Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 464

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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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464. BOY’S SUPREMACY (6)
“I… I know I’m good at what I do.”
Yoon Ga-ram began with that opening line after reading the incomprehension written across Ha-jin’s face.
“But it feels like that’s all there is to it.”
The desolate mountain air of dawn brushed coldly against the dark-haired boy’s cheeks.
Kang Ha-jin, who had been preparing roughly one million two hundred thousand counterarguments, closed his lips in silence instead.
“Park Young-ha dances really well even though he’s on the older side. Among the trainees, he definitely has the image of being the choreography leader, and when he stands at center, you can actually feel the stage gaining weight.”
Ha-jin recalled Park Young-ha, the trainee who had sought him out first.
The one who had come to him with worries about how to approach things among friends a few years younger than himself—his previous ranking was 5th.
Fans were already calling him the eldest hyung of the debut group, or so he’d heard.
“Ha Jun-hyuk has that distinctive languid atmosphere. His tone of voice too, and when he gets caught on camera, you just completely let go and think, ‘Wow…’ you know?”
Ha Jun-hyuk.
Previous ranking: 3rd.
A royal trainee who had maintained a top position from the first broadcast until now, bearing the nickname “Killing Part Machine.”
“And… Yoo Hyun too. The kids say he’s sly because he doesn’t work hard during practice, but honestly, I think Yoo Hyun’s real weapon is live performance.”
“….”
“When Yoo Hyun performs live, his breathing never wavers. His volume is incredible, and his limbs are long and lanky so they stand out more, plus he has great power—when he does the same moves, they look amazing. I honestly think that’s talent.”
Chae Yu-hyun.
Previous ranking: 1st.
The undisputed lead of this season both on and off broadcast.
Ha-jin lifted his head from silence and looked at the boy before him.
“In contrast, I….”
“….”
“I don’t really know if I’m doing well.”
Yoon Ga-ram.
Previous ranking: 7th.
At this rate, in 【Boy’s Supremacy 2】 where the final debut lineup would be six members, he was destined to drink the bitter cup of elimination.
Ha-jin, after a moment of contemplation, opened his mouth with difficulty.
“So?”
“Yes…?”
“So, what would you like me to do for you?”
At Ha-jin’s calm yet resolute attitude, Ga-ram’s gaze wavered for a moment.
When his trembling eyes carefully turned back toward Ha-jin, he was still regarding him with an upright posture and an inscrutable gaze.
“I know well that when you live in endless competition, you can look infinitely small while others look endlessly high. The future grows murkier by the day, and self-esteem scrapes bottom….”
“….”
“So I’m asking. Is what you want unconditional praise to restore your confidence? Then I’ll do my best starting now.”
Ha-jin hated the word “potential” more than death itself, yet paradoxically, he was someone who absolutely could not bear to watch those with “potential” wither away listlessly.
Harsh self-deprecation often stemmed from fierce hunger for recognition.
If what Ga-ram wanted now was blind flattery like “What are you talking about, you’re a genius, you’re so good, you’ll definitely debut,” Ha-jin was genuinely prepared to give him exactly that.
“I’m asking if there’s an answer you’re looking for.”
When Ha-jin fixed Yoon Ga-ram with an unwavering gaze and asked, Yoon Ga-ram—caught off guard once again—rubbed his knees with a troubled expression.
“Well… but wouldn’t the effect be nullified if I knew you were saying it deliberately?”
At the cautious question, Ha-jin nodded brightly and slumped back against the chair’s backrest.
“Exactly. What meaning is there in a bow received from a jab to the ribs?”
“Then why…?”
“Because I wanted you to be certain that it’s nothing but a meaningless mirage.”
“…?”
Possibility.
I had wagered ten years on that single word: possibility.
Whenever I wanted to give up, those around me would cheer me on, saying I could do it, that next time would surely go well. Yet when I finally abandoned my dream and turned away, they merely offered comfort, saying it would be fine.
Though I had certainly drawn strength from those warm words at times, they remained nothing more than words.
That was when I understood.
Encouragement from others who bore no responsibility for the results could never become an excuse to continue my dream.
“By the way, I specialize in unconditional praise. I’m the kind of person who can find strengths even in middle school boys who are practically delinquents.”
“…Ha, that’s quite tempting.”
“Will you let me?”
As if urging him to speak immediately, Ha-jin raised his eyebrows and crossed his long legs. With both hands tucked into his hoodie pockets, he waited for Yoon Ga-ram’s answer with an air of ease.
It was only after the snack bar’s lights—which stayed open until two in the morning—had gone dark that Yoon Ga-ram, who had been contemplating with a thoughtful expression, finally spoke.
“…Honestly, I’ve been thinking a lot.”
“Yes.”
“I think right now, I need a map more than an oasis.”
…There it is.
True to form—a second Seo Tae-hyun, no less—his poignant answer made Ha-jin’s lips twitch.
A smile of appreciation began to creep across my face, but Yoon Ga-ram, unaware of that expression, continued steadfastly with his answer.
“I’d like to hear an honest evaluation of myself from you, senior. Whatever you say, I’ll accept it gracefully.”
“What if I tell you right now that you look hopeless and should quit?”
“…Then I’ll cry for just today, and tomorrow I’ll do my best to show you a different version of myself.”
“Ah, so you will cry?”
At his brazen answer, Ha-jin finally burst into laughter.
Yoon Ga-ram, who had answered with considerable courage, flinched at Ha-jin’s reaction—laughing as if to say he’d hit the mark, pressing his forehead with his hand. After laughing for quite some time, Ha-jin wiped away the tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes.
“Then let me really be honest with you? You can’t go around saying in interviews later that you gave up on becoming an idol because of me.”
“…Yes. I’m prepared for it!”
Yoon Ga-ram nodded with a solemn expression.
He too had once been a devoted viewer of Miro Maze, watching it more eagerly than anyone. He knew well just how ruthlessly cold Ha-jin could become when he set his mind to it.
‘That’s precisely why I need to hear an objective evaluation from him.’
Despite decent screen time and consistently positive stage reviews, Yoon Ga-ram’s ranking had been steadily declining. At this rate, what awaited him in the next final stage was clearly a bitter elimination.
Yoon Ga-ram was aware that his chances of elimination were high. He didn’t expect that hearing feedback from Ha-jin would immediately produce some dramatic change in the final stage.
What mattered was the final stage and what came after.
Ha-jin’s feedback would be instrumental in determining Yoon Ga-ram’s ‘next’.
“If you’re asking for my thoughts….”
Ha-jin slowly opened his mouth.
Yoon Ga-ram squeezed his eyes shut in dread of what would come next.
“I think you’re doing well.”
“…?”
“I thought you were doing well from the first time I saw you practice. Honestly, I even wondered if it’s a bit presumptuous to be worrying about this now.”
Confronted with praise he never expected, Yoon Ga-ram froze rather than rejoice.
But Ha-jin, who had just dropped the bomb, treated this as merely a warm-up and settled into a proper posture to continue his evaluation.
“Your expressions are varied, you interpret the lyrics well, and you handle any genre flawlessly by the book. When I watched the group opening title, you were the only one paying attention to details and angles in every movement.”
“Uh, uh….”
“You’ve never formally trained in dance, right? That’s why you don’t have personal quirks, so every stage feels consistent, and you practice with genuine diligence.”
“….”
“As for your position being ambiguous… well, I just heard about it, so maybe that’s true. But character is something I’ll develop as I go. …Oh, is it too late now? The finals are coming up soon?”
Even as Ha-jin raised his eyebrows asking “Is that so?”, Yoon Ga-ram couldn’t muster any response.
Ha-jin let out a scoff at Yoon Ga-ram and leaned forward with his arms crossed.
“Why are you so shocked? Did you think I was going to tell you to quit because you have no talent? You already knew you were good at this, didn’t you?”
“Well, yes, but… I never expected you to praise me this much.”
“Really? I find that more surprising. Wasn’t I the only one who didn’t point out your flaws in the Fantasy Romance team?”
As Ha-jin tilted his head in genuine bewilderment, Yoon Ga-ram—whose ears had turned crimson with embarrassment—pressed the coffee can in front of him as if he might crush it and spoke in a barely audible voice.
“That’s why I thought… you weren’t saying anything about me….”
“Yes.”
“I thought maybe I had no presence, so there was nothing to say about me….”
“What?”
Puhaha!
Ha-jin’s hearty laughter rang out loudly through the quiet night air of the Training Center. As if he hadn’t expected this at all, Ha-jin pressed his forehead and explained with an exasperated expression.
“I didn’t say anything because there was nothing to fix! You took it that way?”
“…Yes.”
“Wow, I’m speechless.”
Ha-jin let out another incredulous chuckle. Then he shook his head repeatedly, making it abundantly clear that wasn’t the case.
“I didn’t say anything because you’re doing well. I was afraid if I carelessly pointed something out, it might throw you off. I really never imagined you’d think that way.”
“….”
“Yoon Ga-ram, you’re doing well. While my assessment might not translate into passing the Survival Program, I mean it sincerely.”
How else would I even acknowledge some aspects of you when comparing you to our house’s genius idol?
At Ha-jin’s casual words, Yoon Ga-ram finally seemed to grasp the sincerity of his recognition and hung his head low. His cheeks, which trembled with barely concealed joy, had already turned a bright red in the cold night breeze.
After savoring the sweetness of that praise for a moment, Yoon Ga-ram’s head snapped up.
“…Then, then why did you say that earlier?”
“What do you mean? Why did I ask if you were asking a leading question?”
“…Yes.”
“You need to be clear about whether what you’re doing is self-pity, self-rationalization, or self-objectification. Otherwise, you’ll end up blaming me later. A single soulless word of praise from me could consume the rest of Yoon Ga-ram’s life. I don’t want to be that heavy a presence in someone else’s life.”
“…Then, why are you praising me now? What if I cling to this work desperately, believing only your words?”
Ha-jin fell silent for a moment at that question.
Something—as if recalling a distant past—Ha-jin’s eyes, which had been shrouded in the mist of memory, regained their light and turned toward the boy.
“You understand the power that comes from a single word: ‘I believe in you.'”
“…?”
“I can’t guarantee Yoon Ga-ram’s debut, and I can’t promise his future, but….”
“….”
“Still, sometimes that one word becomes desperately necessary, doesn’t it?”
As Kang Ha-jin spoke those words, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
“And you said you wouldn’t quit being an idol even if I poured criticism on you.”
“…Yes.”
“Then you won’t get conceited and continue just because I praise you either, right? After all, it’s your life to live, so what matters is your own heart.”
The past ten years.
During those ten years, what was the one word I truly wished to hear? That question.
A thought so fundamental and essential.
“I want to tell you to have confidence, but honestly, I know that’s not something you can control….”
Ha-jin’s fingers, as he pondered his final words, tapped lightly against the table—an elegant motion as if playing a piano—before coming to a gentle stop.
“…I’ll support you. No matter what result you get, Yoon Ga-ram.”
Only then did identical smiles bloom on the faces of the two boys facing each other.
Even the cold mountain wind of dawn seemed to have stopped blowing.
* * *
“….”
When Ha-jin stepped back into the darkened small room, Tae-hyun was already asleep wearing a puffiness-reducing mask.
Having heard that he needed to film a wake-up mission early in the morning, Ha-jin moved with extreme care to avoid waking Tae-hyun.
“…Ow!”
Yet all that caution proved futile when Ha-jin’s foot suddenly kicked Tae-hyun’s trunk lying on the floor, sending him crashing down with excruciating pain. In his haste to stifle a cry, he even bit his own tongue, doubling the agony.
Writhing in discomfort, Ha-jin quickly glanced toward Tae-hyun. Fortunately, Tae-hyun, who slept deeply, showed no signs of waking from such a noise.
‘I’d love to try filming some hidden camera experiment where I carry him while he’s asleep and take him somewhere ridiculous.’
Ha-jin casually thought of an item that Kwon Wook from the Today’s Kairos production team would enthusiastically welcome, and somehow managed to reach the bed safely.
Still cautious just in case, Ha-jin didn’t relax his guard until the moment he lay down under the blanket, and it was right when he rested his head on the pillow that he felt assured.
“Did you talk things through…?”
“Geez, you scared me…!”
Tae-hyun, whom Ha-jin was certain was asleep, spoke to him in a drowsy mumble.
Startled, Ha-jin pressed his racing heart down with his palm and turned his head sharply, only to find Tae-hyun still had his eyes closed, muttering once more in a half-asleep daze.
“Kwon Wook hyung is picking us up tomorrow morning, so pack your stuff when you wake up…. I have extra filming until evening, so I’m busy….”
Is he sleep-talking right now?
For someone awake, he was far too drowsy; for someone asleep, he was far too coherent.
As Ha-jin hesitated uncertainly, Tae-hyun pulled the blanket up to his neck and left one final remark.
“Having you here today made me feel reassured….”
With that, Tae-hyun’s breathing returned to its regular rhythm.
Ha-jin gazed at Tae-hyun in the darkness for a moment, then turned his body and lay flat. The ceiling of the Training Center dormitory was dotted here and there with tacky glow-in-the-dark stars, though Ha-jin had no idea who had put them there.
“…Reassured, my foot.”
Ha-jin’s self-deprecating voice drifted through the empty air.
“All talk and no substance, as always.”
Ha-jin recalled everything he had done throughout the day.
And he revisited the conversation he’d had with Ga-ram earlier—or more precisely, the advice he’d given to Ga-ram.
“….”
Ha-jin closed his eyes.
The faces of every boy he’d met that day flickered through the darkness.
Once they all passed, only one remained—himself.
There stood Kang Ha-jin, bearing a striking resemblance to all those boys.
“….”
The past ten years.
What was that one word I had yearned for and feared all this time?
Ha-jin, who already knew the answer, drifted quietly into sleep.

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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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