Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 337
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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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337. Strike First, Strike Hard (4)
-Welcome, protagonist, to an unnamed parallel world where you’ve made an emergency landing.
As Ha-jin and the members awoke one by one, a mechanical voice echoed through the studio’s announcement system.
-You have all suffered a mysterious accident and awakened here with no memory of your past.
【Yu Gun: What kind of setting is this, anyway?】
-…We do not accept questions.
The mechanical voice responded immediately to Kairos’s representative Muggle Yu Gun’s bewilderment. Beside him, Ha-jin could be seen quietly urging him to just accept that such a world existed.
-In any case, there is only one way for you all to recover your memories and return to your original world.
Then, with a sudden grandiose sound, the wall behind the set split open vertically.
【Tae-hyun: Ugh! What is this?】
【Ha-ru: (startled, turning around)】
【Eun-chan: …? Why? (looking around)】
Within the split set, three capsules beautifully adorned with purple lilacs were arranged in a row. Despite its mechanical nature, the voice continued with thrilling flair.
-All you need to do is find your ‘destined partner’ here and board the capsule together!
【Yu Gun: So what exactly is this development?】
【Ha-jin: Give up trying to understand. Just go with it.】
【Yu Gun: (furrowing his brow in confusion)】
-Everyone, please look at the characters written on the capsules.
Following the mechanical voice’s instruction, the members turned around to get a proper look at the capsules. Then Si-woo, who had keen observational skills, pointed with his finger at what looked like scrawled text on top of the capsules.
【Si-woo: Ah, so each of us can go to different universes.】
【Si-woo: ‘The Four Heavenly Kings of Horror’, ‘If You Remove Those Glasses’, ‘The Pristine White Hospital Ceiling’…. What kind of names are these?】
【Do-ha: Then ‘destined partner’ means…. there are people among us who belong to the same universe?】
– School romance, disguise, terminal illness respectively hahaha
– The glasses one usually has a geeky male lead with glasses who turns out to be the strongest in the world, right? And the female lead accidentally removes his glasses and discovers his identity, forcing her into a subordinate role
└ And then the female lead gets misunderstood because of rumors spread by a villainess in her class, so she’s bullied, but the male lead is the only one who talks to her at school, so she secretly feels happy to have made a friend
└ And then one day when the female lead doesn’t show up on time, the male lead goes outside and rescues her from danger, and even though she always acts tough in front of him, when he sees her crying, his face should turn red
└ And then the next day when the female lead goes back to school, nobody bullies her anymore, but she has no idea the male lead cleaned it all up behind the scenes…. she only finds out by accident much later after they start dating
└ Wow…. I’ve seen a whole web novel arc
└ This won’t do, I’m going to find an antidote right now
At the familiar keywords, Destiny viewers watching in real-time giggled as they left comments. They were all a generation that had grown up reading web novels during their school days, and everyone was busy showcasing the web novel knowledge they’d accumulated over the years.
Some fans occasionally lost their resistance and fled or screamed, but the members looked far too perfect in their natural school uniforms for that to stop most viewers, who held tight to their sanity and continued watching.
Meanwhile, the members inside OCA were still learning about the world and its settings.
-A maximum of 2 people can board each capsule.
-You must board the capsule with someone, and if the partner matching fails, you must remain here and perform a penalty alone.
【Eun-chan: What’s the penalty?】
In response to Eun-chan’s question, an envelope suddenly fluttered down from somewhere. Tae-hyun, who happened to be right in front of it, carefully picked up the envelope and opened it.
【Tae-hyun: What is this? An airplane ticket…?】
【Ha-jin: Isn’t an airplane ticket a good thing?】
-The penalty for this race is a solo trip to Jeju Island.
【Yu Gun: (puzzled) Then isn’t that a good thing?】
Tae-hyun, who had discovered something
【Tae-hyun: Wait, hold on! Look at the ticket times.】
【Eun-chan: What about them?】
【Tae-hyun: We arrive in Jeju Island at 10 AM, but the flight back to Gimpo departs at 1 PM.】
【Si-woo: …Not a different day?】
【Tae-hyun: Same day.】
Then the mechanical voice rang out cheerfully once more.
-Your mission for this trip is singular.
-You must reach the summit of Hallasan Mountain and shout “I love you, Desty” within the time limit.
– Desty at home, bewildered
– So they’re not even climbing to the peak, just going to Hallasan, shouting they love Desty, and leaving? That’s insanely romantic
– Yeah, a male lead like In-so from back then would definitely pull off something this crazy
– I won’t be able to even eat a bowl of meat noodles in 3 hours.
The schedule was absurd—the travel time exceeded the time they’d actually spend there. Moreover, since the tickets were already booked with dates printed on them, it was clear the Company had already coordinated everything. The members, comprehending the situation, turned pale and began protesting toward the camera where the production team was watching.
-But we’re not petty people.
-The first person to find their partner and board the capsule correctly will receive….
-An essential item for any happy ending: a couple’s ring!
【Ha-jin: We already have team rings, so that’s not really an incentive….】
-It’s pure gold.
-Additionally, the MVP who perfectly maintains immersion in this world will also receive one.
【Ha-jin: Ha ha. Well, well. But there’s no way I, strawberry milk flavor, would miss this golden opportunity to find my destined partner.】
A shift in stance faster than light
– Full immersion achieved.
– What kind of life has our Ha-jin been living…
– Someone check that guy’s music library
“Wait, wasn’t the setting that he lost his memory? lolololololol”
└ But that strawberry milk flavor scent of his… it’s like an ‘instinct’ already carved into his blood…chuckle…
└ That’s exactly who he is, you idiots -_-
└ Ha-jin is just an irrepressible troublemaker, what can you do? ^_^
└ Ugh, these concept-obsessed Desty fans are at it again
The Desty fans, now as immersed as Kang Ha-jin himself, had moved beyond the temptation test and begun genuinely enjoying the situation. Yet Tae-hyun, still holding the envelope with the Jeju Island tickets, appeared lost in thought with a slightly awkward expression.
【Tae-hyun: But still…. I can’t imagine these people would suddenly immerse themselves just because we brought them a couple-matching program…. Sigh.】
His hand slipped, and the ticket in Tae-hyun’s grasp fluttered to the floor. Tae-hyun bent down to pick it up. Then, in a close-up shot, someone retrieved the ticket before he could.
【Tae-hyun: …?】
【Si-woo: Oops. You okay?】
【Tae-hyun: …?】
As Tae-hyun lifted his head, Si-woo—whose hair had been dyed a pale sky blue for his comeback—executed his signature move of sweeping his bangs back and handed the ticket to Tae-hyun with a slick expression.
【Si-woo: You should be careful.】
【Si-woo: At this rate, you might drop my heart too.】
【Tae-hyun: W… what…?】
Tae-hyun, moved by Si-woo’s sudden affectionate assault
What part of that made you tear up like that? lol
Our Cherry broke down again lol
– After Kang Ha-jin, Jeong Si-u is also fully immersed.
– I really love how our Si-woo is such a handsome deadpan guy…
Tae-hyun’s pupils trembled violently. He’d unconsciously fallen backward at the sight of Si-woo’s unnecessarily profound gaze.
Then, a hand suddenly shot out from the other side.
【Ha-jin: You’re hopeless, aren’t you.】
【Ha-jin: As expected, I need to stay by your side.】
【Tae-hyun: What are you saying, seriously. Why is everyone suddenly like this…!?】
Kang Ha-jin had already finished his complete immersion into the fictional world from earlier.
Among the members, Tae-hyun—who was particularly lacking in resistance to this sort of thing—panicked and searched for someone who was most distant from such antics among them.
【Tae-hyun: Lee Yu-gun! Can you please stop these guys!?】
However, there was one thing Tae-hyun had overlooked….
【Yoo Gun: Why.】
【Tae-hyun: …?】
【Yoo Gun: I guess I’m the only one who can do this?】
Unfortunately, in Kairos, there weren’t many people with sound minds besides himself.
And….
【Yoo Gun: If you want me this badly, I can’t refuse.】
【Tae-hyun: Are you seriously insane?】
【Yoo Gun: I want a gold ring. Cooperate.】
【Tae-hyun: ….】
The fact that his only same-aged friend was the closest human type to ‘the kind of guy who’d do anything for just five thousand won’.
-Now then, we will begin the full-fledged race to recover your lost memories.
Kairos’s version of the chemistry-generating variety show was about to begin.
* * *
The variety show was far more faithful to its clichés than expected.
-First, we will begin the first round of partner matching.
-The first matching can only be determined by first impressions alone.
-From now on, please create your own nicknames to be used throughout today.
The first order was naturally self-introductions.
However, given the premise that everyone had lost their memories of who they were, there was even the detailed setting that they had to create their own nicknames. The production team had even prepared a list of nickname candidates in advance, just in case the members found it difficult to come up with names.
Thus, the results of their decided nicknames were as follows.
【Kang Ha-jin: That Strawberry Milk Guy (shortened to Strawberry Milk)】
【Jeong Si-u: Red Magnolia (his own pick)】
【Lee Do-ha: Number One in the World (production team recommendation)】
【Seo Tae-hyun: Cherry Lip Balm (production team recommendation)】
【Lee Yu-gun: Night Rider (Si-u’s recommendation)】
【Ju Eun-chan: Silver Lion (his own pick)】
Dan Ha-ru: Moonlight Boy (Recommended by Kang Ha-jin)
At this point, the members of Kairos began to show their true colors.
Tae-hyun: (deep sigh)
Tae-hyun: (I’m a professional, I’m a professional, I’m a professional)
Tae-hyun: I am… cherry-flavored… lip… *snort*…>
The cringe-worthy cherry-flavored lip balm finally broke him.
While one member crumbled into self-loathing just from uttering this ridiculous nickname,
Do-ha: Hello.
Do-ha: I’m the number one in the world.
His physique somehow made it seem plausible.
There was also a member who unexpectedly accepted the concept with calm composure, surprising both Destiny and the other members.
And the most outstanding one was, of course…
Ha-jin: Excuse me, could you move these flowers for me?
A sudden request from that strawberry milk-flavored guy?
Ha-jin: Butterflies and bees might mistake my strawberry milk scent for the flowers’ fragrance and lose their way, you see.
Si-woo: No, it’s fine. You can leave them.
Ha-jin: …?
Si-woo: They’ll fly toward me thinking I’m the flower anyway.
Don’t misunderstand.
I simply forgot the captions for a moment, mesmerized by their beauty.
It’s absolutely not because my hands are too cramped from cringing to type properly, I swear.
…I’m already regretting this concept.
Hahahahahahaha what are those fish gonna do now that they’ve found water
What kind of show is this lolololololololol
Those guys are seriously something else lolololololololololololololololololololol
– No, PD, is this correct?? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
With the leader and eldest member carrying the concept brilliantly, the fan community threads were already on the verge of exploding.
A full shot captured the members sitting in a semicircle, and with sensual background music, the studio lighting brightened beautifully.
-Now then, let’s begin.
-The first partner matching round.
-Please remember that those who don’t get matched this round will be one step closer to the Jeju Island trip.
The curtain rose on the full-scale partner matching war, with the Jeju Island trip on the line.
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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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