Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 300

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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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300. Nightmare (4)
The Chosen Regressor Dan Ha-ru watched his original personality fade transparently before his eyes. Only after the original completely vanished did he feel the two personalities merge back into one body as they should.
The sensation was similar to usual, but one thing differed—this time, the Chosen Regressor personality remained awake. The twenty-six-year-old Chosen Regressor Dan Ha-ru, drained of all strength and collapsed in place, spoke a warning to his original personality, who had not yet fallen asleep.
“You… will regret this.”
As if asking one final time, Dan Ha-ru questioned himself without even bothering to wipe away the tears flowing from his eyes.
“When you open your eyes, none of the Dan Ha-ru you know will remain. You’ll have to endure your own time that you don’t remember. People will pity you, and they’ll attach reasons to your every action and judge you arbitrarily.”
Would you truly awaken from this fantasy and crawl toward the muddy reality?
“You’ll live in a time where mistakes cannot be undone and nothing can be restarted. When you grow old someday, fall ill, suffer, and feel lonely—even if you recall this moment and regret it then, it will be too late.”
He spoke more harshly on purpose because he knew this moment was the final crossroads of choice given to him.
He knew he could not defeat Dan Ha-ru.
From the primordial moment he could not even remember until now, every choice he made had ultimately been for ‘Dan Ha-ru’.
“…Are you truly certain?”
The answer to that question came faster than expected.
It came through that voice which the original personality Dan Ha-ru had felt as the ‘voice of the heart’.
-I’m certain.
Hearing that voice—the one he had always used to comfort ‘Dan Ha-ru’—now comfort him instead, Dan Ha-ru bowed his head deeply and closed his eyes.
-I’ve learned how to get back up even when I fall. Because of you.
“…Fool.”
-So we’ll be fine.
‘Dan Ha-ru’ slowly opened his eyes again.
The violet choice that always appeared before him at moments of decision materialized in front of him.
[KEEP OR SKIP]
This must be my final moment of choice.
Dan Ha-ru stared intently at the choice. Then, below the two options that had always existed, a new one appeared.
[RESET?]
In that instant, Dan Ha-ru understood instinctively.
If he pressed this button, all the false settings he had created would vanish, and as his Chosen Regressor personality and original personality merged, this tedious cycle of regression would finally end.
Dan Ha-ru hesitated for just a moment.
But the conclusion he reached after that hesitation remained unchanged.
[RESET]
The moment he selected a choice he had never made before, the Unconscious Space where he stood began to crumble as if waiting for this very moment.
As Dan Ha-ru flinched and tried to shrink back, a familiar resonance found him and spoke gently.
[So that one managed to convince you after all.]
“You are….”
[Welcome back to a single ‘life’.]
“….”
[I wish you fortune in this timeline of yours.]
As if to prove those words of blessing, beautiful fireworks bloomed beyond the sunset sea even as the space crumbled around him.
Even in this utterly eerie situation, Dan Ha-ru gazed blankly at the fireworks. He could scarcely believe that his ‘life’ had truly begun.
“Sparkle.”
“…Ah.”
Dan Ha-ru regained consciousness when someone he’d momentarily forgotten approached from behind and gripped his shoulder. Only then did Ha-ru remember the existence of his older brother and quickly turned his head.
“All done with the touching part?”
Despite the playful tone, Ha-jin’s complexion looked far from good. Blood stains traced from his nose, his face had turned ashen, and cold sweat drenched his features.
Startled, Dan Ha-ru nodded and helped support Ha-jin. With a short exhale, Ha-jin grasped Ha-ru’s hand and met his eyes—his sclera completely bloodshot. In a low voice, Ha-jin spoke.
“Get ready to run.”
“What?”
“When I count one, two, three, you just run, understand? One….”
“W-wait? No, hyung…!”
“Two!”
He said we’d run when he said three!?
Regardless of Dan Ha-ru’s widened eyes, Ha-jin grabbed him and bolted ferociously toward the only light marked EXIT. Waves and obstacles surged as if trying to prevent their escape, but Ha-jin never released his grip on Ha-ru’s hand as they ran.
And finally, when both of them burst through that luminous exit―,
“―Gasp!”
“….”
Morning sunlight streaming through the window, and beyond it, the verdant vista of distant mountains.
With the spring air welcoming a new beginning, both felt themselves awakening from deep slumber.
“….”
Dan Ha-ru blinked blankly, then slowly sat up. On the adjacent bed, Si-woo still slept peacefully. With the oddly whimsical thought that he resembled Snow White sleeping in the forest, Ha-ru turned to the other side—only to see Ha-jin, clutching his forehead as if in pain and muttering something, slowly raise his head as well.
“….”
“….”
Fortunately, Ha-jin looked far better than he had in that Unconscious Space. His gaze was hollow and exhaustion marked his features, but rather than appearing injured, he seemed to embody his usual cold demeanor more acutely.
Dan Ha-ru found himself watching Ha-jin’s expression carefully, unable to speak. He’d accepted everything that happened so unrealistically moments ago without question, but now, waking to a peaceful morning, he couldn’t find the words.
Perhaps everything that just occurred was truly nothing but a dream…
“Ha-ru.”
“…Y-yes?”
“I’m serious.”
“About… what?”
Ha-ru stared at Ha-jin with a tense expression. Ha-jin, still pressing his throbbing temples and the space between his brows, looked up at him and let out a small laugh.
“If I fail KATUSA, I’m enlisting with you at the front lines.”
“….”
“You’ll have to desperately hope I pass KATUSA in ten years….”
“….”
“You know I threw away my college entrance exam scores and university prestige because of you? You bastard, you can’t run now. From now on, I’m going to squeeze every last bit out of you to make you pay, seriously….”
Yet despite the grumbling words, his voice carried no resentment or reproach toward Ha-ru. Pressing his eyes, Ha-jin stood up nonchalantly, and Ha-ru finally broke into a genuine smile.
“What are you smiling about? Just thinking about cleaning up your mess makes my head spin.”
“…Hehe, I’m sorry.”
“How did I end up picking up such a precious little brother, seriously….”
Dan Ha-ru, giggling, gently tugged at Ha-jin’s pant leg as he shook his head. Ha-jin tried to kick free, but his strength was no fabrication—Ha-ru held firm to his pant cuff, smiling as he opened his mouth.
“Hyung….”
“….”
“You’re the best adult I’ve ever met.”
“….”
“It might be selfish to say, but… I’m really glad I got to meet you, hyung.”
Dan Ha-ru smiled with crystalline clarity, silently expressing his gratitude to Ha-jin. Ha-jin watched as a new blue window materialized before his eyes.
[Single Quest 03.]
‘The Boy’s Happiness’
Content: Congratulations on your successful debut.
To protect everyone’s dreams and happiness,
this Group needs a solid foundation and a path to success.
Fill the gaps in the past timeline, and change it once more.
Survive the deluge of idol competitions and win the Rookie Award.
Success Reward: Block The One Who Returns from interfering with your timeline
[Basic Quest 02. Confrontation with the Regressor]
Content: Persuade the Chosen Regressor ‘Dan Ha-ru’ and unify Dan Ha-ru’s personality into one.
Success Reward: Delete the Chosen Regressor’s regression authority
[Quest completed successfully. Reward automatically claimed.]
[System Alert: ‘Dan Ha-ru’ is showing ‘response’ to you. (Response Rate: 97.1%)
‘Dan Ha-ru’ can be recruited.]
[Will you recruit? (Y/N)]
Ha-jin gazed at the system notifications with a pleased smile, gently stroking the lustrous golden hair of Ha-ru, who remained seated.
“…I know, you bastard.”
Finally, this was the starting line.
* * *
“…Hyung Si-u still hasn’t woken up?”
After finishing an unbearably ticklish morning greeting, Dan Ha-ru carefully pointed to Jeong Si-u sleeping beside me and asked. I checked the breathing of Jeong Si-u, who lay as if dead to the world, nodded, and pushed myself up.
“Yeah. Since we’re up, we should wake this hyung too.”
“Ah….”
“But first, let me assess the situation.”
I picked up my phone from where it had fallen beside the bed I’d been lying on, but the power was dead—whether the battery had drained or someone had deliberately turned it off, I couldn’t tell.
At least, seeing that we were still lying peacefully in the villa, it seemed Lee Do-ha had properly heeded my request….
‘Thirteen’s also still not connecting properly, so he must be busy too…. I need to figure out what happened while I was collapsed.’
I used the System to verify that the mental care program was properly applied to Dan Ha-ru, who had been recruited as an ally, then left the boy—who still looked somewhat dazed—in the room and stepped out alone.
Lee Do-ha and Lee Yu-gun weren’t visible near the second-floor room where we’d been, so I carefully descended the stairs and caught sight of the first-floor living room, where the lights hadn’t been fully turned on.
“…Why are these guys sleeping here like this?”
The lights were off, but sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows flooded the first floor.
Once I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw Lee Do-ha sitting rigidly on a single-seat sofa with his arms crossed, dozing, having yielded the long sofa to Lee Yu-gun. Beside him, Lee Yu-gun lay curled up on the long sofa, covered with a blanket.
‘They’re not even mercenaries standing watch….’
Should I wake them or leave them be?
As I stood watching in contemplation, Lee Yu-gun’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of my presence. The boy, squinting as if bringing his hazy vision into focus, let out a scream the moment he spotted me standing before them—as if he’d seen a ghost—and bolted upright.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
“Ah, geez…! Quiet! Keep it down, will you!”
I stumbled backward in shock along with him, but beyond Lee Yu-gun still staring at me like I was a ghost, Lee Do-ha—who had been dozing beside him—opened his eyes too. Whether from lack of sleep or something else, his dark eyes, shadowed by dark circles that seemed to extend all the way to his jawline, poured directly into mine.
“…Ahem. Sleep well?”
Though the situation had been unavoidable, I’d essentially collapsed after leaving all the cleanup to this guy, so I greeted him with a hint of awkwardness and apology in my voice. Yet to my greeting, Lee Do-ha simply stared at me in silence, as if he’d turned into a stone statue guarding a dungeon entrance.
“Um, well…. You okay? Nothing happened?”
Growing more anxious at his silence, I kept rambling on, and Lee Do-ha rose from his seat without breaking his piercing gaze. Then he slowly approached me….
“Hey, say something. You okay or not? Huh? Hey, Lee Do-ha—ugh!”
…and drove his fist straight into my face with full force!
“You okay?”
Did Lee Do-ha just punch me? Did that really happen? He actually hit me?
Beyond the stars flashing in my vision, the shock of taking a direct punch from Lee Do-ha left my head spinning.
Stupidly clutching my face, I looked up at him, and the angry Lee Do-ha I’d never seen before stared down at me with a terrifying voice.
“…Not twice.”
“….”
“Don’t ever ask me to do something like that again.”
What the hell happened?
I’m freaking out here, 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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