Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 20. The Most Effective Way to Remove a Bomb (5)

A few days ago.

Dan Haru and Joo Eunchan ultimately failed to persuade me.

‘And they also failed to persuade the company.’

Seo Taehyun disappearing was already a big deal, so did those two kids think the adults would just let them skip practice to go fetch him?

Instead, with the promising debut candidate Seo Taehyun gone, the director and the company both started cracking down harder on the trainees.

“We need to go find Taehyun hyung….”

“We have no energy to move….”

Because of this, the two guys were having a tough time with practice and stress. But there wasn’t much I could do to help.

The best I could do was toss them a cool wet towel each as they lay sprawled on the floor.

“Hyung.”

“No.”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“Good attitude. Don’t say it ever.”

“Such a mean person….”

Whenever he had the chance, Dan Haru tried to send me to Seo Taehyun with eyes like a rabbit’s, but no way. Just commuting from home to Miro was already draining my stamina. I had no intention of wasting my precious HP on scouring the beaches of Gangwon-do, where I had no business being.

“I’m back.”

“You’re here? I thought you’d sleep over.”

I didn’t have any complaints about commuting from home to the company yet, but whenever I barely caught the last train and managed to get home, the urge to live in a dorm would suddenly surge.

‘Should I shamelessly ask Joo Eunchan to charge me rent? It might be better than a dorm.’

Thinking of a dorm crammed with about ten guys in a not-so-big house made my head spin even now. Yeah, leaving home would be a nightmare.

‘…You.’

As I was about to enter my room, I saw that Kang Hawon was already deeply asleep. Hawon might sleep so soundly that he wouldn’t notice if someone carried him away, but he would definitely wake up if I made any noise next to him.

In the end, I chose the living room again today, spreading out the blanket that I always left out and lying down.

“Are you sleeping in the living room again?”

“Yeah, this is more comfortable. Mom, you should go to sleep too.”

“…Are you going out early again tomorrow? I’ll draw the curtains.”

“I’ll probably have breakfast before I go.”

I smiled at Mom, who watched me with a face half filled with worry and concern, saying I was okay. I wanted to say something to her, who looked as tired as I was, but I had no strength left to lift a finger, so I gave up.

‘Thank goodness there’s a shower at the company.’

The fact that I could lie down and sleep right after coming home was the only happiness I could enjoy. This was really sad.

But lying on a soft and reasonably warm blanket made me feel like I could pass out. Pushing away other complicated thoughts and closing my eyes to finally think about sleeping.

Flash!

“Seriously, please….”

A notification window shone brightly in the middle of the night without any sense.

[System Alert: There are unread (unreviewed) notifications. Would you like to check them?]

“Tomorrow, tomorrow….”

[System Alert: We have no tomorrow!]

“Who the hell made the Korean patch….”

The system’s strange jokes were increasing, and it woke me up.

Even though I desperately wanted to cover my eyes with an eye mask and bury myself under the blanket, I remembered that I had ignored the same notification window yesterday, the day before, and three days ago, so I felt guilty.

I had no choice but to read the piled-up notifications with sleepy eyes.

“What is this. I’ve read all of these.”

[System Alert: Not ‘read’ It’s ‘marked as read’]

I complained about the weird Korean patch, and now it was throwing in random Konglish?

I had created a marked-as-read function and processed a truckload of piled-up notifications. Wow, when will I finish reading all these? I considered ignoring them and sleeping again, but.

“Ah, I can’t stand the red 1…!”

[System Alert: The system is pleased to have finally figured out the habits of the (fixed) regressor!]

I couldn’t bear the red dot like a bomb at the top of the screen!

‘I’m the type who clicks on thousands of emails because I hate those red marks!’

Reluctantly, I had to read all the notifications that I had marked as read. Some of them contained useful information, so I also checked the favorites I had marked when creating the marked-as-read function.

[System Alert: …… ]

No more responses?

‘What is this…?’

Among the transparent notification windows, one was shining with a brilliant aurora color.

As someone with years of experience in web novels, I could tell this was precious. If I had to rate it, it would be SS-grade, the highest tier, something you could recognize while skydiving from 5,000km in the air.

‘I have to see this.’

With a trembling heart, I clicked on the notification window, and as expected, the brilliant light spread like the universe in the room, opening a quest window.

[Single Quest 01.]

‘Finding the Lost Dream.’

Content: The quickest way to untangle a twisted thread is to find its starting point. Become an idol trainee within the period.

Remaining period: 39 days. (Initial 60 days)

The quest is completed.

Success Reward: Clue Access for Regression Tracking

Would you like to view the clue? (Y/N)

‘Oh, I completely forgot about this.’

It was the first quest that started all these events. I had been so overwhelmed by the incoming mission bombs that I had pushed it to the back of my mind.

I got a bit nervous at this point.

‘The rewards for the first quest are usually significant. The special reward from last time was pretty useful.’

‘Viewing the clue for regression tracking,’ the name sounded like something out of a detective novel….

“But really, what’s the harm in checking it?”

No way something funnier than regressing four times could happen, right? Since I was already awake, I decided to check it and pressed YES without much thought. Then, I regretted it.

‘Ah, damn my eyes!’

The light was a hundred times brighter than before. Reflexively, I closed my eyes against the tremendous light in the darkness. Who sets off a flashbang in front of someone’s face!?

When I finally adjusted to the light and opened my eyes, I was in someone’s memory.

“What is this, a dream?”

-If you come, you’ll definitely debut. Let’s debut together, Taehyun. Okay?

And it was immediately obvious whose memory it was, even without seeing much.

“You said it was a clue for tracking regression. Why is Seo Taehyun here?”

Whether I questioned it or not, the ‘memory’ continued to show Seo Taehyun’s past and present. I experienced all the emotions and thoughts Seo Taehyun had felt as if they were my own.

But not all the memories were from Seo Taehyun’s perspective.

-If I come here, you’ll really let me join Renes, right?

-First, let me check what’s in your hand.

-…….

-Man, these kids these days are scary. Selling out their friends.

I saw Cha Minseok handing over the evidence that Seo Taehyun had carefully gathered to the director. The director received the envelope and placed it deep in the safe inside his office.

Only then did I realize why I was seeing this memory.

“If I had that, it’d be much easier to bring down the director.”

But how? There’s no way I could steal the documents from the director’s office safe. Should I get Joo Eunchan to do it? As I was thinking,

[System Alert: Viewing Seo Taehyun’s memory.]

[System Alert: Relationship with the memory owner is favorable.]

[System Alert: You can borrow items from the memory owner’s memory (Seo Taehyun’s documents).

* Cost: 1,500 cash (3 days)

* If the item belongs to a ‘companion,’ it can be kept.

* Would you like to borrow it? (Y/N)]

A notification window I could hardly believe popped up. So I could pull out items from the memory? And it costs 1,500 cash but it’s a rental, not a purchase. What an outrageous price.

Anyway, I couldn’t miss this chance, so I pressed YES without hesitation.

Then, a bright light enveloped my vision once again.

“…Holy moly.”

And just like that, I woke up from the dream. In my hand was Seo Taehyun’s evidence.

[System Alert: Borrowed an item from the memory owner’s memory (Seo Taehyun’s documents).

* The item will disappear automatically after the rental period (3 days).

* If the item belongs to a ‘companion,’ it can be kept.]

Along with a damn quest that suggested recruiting Seo Taehyun as a companion if I wanted to keep the evidence.

* * *

And again. This was the coast of Gangwon-do.

Seo Taehyun and I were still maintaining our standoff, sitting at opposite ends of the bench and staring at each other.

“…Wow, kids these days sure have static conversations.”

Seo Taehyun’s uncle, who had been pleased to hear that I came from Seoul to fetch him, brought us some snacks and drinks, then silently left us alone.

“…How did you know I was here?”

“Joo Eunchan and Dan Haru told me.”

“Damn….”

Seo Taehyun clicked his tongue and slapped his thigh, as if he had expected this

. Though his expression showed displeasure, there was a hint of guilt in his eyes, perhaps thinking of Dan Haru, who wanted to debut with him.

“But why did you come, hyung?”

“The company wouldn’t let Dan Haru come.”

“That doesn’t mean there’s a reason to send you. We were never close.”

“Do you think I’m crazy to say I’m coming to fetch you?”

“…Then?”

Where did my skills from taking sick leave to go to concerts go? I just ran my mouth a bit.

…Of course, I couldn’t say that, so I moved on to the main point.

“I know everything that happened with the director.”

“……!”

Seo Taehyun, who had been grumbling, immediately shut his mouth. Seeing him biting his lip again, I instinctively picked up a fork, and he quickly let go of his lip.

“Hey, Taehyun.”

“…What?”

“Don’t listen to that.”

“…….”

“Whatever that guy said, it’s all bullshit.”

At my words, Seo Taehyun’s eyes wavered.