Theatrical Regression Life
Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The incredibly brutal novel begins with the protagonist, Jung Inho, witnessing a traffic accident. It was extremely one-sided. A pitch-black sedan hit a young child, crushing and mauling the child in a one-sided and violent event. The child’s mother watched in horror, screaming as everything unfolded.

It was dawn, there were quite a few people near the ice cream discount store, which had been quiet for a while. Some might have seen the approaching car, and there could have been people within reach who could have grabbed the child in time.

Perhaps there were.

However, until that small moment when the poor child was torn apart by an unconscious driver who was dead drunk, and the child’s mother, who was not even able to process anything, unable to even scream, despaired, people merely watched the whole scene unfold with fear, astonishment, and a disturbing fascination.

None of the actors, neither the perpetrator nor the victim, survived that scene.

The protagonist, who had merely gone out for his usual morning walk, unintentionally witnessed this scene, engraved with such ironic universality.

And the very next day, the protagonist is consumed in a world full of such inhumane experiences.

* * *

‘Even if he pretends it didn’t affect him, that incident was probably a kind of trauma for him.’

Trauma is no joke. Whether you’ve experienced it firsthand or not, it sticks in your mind and refuses to leave, tormenting you for a lifetime. The protagonist’s experience of witnessing that event was no different.

The protagonist, or Deputy Jung Inho, liked good people.

Despite knowing that living solely with goodness is impossible, there was still admiration for it. It was a kind of respect and an expectation of basic humanity based on an idealistic view.

However, the incident that day vividly revealed human nature to Jung Inho, leaving an unacknowledged trauma that stayed with him for a long time. He only discovers this fact in the later part of the novel.

Interestingly, the antagonist, played by Lee Jaehun, intervened in this trauma of Jung Inho. Not to eliminate it but to take possession of it.

“For whose benefit would I eliminate that?”

In the Otherworld, one’s morality is reflected. In other words, the stronger one’s moral convictions, the more likely they are to thrive in the Otherworld.

In this sense, a trauma like the one Jung Inho experienced could serve as a weapon in the Otherworld.

Lee Jaehun intervened in Deputy Jung Inho’s trauma to leave an impression on him, with no intention of weakening the protagonist’s strength, who had taken matters into his own hands.

Who in their right mind would do such a thing?

So, despite being able to catch the child more quickly and provide proper treatment, he didn’t. He only intervened to seize this opportunity and improve the quality of his life.

However, for the protagonist, Lee Jaehun’s existence as an antagonist must have become more significant. Despite the odd direction it took, there was a sense of discomfort.

“….”

“…Certainly, he must think something is strange.”

Lee Jaehun muttered with a sigh.

Having shown a sense of dissonance as a preview today, and on top of that, revealing a familiarity with pain, there was no doubt that he would consider all sorts of thoughts.

How could Manager Lee Jaehun, who had comfortably lived his whole life as a conservative, become accustomed to pain?

If so, no matter how much he thought about it, only illegal activities came to mind, and in that case, it could cause some disruption to his plans.

Of course, having seen the protagonist today rescuing two people, he wouldn’t openly antagonize, but he would at least show a minimum level of contempt or wariness.

However, the reason Lee Jaehun couldn’t be sure was that the protagonist seemed to want to uncover his mental state even to the point of faking it.

At that time, Jung Inho didn’t seem to harbor any particular enmity towards him. It wasn’t a disdainful gaze either, instead…

‘Confusion, discomfort, awkwardness…’

Or various other emotions were mixed in that gaze, which was very brief. Therefore, Lee Jaehun couldn’t know how the protagonist perceived him.

Sitting on the bed, he stared into the space and mumbled softly.

“…The plan may have deviated a bit.”

What he had been aiming for was the strategy of ‘Actually, he wasn’t such a bad guy!’

Why are there never such guys in works of fiction? Always showing a continuously bad side, but then there’s something plausible like extenuating circumstances or a troubled past.

Or they are impressed by the protagonist’s group and end up helping them, or in the end, they sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

In this case, it doesn’t mean the antagonist becomes a saint, but the complexities of human psychology don’t always follow logic and reason.

Lee Jaehun was aiming to become such a type of antagonist in front of Jung Inho.

However, in this plan, there was no setting like being ‘accustomed to pain.’

“….”

Lee Jaehun, who had been staring into space, slowly blinked his eyes.

‘What about credibility.’

That was the problem. The issue is how is ‘Lee Jaehun’ accustomed to pain?

He was born with a silver spoon, and although he had two older brothers, he hadn’t lived with any significant disadvantages. On the contrary, being the youngest, he was well taken care of.

There was no abuse in his household, and since he had a clear purpose, he had never been involved in any tremendous misfortune.

Lee Jaehun was just an ordinary, if not common, piece of trash, and he was simply a case of someone born into a well-off family.

Even if his personality was filthy, there was no likelihood that he would become a mentally ill person who is accustomed to pain.

And the protagonist was well aware of that.

“So, he faked it like that….”

Having witnessed the normally detested conservative manager rescuing people without any hesitation and displaying a total disregard for injuries, the protagonist must have been confused. While the former was what Lee Jaehun had aimed for, the latter was not.

Perhaps Deputy Jung Inho was perplexed. People of that type often have an implicit belief, and they struggle to adapt when someone defined by their beliefs diverges from their own thoughts. The reason why today’s incident became a trauma for Jung Inho was also the same.

Therefore, Deputy Jung Inho distanced himself from Lee Jaehun.

Since Lee Jaehun had already explained the act of rescuing people casually, the only thing Jung Inho could inquire about was the injuries.

And until the protagonist spoke, Lee Jaehun was unaware of the injuries.

“….”

Rising from his bed with his lips sealed, Lee Jaehun stopped in front of the elaborately decorated liquor display. His steps paused there, scanning the empty space near the modestly priced bottles.

Among them, he picked out high-quality liquor, poured it into a small glass.

“Well, then what can you do?”

If there’s no likelihood, you have to create one.

Lee Jaehun nodded inwardly as he carefully examined the contents of the memorable novel he read in his past life.

After taking just a sip of the high-quality liquor, a tingling sensation, as if scorched by a bright red flame, irritated his throat.

The sensation of the alcohol swiftly disrupted his internal organs.

The familiar burning sensation began gnawing at his brain.

‘It’s not like I can’t create a setting.’

The protagonist and Lee Jaehun were on different levels in various ways, and they were unaware of what happened in their personal lives.

Naturally, it meant that Jung Inho couldn’t know about his personal matters or private histories.

However, for Lee Jaehun, there was a need for credibility regarding today’s events.

The setting of a ‘stupid and trashy conservative manager who is surprisingly useful’ fell apart with just the fact that he was ‘accustomed to pain.’ Even though the protagonist might not have grasped it yet, Lee Jaehun needed a plausible setting.

The hastily put-together script, lacking room for spontaneity, did not suit his taste.

Above all, the protagonist of this world had a keen sense.

Diligent but ominous, smiling but not happy, looking casual but meticulously planning things inside his head—a person with a subtle charm.

He might have vaguely noticed Lee Jaehun’s acting.

‘In other words, he probably thinks that either the past me or the current me is fake.’

Well, Jung Inho had lived that way too.

Someone who looked different on the outside, someone who compromised with reality. There was no need to elaborate on how Lee Jaehun’s performance of this kind of acting would have appeared to him.

And of course, naturally, if one of them had to be false, it would be the old Lee Jaehun.

At the very least, the current Lee Jaehun had some utility compared to being a disposable villain for a soda commercial.

So, the old Lee Jaehun is fake. The real Lee Jaehun is a mentally ill person accustomed to pain.

However, he had compassion for rescuing people and basic abilities. He had never experienced anything difficult due to his wealthy background. That was necessary.

Creating a setting was easy, but creating a setting that wouldn’t get exposed was difficult.

However, by entering this novel as an R-rated, gritty survivor, the current Lee Jaehun had a setting he could create.

He could provide the plausibility for him becoming a mentally ill person like he is now.

Of course, convincing the protagonist of that setting would require some effort…

“Well, it’s about this much.”

For the sake of a better life than before, it wasn’t a particularly challenging task.

* * *

“Manager, did you rest well yesterday?”

“Oh, Deputy Jung.”

Lee Jaehun blinked at the protagonist, who asked about his well-being with a puzzled expression.

‘As expected of the protagonist of a novel.’

His career of acting like it was second nature wasn’t going anywhere.

It seemed like the protagonist was trying to figure out yesterday’s image of Lee Jaehun, but recalling the polished exterior he usually presented, it was a decent approach. It suited the dialogue for Deputy Jung Inho, a diligent and ordinary employee.

As usual, Lee Jaehun responded with a furrowed brow.

“Rest well? I almost died from stiffness.”

It didn’t suit him at all, but he had confidence in putting on a facade. Mixing basic condescension and rudeness for someone of lower rank than himself, adding irritation to any question asked—a bad habit of responding with disdain.

Even inquiring about the most basic well-being, the grumpy conservative manager was unlikable. However, such behavior that fueled dislike was only natural for the old Lee Jaehun, and even though he had recalled his past life, the vibe emitted from that bad habit did not disappear.

He spoke very naturally, acting out his past self.

“By the way, did you submit what I asked for last week? I think I told you that I want it today.”

This was a line that had also appeared in the novel.

The protagonist, who unconsciously gained trauma the day before, felt disillusioned by the manager urging paperwork the next day. Even though it wasn’t a task he should be handling, and not much time had passed since he received it, the order to produce results without even giving a few days of leeway would irritate anyone.

It was not an inquiry like, ‘Of course, you worked during the weekend, didn’t you?’ It was an order.

Of course, the protagonist, skilled at hiding his true feelings, responded with a neat face or perhaps a bit awkwardly.

“Ah, the organizing is almost done. I’ll send the email right away when I get to my desk.”

“Oh… is that so? Well, then.”

With a puzzled expression about the quick completion of the task and dissatisfaction about losing a target for being a conservative manager, Lee Jaehun hardened his expression.

In the novel, the protagonist feels familiar disillusionment once again at this point. However, due to yesterday’s events, the dynamics with the novel had changed.

“But, Manager.”

“….”

“Is your wrist okay?”

This guy, pretending like nothing happened, is truly insane.

“I thought it would be irritating, but it’s even more than I expected.”

Lee Jaehun inwardly bit his tongue.

The protagonist doesn’t know about the current Lee Jaehun, but Lee Jaehun knew about the current protagonist. Recalling the usual appearance of the Deputy Jung Inho he had seen and the image from the novel he read in his past life, depicting that character wasn’t a difficult task.

The person named Jung Inho was fundamentally a good person but had a hidden dark side. Driven by his beliefs, he stubbornly pursued justice within the confines of those beliefs. Yesterday, Lee Jaehun went against the justice solidified by those beliefs.

Perhaps the protagonist was curious about what this guy was up to. However, just like the protagonist, Lee Jaehun’s exterior was tough and impenetrable, maybe even more so.

‘Yesterday, despite parting ways like that, he asked me about my well-being the very next day. Considering my nonchalant response, he must have concluded that gently probing for information, as he had done so far, wouldn’t yield the desired results.’

So, what could he do? If he wanted to know, he had to poke at the other person’s weakness to get the desired reaction.

‘Judging by the reaction I showed yesterday, Jung Inho must have thought that I wanted to hide the fact that I was ‘accustomed to pain’ from others.’

Lee Jaehun blinked at the protagonist who was waiting for my response with black eyes.

‘Anyway, he’s an annoying guy.’

No matter how much you hate someone, poking at their obvious weakness was truly hateful.

Perhaps this guy named Jung Inho would have lived well even if he were born in a world like my previous life. And his possible reactions to such questions were limited. He would either hide it, as he had done so far, or show it as desired.

As for the answer, Lee Jaehun had decided on it last night.

“Mr. Jung Inho.”

“…”

“Let’s keep the formalities, shall we?”

If we were going to get caught anyway, it was better to show it to some extent beforehand.

“Why the sudden inquiry after all this time?”

Lee Jaehun suddenly found the situation amusing and let out a laugh.

They were soon going to be devoured by the other world.

Of course, the current protagonist might not know, but that was the predetermined situation. To survive in the other world, they would probably do all sorts of things.

Whether what awaited them in the future was unknown, or whether they found the current skirmish amusing while fully aware of everything – Lee Jaehun couldn’t decide if it was ironic or if he himself was ridiculous for putting on such a play.

Amidst all this, a baseless laughter escaped him as he continued to act with unwavering composure.

Of course, it was only for a brief moment.

“Mr. Jung Inho, you should get promoted quickly. Do you have the leisure to pick a fight with the manager?”

“…No, I was just concerned and asked…”

“If you’re serious about it, Mr. Jung Inho, then you need to be more delicate. Can someone with such a lack of subtlety survive in society? Be careful, okay?”

Having concluded his usual condescending remarks, Lee Jaehun left the corridor and returned to his place.

While there were people who overheard their conversation, it might not be a problem as to them, it would seem like an ordinary conversation between a typical condescending senior and a pitiable junior, so there shouldn’t be any major issues.

More than anything, Lee Jaehun had no time or energy to engage in a skirmish with the protagonist currently.

‘Two hours from now.’

The situation where they would be devoured by the other world was just a few hours away.

Due to memories of struggling to survive in his past life, Lee Jaehun, who knew that he would be thrown into a similar world, was psychologically quite uneasy.

However, this didn’t mean he lost his mind or lost his composure.

For him in his past life, facing threats to survival was a routine occurrence, and each time, he couldn’t afford to be paralyzed by fear. Therefore, he learned to think rationally in the face of danger.

Just because he had been reborn into the world of the novel didn’t mean that much would be different.

He simply didn’t want to waste energy on unnecessary things in a situation where death was imminent.

If the other person hadn’t been the protagonist of this world, Lee Jaehun would have pretended not to hear his nagging at all. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Seated at his desk, Lee Jaehun turned on the monitor as usual.

“….”

Suddenly, a sense of unreality overwhelmed him, and he blinked his eyes slowly.

The memories of his past life that had just come to mind were strangely vivid.

Perhaps it was because he was reborn into a book he had read back then, or maybe it was due to his original personality.

Even when things moved swiftly, his head felt numb.

Although he mechanically checked today’s tasks with his hand, his mind wasn’t there.

Lee Jaehun absentmindedly moved the mouse, staring at the blank window on the screen, and soon used his remaining hand to touch his lips, as if covering them.

A sense of unease and restlessness combined with the surreal feeling hanging in the air, slowing down his perception.

“Mr. Lee, would you like some coffee?”

“Yeah, sure.”

He nodded vaguely, spending time in a daze.

For Lee Jaehun, who wasn’t particularly diligent at work, the company’s working hours were nothing but boring. Perhaps because he had delegated the tasks that he originally should have done to other employees.

The protagonist was also a common victim of such a condescending boss.

After putting off the tasks that he should have done himself onto other employees, Lee Jaehun found the remaining work hours dull. It was likely that he reported the work done by other employees as if he had done it himself.

The tasks that the boss had to do were probably completed long ago, and with no remaining work to be done, Lee Jaehun was left in a state of languor, sitting in his chair.

* * *

30 minutes, 1 hour, and then 2 hours passed.

“….”

A faint, electrically-induced numbness passed through his limbs.

“… What, what’s going on?”

“Did the computer turn off? Power cut?”

“Where are we?”

Lee Jaehun blinked at the dust-covered desk, a scene reminiscent of a crumbling building.

Electricity was not coming in. Naturally, the computer was not functioning, and for the same reason, the automatic door on the first floor stopped working. The elevators and escalators were the same.

The building, worn and broken as if it had been abandoned for over ten years, exuded an eerie atmosphere.

Lee Jaehun approached the window to check outside.

“…Ha.”

He let out a sigh that felt familiar.

A world where colors seemed to be drained away, as if black and white had settled over the world.

The silence of a world several decades after everyone who used to be there had disappeared.

“….”

And an eerie feeling.

Lee Jaehun’s gaze met the black eyes staring back at him.

“Boss, what’s going on?”

“…Well.”

They had been swallowed by the Otherworld.

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