Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 249

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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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249. TOUCH HIGH! (1)
Merge Dan Ha-ru’s personalities.
It was something I’d always known I had to do eventually, but it was far easier said than done.
‘I’m not a psychiatrist, and how am I supposed to pull out a personality that’s been hidden all this time?’
Those headquarters bastards kept dumping Quests on me without hesitation.
‘This is when I need Thirteen around—to talk some sense into things and negotiate properly….’
As the saying goes, you don’t know what you’re missing until it’s gone, and lately I’d been acutely aware of Thirteen’s absence.
I’d left an inquiry on the newly created Q&A feature in the system asking The Entity when Thirteen would be returned, but there was still no response. Then again, since I’d created the feature on my own, I wasn’t even sure the message had been properly delivered.
Regardless, it was a difficult mission, but my conclusion was that the comeback had to come first.
There was no particular penalty or deadline attached to the Quest anyway, so it seemed best to focus on my main work while observing Dan Ha-ru and Dol-ja’s movements until a suitable approach came to mind.
‘This side has so many unexpected events popping up anyway.’
Since this comeback was aimed solely at rookie awards and fan service, I had far more breathing room than when I was preparing the debut album.
There was some friction with the A&R team over the song’s direction, but ultimately the track I prepared together with Lee Do-ha was selected.
‘Together’ being a loose term—Lee Do-ha did almost everything, and I just contributed ideas and wrote a few lyrics….
“Since I’m already involved, I hope it becomes a hit. Maybe I’ll actually get some royalties.”
“What hit~?”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!”
As I stood in the Artist Lounge sipping sweet hot chocolate, someone beside me let out a voice so unnervingly smooth that I panicked, grabbed my ears, and quickly stumbled backward five steps. In the spot where I’d been standing, a tall figure now stood.
Looking more carefully, it was Choi Yeon-woo from Endway, wearing a beige handmade long coat.
“…S-Senior…?”
“Si-woo mentioned it, but you really do startle easily. If you ever did a horror experience, you’d faint before the fans even got scared.”
“A horror experience? That’s such a terrible thing to say on a first meeting….”
“Hm? We’ve met before. You saw me at your guerrilla concert, remember? And I reviewed your mission before that too.”
Isn’t that usually what people call a first meeting…?
Still feeling the chills, I brushed myself off briefly and took a step closer to where Choi Yeon-woo stood.
Come to think of it, was this the first time the two of us had been alone like this?
When Miro Maze ended and we debuted, Endway was just starting their overseas tour, so there were almost no opportunities to see each other like this at the company or elsewhere.
‘But why did this person suddenly start talking to me?’
Since he was a senior from the same agency, I couldn’t complain even if there was no particular reason….
Just to be safe, I set down the still-hot mug of hot chocolate on the table and bowed respectfully to Choi Yeon-woo.
“It’s been a while, Senior. I’m Kang Ha-jin from Kairos.”
“I know. I said hello knowing that. How have you been? You guys seem pretty busy lately.”
“We don’t have any major schedules besides a digital single coming out soon and preparing for year-end stages, so it’s not that hectic. But why…?”
I had to work hard to express ‘Why did you suddenly come talk to me with some hidden agenda?’ through the most polite and respectful gaze I could muster.
Choi Yeon-woo, reading my cautious demeanor, pulled out a coffee capsule and inserted it into the machine beside me, laughing with ease.
“Don’t be so tense. I heard you’re really close with Tae-il’s group? If we’re just going by age, aren’t we more of the same generation?”
“How could I not be nervous in front of such an esteemed senior….”
“I actually came looking for you because I have something in mind, but if you’re too tense, I can’t even say it.”
“…Do people usually just blurt out that they have a hidden agenda like this?”
“It’s not a bad agenda. And well, Miro wouldn’t be Miro if it were that simple, right?”
What the hell is this guy doing?
Sensing in him a peculiar blend of Seo Tae-il and Jeong Si-u, I could finally understand why Jeong Si-u had chosen Miro over Rene Entertainment.
This place was essentially a den where only creatures like these congregated.
A savage world where only those of us—myself included—who cultivated ten cunning serpents within could survive.
I tapped my fingers lightly against the table and turned to Choi Yeon-woo with a question.
“Um… so what’s your angle… no, wait. What brings you here?”
“Ah, nothing major. I just suddenly need a favor. If you weren’t at the company today, I was planning to get your number from Tae-il, but what are the odds we’d run into each other like this?”
“A favor that requires my number?”
“Are you interested in broadcast variety shows?”
Broadcast variety shows?
In South Korea, what entertainer wouldn’t be interested in variety shows?
The old saying goes: turn in money found on the ground to the police, but test the rope that falls from heaven by pulling and shaking it.
I kept my guard up, regarding my senior with suspicious eyes.
“Well, it depends on what kind of show, but… honestly, this is pretty sudden.”
“It’s not on a scale that should worry you. Touch High—you’ve heard of it, right? Missions and games where you compete for prize money.”
Of course I had.
Touch High was a broadcast variety show that launched five years ago, accumulating points through diverse weekly content—athletic competitions, escape rooms, mystery games, and situational comedy—awarding prize money or equivalent benefits to that day’s winner. It was a typical variety program.
About ten years from now, it would be restructured into a seasonal format due to cast aging and creative exhaustion, and it was a program I’d analyzed back when I was earnestly preparing for broadcast station entrance exams.
‘But why suddenly that show?’
I tried to recall if Choi Yeon-woo had any connection to that program at this point, but my memories of idol variety narratives from ten years ago couldn’t possibly be intact.
Looking at other regression stories, the protagonists are so sharp that events from around this time unfold summarized by year, but honestly, nothing about this is easy.
In any case, I answered Choi Yeon-woo with a composed expression.
“Is there anyone in South Korea who doesn’t know Touch High? For rookies like us, it’s a dream show.”
Then Choi Yeon-woo’s large eyes crinkled into crescents as he asked warmly.
“Would you be interested in appearing on it? Two or three people. The filming is the day after tomorrow, though.”
“…Pardon?”
“Originally, my members and I were supposed to appear… I can’t go into details, but we ended up unable to participate. We don’t have an alternative, and we can’t just cancel the schedule with the broadcast station…”
“What about the other senior members?”
“…Well, it’s complicated. That’s why I came to ask for your help on short notice. I haven’t told the company yet. I wanted to hear your thoughts first, and if you’re okay with it, I’ll inform them.”
The moment he mentioned ‘members,’ a subtle crack appeared in the atmosphere of overwhelming confidence.
‘What was Endway like in my previous life?’
Endway, composed of six members of similar age without significant age gaps, was centered around the ‘strongest center’ Choi Yeon-woo and ‘hip-hop master’ Park Woong.
Unlike Upia, which built on a solid domestic fanbase and emphasized performances and musicality, Endway actively supported diverse individual activities of its members and was a case that expanded from overseas first.
‘Wasn’t there any member who particularly caused trouble?’
I racked my brain hard, but the memories wouldn’t come clearly, perhaps because too much information had flooded in at once.
In any case, what mattered was that Endway’s Choi Yeon-woo was asking us to be a last-minute replacement for a broadcast variety show.
Without realizing it, I pondered what hand I’d been dealt, then politely gestured to the lounge sofa and spoke to Choi Yeon-woo.
“I don’t think you came just to ask us to fill in. Should we sit and talk?”
* * *
Choi Yeon-woo’s proposal, in short, was this:
—to appear on 【Touch High】 in two days on their behalf.
—it’s a public broadcast variety show, excellent content for showcasing a rookie group’s ambition, and all the fixed panelists are major names in the entertainment industry, so the appearance itself would be beneficial.
—however, since we’re in a position to ask, we can’t force you to go unconditionally, so in exchange for filling this hole, we’ll actively promote the digital single coming out this time.
‘The conditions are too good…?’
All this just for filling in one variety show slot?
We’d be begging them to push us even if we grabbed their pant legs and pleaded.
The new song promotion Choi Yeon-woo mentioned included guest appearances on the late-night radio show where he worked as a fixed DJ, as well as playlist inclusion for the new track.
It certainly seemed like a golden opportunity, but something about it gleaming so brightly made me uneasy.
“…would it be okay if I asked just one thing?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
I watched Choi Yeon-woo take a sip of coffee in perfect posture, legs uncrossed, before asking.
“Honestly, someone of your caliber could probably get the company to cover this easily. You could use conditioning issues as an excuse.”
“….”
“Even if that weren’t the case, this doesn’t seem like the kind of matter that would warrant you coming to ask me directly like this. Is this you showing courtesy to me? Or….”
Or are you passing along a bomb I don’t know about?
Seeing the meaning in my eyes, Choi Yeon-woo savored the coffee’s aroma for a moment before setting the cup down gracefully. He was truly the man who had monopolized the title of “Miro’s Crown Prince” until Jeong Si-u’s debut.
Choi Yeon-woo answered in the gentle voice of a late-night radio DJ.
“That’s right.”
“….”
“Actually… we’re in a bit of a bind. If we can’t prevent this cancellation, Endway might not be able to work with QBS for quite some time.”
Was there something that would cause Endway to clash with the broadcasting station?
I tried to recall, but nothing came to mind. I’d have to ask Ji Su-ho about it later.
For now, I needed to hear the rest of what Choi Yeon-woo had to say.
“I won’t let any damage reach you guys. I’m not forcing you to go just because you’re rookies, but I can promise you won’t lose anything from this appearance.”
“….”
I paused to think.
I still needed to understand more about what kind of person Choi Yeon-woo was, but at least his eyes didn’t seem to be lying to me.
‘Touch High… it’s not a bad start for an individual variety show debut.’
The real question was whether the production team there would welcome us warmly….
“If the shoot is in two days, when does it air?”
“Three weeks from now. Saturday of the week the college entrance exam ends.”
My eyes widened at the mention of the exam week.
‘The college entrance exam? Three weeks from now is the week Lanion debuts, isn’t it?’
Honestly, I didn’t have any particular grievance against Rene’s sculptures, but there was always an inexplicable irritation lodged in a corner of my heart toward that Cha Min-seok.
‘If I bring our third-year students along, the timing would be perfect.’
Seo Tae-hyun has enough recognition to at least hand out his business card, and Lee Yu-gun is quite capable in physical variety shows. Add me to the mix, and we’d have that perfect back-and-forth chemistry for entertainment….
After mentally running through the calculations, I nodded decisively.
“Yes. Thank you for the great opportunity.”
Just you wait, guys.
Your hyung just picked up another schedule!

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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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