The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 183

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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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Episode 183
183
The summer heat had finally broken, and autumn had arrived. More and more people began buttoning up their coats as they walked the Street.
Gia, too, wore a coat as she waited for someone on the Street.
Though the weather wasn’t yet cold enough to see her breath, she had dressed up in the coat regardless.
The look suited her so well that passing men couldn’t help but glance at her.
Sharp, defined features and long, silky black hair that captivated the eye.
Her well-maintained locks gleamed like silk, drawing the gaze of both men and women alike.
While everyone around her stole looks, Gia stood restlessly in place, her anxiety evident.
She worried she might be overthinking things—perhaps he simply wanted to meet, and she was being excessive.
‘No, surely not?’
Hadn’t her older friends said the same?
It was about the angle, they’d said.
Not the angle formed by intersecting lines, but a different kind of angle.
She swallowed hard, recalling what her friends had told her.
If he hadn’t contacted her before but now suddenly asked to meet, that meant there was an opportunity.
Her friends had driven her here, coaching her enthusiastically, insisting that they didn’t matter and telling her to hurry along.
Though Gia’s heart had soared at their encouragement, now that she was here waiting, she couldn’t help but feel nervous and tense.
After all, this was her first time experiencing romance.
No matter how beautiful or attractive one might be, such nervousness was a natural response for someone without romantic experience.
Especially when it came to a man she was interested in for the first time.
As Gia waited, a deep, resonant engine sound echoed from the distance.
A rumbling growl, like the roar of a tiger.
Vroooom!
A black G-Wagon, as it was commonly called, pulled up in front of Gia and the window rolled down.
Jin-woo sat inside, smiling lightly as he spoke.
“You must be cold. Get in.”
“Oh, yes!”
Gia responded and climbed up into the G-Wagon.
The vehicle was tall enough that she had to exert some effort, but she managed to get in smoothly.
She carefully closed the door.
Jin-woo smiled awkwardly and spoke.
“This car’s a bit odd—you have to close the door firmly for it to latch.”
“Oh, I, I see? Yes.”
Gia responded and shut the door with a firm slam.
Jin-woo nodded, as if satisfied.
An awkward silence fell between them, and the atmosphere grew peculiar.
This was the first time Jin-woo had asked to meet her in person.
Moreover, it was the first time he had initiated contact.
There was good reason for her nervousness.
I was just as tense as Gia, but I did my best not to show it.
Perhaps it was because I was older.
Besides, Young-jin had given me his advice, hadn’t he?
‘Right, he said not to let it show, didn’t he?’
-Listen carefully, Jin-woo. Never let it show.
-Let what show?
-Hide the fact that you’re nervous, that it feels awkward, that you’re a bit embarrassed. But don’t hide that you’ve been looking forward to this and wanted to meet her. Just keep the atmosphere natural. Don’t let your nervousness show.
‘Act as naturally as possible.’
Just like I always do.
I repeated that to myself dozens of times and nodded.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Huh? Oh, no. About ten minutes?”
“Sorry, traffic was worse than I expected. I should have left earlier. My bad.”
“No! I came early. You arrived right on time.”
“Ha, but I was the one who suggested we meet, so I wish I’d gotten here sooner.”
“Oh. Um, is that so?”
“Right… I was the one who asked to meet…?”
Watching Gia’s face flush slightly as she lowered her head at my words, I realized why and understood what I’d just said.
I hadn’t meant to make it awkward, but I had been the one to suggest meeting for the first time.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard, and the tension crept back in.
I needed to change the subject quickly.
“Oh, by the way, where did I say we should go?”
“Oh! No, you just asked to meet, so…”
It was about to get awkward again.
I smiled subtly and smoothly moved past it, continuing.
“We’re going to the Art Museum.”
“The Art Museum?”
“Yeah, Young-jin told me about it and said it was nice, so I thought I’d like to go with you and called you.”
“Oh…”
“I didn’t want to go alone.”
As I spoke with a slight smile, Gia seemed excited too, gently biting her lip and lowering her eyes.
At her reaction, I wondered and asked.
“Do you hate the Art Museum? If so, we can go somewhere else.”
“Oh, no! I like the Art Museum. It’s just… it feels like a date, so…wait!?”
The moment she realized what she’d just said, a startled Gia and I, suddenly surprised, my hands gripping the steering wheel twitched.
We both swallowed hard, and only awkward silence filled the car.
But I remembered Young-jin’s words.
His advice not to let it show.
And what would I normally say in a situation like this?
If it were the usual Jin-woo, he would have been a bit shameless, a bit playful.
Yes, that was right.
Recalling my usual self, I smiled with a mischievous expression and seized the moment while the traffic light held us in place, glancing at Gia.
When Gia looked back at me with a bewildered expression.
I opened my mouth.
“I never said this wasn’t a date, did I?”
“Y-yes?”
In that instant, Gia’s face flushed crimson, and I felt my own cheeks burn as well. We both quickly averted our gazes.
Then we each looked ahead and awkwardly cleared our throats.
“Ahem, hmm.”
“Hmm, ahem.”
I wondered if I’d been too playful.
But somehow.
The atmosphere felt rather nice.
At least, that’s what I thought.
* * *
Jang So-i, an Art Museum employee, had always dreamed of working at the museum.
How wonderful it would be to work while surrounded by various artworks and paintings?
She had been full of such common romantic notions and fantasies.
But what was this?
While viewing the artworks was enjoyable, she encountered problem customers beyond her imagination.
They would leave trash behind, talk loudly, make phone calls, or take photographs—such behavior was practically genteel compared to what else occurred.
There were instances of parents changing their children’s diapers in front of masterpieces, couples quarreling, families arriving with unruly children who damaged the artworks themselves.
Every time she encountered such insufferable patrons, she felt the urge to resign, but perhaps because it was a fairly prestigious museum.
She managed to persevere.
Her position had been elevated and her salary had increased somewhat.
It had become bearable.
Still, today had relatively few visitors.
Though even on slow days there could be many problem customers, fortunately today was not one of them.
Being a weekday afternoon, only a few leisurely couples came through.
The occasional families who visited were well-behaved, with quiet children, so there was nothing particularly requiring her attention.
Then Jang So-i noticed a newly arrived couple entering.
‘Wow. What on earth…’
Were they a model couple?
At first glance, they were such an attractive pair with excellent proportions, beautiful and handsome, that she couldn’t help but think so.
Though she did wonder if they were actually a couple.
There was something fresh and awkward about their atmosphere.
They were none other than Gia and Jin-woo.
Jang So-i judged them to be either on a blind date or still in the early stages of courtship.
Couples with such a fresh quality always made her smile just to look at them.
I considered offering guidance, but decided against it.
‘Young visitors like them prefer to explore together.’
Besides, a young couple had already entered earlier.
They happened to be nearby.
They were a bit loud, but not quite troublesome enough to be called problematic.
Moreover, their chatter was rather endearing.
“Hey sis, should I buy this piece for you? It’s only ten million won!”
“Ugh! Our Se-yoon and his bluffing, seriously—hehe. Without the bluffing, there’s nothing left, really!”
“Ah! I’ll break my savings account and buy you a painting! Hehe.”
“I prefer the handbag more~”
Their loud chatter was endearing enough that I simply let it be.
Then, as if hearing that commotion, the man from the handsome couple that had just entered flinched slightly.
What was he doing?
Was he trying to copy them?
Jang So-i shook her head, thinking it wasn’t a good idea, just in case.
Please don’t do it.
She silently prayed with that thought.
That kind of thing might look cute and playful between couples, but such bluffing was absolutely not good between people who hadn’t started dating yet, during the flirting phase, or on blind dates.
So she really hoped he would just stay quiet.
But fortunately, if you could call it that?
When Gia, the woman with an alluring beauty, quietly continued viewing and moved on, Jin-woo, the man, also passed by the painting while observing it.
A blessing in disguise.
It was better that they were viewing so quietly.
Just as she made that judgment and was about to go back to her other tasks.
Gia stopped in front of one painting.
‘She has good taste?’
It was natural for Jang So-i to think this way.
It was the most expensive painting in the Art Museum and a work by the most renowned artist.
Usually, visitors would look at it wondering if it was really that expensive after seeing the price.
But Gia had never once looked at the price written below while viewing the paintings.
So it was the same this time.
She had simply stopped because the painting caught her eye.
Jang So-i was certain her taste was excellent.
She decided she should go and provide an explanation.
Even if guidance wasn’t necessary, introducing the Art Museum’s most famous painting wouldn’t be burdensome.
As she approached with her heels clicking rhythmically against the floor.
The two were absorbed in the painting and didn’t notice her presence.
And then came those words.
“Should I buy this painting for you?”
“Huh? Yes? That would be nice, but….”
“You seem to like it, so I’ll get it for you as a gift.”
Upon hearing Jin-woo’s words, Jang So-i nearly let out a sigh.
So he really did it.
Though he’d spoken quietly, perhaps because the Art Museum was closed, it carried.
The couple standing ahead seemed to have heard the exchange, and they began to whisper among themselves.
“Heh heh, he’s copying us.”
“Hey, keep it down—they’ll hear you.”
The woman tried to shush him, but she giggled as she spoke, clearly amused.
Jang So-i wondered how to navigate this awkward situation.
In that moment of deliberation.
Jin-woo simply withdrew his wallet, pulled out a card, and his eyes met Jang So-i’s, who happened to be standing behind him.
Then.
“Please process the payment with this.”
“Yes. Yes?”
“This painting. Please process the payment with this.”
“Oh, oppa—I’ve received help from you too, so I’d like to give you a gift as well.”
“You bought me that watch before. I’m just returning the favor. Process it with this.”
At those words, Jang So-i found herself wondering: what kind of couple were these two, really?
She blinked involuntarily for a moment, but upon seeing the card extended toward her, she quickly regained her composure and responded.
“Ah, yes! Of course. Will you be taking it with you now? Or would you prefer delivery….”
“Just wrap it up for us—we’ll take it right away.”
In response to Jang So-i’s question, Gia answered shyly, and Jang So-i found herself moving about busily without quite realizing it.
They’re actually buying it.
Trembling at this unexpected turn of events, the couple standing nearby also stared at Gia and Jin-woo with dumbfounded expressions.
What kind of people were these two, anyway?
And then they murmured quietly.
“They’re… they’re living in a different world.”
“Yeah… they really are.”
What they’d only been posturing about, this couple was actually doing for real.

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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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