Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 224

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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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224. The Sickly Shall Freeze to Death
I know this all too well.
Having been forcibly equipped with a system that carries both ‘penalties’ and ‘side effects’ in this modern fantasy idol narrative, a certain degree of #delusion tropes and #sickly character clichés are absolutely unavoidable.
Yes, but still….
“…Did I somehow catch an incurable disease last night? No, that’s ridiculous. I slept incredibly well. Really, deeply well. Like I’d been dosed with a universal cure and slept it off.”
“Stop talking and put it on. They say there’s a cold going around during the season change. If you catch something at the hospital, what then?”
“Then at least take some of these off me. I’m dying under the weight.”
“We can’t do that. What if you suddenly stumble and hit something? Yesterday you were bumping into things all over the place, weren’t you? Do-ha said he heard all about it.”
“That’s right! We’ll support you all the way to the car! Even at the hospital!”
“Who exactly is supporting whom here…? You two are both shorter than me.”
“Should we call Yoo Gun and Do-ha?”
“…Never mind. Just hold on tight.”
…Isn’t this a bit overprotective?
Dressed in the mask and scarf Seo Tae-hyun had given me, layered under a thick coat, with Dan Ha-ru and Ju Eun-chan linked on either side—I didn’t need to see myself to know how ridiculous I looked.
They were grabbing my arms as if supporting me, but honestly, since they were both shorter than me, it was no different from just linking arms.
“The Executive Director should be here soon. We might as well head down to the parking lot.”
Jeong Si-u, the architect of this entire overprotection crisis, emerged into the living room holding a steaming mug, his words casual and measured.
His appearance was so dazzling in the morning sunlight that one might mistake the drink in his hand for warm drip coffee—but in reality, that cup contained barley tea, steeped dark with two generous scoops of powder.
Catching the rich, nutty aroma of the barley tea wafting through the air, I silently appealed to the heavens for mercy regarding our household’s shameless visual masterpiece who had successfully orchestrated my hospital abduction.
“…Are you really doing this?”
“Doing what?”
As if reporting my health status to Ji Su-ho the moment I woke up wasn’t enough,
I’d quietly tried to slip out and coordinate a story with Ji Su-ho before returning, but instead he’d spread fake news to the members saying ‘Ha-jin collapsed early this morning and we’re getting him checked out at the hospital today,’ and
on top of that, he’d rattled off every conceivable illness related to dizziness at the breakfast table, which caused Seo Ju-dan to create this whole mess, and now he’s asking ‘what did I do?’
Whether I glared at him with plenty to say or not, Jeong Si-u simply stirred his barley tea—laden with nuts—with a spoon and smiled brightly.
“Take Ha-jin with Eun-chan and Ha-ru to the hospital and back safely. While you’re out, grab something delicious to eat too.”
“Yes!”
“Okay!”
“Hey…! Be honest with me. The delicious food is the real goal, isn’t it!?”
I thrashed about, feeling utterly betrayed by how eagerly those two youngest members responded to ‘something delicious.’
But my arms were already firmly locked in their grip, and my body was being transported past the dormitory door toward the elevator.
Accepting that further resistance was merely a futile test of strength, I quietly allowed myself to be guided by the youngest members’ arms (?) down to the underground parking lot. I could see the van our group used approaching us.
‘Fine, whatever. Might as well get a free checkup while I’m at it. Let’s just go with the flow.’
With that thought, just as I was about to climb into the van that had stopped in front of me….
“Ha-jin! Are you really in such bad condition that you need this much support? This is driving me crazy. Get in quick. Hey, let’s have Ha-jin lie down in here. This won’t do. What’s your schedule like tomorrow? Just one music show? Just in case, should we start adjusting schedules….”
“No! No! I’m telling you it’s not like that!”
Even Ji Su-ho, whom I’d trusted, took one look at my state and his face went pale as he scrambled out of the van in a panic.
With the momentum suggesting he might post a ‘Kang Ha-jin Activity Suspension Notice’ at any moment, I flailed about, my voice full of grievance. Even I could hear my vocalization was completely off as I performed diaphragmatic breathing in staccato bursts.
‘If I start coughing up blood, they’ll definitely force me into retirement…!’
Next time, I’m getting a side effect exemption patch from headquarters no matter what…!
With firm resolve, I reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat and was transported to the hospital.
* * *
Perhaps because it was a weekday morning, the hospital that Su-ho brought me to wasn’t particularly crowded.
Even though there was a hospital near the dormitory where I could have gotten a checkup, Su-ho deliberately brought me to this one, which was far from the dormitory. It seemed the company had designated a specific hospital for idols to use, likely due to concerns about personal information leaks.
‘Ah. I’m bored—should’ve just brought the younger guys along?’
Eun-chan and Ha-ru, who had insisted on following me to the hospital and helping me walk, were barely persuaded to stay at the dormitory.
I made excuses about people potentially recognizing us, or how rumors might spread if we showed up in a group at the hospital, but the real reason was so I could comfortably tell Su-ho that all of this was because of that damned system.
-So… you’re saying all of this is a side effect of the system? There’s nothing physically wrong with you? It’s not like your condition got worse again from repeated regressions like last time?
-No, I’m telling you. I’m fine, seriously. It’s not like I need a CT scan or MRI or blood work or anything. Si-u was just overreacting!
But after hearing all my explanations, Su-ho shook his head firmly.
-But Ha-jin. How can you be so confident that there’s nothing wrong with your health when you’re experiencing unexplained dizziness and actually vomiting? Let’s just get all the tests done while we’re here anyway. And from what I can see, you’re surprisingly insensitive about your own condition. I can’t trust your word about your physical state.
…For that reason, I ended up undergoing every test and consultation available at this hospital, and now I was sitting in the hospital corridor waiting for Su-ho, who had gone to hear the test results on my behalf.
“Ah, Quest.”
Since I had nothing to do while waiting, might as well check it now?
I opened the NEW system UI window that I hadn’t properly examined due to Si-u’s semi-coercive insistence last night. When I pulled up the revised Quest list, several system windows with differently colored indices unfolded before my eyes.
[Basic Quest 01. Find the Regressor! has been completed.]
[Basic Quest 02. Confrontation with the Regressor has been registered.]
[Basic Quest 02. Confrontation with the Regressor cannot be viewed yet. The lock will automatically release and viewing will become available once certain conditions are met.]
[Existing random Quests have been changed to Mini Quests. More diverse content will be provided irregularly to motivate the fixed Regressor.]
[To ensure safer timeline management, the fixed Regressor’s skill usage is restricted. (Applied Skills: ‘How Much Is Enough?’ ‘What’s Truly Me?’)]
[The fixed Regressor’s mental care system has entered a stabilization phase.]
[The fixed Regressor’s ‘Wandering and Drifting’ mode has been detected as inactive for a certain period. If inactivity continues for three months or longer, the ‘Wandering and Drifting’ mode will be deactivated.]
“What’s with this system always saying I can’t do something?”
If that’s the case, why give it to me in the first place!
Of course, I originally didn’t get it, but I pushed hard enough to receive it, so still, right?
Can’t use skills, can’t view information, and now without Thirteen I can’t even have someone to banter with—what’s the point of your existence anyway?
“…Sigh, forget it. What’s the use complaining?”
I held back my frustration directed at empty air and leaned back against the chair.
Normally by now, Thirteen would be chattering away about how the fixed Regressor is this and that… but without someone to respond, even that wasn’t fun.
“…?”
That’s when someone called me.
Thinking it might be Su-ho, I checked my phone, and an unexpected name appeared on the screen.
【Miro_Upia_Seo Tae-il Senior】
Why is this guy calling me this early in the morning?
Truth be told, he’s practically a benefactor, but whenever we get entangled, I end up in bad situations… The moment I saw his name on the phone, an ominous premonition washed over me first.
Of course, that’s just what my heart felt.
My body, already accustomed to years of social life, couldn’t bear to let the ringing sound continue even three more seconds for this esteemed senior who had called me directly, so I quickly pressed the answer button.
“Yes, Senior. Kang Ha-jin from Kairos speaking.”
-…Ha-jin. Did our company suddenly enforce military discipline or something? I’m getting flashbacks to my reinlistment—it’s giving me chills.
Ah, there I go again with that bad habit.
“I was just being polite on the phone, so… what’s the matter?”
I asked vaguely about the reason for his call, and Seo Tae-il responded with concern in his voice.
-Wait, you’re sick? I heard you collapsed at dawn after a schedule and Su-ho hyung rushed you to the Emergency Room, so I got worried and called to check on you.
“…Me?”
-Yeah. You.
“…Where did you hear that?”
-Just heard it when I got to the company. Apparently you had a high fever all night and muscle cramps, and Si-woo discovered it and called Su-ho hyung.
“…I’m sorry, but is Miro actually a news agency instead of an entertainment company? It really seems like there’s a dedicated department for generating rumors. Doesn’t that count as employment fraud? I think I need to consult with a lawyer. Do you happen to know any law firms you could recommend?”
As I rambled in bewilderment, Seo Tae-il answered cheerfully with an unnecessarily refreshing tone.
-Oh. It’s not?
“Of course it’s not…!”
-I was thinking of sending you some beef to help you recover since you’re supposedly sick. You don’t need it?
“There’s nowhere that doesn’t hurt, nowhere. My whole body aches, and there’s muscle soreness, and my energy seems a bit depleted too, so I think I should go to a traditional medicine clinic and get some acupuncture, and just…”
-Yeah. That’s why I really like you.
I heard cheerful laughter coming through the phone. Seeing the laughter continue for quite a while, it was obvious he’d brought this up just to tease me.
I realized I’d been caught and responded as impudently as I could manage.
“Although the rumor about me being sick is false, if you, my senior, would bestow upon this humble junior the grace of beef, I will repay your kindness by spreading word of your good deeds through every media outlet I use.”
Of course, my heart was being impudent, but my body still maintained a respectful tone as if it couldn’t tolerate even the slightest rudeness toward my senior.
Seo Tae-il seemed pleased with my response and laughed even louder.
-Ah, that’s hilarious… But you really did go to the hospital, right? I heard from Su-ho hyung. You’re okay, aren’t you?
“Yes. It’s just that I didn’t get enough sleep, but everyone seems to have serious health anxiety.”
-I understand. We had one member at our company who almost went down that path.
“…No, why do you talk about such things while laughing like that? You’re making me serious.”
I recalled that the ‘member who almost went down that path’ Seo Tae-il was referring to was the youngest member of Upia, straightened my posture, and closed my mouth.
Then Seo Tae-il lightly moved past the topic, saying, ‘Well, it’s old news anyway.’
-Anyway, the reason I called was to check on you since I heard you were sick, and also because I had something to talk about.
“Ah, yes. Go ahead.”
-You received the reverse support we sent you, right?
“Oh, yes, yes. I was actually meaning to thank you for that… I’m late, but thank you, senior.”
I conveyed my sincere gratitude regarding the reverse support from the last music broadcast.
Then Seo Tae-il spoke cynically, his tone dropping slightly.
-Yeah. Did you see what was in it? I deliberately sent it the same way that… what was it, that group did it.
“…Believer?”
-Ah, yeah. Believer. It must be Believer.
“Why suddenly Believer’s reverse support…?”
Why would Believer suddenly be in our group’s reverse support?
I was thinking that when I remembered the small dispute between Believer fans and our fans in the community after Eun-seok first prepared the reverse support.
-No, Tae-hyun mentioned it. There were comments online saying Believer sent it like this, but Kairos has poor value for money or whatever, and he said he was really upset about it.
“Tae-hyun said that?”
-Yeah. So since we were sending you something anyway, I added the same composition as theirs plus product exchange vouchers for the brand I’m advertising. I can’t stand seeing our youngest members get discouraged like that.
…Seo Tae-hyun, what a terrifying bastard.
No, the Seo family—these frightening people….
To remember that so obsessively and construct a reverse collaboration with the exact same format to send it back?
In any case, thanks to him, Destiny enjoyed themselves throughout the music show activities, so I didn’t press the matter further and smoothly steered the conversation elsewhere.
“In any case, thanks to you, we wrapped up the music show activities well. Thank you again. Please pass along my gratitude to the other seniors as well.”
Then Seo Tae-il seized the tail end of my words with a tone that said, “That’s right.”
-Ah. Yeah, that’s right. So, about that. The thanks.
“…?”
-Why don’t you do it in person, face to face?
“Yes…?”
-Come perform as a guest at our concert.
What are we supposed to do…?
Faced with this colossal schedule bomb bestowed upon me by a senior of such stature, I found myself frozen solid on the hospital corridor sofa.

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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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