Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 190

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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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190. KING
While Destiny was celebrating a plot twist they never saw coming, I was enduring a hellish schedule with the Kairos members to produce the next one.
“You all did great. We have some travel time before the studio, so you can rest if you want. If anyone’s hungry, I left some snacks on the seats.”
Half the members had their eyes closed the moment they climbed into the van after dance practice, while the other half looked completely drained. The schedule was so brutal that even I, who’d retained seventy percent of my military-era stamina, was barely hanging on.
‘I was just trying to take down the Returner….’
Here I was, becoming an idol with an insane schedule, unable to even confront the Returner or stop the regression.
Was this really going to be okay?
Holding onto a question no one could answer, I leaned my head against the window the moment I sat down and closed my eyes. For now, I just needed to sleep—forget about the Returner and everything else.
“…Oh.”
“Go ahead and get in.”
Just as I was about to drift off, a small commotion at the van entrance made me force my heavy eyelids open. I saw our nineteen-year-old whirlwind members standing awkwardly facing each other. It looked like someone had tripped on the steps while trying to board.
‘I should probably poke fun at their little spat at some point….’
But my natural meddling instinct was no match for exhaustion. I couldn’t even move with the Returner’s past self, Dan Ha-ru, right in front of me—what did a lovers’ quarrel matter?
Eventually, as I closed my eyes again and pretended not to notice, Seo Tae-hyun, who’d boarded first, scanned the seats and silently came to sit beside me. I leaned against him and spoke in an awkward tone.
“Ha. Tae-hyun. If you keep showing how much you like me like this, it’s going to be a problem.”
“…I really hate it when you’re like this.”
“I know. That’s why I do it. …Ow!”
Despite being dead tired, I couldn’t resist teasing Seo Tae-hyun, and he got annoyed enough to smack my forearm. The pain jolted me awake, and as I curled up in discomfort, Seo Tae-hyun smirked at the sight, put on his headset, and closed his eyes.
“….”
While I was nursing my pain, my eyes met Lee Yu-gun’s as he boarded the van late. He glanced at me and Seo Tae-hyun sitting beside me, then silently climbed over to the back and claimed a seat. The youngest members, who’d been peacefully leaning their heads on each other in the back row, were forcibly pushed to either side and jolted awake.
“Ah, hyung….”
“Lean on me instead.”
“Okay….”
Ju Eun-chan and Dan Ha-ru, who’d been about to complain in their drowsy state, simply leaned against Lee Yu-gun’s shoulders and fell back asleep at his word.
‘What is he, a hypnotist?’
Apparently he’d been raising his twin younger siblings alone since childhood, so his skill at handling the members was practically masterful.
Once everyone was seated, the van slowly began to move. I leaned back against the window and watched the scenery outside change in real time. Sleep had already been knocked out of me by Seo Tae-hyun’s sharp hand.
“…The weather’s nice.”
Lee Do-ha was like that, and so were the nineteen-year-olds.
Even though I thought I’d lived a fairly full life, interpersonal matters still felt difficult.
I wondered if I’d have any better solution when I finally faced Dan Ha-ru’s past self, given that I couldn’t even resolve this level of conflict.
‘What would someone like Seo Tae-il, who’d maxed out his life experience, have done?’
Not long ago, the way Seo Tae-il had brought Lee Do-ha’s shattered mental state straight back home had left quite an impression on me.
Since that day, I’d been seeing Seo Tae-il even more frequently because of the debut song recording, and every time we met, I felt it—his eye for reading people was far from ordinary. It was like he’d assess what kind of personality and tendencies someone had, then completely switch his directing style to match that person.
‘It might be natural, given that he’s been eating the rice of careful observation in this brutal entertainment industry for thirteen years….’
I found myself curious about how someone like that would handle the situation I was in now with the Returner and the past self. And more than that, what part of me he’d seen that made him say I resembled him.
‘…Like Seo Tae-il.’
Could I become someone like Seo Tae-il?
With another question blooming in my mind, I surrendered to exhaustion and fell asleep.
* * *
And a few hours later.
I realized that I was Lee Yu-gun and Seo Tae-il, and I had no business worrying about others right now.
“…Today was the day for profile photos?”
“…? Yes.”
Ju Eun-chan, who was sitting beside me sipping a tea to reduce puffiness and massaging his face with a face roller, nodded at my hollow question.
‘I’m doomed.’
The glaring studio lights and reflectors added weight to my despair.
Dancing, singing, rapping, acting.
I could do everything else well, but photography was the one thing where I hadn’t even discovered a speck of talent! And on top of that, Thirteen wasn’t around right now, so I couldn’t even use my skills.
‘Back when I was with Tummy, I thought whatever happens, happens. But now this is my livelihood.’
Essentially, this was like taking a headshot for a resume when applying for a job.
But what happens if I can’t take a decent photo?
What happens? I don’t get hired, that’s what!
We were dragged to the Waiting Room by our manager and seated in front of mirrors in order for makeup and styling.
“Ha-jin. Can you come out for a moment?”
“Huh? Me?”
Since there were only three makeup stations, I was sitting on the sofa in the back, thinking about how to handle this profile shoot today. Then Ji Su-ho, who had been outside, entered the Waiting Room and called me out quietly.
Wondering what was going on, I followed him out. Ji Su-ho glanced around briefly before speaking to me in a low voice, as if giving me a heads-up.
“The photographer doing today’s shoot is… well, he does good work, but he’s a bit sensitive. His demands for poses and vibes are extremely particular.”
Peeking past Ji Su-ho into the Studio, I could see Staff Members busily setting up backgrounds and equipment. Among them, a middle-aged man wearing a beret and scarf was discussing today’s concept with the A&R Team.
“And today, since you’re preparing for your debut, there’s a making-of filming team attached as well, so there are quite a lot of people. And lots of cameras.”
“Ah. That explains it.”
I wondered why there were so many people and such a large Studio just for a profile shoot, not even an album photoshoot. There were even two or three cameras rolling.
I nodded as if I understood Ji Su-ho’s explanation, when he gave me a serious warning with a troubled expression.
“The members have done Miro Maze before, but… this is still their first time, so everyone must be pretty nervous. I’m telling you this in advance because I think it would be good if you, Ha-jin, could look after the members and keep them from getting startled.”
“Ah…. Yes, I understand.”
I understood what Ji Su-ho was saying, so I nodded.
The problem was that I was probably the most nervous one among us….
“But he’s really that difficult?”
“Huh? Ah. No, well. Not difficult exactly…. Just a bit, unique? Yeah. A unique feel. He’s not a bad person though.”
Didn’t you just say he was sensitive?
Anyway, after conveying information about the photographer who was apparently not ordinary, Ji Su-ho pushed me back into the Waiting Room. The makeup for the first three members had apparently finished, and three others were now sitting at the makeup stations.
Perhaps because I’d heard Ji Su-ho’s explanation, I noticed cameras embedded throughout the Waiting Room.
One full camera mounted in the corner of the Waiting Room, three big cameras in front of the makeup stations, and a handheld camera by the sofa that could cover the blind spots of the full camera—five in total.
‘…Do they usually deploy this many cameras for a making-of?’
Does Miro have that much money? Well, seeing that they built the New Building, they do seem to have plenty of funds….
Isn’t it usually just one or two people in charge of making-of footage?
Just as I was feeling puzzled by the number of cameras, Dan Ha-ru, who had finished his preparations, trotted over to me.
“Ha-jin hyung! They said you should wear this later.”
“Ah. Thanks.”
As I accepted the clothes from Dan Ha-ru, my anxiety about the profile shoot returned with crushing weight. For a profile photo, the first outfit was the safest choice—a plain white short-sleeved shirt and jeans.
It was a failsafe basic look, but basics were always the hardest to pull off. When clothes were flashy, you could hide behind the spectacle, but this? I had no choice but to rely entirely on my face and how the camera treated me.
“Everyone. Members who are ready will do test shots in ten minutes. Don’t be nervous, and loosen up your facial muscles.”
“Yes!”
“Okay.”
At Ji Su-ho’s announcement, the members and staff grew increasingly busy. Before long, I’d gotten my makeup done and changed clothes. Stepping out in a white short-sleeved shirt that fit snugly and dark jeans, a stylist adjusted the details for me.
Since I was apparently last, by the time I’d put on my shoes and emerged, the members were already seated in the waiting room, waiting for their call. I instinctively counted—one, two, three—and realized there were six of us including me, which meant one was missing. I quickly asked Jeong Si-u, who was sitting in front of me, who it was.
“Where’s Seo Tae-hyun? Is he shooting?”
“Yeah. They called him to do a test shot right now.”
Seo Tae-hyun went first? I’m doomed.
“Ah. Everyone gather for a second. I have something to tell you.”
I gathered the members to relay what Ji Su-ho had told me. Just as I was about to carefully speak to the guys who’d naturally gathered around me and Jeong Si-u—
A loud voice came from the studio outside the waiting room.
“Bravo! Gorgeous! Excellent! You’re my muse, baby!”
…What’s with the “baby”?
“That sound from outside just now… right?”
At Ju Eun-chan’s words, we hurriedly rushed out of the waiting room.
In the photo zone of the studio covered in white chroma key, I could see Seo Tae-hyun in the middle of a test shoot.
‘What on earth did he photograph so well that it made the picky, difficult Writer say “perfect”?’
All the members couldn’t contain their curiosity and approached closer. Seo Tae-hyun’s calm, natural hair, covered in black for the profile shoot, swayed gently in the air conditioning breeze. As Seo Tae-hyun blinked once while facing the camera straight on, the photographer fired off a rapid series of flashes and shouted again.
“Perfect! Flawless! How do you get such a straight line!”
“…Wasn’t he just standing there facing forward?”
Jeong Si-u asked in a bewildered voice. From what I could see, there really wasn’t much else to say.
Then Seo Tae-hyun, who’d been standing in the photo zone with just as confused an expression as we had, receiving the photographer’s praise awkwardly, spotted us.
‘What did you do?’
I expressed my question through lip shapes and mime—what on earth had he done? Seo Tae-hyun, understanding perfectly, made an expression like he was about to cry, shook his head slightly, and shrugged his shoulders.
‘I don’t know either. Everything’s just good apparently.’
And our beret-wearing photographer even captured that shrug in the camera and shouted once more.
“Gracias! Ah, this expression is absolutely mesmerizing.”
Picky? Difficult?
But he does his job well, doesn’t he?
‘…Isn’t that guy just insane?’
The members’ eyes wandered aimlessly.

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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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