Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 324. The Darkest Shadow

Shortly after regaining my composure, the first thing I did was hand Ji Suho a glass of water.

“…Are you feeling okay? Nothing else seems wrong, right?”

“Well, aside from feeling a bit sleepy, I think I’m fine.”

“Make sure to check—can you move all ten fingers and toes?”

“Haha… Stop making me laugh. I don’t have the energy.”

“What’s so funny? I’m being serious.”

“I just realized this is probably how you felt when you tried to get me to go for a health check-up before. It’s funny.”

Despite having been unconscious for quite some time, Ji Suho looked surprisingly healthy.

It was a relief to think that Thirteen had done a thorough job with the aftercare, but I couldn’t help but feel anxious, knowing that the real danger often lies in the aftermath of accidents. When it had happened to me, I found all the fuss around it overwhelming, but watching someone else go through it made me feel like I was on fire from the inside.

Even though I knew I had to wait for the doctor to give us the final results, I sighed in relief for now. At that moment, the door to the room opened, and Joo Eunchan entered with Dan Haru.

“Hyung, I brought Haru… Oh? Director!”

Seeing Ji Suho awake, Joo Eunchan widened his stride and rushed forward. He had grown considerably taller since debuting, now nearing 179cm, and wasn’t mindful of his own height as he ran recklessly, almost crashing into a pillar. I barely managed to catch him in time.

“Whoa!”

“Hey…! You just got your cast off, and you already want to break something else?”

“No, I was just so happy to see the Director awake…”

Joo Eunchan smiled sheepishly, looking at Ji Suho with eyes full of emotion.

Since the accident had happened while he was on his way to pick him up, Joo Eunchan had likely been grappling with a lot of thoughts of his own.

Ji Suho, seeing the poignant expression on Eunchan’s face—an expression that would have spawned countless fan edits if seen by fans—spoke first with a gentle smile.

“Eunchan, are you okay?”

“…!”

“I should have been more careful with the driving… When the accident happened, I was so scared that you might not be able to perform on stage again because of me.”

Ji Suho laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but those words did nothing to ease the emotions of those who heard them.

Tears welled up in Joo Eunchan’s eyes, larger than ever, as he tried to suppress the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. His jaw clenched as he struggled to keep the tears at bay, his face wrinkling in an attempt to hold them back.

“Why do you both keep crying? I’m not dead! This is starting to feel weird.”

“…I’m sorry, hic… I’m sorry… because of me…”

“What…? What are you talking about? Why are you apologizing? It’s the manager’s job to protect the artists, and here I am, lying in a hospital bed. If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you. Are you really okay?”

“Hic… Huuu…”

“Man, Hajin, could you do something about Eunchan? He’s about to cry his eyes out.”

Ji Suho sent me an SOS signal with a flustered look as Joo Eunchan, now sitting in the caretaker’s chair and practically embracing Ji Suho, began to cry in earnest.

Compared to the now-thin Ji Suho, who had been bedridden for weeks, Joo Eunchan—who had been enjoying a luxurious recovery with three square meals a day—was easily a third larger in size, making the scene somewhat awkward.

I didn’t intervene, merely patting Joo Eunchan’s head a few times as he cried.

“Just bear with it. He must have been holding it in for a while.”

Joo Eunchan hadn’t fully awakened to the past timelines, but he was already being influenced by the events that took place in them.

Given everything Joo Eunchan had been through recently—from the former director, to the nepotistic Han Sung-woo, to the injuries from obsessive fans and reporters—Ji Suho’s words must have provided immense comfort. I didn’t need to ask to know.

Rather than prying Eunchan away from Ji Suho, I quietly turned my attention to Dan Haru, who was still hesitating near the door. When our eyes met, Haru flinched and clenched his fists.

“Dan Haru.”

“…!”

“What are you doing over there? Aren’t you going to greet the Director?”

Ji Suho, who had been handing tissues to Eunchan while gently consoling him, paused when he heard me mention Haru’s name.

For some reason, Haru seemed terrified and hesitated to move, even though I had called him over. The brave baby rabbit warrior was now paralyzed with fear, likely because of how I had reacted earlier. I softened my expression as much as I could and spoke calmly.

“You heard him just now. He said it wasn’t your fault.”

“….”

“Come on, hurry.”

At my urging, Haru cautiously stepped forward, moving towards the bed where Ji Suho and I were standing. Joo Eunchan continued to sob in Ji Suho’s arms, while Ji Suho, even as he comforted Eunchan, kept his gaze on Haru as he approached.

Ji Suho remained silent, simply watching Haru until he stood right beside me. Then, as if he had realized something, Ji Suho greeted him warmly.

“Haru, hello.”

“…Hello, Director.”

“You… You’re the ‘real’ Haru, aren’t you?”

“…?”

Haru looked up, puzzled by the cryptic remark.

“I had a dream the first day I met you. I’d completely forgotten it until now…”

“….”

“It was a very cold winter.”

Ji Suho began to recount a story of his first encounter with Haru—one that I didn’t know.

It was the day Haru, in his quest to join Miro, had first met Ji Suho.

After becoming entangled with Haru, Ji Suho had awakened to the point where he could be influenced by past timelines, and that’s how he had gained the ability known as Star Maker. It was likely that their “first meeting” had occurred countless times. The memories of those encounters must have been lost in the process.

‘So, what Ji Suho is talking about now must be…’

He was referring to the very first encounter he had with Dan Haru, the one that happened long before Haru had drawn Ji Suho into his timeline.

Just as Haru was about to break down from the guilt, his brow furrowing in despair, Ji Suho continued.

“At that time, I think… I had gone to the bookstore to pick up a magazine for Dauni, and you were there.”

“….”

“You were standing in the music section, watching a music video for a long time. You looked so sad for someone so young…”

But Haru’s expression was strange as he listened to the story.

It was as if the memory didn’t match what he remembered of their first meeting. He seemed confused.

Ji Suho noticed Haru’s reaction and continued speaking calmly, as if he understood.

“You were mouthing the lyrics as if you were singing, and I couldn’t help but watch you. I wanted to give you my card, but I had left it in the car…”

“….”

“When I went to get it, you were already gone by the time I came back.”

His voice was filled with both playfulness and warmth as he scolded Haru.

Haru’s shoulders started to shake. He couldn’t even lift his head, burying his face in his hands. Unlike Joo Eunchan, Haru cried silently, which made me realize what Ji Suho’s story meant.

“Then, a week later, we met again, right?”

“….”

“You were so cheerful and bright that I wondered which one was the real you…”

Ji Suho was recounting a story of a first encounter that even Haru didn’t know about.

This was before the Chosen Regressor, Dan Haru, had drawn Ji Suho into his timeline to serve the “real” Dan Haru.

The Haru that Ji Suho had seen in the bookstore, who seemed so sad and lonely, must have been the Chosen Regressor Haru. The Haru who appeared a week later, the one destined to be scouted, was likely the base personality who knew nothing.

“How could I have forgotten all this?”

Ji Suho, looking relieved, reached out his hand toward Haru.

It was as if he was inviting Haru to feel the warmth of his touch.

“Either way, Haru, it seems you were destined to be my singer. It’s amazing.”

It was surprising, yet not so surprising, that Ji Suho had realized, just from looking at Haru’s face, that the current Haru carried the personality of the Chosen Regressor.

– People are like that. Aren’t they lonely? A world without warmth is no place to live.

– I hope you don’t see life as a series of cold moments.

– Kang Hajin, you’re a warm person, aren’t you?

That’s just who Ji Suho had always been.

A person like the darkest shadow cast by the brightest light, the star that illuminates those destined to shine under the spotlight.

“…….”

H

aru continued to cry silently.

I didn’t know how much comfort Ji Suho’s words had brought him.

All I could do was gently push Haru closer to Ji Suho, so that our youngest, who had been holding back so much, could finally let it all out.

“For crying out loud… If anyone heard this, they’d think we were mourning someone. These kids…”

Ji Suho chuckled, pulling Haru into a hug with his free arm, as I quietly stepped back. With Wook-hyung and the other members likely arriving soon, I thought it would be a good idea to go meet them and inform the medical staff that Ji Suho had woken up.

I signaled to Ji Suho with a nod and made my way to the door, but before I could reach the sliding door handle, someone knocked from the other side. Opening the door slightly, I saw a familiar face—one of the nurses.

“Oh my, hello!”

“Oh, hello.”

It was the same nurse who had witnessed my emotional outburst last time and had quietly stepped back. Though I was a bit embarrassed that she recognized me despite the hat and mask, she quickly returned to her professional demeanor.

“I heard some noise inside. Has patient Ji Suho woken up?”

“Oh, yes. He just woke up…”

I nodded, glancing back at the room, where the crying contest was still going strong.

The nurse, sensing the emotional atmosphere from the sniffles and sobs coming from inside, gave me a sympathetic look, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Oh dear… Should I come back later?”

“Yes, that would be great. He seems to be doing fine, so if you could come back in a little while, that would be perfect.”

“Alright, I’ll return in about 10 minutes then.”

“Thank you. Let me get the door for you.”

With a polite bow, I followed the nurse out of the room and sat down on a bench in the hallway, finally letting my tense body relax.

“…….”

By the time I reentered the room with the other members who had arrived late, the sound of the boys’ tears had not yet ceased.