Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 223. The Boy (2)

Once again, the memory ended just like that.

“Ha… ha….”

I felt something hot bubbling up inside me.

Barely suppressing the urge to spew out some kind of curse, I managed to spit out a very short sentiment.

“That crazy bastard, Dan Haru….”

What?

The happiest day?

Gladly embracing death?

“What the hell are you talking about? You sound like someone choking on ghost beans and dying twice over.”

I felt like I needed to go back to reality right now and pinch those chubby cheeks so hard that it would hurt.

Looking directly into those eyes that had been unusually sparkling since the moment I first saw them,

I wanted to yell at him, saying, “You fool, don’t you know that idols are idols even when buried in a grave?”

Did you sign that seven-year contract without realizing it was practically a 70-year contract? I wanted to get angry and confront him.

Grab him by the collar and ask him how it feels to have become an idol after turning back time several times, just to live in that beautiful and radiant moment. And then, and then….

“…You crazy bastard.”

…After that, I thought I should give that small, ever-smiling kid a tight hug.

—I’m really looking forward to tomorrow these days. That makes me so happy!

—My grandmother told me, if you just live through today, there will eventually be a moment when you look forward to tomorrow.

What kind of tomorrow were you hoping for?

Was it happiness?

Or was it death?

What was so cold and lonely in your world that you had to throw yourself into that light that would burn you to death?

The warmth you sought was only as lukewarm as a cheap vending machine drink, yet still….

[As I said before, your timeline and Dan Haru’s are separating. From now on, there will probably be more regressions you don’t feel than ones you do.]

[The more Dan Haru repeats his regressions, and the more abandoned timelines pile up, the stronger the influence of the Returning One becomes, and the more isolated Dan Haru’s timeline will be.]

[So, if you want to prevent that, the task is simple.]

As ‘The Existence’ trailed off, the lavender-colored sky quickly darkened, enveloping everything in pitch-black.

It was so dark that the sky looked like a black sheet of paper, and suddenly, fireworks exploded out of nowhere.

With a whizz and a bang, colorful fireworks formed some letters in the jet-black night sky.

<☆SUPER STAR☆! ☆～（ゝ。∂）>

“…?”

What’s with the sudden superstar vibe…?

As I watched the fireworks fade, unable to hide my bewilderment, ‘The Existence’ spoke.

[From now on, you have only one goal.]

[It’s to become a superstar.]

“Are you a damn cult leader?”

The fury that had been boiling over just moments ago cooled down, sinking deep within me.

I had no idea what hashtag to put on this now. Damn it.

* * *

It was only after I had thrown five punches and kicks into the air that ‘The Existence’ continued to explain this absurd goal.

[You need events that will intertwine Dan Haru’s timeline as intensely as possible with those of many others.]

[Drive a nail into the tangled threads. Even if someone pulls on those threads, they won’t come loose because they’re entangled with others.]

[Make sure Dan Haru’s timeline doesn’t veer off course and become isolated.]

At those words, the quest I had received through Thirteen came to mind.

I wasn’t sure what winning the Rookie Award had to do with reducing the influence of the damned regressor, but it seemed the quest had stemmed from this context.

“Question. But if Dan Haru becomes happier than ever, he’ll die, right? Winning the Rookie Award is what he wants the most, so shouldn’t we avoid making that happen?”

[That’s right. But if he doesn’t win the Rookie Award, Dan Haru will regress over and over again to create a future where he can win it.]

“So, the top priority is to stop the regressions themselves?”

[It means keeping him alive is the priority.]

The darkness caused by the midnight fireworks began to brighten again, and the setting sun reappeared on the horizon.

‘The Existence’ spoke.

[Give him a tomorrow.]

[Show him that there’s a better tomorrow ahead.]

[Let him realize that the happiest day hasn’t come yet.]

[Make him curious and eager for what comes next, so he’ll hesitate to keep living just a little longer.]

[For now, that will be enough.]

The surroundings began to blur. It seemed like the time to wake up was approaching.

Raising my body to get as much information as possible before fully waking up, I shouted toward the sky.

“Hey! How can you just leave like this! You damn HQ bastard! Why do you dump everything on me!?”

[We merely manage time, we cannot directly interfere with human lives.]

[God has granted humans free will, and therefore, human lives are determined solely by humans.]

“Free will, my ass. You never give me any skills, only penalties, and every time I come in and out of here, you patch up side effects, and now you’re just leaving again? Have you no conscience? At least leave something behind, you bastard! You even took Thirteen…!”

At my gesture, which looked like I was about to poke his eyes out, ‘The Existence’ seemed to ponder for a moment, then vibrated with a slightly amused voice.

[Alright. I’ll attach a ‘real’ system to replace Manager 13 for a while. It won’t be able to chat or joke around like before, but it’ll be more convenient for managing quests and functions.]

[But I can’t do anything about the skill penalties; that’s the karma of your thug life….]

“What about the side effects? If I clear this now, do I have to grab the toilet and throw up again? Lee Doha’s a light sleeper, so he’ll definitely catch me.”

[Hmm…. Then do you want to pick one yourself? Choose the side effect you want.]

Thirteen freaked out when I tried to customize its system, but this guy is treating side effects like options.

Well, anyway, as long as it’s not the dizziness that makes the world spin around and around, I thought it would be okay, so I checked the options given by ‘The Existence.’

[1. Hemoptysis (helps restore energy by clearing blocked blood points)]

[2. Temporary Cardiac Arrest (no harm to life or health)]

[3. Emotional Amplification (temporarily amplifies all emotions by 400% OR keeps them in a depleted state)]

[4. Dizziness]

“…Number 4, you damn cultist.”

Flipping off the HQ bastard who seemed determined to add the hashtag #SicklyCharacter to my already colorful life, I woke up from a deep sleep.

* * *

“Oh, please….”

As soon as I opened my eyes, I closed them again.

But with the feeling that all the blood was being drained from my body, my vision was already spinning wildly. I was parched, but I couldn’t even muster the courage to get up.

‘That HQ bastard didn’t just fail to reduce the side effects, but actually added more?’

If it weren’t for the rule that these time managers can’t be physically manifested, I would’ve grabbed him by the collar and slammed him down five more times.

Pressing my throbbing temples with my hands, I quietly slipped out of bed. At the very least, I needed to drink a glass of water immediately, or I felt like my throat would either burn or dry out and crack.

‘Quietly…. Quietly…….’

I carefully got out of bed and stepped outside the room, making sure not to wake up Lee Doha, who was a light sleeper.

I bumped my thigh against the nightstand next to the bed as I got out,

The door creaked a bit too loudly when I opened it,

And I might have closed the door a bit too hard due to air pressure, but other than that, I think I was pretty quiet.

Hmm, satisfactory.

“Wow, I’m seriously going to die….”

Confirming that the living room was dark and everyone else seemed to be asleep, I staggered my way to the kitchen, where the refrigerator was.

Even though it was only a few steps, by the time I reached the refrigerator, cold sweat was dripping down my entire body. Pressing my forehead against the cold refrigerator door and barely catching my breath, I finally started to feel a bit better.

However, what truly sent a chill down my spine happened right after that.

“Do you want some water?”

“Ah, yes…. I’d appreciate a glass……”

…Huh?

“Here. Drink.”

A cold, chilling voice that seemed like it could freeze over the fridge’s cold air itself, disguised as a gentle tone, stabbed me in the back of the head.

In my peripheral vision, I saw an unusually pale, long, and thick hand offering me a glass of water.

Slowly raising my gaze along with that hand, I saw Jung Siwoo, dressed in comfortable pajamas, with a cardigan draped over him and square glasses perched on his nose.

“…Oh, you’re not asleep?”

“I woke up early. Couldn’t sleep, so I was reading a book in the living room.”

Maybe it was the early morning atmosphere, but Jung Siwoo’s gaze seemed even more brittle than usual as he stared straight at me. He offered the glass of water to me

again with a faint smile.

“What are you doing? Drink it.”

“Oh, yes.”

What’s this? Why is this scary?

I didn’t do anything wrong, so why am I nervous?

Why is our house’s eccentric piece of art mad? What’s the point of this?

Utterly confused by the incomprehensible situation, I hastily downed the water Jung Siwoo had given me. The cold water was so icy that it made my barely-calmed head feel a bit clearer.

Then, with a voice even colder than the water I had just drank, Jung Siwoo called my name softly.

“Hajin.”

“…Yes↗?”

Ah, please, no voice cracks.

Before I could even clear my throat, Jung Siwoo, who had taken the empty cup from my hands, placed it on the sink with a clink and looked at me.

“If you’re sick, didn’t I tell you to go to the hospital?”

He saw everything….

There wasn’t even a hint of playfulness in Jung Siwoo’s eyes as he looked at me calmly.

Knowing that protesting I wasn’t sick would be the dumbest thing to do, I respectfully clasped my hands together and bowed my head. Then, almost like a reflex from my long history of reading fanfiction, I spouted the perfect answer.

“It seems my condition worsened slightly overnight due to a combination of a busy schedule and sudden seasonal changes. As soon as morning comes, I’ll contact the manager and go for a medical checkup. If the doctor finds even the slightest abnormality, I’ll shut up and take absolute rest.”

Jung Siwoo, who looked like he was about to say more, simply sighed shortly and passed by me, taking off his glasses and pressing his eyelids with a slightly irritated expression.

“…Alright. Go back to bed and sleep.”

“Yes, sir.”

Oh? No scolding?

‘Hell yeah, no scolding. Lucky me.’

I should hurry back to my room, check the new system and quests, and plan what to do next…

“Make sure you go straight to sleep without checking anything. Before I call a taxi and take you to the ER.”

“…I’m already asleep, hyung. I actually sleep with my eyes open. I’m almost done with the immigration check at Dreamland, really. Wow, I’m so sleepy, seriously.”

How much does a health checkup cost these days?

Is a hospital checkup included in Miro’s employee benefits?

Phew, I’m so glad there’s no music show tomorrow. I can sleep in.

With thoughts of sending an SOS to Ji Suho first thing in the morning, I obediently went back to my room, lay down on the bed, and closed my eyes.

‘If I just lie down and close my eyes, he’ll think I’m asleep. Let’s check the new system before actually sleeping.’

…That’s what I thought as I slyly opened my eyes a crack.

When I brought up the temporary system window that ‘The Existence’ had gifted in place of Thirteen, a familiar system interface I had customized appeared.

The only differences were that the annoying little guy who used to shout “Fixed Regressor-nim!” with special characters was gone,

And that the quest list had been newly updated and reorganized.

[NEW! The quest list has been updated. Would you like to view it? (Y/N)]

Just as I was about to press Y, feeling a bit of emptiness, my phone, which had been lying on the pillow, flashed with a notification.

Our house’s eccentric god now even has X-ray vision.

No matter how I think about it, that guy is more of a supernatural entity than ‘The Existence.’

“Alright, let’s sleep. Sleep. They say sleep is the best medicine, after all.”

Before Jung Siwoo actually installed CCTV in our room, I quickly curled up and closed my eyes.

Maybe because my body was actually tired, I was able to fall asleep again quickly, even after having slept so deeply.

And the next day.

The news that greeted me after I called Ji Suho early in the morning was….

“…A CT scan? Not an MRI, not even an X-ray, but straight to a CT?”

—Siwoo said so? He mentioned you sometimes wake up vomiting, feeling dizzy. Sometimes, you sleep so deeply it’s like you won’t wake up even if someone tries to wake you. Hajin, you should’ve told us if something like that was happening. Come out immediately. I’ve already booked a hospital appointment. Let’s get a full check-up this time.

…No.

It’s just, well, that’s not really….

How on earth am I supposed to explain this…?