Chapter 172
Chapter 172
Translator: Penny
Chapter 172
"I'm doing great, even if the other members aren't. What's the problem?"
"We should start thinking about a U.S. debut soon. The international response to our latest release has been pretty good."
Ah, right. This was around the time the CEO's American obsession would resurface. It seemed to be hitting him earlier than before the regression.
Before the regression, Reve had been stuck in the precarious Second Tier, despite Seo Yehyeon being hailed as the group's ace. The awful songs and the convoluted, repetitive lore were major factors.
But the CEO's relentless push for a U.S. debut also cost them dearly, squandering the golden opportunity to solidify their domestic fanbase.
And that U.S. debut? It was a colossal failure. To recoup the investment, they ended up touring relentlessly overseas.
Ironically, the international response was far stronger in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia than in North America.
From the start, our songs just weren't the kind that would resonate in the US. All this talk about "America, America" made me think we were about to hit the Billboard Charts or something.
I never dreamed it was just the CEO's American Dream.
It seemed like he was quite envious of the senior girl group who had charted on Billboard around the same time and successfully launched their US debut, becoming a major sensation.
Even now, with our solid domestic foothold, nothing had changed. The moment we set foot in America, we'd be starting from scratch, with no established presence whatsoever.
Is our agency even big enough? Do we even have a Billboard number one hit?
At least the senior girl group who succeeded in America was backed by a major label. What chance does a sparrow have trying to keep up with a stork? You'll just split your legs trying.
"CEO, should I be blunt or sugarcoat it?"
"Give me a roundabout answer first, so I can brace myself."
The CEO took a deep breath and gestured.
"Entering the US market without a single song charting on the Billboard Charts seems premature."
"Hmm, Eden, have you considered writing a song specifically targeting the Billboard Charts? You know, all English lyrics, heavy on the rap."
"Being too obvious about chasing Billboard will make us look desperate. Our foundation is still in Korea, and fans won't appreciate us blatantly aiming for Billboard from the start. It would be better if a hit song naturally climbed the Billboard Charts."
It's only natural that increased overseas activities would reduce our presence in Korea. Which Korean fans would welcome that? And it's not easy to maintain momentum after just one hit.
The CEO pressed his lips together, sighed, and asked again.
"To be honest?"
"Right now, we have no established position or public reaction. Trying to break into the US market would be a disaster."
I had no desire to repeat the grueling hardships of my past.
While my experience building connections and collaborating with US producers and rappers had certainly been helpful, I didn't want to drag the other members down a path of suffering just to further my own experience and network.
"Eden, you lack the youthful spirit of daring! You need to take a chance and throw yourself into it!"
"Sometimes, taking a chance makes you stronger, but other times, it completely shatters you. This is the latter, CEO."
Even youth, once shattered, is hard to recover.
"Oh, did you catch the spy?"
"Apparently, it was someone from Shinwol Entertainment. But it seems they didn't act alone—they must have had an accomplice inside. Their department was in a position where stealing music files would have been impossible otherwise."
"Then we need to catch that accomplice too to prevent a second wave of leaks."
It seemed I'd have to use Ryu Jaehee's idea after all. With the quest deadline set before the next album release, we still had plenty of time.
"Right, I'll dedicate all my efforts to rooting them out. Don't worry."
The CEO flashed a reassuring smile, though it didn't feel reassuring at all.
I'd heard that even this spy had been caught with the help of a detective agency, unable to devise any schemes on their own.
As always, it struck me how haphazardly LnL was run.
Having successfully thwarted the CEO's American Dream, I returned to the dorm.
The members greeted me warmly, except for Kim Dobin, who was filming a variety show, and Seo Yehyeon, who was shooting a perfume campaign.
During this hiatus, Seo Yehyeon was the busiest, juggling a packed schedule of individual commitments.
From commercials to fashion ambassadorships and magazine photoshoots, Seo Yehyeon was dominating every field. It was no surprise, given his natural talent as a model.
Of course, Seo Yehyeon had turned down all drama offers, acutely aware of his limitations as an actor.
Gyeon Hajun, skimming through his personal schedule, asked me as I returned to the dorm, "What did the CEO say?"
"I just barely managed to block our US debut."
"Wow, you've been doing some heavy lifting."
Ryu Jaehee clicked his tongue and clapped.
To be honest, a US debut? Just hearing those words would make any artist's ears perk up.
I could make this judgment because I'd personally suffered through the grueling reality of working in the US. But Ryu Jaehee, a young punk who'd never even set foot in America, had immediately calculated the risks. He was a natural-born genius, no doubt about it.
Of course, Gyeon Hajun, with his sharp intuition, was an exception.
"The fact that he asked if we were good at English makes me think he'd send us to America at the drop of a hat if we were. Should we all pretend we're terrible at it? Damn it, I already confessed I was good. What do I do now?"
"Let's just agree not to mention the word 'America' in front of the CEO for the time being."
"Yeah, let's start by keeping Dobin quiet."
Gyeon Hajun pointed out something I'd overlooked.
Seo Yehyeon was sharp enough to handle himself, but Kim Dobin was a different story. The moment he heard "American debut," his eyes would light up, and he'd bombard the CEO with enthusiastic support, likely reigniting the man's American dream. He was definitely someone we needed to keep an eye on.
"So, are we staying in Korea for the rest of the year?"
"We'll probably do some activities in Japan this year, or maybe Thailand. We probably won't have a full album comeback in the second half of the year, maybe just a single. We can't let the hiatus drag on too long. As for music shows, who knows?"
For now, all that mattered was avoiding America. Just stay away from America!
When Yongcheol Hyung called to treat me to drinks, I eagerly went out. I found him waving, heavily armed with a hat and mask just like me.
"What's this, Hyung? You're already a celebrity?" I asked, bursting into laughter and slapping him on the back. Yongcheol Hyung slid down his mask and replied, "Some people recognized me from Drop The Beat."
"Wow, Mr. Popular! This much attention after only two episodes? See? I told you to get a haircut before the audition. You wouldn't have gotten this far with that mop on your head, Hyung."
"Yeah, thanks a lot," Yongcheol Hyung grumbled, lightly tapping the back of my head.
As we sat facing each other, Yongcheol Hyung poured me a drink and said, "The Semi-Final stage is in a month."
"Oh, is it already that late?"
I knew what Hyung was going to say. I forced my lips into a smile, fighting the downward curve.
"Eden, I want you to feature on this track."
Yongcheol Hyung made the same offer with the same expression he had before the regression.
I could never forget that moment. It was the moment our connection had been severed, the moment I had spent the night frantically searching through deleted contacts and text messages, the moment that still haunted my dreams.
If I had accepted the Semi-Final feature back then...
If I had asked him even once if the rumors were true...
If I had apologized the very next day after unleashing my inferiority complex, disguised as anger...
Countless "what ifs" flashed through my mind, followed by the bitter realization that regret was useless. I closed my eyes, remembering those moments of self-reproach.
"Why me? There are so many top-tier rappers who would line up to feature if Hyung asked. Why specifically an idol rapper?"
I asked the same question I had asked back then, forcing my voice to sound casual.
And this man, just as he had before, grinned and answered without the slightest hesitation:
"Because you're the perfect fit for this song and the stage I've planned."
Sangeol Hyung's words from before the regression echoed in my mind:
Oh, and Lee Yongcheol told me to tell you this: the reason he asked you to feature on the Drop The Beat Semi-Final stage was genuinely because you were the best fit for the song and the performance.
Why had I been so desperate to find a hidden motive behind that sincerity back then?
"It wasn't sympathy, or some act of generosity, or any of the reasons you imagined. It was just that, and nothing more. Why the hell did you have to overanalyze it? Tell him he's going to regret that stage for the rest of his life because of you."
What the hell?Why would this fucking idiot make that his lifelong regret?
He should be grateful the public never asked about him—some nameless idol rapper who flaunted his superficial skills. He should be brushing it off, not dwelling on it.
Back then, I hadn't even been criticized by G1 yet, so I still had all those shitty habits.
Sangeol Hyung, seeing my twisted expression, had said something I still remember vividly:
"Ugh, you dumbass. Apologize and make up before it's too late."
What had I replied to that advice back then?
"It's too late. Already."
My dry, brittle response echoed in my ears like a phantom sound.
Right, it was too late. Way too late. I had been stubbornly turning away, even after my falling out with Hyung had become a thing of the past and I'd received another feature request.
"...Hyung."
I called out to Yongcheol Hyung in a subdued voice. I swallowed hard several times, struggling to force out the words that refused to come easily.
"I'm sorry."
I finally spat out that single word, which had been stewing, chewed over, and swallowed until it was ragged and worn. A profound sense of liberation made the end of my voice tremble slightly.
What a fucking idiot. I had been the one to push him away, yet I'd been waiting for him to reach out first. I was the one who should have apologized first, not him.
Yongcheol Hyung, taken aback by my sudden apology, scratched his head awkwardly, interpreting it as a rejection of the feature. "Can't do it?" he asked.
"No, I'll do it. I'll do it."
"Then why are you apologizing? Are you laying the groundwork in case you mess up on stage?"
"No, I'd never mess up, especially not on your Semi-Final stage. It's just... just..."
I trailed off, biting my lip.
"Right, like you haven't given me enough reasons to be mad at you already," Yongcheol Hyung said with a wry smile, deliberately not pressing further. He raised his glass. "Just write the lyrics for the feature. Make it fucking cool. Got it?"
Our glasses clinked lightly.
"For Yongcheol Hyung's stage, with no regrets!"
"Hey, let's do it again. Again! To D.I's best performance ever! To it!"
"Who do you think I am? Now that I'm featuring, I'll naturally deliver the best performance. Just... don't leave any regrets on this stage this time."
"Yoon Eden's overconfidence is something else."
I chuckled and emptied my glass, following Yongcheol Hyung's lead. We poured our past regrets—mine and his—into the glasses and drained them away.
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny