A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 606

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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 606

It already reached Jiwon hyung’s ears? Through what route exactly?

All I did was contact Skoen to set up a dinner appointment, casually asking in passing if he was still in touch with Flodic, and then probing a bit deeper about whether it was true that Riburn had joined Flodic’s label.

I asked as lightly as possible, at the level of casual greetings so it wouldn’t seem suspicious, but what exactly was the problem? Even though I went through two intermediaries to prevent it from reaching Jiwon hyung’s ears, the result was still this, making the world feel truly treacherous.

I couldn’t even outsource this. The fact that Riburn went to jail for smoking weed on Jiwon hyung’s birthday was something all our members knew.

Because I kept bragging about how I protected my 100 strands of hair while doing military variety shows whenever I was bored. If I had known things would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have boasted about my heroic tales so much. Who would have thought I’d get entangled with Riburn like this?

To outsource finding a way to meet Riburn to Ryu Jaehee without it reaching Jiwon hyung’s ears, I’d first have to explain why I wanted to meet a drug addict.

But there was no way I could tell Ryu Jaehee about Shinwol Entertainment’s affairs, which were closely related to my pre-regression past.

If I mentioned Shinwol Entertainment’s dirty deeds, Ryu Jaehee would definitely try to dissuade me from jumping into such dangerous business without reason, and if I tried to explain why I was jumping in, I’d have to go back to before my regression.

So I had no choice but to use my brain. But hearing Jiwon hyung’s low voice gave me déjà vu.

The déjà vu from that day in Hawaii when I was caught by Cha Yeonho as a regressor while uncharacteristically using my brain.

Looking at the process of how I used my brain, there were only two possible leak sources.

“Who exactly did you hear that from?”

Either Skoen or Flodic.

Flodic had almost no connection with me so it didn’t matter much, but if it was Skoen, I felt betrayed. I didn’t see him that way, so why is his mouth so loose?

Even if it was Flodic who told Jiwon hyung, it means Skoen told Flodic that I was asking about Riburn’s whereabouts.

At my question, Jiwon hyung quickly relaxed his face as if he had never been serious and replied with a sly smile.

“You know well how small this industry is, right?”

His expression had softened, but his words still had an edge.

“I’m curious about the reason why you’re struggling so desperately behind my back, trying to meet someone who’s my enemy, while leaving me out.”

“I think the answer is in what you just said, hyung.”

“…Huh?”

My words seemed completely unexpected and out of the blue, causing Jiwon hyung to momentarily malfunction.

“Since he’s your enemy, of course I’d try to meet him without involving you. If I were to cling to you and whine about arranging a meeting despite you being enemies, wouldn’t that be grounds for a beating?”

“Ah, well… that’s true…?”

Flustered by the unexpectedly logical statement, Jiwon hyung replied reluctantly.

“After hearing what you said back then, hyung, it seemed like Riburn might know something.”

I ran my hand through the back of my hair and honestly revealed the real reason. I was grateful enough that he didn’t misunderstand that I was trying to do drugs.

“But it felt awkward to bring up a friend you’ve cut ties with to you, hyung. Even if there are still mutual acquaintances. So I tried to meet him through various connections to hear what he had to say.”

Even though I didn’t have a friend I cut off for doing drugs, I vaguely remembered through fragmented memories the feeling of cutting ties with a friend who had shared both the most powerless difficult times and the most brilliant times of life.

That feeling when memories become scars too painful to recall, and you no longer want to hear their name or news.

Only after hearing that answer did Jiwon hyung’s sharp gaze soften.

Yongcheol hyung, who had been giving me piercing looks since the word “drug addict” came out of Jiwon hyung’s mouth, turned around sharply as Jiwon hyung warned with a smiling face.

“Yongcheol, manage your junior well. This kid doesn’t know how scary the world is and is trying to walk alone into a lion’s den.”

I know very well how scary the world is.

It’s just not my style to back down because I’m scared.

Just as Jiwon hyung patted my shoulder a couple of times, released his arm, and was about to say something to me, news came that the score compilation was finished.

‘See you later.’

As soon as Jiwon hyung mouthed those words to me and left to find his producer partner Rok Han for filming the first round results announcement, I let out a sigh of relief.

I had momentarily forgotten because he only showed me his gentle side, but Jiwon hyung’s personality was no joke either.

“Who’s the drug addict? No, never mind who it is, why are you trying to meet them? Don’t tell me it’s Riburn? That guy’s a broker. Hey hey hey hey, what are you doing as an idol trying to get involved with someone like that! If you get involved, you’re finished, dude!”

“First of all, drugs are absolutely not the purpose, so don’t worry, hyung. Do I look like someone who would do that stuff? Huh? Let’s just look at the final scores first.”

As soon as Jiwon hyung left, I barely managed to calm down Yongcheol hyung, who was grabbing my shoulders and shaking me frantically. With perfect timing, the MC announced the final results.

“We will announce the final scores by combining 55 percent producer scores and 45 percent audience evaluation scores!”

Although producer scores were weighted more than audience evaluation scores, it wasn’t a completely unreasonable ratio.

On the screen divided into four sections, each team member’s scores appeared under their respective producer team names.

I started by looking at our team’s scores in the upper left corner.

Yupi scored 95 points, G-TE scored 94 points, and Bug Kim scored 87 points, so Yupi and G-TE from our team advanced to the second round of the finals.

Perhaps because Bug Kim gritted his teeth and followed closely, the score difference wasn’t extremely large. Bug Kim also looked quite satisfied as he lightly embraced Yupi and Choi Hyeongjin, exchanging farewell greetings.

Team Yoon Eden & D.I: Yupi, G-TE

Team BQ9 & Gongchul: REZZA, Nijeous

Team Moltic & T:ZE: HYEQ, ZAYD

Team G1 & Rok Han: SYRA, Crazy No

Thus, the TOP 8 final lineup advancing to the second round of the finals was decided.

This was also the lineup that would participate in everything from DTB concerts to events until we got sick of seeing each other’s faces.

“Wow, all the Season 4 finalists passed. As expected of the legendary hell-level difficulty Season 4 class, wow!”

Choi Hyeongjin, who was being bothered by Nijeous spouting words that could be either admiration or self-praise while forcibly inducing high-fives, looked at me with eyes pleading to get this guy off him.

But since it was obvious that Nijeous would come bother me if I did that, I pushed Hyeongjin forward as a sacrifice and enjoyed my peace.

After the eliminated contestants left the studio and only the second-round finalists and producers remained, the MC picked up the microphone again.

I thought they were going to announce the second round content, but what came out of the MC’s mouth was completely different and unexpected.

“Actually, the first round of finals included a hidden evaluation criterion that you all didn’t know about.”

A hidden evaluation criterion? I tried to recall my pre-regression memories, but I couldn’t remember. Damn it, the DTB competition content was what I remembered most from before regression, but if I can’t even remember DTB, what kind of person am I?

“Since this stage wasn’t a solo performance but a structure where you worked together but someone would eventually be eliminated, there was all the more reason to evaluate teamwork.”

Why is teamwork coming up here…?

I gaped at the hidden evaluation criterion I never could have imagined.

And immediately clenched my fists. I remembered our team’s stage, which had shown the most brilliant teamwork thanks to Yongcheol hyung’s serious attitude and Yupi’s big picture thinking.

“We will reveal each producer team’s ‘stage completion’ scores as evaluated by the audience panel!”

Team Yoon Eden & D.I: 99

Team BQ9 & Gongchul: 71

Team Moltic & T:ZE: 83

Team G1 & Rok Han: 90

“Team Eden & D.I, who presented a highly complete stage in this round, will be given the priority opponent selection right for the next round.”

The priority opponent selection right was an enormous advantage. Thanks to this, we could smoothly advance to the semi-finals.

I nudged Yongcheol hyung, who was standing there dumbfounded with a bewildered expression, and said.

“Hyung, doesn’t this feel like a moral fairy tale?”

“What moral?”

“The heart that thinks of your junior ultimately came back as a result that helped the team.”

“So what exactly is the moral?”

“That you should think about me a lot, care for me, and be considerate of me from now on.”

Yongcheol hyung looked at me with the exact same expression our members make when I talk nonsense. Did hyung catch it from our members, or did hyung pass it to our members?

The filming ended only after we heard all the content for the second round of finals. After sending off Yongcheol hyung first since he had urgent business, I waited for Jiwon hyung.

“Let’s go together.”

Jiwon hyung said bluntly. Aren’t we already going together? When I subtly slowed my pace, Jiwon hyung let out a small chuckle and added details.

“Let’s go together when you meet that bastard Riburn.”

“Will that be okay, hyung?”

For me, it would be more comfortable having one more person I know there, but… When I asked carefully, Jiwon hyung nodded.

“I’m an expert at catching that bastard’s lies. His smooth talking is incredible. Fooling a naive kid like you and naturally slipping drugs into your hands would be nothing for that bastard.”

Hmm, but didn’t you fail to notice your close friend’s marijuana use for too long? Does Jiwon hyung, who did that, have the right to call me naive?

As I was seriously considering this, Jiwon hyung smiled bitterly.

“I know what you’re thinking right now, but that wasn’t failing to notice—I closed my eyes and turned away. Like an idiot.”

Jiwon hyung looked up at the sky once and muttered in a bitter tone.

“So I think I’ll regret it if I turn away this time too.”

As I received the gentle touch patting my head, I couldn’t stand it anymore and opened my mouth.

“No matter what, I’m not stupid enough to be swayed by smooth talk and just accept marijuana.”

Just how much do you think of me as Seo Yehyeon, the professional buyer of overpriced items?

When I asked with a disgruntled tone, Jiwon Hyung’s palm, which had been lightly tapping the top of my head, pressed down firmly on my crown.

* * *

I couldn’t miss watching DTB Season 6 Episode 7. I was too curious whether Choi Hyeongjin and Bug Kim had properly taken my advice to heart after Yongcheol Hyung and I left.

I was scanning the preparation process of other teams who would be competing in earnest in the second round of finals with eagle eyes, firmly embedding their styles in my mind, when finally our team’s preparation scene appeared.

[Yupi: I think we were too buried in the framework of competition. Anyway, this is a ‘stage’ performed with the producers’ songs before it’s a competition between the three of us.]

Seeing how he brought it up as if he’d been waiting for this moment, that whole mess was indeed Yupi’s big picture strategy to make himself stand out as the problem solver.

At this point, it felt like some kind of identity trait, so it had passed the stage of being annoying.

[G-TE: No, so when I said let’s get in sync, you pretended not to hear me back then.]

[Yupi: Since the team producers also showed consideration for us, we should also show consideration for each other and make presenting a good stage our top priority-]

[G-TE: What are you reading a script? Did you prepare that comment?]

[Bug Kim: Let’s try our best to eliminate that ‘feeling of the three of us playing separately’ that D.I Producer mentioned. Since we’ve all mastered our own parts, we can do the tuning in just one day, right?]

But thanks to Choi Hyeongjin understanding my advice in a different direction, Yupi’s big picture strategy was exposed too transparently.

Bug Kim understood my advice well and took it perfectly to heart, but Hyeongjin, why are you like this? Are you really my number one fan from the shadows? Is my music really the only thing you can read?

“Yupi is such a fox. I don’t like that style at all.”

I glanced back at Ryu Jaehee, who was shaking his head disapprovingly, and thought.

Is this hatred toward one’s own kind…?

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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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