A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 469
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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 469
We stood at a crossroads between achieving another triple crown record or being satisfied with just one triple crown from our second full album activities.
And we.
Rev.
“Live broadcast Popular Music! The first place winner for the fourth week of August is…! Congratulations, Rev!”
Successfully achieved another triple crown by perfectly surpassing Altair.
As soon as the first place announcement ended, Ryu Jaehee, who had been desperately holding back tears with reddened eyes, rushed over and hugged Kim Dobin, who was closest to him while still holding the MC cue sheet.
Kim Dobin, who would normally have been jumping around shamelessly, was also feeling the weight of today’s first place win and was patting Ryu Jaehee’s back, sharing the overwhelming joy in a much more mature way.
I roughly shoved the bouquet and trophy to Seo Yehyeon under the pretext of practicing for award ceremony acceptance speeches in advance and took the microphone.
“I’m grateful that we can decorate the end of our activities so gloriously like this, and I want to express my gratitude to our members who followed along well, all the LnL agency staff who helped us a lot, the A&R team and stylist teams who really worked hard with me, Manager Hyung, and everyone else who helped us with these activities. Finally, Daydream, let’s meet again. Thank you!”
After finishing the final encore stage and coming down from the stage, I asked Gyeon Hajun.
“Jun, do you remember anything from the first place acceptance speech I just gave? Something impressive.”
“No? It seemed just like usual?”
“Damn it! How much more impressive do you want me to make it here!”
“Is there a reason you’re obsessing over making award ceremony acceptance speeches impressive?”
Even Gyeon Hajun thought I was being excessive.
If only Gyeon Hajun could live just one day with my vocal skills for the sole reason of not giving an impressive acceptance speech, he’d understand me right away through role reversal. It was truly regrettable that I couldn’t let Gyeon Hajun taste the system’s extreme cruelty.
But setting aside the damn penalty… it’s my first grand prize. Even without the penalty, I was naturally greedy for it.
Yes, may my first grand prize acceptance speech be remembered for a long time.
“Congratulations on first place.”
Cha Yeonho, who greeted me with congratulations when we met in the hallway, had quite a calm expression.
There was a disconnect from his behavior in previous activities after regression when he tried to step on Rev’s growth, and even before regression when rumors circulated that he was stepping on Rising, so when I slowly blinked, Cha Yeonho let out a short chuckle and added.
“Back then, I only knew that if we were broken, that thing would rise.”
That thing?
“Stress?”
“Danger level, danger level, you bastard.”
Cha Yeonho gritted his teeth and muttered in the lowest voice possible so no one would hear.
“Even if it’s not just for that reason… how many seniors would willingly accept being beaten by juniors.”
Is that so? Unfortunately, I had been beaten so much before regression that I didn’t think much of it.
Some even beat Rev with songs I composed. I got a lot of criticism for that too.
“Then how about now?”
“I’m fine, as you can see. The numbers didn’t even go up.”
Cha Yeonho replied with a cynical face and frowned as he added.
“Though I don’t know what the ulterior motive is.”
“It probably judged there’s nothing more to squeeze out. Now that you’ve figured out the mechanism, Senior.”
Cha Yeonho stared at me intently at the words that came out without me realizing. Just as I frowned deeply, thinking he might interrogate me annoyingly again, Cha Yeonho asked quietly.
“Hey, Yoon Eden. Do you happen to remember Altair’s car accident that happens next year?”
“A little. I don’t remember it well since I wasn’t particularly interested.”
“The member who was in a coma, was it Won Taehyeok?”
“Probably.”
“Not probably, it needs to be certain. Right?”
“Won Taehyeok is right. I remember seeing it in news articles. Why, can’t you change the car accident from happening?”
“I can change it. I have changed it. I just don’t plan to change it this time.”
Cha Yeonho replied with a hardened face, then put on a mask-like smile as if nothing had happened.
“Anyway, this song was good. How great it would have been if Jeongjun resembled even half of you.”
But the bitterness that came through at the end of his words, whether sincere or not, couldn’t be hidden. Listening to Cha Yeonho’s words, I suddenly had this thought.
If Gyeon Hajun had held onto me until the end like Cha Yeonho who doesn’t let go of KJ despite all that craziness, would thirty-year-old me not have collapsed so completely in that slump?
* * *
Finally, this year’s activities that continued breathlessly with the second full album and repackage album came to an end, achieving Rev’s best activity record ever.
My birthday and Rev’s 4th anniversary debut day, which we celebrated during the repackage activities, were quite impressive when I looked back after finishing the breathless race.
One was my birthday advertisement appearing on the New York Times Square billboard beyond just subway stations. It was quite regrettable that I couldn’t go to New York to take verification shots with the billboard because of our fairly packed schedule during activities.
Honestly, receiving birthday congratulations through large subway billboards was already amazing since it was my first time, but the New York Times Square large billboard!
Just like before regression when only Seo Yehyeon’s face seemed to be on large billboards day and night, this time too Seo Yehyeon appeared on the New York Times Square billboard before me.
The difference was that Seo Yehyeon appeared in a luxury brand advertisement while I appeared in a birthday congratulations advertisement?
Since I had announced beforehand that I wouldn’t accept gifts, there was nothing sent to me personally, but it was truly an amazing best birthday gift.
By the way, Jiwon Hyung gave me a birthday gift by upgrading one of my studio equipment to the latest model again. It’s now become an almost implicit promise that we don’t replace equipment even when new models come out, so we can upgrade each other’s composing equipment to the latest models for birthdays.
Yongcheol Hyung didn’t forget my birthday congratulations even while busy with DTB 5 filming. The limited edition sneakers Yongcheol Hyung sent as a birthday gift proudly occupied the top spot in my collection.
We celebrated our 4th anniversary debut day first with fans who came to watch the early morning music show pre-recording. We prayed so much among ourselves for first place this time so we could do an encore stage.
And we safely won first place and sang with modified lyrics as Rev’s 4th anniversary birthday song during the encore stage.
Of course, since I was the only one with the ability to modify and sing lyrics on the spot, I had the members practice the modified lyrics for the encore stage in advance.
After the music show recording ended, we went straight to the studio and sang it once more for Daydream in a band version during our 4th anniversary commemorative live broadcast.
Dorothy, who always handled our cakes because she was near the LnL building and has now become our regular supplier, has reached the level where she can perfectly recreate the back view of Rev’s five members and dawn sky gradation background on cakes.
When the 4th anniversary cake was revealed, the chat was filled with cake talk for a while. It was truly remarkable progress compared to the early 60th birthday party cake.
On the final music show day, the agency held a big company dinner.
We achieved the biggest career high of all our activities so far, and us from LnL, which was truly “From the bottom,” beating idols from major agency Shinwol must have great meaning for the agency too.
“We are!”
“Someone else!”
A resounding toast echoed through the barbecue restaurant.
At our table, I kept making bomb shots non-stop for the CEO who was sniffling with teary eyes saying that thanks to us, such days have come. I thought it would be better for him to act like that while drunk rather than sober.
“It feels strange drinking together like this. I feel like I should snatch drinks away from the Youngest Line right now.”
Seo Yehyeon muttered while chewing carrot sticks without ssamjang.
Gyeon Hajun, who had turned his glass upside down saying he absolutely hated getting drunk after one bomb shot, nodded in agreement while snatching the drink from Kim Dobin who had taken a sip of beer.
Seeing the Youngest Line members who had to sip only soft drinks at the first company dinner now tilting their glasses made me feel how fleeting time is.
CEO Kim Nodam, who seemed to be getting tipsy from the bomb shots handed to him repeatedly, wiped his teary eyes once more and said to us.
“My kids! You’ve worked hard under an incompetent CEO!”
The words “We know” rose to my throat, but I held back for the sake of work life.
“Hey, if the CEO would just give up that damn universe worldview obsession, we’d be halfway there.”
But I still had to say this. Since he came to his senses and stopped the networking management, there’s nothing particular to say at this point.
When the tipsy CEO excitedly ordered 5 more servings of Korean beef for our table, Seo Yehyeon nudged me with his elbow and pointed at the bomb shot.
He meant to keep making bomb shots to send the CEO away quickly before the kids eat more meat and gain weight.
* * *
And what awaited us after the company dinner ended.
“2-week vacation!”
I know that after the vacation ends, we’ll have to start preparing in earnest for the North American tour concert in mid-October, so another tough schedule awaits, but still, taking a 2-week break is better than not resting at all.
“What is everyone planning to do during vacation?”
At Ryu Jaehee’s question, I roughly organized the already scheduled plans by counting on my fingers.
“Meet friends, meet Crew Hyungs, meet DTB Hyungs, briefly stop by home to see Podo. Wow, a week will pass by quickly like this?”
Just showing up to all the appointments I made to meet after activities ended would easily take a week. But I can’t unilaterally break appointments just because I’m tired. Maintaining human relationships isn’t easy.
“Then how about we each do what we want for a week, and take a group trip somewhere for the remaining week?”
Everyone threw in a comment at Ryu Jaehee’s suggestion.
“Everything’s fine but let’s skip Hawaii.”
“Somewhere we don’t take planes! Somewhere we don’t transfer four times!” “Then we’d have to go domestic, right?”
“The valley we went to last time was nice. The one with Dobin’s Aunt’s pension.”
“It’s late August but it’s still hot, so that might be good too?”
“Of course, even if they told us to go, we wouldn’t, but they demolished it so we can’t go even if we wanted to. The shaman from 【Catch! Exorcist】 kept calling Aunt saying if she didn’t want the hassle of guests dying left and right, she should tear it down, so she just demolished it.”
Since no one was thinking of offering opinions and everyone was just passing the buck telling each other to come up with ideas, Seo Yehyeon, who ended up taking charge, finally raised his cell phone screen and shouted.
“Everyone pay attention! How about here?”
I narrowed my eyes looking at what appeared on the phone screen. Are you serious…?
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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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