Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 176

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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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176. The Penalty (7)
[My dreams and life were trampled on because of Kang Ha-jin Kairos Kang Ha-jin Character Exposé Miro Maze]
Hello.
I am someone who trained alongside Kang Ha-jin, a trainee at KD Entertainment, in 20XX.
(Photo of KD Entertainment company sign)
(Screenshot of Ha-jin’s comment on the original poster’s private SNS from years ago)
(Photo of Ha-jin with other trainees whose faces are obscured)
I genuinely struggled a lot before writing this post,
but because Kang Ha-jin, who earned the nickname “tyrant” among the trainees and caused hardship not just for me but for many other trainees,
has debuted as an idol, an idol who is the idol of teenagers, and is standing on stage, I felt I couldn’t stay silent and decided to write this.
Below is what I remember of the things I had to endure over two years because I was Ha-jin’s junior. I apologize if the order or timing isn’t accurate since these are events from years ago.
1. Verbal Abuse
….
The post uploaded to an anonymous community came as a lengthy article accompanied by fairly credible evidence.
With clear verification photos, detailed descriptions of situations, Ha-jin’s habitual speech patterns, and even screenshots of messages exchanged with Ha-jin, people quickly began accelerating. All of Ha-jin’s past words and actions, big and small, were dredged up and speculated upon.
[But honestly, he had a temper]
Wasn’t it already known that he had that personality…? That was one of Ha-jin’s marketing points anyway
– It’s just mindless defense, or else what, fans will complain
– Just look at how he speaks at guerrilla concerts lol
└ Right, back then everyone loved how he said whatever he wanted, but now…?
└ Back then he got praised for those refreshing remarks, calling him a concept genius and all, but he was just a fan of that group lol
[What do you guys think about this?]
(Enlarged and replayed video of Ha-jin mispronouncing Kyung-ho’s name during Miro Maze’s first round practice)
Did he really not know the name or was he being sarcastic…?
But how could he not know someone’s name after training together for months?
I kind of liked Myung-ho, but seeing this makes me feel uneasy…
– Hey, you got the name wrong too; just drop it
– The provocation seems half-hearted, which makes it worse
– He’s itching to start drama, isn’t he
– Hmm, but maybe it’s just me…I got serious PTSD from it, his tone is like a total delinquent
└ Ha-jin had only been at Miro for two or three months at that time, and after the initial period he called the name correctly, so obviously when he first joined he didn’t know the names well, so who’s going to spin fantasies about him being a delinquent
[[Maple] But I get why opinions are divided]
Given Ha-jin’s personality, he probably really looked down on kids who didn’t practice and just played around
Even the Miro Maze trainees said Ha-jin made them practice really intensely
Since he’s so much of an entertainment character and has the qualities of an insider, but looking at behind-the-scenes content, he seems to have strong FM tendencies
If 20XX was when the original poster and Ha-jin were in middle school,
Ha-jin probably couldn’t control his emotions at such a young age and said those things,
and it was probably enough to hurt the original poster and other trainees during such a sensitive time
Anyway, from my perspective, it’s true that Ha-jin hurt the original poster enough to be called a perpetrator,
but it doesn’t feel like it’s something we third parties should comment on…
– Your next Destiny
You’re spouting nonsense lol. There’s an actual victim here, and you do realize this is real secondary victimization, right?
– They wrote such a long load of bullshit
– Everyone’s angry in the comments… I kind of agree with some of it. From when I first saw Ha-jin in Miro Maze, I noticed he had that typical youthful audacity and stubbornness that boys his age have, and it seemed like that caused trouble with his peers. I think Ha-jin was in the wrong here…
└ Some people say it’s like sympathy hahahaha Tjindesties don’t say things like this~ They wrote it as if they knew everyone after watching the 10-episode server hahahaha
While there were various opinions about Ha-jin’s actions mentioned in the post, almost everyone overlooked the possibility that the post itself was fabricated. The evidence was simply too solid, and the victim’s identity was too clear.
…
Among the seniors who trained with us, there was actually someone who quit their trainee life and gave up on their idol dreams because of the conflict with Ha-jin.
…
The moment a private conflict between peers transforms into a moral framework with a perpetrator and a victim, those who receive this narrative adopt a very distinct stance. They seek to defend the righteous and punish the wicked.
The truth is, the earth is round,
everything in this world cannot be divided into black and white alone,
and we sometimes forget that there exist deep shadows not captured in the letters displayed on screens.
Yet no one could blame them.
None of them knew the other truth—that Ha-jin was actually the victim of ostracism.
So they simply made their choice based on the clues given to them.
Kang Dae-jang
@strongjin
I’m not some tabloid hack
Now they’re even asking for some random blog account interview, damn it.
I trust the Kang Ha-jin I’ve seen
I ran it through an account recovery site lol^^
I’m blocking you and getting your IP address just wait
So this is what happens after all that character management
How does it feel knowing your bias is a school violence perpetrator?
Either believe it’s not true,
[Just quit Kang Ha-jin]
At least it blew up before debut, thank God lol
I feel so bad for the kids who didn’t make it because they voted for someone like you
or feel betrayed and condemn him.
Now people began to perceive Kang Ha-jin as a “perpetrator.”
Whether he debuted or not, if he didn’t properly clarify this matter, the damage was expected to be severe as the situation only grew larger. Everyone was waiting for only an official statement from Ha-jin and Miro.
And at that very moment.
Kang Ha-jin, the person in question who had been summoned to the Office instead of heading to the Dormitory, answered Ji Su-ho’s question about the truth of the incident in a calm voice.
“I’m not entirely sure.”
“…What do you mean by that.”
“I don’t remember it well.”
And that answer was far removed from the response Ji Su-ho had hoped for.
* * *
Human memory becomes distorted and embellished as time passes.
Certain events become increasingly vivid and crystalline in memory,
while some days evaporate from recollection entirely—as if they never existed at all.
My current situation fell into the latter category.
“…For you, it’s been two or three years. For me, it’s been over fifteen years.”
The incidents that occurred at KD Entertainment years ago had indeed haunted me like phantoms throughout my entire life. But that didn’t mean I remembered every single second of those years with perfect clarity.
I had spent a long time afterward growing through countless people and events, and I had stumbled many times along the way.
“All that remains in my memory now is just, ‘I fought with the kids, and in the end, they ostracized me.'”
I couldn’t even recall what situation the group chat screenshot in the original post depicted, nor could I guess who had written it. Of course, there weren’t many trainees who practiced with me back then, so if I really tried, I could probably track them down.
Ji Su-ho wore a deliberately serious expression and sighed at my answer.
“Honestly, that’s the most despairing thing you’ve said to me yet. From the company’s perspective, ‘I don’t remember’ is the worst possible defense.”
I understood. How could I not?
That’s why I’d racked my brain trying to recall everything before coming to the company, but it was impossible to remember details from over fifteen years ago. Besides, the vague fragments that did surface from reading the post didn’t seem like they’d help the company’s statement anyway.
As I fell silent, Ji Su-ho pointed to the printed exposé on the desk and spoke calmly.
“Then let’s start by nailing down the definite facts. You said this part was a lie, right?”
Ji Su-ho drew a highlighter across a specific paragraph—the part claiming that the company’s debut lineup had been scrapped multiple times because of me. The original post’s argument was that I had either demanded a specific debut lineup that couldn’t be formed, or I had thrown a tantrum after not being included in the lineup.
“Yes. When I was at that company, I was rejected from the debut lineup both times, and the lineups fell through entirely because the Cafe Owner couldn’t secure investment. He was even scammed once in the middle of it.”
“Do you have any idea why this person would say something like that?”
“…It seems like you’re hoping this is a lie. But the story about the Cafe Owner being scammed and the debut lineup falling through—only a handful of people, including me, knew about that. So if whoever wrote this came in later, they probably didn’t know and misunderstood. I was close with the company staff.”
I shrugged as I spoke, and Ji Su-ho nodded in understanding, jotting down my explanation briefly next to that paragraph with his pen.
The next paragraph he pointed out was the section claiming that 【Kang Ha-jin discriminated against and exploited certain trainees】.
“What about this one?”
“This one…. I’m not sure what discrimination means in this context, but I have an idea about the ‘exploited’ part.”
“You’re saying you actually made them do things?”
I let out a long sigh habitually and shook my head.
“Things like cleaning the practice room—honestly, kids that age won’t do it unless you tell them to. The same kids would always do it, while others wouldn’t do it no matter what, so I explicitly made them do it. …If they didn’t listen, I’d yell, get angry, things like that. Someone must have felt wronged and scared.”
Now, I understood the importance of role distribution and the authority that comes with being responsible for that distribution.
But back then, I didn’t.
Back then, I was an arrogant kid who spoke in clear commands, believed “I am right,” and felt it was completely natural for me—superior to others—to give orders and lead.
I was an incompetent and pathetic person who only intellectually understood obvious truths: that the earth is round, that all things have a reverse side, and that all colors are divided into black and white.
“There was one day when we all practiced together and did a major cleaning. Two of the younger kids were late that day. The others had all come early, practiced, cleaned, and were busy, but those two showed up late with drinks in hand.”
“….”
“I saw that and my eyes rolled back in anger. Right in front of the other kids. But when I found out later, those two had actually arrived at the practice room first, and they’d gone to help with urgent work that a staff member asked them to do—they hadn’t even eaten. The drinks were bought by the staff member too.”
The memory came back to me, and I felt so embarrassed and ashamed that I rubbed my face with my hands as I continued.
“So that’s how it all was. It’s true that I ended up being ostracized by the kids, and honestly, there are plenty of things in that post I could refute…. But I can’t just say I did everything right either. That’s why I’m ashamed.”
Ji Su-ho remained silent after hearing my words.
He reread the post as if thinking about something, jotted down notes with his pen, and soon showed me an underlined sentence again, asking a question.
“Then what about this? Is this true?”
The sentence Ji Su-ho pointed to was the most decisive statement that had created the “perpetrator Kang Ha-jin” narrative currently circulating online.
“There’s a friend who quit being a trainee because of you. Is that true?”
The company was so small and shabby that there were plenty of trainees who had quit.
But the moment I saw that sentence, only one person came to mind.
-Hey, Ha-jin! Let’s practice together.
A face that had surfaced after more than a decade, yet remained so vivid and clear in every detail that I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
“I suppose so. I’m curious about this myself.”
Behind that bright greeting directed at me, there was always a memory that clung to it like a shadow.
-We decided we’re not practicing with you anymore.
“How much did you hate me to cast me aside like that, and then abandon the company yourself?”
It felt as though the moment to confront a very old nightmare was drawing near.

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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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