Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 78

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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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78. Unexpected Fortune (3)
The reason Kwon PD and the Production Company weren’t moving was painfully obvious.
-It seems Yoon CP is pulling strings under the guise of editing.
-Kwon PD keeps arguing that since Miro is the main investor, our direction takes priority… but the Production Company representative sees it differently.
Even if eight out of ten programs from broadcasting stations these days are made with production companies involved.
A production company is still just a production company. In the end, the broadcasting station that feeds them work holds all the cards.
‘Besides, they’re a startup and haven’t been established long. If they had to choose between an entertainment company and a broadcasting station, they’d lean toward the station.’
So I decided to add another weight to that scale, making the Production Company’s calculation a bit easier.
‘It should be about time now….’
I tapped my phone screen to check the time and was peering into the Cafe entrance when someone approached and spoke to me.
“Are you Kang Ha-jin?”
A handsome man in classic formal attire with a gentle impression.
But the moment I recognized those familiar features, I quickly rose from my seat.
“Yes, hello. I’m Kang Ha-jin.”
Then, with a clean smile anyone could trust, I extended my hand for a handshake to the person who would become my weight on the scale.
“Thank you for meeting me on such short notice.”
“Ah, I was a bit surprised… but when I heard it was about our youngest, I couldn’t not come.”
The man grasped my hand in a familiar gesture and asked.
“Is something wrong with Eun-chan?”
His grip was remarkably strong.
I let out a small laugh as I gently withdrew my hand.
* * *
While Eun-seok, Eun-chan’s older brother, went to order drinks, I examined the business card he’d given me.
【Joo Eun-seok, PM, Judiz Furniture】
Judiz Furniture was among the top three furniture companies in the country.
Their main focus was high-end furniture befitting a chairman’s study.
But recently, they’d successfully launched a soft line targeting single-person households of the 20-30 age group, according to the articles.
‘And the driving force behind that transformation is that man right there.’
…I’d read that in the articles too.
‘What was it again, something about gentle leadership and bullish drive or something….’
Though the article was meant to appeal to Judiz Furniture’s youthful, bold image makeover, I easily saw through it—this wasn’t just about the brand.
Dozens of press articles built around similar keywords were unanimously praising that man, Joo Eun-seok himself.
In other words, this was likely image-making for the heir who would become the next owner of Judiz Furniture in the not-too-distant future.
‘So Eun-chan’s no ordinary silver spoon, huh.’
Being the youngest of such a family, it made sense that both the Executive Director and Han Sung-woo were desperate to flip the narrative of nepotism surrounding him.
As I folded my arms in thought, Eun-seok returned with a tray holding warm coffee and a thick chocolate cake, naturally turning the fork toward me.
“…?”
“Ah, our youngest mentioned it. He said his roommate hyung likes sweet things.”
“Yes, I do like them, but….”
“I’m grateful you take good care of our youngest. Go ahead and eat.”
“Then I’ll dig in.”
In Kang Ha-jin’s dictionary, the word “refusal” had never existed.
I readily accepted the fork and took a generous bite of the rich mousse cake. The sweet flavor seemed to soften the sharp edge that had been cutting through my mood.
“So, is something wrong with our youngest?”
With such a significant age gap between brothers, the way he naturally steered the conversation showed he had the protective instincts of a guardian.
‘Well, Ju Eun-chan is eighteen, and he’s in his mid-thirties, so it makes sense he’d feel paternal toward him.’
Understanding the feeling of having your own child put on the market, I quickly got to the point.
“There are people trying to undermine Eun-chan.”
“…Could you say that one more time?”
Seeing Joo Eun-seok’s shocked expression, I brought my hand down on the table with a decisive bang.
“A PD from the Broadcasting Station is colluding with a trainee to harass Eun-chan, hyung! Oh, by the way, is it okay if I call you hyung? Since I see Eun-chan’s face every day, I’ve grown so attached to you as well.”
Then, with clearer and more precise diction than anyone, I exposed all the misdeeds of Han Sung-woo and Yoon CP!
[System Alert: Tsk tsk tsk…. (I have no idea what kind of crazy stunt you’re about to pull)]
Whether Thirteen, already well-versed in my insanity, displayed a subtle smiling emoticon or not, I showed the dumbfounded Joo Eun-seok the screenshots saved on my phone.
“What’s this…?”
“Posts that went up on anonymous communities over the past few days.”
[Seems like trainees these days need money too…]
My friend was a trainee but quit, and I heard the story secondhand…
Sigh, these days it’s such a shame that even dreams require financial backing
[Do companies push trainees with money more?]
With wealth + that kind of image already established, it probably becomes more of a selling point?
– Not sure if they push them more, but it’s definitely a selling point?
– Yeah these days lol lol lol lol the whole idol misery business is ancient history
– If they’re rich but have no talent, no charm, then X
If they have talent AND charisma AND wealth? That’s O
└ 22 exactly lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol
└ Plus teens go crazy for that wealthy + refined image
[Honestly, if they’re from a well-off family]
It’s beneficial for the agency too lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol
Those kids don’t have any baggage
And since their families support them, trainee life is stress-free oo
Later on, it’s more advantageous for commercials and stuff
And image-making for higher-rate endorsements is easier
So these days agencies push those kinds of kids lol lol lol
There were several posts with similar keywords. Joo Eun-seok reviewed my budget smartphone screen with the serious expression and posture of someone examining a company report, swiping through the gallery rapidly.
His finger and gaze, which had been moving quickly through the images, stopped at the final post, which had a distinctly different tone.
Miro get your head together
@alfhapdlwm
ㅁㄹㅁㅇㅈ ㅈㅇㅊ I was raised by my family.
and getting special treatment, now openly pushing them forward huh
The moment Joo Eun-seok saw that final post, a cold gleam flickered across his round, gentle eyes. The incomprehensible flow of the previous screenshots suddenly became crystal clear.
“The last post you saw was deleted about three hours after it went up. There was no response to it.”
“….”
“And similar SNS posts have been going up and disappearing over the past few days. Like someone’s hoping to be discovered.”
Joo Eun-seok’s gaze shifted toward me. Then, in a very cautious voice, he asked back.
“…Does your youngest know about this?”
“No, he doesn’t. As you probably know well, Eun-chan isn’t the type to worry about things like this.”
“But this isn’t true, and Eun-chan is….”
“Your family opposes him being an idol, right?”
At my words, as if I already knew everything, Joo Eun-seok was greatly startled and closed his mouth.
“Does Eun-chan talk about things like that?”
“No, Chan didn’t tell me directly. It’s just that he talks about you often, but rarely about our parents. I noticed the company has you listed as his guardian instead of our parents.”
“….”
“And I suspect that’s probably why Chan wasn’t targeted.”
I didn’t mention the fact that Eun-chan had endured something close to ostracism for quite a long time due to Sung-woo’s schemes.
‘If it were something I should have told him, I would have said it long ago.’
From what I observed on the sidelines, there were two reasons why Eun-chan didn’t inform his brother about this fact, even while being pressured by the Executive Director.
Either he couldn’t tell him, or he didn’t think it was necessary.
‘If he said he was being ostracized while training as a trainee despite his parents’ opposition, he’d immediately be told to quit. He probably didn’t think it was serious enough to warrant taking that risk and telling him.’
So I appropriately covered for Eun-chan’s circumstances while sharing only the external threats aimed at attacking him with Joo Eun-seok.
It was to appeal to him that he needed to protect his younger brother, while simultaneously showing that this wasn’t merely a younger brother’s problem—it was also a risk from the company’s perspective.
“How are you so certain this is the Broadcasting Station’s doing?”
“The Broadcasting Station’s CP set a condition when asking about investors. They asked for the dormitory furniture to match Judiz Furniture as much as possible.”
“…!”
This information was something I’d heard directly from Ji Su-ho during our last meeting. Today’s meeting itself was also arranged at my request to him, after hearing that story.
I tapped the table lightly with my finger in a habitual manner and continued speaking.
“Of course, that dormitory appears entirely on broadcast. It’s not even PPL—they just bought it with their own money and set it up, so you probably didn’t know.”
But still, Judiz would see quite an effect from appearing on broadcast, wouldn’t they?
I shrugged my shoulders and met Joo Eun-seok’s gaze with a cunning look. The expression said, ‘I’ve laid it out this clearly, so you obviously understand, right?’ which made him let out a short cough.
“Kang Ha-jin…”
“Just call me Ha-jin, hyung. Speak comfortably too. After all, I’m your younger brother’s friend.”
“…Alright, Ha-jin. How did you find out about all this? And why are you telling me?”
There was a slight hint of suspicion in his tone, but I wasn’t bothered at all. The fact that he was trying to verify the informant’s identity here meant the information itself had credibility.
And I had prepared an answer for this question as well.
“I happened to overhear it. A conversation between that trainee and the CP.”
[System Alert: That’s a lie….]
That’s right. It’s a lie.
If I’d heard such a conversation, I would have recorded it immediately and spread it everywhere.
‘But what would Joo Eun-seok know about whether it’s a lie or not?’
What mattered was making him believe that I was entirely on his younger brother’s side.
“I haven’t been practicing at Miro for long, but I trained as a trainee at another company before. So I know. I know how dirty and petty the competition is in this industry.”
My sharp, piercing gaze softened in an instant, glistening with untold stories. My once-clear voice lost its edge, becoming gentle and hushed.
[System Alarm: Who the hell gave this bastard an Expression rating of C? Absolutely ridiculous….]
‘Ugh, that’s really annoying, damn it.’
Annoyed by Thirteen’s incessant chatter, I winked at one eye and shut off the system alarm. (So when the hell will this feature be turned off?!) Then I continued my performance with a distant, melancholic expression.
“When I first came to Miro and was feeling awkward, Eun-chan was the first person I became close with. Even now, as my roommate, he’s been helping me a lot….”
Of course, I had never felt awkward a single day since arriving at Miro. My roommate Eun-chan’s most frequent phrase these days was ‘Do-ha, please switch rooms with me.’
‘But who cares?’
I brightened my eyes while taking a long sip of iced tea instead of speaking.
“So when I found out that something like this was happening to Eun-chan, I thought I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing. That’s why I asked Team Leader Su-ho to pass along a message that I wanted to meet you.”
Having pulled off the performance of a ‘well-meaning friend with a tragic past,’ complete with sparkling eyes, I looked at Eun-seok.
Eun-seok seemed somewhat moved by my (false) sincerity, and his furrowed brow relaxed as he offered a warm smile.
“…Our youngest really found a good roommate.”
Perfect.
Seeing Eun-seok regard me with such warmth, I clenched my fist internally and cheered silently.
“Thanks. It’s awkward to say to someone else, but I’ve been so caught up with the house and work that I haven’t paid much attention to Eun-chan’s situation.”
“Not at all. I heard you haven’t been married for long either. Though it’s late, congratulations, hyung.”
“Ha ha. It feels strange meeting my youngest’s friend like this. He’s never introduced me to anyone before.”
Okay, secured the title of youngest’s number one friend.
“Hmm. But this is tricky. The setup is so subtle that it’s ridiculous to make an official statement from the company’s side… And if Father gets wind of this, it won’t be good.”
Eun-seok wore an exasperated expression as he returned the phone. No matter how we handled it, the suspicion of being labeled would be hard to shake off cleanly.
Then, shedding the mask of ‘the bright and cheerful friend with a painful past who couldn’t ignore a younger sibling facing similar hardship—friend number one with a story,’ I leaned forward with predatory eyes.
“So about that, hyung.”
“…Uh, yeah?”
“What if you just spent some money on this? Generously.”
[System Alarm: There goes that bastard’s eyes again. (Stop selling yourself already….)]
Eun-seok’s pupils trembled.

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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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