Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 499

—————

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

—————

499. Cheongchun Bulpae 靑春不敗 (2)
A small open field behind the concert hall building.
The snow that had begun falling since morning, just as Eun-chan had said, had accumulated to a considerable height.
I’d worried whether a heavy snow warning might be issued, but when I checked the news on the way here, it seemed fortunately to be the kind of snow that merely set a year-end mood.
“Ah…! It collapsed.”
“We can just pack it together again. The cold helps though—the snow compacts really well.”
Eun-chan, whose competitive spirit ran so deep that once he started something he had to see it through, and Ha-ru, who despite his protests actually enjoyed this sort of thing, were remarkably well-matched when it came to play.
Ignoring the older members’ warnings not to catch a cold and to come back soon, both their noses and cheeks had long since turned as red as strawberries hidden inside a white cream cake.
“Should we try building an igloo? I feel like we could pull it off with this snow.”
“If we build that, we won’t make it to our stage performance today.”
“Right? Yeah…. That’s a shame.”
Eun-chan gazed at the mountain of snow piled to one side—snow that the two of them had stacked—and smacked his lips regretfully. Watching Eun-chan like that, Ha-ru, who’d been holding a cardboard box since earlier, scooped up a handful of snow from the base of the pile with it and dragged it over.
“…? Ha-ru, what are you doing?”
“Not one big enough to crawl into—something small like this. If we start building it now, we should be able to finish before dinner. The snow barely melts and packs together really well, so it’ll come together quickly.”
Without another word, I gathered the small mound of snow here and there, compacting it and establishing the foundation for the igloo. After watching me for a moment, Eun-chan’s face suddenly lit up with excitement, and he sat down across from me, joining in on shaping the igloo.
Unlike a snowman, which only required rolling snow into spheres, an igloo with its arched interior space demanded far more precise work. I proceeded with the igloo construction with more focus than ever before.
“….”
And when Eun-chan’s gaze fell upon me, his two hands suddenly stopped moving.
Eun-chan brushed the snow from his hands lightly and slowly wrapped his arms around his knees. Oblivious to Eun-chan stopping his work, I remained absorbed in firmly packing the interior space of the igloo.
Eun-chan, watching me with thoughtful eyes, opened his mouth quietly.
“Ha-ru.”
“Hm? What? …Hyung, can you hand me just one small branch over there? I want to add some brick patterns to make it look nicer.”
“Here. But I have something to say.”
“Something to say?”
Taking the branch from Eun-chan, I finally lifted my head.
Soft white snow had quietly accumulated on my head beneath the large hood I was wearing.
Eun-chan gently brushed my shoulders and head with his hand—pat, pat—and let out a long sigh. Hesitation flickered across his lips as he debated whether to speak, but in the end, he opened his mouth.
“Soon… we’re going to part ways, right?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Us.”
At Eun-chan’s cryptic words, my expression grew confused.
It was only after a brief moment that I understood the hidden meaning behind his words.
“Hyung….”
“Ha-ru, you’re going to disappear soon, aren’t you?”
Right?
At the sound of Eun-chan’s voice, asking with a face that couldn’t quite bring itself to cry, I gripped the branch in my hand with all my strength. Unaware that one side of the igloo I’d worked so hard to build was crumbling.
“….”
The gazes of the two boys collided in the empty air, painting countless emotions, only to shatter.
Pure white snow continued to fall softly from the sky.
* * *
—Yes, six adorable and beautiful Santa girls! That was such a gift of a stage from Ever After, wasn’t it?
The male actor hosting this year’s MBS year-end stage naturally shared his impressions of the previous performance.
Watching him exchange somewhat awkward back-and-forth banter with the female idol co-host, Ha-jin unfastened his crossed arms, adjusted his in-ear monitor, and began moving toward the stage entrance.
It was almost time for their performance.
“Alright, should we get ready to stand by…?”
As Ha-jin moved toward the corridor where they needed to wait, he noticed Dan Ha-ru standing in the corner with a somewhat vacant expression, lost in thought, and stopped mid-sentence.
He’d been so excited about going to build snowmen earlier. But ever since returning, his expression had seemed off, and now Dan Ha-ru appeared completely absent-minded—Ha-jin’s brow furrowed.
Ha-jin changed direction and strode purposefully toward Ha-ru.
“…? What?”
Startled by Ha-jin’s sudden appearance in his line of sight, Ha-ru stepped back and frowned.
But Ha-jin paid no attention to Ha-ru’s reaction whatsoever, closing the distance and placing a hand on his forehead.
“What are you doing?”
“You don’t have a fever. Does something hurt?”
“…No, that’s not it.”
“Your cheeks and hands were bright red from the snow, and I noticed the moment you came back. If you’re in pain, I can ask Kwon Wook to get you some medicine right now.”
“I’m telling you, it’s not that. …I’m fine.”
As Ha-ru pushed Ha-jin’s hand away again and denied it, Ha-jin sighed and placed both hands on his hips, shifting his weight to one leg. He’d been acting rather childish these past few days, but he couldn’t fathom what had happened in such a short time.
“Alright then. But if you’re not feeling well after the performance, tell me.”
“Got it.”
Ha-jin continued to eye Ha-ru suspiciously until a Staff Member called for them to stand by, and he reluctantly returned to his position.
By then, the VCR before Kairos’s entrance was already playing on the stage’s large screen.
“….”
“….”
Dan Ha-ru also moved to take his position for the entrance.
Since they were arranged by age, Eun-chan stood right beside him with a tense expression.
Noticing Ha-ru taking his place next to him, Eun-chan glanced back and mouthed words of encouragement.
‘Let’s do this. Fighting.’
Ha-ru hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod.
Soon the signal came to ascend onto the darkened stage, and the members climbed the stairs in unison. The faint murmur of fans recognizing their entrance came through the in-ear monitors.
Dan Ha-ru slowly moved to his position and gripped the microphone tighter in his hand.
—Ha-ru, you’re disappearing soon anyway.
—Right?
It was neither quite sadness nor disappointment.
Eun-chan’s expression—one that couldn’t be explained by such simple emotions—came to mind.
Do-ha felt it too, Eun-chan felt it, Ha-jin felt it….
Even though they were simply welcoming back the Ha-ru they’d always known, why did they all regard him with such complex and subtle gazes?
“Making people feel weird for no reason….”
Grateful that he had a handheld microphone, Ha-ru let out a small laugh.
The click of the click track counting in the song’s start came through his in-ear. As the predetermined beat ended, brilliant lighting poured onto the stage in a blinding cascade, accompanied by roaring cheers.
As if he’d never worn a serious expression at all, Dan Ha-ru’s face suddenly broke into a smile brighter than the sun itself. The first verse of this performance was his.
My Day is Everyday Christmas!
I want to live in anticipation, every single day.
No matter how many times people complained about when that carol would finally stop being milked, the moment Christmas arrived, the chorus of “This Isn’t a Carol” would grip everyone by the collar and drag them along—and it rang out now in Ha-ru’s exuberant voice.
Despite swearing this time would be different, that he’d finally stop, the song had somehow charted in reverse again come Christmas, prompting the broadcasting station itself to request it for this performance.
-I’m seriously… Next year, I’m locking Do-ha in the studio until we release a new carol. No matter what.
I could still hear Kang Ha-jin’s voice complaining about how exhausting it was to recycle the same song multiple times across these award show stages, rearranging it differently each time.
Ha-ru flashed a smile so radiant his eyes curved into crescents, wiggling his fingers at the camera before gripping the microphone with both hands and suddenly bending his upper body sideways as if belting out a high note.
There’s nothing special about any particular day
I just want to wait for tomorrow
The moment seven boys in red Santa outfits appeared on the massive screen, a thunderous roar erupted from one section of the venue.
Knowing that was where Desty sat, Ha-ru turned toward them with a wink and blew a kiss. Fan service had become second nature by now.
My Day is Everyday Holiday!
I just want to remember every day
Jeong Si-u, wearing a reindeer headband, draped an arm across Ha-ru’s shoulder and picked up the next verse.
When their eyes met—Si-u playfully tousling his own hair—Dan Ha-ru suddenly recalled the memories that had followed his conversation with Eun-chan earlier.
-Yeah.
-But you don’t need to be so serious about it.
Someone was born today too
So I’ll celebrate instead—Blessing
His golden-brown hair shimmering as it swayed, Jeong Si-u offered his congratulations to some nameless stranger’s birthday with an expression and voice that radiated refreshing brightness.
The other members standing nearby had already donned ridiculous birthday party hats and sunglasses, holding flaming cake props while blowing party poppers and trumpeting elephant horns—absolute chaos.
Honestly, the hyungs always seemed most excited doing these ridiculous dances compared to all their impressive choreography, which was both absurd and hilarious.
Dan Ha-ru forgot they were even on stage and burst into genuine laughter.
-It’s just the process of becoming myself.
-Everyone goes through adolescence and grows from it anyway. It’s like that.
-So there’s no need to feel sad or upset about it.
His eyes met Eun-chan’s, who was bouncing around beside the hyungs, flinging confetti everywhere. Eun-chan approached Ha-ru with an excited skip in his step, beaming brightly.
-Hyung, just… stay beside me like this.
-So I can grow into a better version of myself.
Eun-chan reached Ha-ru’s side and scooped a handful of confetti from the small basket he was holding, then hurled it skyward with all his might.
The glittering paper scraps cascaded down like snow between Ha-ru and the other members.
This Isn’t a Carol (Seriously)
Seriously Not a Carol (For Real)
When the rousing group chorus part came around—the kind that never got old—the members couldn’t contain their excitement and rushed toward the front of the stage, drawing the audience into the moment. Thanks to the Christmas-infused arrangement, the atmosphere grew increasingly festive.
Gazing at the glittering audience rather than the falling confetti, Ha-ru suddenly came to a halt.
-Yeah.
Our Day is Everyday Christmas!
The energetic beat exploded, and the final chorus of “This Isn’t a Carol” rang out.
Standing in a line with their microphone-holding hands raised to the sky, the members were breathing heavily from all the jumping.
A massive roar from the audience filled the brief silence, sending a thrill through their hearts.
Cry out to the world
I’m still here
A brand new song no one had ever heard before filled the concert hall with Kang Ha-jin’s soft yet resolute voice.
The members shed their Santa costumes in an instant, transforming into white and blue outfits that exuded a distinctly winter atmosphere.
Winter and summer, autumn and spring
Beyond all those seasons
Lyrical yet powerful.
Melancholic yet overwhelming.
Dan Ha-ru hummed that beautiful melody softly under his breath and quietly closed his eyes.
The final answer Eun-chan had given while crouching in front of the collapsed igloo, lost in thought for so long, echoed back with crystalline clarity.
-Then I’ll wait.
-…For what?
Cry out at last,
I’m still here
-Until our Ha-ru becomes you. I’ll watch over you with joy.
Ha-jin’s stable and tender high notes ring out brilliantly. In harmony with the music pouring down like the Milky Way, white and pink petals scatter down from the sky.
After such a long story, we
Until we meet here again at last
Eun-chan, taking on the chorus for the first time instead of a sub-part, follows Ha-jin with a trembling voice.
I will remain here
Just as I am
Eun-chan’s voice still had several unstable aspects for carrying such a significant part alone, but paradoxically, those very qualities accentuated the boyish charm woven into his vocal tone.
Eun-chan, carefully delivering each syllable while awkwardly transitioning between falsetto and chest voice, slowly opened his eyes that had been closed. The red light of the camera had already filled his entire field of vision.
Now Tae-hyun’s low and comfortable timbre takes over.
Promise me, I’m still here
The orchestral accompaniment gradually slowed and diminished.
The members of Kairos, standing with faces as though they might cry, slowly brought their microphones to their lips and sang a single phrase together, like a shared breath.
Until then….
The beautifully layered harmony filled the concert hall through high-quality speakers.
The final series of Kairos’s youth trilogy.
The title track of 【Cheongchun Bulpae】, 【Then, Us】, was being revealed to the world for the first time.

—————

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

—————