Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 239

—————

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

—————

239. When a Workaholic Leader Seizes Power (8)
Now the timeline shifts back several days.
After Jeong Si-u left the Convenience Store first, we return to Kang Ha-jin, who was heading back to the Dormitory alone.
“Ugh, I, seriously, really….”
At that moment, Kang Ha-jin’s emotional state was extraordinarily complex and nuanced, yet simultaneously contradictory.
First he was furious, then a bit hurt, then apologetic, then understanding, only to cycle back to ‘but that hyung was the one who….’ roughly twenty-seven times over.
“What? What I need is Lead Vocalist Jeong Si-u? Then he’s Lead Vocalist Jeong Si-u, not Lead Dancer Jeong Si-u, right? What was I doing sitting there in the middle of the night eating ramen with nothing better to do? I worked up the courage too, I made a gesture in my own way.”
To understand this rollercoaster of emotions, one first needed to know the background of Kang Ha-jin’s life.
Kang Ha-jin, who by appearance seemed like someone who’d disregarded hierarchy entirely and lived as he pleased, had actually lived a life deeply accustomed to rank and hierarchy, as mentioned before.
Yet simultaneously, he was also the greatest victim of that very hierarchy and class culture.
“After all, he’s still my hyung, and? He’s the eldest of our group! I can’t just treat him carelessly because I’m wearing the leader’s armband, right? How many times have I heard ‘you think you’re so special just because you got a title at your young age?’ How many times have I heard ‘you’re not the only one who’s capable, you’re not the only one who thinks?’ …Of course! I know he’s not that kind of person. Still! From my perspective! It’s natural to be cautious!”
As everyone acknowledged, Kang Ha-jin had displayed remarkable intelligence and clarity from a very young age compared to his peers. Yet despite this, the still-young Ha-jin had one particular dilemma.
It was precisely when ‘my superior couldn’t do their job as well as I could,’ and conversely, when ‘I ended up looking down on others by being too full of myself.’
“If you knew how sensitive I am to the word ‘overstepping,’ you’d be genuinely shocked, hyung.”
The Kang Ha-jin of ‘those days,’ lacking the worldly wisdom he possessed now, didn’t know how to reveal his ‘wisdom’ wisely. Because of that, he had to clash with countless people over vast stretches of time.
And while those ‘clashes’ became nourishment that helped Ha-jin grow, they also scratched his heart. After ‘that incident’ at KD Entertainment, Ha-jin inevitably became afraid of being hated by people, no matter what. It was unavoidable.
“I’m, I’m genuinely afraid of that kind of thing. What if, without realizing it, I disrespected someone again, violated their authority, and hurt their feelings? Why? Why~? Because it’s not just one or two people who’ve been hurt and angered by my shitty personality!”
As Ha-jin’s frustration didn’t fade even upon reflection, he eventually stopped in his tracks and ran a hand through his hair. The dark hair, dyed black for the 【LET US】 shoot, slipped smoothly between his fingers.
“But I, I went ahead and said it anyway! I brought it up!! How much of a challenge that was for me—that’s why I’m, what? Even more hurt by this, you know?”
Just as Ha-jin was venting his anger loudly enough to broadcast their quarrel throughout the neighborhood, the person on the other end of the phone, who had been silently listening until now, finally responded for the first time.
-Mm…. Yeah. But Ha-jin. You’re definitely in a completely private, soundproof space right now with no one around and no possibility of eavesdropping or recording, right? If not, I think I need to contact Seo Jin right away and have her prepare an article debunking the Kairos discord rumors.
It was Miro’s Executive Director, Ji Su-ho, who expressed concern in a tired voice—currently Ha-jin’s only confidant, the bamboo forest where secrets were kept. At his extremely practical response, Ha-jin thought his MBTI was undoubtedly xSTx and answered curtly.
“Don’t worry. Whether it’s paparazzi or reporters sticking to my sides, they can’t hear this conversation.”
And looking ahead, he could see the pale blue system window floating aimlessly, having lost its familiar warmth since Thirteen disappeared.
[Detected: Fixed Returner engaging in conversation with somewhat elevated risk level.]
[Fixed Returner Protection Program executing in real-time.]
[Converting specific conversation to everyday language and re-transmitting.]
“…It’s convenient, but it just doesn’t feel right, you know?”
-What did you say?
“Nothing. Anyway, ah, I’m seriously so angry right now. That’s the point.”
-Yeah, well. I’m actually grateful my artist isn’t hiding discord between members.
“Bear with me. I’d normally talk about this stuff with Mom or Ha-won, but I can’t because it involves past life stuff.”
As Ha-jin, now thoroughly off the rails, grumbled, Ji Su-ho made a contemplative sound. He seemed to be thinking about what to say.
Just as Ha-jin, who only wanted to vent this frustration and wasn’t really seeking answers, was about to open his mouth to wrap up the conversation appropriately—
Ji Su-ho spoke in a soothing, coaxing tone.
-Ah, well…. Just cut him some slack, yeah~
“…Executive Director, isn’t that the tone you use when you break my figurine during the holidays, steal my gaming console, and then say ‘you should forgive me because I’m your hyung’…?”
Despite Ha-jin’s words dripping with betrayal, Ji Su-ho trailed off with an ‘Aw, no~.’ Though invisible, it was clear he was taking off his glasses and pressing the bridge of his nose repeatedly with his fingers.
-Are you really going to seriously clash with a twenty-two-year-old?
“I’m twenty, though!?”
-You were twenty-nine when you first time-warped, right? That means your mental age is at least ten years older than your physical age, doesn’t it?
“That’s….”
That was….
Ha-jin, who had been about to argue, fell silent. Because now that it was pointed out, he realized it was genuinely true.
-Well. Looking at you these days, you seem way more twenty-years-old than before, which is nice to see, but….
It really was true.
These days, Ha-jin had almost forgotten the fact that he was living as a literal old soul—twenty-nine plus some extra years. Perhaps it was more accurate to say he’d never really been aware of it in the first place.
And that was probably evidence that the system’s mental care program was operating successfully.
Realizing that without knowing it, he’d assimilated considerably with the “basic personality” of a twenty-year-old, Ha-jin stopped in his tracks and closed his mouth.
-Still, in any case, Si-woo may have graduated from university and had some social experience compared to the other trainees, but… he’s still just a kid who grew up trapped in the competitive society of the practice room. Of course he’ll make mistakes and be inexperienced.
“….”
-These days, I see that even when Seok-i and Si-woo run into each other at the company, Si-woo still seems cautious. After all, he’s an idol and Seok-i became a company employee. When you think about it that way, how lonely must Si-woo have felt? Always having to be careful around kids he wants to be close with.
Words are terrifying things—once the floodgates opened, they poured out like a broken dam. Su-ho recalled Si-woo’s growth background that he knew of and spoke to Ha-jin carefully, yet with a clear voice.
-Si-woo’s mother is famous in classical music circles too. I don’t know all the details myself, but… I just think Si-woo must have been tired since childhood. The fact that his very existence could become someone else’s inferiority complex… I’ve never experienced that, so I don’t fully understand, but still.
When Ha-jin heard Su-ho’s words up to that point, he felt the emotions tangled complexly within him melting away like cotton candy dissolving in water.
Within the stream flowing through his mind existed a certain realization.
For instance, Tae-il’s words that he’d never been able to understand.
Those enigmatic words telling him to see Jeong Si-u as Jeong Si-u.
-I just… think this is something you two needed to address someday anyway. You’ll still be the leader going forward, and Si-woo will still be the eldest, but rather than settling hierarchy, it’s more like…. In any case, you need to clarify your communication approach.
“….”
-Think it through carefully, and I hope you two reconcile. Preferably before the official schedule.
And so Kang Ha-jin shut himself in his room.
Seeing Jeong Si-u irritated him, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to be angry, and apologizing felt awkward, so time just passed with him feeling unsettled.
Especially since Jeong Si-u came out with an outright cold war stance, even the heart that had softened slightly went crooked with the thought, ‘Wait, is that hyung really…?’
‘Reconcile? You have to fight to reconcile. This isn’t even a fight, and it’s not a reconciliation either…?’
Thinking that way, Ha-jin couldn’t stop thinking. He thought until his head felt like it would split.
He knew that his roommate Do-ha and Tae-hyun and the other members were reading the atmosphere, but he was too consumed with thinking to have the energy to consider them.
‘Anyway…. I need to talk to that hyung at least once more. But if I do it like last time, it’ll obviously be a repeat of that disaster, and…. And half-heartedly apologizing will backfire with that hyung.’
It was at exactly that timing when Dan Ha-ru suddenly grabbed a pillow and temporarily moved into Kang Ha-jin’s room.
When Ha-jin was thinking until his head would split, and thinking again, and again, yet hesitating and wavering about actually taking action.
“…? What’s up, Sparkle? Where’s Do-ha?”
“Tae-hyun hyung declared a roommate strike against Si-woo hyung, so I’ll be hyung’s roommate for a while!”
Tae-hyun was the one who went on strike, so why is my roommate…?
Ha-jin recalled a similar thought his same-aged roommate had had.
And right at the next moment.
Precisely when he saw Dan Ha-ru, looking somewhat solemn and slightly tense, awkwardly creaking as he placed his pillow on Do-ha’s bed—he suddenly remembered something he’d completely forgotten, like a bolt of lightning.
‘Oh, damn. I need to prevent the regression…?’
Right now I’m struggling hard to prevent that rabbit warrior’s infinite regression soul-preserved-body-possessed ending route, betting on Young and Rich Tall and Handsome with tags like #SF #Modern Fantasy #Idol #Misunderstanding #Regression-Prevention, right…?
If Thirteen had been here, he would have blown a fanfare saying it was a brilliantly concise one-liner summary, and cold sweat ran down Ha-jin’s spine.
Wondering if perhaps, without his knowledge, the sensitive baby rabbit warrior had been busily rewinding time because of conflicts and discord, he felt like he could hold hands with Jeong Si-u right now and do anything to prevent it.
‘Was this how Ji Su-ho felt when I told him I’d regressed over ten times…?’
I’d only experienced regression itself, never the sensation of merely *recognizing* its possibility without actually *being aware* of it happening—and I realized this was a whole new breed of terror.
The thought that I might carelessly let some unknown entity seize my precious youngest member’s body without even realizing it jolted me awake. By the time I’d sharpened my focus, Dan Ha-ru had already tidied the bed and sat upon it, fixing me with those characteristically bright, sparkling eyes.
“…What. You have something to say?”
Unable to ignore that gaze, I asked Ha-ru cautiously.
Ha-ru simply nodded silently. Yet there was a hesitancy in how he seemed to be searching for the right words. Like a defendant awaiting a final verdict, I sat pressed against the corner of the bed, waiting for what he would say.
At last, as if summoning his courage, the little rabbit warrior straightened his shoulders and declared solemnly in a dignified voice.
“Hyung. I’m on your side!”
…Huh?
As I, a thoroughly anxious young lamb, drew a question mark above my head, our returning savior, the brilliant Dan Ha-ru, continued earnestly.
“So when you fight with Si-woo hyung, I’ll help you out too!”
It was the little rabbit warrior’s declaration of participation.

—————

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

—————