Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 8. I’m the Crazy Guy in This Area (3)

“He looks so rude.”

When the Director couldn’t find any faults with Hajin’s skills, the card he played was ‘character’. He claimed that Hajin looked arrogant and had a face that seemed destined to spark rumors of school violence.

“A kid with pierced ears and slicked-back hair… He has the face of a thug. I’m not a fan.”

“Manager, didn’t you cast our second because he overflowed with thug-like charm?”

“That kid had thug-like charm, but he wasn’t actually a thug.”

That and this are different! Seo Taeil folded his arms at the baseless criticism. Having also faced various fabricated scandals due to his image—be it drinking, smoking, or drugs—these weren’t exactly pleasant comments to hear.

“Hmm, but when I talked to him while waiting, he seemed very polite. He was courteous and well-mannered.”

Manager Kim, who had just wrapped up his conversation with Manager Jang from Renes, offered a counterpoint. The Director waved his hand dismissively, saying it was nonsense.

“You saw how he didn’t show a single change in expression earlier, just answering ‘yes, yes.’ I’ve seen kids like him in this industry for years. I can tell at a glance now.”

The expressions on everyone’s faces turned sour at the Director’s stubbornness. Everyone knew that the Director was opposing Hajin just for the sake of opposing him, but no one dared to voice their complaints. No matter how much trouble he caused, he was the CEO’s closest confidant, treated with the respect of an executive within the company.

“Couldn’t it just be nerves?”

“Does he look like someone who’s nervous? Manager Kim, you still have a long way to go. He doesn’t laugh, he doesn’t flinch. I’m telling you, he’s got the face of someone who’ll cause big trouble later on.”

Taeil, realizing that the Director had no intention of changing his mind, sighed and glanced at Suho with an irritated expression. Do something, will you? After pondering Taeil’s silent plea, Suho lightly tapped the table, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Then how about we conduct an interview first? He might have been nervous since we made him start recording as soon as he arrived.”

“That’s a good idea. I’m in favor.”

“Hey, Seo Taeil, you…”

“Didn’t we change the audition to follow the Director’s method? Give me a chance to test him my way too.”

At Suho’s firm voice, the Director clenched his teeth. This brat was irritating him at every turn. It felt as if Suho was subtly challenging him to see if he could handle his nonsense, but since Suho wasn’t wrong, there wasn’t much the Director could say to push back.

In the end, with a face like he’d bitten into something sour, the Director crossed his arms and nodded.

“Then I’ll call in Hajin as I step out. I have something to give him as well.”

“Oh, yes, yes! Manager Jang, thank you for your hard work today.”

Manager Jang, who had been observing the cutthroat office politics unfold before her eyes, seized the perfect moment to announce her exit. As she hurriedly left with Manager Kim, the Director, still sounding displeased, added a few more words.

“It’s pointless to even see him. The kid’s stubborn as hell.”

“Then isn’t that even better? He’ll be a junior group to Utopia and Ender Way. Would you use someone easy?”

“Oh, come on, Taeil, you keep―!”

“Director. Please calm down.”

“Ahem, ahem.”

The Director was on the verge of losing his mind as Taeil, who he thought would oppose Hajin, started pushing from the opposite side. But even as the Director, he knew better than to cross Taeil, the old-timer at Miro. Realizing this, the Director awkwardly cleared his throat and redirected his anger elsewhere.

“Ah, why isn’t he coming in!? It’s been a while since Manager Jang left. Did he run away?”

“…Haa, I’ll go check. I could use some fresh air.”

Unable to stand the frustration any longer, Taeil abruptly stood up. As he opened the office door and stepped out, he muttered a small curse under his breath.

‘That guy’s lost all his senses in his greed for money.’

Of course, Hajin did seem overly emotionless in the recording studio compared to the average trainee.

Excitement, nervousness, tension, pressure, fear.

It was indeed curious that none of these could be found, but to evaluate a person based on just that was absurd, wasn’t it?

‘How can you know everything just from the first meeting? He just doesn’t like him because Suho brought him in.’

“Ah… I hate office politics.”

But as Taeil rounded the corner in the hallway, thinking that Hajin might actually be in trouble if he maintained that emotionless attitude even during the interview, he stopped in his tracks.

“…Kang Hajin?”

What am I seeing right now?

“Are you crying?”

At the end of the hallway, where faint sunlight streamed in through a window, Hajin was silently crying, his tears flowing uncontrollably. The scene looked like something straight out of a drama.

‘Ah. Manager Jang did say she had something to give him….’

As soon as Taeil saw what was in Hajin’s hand, he quickly grasped the situation. It was only natural; the reaction was exactly the same as when his group’s youngest member received their first fan letter.

“Ah, it’s just that…, uh, ngh, this isn’t….”

With his eyes, nose, and mouth all red from crying, Hajin finally looked like a mere nineteen-year-old kid.

For some reason, Taeil felt relieved by this and also sorry for misunderstanding him, so he simply gave an awkward smile. It reminded him of his own rookie days.

“To think they said those things about a kid like this….”

Muttering quietly to himself, Taeil approached Hajin and gently patted his shoulder to comfort him. It’s okay, it’s okay. You can go in after you finish crying. At those words, Hajin cried even harder.

“What the, over there…?”

“Whoa, it’s Senior Taeil.”

Thanks to that, the passing trainees and staff all saw the scene, but Taeil didn’t pay much attention.

Seeing that neither the Assistant Manager nor the Director, who had gone to fetch Hajin, had returned with him, Taeil was starting to wonder what was going on. Just then, the Assistant Manager, the Director, and Team Leader Ji all stepped into the hallway and witnessed the scene. Hajin, still in Taeil’s embrace, had to cry until the penalty time was over.

And thus, a new unfounded, unfortunate rumor began to circulate at Miro—that Seo Taeil had, in the end, managed to capture a trainee.

* * *

It was humiliating.

I sighed, still rubbing my eyes, which were now puffy and sore. In front of me, Seo Taeil was looking at me with a fond expression, as if he were watching his youngest sibling.

‘Should I change agencies after all?’

The alarm from the system was blaring noisily, but it was all just pointless chatter, so I simply marked it as read and pushed it aside.

[System Alarm: When did you add a “mark as read” feature!?]

…Ignoring the shocked system notification, I turned my gaze to the single sheet of paper in front of me.

“Anyway, this is the standard contract for Miro trainees. If you want, Hajin, you can take your time to consult with a lawyer or discuss it with your parents before deciding.”

‘Exclusive Trainee for Miro Entertainment.’

The large words written at the top of the contract didn’t quite feel real. Initially, they had said there would be more interviews, but for some reason, they must have discussed something while I was crying, and it seemed things had been settled. Judging by the atmosphere, Seo Taeil must have played a significant role. Whether that was a good thing… I wasn’t sure.

‘If I sign this, I’ll finally become a trainee.’

I’d be on my way to becoming an idol. To be precise, an idol trainee.

For some, this would be the start of a dream, and for others, it would be the beginning of a relentless challenge, but for me, it held a slightly different meaning.

It was a matter of grabbing onto a dream I had already once given up and run away from. And this time, I had to succeed, with the weight of that responsibility tied to my feet.

“The investment in trainees is only accounted for if you debut later. Until then, you won’t have to worry about expenses.”

I paid close attention to Manager Kim’s additional explanations. He mentioned that if it was difficult for me to commute from home, I could stay in the trainee dorms if I wanted.

Even among smaller companies, one with a name does make a difference. Miro definitely seemed to treat its trainees better compared to others.

The problem was,

“And regarding the lessons, there will be a level test to adjust them according to your skills, Hajin.”

“Excuse me.”

The problem was that I was about to turn down all those good conditions.

“I don’t think I can do this.”

“…What?”

“I’m sorry. I think I need more time to think about it.”

At my wistful voice, everyone in the office was stunned.

[System Alarm: The system gives up on understanding the (Fixed) Regressor.]

What do you mean, become a crazy guy?

* * *

I decided to

turn down Miro when Seo Taeil approached to comfort me while I was crying.

‘To think they said those things about a kid like this….’

He had whispered it quietly, but I, who was outwardly crying but 100% mentally clear, heard it loud and clear.

‘There’s definitely someone here who doesn’t like me.’

The fact that the interview didn’t proceed right away and the panelists had a long discussion was proof that there was something to be debated about me.

If a contestant sang well enough to impress Seo Taeil, what’s there to discuss? If this were an audition program, Seo Taeil would have bought a super pass to make sure I passed.

‘I need to be sure who my enemies are to stay safe.’

I had two reasons for turning down Miro’s trainee contract.

One, to clearly identify my enemies, and two, to secure my allies.

Based on my gut feeling, the Manager who looked at me with a face like he had just chewed on something bitter was likely the enemy, but I couldn’t ignore the Team Leader who gave off an inexplicable vibe either.

‘Actually, that Team Leader is the most suspicious.’

At any rate, I had already confirmed that both Manager Kim and Seo Taeil were really keen on having me, so there was already something to gain.

[System Alarm: What if you end up not becoming a trainee at Miro! (SQ 01 Remaining Time: 39 days)]

‘That’s why I made sure to have a backup plan before turning it down.’

I took out a business card carefully stored in my wallet.

It was the card of Seo Taeil’s manager, which he had handed me that day, telling me to think it over carefully and contact them if I changed my mind.

‘If they don’t take the bait, I can just contact this guy.’

For now, I just needed to wait until one of them, Manager Kim or Seo Taeil, who seemed to think I was too good to lose, reached out to me again. If they valued me that much, they’d definitely be on my side when I joined Miro, and I could rely on them for information or whatever help I needed.

“It’d be even better if they could take care of the person who hates me.”

[System Alarm: The system is impressed by the (Fixed) Regressor’s meticulousness….]

“Manager Kim didn’t seem to have much influence…, so maybe I should lean towards Seo Taeil?

And three days after I rejected the audition, someone from Miro came to find me.

“Kang Hajin.”

“…?”

And it had to be the most suspicious guy.

“Hello, I’m Ji Suho.”