Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 5

—————

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

—————

05. In Search of a Lost Dream (3)
Let me take a moment to reflect on my past lives.
-…and so, I offer my gratitude to all of you who came to witness our presentation, we who have grown verdant under the love of our parents and teachers.
It began simply enough—as an emcee at my kindergarten talent show, reciting the script word-for-word from memory, and that photograph of me adorned the first page of my kindergarten yearbook.
-I too agree with the opposing viewpoint that students still lack restraint in their use of mobile phones. However, the true essence of a mobile phone is communication and connection.
-Rather than unconditionally confiscating phones from students solely because of their entertainment functions, wouldn’t it be more productive to demonstrate proper usage methods and cultivate their ability to exercise self-control?
Tempted by the promise of sweet potato pizza, I became my friend’s debate partner, and during those years we swept up every award in sight.
-I believe life is an endless succession of choices and regrets. Since childhood, I have made countless decisions, and each time those choices became either my greatest strength or my deepest failure.
-So? Are you saying you’ll regret choosing this major?
-If regret is inevitable, then I intend to make my current choice my finest one. And now, having applied to this program, I am confident I can make this decision something I’m prouder and wiser about than anyone.
During my university entrance interview, when asked if I had anything else to say, I spoke whatever came to mind—and my answer apparently became such a favorite anecdote that the professor still brought it up over drinks long after I graduated.
That professor, who seized every opportunity to recruit me into graduate school whenever we met, would always pat my shoulder and say, “If you really applied yourself, I think you could negotiate department store prices down to half off.”
The point being: I was confident in one thing above all else—my ability to talk my way through anything. It wasn’t for nothing that I earned the reputation throughout university as “the guy for presentations.”
“…I’ve struggled greatly with the decision to challenge a dream I once abandoned.”
My life plan presentation was now reaching its climax. Father apparently had no serious objections from the beginning, while Mother watched silently with an expression I couldn’t quite decipher.
I’d exhausted all the objective data and statistics designed to persuade my parents. All that remained was my genuine resolve. My mouth felt dry, so I swallowed once.
“This doesn’t mean I’m abandoning my studies during this critical time. However, now that I’ve been given the opportunity of an audition, I want to challenge myself as far as I can, even if I fail.”
A lie. At the prospect of finding a “lost dream,” I was too twenty-nine to flutter with naive excitement. There was no way I could debut as an idol by breaking through countless competitors, and even if I did, there was no guarantee of success.
But if I take the audition, the regression stops, and if the regression stops, I can escape my family from this suffocating winter.
If pursuing this abandoned dream once more is the way to end this regression, then acting like a passionate teenage boy chasing his dreams was hardly beyond my capabilities.
“You know I’m good at this. Just let me try for one year, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll really give up.”
If I don’t become a trainee through this audition, regression will strike without mercy. Even I could see the artificiality of my smile. To my parents, it would simply appear as confidence brimming with ambition.
I’d played all my cards. With the final slide reading “Thank you” displayed on the PowerPoint, I awaited my parents’ verdict. A moment of silence followed.
“Ha-jin.”
Father had already deferred the decision to Mother from the start. She called my name once, then took her time choosing her words.
“…I know you’re good at what you do.”
“….”
“Really.”
Wait—this is dangerous.
I know you’re good at what you do. Mother’s single phrase struck something deep within me like a hammer blow. Memories from my first life—now more than four years past, so distant they felt like dreams—flashed rapidly through my mind.
“And I’m okay with you not being good at it.”
The image of Kang Ha-jin after resigning, lying in bed and drifting through each day in helpless lethargy, surfaced in my thoughts. That Kang Ha-jin, paralyzed by self-loathing, unable to do anything and convinced he never could, afraid to step outside into the world—he still existed somewhere within me.
There’s no way Mother could know what I would become ten years from now.
“I just… hope you won’t suffer. I hope you’ll hear praise, hear only good things, and live your own life without regret. That’s all.”
Yet Mother’s words felt as though they were comforting that version of me from back then.
[System Alert: Emergency Quest!]
Objective: A child’s wounds become a parent’s scars. Earn your mother’s approval for the dream you’ve rediscovered.
Deadline: Linked to SQ 01 (D-46)
Penalty on failure: 75% increased probability of triggering 5th cycle regression
Quest completed.
Special Reward: Designated Single Trait Viewing Rights (Self Excluded)
A notification popped up on the system window indicating the Quest was complete. I understood from it that I’d successfully persuaded Mother, yet somehow I couldn’t feel purely joyful. The system alert mentioned something about being impressed by the passionate personal training and offering a special reward, but I wasn’t particularly curious about it.
My fist, hidden behind my back, clenched with force.
I will absolutely end this regression in this life.
* * *
【Has that friend still not contacted you, Manager?】
【It would be really hard if we couldn’t watch and post this week tooㅠㅠ】
Manager Jang of Rene Entertainment’s New Artist Development Team sighed as he read the text message sent by a Miro Entertainment employee.
‘He seemed so excited when he took my business card….’
I’d expected Candidate 71 to contact me soon after that day, but there had been no word from him since.
Wondering if the message had been filtered as spam, I searched through both my phone and email thoroughly, but all that appeared were advertisement notifications.
In truth, if someone didn’t want to pursue entertainment, that was fine, and there were countless aspiring entertainers in South Korea who wanted to become celebrities, so it wasn’t as if one missing prospect was a catastrophe. Yet for some reason, both the Miro side and Manager Jang’s side were restless like servants desperate to receive Candidate 71’s selection.
【Yes. Let’s just forget about it.】
Manager Jang, about to send the message in frustration, quickly regained his composure and calmly pressed backspace to delete it.
Cha Min-seok, whom Miro had traded to them last time, was now the undisputed ace of New Rene Z. Since Miro had accommodated them considerably regarding Min-seok’s contract termination, it was now Rene’s turn to repay the favor.
【Our team leader said he really wants to see that friendㅠㅠㅠ】
Faced with an almost desperate plea, Manager Jang finally clutched his head. Since it had been a public audition, personal information like addresses and phone numbers had been destroyed on the same day, so there was no way to find him even if he wanted to.
‘I should have gone with him then and gotten his parents’ permission directly instead of just handing him my business card….’
Manager Jang, who had actually cast the youngest member of Sphere in that manner before, wiped away tears of regret and contemplated turning off his phone that continued to buzz incessantly. This Miro company sure is pushy….
【This is Candidate 71. I’m leaving a message since you didn’t answer the call.】
If they don’t answer the phone, they just don’t answer—why leave a message on top of that?
“…Ah, for heaven’s sake, hallelujah Jesus Christ holy….”
Manager Jang, about to mechanically clear the message notification with an irritated expression, suddenly realized that this very message was his salvation, put down his phone, and covered his mouth.
“What. Is it Candidate 71?”
Yoon Deputy, who sat at the desk across from Manager Jang, understood the situation from that reaction alone and jumped up from his seat. He’d noticed that Yoon Deputy seemed unusually interested in talk of Candidate 71, but right now Manager Jang needed someone to share this joy with, so it didn’t particularly matter.
Manager Jang quickly composed himself and gestured to the still-flustered Yoon Deputy to be quiet. The perceptive Yoon Deputy promptly closed his mouth.
Trrr―
He cleared his throat and pressed the call button with a pure heart. Timing was crucial in situations like this. After all, even though this was Rene and Miro, there was no need to adopt such a posture as if we’d been waiting from the start.
Act slightly busy, pretend not to remember who he was, act as if we had nothing to lose….
-Hello.
“Hello, Ha-jin. This is Jang Seo-yun, Team Leader of Rene Entertainment’s New Artist Development Team 1. I’m sorry—you must have been waiting for my call for quite a while, right?”
It was over.
The moment Manager Jang heard that voice he’d dreamed about, he instinctively realized that the initial psychological advantage had completely crumbled as his self-introduction spilled out uncontrollably. Even Yoon Deputy, who had been anxiously watching the call from across the desk, wore an expression of regret.
Damn it, I’m not usually like this.
-It’s fine. Actually, I apologize for contacting you late.
“No, what are you talking about. Late? The timing is perfect.”
It was too late. Incredibly late, but what good did that do now? Manager Jang fixed his voice to a G tone for a gentler delivery and continued the conversation.
“The people at Miro Entertainment said they wanted to see you. They said they’d prefer it as soon as possible, so I’ve been waiting for your call.”
While continuing the conversation in a warm and composed manner, Manager Jang rapidly typed on his keyboard to send an internal message, then gestured to Yoon Deputy.
【Contact Cha Min-seok from Miro and set up a meeting ASAP】
-Yes, thank you. So what should I do?
“Oh, well….”
Looking at Yoon Deputy’s hesitation, I watched as he hastily scribbled something on a Post-it and thrust it toward me.
【Miro Entertainment Friday 5 PM】
“Friday! I’ll send you the location of Miro Entertainment. Friday at 5 PM. Does that work?”
-Ah, I do have school….
“Hmm, then….”
-No, it’s fine. The college entrance exam is over anyway. So I should just head to Miro Entertainment at 5 PM on Friday, right?
“Yes, yes. I’ll be going with you, so contact me when you arrive.”
Yes, thank you. The call ended with those crisp words. Before I could even catch my breath, Yoon Deputy’s eyes sparkled.
“So? Is he coming? Did he say yes?”
“Number 71 really seemed to care about Jae-hee.”
“Team Lead, I genuinely believe it’s an eternal regret that our company isn’t blessed with such talent.”
That said, it wasn’t as though I wanted Number 71 to push Jung-hyuk aside and debut instead. Yoon Deputy had genuine affection for New Rene Z, his first trainees, and Jung-hyuk.
But that was how personal taste worked. If Yoon Deputy could just get Number 71 to debut, he’d abandon company loyalty in a heartbeat and transfer to Miro.
“Is every blessed talent automatically good? I mean, I think Number 71 is decent too. But for someone I’ve only seen briefly, he sure does get a lot of attention.”
“Right. He really gave me an earful that day too. ‘Why didn’t you pick Number 71?’ he kept saying.”
Kim Senior from Team 3, passing by, joined the conversation. Manager Jang had actually been eagerly anticipating Number 71 himself, but he rationalized it by thinking—surely the kid isn’t quite at that level yet, is he?
“Hmm. No, it’s not that every blessed talent is automatically good….”
Yoon Deputy tilted his head and shrugged. How was I supposed to explain this instinctive bias radar that had developed from years of K-pop fandom experience?
“It’s just my personal taste. I’m drawn to pine trees, you know?”
Yoon Deputy eventually gave up on explaining and laughed. Manager Jang simply nodded, saying “I see,” without pushing the conversation further. It wasn’t really an important issue anyway—the kid would belong to someone else soon enough.
* * *
Or was it important?
“Hello, I’m Kang Ha-jin.”
Friday at 5 PM.
Watching Kang Ha-jin meet with a Miro Entertainment staff member, Manager Jang found himself thinking something.
‘Shouldn’t we have signed him to our company first, regardless of New Rene Z?’
Unlike the public audition where he’d had neat, straight hair and plain clothes, he’d clearly received new styling—his hair was now tousled casually, and the black leather mustang jacket suited him quite well. On audition day, I’d thought he was rather well-behaved for nineteen, but today there was something sharp about him, a completely different aura.
“Ha-jin, it’s finally good to meet you. We’ll do a quick audition today—you’ve been briefed on what to expect, right?”
“Yes, I heard through Manager Jang.”
“Good, don’t be too nervous. Manager, please come in with us.”
What is it? What’s with him? Watching Kang Ha-jin with that look, Manager Jang followed the two of them into Miro Entertainment. The milk was already spilled anyway.
* * *
‘You regressor bastard, you weakling with the mental fortitude of sugar….’
Around that time, Ha-jin was genuinely furious. The sharpness Manager Jang had sensed wasn’t his imagination. I was truly pissed.
And the reason was clear.
[Single Quest 02.]
‘I’m the crazy one in this territory!’
Content: You, who has (will) entered Miro.
Navigate the suffocating politics and schemes that fester within, and emerge victorious.
Find allies who will stand beside you, and achieve a successful debut.
(Removing hidden bombs reduces regression trigger likelihood and increases Quest success rate)
Time remaining: 6 months.
Success reward: A clue to track down the Regressor
Failure penalty: 85% increased likelihood of triggering regression in the 5th cycle
What, 85%? This is absolutely killing me.

—————

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

—————