Regression Guidelines For the Supporting Character

The shift in his emotions startled even himself. Not even during his teenage years had he ever felt so volatile.
Kwon Taehyuk let out a sigh internally at his own pathetic behavior and scrutinized Cha Seohu’s face carefully.

‘No visible wounds, at least.’
But he still couldn’t relax. Ryu Sunghyun had personally requested that a Healer be brought in. Until he saw for himself what injuries might be hidden beneath Seohu’s clothes, he wouldn’t feel at ease.
“I checked around your office while I was looking for you, Hunter Cha Seohu. There were clear signs of combat—no doubt there was a fight. What happened?”

“Um…”
“Were they Hunters from that district… the ones mentioned at the hospital? Did you come here to escape from them?”
When Cha Seohu hesitated to respond, Kwon Taehyuk recalled what had happened at the hospital.

Some bastard had shown up while Kwon briefly stepped away—threatening Seohu with no explanation, and crying afterward like he was the most wronged person in the world.
That lunatic had said the ‘brothers’ would come for Seohu on their father’s orders. Seohu had wanted to stay in the guild’s private room specifically to hide from them.
‘They didn’t share a surname or facial features, so they weren’t biological siblings…’

Still, being hunted down by people you once knew well must’ve been devastating. Seohu was likely forcing himself to smile through it all.
Kwon Taehyuk’s gaze, as he looked at Seohu, held nothing but sympathy.
If they hadn’t been in Circle Guild’s representative office—if Ryu Sunghyun and the Guildmaster weren’t present—he would’ve told Seohu that he didn’t need to pretend to smile.

Just as Kwon swallowed that bitter emotion, Ryu spoke up.
“If you mean Hunters related to that district… Are you talking about the one who called himself Kwon Seoyul? Did he come back?”
Ryu had been waiting to bring this up with Kwon present. He recalled how Kwon Seoyul had strangled Seohu.

At some point, both Kwon and Ryu had moved closer to Seohu, looming over the couch where he sat. From the outside, it probably looked like they were intimidating him.
‘What are they doing?’
Meeting their overly sympathetic gazes, Seohu felt incredulous.

He’d only delayed his answer to think of a good excuse, yet they were already jumping to conclusions, dramatizing the situation.
He understood why they might assume that—and honestly, he’d even considered blaming it on the district guys himself.
But he changed his mind and decided to tell at least part of the truth.
“No. It wasn’t the district ‘brothers’ who attacked the office.”

“What? Then who…?”
“They were people sent by the lab.”
Kwon’s face tensed in surprise.

“The lab… You mean the one that did human experimentation?”
“Yes.”
Seohu nodded, keeping his tone steady.

He explained that while he and his brother were resting after visiting the amusement park, unknown Hunters suddenly broke in through the front door. Luckily, Cover had sensed them and helped him escape.
‘Can’t reveal everything. Need to mix some lies in.’
He called it “the lab” for their benefit, but in truth, it was a fanatical cult bent on world destruction. If he explained everything, it might expose too much—including details about Cha Sahyeon.

So instead, he used the lab as a stand-in to instill caution without giving away critical facts.
“I left my brother in Cover Hunter’s care and escaped here with the help of the Circle Guildmaster.”
“Cover Hunter…”

“Hm. At least he knows when to protect a Supporter in a crisis.”
Seohu shamelessly sold out his other self, spinning the story smoothly. Both Kwon and Ryu looked visibly relieved as they listened.
“The attackers said something odd—they were looking for a Healer who’d treated victims in Gwanghwamun. I didn’t catch the rest while fleeing, but I clearly heard that part.”

“…What?!”
Both men looked stunned. That meant information had leaked to the lab, even though they had worked hard to hide Seohu’s identity.
“How could they know that?”

“Seohu was wearing a coat that completely covered him. His face shouldn’t have been visible…”
Kwon and Ryu were completely fooled by Seohu’s lies, falling into deep concern.
‘Tsk. These guys are surprisingly easy to fool.’

Seohu clicked his tongue inwardly, then turned a sorrowful look toward Ryu Sunghyun.
‘Sorry, hyung. This is for your safety—and the Circle Guild’s.’
Unaware of what that gaze meant, Ryu cautiously asked,

“Hunter Cha Seohu. Where is Cover Hunter now?”
“No idea. He took my brother far away, and I have no way to contact him. He’ll come back when things settle down.”
“Then—”

Kwon suddenly interrupted. He reached out and gripped Seohu’s shoulder firmly.
“Come to our guild.”
“…What?”

“You don’t have Cover to protect you. It’s dangerous to stay here at Circle Guild. Come with us. We’ve already prepared a room for you.”
“Uh, no…”
Kwon’s black eyes burned with sincerity as he made his offer. Seohu, overwhelmed by the intense appeal, unconsciously leaned back into the sofa.

“Pardon me, Guildmaster of Yesung.”
A calm yet firm voice echoed through the office.
“Hunter Cha Seohu will be leaving with our Sunghyun tomorrow. He already agreed, so going to Yesung Guild is not an option.”

“…Leaving?”
Kwon frowned and looked at Song Jiwoon, who was still leisurely sipping tea.
“Where are you sending him?”

“That’s a Circle Guild matter. I’m not obligated to answer.”
“Hunter Cha Seohu is being pursued. He’s injured. How can you take him anywhere in that condition?”
“That’s why I asked you—through Sunghyun—to send a Healer. Once he’s treated, his condition will stabilize. And the place they’re going is off-limits, harsh, and remote. No one will be able to follow.”

“Wait. Did you say… an off-limits, harsh place? And you’re sending Cha Seohu there?”
Kwon’s voice dropped coldly as his face hardened.
Ordinary people would have been intimidated, but Song Jiwoon remained unbothered, calmly tilting his teacup.

“As I said, he agreed to it. What I’m curious about is—what exactly is your relationship with Hunter Cha Seohu that you’re interfering this much?”
“…”
Kwon hesitated, a troubled expression flashing across his face before he finally answered.

“…Hunter Cha Seohu is a benefactor of mine and of the Yesung Guild. He saved the lives of dozens of our guild members.”
Learning how Kwon viewed him, Seohu scratched his forehead with a puzzled look.
‘That many?’

Let’s see—he used his heal skill during the Uidong and Gwanghwamun incidents.
The number of wounded in those two events easily exceeded a hundred. Filtering for Yesung members, dozens sounded about right. Kwon wasn’t exaggerating.
‘Healing really is the best.’

And it was a wide-range heal at that—his skill had an enormous radius. Truly one-of-a-kind.
“Hunter Cha Seohu is a very important person to our guild. If a benefactor is going somewhere dangerous, of course I’ll worry.”
“I see.”

Song Jiwoon nodded leisurely and smiled faintly.
“But that’s unfortunate, Guildmaster of Yesung. If Cha Seohu is your benefactor, then I’m his benefactor.”
“No matter how much Cha Seohu owes Circle Guild, forcing him to go somewhere dangerous is too much.”

“Again, you’re overstepping. Call it excessive or not—he accepted my request. Whatever happens there is his responsibility.”
Song Jiwoon’s light green eyes cooled over. Though his lips curved in a gentle arc, the displeasure was unmistakable.
Locked in a tense staring contest, neither man backed down. Even Seohu was bewildered.

‘What is going on with them?’
With tension thick in the air, Ryu Sunghyun finally intervened.
“Please, both of you calm down. And I’m going with Cha Seohu—he’s not going alone…”

Seohu, the very cause of this clash, didn’t even try to stop it. He just watched, amused.
“I have no intention of interfering in Cha Seohu’s personal matters. But sending a Supporter to a dangerous place isn’t just a matter of gratitude. As a fellow Supporter, you must understand my concerns.”
“Supporters have their own roles. We’re not just meant to be protected.”

“Please, both of you—enough.”
With the two Guildmasters now growling at each other, and Ryu trying to keep the peace, the office descended into chaos.
Meanwhile, Seohu didn’t say a word. He just smiled to himself.

‘Nothing beats watching a good fight.’
***
Taebaeksan National Park, Parking Lot.

In the empty lot, a single vehicle came to a stop.
Cha Seohu stepped out and looked up at the wide mountain ridge. Though it had been spring for a while, Taebaeksan remained blanketed in snow.
“…Are you # Nоvеlight # sure you’re okay with this?”

Behind him, Kwon Taehyuk asked, walking up beside him. Ryu Sunghyun stood next to him, still clearly concerned about Seohu heading into the mountains.
Kwon had insisted on coming, using the excuse of driving and lending them a car. Of course, Song Jiwoon had firmly refused to let him accompany them any farther.
‘Why did he even bother coming…?’

Seohu found it absurd, but he didn’t mind. He’d received treatment from the Healer yesterday and got a comfortable ride here—so no complaints.
“Yes. With the Vice Guildmaster going too, what’s there to be afraid of?”
Seohu trusted that the imposter wouldn’t send him to his death. If Seohu died, the imposter would have to save the world alone.

‘And Ryu Sunghyun is a system-designated “Main Character,” so he won’t die easily either.’
Every time things had gotten dangerous, the system sent quests to assist the protagonists. It would be the same this time.
If Ryu ever got into serious danger, Seohu would probably try to protect him before the system even stepped in.

“…Understood. Please take care of yourself. I’ll have security stationed at the parking lot—if anything happens, use the signal flare.”
“Thank you.”
Still anxious, Kwon handed Seohu the flare. Since Ryu would be with him, Seohu accepted it with gratitude.

‘This is the road to the real Song Jiwoon. I can’t back down now.’
Bracing himself, Seohu spoke with resolve.
“Everything will be fine. It's a classic setup for the protagonist to visit the frozen North or Ice Palace. Let’s go.”

“…?”
Ryu Sunghyun, utterly baffled by the nonsensical muttering, silently followed after him.