Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut - Chapter 582

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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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582. Frustrated, So I’ll Do It Myself (3)
It was around the midpoint of Episode 0, Part 2 (Lower), when Ha-jin—who had been leading the charge—suddenly appeared as a savior for the trailing group.
-What, what!?
-Hello, nice to meet you!
【Ha-jin suddenly bursts through a wall and appears!?】
Since there had been no sign of him from the start of the broadcast, I had naturally assumed he’d already reached the rooftop early—but I chose to make a U-turn instead!
I even became bait myself to drive the zombies away and bought time for the cast to escape. The way I moved from door to door through the building as if the entire structure lay in the palm of my hand was exactly like a nimble flying squirrel.
【Q. Why did you go back?】
Next, my interview was inserted.
The production team added a scene showing how I, having nearly reached the rooftop, discovered through the building’s monitoring system that there were still people who hadn’t escaped, and after deliberation, jumped back down inside.
【Ha-jin: Ah, well…】
In the interview room, I sat with my arms crossed, feet propped on the chair’s footrest, offering an awkward laugh.
The reason I went back was simply that it seemed like it would generate more broadcast content.
How should I package this to make it sound plausible?
After a moment of consideration, I opened my mouth.
【Ha-jin: Occupational hazard.】
【Q. Pardon?】
【Ha-jin: It just felt like I had to….】
When I added a vacant gaze slanting downward and stared into empty space, everyone was convinced.
– Zombie hordes are less scary than filming delays lol
– Look at those eyes lol just a salaryman wanting to clock out….
– I knew from when he was muttering about how that camera angle would create blind spots
Kang Ha-jin thought to myself.
‘Ah, so this is why writers fall into convenient narrative patterns…!’
To be able to do something reckless and brush it all off with a single phrase—”occupational hazard”—what a convenient life this was!
Deliberately ignoring the fact that most of what I do stems from genuine occupational habit rather than excuses, I began reconsidering ways to leverage my PD career even after returning to the original timeline.
-This way!
-Ah, be careful!
With my arrival, the trailing group began finding an escape route. Those who had fled the office pooled their efforts and quickly found their way to the rooftop.
[But why does Kang Ha-jin specifically go up there?]
Couldn’t he just take the members through the secret passage he came from?
Is he keeping quiet because he wants to bail alone if things go south?
Seems a bit sneaky lol
Questions arose about why Ha-jin, who already knew about the secret passage, hadn’t shared it with the group—but they didn’t last long.
– Did you see that passage? It’s insanely narrow and long, plus there are tons of codes and puzzles scattered throughout. There were about five of us including Ha-jin, so using the regular stairs like now is way faster
I went and set up the whole meal table by myself, but when I heard the neighbors couldn’t even light their stove, I took firewood over there—and now they’re upset with me for just bringing my meal table back as it was; it’s so unfair.
– Whether Ha-jin shares it or not is his choice, what’s it to you
– Sir, my apologies, but that’s what survival is
Thanks to this, a faction gradually emerged online that began to “defend” Ha-jin.
Those who had only known me through keywords like “Haeundae oppa,” “Seo Tae-il’s man,” “Ha Tae-jin’s junior,” or “PD from Mangdol,” slowly began to recognize Kang Ha-jin as a person.
No, rather, all of it combined was creating an increasingly three-dimensional and captivating character.
-I intend to become a typhoon from this moment on, senior.
What Ha-jin had declared to Myung-eun was now becoming reality.
【Bin: Hurry, hurry!】
【Yong-guk: Ha-jin! Sara! Come quick!】
【The zombie horde drawing ever closer!】
Now, the broadcast was slowly building toward its climax.
The scene unfolded with urgency—Ha-jin supporting the injured Sara as they rushed toward the elevator to the rooftop. The cries of the zombie horde, sounding as if they could seize them at any moment, assaulted the ears.
Ha-jin, who would collapse and scream at such sounds whenever alone, had somehow transcended all of that—no longer hearing or seeing anything but Sara’s condition and the distance to their destination, his focus absolute.
【Ji Ye: Huh?】
【At that moment, Ji Ye noticed something.】
【Ji Ye: Oh no! Oh, this can’t be!】
【Ji Ye: The elevator has a capacity limit. Only one more person can fit!】
The elevator capacity notice displayed on screen was zoomed in.
It wasn’t an intentional setup—the production team had simply forgotten to increase the elevator capacity by one person before filming. Yet somehow, a rather convincing apocalyptic scenario had materialized.
– What do we do then?
– Can’t they use the stairs?
└ The emergency staircase was already packed with zombies when the lead team went up earlier
– Then what? Do they have to abandon someone?
– They’ll take Nam Sa-ra and Kang Ha-jin will use the secret passage
└ But will there be time? He’d have to go back down quite a bit to enter the secret passage
The deeply invested viewers engaged in heated debate.
On screen, Ha-jin stood motionless, gazing upward at the sky before letting out a hollow laugh—captured in a single shot.
-…Ha!
-This is driving me crazy, seriously.
His voice, rumbling like grinding teeth, carried a hint of exhaustion and irritation.
It seemed like he hadn’t actually delivered the line with such emotional immersion in reality.
Ha-jin wondered if his expression had really looked that fierce when he said it.
– I wonder what happens next
Everyone waited for the next development—
Just as he already knew it would go, Ha-jin exhaled deeply once, then bent forward.
【Ha-jin: I’m sorry, noona.】
【Sara: What? …Aaaah!】
【In the urgent situation, Ha-jin finally scoops Sara up.】
Carrying Nam Sa-ra, Ha-jin sprinted toward the elevator like a madman.
From a great distance, a long shot captured Ha-jin dashing through the hallway with the zombie horde pursuing behind him—cinematically rendered like a film.
【Ha-jin: When you press the up button, it’ll go straight to the rooftop, okay? If you accidentally press any other button, you might stop at a floor crawling with zombies, so don’t press anything else, and make absolutely sure it’s the rooftop before you get out….】
【What happens to the players when they encounter the zombie horde?】
【└ Kang Ha-jin announces the escape method through voice guidance】
Does that joke really come from here?
– His speech is fast, but his diction is all over the place
– Everyone, turn on AiTube’s auto-captions from 24:14 onwards. Kang Ha-jin’s pronunciation is insanely accurate, seriously
– Is it just me getting excited watching Kang Ha-jin carry Sara and sprint without even catching his breath?
A team leader who sacrifices for an injured teammate.
It was a familiar trope, a predictable flavor, but there was always a reason why the steady choice remained eternal.
Of course, Ha-jin still had the Secret Passage as his trump card, and frankly, abandoning Nam Sa-ra in that situation would be insane—a route to unfavorable impressions before the broadcast even started—so Ha-jin’s choice couldn’t be called particularly remarkable, but….
【Sara: No… you, you, Ha-jin, what about you? What are you going to do!】
【Sara: You should ride instead, I’m already hurt so I can’t run fast anyway…! Or I’ll take the next one!】
【Ha-jin: …There’s no time. If you don’t take this, you’ll really die.】
【The next elevator would be available in 15 minutes】
In this moment, such trivial facts hardly mattered.
Why?
【Ha-jin: Unnie.】
【Sara: …?】
【Ha-jin: I’m not going to die.】
Because this is way too fun!
The veteran entertainment fans instinctively recognized it.
The fact that Kang Ha-jin’s “I’m not going to die” would be parodied in countless versions across every variety show for the foreseeable future.
– This is insane
– Wait, I’ve seen this movie
– Wow, this is so thrilling
– I’m not going to die *whoosh* *click* I’m not going to die *whoosh* *click* I’m not going to die *whoosh* *click* I’m not going to die *whoosh* *click* I’m not going to die *whoosh* *click* I’m not going to die *whoosh* *click*….
– Is Kang Ha-jin insane? Does he not know his unnie is scared
The explosion of this scene was partly due to his partner being Nam Sa-ra, the “chemistry fairy.”
Nam Sa-ra was a comedian who, regardless of which broadcast she appeared on, often took on the role of clown and supporter, positioning herself appropriately lower to lift up her counterpart. Yet with her witty remarks that never crossed the line, her refusal to demean or ridicule herself despite playing the underdog, and her naturally warm and considerate personality, she had fundamentally high public favorability.
But perhaps because of that position, she often received relatively poor treatment within variety shows, and now a sudden new face had emerged as a devoted fan of Nam Sa-ra, creating some kind of drama!
[I just can’t understand it]
Why is Kang Ha-jin’s “I’m not going to die” causing such a fuss anyway
What’s the appeal here?
– If you don’t get it, just feel it
Come to think of it, right after pre-recording ended, when the news of Kang Ha-jin’s casting was confirmed, Nam Sa-ra was the first to follow Ha-jin’s OneStagram.
The K-drama enthusiasts couldn’t possibly overlook this interesting dynamic.
Now what mattered wasn’t how the people who boarded the elevator through Ha-jin’s sacrifice would reach the rooftop.
【Yong-guk: Sara, come here first and let me check that ankle sprain.】
【Sara: …Oh, no. I’ll check it in a bit.】
【Tae-jin: Ha-jin will be fine, unnie. Don’t worry.】
【Sara: ….】
【Seok-ho: Why, why? Is someone else supposed to come up?】
【Tae-jin: Ah, one friend hasn’t made it up yet.】
【The players who reached the rooftop but still couldn’t take their eyes off the rooftop door】
‘How will Kang Ha-jin, who ran at the very front only to remain until the very end, keep his promise with Nam Sa-ra?’
Every viewer’s attention was fixed on a single question.
The screen, which had been showing the quiet rooftop, soon switched back to the interior of the building where Ha-jin was.
【Ha-jin: …Hah.】
The departing elevator.
The approaching horde of zombies.
In that cacophony, Kang Ha-jin stood alone.
After catching his breath for a moment, he raised his hand and checked the time on the watch Ji Ye had given him.
【Q. What were you thinking at that moment?】
【Ha-jin: Well….】
Ha-jin’s interview voice overlaps.
【Ha-jin: Man, I’m going to be sore tomorrow….】
Ha-jin on screen began sprinting at full speed once more.

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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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