Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 129

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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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129. A Small Catalyst (1)
The first elimination would claim a total of four trainees.
Voting began immediately after Episode 5 aired, accumulating all scores up to that point, with results to be announced in Episode 7.
[I should have known this would happen]
I should have known I’d become so obsessed
I should have known it would hurt this much
As of yesterday, 17 people were happily laughing hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha?!
Who on earth are you going to eliminate hereㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠNo wayㅠㅠㅠㅠJust do the maze for the rest of your lifeㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Because Miro Maze had positioned itself as a “kind survival program,” focusing on the chemistry and relationships between trainees,
countless Destiny fans felt a profound sense of loss and disappointment upon hearing about the first elimination.
But that feeling didn’t last long.
[So who are you guys actually going to vote for?]
My head feels like it’s about to explode right now
I’m wondering if my top pick should go, but they’re already ranked so high
Would it be better to pick Cha Ae and Sam Ae?
– Definitely save my number one
└ 22 Don’t get complacent just because they’re ranked high
└ 33 The voting system reflects agency evaluations too, so we can’t relax
– Honestly, my favorite trainee doesn’t seem to have much chance of debuting… I’m really torn…
To keep their favorite trainees alive, Destiny fans began strategizing fiercely.
Since debuting under an agency meant committing to at least seven years—or longer—together, Destiny fans had no choice but to approach their votes with utmost care.
Ha-jin’s fanbase also began rallying intensely to encourage voting.
The vulnerable and unguarded moments Ha-jin showed in Episode 5 proved quite effective at attracting new fans.
Yet the internal cohesion of the fanbase still left much to be desired.
Kang Ha-di
@strongjin
I honestly don’t know where
to even start criticizing
so I can only sigh…
If you don’t like seeing it, unfollow me.
I’ll use up all my Bluebird votes myself
to get my kid debuted
Please stop forcing people to vote
Spamming the same post all over Tamla is getting old
It’s their choice who they vote for
What right do you have to keep lecturing people?
Honestly, Miro isn’t stupid
Ha-jin is trying to make her debut already lol…
Share 48 Quote 153
Kang Ha-di
@kang_HD
Everyone, please vote for us
The kid’s video cuts
And voting verification threads
Every time I see the difference in retweets
I genuinely get so worried and feel reality crashing down…
Exhausted by nothing but malicious comments and sabotage, even the delusional fans spouting baseless confidence that elimination isn’t possible have joined in, causing fandom fatigue to skyrocket.
In this chaos, fabricated conversations between several notable accounts from private chats began spreading.
Rossy Day
@rossy_1017
At 03:00 AM this morning
Kim Ma-kki (
@makkiii
) posted on her account
a clarification statement and full transcript of my private chat conversation with close friends
regarding the controversy.
The controversy in question is clearly fabricated
and we want to clarify that we have never
wished for any trainee’s elimination even once
Shares 292 Quotes 509
We were simply discussing Ha-jin’s voting results with concern, saying things like “What if he really gets eliminated?” and “I think he’ll only feel the crisis when it comes down to elimination risk.”
Someone cleverly edited those conversations, twisting them to make it seem like we wanted Ha-jin to be eliminated quickly, creating the controversy.
Fortunately, the people involved in that conversation stepped up quickly to clarify, and many accounts who witnessed the conversation in real-time helped suppress the controversy rapidly.
The account that caused the problem also deleted itself quickly once the clarification was posted and didn’t resurface for a while.
The real problem came after that.
Captain Kang
@strongjin
REST
Closing my public account for a while
I’ll be back once Ha-jin debuts
I’m sorry
Ha-jin’s name was included in that conversation too, and unable to withstand the cyberbullying that poured in from this incident, they ultimately closed their account.
With the fandom atmosphere already deteriorating, this incident caused Ha-jin’s fanbase to begin spiraling into uncontrollable resentment.
[What exactly did Ha-jin’s fans do wrong???]
I seriously don’t understand why people keep pulling our kid’s hair from every direction
I’m holding back and enduring just to see Ha-jin debut
People are really rude and awful…
I don’t understand how supporting someone can result in this much hate
And even in the midst of all this, seeing posts subtly putting Ha-jin down
Honestly feels like they’re just haters, I’m genuinely so upset
– Pat pat… you’ve been through a lot… I don’t have anything to say.
– But seriously, I’m curious—isn’t Ha-jin unpopular??? Isn’t he mentioned the most on Toomi???? That’s why I thought the elimination talk was just Tae-yeon fans trying to sabotage him
└ Do you really have to ask that kind of thing even on a post like this…?
It’s the natural order and law of things—the more you get battered from outside, the more solid you become within.
Ha-jin’s fanbase had been beaten down so relentlessly that even the handful of devoted core supporters had shattered and scattered.
The casual fans who didn’t want to stress themselves out over fandom anymore began looking elsewhere. Even the steadfast core fans reduced their mentions online or went into hiding.
And Ha-jin was fully aware of all of it.
[System Alert: …Are you alright?]
‘I’m fine.’
Ha-jin answered calmly.
In a situation where Thirteen was more anxious than Ha-jin himself, he responded with exasperation.
‘I’m really fine, I’m telling you.’
[System Alert: Still… The voting period doesn’t have much time left.]
[System Alert: o(╥﹏╥)o]
‘I’m really fine, for now. It’s not like I did something wrong to make people dislike me, and this is just something that can’t be helped.’
For now, it was fine.
Ha-jin’s assertion wasn’t merely self-hypnosis.
‘First of all, the next elimination announcement is cumulative—it combines all the scores we’ve earned so far.’
From the first broadcast until now.
Ha-jin had never been at the very top, but he’d never been at the very bottom either.
In the first mission, he won the team battle and earned benefits. In the second mission, he placed first.
‘If I add the first-place benefit from the third competition airing today, there’s no way I’ll be eliminated this time. Maybe at the next elimination announcement, but not this one.’
The third competition airing today had also resulted in Blue Flare Team, Ha-jin’s team, receiving the most votes and securing first place.
With this many benefits accumulated, he’d still be in the bottom four out of seventeen?
‘If I’m that much of a failure, I might as well hold hands with the fixed returner and live forever together.’
[System Alert: Please don’t say things like that, not even as a joke.]
[System Alert: The fixed returner might actually be capable of that, and it genuinely terrifies me?]
The system window trembled as if shuddering.
Ha-jin got up from his bed and stretched.
‘The real danger starts from now on.’
After the first elimination, all scores reset.
And before the finals, three more eliminations will occur.
‘If the fanbase atmosphere stays like this until then… debut might actually be really difficult. Even one catalyst to shift the fanbase mood would help.’
What could possibly do that…?
Ha-jin, after brief contemplation, checked the time and left the room.
“Oh, hyung. Hurry up.”
“What, am I last?”
“No, Kyung-ho hyung is last. He went somewhere and is coming back.”
The Lounge was filled with all the trainees except Kyung-ho.
Today, all the trainees had decided to gather together and watch Miro Maze Episode 6 live.
“You said we’d all watch together, so why are you the last one to show up?”
“The protagonist always makes a grand entrance last. Move over a bit.”
“Hey, there’s plenty of space over there!”
“I like the center seat.”
Ha-jin lightly countered Tae-hyun’s remark, pushing him aside and claiming the spot next to him.
With a dozen grown men trying to squeeze into one area, even the spacious Lounge looked cramped.
Just as someone turned on the TV and started flipping through channels, Won-ho, Yoo Gun, and Do-ha appeared in the Lounge doorway, their arms laden with delivery food from who knows where.
“Alright, alright~ the food has arrived, everyone.”
“What? Did Eun-chan use that card again?”
Chicken, pizza, pig’s feet, and bossam.
Ha-jin’s eyes widened at the lavish spread, and he naturally turned his gaze toward Eun-chan.
The flustered Eun-chan desperately shook his head, denying it wasn’t him.
“No, it wasn’t me!”
“Then what’s all this?”
Do-ha, quietly unpacking and arranging the food from the bags, answered instead.
“Team Leader Ji Su-ho treated us. In exchange, he says we all have to do three hours of cardio after finishing this.”
“…Should I eat this or not?”
“Of course you should eat. What are you saying, Jayden? Whether we eat this or not, we’re going to do cardio anyway.”
Ha-jin answered Jayden’s dilemma lightly and picked up his wooden chopsticks.
Ever since the announcement that trainees would be eliminated, morale had been plummeting endlessly.
That’s why Ha-jin had deliberately suggested they all watch the broadcast together today.
It was better for mental health to gather like this and chat than to shut himself away in his room, staring at his phone and sinking into endless despair.
[System Alert: …Is that personal experience talking?]
‘If you know, stay quiet.’
Ha-jin shot Thirteen a silent glare.
Whether it was Ji Su-ho or Thirteen, both of them were far too perceptive.
The kids were feeling down, and when Ha-jin suggested they all gather to watch the broadcast, it was obvious they’d readily provided the company card for this gathering.
“What, Seo Tae-hyun? You’re not eating?”
“I was originally planning to just have a salad with Si-woo hyung….”
At Ha-jin’s question, Tae-hyun furrowed his brows in hesitation.
He looked conflicted about this unexpected gathering.
Both Tae-hyun and Ha-jin’s gazes turned toward Si-woo simultaneously.
Si-woo, who had been sitting at the far end of the innermost sofa, had already accepted chopsticks and a small plate, moving down to sit at the food table.
“Looks like Si-woo hyung is going to eat?”
“Yeah. Hmm…. What should I do.”
“Tae-hyun hyung, eat with us!”
With Eun-chan joining in, Tae-hyun’s hesitation deepened.
Normally, Ha-jin wouldn’t force food on someone who didn’t want it, but today was different.
This was a gathering Ji Su-ho had treated them to in an effort to lift their spirits, and if even one person started refusing to eat for the sake of their diet, the other trainees would feel awkward and wouldn’t be able to enjoy the meal properly.
‘That hyung probably sat down first to set the mood for exactly that reason.’
Ha-jin observed Si-woo from the corner of his eye, lost in thought.
Si-woo had been the first to come down and picked up chopsticks, but he’d only placed a single slice of pizza on his own plate, instead focusing entirely on making sure his younger siblings were eating well. It seemed he intended to pace himself and eat according to his own rhythm.
‘…That hyung really is incredible. Truly incredible.’
Ha-jin marveled inwardly, then nudged Tae-hyun’s leg—who was still wrestling with indecision—and whispered quietly in his ear.
“Just come down and pretend to eat. I’ll pick out chicken breast for you. Or you can just have a few pieces of braised pork feet.”
“…Hmm. Yeah, I suppose one day won’t hurt.”
At Ha-jin’s words, Tae-hyun finally rose from the sofa and sat down.
On the opposite side of Ha-jin, Won-ho returned after washing his hands and took his seat.
“Ha-di hyung, just one slice of potato pizza for me.”
“Sure. Hand me your plate.”
“Thanks.”
Ha-jin thoughtlessly placed a slice of pizza on Won-ho’s plate and handed it back.
He watched Won-ho take a large bite, generously drizzled with hot sauce, then picked up his chopsticks thinking he should eat soon himself—but suddenly he stopped and looked at Won-ho again.
“….”
“…?”
“….”
“…Uh, what? Do I have something on my face?”
“No. That’s not it.”
Watching Won-ho mumble with pizza still in his mouth, flustered, Ha-jin shook his head and thought.
‘Now that I think about it… this guy….’
Why hasn’t the teammate recruitment gone through?

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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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