A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 81

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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 81

Finally…! Finally this damn system is doing some work!

I covered my mouth as overwhelming emotion surged up, remembering all the countless inquiries I had submitted until now.

The word ‘some’ was a bit annoying, but at least they were giving me an update.

“Was what I said that moving…?”

I almost habitually responded with “what nonsense are you talking about” to Seo Yehyeon’s lukewarm question, but barely managed to swallow my words.

‘Ah, right. The relationship improvement meter.’

Still covering my mouth, I silently nodded, and the relationship improvement meter went up by 1%.

It was fortunate that Seo Yehyeon was someone with such a tender mentality who could be moved by something like this.

The side effect of sincere conversation was awkwardness.

Since we were more accustomed to biting at each other, after tearing into each other like that, facing each other afterward was nothing, but we had no immunity to this kind of embarrassing conversation.

But unfortunately, we were roommates, so even after entering the room, we had to keep seeing each other’s faces.

An awkward game of glances began. While we were gauging who would enter the room first, stealing glances at each other, Seo Yehyeon cautiously opened his mouth first.

“You… are you going to enter the room by any chance?”

“No, I’ll stay in the living room. Hyung, you go in.”

At those words, Seo Yehyeon’s face brightened and he quickly entered our room.

Left alone in the living room, I leaned back comfortably on the sofa and immediately checked the update contents.

[※Update List※]

[▶Initial intention point deduction condition ‘dead fish eyes’ limited to schedules and fan interactions]

[▶Forbidden words ‘ah, really’ and derivative forbidden words limited to schedules and fan interactions]

[▶Random ticket expiration date added]

[▶Weekly Quest ‘Search’ recognition time changed from 10 minutes → 20 minutes]

The top two were what I desperately wanted most, but the bottom two I never even thought about, let alone suggested?

This bastard, is it giving medicine and disease at the same time?

No, I was being gaslit by that damn system – those top two weren’t even medicine.

They were fucking obvious!

‘Still, those top two are something.’

I immediately relaxed the tension in my eyes that had been constantly strained. Right, how could a person live 365 days with tense eyes and bright dead fish eyes.

Kim Dobin, whose relationship improvement with me was only 47%, burst open his room door and came out, then flinched when he discovered me sitting on the sofa with relaxed eyes.

“Hyung, why are you opening your eyes like that…? It’s scary…”

“Ah, really?”

“Yes, I thought you fought with Yehyeon Hyung again.”

“Ah, really?”

My initial intention points weren’t deducted. I was so moved.

Instead, my relationship improvement with Kim Dobin dropped to 46%. Just when I barely got over the mountain called Seo Yehyeon, there was another mountain called Kim Dobin.

“Come sit here.”

I called Kim Dobin, who was trying to sneak into his room, and patted the seat next to me on the sofa.

Kim Dobin, who had been rolling his eyes around like a dog that had caused trouble, came over hesitantly and sat down.

“Tell me what the problem is.”

“There’s no problem!!”

I sighed and waved my hand at Kim Dobin’s response, delivered with military-like discipline.

“No, there is a problem. I’m not trying to blame you. Literally, I want to hear what you think the problem is.”

“If I’m really honest, you won’t say anything about it?”

I keep saying this, but when you talk like that, others think I live to torment you.

I rubbed my throbbing temples at his mumbled response.

“So, you thought I found you annoying because I gave half-hearted answers?”

Kim Dobin nodded with a pitiful expression.

“What kind of answer is ‘ah, really.’ It’s not even like some insincere fan meeting answer from a 7-year veteran idol with dead fish eyes…”

“That would be ‘ah, really?'”

I find this more annoying, Doby.

He did his fair share, was almost solely in charge of choreography, and though overshadowed by the final boss Seo Yehyeon, Kim Dobin was also quite the owner of a sunfish mentality.

And my preferred type was someone like Ryu Jaehee who knew his place and approached warmly, not someone like Kim Dobin who made incomprehensible otaku remarks and constantly read people’s moods while making strange assumptions.

But that was my situation, and I had to somehow make my relationship improvement with this guy 100% within 2 years. Otherwise, it would be regression again.

I didn’t want to repeat singing and having fierce battles with the damn agency over the title track.

“So, what exactly is the problem.”

When I barged into Ryu Jaehee’s room, pushed him aside, and sprawled on his bed lamenting, Ryu Jaehee responded indifferently.

“Hyung’s current behavior.”

I lightly ignored him and continued lamenting.

“Ah, no. I see you’re still affectionate with Jun, so why do you show so obviously that you’re uncomfortable with me?”

“So, if we’re being precise, it’s this. The mom who always takes care of you versus the dad who doesn’t even come home because of work so you don’t see his face much.”

“Anyone listening would think we’re talking about a 19-month-old infant, not a 19-year-old.”

I let out a hollow laugh and shook my head.

“And you’re not like that.”

“Am I the same as Doby Hyung? That hyung is quite shy with strangers. And his imagination is uselessly rich too.”

“I know that well.”

Wasn’t I the biggest victim of Kim Dobin’s delusion theater?

Thanks to that, I even developed the habit of always reporting where I was going. I thought it was just a passing episode, but it must have been quite shocking for me too.

“And hyung lacks delicacy. In a way, you and Doby Hyung are the worst compatibility.”

“Worse than my compatibility with Seo Yehyeon?”

“From what I’ve seen, the relationship between Yehyeon Hyung and you could be resolved if you both just swallowed your pride a bit and considered each other, but you and Doby Hyung just don’t match from birth. If you took MBTI tests, you’d probably get completely opposite results.”

So MBTI existed back then too. Not quite the huge craze like in the future, but still.

It was quite novel that I was having this kind of concern. It was a problem I never cared about before regression.

‘Ah, so that’s why my relationships with the members turned out that way.’

A bitter smile came to me as I recalled the past just before regression when we didn’t even talk to each other.

“Then how exactly should I treat him for our relationship to get better.”

“Isn’t it fine to just live like this? It’s not completely ruined. I’m sure if you treat Doby Hyung kindly, he’ll tremble wondering why you’re suddenly being scary.”

The problem was I could imagine that scene very well. I couldn’t bring myself to affirm or deny it, just ran my hand through my bangs.

“Still, I have to try confronting it. We can’t live like this forever.”

I have to fill the relationship improvement to 100% within 2 years so I don’t regress again.

At my response full of sincerity, Ryu Jaehee, who had been staring at me, offered advice.

“First, call him by his proper name. Not Doby.”

When I sneakily checked the Hidden Quest window, Ryu Jaehee’s relationship improvement had gone up by 1%.

While someone’s drops steadily from slightly careless responses, someone else’s goes up just from conversation.

Hey, system. Can’t you give me some member-specific guidelines?

* * *

The [HI-TN] repackage album was decided early on to be released with one additional title track and one additional B-side track.

Thanks to two consecutive moderate hits from to the [HI-TN] album, my voice in decisions had grown quite large.

If the last album’s title track was street vibes with a splash of freshness, this repackage album’s title track was decided to go with a completely fresh concept.

The title track was an upbeat dance song with a strong high teen feel.

Thanks to working on it bit by bit since January, the comeback date was set for the end of March without much disagreement.

“This is definitely going to be a huge hit, you know? My intuition is telling me so.”

“You said the exact same thing about All Right or Night.”

“This one seems like it’ll be an even bigger hit.”

On the music video set, I sprawled on a sunbed with a large towel wrapped around my wet body, having a conversation with Ryu Jaehee.

Since there were underwater scenes and scenes of playing in the swimming pool, everyone had no choice but to get in the water.

At least it was fortunate that it was early March when the temperature was starting to rise. My eyes felt dry from forcing them open underwater.

“Why has my hair been so ridiculously colorful since my previous activities?”

I let out a deep sigh while fiddling with my ash pink dyed hair.

Ever since dyeing my hair this color, I was on the verge of developing a neurosis about strawberry milk and cotton candy.

“Hyung, your natural impression is so strong that to pull off a fresh concept, you need to soften your image with cute hair colors like this.”

Ryu Jaehee, who had dyed his hair red-brown, replied while sipping hot barley tea.

With my towel quickly getting damp, I was heading toward the stylists to get a new towel when I encountered Kim Dobin running toward me calling Ryu Jaehee’s name.

Just as I thought he was running well on the slippery floor, I grabbed the back of Kim Dobin’s shirt as he slipped and lost his balance.

“Are you determined to crack your skull open? It’s slippery, so don’t run if you don’t want to be carried to the hospital.”

I gave advice to Kim Dobin, who looked at me with wide eyes as if he was also startled, then continued walking with big strides.

The improvement level remained the same, though I had predicted it would have risen by about 5-10%.

That bastard Seo Yehyeon. Oh, not anymore. That bastard who’s even worse than Seo Yehyeon.

Discovering that Kim Dobin had taken over my sunbed and was lying sprawled on it, I let out deep sighs and plopped down next to Gyeon Hajun.

“Jun, what exactly is the problem? Normally, when you save someone from cracking their skull, they feel grateful and the relationship improves, right?”

“Of course you wouldn’t do this, but did you perhaps act like you were doing him a favor?”

“No, not at all. I just advised him asking if he was determined to crack his skull, and told him not to run if he didn’t want to be carried to the hospital.”

“Hmm, it would be better to drop the ‘are you determined to crack your skull’ part. That phrase cancels out all the concern that follows.”

“I said that as a form of concern too, you know?”

“It only counts as concern if the listener also feels it as concern.”

Having lived among people who cursed at each other daily without anyone getting hurt feelings, dealing with these tender glass-hearted mentalities was killing me.

I ended up taking on an errand from Gyeon Hajun, who suggested I try improving relationships by offering warm water to the youngest line, so I headed toward the sunbeds carrying two paper cups filled with warm water.

As the distance closed, their voices became clearer.

“Eden hyung has been strange lately! He’s really become gentle recently, you know? He doesn’t even call me Doby! His eyes seem a bit tired when there’s no schedule, but anyway.”

Hearing my name from Kim Dobin’s mouth, I quietly suppressed my presence and headed behind the guys.

“So I was thinking… Eden hyung, he didn’t get diagnosed with a terminal illness, did he…?”

“Wow, that’s the worst theory. Never say that in front of Eden hyung. The moment he hears that, he’ll probably make a comeback as the old Demon Eden.”

“No, listen. Think about it, that hyung coughed up blood twice. And even if that hyung has become gentle, he’s still Demon Eden-“

“What kind of Eden?”

I firmly grabbed the heads of Kim Dobin, who stiffly turned around creaking, and Ryu Jaehee, who was trying to slink away, giving them a refreshing scalp massage with both hands.

So these bastards have been calling me by that nickname behind my back?

Please cooperate in raising the improvement level, you damn Doby bastard. I really don’t want to regress again, you know?

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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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