Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 401

—————

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

—————

401. How This Idol Group Maintains Discipline (8)
Kang Ha-jin was fundamentally the type who didn’t cultivate worry or concern about his members. Unless it was an unavoidable mental immaturity, he certainly didn’t when it came to stage presence or technical ability.
The same applied to Lee Yu-gun, who possessed the most exceptional dancing skills among the members yet still received the harsh evaluation of being “below standard.”
‘Look at him go—performing that well.’
Alongside Seo Tae-hyun, dressed in an oversized short-sleeved tee and cropped pants, and Jeong Si-u, the only member wearing a crisp white dress shirt, Lee Yu-gun was absolutely tearing the stage apart.
It was only natural.
Lee Yu-gun always delivered his full worth for every penny earned, and the Summer Wave Festival’s appearance fee was quite substantial.
‘I should focus on my own path instead of worrying about others.’
Ha-jin realized his turn was approaching and adjusted his grip on the microphone. Instead of the title track that had become second nature from constant repetition, he was about to perform in the cipher—a mission song from someone else—and the nerves were definitely setting in.
He wanted to complain that he should just stick with what he knew, question why he kept pushing himself to try new things, but since he was the one who’d started this whole thing, he had no right to whine.
Why had his past self suddenly become so fixated on this cipher?
Wondering about it now was pointless.
‘I promised Lee Yu-gun I’d give him a double feature, so if I cut my own lyrics, I’ll look pathetic.’
With that thought, Kang Ha-jin lifted his gaze. He watched as the three performers in front of him flawlessly executed their choreography and rap, then turned their backs to shift positions.
In that instant, as if a curtain had risen on the stage, countless audience members and their phone lenses flooded into Ha-jin’s field of vision like a wave. Gripping the mint-colored Summer Wave Festival slogan in one hand, Ha-jin shook it and burst forward to the front of the stage.
Crush it all, the criticism from haters
Tired of hearing we’re all the same, I rewrote history
The fresh twenty-year-old who’d just graduated and looked surprisingly sharp in a suit—that Kang Ha-jin no longer existed here.
Only the professional idol Kang Ha-jin remained, having pushed his form to the extreme through months of rigorous diet management and training alongside Lee Do-ha, establishing consistent living habits that matched his physique just after military discharge.
Do it again, again, I go from zero to a hundred,
I’ll take you as far as you want, right up to that point
A fitted short-sleeved tee that hugged his toned frame, bright light-wash jeans, and a silver cross necklace casually draped around his neck—all glimmering under the summer sun. Water cannons shot in rhythm painted the entire stage in rainbow hues.
‘This is summer.’
Kang Ha-jin smiled.
He felt certain that today’s stage would be enjoyable.
* * *
Kairos tore the stage apart.
Soda didn’t particularly like that expression, but she found herself at a loss for how else to describe it.
But seriously, Kairos absolutely destroyed Summer Wave. I guess because our Do-ha is still junior in experience, it’s a relief he hasn’t thought about tearing his own clothes yet?
‘Setting aside the outfits, their song selection was insane!’
Just the black hair and white-blue combination would drive anyone wild at a summer festival, but Kairos thoughtfully brought an entirely fresh setlist to the stage.
They opened with an intense cipher featuring Lee Yu-gun, Kang Ha-jin, Ju Eun-chan, and Lee Do-ha in sequence, followed immediately by none other than 【F: NALE】.
What song is that?
We, go, high!
Push through to the end, run!
Our Finale has just begun
There’s no tomorrow, enjoy, shout it out!
The new song from Team B that featured Kang Ha-jin, Jeong Si-u, Dan Ha-ru, and Lee Yu-gun during the Miro Maze final live broadcast stage—a catchy, funky-groovy festival anthem written and composed by Seo Tae-il, colloquially known as “Tomorrow’s Gone.”
The upbeat EDM sound and straightforward lyrics ignited the festival’s energy in an instant.
Ha-rang
@dohajin_luv
A man’s growth
(Yu Gun wearing a choker on the Blue Flare stage.gif)
(Yu Gun wearing a choker on the Summer Wave Festival stage.gif)
Shared 4,993 Likes 5,338
Sunset University
@SS_university
Convenience stores charge 50 won for plastic bags these days
But I don’t understand why Kang Ha-jin’s wet white shirt back is free
(Ha-jin wringing out the water from his soaked t-shirt.jpg)
(Ha-jin’s back as he brushes his hair back.jpg)
Shared 5,221 Likes 6,399
Rossy Day
@rossy_1017
Breaking news
Michelangelo’s David is alive
(Do-ha performing on stage with a microphone.jpg)
(Do-ha standing at an angle, smiling down at the audience.jpg)
Shared 5,501 Likes 7,100
SNS was already buzzing with discussions about the “Physical Trinity” that followed Kairos’s legendary visual rivalry—towering height befitting the nickname “Door Frame,” proportions so striking you could spot them as celebrities from a hundred meters away, and physiques and muscles that seemed to have improved even further over the past few months.
The Destiny fans, who had once called themselves “Real Beauty Finders” in imitation of their leader, had all retreated to their homes and were now engaged in serious discussions about these remarkable physiques.
‘…Among the kids posting live shots right now, some of them were definitely there earlier, weren’t they?’
With that thought, Soda found it difficult to view all the fawning posts with a purely favorable eye, but she decided to go with the philosophy that good things were simply good things. Besides, she didn’t have the luxury of worrying about such matters right now.
“Then let me play the next song for you!”
After delivering 【Guerrilla (Cypher)】 and 【F:NALE】 back-to-back, Kairos finished a brief greeting and immediately launched into the next track.
On stage remained only Jeong Si-u with the sleeves of his white shirt—now mostly dry after being soaked—rolled up deep, Lee Do-ha pressing down a dripping baseball cap firmly on his head, and Kang Ha-jin wiping his face with a towel before casually tossing it aside.
Wishhiiiii―
“No, seriously, please.”
Red stage lights moved like lasers across the stage, heightening the atmosphere. Soda had suspected it from the moment only the older members remained on stage, but she hadn’t actually expected them to perform this song. She quickly grabbed her camera.
To the rhythm of the leisurely backing track, the three walked forward onto the stage as if on a runway, moving with rhythmic precision. Ha-jin, standing in the center, brushed his hair back and began the first verse.
Deep, night―
Over the heavy, sexy beat of the 808 bass, Ha-jin’s mellifluous voice naturally emerged.
The three, swaying as if drunk, began waving in unison in the same direction.
The sound of tapping on a window,
Did I have a nightmare, my dizzy head
The choreography wasn’t particularly large or elaborate.
Simply by lightly grasping someone’s shoulder or briefly meeting their gaze while stepping with ease, the atmosphere soared.
Ha-jin, still occupying center stage, grinned and spun around smoothly.
At the end of a precarious dream
The reality I face upon awakening
The Destiny fanbase erupted in unison, waving their light sticks as Kairos took the stage for the official live debut of “Wish You’re There”—a unit track and the opening song from Kairos’s second mini album, *Youth’s End*.
And if there was one defining characteristic of this song….
‘The beat has this decadent, otherworldly vibe…!’
As the older members of Kairos delivered an intentionally sultry performance, Soda kept her camera lens steady with unwavering devotion, determined not to miss a single strand of their hair.
‘This is at least a family heirloom moment.’
Having instinctively detected a legendary performance, Soda’s smile remained plastered across her cheeks, showing no signs of fading anytime soon.
* * *
Kairos performed a total of six songs, including the encore.
Of course, while the song count appeared substantial, the opening tracks “Guerrilla (Cipher)” and “F:NALE” had been so seamlessly arranged together that they practically counted as a single piece, making the actual setlist closer to five songs.
An energetic hip-hop track anchored by the Physical Trinity, followed by “Wish You’re There” where the older members’ sensuality shone brilliantly, and then “Mirage”—showcasing the uninhibited charm of the younger members.
After that came “Kick Off” from their debut album and the encore featuring their signature track “This Ain’t No Carol,” only then could Kairos finally descend from the stage and dry their sweat-soaked bodies.
TaeDay
@tae_day
Who on earth gave the baby a bubble gun
Our Tae-hyun was having so much fun
(Tae-hyun excitedly firing the bubble machine.jpg)
(Tae-hyun playing with bubbles alongside Ha-ru.jpg)
Shared 2,955 Likes 4,300
[Outdoor events… are actually good?]
Honestly, I felt a bit of a reality check waiting in line to get in
But when I saw the guys perform, the natural lighting absolutely blew my mind
This is addictive, what do I do?
– Once you taste summer natural lighting, you can’t quit
– But the guys looked especially handsome today, barely any puffiness at all
– Today’s setlist was perfect, seriously a proper festival setlist
RisenGun
@2uuu_gunn2
You gotta see how much the hyungs love Yu-gun’s rap
During Kick Off, Yu-gun’s in-ear monitor cut out
And Do-ha kept giving him beat cues from beside him so he wouldn’t lose the rhythm
While Ha-jin watched with sharp eyes, ready to double the beat if needed to back him up
This is our rap, damn it.
(【Kick Off】 Yu-gun fancam.mp4)
Shared 2,399 Quoted 1,103 Likes 3,011
‖
RisenGun
@2uuu_gunn2
You know Kairos’s official rap members are Do-ha and Yu-gun
But Ha-jin also has just as many rap parts as those two
And Ha-jin helped a lot when Yu-gun was recording his rap
I used the term “rap-la” for convenience.
Just stop with the obsessive comments~
Shared 105 Hearts 74
‘Ah, whatever. I made it work somehow.’
Yoo Gun descended from the stage and accepted a towel, shaking the moisture from his hair with a refreshed gesture. He’d promised to give his all, but there were still a few moments where he’d stumbled over the lyrics and forgotten them, glossing over those sections awkwardly.
Fortunately, thanks to his hyungs covering for him, it probably didn’t show too badly….
‘Once I get back to the company, I’m drilling lyrics first thing.’
No matter how difficult a dance move was, once his body learned it, he’d never forget it. But he couldn’t fathom why rap was so relentlessly difficult despite memorizing it fresh every single day.
Yoo Gun loosened the choker that had been strangling his neck uncomfortably, carelessly pulled out the leather belt that had slipped inside his shirt, and sat down in a chair while wiping his body dry with the towel.
“Yoo Gun worked hard~ Kid, your stage presence has improved a lot.”
“…Ah, yes. Thank you, hyung.”
Kwon Wook chuckled and handed Yoo Gun a vitamin drink. But as Yoo Gun accepted it, he couldn’t manage a genuinely satisfied smile.
‘I feel like I could have done better.’
In truth, by his previous standards, this performance would have been more than satisfying.
The audience response was good, there were no glaring mistakes, and he’d danced with more enthusiasm than anyone on stage, enjoying the summer. Even this collar that had felt so suffocating before was starting to feel natural now that it consistently drew reactions from the fans.
Yet something felt off.
Yoo Gun simply couldn’t feel satisfied.
‘I could do a bit more….’
I feel like I could have done better.
As he replayed the moments throughout the performance when he’d been too focused on the lyrics to truly enjoy himself, Yoo Gun was experiencing regret about his stage performance for the first time.
“…Huh? What’s wrong with you guys?”
“…?”
An unusual tone erupted from the Staff Member who was looking after the arriving members. Noticing that Su-ho and Kwon Wook had turned serious and were looking toward the members, Yoo Gun turned his head to assess the situation.
Tae-hyun and Si-woo, who had come down with Yoo Gun, also turned their gazes with confused expressions.
“Huh…?”
Through the bustling staff, the source of the commotion gradually became visible. Yoo Gun blinked in disbelief at what he was seeing and had to jump up from his seat.
“Do-ha, are you hurt?”
Through the gaps of the hastily erected waiting room tent, Lee Do-ha was entering with Kang Ha-jin’s support.
His usually steady gait was now visibly limping on one ankle.

—————

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

—————