If I Don’t Earn 1 Trillion Won, My Regression Ends - Chapter 9

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 9

“Sing-a. What’s wrong? Are you sick again? Your hands are cold.”

Rampa Lim with a stern face grabbed my hand and examined it.

Rampa Lim was always like this.

Whether it was his naturally caring nature, or because the little kid who had spouted blood like a fountain in front of him at their first meeting was deeply shocking, he would always try to take care of me whenever he saw me.

To the point where my small conscience felt uncomfortable.

It was the same now.

The boy’s worried gaze was so sincere that I couldn’t dare look directly at it. The bone-deep pity that gets moved by trivial things made me feel choked up and want to scream.

‘Stay away! I said stay away!’

I felt like screaming at Rampa Lim to cut ties with that person and break off contact immediately.

How can he have such bad luck?

Don’t you know from just watching dramas how a regressed protagonist takes revenge on villains?

Obviously, including Jeon An-min himself, the surroundings would be devastated.

The protagonist Park Min-su, judging from how he was muttering curses at the regression point, was more driven by personal greed than noble causes.

Look at the exchange rate situation now! That vicious Park Min-su probably won’t even prevent the IMF! It’s obvious!

“Rampa. Uncle doesn’t have time for this—”

“Enough! I said go!”

(Enough! I said go!)

Rampa Lim’s gaze toward Jeon An-min turned cold.

Phew~ Thank goodness.

Though they’re uncle and nephew, they don’t seem to be that close. I felt somewhat relieved and hugged Rampa Lim’s arm tightly while sniffling.

“Oppa~ Sing-a wants to go to the restroom. Take me there.”

If this traitor villain has any shame left, he won’t chase me into the women’s restroom!

My heart becoming urgent, I needed a space to be alone with Rampa Lim right now.

‘I used fortune-telling, so this time let me use physiognomy.’

Grand Prince Suyang’s physiognomy— no, traitor physiognomy, so I should advise him to stay far, far away.

I know that interfering with Rampa Lim’s fate shortens my lifespan, but this is just relationship advice.

It wouldn’t be years or months of lifespan, just sacrificing a few days, right?

He’s already destined to die young at twenty-two, and as a kind neighbor of this era, I couldn’t just stand by and watch him get his life ruined by getting entangled with the regressed protagonist because of his relative!

Glancing from afar, Mother was having some kind of problem and was arguing heatedly with staff at the payment counter.

Having made up my mind, I shook Rampa Lim’s arm.

“Oppa. Hurry~.”

“Okay. Got it.”

“Rampa…”

Jeon An-min called out pitifully like an abandoned mistress, but Rampa Lim no longer looked back at him. He lightly lifted me up and strode away.

“Your mum’s gonna worry if she can’t see ya. Let’s pop back for a sec, yeah?”

(Your mother will worry if she can’t see you. Let’s go back quickly, okay?)

“What?”

“Your mom will worry, so let’s go back quickly.”

Rampa Lim spoke with a hint of laughter, looked down at me in his arms once, then adjusted his hold. He said casually,

“He’ll probably be gone by then.”

“…”

I became quiet and looked up at Rampa Lim’s chin.

At that moment, I quickly realized.

This nine-year-old boy, only three years older than me, already knew everything.

Whether it was Jeon An-min’s unpleasantness or my shallow lies.

Perhaps for some people, age is nothing more than something superficial.

So when we arrived in front of the restroom, I just told Rampa Lim as he set me down.

Instead of bringing up the nonsensical physiognomy talk, I was direct.

“I hate that man. He makes me feel bad and I think you’ll get hurt if he’s around.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Yeah. We haven’t known each other long, but I think I’d feel really bad if oppa got hurt. Do you understand what Sing-a is saying?”

Though we’d only met a few times, regardless of the magnitude of his talent, Rampa Lim was a boy anyone could easily take a liking to.

When he looked at you with those mischievous, laughing eyes, you’d think ‘that’s enough, just let him do whatever he wants~’.

So I’m probably not the only one weak to him.

His future promiscuous love life didn’t come from nowhere, right?

The lineup of women who passed through Rampa Lim’s life could hold an awards ceremony. It’s best to stay far away from guys like this after puberty.

Young Rampa Lim rubbed and fixed my wool hat with his two hands that were larger than those of his peers, then nodded. He smiled and asked mischievously.

“So now you don’t want to go to the restroom?”

“…I’m going!”

Ugh, I drank too much water earlier!

“Hahaha. I’ll wait. Over there.”

I glared at Rampa Lim sideways and quickly went in.

And…

I swear to heaven it must have been a very short time.

It didn’t take long, I quickly washed my hands and came out, but Rampa Lim was nowhere to be seen.

‘Huh?’

He wasn’t in the corridor in front of the restroom where he said he’d wait, nor around the corner. There were just unfamiliar faces of passing people.

“Oppa? …Rampa Lim!”

What. Where did he go?

I stood there feeling a bit bewildered.

It was strange.

And since earlier, it seemed like… my eyelid was twitching for no reason.

I felt inexplicably anxious.

Just as I was trying hard to ignore that feeling and thinking I should return to Mother first,

“…Mmph!”

A strong hand grabbed me from behind.

At the same time, I smelled a very strange and intense odor.

That was my last memory.

♧

Beep- beep- beep-.

The hospital room was quiet like a dead space.

Only the regular monitor machine sounds and the pressure adjustment sounds of the ventilator were the sole sounds in this place.

The woman was withering away like that inside.

Pale face, thin limbs… Without any color at all, she didn’t look like a sleeping person at all.

「She’s really not pretty at all. Getting uglier and uglier.」

Seosing-a without makeup looked like a dusty pearl because of the old scars covering her face.

But anyone who looked a little closer couldn’t help but notice how delicate her features were.

It wasn’t for nothing that Seosing-a would call herself a beauty whenever she opened her mouth.

And Seok Eunchoo liked that Seosing-a.

Seosing-a who was a bundle of contradictions, hating herself while intensely loving herself.

Seok Eunchoo, who had been looking and looking again, was suddenly stunned.

「Do you even remember when we promised to take each other if we were still single after thirty? Because of that promise, I haven’t had a girlfriend once in 20 years… All the girlfriends I mentioned were just to tease you. You fool. How did you never notice even once?」

「…」

“It’s one year now. Less than a year left. When spring comes, you’ll have no choice but to marry me. Seosing-a.”

“…”

“I’ll wait.”

So please, just wake up now. Sing-a.

“For the hospital bills, I’m indebted to you. Eunchoo hyung.”

“Between us, what’s there to… feel awkward about.”

Hospital rooftop.

The sound of carols from the street reaches all the way up to the sky.

Seo Cheong-song rubbed his darkened eyes and carelessly slumped down on the snow-covered bench.

ICU visits are strictly limited. One person per day, 20 minutes.

Since Seok Eunchoo had visited today, no one could see Seosing-a again.

Seo Cheong-song kept rubbing his face with dry hands. The handsome, spirited young police officer’s appearance had long since disappeared.

“It’s not easy to cover ICU costs, not just a regular room. Fine. I’ll pay it back somehow.”

Seo Cheong-song always draws clear lines like this.

Seok Eunchoo felt even more bitter.

“Have you thought about changing hospitals?”

“What would changing accomplish? Would her brain-dead state change too?”

“…”

“There’s no hope. I’m holding on only because I can’t let go, hoping for a miracle.”

“A miracle…”

“If you get tired of spending money on pointless things, just say so anytime. I’ll find another way.”

“You really have a sharp tongue. Cheong-song.”

“Hyung, you really…”

Seok Eunchoo, gaunt and haggard.

It was pitiful and foolish devotion. Seo Cheong-song swallowed a dry sigh.

“If you were going to be like this, you should have at least confessed. Instead of just following her around all the time.”

“…”

“Our noona is a stingy person. Even when she pretends to be nice, she really only knows herself. Constant dripping wears away the stone? Only people who don’t know her say that. You know better than that…”

Even if you treat her well for 10 years, who could win against one day of her impulses? Look at her now. She got into an accident trying to help some homeless stranger and tore the whole family apart.

How can such a selfish person even exist?

♧

♪ we will be together… fates allow ♪

What? What was that just now…?

‘Was it a dream?’

The carol sounds from the dream and the Christmas carols heard in reality overlapped heavily.

“…Sing-a! Sing-a…!”

A whisper mixed with irregular breathing, voice kept very low, calls me saying this side is reality.

But as soon as my consciousness awakened, what I felt was a dizzyingly fast heartbeat and intense nausea.

Without even turning to look at Rampa Lim who was calling me, I immediately lowered my head and vomited violently.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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