Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 241

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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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241. When a Workaholic Leader Takes Power (10)
Jeong Si-u’s eyes snapped open, experiencing a sensation of clarity he hadn’t felt in ages.
“…You’re awake, hyung?”
His vision gradually sharpened from its initial haze. The first thing that came into focus was Tae-hyun, mask in place, adjusting the mood lighting.
Si-u attempted to speak, but his throat was so swollen that even tensing his neck muscles made his eyes water.
Quick-witted Tae-hyun placed a tumbler straw between Si-u’s lips. Lukewarm water traveled down his esophagus. Tae-hyun spoke matter-of-factly to Si-u, who felt he was being treated like a child.
“There’s no helping it. You don’t even remember going to the hospital earlier, do you?”
Me? I went to the hospital?
Jeong Si-u’s last clear memory was the Practice Room. He remembered Ha-jin looking at him and saying something about him being inexperienced, but after that….
‘Ah… right. I fought with Kang Ha-jin.’
Si-u recalled the memory that remained most vivid in his mind.
Yes. He’d fought with Ha-jin.
After acting like they’d never exchange words again, Ha-jin had deliberately started provoking him one day. At first, Si-u had simply ignored it.
Actually, “ignored” wasn’t quite the right word. Si-u believed he had actually been avoiding the confrontation Ha-jin kept bringing to him.
‘Then… after hearing about it from Ha-ru….’
When he learned that the schedule management he’d thought the Company had implemented for supervision was actually Ha-jin’s scheme, he lost his composure entirely.
The reason for his anger was simple.
He’d thought Ha-jin was genuinely trying to sever their relationship. That was what angered Si-u most. While he was reflecting on his own mistakes toward Ha-jin and wondering how to restore things to how they’d been, he couldn’t help but think—had Ha-jin truly resolved to destroy their relationship? The thought infuriated him.
‘Well… I’m lying here like this now, so I have nothing to say.’
He’d drawn a clear line with Tae-hyun and Ha-jin, insisting he wouldn’t let this interfere with work, yet here he was, bedridden and receiving care. Si-u found it somewhat absurd that he hadn’t recognized his own condition until his body reached this state.
Only now, in this predicament, did Si-u finally admit he’d been driven to the brink by chronic sleep deprivation. The proof was undeniable—after forcing himself into a deep sleep with the help of medication, his mind, which had felt like someone had spilled gray paint across it, had become noticeably clearer.
Si-u managed to produce sound through his severely constricted throat and asked Tae-hyun.
“…How long did I sleep?”
“You got an IV at the hospital, then came back to the Dormitory and took medicine before sleeping until now, so about six or seven hours?”
“….”
“The Executive Director was bewildered. He cleared your entire schedule and even canceled your lessons, but he couldn’t figure out how you got sick from overwork. The swollen throat and fever are from tonsillitis, apparently. Since you have body aches, there’s some cold symptoms too. He said for now, all you can do is take medicine and get plenty of rest.”
Tae-hyun’s voice carried a slight tremor as he spoke quietly.
Though he was trying to sound blunt, his voice wavered slightly at the end of his sentences, suggesting a complex mixture of emotions.
It was only then that Si-u realized it had been ages since he’d had a proper conversation with Tae-hyun.
Ever since the day he first fought with Ha-jin—the day they returned from that Convenience Store—Si-u had unconsciously vented his frustrations on Tae-hyun, and things between them had become awkward.
Especially after Tae-hyun declared a roommate strike, claiming he was upset, it became even harder for them to cross paths. Tae-hyun still had many personal schedules, and whenever Si-u had free time, he’d shut himself in his room.
Jeong Si-u slowly raised his hand to press against his warm forehead.
‘Ah, Jeong Si-u…. I really was insane.’
He had no excuse, knowing full well that the cold way he’d treated Tae-hyun that day was pure venting. Taking it out on someone three years younger. And on someone who’d been worried about him, no less.
With his sleep deprivation temporarily resolved and his usual rationality restored, Jeong Si-u exhaled a deep sigh.
That was when someone knocked on the door.
“…?”
“…Tae-hyun. You have that radio schedule. Yoo Gun’s waiting.”
“Ah. Yeah. I’ll go.”
The one who’d opened the door slightly and entered was Do-ha.
After that, I could see Eun-chan and Ha-ru, their faces carefully masked, peeking their heads through the doorway to peer into the room. When Si-woo turned to look at them, both Eun-chan and Ha-ru spoke up urgently.
“Si-woo, are you alright? We made some porridge. If you’re hungry, just say the word.”
“Yoo Gun made vegetable and egg porridge and it’s really delicious! You’re supposed to eat porridge before taking medicine…. Oh, should I go get it now?”
“No, Ha-ru. Never mind, never mind. Later, later. Si-woo just woke up.”
The way they fluttered about helplessly, like puppies at a loss, made Si-woo laugh softly despite his condition.
Tae-hyun went to stop Ha-ru and Eun-chan, who looked ready to dump an entire pot of porridge into the room at any moment, while Do-ha, my current roommate, stepped inside. It seemed they’d divided up nursing duties among themselves.
“…Living this long, I never thought I’d end up being nursed by you, Do-ha.”
“Tae-hyun and Yoo Gun have schedules, and the younger members have recording sessions tomorrow, so they can’t move. It has to be me.”
“Do-ha, didn’t you move? We’ve been sharing a room this whole time.”
“I was practically always in the studio. Our schedules barely overlapped anyway.”
At Do-ha’s matter-of-fact words, Si-woo gave a small nod of relief. Then, as the drowsiness from the medicine washed over me again, my eyes slowly closed. I felt lethargic, but not quite ready to fall asleep immediately.
When Si-woo’s eyes opened again slowly, I let out a soft laugh at Do-ha’s clumsy hands as he changed the cold compress on my forehead.
He was following instructions he’d written down in a notebook—someone must have taught him—but lacking technique, water dripped all down behind Si-woo’s ears. It was refreshing enough, though.
“…Do-ha.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“What about Ha-jin?”
Si-woo asked with his eyes closed again.
Do-ha fell silent for a moment, seeming to think, then answered with a rustling sound as he touched a medicine packet.
“He was called in by the Executive Director. Said they need to adjust the schedule a bit, since he’s the group leader.”
“Because of me?”
“Well, your condition would be the most important factor, wouldn’t it?”
Thinking Si-woo would fall back asleep, Do-ha adjusted the mood light that Tae-hyun had dimmed earlier back to darkness, speaking matter-of-factly.
“You’re our group’s main vocalist, after all.”
Si-woo couldn’t help but laugh softly, almost self-deprecatingly, thinking about how many times he’d heard the words “main vocalist” in the past few days. As if understanding the meaning behind that laugh, Do-ha naturally continued.
“The members were really worried about you.”
In the darkness, Si-woo waited silently for Do-ha to continue.
It wasn’t just because my throat hurt too much to respond.
“So when you feel better, even if not Ha-jin, please say something to reassure the others, at least a word or two.”
Right now, I just… needed to sleep.
* * *
When I opened my eyes again, it seemed to be the middle of the night.
The medicine had taken effect—my throat, which had been swollen beyond words, felt noticeably better. My body, which had been endlessly heavy and sluggish, felt lighter too.
My vision was still hazy from sleep. It was dark because it was night, and without my glasses, I couldn’t see well. Si-woo instinctively reached for the nightstand to find his glasses, and someone placed them in his hand. I naturally assumed it was Do-ha, but once I put them on, the person I saw was Ha-jin.
Ha-jin stretched while checking the time on his phone.
“How does it feel to have slept for a straight twelve hours?”
“…Refreshed.”
“Your fever seems to have gone down completely. I was thinking about waking you up in the middle to have you eat some porridge and take medicine, but you were sleeping so soundly that I just left you alone.”
Contrary to my worries, Ha-jin was back to his usual self.
Not cocky, not reckless, not picking fights, not sarcastic—just his normal tone of voice.
Or rather, a version of Ha-jin that seemed even more… at ease than his usual self.
“Hyung.”
“…?”
Si-woo, who had maintained silence in the face of Ha-jin’s utterly incomprehensible behavior, shifted his gaze toward him at the sound of his name. With only a soft mood light barely illuminating the area around the bed, Ha-jin’s expression—sitting a short distance away from the mattress—wasn’t entirely visible.
Just as Si-woo managed to turn his head and redirect his attention toward Ha-jin, Ha-jin spoke.
“I’m sorry.”
“….”
“For being rude these past few days. I didn’t actually want to fight with you.”
“…Then?”
“I want to apologize to you, but I can’t find anything to apologize for.”
What on earth is he saying?
Unable to comprehend the flow of this conversation, Si-woo’s brow furrowed involuntarily as Ha-jin slowly continued his explanation.
“Honestly, back at the Convenience Store. Neither you nor I did anything wrong to each other, right? I’ve thought about it until my head hurt, and that’s the only conclusion I can reach.”
That was exactly what Si-woo had thought as well.
It was simply that they’d both felt hurt by each other’s attitudes. If someone asked who was actually at fault…
‘I’m the one being childish, getting upset and spouting harsh words despite being two years older.’
With that thought, Si-woo slowly sat up.
As he leaned his back against the headboard and looked at Ha-jin, Ha-jin handed him a glass of water. Feeling the temperature of the water hovering between warm and lukewarm, Si-woo took a sip.
Once Si-woo finished drinking, Ha-jin retrieved the glass and set it on the desk before continuing.
“So let’s just call it even, hyung.”
“…Call what even?”
“Let’s say we’re both at fault and make up now. …Honestly, that whole ‘main vocalist Jeong Si-u’ comment really did hurt. But since I’ve been rude for the past few days, let me be the only one apologizing. My mistake is bigger anyway.”
At such a brazenly audacious request, Si-woo paused, wondering if he’d heard correctly. Once he understood what was being said, he couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
Ha-ha, aha-ha-ha! Si-woo burst into loud laughter at the sheer ridiculousness.
He’d known Ha-jin had an unpredictable personality, but he never expected him to suddenly demand ending a cold war that had dragged on for over a week like this.
After laughing for a while, Si-woo wiped his dry face with his hand and opened his mouth.
“…Ha-jin.”
“Yes.”
“You really are something else.”
“I decided to be a bit shameless. Otherwise, I really felt like I’d never make up with you.”
Ha-jin spoke with genuine sincerity in his voice.
“I don’t want you to hate me.”
“…For someone saying that, weren’t you acting pretty recklessly these past few days?”
“I was seriously risking my life acting like that. Honestly, I was prepared to take a hit from you.”
What could he possibly say to someone who’d acted recklessly with the intention of getting hit just to make up?
As Si-woo let out a hollow laugh at the still absurd situation, Ha-jin, who had been watching his reaction, added one more thing.
“…Can’t you forgive me? Your younger brother who’s two years younger—just this once. I’ll do better from now on.”
Hearing Ha-jin’s voice sound so earnest, Si-woo couldn’t help but laugh once more and nod in agreement.

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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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