A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 396

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Regression Guide for Idols Who Lost Their Original Intent Episode 396

The direct transaction location Ryu Jaekyung chose was in front of the police box near his home. The location in front of the police box was quite effective in preventing scams where people intentionally sent incomplete payments during account transfers.

Arriving at the direct transaction location with footsteps light as if he could fly, Ryu Jaekyung was able to find who he presumed to be the trader without having to look around.

Two men standing in front of the police box with hats and masks pulled down deep immediately caught his eye. Thanks to their model-like physiques, they stood out conspicuously even with their faces covered by masks and hats.

As Ryu Jaekyung approached them, the taller of the two men subtly stepped back.

“You’re from Joonggonara, right?”

The man looking down at him nodded slightly.

Seeing the long-lashed eyes clearly visible through the horn-rimmed glasses above the mask, Ryu Jaekyung swallowed his saliva and prayed this person was a scammer.

Having been constantly compared in looks with his biological older brother and hearing that no younger brother could match his hyung, he had hostility and inferiority complex toward handsome men equipped as passive skills.

Ryu Jaekyung hesitated momentarily at the strange sullenness in the gaze he met, but soon composed himself and swiftly lifted the box he was holding.

When the trader reached out as if to receive the box, Ryu Jaekyung quickly lowered the box to a distance the trader’s hand couldn’t reach.

Thinking he was playing some kind of prank, the brow visible above the mask furrowed sharply. A pleasant low voice resonated.

“Aren’t you going to give me the item?”

“I’ll give it to you after you complete the payment first. Please pay in advance. Cash is fine too.”

Although this was in front of a police box, wasn’t there that legendary Joonggonara scam case where the trader ran off without paying right after receiving the item, and they couldn’t catch him because he was too fast at running, losing only the item?

That trader didn’t look like he had the face of a scammer, but there was no harm in being careful.

However, instead of taking out his cell phone at those words, the trader just stood still with his hands in his pockets, looking down at him crookedly.

Why is he acting like that? Before he could even form the question, the trader shook his head briefly and said firmly.

“No, give me the item first.”

“Are you worried there might be bricks inside here? If you want, I can unwrap the package right here and show you.”

“Yes, please let me check first. Let me confirm if it’s the right item. As you know, seller, these are quite hard to find, aren’t they?”

At the subtle disregard and suspicion in his tone, Ryu Jaekyung irritably tore the tape and opened the box.

“Is this good enough now?”

“Yes, that’s right. But still, hand over the item first.”

Ryu Jaekyung slyly shifted his gaze to the trader’s feet. Sneakers that looked good for running entered his field of vision.

Is this the Joonggonara direct transaction scam I’ve only heard about?

With the police box standing tall beside them feeling more reassuring than anything, Ryu Jaekyung widened his eyes and raised his voice.

“Are you doing this because you don’t want to pay? If not, what’s the reason for refusing advance payment even though I said I’d show you the item?”

“Yes, honestly it’s because I don’t want to pay the money.”

What did I just hear? Ryu Jaekyung was momentarily dumbfounded by how confidently he spouted something so far from common sense.

“Ha, damn. I really got a proper crazy person. I should have felt something was off and filtered him out when he said he’d add 50,000 won and even do direct transaction.”

“That worked out well. Take this opportunity to learn that there’s no such thing as kindness without reason. Especially when it comes to money matters.”

“A scammer bastard giving advice and acting up. If you want to take the item without paying like that, try saying the same thing inside the police box and taking it!”

Ryu Jaekyung fumed at the trader who was looking at him with an incredulous expression.

“I’m the one who’s more incredulous. If you’re so confident, let’s make the transaction inside the police box? Try saying those words again inside the police box.”

“Really?”

A truly familiar voice rang out from behind the trader, no, the scammer.

However, Ryu Jaekyung was excited about properly educating the Joonggonara scammer and posting a heroic tale, so he didn’t notice the strangeness and continued to act tough.

“Yeah, damn it! Let’s go to the police box! You’re the one who’ll get caught, not me!”

While the argument was taking place, the man who had been standing quietly in the back lifted the brim of the cap he had pulled down low and walked forward with heavy steps.

“Ah, you have nothing to worry about being caught? I don’t mind going to the police box right now, so what will you do?”

When he pulled down the mask that had been covering more than half his face, revealing a familiar face, Ryu Jaekyung involuntarily hesitated and stepped backward.

“H-Hyung?”

I’m fucked.

In Ryu Jaekyung’s mind, which had turned pale white, only those three words floated around.

Seo Yehyeon lightly grabbed the back of Ryu Jaekyung’s neck as he tried to turn around and run away while holding the boxes. He struggled to break free, but the grip strength of the hand that held him firmly was quite strong.

“Ah, let go of this! I’m going to report you for assault for touching my body right now! Don’t you see the police box right there in front?”

“It’s not your body, it’s your clothes.”

Seo Yehyeon, who was holding the struggling Ryu Jaekyung, corrected him in a dry tone.

“Yehyeon Hyung, you can let go.”

Ryu Jaehee, who had been watching his younger brother’s ugly struggling, said. Just as relief crossed Ryu Jaekyung’s face-

“I’ll hold him instead.”

Ryu Jaehee’s large hand painfully gripped Ryu Jaekyung’s arm tightly.

“Yeah, go ahead and report it. We can go into the police box together like this and you can turn yourself in for theft while I turn myself in for assault.”

Ryu Jaehee dragged his younger brother toward the police box. Ryu Jaekyung tried desperately to resist being dragged, but in the end he was just dragged by Ryu Jaehee’s hand to the deserted area behind the police box.

Seo Yehyeon, who had let go, safely retrieved the boxes from Ryu Jaekyung’s hands and then stepped back one step.

“I clearly told you when I left this at home. I said these are gifts from fans so you absolutely cannot lose them or throw them away.”

Nails dug into Ryu Jaehee’s tightly clenched fists as he spat out the words through gritted teeth.

“But you were trying to sell these as used goods?”

“No, well, gifts that Hyung’s fans send will come in frequently, and since Hyung brought them home and didn’t particularly look for them, they didn’t seem important or precious to Hyung. So I thought Hyung was giving me extra allowance money…”

Ryu Jaehee’s gaze grew increasingly cold as he watched Ryu Jaekyung ramble excuses without a single word of apology.

“You really didn’t know what consequences your actions would bring? Did you really want to see me ruined? If the gifts I received from fans were circulating on Joonggonara, what kind of things would I have heard, what kind of image I would have had – you couldn’t predict that even at your age?”

Ryu Jaehee roughly swept up his bangs and let out a bitter laugh.

“If Hyung hadn’t cut my allowance, I wouldn’t have done this!”

Ryu Jaekyung decided to be completely shameless and looked Ryu Jaehee straight in the eyes while shouting irritably.

A clear sneer cut through the noise Ryu Jaekyung was making.

“Ryu Jaekyung, you seem to be seriously mistaken about something.”

Thud-

Ryu Jaehee’s hand landed on Ryu Jaekyung’s shoulder.

Pat- Pat-

The hand that had been patting his shoulder a couple times suddenly gripped his shoulder tightly.

“The reason I gave you allowance wasn’t because you’re cute or pitiful or because I felt sorry for you, but it was meant to tell you not to cause accidents that would involve my name, and it was payment for that.”

As each word was emphasized and cut off, the force applied to the gripped shoulder gradually increased.

“Don’t take getting allowance from me for granted right now. It’s not unconditional.”

Ryu Jaekyung, who instinctively realized from the cold gaze looking down at him that his allowance was in danger of being cut off completely, squeezed out fake tears and begged Ryu Jaehee desperately.

“Hyung, I’m really sorry. I was too thoughtless. You don’t think I intentionally did this hoping Hyung would be ruined, do you? You know well that I act recklessly without thinking about the future. I spent my allowance too quickly but had too many expenses, so I must have gone crazy for a moment. I’ll make sure this never happens again, really.”

Ryu Jaehee just quietly watched his younger brother who was shedding tears and begging desperately in front of him, then removed his hand from his shoulder and spoke.

“Ryu Jaekyung, I’ll give you one last chance. Bring the rest too.”

Ryu Jaekyung’s words trailed off as he thought of the remaining transaction item boxes that were still sitting obediently at home since the deal hadn’t happened yet.

“I want to return them to hyung too, but they’ve already been sold…”

“If there’s a deal, then cancel it. You had the confidence to shout at the top of your lungs about going to the police box in front of people, but you don’t have the confidence to send a message asking to cancel the deal?”

“I already sent it by package delivery… I’m not sure if that person will return it… I’ll try my best to ask.”

“Really?”

Ryu Jaehee stared intently at Ryu Jaekyung with eyes that briefly flashed with cynicism and asked quietly.

This current deal was already killing him with regret, and now he was being told to give that up too? Grumbling internally, Ryu Jaekyung nodded his head vigorously.

“Don’t regret it later, okay?”

Ryu Jaehee left behind words that could have been either a warning or advice, then turned around and walked away with Seo Yehyeon. Ryu Jaekyung sneered at Ryu Jaehee’s retreating figure.

‘I’ll just sell it in the deal that’s happening in 10 minutes and tell hyung that the buyer wouldn’t return it.’

He had thoroughly verified with the help of Knowledge IN that theft between family members couldn’t be prosecuted anyway.

‘Wait, come to think of it, didn’t the second buyer also say they’d add 4,000 won more for a direct transaction? It was originally 50,000 won, but they deducted 10,000 won for the direct deal.’

The Seo Yehyeon & Ryu Jaehee combo at least didn’t try to haggle down the price that was added for the direct transaction, but worried that Ryu Jaehee might appear again with a very similar approach, and since there was still a little time left until the next deal, Ryu Jaekyung hurriedly sent a chat message.

[Please make the advance payment now]>

<[The reason for direct transaction is to check the item and then send money]

<[Why should I trust you?]

<[How do I know you won't disappear, and you're asking me to send money first?]

[I absolutely won’t disappear, okay?]>

[If you’re really suspicious, try searching online for “used goods direct transaction advance payment”]>

[If you don’t make advance payment, I’m canceling the deal]>

After a brief pause, a chat message arrived that seemed to show irritation even through text.

<[Good grief]

<[Account number]

The money was deposited immediately, just 2 minutes after sending the account number.

<[Deposit completed to Kookmin Bank under Park Dongju]

<[Please confirm]

<[If this is a scam, I'll hire a detective agency and chase you to the ends of the earth]

Ironically, this persistently suspicious behavior actually lessened Ryu Jaekyung’s suspicions.

The immediate deposit and the depositor’s name being significantly different from the Rev members’ names he had hastily searched up, with no overlapping surnames, also played a part.

It’s definitely not hyung but a proper buyer.

Relieved, Ryu Jaekyung picked up the boxes and arrived back in front of the police box, where he spotted Inyeong walking briskly toward him.

The person who had been hiding his face with a snapback pulled down low leisurely removed his hat and flipped it backward.

Why, why, why is that guy coming out here?

Ryu Jaekyung froze stiff at the unforgettable face that was finally clearly revealed under the sunlight. Ryu Jaekyung still had nightmares from that day whenever he saw Shin Saimdang on a 50,000 won bill.

Before I knew it, I had stepped back, but Yoon Eden, who had his hands cockily shoved in his pockets, was faster in approaching him.

“We know each other, don’t we?”

Thud, an arm placed on his shoulder blocked his escape attempt.

Seeing the Joonggonara chat window on the cell phone screen thrust right in front of his eyes, Ryu Jaekyung finally understood Ryu Jaehee’s warning and felt like he wanted to faint right there on the spot.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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