Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 120. Save Point
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Not long after, Jang Chaeyeon arrived at the hospital room after getting off work.
"You're here."
"..."
Jang Chaeyeon spoke to Song Arin as if it were nothing, and Song Arin briefly made eye contact with her before looking away.
"Before I say anything..."
I looked at Song Arin.
"Song Arin, could you tell us what you heard?"
"Sure."
Song Arin nodded and opened her mouth.
"First off, that guy was really just a nothingburger from the accounting team. I skimmed through his past, but there weren't any strong memories, so nothing special there."
"What about the Receipt ability..."
"That seems to have been original."
Song Arin continued.
"Anyway, then this one guy latched onto him."
"...A guy?"
"Yeah. But he felt kinda familiar, like I'd seen him a few times..."
"Was it maybe that guy from the bus during the volunteer work?"
"Yeah! That's him!"
At my words, Song Arin widened her eyes and clapped her hands.
As expected. A regressor.
"Yeah. He was so unmemorable that I couldn't recall him clearly, but it was that guy."
"I see. And then?"
"That guy came along and did something."
"Something?"
"Yeah. But his memories around that are all jumbled up..."
Did he deliberately muddle the memories?
"Can't be helped there. And then?"
"After that, this guy's behavior completely changed."
"How so?"
"First, he started digging for info on the Management Bureau... Uh."
Song Arin suddenly trailed off.
"Why?"
"Well... Um... He suddenly felt this intense inner closeness with Ailin, that blonde."
"...That's a bit weird."
I recalled the backstory I'd seen at the orphanage.
[While working in the Management Bureau's accounting team, he was tipped off about his future and fate by someone.]
The regressor must have informed him, somehow, about the past where they acted together.
But the question was how he was informed and how he fully accepted it.
"Anyway."
Song Arin cut through my thoughts and continued.
"So this guy suddenly becomes a loyal subordinate to that unmemorable dude. Kills people without batting an eye. Then at the end, he meets up with someone from the 'Church.'"
'Church.'
Aileen's destination, one of the groups we still didn't know what they were up to.
"After that, he came here and got taken down. That's as far as it goes."
"...I see."
"Now it's your turn."
Song Arin stared straight at me.
"You told all of us about the regressor."
Right.
I cleared my throat and spoke.
"I assume you've all heard my story."
We were all sitting cozily, eating apples Yoo Daon had peeled, as I slowly began.
"You've all heard about the regressor, right?"
The three nodded.
"Then let me explain in more detail."
I gave a brief rundown from the volunteer work up to now.
What I'd seen, how many regressions he'd gone through based on the records I'd glimpsed, the futures, and finally his connection to Kim Chanhho.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The three listened in silence.
"That's it. Any questions?"
After finishing, I looked at the three, and Song Arin spoke first.
"If someone with regression powers is really our enemy, our chances are slim."
"...Right."
"No matter what clever method you come up with, someone who's already experienced it can't be beaten."
"...Correct."
"Killing them won't end it. You have to eliminate their powers first."
"Is there... a way to do that?"
"...I don't know."
Song Arin let out a low sigh.
"But without that method, there's no way we can win."
That was true too.
To fully send off the regressor, we'd have to seal his powers in one go and take him out.
While deep in thought, Jang Chaeyeon looked at me and asked.
"You don't know what kind of regression it is?"
"What kind?"
"Precisely, what 'checkpoint' he regresses from."
"Ah."
Right. We didn't know the starting point of the regression.
Whether it was a full restart from the beginning, or if there was a save point he returned to upon death.
"I was confused until just now, but hearing you, Song Arin, gave me a hunch."
"Me?"
Song Arin pointed at herself.
"Yeah. If he'd realized you read his memories, he would've taken steps to avoid detection next loop."
But he'd boldly shown his face in Song Arin's memory read.
"So, he probably sets a save point and returns there upon death."
"Save point... If that's the case, what are the conditions?"
"We'll have to figure that out from now on."
"Hmm..."
Jang Chaeyeon rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
"For now, whether my theory is right or—"
"No. Jaeheon, you're right."
Yoo Daon, who'd been listening, murmured with a smile.
"Eh, why?"
Her confident tone surprised us three, and we all looked at her puzzled.
Did she know something we didn't?
"Because..."
Yoo Daon smiled softly and popped a neatly sliced apple into her mouth.
"If it was a full restart from the beginning, he'd already be insane by now."
Her voice was full of certainty.
*
In the end, no big conclusions were reached.
Just be careful, anyway. And find a way to end it in one shot.
"Of course, all this starts after your wounds heal."
Song Arin raised her index finger, and the other two nodded.
"Alright, then, with that settled..."
I clapped my hands and looked at the other three.
"Shall we have some fun starting tomorrow?"
At my words, all three stared at me with baffled expressions.
"Yeah?"
"Huh?"
"What're you talking about?"
I'd done a lot of thinking while bringing Song Arin here.
Everyone seemed a bit worn out.
Especially Yoo Daon and Song Arin.
Jang Chaeyeon didn't show emotions much or express them that way, so it was hard to tell.
Me? I got tired sometimes, but surprisingly fine.
Whether my mind was just that resilient after this incident or if I'd grown numb to it, who knows.
"Well, just hang out together a bit."
"What if another incident happens? At this point, it's weird if one doesn't."
"I agree with that part."
I had to nod at Song Arin's words.
"But a day or two should be fine, right?"
"...I don't care. But what about that containment level you mentioned?"
"Ah."
She remembered well. I'd thought she wouldn't since I'd rambled while half-dead.
"I've asked someone to handle that."
"Who?"
"Ailin."
At my words, the three fell silent.
After a brief silence, Jang Chaeyeon nodded and said.
"Yeah. But next time you need a favor, you can ask us too, you know?"
"That's why I did it on purpose."
"...Huh?"
The three froze, and I slowly began explaining.
"Because you've all been through a lot."
They'd suffered plenty sticking with me.
"So I didn't want to burden you more."
"...Jaeheon..."
"Ah..."
"Ungh..."
The three looked touched. Yeah. This is camaraderie.
Why did they all look subtly offended? No idea.
"Anyway, once I get discharged... You all rest up... Or if you have nothing, we could all go sightseeing."
"Shopping then basement?"
Yoo Daon looked anxious.
"No."
"...Cruise?"
Jang Chaeyeon muttered unenthusiastically.
"...No."
"Workshop?"
Song Arin murmured suspiciously.
".....No."
Hearing it now, I get why they'd suspect.
"...I get it. So I thought of something different."
"I'm feeling anxious now. This normal?"
"Me too."
"..."
Then this it is.
"There's another way."
"Another way?"
"A housewarming party."
"...Housewarming?"
The three's expressions hardened at my words.
"Yeah. Come to think of it, we haven't done housewarmings for our places. Just my house."
Song Arin hadn't even come.
Plus, I'd heard Jang Chaeyeon and Yoo Daon got new places recently.
"So we do each housewarming: eat, hang out, drink, crash if needed."
"All together?"
Yoo Daon's voice was thick with worry.
"Ah, of course I'd sleep at my own place."
A guy crashing with three girls?
That'd be tone-deaf.
And I'm sharp.
But contrary to my thoughts, the three didn't look thrilled.
"But without Jaeheon..."
"Three of us alone..."
"Wouldn't it be awkward?"
Seeing all three agree like this—how long had it been?
"...Then I'll crash in the corner."
At this point, they couldn't refuse.
Man, even if they're uncomfortable, looking after their male colleague like this—true camaraderie.
Touching. Haven't wasted my life.
"So, whose house first?"
At my words, I felt their gazes lock fiercely.
Yeah. A bit burdensome.
"As expected, mine..."
"W-Wait. My place too..."
"Our house."
As two started speaking, Jang Chaeyeon quietly said it while staring at me.
"Our house."
"...Ah. Yeah. Sure, let's do that."
Her gaze was so intense, I couldn't say anything but agree.
"Then... once I'm discharged, we meet at Chaeyeon's place?"
"...Good."
"...Got it."
"Yeah."
Unlike the other two's subdued voices, Jang Chaeyeon's was so bright it made me happy too.
*
And thanks to the Management Bureau's absurd medical procedures, I was discharged not long after.
The process was excruciating, though.
But more than that.
"...Ugh..."
"...Urp..."
Jang Chaeyeon met my eyes as I looked at the two passed out drunk beyond reason.
With her shirt unbuttoned, eyes glazed, she cracked open a cola can and shook it.
"Drink."
"..."
"Drink it."
"..."
"Don't you like it from me...?"
Her face was full of hurt.
"No. Of course I'll drink. Gotta."
I took her cola, lost in thought.
How'd it end up like this?
Did I... mess up?
"Your fault."
Guess so.