Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Translator: Penny
Chapter 36
The teaser's release sent the K-pop scene into a frenzy... or at least, that's what we'd hoped for.
In reality, it only generated mild buzz about Adora's male idol group, the One Chance Group, making a comeback.
"Wow, even with the reality show schedule postponed, they're not moving?"
"I heard the CEO's waiting for a good deal to come up."
"Fuck, at this rate, we'll never move! Just find a decent place that's better than this shithole and move already! What's with this 'good deal' bullshit?"
Seo Yehyeon, who was sitting on the floor despite the nearby sofa, using it only as a backrest, spat out these harsh words. I nodded in agreement, feeling a vicarious satisfaction as he cursed on my behalf, since my Original Intent Score prevented me from swearing myself.
Still, it was better than before the regression.
Before, the CEO hadn't even bothered to look for decent housing for three years, leaving us to rot in this moldy basement dorm.
But since his own office remained in the same dilapidated three-story building for those three years, while we cursed his neglect, we stopped short of using the worst insults.
Our meeting with the broadcasting station went smoothly, but due to their scheduling conflicts, the reality show filming was postponed until after our music release.
Actually, this works out better.
Our music show promotions would be cut short by mid-December anyway, with year-end award shows and music festivals taking over.
If the reality show airs then, our promotional period won't seem so short.
"At least they re-wallpapered the moldy walls," I said.
Ryu Jaehee, who was sitting beside me on the sofa streaming the teaser for Come to My Universe on YouTube, suddenly chimed in, "Yeah, it's such a shame."
"Shouldn't you be saying 'Thank goodness' instead?"
"If that part had made it on air, the CEO's lifespan would have increased, and my monitoring time would have become infinitely more enjoyable."
I tapped Jaehee's smartphone, which was resting heavily on my forehead, as a warning to move it.
Jaehee slowly lowered his phone and, noticing the real estate listings on my screen, started making a fuss.
"Hyung, are you actually looking for our dorm yourself? Wow, you really are Reve's God Leader...!"
"What are you talking about? I'm just looking for my own personal studio."
When I denied it nonchalantly, Jaehee whined, calling me a heartless individualist.
Seeing that my Original Intent Score hadn't decreased, I figured this much was acceptable.
Yongcheol Hyung had hinted that the floor above his personal studio would be vacant next month.
But even Yongcheol Hyung's studio felt cramped by my standards, so I reluctantly eliminated it from consideration.
How long would it take before I could reclaim my old studio—spacious, well-organized, with a stunning view, abundant sunlight, and fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment?
"Haaaah..."
A heavy sigh escaped my lips.
Occasionally, lingering attachments to the things I'd left behind before my regression would surface like this.
If my life before the regression had been nothing but failures—a trivial, insignificant existence with no achievements—I wouldn't feel this lingering attachment.
The achievements I had attained before my regression undeniably existed.
That was why I had left behind my lingering attachments in a timeline that was both past and future, a timeline that had now vanished.
Each time I realized I was back at rock bottom, the sudden longing became an irresistible force.
I never wanted to regress. This regression wasn't a reward for my life, which had been stained with failure.
It was a punishment.
I had been forcibly dragged down from my happiest moment, and now, at the slightest misstep, I would be condemned to endlessly repeat time, like Sisyphus pushing his boulder uphill.
Yet, ironically, if someone were to ask me now if I wanted to return to my life before the regression, I would hesitate dozens, even hundreds of times, before finally answering, "No."
That's all the lingering attachment I had left. It was time to let it go.
As I bit down on my lip, Ryu Jaehee's cool hand covered my eyes.
With my vision blocked, only his playful giggling reached my ears.
"Ah, right, the music video and song are coming out tomorrow. Even Hyung's getting nervous."
Yeah, if he wants to misunderstand, I'm not complaining.
I didn't particularly like the misunderstanding, but I was too lazy to correct him, so I kept my mouth shut.
"What are you worried about? You composed 'One Chance,' the song that topped the charts."
Ryu Jaehee playfully tapped my overgrown bangs like a cat, his words brimming with unwavering faith. I chuckled softly at his confidence.
The warm atmosphere shattered instantly with Seo Yehyeon's sneering remark:
"Just because you had one hit doesn't guarantee the next one will succeed."
"Is that so? Well, if that's the case, it must feel even more nerve-wracking. Still, this song is good though..."
That gullible fool. Seo Yehyeon had said just a few words, and he'd already fallen for it, muttering "Is that so?" to himself. I couldn't help but click my tongue in disapproval.
With a crooked smirk, I grabbed the hand covering my eyes and pulled it down.
I met the gaze of the eyes staring intently at me from above.
"Hey, I've never doubted the success of my music."
My life might have been full of failures, but at least my music had never failed me, not even once.
Ms. Kim watched the Google server time tick toward 60 with anxious eyes, her leg trembling uncontrollably.
Her sibling had scolded her for acting like she was trying to get concert tickets, which had calmed her nerves somewhat, but she couldn't shake the jitters completely.
Especially given that her "babies'" agency had a history of releasing low-budget music videos like Come to My Universe—a clear sign they were cutting corners.
What if they'd only invested in the teaser and skimped on the full music video?
Eden had assured her not to worry, but she couldn't fully relax. There was always the possibility the statement had been coerced by the agency.
The current time was November 17, 5:59:59 PM.
As the clock struck 6:00:00 PM, Ms. Kim frantically refreshed the YouTube Reve Channel window.
After refreshing the page a couple of times, a video finally appeared:
Reve - "All Right or Night" Official Music Video
The thumbnail featured Yehyeon holding a spray can as if about to spray it.
The thumbnail's image quality and Yehyeon's styling looked promising.
I maximized the video and clicked play with a pounding heart.
The music video opened with a transfer student entering the classroom, walking hesitantly to stand before the teacher's desk.
The camera briefly showed the teacher gently patting the transfer student's shoulder before shifting to the students.
Hajun sat upright with perfect posture.
Eden lay face down on his desk, hood up.
Yehyeon whispered something to the girl next to him.
Dobin adjusted his glasses and fiddled with his phone.
The camera zoomed in on Yuje, who was twirling his headband around his finger, before pulling back just as the school bell rang.
The final note of the bell seamlessly transitioned into the opening melody of the song.
Hajun's refreshing intro marked the beginning.
The transfer student is shown around the school by Hajun, who also shows her to her locker.
Sitting next to each other, they chat, open their books, and ask each other questions, gradually growing closer.
In the library, the transfer student and Hajun accidentally meet and sit facing each other at the end of a table, reading their books.
The transfer student rests her chin in her hand and glances at Hajun, who sits with his back to the window, sunlight streaming onto him as he flips through the pages of his book.
Before leaving, Hajun hands her a poetry book with a bookmark inside.
The poetry collection was titled Shakespeare's Sonnets.
Thump. The transfer student collided with Yehyeon, dropping the books she was carrying in a chaotic heap.
As she bent down to frantically gather the scattered volumes, a neatly stacked pile of books was extended toward her.
When she looked up, she saw Yehyeon crouching in front of her, his face level with hers.
The transfer student next encountered Yehyeon in the school cafeteria, where she was eating alone.
When she looked up in surprise to see him plop down in the seat across from her, he nonchalantly waved, taking a bite of his bread.
*
Leaning against a wall in a secluded corner behind the school, Eden grinned as the transfer student instinctively covered her mouth and recoiled at the sight of the white stick in his hand. He pulled the lollipop from his mouth to reveal its true nature.
As the new transfer student flinched at the sight of the swaggering delinquents approaching, Eden casually draped an arm over her shoulder and guided her past them.
She cautiously turned her head to the side, and when their eyes met, Eden winked playfully.
The transfer student bumped into Dobin, who was wearing horn-rimmed glasses, causing them to fall off.
Surprised that she didn't react to his bare face, Dobin pointed to his face as if asking, "Don't you know me?"
When she shook her head, Dobin pouted and showed her his Instagram feed, revealing his status as an Instagram celebrity.
They took selfies together, followed each other on Instagram, and sat on the stairs, chatting warmly.
Under the sunset-tinged sky on the outdoor basketball court, Yuje turned from shooting hoops to find the transfer student watching him.
Yuje took the transfer student by the hand and led them to the basket, picking up a basketball and handing it over.
When the transfer student successfully made a shot with Yuje's help, Yuje grinned brightly and offered a high-five.
As Yehyeon's rap part began, the scenes flashed by in quick cuts.
The transfer student saw Hajun tutoring another girl and abruptly turned away from the classroom entrance.
Watching Yehyeon walk down the hallway surrounded by people, laughing and chatting, the transfer student glanced at the empty space beside them.
During the band's performance on stage, the transfer student stared blankly from the back of the crowd as Eden, bathed in spotlights and cheers, gripped the standing microphone.
Watching the likes flood Dobin's Instagram post, I turned off my phone screen.
I watched Yuje score the final basket in the basketball game, his teammates swarming him, before turning and walking out of the gym.
As Eden's rap verse ended, Hajun's high note concluded verse 1.
The chorus followed, accompanied by a group dance scene filmed in a gym-like space.
The choreography, more free-spirited than synchronized, conveyed a strong sense of exuberance.
Verse 2 began with Dobin's voice.
Five hands successively placed letters into the locker as it swung open.
The scene cut from the final letter being placed in the locker to the transfer student's hand retrieving it.
Only one letter remained inside.
Unfolding it, the student found a brief message: "Come to me," followed by a date and location.
The screen faded to black and then brightened again, revealing the transfer student standing before a grand mansion, their back to the camera.
After a moment's hesitation, they pressed the doorbell. The door swung open.
Yuje, wearing his signature headband and beaming brightly, greeted them and led them inside.
The scene transformed into a house party straight out of a foreign teen movie.
📝 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