Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 6

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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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06. I’m the Crazy One in This District (1)
85%? I couldn’t even laugh.
“Everyone will be arriving in a bit, but honestly, I’ve already watched your audition video once.”
What, the crazy one in this district? Are you joking?
“Today we’ll mainly do a simple skills check and ask you questions to get to know Ha-jin better.”
Sent me to the Military twice and made me a trainee, and now you’re handing me bomb disposal?
“Ha-jin?”
I’ve never seen a real crazy person. If there’s someone crazier than me—who took the college entrance exam, regressed to the Military, and woke up again as a high school senior—then step forward. Let’s swap lives.
“Ha-jin? Over here.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I think I’m a bit nervous. I couldn’t sleep at all yesterday….”
“Oh my, you couldn’t sleep? What do we do, you didn’t need to worry like that.”
Damn. I’d momentarily lost my grip on reality after the sudden regression notification, forgetting where I was. I hastily equipped my capitalist smile and focused on the conversation.
Fortunately, Manager Jang and Kim Director from Miro interpreted it as ‘the nervousness of a teenager on the verge of achieving their dream’ and nodded understandingly.
“By the way, Ha-jin, did you do something with your hair? Your image seems a bit different from when we saw your audition.”
“Right. You feel different in person than in the audition video.”
The two of them launched into compliments about my styling—all my pocket money spent on an expensive haircut and new clothes had paid off.
I couldn’t brazenly say yes, I spent some money for this, how does it look? So playing it shy was the better move.
“Thank you. I wanted to make a good impression, so I put some effort into it.”
“Seriously, the more I see you, the more perfect you are. You absolutely have to come to our company.”
At Kim Director’s words, spoken with a pleased gaze, I nearly blurted out ‘of course.’ But it was obvious. This styling was targeted at Miro Entertainment.
Let me check my Excel sheet on Miro Entertainment at this point.

…I found this information while browsing stock community forums. In my past lives, junior groups from them debuted around this time too. Anyway, the important information comes next.
【Tendency: ☆They seem to like anything that looks badass☆】
There was a descriptor passed down through generations among idols from Miro Entertainment. Nicknamed ‘K-pop’s My Way.’
[The difference between Lanieon and Endway’s character concepts is hilarious]
(Lanieon in school uniform stage gif)
(Endway in school uniform stage gif)
Lanieon: The kid who does well at school
Endway: The kid who doesn’t go to school much
Hahaha, as expected, the junior of the original trend-setter Upia hahaha
– Cha Min-seok: Thought he was the student council president but he’s actually the mastermind
Choi Yeon-woo: The mastermind’s backer
Damn, backstabber lolololololololololololololololol
What the heck is this character lol
– But seriously Lanieon ;;; they really have the kind of visuals you want to ship
└ What about Endway?
└ I feel like my arms and legs would get tangled up
└ Why are the arms and legs tangled up?
It seemed like Upia, already a first-generation group with such a strong image cemented in their identity, had pushed the company’s characteristics to the extreme. Every concept they released was intense, and with their hunger for music, they seemed to prioritize stage presence and talent over idol-like visuals.
‘I was worried the piercing might look disrespectful, but it seems fine.’
Rene Entertainment had the capital and know-how to excavate rough gems and polish them into jewels—there was no point in overdressing in a style that was neither yours nor mine. I’d just become another forgettable aspiring entertainer number 1524.
Instead, I’d decided it was better to dress neatly and cleanly, making people wonder, ‘What would happen if he styled himself?’ So I’d gone without putting effort into my hair or casual clothes, but…
‘If I’d shown up to Miro looking like that, I wouldn’t even make it past the audition screening.’
Miro was different. Fortunately, I had confidence that my double-lidded, sharp eyes wouldn’t make me look easy to dismiss. The moment the audition date with Miro was set, I pierced my ears again after they’d been closed for so long, and trimmed my hair with layers, cutting away the length.
When I was younger, not knowing what suited me, I would have followed whatever was trendy—two-blocks or wolf cuts—but I was someone who’d already spent over ten years experimenting with my face and hair. The hairstyle that suited me best across both my past and present lives, combined with timeless street fashion, never failed.
“Ah, they say everyone will be arriving soon. Ha-jin, get ready.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t be nervous!”
I entered the recording booth with encouragement from Manager Jang, who looked even more nervous than I was. This was an audition method I’d never seen before—apparently Miro sometimes tested trainees by having them record a portion of an existing artist’s song.
‘They said they’re checking how well you accept directing?’
That made no sense. This wasn’t even a debut team test—what kind of directing would they give to an unknown trainee applicant? I put on the headset in the recording booth and thought to myself.
‘This is a pressure interview.’
According to what Manager Jang had told me, Miro seemed quite pleased with me, but this was how they treated me from the first meeting.
[Single Quest 02.]
‘I’m the crazy one in this territory!’
Content: You, entering (or about to enter) Miro.
Overcome the suffocating politics and interference that unfold within,
meet colleagues who will help you, and debut successfully.
(Removing hidden bombs may lower regression trigger probability and increase Quest success rate)
It seemed the first bomb I needed to remove was here.
* * *
There were three interviewers in total.
“Well, just do your best.”
The Executive Director, who clearly showed his displeasure with me at a glance, and
“….”
a Team Leader who stared at me with a meaningful expression.
And,
“Wow, you’re really fresh. Hyung, was I like that when I was a trainee?”
Seo Tae-il, Miro’s founding member and leader of Upia, who was approaching his 12th year since debut.
The very person who’d made Miro into what the music industry now called a reckless collective.
The cornerstone of Upia, who’d led them through the cursed seven-year period and military service, only to secure Upia’s third contract renewal with Miro.
On the day the third contract renewal was confirmed, he’d coolly shared his thoughts through an SNS live session with fans.
-Well… it’s about time they realized it. Without me, it’s chaos.
If an ordinary male idol leader had made such a statement? They’d have been attacked with all sorts of criticism, accused of disrespecting members. But the other party was Seo Tae-il of Upia. Seo Tae-il of Upia, who’d overcome the hardships of a small company, gripped his unruly members, crushed every controversy, and reached the absolute peak of the music industry.
Towol
@u_top_world
(Video)
A thirteen-year veteran idol leader’s objectivity about himself…
Yeah, that’s probably how it is, Tae-il…
Shares 8,731 Quotes 2,213 Likes 9,654
Talram_MainBirdConfirmed
@txllam
I think this is really the end of Upia’s relationship
Seo Tae-il has no intention of leaving Upia
And Upia has no intention of letting Seo Tae-il scatter
That’s our kids
Shares 6,854 Quotes 3,976 Likes 8,596
[Upia] Male idols, that’s Seo Tae-il—don’t learn from him
If any other idol had said something like that, they’d have gotten absolutely destroyed with criticism
But Seo Tae-il… Seo Tae-il can say things like that
Anonymous 1: For real lolololololololololol
– Anonymous 2: Seo Tae-il is a true king
– Anonymous 3: Yoon Ji-nu would probably only be introduced as a civilian years later
└ Anonymous 4: Chung Han-sol probably drove a stake through the ground when he went to the military
└ Anonymous 3: But that’s happening now too…
└ Anonymous 4: This breaks my heart—Chung Han-sol, come back. Your calling is to be an idol
‘If that guy’s a bomb, things are going to blow up.’
Looking at all these people who seemed anything but easy, I loosened my throat. Before me lay the lyrics sheet for the song I had to perform today. Fortunately, it was a familiar one.
‘It’s Upia’s debut song.’
Who came up with this diabolical setup—auditioning with the original artist’s song right in front of them? And it looked like Seo Tae-il was directing. A normal trainee would have been crushed by the pressure by now.
Of course, I was no ordinary trainee.
“Alright, first I’d like to check your tone. Why don’t you sing smoothly from the first verse through the chorus?”
After a quick sound check, I heard Seo Tae-il’s sweet voice as we were about to begin. I nodded and adjusted my headset when a system alarm sounded.
[System Alert: Skill 【As You Speak】 (LV.1) is now active.]
Surely I didn’t forget to bring safety equipment while defusing a bomb?
* * *
The night before.
“I’m not doing it.”
The moment I read the 85% regression probability, I went on strike against the system.
[System Alert: Did you not hear me correctly?]
“What, you didn’t hear me? No, you heard me just fine. I’m not doing it.”
I crossed my legs and folded my arms so defiantly that the system window trembled with a crackling sound.
Regardless, I adopted the most insolent posture I could manage and played dumb.
“I was fine with becoming an idol trainee within two months, okay? Sure, if I’m young, rich, tall, and handsome, what else could I possibly struggle with?”
“But what now? Defusing bombs? Forming a debut group? Do you think this is some modern fantasy novel? I’m furious that I can’t even memorize lottery numbers in real life, and you’re telling me a nineteen-year-old kid is supposed to conquer an entertainment company? Are you serious?”
As I kept thinking about it, my frustration boiled over like a volcano, so I stomped on the innocent sand. Sand got into my three-striped slippers, which felt uncomfortable, so I shook out my crossed legs. There was nowhere to hide from my family in the semi-basement, so I ended up at the playground in front of the house again.
“Ugh, seriously. I’m annoyed again. And you call yourself a mentor? A mentor? I’ll lose my breath before I even see my mentee’s face.”
“I’m not doing it. Not doing it. Regression? Fine, regress then. Let’s just live forever.”
[System Alert: Input Error]
[System Alert: Input Error]
[System Alert: (Fixed) An error occurs due to the Regressor’s sudden behavior!]
“What error?”
[System Alert: I’m flustered!]
“You’re really something else.”
Before I knew it, I was personifying the system, but there was no other way to treat it. In any case, seeing its reaction, it seemed like the right moment to bring up my real purpose, so I dangled my feet magnanimously.
“Hand over a skill. Or an item, at least.”
[System Alert: (Fixed) The Regressor is not provided with separate skills…]
“Then I’m not doing it.”
[System Alert: The fact that I’m helping you like this is already a tremendous convenience I’m providing….]
“Not doing it.”
[System Alert: ….]
“I said I’m not doing it. Quests, whatever. Let that previous Regressor bastard go mad from regression alone, seriously.”
Who’s the crazy one in this area?
First, let this system taste what it’s like to be crazy.

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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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