Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 572

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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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572. Even in the Worst Timeline, There’s Still Work to Be Done (2)
The moment I regained my senses, the first thing I did was make a phone call.
“…? Who are you calling?”
“Someone who’ll soon become your business partner.”
[System Notification: Who describes an Entertainment Agency Director like that….]
Me.
With that brazen response, I searched for Seo Tae-il’s contact and dialed. It wasn’t long before a familiar voice came through.
“Hello, Senior. This is Kang Ha-jin….”
-Who is this? Isn’t this the potential Entertainment Agency junior who vanished without a trace to Gangwon Province right after filming In the Chaos?
“…That description seems a bit much.”
-Is it too much?
Your punchline is insane.
No wonder you’re in the top three idol copyright income earners. Every word carried weight. Yu Gun, standing right in front of me listening to the voice on the other end, grabbed his head asking ‘Is this really Senior Seo Tae-il?’ I waved him off dismissively. He’d been hanging around Kim Won-ho so much that he’d picked up that speaking style too.
He’d been hanging around Kim Won-ho so much that he’d picked up that speaking style too.
“How did you know I came to Gangwon Province?”
-There was a sighting post. ‘Went to visit my brother at the Military and saw Kang Ha-jin.’
“…It’s already out there?”
Am I really that much of a hot topic?
Curious about what was happening, I glanced at Thirteen, and the quick-witted manager had already found the sighting post and displayed it before my eyes. I signaled to Yu Gun with a look to keep packing, then turned away.
Then I slowly began reading through the sighting post that Thirteen had found….
[Went to visit my brother at the Military and spotted someone]
…but I paused for a moment.
Seo Tae-il’s filtering skills were almost at the level of turning muddy water into something presentable.
Experiencing firsthand what ‘filtering by someone with 20+ years in the Entertainment Industry’ meant, I checked the main text again.
[Went to visit my brother at the Military and spotted someone]
My brother went to the Military, and my parents wanted to visit
Honestly I was really depressed since morning
But then I saw Kang Ha-jin at the visit!!!!!
That Haeundae oppa Seo Tae-il’s boyfriend Ha Tae-jin mutual follow controversy(?) It’s him
(Photo of Ha-jin and Yu Gun talking in front of a car)
Is it okay to post this? Will delete immediately if there’s a problem
Seemed like he came to meet an acquaintance, but when I asked he said he was our oppa’s Senior Soldier
Even he didn’t know how they knew each other
Truly a useless mom’s son….
Because there was a sighting photo, the post seemed to spread faster than expected. Even the identical post the same person uploaded on their own SNS account had quite a high share count.
‘But how did they recognize me?’
I’d been keeping myself pretty well hidden.
Frowning at the possibility of a sasaeng, I scrolled down further, and the answer appeared on that SNS account I just mentioned.
Bell
@ringring05
There are a lot of questions about how I recognized them,
but honestly, there was this guy next to me with insane physical presence and grapefruit-colored hair—a total looker—
and a decadent dark-haired pretty boy together.
And my military acquaintance had such a thick, muscular build—a real tank of a guy—
so it was impossible not to notice them.
Plus, Ha-jin’s voice is such a dead giveaway.
Shared 25 · Quoted 421 · Liked 17
Ah, right.
Damn grapefruit hair.
Once we get back to Seoul, I’ll have to dye Yu Gun’s hair or something. Seriously.
I glanced out the window, wondering if anyone at this Pension might have recognized us, but fortunately—or unfortunately—it seemed like only the two of us were staying here today.
With a slight sense of relief, I finished checking the remaining comments.
– How does Kang Ha-jin look in person?
└ Insanely good-looking. His face is small, his legs are long, his shoulders are wide but his waist is thin—his proportions are crazy. He was the shortest among everyone who went with us, but you couldn’t even tell he was short
– Wait, grapefruit hair and dark hair? Are they Group Members? Yu Gun and Eun-chan??
└ I got curious and looked them up, and it seems right. Now that I’m checking, that military guy is a member too. Lee Do-ha? Yeah, seems like him. I didn’t recognize him because he’s so bulked up
– Oh, so Kang Ha-jin is really gathering all the Kairos members
– Isn’t Kang Ha-jin 182 cm? But he’s still the shortest???
└ Surprisingly, yes. Apparently he was always mid-height in Kairos
– Haha, it’s so funny how Kairos is getting this massive buzz 10 years later just because of their faces. Come on guys, work. Girls, let’s make some money now
I was a bit concerned that the fact about Lee Do-ha being in the Military came out earlier than expected, but it was information that would eventually come to light anyway once we started building public opinion around Kairos, so there was no real problem.
I checked to see if any other photos had been released, but it didn’t seem like it.
-Hello? Ha-jin?
Ah, right.
I was on a call.
At the sound of the voice coming through my phone, I hastily closed the System window and refocused on the call. It had been so long since I’d monitored comments like this that I was a bit scattered.
“Oh, sorry. I just got to the Dormitory with one of the members and we’re unpacking right now…. But do you really check up on every little thing like this?”
As I quickly changed the subject, Seo Tae-il chuckled softly and answered playfully.
-I have to thoroughly check on the status of my future company’s potential subsidiary label successor.
“I appreciate the confidence, but usually isn’t that something your employees do?”
-Well, I didn’t want to mention this during contract negotiations because it might look bad…. But honestly, our company is pretty short-staffed these days.
“But is it okay to just tell me stuff like that? I haven’t even signed the contract yet?”
-I’d rather lay everything out upfront than get sued for fraud later.
“What if I decide not to sign?”
-You’re signing with me anyway, not the company, right? I’m just leveraging my name.
Go ahead and try to back out if you want.
In Seo Tae-il’s voice as he spoke, there was an unmistakable confidence and pride. Honestly, even if the company was a complete mess, I’d still sign with Miro, so I just kept my mouth shut.
Then Seo Tae-il added a comment with a bitter tone to his voice.
-Well…. Actually, my employees aren’t completely incompetent…. It’s just hard to find a proper leader.
In other words, there was an absence of leadership.
Upon hearing those words, one person came to mind, but I deliberately didn’t mention them. I couldn’t write a blank check when I didn’t even know their whereabouts properly.
-Anyway, why did you call?
In the end, it took us ten minutes into the conversation before we could get to the main point.
Yoo Gun, who had finished packing by then, returned to the living room where I was. I continued speaking while drawing back the curtains of the large window in the living room.
“I just wanted to ask you for one favor.”
-You haven’t even signed the contract and your requests keep piling up.
“That’s exactly why I have so many requests—because I haven’t signed. Once I do, you won’t listen to my pleas so readily, will you?”
-Do I seem like that kind of person?
“There’s no harm in being cautious and thorough.”
-Ha, you’re sharp. So, what’s the favor?
Through the large window, I could see Seo Tae-hyun in the yard, still dressed in his fluffy clothes, attempting to spray water with the hose only to end up drenching himself instead.
Yoo Gun stood beside him watching the spectacle, hands on his hips, sighing or not—either way, I continued the call calmly.
“You just said the company was short-staffed, right?”
-Yeah, so? Are you going to recommend someone?
“Yes. It’s someone you know too.”
-Me?
At my words, Yoo Gun, who had been clicking his tongue while watching Seo Tae-hyun, suddenly whipped his head around to stare at me.
An expression reading ‘What are you scheming now, hyung?’ plastered itself across his face.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen that expression. Kind of nostalgic, actually.’
He’d always looked a bit intimidating with that expression, but the twenty-eight-year-old version, with his baby fat gone, looked downright menacing.
Afraid he might fold me up on the spot, I widened the distance between us and raised my guard with my hands while continuing the call.
“You know Seo Tae-hyun, right? The one from Boy Heaven. He should be a distant relative of yours.”
-…Tae-hyun?
At the mention of Seo Tae-hyun’s name, Seo Tae-il’s voice immediately turned serious.
Even in the original timeline, the two of them had some history, so I’d naturally assumed they weren’t on ordinary terms here either.
But it seemed their relationship was more complicated than I’d thought, as a deep sigh came through the phone.
-…Ah, right. Tae-hyun was on the same team as you. But why Tae-hyun? Are you trying to bring him back first? Wasn’t the plan to bring all the members back together at once?
To Seo Tae-il’s question, I shook my head slightly and answered.
“No. I will be signing a contract, but… it’s not an entertainment contract.”
-What?
“What did you say?”
[System Alert: What did you say? Σ(・Д・)!?]
Questions bombarded me from all sides, but I’d already anticipated it.
Seo Tae-hyun, who had been in the yard, had finished cleaning the swimming pool and was now drying his soaked hair with a towel.
With his unmanaged, half-frizzy hair and clothes that looked like he’d grabbed whatever was lying around the house, plus slippers from who-knows-where, he was the perfect picture of an unemployed person….
But honestly, from a distance, it looked different.
[System Alert: Even like that, Tae-hyun really does look like a commercial.]
[System Alert: ♡٩(๑ö⊿ö๑)۶♡]
‘My thoughts exactly.’
His youthful face, which thanks to years of self-management looked like he was in his early twenties despite being twenty-eight,
Though slightly tanned, his skin remained flawlessly clear and pristine,
his posture impeccable and physique well-balanced, and with the added weight giving him a vitality that far surpassed his leaner days—every movement, every gesture radiated an undeniable presence and aura.
‘Who could look at him and think of anything but entertainment?’
With my resolve solidified, I made my true request to Seo Tae-il.
“Do you need a trainee manager? I may not know much else, but I’m thoroughly versed in the entertainment industry.”
Who would suggest any other profession when looking at him?
‘I will.’
From this moment forward, I was determined to keep Seo Tae-hyun firmly outside the entertainment industry.
Exactly as he wished.

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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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