Theatrical Regression Life - Chapter 7

——————

Chapter 7

If we were to describe the current Lee Jaehun, he’s in a state where he’s turned about 10 degrees more than the usual 360°, making it hard to notice the difference.

* * *

In the other world, the most important thing was mental strength.

In fact, with a little exaggeration, it could be said that everything in the other world was resolved with just mental strength.

Physical weapons, physical recovery, and countless other things were all achieved through the survivor’s mental state alone.

And it made sense because the other world was a place created based on the ideals of the people of the original world.

Since it existed as a concept somewhere between reality and fantasy, it shouldn’t be thought of in terms of practical standards.

Therefore, for survivors in the other world, mental state management was an essential requirement.

“If I see any of you falling behind, I’ll leave you behind.”

In that sense, Lee Jaehun’s aggression, as described above, was crucial.

The expressions on the faces of the employees, who had gathered together for a short break, turned puzzled at the sudden remark of the old-fashioned department head.

It was an expression that said, ‘What nonsense is he talking about?’

“No, honestly, if you can survive like that, wouldn’t it be more efficient? It’s better for one to die and the other to live than both to die.”

“Manager, are you perhaps schizophrenic?”

“Manager Jung, are you feeling playful right now? Are you messing with me?”

As if things weren’t awkward enough, the theory of Lee Jaehun, the Manager, having a split personality, emerged.

Actually, from the perspective of others, it would really seem like a split personality.

The person who just a moment ago sacrificed a shoulder and a leg to save the group, is now talking about abandoning someone to protect his life.

Above all, the protagonist who clearly understood Lee Jaehun’s words earlier, “If I fall behind, just like earlier, abandon me and continue to run forward.”

But now, the department head was uttering the opposite, creating a hypothesis that, along with the strange behaviours of the recently seen old-fashioned department head, he could also have a split personality.

To be honest, it really was a situation similar to a split personality.

He recalled his past life, so it’s not like his current personality is heading in a certain direction.

But, it’s not like he has two distinct personalities.

Lee Jaehun spoke while massaging his stiff leg.

“I said it objectively. Just now, there was, uh, that weird monster with spider legs or something. Can you be sure there won’t be others with some different characteristics?”

“Well, that’s… not certain.”

“So, let’s think efficiently, efficiently for our sake.”

He shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

“At least, let’s make sure not to resent each other when it comes to necessary measures. It will make things easier for all of us.”

“…Is abandoning someone a necessary task?”

The protagonist seemed quite intrigued by Lee Jaehun’s words.

The question itself didn’t seem to have the intention of starting an argument; it seemed like he genuinely wanted to know.

After blinking for a moment, Lee Jaehun opened his mouth.

“Are we all going to die together then? Or do you have the ability to save everyone from those weird monsters earlier? No, right? Then we better run away properly so that at least we all don’t die while trying to be heroes.”

“….”

“Don’t worry.”

He reassured me.

“I won’t resent it either.”

It seemed like the rest of the group understood his words.

“….”

He was talking about the incident just now when they had just escaped from the spider-legged creature.

Team Leader Kang, who had fallen behind due to panic and failed to survey the surroundings, almost fell backward over the railing. Kwon, who was nearby, saw this and pretended not to notice as she ran away.

Immediately afterward, Lee Jaehun saved Team Leader Kang, but by that time, the rest of the group had fled, leaving them behind.

At that time, the situation was too tense, and there was no time to think about the future. They probably hadn’t considered ethical conditions yet, feeling relieved to have survived until now.

Perhaps they wouldn’t realise it until they went out to the park.

However, when that time comes, it will be too late. If you leave people alone, they’ll think of countless things, and unless they speak it out, those around them won’t know what they are thinking.

So there’s nothing wrong with resolving this issue quickly.

Lee Jaehun had no intention of dragging out the current small crack to a climax where it could take the form of an abyss.

“I don’t have the luxury for that.”

It was around sunset when he would leave the company.

At that time, it would be too rushed even just to survive immediately. So, now was the best time to recover their mental strength.

Leaning back on the sofa, Lee Jaehun blinked his eyes slowly.

“Ms. Kang Mina, if you don’t speak now, there won’t be a chance later.”

“….Um….”

“Just because I say I won’t resent it doesn’t mean you can do the same. Think about it, it must have been terrifying. Later, it will become a trauma for you. That’s how distrust forms.”

He recalled the plot of a novel.

Unlike the current situation where Lee Jaehun somehow managed to handle the situation, in the novel, Team Leader Kang Mina died, and all the members found out about it as they left the company.

As the first person in their group who died in the other world, the group’s mental state deteriorated.

Not only that, but Kwon, the employee, once thought about how her letting go of Kang Mina’s hand contributed to her death. This thought, coupled with the strange aversion the rest of the group felt towards Kwon, further lowered the overall mental resilience of the party.

Because Kang Mina was quite pleased with Kwon due to them having gender, the atmosphere became even more tense. Inevitable emotions that come with being a human started emerging in their minds which could sow distrust between the group members.

In this state, if a monster appeared in the park, they wouldn’t be able to cooperate properly and at that time it would be too late to do anything. Kwon, with a distracted mind, almost surrendered her life as if letting go of a noose.

The guilt of thinking about Team Leader Kang’s death, caused by her letting go of her hand, must have been overwhelming.

Lee Jaehun pressed his temples with his throbbing head.

“In reality, letting go was a wise judgement.”

Team Leader Kang was an average-sized woman, while Kwon was smaller in stature. Holding hands wouldn’t have changed the outcome; they would have either fallen together or been caught by the pursuing monster. In that case, instinctively fleeing first was much more efficient.

However, as mentioned before, not everyone in this world shared Lee Jaehun’s perspective, and the group, which was nothing more than a bunch of novices, had their mental states shattered.

It’s not a sin to have become mentally disturbed beforehand.

In the end, among the employees, only the protagonist and Lee Jaehun survived in the park.

“Maybe until now, you guys thought it was okay because right now we are not in realtiy, but it won’t be the same later. When we go back to the company we knew, Ms. Kang Mina, do you have the confidence to face these people as you did before?”

“….”

“As far as I can see, there’s no time other than now. Get angry, cry, do whatever. Anyway, let’s conclude what happened earlier and move on.”

With those words, Team Leader Kang started crying.

Lee Jaehun, unaware of the fact, remembered that Team leader Kang was a very sensitive woman and shed tears very easily.

Usually, after being scolded by the old-fashioned Lee Jaehun, she would cry in the restroom and feel awkward when encountering other colleagues.

According to the protagonist’s description, that was how she usually behaved.

Considering such a depiction, her current reaction was quite exceptional.

Expressing her disbelief at being left behind, Kang Mina punched Kwon, who was standing next to her, with a weakened fist. In response, Kwon apologised to her with tears in her eyes. It seemed the tears were contagious, as even Noh Yeonseok, the intern, was choking up.

The protagonist, true to being a protagonist, observed Lee Jaehun with those pitch-black eyes, offering no words. It seemed like a thought along the lines of ‘What’s with this nonsense?’ but hey, then you take care of the team’s mental well-being.

Having witnessed the entire sequence of events, Lee Jaehun’s thoughts were crystal clear.

“I crave a cigarette.”

To be precise, he was yearning for the biting sensation of nicotine.

Honestly, the current state Lee Jaehun presented was a kind of setting collapse. The protagonist, at least, had engaged in some non-story-related conversation during the weekend, but the other employees were not at all on the same page.

The sudden transformation of the old-fashioned supervisor felt out of place and lacked coherence. However, to be frank, Lee Jaehun wasn’t thrilled about this role either.

‘All these grown-ups should take care of their own mental well-being. Damn it.’

He forced down the bubbling turmoil in his mind.

The concept of self-care is just needlessly thrown around. All these adults whining about self-care, as if they’re the only ones with problems.

The most representative statement from an old-fashioned person is usually, ‘Back in my day.’ If we go by that standard, Lee Jaehun was undeniably a perfect old-fashioned guy.

Sure, people might complain about it being hell on earth, but compared to my past life, it was practically a fairy tale.

It was a bit of a hassle to take care of these chicks individually, but those who had lived in that mushy world couldn’t possibly maintain their sanity in the other world.

However, for survival, Lee Jaehun needed to manage the mental resilience of these chicks. So, he deliberately caused a setting collapse, gently nurturing their mental state.

Considering the frequent behaviours that might have felt discordant with the old-fashioned supervisor until now, he didn’t seem awkward at all. He even used an unexpectedly soft tone, creating a somewhat stable atmosphere instead of the precarious one from before.

Lee Jaehun, confirming the change, muttered to himself inwardly.

‘Darn it, that must have burned some calories.’

Considering the amount of calories that would be burned in the future, and the fact that tears were shed, the unexpected future seemed quite intriguing.

However, there wasn’t much Lee Jaehun could say. Telling them not to cry in that situation would only backfire, and if, in exchange for this amount of calories, he managed to boost their mental resilience, it was a decent deal.

As a veteran in the art of survival, all he could do was hope that these chicks wouldn’t waste their emotions in the future.

Instead of casually throwing in sarcastic remarks like an old-fashioned manager,Lee Jaehun spoke to the protagonist, who had been observing the whole situation.

“Mr. Jung Inho.”

“…Yes?”

“Do you have the snacks you brought from the break room?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s eat those and start moving.”

It was not a good idea to let the break drag on for too long.

It wasn’t just a matter of inconvenience; there was a mountain of tasks to be done right now. Amidst the attempt to leave the company by searching through the maze, a bolt from the blue struck.

Despite having marked the emergency exit with a name pen just before the recent chase, the reality was that they hadn’t found the way out. Once again, wandering through the maze, going down the stairs, and just getting outside the company would consume an enormous amount of energy.

Moreover, the other world became more dangerous as the day darkened.

Although the protagonist speculated that the time when people’s consciousness deepened might be in the evening, the reason became insignificant, and immediate survival becomes the primary concern.

Following his words, the protagonist, who was distributing small chocolate bars, opened his mouth as he watched Lee Jaehun, who swallowed the entire thing in one bite.

“By the way, Manager.”

“Yes?”

“Your personality has changed a lot.”

“…What can I say? I’m not stupid enough to act like an old-fashioned guy in a life-or-death situation.”

“Isn’t that your original personality?”

Lee Jaehun met the protagonist’s gaze with his pitch-black eyes.

It was a voice at a level that wouldn’t be heard by the other members, almost like his last remaining conscience, but if one intentionally tried to listen, it was audible.

Nevertheless, the protagonist’s face showed no change from when they had encountered each other this morning.

Staring at the protagonist’s shameless and nonchalant expression, Lee Jaehun couldn’t bear it any longer and let out a hollow laugh.

A sneering breath escaped.

“Well, I don’t know.”

“….”

“I really don’t know.”

Anyway, what an annoying guy.

Really, he was such an obvious and irritating character.

* * *

Honestly, yeah. I expected this.

“Where can you delay things for a day or two?”

From the beginning, those were setups thrown out in the open, and the protagonist had fallen for them hook, line, and sinker.

In reality, all the other team members, except the protagonist, were more or less accepting things as they unfolded.

People in positions like department heads didn’t often engage in personal conversations with their subordinates, and most interactions were work-related intricacies. There was no universal rule that a bad boss was necessarily a bad person, so they roughly understood that.

However, the protagonist’s specialty was observation and analysis.

As someone who had defined ‘Manager Lee Jaehun’ as a villain, the protagonist already knew his true nature.

The old-fashioned supervisor was indeed a bad person, both personally and professionally. At least that’s how the protagonist had defined him.

But here’s the twist. During the weekend, he risked getting hurt to save a child in a life-or-death situation, and when things got most desperate, the first to step forward was that old-fashioned supervisor.

Even when the whole group was fleeing he was the only one to help the left behind Kang Mina, these things were more sacrificially than the other people whom the protagonist had defined as saints, and despite getting injured, he didn’t utter a single complaint.

In that case, it was only natural for the protagonist to start questioning his own definition of justice.

‘Was my judgement wrong?’

Yes, it was.

‘Then, is Supervisor Lee Jaehun a good person?’

Probably not.

‘Did he voluntarily save people?’

He did save people voluntarily.

In other words, Manager Lee Jaehun is someone who, while not necessarily good, understands the value of life and knows how to step forward to protect it.

If that’s the case, the earlier point of ‘not being good’ doesn’t feel as crucial overshadowed by the later proposition.

Of course, the irritating behaviours displayed by Manager Lee Jaehun so far haven’t disappeared, but they don’t resonate as strongly in this peculiar world where previous norms don’t apply.

At least, this place is a crazy town where the previous common sense doesn’t hold.

In this unique environment, what can be deemed important is survival and life. And, at least until now, Manager Lee Jaehun has managed to preserve both.

Even in reality, his actions were enough to make people look at him again, so there was no need to say more in this parallel world.

However, to firmly establish a completely new definition, Supervisor Lee Jaehun had many questionable aspects.

‘Why is he accustomed to pain? Why doesn’t he take wounds seriously?’

‘In the past, he used to react sensitively even to the smallest of wounds. Why is he so indifferent now?’

‘What could be the reason he appears skilled in fights?’

The most realistic assumption one could come up with is an illegal occupation.

Although the protagonist hasn’t directly witnessed it, if Manager Lee Jaehun has any association with criminals commonly portrayed in dramas or movies, most of the above questions can be resolved.

However, Manager Lee Jaehun had no reason to be involved in such activities. He was a parachute dropped directly by higher-ups and came from a well-off family. While he might have had some interest in the underworld due to his background, there was no reason for him to engage in illegal activities. If anything, he would have received preferential treatment.

To reiterate, even in his current state, Manager Lee Jaehun could live a very comfortable life.

If that’s the case, the questions return to the beginning, and no other realistic alternatives come to mind.

Ultimately, what the protagonist can discern is the fact that the image of Manager Lee Jaehun, who appeared as a bossy superior until now, is nothing more than an act.

Armed with this only piece of information he has managed to uncover, the protagonist decides to probe further.

“How did it change so much.”

“… As I already told you I’m not foolish enough to play the bossy role even when faced with a life-or-death situation.”

Manager Lee Jaehun hesitated but didn’t show any signs of wavering and repeated what he said earlier.

If everything he showed so far was just an act, the nonchalant demeanour and an appropriate excuse were perfectly in line with the situation.

Undeterred, the protagonist took a step forward.

“Was that not your original personality?”

“I’m not sure.”

Supervisor Lee Jaehun evaded the question.

” And I don’t know either.”

“…”

Or perhaps, he implicitly affirmed it.

Unless the protagonist suddenly became an idiot, there was no way they wouldn’t be aware of each other’s hidden sides.

Similar to how Jung Inho hid another face behind his diligent and friendly appearance, Lee Jaehun, who concealed a different side behind the bossy exterior, was a person of a similar nature.

This had been proven through their actions until now.

Without explicitly saying it, they both knew that each other harboured sinister intentions, and they realised that, from a business perspective, it could actually be quite fitting.

This was evident from the fact that Lee Jaehun seemed rather pleased with the recent incident where the rest of the group fled from the spider legs.

So, Lee Jaehun probably judged that there was no need to deny the truth to someone like Jeong Inho, especially when they were essentially the same kind of person.

There was no need for anything more.

“…Are you going to take the lead?”

“Earlier, our intern worked hard, so this time, Deputy Jung, please take the rear. Swing a monkey wrench or something.”

“Sure.”

The protagonist liked good people, but didn’t necessarily view someone who wasn’t inherently good but performed benevolent actions as entirely bad.

Based on Lee Jaehun’s analysis derived from the novel, that might have been the case for him as well.

Jung Inho didn’t know why Lee Jaehun had maintained the old-fashioned bossy behaviour until now. He didn’t know why he was accustomed to pain or why he was so adept at fighting.

Although Jung Inho didn’t understand the intention behind Lee Jaehun’s actions of saving people and comforting their spirits, at the very least, he was making an effort to somehow save the current group.

For the protagonist, there wasn’t much more needed.

Even though he was the protagonist in a certain worldview, Jung Inho was still a person. If Lee Jaehun, the boss, wasn’t there, the protagonist would likely have taken on that role.

Maybe in the future, it would be different, but for now, Lee Jaehun was an essential presence for him.

And now, Lee Jaehun needed to take advantage of the weakened suspicion and distrust from the protagonist to build a foundation of trust.

“…”

“Manager?”

“…Let’s get going.”

Of course, the mood was unpleasant.

——————