A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 521

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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 521

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After receiving coaching from Ryu Jaehee, I was just waiting for the moment Parachute would call. My heart was pounding with excitement at the thought of instilling Nunnuni’s lesson into Parachute.

But as they say, even dog shit is nowhere to be found when you need it for medicine – whenever I make plans like this, he ghostly refuses to call.

I guess he realized that constantly pressuring me might backfire?

As I kept glancing at my phone placed next to me while eating, Seo Yehyeon, who was sitting across from me, spoke up.

“Are you performing a ritual for a phone call? One spoonful of rice, one glance at the phone, another spoonful and another glance. Did you lend someone money?”

Seriously, this guy has talent for diss rap too.

“Or maybe Eden hyung started a new mobile game. Maybe he’s waiting so he doesn’t miss the reward time?”

“He must be waiting for some important work-related contact.”

The other members, except for Ryu Jaehee who knew the whole story, chimed in. Only Gyeon Hajun managed to guess the closest reason.

Should I be happy or not that no one even thinks I’m secretly dating?

And at the end of the long wait, the call finally came.

I was really glad, but I suppressed my excited voice and answered Parachute’s call in a calm tone. While listening to his parrot-like demands for another song, I picked at my ear with my pinky finger.

“Hmm… so why should I give you a song under my name again?”

-Are you doing this on purpose, Mr. Yoon Eden?

Oh, of course I’m doing it on purpose, you bastard. Do I look like a goldfish-brained idiot who would forget what you said a week ago?

Even if I’m clueless, my intelligence and memory aren’t lacking, you little shit.

Jung Iseo, who let out a deep sigh, began explaining in a truly gracious and fake tone as if teaching a child.

-I told you enough times. That Gyeon Hajun was isolated in the debut group, and that the debut group members pointed to Gyeon Hajun as one of the four who should leave. If this gets revealed, while it creates an image of Gyeon Hajun having a heartfelt relationship with the other KICKS members as a debut group member, how do you think the public will view Gyeon Hajun who kept his mouth shut?

It was annoying to keep listening, but I endured it. For a decisive blow.

-If you write a song and give it under Yoon Eden’s name, we can end this cleanly. I need to get something in return for keeping quiet too. Or shall we get dragged into a mud fight together? This time, even Yoon Eden won’t be able to stay clean. Does it make sense that you didn’t know your closest friend was being isolated like that?

Fuck, this bastard really knows how to hit where it hurts.

That was something I felt sorry about to Gyeon Hajun, along with the Parachute song incident. If only I had been a little more attentive back then, if only I had looked around more carefully.

Then maybe Gyeon Hajun wouldn’t have been isolated and could have fit in. Though it was a pointless hypothetical to regret now.

Seeing that Gyeon Hajun doesn’t get isolated in Rev, it seems like the KICKS guys were the weird ones. Wait, then what about me who got along well with those weird guys…?

While I was speechless and couldn’t answer.

A hand reached toward the phone screen placed on the sofa armrest and touched the call end button without hesitation.

Gyeon Hajun, with a frown, rarely lost his temper.

“Why are you just listening to that?”

“Well, obviously because I need to record it for blackmail purposes?”

I answered while scratching the back of my head. Fortunately, the blackmail-worthy parts were recorded. I sent a text along with the recording file.

[If you keep threatening me, I’ll have no choice but to threaten to release this]

[CallRecording0215.mp3]

[If this gets released, whose image will look worse?]

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, blackmail for blackmail.

The material Jung Iseo had could certainly be Gyeon Hajun’s weakness, and furthermore mine, but if it became known that he used it to manipulate people and extort what he wanted, well. Would the public still be on your side then? In the first place, Gyeon Hajun got involved in that incident because of the Parachute controversy that you caused?

Now we can finally have a proper conversation. When I showed the text exchange with Jung Iseo, who seemed caught off guard and meekly agreed to me giving him a song under a pseudonym, Gyeon Hajun finally understood the situation and nodded with an embarrassed face.

“It’s not your style, so I never thought of it.”

Of course it’s not my style. It’s Youngest Member coaching. Step 1 complete for now.

If it were my style, I would have already cursed at the phone and gone to grab Parachute by the collar in person.

And because of that, things would have turned infinitely unfavorable for me, and there was a very high probability that only I would bear the loss and it would end ambiguously with neither here nor there. Leaving behind only a very brief moment of satisfaction and self-gratification.

There’s something called the crime of being presumptuous in this world, Parachute.

I’ll make you regret for life why you shamelessly tried to make a comeback with King God General Yoon Eden’s song, beating the ground in anguish.

I’m really confident about that kind of thing. Since Ryu Jaehee helped open the curtain, it was my turn from now on.

“Jun, want to release a solo song in April?”

According to the schedule Parachute just told me, it’s an April comeback, so there was enough time to prepare a digital single for Gyeon Hajun. Actually, not enough, more like a bit tight?

“To prove that I wasn’t pushed out due to lack of skill?”

“No, to vent your anger. You’ve already proven yourself, haven’t you?”

Even while saying that, Gyeon Hajun seemed to not dislike the idea of a simultaneous release with Jung Iseo.

Alright, Gyeon Hajun is okay with it. I immediately called the next guy to drag in.

“Hey, Yunseong. Is a comeback even possible for you guys?”

Even though I just asked plainly, Kwon Yunseong reacted as if I had picked a fight. Our members now automatically understand what my intentions are.

Well, it has been quite a while since I was close with Kwon Yunseong. In the past, I mean before the regression, before I knew these guys talked behind my back, there were times when I was more comfortable with them than with my members…

“Don’t you guys have any plans to make a comeback in April? No, I heard Parachute is also making a comeback then, so I…”

By the way, Parachute dropped that bomb and then terminated his contract, left New Born, and joined a new agency. KICKS was still under New Born.

Since the new girl group that New Born launched didn’t achieve particularly good results with their debut album, New Born would still need KICKS as a cash cow for now. The senior group Success is currently in military hiatus.

Listening to Kwon Yunseong, it seems like things have calmed down a bit now, so they’re planning to just send them on overseas tours until their contract ends, but unless they’re determined to fleece even the remaining fans, New Born will give them new songs.

With only two months left, it’ll probably be a single album at most, but would New Born and the KICKS members, who are thoroughly poisoned, really want to miss the opportunity for a simultaneous release with Parachute?

Kwon Yunseong ended the call with words full of determination to push forward once.

“You’re even dragging KICKS into this?”

At Gyeon Hajun’s question, I briefed him on my plan in detail. My plan was to prevent Jung Iseo from receiving positive attention both musically and publicly.

“If you and Jung Iseo make comebacks around the same time, public opinion will initially lean toward you. After all, you’re clearly the victim in the relationship between Jung Iseo and you.”

If Gyeon Hajun and Jung Iseo face off, both public reaction and fandom will definitely favor our side.

“But if this becomes excessive, there might be sympathetic public opinion as a backlash. It’s a fact that you’re doing better now even after being pushed out of the debut group, and Jung Iseo was even bullied there. Jung Iseo might try to manipulate public opinion with the material he has.”

That’s why this plan needed KICKS.

“But if we throw KICKS into the mix, the focus will shift to Former Member vs Remaining Group. Back then too, they fought fiercely but it ended ambiguously without any clear conclusion about who was at fault. Both sides suffered severe image damage.”

New Born will probably be pissed enough to do some media manipulation. I heard that the New Born director who was Jung Iseo’s backing also resigned.

“If that happens, the song performance won’t be good either, and it’ll just engrave the negative image of being a parachute who pushed out a deserving person once again in the public’s mind, making them feel only fatigue while image reconstruction goes down the drain.”

I was planning to make him completely unable to recover so he wouldn’t think of blackmailing again.

“Oh, it’s just like that thing.”

Kim Dobin, who had been listening intently from the side, solemnly recited.

“From now on, kill each other.”

Looking at Kim Dobin’s raised finger, I asked with a sour expression.

“Why are you raising your finger anyway?”

“You have to do this much for the details to come alive.”

“You seem like someone who spends a lot of time on the internet.”

Gyeon Hajun delivered a fact-bomb to Kim Dobin from the side. But since he really is someone who spends a lot of time on the internet, Kim Dobin took no damage.

Why is it that among people who spend the same amount of time on the internet, some bring back only helpful things while others bring back only otaku stuff?

While clicking my tongue, I remembered the calm and gloomy Kim Dobin I saw at the funeral and lightly ruffled his hair. Yeah, even if you’re like an otaku, it’s fine, just grow up like this, just like this.

“Then let’s start with writing lyrics for the song to give to Jung Iseo, Jun. Let’s go get some financial therapy first.”

The song was already completed. It was a song I had composed with great care.

What kind of care did I put in? I watched and analyzed every video of Jung Iseo singing – his parts in KICKS songs, videos of him covering other songs solo, his solo stages at concerts, etc.

Thus, I created a song combining Jung Iseo’s vocal range with subtly mismatched ranges, melodies that don’t harmonize with Jung Iseo’s tone, emotional lines that Jung Iseo would find hardest to express, and all conditions that don’t match Jung Iseo’s singing style.

It was a special song dedicated to Jung Iseo. Though in a negative sense.

Of course, since Jung Iseo had to accept it, the song’s melody was good. But the same song changes depending on who sings it.

When a suitable song and singer meet, there’s synergy, but an unsuitable combination can tire the ears and actually ruin the result.

I lightly patted the shoulder of Gyeon Hajun, who was grinning as he finally faced his final bloody revenge time.

“Write everything you want to say, everything. I’ll skillfully change it to sound like lyrics. Oh, and create a pen name to put in the lyricist credits.”

Maybe I should create another pen name besides ED too.

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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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