A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 541

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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 541

* * *

There’s a saying: “A gentleman’s revenge is not too late even after ten years.”

Gyeon Hajun’s revenge ended in just 5 years, half of that 10-year period, so considering this old saying, it ended damn quickly. Gyeon Hajun is definitely a gentleman, after all.

“When do you think Jung Iseo realized that the person who covered his song was Hajun hyung?”

“Hajun declared right to his face that he’d steal his song too. So he must have already figured out from the cover song that Smile J was Hajun. He probably thought he couldn’t lose face, so as his last bit of pride, he acted all arrogant about being the original composer.”

Seo Yehyeon shrugged his shoulders while sipping champagne.

“But thanks to the cyber wreckers going wild, we got perfectly appropriate justification.”

Ryu Jaehee added with a giggle. He was happy because there were so many days to party thanks to Gyeon Hajun.

Seo Yehyeon had also seen how Gyeon Hajun willingly endured even the hip-hop warrior fashion to bring down Parachute, so he couldn’t bring himself to stop these parties held every 1-2 weeks.

He wondered if it was right to be happy about the success of revenge that started from a friend’s misfortune, but Gyeon Hajun looked quite relieved, so things seemed to be in a good state.

Come to think of it, Parachute had also given me a big “fuck you” in the form of a crisis that nearly severed my relationship with Gyeon Hajun. Before my regression, we actually did cut ties.

Hmm, I guess it’s okay to be happy about this.

“I thought he’d call and argue while getting all worked up like usual, but he’s being unusually quiet.”

I muttered while tapping my phone screen with my finger, noting that the annoying name hadn’t appeared on my incoming calls screen for a while.

Parachute’s persistent attempts to call and bother me had suddenly stopped at some point. When was it? The three-way confrontation? Or the second week when I stood on stage with Gyeon Hajun for the featuring?

“After seeing your wild boar-like side up close in that waiting room, he got scared. Probably afraid he’d get beaten up if he called again.”

Seo Yehyeon said with a serious face, waving one finger. Without any hint of humor, it didn’t feel like a joke. Anyone would think I’d actually beaten someone up in front of Seo Yehyeon.

“I should delete his number while I’m at it.”

My phone book was already full of numbers, and if I don’t clean up these useless numbers right away, it becomes annoying later.

Gyeon Hajun, who had put down his champagne glass, reached toward my phone.

“Before you delete the number, let me make one last call.”

“Okay.”

I pressed the call button and readily handed my phone to Gyeon Hajun. After a brief ringtone, the other party answered.

-Are you calling to mock me? Did it feel so satisfying to steal back the song you gave me…?

Instead of the expected barrage of anger right after answering, a pitiful, sniffling voice came through the phone speaker, making everyone look either dumbfounded or disgusted.

There should be limits to being despicable. Seeing how he failed even at tugging heartstrings, it seemed like he’d be wrong to try breaking into acting too.

He should at least be good enough to confuse even people who know the whole situation about whether he’s sincere. Like our group’s acting idol. Yes, exactly like that.

-Or maybe, Eden… did you originally plan this when you gave me the song you composed for Gyeon Hajun? This was really my last desperate chance…

Is this bastard recording this call right now? Isn’t he acting all pitiful like this to flip the situation with this call recording at the last minute?

Before Gyeon Hajun, whose eyes go crazy whenever he faces Parachute, could pour out a refreshing bucket of curses, I tried to stop him and suggest calling again with caller ID restriction and voice modulation, but Gyeon Hajun was one step faster in opening his mouth.

“Yes, I’m sorry. But I was desperate too.”

-What?

The other party seemed momentarily speechless.

I remembered those words too. Even when I heard them from Choi Hyeonmin, they made my blood boil. How must Gyeon Hajun have felt hearing those words directly, face to face, from the person who stole his position through connections?

-Wait, you…

Jung Iseo finally seemed to recognize the voice’s owner and barely managed to mutter with a trembling voice.

“Don’t you remember? ‘Did you know someone had to leave when you came in?’ That’s what you said back then.”

A brief silence passed. I could sense Jung Iseo about to speak, but in the end, he couldn’t say anything.

Only shallow breathing leaked through the phone. Whether it was bewilderment, guilt, or not knowing what excuse to make at this point.

“I was desperate too.”

Gyeon Hajun finally brought out his long-held sincerity. That sincerity that had been sharpened into a blade over the years.

And now, the tip of that blade was aimed straight at Jung Iseo.

Back then, he was cut by those words, and now it was time to repay with these words.

“Then and now.”

Resentment, bitterness, joy, satisfaction. All kinds of emotions came through in that whispered addition.

With those words as his finale, Gyeon Hajun slightly raised the corner of his mouth and ended the call without regret.

Click-

Gyeon Hajun irritably kept pressing my phone screen showing the ended call. Since it wouldn’t actually break the LCD, I let him use it to vent his frustration.

There was nothing in the call content that could be used against us. Go ahead and release that call recording, Jung Iseo’s side. What more would it do than reignite Parachute’s past controversies?

As soon as I got my phone back from Gyeon Hajun, who had finished venting on my phone’s LCD, I cleanly deleted Jung Iseo’s number.

“Oh right, I should have blocked him first.”

“I figured you’d delete first without thinking, Eden, so I already blocked him.”

So he wasn’t venting frustration but blocking him. I exchanged a light high-five with Gyeon Hajun for saving me the trouble.

Finally returning even the most insulting words intact, mine and Gyeon Hajun’s revenge came to a perfect end.

Everyone suggested toasting in commemoration and gathered their champagne glasses in one place without anyone taking the lead. Now, even without being told, Ryu Jaehee, the youngest member, familiarly announced the toast.

“When I say ‘I was desperate too,’ you shout ‘Then and now!'”

“Can’t we just celebrate normally? I feel like it’s been less than 5 minutes since I said that line, and you’re already trying to use it as a toast…?”

“Why not? It’s perfect for a toast.”

Though Gyeon Hajun tried to stop it with reddened ears, everyone agreed with Ryu Jaehee’s opinion. We have to record legendary diss battle lines that achieved a K.O. in two sentences like this for posterity.

I’ve thought this since he wrote the lyrics for 【Selfish】, but Gyeon Hajun has talent for diss battles too. Diss battles, not diss rap. As for rap, well…

“I was desperate too!”

Everyone shouted the toast in unison following Ryu Jaehee’s lead.

“Then and now!”

When everyone shouted the toast, Gyeon Hajun stubbornly kept his mouth shut with a red face while still properly clinking his glass.

This is much better than “Isn’t he a crazy bastard?” Back then, I felt dizzy wondering if I should bang my head as punishment for corrupting Gyeon Hajun, but now he’s finally acting like himself.

* * *

While Parachute was spectacularly falling from grace, Ryu Jaehee competed in the 【Voice Legacy】 semi-finals.

The semi-final 4th round mission was a fateful choice of competition song.

One hour before going on stage, contestants had to choose between two songs.

One was a competition song they chose themselves, the other was a song designated by the production crew.

The self-chosen competition song would have an additional challenge mission given during the performance. However, they had to continue the stage without knowing the mission’s content or timing, then suddenly perform the mission on the spot.

The production crew’s designated song had no additional challenge mission. However, they had to practice the competition song in just one hour before going on stage.

The mission description of “fateful choice” wasn’t wrong.

It created tremendous tension until going on stage, wondering whether the song the singer chose would be successful, or if they should have chosen a more challenging song.

Two people chose their self-selected competition songs, and two chose the production crew’s designated songs.

Ryu Jaehee was the former. He judged that he couldn’t perfectly complete a stage that captured the song’s characteristics with the production crew’s designated song within an hour, so he pushed forward with his self-chosen competition song.

Ryu Jaehee’s additional challenge mission was an unaccompanied section.

Though the intro suddenly cut off during the song like a sound accident, Ryu Jaehee didn’t panic and handled that part a cappella, then concentrated the climax the moment the sound returned, adding dramatic direction to create an even more impressive stage.

The other singer who chose a self-selected competition song had tempo change as their additional challenge mission, but couldn’t keep up with the suddenly faster tempo, missed the beat, and received point deductions.

The latter two made the same choice but their fates diverged like the former.

Noh Gangyeol, a strong championship candidate and the winner before my regression, perfectly presented the production crew’s designated song on stage in just one hour and received cheers, but the other singer was too busy memorizing the song and presented a clearly insufficient stage.

Those who were eliminated shed tears regretting their choices, while Ryu Jaehee and Noh Gangyeol breathed sighs of relief, confirmed that their choices were right.

Thus, Ryu Jaehee and Noh Gangyeol advanced to the finals.

“Aaaah, Noh Gangyeol sunbaenim is so good! He’s truly the god of vocals! How can I beat someone like that… I think I only made it to the finals because I was lucky enough not to face Noh Gangyeol sunbaenim in the middle rounds.”

Ryu Jaehee, who was carefully choosing his final competition song, held his head and lamented. While helping him select a list of competition songs he could handle well, I casually threw out a comment.

“Of course, I can’t be 100% confident that you’ll win either.”

Ryu Jaehee pouted, wondering what he was expecting to hear. I can’t say nice things when it comes to music, youngest member. Certainly, Noh Gangyeol sunbaenim was superior to Ryu Jaehee in all aspects, whether experience, skill, or ability.

“But I’m certain of this one thing. If you give up thinking you can’t win, the possibility is 0%, but if you’re determined to somehow overcome and charge in ready to clash, it’s 50%.”

As I lightly ruffled Ryu Jaehee’s hair while adding this, Ryu Jaehee blinked and asked.

“Why 50%?”

“You’ll either win or lose, one of the two. And I didn’t raise you to be someone who just gives up. Was I so peaceful because Skoen was a piece of shit?”

Oh yes, Chosim didn’t get penalized either.

While I was satisfied with the upgraded Chosim system, Ryu Jaehee was looking through his phone’s music list with an enlightened expression. He seemed to be choosing from his favorite songs.

And a few days later.

“Hyungs, would you like to come watch the finals? You can’t get voting rights for fairness reasons, but you can still attend as audience members.”

“Of course we’re going! It’s our youngest member’s finals!”

“Then hey, were you not planning to invite us? I invited all of you to my finals, you know?”

“Huh, why can’t we vote? Are you worried we’ll only vote for Ryu Jae? Then Noh Gangyeol Sunbaenim can just invite the same number of acquaintances, right?”

“Exactly. That’s too bad. I wanted to cast a vote for our youngest member in the final round.”

The day of Ryu Jaehee’s 【Voice Legacy】 finals dawned, with everyone joining together as audience members.

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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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