A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 405
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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 405
When I reflexively turned toward the passenger window where knocking sounds echoed, Ryu Jaehee’s Youngest Member was standing next to the passenger seat, breathing heavily.
“What do you want to do? Want to talk before we go?”
“I texted Jaeseon to come out. There’s no point talking in that house since they’ll obviously just extort more money from the kid.”
Ryu Jaehee, who answered my question, rolled down the window. Just as I was weak toward Ryu Jaehee, Ryu Jaehee seemed infinitely weak toward his youngest member too.
Ryu Jaehee’s Youngest Member, looking completely dejected, hesitantly offered an apology.
“Hyung, I’m sorry…”
“What do you have to be sorry for? I managed to endure thanks to you.”
Ryu Jaehee chuckled and reached out to ruffle his youngest member’s bowed head roughly. It looked exactly like how I ruffled Kim Dobin’s or Ryu Jaehee’s hair. He really wasn’t a nutria but a copycat.
Still unable to look Ryu Jaehee in the eyes and keeping his head deeply bowed, Ryu Jaehee’s youngest member mumbled.
“I was scared of Middle Brother so I couldn’t even tell you or stop him… Won’t you get in trouble if fan gifts are sold on Joonggonara…?”
“Don’t worry, Jaehee’s younger sibling. Can’t you tell from me filing that lawsuit? Those weren’t fan gifts but our gifts.”
At my words, Ryu Jaehee’s Youngest Member lifted his head, his face filled with relief. It seemed he’d been continuously worried about it.
Actually, I was also annoyed that the youngest member didn’t stop it or tell Ryu Jaehee, but considering how much that rotten second son probably bullied his younger sibling normally, there were some mitigating circumstances for that mistake.
Since Ryu Jaehee, who was essentially the victim, didn’t seem to want to hold him responsible either, there wasn’t much I could say.
“I won’t cut off your allowance. So absolutely don’t tell the family that you’re getting allowance from hyung. Got it?”
“You don’t have to give me any either, hyung. I’m really okay. What you’ve given me so far is enough. I barely spent any and saved almost all of it.”
Despite Ryu Jaehee’s earnest plea, his youngest member frantically shook his head, but Ryu Jaehee was firm.
“I can clearly see how the family situation will turn out, and leaving you there makes me feel suffocated, so I need to do at least this much for my peace of mind.”
After a brief struggle, Ryu Jaehee’s youngest member was the first to give up.
“If you want to move out, tell me anytime. I’ll get you a villa or officetel where you can live alone. You can live with a friend too.”
“Oh, Youngest Member. You’re totally being a hyung?”
When I whistled in admiration, the tips of Ryu Jaehee’s ears turned bright red. Ryu Jaehee’s hand smacked my thigh repeatedly. I’m only tolerating this insubordination until today, Youngest Member.
Despite Ryu Jaehee’s generous offer, his youngest member shook his head briefly and spoke quite maturely.
“I’m planning to endure until I go to university. I’m thinking of going to university in another region, living in a dormitory, and gradually becoming independent. I’ll try to find part-time work there too. I can’t live off the allowance hyung gives me forever.”
If the other family members had followed even half of that youngest member’s mindset, soft-hearted Ryu Jaehee wouldn’t have had to draw his final sword of cutting ties. Tsk tsk.
Blinded by immediate greed, it was like cutting open the belly of the goose that laid golden eggs.
“But then you’ll have to stay in that house – will you be okay?”
“There are only 2 years left. Anyway, Middle Brother has no chance at Seoul or Gyeonggi area universities, so when he goes to university next year, I’ll be able to breathe a little easier.”
Looking at that rotten guy’s behavior, he seems more likely to end up in some detention center rather than university. Anyway, if that bastard went to university in another region, there would be even more expenses, which would contribute to Ryu Jaehee’s revenge against that household.
But Ryu Jaehee still seemed worried despite his younger sibling’s clear answer and let out a deep sigh.
“Still, now that I’m cutting off support, the family’s financial situation and atmosphere will…”
“It’s just returning to how it originally was. Eldest Brother escaped from there.”
His youngest member smiled faintly and cleanly cut off Ryu Jaehee’s worries.
But when Ryu Jaehee, still unable to let go of his lingering attachment and worries, tried to say more, his youngest member shook his head and spoke first with a playful smile.
“You know what, hyung? After you left home, the number of ancestral rites at our house decreased dramatically? Mom fought terribly with dad saying she was getting old and it was hard to prepare all those rites alone, so they reduced them.”
Ryu Jaehee’s expression became complicated upon hearing that.
“Neither Middle Brother nor I help with rite preparations. Only you helped, hyung. Since we always go out during rites, they can’t even ask us to help.”
His youngest member scratched his cheek and smiled awkwardly.
“So, everything rolls along somehow even without your help. Like this. So don’t feel too guilty.”
Ryu Jaehee, who had hesitated, bit his lip and nodded very slowly.
Ryu Jaehee rubbed his eyes with his palm. With a face that seemed to have put down a burden from his heart, Ryu Jaehee reached out and grabbed his younger sibling’s cheek.
“My goodness, you’re even comforting your hyung. When did you grow up like this?”
“While I’m at home, I’ll try my best to stop Mom and Dad if they try to do anything using hyung’s name. I’ll tell you in advance too.”
Ryu Jaehee’s youngest member spoke confidently. Ryu Jaehee, saying he was counting on that, pinched his younger sibling’s cheek once and let go before offering his farewell.
“Take care.”
“Yeah, take care, hyung.”
His youngest member also smiled and waved at his hyung.
“And… thank you. I felt like at least one family member should tell you.”
Before the passenger window completely rolled up, his youngest member threw his thanks and quickly turned around heading home.
Even after the car started, Ryu Jaehee kept looking back in the direction his younger sibling had run for a long time, only turning his head back after the car exited the apartment complex.
“…Still, at least one person doesn’t take it for granted and is genuinely grateful.”
“There’s at least one person among them who resembles you.”
“That’s right. At least I won’t have to doubt myself wondering if I was some child picked up alone and abandoned.”
Ryu Jaehee, who had been letting out a sigh-like chuckle, suddenly burst into laughter.
“What, why are you suddenly laughing?”
Worried he might have lost his mind from excessive stress, I asked with concern, and Ryu Jaehee giggled as he replied.
“No, I remembered what hyung said to my parents at the end. ‘We’ll raise your son well.’ Anyone would think the hyungs collectively adopted me.”
“Why, want me to really adopt you?”
I pushed up my lowered sunglasses and asked cheekily, but Ryu Jaehee shook his head.
“I’ll respectfully decline. Having a conceptual father become a legal father is a bit…”
Since it was the first day of the holiday, the roads were starting to get congested, so it took quite a while to reach my family home considering the distance.
When I opened the front door and entered my family home after a long time, Podo happily ran to the entrance, sniffed me and Ryu Jaehee alternately, then quickly lost interest and trudged back to his dog house.
After taking off our shoes and setting the gift sets aside properly, Ryu Jaehee crouched in front of the dog house and petted Podo’s head as he was busy tearing at a dog chew with his front paws, muttering with slight disappointment in his voice.
“Podo doesn’t welcome me as much as before.”
“You’re just a familiar person to him now. Podo, hyung is here. Why don’t you acknowledge me and just go inside like that? Hyung is hurt, hey.”
When I slyly took away the dog chew he was only focused on chewing and gnawing and lifted it up, Podo bared his teeth and glared at me.
So the dog chew is more precious than hyung?
As I was playing tug-of-war with the dog chew, Ryu Jaehee, who had been crouching, straightened his knees and clicked his tongue.
“Hyung definitely has a huge temperature difference between how you treat dogs and how you treat people.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Think about if Doby hyung had done this. Would you have given the same gentle scolding you just gave Podo? You’d definitely glare and say ‘Hey, you disrespectful bastard. Your hyung came and you don’t even acknowledge me and just go inside, man?'”
“Damn, what’s with that impersonation.”
And he even implemented the downgraded profanity that wouldn’t trigger the system since he couldn’t use real swear words.
Was Ryu Jaehee particularly observant, or was I just that easy to read?
“But aren’t your parents home right now?”
“I don’t know either. I should call them.”
“I should greet the adults first, but I got momentarily distracted by Podo.”
Ryu Jaehee glanced at Podo and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
I was about to call my parents as usual, but became conscious of Ryu Jaehee next to me and immediately changed my address.
“Mother, Father. Your son is home!”
I called out loudly, but there was no response.
“What, are they not here?”
“I felt some movement from inside just now.”
As soon as Ryu Jaehee finished speaking, a voice came from the master bedroom.
“Oh, you’re here? Mom will be right out, so wait just a moment.”
But even after saying that, Mom didn’t come out for 10 minutes. When I sent Dad a message, he replied that he was out now but would come home in time for dinner.
After a long wait, when Mom finally came out to the living room, my mouth fell open.
“Mom, are you going out for some broadcast filming…?”
Mom, who came out fully done up, first looked at us sitting on the sofa, then briefly scanned the living room as if looking for someone.
Only after confirming there was no one else besides us did Mom furrow her brow and explain the reason for being fully done up.
“You called me so formally, unlike usual, so I thought you came with broadcast cameras for New Year’s special filming.”
Ryu Jaehee urgently covered his mouth. Judging by how his body shook intermittently, he seemed to be desperately holding back laughter.
“Then I would have contacted you in advance to clean up the house since I’m on broadcasts. Don’t you have that much faith in your son?”
“Of course not. You’re not that considerate.”
“Even if I forgot, Jaehee would have told me to do it.”
“You’re still the same, my son.”
“Hello, ma’am.”
“Yeah, how have you been?”
Ryu Jaehee bowed politely and handed Mom a holiday gift set. Mom also welcomed Ryu Jaehee warmly. Since his last visit, Mom had occasionally expressed her wish that Ryu Jaehee would come with me during vacations.
Still, having stayed at our house once before and broken the ice, Ryu Jaehee was performing his role as an affectionate youngest son quite well, conversing with Mom without much awkwardness.
Only Podo and I were left sitting alone in the corner of the sofa, feeling left out. They say a dog is better than your own child, but I guess an affectionate son is still better than an affectionate dog. Maybe it’s because they speak the same language.
I was petting Podo who was sitting on my lap when I looked down at the sound of my ringing cell phone.
[✆Kim Dobin]
What? He never contacts me during vacations, the bastard. Wondering what was going on, I answered the phone and heard Kim Dobin’s urgent voice.
-Eden Hyung! You’re with Jaehee right now, right? Did you just arrive at Hyung’s family home? Are you at Hyung’s family home?
“Yeah, but why? Is there some reason I need to be at my family home?”
I raised my eyebrows and responded to Kim Dobin who was persistently asking about my location, and got an unexpected answer in return.
-Can’t I come to Hyung’s house too?
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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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