Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 2

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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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02. Find the Regressor
“Ha-jin.”
“Yes?”
“Are you doing okay?”
My High School Homeroom Teacher—whom I’d assumed I’d never see again after he retired and emigrated abroad—gazed at me with worry etched across his face, demanding an explanation for the blank college counseling form I’d submitted. Describe your feelings in five words.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m not trying to scold you. I’m just… concerned.”
Yes, sir. I too am anxious and uneasy about this fifth cycle of life alongside that Chosen Regressor bastard—I swallowed those words down my throat and nodded awkwardly instead. Smile, Kang Ha-jin. Just smile.
“Is retaking the exam wearing you down these days?”
“No, sir. That’s really not it.”
“Then why have you been like this lately? You’ve become so quiet and withdrawn.”
I shot a sidelong glare at the culprit behind my three-day headache, then selected my response while wearing my professional smile.
“I’m definitely coming down with something.”
* * *
Only after being excused from school early—because he figured I must genuinely be ill, given that this wasn’t typical of me—could I finally clear my head.
Right. I shouldn’t be doing this right now.
I gazed up at the brilliant blue sky that reminded me of that day. I could imagine without looking just how thoroughly my face was plastered with resignation and helplessness.
“…Mission log.”
With a vacant expression and a hollow voice, I summoned the architect of this catastrophe.
[Mission List]
BQ 01. Find the Regressor!
SQ 01. Finding the Lost Dream
[Please select a mission to view.]
“Display both.”
[Basic Quest 01.]
‘Find the Regressor!’
Description: You have been designated as a mentor to the Chosen Regressor. Find the Chosen Regressor and prevent the regression.
Reward: Young and Rich, Tall and Handsome
“If only it wasn’t the ‘Young and Rich’ part…”
I was going to have to do this anyway, so fine. They’re throwing in wealth and fame to boot—I’ll take it. And let’s be honest, I’m looking at three military deployments now, so without compensation like this, I might’ve grabbed that regressor bastard by the collar the moment we met and demanded to know what he planned to do about my life.
Fine, I’ll accept that.
The real problem comes next.
[Single Quest 01.]
‘Finding the Lost Dream’
Description: The fastest way to untangle a knotted thread is to find where it started. Become an idol trainee within the time limit.
Remaining time: 57 days. (Base 60 days)
Success reward: Access to clues for tracking the regression
Failure penalty: 45% increased possibility of fifth cycle regression
Was this supposed to be an idol story?
I’d welcome the system window and quests with open arms, but having the genre of my life suddenly shift wasn’t something I could celebrate.
“Let me switch on my happiness circuit, Kang Ha-jin. It’s not like I’m not hunting monsters.”
Right, what’s wrong with it not being a hunter novel—but then others struggle to debut as idol trainees even after two years, and I’m supposed to make it happen in two months? The more I thought about it, the more absurd it became, and frustration began creeping in like a gradient.
And on top of that, they’re imposing a penalty? Forty-five percent is practically half.
“So if I fail this, I regress again?”
What kind of luck is the Chosen Regressor running on anyway?
I needed sugar. Instinctively, I pulled out a chocolate bar I’d stashed in my bag, popped it in my mouth, and hummed a tune. A melancholic melody drifted away.
“I’ve lost my way….”
Yeah, this song really is the national standard when you’re feeling lost….
* * *
An idol? I’d dreamed of it.
I’d loved singing and dancing since childhood. On stage? I soared. Even I could tell I was born for the stage. Somewhere along the way, I naturally dreamed of becoming a singer, and that dream lasted exactly ten years.
-Ha-jin’s voice stands out too much on its own. The volume is way too loud.
-Well… it’s kind of ambiguous.
-Have you thought about changing your path? How long are you going to keep doing this before you debut?
I wish I’d learned earlier that the line between mediocrity and incompetence is razor-thin.
I always heard I was good, but opportunities were never mine. It was always like that. Was my passion lacking? Wasn’t my skill good enough? Wasn’t I sincere enough? Opportunities that naturally slipped away gradually began eating away at me from within.
-Ha-jin, still, let’s just try one more time.
-….
-After all, they say there’s potential.
Potential. Potential? Maybe I simply lacked the confidence to prove myself.
-No, I’m going to quit.
So I abandoned my dream. I needed a place where I could prove myself and be recognized.
Anyway, all this sentimentality is useless now. If they say jump, I jump—if I don’t, it’s five regressions. I snapped out of my brief reverie and returned to reality. I found my outdated phone, which I still wasn’t used to, and logged onto the internet.
【Male Idol, Audition, Entertainment Company】
I can’t go to the Military three times. Absolutely not.
* * *
The final candidates were three.
1. Miro—a mid-sized company among prestigious male idol agencies
2. Rene—one of the country’s top three entertainment companies
3. Lime—a solo artist specialist agency
I’d compiled all the necessary information into Excel sheets: characteristics of domestic entertainment companies that appeared in search results, their affiliated artists, audition recruitment status and schedules. These three were the result of filtering by my conditions.
Good thing my experience organizing materials during team projects didn’t go to waste.
There was an agency I personally liked, but they’d just debuted a new male idol not long ago, so unfortunately I had to pass. Looking at the pattern, the next mission would probably be debut, and that ridiculous fish-faced Chosen Regressor—I’d decided to just call him whatever I wanted since I didn’t know what else to call him—wouldn’t wait around for that agency to release a new male group.
Since I was already using my work experience, I dug through all sorts of SNS and online communities, and from what I found, these three agencies either had their next group coming soon or were supposedly just looking for the final member.
“But does it matter which one I go to?”
Was the Chosen Regressor a trainee? It was too early to tell—there were no clues. The closest audition was this coming weekend: Rene’s public audition. With so many people applying, slipping in and testing the waters wouldn’t be a bad idea. I thought about the tendencies of that agency’s idols and recalled my song selection list.
Still, it’s only been a year since I gave up singing, so how am I supposed to explain this to my mom?
* * *
“Seoul?”
“Yeah, hanging out with a friend.”
“Which friend are you going with?”
“…Oh, Kyung-hyun.”
“Alright, have a good time. Do you have money?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got some allowance left.”
I hesitated for a moment, trying to recall which friend I’d been hanging out with during this period, but Mom seemed to accept it without question. Since this audition was clearly going to be a washout, there was no point in getting her excited and worried—better to keep things vague.
I filled out the application form in my room with two-finger typing, careful to keep it hidden from my Younger Sibling, and within days I received a basic confirmation text. I had to suppress the ingrained habit of writing “university” under final education and spouting off ambitious career goals in the motivation section.
Hold it together, Kang Ha-jin. You’re a radiant nineteen-year-old. At nineteen, even a flower in your hair gets a free pass as youthful charm.
【Rene Entertainment Public Audition Notice】
I left the house after reviewing the text one more time, which contained the address, schedule, and precautions. On the subway, I listened to the audition song I’d be performing through my earbuds while pulling up the file where I’d compiled research on different agencies, searching for the Rene Entertainment sheet.

Like most idols from Rene, Sphere had firmly established itself as South Korea’s premier male idol group. All members except one had renewed their contracts and continued activities, but since the group’s eldest members were already scheduled for military service next year, a new male idol debut was indeed urgent.
In my first life, roughly ten years from now—the expression still felt strange—a nine-member group debuted under some name like Lennon or something, but there was a lot of talk about whether they’d rushed all the trainees into debut out of desperation.
I turned off my phone while trying to recall when that next group debuted and which members were in it. I’d analyzed it thoroughly out of professional habit, but honestly speaking…
‘If I debut here, I’m screwed.’
There was talk that Rene got greedy because Sphere was doing so well, which delayed the next group’s debut. They were the first nine-member group from Rene, who stubbornly stuck to smaller lineups even when large groups were the trend, so there was a lot of chatter at first. But once the first teaser dropped, everyone flipped—saying, of course it’s Rene.
[Rene Entertainment’s Next Male Idol Visuals.jpg]
[Yo these new Rene guys’ faces are insane]
[Rene these crazy bastards said they’d debut male idols but brought gods instead]
If their nickname was Greek marble sculpture, that said it all, didn’t it?
Faces like Rene. They were the group that reminded everyone of the eternal truth of the internet forums. I caught a glimpse of my own face reflected in the dark screen, shuddered, and lowered my phone.
‘I don’t think I’m ugly… but I’m not in that league.’
Even if I was lucky enough to become a trainee, debut would probably be difficult. That said, I wasn’t planning to half-ass this audition either…
Just as I was thinking that, someone approached and spoke to me.
“Excuse me, hello.”
“Yes, I believe in the Way.”
“Huh?”
“It means you should move along since we’re fellow practitioners of the Way.”
Blocking cults at the source is best. Regardless of what expression the confused person was making—clearly not the response they’d expected—I stood up with a practiced social smile.
I’d arrived at my destination.
* * *
“Yes, next.”
“Honestly, these days… I’d say the kids are getting younger.”
Manager Jang from Rene Entertainment’s New Artist Development Team removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes.
“I don’t ask for much, but I wish they’d at least tone down all that affected nonsense.”
His sigh carried a hint of exasperation. These broadcast programs had ruined the kids. He’d taken root in the new artist team because he loved the passion of children chasing their dreams, but among those dreaming of becoming “idols,” barely half actually dreamed of being “idol singers.”
“They’re all too busy winking and sticking their tongues out. They don’t even sing.”
Even for Rene, an agency known for prioritizing visuals, finding hollow sculptures wasn’t the goal. Sure, skills could be taught later, so appearance carried the most weight as something effort couldn’t overcome. But at minimum, when you put someone on stage, you needed to see what kind of picture they’d create.
“Applicant #53 sounded decent earlier.”
“Did you see how he was showing off technique while singing? That won’t change even if we teach him. He’s already convinced he’s good at singing and is too enamored with himself.”
“Ah. Like Jung-hyuk?”
Jung-hyuk was a vocal trainee currently clinging to his position in the next boy group debut lineup. Manager Jang nodded and furrowed his brow.
“Jung-hyuk… he needs to abandon that stubbornness before we can even consider putting him in a main vocal role.”
“That’s true.”
“Where can I find some humble kids? This audition isn’t even fun anymore.”
Just then, the next participant entered.
“Hello, I’m Applicant #71.”
Manager Jang’s posture straightened slightly from where he’d been half-slouching in his chair. The applicant had calm black hair and sharp, monolid eyes that stretched horizontally across his face—quite striking. For a high school boy, his skin was surprisingly clear too. As Manager Jang’s interest piqued and he reached for the application form, he noticed something.
“I’ll begin singing.”
The voice came out composed, without the typical hesitation that audition participants usually displayed—no sign of nervousness at all. The staff members seated nearby felt their anticipation rise. Soon, the song began, accompanied only by silence.
I could never forget you
A wound I can never erase
From my entire life
All those shattered moments
Can I call them happiness?
Could I ever?
Could I dare to?
Me?
The song Applicant #71 had chosen was a drama OST originally performed by Lia, the main vocalist of Themis, back when she was a rookie. Now Lia performs as a solo artist.
Though it was released several years ago, the ballad had been such a massive hit that it’s still occasionally mentioned among the greatest OST tracks.
The song demanded sustained high notes and seamless transitions between deep and mid-range vocals with emotional depth, creating a relentless challenge. Many had attempted covers, but none had surpassed Lia’s original. Yet…
‘He’s singing this well?’
Manager Jang twirled his pen once with a light flick as he heard the high notes ascend cleanly, then felt a thrill run through him as the applicant descended naturally into the lower register, blending his breathing seamlessly. The technique was flawless.
He’d initially thought the applicant was a high-range vocalist given how well he handled the high notes, but as he descended into the lower register, a rich, groovy tone emerged. Manager Jang maintained his expressionless face as Applicant #71 finished the final verse with composed precision, but his mind was racing.
‘Damn, jackpot!’

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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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