Chapter 27: Another Regressor? (1)

The majority of posts on the Regressor Bulletin Board are as follows.

[Title: I know my family will be massacred in a year]

It’s hard pretending to be fine all by myself.

└ Stay strong.

└ Fighting!

└ Thank you, everyone…^^ Yes, I want my whole family to survive, so I’ll hang in there.

[Title: How old were you all when you regressed?]

I went from 50 to 18.

└ 40 -> 15

└ 500 -> 20

 └ 500 years old? How does someone live to 500?

  └ What do you mean, he’s an Archmage.

   └ Ah, a different world setting, sorry.

    └ It’s fine.

     └ Was that really a mistake?

      └ hahahahahahaha

└ 23 -> 15

└ 55 -> 0

 └ Oh, so there are regressions to 0 years old too.

  └ Yes, but honestly, I can’t recommend it. It was so frustrating not being able to move as a newborn.

In other words, the place was filled with useless chatter, so decent information rarely surfaced.

No point in expecting to get anything.

Plus, the board automatically blocked posts that could reveal personal information, so users mostly used it for passing time or confessions.

Sometimes someone would say something totally off-topic and kill the mood, but most people just let it go.

After all, it wasn’t like only people who’d regressed once or twice were gathered—there was a general sense of, “Of course there’s at least one lunatic among us.”

Occasionally, someone would post an interesting question.

[Title: I do wonder about this sometimes.]

There are so many regressors here, but I don’t have a single one around me.

└ I’m curious too!

└ But if there are a lot of regressors, isn’t that a problem? If our futures get all tangled up, the information we have could become useless.

 └ That’s true.

└ If I meet one, I’ll kill them.

 └ ?

  └?? Is this guy nuts??

That’s a question I’d wondered about, too.

If there are enough regressors for there to be a separate board, then surely there are people who regressed around the same time as me?

But even so, you can’t just walk up to a stranger and go,

– Excuse me, are you a regressor?

That’s out of the question.

But if there is a regressor, someone out there would surely act differently from what I know, based on their own information.

If they’re trying to change the future, it’ll definitely show. And from that regressor’s point of view, I must look different too.

‘If I run into one, should I ask for help?’

That’s just nonsense.

Just because you’re both regressors doesn’t mean you share the same goals, or even the same quests.

Worst case, what if a regressor’s main quest is to stop me from becoming an actor? That’d be a catastrophe for me.

‘I should really think about how to handle things if I meet one.’

I opened the  script I was holding.

Just reading about Jung Chan-yul, who always held a cigarette in his mouth indoors to look cool even though he didn’t smoke, who caused trouble every time he went to a club, came home drunk every night, and looked down on people at work—it almost made me feel at peace.

‘Even bastards like this live well.’

The most surprising thing was that someone like Jung Chan-yul even had friends.

***

The morning of the first reading, one month later.

Since the first reading was scheduled for 10 a.m., Gi-do hyung was waiting in front of my house from 8 a.m.

“Gi-do hyung.”

“Yeohu! Good morning!”

“Yes, good morning. I brought coffee for you, hyung.”

“Hey, why are you bringing me coffee? You should have just asked.”

“It’s not like you’re my personal coffee guy, hyung. You take your iced vanilla latte with stevia, right?”

“Thanks!”

After handing him his iced vanilla latte, I pointed at the black van—the kind only top celebrities would ride.

“Wait, is this my car?”

“What do you think! Isn’t it reassuring?”

“This… The CEO must’ve spent quite a bit.”

“Our agency only has two actors. She said this is a gift for you both, for trusting and following her.”

I wouldn’t have followed Ma Eun-in if she didn’t have ability.

But honestly, it’s rare for an agency to just hand a van—big enough for six rookies—to a newbie actor.

No, there probably isn’t any other agency that would.

And we’re just a newly established company, too.

‘I’ll pay her back double for her investment.’

After I got in the van, Gu Gi-do suddenly asked, as if remembering something.

“Yeohu, did you bring your script?”

“Yes, hyung.”

“You don’t use a tablet? These days, most people save scripts on a tablet.”

“Ah, I just like scribbling on paper while I practice.”

I waved my practice notebook and script.

I started acting as a child before PDFs were a thing, so it’s just habit.

I tried using a tablet like everyone else later, but I liked the feeling of writing on paper, so I never switched.

We arrived at the reading location at 9:20.

After greeting the director, writer, and staff with a bright smile, I sat down.

This time, my role was pretty significant, so name tags were laid out opposite the main cast.

As soon as I sat, I overheard some actors whispering behind me—ones whose names I didn’t even know.

“You saw him, right? From the commercial?”

“But how did he already land that role?”

“He probably has connections. There’s no way he got it that fast on his own.”

They weren’t even trying to hide it.

‘Well, that’s to be expected.’

If you’re the type to get upset over that kind of talk, you’re not cut out to be a celebrity. If you care about every little comment, how can you earn the public’s approval, act, or even withstand the attention? Besides, those bastards probably aren’t better looking than me or even better actors, so what are they so confident about, anyway?

‘…….’

Whatever.

I’m above all that now.

I don’t curse people out over this sort of thing anymore.

And even though they probably can’t act, they debuted earlier than me, so I can’t even scold them for that.

I just stared at them.

They stared back at me.

So I kept staring.

Let them watch and feel it on set.

If even one of them acknowledges their mistake after seeing my acting, maybe they won’t stay nameless forever.

After a few more curses, they finally left, pretending they were going to the bathroom.

As soon as I turned my head from the now-empty seats, I met eyes with Sun Ji-yoon.

Sun Ji-yoon, who was cast as Lee Ha-ryeong, stood by the door, staring blankly at me.

‘Did she see?’

I got up and walked over to her.

“Hello, sunbae-nim. Sorry for being late to greet you.”

I bowed at a perfect ninety degrees, and Sun Ji-yoon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I’m Jeon Yeohu, playing Jung Chan-yul. I’ll work hard so I don’t cause any trouble for the drama.”

“I’m Sun Ji-yoon, playing Lee Ha-ryeong. Please take care of me too. By the way… Are you okay? It sounded like you heard some things as soon as you arrived.”

She saw it all.

“I don’t really mind. People are entitled to their opinions.”

“Really? I could get angry for you, you know. Those actors have a bad reputation.”

“It’s really fine. I’m used to being insulted. I just hope I live a long life.”

Sun Ji-yoon laughed, looking amused, and patted me on the shoulder.

“With that attitude, you’ll do just fine. Looking forward to working with you. You’re coming to the afterparty, right?”

She winked as she smiled at me.

That look… She wants me to come.

I nodded.

“Yes, I’ll be there.”

“Great~!”

Sun Ji-yoon was famous for her bold personality and love of drinking, and she often formed connections at afterparties.

Even before my regression, I was fairly close to her.

We’d never worked on a show together, but since we’d met at so many afterparties, she was the only actor I’d really connected with.

She was also one of the few people who worried about me until the end.

– Isn’t it a bit much to cut off everyone? We’re friends, not just colleagues. Sigh… I just don’t get why you’re so obsessed with success. If you’re going to be that obsessed, just give up on being human and live with a thick skin! Why do you act like you’re carrying every wound in the world?

Sun Ji-yoon was a good colleague and a good friend.

It was a bit annoying to meet her as a junior this time, though.

Not long after Sun Ji-yoon arrived, Choi Gun-hyung—cast as Choi Taek—walked in.

“Hello, sunbae-nim. I’m Jeon Yeohu, playing Jung Chan-yul. Please take care of me.”

“Yes. Let’s do our best.”

His tone was chilly.

You could practically feel the cold air off his face.

Unlike Sun Ji-yoon, I’d never gotten along with Choi Gun-hyung even before regression.

We just didn’t mesh.

To get along with someone that by-the-book, I’d have to be as precise as a Swiss watch.

After Sun Ji-yoon and Choi Gun-hyung sat, a whole parade of senior actors came in.

As a rookie, I nearly broke my back bowing and greeting everyone.

Soon, the guy playing Choi Taek’s younger brother came in, apologizing for being late.

He claimed his schedule was running late, so he must have been really busy.

Well…

I’d completely forgotten, but there was a young actor in the latter half with a pretty significant role.

He plays the main character’s younger brother, who gets possessed by a ghost in the second half of .

If I remember right, his acting was so-so.

What was his name again…?

‘Lee…’

“I’m Ha Je-ban. Nice to meet you.”

Right, Lee Jae-ho.

‘Wait, Ha Je-ban?’

If my memory is correct, this role was supposed to go to Lee Jae-ho, a former child actor.

So why is Ha Je-ban here instead of Lee Jae-ho?

Did something change because I came back?

“Not Lee Jae-ho…”

As soon as I muttered that under my breath, I looked up and met Ha Je-ban’s eyes.

Ha Je-ban gave me a polite, bright smile, and after returning the greeting, I moved away without much conversation.

The future had changed.

Not my future, but someone else’s.

Then the one who stole that future… just who the hell is he?

***

Actor Ha Je-ban.

Eight years ago.

He’d been a child actor since age twelve.

When Ha Je-ban debuted, he was cast as the son in the daily drama , earning him the title of “the nation’s cutie” at home.

But Ha Je-ban never appeared in .

In fact, during the height of ’s publicity filming—early next year—he announced his retirement from the industry at age 21.

It was later revealed that his mother, who managed his tough schedule, was diagnosed with cancer when he was 19 and died in the winter when he was 20. That was said to be the reason Ha Je-ban decided he couldn’t act anymore.

Many in the industry assumed that was what pushed him to retire.

After Ha Je-ban retired at 21, he vanished so completely that no one knew what happened to him or what kind of life he led.

When I heard about it before my regression, to be honest—

Honestly.

I didn’t care.

What was the point of listening to someone else’s family tragedy?

Ha Je-ban only had to keep up with that grueling schedule because his parents owed money to an acquaintance.

When that came out, the month after he announced his retirement, the media was split between people criticizing and defending Ha Je-ban’s parents.

Some people said Ha Je-ban wasn’t at fault and should keep doing the acting he loved—after all, someone had to pay the debt.

Others said Ha Je-ban would turn out the same, having been raised by people like that. They said he probably had no shame.

I didn’t have any thoughts about it at all.

I wasn’t close with Ha Je-ban, and it wasn’t my business what kind of life he led.

It’s not like there are only a handful of people in this industry with tragic backstories.

Plenty of people with such stories still failed and left the industry.

In that sense, Ha Je-ban was actually pretty lucky.

He made a name for himself and received lots of love.

Still, it felt strange having someone like that sitting next to me now.

Why would Ha Je-ban, who was never cast in , suddenly show up?

‘If it was an internal change within , I suppose it’s possible I just didn’t know about it. At the time, I didn’t even know the audition schedule. Maybe he was cast and decided to retire before the announcement?’

Lucky me, Ha Je-ban’s seat was right next to mine.

I tried my best to ignore him and focus on the reading.

My efforts—

“Hyung.”

“What?”

“Hyung, did you regress?”

—were all in vain.