A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 433

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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 433

That’s right.

Of course, even calling it a showcase, it was just gathering reporters and fans to present this album’s performance stages, communicate through simple Q&A, and introduce the album and songs.

But we’ve only done music video reactions and simple album introductions through OA live broadcasts until now. So it’s bound to be unfamiliar to our members.

There are quite a few things I’m letting the members experience for the first time with this regular 2nd album.

The album planning method, the showcase, and experiencing other producers’ producing too.

If I had to define it, a showcase is different from concerts or fan meetings and has much less time and burden – it’s a ‘venue for introducing and promoting new songs’ in front of reporters and fans. Honestly, at this point in our careers, it wasn’t something to be nervous about.

I have memories of experiencing it a few times before regression too. That doesn’t mean before regression was better than after regression though.

Did we do it when we had a bit more experience than now back then? Maybe because quite some time has passed, these trivial memories were hazy.

Still, maybe there’s tension that comes with the word ‘first time’ – the other members all prepared for the showcase as intensively as a concert.

“It’s been almost half a year since our comeback, but why does it feel like the gap was short? Wasn’t our ‘Mongyu Byeolgok’ activity in October last year?”

Seo Yehyeon muttered while lying down. Until last week, he was obsessively watching choreography videos even during break time, but seeing him looking up at empty space without his phone, it seems he’s now relieved that he’s perfectly mastered the choreography.

Seeing that appearance look quite admirable rather than annoyingly like a thorn in my eye, it seems I’ve gotten psychologically quite close to Seo Yehyeon after all.

“That means hyung-nim worked his ass off, no, worked extremely hard. Even if not as much as me, you seem to have suffered quite a bit, so this younger brother is truly happy.”

“Wow, what kind of Nolbu mentality is this? You’re happy that a teammate suffered?”

“Of course I’m happy. If only hyung-nim had it easy enough to feel time pass slowly while I suffered, I would have been so resentful I almost made you work without guide recordings next recording session, but now I don’t have to.”

“Try substituting Hajun for me. Would you still be happy?”

“Hmm, that’s a bit…”

I stretched out my arm and lightly caught the half-empty water bottle that Seo Yehyeon threw at me from mid-air. Since it was thrown to fall in front of me rather than at my body anyway, I wasn’t particularly offended.

“But really, time went by especially fast this time, you know? Why is that? We had a whole 6 months, but even the preparation time seemed tight?”

“Isn’t it just because Yehyeon hyung’s parts increased?”

Ryu Jaehee hit the nail on the head.

Seo Yehyeon’s parts increased significantly compared to before.

Even during the 【Reverse】 incident when there was chaos over the music leak, Seo Yehyeon’s individual fans who were beating me up over part distribution would probably ascend to heaven crying tears of joy if they heard this song.

The fact that Seo Yehyeon’s voice suited this song much better than mine played a part in significantly increasing Seo Yehyeon’s part distribution.

While I can freely twist my rap style, pitch can only be fixed mechanically. And mechanical sounds didn’t particularly suit this song.

And now that I know how to handle Seo Yehyeon’s rap skills that I thought were hopeless, there was no need for me to take up most of the rap parts, so increasing Seo Yehyeon’s part distribution was natural in a way.

Honestly, it was true that Seo Yehyeon’s parts had been small until now.

The reason I maintained Seo Yehyeon’s part distribution like that until now was for the song’s quality, not because I had any personal grudge against Seo Yehyeon. Since there was no problem with quality – no, since we could actually improve quality – there was no need or reason to keep maintaining it.

Since I distributed based on thorough merit-based principles, now that his skills improved, I had to increase his parts too – what else could I do?

I had also done plenty until now, so I wasn’t particularly sorry about my parts decreasing.

Of course, 80% of Seo Yehyeon’s skill improvement was my contribution.

I’d give Seo Yehyeon some credit for practicing according to my guide, but still, my contribution was much greater for understanding Seo Yehyeon’s struggles and style through putting myself in his shoes.

That’s what I thought anyway. Seo Yehyeon probably thinks the same. Would Seo that shameless guy claim 80% was his own contribution?

When I looked at him with a benevolent smile, Seo Yehyeon rubbed his arms frantically and shivered, asking why I was looking at him like that. Really.

“How great would it be if all the buzz that hyung and I gained flows into this comeback. Then mainstream appeal would really be a sure thing. I hope we get picked by the public and hit #1 for 14 weeks straight.”

Ryu Jaehee wished with a desperate voice. That would guarantee a grand prize, and we should win a grand prize this time. Of course, I won’t be satisfied with just once.

If we’re going to set records anyway, shouldn’t we set one that’s hard to break up there?

“It’s not like the buzz increased for bad reasons, so now that the song’s out, they’ll at least show interest. That’s why we hit chart positions 1, 2, 3 in a row, right?”

The reason Ryu Jaehee’s buzz increased was because of the relative elevation of the male vocals in the original song of 【Stay】 that he sang with Seo Raon sunbae, but my buzz suddenly increased a lot without releasing songs or appearing on variety shows.

Dumpling wrapper tteokbokki? Tornado omelet? Those dishes weren’t even released under my name, and as always, the making and taste-testing challenges became more famous than the person who made them, and me as the creator was just mentioned as the origin of the trend at most.

Now cooking YouTubers get mentioned more than me.

Well, when they put string cheese, mozzarella cheese, shrimp, all sorts of things inside dumpling wrappers to replace rice cakes and create some Michelin high-class fusion cuisine, there’s no place for torn dumpling wrapper tteokbokki with dog food visuals.

I only get summoned when someone occasionally posts the original saying the end of tuning is stock.

That guy who posted a properly made dumpling wrapper tteokbokki photo in the replies saying our result wasn’t stock but less evolved – may you eat only burst tteokbokki for life.

“Well, our comeback timing was pretty good. Nobody seemed to point that out when we were setting our activity dates, but luck seems to be following us this time.”

“Right. Who knew it would subtly overlap with DTB preliminary dates by just a few days. Eden’s victory in last season is helping us again like this.”

Gyeon Hajun nodded with an agreeing face.

“If Hajun hyung’s drama had aired right on time too, the influx would have been absolutely amazing. What a shame.”

“Well…”

Gyeon Hajun slightly changed the subject. He still didn’t seem confident about the drama’s success.

Originally, it’s more surprising and touching when it hits when you don’t expect it.

Anyway, the reason my buzz increased wasn’t because of that damn cooking variety show that almost gave me the nickname of cooking disaster, but because of 【DROP THE BEAT SEASON 5】.

DTB Season 5’s first preliminary round finally opened.

The announcement was made long ago, and the first preliminary was held two or three days before our pre-release song was announced.

Like when I participated in Season 4, there was quite a buzz about how many preliminary applicants there were and whether any well-known applicants were seen at the preliminary waiting area.

Somehow there seemed to be even more idol rappers than last time, and they made article headlines too. Now quite a few girl group rappers appeared too. I also noticed familiar names I saw last year.

DTB 5 First Preliminary Live Venue, Large Participation of Idol Rappers… Who Will Be the Protagonist to Become the Second Yoon Eden?

-Second Yoon my ass lololololol They’d be pissed even if they looked among underground rappers, but they’re already throwing a fit trying to give our hyung’s junior title to some measly idol rapper fuck lolololol

-So how many underground-origin people are here? They’re bullshitting about second Yoon Eden, but are they even at a level to compare to our hyung?

-Don’t crawl out pretending to be hip-hop for no reason and ruin DTB, please know your place. Are you guys Yoon Eden level?

-Well, they can come out, but if they come out and bury the idol rapper status and evaluation that Yoon Eden raised back into the ground, they’ll get cursed at like hell

-Sigh, DTB became a venue for idol promotion because of Yoon Eden

└?? What’s wrong with our hyung who didn’t let his talent rot as just an idol rapper but descended before us to open the hip-hop renaissance? The problem is the sparrows trying to follow the stork

Younger siblings I didn’t even know existed were excitedly beating up idol rappers who became guys aiming for the second Yoon Eden title for the crime of appearing on DTB later than me, asking how dare they compare themselves to our hyung, but I actually didn’t think much of it.

If I were called the second so-and-so, maybe, but as long as those friends’ skills or character aren’t significantly lacking, I don’t mind others being called the second me, right?

It was natural in a way that I, as last year’s winner and similarly an idol rapper, got dragged out due to the phenomenon of more idol rappers participating than last year.

-One person could come out, don’t be too picky. Hip-hop isn’t some sacred territory, it’s something anyone can access and enjoy, so what’s the big deal?

When I threw in a comment saying let’s be moderate about the overheating atmosphere, replies immediately poured in, so I just deleted it.

Strange, Ryu Jaehee definitely changes the flow with one comment, but why doesn’t it work for me?

Not only that, but there was quite a bit of interest in whether I would indeed take on the role of team producer. The DTB 5 team producers hadn’t been revealed yet.

“Honestly, I didn’t know I’d get dragged out this much just from the first preliminary being held when the broadcast hasn’t even started.”

I replied awkwardly and opened the cap of the bottle Seo Yehyeon threw, drinking the half-remaining water.

“Let’s practice. You know that if we make mistakes at tomorrow’s showcase regardless of buzz or whatever, we’ll ruin the first impression of our regular 2nd album that we show to fans, right?”

Break time must be over too – as I got up while speaking, the members also got up one by one following me.

“Well, articles will come out saying we made mistakes at the showcase.”

“Doby, why are you looking at me while saying that! I don’t make mistakes anymore!”

“No, why are you like that? I was just looking at the hyung next to me since it’s awkward to talk while looking at empty space…”

“Leave it, Doby. Hyung-nim must be really stung. Some past memory must have come back.”

“The sister-in-law trying to stop from the side is more hateful – you adding one more word are the most annoying.”

Oh, it seems everyone’s relaxed enough before going on stage for tomorrow’s showcase, right?

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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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