Theatrical Regression Life

* * *

While Director Lee Jaehun was sleeping as though he had fainted, the group decided to move to a different location.

“We shouldn’t leave the patient lying on the ground like this.”

Although they weren’t aware of all the details, there was a patient who had been dragged away by a monster and returned looking somewhat like a zombie. Leaving them on the ground of a park that was practically a jungle wouldn’t be good for them.

In response to Dr. Ha Sungyoon’s remark, Team Leader Kang hesitated before speaking.

“It would be great to have a bed… Maybe we can gather some leaves to create a soft surface?”

“But there could be dangerous insects hiding in between the leaves. The same goes for the grass.”

“First, let’s decide on a location. Once that’s settled, we can gather leaves or make a bed.”

“Can’t we go a bit farther away?”

Kwon Yeonhee added, touching her swollen red eyes.

“I don’t want to go back to that spot…”

“…That’s understandable.”

Since Director Lee Jaehun, who had the best survival skills among them, had been taken away, they couldn’t trust the shelter they had previously stayed in anymore. If the monster had taken Lee Jaehun, there was no reason to think it wouldn’t come back for the others.

However, they weren’t confident they could survive and return like Lee Jaehun had, and they were now feeling a strong aversion to the place itself. Just because it was morning didn’t mean they felt any better about a place where one of them had almost died.

Agreeing with the group’s opinion, intern Noh Yeonseok, whose face was pale, nodded. It had been quite a while since he had spoken.

“That place feels… off. Maybe it’s because of what happened…”

“Essentially, it’s a place where there was almost a murder. There’s no way it could feel right to anyone.”

“It might even be the monster’s habitat.”

Jung Inho looked over Director Lee Jaehun, who was sleeping under Dr. Ha Sungyoon’s coat, and continued.

“While we’re not certain, if anyone knows something, it would be the director who was taken.”

“……”

“We’ll find out exactly what happened when he wakes up.”

“Don’t bother him, Inho-ssi. He’s probably exhausted, and being dragged away by a monster might have left him with bad memories. Let’s wait until he’s ready to speak on his own.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t pressure him into explaining anything.”

He grinned, as he would at work, and his solid smile made Dr. Ha Sungyoon’s expression subtly fade. Jung Inho’s smile was reminiscent of the expressions Lee Jaehun often made when looking at Jung Inho, although he didn’t seem aware of this.

In response, Jung Inho quietly raised his eyebrows.

‘… Still, I must have my doubts.’

Even though Lee Jaehun had saved their lives multiple times, Jung Inho felt he needed to have doubts.

Though they didn’t know everything about this world, one certainty was that there were many types of monsters. There was a large monster that seemed to be covered in green algae and swung vines with teeth, while the black monster they encountered at the company resembled a spider’s shell. It was impossible for them to fully comprehend the cunning monsters that even tried to lure people.

In the midst of all this, Lee Jaehun had been dragged away by a monster.

“… Right. When the time comes, he will tell us himself.”

Jung Inho mumbled, setting his lips firmly.

Jung Inho despaired for a moment, as Lee Jaehun had been snatched away in an instant, leaving him in total darkness and with no trace to follow. Normally, they would say it was like the world going black.

But then, unexpectedly and with almost movie-like timing, Director Lee Jaehun reappeared. Although he was covered in blood and noticeably limping, he was alive.

But was he really the same ‘Director Lee Jaehun’ they knew?

‘Considering the abilities of the green algae monster we encountered before going back in time… even if he is himself, there could be issues.’

Jung Inho didn’t want to be caught off guard by sudden events as he had been before, so he needed to keep some level of suspicion.

“… We may need Yoon Garam-ssi’s help. Do you know of a good spot?”

“Oh… are you asking about a place near the large lake in the original area? Well, I know some spots a little further away.”

“I think we should stay as far away from there as possible. Could you explain the areas you know about?”

Jung Inho set aside his suspicion for now.

‘Either way, there’s nothing we can be absolutely sure about at the moment.’

Just moments ago, Jung Inho had felt nauseous and dizzy, but seeing Director Lee Jaehun alive seemed to have steadied him. In his rare calm state, Jung Inho decided to question everything he could.

Of course, it wasn’t pleasant to question someone who had saved his life.

‘But it’s necessary.’

“Actually, most of the decent statues and benches are near the large lake… As for the small lake, there isn’t really a good resting spot there.”

“As long as the grass isn’t too overgrown, it should be fine. The director seemed to consider setting up some sort of shelter when he first arrived here…”

“Hmm, I think I have an idea.”

Jung Inho knew that he was the only one who could afford to have suspicions.

Perhaps that was why Director Lee Jaehun had given him hints back at the office, knowing he was best suited for this kind of task.

Jung Inho and Director Lee Jaehun had not gotten along. Jung Inho had thought it was the superior’s one-sided dislike, and even though he now knew it had been partly an act, some of it must have been genuine. If someone needed to doubt the person who had barely made it back alive, it had to be Jung Inho.

But what if the Director Lee Jaehun lying over there is real? What if it’s not a monster mimicking him, but truly Director Lee Jaehun?

“……”

Jung Inho remembered the conversation he had with Dr. Ha Sungyoon last night.

‘Director Lee Jaehun seems to be a survivor of this place.’

The doctor had mentioned he might be a survivor of this hidden world.

Jung Inho’s coal-black gaze swept over Lee Jaehun’s forearm and then moved on.

If the person lying there was truly the Lee Jaehun they knew, who had fooled them with an unamusing long-term act and was a survivor of this unsettling world, then Jung Inho would surely be able to detect it.

After all, he had said he would let him know if asked.

“……”

“If you turn left from here, there’s a large tree. I’m not sure if it’ll be like I remember, but still…”

“I see.”

Jung Inho nodded in response to Yoon Garam’s words.

“This place isn’t too far from here, and it’s quite far from the original spot.”

“That’s right.”

“Even though it distances us from the large lake…”

Crack.

As he tightened his grip, the sound of bones breaking echoed.

“I think that’s a better option for me.”

A flash of bright red flesh crossed his vision.

Having seen an alternate future, he knew the green algae monster lived in the large lake, the same one adjacent to where they had initially settled. They had set up a feast right in front of the home of a creature that feeds on blood.

Suddenly, he remembered a corpse with unnaturally twisted limbs. The image of a body that had been absorbed into a tree. The memory of a madman who eagerly accepted his death by plunging sharp teeth into his own neck. He couldn’t shake these images from his mind.

The sound of shattering glass rang in his ears.

“I agree. We still have bottled water, and we can always collect more if needed. Food might be a bit scarce, though.”

“Should we just make a quick trip to the convenience store outside the park if it comes to that?”

“That might be a bit… well, why come here in the first place? Honestly, I don’t think I can go back into any building right now.”

Clink.

“…Let’s relocate for now.”

The sound of flowing blood could be heard.

* * *

Damn.

* * *

Why is it so hard just to get by?

“What is happening…”

Lee Jaehun clutched his aching head as he uttered a small cry of frustration.

Most of his dreams were lucid dreams, and he often chose suicide to wake up from them. For Lee Jaehun, dreams were incredibly troublesome.

‘But… even those dreams might be influenced by the hidden world.’

Meeting Constable Kim Yeonwoo only made things worse; dreams that had already been disturbing became even more grotesque and detailed after entering this world. Recalling how actions taken in the dream somehow manifested in reality only added to his headache.

Similarly, Lee Jaehun found himself in a frustrating situation.

“Why is there such a desperation to torment me?”

He stood amid countless trees.

Thankfully, unlike his previous dream, there were no creepy mannequins speaking to him or monsters from the hidden world emerging. Instead, he was merely being watched by eyes that seemed scorched into the long tree trunks, their gaze fixed on him.

‘Besides that, it almost feels like this isn’t a dream…’

He guessed it was a dream based on the fact that there was no one else around.

His companions, who were far less experienced than he was, would never abandon him when he had been pushed to the brink of death. Moreover, the fact that these trees’ eyes were moving when in the hidden world they had not provided evidence that this was a dream.

However, having learned from his last experience of being choked, Lee Jaehun found this situation even more frustrating.

“If only there were a monster, I could run at it and kill myself to wake up.”

He scrunched his face in frustration.

Thanks to Constable Kim Yeonwoo, he had learned that his actions in dreams could actually move his sleeping body. He couldn’t afford to make the same mistake again.

Well, perhaps his body wouldn’t move the same way again; maybe he was just being too sensitive… But the thought of doing anything similar in front of a group of novices made him feel a sense of dread.

‘They would worry too much.’

People would think of Lee Jaehun as mentally fragile, which would be detrimental to his plans. In these desperate survival situations, a mentally unstable person would eventually be seen as a burden.

‘Especially by those inexperienced novices.’

As long as Lee Jaehun continued to prove useful, they wouldn’t discard him outright. These people were like chicks just hatching from their shells, still unable to open their eyes, and the most likely scenario would be limiting his actions.

However, one thing was certain. Whether out of genuine concern or for practical reasons, they wouldn’t tolerate someone like Lee Jaehun who was mentally unstable enough to attempt suicide in his sleep.

Truly, the mere thought of it was terrifying.

“How do I get out of here…”

Lee Jaehun mumbled weakly, leaning against a tree.

‘What should I do now?’

Should he wait for a monster that might never come?

‘Or should I just wait until my body wakes up?’

But simply waiting left him uneasy because this place was part of the hidden world. In this strange place, it wouldn’t be out of the question to sleep forever and never wake up.

As he absentmindedly touched his lips, Lee Jaehun eventually began to walk slowly.

“……”

The only way out he knew was through suicide. In the past, Lee Jaehun would strangle himself, stab the back of his head with a knife, or shoot himself in the head to wake up from dreams.

But such direct actions could manifest as sleepwalking, as it had in front of Constable Kim Yeonwoo. This led to marks on his neck, which earned him disapproving looks from the diligent Dr. Ha Sungyoon. For Lee Jaehun, repeating this scenario would be a significant setback.

‘Maybe I’m being too sensitive, but there’s no harm in being careful.’

So, if he avoided direct actions like strangling himself as he had done before…

“…Yes, there is a way.”

Lee Jaehun marveled at the algae-covered lake.

The lake was wide and deep enough to justify its name over that of a mere pond. Occasionally, something would disturb the surface, creating ripples beneath the algae, and the sight was unsettling.

Though the surroundings were quiet, it was curious that there was activity only within the lake itself. However, Lee Jaehun, who disliked lucid dreams, didn’t dwell on it too much.

“If I go in there, I’ll probably suffocate to death.”

It was the best option he had. Though it sounded absurd, this dream was mixed with reality, so if he drowned in the lake, he could at least suffocate.

After staring down at the green lake for a moment, Lee Jaehun slowly walked into it.

Splash.

“…Tsk.”

The sensation of the floating algae clinging to his body was extremely unpleasant.

The novel’s narrative is entirely from the main character Jung Inho’s perspective, so what the inside of the lake looks like remains unknown.

‘If the lake’s interior had been described in the novel, it would have ended quickly.’

Given that the protagonist couldn’t have survived the algae lake, his cause of death would likely have been suffocation or strangulation.

The fact that Lee Jaehun was deliberately stepping into such a potentially deadly place made him experience a profound sense of reality.

“…Why am I suffering so much because of this dream…?”

He hoped that this dream was a result of some influence from the hidden world. Otherwise, it would mean that Lee Jaehun himself was creating this absurd dream, but his imagination wasn’t vivid enough to recall the sensation of an algae-covered lake he’d never experienced.

However, if he had indeed created this all on his own, every future dream might lead to this kind of chaos. Just as he was standing waist-deep in the lake, furrowing his brow.

Crack.

“…!”

Something spiked grabbed at his neck, squeezing tightly.

“Gah… ugh.”

Splash.

Lee Jaehun was submerged in the lake.

In an instant, his vision turned blood red. Thick, unsalted liquid stung his eyes. Cold water seeped into his nostrils, mouth, and the hole in his throat, as though stabbing him.

That’s when Lee Jaehun understood the situation.

‘Algae monster.’

There was an algae monster in the dream lake.

Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, before he could grasp more, he felt his vision turning black. It was the familiar sensation of successfully committing suicide in a dream.

The crimson color he had seen faded to complete darkness, and as he struggled against the suffocating water and the feeling of spikes and teeth at his fingertips, he closed his eyes.

The familiar touch of death pulled Lee Jaehun out of the dream.

“…Director?”

He could see the pale, frightened protagonist.

“……”

“…Are you awake? Can you breathe? No, wait…”

The calm voice was contrast with the short, nervous breaths.

Though Jung Inho’s lips were subtly curved, resembling a smile, Lee Jaehun could tell, even just waking up, that he wasn’t actually smiling. It seemed more like a defensive reaction, not knowing what kind of expression to wear.

“……?”

Jung Inho was pressing down on his wrist and arm.

As Lee Jaehun looked at him, Jung Inho quickly let go, as if realizing what he was doing. It then dawned on Lee Jaehun that both of his hands had been restrained. The doctor’s dubious expression suggested that both the protagonist and the doctor had been holding down his hands.

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, Lee Jaehun sat up, trying to speak to break the tension. But something else interrupted him first.

“Ugh.”

Drop, drop.

Red droplets of blood.

“Oh?”

He was baffled.

‘Have I lost my mind…?’

What happened to logic?

Lee Jaehun, still bowing his head, reached for his mouth, only to realize that blood was trickling from his nose and mouth. His clothes were a mess from the blood he had expelled.

At the same time, he realized.

‘…The inside of the lake was filled with blood.’

This was the water from the dream algae lake.

After all, Lee Jaehun wasn’t in enough pain to cough up blood at the moment.

To vomit blood, there would need to be an injury inside his throat, or his stomach or lungs would have to be filled with blood. If he were in such poor health, he would feel significant pain or foreignness even in his half-asleep state. But all he felt now was the nausea from swallowing water and the slight sting of chlorine from a swimming pool.

‘Above all, the sensation feels like it.’

This wasn’t his blood; it was the water from the lake. But wait, why was the water from the dream lake appearing in reality…?

Hold on.

“……”

He took a deep, controlled breath.

Right now, the focus shouldn’t be on whether it was a dream or not. That’s something for a future Lee Jaehun to research and deal with; the issue the present Lee Jaehun was facing wasn’t just some miserable dream.

Feeling a chill run down the back of his neck, he slowly lifted his head.

“……”

“…Director.”

“I’m not hurt.”

“What the hell…”

“Watch your language in front of others.”

“Sorry about that.”

The protagonist was not about to back down in the face of such trivial lecturing.

“Were you suffering from tuberculosis? Lung cancer? Leukemia?”

“Why not just hold a funeral for me?”

“Well, can you explain what’s going on then?”

“…”

This isn’t going to work.

He sensed a strong feeling of unease and, for once, decided to trust his own instincts. Given the protagonist’s uncooperative attitude and the heavy atmosphere that had suddenly settled, this clearly wasn’t right. This was not okay.

After quickly assessing the situation, Lee Jaehun turned to the doctor.

“No.”

“…What?”

“Can you perform a check-up?”

He needed a professional’s opinion.

* * *