Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 533

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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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533. Entering the Eye of the Typhoon (5)
“Ha-jin? His nickname was ‘Genie.’ Whenever Ha-jin took on something, it got resolved in no time.”
Kwon Myung-eun, the PD of “In the Chaos” (Studio A), opened up about the recent controversy surrounding the “parachute casting.” While the viewers’ concerns were understandable, the Now & Issue outlet had covered her position as the program’s Main PD—that it had been a justified choice.
The interview article began like this.
The shocking revelation that the “connection” who had suddenly inserted Kang Ha-jin into a major program was none other than the program’s Main PD itself triggered dopamine in readers from the very first line.
….
What could possibly be the point of contact between a production company PD and the leader of a disbanded idol group?
When asked by the reporter, Main PD Kwon Myung-eun delivered a surprising answer: their first meeting had taken place in an “interview room.”
“I first got to know Ha-jin at an interview for hiring new PDs at the company. He had decent experience and spoke well, so he seemed sharp, and I hired him. But he turned out to be even better at his job than I expected.
Especially, we used to do a lot of idol self-produced content work back then, and Ha-jin came up with so many interesting ideas. Actually, many of the episodes that got good responses were Ha-jin’s items….
But later, I found out this guy was a former idol group leader? No wonder he sang and danced so well at company dinners…. Still, we had all these PDs gathered here—how did we not recognize that? Everyone was shocked, saying we had no eye for talent. (laughs)”
Kwon Myung-eun recounted her experiences from first meeting Ha-jin to working alongside him with candor, yet without cliché.
The article included photos of Ha-jin from his time working at Studio A and a brief overview of his work. His slightly fuller appearance back then made his previously sharp image seem more approachable.
“Actually, at first, I planned to cast Ha-jin as part of the production team, not the cast. (Is ‘cast’ the right word here?) At that time, Ha-jin had quit the company because he wanted to take a break. Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking of him as a cast member. In fact, I’d asked him a few times before if he ever wanted to stand in front of the camera instead of behind it, but Ha-jin always brushed it off, saying he wasn’t cut out for that.
The opportunity to offer Ha-jin a casting role was really a matter of chance. ‘In the Chaos’ is a cinematic survival show that heavily relies on viewer immersion, so we needed someone who wasn’t too familiar to the audience yet could bridge celebrities and non-celebrities.
Then suddenly, our youngest assistant director started thinking hard and asked, ‘What about Ha-jin hyung?’ I asked what that had to do with anything, and he showed me ‘that’ video. It was Ha-jin’s busking video from Busan. It already had millions of views by then… and to me, it looked like a golden lifeline, you know?”
From what kind of relationship the two had to why Ha-jin ended up being cast—there wasn’t a single unclear point in her answer.
Kwon Myung-eun’s interview, which she herself felt had been quite candid, was impeccably clean. Her quip about how the same parachute landing could become either paragliding or an emergency landing depending on who was descending was precisely the kind of comment designed to set detractors’ eyes ablaze.
Having naturally wrapped up her clarification, explanation, and promotion, she added one final spoonful of emotion.
She expressed confidence that once the broadcast aired, everyone would understand “why it had to be Kang Ha-jin,” and as a close senior rather than the Main PD of “In the Chaos,” she added one more word of encouragement.
“Actually, Ha-jin initially rejected the casting offer. He said he was nothing and couldn’t possibly step into such a position. I persuaded him earnestly. I really wanted the public to recognize this brilliant person.
Later, when I asked Ha-jin what made him decide to appear, he said he’d belatedly thought of his group members. He said he’d be happy if he could spread the name of ‘Kairos’ even in this way. And I’m confident that will happen once the broadcast airs.”
In her eyes as she spoke about her junior Kang Ha-jin, genuine hope for his success shone through. When the reporter asked whether she’d rather choose PD Kang Ha-jin or cast member Kang Ha-jin, she answered that as a senior, she’d probably regret it and beat herself up, but she still wanted to meet him as a cast member.
It was an honest answer from a senior genuinely supporting her junior’s unfulfilled dreams with all her heart.
This interview article, which had sensibly included a mention of Kairos, concluded with a bold statement: “Nevertheless, there will absolutely be no favoritism toward Ha-jin, and in fact, I hope viewers will keep a hawk’s eye on this aspect.”
“…Ah, I see.”
Someone lounging comfortably on a sofa, reading through the article on a tablet, nodded with a clear sound of understanding.
After setting the tablet down briefly and picking up his phone to search for something, he savored the aroma of a warm coffee cup with his other hand, when someone burst through the opposite door with a loud noise.
“Hey, Tae-jin! Did you see this article? Isn’t Kwon Myung-eun absolutely insane? How does she put her own junior on the broadcast?”
A man of small stature huffed and vented his frustration. The one called “Tae-jin” raised one eyebrow as if tired of the loud voice and quietly set his coffee cup down on the table.
“Hyung, I’ve told you to knock when you come in.”
“Ah… sorry. But I’m so angry seeing this article right now. I mean, what kind of person is this woman?”
“What do you mean what kind of person? She’s the Main PD more precious than my own life. Why are you so angry in the first place?”
Ha Tae-jin.
The very person who had determined the broadcast slot for “In the Chaos” and had even taken responsibility for investment until Ha-jin’s appearance.
Even calling him the nation’s most beloved male actor in his thirties would be an understatement, yet he gently rebuked his excited manager in a way uncharacteristic of him. He was good at his job, but his biggest flaw was always carelessly running his mouth.
“But that’s the thing. From the start, I got a promise that you’d be pushed as the main lead, and we’d already discussed production costs and everything. Is this supposed to mean we’re just burying it now that it’s stamped? Why are you pushing me aside and promoting this nobody?”
“Don’t you remember when our first article dropped and hundreds of articles with just my story and my face flooded out all day? And on AiTube, they even dug up my old variety show appearances from KTBC and kept re-uploading them.”
“Still, this is different from that….”
“Be honest. Didn’t Kwon PD take care of me? She didn’t take care of Son Je-u. You’re upset because Ha-jin is stealing the spotlight that should be going to Je-u, aren’t you?”
“…Ha-jin? Hey, when did you get so close with that nobody…?”
“Just making conversation out of nothing.”
Tae-jin sighed and shook his head slowly.
In South Korea right now, actor-entertainers like himself who balanced acting and variety shows were plentiful, and the company managed them well, so he’d renewed his contract—but moments like this made him wonder if he should just bite the bullet and start his own one-man agency.
‘Je-u’s a decent kid anyway, so even when I’ve traded on my own name, he hasn’t complained much….’
But if he were to tarnish his own reputation or sabotage his junior’s path just to push him forward, that was something he couldn’t tolerate. Ha Tae-jin’s character wasn’t known for being “nice”—he was famous as the poster child of “knowing what to hide and what to protect,” a man of principle.
“I’m doing this. So don’t touch Je-u, even if you have to cut him out.”
“What? Hey, Tae-jin…!”
“I already told my fans.”
Tae-jin shrugged and showed his manager the phone screen. There was a post on Tae-jin’s OneStagram that had just been uploaded.
(A selfie taken together with Ha-jin after the pre-meeting shoot.JPG)
@_hateajin
Hello. I’m Kang Ha Tae-jin. We’re close. v_v
(But Ha-jin, when are you gonna follow me back?
@k.with.us
)
#InTheChaos #MuchLove #HaTaejin #KangHajin #KairosRocks #ILoveThisSongNotACarol
The manager let out an involuntary yelp at Tae-jin’s post, which didn’t just nail down his appearance on the show but also flaunted his friendship with Ha-jin.
“Hey! You did this without even consulting the company…!”
“When have I ever consulted the company about things like this? Anyway, I’m doing it. You know I negotiated a short contract renewal, right? If I pull any weird stunts, next time I’m going on hiatus as an actor, for real.”
“….”
“Go tell the director. If he’s still got any sense left, tell him to stop being stubborn about weird things and beg Kwon PD—grab his pant leg if you have to—to make Son Je-u’s appearance and production investment happen.”
Tae-jin answered firmly, and as if he had no desire to continue the conversation, he picked up his coat and stood from the sofa. Then, toward his manager who was still staring at him blankly, he added a remark dripping with contempt.
“Seriously, does nobody have any instinct anymore?”
“What?”
“Just watch. Soon enough, communities and everywhere else will be plastered with Ha-jin’s name and mine. I’m betting my new car that you can’t sense which one’s gonna make more money and be more successful.”
Tae-jin, now wearing his coat, shook his head and walked past his manager out of the practice room.
He didn’t forget to add a reminder: ‘Let me know when the meet-and-greet date is set!’ as he left.
“This is….”
Now only the manager remained in the practice room, his expression blank. He had no idea how to explain this situation to the director, who had asked him to coax Ha Tae-jin into declaring a boycott of the program.
– Yayayayayayayayaya
Of course, it turned out a few hours later that the director’s concerns were exactly the kind of “instinct-dead” worry Tae-jin had predicted.
– What the hell is this insane, delicious bromance combo;
Just as Tae-jin had prophesied, the internet went wild.
Kang Ha-jin had finally entered the eye of the typhoon.

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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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