Theatrical Regression Life

* * *

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“….”

“You’ll stay alive, yes.”

Yoon Garam nodded carefully.

“It’ll happen.”

From now on, Kang Mina wouldn’t reveal any more about Director Lee Jaehun.

Having concluded her words like that, Yoon Garam turned her gaze back to the campfire.

The flames, rising in the middle of a quiet forest where the wind barely blew, swayed strangely in various directions, emitting an unusual softness. Watching it, a peculiar sensation crawled up one’s spine.

Although Yoon Garam knew that Kang Mina’s conviction was close to brainwashing, she didn’t point it out. She couldn’t unravel the determination that Kang Mina had engraved, considering it necessary, and she, as a third party who had declared it not too long ago, couldn’t undo it.

She simply gazed quietly at the flames flickering in the subdued atmosphere.

“….”

“….”

While Director Lee Jaehun himself was unsure about his own survival, others were not.

They didn’t know about Lee Jaehun’s abilities, were unaware of the fact that he had regressed, and had no knowledge of what thoughts he harbored or what actions he took.

Of course, even if Lee Jaehun had figured out their inner thoughts, they wouldn’t have left him alone so easily.

Moreover, among the group, Lee Jaehun was in the worst condition. Since the first time he was pierced through the shoulder in the company, he had sustained injuries that should have sent him to the hospital, and with the various small and large wounds he had accumulated since then, he was no more than a patient who shouldn’t move.

It wasn’t for nothing that he had endured the mockery of doctors and Deputy Jung several times.

Nevertheless, Director Lee Jaehun continued to take charge at the forefront of the group. He tried to lead them and at least shoulder minimal responsibility.

Even if Yoon Garam didn’t know the detailed reasons for this, Director Lee Jaehun was providing significant help in managing the emotions of the current group.

The reason he was dragged away by a monster was probably not unrelated to this silence.

“….”

This silence.

Yoon Garam suddenly, and once again, realized something. With just one person missing, there wasn’t even a slight whisper among us.

She glanced around at the group sitting around the campfire.

Kang Mina was staring at the campfire with a vacant expression. Noh Yeonseok and Kwon Yeonhee, who were talking with siblings in school uniforms, and the siblings were awkwardly accepting the interactions of the adults.

Yoon Garam’s gaze moved a bit more, reaching the two members sitting slightly away from the campfire.

“….Teacher….”

Dr. Ha Sungyoon, a regular customer at her flower shop, and Deputy Jung Inho, who had returned as one from two.

The two of them were seen conversing at the boundary where the light from the campfire touched.

What kind of conversation were they having?

Suddenly curious, she contemplated whether to intervene between them, but lacking the confidence to quickly understand as she did when she went to fetch supplies just now, she gave up.

Above all, it didn’t seem like those people would include Yoon Garam herself.

“At that time… those two seemed to understand something by themselves.”

When she went to gather firewood, Jung Inho suddenly excused himself and left after uttering some unexpected words. After some time passed without any incident, he rejoined them as if nothing had happened.

Certainly, he had firewood in his arms, but in Yoon Garam’s opinion, that wasn’t his true intention for leaving. Perhaps Dr. Ha Sungyoon had judged it the same way, as he silently agreed with Jung Inho’s casual demeanor without saying anything.

However, that was fine.

‘It’s fine.’

She didn’t want to reach out for something that couldn’t and shouldn’t be done.

Yoon Garam quietly closed her eyes and, soon after, rose from her seat, leaning against a large wall sculpture. Even though her body remained stiff and tense, she hoped it would get better once the day brightened.

It was probably just unnecessary anxiety since her vision wasn’t clear.

Just a simple uneasiness.

“….”

The forest remained silent, and the wind didn’t stir a bit.

Yoon Garam looked up at the sky, but there wasn’t a single twinkling star there. It was as if it was made of deep, impenetrable ink, like a completed piece of paper, so dark that no hint of light could seep through.

The color that contained darkness rather than space was incredibly unfamiliar, evoking a strange fear in her.

She lowered her gaze again, taking in the sight of the ground.

The group’s movements, flowing in silence, were no different from when it was bright, but no one among them would think that way.

‘Something…’

It was different.

She felt a sense of something changed and broken.

She sensed disorder within the silence. It wasn’t just a noise heard with the ears, but a crack that began to deviate from the restlessness and uneasiness, gradually becoming noticeable.

Although it might not be audible, it could be felt throughout her entire body. This calmness was signaling a distortion to her.

The precariously stacked wooden planks seemed like they could crumble with just a sigh. Yoon Garam bit down on her lips, resisting the urge to let something out.

Within her unfocused vision, the flickering campfire came into view.

The sound of crackling flames reached her ears.

‘…Am I going crazy?’

It was nothing more than the sound of flames crackling – an absurd occurrence.

Contemplating the idea that she might have fallen into this world thousands of times before, Yoon Garam closed her eyes.

For whatever reason, she had no intention of lifting her eyelids until the day was completely bright.

Even as her vision was entirely clouded, the sound of crackling flames continued to reach her ears. It wasn’t the sound of wooden sticks burning but rather the noise of bright flowers twisting in the wind.

It was truly an incomprehensible sensation, but…

—You’re going to die.

“….”

Suddenly, laughter escaped her.

“Ha….”

Yoon Garam understood.

Perhaps at that time, in the flower shop, if Director Lee Jaehun hadn’t helped, Doctor Ha Sungyoon would have died. She felt that fact intensely.

The image of him trying to kill the person who admired the flower that had turned into a monster just wouldn’t disappear from her eyes, no matter what.

As a result, when her eyelids lowered, her ears ached, and within that, creepy and grotesque whispers clung.

It was a hallucination she hadn’t experienced before.

—You’re going to die.

“….”

Hearing the familiar voice whispering, Yoon Garam covered her ears with both hands. Not to avoid hearing it, but to prevent it from escaping.

That’s how she blocked out the hallucination.

—They’re going to kill you.

She blocked out the sound.

* * *

“Well then, Director… were dragged away by that green monster, I suppose.”

“That’s right.”

In response to Dr. Ha Sungyoon’s words, Jung Inho nodded.

“The ivy vines probably listen to the words of that green monster.”

Director Lee Jaehun was dragged away by the monster.

This fact was an excessively significant event for the current group. The person who had been the focal point of the group until now was none other than Director Lee Jaehun.

Of course, recalling the situation where he deliberately threw harsh words at the group to create a distance, it seemed that being the focal point of the group was not a pleasant fact for the parties involved. Despite his efforts to distance himself from the group, Director Lee Jaehun tried to keep a distance.

However, those efforts were thwarted by Jung Inho himself, and eventually, he went from being the aggressor to the victim, concluding the story. Since Director Lee Jaehun had led and helped us regain our senses until now, his absence due to the monster was an unavoidable blow, beyond imagination.

“What are the chances of the director being alive?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

“He might be dead. We should be prepared for that.”

Jung Inho scratched his throat in embarrassment even as he spoke.

That was precisely why he had summoned Dr. Ha Sungyoon separately. Among the current group, Dr. Ha Sungyoon was the one most likely to accept Director Lee Jaehun’s absence easily and formulate new alternatives based on that.

While he had considered bringing up the topic with others, just a few seconds later, he realized how foolish that thought was.

“I can’t say something like that.”

Jung Inho himself lacked the qualification to speak about Director Lee Jaehun’s death, and secondly, he didn’t have the luxury of doing so. This applied to everyone in the group.

Even for him, discussing Lee Jaehun’s death felt uncomfortable, making his tongue prick. If that was the case for him, how would others feel?

Assessing the probability of death without confirming the body and proposing measures seemed excessively harsh. Moreover, there might be people resenting Jung Inho outwardly, like the siblings. That’s why Dr. Ha Sungyoon was the only one who could engage in such a conversation.

He wasn’t in an intimate relationship with Director Lee Jaehun, and among them, he was the most rational and composed. Above all, he possessed specialized knowledge in medicine.

It was not just about proposing measures but also the possibility of creating an entirely new focal point.

After such considerations, Jung Inho summoned Dr. Ha Sungyoon, and as he anticipated, the doctor seemed not to feel significant distress over Director Lee Jaehun’s death.

‘…He’s a surgeon, I heard.’

Having witnessed patients’ deaths several times, perhaps he had become accustomed to such situations. While forcefully pushing down thoughts that were somewhat impolite in any sense, Jung Inho managed his expression.

Since coming to this world, he had intentionally developed facial muscles that didn’t respond to his will. He spoke, trying to control them.

“Some ivy vines had teeth. They wrapped around the legs entirely, making it hard to escape easily. Even if they somehow managed to escape, their condition wouldn’t be good.”

“….”

“Being dragged away without receiving proper treatment, there’s no way their body would be in normal condition. They might have had a pipe in their hands, but in a situation where they’re being dragged and their foot is caught, how effectively can they use it…”

Jung Inho spoke, expressing the maximum amount of information he could recall.

He exercised occasionally, but he wasn’t as proficient in self-defense as intern Noh Yeonseok, nor did he possess specialized knowledge like Dr. Ha Sungyoon. However, what he was most confident in was his rational demeanor. Therefore, it was necessary to be prepared even if just a little.

Director Lee Jaehun had been the center of the group even after his disappearance.

Now that he was being dragged towards an impending death, despite instinctual resistance, Jung Inho couldn’t help but consider the worst-case scenario. If Director Lee Jaehun died, they needed to be prepared for that possibility.

In response to Jung Inho’s contemplative state, Dr. Ha Sungyoon spoke.

“Jung Inho-ssi.”

Suddenly called by his name, he briefly recalled Director Lee Jaehun’s voice but quickly erased that thought. The person’s deep, commanding voice and the monotonous tone in front of him were vastly different.

Unable to wait for that moment, Dr. Ha Sungyoon continued.

“It seems the director wishes not to die.”

“….”

For a moment, his shallow breath seemed to stop.

Jung Inho, momentarily blinking at the question, soon realized that his expression had momentarily stiffened, and he quickly eased it. He had been holding his breath, mouth shut, without exhaling or inhaling.

He tried his best to maintain a normal and indifferent expression.

“Well… It’s natural for a group of people to wish that no one dies, isn’t it?”

“But mixing personal bias into the information you’re providing is another issue.”

“….”

“Since a while ago, you’ve been considering the probability of Director Lee Jaehun not being dead, haven’t you?”

“…Ah….”

For a moment, his words were stuck, and Jung Inho blinked.

“Teeth are attached to the ivy, and it wrapped around the legs. Director Lee Jaehun was already in a less-than-ideal condition. Moreover, his leg was in a severely critical state, making walking itself a miracle. Using the word ‘perhaps’ in this context, isn’t that a bit contradictory?”

“….”

“Moreover, even if he was holding a pipe, what’s the probability of not letting go while being dragged? I don’t know if you’re aware, but the patient had a large wound on his arm. Earlier, I saw that his wrist was also in a bad state. In that condition, it’s questionable whether he could hold or swing a pipe.”

Dr. Ha Sungyoon spoke while fidgeting with his ear.

“You asked for a medical opinion, right? Well, in that case, it’s difficult to say. The probability of him being alive is significantly low.”

“You’re saying he’s dead.”

“If we think logically, yes. It was a miracle that he walked around normally even after becoming like that. It seemed like the patient had a strong will and appeared sane, but for an average person, they would be in pain and exhausted even after dozing off.”

“Right.”

“The probability of surviving in that condition is very low. I don’t like saying these things, but you need to prepare yourself mentally to some extent…”

“Yes.”

“….”

After the doctor fell silent, Jung Inho asked.

“Well, if it’s not a medical opinion…”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking for your thoughts, Ha Sungyoon.”

He spoke.

“Do you think the Director is dead?”

Jung Inho still remembered the conversation he had with Dr. Ha Sungyoon before his death.

Yes, he had returned to the past.

He returned to the moment when Director Lee Jaehun had not yet died, and thus, the conversation with Dr. Ha Sungyoon had changed a bit. However, he still remembered it.

Despite meeting only once in the context of a patient and a doctor, Jung Inho had been unusually curious about Director Lee Jaehun.

Recalling that, Jung Inho opened his mouth. Following the lead of Dr. Ha Sungyoon, a soft, hesitant voice continued.

“It seemed you were quite interested in Director Lee Jaehun, Ha Sungyoon. I sensed that you knew something.”

“What if it’s a misunderstanding?”

“Well, then why are you so calm? If Director Lee hadn’t helped you, you would’ve surely died, but you seem completely unfazed.”

“…You were watching from outside the flower shop.”

“I need information too.”

The flower shop had a wall entirely made of glass, and even from a bit of a distance, it wasn’t too difficult to see inside.

Jung Inho saw Director Lee Jaehun standing in front of the flower shop, eyes widening in surprise, and shortly afterward, he saw him entering with a firm grip on the pipe.

After taking a few steps, Jung Inho could witness Director Lee Jaehun blocking Ha Sungyoon inside the flower shop through the glass wall.

Ha Sungyoon, literally surviving in a situation just before death, remained calm. Despite facing a flower with thousands of teeth trying to devour him instead of magic and surgery, he remained composed.

This was in stark contrast to the initial group’s reaction when they encountered the monster for the first time, freezing in white terror without even screaming.

In a situation they had never experienced before, they inevitably felt fear. In this case, Jung Inho, being skeptical and thoughtful, couldn’t come up with many options.

“Dr. Ha Sungyoon, either you’re not in your right mind, or…”

“…”

“Or you know something about this world.”

The conclusion was similar whether it was one or the other. For Dr. Ha Sungyoon, the threat of those monsters wasn’t a ‘situation they had never experienced before,’ allowing him to remain composed.

So, there was another piece of information that could be considered.

“…What do you know about Director Lee Jaehun?”

Eyes as black as the night sky in the other world stared at Dr. Ha Sungyoon.

He remembers the time before the regression.

The doctor asked me about Director Lee Jaehun, and he shared what he knew about the information and confusion. For some reason, the doctor seemed to understand, or so he said.

Jung Inho also wanted to know what he knew.

Why did Dr. Ha Sungyoon, who had only spent half a day with Director Lee Jaehun on a regular basis, know something that Jung Inho, who spent that time together every day, didn’t? What does he know, and what’s the basis for his thoughts?

He wasn’t as skilled in martial arts as the intern, Noh Yeonseok, and he didn’t possess specialized knowledge like Dr. Ha Sungyoon.

However, what he was most confident in was this kind of mental combat, so he needed to prepare for it rationally, even if just a little.

“You mentioned sharing thoughts, right?”

He asked before the regression.

“When I saw Director Lee Jaehun…”

Dr. Ha Sungyoon tried to answer but couldn’t.

Due to the screams that tore through the air, the result of someone’s death. Jung Inho hadn’t heard the information that Dr. Ha Sungyoon wanted to share.

“Please tell me too.”

“…”

“I have the right to know as well.”

Among this group of people, he was the only one with that right.

In the eerie silence, Jung Inho felt a suffocating sensation, as if his breath was being choked out by pitch-black pupils. The vine with sharp teeth, like a shark, tightened around his throat, constricting his breath and slowly draining the lifeblood from his body.

Perhaps Director Lee Jaehun experienced an even more horrifying agony in the midst of such excruciating pain.

“What do you know about that person? And why…”

So, why.

“Are you not in your right mind?”

The doctor in front of him, as well as Director Lee Jaehun, everyone seemed to be insane.

Having experienced imminent death right before his eyes, Dr. Ha Sungyoon, who calmly continued his work as a doctor, and Director Lee Jaehun, who carved a knife wound on his own arm, seemed unaffected by death. Adapting to this grotesque world as if nothing had happened was more terrifying.

While Dr. Ha Sungyoon’s condition might not be comparable to Director Lee Jaehun’s, it was still challenging to consider him entirely sane compared to the rest of the group.

Otherwise, there was no way they could be so indifferent to death caused by inhuman monsters. They were all insane.

The deep black pupils narrowed, and from Jung Inho’s lips came a calmly restrained voice.

“I was watching from outside the flower shop, witnessing whether you or Director Lee Jaehun might die.”

“…”

“Of course, I didn’t want to die. I turned away from you guys because I wanted to live. Do you understand?”

“You seem excited, Jung Inho-ssi.”

“But what’s this? Even though you know everything, you look unaffected. You should have felt some betrayal or resentment towards my actions. I mean, Dr. Ha Sungyoon hasn’t spent as much time with me as the siblings, so he should have hated me a bit more.”

“Calm down.”

“Look, you’re telling me to calm down. Even if someone is dying in front of you, you’ll probably still say that. You probably told Dr. Ha Sungyoon to calm down and do his job, even after knowing everything.”

Before the regression, Dr. Ha Sungyoon was the same. Truly consistent.

Despite the bizarre and grotesque deaths of Kang Mina and Noh Yeonseok, the doctor only assessed the situation without showing any human emotions. Perhaps it was because he had seen a lot of death as a doctor?

Dr. Ha Sungyoon simply shook Jung Inho, believing that he would make the most rational judgment. Even though he, too, had briefly witnessed the deaths of those he had been with.

“Is that normal?”

So, this was also Jung Inho’s resentment towards the doctor before him.

The one who shouted to face reality without giving time to mourn the death of a friend, now, after returning to the past, felt bitter and resentful.

For the first time in his life, someone died right in front of him. It was a colleague from work and a close acquaintance. They didn’t share a very personal life, but they had at least shared some moments of joy together.

They exchanged birthday gifts with Kang Mina occasionally, and discussed good workouts with Noh Yeonseok. Surely, they had become somewhat close.

Two people like that died in an instant, and he could have been sad. He could have been in pain. Dr. Ha Sungyoon, however, only saw them as two lifeless bodies and demanded that Jung Inho face reality. Even though he might have wanted to be immersed in grief, he didn’t allow himself to.

All I wanted was to be spared from this miserable world.

“… So, tell me. Why?”

“…”

“What does Dr. Ha Sungyoon know?”

However, Jung Inho sensed that he couldn’t escape from this world, and moreover, it was a conviction he couldn’t turn away from. If he couldn’t escape from this place where nausea rose with every breath, then he needed to know anything and everything.

In response to Jung Inho’s words, Dr. Ha Sungyoon touched his ear and opened his mouth.

“…I was a bit surprised, Jung Inho-ssi. Um. You’re really smart.”

“I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“It was really just a meaningless compliment. I was just surprised. Surprised that you would be so angry with me.”

“I’m not angry.”

“Let’s go with that.”

He shrugged and continued speaking.

“But I don’t know that much either. It was only the second time I met Director Lee Jaehun, and we hadn’t even had a personal conversation.”

“But you still know something.”

“That’s true, but…”

Dr. Ha Sungyoon seemed somewhat embarrassed, rolling his eyes and scratching his ear with his hand, but instead of gaining insight from his actions, Jung Inho felt an inexplicable discomfort. It was an odd sensation that could occasionally be found in Director Lee Jaehun.

Certainly, even though he seemed insane, there was a structure to it, making it look like he wasn’t completely crazy. Such…

“Well then, why did you do that, Jung Inho-ssi?”

“What are you talking about?”

“When you were wandering around to get clues, today… probably in the afternoon.”

“….”

“At that time, when we were moving together, why did you separate from us for some reason?”

He couldn’t answer for a moment.

Jung Inho had returned to the past and knew what would happen in the future. His mind was consumed by the thought of preventing the group from dying at all costs, leading him to move separately from the other two.

As he pondered what excuse to make, he eventually opened his mouth in response to Dr. Ha Sungyoon, who was smiling and waiting for his answer.

“Do I really have to say it?”

“That answer is enough.”

Dr. Ha Sungyoon gently touched his earlobe once and seemed to have no intention of further probing, judging by his mild and dry response.

He quickly returned to the original topic.

“You asked me what I know.”

In Jung Inho’s opinion, it was an oddly light consideration.

“Keep in mind that this is just speculation.”

“Sure.”

“In my estimation, Director Lee Jaehun seems to be a survivor in this place.”

* * *

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