Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 206

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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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206. Kairos (5)
The second part of the Kairos Showcase, held alongside Destiny, was broadcast in real-time not only at the venue but also worldwide through the Aibus app.
Unfortunately, Professor Task and her fellow fans, who had missed out on the first-come-first-served showcase slots, were watching the online live broadcast together.
-Yes, everyone. We just watched the ‘Over The Night’ music video that dropped at 6 PM. The MV really feels like a movie, doesn’t it? The song has that vibe where it’d be perfect for everyone to sing together as the concert finale~
“Nam Da-down probably networked just like that even in the Military.”
“He actually did. Every time the Ministry of Defense held an event, they’d draft him as an MC and put him to good use.”
“After discharge, he even hosted his senior’s wedding ceremony.”
At the words of Mal-lang-gom, whom Upia had once casually followed, and Soda, who already knew plenty of random idol gossip, Professor Task—mid-snack—shook her head vigorously.
“I want to say he’s got some nerve, but honestly, I’m a little scared Ha-jin might end up like that later too….”
Thinking of her ultimate bias, who was no less charismatic, driven, and commanding than Nam Da-down, Professor Task smacked her lips.
…Unaware that her bias had actually hosted wedding songs and ceremonies as a regular in her previous life, and had made the rounds at all sorts of other celebrations and events.
-Well then, let’s bring out the stars of today’s event—the Kairos members. Members, please come out!
“Here come the kids. Wow, I really should’ve been there.”
“I wonder what they’re wearing…. The press photos showed over-the-top styling.”
“But honestly, the hair and makeup this time are all so pretty that I’m in a ‘I’m good with anything’ mood, you know?”
As Nam Da-down delivered his introduction, the members slowly rose from behind the stage. Led by Do-ha, they emerged in suits coordinated in black and white.
It was a more individualized version of the basic uniform worn in the ‘Ruins’ from the music video—the ‘THE NIGHT’ version outfit for this debut album.
Si-woo, standing third from the left as if an official formation had been decided, echoed the greeting.
-We’d like to greet you. One, two, three!
-KICK US OFF! Hello, we’re Kairos! Thank you for your support!
Even through the online stream, their spirited shout rang out clearly, and the audience’s roaring response conveyed the excitement of the venue perfectly.
The moment Professor Task spotted Ha-jin in a shirt buttoned all the way to the neck, a black necktie, a jacket with every button fastened, and a belt cinched at the waist, she immediately slammed her thigh with her fist.
“Oh, this is insane! Kang Ha-jin!”
“Geez, you scared me.”
“I get it, unnie. Honestly, the ‘THE NIGHT’ styling is absolutely legendary. The fact that they put Si-woo in a blouse shows someone who knows fashion.”
As Mal-lang-gom nodded in agreement, all the members took their seats and entered the full talk segment.
When Nam Da-down asked Ha-ru, the youngest, to introduce the album and songs, the maknae grabbed the microphone and began explaining the pre-memorized content with careful precision.
-Yes! Our debut album ‘K:ONCEPT’ is, as the name suggests, a mini album consisting of five tracks that capture Kairos’s concept and artistic direction.
-In addition to ‘Over The Night,’ our melodic title track based on modern rock, there’s ‘Kick Off,’ where we can showcase our performance to a strong hip-hop beat, and ‘Wings,’ a medium-tempo ballad where you can fully appreciate the members’ vocal abilities! A total of three new songs are included.
As Ha-ru rattled off the long sentences without taking a single breath, the members stood up as if on cue, clapping and cheering. Their shameless maknae, unbothered by the praise, beamed with pride and even begged for more applause.
Then, as if waiting for this moment, the hyungs’ expressions became as moved as a parent watching their elementary schooler in a debate competition.
“Are they trying to praise Ha-ru, or do they just want to try acting that moved?”
“It’s fine as long as the group’s mood is good. Groups that spoil their maknae tend to last longer anyway.”
“What amazes me every time is seeing Si-woo and Do-ha genuinely participate. They really don’t look like they would….”
“Look at Ha-jin. He’s practically acting like he gave birth to him.”
Watching Ha-jin pull out a hanger chief from his chest pocket and poke at his dry eyes, Professor Task shook her head once more. Yet she couldn’t help but laugh at the members’ cute antics.
Once things settled down somewhat, Nam Da-down—who had been pretending to hold back tears while looking up at the ceiling to compete with his juniors—returned to his composed expression and picked up the microphone again.
-Right, good. I heard there are two more familiar songs besides the three new ones. Si-woo?
-Yes, that’s correct. ‘Daylight,’ which you met through Miro Maze, and ‘Destiny,’ which we performed in the finals—we’ve rearranged and re-recorded both songs in Kairos’s voice and included them on the album.
-I listened to all the songs before coming to today’s showcase, and they really are composed of such diverse genres, you know? How should we understand Kairos’s color and concept?
Nam Da-down’s sharp question caused the members to pause mid-answer, exchanging glances with one another.
Just before silence could settle in, Ha-jin—who had swept his red hair back—quickly grabbed the microphone.
-I think we’d appreciate it if you could simply feel what we’re presenting as is. The very concept of this album is that we can challenge anything without being bound by genre.
-Ah, so having no concept is the concept?
-Exactly. If you watch the music video, you’ll see over five different outfits. By showcasing such diverse looks within a single album while simultaneously discovering our own color, I believe this album marks our first step in that journey.
From the atmosphere, it seemed like an off-the-cuff question, but watching Ha-jin answer so smoothly without hesitation, Professor Task barely restrained herself from slamming the table again.
Soon, Nam Da-down threw another question at Ha-jin with a playful expression.
-Speaking of the music video, Ha-jin. It’s certainly impressive and entertaining, but it seems opinions on its interpretation are quite divided. Could you explain this worldview for us?
Ha-jin blinked slowly. From his reaction, this also seemed like an impromptu question not in the script.
However, since the fans in the venue were also curious about the music video and worldview, the sound of Destiny fans shouting Ha-jin’s name echoed through the hall.
Ha-jin, who had been trailing off and gauging the mood, bowed slightly forward with the refreshing smile the fans adored. Then he spoke in the same narrative tone as the music video.
-Well, does that really matter?
-What matters is that you can all enjoy everything we have to offer this promotion—from our school uniforms to our formal wear. Isn’t that what’s important?
The venue erupted in cheers once more. The same went for Professor Task and her fan friends watching from the front row of the master bedroom. Nam Da-down, having nothing more to say, nodded and flipped to the next cue card.
As the talk time continued, the three of them started chatting amongst themselves.
“So they’re wearing school uniforms on music shows this time too. Wow, they’re already insane. Miro must’ve spent a fortune.”
“How many albums do I need to buy, seriously? Will the fan sign cut be high? It has to be, right? Right after Tumi ended and they’re riding this wave, it’s definitely going to be insane.”
“That group isn’t exactly a flop idol group… more like a nugu? Like a fourth-tier nugu group? I follow groups like that, and apparently their fan sign cuts are in the dozens. It’s just crazy, K-pop. Absolutely insane.”
As Mal-lang-gom grumbled, Soda, who had already finished a can of beer, chimed in.
“I heard that when there are too many casual fans, it actually gets worse. Still, Miro probably has some miracle one-album pulls left, right? When our sister pulled Endway, she got a hit with just one album.”
“Huh? Did Jae-hee unnie pull Endway too?”
“Just casually for a bit. Our sister has Miro blood flowing through her veins. She’s just in denial about it herself.”
“Wasn’t it just that she liked the undefeated ones? Honestly, what surprises me most is that Jae-hee unnie works at Rene. Her taste is completely opposite from Rene’s.”
“She’s quitting next month anyway.”
“What? Unnie’s quitting?”
“Yeah. She said the trainees she was managing are debuting soon, and she’ll quit after wrapping that up. Since the photos are already out, I can mention it—the next Rene group.”
At the news of Jae-hee’s resignation, Mal-lang-gom and Professor Task perked up their ears. They had already known she worked in Rene’s trainee development team, but this was the first time hearing such specific details about her work.
The moment Mal-lang-gom heard “next Rene group”—a hot keyword on the forums lately—she let out a small sigh while watching the Kairos members on stage.
“But it seems like Rene’s already trying to promote the next group by tying them to Kairos. Even on that Tamla forum, there were a lot of people saying they want to casually check them out once they debut.”
“Since it’s been so long since Rene’s last new group, there’s naturally a lot of anticipation.”
“Cha Min-seok’s photos were so strong. Honestly, I was shaken for a moment too… but after watching Si-woo and Eun-chan’s live broadcast, I got my mind straight.”
“You too? Me too. I still rewatch the Joysouls live sometimes.”
The three of them recalled the fun and entertaining relay live broadcast, looking at each other and giggling.
As the alcohol was slightly taking effect, Soda, her expression growing languid, rested her chin in her hand and spoke.
“But I’m a bit worried. Honestly, even though the survival show was fun… the firepower after debut is just different, you know? And there’s so much comparison with back then too.”
“Right. Doing well with cover stages is different from coming out with your own songs. There’s already some talk like that. People saying the kids are just becoming Seo Tae-il knockoffs, stuff like that. We’re still promoting with Seo Tae-il songs right now. Since the Miro Maze days.”
At this rare serious topic, Professor Task also leaned back and fell into thought.
She knew that worrying about celebrities was the most pointless thing in the world, and that it was better to worry about her own rice bowl instead…
But still, she couldn’t help but worry about my kid’s future.
Mal-lang-gom, the youngest but the one who understood the most about the forums’ various behind-the-scenes details, added her opinion.
“I mean, Upia and Endway have that certain thing, right? They’re self-made idols who rose from genuinely difficult circumstances through their own efforts—they have this image of being skilled performers. But Kairos isn’t really in that category, if I’m being honest.”
“True. But it’s a different vibe compared to Rene’s next generation. Those guys just feel like straight-up chaebol kids. For our group now, the important thing is figuring out how to differentiate ourselves as an ordinary mid-tier idol group, you know?”
The three of them, discussing the matter as seriously as if they were earning a master’s degree in idol studies, nodded in agreement with one another.
When I turned my attention back to the live broadcast, the members were already standing from their seats to showcase the stage, as the talk segment was nearly wrapping up.
-So, the stage you’re showing Destiny for the first time—what song is it? Do-ha?
-Ah… It’s a song called “Kick Off,” one of our B-side tracks that we’ll be promoting as our coupling song.
Lee Do-ha answered with a hint of nervousness showing through.
Professor Task, who had already streamed the song along with everyone else the moment the audio dropped at six o’clock, began clapping enthusiastically and making a fuss.
“Wow, I really like this song.”
“Me too. Seriously, I love this track. It’s pure K-pop itself. I’m already expecting the performance to be absolutely intense.”
“But looking at the composers, it’s not a Seo Tae-il song. It was a name I’d never seen before.”
“Who is it?”
“Hold on.”
Mal-lang-gom picked up her phone and accessed the music streaming site, checking the composer credits for “Kick Off.” She then read aloud the first name listed in the composition, lyrics, and arrangement credits.
“…De-on? Someone named De-on. I’ve never heard of them before.”

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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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