Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 281

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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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281. What Matters (3)
“So, you agreed to do it?”
Kang Ha-won, sprawled comfortably across the bed, flipped through a manga as he asked.
“That… what was it? Cute and sexy girl group?”
“Pure and cute, actually…? That’s really important in this industry. Be careful about it.”
“Yeah, so you’re doing it?”
Kang Ha-won’s voice betrayed zero interest as he asked again, and I responded by letting the manga I’d been flipping through fall across my face like a blanket.
“It was too reasonable a proposal to turn down…”
Italian mafia doing innocent childhood games?
Just thinking about it was insanely fun.
Plus, the song selection was brilliant.
-I must have misheard, right?
-No, that’s what I heard.
-They’re doing ‘More More’.
More More—what exactly was that?
Roughly a signature track from some girl group that debuted about a decade ago, and true to songs of that era, it was a love anthem with zero sense of self, just singing “I’m crazy about you” from start to finish.
Despite simple lyrics, the melody was addictive, and with plenty of signature choreography points, it became a national hit that had every pretty and handsome celebrity attempting it on variety shows and everywhere else for a while.
Moreover, the original girl group from a mid-tier agency had already gone through a provisional disbandment years ago and quietly continued individual activities—a typical nostalgic idol from “that era.” I wondered how this song ended up on the setlist, but apparently one of the members who’s been acting will be an MC for the year-end stage. It was essentially a tribute stage to honor the MC.
At this point, I seriously deliberated.
1. Is this song selection bold enough to surpass the Yupia cover?
▶ YES. (What could possibly beat Italian mafia doing innocent childhood games?)
2. Does the song lack recognition or fame compared to other groups?
▶ YES. (Just the intro and everyone’s singing along to the chorus—it’s that era’s national anthem, after all.)
3. Is there no risk of us being overshadowed by the original’s image?
▶ YES. (If anything, we’d tarnish the original image, not get buried by it…)
4. Is there no risk of getting caught up in pointless senior rivalry?
▶ YES. (It’s a tribute stage for a girl group that was a miracle from a mid-tier agency with no seniors or juniors involved—the optics were perfect.)
And finally,
5. Honestly, does it sound fun?
▶ Hell YES. (Yes.)
“You’re really just a moth drawn to flames, aren’t you, Ha-won?”
Why can’t I ever exercise restraint?
Something looks fun and I just bite at it without thinking?
Even I was grabbing my forehead at my own hopelessness, when Kang Ha-won calmly closed his manga and replied.
“You’re only realizing that now?”
“You really are…”
“Give up, hyung. You’ve always been like that.”
I know, you bastard.
Grumbling, I rolled over and pulled the blanket toward me. I stretched my legs and draped them across Kang Ha-won’s body, and he used my legs as a footrest while resuming his manga.
“I’m gonna sleep for a bit, so wake me up when the manager hyung comes to pick me up later.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve been sleeping deeply lately because I’m tired, so don’t be startled.”
“Got it.”
Using my long-past birthday as an excuse, I’d managed to carve out time and return home to execute my purpose. I pulled the blanket firmly up to my neck, having laid sufficient groundwork beforehand, and closed my eyes.
I needed to enter the Unconscious Space, but after doing it a few times at the Dormitory, I’d grown conscious of Jeong Si-u’s attention and Lee Do-ha’s attention—it simply wouldn’t work.
Speaking the entry keyword quietly enough that Kang Ha-won wouldn’t hear, my body soon grew heavy and my eyes closed. After passing through the familiar darkness, I found myself in my familiar and welcoming Studio.
“This time it’s not that Beach from back then?”
That place was pretty in its own way, so it’s a shame.
Dismissing the idle thought, I approached the center of the Studio and pressed the bright red emergency call button I’d used the last time I summoned ‘the Entity’—pressing it with a loud bang. When I got no response from a single press, I rhythmically mashed it with the same enthusiasm I’d once used for pen beat practice in the Classroom, and only then did I get a reaction.
[…Do I perhaps look like some kind of service center to you?]
Instead of the original ‘Voice,’ this time the Entity’s message appeared above a blue system window.
I leaned back against the sofa and shook my head.
“I would never harbor such disrespectful thoughts toward our valued Headquarters client. I’m here today because I actually have something to say. It’s urgent.”
[Speak.]
“Give me a birthday gift.”
As I confidently held out both hands, the Entity seemed so taken aback that it lost its words.
But regardless, I pressed on with my business.
“Hand over a birthday gift. I’ve already decided what I want.”
[What is it?]
“Give me back Thirteen.”
The still blue and transparent system window offered no response. But if I were going to back down, I wouldn’t have brought this up in the first place.
“The Returner being quiet makes me uneasy. Soon I’ll be winning rookie awards, and I’m diligently preserving the timeline as you’ve instructed. All I need to do is draw out the Seon-gwi bastard, but I can’t do it alone. Give me back Thirteen.”
[But….]
“I don’t know anything about humanization or whatever—you figure that out. Honestly, you must find it annoying getting summoned by me like this every time.”
Whether it was truly annoying, the system window remained silent without further response.
Looking at that silent system window, I laid bare the true feelings I’d been harboring all along.
“I need a friend. Someone who knows my entire life.”
[….]
“At least until the Seon-gwi matter is resolved, I think I need Thirteen around. Please. I’m helping you with your work too. Give me back Thirteen.”
Then the Entity’s response came, delayed slightly from its silence.
[Fine. I’ll think about it.]
“…Thank you.”
[Is that all you needed?]
“Yeah. That’s all.”
[Alright. I’m counting on you for the days ahead.]
It was an oddly formal farewell, but I had no room to dwell on it.
With my business concluded, I turned and walked out through the door. The world flickered once more with a brilliant light.
‘From now on, I really won’t have time.’
Once I safely made it through this month, I would return to the current timeline, and then a year would pass.
And I genuinely hoped that this would be the last winter of my twentieth year.
‘If I can just get through this winter….’
The Rookie Award was the first stepping stone to survive that winter.
I opened my eyes, wondering what that son of Seon Gwi-ja was thinking right now, accompanied by the familiar wave of nausea.
* * *
As early December arrived, media coverage of the year-end stages began in earnest.
Each entertainment agency leaked information about what spectacular stages their artists were preparing for the year-end, while broadcasters and organizers promoted how impressive the lineup was to attract more sponsorships and advertisements.
Among all of this, what captured the most attention from Stone Board fans was this:
【[20XX QBS Music Festival] Kairos·Lanion·Storm Header… Senior Idol Cover Stage Preview】
It was nice that special stages were prepared every year-end, but fans were delighted simply by the prospect of hearing songs they didn’t normally get to hear. People began sharing their thoughts, curious about who would cover which songs.
[QBS Senior Idol Cover – Personal Wish Combinations]
Kairos-Upia
Lanion-Sphere
Both are such obvious successors to Rene and Miro, I’m curious lolololol
– Kairos did one at the Upia Concert before and the fancam was insane
– But seeing them all gathered like this… the entertainment company CEOs really do have a type
– Has anyone announced who’s doing whose stage yet?
└ Not yet
– There was a rumor that STH would do SPH’s song
└ Huh? Who?
[I like the senior idol covers too, but I thought the groups would do at least one collab]
Lanion Cha Min-seok, Xiao Zhun
Kairos Seo Tae-hyun, Lee Yu-gun
Storm Header Raki
Mixmatch Gong Sung-woo
I thought they’d do at least one stage with this same-age line
Wait, nobody planned this amazing same-age line collab??
– So ㅠㅠ Taehyun and Minseok are close friends, so I was a little looking forward to a close relationship on stage at the end of the year, but it’s a shame.
└ Seo Tae-hyun and Cha Min-seok are close??
└ Yeah they both went to the same dance academy
└ But they didn’t really greet each other on music shows, so I think they’re just alumni
[Is Kairos having a coup d’état?? Is it?? Is it???]
My hands are shaking please
I need to see our handsome vocalist Jeong Si-u in a school uniform hitting those high notes
While people were sharing their various thoughts about information that hadn’t been fully revealed yet, someone threw a stone into that happy speculation.
Splash
@TkdsTkdddf
QBS Music Festival cover stage spoiler
Storm Header – Sphere Meme Meme
Lanion – Upia Coup d’État
Kairos – Blue Moon Girl More More
Generation – Themis Lover Boy
….
3,409 shares 478 quotes 100 likes
Though it was a rumor-mongering post without a single shred of verification, the participating artists and song titles were so detailed that the mention spread rapidly across the internet. The account disappeared after being reported shortly after, but that only added credibility to the claim.
In response to this shocking spoiler, people began rushing in with eyes blazing.
[Is QBS really doing this???]
They’re really going to do that?????????? So random
– Doesn’t seem like it lol Rene wouldn’t be crazy enough to give their idols a Miro song
– Such an absurd combination, I can’t even believe it
Storm Header, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and snatched a first-tier idol’s song selection from someone else’s house, and Lanion, who found themselves unexpectedly performing their seniors’ songs from the neighboring house, both faced fierce backlash and reactions from their respective fandoms.
In particular, Storm Header’s fans, who had relatively weaker recognition compared to other teams, clashed with Lanion’s fanbase this time, creating negative public sentiment.
But the team that created such a massive impact as to bury even that conflict was none other than Kairos.
[Came after seeing the spoiler and I’m literally shocked lol lol lol lol lol lol lol]
Kairos doing More More? Literally the #1 most unrelated combination in the world
– Whether it’s fake or real, it’s ridiculous either way tlqkf Who on earth gave those dark-aura guys More More
└ Why…we have Tae-hyun and Ha-ru too…we can be bright and cheerful too…
└ Don’t cry, tell us about it
– If it’s real it’ll be fun…I wish Ha-jin would do Shane’s part tralala More More there
└ Stop saying scary things like that
[So Kairos is doing this right now???]
(Original More More killing part gif.gif)
Pouting and saying I’ll pretend not to know until you confess
Kairos is doing this crazy love song full of tantrums???
– I’m curious in many ways
– If this is real, either QBS or Kairos is really playing with fire
– Why can’t our guys be refreshing too
└ Don’t cry, tell us about it
└ You guys won’t listen to me ㅠㅜ
While everyone focused on this, QBS poured all their effort into information security and damage control, seemingly to amplify the buzz surrounding the matter.
And so time passed quickly,
– Yeah yeah yeah let’s do it
until the long-awaited music festival day finally arrived.

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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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