A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 99

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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 99

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[Talk Show] Altair’s Cha Yeonho Disrespected by Junior

https://yxxtu.be/4dKliLmCjAo

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That post included a staff ID verification photo along with a YouTube video link.

The YouTube video had no visuals, just audio over a black screen, but since there was no voice modulation, it wasn’t difficult to identify the owners of those voices.

BEST The audio cuts out a bit and sounds fuzzy, but I’ll write down what I can hear

Eden: Ah, I really hate two-faced people. You’re that type too, Senior.

Yeonho: Standing out is good, but stones that are too sharp get hammered down, Eden.

Eden: Thanks for the advice.

Yeonho: Rev’s songs are all good though.

Eden: You keep praising our music, but it doesn’t feel good. How is someone who’s musically illiterate working in the entertainment industry…

Yeonho: Ah, did I upset you?

-What? Is he crazy? Why is he talking so rudely to a senior?

-Even if Yeonho’s nickname is Mastermind Yeonho, it’s not like juniors created that nickname to mock him, right?

-Face reading science for real lololol

-I knew it, Yoon Eden’s eyes look so fierce

-Musically illiterate? So fucking annoying, someone who can’t even compare to Altair is calling who musically illiterate?

-Wow so those guys are the reason behind Yeonho’s SNS post too? No wonder Yeonho was depressed, how could he not be depressed after hearing that from some way lower-tier junior

└And he hasn’t even been debuted for a year lol is he really crazy

-Yeonho is really kind, even after hearing that he’s worried about his junior’s feelings. Yeonho should be the one upset, why are you getting upset, you rude bastard

-Here come the armchair physiognomists and sommeliers as usual, putting it in neutral for now

-The conversation context seems a bit strange and it cuts out too

└Shield what you can shield, what’s strange about that

└Oh my, did a Daydream fan who stans idols that disrespect seniors come here?

* * *

I let out a hollow laugh while listening to the brilliantly manipulated recording.

“No wonder searching just my name brings up a bucketload of curses.”

So this was why.

Seeing how they created that conversation, they seem to have talent for devil’s editing.

I wondered why they bothered calling me out for that pointless conversation, but they were planning such a cute surprise.

Staff IDs are easy to steal, so spreading malicious manipulated posts with verification badges is nothing.

The fact that Cha Yeonho posted about having something depressing happen before quickly deleting it was probably groundwork for this too.

“Youngest Member, this hyung is wronged.”

“I didn’t say anything, hyung.”

“No, I was scared our Youngest Member might get angry and call hyung crazy again.”

“You’re not scary at all.”

Ryu Jaehee responded indifferently without looking guilty.

“To be honest, knowing hyung’s personality, I was suspicious at first, but when I heard that Cha Yeonho senior’s voice sounded slightly fuzzy while only hyung’s voice was distinctly clear, I thought ‘ah, it’s manipulated.'”

“If you could tell, wouldn’t everyone know it’s manipulated?”

“Well, only a few people would believe that, and it’s even harder to prove it’s manipulated.”

Ryu Jaehee sighed deeply, saying we got caught by a real villain.

“Then what do we do? Can’t you do some public opinion making saying this is manipulated? You’re good at that stuff.”

“What am I, a National Intelligence Service agent? I already got attacked after dropping hints on SNS that it seemed manipulated.”

At my words, Ryu Jaehee shook his head with a disgusted expression.

“There’s no real solution, we just have to pray hard. That it gets buried quickly, or the original recording accidentally gets released, or Cha Yeonho senior clarifies that this is a misunderstanding and the conversation context wasn’t like this. We have to pray for one of these three miracles to happen.”

“Ah, okay, okay.”

I nodded carelessly. Ryu Jaehee, who had been sighing deeply, said he’d try the prayer meta and went into his room.

A Quest window appeared before my eyes as I stared blankly into space.

[Surprise QUEST★]

[▶Let’s eliminate the character controversy!

-Content: You’ve been unfairly caught up in a character controversy. How about ending the character controversy before your reputation gets worse?

-Reward: Initial Intentions +5

-Time limit: One day

※If you fail to completely eliminate the character rumor, there will be a regression penalty!]

I know. If I can’t resolve this rumor anyway, I’ll be properly branded as someone who disrespects senior idols and the path to the top tier will be distant.

I also know that if that happens, regression will be the only answer.

‘Fuck, making people annoyed.’

I sat at the desk in my room and irritably ruffled my hair.

When I called Cha Yeonho’s number that I had saved, the long connecting tone ended with “I cannot take your call right now-“

That situation repeated exactly three times. Just as I was starting to feel the limits of my patience and touched the call button again, it connected twice then abruptly cut off.

Anyone could tell it was obviously hung up on purpose.

When I burst into laughter, Seo Yehyeon, who had been lying on his bed, quietly left the room and came back with Gyeon Hajun and Ryu Jaehee.

“I’m telling you he’s acting strange right now. He needs a break. I can’t handle it.”

“I can’t either. Only Hajun hyung can do it.”

With Seo Yehyeon and Ryu Jaehee’s whispering as background noise, I stared down at my cell phone screen on the desk. Gyeon Hajun didn’t bother trying to stop me.

“You want to try it now?”

I was muttering with a hollow laugh while resting my chin on my clasped hands, when Kim Dobin, who has a talent for breaking atmospheres, barged in noisily.

“Hey, leaving just me out! But what are you trying to do?”

I let out a deflated sigh at Kim Dobin’s fuss that completely destroyed the atmosphere I had carefully built.

On the fifth attempt, the call finally connected. Even Zhuge Liang only needed three visits to the thatched cottage, but what’s this bastard making me do five attempts for.

-Ah, Eden. Sorry. I just saw the missed calls now.

As expected, there was no trace of apology in Cha Yeonho’s voice.

“For someone saying that, you just hung up on the fourth try.”

-I have a habit of not answering calls from people I’m not close to. Having a few conversations doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve become close, does it?

Well now, who was it that asked for my number first.

-Then I’ll hang up now.

Seeing how he was trying to hang up without even asking why I called, he probably roughly knows why I called.

I can guess what scenario he’s drawing up in his head, but unfortunately, I have no intention of following your script.

“I’m someone who worries a lot, contrary to how I look.”

I spoke up before Cha Yeonho could hang up. As expected, the call didn’t end.

Even knowing he couldn’t see me, I slowly pulled up the corners of my mouth in a smile.

Tap, tap. My fingertips drummed the table at a steady pace.

“You wouldn’t know this, Senior, but I have a habit of recording when I’m alone with seniors I find uncomfortable.”

-How am I supposed to believe that? Why, Eden, you’re good at threats and blackmail.

“I can play it for you if you want. And I’m a good-hearted, tender, and honest person, so I can’t do threats or blackmail.”

I opened my laptop and played the recording file I had prepared. A hollow laugh came from the other end.

It was a precious lesson learned from the two Prison Idols.

Before regression, when Rev was rising with Seo Yehyeon’s fancam, the Marijuana Idol and DUI Idol posted implying that I had made disrespectful comments about them, so I got beaten up by the Prison Idols’ fans – or so I heard from Ryu Jaehee.

That also got swept under the rug when the two Jailbird Idols advanced to the society section – or so I heard from Ryu Jaehee.

Of course, it wasn’t quite a habit like I told Cha Yeonho, but more like a sense of caution to record when I’m alone with a senior who seems to view me unfavorably?

And Cha Yeonho was a senior who perfectly fit those conditions.

-Wow, how thorough. Eden, do you perhaps have some experience of being badly burned?

“No, I don’t have that experience, but just in case you misinterpret my words and post misunderstandings about me on SNS, it would be troublesome for both of us, so it’s for clarification purposes?”

-Living like that must be tiring.

“Being misunderstood like now is more tiring for me.”

I smiled leisurely while listening to his forced laughter.

“What should we do? Should I release the recording file on the internet, or will you clarify things appropriately? You know better than I do that public opinion will turn against you if the original file gets released, right?”

Tap, tap. The sound grew louder as I put more force into my fingers hitting the table.

“Well, I’ll leave the choice entirely up to you, Senior.”

I threw a grace period to the other party who wasn’t even breathing now.

“The deadline is 10 PM tonight. If you don’t clean this up by then, I’ll immediately release the full recording.”

-Hey, Yoon Eden.

A voice that sounded like scratching his throat came through the receiver, not the leisurely voice from before.

That’s what you get for acting tough and pretending to be superior. It would be more tolerable to see you clinging with a desperate face.

I wonder if he knows that when he keeps acting like that, it makes me want to drag him down again.

“Since when have we been close enough for you to call my name so casually? Having a few conversations doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve become friends, does it?”

I deliberately drew out my words while returning Cha Yeonho’s exact words back to him, and cursing through gritted teeth came back.

-You, you fucking….

“Yes, my phone is a Galaxy, Senior. Was your phone an iPhone? Why don’t you switch to Galaxy while you’re at it? Even if I manipulate the recording like you did, you can’t release the original like I can. Wouldn’t that be unfair?”

Apparently he was also afraid of call recordings being released, as the call abruptly ended. I looked down at my phone screen showing the call log and burst into laughter.

Rising’s interference is really vicious, you fucking bastard.

The tension that had tightly surrounded the room snapped as soon as the call ended tone rang.

“Wow, hyung. You really seemed like a villain. You could probably take on roles like a professional antagonist actor.”

“I can’t act, so that won’t work. This had authenticity because it contained my true feelings.”

I replied indifferently to Kim Dobin’s words as he clapped as soon as the call ended.

“Is it okay to do this…? Still, he’s a senior….”

Seo Yehyeon asked with a troubled expression.

“Then should I just stay still and get beaten up?”

Naturally, when the opponent throws the first punch, you should pay them back with two. Right now, due to the Quest time limit, I chose the faster path, so I couldn’t even pay him back with two punches, yet what’s with all this “is it okay to do this” nonsense.

How do you plan to live in this world being so timid, tsk tsk.

But why did he come at me so aggressively? Is his cowardice something that comes out depending on who he’s dealing with?

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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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