Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 54. Various Ways to Drop a Parachute (1)

“Ah, as expected, this won’t work for broadcasting, Writer.”

Han Sungwoo’s face crumpled noticeably. Leaving the guy, who couldn’t even manage his expression properly, behind, I moved my body toward the sound calling me from afar.

“Oh my, they’re looking for me. I’ll go first.”

“Yes, yes. See you at the next recording, Hajin.”

“Hyung, good job.”

After tapping Sungwoo’s stiff shoulders, I left. Watching my back with satisfaction, the writer exclaimed.

“You two are close. I had no idea. Why didn’t you mention it during the interview earlier!”

“…Ah, no. Well.”

Sungwoo’s expression, as he awkwardly greeted the writer, didn’t loosen up easily. The unfamiliar pressure and tension slowly began to weigh him down.

And―,

‘That bastard.’

With a hardened expression, I clenched my teeth, feeling the same way as I turned around.

* * *

‘Han Sungwoo is really a parachute.’

This thought didn’t occur to me just because he beat me.

‘It was strange since he bullied Joo Eunchan.’

Han Sungwoo isn’t that stupid. I heard he trained as a trainee for a long time, and he was even trusted enough by the B-class trainees to be called the class president. Such a guy hates Joo Eunchan just because he didn’t make it into the special class?

No, even if he hated him, he should have hidden it. If Joo Eunchan was really a parachute, to a trainee desperate to debut, someone who could decide their debut was like a god.

‘Seo Taehyun said that.’

Even if the Director’s actions were dirty and petty, Seo Taehyun, who was desperate to debut, couldn’t say a word.

‘Well, since there are only young kids here, they must have thoughtlessly joined in the rumor and bullied Joo Eunchan.’

When I asked about Han Sungwoo, Joo Eunchan replied like this:

-He didn’t do anything wrong to me, so it’s hard to say.

-It’s just, after talking to him, I feel so frustrated. It’s always my fault, my problem….

-Anyway, it’s better not to get involved with him if possible.

Joo Eunchan, who was so insensitive to conflicts with others that he didn’t even know he was being threatened, felt the malice from Han Sungwoo.

While bullying Joo Eunchan, he meticulously maintained an image of an ‘angel who fairly took care of the parachute’ to other kids.

At first, I thought he was just a personality-wrecked jerk.

“Kang Hajin hyung, is the interview over?”

“Yeah. I’m going out for a bit.”

“What? Where―, hyung!”

I recalled the moment I became certain that Han Sungwoo was a parachute.

Earlier, when I was on the phone with Seo Taehyun.

-As long as you didn’t run away, it’s fine. Come quickly, it’s your turn next.

-Yeah, I’ll be there soon. Thanks.

-Oh, and… I think you did much better than Han Sungwoo. Don’t worry about the result.

-…?… Ah. Well, thanks.

Seo Taehyun seemed more upset about the battle result than I was. Come to think of it, when I first chose Han Sungwoo as my opponent, he was fiercely determined for me to win. Then I suddenly became curious.

-Taehyun.

-Why? Oh, wait. Yes, Writer. Hajin hyung is coming right now!

-Why do you hate Han Sungwoo?

Seo Taehyun, who even considered apologizing to his arch-enemy Cha Minseok in case of any future possibilities, didn’t openly show malice towards the Director who ignored and belittled him. Yet, he openly expressed his dislike for Han Sungwoo.

This was quite a rare occurrence.

Seo Taehyun hesitated at my question. Listening through the phone, it seemed he was moving to a quieter place. And when it got quiet, Seo Taehyun answered.

-It was Han Sungwoo who told me about Cha Minseok.

-What?

-He was the one who told me. That Renes originally offered me, and Cha Minseok knew it and sold me out to the Director.

-Han Sungwoo told you that?

-But he was smiling when he told me. We weren’t even on speaking terms, but he specifically called me over to tell me that.

Han Sungwoo knew about the conversation between the Director and Cha Minseok. He even knew that Renes originally offered Seo Taehyun. That was something even Ji Suho didn’t know because it was a personal contact between the Director and Renes.

‘This can’t be ignored anymore.’

As soon as I entered the empty practice room, I called Ji Suho.

-Hello?

“Team Leader. I need to see you urgently.”

-Right now?

“Yes. It’s urgent.”

When Han Sungwoo engaged in a meaningless power struggle with me, and when I found out he was behind Shin Kyungho’s exclusion of me, I thought Han Sungwoo was just a pathetic loser blinded by a sense of defeat and inferiority because of the parachute.

Desperation can lead to such mistakes. When you’re desperate, you can make those mistakes. After all, in this field, it’s easy to lose your mind over time. Up to this point, he was just a pathetic guy with a bad personality.

But if he himself was that ‘rumored parachute,’ everything changes.

-Still, this is too sudden….

“I think I’ve discovered the real identity of the parachute.”

-What?

“So now I have two options. One, discuss this suspicious situation carefully with Team Leader Ji Suho, the person in charge of this program.”

-……

“Two, regardless of whether I quit or not, I’ll spread rumors all over every existing community that Miro’s next survival show is rigged with pre-selected winners. What do you choose?”

-I’ll be there soon. Let’s meet at the café where we met last time.

As soon as I received Ji Suho’s reply, I hung up and caught a taxi. The moments of the mission results announcement didn’t leave my mind.

The B team kids who were happy to win for the first time, the A team kids who received inexplicably low scores. And even Joo Eunchan, who dropped out of the Wings rank due to accumulated scores.

“……”

If all of that was manipulated so that Han Sungwoo could win against me.

“…I might actually kill him.”

If that’s the case, even if that guy is not just a Chosen Regressor but a Chosen Regressor’s grandfather, I’ll drag him down by the collar and ensure he never debuts in this life.

Seriously.

* * *

Soon to be promoted to Director, Ji Suho maintained a somewhat stiff expression while listening to my explanation.

‘It makes sense since I brought up the issue of manipulation right after the results were announced.’

Moreover, there’s nothing definitive yet, just circumstantial evidence, so Ji Suho has to be even more cautious.

‘No matter how well a survival show is doing, a single controversy over manipulation can ruin it.’

In the previous cycle, there were PDs who went down because of that. Even though this survival show hasn’t even aired its first episode, if there’s manipulation? They’ll get a nickname for rigging before debuting.

“Just so you know, I’m not talking nonsense out of frustration because I lost to Han Sungwoo.”

“Ah, yes. I understand. But… Sungwoo entered as a trainee through an audition, and he didn’t even make it into the special class.”

“The person in charge of that audition was the former Director.”

“……”

“Until the rumor about Joo Eunchan being a parachute spread, Han Sungwoo always barely made it into the special class.”

“That’s true… but.”

“Even so, this isn’t solid proof. We still need to investigate more. I’m just bringing it up because we need to respond if it’s true.”

As I shrugged and spoke, Ji Suho took a sip of coffee and sighed.

“Then I’ll… first check if the results were possibly manipulated.”

“The first mission’s scores were judged by the mentors, Miro’s new development team, and the production team, right?”

“Yes. Mentor scores will be known by Taeil, I verified the new development team’s scores, so if there’s a loophole…. It would be the production team.”

When he mentioned the production team, what came to my mind were the voluntary resignations. Those two manipulating the program for Han Sungwoo? Despite being desperate to edit for ratings and buzz, in the previous cycle, they were far from such corruption.

‘In fact, they even disrupted a rigged Go-Stop game and eventually started their own production company.’

Wait. An outsourced production company?

Something flashed through my mind quickly. I felt like I was missing something obvious.

“Team Leader, what channel is our show airing on?”

“Ah, Ntv.”

This program is outsourced. The main PD is PD Kwon, but he’s part of an outsourced production company, so there must be someone from the broadcasting station attached as a CP or chief director. And if it’s Ntv….

“Who’s the CP in charge from Ntv? The head?”

“Ah, hold on. …This person.”

As if realizing something, Ji Suho hastily took out his phone. After searching through his messenger, he stopped at a profile picture and showed it to me.

And I knew who this person was.

“Oh my god.”

“He seems like a very high-ranking person… Do you know him?”

“…I do.”

In about five years, this guy would be the one who got fired after a massive rigging scandal in a hugely popular national audition program.

“This guy is the CP?”

“Yes, actually….”

Remembering something, Ji Suho frowned and spoke.

“Originally, Miro Maze wasn’t planned to be broadcast on TV. It was much smaller in scale. But somehow, rumors got out, and CP Yoon proposed airing it on their channel first. He even brought in sponsorships and investments.”

“No wonder. I was wondering why they were spending money like there’s no tomorrow on an in-house survival show.”

“Of course, we cut out PPLs that could flip the show. But we accepted the broadcast arrangement because it was an offer we couldn’t refuse.”

Ji Suho seemed to think that was a mistake, rubbing his forehead in distress.

I organized my thoughts. A system notepad would be perfect now, but timing is really off. Resting my chin on my hand, I spoke to Ji Suho, who still looked serious.

“Then, let’s leave it for now.”

Anyway, we’ve grasped the situation.

* * *

A few days later.

“Alright, let’s smile more, wider!”

At a studio in the metropolitan area.

“No, um. That’s not it… Uh… Ugh….”

“……”

“Of course! Of course, it’s good! But! You look too nervous right now, let’s do it again!”

We were shooting profile photos for pre-release to the viewers. One with a formal pose, and another with a free personal concept.

It was a simple shoot where we just had to look as pretty as possible.

Seo Taehyun, watching someone with a fixed pin in neatly set hair, genuinely wondered aloud.

“How does that hyung even perform on stage?”

Kim Wonho, who had already finished his shoot and changed into his next outfit, chipped in.

“Wow, what’s this? That hyung is so unphotogenic?”

“No, he just can’t take pictures.”

“Oh, come on, this is a bit much.”

“I can hear you, guys.”

And Kang Hajin, who was being referred to as ‘that hyung’ in the above conversation, stood in front of the bright lights of the photographer’s camera, thinking.

‘Damn it. The parachute isn’t the problem right now.’

An unexpected obstacle appeared!