Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 318

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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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318. Youth Sniper Project (3)
The final scene of the music video returned to a Gangwon Province night.
Leaving behind the members laughing as they gazed at one another after finishing the song, Ha-jin rose from his chair and slowly approached the camera, crouching down.
-See you again, everyone.
With a playful smile, he waved in greeting, and the recording ended right there.
Over the black screen, a subtitle in the same font as the opening title appeared.
【Again, Spring (Song by K:RUS)】
“This song is absolutely insane….”
If they perform this as the final closing song at the concert, I’m predicting an ocean of tears, seriously.
Kang Ha-di suppressed the overwhelming emotion welling up inside her and pressed the like button on the video, only to notice another SNS notification at the top of her phone screen. It was from the official Bluebird account used by the Kairos members.
Clicking the notification, a new mention uploaded just minutes ago greeted her.
Kairos
@Daily_KIRUS
[Ha-jin] Planning to surprise-release unreleased cuts one by one
Had fun editing them lol
This is just a taste
Ha-jin’s mention came with one photo and three short videos attached.
The photo showed Ha-jin sitting in front of a computer editing the “Again, Spring” music video—someone had captured the moment—and the videos were B-cuts that unfortunately didn’t make it into the music video, simply edited and uploaded to AiTube Shorts.
“What…? Did Ha-jin really edit this himself?”
Really? Seriously? When on earth did he find the time? And when did he even learn video editing?
Kang Ha-di, who could never know her son’s past life (?), could only gasp in admiration repeatedly as she urgently checked the timeline.
Seeing countless fans already dissecting every single second of the music video frame by frame on the timeline, Kang Ha-di refused to be outdone, clutching her forehead as she rapidly fired off a mention.
Kang Ha-di
@kang_HD
Recommending puppy gifted child kindergarten
A rookie not even a year into debut
Shoots vlogs solo and edits music videos
Now providing unlimited behind-the-scenes content too
Seems my kid really is a genius
(Photo of Ha-jin editing videos with peanut butter squid in his mouth.jpg)
Mom. I caught a filial son.
Kang Ha-di watched her follower notifications increasing in real-time with satisfaction, then happily replayed the music video.
* * *
【Kairos Unveils ‘Spring Carol’ for Fans… Special Single ‘Again, Spring’ Releases in 3 Days】
【Kairos Ha-jin Gifts Fans Self-Produced Music Video… ‘Fan-Loving Side Revealed’】
【’Traffic Accident’ Kairos Eun-chan Suspends Activities for Now… Comeback with Six Members?】
【Kairos Hints at May Comeback… Targeting ‘Cherry Blossom Chart’ with Youth Trilogy】
The official comeback articles dropped.
I’d considered releasing the story to media outlets unrelated to Ju Eun-chan’s traffic accident first, but after long deliberation, Kwon Wook decided to send the official promotional statement equally to all relevant press outlets.
-We’ve already scared them enough, and those journalists in this industry have such thick skin that there’s no point making enemies out of them. Ideally, I’d want to build a wall and cut all ties, but… the Executive Director probably would have done it this way.
And I agreed with that assessment, so unfortunately, we decided to back down from the hostile stance we’d shown to the media. At least it was some consolation that the person responsible for the accident that injured Ju Eun-chan and Ji Su-ho seemed likely to face criminal charges.
‘The music video is getting the response we expected.’
The view count trajectory for “Spring Again” that I confirmed through the system showed the same steep and impressive upward momentum as when we released “This Isn’t a Carol.”
I didn’t want to exploit Ju Eun-chan’s accident or Seo Tae-hyun’s controversy as “narrative material”….
But if this industry was a place where even a single breath I took, every wound I suffered had to become a story and be sold, then I wanted to use it this way at least. And fortunately, my intention seemed to have worked out well.
‘I never thought things would turn out like this when we were working on this song….’
“Spring Again” was a song we’d worked on together back when we were planning year-end special coins with “This Isn’t a Carol.”
At first, the idea was to create a popular, sweet love song and ride the “cherry blossom dividend” wave once more. But as I worked on the lyrics with Lee Do-ha, it somehow became a fan song filled with such earnest confessions.
This is why I shouldn’t be writing lyrics carelessly in the middle of the night…. By the time I regretted it, it was already too late.
“…He’s sleeping really soundly.”
When I turned my gaze away from my phone resting beside me, I could see Ji Su-ho sleeping as if dead. With both eyes wrapped tightly in bandages and casts and fixation devices wrapped around various parts of his body, the sight of him never failed to feel surreal—he looked every bit the patient.
“Hyung.”
I carefully broached the subject.
Instead of calling him “Executive Director” as I usually did, the title that came out of my mouth felt unexpectedly awkward.
“Get some proper rest and wake up. And let Thirteen go soon.”
Kim Thirteen, who had sworn he would definitely resolve Ji Su-ho’s blindness, still hadn’t made contact. But I decided to wait. And since just waiting would be boring, I planned to endure it by accomplishing as much as possible while I waited.
“Even Dan Ha-ru can’t turn back time anymore. With each day being this precious, how long are you planning to sleep?”
My phone vibrated in my hand. The caller was Kwon Wook.
It seemed like he was probably calling to hurry me downstairs.
With reluctance, I pulled myself up while gripping the bed railing.
“I can’t come for a while because I’m busy. The kids caused a big incident while you were sleeping, so if you don’t want to do overtime dealing with the aftermath, you’d better open your eyes soon. But don’t feel too sorry for yourself since Eun-chan visits whenever he gets bored.”
Or maybe not. If it’s Ju Eun-chan, I’d be grateful if he just came without causing any accidents.
With that thought, I turned my reluctant feet away.
The moment I was about to take my first step, a new notification appeared on the system window UI that now unfolded automatically in my vision without me having to consciously acknowledge it.
“…?”
Wondering if it might be Thirteen, I quickly checked, and a new Quest that hadn’t appeared in a while was updated before my eyes.
[Single Quest 04.]
‘Waiting for Spring’
Description: You have safely overcome your first trial since debut.
Crisis is opportunity.
Now it is time to imprint this group upon the minds of even more people.
Raise awareness through successful activities and inscribe Kairos into as many timelines as possible.
Current Achievement Rate: 28% (Minimum Target Achievement Rate: 80%)
Target Deadline: 6 months
Success Reward: Balance of the Timeline
Failure Penalty: Possible Destruction of Timeline Balance▲
“…Honestly, these Headquarters people just keep dumping work on me.”
I’m definitely going to make them pay soon, for real.
Even as I thought that, I slowly read through the Quest details.
I had no idea what this “achievement rate” was based on or how it increased, but if it’s currently at 28%, then I need to raise it by at least 50% or more within the next year.
‘It won’t be difficult.’
With this comeback project alone, I could push the metrics up by at least another twenty percent.
Envisioning the activities planned ahead that would fit this Quest perfectly, I left the hospital room with a light heart.
When I return here next time, I hope it will be accompanied by the system partner’s noisy emoji chats and the business partner’s familiar shouts.
* * *
【Kairos Youth Sniper Project】
The project with such a grandiose name became officially known to the world on April 3rd, when Kairos’s digital single “Spring Again” was officially released.
A single recruitment form with identical content was uploaded to Kairos’s official AiTube account and all community platforms.
【We’re recruiting stories for the Kairos Youth Sniper Project】
On a certain day in April when spring breezes blow.
Kairos will come find you, holding a single leaf of youth.
….
Uploaded alongside emotional copy and a group photo of Kairos smiling brightly while holding a guitar beneath cherry blossoms, the post was none other than a busking announcement.
….
Do you want to invite Kairos into your daily life?
▼▼▼
form.goglee….
▲▲▲
Visit the recruitment form and share your story.
If your story is selected, wherever it is! Whenever! However!
Kairos will rush over!
(Ulleung Island welcome o, Dokdo welcome o, nursing homes and village festivals as guest appearances? We’ll take them all o)
The project announcement, posted alongside a notice that the performance could later be aired as Kairos’s own content, naturally sparked massive buzz.
From the very first day the application form opened, over three thousand stories poured in, forcing the production team to hastily shorten the recruitment period.
– Please please please just come to our school once we really need you
– Seriously just tour the Provinces once instead of Seoul I’m begging you
– Is it possible to go overseas too ㅠㅠㅠ? Kairos busking too ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅜㅜㅜㅠ
From distant Jeju Island to the far reaches of the United States.
Stories requesting Kairos busking arrived in steady streams from all manner of places.
It was possible because they were the rising star group among currently active idols, yet still a rookie group barely two years into their debut.
They could have simply waited for their market value to rise appropriately after sweeping the rookie awards, then just toured the university festivals and events pouring in from May onward, but Kairos boldly cast aside such benefits and chose a free performance route where they sought out venues themselves.
“…This is what our production team filtered in the first round.”
Kwon Myung-eun PD, who was again serving as Main PD for this project, handed Ha-jin a thick file folder. While Kwon Wook naturally checked it first from beside her, Ha-jin quietly lifted his gaze to look at Kwon PD.
Since “that call,” this was the first time he was facing Kwon PD so directly.
Ha-jin spoke with a small smile.
“You must have had quite the ordeal, PD.”
“Oh, the real work starts now. I never imagined Today’s Kairos Season 2 would start with a nationwide tour, but still….”
While Kwon PD made his familiar quips, Kwon Wook meticulously reviewed the stories inside the file folder. Ha-jin glanced at Kwon Wook, then directed words with a slight edge toward Kwon PD.
“…I actually worried you wouldn’t want to work with us again, PD.”
Disrespectfully, yet somehow not disrespectfully at all.
There was sincerity woven through those words that danced along that delicate line.
Ha-jin was actually a bit surprised that his proposal submitted to the Company had been approved, and that Kwon PD, who received the suggestion, had readily shouted his okay.
That proud man, despite being coerced by someone a full ten years his junior, had taken the hand Ha-jin extended once more.
Yet Kwon PD, who heard those words, responded with wide eyes and feigned ignorance as if he truly knew nothing.
“Pardon? Why? Did something happen between us?”
Ha-jin, who couldn’t possibly miss that the words meant ‘let’s just pretend this never happened,’ let out an involuntary chuckle and shook his head. The thought came to him that this man was always the same, no matter when you saw him.
“Hyung, can I take a look too?”
“Yeah, sure. Read this. It’ll take at least three days just to review it, won’t it?”
Ha-jin received the file folder politely from Kwon Wook, who was still reading through the stories one by one. Then he quickly skimmed through a few pages from the front before his eyes suddenly stopped on one particular story sheet.
“But we don’t have that much time.”
“…?”
“Let’s go with this one for the first busking.”
Ha-jin smiled as he pulled out the story sheet in question.
【Story from the Homeroom Teacher of Class 3-1 at Arts High School】
“I just earned us three days.”
In Ha-jin’s bright smile, there was already a complete plan.

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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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