Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1351. Visit (1)

“Why did you bring so much stuff?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“I was planning to share some with Benigoa and the others,” I[1] answered.

“Really? All that?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“What? Do you want some, too?” I offered.

“I’ll pass,” Lee Ji-Hye answered.

I caught a glimpse of Ji-Hye noona’s smirk.

‘I really want to flick her forehead.’

Judging by her expression, she seemed pleased with the short film she had made.

That was definitely the face of a satisfied director after a successful screening.

“Relax a bit, Oppa. I didn’t do anything wrong. It was all for your sake. In the end, it all worked out. Everyone’s happy in their own way, and you handled things pretty well, too. Isn’t that a happy ending for everyone?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“...”

“So... you’ll visit sometimes, right? Though it seems like you already stopped by...” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“Well, whenever I feel like it...” I told her.

‘This girl is really annoying...’

Her face looked like it was telling me that she knew everything I was thinking. One side of her mouth was curved up. Before I knew it, a playful smile tugged at her lips.

“Aww, is our Ki-Young finally feeling better?” Lee Ji-Hye asked teasingly, patting my butt.

“Don’t do that, noona,” I said.

“Has it been hard for you lately?” Lee Ji-Hye asked again with the same playful smile.

“Ah, I said stop... Why are you teasing me over something trivial?” I complained.

“Oh, so things have been pretty hard for you lately?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“Ah! Stop it,” I shouted.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“...”

“...”

“Still, it’s a relief. I can see that you’re feeling a bit more lively... Back then, you looked pretty emotional. Actually, you really were emotional. I could tell just by watching, so others must have noticed it as well. Even Benigoa kept asking if you were okay."

“Well, it’s only natural considering my mental state. I can’t help it."

“That’s something. Admitting it so easily,” Lee Ji-Hye commented.

“There’s nothing to admit or deny. As I said, this is our reality, so what can I do about it? I don’t know how long this tedious integration process will last, but it’s far from comfortable.

"I can understand emotional people to some extent. Instead of ignoring the things I'd normally ignore without a second thought, I've been thinking about them. I get shaken easily, and I even wondered if something went wrong during my childhood,” I explained.

“Really? I envy you, actually,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“Envy me for what?” I asked.

“For being able to become emotional. Even if you find it uncomfortable, recognizing the problem yourself and working to resolve it is essential for growth, don't you think so?

"You've been feeling emotions you normally wouldn’t feel, and at this point, I think it's time for you to seriously reflect on yourself. There's probably a reason you ended up in the first life at this point in time,” Lee Ji-Hye answered.

“Does it really work that way?” I questioned.

“Do you think people like me or Jin Cheong could seriously reflect on our lives or childhoods? People who suppress their emotions with reason and logic can’t do that.

"It's uncomfortable for you, but I see this as a good opportunity,” Lee Ji-Hye added.

“Don’t talk about it like it’s someone else’s problem. Imagine yourself in my situation, noona. It’s not just a matter of having the drive for growth. It's not just uncomfortable. I feel like my personality itself has changed. It’s confusing, like hitting puberty late...” I told her.

"Oh? Has our Ki-Young finally hit puberty?” Lee Ji-Hye asked with a teasing smile.

“Ah...”

“Alright, alright. I’ll stop teasing you. Anyway, I handled everything without a hitch. The shop's ownership has been transferred, and the street expansion project for Stragglers’ Lane will start soon.

"The compensation was really generous, so unless they do something really stupid, they’ll be fine. They didn’t seem like the type, but it looks like you did a good job picking things up,” Lee Ji-Hye reported.

“...”

“I also assigned a few people to make sure there’s no chance of fraud or anything. You can relax now,” Lee Ji-Hye said, reassuring me.

“Do you really need to go that far? They’re not kids,” I asked.

“Just in case something troublesome happens later... You’ll deny it, but I have a bad feeling that if something were to happen to them... it'd become a huge problem,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“...”

“...”

“Alright, I'm really going to stop now,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

‘This noona really has me cornered today.’

I felt like she sensed the fact that my anxiety was finally assuaged. Honestly, the past few days had been really tense. She probably disliked seeing me under that kind of pressure. Whenever one person was emotional, the other would have to hold on to reason. I was sure that was exhausting on her end.

Seeing the playful side of Ji-Hye noona was rare, and it further convinced me that I was correct.

“What? Why are you staring at me like you’re analyzing someone?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“You do it every day,” I replied.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s annoying,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“No, it’s just... I don’t have any other intentions... I was just thinking that you probably had a hard time, too,” I said.

“What hard time? You had it worse. You suffered there, and you struggled hard. Despite that, it’s still ongoing, isn't it?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

‘That’s true.’

I finally realized that I was still putting off my homework. At a glance, it seemed like it was done, but I still had things to handle.

Many things were still shrouded in doubt.

I was in the process of searching for the answers, but since nothing had revealed itself, it felt like I was wandering through a foggy place.

I began feeling like I was overlooking something important. Ji-Hye noona also knew this better than anyone. In her case, she preferred to take a more relaxed approach and observe the matter slowly.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“...”

“Are you going to go in right away, or will you stay here a little longer?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

Her question made me fall into deep thought once again. Part of me wanted to get straight to work, but the memory of the previous expedition lingered in my mind.

Ji-Hye noona’s suggestion to take a short break also came to mind. Of course, I was sure that wasn't the reason behind the issue, but there was no denying that I was mentally exhausted at the time.

Since there were still many issues to sort out in the second life, it seemed better to stay a little longer. Above all, I couldn’t keep putting it off.

“I’ll stay a little longer,” I answered.

“Good decision. I feel the same way. This time, you’ll go visit Kim Hyun-Sung, too, right?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“Of course. Thanks to you forcing us to make contact, I have no excuse to skip it,” I answered.

‘I should check on him, too.’

I had left him alone for far too long. Of course, there wasn't really anything Kim Hyun-Sung could do to help. I had to ensure that he wouldn't find his way to the first life, but the truth was that he would actually be a hindrance there.

It was more helpful for him to stay quietly in that place, but even so, I couldn’t leave him there forever.

The recent incident meant Jo Hye-Jin was still worried, and Jung Ha-Yan needed no explanation. No matter what happened afterward, it was essential to consolidate things here.

For some reason, I felt like the Blue Guild was always messing up our plans.

In that sense, this event was a significant turning point. It was a time to gradually release the tension building up in them, and for the first time in a while, all the guild members would gather in one place.

While I was indulging in pointless chatter once again, I noticed Lee Ji-Hye tilting her head while staring at me.

"Hmmm."

“What? Why are you looking at me so intently?” I asked.

“...”

“...”

“Oppa.”

She held my face with both hands.

“What’s wrong, noona?” I asked.

“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“I look in the mirror every day. Why?” I asked.

Just as I was about to snap back, thinking that she was going to make another pointless joke, she lifted my bangs.

“What?” I asked.

“...”

“...”

“Your eye,” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“My eye?”

“The color of your eye... hasn’t it gotten a little dull?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?” I questioned.

“Is it just my imagination?” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“What are you saying?” I asked.

“It looks like it’s changed...” Lee Ji-Hye pointed out.

“...”

“No... never mind. Maybe my eyes are just tired from all the stress you’ve been giving me. Anyway, I need to rest now. You should too...” Lee Ji-Hye said.

“Yeah. I’ll head in,” I said.

“Alright. Go on. Say hello to Hye-Jin for me,” Lee Ji-Hye requested.

I left Ji-Hye noona behind, feeling a bit uneasy. I wanted to ignore it, but for some reason, it kept nagging at me.

Ji-Hye noona had always been sharp-eyed and quick to notice even the smallest changes. I knew it wasn’t something I needed to worry about too much, yet her words kept echoing in my mind.

As if on cue—or perhaps the timing was bad—an annoying figure appeared in my line of sight. It had been a while since I last saw him, and it seemed that he had recently started a new project, as he was staying late at his post.

The guy muttered a short curse under his breath and deliberately avoided looking at me as he walked past me.

“Commander Jin,” I greeted.

“Damn it...” Jin Cheong muttered.

“Commander Jin?” I repeated.

“Just my luck,” Jin Cheong said.

“Come on, Commander Jin... If someone calls you, at least respond,” I said.

“Goddamn it...” Jin Cheong muttered.

“Geez, you shouldn’t say things like that... I even brought you a gift,” I told him.

“I don’t need it,” Jin Cheong said.

“It’s a hambier skewer. It's been really popular in Lindel’s Stragglers’ Lane. I thought you might like it. Whether you eat it or not is up to you, but ignoring someone’s gesture is... dishonorable behavior,” I said.

I shoved the skewer into his chest and said, “Commander Jin.”

“Make it quick,” Jin Cheong said.

“...”

“Look at my face carefully,” I told him.

“?”

“Notice anything different?” I asked.

“...”

“...”

“Crazy bastard,” Jin Cheong mumbled.

I watched his back as he passed by me and headed to his office.

‘I’m an idiot for expecting anything.’

I went straight down and walked down the street. After greeting the guild members and staff who offered polite hellos along the way, I quietly slipped into my room, where the usual scenery welcomed me.

I stood in front of the mirror.

After splashing some cold water onto my face, I lifted my bangs and looked at my eyes.

The same golden iris stared back at me.

“...”

“...”

“Has it gotten dull?” I questioned.

Perhaps it was just my imagination, but for some reason, it began to feel like the golden color of my eye was fading, no—

“It... faded,” I mumbled.

Lee Ji-Hye wasn't imagining things. One of my irises was indeed losing its color.

1. Lee Ki-Young’s POV ☜