Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 305

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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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305. Phantom Pain (4)
Han Ji-woo, a reporter at Media A, was an ordinary person.
There had been a time when her heart raced at the weight of the title “journalist,” but by the time the ink on her business card had faded and worn thin, she had simply become another office worker.
Chased by performance metrics, thirsting for click counts.
The kind of reporter people dismissively called a “hack.”
-Han, Han… Do you really not want to make money? If you’re going to be like this, just make coffee in the office. That’ll be more valuable than your articles, seriously.
The company that demanded fresh gossip every single minute was exhaustingly, hopelessly antiquated.
In a world where people skip past one-minute shorts without a second thought, being an entertainment reporter was essentially a messenger pigeon, a megaphone, a parrot.
Nothing more than that.
The mobile screen was far too small and cramped to contain days of investigation, rigorous fact-checking, cold criticism, or philosophical perspective. People only glanced at the headline before scrolling down to read the comments anyway.
【”Dropping Off Members”… Kairos Ha-jin, Stylish Parent Look】
And so, her highest-performing article in recent months was nothing more than this.
A photo article featuring high-resolution candid shots taken with a professional camera of some lunatic dropping the members off at their college entrance exam venue from a morning car.
A single-line article that needed no pride as a journalist, no reason whatsoever—and it had racked up a million clicks. A million.
It was around that time that Han Ji-woo began to feel something indefinable slowly disappearing from within herself. Her self-respect as a journalist, her ego—she’d already surrendered those in last month’s performance review.
…So really, thinking about it now in hindsight.
-Try digging into this. If you bring back something solid, I’ll push for that column you wanted, or whatever. Even if a social affairs section slot opens up, you need some portfolio to even think about transferring, right? You going to job hunt with a million-view morning car photo?
The item her boss handed her one day was fairly novel.
A rumor—unconfirmed gossip—that a currently hot idol member was the son of a mid-sized company executive who was doing quite well. And an intriguing suspicion that the older brother, who was making a name for himself as the company’s new face, might have been funneling money to the agency to push his younger brother.
‘Not some tough-looking leader type or anything… This one should be easy.’
So Han Ji-woo bit into that forbidden fruit without a moment’s hesitation.
Partly because the prospect of leaving this suffocating office to conduct fieldwork appealed to her, and partly because Ju Eun-chan of Kairos seemed like an easy target.
-Huh? Eun-chan…?
-…?
-Oh, ah. Oh my, what do I do. What is this, I mean… I’m, I’m Desty.
-…Ah. Hello.
The approach went smoothly, just as she’d anticipated.
She’d identified a restaurant with a reservation for four under the name of Joo Eun-seok’s secretary, timed with a gap in Kairos’s schedule, and when she followed Joo Eun-seok’s movements, Ju Eun-chan came along.
When she spotted him alone and approached as a casual fan, she found him to be surprisingly soft—flustered but trying his best to be courteous.
She casually dropped a few tidbits of information she’d learned from writing articles about Kairos, set her alarm to one of Kairos’s songs beforehand, and when it went off, Ju Eun-chan genuinely believed she was a fan right up until Joo Eun-seok arrived.
-I’m telling you, Joo Eun-seok’s younger brother. I confirmed you were together, but the photos came out blurry so I can’t use them. …Yes, yes. But just knowing he’s from that family doesn’t quite nail the story yet, you know?
Her momentary excitement at being the first to catch this massive scoop became her undoing.
The phone call she’d carelessly made in the parking lot leaked somewhere, and as a result, the number of media outlets tailing Ju Eun-chan quintupled. Among them was Shim Min-jun from Media B, who always plagiarized her article ideas and ran with them.
At that point, Han Ji-woo’s competitive spirit ignited. Forget the social affairs transfer—she was determined to land the first interview with the Joo brothers herself, driven by pointless, arrogant pride.
-Ah, the kid’s just quick on the uptake. Don’t you know that if you’re obviously playing games, you should at least show your face so things go smoothly later? We’re all going to see each other at the airport anyway, and again at their showcase. These guys have no flexibility, seriously. Ah, no sense, no sense at all.
In Han Ji-woo’s eyes at that moment, ‘Ju Eun-chan’ was no longer a living, breathing person.
Just a free ticket to boost her performance metrics and increase her click counts. Or a subject on the other side of the screen.
Was that all?
Just because she was seeing an idol’s face in person instead of only recognizing it as black text on white background and frozen photographs, it didn’t mean he suddenly leaped out of the monitor and came alive.
Even as she watched ‘Ju Eun-chan’ not leave his room all day, Han Ji-woo felt not the slightest twinge of guilt. She believed this was simply the kind of fame an “idol” was expected to endure.
Frankly, unpopular people don’t even get their toes in front of a camera lens like this—that’s just reality, isn’t it?
I sensed something was wrong only after that irreversible accident occurred.
“….”
Han Ji-woo gripped her trembling hands tightly at the mere thought of the accident. The deafening roar from that moment still seemed to explode vividly beside her ears, yet she resented the fact that she had no hands to cover them. The wreckage scattered across the asphalt still felt like it was strangling her neck.
Even though she was merely a ‘witness’ to the accident.
“…Ah.”
Through the car window, a van bearing a familiar license plate pulled in. It was the Kairos members returning from their vacation at the southern tip of the country to visit the injured members and company staff.
Once Han Ji-woo confirmed that the people getting out of the car were Miro’s manager and members, she urgently unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out. She had something she desperately needed to tell them.
“I’ve already informed the hospital, and we’ll head straight to the VIP room, but just in case, make sure you all wear your masks and hats properly….”
“Over here…!”
“…?”
At her call, several men—considerably larger and taller than her—turned to look at her simultaneously. Having survived in this stale, old-fashioned industry as a woman, their gazes and demeanor didn’t frighten or scare her.
Rather, what froze her was something of a different nature entirely.
“…Who are you?”
Regardless of her gender, it was simply toward a stranger….
No, it was the wariness and contempt directed at the very identity of a ‘possibly-a-journalist stranger.’
Confronted with an unfamiliar expression from the subjects on the other side of the screen who had always shown only smiles, Han Ji-woo was momentarily flustered, but she quickly regained her composure and pulled out a business card from her pocket.
“I apologize. I’m Han from Media A—,”
“We don’t do interviews. Leave.”
“No, I’m not here for an interview…! I’m a witness to the accident. I’m the one who reported it. I’m the one who contacted the police and the ambulance. I came because I have information to convey to the company.”
As she urgently revealed her identity and purpose to those trying to pass by, the man who appeared to be the manager stared at her and released a deep sigh. Han Ji-woo felt her shoulders shrink slightly, as if she had become a criminal, but she still believed that once they heard her story, this misunderstanding would clear up.
The manager, who had been staring at Han Ji-woo’s business card for a long time, let out a dry laugh and turned to the members, seemingly asking whether they should wait in the car or head up to the hospital room first.
Then the members’ gazes naturally converged on one person.
Kang Ha-jin, the leader of Kairos, who had once granted Han Ji-woo the glory of a million views.
“…Si-woo, could you take the kids up first? I’ll go up with Kwon Wook. Please go up with them first and check on the two of them.”
“Got it. I’ll head up first, then.”
Kang Ha-jin’s voice carried a hint of irritation and annoyance. As the members passed by him according to his words, Ha-jin leaned against the bumper of their car, still wearing his hat and mask. That cool atmosphere and aura made her acutely aware that he was a celebrity.
“Could you show me your phone and bag?”
“Yes…?”
“You might be recording or filming.”
“Oh, yes, yes. You can check. This is a VIP parking lot, so I’ve confirmed there are no other journalists, and if you don’t trust me, we could go into the car and talk….”
“No. There’s nothing more dangerous than an unknown woman getting in the kids’ car. Just tell me. …What’s your business?”
“Ah….”
At his irritated refusal and commanding tone to speak directly, Han Ji-woo felt a brief sense of injustice. She understood they were on edge because of the serious accident, but she hadn’t caused it, and she had actually witnessed the accident, reported it, and helped rescue them.
She was the one who testified to the police that Shim Min-jun from Media B had deliberately caused the accident, and she was the one who submitted video evidence from the dashcam. Did they really need to treat her this poorly?
Skillfully concealing her slight discomfort, Han Ji-woo conveyed her business as they wished.
“I intended to contact the company officially, but given the situation, I couldn’t reach the PR team at all. I apologize for coming so suddenly.”
“….”
“Well, what I meant to say is, I’ve already submitted all the details and evidence regarding the accident to the police, but I still have the original files. So if the company needs them for any lawsuits or media prosecution, I can hand them over.”
“For that sort of thing, speak with our Legal Team. I’ll have them contact you via business card.”
“Ah, and also, well, I’m aware that you’re currently struggling with many speculative articles regarding this accident. While I’m not the perpetrator, as a related party, I’m trying to proceed with accurate reporting and corrections….”
“…Yes. Please discuss that with the PR Team as well.”
“Ah, there….”
However, contrary to Han Ji-woo’s expectations, the Miro manager’s response remained cold no matter how ambitiously she presented her material. With each reaction that deviated from her anticipation, she felt herself slowly backing away toward the edge of a cliff.
The deafening roar of the accident still echoed in her ears, and the accident scene—drenched in blood and shattered glass—flickered before her eyes.
Han Ji-woo couldn’t part ways with them like this. She pulled out the final item she had been turning over in her mind again and again since the accident.
“A, a clarification article regarding Ju Eun-chan. We’ll report on it!”
“….”
“Regarding current member Seo Tae-hyun and Ju Eun-chan, I’ve gathered materials that can refute and counter all suspicions and speculations related to Boy’s Supremacy, Miro Maze, and Ntv. Right now, unverified rumor articles continue to spread, so if we issue a rebuttal report with solid evidence on our end…!”
“Excuse me.”
Han Ji-woo’s hurried words came to an abrupt halt.
Cutting through her speech like a blade, slipping into the gap, came a voice that was utterly dry and parched.
A voice so harsh and thorny that even Han Ji-woo, who had watched Kairos’s footage countless times for her article, had never heard before.
Deep, dark eyes met her gaze. It was the kind of look that silenced even Han Ji-woo, who had prided herself on having endured the territorial displays of countless celebrities.
“Reporter.”
Ha-jin, who had been leaning against the car listening to the two of them converse all this while, slowly straightened and took a step forward toward them. Yet he remained one step behind the manager.
With not the slightest intention of drawing any closer to her, Ha-jin established a transparent line of demarcation and spoke in a cold voice.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d save your confession for the Church.”
It was a resolute tone that pushed her back before she could take that final step toward the cliff’s edge.

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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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