A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 573
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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 573
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The activities for my first solo full album, [α-bet Ⅰ], have ended.
Thanks to various participants on DTB shouting out my solo album, it led to buzz and the results ended up better than I had expected.
There’s even talk about [α-bet Ⅰ] being included in the lineup of legendary hip-hop albums. While it’s true that the only real formidable competitor was Gyeon Hajun’s solo track, which had already finished its activities, and the timing coinciding with DTB’s broadcast helped, I did achieve first place on the weekly charts for four consecutive weeks.
I’m dreading the day the DTB team mission songs get released. It’s obvious they’ll frame it as a producer versus participants music battle.
If I win, I’ll hear things like “As expected, you can’t surpass the producer,” and if I lose, I’ll hear “Yoon Eden got overshadowed by DTB’s buzz,” or something like that.
Still, after presenting my own complete music to the world, something I had longed for so much before my regression, the lingering attachment to other paths I had given up to walk this road has faded considerably.
Actually, about half of that lingering attachment was already resolved when I appeared on DTB Season 4, so I didn’t feel any overwhelming emotion or sense of liberation.
The reason I don’t yet feel like this long-term project and long-cherished dream has come to a complete end is probably because of [α-bet Ⅱ], which I didn’t pour everything into and saved for the future.
Now that my solo activities are over, it’s Ryu Jaehee’s turn to take the baton for this year’s final Rev solo activities.
With three Rev members’ individual activities plus debuting a rookie girl group, anyone would think LnL was determined to dominate the music industry this year.
If the agency could create such ambitious conspiracy theories, why was it just known as the lucky agency that discovered the mediocre Seo Yehyeon before my regression? Tsk tsk.
Come to think of it, even in that harsh environment, the CEO did live hearing that he was lucky.
“I’m really worried about your solo activities, Youngest Member.”
At my words, spoken like a lament while leaning against the practice room mirror, Ryu Jaehee, who had finished dance practice and was gulping down water, playfully responded.
“Why? Don’t tell me you’re worried it won’t be a hit even though it’s your song, hyung?”
The way he looked for the cause somewhere other than himself first made me think he had grown quite a bit, which was truly admirable.
“No. That’s unlikely to happen, but just in case, if the results don’t meet your expectations, I’m worried you’ll start looking for problems within yourself again and dig yourself into a tunnel about your skills.”
Ryu Jaehee’s track record of digging tunnels despite his skills due to lack of confidence wasn’t just once or twice.
Although the Youngest Line’s so-called Eden Therapy and the vocal competition program helped Ryu Jaehee regain a lot of confidence, formal solo activities where he has to stand on stage alone and endure evaluations alone are different.
After all, the pool of people evaluating is much broader than in competition programs.
“The option of me blaming the song isn’t in your mind, hyung?”
“Well, it is my song. And you said it was the best song of your life the moment you heard the title track, man. Were those glistening tears crocodile tears instead of tears of emotion?”
“No way. Those were real tears of emotion. I’m not good enough at acting to squeeze out tears that quickly. Maybe if it were Hajun hyung. And your confidence is always amazing to see, hyung. It really feels like a past life when you were struggling with your slump.”
Ryu Jaehee threw the empty water bottle behind him and shook his head. Kim Dobin, who reached out, caught the bottle mid-air.
“But why are you suddenly worrying about that?”
“I’m just borrowing trouble, why.”
“That’s not like you at all, hyung.”
“That’s what I’m saying. I didn’t know when I was an only child, but now that I have younger brothers, all that increases is worry. And you should put your hand on your heart and think about it. Do I look like someone who wouldn’t worry about you?”
“Honestly, that’s true, Ryu Jae. You worry too much. Your phone is for entertainment, not monitoring.”
Kim Dobin chimed in, agreeing with my words.
But Kim Dobin, you should stop enjoying entertainment and do some monitoring. I monitor diligently six days a week with Weekly Quest, and you’re the one glued to your phone.
Ryu Jaehee stuck out his tongue and shrugged his shoulders.
“I was actually worried. I guess it’s a chronic condition by now. How did you overcome this pressure, hyung?”
“Pressure? I didn’t have any of that. Even if it didn’t work out, I was going to console myself with ‘Ah, hip-hop is starting to go out of style now.’ Of course, after making the 【Double or Nothing】 beat, the thought that it wouldn’t work out disappeared too.”
“I shouldn’t have asked you, hyung. I should have asked Hajun hyung.”
Ryu Jaehee, who had put his foot in his mouth, grumbled.
Well, I think Gyeon Hajun endured with the mindset of decorating a spectacular finale of revenge against Parachute. And since I had already thoroughly screwed over Parachute from A to Z so he couldn’t even sing his own songs properly, the pressure was probably less.
“If you keep looking for the cause within yourself, there comes a moment when you get so tired that you don’t even know why you’re doing this.”
I offered advice based on what I learned from experiencing two slumps, before and after regression.
Ryu Jaehee, who had watched my slump from the closest distance and knew better than anyone, quietly looked at me.
“So even if the results don’t meet your expectations, I’m giving you advance warning not to blame yourself too much, man.”
“…”
“Of course, I think it’ll go well by default. I naturally believe our Youngest Member will magnificently put the finishing touch on this year’s Rev solo activities.”
Clap-
I lightly tapped Ryu Jaehee’s back with no force in my hand, but Ryu Jaehee made a groaning sound and twisted his body. That brat, such an exaggeration.
“That’s why I said it. There might be variables, just in case. Not because you’re lacking, but just because luck might be bad or timing might be off. So there’s no need to deny the effort and skills you’ve built up for such reasons.”
Ryu Jaehee took a short breath, then playfully raised the corners of his mouth.
“When you say it like that, hyung, wouldn’t I be a terrible youngest member if I dug tunnels? So I won’t worry until the results come out.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Do it confidently like Rev’s youngest member, like someone doing their first solo activities with my song. Do you think getting my song is easy?”
While I sold songs to anyone before regression, now that Rev is first priority after regression, the conditions have become very strict.
First, fulfilling the two most important conditions is only possible before regression, so there’s nothing I can do about it.
Only then did the tension seem to completely disappear from Ryu Jaehee’s face.
“Got it, hyung. So now you should have expectations instead of worrying about me.”
“This kid is saying obvious things. Isn’t it because there are expectations that there’s worry too?”
I messed up Ryu Jaehee’s sweaty hair, then glanced at Kim Dobin, who moonwalked away from me.
Since it was three days before getting feedback from the performance director, Ryu Jaehee was practicing his solo song choreography under Kim Dobin’s supervision and help.
And I had followed them to the practice room to scold Kim Dobin, and was giving Ryu Jaehee words of encouragement while I was at it.
“Why is he acting like that again?”
“Weren’t you going to wipe your hands on the back of my hoodie, hyung?”
“When there’s a towel, why would I do that? That’s a last resort for when there’s no towel.”
I told Kim Dobin the truth in a dry tone at his blank question.
“I gained another realization today. Don’t go near Eden hyung when there’s no towel.”
“Rather, always carry a towel with you.”
While grumbling and responding to Kim Dobin’s nonsense, since it happened to be break time when Kim Dobin wasn’t doing anything either, I achieved the real purpose of coming here.
What do I mean? I started scolding Kim Dobin.
“Speaking of which, when are you going to write and bring the sheet music? It’s not like I gave you a hundred songs, I only gave you ten songs, and you’ve been putting it off for almost two weeks. Hey, you could finish that in a day. Now that I have plenty of time, should we start another fun composition game?”
“It takes too much time to meet the conditions you set, hyung. I’m a very busy person with lots to do. You heard my schedule, the busiest in Rev.”
His rebuttal was unnecessarily confident. The condition I demanded from Kim Dobin in this 【Memory Fragment Search Project】 disguised as homework was just one thing.
Since I thought I should match the situation to some degree like back then, I told him to absolutely not look at sheet music and write the music notation just by listening to the songs.
So the ten songs I gave Kim Dobin were songs I had sold to other groups before regression that are currently unreleased. The sheet music doesn’t exist anywhere in the world except on my computer.
Kim Dobin, who’s quite good at finding loopholes, would 100% join some acoustic guitar cafe or find and copy the sheet music through persistent googling.
For released songs, I planned to have Gyeon Hajun supervise and make him draw the sheet music next week or so. If I supervised directly, it might violate the conditions.
Before regression, Kim Dobin drew sheet music and brought it to me, but I probably wasn’t cracking the whip behind him telling him to draw sheet music.
The reason I specifically chose Gyeon Hajun as supervisor was similar to blocking loopholes. Seo Yehyeon is on Kim Dobin’s side, so he’d obviously turn a blind eye to copying from sheet music, and Ryu Jaehee is so close to Kim Dobin that he might give in if bribed…?
“And don’t you think ten songs is too many, hyung?”
When Kim Dobin confidently objected, I crossed my arms and spoke sarcastically.
“Hey, even trainees learning composition from me do that much. Want to meet him directly and ask? Whether ten songs is a lot or not?”
“Yes! Please arrange a meeting right away. As fellow students, I need to have a serious discussion.”
Kim Dobin immediately nodded and answered.
…Shit, this isn’t right.
Lee Haewon, who suddenly got stuck with bomb homework, just became pitiful. Since it’s because of Kim Dobin, don’t resent me, resent Kim Dobin!
And so, a meeting appointment was set for what was written as a student gathering but read as a memory fragment mining gathering.
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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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