Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 339

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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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339. KIDS DAY! (1)
At this point, let me share my honest thoughts—
“It turned out really well.”
The relentless pacing from the start and the editing that captures perfect clip moments—this is pure Kwon PD style. I could practically hear his voice from back then, drilling the younger producers about how you need to hit them with something provocative right out of the gate.
Even though he said otherwise, I’d worried that the previous incident might make him uncomfortable working with our group. But as it turned out, my concerns were unfounded.
‘It looks like Destiny fans are accepting it well too….’
The accounts that had gone dark with their profile pictures removed had quietly slipped back online while the timeline was bustling with activity. I couldn’t peer into everyone’s hearts, but at least it seemed better than the days when I watched them stress-scroll through Maple every day over petty arguments.
The dissatisfaction some fans had expressed about the members’ part distribution seemed to have quieted down a bit as well.
[The unit song with the hyungs and dongsaengs is insane lolol]
The adult hyung line delivers intentional hip-hop sexiness
Mi-ja’s dongsaeng line brings out serious performance angles with deep house?
Do-ha and the members themselves pull off their concepts better than I expected;
Miro, drop the Kairos fan concert announcement right now
The unit song got better reactions than I expected.
I’d worked on it enthusiastically, but it didn’t quite mesh with the members, so I was ready to scrap it. Not scrapping it and tearing it up as a unit instead felt like the best decision I’d made a hundred times over.
‘On music shows, we’ll probably only perform the title track and “Spring Again”….’
Kairos hadn’t had any serious discussions about concerts yet. We didn’t have enough songs, and there was the opinion that the members still lacked sufficient capability. I wasn’t dismissing their skills, but thinking about the performances of our senior colleagues—who had a reputation as concert legends—it was clear we still had a long way to go.
[System Alert: So when might we see a Kairos concert?]
[System Alert: The system expresses regret, saying it wants to wave a light stick too.]
[System Alert: (๑ó⌓ò๑)]
‘Well, I suppose… if we safely finish three comebacks this year and the kids keep growing like they are now….’
Maybe it could be possible by next year.
Caught up in Thirteen’s whimsical thought, I found myself contemplating next year’s plans. I’d always been someone who thought about and imagined the future, but somehow the concept of “next year” felt strangely fresh.
“…Right. I’ve already safely lived for three years in this timeline.”
Though Sparkle did go through a dark turn, and the Returner is still nowhere to be found….
Still, three years have already passed. If I get through this year safely, it’ll be the longest time since I became aware of my regression. And if Sparkle’s claim that my regression ability has disappeared is true, I’ll probably live even longer than that.
If I’m lucky enough to deal with the Returner this year, then this life will finally become my “real” life—not the Nth timeline where I’m desperately trying to escape regression.
“….”
[System Alert: …What are you thinking about?]
[System Alert: ( ˘•_•˘ ) ?]
“Nothing much. Just… thinking how sad it would be to part with you.”
[System Alert: ….]
“And thinking that if this is really ‘my life’ now, I should live even harder from here on….”
[System Alert: ….]
“And wondering what our moody maknae must be feeling right now.”
Many thoughts flooded my mind, but I didn’t want to feel depressed. The Returner problem still wasn’t resolved, and Ha-ru still had a long road ahead—there was no need to get complicated about things now.
“Tch, forget it. Let’s talk about something fun.”
I sprang up from the bed and left my room. Tomorrow would mark the beginning of proper music show activities and schedules, so the members were still enjoying a brief rest at the dormitory. Everyone was there except Do-ha, who’d gone out for individual dance practice with Yu-gun.
I walked straight into the living room and pulled out the magic wand propped prettily beside the sofa like drawing a sword. When I pressed the gleaming cubic button embedded in the center, a sparkling, shimmering melody burst through the dormitory.
By the way, I’d received this magic wand as a gift during the last fan sign event as part of some fairy princess—or was it princess fairy?—concept. The music sounded quite dazzling and the volume was punchy, so I’d been using it conveniently whenever I wanted to gather the members.
“Come on, come on. Kairos, gather around―. I have something to say.”
I brandished the magic wand like a sword and called out with a clear voice. The members who had been in their rooms began to shuffle out hesitantly. Seo Tae-hyun and Jeong Si-u, who shared one room, and Ju Eun-chan and Dan Ha-ru, who shared another, all approached the living room table with puzzled expressions.
“What’s going on? Something you need to tell us?”
“No, it’s not that. I just have something to say.”
“…?”
Seo Tae-hyun, who had learned through experience that eight out of ten times I opened like this, it was for something ridiculous, instinctively furrowed his brows and glared at me. But as I’ve emphasized before, this wasn’t Ju Eun-chan or Lee Do-ha, and a face like mine and Dan Ha-ru’s wouldn’t be intimidated by such a glare no matter what.
I opened my mouth calmly.
“Well, it’s almost Children’s Day soon. Eun-chan’s birthday.”
“…Don’t tell me you’re trying to plan Eun-chan’s birthday party right in front of him?”
“Huh? I wasn’t really thinking about that, but since you brought it up, should we plan it now?”
“No, forget it. Just tell us.”
“What exactly do you all think of me?”
Ju Eun-chan raised one eyebrow with genuine curiosity. Yeah, that level of expressionlessness is what’s actually scary. But I’d gotten used to it by now, and it just looked like a big cat hissing. I gently stroked Ju Eun-chan’s head to soothe him appropriately and continued with the main point.
“No, I’m just saying. It’s rare for a music broadcast day to coincide with a commemorative date, so let’s do something fun. The fans have been through a lot lately, so let’s give them something to laugh about too.”
“What is it? An event would be nice if we could do one, but it’s literally the day after tomorrow, right? Will we have time to prepare?”
“Just listen first. From the way you’re talking, it seems like you’ve already thought it all through.”
Jeong Si-u, quick to pick up on things, nodded as if telling me to go ahead. I cast my gaze toward Dan Ha-ru, who was sitting a bit apart from us, quietly listening to the conversation, and pulled the corners of my mouth up into a smile as I spoke.
“What I’m thinking is simple, not very difficult. But….”
“….”
“…we’ll have to endure some embarrassment.”
At my gently smiling face, Dan Ha-ru’s expression looking up at me turned a sickly pale color.
* * *
May 5th was a historic day in the Stone Board’s history in many ways.
Agencies with good instincts would release childhood photos of their members at times like this, or produce cute videos tailored to their concept.
KIRUS Official
@kirus official
HAPPY EUNCHAN DAY!
Possessing childlike purity
Kairos’s sixth member
Please celebrate Eun-chan’s birthday♥
….
Especially Kairos’s official account, where a member’s birthday coincided, was incredibly busy.
It was not long after the major incident, and since it coincided with the comeback period, Miro poured all its efforts into providing birthday events and birthday content so that fans could endlessly celebrate Eun-chan’s birthday.
Childhood photos of Eun-chan, received through Eun-seok, were released, and various announcements including birthday kit sales and birthday comment events were made from the day before. The fan signing event scheduled for this evening after the music broadcast was set to be held with a full-fledged Eun-chan birthday party concept. The announcement had already been made.
The fans, the company, everyone was busy celebrating and enjoying this joyful day.
And currently.
The Kairos members, who had been busy with pre-recording preparations since dawn, were doing what exactly….
“Aaaah! I won’t do it! I can’t!”
“Why can’t you!? How much money is sitting in your account and you won’t do this!?”
“What money is sitting in my account!? I paid off all my debts and spent it on the kids’ living expenses, so there’s not a single penny left!?”
“You brat, who told you to bring up such bitter adult talk on this bright and hopeful Children’s Day?”
“Who brought up money first!??”
…They were absolutely losing it.
In the middle of the waiting room, Kang Ha-jin and Lee Yu-gun grappled over something in their hands, their scuffle looking vicious. Yet somehow, the members and staff watching couldn’t suppress their laughter at this fierce battle.
The reason became clear from what Kang Ha-jin held in his free hand while restraining Yu-gun’s arm with the other.
“Ugh! How old am I to wear something like this!?”
“Why can’t you? Si-woo, who’s older than you, wears it without complaint. It’s just a regular beret—it only looks weird because of the color.”
“This is ridiculous! Kang Ha-jin, you put a leash on me like this last time too!!”
“Kang Ha-jin? Kang Ha-jiiiin? Fine, go ahead and say whatever you want.”
“What’s stopping me!?”
What Kang Ha-jin held was a bright yellow beret—the kind you’d see on kindergarteners’ uniforms.
Yu-gun had worn far worse things at fan signing events, but this time there was one reason he absolutely couldn’t accept it.
“The yellow hat is one thing, but you want me to wear that ridiculous yellow cape too!?”
“What’s so hard about finding some childlike innocence on Children’s Day?”
“Are you trying to get me teased by Lee Yu-ho and Lee Yu-rang for life!? Absolutely not!!!”
“Then what, you think Kang Ha-won would say ‘I respect you, hyung’ seeing me like this? Respect doesn’t come from appearances—it comes from wallets!”
“You can’t sound cool wearing overalls like that!?”
“Ugh, these kids are really….”
“Why, it’s entertaining. Leave them be, let’s see how far they go.”
When Tae-hyun, who was getting his makeup done, flinched at the two’s quarrel and sat up, Si-woo, getting his hair styled nearby, laughed and tried to stop him. Behind them, Do-ha, dressed in a taekwondo uniform like a childhood photo of himself with a headband tied around his head, awkwardly adjusted his dobok.
“Oh, Do-ha hyung. Your dobok’s folded in the back. Should I fix it for you?”
“Ah, sure.”
Ju Eun-chan, sitting on the sofa, scurried over at the sight of Do-ha. As today’s birthday boy, he looked quite natural in his cute rainbow-colored jeogori, complete with a toy crown and sunglasses.
“…But why is Ha-ru like that?”
“Oh, he says his outfit is too embarrassing….”
“Ah….”
Next to Eun-chan sat Dan Ha-ru, who, as the youngest, had been saddled with every cute accessory from hair clips onward, holding his forehead with a face aged several years. With an openly rotting expression and both hands clasped tightly together, he looked quite like a boss baby.
Today was Children’s Day, our world.
An ultra-special kids day present prepared by Kang Ha-jin.

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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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