Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 250

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

250. Touch High! (2)
“It’s not happening.”
Huh?
“I’m taking the College Entrance Exam, so what do you mean filming? What are you even saying to a test-taker with three weeks left? Seriously.”
Seo Tae-hyun had rejected the broadcast variety show schedule.
And his reason was studying for the College Entrance Exam.
‘What’s going on? Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?’
It had been strange from the moment Choi Yeon-woo suddenly brought up a broadcast variety show out of nowhere….
I stood there looking dumbfounded in front of the resolute Seo Tae-hyun, then quickly shifted my gaze to Lee Yu-gun, who was peeling fruit while being dragged along beside me.
“Then what about Yu-gun! He doesn’t take the exam!”
“He does take it too.”
“How is that even possible!? Registration closed in September!”
At that, Lee Yu-gun’s expression went hollow as he began chopping the apple he’d been peeling so carefully into smaller and smaller pieces.
Jeong Si-u took the knife from Lee Yu-gun’s hand with a sigh.
“The company said they registered him at the same time they did Tae-hyun. We were so busy with our debut that Yu-gun apparently forgot about it.”
“But I never even planned to go to university….”
At that, Seo Tae-hyun bristled, his eyes flashing with intensity.
“Who said anything about Seoul National University!? If you don’t go to university, you have to go to the Military, you idiot!”
“That’s why I’m keeping my mouth shut….”
So that’s why Lee Yu-gun had been so unusually obedient—he was afraid of the Military too.
‘Right. If Yu-gun goes to the Military now, his family essentially loses its breadwinner….’
Wait. But he’s actually the head of his household—wouldn’t he be exempt?
…I thought about it for a moment, but the company surely would have considered that too.
‘They probably figured there’s a high chance he’d be drafted for some ridiculous reason anyway, so they’re taking out insurance.’
Why hasn’t South Korea achieved reunification yet?
Lamenting the Korean reunification I’d wished for since I was seven years old, something that still hadn’t happened even as I turned twenty-nine, I grabbed an apple that Lee Yu-gun had chopped and Jeong Si-u had cleaned up and ate it casually.
Then Lee Yu-gun, who suddenly found himself studying for the College Entrance Exam alongside Seo Tae-hyun despite it being completely outside his fate, whined in a way unlike him.
“Hey, studying for three weeks isn’t going to make me a genius. What’s the point of studying anyway?”
At that, Seo Tae-hyun’s eyes widened as he stabbed an apple with his fork—really stabbed it.
“So who’s asking you to get a perfect score on the exam? Do you want to cause a scandal on exam day as some attention-seeking male idol who’s a public nuisance? Do you think I want to tutor you? At the very least, you need to look at English and Social Studies materials so you can actually mark something on the answer sheet, right? If you walk into that exam hall in your current state? You’ll definitely become a trending story as the idol who’s a public menace at the exam. Do you think we’re only idols outside the exam hall?”
At Seo Tae-hyun’s harsh voice and expression, I found myself lowering my eyes without thinking.
Glancing sideways, it looked like Lee Yu-gun had done the same, so at least our pride was intact.
Jeong Si-u, who had been sitting quietly beside Dan Ha-ru and Ju Eun-chan listening to the hyungs’ discussion, opened his mouth as he fed them each an apple.
“Okay, okay. So the conclusion is, Tae-hyun and Yu-gun need to minimize personal schedules for a while because of the exam, right? That’s why variety show appearances are difficult. Plus, Tae-hyun has a school he wants to attend.”
Seo Tae-hyun was preparing for the regular admission exam at Dankook University, which was famous for its Broadcasting and Entertainment Department.
Honestly, with his specs, he could have tried early admission, but unfortunately he had to take the regular exam because our debut happened during the busiest period of his life.
Ju Eun-chan, watching Seo Tae-hyun nod, casually threw out a comment.
“Since you’re taking the exam anyway, it would be nice if Yu-gun hyung took it too. Don’t you have any thoughts on it? Dankook is famous for its Practical Dance Department too.”
“Come on, stop. Usually kids preparing for those things spend three solid years building a portfolio. I don’t have the drive for studying like Tae-hyun does anyway. I’ll just go to a cyber university like Do-ha hyung and get my credits that way.”
Lee Yu-gun shook his head firmly, and Ju Eun-chan didn’t add any more opinions, just chewed his apple.
A frustrated sigh escaped my lips.
“I mean, seriously. So what are we doing about Touch High? I promised Senior Choi Yeon-woo that taking third-year students would be perfect. If you guys don’t go, who am I supposed to take?”
“How many members do we have here, and you’re worried about that? If anything, just take Eun-chan and Ha-ru. The way those two are always running around, they’ve probably won Touch High six thousand times over.”
“I’ve already thought about it! I’ve run through every possible combination in my head! But I can’t handle just those two by myself…!”
At my bitter words, Ju Eun-chan and Dan Ha-ru, who had been intently chewing their apples, suddenly snapped their heads up in unison.
“…Ha-jin?”
“Ha-jin hyung….”
“…I’m sorry for being such a weak leader.”
Under the betrayed gazes of my energetic youngest members, I quietly lowered my eyes to the floor again.
‘I always think about this—as a leader, I really don’t have much authority. Is this even okay?’
In any case, while the members bickered among themselves about what to do with the Touch High schedule we’d finally secured, Kwon Wook’s phone rang.
Following an instinctive hunch that it was probably about Touch High, I immediately answered the call.
“Yes, I’ve answered. This is Kang Ha-jin from Kairos.”
-….
“…Kwon Wook hyung?”
-Ah, yeah. Sorry. That, the way you answer the phone—I still can’t get used to it.
Right. The freelancer’s instinct I couldn’t hide showing through again.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Hyung, this is about ‘Touch High,’ right? Have you talked with the production team?”
-Ah. Yeah. I was just about to talk about that, actually.
“How did it go?”
-Well, first, we got the okay for you guys to appear instead. Endway originally had Yeon-woo and Luke scheduled to go, but since you guys don’t have any public broadcast variety show experience yet, they’re asking us to send three people.
Luke, Luke….
The face of Endway’s only foreigner—and now Miro’s only foreigner across the entire agency—with his bleached hair and yankee-boy charm (as fans called him) came to mind.
His positions were probably rap and dance. He often appeared on variety shows, particularly leveraging his origin from LA itself with English rap and fiery American-style talk.
‘Certainly…. Passing off the Choi Yeon-woo and Luke combination as a rookie group is pretty risky.’
While I was on the call, Lee Yu-gun and Seo Tae-hyun had apparently gotten into another argument and were trying to kick each other, but Lee Do-ha, who had just come out from washing up, was stopping them.
Watching what had become almost a daily occurrence, I covered my other ear with my hand and continued the conversation smoothly.
“We were actually just discussing who among us would go…. Did the production team mention any preference order?”
-Yeah, they did. They said there are communication issues among members and all that, so they want to mix the older line and younger line appropriately. Wait a sec…. …Ah, here it is. I’ll read it to you now.
Leaving the dormitory, where Ju Eun-chan and Dan Ha-ru had now joined in to create complete chaos, I covered my ear and slowly listened as Kwon Wook read off the members’ names.
And the more names he called, the less I could believe my own ears.
“…Really, that combination is the first choice?”
-Yeah. That’s what they said.
“Really? For real?”
-That’s what I’m telling you. I double-checked myself. I asked if they really wanted those guys instead of Tae-hyun. And they said they think a fresher image would work better than Tae-hyun or Yu-gun. It’s a good thing for us, actually.
“Well…. I understand.”
-Yeah, then. Talk it over with the guys and let me know once it’s decided. I need to confirm it with the writer right away too.
“Okay….”
I ended the call in a slightly dazed state.
The combination they’d listed as their top priority was something I could never have imagined.
The moment I hung up, all the members who’d been making noise turned their attention to me.
I spoke to them in a bewildered voice.
“I just got off the phone with Kwon Wook, and he gave me the casting list the production team wants.”
“Who?”
Without a word, I shifted my gaze to Dan Ha-ru, who was perched on Lee Yu-gun’s back—wondering what on earth he’d done to end up there.
Jeong Si-u, catching my stare, echoed back.
“Ha-ru…?”
“Me… me?”
“Yeah. And….”
And my gaze turned toward the other person the production team had singled out.
A member even Destiny hadn’t anticipated.
* * *
Two days later.
The outdoor filming location where Touch High’s opening shoot was taking place.
I stepped out of the car wearing the opening outfit that Coordinator Noona had agonized over through the sleepless dawn—”effortlessly comfortable casual wear that’s definitely not casual, moderately stylish, and befitting a rookie idol.”
“Ha-jin. No matter what else happens, you absolutely cannot lose on visuals. Got it? I work with pride in your faces. I ran around all night yesterday for this.”
“Noona, don’t stay up all night with that kind of pride… we’re all just trying to make a living here.”
“It’s fine. Miro gives good bonuses when the coordinator feedback is positive. Your good looks are what earn me money.”
Was this kind of worldly talk really okay?
The styling shop staff member from the shop that had signed an exclusive contract with Miro for Upia and Endway, and now Kairos as well, spoke with gleaming eyes. The hair and makeup staff standing nearby seemed to be quietly fueling their competitive spirit.
‘I suppose it makes sense….’
Today’s Touch High filming concept was “three-way battle.”
Three male idol groups within three years of debut would appear, team up with fixed panelists, and compete through three categories of missions to determine the strongest.
There was an awkward behind-the-scenes story to this—originally, this concept was supposed to be an Endway solo special.
-Two Endway members with one panelist, three panelists each for two teams. So three teams total playing the game… but apparently the production team felt it wasn’t quite enough with just you guys. They asked for our understanding first. Whether it’d be okay to cast additional teams.
Even if we had to accept it since we were the ones who’d backed out, it was somewhat surprising that they’d managed to recruit two more male idol groups willing to appear overnight.
Since Touch High was still riding high at this point, it seemed there were plenty of guys who’d come running at a single phone call, just like us.
‘And those guys who’d been chosen that way….’
I confirmed the “opposition” conversing with their staff members across the parking lot.
One team had debuted around the same time as Endway, and the other debuted last year or so—but honestly, neither had particularly impressive recognition compared to Endway.
‘I hate dividing people by popularity, but if I were the producer, I honestly wouldn’t have been satisfied.’
To transform an Endway solo special into a three-way battle with rookie male idols whose names the panelists could barely remember. Whoever came up with that idea must have had a bitter taste in their mouth.
But that was only the production team’s perspective.
From the standpoint of those group members standing right in front of me, this was an opportunity.
‘Honestly, our group has the best recognition right now. So they’ll definitely try to create a competitive dynamic against us or grab screen time however they can.’
At least, that’s what they’d do if they had any ambition worth rooting for.
And guys who’d come running with both arms open to appear on a show requested just the day before filming couldn’t possibly lack that level of ambition.
I watched as the white-haired guy, supposedly Endway’s peer, quietly moved toward the smoking area with his manager.
‘On a variety show designed to create buzz, I have no intention of having my buzz drained right before my eyes….’
What should I do?
How could I make this entertaining?
How could I impress the production team and panelists,
show viewers the gap between us and other idol groups,
and create enough viral buzz to completely overshadow Lanion’s debut that week?
My mind spun relentlessly during the brief waiting period before filming.
I swear I never racked my brain this hard even during the college entrance exams or job hunting.
Then, two other members who had changed clothes like me stepped out of the vehicle.
“Ha-jin!”
At Dan Ha-ru’s bright and energetic voice calling out to me, I had to recall another task I’d momentarily forgotten.
My gaze turned toward my variety show partners for today.
Dan Ha-ru, dressed in a chic layered white tee under a hoodie and light blue jeans, was approaching me alongside another person.
Lee Do-ha, frozen stiff in beige comfortable pants, a khaki crewneck, and a checkered muffler wrapped around his neck.
‘Right. I shouldn’t be worrying about other teams right now….’
An impudent, immature leader and an unpredictable energizer maknae.
And a quiet Bear who pretended to be normal but was somehow completely off in all 360 degrees, so much so that nobody seemed to notice.
Once all the members of Today’s Kairos had gathered, Dan Ha-ru declared confidently.
“We’re definitely going to win today!!”
…Was this combination really going to work?
It was the debut of a Kairos-style trio of chaos I’d never imagined in my entire life.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————