Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 379

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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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379. A Dream on a Sweltering Summer Day (1)
A night in early July, rain falling in fine drizzle.
The living room of the Kairos Dormitory, nearly empty now that most of the furniture had been removed for the move.
On one wall where a banner reading “Congratulations on Kairos’s Move-In” once hung, a new banner with a different message now dangled haphazardly.
“Special Mission! Put the Eldest Member to Sleep!”
“Organizer: Kang Ha-jin / Managed by: Miro Entertainment / Starring: Kairos / Sponsored by: JDZ”
Given how carelessly it had been fastened, one corner of the colorful banner fluttered in the air. It looked like the kind of scene that would immediately get posted online with a title like “Our Challenge is Operating Normally,” but no one bothered to comment on it.
“Alright, then….”
“….”
“Please turn off the lights.”
Soon enough, the lights would go out anyway and nothing would be visible.
Shortly after, all the lights in the dormitory except for the crescent-shaped mood lamp beside Ju Eun-chan flickered off. Only the bare minimum of light remained in the living room—enough to keep faces visible on camera without disturbing sleep.
Ju Eun-chan, who had been rustling around setting up equipment, picked up something sharp with a determined expression.
“I’m starting now.”
At that, someone lying on a JDZ premium king-size mattress placed in the center of the living room began to stir.
Brilliant silver hair peeked out from between the smooth white sheets.
“…You’re really going to go this far?”
It was Jeong Si-u, dressed in a flawless silk pajama set, with a sleep mask designed to relieve eye fatigue placed across his forehead.
Without his glasses, he slightly furrowed his brow as he asked, while Ju Eun-chan gripped a long ear pick with a look of fierce determination. On the floor, various props known for producing sleep ASMR sounds were neatly arranged in what looked like a spy gadget case.
“Yes. I’m confident today. I even studied ASMR techniques beforehand.”
“I see….”
At his sixth younger brother’s notably resolute words, Jeong Si-u laid his head on the pillow with the expression of someone who had given up on everything. The memory foam pillow that Seo Tae-hyun had purchased after searching the internet felt unusually plush tonight.
Ju Eun-chan carefully placed a headset connected to a 3D microphone over Jeong Si-u’s head, complete with the sleep mask. Then he returned to the microphone, gazed at the phone positioned in front of him, and continued with solemn determination.
“Then, Day 6 of the Put-Eldest-Member-to-Sleep Challenge. Ju Eun-chan, beginning my attempt.”
Today, I’m definitely not falling asleep before my brother.
Eun-chan’s obsidian eyes gleamed with burning competitive spirit.
* * *
Bad Kids
@BaddieKiz
Day 6 of the Put-Eldest-Member-to-Sleep Challenge
Results of Baby King Black Cat’s ASMR Attempt
= Ended up falling asleep first himself
So the eldest member had to take off his mask and get up to clean up…
(Video: Eun-chan doing ASMR and gradually dozing off.mp4)
(Video: Si-u waking up, laying Eun-chan down, and turning off the broadcast.mp4)
7,308 shares 10K likes
JeongCream
@ice_ciu
Kairos: Those who disturb our eldest member’s sleep
We will take care of them all!
Si-woo: You guys are really the only ones….
Kairos: Ahahaha! Come on, hyung, don’t say things like that!
Si-woo: You’re the only ones who disturb my sleep.
(A screenshot of Kairos employing every conceivable method to put Jeong Si-u to sleep.jpg)
(A screenshot of Jeong Si-u lying down with an expression of enlightenment amid all this.jpg)
13K shares, 21K likes
“Si-woo, the interview’s about to start.”
“Oh, okay.”
Si-woo, who had been scrolling through mentions related to the trending “Putting Si-woo to Sleep Challenge” on social media, pocketed his phone at Manager Kwon Wook’s call. Soon, a staff member carrying a recorder and laptop entered the waiting room where he’d been sitting.
“Si-woo, hello. We won’t take up much of your time—let’s keep this brief.”
“Feel free to take your time.”
“Ha, no, no. We need to get you out of here soon. You did so well with today’s pictorial shoot that we actually finished two hours earlier than expected.”
The staff member, who had quickly finished setting up the interview, laughed good-naturedly and lightened the mood. Then he handed Si-woo a cake and a bouquet of flowers that another employee had been holding.
“I heard your birthday is tomorrow? Happy early birthday. We got a big cake for you to enjoy with your members at the dormitory.”
“Oh, thank you so much. I’ll take good care of it. The guys will love it.”
“By the way, it seems like Kairos has been doing something fun lately? The challenge to put the oldest member to sleep?”
“Ah… yes, the members enjoy having fun with it.”
Jeong Si-u recalled the sleep challenge that his members had been more focused on than their comeback lately.
He hadn’t expected things to escalate this far—not until Ha-jin started making bets with an intensity that bordered on aggression. Before long, the members, now swept up in Ha-jin’s enthusiasm, began deploying every imaginable method each night to put Si-woo to sleep.
“Could you explain the challenge? What exactly is it? Do you just need to put Si-woo to sleep?”
“The members enjoy games like that. It’s been hot lately, so I haven’t been sleeping well at night, and when they heard about it, they said they’d try putting me to sleep themselves.”
Kairos had been broadcasting a live stream for six consecutive nights, attempting to put Jeong Si-u to sleep using every possible method from 10 PM to 2 AM.
Whether it was because the challenge had become quite a hot topic in modern society, which was full of insomniacs, Si-woo now found himself being asked “Are you sleeping okay?” wherever he went.
“So, are you seeing any results?”
“Not at all. In fact, I tend to wake up completely whenever the members try something new.”
Yet despite this, Jeong Si-u willingly participated in the nightly ordeal that bordered on torture. Since he couldn’t sleep anyway, watching his members earnestly throw themselves into these pointless endeavors was far more entertaining than lying listlessly in bed.
“Still, your members’ affection for their oldest brother is really strong. It’s heartwarming. Idol groups really do have this family-like dynamic that’s enviable, don’t they?”
The moment the word “family” left the interviewer’s lips, Si-woo’s smile—which had been forming as he recalled the members’ various attempts over the past several nights—suddenly froze.
Family-like, he thought.
Well, at least the family he knew wasn’t like this.
“It doesn’t really feel like family to me.”
“Ah… is that so? I suppose since work is involved in your relationship, there are inevitably some limitations?”
“No, it’s not that….”
….
“It’s more like a relationship that’s only possible because we’re not family….”
They did the same work but weren’t competitors; they were colleagues and rivals simultaneously.
Yet because they complemented each other’s weaknesses, benefited from each other’s strengths, and shared every single detail of their daily lives, they had no choice but to come to know each other, for better or worse.
Even those he’d thought were close friends wouldn’t casually breach the parts they’d say “there’s nothing we can do about that” to—but Ha-jin and the other members had easily broken through those barriers simply because they were fellow members. Now, even Yoo Gun, the least close member to him, understood his sleep patterns better than Gong Seok, his close friend, and Si-woo had to sit with the strange feeling that realization brought.
“At least my mother doesn’t run 7 kilometers along the Han River with me every morning just to put me to sleep.”
“Every day? 7 kilometers? All the members together?”
“Ha-jin wakes me up every dawn, and we go running together these days. After that, Do-ha makes me do weights for two hours, and Yu Gun prepares lunchboxes filled with foods that are supposedly miraculous for deep sleep, making sure I eat at every meal….”
“The members are really dedicated. Is there more? What about the other members?”
“Eun-chan tends to bring a lot of interesting methods, and the youngest member gave me a book recently. He told me to read it before bed. Tae-hyun is collecting bath salts and fragrances that are good for sleep, but honestly, it seems more like his own hobby than something he’s doing for me….”
“It sounds like an environment where sleep should be impossible to avoid, doesn’t it?”
“Exactly. But I still can’t sleep, so lately I’ve been feeling sorry toward the members.”
Si-woo rattled off the members’ recent efforts with a shrug. Despite all this dedication, he couldn’t deliver the results they wanted, and he was beginning to feel the weight of that disappointment himself.
Should I secretly take a sleeping pill tonight just to show them I can actually sleep?
The manager, noticing Si-woo’s contemplation, smiled warmly and asked with an envious tone.
“Kairos really seems to have great chemistry among the members.”
“Pardon?”
“When you were talking about the members just now, you were so excited and talkative. It was the first time I’ve seen you like that.”
“….”
“I’m envious that you’ve found such good teammates. At least you’ll never be lonely in life.”
“…Yes, that’s true.”
“I’m thinking it would be nice to plan a group photo shoot for Kairos next time. So, shall we start with the more formal interview questions now?”
The seasoned manager skillfully completed the icebreaker and launched into serious questions, but Si-woo struggled to focus on the interview for a while.
It was the first time since his debut—no, the first time in his entire life.
-Mom feels lonely when she’s with you, Si-woo.
-So I don’t even know what I should do.
A conversation he’d forgotten came flooding back.
The memory of that day when he’d stepped down from the piano bench and decided to pick up the acoustic guitar’s pick was etched so vividly in his heart that he could still recall the very scent of the air.
“Si-woo.”
“….”
“Si-woo? Si-woo, Jeong Si-u!”
“…Ah, yes.”
Si-woo snapped back to attention at the sound of his name being called, lifting his head.
He’d been so lost in thought that by the time he regained focus, the interview had already ended and he was sitting in the van, now parked in the underground parking lot of the Kairos Dormitory.
“Is something wrong? You looked kind of out of it during the interview earlier.”
“…I think it’s because I haven’t been sleeping. I didn’t make any mistakes during the interview, right?”
“No, your answers were all fine. Don’t worry. But are you sure you’re not sick? Should we go to the hospital?”
“No, I’m really okay. I just lost focus for a moment.”
Despite Kwon Wook’s concern, Si-woo kept insisting he was fine as he stepped out of the van. Today’s schedule was over, and he wanted to get back to the dormitory and rest soon.
Remove his makeup, change clothes, find out what sleep routine the members had prepared for today….
“Oh, is that challenge of yours ending today?”
Si-woo, mentally organizing what he needed to do once he got back to the dormitory, froze at Kwon Wook’s words. It felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of cold water over him.
But Kwon Wook, oblivious to Si-woo’s reaction, continued speaking as he pulled out the bouquet of flowers and cake Si-woo had received from the back seat.
“Ha-jin told me you said you’d try until your birthday, and if there’s no effect, you’d stop. Tomorrow’s the 4th, so if you do it tonight, that’s the end, right? It’s a shame—we should have found a method that actually worked.”
“….”
“But next week we’re moving to a new dormitory anyway, so maybe the change of environment will make a difference? I’ll also look into more sleep-friendly teas and drinks for you.”
“…Yes. Thank you, hyung. I’ll head up now.”
“Right, right. You have a birthday live broadcast tomorrow, you know? If you don’t think you’ll sleep well tonight, just do some stretching instead to get your blood flowing. Of course, you’d look handsome even with a puffy face….”
Whether it was something inherited from Ha-jin or not, even Kwon Wook had begun to shower Si-woo with compliments about his face as naturally as breathing. Si-woo accepted the cake and bouquet from Kwon Wook with a nod, but he couldn’t suppress the feeling that something inside him was growing restless.
-Want to make a bet?
-Let’s bet on whether we can solve your insomnia or not.
I knew better than anyone that my insomnia wasn’t simply a matter of sleep patterns.
Before falling asleep, I feared the tidal wave of thoughts that would crash over me, and after falling asleep, I suffered through nightmares that dragged me down into darkness. It was genuine trauma, carved into my very body.
“….”
That’s why I also knew well that no matter what effort the members made, they couldn’t easily cure this insomnia.
The real reason I accepted the bet wasn’t so much because I held hope that they might actually be able to fix my insomnia, but rather because I was flustered by Ha-jin, who had always been passive in our relationship, suddenly approaching me not just actively but aggressively.
Just as Kang Ha-jin didn’t understand me, I also didn’t properly understand Kang Ha-jin.
-If you win, I won’t say anything more about your condition.
After tonight passes.
And after I spend another night unable to fall asleep.
I will win the bet.
And the members who had been making a fuss all week trying to put me to sleep would return to their normal lives. For me, who had endured a week of noisy nights because of all that commotion, it meant quiet and solitary nights would return.
“….”
But why?
I didn’t want to go back to those quiet nights.
I arrived at the dormitory entrance, entered the password, and opened the door. But the dormitory, which I naturally expected to be filled with members, was shrouded only in darkness.
“…?”
Were they all at the company? Or did they have another schedule today?
Retracing my memories, I slowly stepped inside the dormitory. The light switch was right beside me, but I didn’t bother turning it on. If I turned on the lights and still no one appeared, I’d become painfully aware that I was completely alone in this house.
I pulled out my phone from my pocket. Then I slowly walked toward my room while calling my roommate Tae-hyun.
We’re running,
Running Over the Moonlight
“…?”
Then, from not far away, a familiar song reached my ears.
It was Kairos’s debut song “Over the Night,” which Tae-hyun had set as his ringtone.
“Oh no, what do I do, the phone, the phone…!”
“Hey, Seo Tae-hyun, seriously, what are you doing?”
“Sorry, but it’s already lit. So let’s just go with it.”
“Should we hurry and leave right now? Oh, Do-ha, the light, the light! Light!”
“…Ugh.”
“If you break the matches when I told you to light it, what do we do?”
And then came a flurry of hushed whispering. They were trying to be quiet in their own way, but since the dormitory was so silent, I could hear everything.
My footsteps moved slowly forward. As I approached the kitchen, which was bent at an L-shape from the entrance and not immediately visible, a bright light suddenly flooded my vision along with a crackling sound.
And what I saw was….
“Surprise―!”
…the members greeting me while holding a birthday cake with lit candles.
“It looks like we already messed it up, but anyway, surprise!”
“Happy birthday, hyung! I didn’t expect you to call me right away…!”
“Happy birthday, Si-woo hyung.”
“Wait, how are we supposed to light both the big and small candles at once? Do we have a fire extinguisher?”
“Oh no, what do we do? Si-woo hyung is getting closer, the candles won’t light, and we’re running out of time….”
“Hyung, hyung! If we don’t put this out soon, we’ll set the dormitory on fire…! Hurry and blow them out…!”
Humans never realize they’re walking through darkness until they discover light.
“Ha ha…. What is this, anyway.”
And right now.
Staring at the cluster of candles flickering atop the cheesecake—the only dessert he, who despised sweets, could actually enjoy—Si-woo found himself thinking.
‘Was I… lonely?’
Perhaps I’ve finally discovered that light.

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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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