Theatrical Regression Life
Chapter 2

Chapter 2

In the novel, Lee Jaehun was an undeniable villain that no one could refute. It’s not just the story of when he entered the otherworldly realm. Even in his daily life, he was a considerable jerk, viewing people as nothing more than tools, a trash. While he didn’t engage in extremely evil deeds like murder, Lee Jaehun was already villainous enough.

He abused his position as a department head without any hesitation. This strained his relationship with the protagonist, who held a deputy position in the same department.

Despite pretending otherwise, the protagonist, being a genuinely kind person, had clashed with Lee Jaehun several times before. Honestly, even recalling his past life, the protagonist didn’t find Lee Jaehun likable.

To begin with, Lee Jaehun’s past life wasn’t that of a morally upright person. However, knowing the events that would unfold, Lee Jaehun could easily set aside his pride for long-term benefits. He had reasons to impress the protagonist.

‘For now, let’s try presenting an unexpected image.’

Unlike his usual self, he went out dressed casually and looked around. Although Lee Jaehun had chosen a house near the company for the convenience of commuting, finding a place to rent in the heart of Seoul was a challenging task.

This was also true for the protagonist, Jung Inho, who was the owner of this world. Unbeknownst to Lee Jaehun before recalling his past life, Jung Inho spent over an hour commuting from a distant area in his car.

In the novel, it was mentioned that he chose a relatively inexpensive house to become completely independent through his own efforts.

Anyway, the place where he lived didn’t seem very lively, even in Lee Jaehun’s eyes. The neighborhood appeared warm but not bustling.

The only decent thing about it was the presence of a walking path, and Deputy Manager Jung Inho used to engage in light jogging here every weekend morning.

Indeed, possessing the basic physical fitness and agility befitting the cruel and mature-rated protagonist of a gritty survival story, he came running from the direction of the walking path.

Lee Jaehun thought of Deputy Manager Jung Inho jogging on the walking path and, upon confirming an ice cream discount store among the lined-up shops, shifted his steps in that direction.

The place he visited was a liquor specialty store next to the discount store, and next to that was a liquor store.

“Welcome.”

As he opened the rusty door and entered, various types of alcohol, ranging from wine to rice wine, were displayed. Even though it was a small store, it had a well-organized layout, as he had thought when searching on the internet.

Of course, both the quantity and quality were inferior to the specialized stores he usually frequented, but since the purpose wasn’t the alcohol itself, it didn’t matter much.

Lee Jaehun, with a slow, deliberate gaze, spoke to the owner.

“I contacted you yesterday; I’ve come to buy Saoxingju.”

“Ah, yes… you’re that person.”

Saoxingju. Also known as Sohongnoju, it was the name of a type of alcohol commonly used in Chinese cuisine. Surprisingly, the distribution of liquor in Korea was not very smooth.

Generally, items available for delivery were limited to traditional liquors, and for purchasing more authentic drinks, delivery was usually not a viable option. Moreover, finding Saoxingju was not as easy in the vicinity compared to other types of alcohol.

If it were cocktails or wine, like those in Lee Jaehun’s neighborhood, they could be easily found. However, most people would not bother to take heavy steps, even a person as hefty as Manager Lee Jaehun, for a drink they didn’t even know by name.

He silently observed as the owner, with a dry touch, found and took out a bottle of liquor.

“To be honest, not many people look for this, so the stock is quite limited.”

“I won’t be buying a lot, so it should be fine. Just one bottle.”

“Ah, are you using it for cooking?”

“Not exactly, but… I’m bothered by the empty shelf space.”

It wasn’t a lie. Lee Jaehun was quite a vain person. Decorating his house was something he took seriously, and naturally, displaying expensive or rare collections was his hobby. Therefore, he naturally possessed a splendid liquor shelf.

However, if one were to question whether this was the complete truth, of course, it wouldn’t be entirely accurate.

‘In the first place, it’s just an excuse.’

Lee Jaehun gazed at the owner’s hands diligently wrapping the bottle. He was indeed vain, but he wasn’t exactly a heavy drinker.

If you had to categorize him, he enjoyed company dinners where he could lead his subordinates and reaffirm his power. He wasn’t the type to pour himself a drink alone at home.

However, there was a need for Lee Jaehun to deceive the protagonist, who pretended not to doubt him but likely knew the address of his house vaguely due to enduring his overbearing behavior many times.

Even though Deputy Manager Jung Inho seemed like a quick-witted employee who might not question why he was here, Lee Jaehun couldn’t afford to make any mistakes or be misunderstood, especially since he was creating an excuse to be in this neighborhood before entering the otherworld.

Therefore, to create a plausible excuse for being in this neighborhood, Lee Jaehun had thrown away the Saoxingju from the shelf last night.

Although he had considered just trying a sip, he realized that he would have to drive, and having the scent of alcohol lingering could pose a problem.

Honestly, it might not seem like a big deal from my perspective, but the protagonist, who quietly observes the law, probably wouldn’t allow drunk driving. Sure, it’s doubtful that Deputy Manager Jung Inho would come into my house to check the shelf, but details are important nonetheless.

If Lee Jaehun learned anything from his past life, it was to be thorough, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Holding the paper bag given by the owner in one hand, he checked the wristwatch on the other.

‘The protagonist’s morning jogging time is from 9:30 to 10:30….’

And the incident he witnessed the day before Deputy Manager Jung Inho entered the hidden world happened when such a protagonist was returning after finishing his morning exercise.

Lee Jaehun, securing the wristwatch, casually gazed at the situation outside through the glass window.

“….”

Faintly in the distance, a familiar figure, Inyeong, came into view.

“Good work.”

“Goodbye.”

Having exchanged the same dry greeting as when he entered, Lee Jaehun left the liquor specialty store and strolled down the sidewalk. He had to walk a bit to reach the ice cream discount store next to the liquor store.

As the protagonist, who had been jogging, approached, and the child who had come out of the ice cream discount store ran towards a woman on the walking path, Lee Jaehun intentionally widened his eyes and pulled the child by the back.

“Huh?”

—Squelch, thud!

“….”

Right after, a black sedan passed by just in front of the child. The momentary quietness, as if swallowed by the large noise that didn’t fit the worn-out and tranquil neighborhood, was disrupted. A woman who seemed to be the child’s mother, whether she grasped the situation or not, screamed.

“….Kyaaaah!”

“Car, car accident…! My child! Just now!”

“What, who died?”

Astonishment, surprise, fear. As the faces displayed the cruel curiosity that anyone might have in such a situation, Lee Jaehun, without realizing it, covered the eyes of the child he had pulled.

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Only then did the child, seeming to grasp the situation, burst into tears and grabbed onto Lee Jaehun’s arm.

“Sni-sniff, huuuuu….!”

“….”

Thanks to covering the eyes, his hand became moist. Despite lowering the hand due to a strange discomfort and an unknown embarrassment, the child showed no intention of letting go of Lee Jaehun’s forearm. As a result, the casually worn shirt was stretched out.

Feeling a strange awkwardness, Lee Jaehun looked at the woman who had rushed over from the opposite side.

“M-Minho, Minho….”

“…Take him.”

“Ah! Thank you. Thank you, thank you….”

With trembling hands, the woman continued to stroke her child, repeating the same words, and Lee Jaehun furrowed his brow. It wasn’t that he felt bad; it was just that the woman’s repetitive actions resembled fixing a malfunctioning machine.

He sensed that she was about to say something else but, not wanting to get involved in unnecessary matters, casually brushed off his hand and stepped away. Fortunately, the woman’s attention quickly returned to the child, who seemed on the verge of crying.

Of course, he wasn’t sure if this child was her son, but considering the protagonist in the novel treated them as mother and son, there seemed to be no issue. Above all, he had already achieved the reason for coming here.

“…Deputy Manager Jung?”

“…Oh, Manager.”

Lee Jaehun casually pulled out his phone from his pocket, as if he had just noticed the protagonist, and addressed him. The protagonist’s face, devoid of any trace of a smile just moments ago, now displayed a smile tinged with genuine pleasure.

Suppressing a chuckle at the swift change, Lee Jaehun, without revealing his twisted inner thoughts, extended another hand to him.

The gesture was akin to giving a command to a dog. With an expression that betrayed both embarrassment and confusion, he spoke.

“Uh, yes. Sure. Just a moment.”

“Oh, yes….”

“Did Deputy Manager Jung live here? Yeah, just wait a moment.”

It would be great if this foolish repetition of the same words, as if he were giving a command to a dog, looked as flustered as expected in this unexpected situation.

Thinking so, Lee Jaehun called an ambulance. Although there were people gathered around, he wondered if anyone would help the person inside the car. Having read the novel, he knew.

Among the few gathered around the car that hit the utility pole, none of them were helping the driver. They just seemed continuously flustered. It was only after the driver’s breath had stopped that they would call an ambulance.

Perhaps because the protagonist was the potential child killer, he didn’t offer any assistance. However, for Lee Jaehun, who already had a bad reputation, leaving the injured person without doing anything felt like another matter.

Honestly, the desire not to help the driver was as clear as day, but for the sake of improving his image, Lee Jaehun knew he had to assist.

After calling the ambulance, Lee Jaehun walked through the crowd of onlookers and opened the car door.

‘Smells like alcohol.’

Seemed like a drunk driver. Quite bold to do it in broad daylight.

Lee Jaehun, not much different from the driver before him, suddenly thought that he could have been in serious trouble if he had fallen asleep after drinking Saoxingju yesterday. In another sense, he almost felt repulsion towards the protagonist.

While carefully assessing the driver’s condition, Lee Jaehun decided to take only minimal measures instead of pulling the driver out. The car was pretty crumpled, and meddling with it might only worsen any injuries.

He unraveled the bandage he had put on his arm at the hospital yesterday, applied pressure to the forehead wound to stop bleeding, and then navigated through the crowd of people staring at him.

Since it seemed like the driver wouldn’t die anyway, the people who came with the ambulance could take care of it afterward. Lee Jaehun, looking at the protagonist with narrowed eyes, spoke with a crumpled expression.

“What are you doing, Deputy Manager Jung? Don’t move.”

“Yes, yes?”

“You’re going to meddle in such a noisy situation? If Deputy Manager Jung gets involved, it’ll be a headache for me as well. Just ignore it and come quickly.”

The protagonist’s face became quite strange at that remark, but Lee Jaehun, trying to evoke his former self as much as possible, urged him. It was quite challenging to prevent the speech pattern from his past life from unintentionally popping out.

Lee Jaehun, keeping a suitable distance, felt the protagonist’s gaze following him.

“It’s strange.”

Looking at the way he spoke, he did fit the description of an old-fashioned boss. The line he just said sounded like he didn’t care at all about the accident and wanted to avoid getting involved in troublesome matters like a bothersome piece of garbage, whether an accident occurred or not.

However, until just a moment ago, Lee Jaehun was the person who rescued a child almost hit by a car and treated the driver almost hit by another car.

Although the words and gestures were the same, for the protagonist who had been directly observing the situation, it must have been quite an incongruous reaction.

Even the guy who used to disdainfully talk nonsense like who takes sick leave as if it’s nothing and considered it annoying, saved two people today.

It would be strange if it didn’t feel strange.

Even though he declared he would improve his image, it seemed like he handled things a bit hastily. But under the circumstances, he had no other choice.

‘Now or never.’

If he missed this opportunity, they might be swallowed up by the otherworld tomorrow.

There was only today if there was time, and there was even an opportunity favorable to Lee Jaehun. Could he afford to miss such a great opportunity?

Lee Jaehun, swallowing his true feelings, opened his mouth toward the protagonist, who was making an awkward expression.

“Uh, yeah. Is Deputy Manager Jung living around here?”

“That’s right…? I heard that Manager-nim lives near the company, so why are you here…?”

“Oh, um. I had some business nearby…”

He deliberately blurred the details. The old Lee Jaehun wouldn’t have explicitly told Manager Jung that he came all the way here to fill the liquor shelves.

He would have thought that saying a high-ranking executive came this far to buy alcohol could damage his image. Of course, regardless of that, the protagonist would have figured out the reason for coming here.

Dragging the child by the back, stumbling once, he might have seen Lee Jaehun leave the alcohol in the paper bag because he was preoccupied at that moment.

While Lee Jaehun didn’t really leave the alcohol behind due to absent-mindedness, at least from the protagonist’s perspective, it seemed that way.

Lee Jaehun froze his expression for a moment upon realizing that the protagonist had noticed he left the alcohol behind, then quickly relaxed his face as he looked at Deputy Manager Jung in front of him.

Even though the protagonist would have realized everything by now, his indifferent outer layer remained unbroken.

‘Even in my past life, these kinds of people were always the scariest.’

Lee Jaehun inwardly bit his tongue and outwardly continued to play his former self, speaking.

“Ahem, well, um. Saying something like this…?”

“Yes, Manager-nim.”

“Don’t go around telling people what I did today. Got it? If I get some weird calls from drivers or parents later, it’ll become troublesome, you know?”

“Oh… weird calls?”

“Why pretend to be innocent? Just be aware that they might hassle us, claiming damages for no reason. You get it?”

This, too, was nonsense. Of course, it wasn’t about believing in the kindness of the people who gathered there today, but rather, it was about casually uttering things he didn’t even believe. The notion of claiming damages was nonsense. They weren’t the ones who did anything well.

The protagonist’s expression became subtly strange after hearing Lee Jaehun’s words, but he persevered with the act.

If he showed any signs of being suspicious here, the value of coming all the way here might diminish.

Fortunately, Lee Jaehun was quite talented in acting.

Recalling his former self, he continued to speak.

“Well… no, anyway. Deputy Manager Jung, don’t you help the manager who’s working so hard? It’s not that I hate Deputy Manager Jung, but the approach really needs improvement.”

“Yes, I apologize.”

“If apologies could solve everything, why would we have laws? People are truly wicked.”

Although it was the usual grumbling, unlike the soft expression of his former self, the current expression of Manager Jung Inho was slightly distorted.

This meant that Lee Jaehun’s performance was somewhat effective.

Lee Jaehun, who understood this through his intuition from his past life, breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

“That’s right, that’s how it should be.”

He was in the midst of making a fool of himself, putting aside his pride. Even such a small change as this wouldn’t have been possible without the subtleties of Deputy Manager Jung Inho’s current expression.

It was a plan based on the protagonist’s quick wit.

Traffic accidents are more chaotic than one might think.

Most ordinary people are disoriented by the deafening noise, which they rarely hear in their daily lives. Firstly, their minds become dizzy; secondly, the events, previously seen only in the news, unfold before their eyes, creating a sense of unreality; and finally, their souls are quickly sucked into astonishment at the destruction around them.

Therefore, unless someone is nearby, the fact that he saved the child just before being hit by a car would be unknown.

Given the nature of the subtly insane protagonist, who can recognize the situation, Lee Jaehun took the premise that he might figure it out. He meticulously traced the locations mentioned in the novel, creating excuses to come here.

It would have been disappointing if he hadn’t recognized it.

Lee Jaehun, looking a bit regretful with empty hands where the bottles of alcohol were supposed to be, opened his mouth.

“Yeah, yeah. I apologize for lecturing you on your day off. You know I say these things because I’m thinking about Deputy Manager Jung, right?”

“Of course, sir. I’m listening carefully.”

“I scolded you when you have to go to work tomorrow. Deputy Manager Jung, be careful too…”

This should be enough to fulfill today’s goal.

His aim was not to completely remove the unsightly hair from the opponent today.

That was an impossible task, and it could easily lead to unnecessary misunderstandings. It wasn’t something to be rushed.

In the novel, Lee Jaehun was portrayed as a worthless villain whose death was as insignificant as drinking soda.

A sudden change in personality would only raise the other person’s guard and wasn’t something to be done hastily. Lee Jaehun had created an opportunity for the other person to see him differently based on the unexpected behavior he displayed today.

As the incident was directly related to human life, in the Otherworld, he would be given the chance to reflect on that time based on what had happened.

Having made such judgments, as Lee Jaehun naturally moved his steps, a strangely clear voice caught his attention.

“Sir.”

Clearly, there was some intention behind the address. Lee Jaehun blinked in response.

“What?”

“When did you injure your arm?”

“….”

Ah, damn.

‘I forgot about this.’

Whether yesterday or today, he kept forgetting about the injuries because, in his past life, wounds like these were hardly significant enough to be remembered. Even though they would be considered major injuries by today’s standards.

So, Lee Jaehun casually used the bandages he had applied to the driver while treating him to wrap around his injured arm.

At that time, he had only thought about the practicality of the bandages the doctor had left yesterday, but the protagonist, with keen observational skills, wouldn’t have missed the significance of the bandaged wound.

Without averting his gaze from the protagonist, Lee Jaehun touched the fingers around the wounded area.

“….”

With the familiar touch, the protagonist’s eyes narrowed. Only now did Lee Jaehun realize that the doctor had warned him yesterday not to move the arm much. It seems he moved it quite a bit today.

He noticed blood seeping through the shirt as the wound widened. After a brief moment of contemplation, Lee Jaehun responded.

“…Got scratched by a protruding nail yesterday, so I visited the hospital for a bit.”

Although it was a bit surprising, it wasn’t something he couldn’t handle. No matter how good the protagonist’s observational skills were, he was just an ordinary person without any special abilities.

During the brief moment when he removed the bandage, the protagonist wouldn’t have been able to figure out the details of the wound. Even if he had excellent perception, the current protagonist was just an ordinary person with no extraordinary skills.

In response to Lee Jaehun’s explanation about the wound caused by a protruding nail rather than a knife, Deputy Manager Jung Inho’s face showed a surprised expression.

“Oh my, a nail? You shouldn’t have additional injuries on top of it.”

“Yeah, that’s true… Well, anyway, luck is just not on my side. It’s been a real mess since yesterday.”

This was half genuine. The thought that if only he hadn’t remembered his past life, he could have died without knowing anything briefly crossed his mind but quickly disappeared.

Lee Jaehun sighed while soothing his forehead with the hand that wasn’t bleeding.

“Anyway, Deputy Manager Jung, you should head inside.”

“Yes, sir. Please be careful.”

“….”

In the momentary pause that was keenly sensed by Lee Jaehun, his gaze shifted toward the hand that was pressing on his forehead, specifically the wrist.

“Ah.”

“….”

“The watch is broken.”

In a moment of irritation at the idea that the other side had noticed the switch, he muttered to himself.

“…Is this guy faking it?”

The delicately crafted glass of the watch was broken, indicating that the wrist must be in a certain condition.

The watch was not the target; it was the wrist injury caused when he fell.

The broken glass of the watch revealed the state of Lee Jaehun’s wrist without further explanation.

The wrist injury was not what Deputy Manager Jung Inho was aiming for. What he wanted to confirm was how accustomed Lee Jaehun, the manager, was to pain.

It goes without saying, but Lee Jaehun, at least the Lee Jaehun from the past, was not accustomed to pain.

There were times in the past when a stapler at the company was wrongly struck, and a loud scream echoed.

While the arm injury from yesterday’s incident could be attributed to that, the current wrist and the glass fragments embedded nearby were a separate matter.

Lee Jaehun appeared to be accustomed to the new injury as well, admitting to being familiar with pain.

However, being accustomed to pain and injuries was something only seen in mentally unstable individuals.

Yes, those crazy people who roamed around in my previous life’s world.

Moreover, in such a peaceful and quiet world, being familiar with pain carried a different meaning that no one could fathom.

Thus, Jung Inho noticed the difference in the current Lee Jaehun.

He must have felt that sense of discord.

Perhaps Lee Jaehun didn’t intend for things to go in this direction.

‘I didn’t want to be perceived as accustomed to pain….’

Though it could be easily misunderstood, he didn’t want to create any unnecessary leverage for being harshly used as a labor force in the other world.

If a person already in bad terms perceives someone as being accustomed to pain, would they not exploit that vulnerability and push them further into a corner?

He was skeptical about the limits of human kindness.

Lee Jaehun’s gaze met the other’s dark eyes.

“Things have been so hectic that I didn’t even realize I had a wound on my hand.”

“….”

“Isn’t that right?”

The protagonist responded.

“Yes, that’s right.”

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