Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 83

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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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83. MIRO MAZE (1)
Here, there is a girl.
‘Damn it. K-pop is dead.’
Don’t be surprised.
Compared to her older brother—who had wept about finding his “thousand-year soulmate,” pouring his bank account and heart into fandom—only to announce both a pre-marital pregnancy and a wedding simultaneously, this was a remarkably composed reaction. (And just two weeks before the fan club’s founding day, no less!)
‘Who told him to find love? Who told him not to marry? Why now, of all times! Why specifically now!’
It had been only two months since another member’s nightclub photos surfaced, nearly shattering the entire fandom.
Sure, he’s an adult—couldn’t he visit a club or two?
‘But if there’s a history of underage drinking and smoking photos circulating, shouldn’t he have at least tried to hide his face, you bastard!!!!’
Just months ago, even the fans who’d gritted their teeth and defended him with blood-soaked shields—saying “Yes, our boy was a delinquent, but there’s no school violence, so please stop fabricating”—had finally thrown in the towel and left!
Named accounts defecting en masse, infighting between individual fandoms, external mockery and ridicule combined into a catastrophic disaster that had torn the fanbase to shreds. And she’d barely managed to patch things up with excitement over the fan club’s founding anniversary!
‘But what, marriage? Mar~riage? This bastard hasn’t even finished military service and he’s getting mar-ried? And pre-marital pregnancy at that?!’
The girl thought.
Ah, when should I have walked away?
‘When he invited his girlfriend to the concert and introduced her to his parents? When he wore the watch she bought him and stuck to his schedule? When I caught that dead-eyed “yeah, really” look during the fan sign while he was doing the pseudo-knife-block move?’
Listing it all out only made it more pathetic, damn it.
‘The fact that I haven’t quit being a fan until now is incredibly impressive.’
Anyway, this is the problem with diving deep into idol culture.
It’s better for fandom to stay ignorant of certain things, but you keep learning things you shouldn’t.
Rumors about this marriage announcement had already been circulating quietly among fans who had him as their bias. They’d simply chosen denial, keeping their rose-tinted glasses on and their happiness circuits running 24/7.
‘I loved you, you bastard…. All of it—Jamsil, the Arena, winning awards—those were all just my dreams.’
The girl, tears refusing to come, forced them out and deleted the photo folder of her bias from her gallery. She even scraped out everything remaining in the trash folder, unwilling to encounter his ghost in any form later.
‘From now on, K-pop doesn’t exist for me.’
After years of being a fan, they all seemed like the same person anyway.
When she’d picked up this one, she’d genuinely thought it would be her last K-pop bias ever.
The older brother she’d supported before him had gotten arrested for drug use.
The one before that had been exposed for creating and displaying a list of fan “tributes,” so she’d quit on him too.
‘Wait, at this point, isn’t the problem me, not them?’
She couldn’t tell anymore whether only the older brothers she picked were trash, or if the entire South Korean male idol industry was cursed.
Anyway, the girl decided.
It was time to truly quit K-pop and get her real life back.
From now on, instead of chasing after older brothers, she’d salvage her GPA, which was hanging by a thread because she kept skipping classes for fan activities…!
-Babe, you got a text ♥
“Ah, damn it, you scared me!!”
Caught off guard by her (former) bias’s cute notification voice, the girl hurled her phone across the room.
‘…Oh right, I downloaded that from Bluebird a while back and set it as my alert.’
Someone had extracted his voice from a self-cam where it was obvious the company had made him say something to please the fans, and she’d been using it as her KakaoTalk notification sound.
When she was still under fandom’s spell, she’d found it thrilling, thinking it was real….
But now that she knew about the pre-marital pregnancy TMI, she realized he’d probably been thinking about his fiancée when he recorded that line. The thought made her feel even more disgusted.
“Change it. Change it.”
The girl, who had swiftly changed everything from notification sounds to ringtones, color schemes, and wallpapers, checked her messages.
The sender was her only female blood relative.
The very person who had dragged me into this wretched K-pop world in the first place—a true K-pop fanatic who’d become so obsessed with idol culture that she’d actually landed a job at an Entertainment Company.
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ hey】
If it weren’t for you, I’d be an only child lol
If it weren’t for you, I’d be an only child lol
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ Didn’t I tell you their reputation isn’t good?】
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ So when your sister talks, listen up】
【You gonna tell Dad about scratching his car when you lied about going on a business trip to some provincial event?】
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ You said you were taking a special lecture】
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ Want me to tell Mom you went to a fan sign with her card too~?】
“Ugh, this is so annoying!”
She’d never approved of my former bias anyway, and now she was really going for the kill?
The worst part was that I had absolutely nothing to say in my defense. So I typed out my response, tears actually welling up this time.
【You should’ve stopped me back then】
【How could you just watch your little sister spiral like this】
【And now you’re laughing at me instead of helping???】
“If it weren’t for you, I’d be an only child ‖ No wait, I misspoke lolololol”
【If it’s not you, I’m an only child‖ I bet you didn’t hear it hahahaha Qㅠㅠㅜㅜ】
After teasing me for a while, my sister dangled a carrot just before my feelings got genuinely hurt.
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ I’ll buy you something】
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ What do you want to eat?】
If it weren’t for you, I’d be an only child ‖ I was so pissed off I probably wouldn’t have eaten dinner lol
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ I’m heading home from work now】
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ (photo)】
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ I even grabbed some soju since I figured you’d want to drink】
“Sigh… Yoon Jae-hee, you know me too well.”
It was 7 PM.
Just as my sister said, my appetite had completely vanished after the article broke, and I hadn’t eaten anything since. Now my stomach was starting to rumble.
Perfect—time to order something expensive. My mood lifted instantly, and I sent a reply.
【Will you pay if I order?】
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ I registered my card on your phone, so use that】
Caught.
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ But hey】
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ You gotta watch something with me in return】
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ Actually, this works out perfectly】
【If not for you, I’d be an only child ‖ Start a new love here】
Then an AiTube link came through….
Ding,
Ding,
Ding!
…No, several messages came flooding in.
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ The premiere airs at 9 PM tonight】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ Watch it with me?】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ I’ll buy you dessert】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ And if you vote too】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ Next time you go out, I’ll lend you a bag】
What’s this?
The girl checked the videos her older sister had sent.
【MIRO MAZE ‖ Boys soaring toward greater heights! Their challenge! TEASER.01】
【MIRO MAZE ‖ Upia, Endway, and…? Who will become the new tomorrow? TEASER.02】
【MIRO MAZE ‖ ‘Let’s win this, Team A bastards.’ Team A VS Team B—the result of this epic clash? Episode 1 sneak peek】
“Oh, so this is that Miro Survival show.”
Those kids from Tamla who’d quit being fans after recent events and were gossiping on the forums—they were these guys.
She vaguely remembered clips occasionally leaking onto the forums. These newcomers who’d even poached fans from what was left of the fandom….
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ He’s in this】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ The one I told you about】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ Unmatched Angel】
【Wait, really??】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ So please vote right now】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ (link)】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ Remember when I voted for your guys during their music show rounds?】
【Our guys are nothing】
【She got her own guy now, seriously…】
If it weren’t for you, I’d be an only child lol
‘Should I take a look?’
At her sister’s mention of “Unmatched Angel,” the girl lightly abandoned the resolution she’d made just minutes ago about quitting K-pop.
It wasn’t that she was determined to pick a new bias—it was curiosity about this “Unmatched Angel” her sister had been mentioning for months.
【Okay, let me watch】
【How about spicy chicken feet for a late-night snack】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ Order whatever you want】
【Thanks sis…】
【If Not For You I’d Be An Only Child ‖ You only call me sis when you want something】
The girl’s mood brightened at the thought of spicy chicken feet and soju, and she upgraded her sister’s contact name to 【Sis♡】. Of course, if something annoyed her again, she’d change it back, but for now she was in full “one and only big sister” mode.
“Hmm. Alright, let me check it out.”
Oh wait, I didn’t even ask what Unmatched Angel’s name is.
The girl hesitated briefly, but decided she’d ask when her sister arrived, then flopped onto the couch.
With a light heart, she clicked the sneak peek link her sister had sent.
* * *
Soda🔒
@soda_lll
K-pop is eternal
Lee Do-ha and Kang Ha-jin absolutely cannot debut
∥
Professor please stop with the assignments🔒
@tlqkfrytn
Haha, you too? Me too^^
∥
Malang Bear🔒
@malang2
Oh my god, that’s so funny lol
∥
Saero🔒
@saerokk
Is this worth watching? All my friends have been talking about it lately
∥
Malang Bear🔒
@malang2
This airs for the first time today!
But the PD is Kwon Myung-eun
She does a lot of reality shows and music broadcasts
No malicious edits and she creates characters really well
I’m looking forward to it lol
Let me dip it and try it.
∥
Saero🔒
@saerokk
Lol, if it’s your first time in the room today, we should definitely hang out.
‘Insane, I’ve watched everything….’
Unable to hold back, the girl who had left a comment on the public account covered her mouth.
She’d only watched the preview for a moment, but when she came to her senses, she’d already binge-watched every related video and even followed the Miro Maze official account. Just now, she’d almost created a secondary account just for Miro Maze before catching herself and barely restraining herself to just commenting from her public account.
‘Calm down, Yoon Se-eun. Love may strike like lightning, but this isn’t just lightning—it’s a bolt from the blue.’
But the girl’s hand naturally clicked on another related video uploaded to AiTube. In fact, she’d even retrieved the tablet she’d stashed deep in her bag instead of using her phone, charged it up, and was watching on the larger screen.
【MIRO MAZE ‖ ‘Let It Begin, Our Brilliant Scenario’ End-of-Month Evaluation “NEW WAVE (Lee Do-ha’s Original)” – Kang Ha-jin/Lee Do-ha/Kim Won-ho/Gong Seok/Yun Tae-hee】
“No way, the show hasn’t even aired yet and there’s this much content!”
It was a delighted shriek.
They released an end-of-month evaluation video before the broadcast? These crazy people. (Translation: This is amazing.)
And they’re giving it as a full-cam fixed front shot with no cuts? (Translation: I’m dying of happiness.)
They uploaded it without adding music separately, letting you hear every footstep? (Translation: I’m grateful beyond words.)
On the screen, which looked much larger and clearer than on mobile, five tall and handsome men were executing an intricate synchronized choreography.
Knight tearing through the night, those who yearned for a new morning, onto the streets
Since it was raw field audio, the sound quality wasn’t particularly great, but honestly, that worked in our favor.
The vocal power of my kids (when did they get so good!) felt all the more vivid and real.
‘This guy’s a total angel, 100%. Yoon Jae-hee, seriously has pine tree taste in people.’
Whether rolling left or right, the trainee who was her type looked pretty decent to my eyes too. If the girl hadn’t possessed a heart that only responded to the rapper, I probably would’ve marked her as my top pick.
‘God, please just get along with our Do-ha, please get along… I checked and there’s even sighting records with Seo Tae-hyun.’
In just thirty minutes, the girl had transformed from ‘a trainee who can rap’ into ‘our Do-ha’—I watched Lee Do-ha’s rap part with satisfaction, silently praying. Wondering if there might be some connection I’d missed, I logged into SNS and searched both their names.
“Oh, there’s something here.”
The girl clicked on the mention that appeared at the very top of the trending tab.
Rossy Day
@rossy_1017
Got curious about who was in the 1st teaser ending so I looked it up
Roughly checked height, back, hair color and stuff like that
Matched it with what appeared in the pre-release and 2nd teaser
Based on the back and height roughly
Kang Ha-jin Lee Do-ha
Lee Yu-gun likely candidates
‖
Rossy Day
@rossy_1017
But anyway Yu-gun had platinum blonde hair
in the 2nd teaser
(had red hair in the performance video
guess he bleached it again… is his hair okay?)
Looking at the ending cut the hair color is darker
Yu-gun is ruled out
‖
Rossy Day
@rossy_1017
So it’s either Do-ha or Ha-jin
The reason I think it’s Ha-jin by my standards is
First, based on Do-ha’s personality I don’t think
he’d boldly take on something like that from next time
(I’ve been watching Do-ha since his under days no hate)
The voice in the narration sounds kinda like Ha-jin’s tone
‖
Rossy Day
@rossy_1017
(Pre-release “Let’s compete, you Team A bastards” narration video)
(1st teaser “Gotta go up, reach the sun” narration video)
Looking at this, the speech pattern and voice are definitely Ha-jin’s material.
And if you look closely when the lighting doesn’t quite hit here…
“Oh, this is totally Ha-jin. Do-ha was wearing something like a jersey.”
The girl, having meticulously read through the thread, poured out her words in a state of complete absorption. To prove her point was correct, she played back the teaser videos she’d watched at least five more times at 0.25x speed. Capture images of Do-ha and Ha-jin—appearing in tiny corners or flashing by for mere moments—accumulated in her collection.
“Ugh, my gallery is such a mess.”
Just an hour ago, she’d completely wiped all traces of her (ex-)older brother from her phone gallery, and now a new folder had appeared.
To assert the clues she’d newly discovered, the girl ultimately created a fresh public thread dedicated to Miro Maze.
And she attached a quote post to that thread, uploading the captures she’d found.
Harang
@dohajin_luv
(Photo)
This is definitely Ha-jin
Looking at this Do-ha is wearing a jersey
Ha-jin isn’t wearing one
The ending guy’s outfit is similar to Ha-jin’s
Not long after posting the mention, she watched with satisfaction as retweets and likes accumulated rapidly, and Se-eun couldn’t help but finally admit it.
“Love is a bolt of lightning….”
These bastards are my other saviors who will mess up this life of mine.
…It was summer, even though it’s only early May now. Anyway, that’s how it was.

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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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