Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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15. The Trainee Who Refuses to Debut (6)
To explain how Seo Tae-hyun came to extort Kang Ha-jin, I need to rewind time a bit.
Approximately three hours earlier.
Miro’s Class B exclusive Practice Room.
And sprawled out in the middle of that practice room like a starfish—Kang Ha-jin. Week three as a Miro trainee. What was I thinking at that moment?
‘Should I just regress?’
[System Alert: The system no longer wavers at the bluffing of a fixed regressor.]
That didn’t work. Unfortunate.
After finishing the physical conditioning class (or as I preferred to call it, dancing on the threshold of hell itself), I barely managed to hold onto my sanity as I contemplated whether this was any different from re-enlisting in the military.
Ha-jin, get it together. It’s the military, the military. What are you comparing it to? And yes, I’m someone who’s already experienced re-enlistment once before.
‘Are there any skills that let me not feel pain, infinitely boost stamina, or increase lung capacity tenfold? Regressors from before don’t just allocate experience points to stats and upgrade themselves automatically, right?’
If I had skills like that and was still stuck riding this infinite regression bus, then I’d kill myself. In the end, I gave up fighting gravity and collapsed onto the practice room floor.
‘At this point, even that fluorescent light looks like hellfire….’
[System Alert: Sudden Quest!]
Description: Bonus Time for the Exhausted You☆ Explore your surroundings and provide as much help as possible!
Time Limit: Within 3 hours of the first act of help (3:00:00)
Success Reward: ☆★More Details★☆
Failure Penalty: 60% increased chance of sudden events occurring
…Or so I thought, but it turned out to be actual hellfire. Damn it.
‘This system loves to threaten people….’
I barely managed to stop my eyebrows from twitching. (Though I couldn’t really complain, given that I’d threatened regression before myself.)
‘What’s with this glittering “More Details”?’
[Success Reward: ☆★More Details★☆]
Looking at the reward box with its obvious sparkling effect, I felt oddly reluctant to click it. It wasn’t like I was being contrary for no reason.
Still, I figured I should at least know what the reward was so I’d have some motivation. So I clicked on the details box without any real expectations.
[Success Reward: Distributed proportionally based on the degree of help provided.]
-10%~30% help: Heartwarming anecdote after debut (Low)
-31%~70% help: Heartwarming anecdote after debut (Medium)
-71%~98% help: Heartwarming anecdote after debut (High)
-98%~100% help: Lower reward + Sudden event negation. Unexpected fortune (!)
Are you serious?
‘I thought it would be something grand.’
Looking at it again, the penalty wasn’t even regression activation—just “sudden event occurrence.” So this was actually a pretty light event. With that thought, I felt a bit better and managed to drag my heavy body upright.
‘Since it’s three hours from the first act of help, I need to choose carefully where to start.’
The beginning is always important. If I only help once and get stuck with a lesson, that would be a disaster.
“Hey, could you hold this part of my clothes for me?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you.”
[System Alert: First act of help achieved! (Achievement Rate: 1.2%)]
Time Remaining: 2:59:58/….
“Ah, this is insane….”
“Huh?”
The moment I grabbed Ju Eun-chan’s shirt as he flailed with his hoodie caught around his neck, the system window refreshed with a sharp pop.
Wait, does it count even this?
“Hyung, did you just…?”
“Yeah, no. There was a bug on you.”
“A bug?!”
“Got it off, got it off.”
Whether or not young master Ju Eun-chan’s eyes went wide at the mention of a bug, I patted his back casually and thought to myself.
Three hours left. Target: 100%. To provide substantial help in such a short time….
‘First, I need to find situations where help is needed.’
Operation: Steal the Well from the Thirsty Man! My eyes gleamed sharply as I hunted for prey(?).
* * *
To cut to the chase, my strategy was remarkably successful.
[System Alert: Forty-third help achieved! (Achievement Rate: 91.7%)]
Time remaining: 00:32:38….
“This is doable?”
[System Alert: (At a complete loss for words)]
“What, why. As long as the person being helped feels grateful, that’s all that matters.”
About 2 hours and 30 minutes ago.
After confirming the quest, I left the Practice Room and headed first to the restroom exclusively used by trainees.
Whether the system displayed a million question marks or not, I silently removed all the toilet paper from the restroom (along with the hand towels!) and stashed it in the Supply Storage. Then, sitting in the Practice Room, whenever I saw someone heading to the restroom, I’d say this.
“Hey, grab some tissue before you go. The restroom’s all out.”
So those who’d heard my warning beforehand and brought tissue from the Practice Room would see the restroom was truly empty and feel relieved!
[System Alert: Sixth help achieved! (Achievement Rate: 10%)]
Time remaining: 2:28:37….
‘Not bad?’
But the efficiency wasn’t great. Moreover, at this rate, my heartwarming debut story would become the Restroom Tissue Fairy! I couldn’t let that happen, so I quickly selected my next target.
“Oh, who did….”
“Ah, I took care of it, noona.”
“That’s my job. Just leave it.”
“Come on, you looked like you were on an urgent call, so I just went ahead and did it.”
“I should’ve done that. Thanks, Ha-jin.”
Stealing the New Team Member’s work preparing for the next class.
“Hyung, please… just one sip.”
“Just drink it all.”
“Really? I can drink it all?”
“Yeah.”
Throwing ice water at Dan Ha-ru, who was crawling on the floor with extreme thirst after dance practice.
“Hello, Mother. Please have this while you work.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to give me this.”
“It’s just leftover from buying snacks for the kids. It’s hot out, isn’t it?”
“You really didn’t have to… but thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
“Of course. And the trash bin in the Practice Room was full, so I’ll take these bags up to the First Floor on my way out.”
The Cleaning Lady who helped maintain the Company Building treated me almost like a nephew, expressing her gratitude warmly. With the rain falling right on schedule, I pulled out a few umbrellas I’d stashed in my locker—breaking through 90% felt almost trivial now.
[System Alert: Forty-fourth act of help achieved! (Achievement Rate: 93.7%)]
Time remaining: 00:28:25….
A peculiar situation where no one asked for help, yet those receiving it overflowed. As the percentage climbed steadily, I felt an odd sense of satisfaction creeping in.
What is this? Have I become built for this?
[System Alert: The Quest’s intention… you’re completely… missing…]
“Ah, just a little more to fill it up.”
I dismissed the bewildered system’s comment and glanced around. It seemed I’d already squeezed out everything available—the progress was slowing considerably.
With time running short, I just needed one big score(?) and I’d be done. My eyes swept across the surroundings with righteous determination, wondering where else I could lend a hand.
“Hyung. Your concept today is kind of…, that thing?”
“What.”
“Whenever someone needs help, you rush in—superhero Kang Ha-jin…?”
Ju Eun-chan and Dan Ha-ru, who accounted for roughly 27.9% of that 93.7%, rattled their nearly melted ice water as they asked. Grateful as they were, their expressions seemed oddly uncomfortable as they blinked.
What are you looking at, you brats? It’s not like I did anything extraordinary—you’re making a fuss over nothing.
“Because you’re so kind, it scares us.”
“Should I be unkind and steal your ice water instead?”
“Kang Ha-jin is the very embodiment of kindness transcended into consideration and generosity.”
“Right, you thirsty little lamb. There’s ice cream in that freezer over there—help yourself without the manager noticing.”
“Hyung, I love you!”
I gave them a half-hearted response to their continued chatter, and finally it quieted down. This wasn’t the time for wordplay.
I moved quickly to find the final tasks to complete the percentage. Truth be told, time was genuinely running out. I couldn’t afford to spend three hours working only to end up with a mere 5% difference and some feel-good story.
“Let’s see… is there anyone who needs help?”
And so, while searching for that last opportunity, I’d come up to the First Floor carrying the Practice Room’s trash bag to keep my promise with the Cleaning Lady.
That’s when I finally saw it.
“…?”
“Do you smoke?”
“…No, I came to throw away trash.”
“Tsk, no, it doesn’t matter anymore anyway, does it?”
The Executive Director was picking a fight with Seo Tae-hyun over something unresolved.
‘Wow, a real cliché I want no part of.’
My instincts screamed. No matter how I looked at it, getting involved there would be incredibly troublesome. Even if he was a person of concern, this was a separate matter. If I got tangled up now, I’d be marked by the Executive Director before I even figured out how to defuse the bomb properly. That would be a problem.
With that rational judgment, I carefully disposed of the trash in the Recycling/Waste Disposal Area without being noticed, planning to return to the Practice Room.
“Meow―.”
If only it weren’t for those round eyes discovered between the trash bins.
“…A meow? Now?”
The phrase “rain-soaked kitten” came to mind because an actual kitten was being rained on. Seeing blood on its legs, it seemed to have wandered in searching for shelter from the rain.
My intuition struck again. If I pick this up, things are really going to get complicated.
[System Alert: Time Remaining: 00:28:37…. (Achievement Rate: 93.7%)]
With only thirty minutes left, no money, and no umbrella, I wasn’t particularly fond of animals anyway. I couldn’t just abandon practice and run around looking for a veterinary clinic on a whim. Besides, if I stayed here, I’d inevitably run into Seo Tae-hyun coming this way. So I decided to head straight back to the Practice Room and find another target instead.
“….”
“Hey.”
“?”
That’s how it should have gone. So why was I now standing in front of a rain-soaked Seo Tae-hyun, cradling a rain-soaked kitten in my arms?
“Do you happen to have any money on you?”
“Huh?”
“You could’ve at least brought your wallet when you came out to throw away trash.”
“Are you picking a fight right now?”
“…No, I’m begging. Do you happen to know where there’s an animal hospital nearby?”
“….”
I looked up at Seo Tae-hyun with an deliberately pitiful expression and thrust the injured kitten toward him. Sure enough, his heart seemed to soften more easily for a tiny creature that couldn’t be more than eighteen centimeters compared to this 182-centimeter adult man. The moment he spotted the kitten, his expression shifted, and he stepped closer.
“Is that your cat?”
“No, I found it crying alone in the waste disposal area. It looks like its leg is injured.”
“Oh no, what do we do?”
Seo Tae-hyun’s expression turned urgent as he unlocked his phone and searched for a taxi app. And only then did I realize I possessed that magnificent legacy of the fourth industrial revolution—a smartphone. Why hadn’t I thought of that?
“Why is it that bad premonitions are never wrong?”
“Huh?”
“No, how many minutes for the taxi?”
As if on cue, the Executive Director, who had just finished his cigarette and was heading back inside the Company Building, emerged and spotted Seo Tae-hyun and me. The moment our eyes met, he let out a derisive snort before disappearing back inside without giving me a chance to greet him.
The Executive Director, Seo Tae-hyun, and a kitten. Every element I’d sworn not to get entangled with just five minutes ago had become hopelessly intertwined in one fell swoop. I gazed down at Seo Tae-hyun’s head as he examined the kitten with a worried expression, and I exhaled a sigh of resignation.
Right, that’s why clichés are clichés. You can’t avoid them because they’re clichés, damn it….

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