A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 545

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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 545

“Oh, Hyung! What’s with the fashion? This is nothing compared to DTB 4, right?”

Unlike other participants, Nijeous greeted me warmly, and though he appeared in Season 5, he managed to stamp his attendance all the way to Season 6.

“Gyuchan, you’re criticizing Hyung’s fashion before even greeting me?”

Meeting this friendly guy who was livening up the somehow solemn atmosphere, I naturally couldn’t help but be glad to see him too.

“Criticism? It’s not criticism, it’s RESPECT.”

Rolling his tongue and giving thumbs up with both hands, Nijeous’s face was serious without a hint of mockery. This kid, showing respect even.

“Hyung, I’m an adult now so I can drink at the after-party, so you’ll obviously let me pass the first preliminary round, right?”

“Yeah, you’re eliminated.”

That troublemaking high schooler had already become a twenty-year-old adult – time really flew by damn fast. But even as an adult, he was still as mischievous as ever.

Perhaps scared that I might actually eliminate him, Nijeous started rapping before I even gave the starting signal.

The eyes of surrounding participants who had been giving Nijeous disgusted looks for trying to climb up through personal connections also changed to admiration and acknowledgment once they heard his rap.

Still, he was someone who made it to the group preliminaries at eighteen in DTB 4. Among the pretenders, the real deal was bound to stand out.

I chuckled and hung the pass necklace around Nijeous’s neck. As expected of a DTB three-timer, his skills were good enough to pass the first preliminary round like chewing gum.

“Nice!”

Nijeous clenched his fist and headed toward the exit with steps so light he seemed ready to fly along with his pass necklace.

As the judging continued after that, I became certain.

That the DTB production crew kept putting me in places where broadcast-worthy scenes could be captured. Of course, every time I went to my assigned judging area, I encountered strange outfits – I’d be an idiot not to notice.

But those participants, despite wearing concept-heavy outfits, didn’t really act in concept-heavy ways.

Yongcheol Hyung said he saw someone doing handstands while rapping during judging, but the participants I judged only dressed flashily while rapping tamely. I didn’t even need to put on a stern face to maintain discipline.

Whether it was because my fashion had intimidated them, or whether I had misunderstood the pure hearts of these participants who only wanted to stand out through fashion.

I became completely certain about the broadcast angle when I arrived at a judging area that was already buzzing before I even got there.

A participant who was receiving all the attention from other participants even though he hadn’t been judged yet, with even those sitting in the waiting seats above craning their necks to get a look.

It was Yupi, who had gained attention as Skoen’s antithesis in Season 4 and made it to the semi-finals.

Yupi, who had been an unknown rapper that no one paid attention to until Season 4, had now become a named rapper receiving more attention and scrutiny than anyone else.

And of all people, Yupi was first in the judging order.

After skillfully announcing the usual 3-second adaptation time, I strode toward Yupi.

When we finally faced each other, not only my area but also the adjacent area and all the participants waiting in the back rows focused on us.

The protagonists of the third preliminary round one-on-one battle that had caused the biggest sensation in Season 4.

And the fate that led to the eliminated contestant returning through the loser’s revival match to face off again in the semi-finals, overturning the results of the third preliminary round and ultimately being divided into winner and eliminated.

Two people with such a narrative reuniting in Season 6’s first preliminary round as participant and producer – if this wasn’t broadcast material, what would be?

I felt strangely moved thinking that if I hadn’t appeared in Season 4, Yupi would have been standing in this producer position where I am, not in that participant position where he stands.

“This is crazy…”

A participant sitting next to Yupi, who had turned his body to watch us, muttered.

Yeah, it is a crazy situation with perfectly captured broadcast material.

“It really is pajamas…”

So “crazy” referred to my fashion, not this situation.

Rather than explaining in detail that I was properly wearing a t-shirt and shorts as innerwear and wasn’t some crazy guy who came out wearing only pajamas, which would hurt my pride, I satisfied myself by grabbing the pajama chest and fluttering it to lightly show the t-shirt I wore underneath.

Yupi’s first words upon facing me were-

“You’re still taking all the attention as always.”

Yeah, and your cool demeanor is still the same too.

Don’t blame me for dressing like this, blame the production crew who sent me to judge in the area where you happen to be despite my fashion.

“Oh my, if you don’t have confidence to surpass even this level of attention, you should go down the mountain early.”

I adjusted my crooked sunglasses and responded cheekily.

At my hand signal, Yupi started his a cappella rap. It was a provocative declaration of war that he, who had risen to overground rapper status unlike his unknown Season 4 days, was throwing into Season 6.

His skills were at an impeccable level, and I was curious about how Yupi, having lost his underdog narrative, would navigate through the competitions this time, so I handed him the pass necklace.

Before Yupi, who bowed and received the pass necklace, left for the exit, he scratched his head and said in a slightly deflated voice.

“…That was a compliment.”

Hey, who gives compliments with such an indifferent cool expression? I ended up being the only one who took the compliment as provocation.

The participant right after Yupi rapped in a completely deflated state, so I gave him a 3-second cut. Honestly, this wasn’t because of my fashion but because of Yupi. Agreed?

Smooth judging continued after Yupi too.

“Am I fucking judging DTB’s first preliminary round or judging a freak show? I want to get to the later numbers quickly. They’re too tired from waiting there to do weird stuff. They don’t have the energy to do it.”

“Ah, really? It seems like a misjudgment by the production crew. There were no standout people where I went. Oh, Jiwon Hyung. Come to think of it, Yupi came by.”

“Yupi? You judged him? Did you pass him?”

“Setting aside personal feelings, those skills deserve to pass.”

And I ended up paying the price for laughing alone while listening to other producers’ horror stories during break and shift change time.

Very severely.

“Yes, I’ll stop listening here.”

I skillfully eliminated the participant and moved to the side. The next in order was an elementary student participant, so my eye level dropped significantly. Now even elementary kids are appearing on DTB. Is it okay for elementary students to appear on a 15+ rated program?

Still, it was admirable that he had interest in hip-hop from elementary school age, so I decided to give him about 1 point during judging.

But the admiration was brief. As soon as I stood in front of him, the elementary student participant suddenly started tearing up.

To say he was overwhelmed by the cold judging atmosphere around us, that elementary student participant had been perfectly fine until I arrived.

Then, excluding the surrounding atmosphere, the reason that kid might cry is…

While I had seen countless people become solemn or look down when facing my fashion during this DTB first preliminary round judging, this was the first time I encountered someone about to cry, so I was very flustered.

“What to do. He’s crying, he’s crying.”

“He must have been scared. Well, even adults are scared…”

The whispers around us contributed to making this atmosphere even more serious.

Public figures must be careful with women, children, and the elderly.

Because if you show them wrongdoing, they’ll destroy your image 10 times over when they could have destroyed it just once.

I could easily imagine what subtitles this scene would have when it aired. Still, right now it was just tearing up – I had to fix this quickly before it got worse.

“No, why why why why why. What’s the problem? This? Is it because of these sunglasses?”

Thinking the sunglasses covering my eyes might be intimidating the kid, I hastily took them off and faced the elementary student participant with my bare face, but his tearful expression became even worse.

Now watching the elementary student participant who started hiccupping while biting his lips, I held my forehead.

Kid, please…! This hyung doesn’t want to be branded with the infamy of making one participant cry so badly they couldn’t even rap and ended up drowning in the swamp of elimination…!

In the end, I had no choice but to use the last resort.

“Should hyung stay like this while our friend raps? Is this a bit better?”

When I pulled the animal-headed pajama hood down as far as possible to cover my entire face except the lower jaw, fortunately the hiccupping gradually decreased. Yeah, it’s my fault for wearing clothes too cute for my face, my fault.

But the fucking problem was that I couldn’t see ahead while doing this.

“Friend, hyung can’t see our friend right now, so don’t answer by nodding but please answer out loud. Is it okay?”

“Yes, he keeps nodding.”

Unable to watch anymore, the participant next to him conveyed the message out loud instead.

“Good, good. Try doing the rap you prepared.”

I gave the start signal in an exhausted voice, drained before even judging. So was the rap I struggled so hard to get him to perform worth all this trouble?

Of course not. Perhaps finding my appearance as an amusement park animal mascot part-timer funny, the elementary student participant burst into laughter while doing his elementary-level rap and ended.

“Hey, if you cry then laugh, you’ll grow horns on your butt.”

Even while scolding, I resolutely kept half my face covered with the animal head hood, worried this kid might start crying again.

Finally seeing the back of the troublesome kid turning and disappearing, I sighed in relief and readjusted my hat and sunglasses before heading to the next spot.

“Excuse me, could you maybe cover me with your hat like just now… I guess that won’t work… yes…”

The participant who realized it himself while speaking immediately started rapping. Despite giving him 1 point out of gratitude for the vocal relay, he gloriously failed by forgetting his lyrics.

After a few more shifts, the judging was now entering the latter half.

Both participants and producers were dying from exhaustion. I came to painfully realize that I had been judged relatively early in Season 4 when it passed 1 AM.

“Now, I’ll give you 3 seconds to adapt.”

As soon as I habitually announced the phrase that had become second nature.

“Hey! You think 3 seconds is enough looking like that! Give me 10 seconds, humanely speaking!”

Among the roughly 800 participants who had passed through me, the first person to complain about the 3 seconds and talk back appeared. It was a really energetic shout for someone who had waited until 1 AM.

My lips naturally curved up at the familiar voice. Our Hyeongjin is truly consistent even when meeting me as a producer!

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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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