Chapter 1: Who the Hell is the One Regressing This Time?
01. Who the Hell is the One Regressing This Time?
On a day when the sky seemed unusually high, Kang Hajin thought to himself:
"Ah. Life is fucking meaningless."
And it wasn't fun either.
Cramming his large frame into bed, he mindlessly scrolled through YouTube's provocative thumbnails. Occasionally clicking on something that looked interesting, but never actually watching the videos.
Eventually, he closed the app and flopped onto his back. And thought again:
"Seriously fucking boring..."
Hajin figured this was probably the lowest point on his life's downward trajectory.
Age twenty-nine. Unemployed masquerading as a job seeker. Eldest son of the family.
He glanced around his cramped room. What did he even have left?
'...I thought I'd been living diligently until now.'
After unexpectedly quitting his job, he'd lost all motivation for anything. Friends who knew him well advised that he probably needed some time to rest.
Following their advice, he'd been "resting" for months now. While his body felt at ease, his mind remained restless. It was as if time had frozen.
On days like these, he often fantasized about resetting his life. With nothing else to do, he'd started reading web novels, where it seemed half the protagonists were reincarnating, regressing, or possessing someone else these days. Honestly, it was the most thrilling and desperate fantasy one could have while alive.
Now, here's the key point.
Fantasy. IF, what if, maybe, hoxy.
The kind of escapist daydream most people secretly wish for but know has a zero point zero zero zero percent chance of actually happening.
Kang Hajin experienced his first regression on that very clear, blue-skied day.
When he first regressed, Hajin thought he'd finally gotten his chance to change his life.
Of course, he panicked a bit when he opened his eyes to find a familiar gray test paper staring back at him.
"No cheating. You know academic dishonesty means an automatic zero, right?"
One moment he'd been lying in bed, the next he'd closed and opened his eyes to find himself twelve years in the past—and in the middle of his midterm exams? Whoever designed this timeline deserved to get smacked once with an OMR sheet and once with a computer mouse.
'Listen to this guy. Thought my last mandatory gathering was during university hazing...'
And a math test? Are you kidding me?
"We covered all this in class."
The problem, teacher, is that I took this class twelve years ago.
And that was too long ago for me to glance at the test and go "Hmph, I've solved all these before" while breezing through the answers.
The novels made it seem like people memorized lottery numbers and such, but reality was different. At twenty-nine, I should've at least considered the possibility of regression.
That's how his first regression began—messy and uncertain. A classic storyline.
Returning to the semi-basement apartment his family lived in before his father found new work, he found tearful motivation, clenched his fists, and vowed to live this life differently by studying like his life depended on it.
Having to go through military service again sounded like hell, but he'd figure something out in the years before then. At least he could rebuild his life from scratch.
'This is my chance!'
That's what he thought.
Until he was rudely interrupted by his second regression in the middle of the English listening section of his college entrance exam.
Is this for real?
I know kids these days don't say that anymore. But there was no other way to put it.
Is this for real?
"Hajin. You think the military is a joke?"
You think regression is a joke?
'Who the hell designed this timeline?'
I was in the middle of choosing the correct response to Tom's final words when—
"Hajin, when your senior asks you a question, you answer."
"Private Kang Hajin."
"What? Kang-aji (puppy)? You a fucking dog now? From now on, you're 'Woof Woof' instead of Private."
"Must've misheard me."
No, you're the one with a dogshit personality.
To think that as an adult, the best insult they could muster was name-calling. Pathetic and childish.
I desperately wondered how to screw over this insane regression system that sent me back as a soldier just because I said I was scared of the military. Half-listening to the senior who'd amount to nothing after discharge anyway, I thought:
'I need to find the pattern.'
A full two years. After regressing, two whole years passed without incident.
And then suddenly? On college exam day? You're sending me back now?
Having read every fantasy novel except romance (okay, some romance too), I knew there had to be some algorithm at work here.
"Hey, Kang Hajin."
"Private Kang Hajin."
"Wow, just completely ignored me? I said you're 'Woof Woof' now."
"......"
Maybe I should just bark and get it over with.
I was trying to think about my future, but this senior wouldn't shut up. At twenty, this might've scared me, but just moments ago, I'd been a top-ranked student taking the college entrance exam. Bring it on, world.
For better or worse, the senior lost interest when I didn't react and left for music show duty. A fellow private who'd appointed himself the senior's lackey started listing today's schedule, mentioning some girl group's comeback stage. Yeah, that helped me roughly place the timeline. Blinking slowly, trying to process this absurd situation, a dreadful premonition crept up my neck.
'Don't tell me I'll regress again on my discharge date.'
"Hey, you motherf—!"
And that became reality.
The third regression happened two weeks after discharge. Before my buzzcut even grew out. This time at twenty-four, when I'd grown my bangs down to my eyes to make up for never being able to before. The timeline was spiraling out of control.
"What is this, seriously?!"
At this point... was this hell? Am I actually crazy? Did I get knocked out in my first life and am now floating in a coma? The theories I'd considered since the first regression began resurfacing.
"There's definitely something, something..."
...I was saying when the fourth regression hit, and in that moment, a sudden realization struck me like a blow to the back of the head.
I'm not the one controlling these regressions!
The fourth regression landed me in winter at age nineteen.
"Whoever it is, I'm clearly caught in someone else's regression."
Fortunately, it was the weekend, so I could quietly gather my thoughts at home. Still in the semi-basement before we moved out, it felt awkward but familiar enough to adapt quickly.
If I could endure about four more years, my mom—who'd developed an eye for finance—would start investing thanks to dad's new job, and we'd move into our first apartment.
From four regressions, I'd noticed some futures remained fixed and unchanging.
"Hyung, I need the computer."
"Use it."
"Hyung, you have to move first."
My bratty but adorable one-year-younger brother wiggled his fingers dismissively, so I obediently moved. Honestly, I needed somewhere quiet to sort through this messed-up regression system anyway.
I headed straight to a quiet café nearby, pulling out a notebook and pen to organize the timelines and clues I'd gathered so far.
<[Original]
29 years old. Watching YouTube in bed. Job hunting. Depression.
[1st Regression]
17-19 years old. During English listening test on college exam day. What the hell was that trigger?? What was my score anyway?
[2nd Regression]
Motherf— 21-22 years old. Military... ah military... again? Do I really have to go again? Please just exempt me.
[3rd Regression]
24 years old. One week.
[4th Regression] —Current
19 years old. Winter. December, post-college exams. Apparently retaking them next year? Are you kidding me?
Certain fixed events always occur.
No clear pattern to regression timing.>
The thought of possibly enduring military service three times killed my appetite while simultaneously making me want to punch whoever was responsible exactly once. Gritting my teeth to control my anger, I reviewed the listed information before writing what seemed the most plausible theory at the bottom:
<Not the one regressing. Seems caught in someone else's regression.>
"Right, regression stories usually come with tutorial guide packages as standard."
If I'm not the regressor, it makes sense that I have no information. Usually, only the protagonist gets to see system messages anyway. Putting aside whether I'm the protagonist or not, I felt utterly lost. How the hell would I know who the protagonist is among 7 billion people?
"Ah, seriously. I can't live like this."
Not knowing when the next reset would come made every day a cycle of anxiety and lethargy. Even if I memorized lottery numbers, I'd have to wait until Saturday for the draw and Monday to claim winnings! This couldn't continue. Even if I had to track down every person in South Korea—no, all 8 billion people on Earth—I had to stop this regression.
[Really?]
And in that moment, 'someone' responded to my words.
[Do you think you can stop them?]
"...I'm not actually crazy, right?"
I didn't need to see it to know all of spacetime except me had frozen. 'It' wasn't sound or vision—closer to a resonance or vibration. Other web novels described flashy fairy companions or system windows perfect for merchandising, but my life couldn't even get those small details right.
But did that matter now? Whatever this voice was, nothing scared me more than retaking exams, redoing military service, and resetting my life over and over.
[I asked if you think you can stop them.]
"Whether it's them or whatever, the only thing I can't handle is redoing military service."
[Haha, amusing.]
Are you laughing? An unmistakably hearty laugh made my eyebrows twitch. After a brief silence, the voice resonated again.
[Fine, I'll place a bet too.]
"What are you talking about? Speak clearly."
[I'll give you a chance too. To fix everything.]
"What?"
With a brief "You'd prefer a more familiar method," a blue light shimmered before my eyes.
[Kang Hajin (Fixed Regressor)]
Titles: Unavailable (Insufficient permissions)
Traits: Unavailable (Insufficient permissions)
Unique: 'Wandering and Adrift' mode ON
※Mental Care System temporarily activated to prevent confusion from regression.※
"Ah. Finally, please...!"
Was this the legendary system window? I threw a punch at the empty air. Of course, being a virtual window only I could see, there was no physical impact, but the psychological satisfaction counted for something.
[That will help you from now on. There are limitations, but... I'll be watching.]
With those final words, the resonance faded as spacetime returned to normal. Letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, I carefully reread the system window still floating before me.
"Mental Care..."
I'd been oddly calm about the whole regression and system thing, which seemed strange—apparently thanks to this Mental Care system. That explained it. Surviving re-exams, re-military, and infinite regression added credibility.
To calm my nerves, I rushed to the counter to return my empty iced tea cup and ordered an iced chocolate. Something sweet always helped when my mind was tangled.
"Excuse me, sir."
"Yes?"
"The owner said to give you this as a service... He asked if you'd be interested in working part-time."
"Ah, I'm retaking my college exams. Maybe later if needed."
As I took my drink to return to my seat, the part-timer shyly stopped me with cookies and a business card. Politely declining, I returned to my table. Standing at what might literally be the crossroads of my entire life (possibly multiple lives), a part-time job was the last thing on my mind.
Using a workbook as cover, I stared holes into the system window. Most entries were question marks, but one phrase stood out:
Unavailable (Insufficient permissions)
Insufficient permissions. So this was supposed to help me, but I wasn't authorized to see it. Judging by typical novel logic, those 'permissions' probably belonged to the one actually causing these regressions—'them.'
Seriously? Nothing I can actually see?
"If you're giving hints, give more... Hey. You said you'd help. That's it? This is all?"
Frustration made me complain aloud. If you're going to drag random people into your regression, you damn well better take responsibility.
Then, as if signaling the end of loading, the screen flashed brightly as new notification windows materialized in midair.
['Fixed Regressor's Life' reading complete!]
[※Designated as the Chosen Regressor's Mentor.※]
[Basic Quest: 'Find the Regressor!' registered. (New!)]
[Single Quest: Finding Lost Dreams registered. (New!)]
[Accept quests?]
No need to hesitate. I mashed the accept all button without a second thought.