Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1489. Backstage (10)

“No, I’ll do it,” I said politely.

“...”

“...”

It felt like I was partially assimilated.

“Mr. Hyun-Sung.”

I tried to cool my heart to suppress the surging heat inside me, but I could still feel it pounding like mad. I was regaining my composure, yet a trace of the emotions I had just felt still lingered in me, making me feel uncomfortable.

“...”

It wasn’t like First Lee Ki-Young had suddenly taken over me or possessed me. More likely, the residual emotions after witnessing the pig’s death had exploded all at once. Tears were still streaming down my face, so perhaps this was only a natural reaction. I couldn't remember the first life, but the sorrow from the ordeal remained inside me.

The emotions had engulfed me briefly. Of course, this hadn’t strayed from my original goal. I had decided to corner Kim Hyun-Sung. Naturally, the air sank into a heavy silence. Kim Hyun-Sung was still looking at me, struggling to breathe. Even after crying until he had nothing left, he still could not come to his senses.

He couldn't grasp what just happened or what kind of situation had just unfolded.

His gaze toward me became complicated.

It even felt as if, instinctively, he wanted to get as far away from me as possible, yet his arms still clung tightly to me. Then again, even when I had been choking him, he hadn’t pushed me away.

Of course, the idea that these small hands could truly strangle Kim Hyun-Sung was absurd, but he had to have genuinely felt like he was being suffocated.

I would wager that he had truly confronted the fear of death.

He was trapped in a situation where he could neither act nor retreat, and in the end, Kim Hyun-Sung couldn’t shake me off, even when it seemed almost certain that I was merging with First Ki-Young.

“...”

“...”

“But... how are we supposed to get back now?” I asked, speaking as if nothing had happened

The corners of my curved eyes slightly.

Kim Hyun-Sung stared at me with an expression that I couldn’t quite put into words.

“...”

“...”

Silence hung over us. There was no way he failed to understand what I was saying. I was trying to express that what just happened meant nothing.

“I asked how we’re supposed to go back, Mr. Hyun-Sung,” I asked again.

‘Nothing happened at all.’

It was no different from saying that we ought to bury that small incident and return to our everyday lives.

“...”

“I-I’ll look into it,” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.

“Okay.”

“...”

“...”

“Um... Mr. K-Ki-Young...” he muttered.

“Yes?”

“...”

“...”

“It’s... nothing,” he said.

“Ah, that’s not fair. Now I’m curious,” I said.

“...”

I couldn’t even joke that Kim Hyun-Sung was in a great state. He looked like his soul had left his body. He clearly had a lot he wanted to say and ask, but he couldn’t bring himself to continue. I was smiling like I always did, but he knew it wasn’t a smile born of genuine ease.

“You’re not hurt anywhere, right?” I asked.

“Y-yes... I’m fine...” he answered.

“I’m glad to hear that. I was worried. I was afraid that you might be badly hurt...” I said.

‘He’s completely deflated.’

“Still, having you here with me, Mr. Hyun-Sung... you have no idea how reassuring that is. If I were on my own... it'd be really dangerous. Thank you again for coming to save me,” I said.

“I-I only did... what I was supposed to...” he mumbled.

‘Why are you crying again? Come on. Damn it.’

“I... heuk...”

“Don’t cry, Mr. Hyun-Sung,” I said.

‘Ah... come on.’

“Don’t cry,” I repeated.

I was speaking as I always did, but he believed that I no longer trusted him and that I no longer felt the same bond toward him. It was like he had realized that I despised him more than anyone and that I wanted him to suffer.

He had turned me into his raison d'etre, so I was sure the idea that I despised him was unbearable. This situation wasn’t exactly welcoming either...

‘But still... it’s better than throwing him away.’

It was an extreme choice, but I had no doubt that it was the best way to tighten the leash around Kim Hyun-Sung’s neck. Of course, I got a little carried away in the middle, and he showed such instability that I briefly wondered whether he had collapsed emotionally, but thinking back on it, the concept of merging with First Ki-Young was an incredibly rational move.

Especially considering the possibility that Kim Hyun-Sung could go and meet First Ki-Young. I ran through several possibilities about what he felt he had to do, and the most likely one was facing First Ki-Young directly.

Whether he wanted to apologize, reach some kind of agreement with him, or seek his forgiveness, he would surely confront him. Even if that wasn’t his goal, the process itself could lead him there.

‘If I were First Ki-Young, I wouldn’t have anywhere else to go.’

It was a simple idea. The problem Kim Hyun-Sung had to resolve was right in front of him, so there would be no need to go searching for First Ki-Young over here to negotiate. I shifted the target of his need for forgiveness away from First Ki-Young and onto myself.

I had no idea what this idiot was thinking, but I could guarantee that First Ki-Young would never forgive him.

Then again, as he was the one who sent Kim Hyun-Sung back, perhaps there was a slim chance that he'd accept an apology, but even the reason for his regression remained veiled. There was also a world of difference between Lee Ki-Young understanding him on his own and Kim Hyun-Sung personally begging for forgiveness.

‘Stirring up anger that wasn’t even there before is always a possibility.’

In many ways, it made more sense for me to take ownership of the issue between First Ki-Young and Kim Hyun-Sung. I had seen his situation firsthand; I could understand and accept it. Right now, he looked hollow, barely able to speak. He was on the verge of breaking down. I was even worried that he'd do something drastic like hang himself.

Once all of this was over...

‘I’ll put him in a wheelchair if I have to and slowly guide him back to how he used to be.’

With time and patience, First Ki-Young’s ego would eventually fade, and the story would move toward Lee Ki-Young and Kim Hyun-Sung coming to understand and forgive each other. It would take time.

Perhaps it meant crossing a river from which there was no return, but as I said before, it was far better than cutting him off entirely; it was far better than losing him and letting him go. I had given him more chances than anyone could reasonably expect. If it had been anyone else, they would’ve been discarded long ago without a word.

‘If he had been some other idiot, I’d have thrown him away already.’

The fact that I seriously considered dragging that bastard Woo Hyo-Yeol from Rohen and bringing him here said enough. Of course, if I were to actually bring him here, a few minor problems would arise, but they could be resolved with a flick of my fingers, so there was no real cause for concern.

In any case, the real issue was that Kim Hyun-Sung had been such a mess lately that I found myself thinking that perhaps the blond, tanned delinquent would probably be better than him.

It wasn’t the perfect comparison, but it was the kind of situation where signing divorce papers on the spot wouldn’t have been strange. Of course, Lee Ki-Young, who prioritized the family above all else, would rather preserve even a hollow shell of a household than stamp his seal on divorce papers.

Even if the trust between us had shattered and the faith we shared had collapsed, even if we had entered a state where living together no longer truly meant living together, and even if—from Kim Hyun-Sung’s perspective—stepping into that house felt like walking into hell, it was still better to keep the family intact than to sign those divorce papers.

Time would resolve things; the wounds would eventually close.

‘You prefer that too.’

“...”

“...”

‘Mom and Dad aren’t divorcing. We decided to live just for you. Damn it. Doesn’t that mean all the problems are solved now? He might be a little off after the shock... but we’ve really protected the family.’

“...”

‘You don’t have any grounds left to throw a tantrum, do you?’

The continent probably still felt uneasy, but it would surely consider this an acceptable outcome. It valued results above all else, after all. The household would feel cold for a while, but as always, it would remain a safe and well-provided household.

Besides, the so-called will of the continent had no ego, so there was no obligation to protect its emotions. Whether Kim Hyun-Sung and I maintained a healthy relationship or not was irrelevant.

“...”

In the end, it wouldn't lose its guardians. This was what mattered most. Just as expected, the surroundings changed. The scenery rewound and rearranged itself. Even in the middle of that, Kim Hyun-Sung was holding me tightly, trying to protect me.

It had to have been instinct, as I found myself nodding unconsciously at it.

“Mr. Hyun-Sung...” I mumbled.

“Y-yes... Mr. Ki-Young...” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.

“Don’t let go,” I instructed.

“Okay...”

“...”

“You understand, don’t you?” I asked.

“Yes...”

“That you have a reason to stay by my side. No, an obligation,” I said.

“Yes, of course,” he answered.

For a brief moment, it felt as though he was smiling at me.

“...”

“...”

‘You understood.’

“...”

'I’m not completely sure, but in the end, you understood what I meant. And then...'

“...”

Lindel reduced to ruins beneath the glow of the sunset came into view.

“...”

“...”

When I turned around, I saw Kim Hyun-Sung’s figure scattering away like sand.

“Uh... uh... uh... what?”

“...”

“Huh? Hyun-Sung...?” I said.

“...”

“Huh? Uh... hey!” I shouted.

[The Regressor Instruction Manual has ended.]