Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 361

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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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361. Jeju Island’s Blue Night (3)
A few hours later, at Jeju Airport.
“Um… uh, over there… Yu, Yoo Gun…?”
“Yes?”
“Ah, well, Ha-jin is on his way now, but there’s a bit of traffic, so… he should arrive soon? If you could just wait a moment…?”
Following the instructions of the senior with a voice like the sky itself, the Assistant Director approached Yoo Gun with considerable tension, informing him of Ha-jin’s delayed arrival. When Yoo Gun wasn’t with the other members, there was definitely something intimidating about approaching him.
As Yoo Gun, sitting with his legs crossed and an expressionless face while scrolling through his phone, glanced up briefly, the Assistant Director found himself trailing off without realizing it.
“Ah, yes. I understand.”
“Y-yes… Thank you, thank you so much…”
“…Um, by the way.”
“Y-yes…?”
But the person in question, Lee Yu-gun, was currently―.
“Then, would it be okay if I quickly went to that souvenir shop over there?”
“Yes…? Ah, yes, yes! Yes! Go ahead!”
“Thank you.”
He was quite excited. Actually, very excited indeed.
Though all he’d done on Jeju Island was ride in a car to Hallasan Mountain and ride back down to the airport, he was very satisfied. What he’d been looking at on his phone just moments ago were the photos the PD in Charge had taken as souvenirs.
‘I should buy some tangerine chocolate for the guys. Grandfather though… chocolate might not be good because of his blood sugar… what else could there be?’
Jeju Island, which I was visiting for the first time in my life, was beautiful.
It was a shame I didn’t get to see the sea properly, but the palm trees spread throughout the airport looked impressive, and the wide-open sky with no particularly tall buildings blocking the view was pleasant to see.
It would have been nice to have more time to explore here and there, but I had no real regrets. Since I’d never properly experienced what a real trip was like, there was nothing to feel disappointed about.
Entering the souvenir shop inside the airport, I stood alone among the bustling crowd, examining the array of snacks displayed before me.
‘Should I buy something for the members too…?’
As I thought about what the guys might like, my mind naturally turned to my housemates living in the same place.
The younger guys with their big appetites, my same-age friend who’d whine about not getting souvenirs, the hyung who was learning so many things, and the hyung who found everything inconvenient… somehow, it seemed like buying a box of chocolate wouldn’t go wrong.
Without thinking, I picked up a box of Hallabong chocolate right in front of me. Then I looked at the price tag and was shocked.
“…26,000 won? For one box? Are you kidding?”
And I put it back down.
26,000 won was two hours of convenience store work, and saving that ten times over would cover several months of maintenance fees. Since I started receiving settlements, I’d stopped worrying about living expenses, but the poverty ingrained in my bones didn’t disappear so easily.
Every penny I’d earned since debut had gone into savings accounts or fixed deposits. I was definitely earning far more than when I was juggling two or three part-time jobs, yet it still felt woefully insufficient to navigate this harsh world.
‘I need to send the guys to college too… and if Grandfather ends up hospitalized, it could cost a lot, so I still need to save everything I can.’
My swollen excitement sank deep to the bottom of the sea.
Still, I quickly cleared my mind. Having become the head of the household from a very young age, I knew well how to process these negative emotions.
Besides, things weren’t that bad right now.
At least, compared to the ‘past life’ I’d come to remember.
“…”
In truth, the ‘days gone by’ that I’d become aware of weren’t as unfortunate as one might think.
Or rather… it was just the same.
Just working day after day to earn money, using that money to support my younger siblings and grandfather, occasionally resenting my parents for abandoning us and disappearing, and sometimes spending nights awake with sighs over money worries…
That life was no different from how I’d been living until recently, and it was no different from the future I’d envisioned back then.
So Yoo Gun didn’t feel particularly wronged by it. He merely felt a bitter ache.
Even after ten years, it seemed he hadn’t managed to lift the yoke of poverty from his younger siblings’ shoulders.
“….”
Despite having glimpsed a future eight years further ahead, the single fact that this was still his first visit to Jeju Island tormented him with unusual intensity today.
“…!? What, what is it?”
“What are you doing?”
Someone shattered Yoo Gun’s reverie, hooking him by the nape of his neck. At the sudden presence, Yoo Gun reflexively tried to slip away, but the person’s arm simply draped across his shoulder instead.
Soon, a familiar and rather welcome voice spread across his ears.
“You can buy all this stuff online, man.”
It was Ha-jin, who had once again habitually pushed his baseball cap backward. He playfully tapped the chocolate box Yoo Gun had just set down with his finger—tap—then naturally pulled Yoo Gun out of the souvenir shop.
“Did you do well climbing Hallasan Mountain?”
“Climbing? We just went up a reasonable distance, filmed our lines, and came back down.”
“Once you’ve crossed the mountain entrance, that counts as climbing, doesn’t it?”
Yoo Gun didn’t bother refuting Ha-jin’s light joke and simply followed where he was being led.
No matter how wasteful the money felt, walking out on his own two feet seemed somehow pathetic. Now that Ha-jin had forcibly dragged him out, at least he had an excuse to offer himself.
“…Did you go to Seongsan or wherever and come back okay, hyung?”
“Of course. I even called Seo Tae-hyun and made him jealous.”
“What did he say?”
“No idea. Ju Eun-chan apparently broke the practice room floor, so Tae-hyun’s busy dealing with that.”
“What did he do to break the floor?”
“Who knows…. According to Ju Eun-chan, he just stomped his foot, but….”
Ha-jin skillfully and naturally created conversation topics, tossing them to Yoo Gun. Thanks to Ha-jin’s endless stream of chatter, Yoo Gun was able to empty his mind without any real effort.
‘This hyung probably doesn’t know what I’m thinking and isn’t doing this on purpose….’
Still, at times like this, Ha-jin’s nature proved quite helpful.
He still wasn’t particularly reliable, but he was definitely the kind of hyung where having him around was better than not.
“Let’s go, it’s almost boarding time.”
“You’re already dragging me along, hyung.”
“That’s exactly why I’m so kind. I’m even supporting my exhausted dongsaeng who just came back from climbing.”
“The way you’re holding me, it looks like I’m the one supporting you, sir.”
“Well then, since you’re already doing it, would you consider carrying me? This old body’s getting tired.”
“Should I arrange a sky burial for you?”
“What, you brat?”
“Huh? Yoo Gun, didn’t you say you were going out to buy something?”
As Ha-jin and Yoo Gun exchanged their meaningless banter while heading toward the boarding gate, Yoo Gun’s Production Director, who had finished preparing and was waiting, asked with apparent surprise. He must have heard the situation from the Assistant Director, and his expression—asking why nothing had been purchased—was filled with kindness and consideration.
It was Ha-jin standing beside him who answered the PD’s question.
“I stopped him. We’re coming back soon, so absolutely no snacks allowed.”
“Ah, I see…? But since you’re here, buy a few anyway. It’s a penalty, but you’re already here. Share some with the members too.”
“Why would we reward the kids who are playing around while we’re being punished? Let’s go, PD. You all should get back to Seoul and rest too.”
Thanks to Ha-jin’s bold deflection, the PD simply turned away without further questions. While Yoo Gun felt relief at not needing to make excuses for his situation, he couldn’t help but give Ha-jin a slightly sullen look for his arbitrary response.
“…Why are you making things up? You were the one who dragged me out on your own.”
“So you were really going to buy it?”
“….”
“See?”
Watching Yoo Gun struggle for an answer, I let out a small chuckle, as if I’d known this would happen. Then I added a quiet murmur, low enough that Yoo Gun couldn’t hear.
“Besides, even if I bought it now, I wouldn’t be able to give it to you anyway, so what’s the point….”
“What did you say?”
“Hm? What?”
“What did you just say?”
“Oh, I said the sunset on Jeju Island is insane. The sky’s perfect for stargazing tonight, man.”
Wasn’t that something completely different from what I’d just muttered?
A brief doubt flickered through his mind, but Yoo Gun quickly forgot his suspicions at my shameless expression and tone.
If it had been Tae-hyun, Ha-ru, or even Eun-chan, they would’ve questioned my words and put their guard up. But it was Yoo Gun standing beside me—someone who’d been spared relatively few of Kang Ha-jin’s schemes—so this outcome was inevitable.
“Hey, kiddo.”
“Yes, sir?”
“How was Jeju Island? Would you want to come back again sometime?”
The moment we boarded the plane, I struck up small talk, and Yoo Gun nodded without much thought.
His mind and life still felt too cramped to have much leisure, so it all felt vague. But it was true—if the chance came, he really did want to return to this place.
When he answered without hesitation, I smiled meaningfully and nodded.
“Me too.”
“That’s pretty bland, hyung.”
“Next time we get the chance, it’d be nice if we came together, right?”
“Why would I go with you, hyung?”
“Well, you know. Traveling’s more efficient with two people than alone.”
“…I guess that’s true.”
I wouldn’t know, never having traveled before.
Yoo Gun bit back the answer that nearly slipped out and prepared to sleep. Thinking that when I opened my eyes again, I’d be back in Seoul, the fact that I’d just been standing on Jeju Island felt even more like a dream.
“Gun, sleep well.”
“That’s creepy, hyung.”
“Sleep tight, you punk.”
“…You should get some sleep too, hyung.”
With the thought that if this dream could last a long time, it would be wonderful, Yoo Gun closed his eyes.
* * *
“Ha-jin, Yoo Gun. Then we’ll see you at the next shoot.”
“Yes. Go ahead, PD. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll head in first!”
“Thank you so much―!”
Less than an hour later, we arrived at Gimpo Airport. After parting ways with the production team, Yoo Gun followed my lead. Though it was evening and the airport was quiet, there were quite a few people scattered about who recognized us—whether they’d come after hearing the news or simply happened to be at the airport.
“Just to be safe, stay close to me. Don’t get the wrong idea—I’m not doing this because I want to hold you.”
“Wrong idea? Did the managers come?”
“Yeah, Kwon Wook should be just ahead. Hold on. …Ah, there he is. Hyung! Over here!”
Ha-jin firmly grasped one of Yu Gun’s arms, citing accident risks, and walked purposefully toward Kwon Wook, who stood in the distance, gesturing to him. Only then did Yu Gun notice Kwon Wook approaching their location, and while still offering one arm to Ha-jin, he bowed awkwardly in greeting.
“Th—! Hey! You, you, you bastard…!”
But something seemed off about Kwon Wook’s state.
His face appeared slightly flushed, and his expression had moved beyond bewilderment into something like exasperation.
I couldn’t fathom why he’d be so upset with people who’d just returned from Jeju Island, yet he was holding a duffel bag in his hand—the very one Ha-jin frequently used for provincial schedules. It didn’t take long to recall this detail.
“Did you bring everything we discussed? Actually, if something’s missing, we can just buy it there.”
“You really…! If you knew how shocked I was when the Executive Director called me…!”
“If you’re going to work with me going forward, this won’t be a one or two-time thing. It’s easier for both of us to adapt now, hyung.”
“Sigh, are you really going to be okay? What if something happens while you two are out there?”
“We’ll go, sleep for a bit, show him the sights, and come back early in the afternoon. If anything seems off, we’ll head back right away, so don’t worry. What about the others? What are they doing?”
“What are they doing…? The ones with personal schedules are doing those, and the ones without are having a blast thanks to you. An idol who negotiates vacation time from the CEO…? Honestly, you’re probably the only lunatic like this in Miro’s history.”
“…? Wait, what is all this about right now?”
Remarkably, Yu Gun only sensed something amiss after the conversation had reached this point.
Sleep? See the sights? Come back early in the afternoon…?
Unable to even guess what this meant, Yu Gun turned to look at Ha-jin and Kwon Wook. Ha-jin calmly accepted the bag from Kwon Wook and gripped one of Yu Gun’s arms tightly.
“Yeah, it’s nothing special. You don’t need to worry about it.”
“How can I not worry? You’re gripping my arm so suspiciously right now.”
Then Ha-jin answered with an utterly carefree attitude, as if it were someone else’s problem entirely.
“It’s really nothing, just…? From now on, you and I are going back to Jeju Island and staying one night before coming back?”
“…What?”
Yu Gun, genuinely lost as to what was happening, furrowed his brow and fell silent. Ha-jin then held out his phone screen with the hand not gripping Yu Gun’s arm.
On Ha-jin’s phone screen—fitted with a fan-gifted case and strap—a messenger chat window was open with someone whose background was plastered with “No Slip-ups.”
【Miro_Han Se-won_CEO ‖ Yeah Ha-jin~ It’s the CEO^^】
【Miro_Han Se-won_CEO ‖ I wrapped up that thing we talked about during the call with Ji-bon~ Usually cases like this don’t happen often, but this time even that Tae-il guy keeps pestering me to let you go~】
“Since it’s you, Ha-jin, I’m trusting you and giving you permission~ But remember, you absolutely have to be back by 7 PM tomorrow evening, okay?~hehe”
【Miro_Han Se-won_CEO ‖ Talk to Ji-bon for the details~】
“Turns out we received a one-day vacation from the CEO just a few hours ago. Oh my, what a miraculous coincidence. So, I’m counting on you for the day, my boy.”
“Wh… eh↗?”
Is this guy seriously insane?
Watching Kang Ha-jin’s grinning face, Yu Gun finally lost all words.

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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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