Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 308

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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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308. Phantom Pain (7)
My meeting with Choi Producer was officially framed as a discussion to arrange Seo Tae-hyun’s appearance as MC and coordinate the addition of Kairos members as special mentors.
Kwon Wook and I deliberately kept our mouths shut throughout the entire meeting regarding the rumors about Seo Tae-hyun manipulating Boy’s Supremacy. Choi Producer seemed to probe the subject a few times, but each time he tried to broach it, we played dumb and steered the conversation elsewhere, so he eventually stopped bringing up anything related to Seo Tae-hyun.
“…Yes. Then shall we wrap it up like this and prepare the appearance contract? I think our requirements have been sufficiently reflected.”
“Ah, yes. We’ll draft the contract on our end and send it to you via email.”
“Thank you. Please take good care of Tae-hyun and the others.”
“Oh, no. We should be thanking the Kairos members.”
The conversation continued in an atmosphere so peaceful that no one would ever imagine these were the very people caught up in the “Boy’s Supremacy manipulation theory.” Choi Producer’s guard seemed to have lowered considerably—his face visibly brightened compared to when he’d first entered the conference room.
“Ah, I need to take a call for a moment. Ha-jin, I’ll be back shortly. Just chat with the PD and the writer for a bit.”
“Yes, hyung.”
Once the business discussion wrapped up and I felt the atmosphere relaxing, Kwon Wook stepped out of the conference room, pretending to take a call as we’d coordinated beforehand. Now only three people remained in the sealed conference room: myself, Choi Producer, and the Main Writer of Boy’s Supremacy.
I deliberately didn’t speak first, simply taking a sip of the iced tea the production team had prepared and offering a light smile. Perhaps sensing an opportunity to ease the tension, or perhaps wanting to bring up something he’d been holding back, the Main Writer hesitantly opened his mouth after studying my expression for a moment.
“But Ha-jin, I’m really grateful. Honestly, we thought you’d reject all our proposals. Especially Tae-hyun’s MC offer.”
Anyone could see he was referring to the Boy’s Supremacy manipulation scandal that had just exploded, but I feigned ignorance and responded calmly.
“Pardon? Why would you think that? Tae-hyun was thrilled when he got the MC offer. He said it was like a triumphant return home.”
Surrounded by seasoned professionals who’d seen plenty in this industry, I played the role of a naive second-year office worker, speaking with innocent cheerfulness.
Watching me act as though I knew nothing—or knew everything but didn’t care—Choi Producer let out a hearty laugh, his voice tinged with awkwardness.
“Because of the rumors… I thought you might be concerned about them.”
“Rumors? …Ah. You mean that thing about Tae-hyun being the one who benefited from the manipulation? Come on, that’s not even true. Tae-hyun just found the whole thing absurd.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes. I mean, people were saying Miro Maze was manipulated too, saying everything was manipulated. We just laughed about it among ourselves. ‘Hey, do we have Ntv connections too?’ we joked.”
Speaking so casually, as if I wasn’t concerned at all, a small laugh rippled through the conference room. I noticed a bitter smile flicker across Choi Producer’s face for a brief moment, so I deliberately slowed my pace, leaning forward with a sincere tone.
“But honestly… this is something I’m only saying because it’s just you and the writer here…”
“…?”
“We actually felt relieved when we saw the article. Truly, honestly.”
“You felt relieved? Why?”
The Main Writer of Boyhood 2 was the first to bite at the bait I’d dangled.
For someone in a profession where any potential story makes their ears perk up, there was no way they wouldn’t show interest in such an unexpected confession. I deliberately averted my gaze from Choi Producer and turned my body completely toward the Main Writer, whose eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Well, you see. If people say Tae-hyun has connections at the broadcasting station, that he’s the production team’s pick, that he got favorable editing and rose because of that—honestly, anyone can see that’s obviously just a rumor. Tae-hyun was an independent trainee when he started Boy’s Supremacy, and he joined Miro after the program ended…”
“Right, right… Honestly, it doesn’t make sense. And everyone in the country knows Tae-hyun was genuinely popular back then. How could that be manipulated?”
“Exactly. So this kind of thing is just unfair to Tae-hyun, but I thought the fans and the public would eventually recognize the truth like they do now, you know? The public these days is really smart. They all understand how ridiculous a rumor like this is.”
At my grumbling words, the Main Writer nodded repeatedly as if he’d absorbed my emotions. “Right, right.” Encouraged by his enthusiastic agreement, I gradually took control of the atmosphere and broached the main point.
“But what if it were the opposite? What if an article came out saying Tae-hyun was the victim of manipulation? I think people would believe that completely. No matter how much we denied it, I don’t think the public would believe our denials.”
At my words, full of exasperation, the Main Writer drew his eyebrows together in agreement once more. I continued the conversation without once looking toward Choi Producer.
“And actually, Tae-hyun… you’ve known him for a long time, so you’d understand this, but he has surprisingly strong mental fortitude, right?”
“I know, I know. Even back during Boy’s Supremacy, he was famous among the writers for having such good mental strength. It’s not easy to endure alone without a company backing you.”
“Exactly. So honestly, whether people say he benefited from manipulation or not, the public won’t believe it anyway, and Tae-hyun has nothing to be ashamed of. He just has to endure the unfairness for a bit, and eventually these kinds of rumors disappear quickly, right? But…”
“…Right. An image of being a victim doesn’t fade easily.”
Having laid out all the clues necessary for him to infer my meaning and deliberately trailing off, the Main Writer—with his occupational habit of extracting stories from others—executed the assist perfectly and scored the goal I’d set up for him.
I silently thanked the Main Writer for articulating exactly what I wanted to say, and continued to brilliantly play the role of a rumor’s subject confiding her true feelings to trustworthy producers until the very end.
“Yes… So at first I was a bit flustered, you know? But when you debut as an idol, you kind of accept that rumors like this will come up… And honestly, being rumored as a victim is better than being the perpetrator. That’s how we’re thinking about it among ourselves. The company seems to want it to end like this too….”
As I spoke, I turned my gaze for the first time, looking at Choi Producer, who had been sitting there with a bitter expression on his face. He seemed lost in thought, perhaps reminiscing about the past, and when our eyes met, he hurriedly cleared his throat and looked away.
‘He should have understood what I meant.’
The reason I deliberately said these things right in front of Choi Producer was to convey a message: whatever “the truth of that day” was that he knew, he needed to keep his mouth shut.
Whether Seo Tae-hyun was truly the beneficiary of manipulation or the victim.
A strong appeal not to say anything at all.
“Rumors disappear if you don’t respond to them, but stigma doesn’t fade easily, does it?”
Choi Producer might have been a conscientious person, but he wasn’t a courageous one.
From the moment this controversy erupted and he couldn’t take any action, just keeping his mouth shut, I had to conclude that the golden window to reverse all of this had already closed.
‘We’ve barely managed to turn public opinion around and quiet the rumors, and if word gets out now that Seo Tae-hyun was actually the victim, we’ll be in trouble.’
The public empathizes with those they can sympathize with and is favorable toward those they can admire.
Then what happens the moment the object of “admiration” becomes the object of “sympathy”?
“…We’re idols, after all. Being pitied and looked down upon is harder to bear than jealousy or envy.”
So whatever you know, if you’re not prepared to blow everything wide open and destroy your own rice bowl, please just keep quiet.
With that meaning, I gave Choi Producer a bright, genuine smile.
* * *
Since there was nothing we could do by staying at the hospital, all the members except Seo Tae-hyun and Ju Eun-chan had already returned to the dormitory on the first day of the accident.
However, after the meeting ended, my destination wasn’t the dormitory but the hospital.
“Wow… Look at how quiet it is, not a single rat in sight. They all got scared and scattered, huh?”
Perhaps because JDZ had been making fierce declarations about taking down all the entertainment reporters day by day, the journalists who had been camping out at the entrance on the first day of the accident were now nowhere to be seen.
Thanks to that, I smoothly passed through the VIP parking lot and elevator, heading up to the hospital ward, and after navigating the hallway I’d grown familiar with in just a few days, I arrived at the door of the hospital room at the far end of the right side of the corridor where Ju Eun-chan was admitted.
‘…I wonder if he’s sleeping.’
Unlike Ji Su-ho, who still hadn’t regained consciousness after major surgery, I’d heard that Ju Eun-chan had woken up last night and was gradually regaining his strength. I wanted to rush to the hospital the moment I heard that, but since it was a VIP ward with strict visiting hours and I had so much to do, I was only just now getting here.
“….”
I’d heard through Joo Eun-seok that Ju Eun-chan’s test results were all good and there were no major injuries, but standing in front of the hospital room door like this, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Perhaps because it was an expensive place, there was less of that hospital smell and it was as clean as a hotel, yet the weight that came with the image of a hospital kept pressing down on one corner of my heart.
I opened the hospital room door very carefully.
Catching the scent of the warm woody diffuser that Ju Eun-chan liked, I carefully stepped into the room, trying not to wake him who was probably sleeping…
“Ahhh! We’re doomed!”
…or so I thought.
“We’re doomed! We’re doomed! Yoo Gun hyung, help us!”
“Hey, hey. Dan Ha-ru, get out of there. Take your hands off. You’re so strong you just break everything.”
“No, I can do this. I really can do this…! Just give me one more chance!”
“Ahhh! Ha-ru, don’t shake the bed! My hands are trembling…!”
“Ha-ru has nothing to do with it—your hands have been shaking since earlier, Eun-chan.”
As I approached the chaotic noise that was far from solemn, I found a familiar mess unfolding in the hospital room.
“What is this….”
The first thing that came into view was the hospital bed. That’s where most of the people were gathered.
On a bed large enough for two people to lie comfortably, Ju Eun-chan, with gauze plastered all over his face and arms, was busily assembling what appeared to be a mini Lego set he’d received as a gift. Dan Ha-ru, who had tied back his bangs as if he wouldn’t let anything obstruct his view, and Lee Yu-gun, who looked like he’d been dragged here to reluctantly help with the younger members’ summer vacation homework, were both there.
“Oh, Ha-jin hyung!”
“Ah! You’re here, hyung?”
“Hey there.”
“…?”
When I passed my gaze right past Gunjodan, who greeted me cheerfully upon spotting me, I caught sight of Lee Do-ha sitting on the couch beside him with a serious expression, offering only a raised hand in greeting.
What was he even doing? He was gripping miniature Lego pieces that looked absurdly small in his large hands while intently studying the instruction manual. The comedy of it was that he’d even dusted off glasses he hadn’t worn in ages just to read it.
‘Normally in a situation like this, Ju Eun-chan would still be unconscious, lying there listlessly, and I’d grab his hand and deliver one or two touching lines, then he’d wake up and our eyes would meet in some dramatic moment—isn’t that the standard formula?’
Why were they all so unnecessarily resilient?
More importantly, why were all these guys who should be at the dormitory here?
Then I suddenly realized I’d forgotten about one person(?), so I scanned the hospital room again. That’s when I noticed another person(!) stretched out on the sofa across from the bed, quietly pushing himself up.
Jeong Si-u, wearing his usual glasses and his hair tied back in a tight knot just like Ha-ru’s, held a manga in one hand and greeted me warmly.
“Yo, Leader. You’re here?”
“Why are you like this too, hyung…?”
Yeah. This was the familiar chaos I knew.
Feeling like I’d returned to perfectly ordinary everyday life, I decided to simply give up thinking.

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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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