Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 186

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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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186. Welcome to Your First Debut (3)
I cut straight to the point without any preamble.
“You submitted a track for our title song blind test, didn’t you?”
“Cough, gasp….”
“Damn.”
Lee Do-ha, who had been steadily draining the iced Americano from his tumbler for peace of mind, spat out the coffee right then and there. It was a reaction I’d already anticipated, so I calmly pulled tissues from the box beside me and handed them over. Lee Do-ha awkwardly wiped his mouth with the tissues I’d given him and turned to look at me.
“…How did you know?”
“I saw your laptop. The demo file was sitting right there on your desktop.”
“Oh.”
Lee Do-ha only then remembered that he’d given me his laptop password a few days ago, and let out a stupid sound.
See? I told you—why would you just hand over your password like that when you knew what I might find?
But since the clues didn’t end there, I leisurely tapped my fingers rhythmically on the armrest of my chair.
“And if that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t have locked yourself away in that cramped room to work on compositions during this busy period.”
“….”
“You’re far more efficient than I give you credit for.”
During Miro Maze, Lee Do-ha had stopped all other composition work except for occasional sketches and developments of melodies that came to mind. Focusing on arranging mission tracks and preparing performances was far more “efficient.”
For someone like that to become a fixture in the studio during a time when there weren’t enough hours in the day just for dancing?
There had to be a reason for it.
‘Probably why he set up a makeshift studio at the Dormitory during his break—he was working on the track to submit for the blind test.’
Yeah, well. That much is fine. If a guy’s good at composing, what am I going to do about it?
The problem is that Lee Do-ha’s actions aren’t efficient at all.
After all, Seo Tae-il is the overall producer of our debut album, and the Company’s A&R Team is solid enough to be recognized in the industry. Even Ji Su-ho advised us to focus on the debut itself first, didn’t he?
So there’s no need for Lee Do-ha to sacrifice sleep and push himself this hard to participate in the debut track selection, that’s what I’m saying.
‘It’d be better to get more sleep and practice dancing more during this time.’
I paused for a moment, thinking about how to say this so he’d understand without misunderstanding.
‘Guys like Seo Ju-dan can be handled by flattering and reassuring them appropriately…. But that won’t work with Lee Do-ha.’
For example, if I said “Isn’t it hard? You don’t have to push yourself so much,” Lee Do-ha would answer, “No. It’s not hard. I’m not pushing myself either.”
Many conversational logics ran through my head like simulations.
Then suddenly, I remembered what Lee Yu-gun had said earlier.
-…That’s the only way that hyung’s mind will be at ease, so just leave him be.
-People like hyung, you don’t understand.
-How much being a minus makes people want to run away.
I didn’t know what Lee Yu-gun was thinking when he said that with such intensity, but I was someone who understood better than anyone the feeling of someone running away because they didn’t want to face their own shortcomings and limits.
Lee Do-ha was far more honest and sincere than I was, so he wouldn’t be retreating into his own cave like I did back then to cover his eyes….
‘He’s trying to prove his role in the team this way.’
It seems like no one would deny that Lee Do-ha is essential to our team even without going this far…. But he probably can’t think about it so comfortably. That sense of being chased—I know it better than anyone.
And so, after much deliberation, the one thing I said to Lee Do-ha was this.
“So, did it get selected?”
“Huh?”
“Right, of course. If it got selected, that’s why you’re still working on it now. Do the people at the Company know? That your song got selected?”
I deliberately sat backward in the chair, cradling the headrest with my arms, and asked in an intentionally nonchalant tone. Do-ha shook his head, clearly flustered despite his efforts to hide it.
“Oh, no. I submitted it under a nickname.”
“Oh, a nickname. What is it? Can I ask?”
“…Deon.”
“Ah, Deon. …Wait? Deon?”
I’d heard that name before. Wasn’t the laptop password he’d shown me previously something with Deon in it? Now that I thought about it, the stage name Do-ha had used in the previous timeline was also Deon.
‘That’s some solid foreshadowing being paid off.’
I found it oddly fascinating how things that were meant to happen seemed to happen regardless.
Of course, the “Deon” from the previous timeline was a solo rapper who eventually sold off his equipment because he hated making music alone, while this timeline’s “Deon” was merely a nickname for Kairos member Do-ha—a significant difference in context.
I rested my chin on my arm, which was draped over the back of the chair.
“But what does it mean? Deon. Is it like demon with the M removed or something?”
“Cough, hack….”
“Oh my. I really didn’t see that coming this time.”
It was a casual question, but Do-ha’s face turned completely red as he choked and coughed. Watching him, I felt two conflicting impulses warring inside me—a considerate desire to drop the subject, and a mischievous urge to pry it out of him and tease him mercilessly.
‘Do-ha’s dark history…? This is precious.’
What a shame. If I’d known him for just one more year, I could already be teasing him with things like “Deon? Hello Deon? Working hard on your tracks, Deon? What does Deon mean, Deon?” But we’d only just signed the contract, and the seal on the document was barely dry.
I would’ve been thrilled to have caught him in something like this, but we were still being somewhat formal with each other, so I held back from joking around too much.
In the end, I suppressed the mischief bubbling up inside me and summoned my social persona, maintaining an endlessly gentle and affectionate poker face.
“Ahem, well. Anyway. Is there anything I can help with? Want me to lay down a guide vocal or something?”
“…A guide vocal?”
Do-ha’s eyes lit up at my generous offer, darting around eagerly. His gaze moved toward the tracks stacked in neat rows on the monitor. After staring silently at the gaps between those tracks for a long moment, he shook his head—contrary to my expectations.
“No. Then you’d find out what my song is.”
“Then that’s even better. I could pick out your best track.”
I understood what Do-ha meant, but I deliberately played dumb and shrugged as I responded. Since I was testing him a bit, I waited slowly for his reaction.
And once again, Do-ha shook his head.
“No, then it’s meaningless.”
“….”
“It only matters if you all genuinely choose my song. Not because I asked.”
“…Right. I get it. I understand what you mean.”
Do-ha’s conviction was clear, and what he sought was unmistakable.
Following Yoo Gun’s words, I instinctively sensed that now was the time to let Do-ha do what he needed to do, and I stood up from my seat.
Do-ha seemed to think I was offended because he’d rejected my offer, and he awkwardly rose to his feet as well, looking flustered. I didn’t bother correcting his misunderstanding as I grabbed my bag.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yeah. We’ve said everything we needed to.”
“Ah…. Okay.”
“And I’m taking you with me. Home.”
“…Me?”
“Yeah. Pack your things. Hurry.”
I nodded while leaning against the studio wall. Do-ha’s lips moved soundlessly, unable to find a response. Then, as if to put up some token resistance, he managed to say….
“Why me?”
…or so they say.
Oh dear, our Bear’s broken down.
“The blind test is the day after tomorrow anyway, so isn’t the final version already locked in? Looking at it now, the tracks are so tight there’s nothing left to fix. You’re just here because you keep getting anxious and want to tinker with something—anything—to find peace of mind, aren’t you?”
“No, I mean….”
“You know how the college entrance exam becomes a battle of mental control and conditioning management from two days before, right? Listen to the same song again, and again, and again. Fix it again, and again, and again. Then your ears lose objectivity—you can’t fix what needs fixing, and you end up fixing what shouldn’t be touched. Haven’t you heard our debut schedule’s going to be insane? At the very least, you need to sleep at home and eat properly if you’re going to perform or dance or put on a show. Am I wrong? Tell me I’m wrong.”
Taste a bit of that fact-bombing you’re always pulling off, you bastard.
Without even giving him a chance to respond, I unleashed a barrage of words, and Do-ha’s brain seemed to overload—he creaked like a broken robot and clamped his mouth shut.
I crossed my arms firmly and made my face as intimidating as possible, then jerked my chin.
“Pack your things. Let’s go home.”
“…Okay.”
32 minutes and 57 seconds had elapsed since the hunt began.
I had successfully captured my target: ‘Do-ha (Bear) from the Studio.’
Bear hunting mission: Clear.
* * *
When Do-ha and I returned to the Dormitory, we were greeted by Si-woo sitting in the Living Room.
“You’re back?”
“Where are the others?”
“They’re all exhausted and asleep. We have to head out at dawn tomorrow anyway.”
“Why aren’t you sleeping, hyung?”
“Ah. I was waiting for you two to get back and monitoring practice videos.”
Only then did I notice Si-woo’s tablet PC sitting on the table in the Living Room. I felt a bit guilty for keeping such a stern person from sleeping.
“Ha-jin has something to tell you too.”
“Me?”
Ah. So this is how Do-ha felt when he was terrified by what I said earlier.
I experienced the meaning of empathy firsthand and obediently sat down next to Si-woo. In the meantime, Do-ha gave Si-woo a light greeting and headed into the bathroom to wash up. Now only Si-woo and I remained in the Living Room.
“What did you want to tell me?”
“Well, it’s about Yoo Gun and Tae-hyun.”
“Oh.”
What now.
My tense back and waist immediately relaxed upon hearing the topic, sinking into the soft sofa. Si-woo found my reaction amusing and chuckled softly, leaning back comfortably against the armrest on his side.
“They seemed to have had a bit of a fight. At the dinner after the finals.”
“…At the dinner?”
“Yeah. Well, I didn’t have time to hear the full story, but… anyway, I think it’s fine to just leave them alone.”
“Really?”
They were fighting so childishly with fire in their eyes, and it’s fine to just leave them alone?
I couldn’t understand it at all, yet somehow I trusted Si-woo’s words. This strange feeling—was it because of his face? Of course, that face is the kind you’d trust even if it were frying mapo tofu instead of red bean paste….
Noticing my confusion, Si-woo shrugged with an easygoing smile.
“It seemed like a married couple’s fight, you know?”
“Huh?”
“It didn’t seem like they really hated each other. They both have things they’re sorry about, and both feel a bit hurt. They want to make up, but it’s just not working out, so they’re getting more frustrated.”
“Wow, just hearing about it sounds childish.”
“They’re kids.”
Jeong Si-u laughed as if he found his younger members adorable and rose from the sofa.
“That’s why we should just leave them alone for now. Tae-hyun and Yoo Gun—they’re doing this because they want to improve.”
“Well… I’m not sure what the story is, but if you say so, then that’s how it is.”
“What? I’m really grateful you’d say that.”
Jeong Si-u stretched lightly and tapped my shoulder a couple of times. Then he glanced toward the bathroom where Lee Do-ha still hadn’t emerged and asked.
“How was Do-ha?”
“He’s probably the same—I think we should just let him be. I brought him here today because he seemed like he needed some rest.”
“Right. Let’s just help him pace himself from the sidelines so he doesn’t overdo it. Do-ha gets so absorbed he can’t stop once he gets going.”
They said Jeong Si-u had been closest to Lee Do-ha since their Special Class days, and he seemed to have already figured him out completely.
He really is an amazing person. I wasn’t scared of him anymore—just in awe. Genuinely.
“Well, I’m heading in. Ha-jin, you get some good rest tonight too.”
“Yes. Get some rest, hyung.”
“Yeah, sleep well.”
I bid farewell to Jeong Si-u as he returned to his room, my conviction growing once more about “Jeong Si-u as Kairos leader.” Across from the room that Jeong Si-u and Seo Tae-hyun shared, I could see the largest room where the youngest members and Yoo Gun would be sleeping.
“…Yeah. If they’re going to fight, it’s better they do it now.”
Still, I made a mental note to treat them both to something sweet next time I got the chance to smooth things over, and I turned off the living room light.
“Ah, whatever. It’ll work out somehow.”
What could possibly go wrong?
* * *
And two days later.
The blind test venue for Kairos’s debut track.
“So, the debut track has been decided as Song A.”
“Song C is really a shame too… but Song A was just overwhelming.”
“Who’s the composer for Song C? Should we at least try to contact them?”
“Ah, Song C is….”
I came to regret dropping that flag from my own mouth.
“The composer of Song C is… ah, it’s Daeon. I haven’t heard of them before.”
Lee Do-ha’s song was eliminated in the blind test.

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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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