Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 161

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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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161. Finals (5)
A dazzling LED backdrop played across the stage, meteors cascading like a waterfall, while violet, pink, and orange lights intermingled overhead.
Zzzzzziiing―, Zzzziiiiii―
A funky electronic sound, slightly distorted as if from a radio being tuned, gradually swelled in volume.
Thump-thump, someone moved briskly from the stage’s edge to center, their footsteps synchronized with the sound effect.
The moment the trainee appeared on the large screen, the comment section erupted.
– Dan Ha-ru is insane lolololololololol
– Crazy Dan Ha-ru
– Haruhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
– What is that lololololololololol
Jet-black sunglasses, a crimson scarf draped around his neck, a black short-sleeved shirt emblazoned with bold graphics. Over it all, a color-blocked blue jacket, paired with black skinny jeans deliberately ripped at the knees.
Snapping his lips as if chewing gum, Ha-ru moved from the stage’s edge to center with a swagger that suggested he’d been possessed by the spirit of a street punk himself.
– Oh no, who corrupted our maknae
As people screamed while simultaneously finding Ha-ru’s appearance adorable, he arrived at the center of the stage. Four trainees had formed a simple formation resembling a motorcycle, and Ha-ru immediately stepped into their midst. He’d mounted the bike.
Brrrrr―
– Does our Ha-ru have a license
– Look at how smoothly the engine starts
– Oh, that’s an expensive bike
As Ha-ru started the engine, the exhaust roar mixed with the funky music that had been playing, now thundering even louder. Gripping the handlebars, Ha-ru manipulated something, and with a click—as if changing radio stations—the music momentarily cut out.
1, 2, 3
Hey!
Hey! In unison with the shout, the trainees who’d been bowing their heads suddenly snapped them upright.
Then came the fast, exhilarating EDM beat.
A rhythm poured forth as if racing freely along a coastal road with sheer cliffs visible in the distance. In time with that music, Team B’s motorcycle began its journey.
– Lololololololol ah Ha-ru looks so excited
– The cheerful racing of the smiling sunshine boy
Moving with the unity and dynamism of riding a motorcycle, the large formation naturally transitioned into choreography as the kick drum sound seeped through the rhythm.
From the large formation, dancers peeled away one by one to the sides, the formation shifting into a W-shape in movements that flowed like water.
We, go, high!
Push through to the end, run!
Now our Finale begins
No tomorrow, enjoy, shout it out!
The song commenced with a full chorus.
Rapidly shifting formations and uninhibited gestures, the choreography was densely packed with no moment of rest—captivating to watch.
“No way, why is the song this good?”
“Did Seo Tae-il get married? Why is he doing so well lately? How much copyright money is he raking in?”
From the moment Professor Task saw that Si-u and Ha-jin were on the same team, he’d already anticipated his hands would never get a break.
Even while conversing with Mal-lang-gom, who was already on the verge of collapse, she continued mechanically firing her camera in rapid succession, and within her frame came his most beloved—that magnificently talented, adorable genius pup.
“Ah, crazy. So damn cute.”
Unlike the meticulously styled hair from before, crimson bangs now covered his straight forehead, fluttering gently in the breeze.
A loose white shirt and a carelessly tied blue necktie.
Over it, a training jacket with red and navy blue blended in just the right proportions.
The baggy navy training pants that looked somewhat unbalanced had white stripes strategically placed as accents, just like the jacket.
While the stage outfit wasn’t particularly flashy, I had earned the nickname “Professor Task” for how well training wear suited me.
Moreover, the way I executed intense choreography blending old-school hip-hop and locking in such comfortable attire was nothing short of a professional idol.
Finally―
We’ve arrived, right now
Our own Stage we’ve always dreamed of
Whether it was youthful resilience or simply natural ability, Jae-young burst onto the stage with a back somersault, flashing a wide smile as he delivered the opening verse. His movements were sharp and fluid in his large blue short-sleeved shirt paired with a basketball vest mixing white and blue, and basketball shorts.
Wanna be Famous!
I want, your gaze
Look here, Destiny
I’m here, your Destiny
Ha-ru lowered his sunglasses with his hand and made eye contact with the camera, then removed them in time with the music and tossed them offstage. When he formed a flower shape with his hands at “I’m here, your Destiny” and threw a wink, gasps erupted from all corners of the venue.
The funky electronic sound shifted slightly as the bass rhythm struck hard and heavy.
Yoo Gun stepped to center, matching the intense beat, and slid to the ground alongside Ha-jin and Si-u standing behind him. Then, riding the rebound with a wave motion, they executed an advanced move rising back up.
Heights that know no limits,
Speed that won’t stop climbing,
Cowardly haters following along so well.
Boom.
Yoo Gun, dressed in a form-fitting black racer suit, delivered his rap rapidly. The black ball cap and band across his nose made his sharpness stand out even more. Behind him appeared Jeong Si-u in transparent goggles and faded black-blue overalls with one strap deliberately unfastened and fixed around his waist.
“Why is Jeong Si-u dancing so well!?”
Mal-lang-gom was nearly losing consciousness at the fact that our classical prince had taken his place in the dance line alongside Ha-jin and Yoo Gun among those five. Professor Task also captured several photos for Mal-lang-gom’s sake, watching Si-u follow along without any noticeable stumbling.
‘Someone who looks like that comes out well no matter how casually you shoot.’
With that thought, Professor Task’s lens quickly pivoted back toward center stage.
It was almost time for my part.
Sure enough, I loosened my necktie and rolled up my sleeves, raising one eyebrow toward the camera as I opened my mouth.
Hey, hey
Faster, Faster, We’re going higher
Intense rhythm, bring down the Fakes who can’t keep up,
Flow that’s locked in,
If you’re confident you can handle it
Enjoy it, freely
All for Free
What poured out in a rough growl, scratching my throat, was rap, not song.
My vocal cords, powerful when singing, unleashed the same tremendous volume when rapping.
Do-ha wielded diverse rap skills, driving home lyrics with precise diction,
Yoo Gun adjusted nuance instinctively with his unique tone, delivering entertainment,
But my rap’s strength lay in a flow that pushed and pulled as freely as singing, paired with professional emotional expression.
– He’s good at rapping too?
– Wait, you guys, aren’t you going to debut Kang Ha-jin?
– Mother, how on earth did you raise your son?
– Even a novel protagonist would get criticized for having a setup like that…
In truth, the most absurd aspect of everything that made up Kang Ha-jin was being a regressor who might have to go to the Military three times.
Unaware of this fact, the Destiny fans gasped at Ha-jin’s rap they were seeing for the first time, and simultaneously erupted in enthusiasm.
– By the way, Ha-jin looks pretty handsome today
– The hair dye looks so good on him
– Red-haired Ha-jin is killing it in the finals
People marveled at Ha-jin, whose abilities seemed far more impressive than usual.
Of course, that was a natural reaction.
Because Ha-jin was genuinely performing far better than he normally did.
‘I haven’t just been playing around for the past six months.’
[Kang Ha-jin (Affiliation: Miro)]
-Debuff: Mental Care System’s influence causes certain stats to decline
※ Currently, all stats have been enhanced due to special skill effects ※
Vocals: S (A ▶ A+)
Rap: A+ (A-)
Dance: A+ (B+ ▶ A)
Expression: SS (S)
Charm: A+ (A- ▶ A)
Special: Stage Physiology (S)
-During actual performance, all stats temporarily improve at a certain probability.
Appeal Points:
‘Nevertheless’
-Leadership, Positive Thinking, Synergy
Ha-jin’s stat window flickered before his eyes, displaying his updated changes.
The Mental Care System was gradually stabilizing, and the grueling six months of effort that broke through a gap of over ten years—including his first life—had achieved quite remarkable growth in his existing stats.
Moreover, right now, with the correction from the special skill Stage Physiology, those base stats had risen one more grade.
Without relying on skills or other auxiliary aids, Ha-jin was already acutely aware that he was in an incredibly exhilarated state.
We, go, high!
Push through to the end, run!
Our Finale has just begun
There’s no tomorrow, enjoy, shout it out!
Since the fourth round, Jeong Si-u’s vocals burst forth—he seemed to have mastered a more relaxed and raw way of singing. The addictive EDM sound engulfed the Performance Venue in an atmosphere almost like a concert hall. The performers themselves laughed heartily as if they were having the time of their lives, and the audience caught the excitement too.
Fiesta!
Our celebration
Let’s throw away complicated worries, fade out
In the group singing part where everyone joined in, they stood in a line with their arms linked, showcasing synchronized group choreography using step movements. As the kick movements grew increasingly intense, the comedic timing of Ha-ru—wedged between Ha-jin and Yoo Gun in the middle—struggling more and more became the killing point.
Follow me!
Entering the second verse, Ha-jin and Yoo Gun’s dance part followed as they faced each other and exchanged rap. The pair dance of these two tall figures with similar heights of 182cm and 183cm respectively was more difficult and elaborate than any Miro Maze choreography ever seen before.
It goes like this!
Lying down, standing up, spinning around, sitting down….
No matter how you looked at it, the choreography seemed like it would dislocate a joint or two if performed twice, yet the two executed it with remarkably fluid, effortless movements.
During this, Ha-jin found his constantly fluttering necktie bothersome, so mid-choreography, he gently caught the end of it between his lips and continued into the next move. When the dance section ended and Ha-jin finally released the necktie from his mouth, a faint imprint of his lips was left on its end.
“Is he…. Is he seriously out of his mind today….”
Professor Task, naturally catching that moment without missing a beat, clapped a hand over his mouth and leaned his head back against the chair.
“Unnie, aren’t you going to film anymore?”
“My hands are shaking too much right now….”
Ha-jin had never disappointed his fans on stage up until now, but today it seemed like he’d come with a deliberate plan to captivate them.
Professor Task reconsidered his thoughts.
Originally, he’d wondered if just getting Ha-jin to debut would be enough, but now it was clear that wasn’t sufficient.
“Right, the fact that someone like him would settle for 7th place doesn’t make any sense. No way.”
Professor Task hastily pulled out his phone, accessed his contacts, and sent a pre-written message encouraging votes for Kang Ha-jin to everyone he could reach. Among them was even that ex from last week who’d sent a drunken “You there…?” message at 4 AM.
Back then, he’d found the sight of him so repulsive that he’d just left it on read, but now in Professor Task’s eyes, even that ex was nothing more than one precious vote for Ha-jin’s debut.
Ding, ding!
While sending out messages, notifications from Bluebird kept ringing incessantly at the top of the screen.
Professor Task clicked on one of those notifications and accessed Bluebird.
Sunset University
@SS_university
My most brilliant sunset
Please cast one vote for Ha-jin
Vote verification event on the main feed!
#KangHa-jin #MiroMaze #Ha-jin
(Ha-jin in uniform preview)
(Ha-jin pulling on gloves with his teeth preview)
10K shares, 4,220 quotes, 13K likes
Ha-jin’s preview, which recorded the highest shares and likes among all photos posted so far, had Professor Task nodding in satisfaction as he consecutively uploaded previews of the newly taken photos.
Verification mentions of voting for Ha-jin continued pouring in on the voting event post with expensive luxury wallets and film cameras as prizes.
“I’m leaving after watching Kang Ha-jin cry today like his life depends on his happiness.”
With gleaming eyes, Professor Task burned with determination to pave a flower path for his ultimate bias.

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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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