Theatrical Regression Life Chapter 234

Episode 234

“This is the first time I’ve seen the manager in plain clothes.”

The beginning was Kwon Yeon-hee’s admiration.

“I’ve been thinking this for a while, but the manager is secretly a pup.”

“What is Pappy?”

“Fashion people… .”

“Don’t use strange words.”

At the scolding of Lee Jae-heon who made a sour expression, Kwon Yeon-hee shamelessly hid behind Noh Yeon-seok. The smallest of us hid behind the biggest one so it was hard to see, but she stuck her head out and continued talking.

“It was a compliment, but why are you saying that…? I said you dress well, sir.”

“You can’t help but say something like that after seeing me.”

I was spread out like slime on the bed. I heard from the security office that ‘we have a guest’ and rushed out, so I didn’t have time to get dressed properly. I went out wearing only a pair of pants that were long enough to cover my entire leg, a white polo shirt, gloves, and a thick cardigan.

Despite Lee Jae-heon’s words, Kwon Yeon-hee did not give in.

“Sir, you live so youthfully. It’s mainly about fashion.”

“Are you saying that the main body is old now?”

“Do you exercise?”

“Would you like to do it? I’m busy with work, so why would I exercise?”

Oh, no.

“… Well, in the other world… it’s more common to exercise.”

“That’s… true.”

The chicks who had to run from the start when they first visited the other world nodded their heads with a strange expression. It was true, but they didn’t want to admit it. Or maybe that kind of thing couldn’t be considered exercise.

Jaeheon Lee, who had been looking at the cotton, sighed and asked.

“Dinner.”

“I didn’t eat.”

“Can you deliver it?”

“Is there any food in the refrigerator?”

“… It’s not in the pantry.”

“Can I use the kitchen?”

“wait for a sec.”

Jae-heon Lee frowned and reached out to In-ho Jeong to ask for time.

“Cooking?”

“Yeonseok’s skills are really good.”

“I’m good at cooking!”

“What makes you laugh?”

Lee Jae-heon, frowning arrogantly, looked between Jeong In-ho and Noh Yeon-seok with narrowed eyes.

“No… Really… Would you want to come to the manager’s house and cook at this hour? Am I the only one who knows that this is a truly absurd and ridiculous situation…?”

“That’s why I said I was visiting you in the hospital.”

Jeong In-ho smiled brightly.

“They say that you should feed porridge to sick people.”

“Who said that?”

“People of the world.”

“I hate death.”

“Then I’ll cook you some food, okay?”

“I don’t like rice either.”

“Shall I boil some noodles for you?”

“… … .”

Lee Jae-heon once again lost the will to speak.

“But you don’t deny that it hurts.”

“… You disgusting little bastard… .”

“I’m pretty good at it. Yeonseok, let’s cook.”

At that point, Lee Jae-heon had no choice but to give up.

“Since you have spinach, try mixing it with some soybean paste. There aren’t many ingredients, so if you need them, you can buy them from outside. I’ll give you my card.”

“Whenever you say no, you use it quite naturally.”

“If you don’t like it, then just stop. I was just thinking about it anyway. You guys can either order delivery and sleep or not.”

At those words, Kang Min-ah interjected in a quiet voice.

“…Can I sleep over?”

“… It’s past 8 o’clock now, so you’re going out at dawn?”

Jae-heon Lee, who had been scratching his head, walked to the guest room and checked it. It was a bit chilly because it wasn’t used much, but that was something he could do by turning on the boiler. The person who cleaned the room every time had already cleaned up this unused room, so it was perfect for putting the chicks in.

Lee Jae-heon came out of the closet with comfortable clothes and gave each chick a piece of clothing.

“I bought some pajamas in advance, so wear those, and I think the ladies will have some room in their waists… Kang Min-ah and Kwon Yeon-hee, wear tracksuit pants.”

“Oh my, I was just going to sleep. Thank you.”

“You’re really being blunt. My house isn’t a hotel where you can just come and sleep.”

And then he turned his gaze towards Noh Yeon-seok.

“Yeonseok is….”

“yes!”

“… … .”

Lee Jae-heon said with a sour expression.

“You’ll be short, you punk. You’ll be so damn big.”

“Thank you for the compliment!”

“Thank you for taking that as a compliment.”

Lee Jae-heon was definitely not small in size or height, but Noh Yeon-seok was hard to approach. He was a guy who learned several sports as a hobby and was naturally tall, so I guess that’s understandable, but when there was a difference like this, it hurt his pride.

‘I was pissed off in my previous life because I couldn’t gain muscle, and this body isn’t gaining weight either… .’

Suddenly, I felt aggrieved, but I quickly let it go with a sigh. I don’t usually have such trivial thoughts, but I guess I was thinking about all sorts of things because I wasn’t feeling well. It’s a good thing if the chicks are healthy, of course.

“But… I brought the larger one. I ordered the wrong size, but I didn’t want to bother returning it, so I just kept it. I don’t think it’ll be a big deal even if the length is a little short.”

“Oh… that’s about right, thank you.”

“If you know, you can make the food taste better.”

“I’m good at that!”

It’s hard to criticize someone that bright. Lee Jae-heon, who had lost all his energy, walked over and sat down on the sofa. His head was pounding because the house, which had never had guests before, was so noisy.

Jeong In-ho approached Lee Jae-heon quietly and said with a smile.

“Manager.”

“… Wait a minute, I feel a little uneasy right now.”

“CEO Yoon Ga-ram and Mr. Ha Seong-yoon are also down there.”

“… … .”

Lee Jae-heon raised his drooping head and met Jeong In-ho’s gaze, but the other person was just smiling brightly. He really could not help but be a fox cub.

“…Did you call?”

“I called.”

“What are you feeling?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know, really?”

Jeong In-ho’s eyebrows curved as he smiled.

“Why aren’t you answering the phone?”

“Didn’t I say I don’t like that? Are we dating? I’ll tell you in advance that I like girls.”

“It seems like you’re really sick, seeing as you’re talking nonsense. Shouldn’t we send a signal that we’re sick when we’re in pain?”

“So, you don’t report your survival every morning?”

“It’s literally a survival report. What’s the point of staying alive?”

“I guess I’ll live well then… .”

“People who live well don’t get sick that much, boss. The amount of blood you shed today was just a bucketful.”

“Why do you nag at me when even my mother doesn’t?”

“This is what community is all about.”

“Ugh… .”

Lee Jae-heon, who was leaning his head on the armrest of the sofa, waved his hand.

“Bring him up, and don’t bother the security guards again.”

“I don’t know if it’s because you’re sick, but you’re quite docile.”

“If you’re going to do this, stop bothering me, you filthy little brat… .”

“sure.”

Jeong In-ho said with a wide smile.

“I won’t bother you.”

“… Ah, shit. Ha Seong-yoon.”

“Even though you’re sick, you still have the same sense of humor.”

“f*ck….”

Lee Jae-heon, who got up from the sofa while groaning, walked to the bedroom with a thud. While rummaging through the drawers of the nightstand next to the bed, he soon handed two cards to Jeong In-ho, who was staring at him.

“The white one is the key to open the door lock, and the other one is….”

“It’s a credit card. You look like an uncle giving pocket money to his nephew. Or maybe you feel like a friendly neighbor.”

“What the heck, sir… Ha. Go out and buy what you want to eat. Don’t bother me.”

“I’ll call you when the food is ready.”

“I think it’s okay if I don’t call you….”

Jae-heon Lee covered his eyes with his hands as he felt his eyes getting hotter, then shook them off again. He didn’t want to show his pain in front of the kids who didn’t know anything. It seemed too late, but if he kept going like this, he might summon a monster or say something crazy like he did in the bathroom yesterday.

I didn’t want to show it that far.

“…I will be sleeping.”

“Take a rest.”

“… … .”

However, I did have that thought.

It’s been a long time since I had someone to take care of me when I was sick.

* * *

As Lee Jae-heon entered the room, Noh Yeon-seok moved his body slowly.

“Then can I check the fridge?”

“… It’s probably not the fridge, but the pantry. Oh, it must be over there. Check to see if there’s anything to eat.”

“I wonder what rich people eat and live on.”

“I guess you live off spinach.”

“You must be eating good spinach. There are different grades of the same ingredient.”

“That’s true.”

Jeong In-ho turned his gaze and looked at Kang Min-ah.

“Min-ah, you said you know how to cook too?”

“Yes, I’ve been eating it often since I was little. From what you said earlier, I guess you’re craving vegetable side dishes… I’ll take care of that.”

Kang Min-ah smiled faintly as she said that.

“When you’re sick, the best thing to do is eat whatever you want.”

That was right. When Jeong In-ho was young, his uncle would always ask him what he wanted to eat when he was sick. If he was thinking about the children’s health, he would have bought them porridge, but his uncle would always buy Jeong In-ho the food he wanted to eat. Other than that, he had a hard time swallowing food.

“Because wild greens are good for your health.”

“It’s always the same at the meeting place, and I think the manager likes Korean food. He doesn’t say much, but he secretly enjoys local food.”

“It looks like you’re holding a knife and fork to cut steak….”

“Well, you always wear suits… It’s kind of the vibe. But these days, you seem to be wearing more casual clothes.”

Jeong In-ho was suspicious of that point.

‘It didn’t just feel like something you could wear lightly, but it seemed like it was meant to cover your entire body.’

Until March, the weather was sometimes chilly, but now it’s April. If you wanted to wear something light, there’s no reason to wear a coat or a thick turtleneck to work. I felt like they wanted to somehow maintain the usual formal feel while increasing the length of their clothes.

Besides, wearing gloves even inside the house is a bit… .

“Mr. Jeong In-ho?”

“…Anyway, I will bring the two people down below.”

“Oh, yes. Have a nice trip.”

Jeong In-ho, who went back the way Lee Jae-heon had brought them, met Ha Seong-yoon and Yoon Ga-ram in the lobby and went straight to the convenience store inside the building. He was holding the card that Lee Jae-heon had given him in his hand.

“Should I buy some snacks so we can chat for a while at night?”

“I have work tomorrow… I’ll just choose one drink to relax.”

“Can I buy some beef jerky? With cheese on it…”

“What would someone with so much money say about something like that?”

In the end, they returned to Lee Jae-heon’s house after buying a lot of food. Kang Min-ah, who was putting the vegetables that had been marinated in the kitchen on a plate, was surprised to find them. She thought they would have robbed a convenience store since it took some time, but there was more luggage than she had imagined.

“You’re here? You bought a lot… What if the manager gets angry?”

“I don’t think you’ll be upset about this, but I bought some of them with my own money. Don’t worry.”

“Uh, uh… That’s annoying in its own way… Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Just as Kang Min-ah was about to finish her explanation, Kwon Yeon-hee, who was placing side dishes on the table, came over to her.

“Wow! This is so delicious. Who picked this jerky?”

“Oh, I chose it. It wasn’t my money, but would you like to share it?”

“I love it!”

As they carried their luggage and headed toward the kitchen, Noh Yeon-seok, who was shaking a wok in a flashy manner, greeted them.

“You’re here! I’m making fried rice with eggs right now. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

“Well, ramen?”

“You know what? There’s no ramen at the manager’s house. It’s a strange house.”

“… That’s… really strange.”

Ha Seong-yoon, who had pretended to be surprised, was impressed by Noh Yeon-seok’s skillful cooking skills. It wasn’t the first or second time he had done it, as he quickly stir-fried the food with a ladle and arranged it in a puffy shape on a plate.

“They said you were a good cook, and you really were. I thought the chef had come.”

“Wow, I’m really good at cooking. Whenever I go camping with my friends, I’m always in charge of the cooking.”

“You are amazing. You are so talented… I think you will make a good husband in the future.”

“…is it so?”

Noh Yeon-seok glanced at Kang Min-ah, but Kang Min-ah didn’t notice his gaze because she was talking to Yoon Ga-ram and Kwon Yeon-hee. Noh Yeon-seok, who was sullen at this, muttered as he placed a ladle on the empty wok.

“If there’s anything you want to eat, I’ll make it for you….”

“…thank you.”

Ha Sung-yoon, who laughed awkwardly, and Noh Yeon-seok, who looked exhausted, went into the pantry once again to check the ingredients, then took another order and made less oily food.

After moving the plates containing the finished food onto the table and changing into comfortable clothes, they soon looked at the same place as if they had made a promise.

“… … .”

“… I’ll wake you up and come back.”

“Good luck, Agent.”

When I knocked on the bedroom door twice, fortunately, Lee Jae-heon came out from inside. Judging by his disheveled appearance, he really seemed to be asleep.

He passed the people with blank eyes and checked the table, then he let out a small laugh.

“… It’s really weird.”

Jeong In-ho, who had been quietly looking at Lee Jae-heon’s face, whose smile had suddenly disappeared, answered.

“It’s strange, seeing the people who came to visit me.”

“Do you have spinach?”

“… Kang Min-ah mixed it up.”

Very tired, a little happy, a little sad.

That was the look on his face.

* * *

It was a nice thing that the chicks came all the way to the house and cooked for me, but my appetite, which I had never had before, didn’t come back just because my subordinates came. It was like eating a meal right after getting carsick and vomiting.

As Lee Jae-heon was just picking spinach, Ha Seong-yoon and Jeong In-ho smiled softly.

“I feel bad about scolding him for being a picky eater since he’s eating spinach….”

“Isn’t that also picky eating?”

“But isn’t it good for your health? It’s ambiguous.”

“… Two disgusting men over there, I can hear you all.”

Ha Sung-yoon pretended to look at him and put down his dishes. When the old man was startled for a moment by the sight of his parents acting exactly like they did when they were angry in his memories, Ha Sung-yoon made a puzzled expression and spoke without wiping the smile off his lips.

“Why are you doing that?”

“…no….”

“… It seems like you’re really sick, even though the manager is showing such a gentle reaction.”

“… … .”

“Oh my god, you’re not even refuting me.”

I just didn’t have the energy to argue back, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. The doctor had barged into my house, so there was no way he wouldn’t examine me, and if that was the case, I had no choice but to go back to my room and sleep before checking on my condition.

“If you’re feeling really sick, you don’t necessarily have to eat all of your food. You need to digest it before going to bed, and more than anything, it looks like you’re in a bad mood, sir.”

“Then stop now… .”

“Then, shall we take a look at your hands now?”

“… … .”

When Lee Jae-heon got up from his seat, pretending not to hear, Ha Seong-yoon called Jeong In-ho.

“Mr. Jeong In-ho.”

“yes.”

“Bring me alive.”

In the end, Lee Jae-heon was caught alive.

“No, really, I’m being humiliated like this in my own home… .”

“Why are you doing this when you’re not a 5-year-old who hates going to the dentist?”

“My hands are numb, so I’m wearing gloves….”

“You wear gloves even at the dinner table, and now you’re going to pretend not to notice?”

“Why are there so many people who don’t know that I’m over 40?”

“You should act like a grown man in his forties, sir.”

“Oh really….”

“There is no rule that says adults are not sick. You keep trying to pretend like it’s nothing, but that’s a really bad habit. Fix it.”

“… … .”

I really tried to crush it as much as I could.

‘You guys are going to nag me.’

But it wasn’t a situation where I could just ignore it. The space of the house itself was limited, and the chicks who didn’t know that Jaeheon Lee was hurt had noticed it because of the current argument. Well, it was too much to wrap up in April, wasn’t it?

Lee Jae-heon, who had ‘disgusting’ written all over his face, sighed and said.

“…Please don’t nag me so much, then.”

“I wonder how this person came to our hospital. Thinking back now, it’s really amazing.”

“Oh, we didn’t know each other back then. Did I know that Dr. Ha Seong-yoon was so sincere to his patients? I just went because he was good. If I had known this would happen, I would have found another doctor, really.”

“Should I take this as an insult or a compliment? If a doctor is not sincere to his patients, he is not qualified to be a doctor. Such scumbags do exist sometimes.”

“So all the doctors I know are trash?”

“…wait for a sec.”

Ha Seong-yoon, who was sincere to the title of doctor, looked at Lee Jae-heon with a serious expression.

“I don’t think you’re talking about a doctor who treated something as simple as a cold. Have you ever done something like that before? All the doctors I’ve met so far have ignored it?”

“… … .”

“teacher?”

“…no….”

It was a story from a past life.

‘There was no need to seriously consider the rise of those with regenerative abilities.’

Oh, there was a real life one too. But shouldn’t we make an exception for the doctors who met in the real life after suffering an injury that was enough to draw blood? In the first place, they were hired on the condition that they wouldn’t think deeply about the injuries suffered by the old manager and wouldn’t get involved.

“… Look at my hand.”

“Why don’t you answer me? Why are you avoiding my gaze?”

“No, well… aren’t the doctors busy?”

“You said you were sick, and yet you’re talking nonsense like this?”

Ha Sung-yoon’s face was distorted like Lee Jae-heon’s just now, and yes, it was a face of extreme disgust. The target was probably the most trashy doctors he could imagine. Lee Jae-heon decided to keep his mouth shut for the honor of the doctors he remembered.

“Anyway… Anyway, you shouldn’t wear gloves when you have an injury on your hand. It must have hurt to begin with, so I don’t know why you bothered to wear gloves. No matter how much you don’t want to show it, you shouldn’t do that. If you’re going to do this, it seems like you’re seriously hurt… .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

The expression on Ha Sung-yoon’s face disappeared as he took off his gloves.

“…Are you kidding me?”

“Don’t you think you could be a little more gentle with your patients…?”

Ha Sung-yoon firmly grabbed the hand that was about to be pulled away in a strange awkwardness. However, he relaxed his grip after seeing the callused palm of his hand, which had been scraped on the floor and had been embedded with small pieces of stone and glass. Lee Jae-heon completely avoided eye contact.

In the strange silence, it was Jeong In-ho who spoke first.

“…Why are there no fingernails? Is your other hand like this too?”

“… I was fishing and the hook got caught on my fingernail… .”

“All ten fingers? Then what about the scars left on the inside of the fingernails? It wasn’t just the fingernails that were torn off.”

“It got ripped by a needle….”

“Even if you believe me, why did your palm end up like this? It wasn’t just something that got scraped up when you fell down on the street.”

“Fell down…?”

“Let’s say you believe me. What are those bruises on my wrists? If you look closely, the skin is also torn.”

“… … .”

“I guess you have nothing more to say.”

Ha Seong-yoon, who was looking at Jeong In-ho with his distorted face and Lee Jae-heon with his mouth shut tightly, let out a deep sigh and covered his eyes with the hand that was not holding Lee Jae-heon’s hand.

“I’ve lived my life… really… meeting patients like this…”

“… It would be better if you leave it alone… .”

“Well, it wasn’t just a finger that was blown off, so of course you’ll recover. It wasn’t just an arm that was blown off, so should I compliment you, sir? You did a great job.”

“…no….”

“It’s good that you’re calm because you’re sick. My life as a doctor, which is supposed to be fun, is really tough. It’s a wound that’s hard to see even in a conflict zone, and I have to see this in the middle of a normal city. How far do you plan on expanding my patient spectrum? Do you really think I’ll stop writing a paper on you? If I lock you up in a lab or something, you won’t get injured. You’re not a child left out on the water, and if you take your eyes off of it, it’ll get injured, and if you take your eyes off of it, it’ll bleed… You don’t even say where you got hurt.”

“… … .”

“… I’m not scolding you, so don’t make that face. No, I mean, scolding you is right. Ah, I really. Really, this… this kind of thing… I…”

Ha Seong-yoon, who had been silent for a long time, took his hands away from his eyes.

“Who are you?”

“… … .”

“Usually when you can’t speak like this, it’s because you know the person you’re talking to.”

“that….”

I wanted to refute it properly, but I couldn’t speak properly because it was true.

“No, that’s not it… Really…”

“… … .”

“…uh….”

Please, I really hate this kind of atmosphere.

If my brain worked well, I would have shaken them off somehow and run away, but I couldn’t and kept stumbling, and the faces of the people around me became even more hardened. Since I was sitting in the living room, I couldn’t see the faces of the chicks in the kitchen very well, but I could hear them sobbing. Honestly, I thought I was going crazy.

‘You might as well kill me.’

Jaeheon Lee, who was moving his lips a few more times, realized.

“…sorry.”

The more I talk here, the more of a mess it’s going to be.

And if I just keep this atmosphere, I can probably crush the bruises on my neck, but I can also crush the wounds on my stomach and legs. I’ll sacrifice the wound on my hand and hide the other injuries. Lee Jae-heon, who made that decision, reflexively made an expression that said, ‘I know my sins and I’m sincerely reflecting on them.’ It was something he often used in his past life, and I remember it being quite effective.

Then Ha Seong-yoon’s sigh was heard once again.

“…There’s nothing to be sorry about, really.”

“… … .”

“It looks like another doctor has already treated you, so I won’t say anything else. From now on, don’t wear gloves. No, I can’t say anything until you go to work, but… I’ll disinfect it again and put a bandage on it, so don’t take it off. Do you understand?”

“…yes.”

“Ha, really….”

Ha Sung-yoon’s voice, as if he was chewing on a curse, was heard.

“… A dog, worse than any beast, dares to imitate a doctor… .”

Well, I guess I should shut up.

Suddenly, he remembered the gentle doctor in Busan who had treated him so diligently that he was almost crying, but Lee Jae-heon kept his mouth shut. The atmosphere was too tense to defend that gentle doctor who had given up.

“The scabs have healed, but there are still some areas that were torn when I put the gloves on and took them off. Be careful not to get water into the affected area, and get as much rest as possible.”

“…All right.”

“It must be difficult to use your hands since you don’t have any fingernails… At work, you have to treat Jeong In-ho like a boss. Even when you’re drinking water, you have to ask him to hold the cup for you instead.”

“Hmm….”

“Do you understand? Don’t use force on your hands, okay?”

In this way, Lee Jae-heon was able to hide the wounds on his stomach and legs.

It was such a blessing.