Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut! Chapter 52

Chapter 52. “Do You Want to Go Back?” (2)

At the unexpected result, everyone turned to Hajin in shock.

Hajin, however, stayed calm. He simply applauded his battle opponent, Han Seongwoo, first—silent, composed. Seeing that, the other trainees hesitantly followed, still tilting their heads, glancing back and forth between the two like they couldn’t make the math work.

“Now then.”

Even with the room rattled, filming rolled on. Regaining control in one breath, Seo Taeil raised his voice, solemn.

“We will now reveal the new Wings tier, calculated by combining your existing scores with your benefits!”

The screen lit up.

〜〚WINGS OF MIRO MAZE〛〜
Jung Siwoo / Han Seongwoo / Lee Yugeon
Gong Seok / Kang Hajin / Seo Taehyun / Yuki

The Wings lineup had shifted.

For a first mission, it was a massive shake-up. The trainees buzzed—half excitement, half disbelief.

In the middle of it all, Hajin stared only at his own name on the screen.

Perfectly still. Perfectly quiet.

“To those newly entering Wings, and to those who have maintained Wings—congratulations.”

It should’ve been loud. It wasn’t.

Then the lighting changed.

“New Wings trainees will receive the brooch that proves your rank…”

Seo Taeil dragged the beat out—long enough to let everyone breathe—

“…directly from the trainees who have been eliminated from Wings: Joo Eunchan, Dan Haru, and Lee Doha.”

Wow. You devilish bastards.

Hajin admired it internally, almost amused despite himself.

Beside him, Kim Wonho was already running his mouth—something about how it was a good thing he didn’t make Wings—so carefree it was almost irritating.

A spotlight fell on Gong Seok.

“Gong Seok trainee—please head to the trainee you choose.”

Even though it was “just” receiving a brooch, Gong Seok hesitated, shifting like the floor was too hot. After a moment, he shuffled toward Lee Doha, the person he’d grown closest to during the monthly evaluation.

“D-Doha… I’m sorry!”

“You won though. Why are you apologizing?”

Doha looked genuinely confused. Still, he calmly unclipped his brooch and handed it over.

Gong Seok scurried back like he’d stolen something.

The lights shifted again.

This time—

“Kang Hajin trainee. Please go.”

Hajin took one step, then another, already resigned.

No matter who I pick, I’m getting hate for it.

Seo Taeil watched the direction of Hajin’s steps, swallowing down a small, unconscious worry.

From the very first recording, having this much “story” was good for the show—but this kind of moment was dangerous.

Either choice could look ugly on camera.

And Hajin had also lost the battle. The score didn’t make sense, but it was the result.

At least Team B had won the team match. If they’d lost that too, Hajin would’ve been shredded by controversy unless the main PD decided to save him with a heroic edit.

It was never going to be easy.

Seo Taeil, who was secretly rooting for Hajin, let out a worried sigh—then remembered the cameras and forced his face back into something neutral.

Hajin kept walking.

And stopped.

“Here.”

He’d positioned himself exactly between Eunchan on one side and Dan Haru on the other.

Both of them stared at him, tension faint but real.

Hajin paused, then flashed his trademark bright grin.

“A precious junior who will sincerely congratulate this hyung’s promotion into Wings.”

Then he opened his arms wide.

“First come, first served—one person.”

“……!”
“……!!”

Eunchan and Haru, who’d been sizing him up like what is he planning now, suddenly lit up.

“Me! Me! Give me mine!”
“I suddenly don’t want to lose.”

A completely different fight broke out.

Not whose brooch Hajin would take—

but who got to give it to him.

Laughter rippled through the studio like a thaw.

“…Fine. You do it.”
“Yes! Thank you!”

For a second it looked like they were about to escalate into a dance battle for the right, but in the end Eunchan surrendered—no match for Haru’s clingy, pleading eyes.

“Seriously… I worried for nothing.”

Seo Taeil shook his shoulders, dumbfounded, watching the three of them. Even the staff looked visibly more relaxed.

Is that what you call natural sense? he thought, quietly impressed.

Hajin had turned the whole situation into his stage in a single breath.

At last, Dan Haru—the “winner”—stood in front of Hajin. He glanced down at the wing brooch in his hand, then back up.

“…Hyung.”

“What.”

“I think… you’re really amazing.”

Like he’d just realized something and couldn’t unsee it, Haru smiled and handed the brooch over.

“Congratulations on Wings. I mean it.”

Hajin nodded.

“Yeah. Watch and learn.”

The silver wing pinned to Hajin’s chest.

This time, applause and cheers burst out naturally.

“Alright!”

And outside the camera angle, someone clapped harder than anyone.

“We’ve got our lead for episodes one and two.”

On the monitor, PD Kwon Myeongeun’s eyes glittered—predatory, delighted.

After filming, the trainees still couldn’t return to the dorms. They had to wait for individual interviews.

Seeing his turn was still far off, Hajin double-checked that his mic pack was switched off, then drifted away.

“Seo Taehyun—if anyone looks for me, call me.”

“Hyung, where are you going?”

“I need some time alone.”

“…Sometimes I really don’t understand you.”

Ignoring Taehyun’s baffled look, Hajin headed for a private practice room on the fifth floor.

It was the only place being alone wouldn’t look suspicious—soundproof, warm, and supposedly camera-free.

The moment he shut the door, the system window popped up, as if it had been waiting.

<System Notice: The information accessible to the ‘fixed returner’ is limited.>

“Then how much can you explain?”

<System Notice: …….>

“Try. As far as you can. Do your best. I need to know now.”

At Hajin’s glare—arms crossed—the window “loaded” briefly.

Then it displayed something familiar.

<Single Quest 03>
<“Do you want to become special?”>
Details: The trainers aren’t paying much attention to you yet, a chick-like trainee. Stand out with an excellent monthly evaluation score and enter the Special Class!
<Quest completed.>
<Success Reward: Clue for tracking regression & Recruit an ally>
<Would you like to receive your reward? Choose one.>

• Clue for tracking regression

• Recruit an ally

The reward he’d tried to claim before—back when everything went sideways.

Staring at it, Hajin finally understood what the system was doing.

He nodded, and pressed Reward #1.

Pshaaaang—

“Seriously, can’t you patch this somehow?”
“I’m gonna go blind. Please.”

Whether he complained or not, sunlight-bright brilliance flooded the room again.

What are you going to show me this time?

And with his head full of questions, someone else’s memory unfolded.

That kid was always unhappy.

An orphan who never knew his parents. Adopted twice. Abandoned twice. In the end, the only one who took him in was the director of an orphanage who pitied him.

Among immature children, being “different” was sometimes treated like being “wrong.”

Naturally pale hair and eyes.
Skin so white it flushed easily.
No parents.

His difference became the reason he was isolated.

—Did anything happen at school today?
—No. I’m fine.

Most of the time… he really was fine.

—Are you sure you’re okay not going to university? Even now, if you…
—It’s fine. Running the orphanage is already hard enough for you, isn’t it? I’m grateful you raised me.

He couldn’t even attend school properly. He survived day to day on part-time jobs.

And still, he was always “fine.”

—If you just live through today, someday there will be a day you look forward to tomorrow. For you too.

Believing the director’s words, he kept living—looking toward a tomorrow he hoped would someday feel worth waiting for.

Then one night—

—Hey, I said leave it!
—Sir, if you act like this here…
—You! Who the hell are you to act all high and mighty?!

A drunk at his late-night bar job made trouble. He forced the man out, struggled with him—

and his only pair of shoes snagged.

The sole tore clean off.

—Ah… it’s raining all of a sudden…

By the time he got off work, rain had started. The umbrella he’d grabbed in a hurry was broken, and for once, he felt… a little depressed.

—Hello?
—Yeah, it’s raining. Did you bring an umbrella?
—Yes. I grabbed one from the bar.
—It’s dangerous at dawn. Should I come pick you up?
—I’m not a kid. Don’t come. Just sleep.

When the director called, he didn’t have the space to reply warmly like usual. He still had a ten-minute walk home. He was worried about his old phone getting soaked.

—Still… it’s late. If something happens… why don’t you just take a taxi?
—I’m basically there. Why a taxi? I said I’m fine—just sleep, please. I’m fine.

He snapped and hung up.

Everything felt too tiring.

And suddenly he thought:

Ah. Should I just die?

If this was life, maybe it’d be okay if there was no tomorrow.

Then the director called again.

—Please just sleep! I’m really fi—
—Excuse me, but… what is your relationship to the owner of this phone?

And that night, the director died.

They said it was a drunk-driving hit-and-run. An accident in a dark alley with a rough road.

The same alley he always walked through after work.

—I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…

……

—Are you okay?
—…No.

He suffered.

For the first time in his life, nothing was “fine” anymore.

He stopped wondering about tomorrow.

All his time froze at an “yesterday” he could never fix.

And then—

<Then do you want to go back? To the moment you were happy.>

That was the moment he heard the voice that would change his fate.