Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 544

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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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544. An Unexpected Meeting (2)
When Seo Tae-il asked why I wasn’t signing the contract right away, I answered him honestly and directly.
Given that Seo Tae-il had eaten his fill of the entertainment industry’s seasoning, spouting obvious lies or awkwardly dodging the question would only backfire.
“….”
After hearing my entire answer, Seo Tae-il fell silent. He stroked his lips with his fingers as if organizing his thoughts, then leaned back against his chair with his arms crossed.
He nodded slightly to himself, mulling over my words.
“I understand what you’re saying, at least.”
“….”
“So basically, you want to come back triumphantly after passing the highest exam, so to speak?”
Once again, Seo Tae-il had pinpointed exactly what I meant to convey.
“Hmm, that’s unfortunate. I naturally assumed Kang Ha-jin would sign the contract, so I cleared my schedule to show you around the company a bit while I was here. I didn’t expect to get rejected like this….”
“It’s not a rejection, exactly. I’d appreciate it if you could think of it more as a postponement….”
“Do you know the three moments in the world when you can trust people the least?”
“…?”
Seo Tae-il, who had been openly showing his disappointment, suddenly said something completely unexpected and held up three fingers. Wondering what kind of wordplay he was about to pull, I stared at him with vacant eyes, and he annoyingly folded down his fingers one by one as he gave me the answer.
“Before marriage, before becoming famous, before signing a contract.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“It means I can’t guarantee whether the contract you just turned down will still be on this table a few months from now or not.”
Seo Tae-il tapped the table with his fist and shrugged his shoulders.
His words carried a double meaning.
One was about whether I would truly honor my loyalty to Miro even after becoming famous through In the Chaos,
and the other was that if something went wrong with me in the meantime and my value plummeted, then Miro might not want to contract with me at that time.
After all, there was no such thing as a permanent “superior” in this world.
“….”
I gazed at the tablet containing the contract file. Then I looked around the entire conference room I was sitting in.
The conditions were excessively good for a nobody with no shine, but regardless, my answer remained unchanged.
I spoke to Seo Tae-il in a calm voice, as if making a promise.
“In a few months, you’ll need to have seven copies prepared with even better terms.”
“Ha ha! Well, you certainly seem confident.”
Seo Tae-il nodded with satisfaction and spun his chair halfway around.
It was strange how this retired man seemed even more fierce than before.
Just from facing him and exchanging a few words, I felt my energy draining away, so I downed the orange juice next to me in one shot.
In the meantime, I heard someone knock on the conference room door.
“Ah, please come in―.”
“…?”
As if he knew who had knocked, Seo Tae-il casually gave permission to the stranger outside the door.
Wondering who on earth would be allowed into this important meeting, I looked at Seo Tae-il, and he, having retrieved the tablet that had been on the table, replied in a voice that showed no regret whatsoever.
“Ah, your prospective manager—the one who was supposed to start working with you today, Kang Ha-jin. I called them to introduce yourselves, but the timing isn’t great.”
“Ah….”
“Well anyway, since I went to the trouble of calling them, it wouldn’t be polite to just send them away, and you said yourself you’d sign with us when the time comes. Today, let’s just exchange introductions and get acquainted beforehand. Finding the right person is work too, after all.”
A manager… Who was left in Miro right now?
In the original timeline, after the bloody purge infamously called ‘Ji Su-ho’s Rebellion’ (though Ji Su-ho himself despised the name), most of the key personnel had been replaced with Ji Su-ho’s people.
‘That must be why—on the way up earlier, I didn’t recognize a single familiar face.’
I quietly nodded at Seo Tae-il’s suggestion to exchange greetings.
Since I had to conduct activities that would sweep through like a typhoon in this timeline, the manager’s role in supporting those activities was quite crucial.
Though Lee Yu-gun had flown all the way to Jeju Island to find Ji Su-ho, considering Ji Su-ho’s age here, he was no longer at the stage where he could be running around in the field directly.
This was also an opportunity to assess what kind of talent pool Miro currently possessed.
“I’m coming in.”
After a brief silence, the conference room door opened and someone stepped inside.
[Single Quest S2 01.]
‘Find the lost colleagues’
And in that moment, the system window I already knew flickered before my eyes.
※ Quest progress has reached 50%. Intermediate rewards are being granted. (Reward: Unexpected Fortune ‘Unexpected Encounter’)
“…?”
Why now?
The quest reward window I thought had already been claimed blinked once more, announcing its presence.
“Hello, Kang Ha-jin.”
And behind that translucent blue window, a man with a sporty short haircut, dressed casually with a tablet tucked under one arm, smiled and greeted me.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. Tae-il spoke so highly of you that I had high expectations, but it seems things are a bit disorganized at the moment.”
The large man, who appeared to be a former athlete, displayed a warm smile that contrasted sharply with his intimidating build. His low, gravelly voice carried a familiar regional dialect accent.
As I stared at the man without responding, Seo Tae-il introduced him to me.
“This is Manager Kwon Wook, who oversees our entire management division. You can just call him Kwon Wook hyung.”
“….”
“Oh, and people often misunderstand this, but his surname is Kwon and his given name isn’t a single character—his actual name is….”
“…I know.”
“…?”
At my unintended response, both their eyes filled with confusion.
Regardless, I slowly rose from my seat. All the moments from the original timeline that I thought I had buried returned to me, now wearing the name of nostalgia.
-Ah, seriously…. Jung Kwon-uk, you’re really pathetic today, pathetic.
-Huh? Wasn’t your surname Kwon?
-I’m Jung…!
-Didn’t know that….
“Manager Jung Kwon-uk, correct?”
“…Haha, that’s surprising. How did you know my name, Ha-jin?”
Jung Kwon-uk.
The person who had spent nearly two years as Kairos’s dedicated manager in place of Ji Su-ho.
Compared to how I remembered him, he now appeared with far more maturity and composure. Instead of answering ‘because you told me directly,’ I offered different words.
“It’s written on your employee ID. Jung Kwon-uk.”
“Ah? Ah, right.”
Kwon Wook hyung, who had been wearing a surprised expression, checked his employee ID hanging around his neck and burst into hearty laughter.
I couldn’t know exactly how Kwon Wook, who had ridden the same line as Ji Su-ho’s man, ended up remaining in Miro and eventually took over management operations.
But at least at this timing, it was certain that a ‘Quest Mid-Stage Reward Claim’ appeared before me….
[System Alert: …?]
[System Alert: Me? Why me?]
[System Alert: I don’t know anything!]
[System Alert: The System claims to know nothing about this and is playing dumb!]
[System Alert: ? ┐(・3・)┌ ? ]
‘…Fine. If you don’t know, that’s good enough.’
I pretended not to know either, watching Thirteen so obviously feigning ignorance.
Thirteen hadn’t been involved in all of these coincidences, but thinking back to how several times before he’d subtly created devices that would help me, it was clear he’d interfered in some way this time too.
‘Whatever it is, the timing is perfect. Kim Thirteen.’
I genuinely thanked this ‘coincidence’ and smiled warmly at Kwon Wook, pouring genuine affection into my expression. Noticing my subtle emotional shift, Seo Tae-il rested his chin in his hand with a look that said, ‘Look at this,’ and spoke.
“Tsk, it looks like you really like Manager Ha-jin, huh? Brother, try to sweet-talk him a bit. I really want to bring Kang Ha-jin to our company.”
“Well, no…. We’ve only exchanged a few words. I’m Manager Jung Kwon-uk. Looking forward to working with you.”
Kwon Wook, bursting into his characteristic hearty laugh, handed over his business card and naturally extended his hand for a handshake. I gazed briefly at the three characters of Kwon Wook’s name and phone number embossed on the card, then firmly grasped his sturdy hand with my right hand.
“Once I sign with Miro, you’ll be handling all my management work, right?”
“Yes, that seems likely. If you ever feel uncomfortable with me or find me unreliable….”
“No.”
“…?”
“I place considerable importance on first impressions, and yours was really good. I’d really like it if you specifically handled my management.”
As I spoke with a firm grip, Kwon Wook looked slightly surprised before quickly breaking into a pleased expression and gently shaking hands.
“Ha ha, is that so? I don’t often hear people say I have a good first impression…. I’m glad you see me that way.”
“….”
“I’ll be looking forward to the day we work together.”
-So Ha-jin, you just, huh? Refuse what you need to refuse. Say no to what’s wrong. That’s fine. Even if you act a bit rude, I’ll cover for you somehow, huh? Got it?
-Go ahead and curse if you need to. That’s what tanking is for in these situations—that’s why the company splits the settlement ratio with you guys.
-And also. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately, huh? Yesterday I went to the company and told them you were on strike too, so I had them handle everything for the people looking for you.
In the original timeline, when he was Kairos’s manager, he’d already worn the title of Manager, and was even nominated as the successor to Ji Su-ho, who was Executive Director. There had to be a reason he still carried the Manager title here.
The Returner’s ‘worst timeline’ wouldn’t have bypassed Kwon Wook.
“Yes.”
I felt it once more—the weight of what was riding on this insane year-long endeavor I was undertaking.
“I’ll be looking forward to it as well.”
Just wait, brother.
I’ll send you back to a studio apartment filled with the latest TVs, washing machines, and air conditioners.
My pledge, which looked like a joke but was sincere, scattered weakly inside my mouth.
* * *
And time flew by like an arrow….
Before long, early November, when the wind had grown so brisk it was hard to even call it ‘autumn.’
– Yooooo an article just dropped
– ?? What article
– What article suddenly popped up?
– Whose romance rumor broke?
[Yaaaaaah the article dropped]
【KTBC ‘In the Chaos’ Finally Begins First Shoot… Will a New Cinema Blockbuster Emerge?】
In the Chaos is really coming, damn
The first shoot of 【In the Chaos】 has begun.

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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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