Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 153

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

153. Someone’s Period (3)
The moment I saw the scoreboard displaying both Dan Ha-ru’s face and mine, anxiety flooded through me, and I turned my head to look at Dan Ha-ru standing on the right stage.
Having confirmed that he too was a candidate for 7th or 8th place, Dan Ha-ru wore a brief expression of surprise before accepting the result, pressing his lips together firmly and lowering his head. Impressed by his unexpectedly composed reaction, I too regained my composure and straightened my posture.
‘Stay calm. Either way, we’ve both secured our spots in the finals.’
This wasn’t the precarious situation like last time where we might be eliminated without the Round 3 benefit, and the partially disclosed vote counts and evaluation scores were actually slightly higher or comparable to the previous evaluation ceremony.
This wasn’t because Dan Ha-ru or I had done anything wrong—it simply meant the others and their fans had performed better.
‘To overturn this result, they’d have to redo Round 4 entirely, and I don’t think they’ll take such a gamble in this situation.’
So for now, we’re fine.
Reassuring myself this way, I unknowingly released the tension from the fists I’d been clenching. My body trembled as each finger tingled from how tightly I’d been gripping, the sensation spreading through my hands.
Still, compared to those days when I’d been regressed without understanding anything, being able to predict this much made my mind considerably easier and allowed me to maintain composure.
For now, I can protect everything.
“So, which of these two trainees will secure the 7th place debut ranking? We’re revealing the results now.”
The lights spun back and forth to the accompaniment of tense background music.
Dan Ha-ru and me.
I quickly tried to calculate which of us should ideally be 7th, but no clear answer emerged.
Still, given that I’d been at 9th place last time and would likely experience significant fandom loss this round, wouldn’t Dan Ha-ru—who seemed to be maintaining his position—have a higher probability of being 7th? That was my cautious guess.
After spinning around for what felt like an eternity, the lights finally stopped at one location.
And then, filling the scoreboard was…
“7th place, trainee Kang Ha-jin.”
…me.
“Me? I’m 7th?”
“Ha-jin hyung, finally escaping Feather Class?”
“Hyung, congratulations!”
I felt the voices congratulating me from beside me and the hands of those guys patting my back, but it didn’t hurt at all. As I moved toward the center at the assistant director’s gesture, reality felt strangely distant. Even as I climbed onto the platform and grasped the microphone, I couldn’t regain my senses.
“Trainee Kang Ha-jin. After recording 5th place in Round 1 and entering Wings Rank, you remained in Feather Class until finally achieving re-entry. How do you feel?”
“Uh… ah, my feelings?”
My feelings, my feelings.
Right, I should say something about my feelings.
My mind was processing it, but my body simply wouldn’t cooperate.
“Um, so….”
It’s not 1st place, not 2nd place—just a measly 7th place.
Dan Ha-ru, the strongest candidate for early debut, had dropped to 8th, falling out of the debut line.
If I’m still at 7th despite drawing this much aggro, it might actually be a serious problem.
“…This feels really good, actually.”
But right now, none of that mattered.
“So this is what that feeling is like.”
Laughter kept bubbling up uncontrollably.
Even though this wasn’t the final ranking, it felt like I’d finally released a rope I’d been gripping tightly in one corner of my heart. Whenever I tried to say something, laughter just kept spilling out like I was insane. The best I could manage was barely holding my legs from giving out beneath me.
Still, I couldn’t waste time like this indefinitely, so I barely managed to grip the microphone and open my mouth to share my feelings. My hands trembled noticeably throughout.
“Actually, I’m not sure what I should say….”
My mind was flooded with so many emotions and thoughts that words wouldn’t come easily to my lips.
This wasn’t like me at all—I wasn’t someone who struggled to speak.
Back when I worked a short-term shift at a cosmetics counter on a freezing winter street, I was all mouth, rattling off sales pitches with enthusiasm. That was me.
As I racked my brain searching for the right words to express this feeling, my eyes suddenly met Dan Ha-ru’s, who was still standing among the other trainees across from me, watching me intently.
Contrary to my worries, Dan Ha-ru was gazing at me with a genuine, radiant smile. The moment our eyes met, he even raised his thumb and beamed at me.
His cheeks lifted so high it was clear he was even more proud than I was.
Seeing that face, the turbulent chaos swirling in my mind seemed to settle instantly.
I released the tension from my excited body and conveyed my thoughts while looking at the camera with its red light on.
“…Now that I’ve come this far, I really do want it. I really do.”
This idol trainee challenge had started as a way to prevent regression, and the Survival Program was something I’d proposed with a “whatever happens, happens” attitude.
But now, for you and for me too.
I know this has become time too precious to give up on.
“Together with the friends here, I will definitely debut. I’ll do my absolute best to make sure that happens. Thank you, Destiny.”
If this is the happiness you’ve found, I’ll protect it no matter what in this life.
With that resolve, I bowed respectfully toward the camera that was still filming me.
It was a gesture of gratitude to my fans who had pushed me up onto this stage.
* * *
After my comments, the ranking announcement continued at a brisk pace.
Once Dan Ha-ru, ranked 8th, finished his bright remarks about being grateful to be with his hyungs again, the 4th and 6th place rankings were announced simultaneously.
Even amid this turbulent shift in rankings, Ju Eun-chan had remained firmly rooted in the upper tier, and Kim Won-ho seemed to have received a surge of votes from his existing fans and perhaps some sympathy votes as well.
“I will become an idol worthy of your votes.”
“Ah, I… I really… I didn’t expect this at all…. Ah, I’m sorry. Thank you for voting for me.”
While Ju Eun-chan delivered his comments in his usual steady voice, Kim Won-ho’s eyes glistened with tears. As he hesitantly approached my side, unable to hide his reddened eyes, I did nothing more than pat his back and tell him he’d done well.
It just… felt like the right thing to do.
“Next, we will announce the 2nd and 3rd place trainees.”
The 2nd and 3rd place rankings actually felt less suspenseful than the 7th and 8th rankings.
With even Ju Eun-chan, who had been consistently cemented in the upper ranks except for the first round where Han Sung-woo pulled strings, dropping to 4th place, it was obvious who would fill those spots.
Sure enough, the screen captured a two-shot of Lee Do-ha and Seo Tae-hyun, just as I’d predicted.
“The 2nd place trainee in the second final evaluation is… Lee Do-ha.”
“What? Not Tae-hyun hyung?”
The only surprise was that Seo Tae-hyun had dropped to 3rd place instead of 2nd.
Given that Lee Do-ha had even secured the benefit and the score difference wasn’t that large, it seemed more accurate to say Lee Do-ha had surged rather than Seo Tae-hyun had underperformed….
‘Seo Tae-hyun’s going to have a headache over this.’
He was the type who’d experienced a similar ranking drop right before the finals back in Boy’s Supremacy, so I was concerned.
Whether dropping from 1st to 3rd should be considered a drop was debatable, but for Seo Tae-hyun, who had been a fixture in Wings, it could be a shocking result. There’s a difference in impact between someone who consistently ranked 4th dropping to 6th and someone who ranked 1st dropping to 3rd.
‘And the debut lineup that just came out isn’t particularly favorable for Seo Tae-hyun either.’
Jeong Si-u, Lee Do-ha, Ju Eun-chan, Lee Yu-gun, Kim Won-ho, and me.
While Jeong Si-u provided some relief, considering the intimidating aura that his flawless sculptural visuals gave off…. The atmosphere and presence everyone else exuded was quite different from Seo Tae-hyun’s.
It wasn’t without reason that people had been surprised, saying “Seo Tae-hyun in Miro?”
And the reason Seo Tae-hyun had been eliminated from Boy’s Supremacy was also because he “didn’t fit the group’s image.” Compared to the debut group image people wanted, Seo Tae-hyun was too young, too pretty, and too fresh.
‘It was a problem I’d have to face eventually anyway.’
When I recalled how Seo Tae-hyun had wrestled with similar concerns during the ‘Shout at You’ incident, it became clear this was an obstacle I’d inevitably have to overcome. From the moment I decided to come to Miro—whether Cha Min-seok had coaxed me or not—I should have steeled myself for this.
I watched Seo Tae-hyun slowly climb to third place, then quickly averted my gaze back to the front. There were still people remaining; it was too early to worry about the next stage.
“Now then…. It’s time to announce the first eliminated trainee from the second round of the Miro Maze.”
Seo Tae-il seemed heavy-hearted, remaining silent for a while.
Even when the Production Team gave him the cue to read the announcement, Seo Tae-il couldn’t bring himself to speak. Only after composing himself for several minutes could he finally pick up the microphone.
“Miro Maze second round. The first trainee who will leave this stage without opening the door to the finals is….”
Five trainees remained now.
Jayden, Gong Seok, Yuki, Park Jae-young, and Shin Kyung-ho.
And the first eliminated trainee was exactly who everyone had anticipated.
“Ranking 13th overall, trainee Shin Kyung-ho is eliminated.”
Shin Kyung-ho, as if he’d already known this would happen, hung his head in resignation. On the stage where five trainees had stood in a line, the spotlight illuminating Shin Kyung-ho silently extinguished. It seemed they would hear the eliminated trainee’s remarks separately at the very end, so Seo Tae-il proceeded without hesitation to the next announcement.
“Next, I’ll announce the 9th-ranked trainee who narrowly advanced to the finals. This trainee clearly appealed their position to the public through this stage.”
Among them, only Gong Seok and Jayden could be identified by the keyword ‘position.’
In the fourth round, both had firmly established themselves as the vocalist and rapper of Miro Maze.
‘Jayden ranked one spot higher than Seok-i last time.’
And with the added benefit, unless Gong Seok’s fanbase had suddenly doubled, 9th place was probably….
“9th-ranked trainee. Trainee Jayden.”
“Ah….”
As expected.
In a fleeting moment, the fortunes of Jayden and Gong Seok crossed.
The instant his name was called, Jayden rushed forward with a barrage of English exclamations. He was even joking about having checked flight ticket prices back to Chicago yesterday, but the cold sweat streaming down his back suggested that despite his casual demeanor, he’d been genuinely terrified of elimination.
“Seok-i….”
Hearing a quiet murmur from beside me, I turned to see Dan Ha-ru at the 8th position, hands clasped tightly together, his face scrunched up as he stared at the stage. He seemed worried that Gong Seok, his former teammate, might be eliminated.
“Dan Ha-ru.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t pick at your nails. You’ll make it a habit.”
“…Oh. Yes!”
His tightly clenched fists kept fidgeting, and when I saw what he was doing—picking at his cuticles—I gave him a quiet warning. Startled, Dan Ha-ru lowered his hands, but now his eyes looked ready to tear up as he repeatedly clenched and released the hem of his shirt.
Eventually, I shifted slightly toward Dan Ha-ru and gently pried his wrist away from his clothing.
“It’s okay.”
“….”
“It’s okay, Dan Ha-ru.”
Perhaps those words were meant for myself as much as for him.
“Now I’ll announce the trainee who recorded 12th place overall and will be eliminated.”
After regression, this survival program was created through my intervention.
Each person’s fate was changing because of this survival program.
Perhaps I had stolen someone’s position.
“The trainee eliminated at 12th place is…. Trainee Yuki.”
Perhaps those words were a way to shield my eyes and ears from the inexplicable guilt that came with all of it.
“There’s only one ticket left for the finals. And now, two trainees remain.”
The faces of the two remaining candidates materialized on the display above.
“Gong Seok and Park Jae-young, please come up to the stage.”
Now, someone had to bring this journey to its conclusion.

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