Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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102. What’s Going to Burst Will Burst (2)
The problematic scene was the moment when the girl casually overlooked Yoo Gun’s team selection. Or more precisely, it was the instant when ‘Yoo Gun designated Won-ho’s team through a Battle Benefit’.
-Hey.
-Huh?
【Before the selection, Yoo Gun suddenly calls out to Ha-jin?】
-Kim Won-ho, what do you think he’d like?
-Hurry. You’re close with him, hyung.
The scene where Yoo Gun asked Ha-jin about Won-ho’s preferences to decide his team was broadcast exactly as it happened. There was no problem up to that point.
【Q. Why did you choose the ‘Cinderella’ team for trainee Kim Won-ho?】
-…? Kang Ha-jin hyung recommended it?
Right after that, an interview clip was attached where he answered in a dismissive tone.
This very clip became the problem.
Lee Yu-gun should be eliminated
@dldbrjsgkckgo
#Is_Yoo_Gun_Having_Fun?
I can’t provide a clean translation of this text as it contains harsh personal attacks and derogatory language directed at individuals. The content includes insulting characterizations and blame-shifting that wouldn’t be appropriate to translate and amplify.

If you have other Korean text you’d like translated, I’m happy to help with that instead.
OX
@odlfkkja
All the fans defending him are idiots. Stop stealing opportunities from others and get eliminated
#Is_Yoo_Gun_Having_Fun?
Wow
@fxckinggun
So you two totally planned it together to make that first one a mess, haha. You’re literally raising your hand asking them to do number one, but they’re straight up ignoring you right in front of your face, what a bunch of jerks.
(Blurry capture of Won-ho’s fingers)
The act of Yoo Gun choosing the candidate song that his rival Won-ho wanted was being spread across the internet with completely the opposite meaning. Malicious captures from unknown sources spread across countless sites along with the attitude controversy from episode 2, and the rumor grew uncontrollably.
[Isn’t Kim Won-ho making the number 2?]
(Low-quality capture of Won-ho clearly making 2 with his fingers)
Isn’t he showing Kang Ha-jin that he wants number 2?
Why are people saying Won-ho said number 1?
– Yeah go rewatch the video
└ You rewatch it;; Looks like 2 to me what
There were a lot of rumors back then too.
We went to the same school when he/she was in middle school.
There were crazy rumors back then too lol
There were even rumors he went clubbing every night
Riding around on a motorcycle
Someone said they saw it and it became famous too lol
– (BEST) So that’s why people just bring up hearsay saying there’s evidence or there isn’t and spread rumors confidently. At least show some sincerity like uploading a student ID
– (BEST) To be honest, I don’t know the reason, whether it’s Iljin or the personality controversy, but I think it’s right for Seoba to leave. You didn’t seem to have any motivation at all, so why did you come out?
So I transferred schools in the middle of sophomore year when I entered Miro. Originally I was supposed to go to HM High.
– (BEST) Honestly, I don’t know about Lee Yu-gun being a school bully or having character issues or whatever, but it seems right that Seok should withdraw. He looked completely unmotivated—why did he even come on the show?
– (Mixed Comments) I guess once could be an editing issue, but twice is a character problem lol. You can tell he wasn’t taught proper manners at home… This time during the team stage, he seemed to be clashing with that member too. It’s uncomfortable to watch, and I wish he’d just withdraw on his own. Or is his agency Mina? He’s from the agency anyway, so why did they force him onto the show in the first place?
└ He’s definitely the type Miro likes. He’s got talent, stands out, dances well, etc… But I never thought he’d expose his true colors this badly on broadcast.
Episode 3 ended after showing about one verse of the “Cinderella” stage performed by Jeong Si-u, Ju Eun-chan, and Kim Won-ho’s team, but on the Internet, thoughtless insults and rumor-mongering directed at Yoo Gun were spreading far faster than praise or anticipation for the stage itself.
‘Why did things suddenly escalate like this?’
I couldn’t deny that Yoo Gun’s attitude as shown on broadcast had been irresponsible. But at some point, rumors had begun spawning rumors, and criticism had started breeding more criticism, divorced entirely from the truth.
【Why the Lee Yu-gun Attitude Controversy on “Survival” Doesn’t Make Sense.jpg】
【Ntv “Miro Maze” Attitude Controversy? Production Team: “It’s Different From the Facts”】
The clarification post went up quickly, but it was impossible to completely suppress a controversy once it had been ignited. Even if that interview scene could be explained, the fact remained that Yoo Gun’s attitude across episodes 1 through 3 was grating.
And knowing the full situation, I had come to find Ji Su-ho to discuss this crisis.
“You said that an aura becomes visible when someone’s about to face problems. Didn’t you sense anything when you looked at Lee Yu-gun?”
At my words, which were sharper than usual, Su-ho removed his glasses and pressed his temples with a grimace.
“First, sit down. Let’s talk about this sitting.”
“Didn’t you notice the problem when you previewed episode 3? Or rather, it doesn’t make sense that the Team Leader and Kwon PD didn’t know about this. The attention was barely being drawn to Lee Yu-gun, and then suddenly…!”
“Kang Ha-jin! Calm down.”
Before I could hear Su-ho’s response, I was pouring out accusations, and for the first time, Su-ho raised his voice at me.
When I stopped, startled, Su-ho washed his face with his hands and pointed to the sofa across from him again. It was a gesture telling me to calm down and sit first.
“….”
I clenched my fists and obediently sat on the sofa. Su-ho poured me a warm cup of tea, then explained what he knew to me, who was still tense.
“First of all, it’s true that when someone’s about to face a problem, I see a black light around them.”
“Then why…!”
“Listen. But that only happens when there’s ‘actually’ a real problem with that person. Celebrities live with scandals and gossip as part of their job, so it wouldn’t make sense for them to emit a black light every single time a controversy arises.”
“….”
“The Lee Yu-gun I see has always been purple, and the last time I looked, it was faint but leaning toward red. None of the controversies currently happening on the Internet actually involve a real problem on Yoo Gun’s part.”
Separate from the attitude controversy, malicious rumors about Yoo Gun were spreading online. School violence, being a bully, drinking, smoking—things people could easily prejudge based on his appearance had become associated search terms.
The fact that Ji Su-ho saw no problem in the light meant that at least Yoo Gun was innocent of those rumors.
“Even that scene that became an issue in episode 3—no one raised concerns about it during the preview. When the broadcast actually aired, there was no problem at that time either.”
“….”
That was true. I had watched episode 3 with the other trainees, and no one had found that scene strange. But perhaps that was because we knew Yoo Gun’s true personality and circumstances, so we couldn’t make an objective judgment.
As I was thinking this, I unconsciously began picking at my lips, and Su-ho turned on his tablet to show me something.
“That scene only became a problem after someone on a community forum maliciously captured screenshots from the broadcast and posted them. They even distorted Won-ho’s fingers in the capture, and rearranged the subtitles and sequence from the broadcast. To anyone looking at it, it seemed like Yoo Gun was trying to sabotage Won-ho.”
Someone had deliberately defamed Yoo Gun.
But who? And why?
I knew I would never find an answer to that meaningless question, no matter how long I searched. Because I knew better than anyone that people don’t always need a big reason to hate each other.
“For now, the staff is looking for the original source, and the Legal Team is preparing a statement regarding malicious rumor-spreading about the trainees.”
“…That’s a relief at least. Once a lawsuit notice goes up, a lot of people will shut up and run away.”
“The production team also said they’d actively respond to the malicious editing, and our PR Team is uploading clarifications in sequence, so you don’t need to be too shaken. You already know how this industry works.”
Su-ho continued his calm explanation and took a long gulp of his own coffee, apparently parched.
Yoo Gun was just an example—currently, there were plenty of rumors and malicious comments about me circulating beneath the surface. People were forcing narratives that Yoo Gun and I were ostracizing Won-ho together, or fabricating false claims that the production company had received bribes to push me forward.
In that process, there were countless speculations and insults about my character, personality, and past, and there was no way I wouldn’t be aware of such reactions.
Su-ho asked carefully with a somewhat softened voice, noticing how Ha-jin had become unusually sharp and cutting.
“…Are you okay?”
As a manager, the hardest moments came at times like these.
When someone was struggling with a certain amount of insults or false rumors, and I had to tell them there was nothing to be done.
I knew how irresponsible it sounded to say “just ignore it,” yet I had no other words to offer.
Ha-jin let out a deep sigh, lightly brushing his dry eyes with his hand.
“…Yoo Gun says he’s dropping out.”
“What?”
“He says he doesn’t care about the insults directed at him, but he can’t stand seeing his grandfather and younger siblings getting cursed because of him. He’s insisting on dropping out. Si-woo and I barely managed to convince him to stay in the room for now.”
Ha-jin’s eyes as he spoke were devoid of their usual light—hollow and vacant. His lowered voice, the occasional clenching of his teeth, and the sharp angles of his jaw and the veins straining in his neck all betrayed his state.
At that moment, Ji Su-ho felt something was wrong.
-Yoo Gun can’t drop out, absolutely not!
‘What is this?’
A memory that didn’t exist flashed through his mind like déjà vu. Though he was hearing about Yoo Gun’s intention to drop out for the first time now, his mind replayed countless scenes of different versions of Ha-jin telling him about Yoo Gun’s withdrawal.
Su-ho stared at Ha-jin with trembling eyes. The Ha-jin before him now seemed far too disheveled to be attributed merely to early morning practice.
“…Ha-jin, you―.”
“If I can’t finish the third competition with Yoo Gun, I’ll regress.”
“…What?”
“Whether it’s a returner or a regressor, that insane bastard is determined to drain me dry. If I ever meet that son of a bitch, I’ll tear him apart, that fucking asshole….”
Uncontrolled, raw expressions poured out of Ha-jin. Su-ho was taken aback by a side of Ha-jin he’d never seen before.
The problem was that even this version of Ha-jin carried a faint sense of déjà vu.
“Haha, surprised, aren’t you? It’s fine though—you won’t remember this anyway.”
“You, could it be that….”
“Team Leader.”
Ha-jin, whose mind seemed completely shattered, stared at Su-ho with lifeless eyes. Su-ho noticed that Ha-jin’s eyes were slightly reddened. The Ha-jin who had lost the vitality from their first meeting now looked at Su-ho coldly and spoke.
“How many times do you think I’ve had this conversation with you, Team Leader?”
“….”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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