Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 361. Jeju Island’s Blue Night (3)

—

A few hours later, at Jeju Airport.

“Uh… excuse me… Y-Yugeon-ssi…?”

“Yes?”

“Well, Hajin-ssi is on his way, but there’s a bit of traffic. He should be here soon, so if you could wait just a little longer…”

The assistant director, trembling with nerves, approached Yugeon to inform him about the delay in Hajin’s arrival. It was understandable; when Yugeon wasn’t around the other members, he did exude an intimidating aura that made him hard to approach.

As Yugeon glanced up from his phone with a blank expression, the assistant director instinctively trailed off, barely managing to finish his sentence.

“Ah, I see. No problem.”

“T-Thank you so much…”

“…By the way.”

“Y-Yes?”

But Yugeon, the subject of all this tension, was actually feeling…

“Would it be alright if I quickly checked out the souvenir shop over there?”

“W-What? Ah, yes, of course! Please go ahead!”

“Thank you.”

…giddy with excitement.

Even though his trip to Jeju had only consisted of driving up to Hallasan, making a brief stop, and then heading back to the airport, Yugeon was thoroughly satisfied. The whole time he had been looking at his phone, he was just admiring the photos the PD had taken as souvenirs.

*‘I should get some tangerine chocolates for the kids. As for Grandpa… maybe not chocolate because of his diabetes… Hmm, what else could I get?’*

It was his first time visiting Jeju, and everything was beautiful.

Although he hadn’t really gotten to see much of the sea, the palm trees spread out around the airport were striking, and the wide-open sky, free of any tall buildings, was a sight to behold.

If there had been more time to explore the island, that would’ve been ideal, but he didn’t feel too much regret. Yugeon had never really been on a proper trip before, so he didn’t know how to feel disappointed.

In the bustling crowd of the souvenir shop, Yugeon stood tall, looking over the rows of snacks.

*‘How many should I buy for the members?’*

As he considered what his fellow housemates would like, thoughts of his family members naturally came to mind—his hungry younger brothers, his whiny friends, the constantly learning hyung, and the always uncomfortable hyung. He figured buying a box of chocolates might keep things peaceful for a while.

Yugeon absentmindedly picked up a box of Hallabong chocolates, but after checking the price, he was stunned.

“…16,000 won for one box? Are you serious?”

He quickly put it back.

Sixteen thousand won was two hours of part-time work. Save up ten times that amount, and it would cover a couple of months’ worth of bills. Even though he wasn’t struggling for money anymore since his debut, old habits die hard. The poverty ingrained in him hadn’t magically disappeared.

Ever since debuting, he’d been funneling all his earnings into savings or term deposits. Sure, he was making way more than when he used to juggle two or three part-time jobs, but it still felt like nowhere near enough to navigate the tough world he lived in.

*‘I still have to pay for my brothers’ education… and if Grandpa gets hospitalized, there’ll be huge expenses, so I have to save as much as possible.’*

His mood, which had been soaring, sank deep into the ocean floor.

But Yugeon quickly cleared his mind. After all, he had become the head of his household at a young age, so he had long since learned how to manage negative feelings.

Besides, things weren’t even that bad now.

At least compared to his “past life.”

“…”

The truth was, the life Yugeon had realized as his “past” wasn’t as miserable as one might expect.

If anything, it was… the same.

Each day was spent working to earn money, using that money to support his siblings and grandpa. Sometimes, he resented the parents who had abandoned them, and at other times, he stayed up at night, worrying about money.

It was no different from the life he’d been living until recently, nor was it far off from the future he had once envisioned.

That’s why Yugeon didn’t feel particularly resentful. Just… a little bitter.

Bitter that even ten years into the future, he hadn’t managed to free his brothers from the burden of poverty.

“…”

Having glimpsed eight years into the future, only to realize that this was still his first visit to Jeju Island, that fact weighed heavily on Yugeon today.

“…!? What the—?”

“What’re you doing?”

Just then, someone snapped him out of his thoughts by grabbing him by the back of his neck. Before Yugeon could instinctively pull away from the sudden touch, an arm casually rested across his shoulders.

A familiar, and surprisingly welcome, voice filled his ears.

“These kinds of things are all sold online, you know.”

It was Hajin, wearing his signature backward baseball cap. He gave the box of chocolates Yugeon had been holding a playful tap with his fingers before steering him out of the souvenir shop.

“How was your hike up Hallasan?”

“Hike? More like I walked a bit, said my lines, and came back down.”

“If you passed the entrance to the mountain, that counts as a hike.”

Yugeon didn’t bother correcting Hajin’s casual joke and let himself be led along.

Even though he didn’t want to leave the store without buying anything, it felt less pitiful to have Hajin drag him out rather than walking out on his own.

“…Did you get back okay from wherever you went, Seongsan or something?”

“Of course. I even rubbed it in to Taehyun, asking if he was jealous.”

“What did he say?”

“Dunno. He seemed too busy trying to fix whatever damage Joo Eunchan did to the practice room floor.”

“What did he even do to break the floor?”

“Who knows… Eunchan just said he stomped his foot, and that was it.”

Hajin skillfully kept the conversation going, tossing topics to Yugeon to respond to. Thanks to his endless chatter, Yugeon didn’t have to think too much and was able to clear his head in no time.

*‘It’s not like this hyung knows exactly what I’m thinking, but…’*

In moments like this, Hajin’s chatter was surprisingly helpful.

Though not the most trustworthy, he was definitely better to have around than not.

“Let’s go; it’s almost boarding time.”

“You’re already dragging me along, so it’s not like I have a choice.”

“See how kind I am? Helping my little brother who’s tired from hiking.”

“If anything, it looks more like I’m supporting you, old man.”

“Well then, how about carrying me? Jini says he’s exhausted.”

“You want me to carry you to your grave?”

“What did you just say?!”

As they traded lighthearted banter and headed toward the boarding gate, Yugeon’s PD, who had already packed up and was waiting for them, asked in surprise, “Weren’t you going to buy something, Yugeon-ssi?”

With the assistant director likely having passed on the situation, the PD’s face was filled with genuine concern.

Hajin responded on Yugeon’s behalf.

“I talked him out of it. We’re about to have a comeback, so we can’t have snacks.”

“Ah… I see. Still, it’s a shame to leave without buying anything, even if it’s for a punishment trip. You could get something for the other members.”

“Why would I buy anything for the guys who left me to take the punishment while they’re out having fun? PD-nim, you should head home and get some rest yourself.”

With Hajin’s quick-witted reply, the PD didn’t press further and turned away. Yugeon felt relieved he didn’t have to explain himself but also slightly annoyed at Hajin for answering without asking him first.

“…Why’d you lie? You dragged me out of there.”

“Were you really planning to buy something?”

“…”

“Thought so.”

Hajin gave a knowing smirk when Yugeon couldn’t respond. Then, he muttered something so softly that Yugeon almost didn’t hear it.

“And besides… there’s no point in buying something when you can’t even give it to them…”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“Hm? What?”

“You just said something.”

“Oh, I was just talking about how the sunset in Jeju was incredible today. It’s the perfect night for stargazing.”

Didn’t he just say something completely different a second ago?

Yugeon felt a brief flicker of doubt, but Hajin’s innocent face and easygoing tone quickly made him dismiss it.

If Taehyun or Haru had been standing there, they probably would’ve questioned Hajin’s words more carefully, but Yugeon, who had less experience dealing with Hajin’s tricks, let it slide.

“Hey, Grandpa.”

“What now, old man?”

“So, how was Jeju? Feel like coming back sometime?”

As soon as they boarded the plane, Hajin threw out some small talk. Without thinking, Yugeon nodded.

He wasn’t yet at a place in his life where he had the time or luxury to enjoy something like a trip. But it was true that he wanted to come back to Jeju someday.

When Yugeon gave his answer without hesitation, Hajin smiled meaningfully and nodded.

“I feel the same.”

“That’s such a cor

ny thing to say.”

“Maybe next time, we could come together. What do you think?”

“Why would I go with you?”

“Well, traveling with someone is usually more efficient than going alone.”

“…I guess.”

*How would I know? I’ve never gone anywhere.*

Suppressing that automatic response, Yugeon started getting ready for a nap. Thinking about how he would be back in Seoul when he woke up, it made the fact that he had just been in Jeju feel even more like a dream.

“Get some rest, Yugeon.”

“Stop being creepy.”

“Just sleep, kid.”

“…You should sleep too.”

With thoughts of how nice it would be if this dream could last a little longer, Yugeon closed his eyes.

—

Some time later, at Gimpo Airport.

“Hajin-ssi, Yugeon-ssi, we’ll see you at the next shoot!”

“Yes, PD-nim, take care and get some rest.”

“Goodbye, thank you for your hard work!”

“Thanks for your hard work!”

After arriving at Gimpo Airport in just under an hour and parting ways with the production crew, Yugeon followed Hajin out. It was quiet since it was late in the evening, but there were a few people who recognized them, probably fans who had caught wind of their schedule.

“Just stick close to me, okay? It’s not like I *want* to hold onto you, so don’t get any ideas.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Have the managers arrived?”

“Yeah, Kwon Wook-hyung said he’s waiting just up ahead. Oh, there he is. Hyung! Over here!”

Grabbing tightly onto Yugeon’s arm for safety reasons, Hajin called out to Kwon Wook, who stood a bit further ahead. Yugeon, still attached to Hajin’s arm, awkwardly bowed in greeting when he spotted their manager.

“You…! This…! You little…!”

But something was off about Kwon Wook.

His face looked flushed, and his expression seemed somewhere between exasperation and disbelief.

What could have happened to make him so worked up when they had just returned from Jeju? Then Yugeon noticed that he was holding a duffel bag—the one Hajin often used when traveling for out-of-town schedules.

It didn’t take long for Yugeon to piece it together.

“Did you bring everything I asked for? If not, I can buy it there.”

“You… have no idea how shocked I was when I got a call from the director…!”

“Hyung, you’ll have to get used to this if you plan on working with me. It’s going to happen again. You’ll adapt.”

“Seriously though, are you sure about this? What if something happens to the two of you?”

“We’re just going to rest and show Yugeon around a bit, then head back early in the afternoon. If things feel off, we’ll come right back. Where’s everyone else? What are they up to?”

“What do you think? Those with personal schedules are taking care of those, and the rest are probably relaxing thanks to you. You’re the only idol I’ve ever heard of who managed to *wring a day off out of the CEO.* It’s unbelievable.”

“…Wait, what is this all about?”

Yugeon finally caught onto the fact that something strange was going on.

Rest? Show me around? Head back early…?

What on earth were they talking about? He looked between Hajin and Kwon Wook in confusion, only to have Hajin casually grab the duffel bag from Kwon Wook and tighten his grip on Yugeon’s arm.

“Oh, it’s nothing major. Don’t worry about it.”

“How am I supposed to *not* worry when you’re suspiciously holding onto my arm like this?”

In response, Hajin, completely nonchalant, replied in the most relaxed tone possible, “Well, to put it simply, we’re going back to Jeju for a night, just you and me.”

“…What?”

Totally lost for words, Yugeon furrowed his brow in utter bewilderment. Hajin pulled out his phone and showed him the screen.

On the screen was a chat with a contact labeled ‘Miro_Hansewon_CEO-nim.’ The background was plastered with warnings about avoiding slip-ups, and the chat itself was filled with texts from the CEO.

—

—

“So yeah, we got a one-day vacation gifted from CEO-nim just a few hours ago. Isn’t it funny how these things just work out? Anyway, I’ll be counting on you for the next 24 hours, *grandson*.”

“Wh—what↗?”

*Is this guy out of his mind?*

Looking at Hajin’s amused expression, Yugeon found himself utterly speechless.