Theatrical Regression Life - Chapter 28

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Chapter 28

Lee Jaehun had strong desires for survival and prosperity.

He constantly compared himself to others, never satisfied, and, being inherently selfish, wished to be happier than anyone else. Lee Jaehun always wanted to stand above everyone else.

However, he soon became a villainous character, a despicable antagonist in a mature-rated post-apocalyptic novel.

Although the place devouring the parallel worlds was limited, and he could potentially avoid the fate of that day by doing so immediately, Lee Jaehun deemed such actions meaningless. He judged that, as a third-rate villain and an acquaintance of the protagonist in this world, he would inevitably become entangled with them sooner or later.

Even if he attempted to evade in this way, he couldn’t be certain that he would succeed, and if he couldn’t avoid it, he wanted to guide events in the direction he desired. This was because he foresaw that if he left things as they were, he would inevitably face the miserable death he had read about in a novel one day.

Having read the story of this world, Lee Jaehun was convinced of this.

Hence, he attempted an unexpected image change. It was a strategy to say, ‘Actually, he wasn’t such a bad guy!’ However, due to the unintentional creation of the setting that he was ‘accustomed to suffering,’ it failed.

Nevertheless, the setting was already established, and since it couldn’t be reversed, Lee Jaehun had to create a new story. He thought of the material he had and crafted a new narrative.

The previous Lee Jaehun was fake. The real Jaehun is a mentally ill person accustomed to suffering. However, he has compassion to save people and basic abilities…

Creating a setting is easy, but creating a setting that won’t be exposed is difficult.

However, by entering this novel as a mature-rated post-apocalyptic character, the current Lee Jaehun had the opportunity to create a setting that wouldn’t be revealed. He could provide a plausible reason for becoming the mentally disturbed person he is now.

Therefore, Lee Jaehun decided for himself.

“I am a survivor in the Otherworld.”

* * *

“…a survivor.”

Suddenly, Jung Inho recalled the moment before Director Jaehun was dragged away by the monster.

He had told him to confess if he wanted to, to let it out if he needed to. He had said that he would listen to his story and would tell him what had happened if he wished.

And…

‘It wasn’t such a remarkable or secretive story.’

“……”

‘I didn’t want to be treated like a lunatic.’

He had never shared this with anyone before, not wanting to endure the nonsensical treatment that came with being labeled as crazy.

In response to Jung Inho’s mumbled words, Dr. Ha Sungyoon touched his earlobe and replied.

“That’s right. I’m one of the survivors.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t think I need to ask since you seem clueless.”

Removing his hand from his ear, he casually reached into his outer coat and pulled out a lighter. It was a smooth, silver-lighted lighter that had been given to him as a gift upon entering the park at the request of Lee Jaehun.

Showing it to Jung Inho, Dr. Ha Sungyoon spoke with his characteristic nonchalance.

“I received this lighter as a gift from a friend.”

“You’ve already mentioned that.”

“Yes, and that friend is a survivor.”

“……”

The doctor repeated his words once again.

“That friend was a survivor from the other world.”

There was no falsehood in those words.

Dr. Ha Sungyoon was an extra appearing as a crucial clue in this world.

As the novel began and the protagonist, Jung Inho, was about to escape from the company, he discovered a corpse near a flower shop. The horrific mess, torn and mangled beyond recognition, was none other than Dr. Ha Sungyoon.

He was the ‘plot twist element’ that appeared not so uncommonly in creative works. Originally thought to be just a description to reveal how grotesque and terrifying the other world in the novel was, Dr. Ha Sungyoon’s death turned out to be a presence connected to new clues in the later part.

Despite never being consumed in this world, he was the only one who knew the term ‘other world.’

Dr. Ha Sungyoon had a friend who survived in the other world, and while not knowing everything, through him, he had some knowledge about this world.

“…Other world?”

“Ah, you call it that. The other world.”

“So… did you know from the beginning?”

A very subtle sense of betrayal lingered in that voice.

It wasn’t an emotion stemming from a deep relationship. It was just the feeling of being unilaterally betrayed by something believed to be shared with someone because they were both human, and that indefinable ‘something’ truly felt betrayed.

Jung Inho’s expression remained calmly frozen, and seeing him like that, Dr. Ha Sungyoon laughed. It was the gentle and calm smile he often wore.

In a soothing voice, Dr. Ha Sungyoon continued.

“I had an unconventional friend.”

“The one who gave you the lighter?”

“He was really good at giving gifts. A generally nice and lively person who, strangely enough, used to contact me quite often. But from a certain point, the contact just stopped.”

“……”

“I didn’t think much of it.”

The smile on his lips remained soft, but his eyes, glancing at the floor, sank with a calmness that was not due to any bad or unpleasant feelings, but simply a serene tranquility.

“Why is it that everyone becomes like this when they grow up? Being busy living on my own, gradually forgetting old connections that no longer bring mutual benefits…”

He couldn’t help but forget.

From a very young age, he wanted to become a doctor, and he knew that to reach that position, he would have to put in a lot of effort. He entered a prestigious medical school that anyone could recognize, became a surgeon, and made a significant impact both domestically and internationally.

However, human relationships are truly subtle. Someone might feel very close to him, but he might not feel the same way. Ha Sungyoon and his friend had that kind of relationship—a somewhat casual connection that became unreachable once the person who used to contact first stopped.

Even though their relationship was only at that level, the reason he described the friend as ‘unconventional’ was simply because he considered his friend’s sincerity. It was just a slightly superficial relationship where, if someone who used to contact frequently first stops, it becomes an unattainable connection.

“And around two or three years later, I received a call.”

For Ha Sungyoon, who was living a well-established life as a doctor, the rare contact was quite special. Therefore, he answered that call without any hesitation.

“Perhaps, if I hadn’t answered, that friend might still be alive.”

“…Why?”

“He was insane. In many different ways.”

With those words, Dr. Ha Sungyoon momentarily sealed his lips.

“…That’s right.”

“……”

Though it was incomprehensible what exactly was ‘that,’ Jung Inho chose not to bring up the topic either.

His expression, unlike the slight distortion of irritation and resentment seen a moment ago, was quite calmly composed.

Facing Jung Inho’s nearly expressionless face, Ha Sungyoon opened his mouth again.

“That friend called this world the other world. A world containing the hidden sides of people, he said. Ironically, he discovered the term from the records of other survivors.”

“……”

“I documented every story that friend told me.”

The reason Lee Jaehun referred to this place as the ‘other world’ was precisely this.

The term ‘other world’ described in the novel first appeared in the notes written by Dr. Ha Sungyoon. In fact, the point where he transitioned from being the ‘horrible mass of flesh’ to the ‘extra as a clue’ was precisely that moment.

By leaving a record of his friend’s experiences, Dr. Ha Sungyoon could be treated not just as a narrative device but as a distinct personality.

So, when Lee Jaehun witnessed Ha Sungyoon moments before his death in the flower shop and saw him surprisingly calm despite coming back to life immediately after death, he had already received salvation. Yet, looking at Ha Sungyoon, who calmly uttered ‘save me’ in a composed voice, Lee Jaehun, having read the novel, gained a realization.

“That friend kept telling me unbelievable stories, and I tried my best to understand it, at least with a minimum of sincerity. After days, weeks, months, and a year passed….”

“……”

“I, too, came to understand the other world.”

This doctor knew about the other world.

The moment he grasped that, Lee Jaehun was convinced about the doctor’s ‘misunderstanding’ towards him. He understood what position this man held in the novel and how he appeared in what manner.

Dr. Ha Sungyoon misunderstood him as someone who had experienced the other world.

“So, when I first saw Director Lee Jaehun, I was a bit surprised. It was because he resembled the atmosphere of the other world and that friend too much, as I understood it.”

“…Why…”

“Of course, Jung Inho-ssi, you may not understand yet or feel it. It’s just, there’s something like that. There are things you can only understand after hearing the experiences of a survivor for at least a year, rather than explaining them in words.”

“He’s insane.”

“Unfortunately, yes. Perhaps Director Lee Jaehun might be in a similar situation.”

Dr. Ha Sungyoon pointed to one arm with the hand holding the lighter.

“On the arm, he probably self-harmed with a kitchen knife. That was the issue when I first met the patient.”

“….”

“It seemed like there was a deliberate intention behind the seemingly beautiful wound, but there was actually no intention. It was an act of self-harm so extreme that it went beyond a simple impulse. Perhaps a chef could cut meat with a well-balanced knife, and it would be less messy than that.”

“……”

“A skilled chef pours tremendous focus into each knife cut, right? But who would pour that kind of focus, especially onto my arm, with no purpose or intention.”

Though Dr. Ha Sungyoon said that, there was actually an intention behind it when it came to Lee Jaehun. It was an intention to regain a lost sense of reality, thanks to experiencing the tremendous event of recalling a past life.

Even in decisions and actions that might seem crazy or foolish to others, Lee Jaehun had his own valid reasons and purposes, especially given the extraordinary event of recalling a past life and the intention to rediscover a lost sense of reality.

It seemed that he had inherited some abilities from his past life, and if that were the case, what were the limits of those abilities? Were there any restrictions in using these abilities? Such checks on physical and mental capabilities were merely basic health maintenance practices that most people in the world of his past life could do.

However, the problem was that from the perspective of people in the current world, it was entirely incomprehensible.

“Unless you’re quite insane, you can’t do that.”

Despite the passage of time, Lee Jaehun, the head, had many peculiarities.

An attitude and tone that raised suspicions of a split personality. Indifference, even when injured, casually stuffing bandages. Recognizing pain but not assigning much value to it.

In the end, seeing him in a state of emergency just before becoming an emergency patient one day, who would claim that Lee Jaehun was normal?

Most people would probably consider him insane.

“To be honest, I’m not that extreme. I don’t self-harm, I take care of my health. I’m not someone who would handle someone like a ragdoll, sewing them up with coarse thread on a thick iron needle.”

“……”

“Experiencers and survivors are distinctly different, and that’s why I thought Director Lee Jaehun was a survivor in this world.”

“Because he’s insane?”

“He’s crazily different, and he seemed very familiar with the other world.”

Of course, even this ‘familiarity’ was deliberately displayed by Lee Jaehun.

He wasn’t born talented, nor was he a universally acknowledged genius. However, precisely because of that, Lee Jaehun had to work harder, gain more experiences for his own desires.

To be able to anticipate as much as possible, to handle it adequately. That’s why Lee Jaehun, who grew up like that, was a truly cunning seed. If he were to act, he had to do it properly to satisfy his own conscience. In his past life, he enjoyed prosperity beyond description with his humble personality, becoming a somewhat old-fashioned villain in the novel, facing a fate of death. It was an impossible situation for him to handle sloppily.

Of course, despite all that, he did quite a few foolish things, but what could he do when his mind was worn out and his mental strength had hit rock bottom?

If Lee Jaehun were to blame something, it would be either his weak experiences in his first life, unfamiliarity with the mental attacks that seemed like the whole world wished for his death, or blaming his own complacency for not recalling his past life until the events unfolded right in front of him.

Therefore, Lee Jaehun took actions with the hidden title of ‘Survivor of the Other World,’ but initially, he intended to restrain himself. Being too conspicuous in an unstable state wouldn’t yield the desired results, so he led the group discreetly with minimal advice until leaving the company.

However, everything changed after rescuing Dr. Ha Sungyoon from the flower shop.

Ha Sungyoon was an extra providing crucial clues in the novel, and while in the original story, he died and turned into a mass of flesh, saving him brought unexpected benefits.

By acquiring a mediator, a so-called bridge, which greatly reduced the potential discomfort associated with the ‘Survivor of the Other World’ setting.

“It might be evidence, but… you seem quite knowledgeable about survival.”

“What if I just learned it personally?”

“Seems too proficient for that, doesn’t it? Just because someone studies love through books doesn’t mean they all become Casanovas, right?”

The doctor’s lips twisted slightly as he playfully extended his words.

“Even if it were possible, why would Lee Jae-hun, a director at one of Korea’s leading conglomerates, need to become so proficient in survival knowledge? Even if it was his area of interest, did he really need to fight? If so, why?”

“So, all of that is a skill he directly acquired in the other world?”

“If it’s not, there’s no other way to explain it.”

In situations like the present one, Lee Jae-hun could lean on Dr. Ha Sungyoon to provide coherence in his place. Perhaps if he had showcased his survival skills alone without Dr. Ha Sungyoon, he might have raised suspicions from the already skeptical Jung Inho.

However, when Dr. Ha Sungyoon first saw Lee Jaehun, he amusingly made a ‘misunderstanding,’ and this misunderstanding was further exaggerated in their second encounter. Thanks to this, Lee Jaehun was able to infer a coherence that wasn’t actually there.

And by tolerating this discomfort, Dr. Ha Sungyoon allowed Jung Inho, who was part of the same group, to avoid making hasty decisions.

In this world, there’s something called the law of threes.

The law states that when three or more people gather, they form a group and gain a certain level of strength. In the case of the proposition that Director Lee Jaehun is a survivor from the other world, two people have already lent their strength to it. With the addition of the cautious and thoughtful protagonist Jung Inho, the story unravels effortlessly and beyond comprehension.

Already suspecting Lee Jaehun as a variable in thousands of scenarios, Jung Inho effortlessly accepted the proposition that Lee Jaehun, along with the strategic plan set by him and the misunderstanding provided by Dr. Ha Sungyoon, was a coherent and reasonable proposition.

After the medical examination, Dr. Ha Sungyoon shared some insights, gently patting his own eardrums.

“After the examination, I found out that Director Lee Jaehun is so well-off that we can’t even fathom why he stays in his position as a director. You, Jung Inho-ssi, also mentioned that the director is a ‘conservative,’ a ‘parachutist,’ and born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”

Dr. Ha Sungyoon continued, “But how did such a person accumulate such experiences right here in the heart of the city? Even if involved in illegal activities, someone who has experienced the bottom would behave differently. Even assuming the worst, Director Lee Jaehun would have received decent treatment even in those circumstances.”

“You seem to know quite a bit about it.”

“Well, it’s just my speculation, but I think it’s a reasonably credible hypothesis.”

At least it’s more plausible than the story that Director Lee Jaehun, the ‘conservative,’ suddenly recalled his past life and orchestrated 90% of the current situation where he is devoured in the other world. Who in their right mind would act out even the most trivial actions for an entire performance?

By this point, even non-existent facts could be created.

“…Perhaps.”

In the misunderstandings created by Ha Sungyoon and the narrative spun by Lee Jaehun, eventually, Jung Inho came to accept it.

“So, that’s why he couldn’t just die easily, maybe….”

It was a thought that might seem a bit absurd to the person involved.

But in Jung Inho’s perspective, Lee Jaehun was nothing more or less than an ‘altruistic mentally unstable person’ or ‘someone with suicidal tendencies.’ It seemed like he wanted to leave something productive behind before dying, but no matter how you looked at it, it didn’t appear that he was a ‘conservative parachutist-born executive’ from a large company.

Of course, Lee Jaehun never intended to come across as mentally unstable to this extent.

He just unintentionally created a backstory to give coherence to the setting—calling it the ‘survivor from the other world.’ Amidst that, he judged that if he could use Dr. Ha Sungyoon, who knew about the other world, as a mediator, he could build a bit more coherence.

Thanks to this, he gained the advantage of being able to openly use the knowledge and abilities from his previous life.

However, due to the stark difference in knowledge between his past life and present life, the perspective and misunderstanding that emerged labeled Lee Jaehun as not just a ‘mentally unstable person’ but one who was ‘unbelievably mentally unstable.’ It was a somewhat awkward situation for Lee Jaehun, who had transformed from a mere ‘mentally unstable person’ to someone deemed a potential suicide case by Jung Inho.

Once again, it was a thought that might seem quite absurd to the person involved.

Lee Jaehun, as the recent individual making particularly foolish judgments, indeed lacked any extraordinary abilities and, in reality, was putting his body through some tough times. However, he was more driven by a desire for survival and prosperity than anyone else in the group.

Yet, the individual, Lee Jaehun, who could correct such judgments, was not present and, in fact, was in a mentally unstable state. Consequently, the twisted information remained uncorrected as the story unfolded.

“So, I thought Director Lee Jaehun might come back alive. It’s a highly subjective judgment, though.”

“It’s not much different from what I was thinking.”

“No. ‘I hope so’ and ‘seems likely’ are quite different, Jung Inho.”

“…”

“Contrary to what you said, it seems like you and the director get along pretty well. Well, maybe not liking each other exactly… but it doesn’t seem like a lie…”

With his characteristic laughter, Dr. Ha Sungyoon asked.

“Looks like you received significant help from Director Lee.”

“…”

Upon hearing those words, Jung Inho let out a bitter laugh.

Help, he said.

“…If that’s what you call help, then I feel a bit cheated.”

Being used as bait to make things easier for himself, and he ended up dead. How could that be considered help?

Jung Inho remembered how he returned to the past, how he died just before that. It was truly a miserable and grim experience.

Leaving Director Lee Jaehun, who was being captured by the corrosive monster, behind, Jung Inho sought out Kwon Yeonhee. For some reason, she was screaming with her body engulfed in flames, and a bit further away, two students in school uniforms were running away as if escaping.

Despite his efforts to regain composure, he couldn’t extinguish the flames consuming Kwon Yeonhee, and ultimately, he couldn’t prevent her death.

Yoon Garam, who witnessed the deaths of four people in an instant, behaved as if half out of his mind, and amidst all this, Dr. Ha Sungyoon demanded that we do something productive.

In his desperation, Jung Inho tried to figure out a way to survive the corrosive monster, but even that had its limits. The larvae spewing blood were not abundant enough to save everyone.

In the end, he ran around desperately, meeting other survivors, falling into traps set by monsters among those people. Right after that, the sound of shattering glass filled the world with darkness.

Surviving on the edge, defending the group against monsters by relying on a single lighter flame, Jung Inho found himself in the morning with no other living souls around.

However, he couldn’t recall it well or perhaps didn’t want to remember the details. That seemed to be the case.

So maybe Jung Inho, he might have killed. Yes, maybe that could be the truth.

In the end, he survived alone but eventually lacked the courage to endure and died. Killed not by monsters but by other surviving humans. If calling that help, what would the Jung Inho before death think of it?

He spoke with the usual sincere expression.

“Thank you for the conversation. Take a good rest, and tomorrow I plan to look for Director Lee. Would you like to join me? It would be good to know more about this world.”

“…Jung Inho, you seem quite mad too. Are you sure there’s no problem?”

“I’ve never had any issues, Dr. Ha Sungyoon.”

Jung Inho wanted to survive somehow, but he didn’t want to be alone.

“I have no problems.”

It was truly a horrifying thing.

Horrifying, indeed.

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