Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 152

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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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152. Someone’s Period (2)
“I’ve never hated announcing this line more than I do today.”
Seo Tae-il, who had just returned after wrapping up recent overseas shoots and a grueling schedule, spoke with his head bowed. He now regarded the thirteen boys before him—no longer merely trainees, but something closer to his own disciples—taking in each face with genuine affection.
“Those who seek to touch the sun, soar to greater heights. The journey to become Miro’s Icarus is finally drawing to a close.”
Seo Tae-il steadied his voice and gripped the cue card in his hand as he spoke.
The list of the Final 10 who would advance to the live broadcast finals rested right there in his palm.
“First, I’ll announce the winning team from Round 4 that will receive the benefit points.”
This Round 4 evaluation had been conducted using multiple aggregation factors: offline voting, real-time online voting, and the number of likes on the publicly released stage clips.
Yet everyone present had already sensed the outcome in their hearts.
“The Round 4 winning team that will take home 100,000 benefit points is…!”
“….”
“The Loving You Team, who delivered the finest rap cipher despite unfavorable conditions! Congratulations!”
Beyond the on-site voting, the Loving You Team was the victor—their AiTube view count and likes overwhelmingly surpassing every other team.
Perhaps the emotional toll had been heavier than anyone realized. The moment the results were announced, Shin Kyung-ho burst into tears, while Jayden couldn’t hide his shock. Yoo Gun patted Jayden’s shoulder in acknowledgment of their hard work, and Lee Do-ha simply nodded calmly, appearing satisfied with the outcome.
“Lee Do-ha. Despite the challenging circumstances, you successfully completed your stage and have now become the winning team, earning these benefit points. As the leader of the Loving You Team, would you share your thoughts?”
“…First, I want to thank Destiny for voting for our stage. However, I still don’t believe our stage was unfavorable. What mattered most was the skill of my teammates in executing the rap, and I—along with my team—have proven that skill.”
“….”
“For a rapper, there’s no praise more gratifying than being told you rapped well. I believe this result is the highest compliment Destiny could give us. Thank you for that recognition.”
In Lee Do-ha’s remarks lay not the sentiment of a victim of malicious fan opinion, but the aspiration to be remembered as a victor who had claimed first place through their own merit alone.
Understanding that intention, Seo Tae-il felt an unexpected sense of pride.
‘If they’re my juniors, they’d better have that kind of guts.’
Ha-jin’s remarks last time had been the same, and now Do-ha’s words echoed that same spirit.
These kids clearly had no intention of taking the easy path. They could have simply said something like, ‘Thank you for making us first place. We’ll definitely debut. We’ve suffered so much, and this feels like compensation for all of it.’ But that wasn’t them.
How was it that they hadn’t even debuted yet, and they all carried themselves with such conviction?
‘…Thinking about it now, I’m reminded of my own siblings, and it stings a little.’
As memories of his own brothers—who were spearheading the ‘idol industry’s my way’ philosophy—surfaced, Seo Tae-il quietly closed his mouth and swiftly shifted his internal stance to, ‘Well, I suppose that’s just how they are.’
Hadn’t he heard just recently that his youngest had attended a personal event and had sternly put a disrespectful reporter in their place?
“Yes, a first place earned through self-proof and personal achievement—truly a valuable result. Loving You Team, congratulations once again. I’m genuinely curious to see how these 100,000 points will influence the final elimination results.”
With Seo Tae-il’s words, the lighting shifted and the LED backdrop behind him transformed as well. The screen displayed ten elegant wings—symbolizing the survivors—emblazoned on a flag as if a banner were unfurling. Standing before this artfully rendered display, Seo Tae-il finally turned the page on his cue card.
“Now then, we will announce the Final 10 list advancing to the live broadcast for Miro Maze’s second elimination ceremony.”
The moment of farewell is always painful.
Yet Tae-il raised the microphone.
Some would descend those stairs, close that door, and depart, but for others, a new door would open in this very moment.
* * *
“First, I’ll announce the trainee confirmed for first place and advancement to the live broadcast.”
As tension-laden BGM filled the venue, the most brilliantly designed banner for first place fluttered across the display screen. Seo Tae-il read the next line from the script in a tense voice.
“This trainee fully utilized their signature strength in this Round 4 stage, gifting the audience the joy of live performance.”
Such descriptions were typically vague enough to avoid singling out any one trainee. Yet even with such broad language, the boys tensed. Their eyes betrayed their desire to hear their name called quickly, to escape this suffocating suspense.
Following the production team’s cue, Seo Tae-il drew a measured breath, paused for effect, and then called out the name from his cue card.
“The first place winner is trainee Jeong Si-u.”
The spotlight turned toward Jeong Si-u, who wore a white shirt and glasses.
It wasn’t particularly surprising that he, who had always competed evenly with Seo Tae-hyun, claimed first place, but for Jeong Si-u alone, it carried special significance.
“Trainee Jeong Si-u demonstrated exceptional guitar skills and vocal ability through this fourth round performance. Additionally, by creating a mashup arrangement of two songs that comfort youth, he received high praise for revealing his value as an artist.”
For Jeong Si-u, this first place wasn’t merely his own ranking.
This first place belonged to his father, and it was the world’s evaluation of his father’s song.
Jeong Si-u slowly took his place at center stage and lifted the microphone.
“…When I first said I’d quit piano and pursue singing. Or rather, when I said I’d become an idol. Everyone tried to stop me.”
The voices calling me crazy still echoed vividly in my ears.
The world’s arrows that poured down pierced me, and sometimes they pierced my father as well.
“But now that I’ve come this far, I’m certain that decision back then was more precious than anything else in my life. I truly want to debut and share more songs with you all. Thank you.”
All the trainees applauded to congratulate Jeong Si-u.
It was regrettable that I wasn’t in that position right now, but everyone acknowledged that Si-woo had poured in the effort and passion worthy of standing there.
“Then, let’s announce the fifth-place trainee next.”
Today’s total number of final passers was ten.
The fifth-place trainee positioned in the middle served to give a rough indication of the voting results from the other trainees.
Kang Ha-jin, dressed in a white shirt and black slacks, kept his posture rigid in his seat while glancing sideways at the trainees standing beside him.
‘Last time, Ha-ru was fifth.’
Since Lee Pa-rang had been eliminated at the last elimination ceremony, his votes likely either disappeared entirely or shifted to a similar role—the “cute and energetic maknae line.”
Among the current trainees, only Ha-ru and Park Jae-young seemed capable of absorbing Lee Pa-rang’s votes.
‘It would be easier if Ha-ru secured fifth place again this time.’
Since I suspected Ha-ru of being a select beneficiary, Ha-ru’s elimination this time would be the worst outcome, and his ranking dropping below debut positions would be the second worst. With accumulated fandom, he probably wouldn’t be eliminated, but….
‘The benefit going to the Loving You Team might hit harder than expected. They’re already in a situation where they received both public votes and our fandom’s support.’
Yoo Gun and Do-ha were trainees who naturally ranked high anyway, but no one could predict what results the votes concentrated on lower-ranked trainees like Jayden and Shin Kyung-ho would bring to this elimination ceremony.
Ha-jin suppressed my tension and covered my slightly trembling fist with my other hand.
“The fifth-place trainee is… Lee Yu-gun from the Loving You Team.”
Lee Yu-gun in fifth place?
My eyes widened at the unexpected result.
Yoo Gun’s previous ranking was fourth. Considering he even secured the benefit, this was an incomprehensible result, but…
‘It’s not a completely unreasonable ranking. The buff he received from revealing his family circumstances in round three must have ended.’
Rather, it could be seen that he defended his ranking well with this performance and benefit, despite the possibility of dropping further due to vote changes from the two-pick system.
Ha-jin couldn’t hide my bewildered expression and watched Yoo Gun speak about his stage impressions. He seemed more surprised by this result than when he ranked fourth last time. Observing Yoo Gun, who wore a complicated expression and couldn’t easily open his mouth, I estimated the remaining trainees’ rankings.
‘If Lee Yu-gun is fifth, then Lee Do-ha, who also received the benefit, naturally rose in ranking too. If Seo Tae-hyun is second, he probably ranked around fourth? Even if votes concentrated heavily, wouldn’t it be around third?’
Additionally, ranking improvements were expected for Kim Won-ho and Jayden, or perhaps Park Jae-young who received Lee Pa-rang’s buff. Shin Kyung-ho also received the benefit, but in his case, existing fandom votes weren’t guaranteed, so elimination was almost certainly confirmed.
Of course, since he brought it on himself, I felt no particular sympathy. If he hadn’t even called his girlfriend to the guerrilla concert and done that secret sign only the two of them knew, I might have shielded him somehow.
Ha-jin cynically erased Kyung-ho’s name from my mind. In this place right now, there were ten other people desperately wanting that one spot besides Shin Kyung-ho.
‘Since I suffered vote losses this time, it’s reasonable to expect I’ll either drop or stay the same….’
I recalled my ninth-place ranking from last time and cautiously predicted I’d be around the same this time.
‘Elimination… shouldn’t happen. After the first elimination ceremony results, everyone became more enthusiastic about voting, and the Entertainment Agency evaluation score is still a criterion we can’t ignore.’
Gong Seok, who received good evaluations starting from round three and touched people’s hearts with sincere singing in this fourth round.
Park Jae-young, who started as the survival program’s last-place trainee and showed terrifying growth with each round, seizing the role of the bright and cheerful maknae line’s action leader.
Yuki, whose maniac fanbase was solidified by overseas support, and Jayden, who had secured the benefit points under the same conditions.
I solemnly awaited the results, thinking of the lower-ranked trainees who might fall into elimination alongside me.
Seo Tae-il opened his mouth with a grave voice, as if pronouncing a sentence.
“Next, we will reveal positions 7 and 8, where fate could shift by the narrowest of margins.”
The final debut position of 7th place, and the unfortunate 8th place, which fell short of debut eligibility.
Kim Won-ho, who had been 7th last time, and Yuki, who had been 8th, lifted their heads.
“Miro Maze 2nd Final Ceremony. The two trainees whose fates diverge into 7th and 8th place are….”
The candidates for 7th and 8th place appeared on the expansive screen in a split-screen format captured by the camera.
My gaze naturally shifted toward the screen as I waited for Seo Tae-il’s pronouncement.
“Trainee Kang Ha-jin and Trainee Dan Ha-ru.”
On the screen, my face and Ha-ru’s were being broadcast in real time.

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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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