Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut! Chapter 48

Chapter 48. Daylight (4)

At the unexpected choking sound, Seo Taeil’s eyes widened.

“Kang Hajin, are you alright?”

“Haa… I’m sorry. Just a moment.”

Pouring every ounce of strength into holding back tears, Hajin delivered a flawless performance of the overburdened young leader whose suppressed emotions had finally cracked.

As he pretended to wipe his eyes, he quickly scanned the room.

“Ah… hyung…”
“Hajin-ah….”

The most shaken were the members of B Team. They knew better than anyone how much pressure he had been under for the past three days.

“Ah… it must have been really hard.”

Taeil added the comment gently, supporting the mood.

Hajin sniffed once and subtly glanced toward the production booth. PD Kwon and the staff were animated, pointing in his direction.

He remembered what PD Kwon had emphasized about Episode 1.

“Episode one? You pack in everything that trends.
The handsome one. The crying one. The angry one. The unhinged one. The talented one.”

Opportunity?

Yeah. Thanks, you lunatic.

Fine. I’ll make Episode 1 the Kang Hajin show.

If this is how it’s going to be, I’ll take control of the early narrative myself.
Can’t help being handsome. I’ll handle the crying, the rage, the insanity, and the skill.

For the record, I already covered rage.

“If you don’t focus, I’m blowing up the entire formation! Fix your live!”

Just know I didn’t have time to think about cameras back then.

“Cough… sorry.”

Reading the room, Hajin let out a steadying breath as if he had regained composure. Any further and it would’ve tipped into overacting.

He could feel every pair of eyes in the studio on him.

Holding the mic, voice slightly husky, he spoke.

“Honestly… it felt overwhelming. I joined later than everyone else, and I worried about whether I could handle being leader.”

His teammates patted his back when his voice trembled.

“But right now, instead of worrying about anything else, we’ll focus on showing you our sun.”

“Alright. We’re looking forward to B Team’s performance.”

With Taeil’s smooth transition, the moment passed. A few more questions went to A Team.

Then—

“Now, let me introduce the five mentors evaluating you today.”

Lights flared behind him.

One by one, the mentors were introduced.

Except one.

“South Korea’s unrivaled top solo artist—Lia from Themis!”

So they brought in Lia this early.

Having a high-profile mentor guaranteed viewer attention.

Of course, that only helps if we destroy this stage.

“Miro Maze’s first mission—Daylight! Begin!”

Guess I’ll just have to stake everything on it.

He clapped hard. His palms stung.

A Team’s Stage

B Team was second.

“We’ll go first.”

With Wings privilege, Jung Siwoo had chosen to open.

Class system perks. How nice.

We moved to the side seats.

A Team stepped forward in coordinated white-and-denim outfits—fresh, clean, textbook.

The intro began.

They were good.

Synchronization sharp. Dynamics clean.
At center, Kim Wonho and Lee Yugeon nearly ripped the stage apart.

Who designed that pairing?

They were smiling at each other like this wasn’t a survival show.

Then Han Seongwoo opened.

“Hi? It’s me.”

He waved at the mentors with a playful grin.

Honestly? His stage presence wasn’t bad.

If he had been on B Team, he might’ve overwhelmed us.

But—

“Moonlight filling the sky,
Starry night pouring down…”

Seo Taehyun shattered the pre-chorus in falsetto.

Stars practically filled his eyes. One glance and it felt like you’d lived through ten tragic lifetimes together.

The white outfits amplified everything.

Lee Doha’s low-toned rap flowed cleanly into Joo Eunchan’s quicker rhythm.

There were so many strong performers that Seongwoo ended up looking… average.

And that mischievous-boy concept?

Everyone else was playing “reunited lovers across centuries.” He alone felt like he was teasing the audience.

The dance break hit.

Wonho center triangle with Yugeon.

Different styles.

Wonho: tight core strength, precision.
Yugeon: long limbs, fluid control.

For this song?

Yugeon fit better.

That’s why I told Wonho to challenge him.

This battle? Yugeon wins.

But the fact that Wonho could stand toe-to-toe with him? That alone was huge.

Focus. Bigger problems.

The song ended.

“Hi? It’s me.
Finally nice to meet you.”

Seongwoo softened at the end, adjusting too late.

“Thank you.”

Murmurs spread.

“Taehyun’s insane.”
“Siwoo sings so well.”
“Wonho did great.”
“Still, Yugeon’s cleaner.”

Regardless—

Seongwoo wasn’t the highlight.

That was enough.

Before B Team Performs

“Next, B Team, please prepare.”

Lia had been writing notes nonstop during A Team’s stage.

“They’re really good. Rene better stay alert.”

“The Wings class is stacked. But B Team’s good too.”

“I’m glad I debuted earlier. I wouldn’t want to compete with them.”

Guaranteed broadcast line.

Lia flipped back to Hajin’s sheet.

“That’s him?”

“Yeah. His parts doubled suddenly. If he can’t handle it, it’s risky.”

Lights shifted.

This time, Lia spoke directly.

“Before we begin, I’d like to ask something. Kang Hajin?”

“Yes.”

She studied him carefully. Twenty years old, but carrying himself like thirty.

“The script says: ‘What’s the key point of today’s stage?’ But…”

She smiled.

“I heard you sang one of my songs at your audition.”

“…Yes.”

“Then sing a short line for us.”

Improvised.

Even the writers scrambled.

Taeil nudged her—what are you doing?

Too late.

“Well? Since you’re here, shouldn’t you sing it in front of the original artist?”

“Sing it!”
“Sing it!”

The mood shifted instantly.

Jackpot.

Another teaser formed in his mind.

“A trainee who auditioned with Lia’s song—
How does it feel to stand before the artist who inspired you?”

Also, A Team had just crushed morale.

Time to flip it.

“I’ll sing briefly.”

Silence fell.

“I’ll never be able to forget you,
A scar-like trace
I can’t erase…”

He focused.

“All the shattered times—”

Wait.

Was the next word happiness or love?

His mind blanked.

Verse one was happiness. Verse two was love.

Which one was this?

The line arrived.

Panic.

He chose—

“Haa—um-bok ira…”

Some cursed hybrid of happiness, love, and pumpkin.

He finished, covered his forehead.

“Ah… damn. I messed up.”

Lia burst out laughing.

“That lyric’s confusing, right?”

Yes.

There exists a fool who forgets the lyrics in front of the original singer.

That fool is Kang Hajin.