Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut! Chapter 43
Chapter 43. Special Mission! Shine Brightly (4)
“So, um… that is…”
Seok’s hands trembled as Hajin walked toward him.
In reality, Hajin had taken out his lenses after showering and was squinting to see Seok’s face clearly.
But Seok didn’t know that.
To him, Hajin’s narrowed eyes only looked colder.
“If it’s not important, I’m going in, hyung.”
“Th-that…”
Haru’s words echoed in his head.
“Chances don’t come back that easily.”
“If you can say it now, you should.”
Seok clenched his fists.
“Sorry!”
“….”
“I heard what the guys did to you. I don’t think that way. I want to practice properly with you. I want to make a good stage.”
His voice rang down the hallway.
Haru quietly slipped away. This wasn’t his scene.
Only Hajin and Seok remained.
Hajin let out a slow breath.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you apologizing?”
“I’ll talk to them. They’re just scared. Complaining and blaming someone else is all they know. I used to be like that too.”
“….”
“Practicing with you made me realize something. I was embarrassed. I realized I could’ve done more. And now I want to. I want to do well in this survival.”
The words were clumsy.
But they were honest.
Hajin scratched the back of his head.
“…Alright. You don’t have to say more. I wasn’t planning to throw everything away either.”
Seok’s face lit up.
“So we’re practicing together?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll gather everyone and talk to them!”
“No. Don’t.”
“…Huh?”
“Just message them. One by one. Not in the group chat.”
Seok blinked.
“Separately?”
“Yeah.”
Hajin muttered under his breath.
“At least that’s one less person I have to threaten.”
“Threaten?!”
“Persuade. I said persuade.”
Seok’s pupils shook.
Meanwhile — Park Jaeyoung (18th place)
Jaeyoung stared at the team group chat.
He had followed the “Boycott Kang Hajin” mood because the older trainees set the tone.
But honestly?
He didn’t even understand what Hajin had done wrong.
Even if he had, shouldn’t they focus on the mission first?
The chat kept circling around practice time.
Nothing was decided.
Then a private message arrived.
Gongseok: Jaeyoung, can you come to the lounge? I need to give you something about the survival. You’re the only one who hasn’t received it.
He went without suspicion.
“Seok hyung, I’m he— huh?”
“Hi, Jaeyoung.”
Hajin sat on the sofa, relaxed, leaning back like he owned the building.
“W-why are you here?”
“I asked Seok hyung to call you. Sit.”
Jaeyoung sat automatically.
Before he could even settle—
“Tomorrow at 10 AM, I’m practicing the title track in Practice Room A.”
“…Why are you telling me? We said individual practice.”
“Right. But I’m human. Practicing alone feels sad. So I invited someone.”
Hajin held up his phone.
A chat with production staff.
B-Team Leader Kang Hajin: We’ll practice tomorrow at 10 AM.
PD Hwang: Okay, we’ll match the time.
Writer Yoon: We’ll capture some sketch footage.
Jaeyoung’s eyes widened.
“You… told production?”
“Yep. Since you guys won’t practice with me, I figured I’d just film alone. If it airs as ‘lazy trainee skips first team practice,’ that’d be rough, right?”
“…Hyung, that’s not what we—”
“Are you ready for hate comments?”
Jaeyoung’s thoughts froze.
Hajin sighed softly.
“Well, since you’re not practicing with me…”
He slowly put his phone away.
Jaeyoung suddenly remembered Yoon Taehee’s last words before quitting.
“If you end up on the same team as Kang Hajin… don’t mess with him. He’s scary as hell.”
His breath caught.
Something was very wrong.
Hajin watched him calmly.
Now the candy.
“By the way, Seok hyung and four others are coming tomorrow.”
“…!”
Shared guilt felt safer than solo betrayal.
“If you’re not alone, it doesn’t feel like betrayal, right?”
Silence.
“I’ll also mention in interviews that the ones who didn’t show up were uncooperative. You know how survival edits work.”
“….”
“You planned 2 PM practice. Mid-check is at 7. That leaves, what, maybe an hour of real run-through?”
“…Hyung!”
“Yes?”
“I’ll come. I’ll be there at 9:30. I’ll warm up first.”
Of course he would.
“Really?”
“Yes! I’m 18th. I have to do well.”
“Good. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes!”
“Sleep early. Your face swells if you don’t.”
“Okay!”
Jaeyoung fled.
[System Alert: The system is disgusted by human cunning!]
[System Alert: Everyone is terrible!]
Hajin sipped his hot chocolate.
“They’re kids.”
He texted Seok to send in the next one.
At first, he had really planned to let them burn.
But Seok’s words lingered.
“They’re scared too.”
“…This meddling habit.”
He finished his drink.
Footsteps approached.
“Alright. Who’s next?”
The Next Morning
9:30 AM.
Jaeyoung cautiously entered Practice Room A.
“…Hyung?”
“…You too?”
“…You too?!”
Nearly everyone was there.
B-Team’s first real practice.
“All but one showed up?”
Full attendance.
Except one.
Hajin smiled faintly.
Good.
Let’s begin.