Theatrical Regression Life-Chapter 63

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The glass apples brought back by the latest gathering team were a big hit with everyone.

“Wow, this is really delicious.”

“…Are you crying?”

“Do you think I’d cry? Don’t piss me off.”

“Why are you so irritated again?”

The apples were good enough to get the usually quiet siblings to speak up.

‘The conversation I had with the younger sibling before must have had a significant impact.’

Or maybe they were actually awake in the middle of the night. Given the chaos, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone had eavesdropped without anyone noticing.

Lee Jaehun took a bite of the glass apple, recalling how his stomach had burned from vomiting lake water before. The unique starchy texture of the fruit and its oddly sweet aroma mixed with the juice in his mouth. Despite being an impossible fruit to find in the real world, its taste was quite decent.

It was likely his fault that the Park siblings, who were chatty at first, had become so quiet. They probably felt that their protector could die at any moment if they took their eyes off him, so it was natural for them to consider running away.

If Lee Jaehun had really died, they would have likely switched teams, especially since they had already met Detective Hong Kyungjun.

‘To those guys, the protagonist is a variable.’

His gaze briefly met and then fell from Jung Inho, who was talking to Team Leader Kang Mina.

Despite having a strong voice in the team, they seemed strangely wary of them. Considering that showing baseless aversion to an unfamiliar minor isn’t something a normal adult would do, it made sense they’d prefer protection from a recognized police officer.

However, Lee Jaehun was alive, the protagonist was quiet for now, and he had talked with Park Dahoon, expressing his intentions. Since he had assured them they’d understand even if he acted unpleasantly, there was no reason to switch teams.

Lee Jaehun blinked at the empty shell after eating the entire apple.

“……”

A thin, glassy orb.

Nothing more, nothing less. According to the local norms, such a transparent blue fruit shouldn’t grow on trees. He swirled his tongue around his mouth.

He tasted blood.

‘…Did I chew on the shell?’

Damn, he still wasn’t in his right mind.

Not being able to notice a simple shell like this showed how bad his condition was. If he had brought his previous life’s body, he would have been fine, but this body was not.

The glass shell in his mouth was larger than expected, and while he was momentarily distracted, he chewed it a few times, causing all sorts of cuts in his mouth—on his palate, tongue, and inner cheeks. Even his gums felt oddly unfamiliar as a stinging sensation spread. He glanced around, checking on the protagonist and the others.

He should have spit it out as soon as he realized it.

‘Spit it out now or swallow it.’

He didn’t want to cause a fuss.

In his past life, he could have cursed, spat it out, and just taken a few teasing remarks from his teammates, but this world wasn’t so cushy. Even in his current life, Lee Jaehun had almost no tolerance for foreign substances in his mouth, making the situation even more frustrating.

Then suddenly, he felt a pair of black eyes staring at him.

“……”

“…Director.”

“……”

“Director?”

The voice held suspicion at first and then certainty.

‘They’re probably wondering why I’m not saying anything.’

Should he just swallow it and pretend nothing happened? As he was momentarily tempted, Dr. Ha Sungyoon, who was sitting opposite him, had a stern look on his face.

He cursed with his expression.

“Stop.”

“…Damn it.”

This was disgusting.

Well, with Dr. Ha Sungyoon’s extensive medical experience, he could easily recognize Lee Jaehun’s condition. There must have been plenty of patients who held back their nausea out of pride or dignity. Lee Jaehun admitted defeat.

Realizing there was no cloth or tissue nearby, he spat the glass fragment into his hand. It was tinged slightly red.

He quickly hid his hand, not wanting anyone to see.

“Why are you looking at me like you want to eat me alive?”

“…Why are you holding it with your hand?! Wasn’t that the shell, no, glass?!”

“Seriously.”

You’ve got some issues.

Thanks to the protagonist’s unnecessarily sharp observation skills, Lee Jaehun’s attempt to minimize the commotion failed. It seemed they understood his intention to quietly get through the situation, given their exaggerated reaction.

The problem was that the overly dramatic reaction was startling the younger team members.

“…What? Director?”

“Wait…? Oh my god, he’s bleeding! Blood, no.”

“He’s dying…!”

“I’m not dying, I’m not!”

The ridiculousness of it all made Lee Jaehun snap back automatically.

“Have you seen my blood just once or twice? Why are you all freaking out!”

“What’s there to brag about? And, is that the same as blood from your mouth…?!”

“How is it different?!”

Although Kwon Yeonhee yelled, there was no winning against Lee Jaehun, who was inherently a villain.

‘What nonsense is this chick spouting?’

How could blood from one person’s body be different? She wasn’t really angry, just very surprised, but to Lee Jaehun, she was just an ungrateful subordinate.

Just as he felt a headache coming on and was about to raise his voice, the protagonist intervened with his usual earnest and worried expression.

“It didn’t seem that difficult to peel.”

“……”

“You must be really tired. You’re making mistakes you wouldn’t normally make.”

He seemed humble, but it was irritating.

In short, it meant ‘I doubt your condition, so spill it out,’ along with the unnecessary taunt, ‘Do you want me to keep pestering you?’

‘Did I just get tricked?’

Suddenly being threatened by his subordinate, Lee Jaehun was at a loss for words.

“…You… You’re really….”

“Yes, Director?”

“Why are you like this….”

His speech slipped back into the casual tone he used in his previous life.

Sometimes that guy was really annoying and disgusting, reminding him of the creepy bad ties from his past life. If he could, he would have loved to hit him on the back of the head. Of course, Lee Jaehun wasn’t foolish enough to actually do that.

‘You have to build trust first before causing any trouble.’

Lee Jaehun’s biggest strength was his quick thinking and acceptance of reality.

Guys like him remembered every little slight. That’s how their relationship had developed in the beginning. He had barely escaped that negative phase, and now that he was trying to restore the oddly increased trust, he couldn’t afford to ruin it. Lee Jaehun had to act wisely to avoid future backstabs.

Accepting reality, he adjusted his expression to end this brief commotion. He had already filled his stomach with the glass apple, and the only light source was the campfire.

He decided to add some acting to his excuse to wrap up the day.

‘Of course, I didn’t expect to end up chewing glass…’

Since things had come to this, he might as well share the story he had prepared.

‘I must look pretty out of it.’

Lee Jaehun’s expression showed a mix of prideful repression and awkwardness as he tried to hide his unease. His face didn’t change much, but the sharp ones would notice.

“I was just distracted, it’s nothing serious.”

Of course, to the younger ones, it seemed like a big deal.

“…So you are tired, Director.”

“Yeah, well… that’s how it is. When you work nights non-stop, you lose it a bit. Remember when our intern put lemon powder in coffee instead of sugar….”

“Oh.”

Remembering his embarrassing mistake, the arrogant intern’s face turned even paler. Naturally, the protagonist defended the inexperienced intern.

“Don’t change the subject to poor Yeonseok.”

“Deputy Jung, you’re getting bolder. Do you think I’m a joke?”

“If the person doesn’t realize they’ve chewed glass, maybe they are a joke.”

“I swear I’ll fire you one day, seriously.”

He meant it, somewhat.

When our story is over and I’m rich and powerful, you’re out. Got it? You’re really out, Deputy Jung. If it weren’t for the protagonist, I’d have thrown you in the lake.

The protagonist gave a wistful smile.

“If we ever get out of here….”

“…Are you trying to provoke me?”

“So what’s bothering you? An injury? Fatigue? The weather?”

“……”

Once again, he was at a loss for words.

If I start cursing, I’ll just end up looking like the bad guy.

For the sake of the team’s morale, Lee Jaehun couldn’t argue back, and the protagonist knew it. That damn annoying bastard.

Unable to leave Jung Inho’s prodding unchallenged, Lee Jaehun reluctantly decided to surrender.

He changed his expression.

“…Well….”

It was time to use the excuse he had prepared.

“…It’s really not that serious.”

“Can we judge that ourselves?”

“Seriously, man. Ugh.”

“So?”

“……”

Now he had to get serious and act properly.

He furrowed his brow slightly, conveying discomfort and reluctance. As if he didn’t want to talk about it. But he couldn’t stay silent, fearing what Jung Inho, who knew his past, might do. He hesitated, rolling the words around in his mouth before finally speaking slowly.

With a slightly cracked voice, he said nonchalantly,

“The sleeping arrangements… are a bit.”

“……”

“Uncomfortable.”

Then he scratched his neck slowly.

A natural gesture, as if he didn’t even think about it. His gaze drifted off to the side, feigning ignorance. He firmly scratched off a scab with the edge of his fingernail.

Of course, it was a calculated move.

‘I did scratch my neck when I first woke up from fainting.’

He wanted it to look similar this time too.

Naturally, no mentally healthy person would scratch their neck or strangle themselves to the point of injury while sleeping. It suggested immense stress or some mental issue.

Anyway, the water had already spilled. Even if it was a reflexive struggle before death, he had shown signs of self-harm in his sleep and couldn’t explain the red lake water entering his lungs in his dream. It was better to control the narrative and flow in his favor.

‘I’ve even got an excuse about an algae monster ready.’

The made-up scenario and fabricated actions made him want to laugh, but he suppressed it and put on a sullen, embarrassed face.

“…See, I told you it was nothing.”

The fictional ‘Lee Jaehun’ he had created, as well as the real ‘Director Lee Jaehun,’ would have felt the same way. Complaining about sleeping arrangements at his age wasn’t exactly mature.

Of course, to the younger ones, it didn’t sound like that at all.

“…Director, could it be that….”

“What.”

“…No, sorry.”

See?

Their voices crawled back in like they were at fault.

Kang Mina, who had started to speak, closed her mouth, and the protagonist just looked at Lee Jaehun. The others, who didn’t know him well, were clearly at a loss for words.

‘They must think it’s because of the monster.’

It was natural. It hadn’t been long since they survived the algae monster. It made sense they thought he was dealing with nightmares or other aftereffects.

But the crucial thing was that Lee Jaehun couldn’t just join in their somber mood. According to his character, who didn’t know about ethics or dignity, their reactions should confuse him. The embarrassment and awkwardness he showed earlier were genuine.

He raised an eyebrow, not understanding the heavy atmosphere, and looked at Jung Inho, the only one who knew his situation. He sought out someone who understood him.

But it wasn’t like the protagonist could do much either.

“…Still, it might be best if you rest.”

“…Already? I was about to set the night watch and plan for tomorrow….”

“I’ll take the night watch. We can hear the plan tomorrow.”

Jung Inho’s firm interruption made Team Leader Kang Mina quickly look at him.

She seemed to want to help with the night watch, which delighted Lee Jaehun, who was always looking for proactive workers. Finally, his efforts were paying off.

Of course, he wasn’t dumb enough to show that delight.

“…What’s going on?”

Now was the time to show displeasure. Everyone except him knew the situation. For the proud ‘Director Lee Jaehun,’ this was the right response.

The protagonist, knowing Lee Jaehun’s dual nature, would find this amusing.

“Honestly, haven’t you been doing too much? There’s a lot we don’t know, so we have many questions, but it’s better if we handle things now.”

“……”

He was suspicious.

‘Is this guy trying to use me up and toss me aside?’

Given the build-up, it was unlikely, but still. He couldn’t entirely dismiss the possibility, given their long history of negative interactions.

Lee Jaehun considered his thoughts, subtly showing discomfort, then adjusted his expression and asked,

“…Am I, a burden?”

It was the first time in a long while he used honorifics with his team.

Of course, unless the younger ones had a sudden drop in conscience, the expected answer was ‘No.’

The expression on his face showed discomfort, confusion, anxiety, and frustration. He had built up his image for so long that there was no need to act weak now.

Thankfully, the protagonist pinched the bridge of his nose and continued speaking.

“No, I’m just telling you to get some rest. No hidden agenda.”

“Why should I?”

“……”

At that, Jung Inho’s lips twisted into a faint, crooked smile.

That was precisely the reaction Lee Jaehun wanted.

‘My efforts are paying off.’

There were only two reasons for that expression to appear.

‘Frustration’ and ‘Ally’. It was an expression that came out when one felt frustrated with an ally.

In truth, if you looked closely, it was a habit that made him seem quite unpleasant. It resembled the twisted look of a madman deciding whether to kill or spare someone, and no matter how positively you viewed it, it left a bitter aftertaste that no one in the group could deny. Even Kang Mina had a rather uneasy expression.

But that expression also meant, ‘No matter how frustrating, they are still a comrade I must carry on with.’ He had made several blunders and caused concerns before, but it seemed he could now relax for a while.

Lee Jaehun decided to step back at this point.

“If needed, I will.”

“…And try not to scratch your neck.”

“Ah.”

So, he pretended once more.

He acted surprised, then pretended to hide it, erasing his expression and looking away as if nothing had happened. Even though he perfectly hid his expression, it was a sign that he was displeased with the current situation.

“…Sure, why not.”

As he spoke,

“……”

“I wouldn’t mind resting.”

He let go of the glass shards he had been holding.

Finally, the day’s performance came to an end.

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