Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 259. This is a Slice of Life Part. Probably. (2)

Kang Hajin had a rare moment of deep thought.

No, to be honest, he was always thinking, but this time, he expanded the scale a bit more grandly.

‘How can we boost our popularity with an amazing song?’

No matter how he looked at it, the timing was perfect.

Their debut results weren’t bad,

The view count on their self-produced content was rising every day,

They had even made a subtle impression on international fans as guests at Utopia’s concert,

And with the upcoming year-end stage, it was a perfect opportunity to make a strong follow-up.

Plus, with the weekend primetime TV variety show *Touch High!* airing soon, this comeback was a perfect build-up that would be a slam dunk even if they kicked a baseball with their foot.

‘Even though people these days say they don’t watch TV, the influence of TV channels still can’t be ignored. With so many people watching through OTT platforms, the impact is even greater.’

So if there was ever a moment when Kairos could appeal to the public, that moment was now.

The starting point of this comeback song’s planning began right there.

“Ugh… My eyes hurt….”

Taehyun, who had tied back his annoying bangs with a rubber band and put on round glasses he usually didn’t wear, came out of his room for the first time in a while to refill his coffee cup.

“…Huh? What are you guys doing there?”

As Taehyun, dressed in a comfortable hoodie and pajama pants, headed to the kitchen, his gaze fell on the living room, and he was met with a strange sight.

Hajin was nervously pacing the living room, biting his fingers as if his feet were on fire, while Doha sat on the living room sofa, hands clasped neatly together, bowing his head as if in prayer.

“Oh! Taehyun hyung. Did you finish studying?”

Dan Haru, who had just come out of the bathroom after washing his hands, spotted Taehyun and ran over with a bright smile.

As Taehyun naturally patted Haru, who clung to him, saying it was so hard to see hyung’s face, he responded.

“No, just taking a short break. I’m planning to go over Social Studies one more time today. But why are those guys acting like that?”

“Ah, our song comes out at 6 o’clock. They’re nervous.”

“…They’re nervous, now?”

“It’s the first song they’re releasing without Seo Taeil sunbae-nim’s help. Although other people did help out… Anyway, they’re really worried the reaction won’t be good since this is a surprise comeback.”

“But why aren’t they in their room and doing that in the living room, making a mess?”

Haru, still nestled against Taehyun, answered with a look that said, ‘Don’t you know?’

“Hyung, didn’t you knock on their door, saying it was noisy when they moved even a little in the room next to yours…?”

“…Well, yeah, but, you know, they’re big guys, so even a little movement makes the room shake….”

“Hyung, when is the college entrance exam over…? Once it’s over, will all this really end? When do they announce the results? You’re not going to be like this until your practical exam, right? I really want to eat the food Yugeon hyung makes….”

“…I’ll definitely pass and come back.”

Taehyun, fully aware of how sensitive he was, patted Haru’s head with a deep sense of guilt.

Just then, there was a loud crash in the living room, followed by a short scream.

“Aaagh!”

“What, what’s going on?”

“What was that noise?”

“What happened?”

Startled by the sound, all the members who were in their rooms rushed out.

In the living room, Hajin was rolling on the sofa, pulling at his bangs, while Doha sat at the table, his hands covering his mouth, looking deadly serious as he stared at the laptop.

Checking the clock on the wall, Eunchan let out a low groan.

“It’s 6 o’clock.”

Doha slowly refreshed the laptop screen.

A new thumbnail had been updated on Kairos’ official YouTube channel.

“Am I shaking right now…?”

The concept for Kairos’ entry into the TOP 100 of the music charts was dubbed the ‘Year-end Special Coin Ride Operation.’

* * *

Mr. A, the owner of a small neighborhood café, stumbled upon the video by chance.

“Huh? A carol in November?”

It was an evening time when the café was unusually quiet.

Wanting to change the atmosphere a bit, Mr. A had logged into iTube to change the music playing in the café, when he noticed a video with the word “carol” trending in early November.

The thumbnail, featuring seven strikingly handsome boys in school uniforms, gathered together with bright smiles under colorful lights, piqued her interest. The song title was amusing upon closer inspection.

“Is ‘This Is Not a Carol’ really the title?”

With no customers around, Mr. A clicked on the video with a light heart.

Although she would have preferred to enjoy a warm vanilla latte while watching, as a small business owner, even a single coffee bean meant money.

Regrettably, she decided to settle for a cup of warm water instead of a latte, and soon, the mysterious song filled her café.

*Ding, ding, diding—♪*

“…?”

Isn’t this supposed to not be a carol?

For something that claimed not to be a carol, it sure had an unmistakable carol intro.

With wintery bell sounds, a warm and soft melody, and a cozy music video full of twinkling fairy lights and presents piled up high.

‘Did they accidentally release something that was supposed to come out in December?’

She realized the song wasn’t mistakenly released about a second later.

The scene in the beautiful music video transitioned to a poster, and the music abruptly stopped, replaced by the sound of a cold wind.

A boy with sharp eyes and black hair stared at the poster. His bangs were neatly down, but a scratch on one of his eyebrows was clearly visible.

With an indifferent expression, the boy tore down the poster.

And then the scene changed again.

An empty classroom was decorated with colorful lights, garlands, and fabrics, with various band instruments and musicians set up in the background. In front of them stood the seven boys she had seen in the thumbnail, all looking at the camera with a rebellious posture.

The boy who had torn down the poster earlier grabbed a wired microphone and began to sing.

*This is not a car—ol*

In contrast to the first intro, the lively and cheerful rock sound was impressive.

To the heavily distorted electric guitar sound, the boy continued singing as he looked into the camera.

*Jingle bells ringing, White Christmas*

*Just thinking about it must have made you excited,*

*Uh, um— Definitely not*

The music video continued with scenes of the boys’ daily lives.

Another boy sitting in class, while in the front row, a couple playfully marking the D-day on their Christmas date in their diary.

The boy wearing a name tag that said ‘Lee Yugeon’ frowned and tilted his chin, expressing his annoyance.

*The fall that passes in a blink,*

*When you come to your senses, winter will be here.*

*I’m not looking forward to*

*This year’s Christmas*

*Because too much excitement can sometimes lead to loneliness*

The refreshing band sound and the progression of the song were quite enjoyable.

No, in fact, even the voices of the singers were so needlessly sweet that it reminded her of those ‘songs that would be great if you didn’t understand the lyrics’ that were popular on the internet at one time.

If you just listened to the melody, it was like an upbeat winter carol rock, but every time the lyrics hit your ears, you couldn’t help but think, ‘What did they just say?’

*Of course, it will snow*

*The streets will be full of lights*

*Everyone will hold hands, singing love songs*

*Why are you holding hands on someone else’s birthday?*

*But anyway*

*This is not a carol*

“What the heck. Aren’t they the ones looking forward to it the most?”

No matter how she listened, the narrator of the song seemed to be the one most excited about the holidays.

Without realizing it, Mr. A, who had become immersed in the song, turned up the volume a bit more.

On screen, scenes of the seven boys acting cutely mischievous passed by.

Tired of the excitement that had spread everywhere, the boys soon gathered in a circle in their clubroom and made a decision.

*Don’t do that*

*Don’t wait for that day*

*Don’t let it make you sad as it ends*

As if planning a year-end party, the boys started decorating the empty auditorium beautifully and brightly in the autumn scenery of falling leaves in November.

They hung lights, brought in presents, set out delicious food, and prepared a sweet cake.

Scenes of the boys, sleeves rolled up as they decorated the auditorium, struggling not to get caught by other teachers or students, passed by comically.

By this point, Mr. A felt like she was in that warm, brightly lit street of December.

*Today and tomorrow too,*

*I want to be filled with excitement and anticipation*

The boys, having fully decorated the auditorium, used the school PA system to call all the students to the auditorium.

The scene of a boy, who likely played the role of the school president in the music video, casually acting in front of the teachers and sneaking into the broadcast room, was also quite amusing

.

Mr. A thought she definitely had to look up the name of this school president boy, who had features like a statue.

Soon, as all the students, teachers, and staff gathered in the auditorium, one by one, the bright lights in the auditorium were turned on in a stylish manner.

With balloons spread everywhere, colorful lights, garlands, and piles of presents, the boys began their performance on the stage, which was now a perfect party venue.

*My Day is Everyday Christmas*

*I’ll live in anticipation every day*

*There’s no such thing as a special day*

*I’ll just wait for tomorrow*

The bursting sound was enough to make your body start moving on its own.

And when you focused on the familiar feeling, you could distinctly hear the melodies of classic carols that everyone knows, subtly arranged in the background.

Even though it was supposed to be ‘not a carol,’ the song was filled with carol clichés more than any other song, making it easy to sing along.

*My Day is Everyday Holiday*

*I’ll just remember every day*

*Today, too, someone was born somewhere*

*Instead, I’ll congratulate you. Blessing*

The only blonde boy sang with a bright smile.

The fast and smooth camera work and scene transitions accentuated the rhythm of the song even more.

The music video now focused on various scenes of people enjoying the party in the auditorium.

*This is not a carol (for real)*

*Seriously not a carol (for real)*

The playful hook melody continued to the end.

The boy with the eyebrow scratch started a whipped cream fight with another boy who had a sharp face and was slender. Soon, whipped cream was being thrown everywhere, and foam spray was flying around.

Outside, it was still the season of falling leaves, but inside the auditorium, it felt like it was snowing.

*So, you can listen anytime*

*I’ll brighten up your weary day*

*Our Day is Everyday Christmas!*

Finally, the music video ended with a scene of the seven boys lying together in a circle on the confetti-covered floor of the auditorium.

Watching them giggle and play around made Mr. A smile without even realizing it.

“…This song is good.”

After staring blankly at the finished video for a while, Mr. A raised her hand and pressed the replay button.

Then she quietly stood up.

“I should listen to this with a vanilla latte.”

Mr. A decided to play this song as the opening song for her café for the time being.

It seemed like a pretty good song to start the day with.