Chapter 200
Chapter 200
Translator: Penny
Chapter 200
I know this is all purely my own selfish desire.
I'm the only one who remembers that "One Chance" was originally our song. To the current members, it holds no significance whatsoever.
Yet, before the regression, it was the song that united our once-discordant and frosty opinions into unanimous agreement—the song we all considered most meaningful. I couldn't forget it, no matter how hard I tried.
Unlike Seo Yehyeon, whose life had been completely transformed by "One Chance," the song held no such sentimental value for me. Still, I couldn't completely ignore it.
I don't know what Cha Yeonho was thinking when he stole "One Chance," but I wanted to return it, even just once, to the members who had once cherished it so deeply—even if they didn't realize it had been stolen and had become someone else's song.
Even if it was just self-satisfaction that no one else would ever know.
Gyeon Hajun cooperated without objection, and Seo Yehyeon, knowing he had no real choice, remained silent.
"I still prefer the choreography for Come to My Universe," Kim Dobin said, his voice hesitant, clearly still clinging to the song. He couldn't bring himself to directly contradict me.
To be fair, Come to My Universe was superior in terms of musicality and performance. Even with the altered arrangement after the regression, if One Chance had been better, it would have won the Grand Prize.
Ryu Jaehee, tapping his fingertips on the living room floor, spoke up. "If Hyung wants to go with that, I'm fine with it. My only concern is whether Dobin Hyung can pull off the sexy concept."
Dobin's brow twitched at the provocative remark. He glared at Ryu Jaehee and retorted sarcastically, "Want to see? Should I prove it to you?"
"Hyung needs to show me first. All I've seen so far is you acting cocky."
Kim Dobin, who had been pushing for "The Song" just moments ago, immediately called for "One Chance." With that, our collaboration stage song with Altair was unanimously decided.
Ryu Jaehee winked at me, pointedly avoiding Kim Dobin's gaze.
Who knew there was an even simpler way than arguing? As expected, nothing persuades better than a good provocation.
As soon as the song was chosen, we locked ourselves in the studio to begin arranging it.
We had no intention of following Altair's version, but we also didn't want to recreate the original version from before the regression.
While that version held sentimental value, it was the kind of song that grew on you the more you listened—not the kind that made you go "Wow!" on first hearing.
Since we were only performing the first verse, I had to rework it to make it absolutely unforgettable. Fortunately, this wasn't too difficult.
Before the regression, while performing on stage and honing my songwriting skills, I had constantly pondered how to improve the song.
I considered how to simplify the complex chords, how to adjust the key to suit the members' vocal ranges, and how to rearrange the piece to maintain its original essence while making it irresistibly catchy.
This was only possible because I had performed the song so many times I was utterly sick of it.
"So, all those ideas I just kept thinking about are finally coming to life," I chuckled, leaning back in my studio chair after tweaking the final chord of the first verse.
For the choreography, I rejected the agency's suggestion to hire the choreographer who had worked on Altair's routines and instead entrusted the task to Kim Dobin. I continuously provided him with references from the choreography I had known before the regression.
The choreography was so ingrained that I could perform it with my eyes closed. Still.
After all, even Seo Yehyeon, with far lower stats before the regression, could execute it flawlessly. How many times had we practiced?
"Wow, Eden Hyung! Did you come up with this? The choreography is totally my style!"
Kim Dobin praised my choreographic skills, suggesting minor tweaks to better fit the rearranged version. I scratched my head, thinking, Of course it's your style—you created it.
I smirked, picturing Altair, who must be working just as hard as us to prepare for their year-end performance.
I'll toss you just enough bait, Cha Yeonho. Take the bait and keep flailing wildly. Thanks in advance for the hilarious content!
"Wow, Yeonho Hyung was right! He's going to take all the money."
"I told you, Yeonho Hyung is a natural at this kind of thing."
Reve, having been informed that Altair would perform "One Chance," had lost their internal bet, except for one person, and were now facing the prospect of losing all their money.
While guessing which song they would swap to would have been fun, the original artist had to continue singing from the second verse onward, so knowing the opponent's song beforehand was necessary.
Since everyone had voted for "The Song," Cha Yeonho, the sole voter for "Come to My Universe," emerged as the sole winner, sweeping the entire pot.
"I knew he'd choose 'The Song.' Or did he avoid this year's hit song because he didn't want to be compared?"
"To be honest, 'Come to My Universe' is even harder. Maybe he deliberately chose a difficult song to prove himself."
"They're not quite Myeongjuk level, but Reve's vocal line is seriously impressive too."
"Isn't Jungjun Hyung getting outshined in rap? Their leader is supposed to be the top Korean rapper. His feature on Drop the Beat and his recent solo track were insane."
"Still, they're a real underdog success story. Remember last year when our promotions overlapped? Their results were neck-and-neck with ours, right?"
Unlike Cha Yeonho, who gritted his teeth at the mention of Reve, the other Altair members didn't harbor any particular animosity toward them.
Their promotions hadn't overlapped often enough to breed resentment, and the gap in their current positions and agency sizes meant they didn't yet perceive Reve as a serious rival threatening their own standing.
"Yeonho Hyung, are you secretly contacting one of the Reve members? Is that why you proposed that bet so confidently?"
The member meant it as a joke, but the reaction was sharper than expected.
"Why would I contact them?"
The atmosphere instantly turned icy. The member who asked the question only rolled his eyes, while the one next to him clicked his tongue, muttering, "He's doing it again," as he stood up.
KJ lightly patted Cha Yeonho's shoulder, trying to ease the tension with a gentle tone.
"Yeonho, you've been too sensitive lately."
Realizing his mistake, Cha Yeonho rubbed his face roughly and sincerely apologized to the member who had asked the question.
"Sorry, Taehyeok. I've just been really worried lately."
"Why don't you relax a little? We're all doing great. What's got you so worried?" KJ asked.
Cha Yeonho bit his lip tightly.
How was he supposed to tell the members that the danger level, which had been steady at 70, had suddenly spiked to 80?
If he tried to explain the System, no one would believe him. So Cha Yeonho was silently enduring this damned situation alone, his insides churning with anxiety.
Should I have just boycotted the collaboration stage proposal...? Would the danger level have stayed low? Or is there some other reason it's rising?
This collaboration stage with Reve was a first for Cha Yeonho, and he couldn't figure out the right path forward.
But regressing again would mean losing all the time he'd already invested.
What's done is done. The only way to reduce the risk now is to...
He had to somehow suppress Reve and firmly establish Altair's superior skills in the public's mind. This collaboration stage was crucial for achieving that.
"Jungjun-a, don't change the arrangement, just adjust the key. And tell Instructor Sun to completely overhaul the choreography."
"Oh, Cha Yeonho's really sharpening his blade, huh?" KJ teased.
Cha Yeonho smirked, the corner of his lip curling upward, his eyes gleaming with a cold intensity.
He reaffirmed his resolve.
Whoever the Regressor is, they seem to have chosen "One Chance" out of nostalgia for the past. I'll make them regret that decision to the core.
December 31st. Recording studio for Gayo Big Match.
"Senior, hello!"
"Thank you so much for the song!"
I smiled warmly and returned the bow from Navy, a rookie boy group.
"Ah, you guys really brought the song to life. I enjoyed listening to it."
"Thank you!"
Their loud greeting echoed back. Seeing them doing even better than before the regression filled me with pride. It was definitely worth giving them a great song instead of keeping it for myself.
"Oh, are these the guys Hyung sold the song to? I heard they debuted at the same time as TK's rookie boy group and surpassed them."
Ryu Jaehee suddenly appeared behind me and asked. The Navy members bowed deeply to him again.
I waved goodbye, and the Navy members bowed one last time before walking away.
As I watched them settle into the artist seats, Ryu Jaehee poked my side and asked a childish question.
"Hey, I've never seen Eden Hyung act so friendly before. Do you like them more than us?"
"You're comparing apples and oranges."
"If Hyung showed us half the warmth he gives them, I wouldn't have such silly thoughts. For a moment, I thought you were a different person."
"One of them has a better vocal tone than you."
"Whoa, so that's why you sold them 'The Song'? What about compared to Hajun Hyung?"
"Jun wins hands down, of course. No one can surpass Jun, you know?"
As we were joking around on our way to the Artist Seats, we ran into Altair, who we'd be collaborating with on stage today.
Cha Yeonho's gaze, which had been lingering on me, shifted to Ryu Jaehee. His appraising look didn't make me feel disgusted; instead, it made me chuckle and feel a bit sorry for him, thinking, This guy's messing up again.
"See you later," Cha Yeonho said.
I nodded slightly... but before I could finish, Ryu Jaehee's hand pressed firmly on the back of my head, forcing me into a deep bow.
"I told you not to give them anything to hold against you, Hyung," Ryu Jaehee murmured ominously.
I nodded vaguely in response. Cha Yeonho's gaze lingered longer on Ryu Jaehee's profile.
There he goes again, revving up for another blunder. Tsk, tsk.
Gayo Big Match SPECIAL STAGE!
Altair X Reve
Collaboration Stage
December 31st. Just a few hours before turning legal drinking age, Ms. Kangmo, a high school senior who had finished her college entrance exams, chose to stay home and watch Gayo Big Match instead of waiting outside a bar with her friends.
She listlessly scrolled through performances by rookie idol groups she barely recognized, chatting with her friends online, when the preview for the stage she had been eagerly anticipating finally appeared.
Her eyes fixed on the collaboration stage preview, where the names of her former and current "older brothers" were listed side by side.
Seeing her former and current idols together in one place stirred up conflicting emotions. Just when she had finally managed to "de-fan" from Altair, why was she being subjected to this trial?
For Ms. Kangmo, a die-hard "skill-first" fan who prioritized talent over idol popularity, today was the turning point.
Whether she would re-stan Altair or remain loyal to Reve for life depended on their performance tonight.
[ Yoon Jeonga: I was really hoping for "Height," but why "Temptation" of all songs...? ] 9:35 PM
[ Yoon Jeonga: I'm debating whether to watch it or not. ] 9:36 PM
[ Yoon Jeonga: I really don't want to see my cousin's "sexy concept" ㅠㅠ ] 9:37 PM
On the TV screen, spotlights poured down on five men in black shirts.
To ease her friend's worries, Ms. Kangmo urgently texted:
[ Seo Yehyeon is wearing a choker. ] 9:39 PM
[ Yoon Jeonga: OMG I'm watching it right now! Yoon Eden, I'm going blind! ᄊᄀᄂ ] 9:40 PM
[ Yoon Eden is wearing a chain harness. ] 9:40 PM
[ Yoon Jeonga: I don't care about that. ] 9:41 PM
📝 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