Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 38

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

38. One Who Reaches for the Sun (4)
—Kang Ha-jin, aren’t you running?
—Yes. Coming now.
The memory surfaced unbidden, and my hunched shoulders straightened automatically. Seeing the infamous Kwon PD and Go Writer duo—the “Resignation Recommendation Combo” as they’d been nicknamed in my past life, the pair who spent all four seasons at the office—suddenly made this absurd first shoot start to make sense.
‘They always did love strange things.’
Trying to figure out how this had happened, I recalled that when I’d written up the list of recommended production companies, I’d jotted their names down at the very end. Probably because I’d been drowning in that early-morning sentimentality, romanticizing the past and all that.
But I never actually thought those two would show up!
“We’ll explain the specific survival rules during the opening recording. For now, it’s eight episodes total with a planned broadcast in early May. It’ll air simultaneously on AiTube and the Ntv channel.”
Ntv was a cable channel that primarily broadcast idol reality shows and music survival programs. Since Miro had maintained good relations with them for several years, it wasn’t a bad lineup at all.
‘Not bad for a first survival show—they’re bringing in the major leagues.’
I nodded at what was clearly a well-funded scale, then quietly slipped my body behind the bulky frame of Lee Do-ha.
“You think you can actually hide with that build of yours?”
“Keep it down, man.”
Kim Won-ho, who’d caught on with uncanny precision, gave me a look that said there was no way that was possible with my current frame, but I ignored the jab. They wouldn’t remember me anyway, and I had no desire to stand out.
“Alright then, take a quick break and we’ll start recording. See you in a bit~.”
“Yes!”
The briefing had apparently ended, and the Kwon PD and Go Writer duo waved goodbye with smiles. At the mention of broadcast producers, all the trainees snapped to attention and bowed, and I blended in appropriately.
“…?”
But why did our eyes meet?
“Ah, the Dantag Three Brothers.”
“….”
“I’ve been watching. You guys are doing great.”
“…Haha. Thank you.”
The moment Kwon PD spoke his compliments while giving a thumbs up, I straightened the posture I’d been awkwardly hunching.
Already caught on camera. Haha.
* * *
After a brief rest, we were guided back up to the Top Floor. The Miro that had been tormenting us until moments ago vanished without a trace, and a neon-lit green door emblazoned with “WELCOME TO MIRO MAZE” greeted us instead.
“Man, if I’d known this was a shoot day, I would’ve worn something different.”
“Hey, I had my glasses on earlier. Lucky I brought contacts.”
While we waited, I heard a few of the guys grumbling. I couldn’t blame them—I’d come dressed in comfortable clothes thinking it was just a regular commute day.
‘They should’ve at least told us to pay attention to our appearance for the first shoot.’
Among us, only Lee Do-ha, who’d dressed in an athletic way, and Jeong Si-u, who always dressed neatly, had managed to look presentable.
‘And… would anyone believe those three were just styled for broadcast?’
I scanned Seo Tae-hyun, Ju Eun-chan, and Dan Ha-ru, who stood silently beside me taking in their surroundings. They were known for having good casual fashion sense normally, but for guys just back from a three-day break, they’d dressed exceptionally well.
‘Especially the fact that Ju Eun-chan came wearing contacts instead of glasses.’
“…Why, hyung?”
“Nothing, never mind.”
I shook my head at Ju Eun-chan—who looked damnably handsome today—and patted his shoulder. Since he’d come with the sharp-eyed Seo Tae-hyun, that guy must’ve given him a heads-up. Either way, I was impressed he’d managed to show up looking this good on the first shoot day without wasting that handsome face.
“Alright, we’ll now have you enter in the order of the groups that escaped Miro earlier!”
With the assistant director’s guidance, the ‘real’ first shoot finally began.
“Everyone remember, right? We escaped from Miro earlier, and now we’re entering here. Keep your reactions natural~.”
‘Natural, she says.’
As if that were possible with trainees who haven’t even debuted yet.
Regardless, Ju Eun-chan, Dan Ha-ru, and Seo Tae-hyun—the first to escape—passed through the gate with all the tension of a leisurely stroll. Faint sounds of reactions being captured drifted from inside, and soon my name was called along with Lee Do-ha and Kim Won-ho.
“We’re second place?”
“After running that hard, I’d be embarrassed to come in last.”
As I ushered a visibly startled Kim Won-ho through the gate, the set that unfolded before us bore no resemblance whatsoever to the Miro we’d seen earlier. It was a fantastical space, as if a scene from Alice in Wonderland had been meticulously recreated.
“…Wow, what is this?”
“I’m suddenly nervous.”
“You get nervous?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“You just don’t seem like the type to worry.”
Was that a compliment? Following Lee Do-ha’s cryptic remark, we each took our seats in chairs bearing our names. The remaining trainees filed in afterward, each releasing their own exclamations of wonder before settling into their assigned seats.
Moments later, from within the wooden framed paintings mounted at the front, Seo Tae-il emerged dressed in an outfit inspired by the Cheshire Cat.
“Those who reach for the sun, soar ever higher.”
“….”
“Everyone gathered here to become Miro’s Icarus. Welcome. I am Seo Tae-il from Upia, your mentor for this journey and the host of the Miro Maze.”
His eloquent greeting captivated us all, and we erupted in applause and cheers. Once the commotion settled somewhat, Seo Tae-il proceeded with a brief program introduction before launching into the formal proceedings.
“From now on, you will face fierce competition to debut as Miro’s next male idol group. And of the eighteen trainees gathered here, only seven will claim that position.”
“….”
“Since this is a survival that will determine your futures, I hope you’ll do your absolute best and showcase your finest selves.”
“Yes!”
Only seven. Only seven of us would debut.
And I had to not only secure one of those seven spots, but debut ‘successfully’ to ensure this damned regression didn’t repeat itself.
‘Quite a lot to worry about.’
In that moment, I felt a twinge of regret for all the times I’d cursed the returnee for having a fragile mentality.
“Now then, before we reveal your first mission, allow me to introduce some basic rules of the Miro Maze.”
As Seo Tae-il finished speaking, text began floating up from the LED screen positioned beside him.
〜〚WELCOME TO MIRO MAZE〛〜
1. All trainees are divided into Wings and Feather ranks.
2. Trainees in the Wings rank have priority in all situations throughout the survival.
3. Based on mission results, the top 3 in the Wings rank receive ‘defense immunity,’ while
the top 3 in the Feather rank receive ‘challenge rights.’
3-1. A trainee with challenge rights can earn benefit points by defeating a higher-ranked trainee in battle.
3-2. If a designated Wings-rank trainee successfully defends, that trainee receives mission-based benefits.
It was quintessentially Kwon PD and Go Writer—they had no intention of making this survival easy. Back when I was a lowly assistant director, I’d admired that about them, but now that I was actually a participant, it felt far less appealing.
And besides.
‘Why are there only seven Wings badges?’
There were only seven wing-shaped brooches laid out in front of Seo Tae-il. Wasn’t the original announcement that the top ten would be selected for Wings rank? An uneasy chill crept down my spine.
“As a reminder, we previously announced that the top ten from the monthly evaluation would be selected for the Wings rank.”
“….”
“Following the end-of-month evaluation, the number of trainees participating in the survival show decreased, which led to some adjustments in this area as well.”
Now that I thought about it, there were several trainees I hadn’t seen since earlier. I’d assumed they couldn’t make it due to personal circumstances, but it seemed a restructuring had taken place during those three days off that we weren’t aware of.
‘…Yun Tae-hee isn’t here either.’
Whether Miro had cut him or he’d run away because he couldn’t handle it, I wasn’t sure. But seeing familiar faces I’d grown accustomed to over just a few days disappear left a bitter taste in my mouth.
However, Seo Tae-il didn’t give me time to dwell on that bitterness before continuing.
“So then. Among the existing top 10 trainees—those who would have been Wings-ranked under normal circumstances—the bottom three are: 8th place Yuki, 9th place Kim Won-ho, and 10th place Kang Ha-jin.”
“….”
“These three trainees will automatically receive the first ‘nomination battle right’ in the Miro Maze.”
“…What did you just say?”
“Trainees in the top three of the end-of-month evaluation will also receive a ‘nomination defense right.’ However, since there’s an additional benefit if you win the battle, whether to use the defense right is the trainees’ choice.”
“….”
“So the three trainees should now nominate a Wings-ranked trainee to battle against alongside me.”
Holy moly.
Before I could even properly process my shock, the LED screen flickered to life, displaying the profiles of trainees I already knew in sequential order.
〜〚WINGS OF MIRO MAZE〛〜
Jeong Si-u Han Sung-woo Lee Do-ha
Seo Tae-hyun Lee Yu-gun Ju Eun-chan Dan Ha-ru
“For reference, the order of the names does not reflect the trainees’ rankings.”
“You want us to choose now? Right this instant?”
“Does that mean we battle right now?”
“Wow, this is insane.”
As reactions erupted in real time, I could practically see the PDs’ lips curling up to their ears. Amid the swirl of conflicting emotions, I quietly raised my hand and looked toward Seo Tae-il.
“Yes, trainee Kang Ha-jin.”
“If I nominate a trainee, will the outcome be determined by the results of the first mission?”
“…That’s correct. It would be more entertaining if we could see the battle right here and now, but this battle’s outcome will be decided based on the first mission’s results.”
“Is it not possible to nominate my opponent after hearing the mission?”
“No. You must nominate your opponent first, and once all nominations are complete, we’ll announce the first mission.”
“….”
“I’ll give you some time to consider your choice.”
In other words, don’t think about calculating things after seeing the mission—just pick someone you want to crush first. I’m guessing this will eat up about ten seconds of the episode preview.
‘There aren’t many worth choosing from anyway.’
I gave up on thinking too deeply and slowly scanned the seven names on the LED screen.
‘Exclude Seo Tae-hyun since we need to debut together. Exclude Lee Do-ha since he’s a candidate for team recruitment.’
After spending considerable time objectively weighing various reasons and factors to choose my opponent, I called out to Kim Won-ho, who sat beside me looking just as serious and on the verge of mental breakdown.
“Have you decided?”
“…Hyung, this is seriously the first time I’ve ever gotten a ranking like 9th place. How am I supposed to eliminate someone….”
“If you can’t decide, just listen to me.”
“…?”
“Alright everyone. Now it’s time to make your choice.”
After I whispered to Kim Won-ho, whose mental state was already half-shattered, the name of a trainee he might actually have a chance of beating, Seo Tae-il promptly announced a timeout with a clap.
“Trainee Yuki, ranked 8th. Please select a trainee to battle.”
“I’ll choose… Trainee Seo Tae-hyun….”
“Trainee Seo Tae-hyun placed within the top three in last month’s evaluation, so he holds the right to refuse a challenge. Trainee Seo Tae-hyun. Do you accept this battle?”
“No, I’ll exercise my right to refuse.”
‘Damn. I should’ve avoided that one.’
I watched Yuki’s battle opportunity vanish anticlimactically—he’d probably been aiming for the publicity of challenging Seo Tae-hyun—and let out a small sigh of regret. Though honestly, even if they’d fought, Seo Tae-hyun likely would’ve won anyway.
“Next, Trainee Kim Won-ho, ranked 9th.”
At the call of my name, Kim Won-ho hesitantly rose from his seat. I nodded at him, telling him to do whatever felt right, and he glanced at me uncertainly before gripping the microphone with trembling hands and opening his mouth.
“I, I… the trainee I’m choosing is….”
“….”
“Lee Yu-gun, trainee.”
Whoa, seriously?
Is he insane?
No wait, he might actually pull it off. Why not.
As Kim Won-ho spoke, gasps of surprise rippled through the room—exactly as everyone had anticipated. Lee Yu-gun, sitting on the opposite side, turned to look at Kim Won-ho with a mixture of shock and bewilderment on his face.
“The first battle between Trainee Lee Yu-gun, ranked 6th, and Trainee Kim Won-ho, ranked 9th, is now confirmed.”
“….”
“And finally, Trainee Kang Ha-jin.”
And then, it was my turn at last.
“Please select a trainee to battle.”
“The trainee I’m selecting is….”
I felt every gaze and camera lens converge on me. I didn’t need to deliberate further—my choice had been crystal clear from the very beginning. I looked directly at my intended opponent.
“The trainee I’m selecting is.”
“….”
“Trainee Han Sung-woo.”
The General Class leader himself. The one I disliked most among all of them.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————