Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut! Chapter 29
Chapter 29. First Monthly Evaluation (1)
Beep, beep—
Thud, thud-thud!
“One, two—again!”
Sneakers scraped and slammed against the wooden floor over and over.
No melody.
No harmony.
Nothing that resembled music.
Only ragged breathing.
Pounding footsteps.
And Hajin counting relentlessly.
The practice room was so overheated it felt suffocating.
Then—
“Ah, please! Stop! Stop!”
Yoon Taehee, who had proudly claimed he’d never lost a stamina battle in his life, collapsed dramatically, flailing like a fish on land.
The others weren’t any better.
Wonho was bent over, hands on knees.
Gong Seok was wiping sweat with trembling arms.
Everyone looked seconds away from dying.
Taehee shot a venomous glare at the root of all evil.
“You said to trust you! You devil! You absolute devil!”
“The devil goes to church,” Hajin replied dryly, wringing sweat from the towel around his neck.
“AAAAH!”
Taehee face-planted onto the floor again.
Ugh… how did I end up in this team…
He’d been saying that since day one. No one reacted anymore.
And this whole disaster started like this—
One Week Earlier
“Sorry, but—”
“…?”
“We’re not using this song for the monthly evaluation.”
“What?”
“What did you just say?”
Everyone stared at Hajin like he’d lost his mind.
The most shocked person in the room?
Lee Doha.
Not because he thought rejection was impossible—
but because it hadn’t happened in so long, he’d forgotten it could happen.
Then Hajin dropped the second bomb.
“We’re going dance-heavy.”
“……”
“Knife-sharp synchronization. Full group choreo.”
Doha dropped his phone.
Wonho bit his tongue—literally.
Taehee choked on water while Gong Seok patted his back in panic.
Chaos.
Hajin remained calm.
“Hyung… I mean—I’d love to go dance-centered since I’m a dance main… but can we actually pull that off?”
Wonho asked cautiously.
Hajin didn’t hesitate.
“Yes.”
Because he had proof.
System Window
Gong Seok (Miro)
Vocals: 92%
Dance: 53%
Expression: 81%
Special: Wide vocal range (89%)
Appeal: “Model student energy”
Kim Wonho (Miro)
Vocals: 89% (Rap 34%)
Dance: 62%
Expression: 92%
Special: Choreo creation (86%)
Appeal: Fast learner
Yoon Taehee (Miro)
Vocals: 85% (Rap 49%)
Dance: 63%
Expression: 75%
Special: Choreo creation (76%)
Appeal: Strong heart / stage composure (91%)
They all had something in common.
Their dance realization percentages were lower than their vocal percentages.
Vocally?
They were already close to their current ceiling.
Dance?
There was room to grow.
Three weeks.
Even a 10% visible jump would stand out to trainers who saw elite-level trainees daily.
And Hajin had another reason.
Wonho.
Every time Hajin watched Wonho practice, something pulled his eye toward him.
Now he knew why.
Expression: 92%.
Untapped stage presence.
Doha looked uneasy.
“I don’t mind not using my song… but I’m not confident in dance. Getting visible results in that time won’t be easy.”
He was speaking more than usual.
Hajin shook his head.
“I’m not saying we go insane immediately. But we can’t play safe.”
“Then be specific.”
“Your song screams ‘I’m not confident in dance.’”
“…!”
“But I think you can perform better than you’re allowing yourself to.”
Doha went quiet.
Hajin continued calmly.
“You’re our only rapper. If we sharpen your performance, your rap will hit twice as hard.”
Silence.
Hajin switched tone slightly.
“I’m not scrapping everything. The melody’s solid. Can you rearrange it to support performance? Raise the key as much as Wonho can handle. Seok-hyung can cover most ranges.”
Gong Seok’s ears turned red.
Doha tapped the floor, thinking.
“…Three days.”
“Done.”
Deal sealed.
Doha packed immediately.
Production mode activated.
Taehee blinked.
“Wait—so until the song’s done… we rest?”
Hajin smiled.
“As if.”
“But without music—”
“With your current level, you can’t match the song anyway.”
“…Then what are we doing?”
Hajin stood.
Only now did they properly notice his outfit:
Black training tee.
Light, breathable practice pants.
Non-slip dance shoes.
Headband to keep sweat out of his eyes.
He’d planned this.
“Ever heard of a hellish boost camp?”
“……”
“From now on, we train dance until you want to throw up.”
And so—
Hell began.
Present — Dance Hell, Day 7
“…Hajin… we’re okay, right?”
After Taehee threatened to actually vomit, they finally took a short break.
Gong Seok approached cautiously.
Hajin sat up from stretching.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you… but are we really okay?”
He scooted aside for Gong Seok to sit.
Gong Seok continued carefully.
“We’re focusing on dance over vocals… Doha’s rearranging for that…”
“……”
“But we’re only drilling fundamentals. Is that enough?”
That was true.
All they’d done for a week was:
Basic angles.
Line control.
Eye focus.
“Match the angles!”
“Your gaze follows your fingertips!”
“Right angle—not lazy!”
No advanced choreography.
Just brutal fundamentals.
Hajin nodded.
“I was thinking it’s time to move on.”
Gong Seok’s eyes widened.
“Next stage… means?”
“Let’s wait until everyone’s here.”
Right then Taehee and Wonho dragged themselves back in.
They formed a circle in the center.
Everyone except Doha.
“First,” Hajin said, “thanks for surviving this week.”
“So you do know we’re dying,” Taehee muttered.
“Taehee. Quiet.”
A few tired laughs broke out.
Hajin checked the mood.
Then he pulled out his phone.
“Major announcement.”
“…Don’t tell me.”
“The song’s done.”
Silence.
One full week after the first meeting—
The track was finalized.
And now—
The real training would begin.