Theatrical Regression Life

* * *

As Lee Jaehun attempted to conduct a proper counseling session, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat coerced into it, even though there was no intentional malice. Nonetheless, he found himself dragged along without much choice, so he remained unaware of the protagonist’s detailed circumstances. Even the notion that the protagonist might have regressed was merely speculation and not a definite fact.

However, with memories from past lives spanning many years, Lee Jaehun was convinced that the protagonist had indeed regressed. Yet, despite this conviction, he had no knowledge of how or when the protagonist had regressed.

Of course, if he had simply woken up to find himself regressed, it wouldn’t be much of a problem…

‘But that’s highly unlikely.’

Crack!

Lee Jaehun thought as he smashed the ivy clinging to the tree trunk.

“Then again, it’s not like I would know anything about caterpillars.”

The squished insect’s bodily fluid splattered into his field of vision.

This caterpillar, bearing fluid eerily similar to blood, resided within the trees of the transformed park.

Unlike in the novel, thanks to the flower shop owner who had already joined them, they were well aware of the location of a place with fish. Moreover, unless they had disposed of snacks brought from work somewhere, the protagonist and their companions wouldn’t be lacking food immediately to the extent of needing to tear trees apart.

‘Even if they were trying to gather firewood, it doesn’t make sense.’

The trees in the transformed forest exuded an imposing aura that made them seem impossible to tear apart by human strength at first glance. Even if they managed to do so, the wood wouldn’t be suitable for burning easily. It didn’t make sense for Lee Jaehun to chop down trees for firewood, even though he had been taught how to make fire before regressing.

So how did they end up finding out?

‘That doesn’t make sense either.’

Having read novels, Lee Jaehun knew that there was no axe among the tools available in the park episode. Even if he recalled the frustrating moment when he asked if there were any proper weapons here and the author nodded in response, unless that was a lie, it was true that they currently lacked weapons.

However, there was no reason to dig into trees with bark as tough as needing an axe, let alone endure the chaos until caterpillars emerged. No matter how you looked at it, stumbling upon the information by chance didn’t make sense.

And regardless of how they obtained information about the caterpillar, the important fact was that they had enough time for it to become a problem.

‘There’s no way someone like that would regress overnight.’

Upon closer inspection, the guy who skillfully found caterpillars without skipping a beat right after regressing must have rolled in here like a boss, even using a monkey wrench for something other than its intended purpose to peel tree bark. Otherwise, there’s no explanation for suddenly improved survival skills or half-lost sanity.

Therefore, when Lee Jaehun saw the once healthy mentality return as half-baked, he couldn’t even begin to express his feelings. I wasn’t trying to throw this chick into a pit of adaptation, after all.

“Tsk.”

Lee Jaehun clicked his tongue at the dampness he felt around his legs.

He sensed that there were wounds on his calves, ankles, or soles of his feet. Despite feeling dull pain, he was more unnerved by the slippery sensation.

“…”

The feeling of clothes and shoes getting soaked was strangely dreadful.

“Heh, sh-…”

Unconsciously, he let out an exclamation, only to be hit by a strong sense of reality. Do I have to do childcare at this age? You disgusting chicks.

“But… it’s a bit of a blessing in disguise.”

Being dragged away by the ivy last night was like a psychiatrist jumping out the window during a therapy session. The protagonist, playing the role of the patient, must be feeling a mix of absurdity, irritation, anger, and disappointment. Perhaps Lee Jaehun could have made things a bit better if he hadn’t pried into his emotions, but the deed was already done.

He had no idea where or what the protagonist was doing before regressing. All he knew for sure was that if his mentality had deteriorated to that extent, he must have met Detective Hong Kyungjun at least once.

‘It’s fortunate if he doesn’t need a chokehold in that state.’

But it’s not good, then it’s troublesome, indeed.

While Lee Jaehun hadn’t exactly considered killing Detective Hong, he needed to manage the survivors, like a shepherd with a bunch of sheep.

‘If necessary, killing isn’t a problem but…’

He couldn’t afford to discard such a useful card just yet.

Considering various other factors, it wasn’t ideal for the two of them to be at odds from the start.

Moreover, among the survivors, there was a serial killer mixed in from the beginning.

“I should deal with that bastard first…”

Suddenly, a sense of injustice and sorrow welled up in Lee Jaehun, causing him to gnash his teeth.

He hadn’t witnessed the situation firsthand, but it was obvious even without seeing it. A strong intuition told him that things would soon go terribly wrong. Somehow, it didn’t seem like it would end with just a simple gut feeling.

“Phew…”

Let’s carefully reconsider everything from the beginning.

Why did Constable Kim Yeonwoo and Detective Hong Kyungjun come here? It was none other than to catch the serial killer, who was so brutal that the authorities deliberately kept him out of the news.

Anyway, with such a cruel and short-tailed serial killer among the survivors, and Constable Kim being the only one to have witnessed him, it made sense.

‘In the story, the killer even targets Kim Yeonwoo as the next victim.’

Would it make sense for them to fight among themselves when they don’t even know when or where that bastard might cause chaos?

‘And if they mistake him for Jung Inho, it’ll be even more frustrating.’

While Lee Jaehun felt the sensation in one foot gradually cooling, he clicked his tongue.

There are indeed many problems, and this one is no exception. Jung Inho, who’s practically a psychopath, doesn’t seem normal to Detective Hong. Thanks to this, Jung Inho ends up on his blacklist.

Honestly, this problem would naturally be resolved once Lee Jaehun and Detective Hong Kyungjun met. After all, compared to the somewhat unstable Jung Inho, Lee Jaehun is definitely the crazier one. So if Detective Hong suspects anyone as a suspect, it would naturally be Lee Jaehun. And unlike Jung Inho, Lee Jaehun has the ability to smoothly brush off such suspicions and even use them to his advantage.

But what if Jung Inho reveals animosity towards Detective Hong?

‘And isn’t Detective Hong Kyungjun new to the area?’

In that case, there’s a possibility that the detective, armed with logical evidence, would become wary of the protagonist. And despite having logical evidence, Detective Hong wasn’t very easy to communicate with.

This is heading towards disaster. For Lee Jaehun, who never expected the situation to unfold like a novel, it’s like a bolt from the blue.

Lee Jaehun paused for a moment, feeling the dull ache under his feet.

“…”

Thud!

In the midst of the silence, the sound of cold sweat breaking could be heard.

“…Useless body.”

He felt suffocated.

No matter how much influence he had from his past life and how many skills he had mastered, even if he could push beyond his mental limits, Lee Jaehun’s body was closer to that of a civilian than his previous life. Unlike before, he didn’t possess abilities to heal scars in seconds without a trace.

‘I’m used to enduring pain, but my body won’t give in.’

Even in a world where he could withstand mentally, there were limits, and Lee Jaehun’s ability to keep living and breathing right now was solely due to his mental strength. If his mind were slightly weaker or if he lacked the will to survive, he could collapse and turn cold at any moment, losing his life in an instant.

That’s why Lee Jaehun found the current situation extremely difficult. He felt frustrated. Despite enduring the pain, having a body that couldn’t move properly was incredibly pathetic to him, at least.

Feeling useless was incredibly frustrating.

“…”

Lee Jaehun took a deep breath, shifted his foot, leaving behind crimson marks underneath.

There was too much to do.

* * *

“…”

Jung Inho felt like he was losing his mind.

He didn’t have time to spare. So far, he had only focused on moving forward, unable to check his surroundings, and he couldn’t even tell what condition his legs, which were carrying him, were in. He was that rushed, and his mind was even more muddled.

It felt like thick hands were striking his head from all directions.

He didn’t know if he was in pain, but he couldn’t open his eyes, feeling filthy, and his breath was stifled. Yet, it was amusing how his body calmly walked, talked, and moved, now feeling a sense of discord.

Suddenly, an inexplicable fear crept in, repeatedly engulfing his dull mind. He had never experienced it, but it felt like it might be similar to being tortured. The fact that he was experiencing it on dry land without a drop of water hinted at his state in a fragmentary way.

But, even so, he couldn’t stop.

“Excuse me, but could you please not come near us?”

“…Why are you being so cautious?”

“I’ve already answered your question; we don’t know anything about the person you’re looking for.”

Jung Inho hoped that his usual smile was plastered on his face. He wanted to touch his lips with the hand not holding the monkey wrench to make sure, but unfortunately, that hand was currently blocking the man in front of him.

The moment he saw the man introduce himself as Detective Hong Kyungjun, Jung Inho felt his heart pounding. Whether it was due to anger or fear, even Jung Inho himself couldn’t tell.

However, one thing was certain: Jung Inho didn’t want to let him meet his companions.

“So, um…”

Honestly, he hadn’t expected to come face to face with this man like this.

I was foolish.

“Do you not have any companions? Frankly, at this point, meeting new survivors, we’re likely to have… many shortcomings.”

“Shortcomings, you say?”

“I can’t help but be cautious of you, Hong Kyungjun-ssi.”

Jung Inho realized that the words he was saying to himself felt awkward. They sounded as if they were coming from a child, unnatural and disjointed. It wasn’t just the words but also the breaths between them.

But that was all. There was no time or room to fix it, no time to rethink.

“So, if you’re some kind of monster disguised as a human?”

“…Have you encountered a monster?”

“Yes, I apologize. We’ve answered your questions, and I don’t wish to converse with you any further.”

He didn’t want to converse.

He had thought that eventually, in the past, he would see that face again. He had anticipated it to some extent since they first crossed paths with his group and blocked their path through the park, but now wasn’t the time. Not right now.

As if sensing his feelings, the man, eyebrows slightly furrowed, spoke up.

“…Understood. Given the circumstances, it’s understandable that we’re both on edge, so let’s talk again after we’ve both had a chance to calm down a bit.”

“Agreed.”

“Later, once I’ve found my companions, let’s revisit this conversation. I apologize for being too excited about meeting a new survivor and not being considerate enough.”

“I apologize as well.”

“But it’s probably good to keep in mind.”

He spoke with a blunt tone.

“I’m a detective, and I’m here in this area to work. Normally, I wouldn’t mention safety and rules separately, but given the circumstances…”

“…”

“I hope you’ll also consider the possibility of dangerous individuals among the survivors.”

Cold and straightforward.

In that thinly veiled layer of caution, Jung Inho smiled.

“Thank you for letting us know.”

“…Until we meet again.”

With those words, the detective turned away.

“…”

What was he thinking, seeing that familiar figure from behind?

Jung Inho clenched his fist. The cold, hard touch of metal felt unnervingly pale.

‘…Is Yeonwoo-ssi still missing?’

Jung Inho recalled the situation before returning to the past.

He knew who the man was looking for. One was Constable Kim Yeonwoo, who came to this area with him, and the other was the serial killer among them. He had seen the former’s face, but he died without knowing the identity of the latter.

There were suspicions, but…

“…”

“…Inho-ssi.”

“Ah.”

Jung Inho looked at Yoon Garam, who approached him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… I think I should be asking you.”

She fidgeted with her short hair, barely reaching her neck, and pursed her lips.

After glancing around once, she spoke with her characteristic firm voice.

“What’s wrong, Jung Inho-ssi?”

“…”

“…Are you acquainted with the detective we just met?”

At that, Jung Inho realized his mistake.

Too distracted and impatient, he had stupidly forgotten that they had no grudge against Detective Hong Kyungjun. Not even Yoon Garam, who had been with him for a short time, or Ha Sungyoon, the doctor, would hold such animosity.

So, it was clear that his wariness towards the detective was excessive. It was his own mistake for not considering others’ perspectives.

With a forced smile, Jung Inho blinked slowly, his eyes stiff.

‘…What should I say?’

What excuse could I make to not reveal my weakness?

He briefly pondered the root of his current anxiety, but it was fleeting. What was certain was that Jung Inho had indulged in his own thoughts without considering others’ perspectives.

He must have looked foolish. Why did he act like that?

While Director Lee Jaehun was missing, Jung Inho’s presence at the forefront was simply due to Lee Jaehun’s absence. Jung Inho didn’t have the confidence to grasp each of the diverse perspectives of this multitude of companions, and indeed, he couldn’t.

The bodies of Team Leader Kang and Noh Yeonseok still lingered vividly in his mind. The sound of glass shattering still echoed in his ears. The nauseating smell of blood still permeated his body. But these were just Jung Inho’s personal perceptions.

The only thing he remembered was that cursed moment.

“…”

He couldn’t breathe.

“I…”

I…

I…just.

“…”

“…Why are you like this?”

I didn’t want to die.

I didn’t want to die…

I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to kill. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to die.

If only I could live, that’s what I wanted.

“…”

I wanted to live too.

“Ah.”

My stomach churns.

And, I was tired.

* * *

“This crazy bastard!”

“…”

Suddenly blinking, I realized someone had grabbed me by the collar.

“Come on, man, if you’re tired, just go to sleep…! Is this guy totally nuts?”

“…Uh…”

“Huh? Huh? Who’s saying ‘huh’ right now? Are you ignoring the director?”

First, bright red blood caught my eye.

Stains of crimson paint-like blotches, marring the white fabric of a shirt from within, filled my vision. Only then could I confirm the face of the person who had grabbed me by the collar.

A furrowed brow filled with discontent. Thin scars as if scraped from somewhere. Twisted eyebrows and a wrinkled nose. A mouth full of sensitivity. And…

And

“…”

“Why are you staring, you disgusting prick.”

The eyes, eerily calm to the point of being dog-like.

“…Director?”

…It wasn’t a corpse.

They were alive.

* * *

Join our Discord for release updates!

https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2

* * *