Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 168

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

168. The Butterfly Effect (3)
Contrary to my expectations(?), Su-ho took me to a perfectly respectable high-end Korean restaurant.
I had come to pick up my things, yet here I was, inexplicably being treated to fine dining. I ate with such fervor that I couldn’t tell if the food was going down my nose or my throat. (Though I had to admit, it was delicious. Even the ssamjang sauce served for wrapping was the finest I’d ever tasted.)
All my nervousness proved pointless as Su-ho waited until I had emptied every dish and savored the dessert—a bowl of sujeonggwa—before finally broaching the purpose of our meeting.
And what he said was so shocking that I nearly wanted to spit out the sujeonggwa I’d already finished drinking.
“…There’s a company that wants to see me?”
“Yeah. I was actually wondering when to contact you about it, but since you came by the company today, I ended up telling you so abruptly.”
“Me…. Why…?”
“Well, they’re currently preparing a debut group over there, and it seems they want you to join as the final member.”
“…”
“They said they’d like to discuss the details directly with you, so… it is pretty sudden, isn’t it?”
“Yes, well… I… never expected to hear something like this.”
The final member of a debut group.
It was an incredible opportunity, yet I hesitated to nod in agreement immediately.
There were too many things to consider—what kind of company it was, who the other members were, whether I could fit in well with them.
But….
“Well, you don’t have to decide right now. If you’re free today, how about you come with me and listen to what they have to say?”
If I could seize an opportunity like this, I was willing to try anything.
“…Yes. I’d like that. Thank you for the opportunity.”
Watching me nod with sparkling eyes, Su-ho smiled faintly.
As if he’d known all along that I would answer that way.
* * *
When I asked which company wanted me, Su-ho answered only that I’d find out when we got there, as if he were preparing some kind of surprise. The moment I heard that answer, I sent another text updating my parents and acquaintances about the situation. (Not that it would happen, but it didn’t hurt to keep in mind the possibility of some sinister scenario where I was being sold off to a shady company.)
“Here we are. Let’s go in.”
“This place is….”
But the place we arrived at was exactly as Su-ho had said—somewhere I already knew.
“Lime Entertainment….”
The solo artist specialist agency that had been the third final candidate on Kang Ha-jin’s audition list,
and the company where singer Sarin was signed.
“Hello, Executive Director.”
“Ah, Team Leader.”
“Hearing you call me that feels strange.”
“I feel the same way every time I’m called Executive Director.”
While I examined the photographs of various artists hanging throughout the company building, a middle-aged man with a warm impression emerged and shook hands with Su-ho. When the man glanced sideways at me standing in the distance, Su-ho nodded as if giving a silent signal.
But the man pulled out a business card from his pocket and approached me with a friendly smile.
“You’re Won-ho, correct?”
“Ah, yes, yes. Yes. Hello. I’m Kim Won-ho.”
“Here’s my business card. I’m Kim Han-byul, Team Leader here at Lime Entertainment. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Ah…. Yes. Thank you.”
“Well, shall we head inside? I’d like to show you around the building and give you more details about the opportunity.”
Won-ho accepted the business card with some hesitation. Noticing his slight tension, Kim Han-byul smiled warmly and guided them into the company building. Won-ho followed Su-ho and Kim Han-byul inside.
“This is the main lobby. The second and third floors above house the staff offices. Everything above that is exclusively for our artists. The dance practice room is in the basement, though it’s a bit cramped at the moment, so we’re planning an expansion. Until then, we’re renting a separate dance studio next to the building.”
Lime Entertainment certainly looked structurally and fundamentally different from Miro.
Unlike Miro, which was built from the ground up around idol groups, Lime was a company with numerous talented singer-songwriters and musicians focused on songwriting, composition, and producing. Because of this, I could sense the facilities were concentrated on encouraging individual music work rather than infrastructure for idol groups.
“We place great importance on artist collaboration. We release seasonal songs featuring our in-house artists every quarter, and we’re actively working on featuring projects. I know it’s a bit awkward to say this in front of the Executive Director, but… honestly, I’m confident our vocal lessons are top-tier.”
“Well, that’s something I can’t deny.”
“Ha ha, recently Sarin has also shown great interest in nurturing her juniors. She occasionally gives special lessons to the debut team members.”
“Sarin?”
“Yes. It seems her experience at Miro Maze became quite a turning point for her.”
As I listened to the conversation between Ji Su-ho and Kim Han-byul, the three of us had already arrived at a small conference room. Once inside, Kim Han-byul lowered the blinds and brought out cups of water and some light refreshments. He also handed Won-ho a pamphlet introducing the company.
As Kim Han-byul watched Won-ho quietly reading the pamphlet, he spoke with a slight hint of inside information.
“Actually, it was Sarin who recommended you, Won-ho.”
“…Sarin recommended me?”
“Yes. I accompanied Sarin as her manager at the finals. On the way back after the finals ended, she asked about you. She wanted to know what I thought of you. She’s not usually one to bring up things like that…”
Kim Han-byul shook his head as if still finding it remarkable, continuing his explanation.
“Well, the news is already out anyway, but… Sarin is actually preparing for a comeback.”
“Ah, yes. I saw the article. Our Tae-il has been wanting to give her one of his songs.”
“Ha ha. Yes, that’s right. But this time Sarin wants to fill the album only with her own compositions… Anyway, that’s why she’s been coming to the company frequently lately. Because of album preparation.”
Sarin had taken a break from activities, saying she wanted to focus on family life after giving birth, but Kim Han-byul, who had briefly been her manager, knew the truth.
She had felt a great burden about her changed body after childbirth and had even considered retirement because of it.
But after experiencing some change of heart, Sarin returned from Miro Maze and actively expressed her desire to prepare a new album at the company. As a result, she began visiting the company frequently and gradually learned about various internal matters.
The fact that Kim Han-byul, who had been her manager, was now taking charge of the company’s first idol group project was no exception.
“Actually, we’ve been preparing this group for quite a long time. But no matter what we tried, that final piece just wouldn’t fit. We even considered just debuting them as a four-member vocal group, but that felt unfair to the kids who had worked so hard on their dance training and preparation…”
Kim Han-byul had shared these concerns over drinks with Sarin.
At the time, it was just venting, but Sarin had listened carefully and taken it to heart, and this meeting was the result of that.
“When I heard about you, Won-ho, I thought… wow, is this really fate? That’s what I actually thought.”
Kim Han-byul laughed heartily, his face beaming as if he’d just won the lottery.
Won-ho felt both bewildered and burdened by that gaze directed at him as if he were a savior. It was a look he’d never received during his trainee days.
Wasn’t this the kind of expectation and attention only someone like Kang Ha-jin would receive?
Won-ho carefully opened his mouth.
“I…”
“Yes, go ahead. Won-ho.”
“I’m sorry, but… could I ask why you chose me?”
That question—why him out of so many people—carried mixed complex emotions. But Kim Han-byul, seasoned as a manager dealing with people, quickly grasped Won-ho’s true feelings.
Kim Han-byul wiped away his friendly smile, interlaced his fingers gently, and answered Won-ho in a serious voice.
“First and foremost, the biggest merit was your choreography creation ability, Won-ho. Of course, we have a separate Dance Trainer, and we’ll be outsourcing debut song choreography to professional dance teams. I’m not saying we’ll immediately have you create choreography… but that’s not what I mean.”
“Then…?”
“As you well know, since we’re a vocalist-focused company, many of our trainees have stronger vocal skills than performance skills. After years of training, their dance abilities have improved considerably, but we don’t have anyone who can serve as a main dancer and anchor the team.”
“…”
“We determined that you’re the right fit for that role. You can anchor the team’s performance aspect while giving the overall color a much more idol-like quality. And if you want, you could also participate in choreography work for our releases.”
Kim Han-byul explained objectively why they needed Won-ho, while powerfully appealing to what they could offer him in return.
“After hearing about it from Sarin, we’ve done quite a bit of research on Won-ho as well. We saw his participation in Miro Maze and listened to evaluations from the mentors involved. The most consistent assessment was: ‘Outstanding dance ability, but lacking confidence in vocals.'”
As Kim Han-byul mentioned Won-ho’s weakness—something Won-ho himself knew all too well—I could see him nod slightly while shrinking back a little. Kim Han-byul met my gaze directly and spoke.
“And that’s something we can resolve for you.”
Your weakness won’t be a problem for us.
“As I mentioned, our company’s vocal training system is something we can confidently say is the best in the industry. We’re currently targeting a debut in the first half of next year. That gives Won-ho approximately six months to a year of preparation time to adapt to the team and improve his skills.”
“A year…?”
“Yes, of course, it might feel a bit uncertain since we’re not debuting immediately, but regardless, the adaptation period to synchronize with the team is important too.”
Worried that the one-year grace period might feel too long for Won-ho, Kim Han-byul added his words a bit urgently.
Won-ho fell silent for a moment, lost in thought at his words.
‘…One year.’
Neither too long nor too short—just the right amount of time to build new walls.
After finishing my thoughts, I lifted my head and looked at Kim Han-byul.
“Is it possible to meet the debut team members?”
At those words, Kim Han-byul broke into a broad smile and nodded.
Within the small breeze Ha-jin had created, a new timeline was being born.

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