A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 579

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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 579

A quiet alley where someone wheels in a bicycle.

Sitting on a rooftop bench looking up at the night sky, a head that tilts slightly but has nowhere to lean.

An earphone plugged into only one ear while sitting alone on a park bench in the middle of the night.

A canned drink being sipped at an outdoor table of a lit convenience store, and untouched snacks.

A walk on the sandy beach of an empty night sea.

Polaroid photos that seem to have been taken with someone, accompanying all those scenes.

The photos escape from Ryu Jaehee’s hands, slowly scattering on the wind before settling down on the beach where waves crash.

The incoming waves quietly wet the photos.

The photos half-buried in wet sand get completely covered by the waves, then disappear without a trace along with the glimmering water.

The music video, filled with summer night sensibilities, was completed with a lyrical and gentle pop R&B melody, combined with Ryu Jaehee’s dreamy and sweet vocals and emotional atmosphere that elevated its completeness to another level.

-When did our youngest member become such a man… This is criminal

-Is it real that he has the face, vocals, and atmosphere all covered? This kind of all-around main vocalist is rare, and he’s our main vocalist

-If you bring this kind of song as a pre-release, expectations for the title track will break through the ceiling

-Where did the giant hamster go and who is this door-like melancholic decadent fox man???

-The visuals are so beautiful ㅠ After watching that surreal first-person dating sim music video with all the shaking and video quality effects, and other intense music videos, this one feels so calm, pretty, and stable that it’s healing…

-Even though his vocal style changed, how does he digest it so perfectly? Just how wide is Yuje’s vocal spectrum?

-Got this year’s summer sleep song

-There’s still almost two months left until the end of summer, but the audacity to throw end-of-summer vibes with just the pre-release is insane

Thus, Ryu Jaehee opened the curtain on his first solo activities with smooth reactions.

* * *

Ryu Jaehee’s pre-release song 【End of Summer】 entered the charts at 10th place after release.

“I guess it’s because of lack of recognition… Maybe 2nd place in Voice Legacy wasn’t enough.”

That would be it. It’s a dirty world that only remembers 1st place.

Though it was objectively a high performance, Ryu Jaehee showed slightly gloomy signs, perhaps upset that his entry performance was lower than Gyeon Hajun’s and mine.

Gyeon Hajun gently comforted such Ryu Jaehee.

“When it was my turn, the song being good was part of it, but the Parachute discipline narrative that was practically major-league sentiment also played a role, right? So don’t be too disappointed, youngest.”

“When someone who manipulated cyber wreckers as Smile J says that…”

Ryu Jaehee giggled as if he had never been gloomy, then brought up the real reason he had been feeling down.

“As expected, Eden Hyung’s wall is too high. I thought I might be able to compete a little with Voice Legacy. Whether it’s because I got 2nd place, or because the comparison target is Eden Hyung.”

Was it because of me?

At the ambitious Ryu Jaehee’s words, Seo Yehyeon clicked his tongue and told him the cold reality.

“Youngest, this guy was known for his filial piety diss rap at Grandfather’s 80th birthday party even before winning DTB. You even went to see that live with me. For you to overcome this guy’s wall, you’d have to release a targeted diss ballad about your parents. Would that be possible?”

Just hearing about a Ryu Jaehee parents targeted diss makes lyrics and inspiration pour out of me, but the person in question seems to think differently. Ryu Jaehee waved his hands frantically in disgust.

“No way, would Rev get the nickname ‘unfilial idol’?”

Our nickname was already ‘filial idol’. It would just change from filial to unfilial.

But I didn’t really like the term ‘unfilial idol’ either. It somehow felt like the ‘defeat’ in ‘defeated’.

“Still, releasing my first solo album makes me feel like I’m being recognized as a proper vocalist.”

Ryu Jaehee smiled mischievously. Though it was a smile full of playfulness, there was no one here except Kim Dobin who wouldn’t notice the sincerity underneath.

Thinking of Ryu Jaehee who, despite being the main vocalist, only did cover songs and OSTs before regression without a single solo album, made my heart ache.

But thinking about it, I wasn’t much different, so I quietly withdrew my unnecessarily aching heart.

Still, Ryu Jaehee at least released OSTs as a vocalist; I didn’t even get such offers as a rapper.

The pre-release song 【End of Summer】 steadily drew an upward curve on the charts, rising to 4th place.

Five days after the pre-release, the title track’s teaser and the album’s tracklist were revealed.

YUJE Solo Mini 1st Timeless Summer

track 1. Early Summer

track 2. Our July (title)

track 3. Because Summer is You

track 4. Still Summer

track 5. End of Summer (pre-release)

And finally on the music video release day, a live broadcast commemorating Ryu Jaehee’s solo debut took place in the studio.

“Now, let me bring in our special guests! Wow-“

I appeared awkwardly to Ryu Jaehee’s applause. Naturally, the special guests were Rev.

If I had planned a Let me introduce my album content for my solo full album release commemorative live broadcast, filling the time tightly with only music-related stories about the meaning contained in my album title and the making process of each song.

Ryu Jaehee planned it centered on content for fans.

Like the first reveal and first viewing real-time reaction of the music video, music video filming behind-the-scenes, Rev karaoke, and such.

“First, let’s have a viewing time for my title track 【Our July】 music video that just got released, together with our Ilmong-ies and hyungs.”

It was our first time watching Ryu Jaehee’s title track music video too. Ryu Jaehee absolutely wouldn’t show us the final product.

【Our July】 was acoustic indie pop full of refreshing feeling and fast tempo that felt cool and crisp. It was also Ryu Jaehee’s vocal showcase.

Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I deliberately made it difficult to overwork Ryu Jaehee, but because Ryu Jaehee himself wanted it.

The opening showed fingers barely peeking out from sleeves that covered the back of hands, holding a Polaroid camera. The screen transitioned through the Polaroid camera’s viewfinder, and Ryu Jaehee came into the frame with a smile.

Click-

The screen froze and a Polaroid photo was developed and came out.

“Oh, that. That’s what the youngest littered in the 【End of Summer】 music video!”

“What littering, hyung. The photo flew away by itself, when did the youngest ever throw it away?”

“He didn’t pick it up though.”

While Yehyeon and I had a fierce battle over whether the last scene of the 【End of Summer】 music video was littering or not, scenes of Ryu Jaehee wheeling a bicycle down an alley with blue sky visible and hands covered by sleeves passed by.

Ryu Jaehee, who was sitting on a rooftop bench eating watermelon in the midday summer heat, casually leaned his head on the shoulder of the person next to him.

“Everyone, it’s a hoodie, a hoodie. Isn’t this enough of a hint about who the other person is?”

When Ryu Jaehee pointed out the clothes the other person was wearing, Kim Dobin nodded and added.

“Right, if you look at the angle Ryu Jae bent his head, the shoulders are pretty broad.”

That’s right. Ryu Jaehee’s music video partner was Kim Dobin. This was only possible because only hands appeared for Daydream’s immersion.

“You have no idea how much I suffered to create a heart-fluttering height difference… I couldn’t even sit on the bench and had to stay in a squat position. I’m going to collect this debt tenfold. Look at the hands too. I kept doing moe sleeves to make only the fingertips show.”

Calling it moe sleeves with his own mouth. Just say you wore ridiculously oversized clothes that covered the back of your hands.

When the convenience store outdoor table scene came on, Ryu Jaehee tattled to Seo Yehyeon.

“Doby Hyung ate all those snacks. I only ate exactly three for the music video filming.”

“…It’s even popcorn? Doby, can hyung see you for a moment?”

“Now, now, now, reaction, reaction!”

The last beach scene appeared, and the moment moe-sleeve Kim Dobin’s, no, the other person’s hand took out a Polaroid photo and placed it in Ryu Jaehee’s hand, the camera slowly tilted up toward the blindingly blue sky.

Overall, it was a music video overflowing with refreshing summer sensibilities.

“So this connects with 【End of Summer】?”

“That’s right. 【Our July】 is the earlier time point, 【End of Summer】 is the time point after the breakup, reminiscing about memories in the same places. That’s why the times are day and night respectively.”

We finished the music video reaction with Ryu Jaehee’s mention to look forward to the full version with Kim Dobin uncut in the music video filming behind-the-scenes that would be uploaded to YouTube soon.

Ryu Jaehee also explained clearly the meaning contained in the album title and album tracklist order.

“Timeless Summer means eternal summer when interpreted, and it contains my bold aspiration that these will become songs that come to mind every summer and get played every summer.”

“No, youngest! You said it was Timeless Summer because the memories of each season remain forever whenever summer comes!”

“That’s the official explanation now, but I wanted to tell the Ilmong-ies honestly without hiding anything.”

“This is driving me crazy.”

“【Early Summer】 is the ignition point of first emotions, so first flutter, and 【Our July】 is innocent romance vibes? 【Because Summer is You】 is the most brilliant time, 【Still Summer】 is lingering attachment, still staying in that time. Finally, 【End of Summer】 expresses the emotional closure after accepting the breakup. There’s a certain order to it.”

Why is it so surprising that I did the lyrics, composition, Daydream? I can write these kinds of emotional songs plenty well too, you know? Did our dog Podo write the Christmas song and fan song instead of Yoon Eden?

“Eden Hyung took charge of lyrics, composition, and producing, and he forced me to participate too. He said the singer who sings the song should understand the song best.”

Ryu Jaehee looked back at me and smiled brightly while winking.

“So thanks to that, I think we were able to produce an album with truly 100% satisfying quality.”

That little rascal.

The touching moment was brief, as Ryu Jaehee started spinning the roulette he had prepared to begin the Reve random karaoke.

Watching Seo Yehyeon, who was unlucky enough to get picked by the roulette, sing 【End of Summer】 at the level of 【Destruction of Summer】, I silently prayed desperately that I wouldn’t have to sing 【Summer is a Roe Deer】.

* * *

Fortunately, we safely got through the live broadcast’s random karaoke, and a few days later.

“I got a public service advertisement!”

After hanging up the phone, I was busy bragging to the members about what I had heard from Yeongjin Hyung.

What is a public service advertisement? It’s an advertisement that promotes the public good, isn’t it?

It’s like being officially recognized as ‘this person can have a positive influence on the public,’ right?

“I’ve finally become someone who seems capable of spreading nationally certified positive influence!”

I couldn’t be happier that this time I landed a public service advertisement even before Seo Yehyeon. Doesn’t this mean I came across as having a more exemplary and trustworthy image than Seo Yehyeon?

“Whoa, really? What kind of public service advertisement? Anti-smoking? Did the fact that Hyung smoked for exactly one week and then quit immediately reach the ears of the Public Service Advertisement Council people?”

“I don’t know what the topic is either. But does that matter? What’s important is that I! Got a public service advertisement!”

Seo Yehyeon shook his head while watching me grin from ear to ear as I lightly patted Kim Dobin’s back, and muttered.

“It’s not some filial piety campaign or something like that, is it? Using Yoon Eden as a negative example…”

I magnanimously overlooked Seo Yehyeon’s snide remark too. He must be envious that I’ve been recognized as a nationally certified positive influence ambassador.

Having shouted okay without asking any questions and left the rest to the agency, I was only able to see the advertisement draft when I went to the meeting.

“This is the initial continuity script. If you look from here—”

With a very light heart, I received the paper as the very first page was turned.

The first thing that caught my eye was…

Background music: Double or Nothing

At that moment, my spine went cold.

The corners of my mouth that had been smiling slowly dropped.

…Wait a minute.

This, could it be?

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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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