear monitor and smiled was only for one moment during one song, it was easy to deduce when this photo was taken.

Did I really smile with this expression while listening to the group chant on stage?

Looking at my face that somehow felt unfamiliar, I chuckled and saved the photo. It seemed like it wouldn’t be bad to recall this moment whenever I doubt my music.

* * *

After finishing WAMA and then the Music Awards held on Christmas, four days remained until the new year.

Fortunately, this year KICKS withdrew from the award ceremony, so the collaboration stage that was only announced for the Music Awards was canceled, meaning we didn’t have to extend our practice time.

It was unexpected that they gave us enough time to perform both 【Ride or Die】 and 【Cheongryuga】 in full instead of cutting them down to just the first verse. Thanks to that, we were able to put together a good stage with the songs we released this year.

Our performance order wasn’t the ending, but it was the stage right before the ending. As always, the Music Awards ending was taken by a TK-affiliated idol group.

It did feel strange that all five of us stayed until close to midnight without anyone leaving early.

Two years ago there were two empty seats, and last year there was one empty seat. I guess it really hit me that we’d become a group where everyone was an adult.

January of the new year was gradually approaching.

Which meant that the D-Day for reaching 100 in relationship improvement with Ryu Jaehee was also not far away.

[▶Relationship Improvement with Members

-Seo Yehyeon (100%)

-Gyeon Hajun (100%)

-Kim Dobin (100%)

-Ryu Jaehee (99%)]

Even when I checked with a glimmer of hope that maybe it had reached 100 while we were spending time like this, the number still remained stuck at 99.

If I couldn’t reach 100 with all four of them and regressed to our debut days thinking ‘Ah, I’m screwed,’ at least that wouldn’t be unfair.

But having to go back to our debut days and repeat this whole thing just because the relationship improvement with exactly one person – a relationship improvement that had once reached 100 – was short by exactly 1 point, wouldn’t that be too unfair?

What if I don’t even know the cause and end up in infinite regression?

Just imagining it sent chills down my spine.

I had almost forgotten since my Initial Heart Points weren’t being deducted unless I intentionally caused it lately, the system had become much more lenient, and it was responding to my inquiries diligently, but the essence of this system was quite ruthless.

It really makes you achieve a true “From the bottom,” you know? Those rappers who shout about “From the bottom” should all experience this system once to really pack their lyrics with authenticity.

I knew well that this infinite regression wasn’t just an empty threat, having directly experienced the pain twice myself.

Then there was only one method left.

“Jaehee, do you have some complaint about me that you haven’t been able to tell me?”

Since I couldn’t find the answer from myself, I had no choice but to ask the other person directly.

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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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