Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 497

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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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497. NMA (2)
Having conquered the steepest mountain, it was time to admire the view from the summit with a peaceful heart.
“Damn, that was insane! Absolutely crazy! You killed it!”
“Please stop saying that, hyung….”
Day 2 of the NMA.
A lineup so stacked it made you involuntarily ask, ‘How did they pull this off?’
[So how the hell did those crazy people at Ntv manage to bring Jamie Frett?]
Are they going bankrupt after this?
From the hottest rising solo artist in today’s American pop scene—someone who enters the Billboard charts the moment they release a song—to Japan’s rock band that stands as practically the only one you could call truly mainstream in Korea’s relatively narrow J-pop market.
Day 2 of the NMA, which had secured its share of ‘global’ prestige, certainly deserved to be called the main course with such a radical lineup. The parade of heavyweight acts that followed made us feel no regret whatsoever about being relegated to Day 1.
-Everyone, it’s been so long!
Ntv, which had somehow managed to miss half of the top 5 girl groups currently dominating Korea’s music industry, chose ‘nostalgia’ as their trump card to fill that void.
A famous girl group from the previous generation—once called the ‘miracle of small agencies’ but ultimately unable to overcome the limitations of a minor entertainment company, disbanding years ago—was brought back to the stage under the banner of ‘reunion.’
-You’ll join us, right!? Come on, everyone together!
-More More!
With the perfectly timed justification of their 20th debut anniversary this year, the members of Chungwol Girls—called back to the stage eight years after disbanding—belted out their biggest hit, “More More.”
For reference, this was the same song from last year’s QBS Awards when we did that senior song cover collaboration stage, the one where we lost out on a Upia song but ended up changing the tastes of multiple fandoms instead (the stage where we wore pink fuzzy berets and did winks and shoulder shrugs before Kang Ha-won called us evil spirits).
And that meant….
Wow, this is crazy hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
– Those pink-clad girls didn’t die and showed up again… even more buff than before…(forehead press)
– Aren’t these the same guys who were just shouting ‘revolution’ and pounding the stage telling us to destroy paradise?
– Why does Kairos always put in this much effort for something like this anyway? Do they pay that well?
‘…There’s no way those opportunistic broadcasters would let go of such a precious, hilarious item.’
I had no idea why Ntv was so eager to snatch the ball that QBS had thrown, but in any case, because of our connection from last year’s (controversial) cover stage, we ended up serving as backup dancers for Chungwol Girls’ “More More” performance.
It was the most decisive reason we got to participate in the Day 2 lineup.
Come on, More More!
Tralalala―, More More!
– Why did Lee Do-ha’s shoulders get so much bigger in just a year…? Pretty intimidating…? Kind of want to bump into him…?
└ We call that a car crash
└ You’ll die doing that
– I’m really grateful we have Jeong Si-u, Seo Tae-hyun, and Dan Ha-ru in our group… This is the true beauty of a survival group
– Hey, right now Kang Ha-jin is competing with Seon-ha noona over who can pull off the vibe better, is this right? Right now?
– Cute and pure More More from tall guys averaging 178cm in height? Destiny, you’ve been the only ones watching this fun stuff? Is it just everyday routine for Kairos so nobody’s impressed?
└ No. We didn’t really want to watch it.
└ Sorry, but it feels fresh every time we see it;;>
└ Anyway, I got into them last year because of Seo Tae-hyun and Kang Ha-jin’s enchanting tralalala part
Unlike last year when we relied on pale pink fluffy berets and knits to make our statement, this year—reflecting feedback that ‘the kids have grown a bit’—we wore light blue sailor uniforms and did our absolute best as backup dancers for that touching reunion stage.
Since we didn’t have separate time to practice, we could only cram what we learned in the waiting room right before taking the stage, which made me a bit nervous. But thankfully, our bodies remembered the movements.
-NMA, this year’s Global Muse Memory Award! It’s Chungwol Girls!
-…!
-Gasp, what do I do…. Thank you, thank you so much!
Ntv seemed genuinely grateful to the Cheongwol Girls for not only filling the gap in girl group power but even providing them with respectable face, so they decided to hand over an award as well.
They called it some global muse award or something, but the actual content was closer to a standard K-pop industry achievement award.
-Thank you so much for waiting for us, and to all the fans and the public who have continued to support and remember us….
-I also want to express my gratitude to our junior friends in Kairos, who performed “More More” so brilliantly. Thank you so much for handling the backup dancing so well today…. I’ll buy you guys snacks next time!
Yes, we earned snacks.
But regardless of whether it was just for the snacks, I clapped wholeheartedly as I watched them embrace each other on stage with tears streaming down their faces.
“…hyung, are you crying?”
“Me? No. Why. Do I look like I’m crying?”
“No, that’s not it…. You just suddenly look a bit sad.”
Seo Tae-hyun, who had been clapping enthusiastically beside me, looked up at me and tilted his head.
I kept my gaze fixed on the performers on stage, smacked my lips softly, and replied.
“It’s remarkable, isn’t it? Even though it’s been years since they disbanded, people still remember those seniors, cherish the memories, and happily sing along to their songs.”
“What’s with you? You were just swaying to the beat excitedly, and now you’re getting all sentimental?”
“…No, it’s just…. I just think if we could become a group that people remember even after a very long time like that, there’s nothing more I could ask for.”
In the twenty-nine timeline.
I had once filmed an interview with one of the members who was the leader of the Cheongwol Girls by pure chance. By that time, she had already established herself as an actress known more by her three-character name than by “Cheongwol Girls.”
Watching her on stage now gazing at her former members with affectionate eyes, I somehow recalled something she had said in the previous timeline.
-Actually, I want to reunite under the name Cheongwol Girls anytime….
-Reunions are… not as easy as they sound.
There’s a common saying that the more dramatically a group disbanded, the harder it is to reunite.
Because they broke up so loudly and noisily, it becomes too awkward and embarrassing to casually reunite in the name of reviving memories.
So the more dramatic the disbandment, the more earnestly they promised to reunite someday, the longer that group often had to wait for the right timing for a proper reunion.
-It’s only possible if people still remember us and want us….
But there are also groups that can’t make even a reunion as dramatic as their disbandment.
It’s easy to receive the public’s sympathy, but difficult to receive their affection.
In the twenty-nine timeline, the Cheongwol Girls’ disbandment was a regrettable event for the public, but their reunion was of no interest. The expression on the leader member’s face as she acknowledged that fact was still vivid before my eyes.
“…Isn’t it satisfying that we played a part in that reunion?”
So this was something I could be proud of.
Every time I faced the results of the butterfly effect I had created in this timeline we changed together, my heart seemed to beat faster for reasons I couldn’t quite explain.
Seo Tae-hyun, who had been quietly listening to my incomprehensible words, slowly turned his gaze toward the stage.
After receiving the award and coming down, Seo Tae-hyun politely bowed his head to the Cheongwol Girls seniors who greeted us brightly, and murmured softly.
“…Yeah. That’s true.”
In that small voice, a hint of joy seemed to be contained.
* * *
Cheongwol Girls, Jamie Foret, Lanion, Sphere, B-liver, and so on….
The impressive groups that Ntv had gathered filled the large dome concert hall, but the performance we were most anticipating was still this one.
“NMA, What’s up!”
Two men in plain casual suits—nothing particularly fancy—walked onto the stage.
Watching the man stand in the center of the stage with his signature pose, casually holding a custom microphone in one hand, even Lee Do-ha, who rarely got excited, jumped to his feet and clenched his fists.
“Should we all jump around a bit?”
No polished styling, no makeup, no stage set or backup dancers.
The camera swept across the massive stage, capturing the two men who commanded it entirely.
Their names were emblazoned on the massive display screens in English, marking the highlight of tonight’s show.
【TAE-IL】
【G-NU】
As Seo Tae-il from Upia and Yoon Ji-nu gestured, the beat thundered to life—their unit track that everyone knew exploded with punchy energy.
An EDM-based hip-hop track with a relentless, escalating rhythm had both of them shaking their heads wildly and moving their bodies with such swagger and presence that the crowd erupted in screams.
Make the way like―!
With that fierce cry, Yoon Ji-nu and Seo Tae-il launched into their choreography.
Both were highly regarded dancers, and though their styles differed, their teamwork shone brilliantly—the identity of a unified group unmistakable in every movement.
Having already experienced Upia’s stage at their concert, I knew exactly what kind of synergy would explode when the other three members joined them, which made this performance even more thrilling.
“Wow, we get to see this for free? This insanely incredible performance without having to go through all that—getting VIP presale benefits from a credit card company, trembling with anticipation for a month, recruiting three proxies for ticketing, framing the ticket and keeping it safe, then transporting it all the way to the venue just to get in—and I get to see Seo Tae-il? Yoon Ji-nu? From the VIP section right up front like this?”
“Hyung, you had dinner with those seniors yesterday too, didn’t you?”
“Is this seriously a privilege you get from being an idol? The idol establishment is insane, for real. This is power, I’m telling you.”
“I genuinely have no idea what you’re talking about anymore.”
Lee Yu-gun, the non-believer who couldn’t comprehend my overwhelming emotion, shook his head in exasperation once more.
Regardless, every person in the venue—including the artists already seated in the artist section—was waving their hands or bouncing enthusiastically in their seats in sync with Seo Tae-il and Yoon Ji-nu’s gestures.
‘I made the right call sitting in the front row of the artist section.’
Since our stage was nearly finished anyway, I stood up with the mindset to really enjoy myself, and the camera capturing reactions from the artist section immediately turned toward us.
But cameras had already stopped mattering to us.
Lee Do-ha was dancing with wild energy, hitting the double more excitedly than during his own verse, and as I linked arms with him and bounced around, I could feel the idols nearby watching us with amused smiles.
“Hyungs, please. I’m embarrassed, stop it, stop…!”
“Let him be. Do-ha missed the last concert, so he’s probably trying to make up for it here.”
“That’s one thing, but why is Kang Ha-jin hyung having so much fun?”
“That’s just how he is.”
“Ha-ru, let’s go too!”
“…Sure, whatever.”
Eventually, Dan Ha-ru and Ju Eun-chan and Jeong Si-u, having given up on stopping us, joined in.
Ju Eun-chan had always loved Upia’s songs as much as Lee Do-ha did,
Dan Ha-ru came along because Ju Eun-chan was doing it,
and Jeong Si-u probably just thought it looked fun and tagged along.
Once more than half the members were participating, Seo Tae-hyun and Lee Yu-gun couldn’t resist either—they shook their heads in resignation and slipped in among the others.
As I bounced and played and shouted along with the kids, my eyes met Seo Tae-il’s on stage, who was looking down at us with a warm smile.
“…?”
It looked like he was saying something.
When I paused my jumping for a moment, wondering if I’d misread it, Seo Tae-il kindly turned toward me once more and moved his lips deliberately, making sure I understood.
‘You did well.’
Then he gave me a thumbs up and, as if nothing had happened, turned around and rushed toward the front of the stage.
“….”
“…? What’s up with you again, hyung?”
“Why’s he killing the vibe and getting all sentimental by himself?”
“Leave him be, he’s always like that.”
My heart was pounding far more intensely than it had moments ago.
That feeling when someone I thought I could never get close to—standing on stage, looking at me and acknowledging me.
“Hyung, hurry! The highlight’s coming up now!”
Just moments ago, Seo Tae-hyun had scolded me for being embarrassing, but now that the highlight was approaching, he was waving me over urgently.
I snapped out of my stillness and moved between the members. As I took my place at the end of the line of linked arms, Dan Ha-ru, standing at the outermost position, draped his arm across my shoulder and muttered while glancing at me sideways.
“You crybaby.”
“…Are you making fun of me right now?”
“Don’t get emotional over something like this and cry. It’s a good day—if you cry, the fans will get the wrong idea.”
Sorry, but that comment’s only going to make me want to cry more, you sparkling bastard.
Still, I held back my tears.
I hadn’t come far enough to cry over something this small.
Make my way on TOP!
Yoon Ji-nu on stage stretched one hand upward and shouted.
As if announcing this was the final stage, confetti and fireworks exploded all around, intensifying the festive fervor.
With that stage—burning like fire and brilliant like ice—Kairos’s year-end plans officially began in earnest.

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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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