Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 333. Role Model

Let’s pause for a moment and examine the relationship between Joo Eunchan and Dan Haru.

First, from Joo Eunchan’s perspective:

To Joo Eunchan, Dan Haru was the first “younger brother” he had ever had. While there had been younger people in his life before, none were as close to him as Dan Haru.

“What is a younger brother?”

Or rather, let’s rephrase that.

“What is an older brother?”

For Joo Eunchan, who had survived his parents’ neglect through the love and care of his only older brother, the concept of an “older brother” was almost sacred.

Not just a figure above him, but someone who provided what was needed at the right time—rain when necessary, daylight to rest, and night to sleep peacefully—creating a foundation for living.

His reverence for the role of an “older brother” became even more solidified after joining Miro and meeting another admirable hyung.

-“I am proud of you all.”

-“Thank you for becoming my pride.”

Kang Hajin.

He was the second “real adult” Eunchan had met after his brother Eunseok. Not an overbearing elder with nothing to offer but arrogance, but a true role model from whom Eunchan could learn and follow.

Eunchan believed it was entirely thanks to Hajin that he was able to mend the broken relationships with his peers in Miro, which he had thought were beyond repair.

The awkwardness that had developed between him and Taehyun, the lack of closeness among the youngest members of Miro Maze who had been divided into cliques, and even his growing friendship with Yugeon, Doha, and Siwoo, who he hadn’t gotten close to even when they were in the same class.

All of it was because Hajin played the role of a bridge between them.

So it was only natural that Kang Hajin became Eunchan’s next role model, right after Eunseok.

“I want to become a ‘hyung’ like my hyungs.”

Eunchan sincerely thought that way.

And Dan Haru was the only person through whom he could put that resolve into practice.

What does that mean…?

“Haru, are you sick? You don’t look well.”

“……!”

It meant that Joo Eunchan, who usually lacked any sense, suddenly became hyper-aware of Dan Haru, to the point that his nickname “Jutamol” (short for “Joo Eunchan doesn’t know”) didn’t apply here.

‘This is bad.’

Kang Hajin thought to himself in all seriousness.

Joo Eunchan, who normally wouldn’t notice if Yugeon was holding Taehyun’s hand while waltzing and Doha slapped Siwoo in the face, had suddenly regained his lost senses at lightning speed.

If it had been Taehyun or Siwoo, they could have brushed it off with a vague excuse or pulled the “this is just how Dan Haru is” card. But Eunchan, who had practically glued himself to Haru before the accident, was not going to miss any signs of something being off.

But what really surprised Kang Hajin was what happened next.

“Eunchan-hyung! When did you get here?”

Just a moment ago, Dan Haru had been glaring at the ground like he was ready to kill someone, but now he was running over to Joo Eunchan with a cheerful voice as if nothing had happened…! Hajin nearly screamed, thinking that his Sparkling was back.

“Is your shoulder and arm okay? I thought you’d stay at home longer.”

“I was going to, but since we have a meeting tonight, I decided to come back early. My shoulder and arm are almost better. I’m getting the cast off tomorrow, and the doctor said it’s fine as long as I don’t overdo it.”

“Wow, that’s great! I missed you, hyung….”

“I missed you too. I brought that game console you wanted from home. Want to play now?”

“Wow! Yes! Hajin-hyung is going to buy us something delicious too!”

Who are you…?

Hajin stared at Dan Haru in utter disbelief as Haru pointed at him. It wasn’t just Hajin; Yugeon and Doha, who were witnessing this scene, had similar reactions. They wondered if this was method acting where Sparkling’s soul had possessed him, or if Sparkling’s personality had really returned. While they were lost in thought, they heard the sound of the door opening as the password was entered.

“……? Why are you all standing out here?”

It was Taehyun and Siwoo, who had returned from their personal errands.

Yugeon, who had been dazed, looked at Taehyun with surprise and asked,

“What? You said you’d be late.”

“It finished earlier than I thought. Siwoo-hyung’s thing ended around the same time, so we met just outside. But why are you all standing here in the doorway? Move over so we can get in.”

With Taehyun’s firm but gentle prodding, Hajin, Yugeon, and Doha were pushed aside one by one. It was becoming hard to tell whether these small animals were actually strong or if the guys just weren’t living up to their size.

“Taehyun-hyung! Eunchan-hyung is back!”

“Oh, really? Eunchan, did you rest well?”

“Yeah, I’m getting the cast off tomorrow.”

“That’s good news. It would’ve been a shame if you couldn’t join us for the activities.”

Dan Haru, who seemed to have been possessed by Sparkling (but was really just being himself), eagerly relayed the news to Taehyun as he entered the living room. Taehyun didn’t notice anything odd, and neither did Siwoo, who was taking off his coat behind him.

Everyone except for Hajin and the Lee brothers was acting as if everything was normal. Hajin, snapping out of his daze, started to take off his shoes and step inside the dorm.

But Dan Haru paid no attention to Hajin as he busily helped Eunchan set up the game console in the living room.

‘Well…. I guess it’s a good thing?’

At least this way, there was no risk of the members finding out anything was wrong.

Just as Hajin was feeling relieved and about to head to his room to change clothes…

“Haru, you need to plug this in here…”

*Smack*―!

“……?”

“…Ah.”

The rare sound of friction echoed through the dorm, causing Hajin to turn around. He saw Eunchan and Haru staring at each other, both looking shocked. It seemed that when Eunchan tried to help Haru plug in the cable correctly, Haru had reflexively pushed his hand away.

Haru, recovering from his shock a bit quicker than Eunchan, quickly spoke up.

“Ah, um… I just thought I’d do it myself since your shoulder still hurts. I guess I pushed too hard… Sorry.”

It sounded like an excuse, and Hajin was ready to step in if necessary. It was only a matter of time before Eunchan asked, “Haru, what’s going on?”

But then…

“Oh, um. It’s fine.”

To Hajin’s surprise, Eunchan simply nodded and accepted Haru’s explanation. Haru, who had been looking increasingly panicked, now wore a confused expression at Eunchan’s easygoing response. Hajin quietly observed the two youngest members.

Eunchan, still smiling as if nothing had happened, said,

“I was just trying to show you where to plug it in. I used to always get it wrong too, until hyung showed me.”

“…Yeah. But I’m going to change into something comfortable first. Let’s play after I change.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll finish setting this up then.”

Once again, Eunchan nodded at Haru’s suggestion, even though it was obvious that Haru was looking for an excuse to leave. And Hajin knew that this wasn’t because Eunchan’s sense had gone out the window again.

As Hajin watched Haru get up and head to the bedroom with a thoroughly defeated expression, he approached Eunchan, scratching his cheek.

“Uh, Haru’s not feeling well. He’s been off since this morning.”

Though he had promised to cover for Haru, Hajin felt a bit embarrassed by his weak excuse.

But once again, Eunchan simply nodded.

“I guess so. Maybe I shouldn’t have suggested playing the game…? I brought it because I thought Haru would like it.”

“You don’t mind getting pushed by your dongsaeng? How do you plan to survive in the world being this naive?”

“I wouldn’t like it if someone else did it, but it’s fine with Haru.”

What kind of extreme favoritism is this? Hajin sighed softly, remembering that Eunchan was the member who was most susceptible to Dan Haru’s “I’m the maknae” attack, second only to Taehyun. No wonder HaruA, who was pretending to be HaruB, couldn’t handle it and fled to the bedroom.

“Need help with the setup? It’s hard to do with just one hand.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll do it.”

The one who cut in between them was Yugeon, who had already changed and come out of his room. He sat beside Eunchan and began assembling the game console with such practiced ease that Hajin couldn’t help but ask in disbelief,

“You know how to do this?”

“I’ve done it a few times when I worked at a kids’ café. They had one of these there.”

“I knew you were a part-timer

, but man, you’ve worked a lot of jobs. When did you work at a kids’ café?”

If Sang-hyuk or Ji Suho were here, they’d probably say, “You’re one to talk,” but unfortunately, both were absent. Yugeon didn’t respond to Hajin’s remark and instead focused on setting up the console, swiftly connecting cables and configuring the system.

In less than a few minutes, the startup screen of the game appeared on the 60-inch TV monitor that the CEO had gifted them as a rookie award. After testing the console a few times to ensure everything was working, Yugeon finally looked up at Hajin and gave a belated response.

“In my past life.”

“What?”

“I said I did it in a past life. The kids’ café job.”

Hajin immediately recognized that Yugeon wasn’t joking; he was speaking half-truths. The “past life” was a keyword Yugeon often used when discussing his experiences in previous timelines with Ji Suho.

“Oh….”

“Go get Haru. I’ll try this out in the meantime. Watching kids play it all the time left me wanting to give it a go.”

“Hyung, I’ll show you how to play. Let’s do it together.”

“Sure.”

With a glance at Hajin, Yugeon grabbed a controller and gestured for him to go. It was a very Yugeon-like move, fitting for the one who often acted as the group’s caretaker, mediator, and protector.

Haru, who had said he was going to change clothes, still hadn’t come out of his room.

“…Alright. Get the hang of it while I’m gone. I’ll join you once Haru’s out.”

“Are you any good? You don’t look like it.”

“Hey, don’t challenge a former gaming addict like that. Just wait and see.”

Exchanging playful banter with Yugeon, Hajin slowly made his way to the room where Haru was. He briefly considered knocking but decided against it. After all, they never knocked when entering each other’s rooms.

“…….”

The moment Hajin entered the room, he understood why Yugeon had sent him in.

Haru, who had said he was going to change, hadn’t even taken off his coat. He stood frozen in the middle of the room, staring at something on the wall.

It was a photo frame, a gift from a fan at the beginning of the year, which Dan Haru had been overjoyed to receive and had hung on the wall himself. The A3-sized photo captured a beautiful moment from last year’s December 31st stage, where the members celebrated Dan Haru’s birthday.

“What are you doing, still in your coat?”

Hajin asked casually, keeping his tone light.

But Haru remained silent. Unlike with Sparkling Haru, Hajin couldn’t easily read this Haru’s thoughts or expressions.

Haru’s gaze slowly moved. It landed on the part of the photo where Eunchan was holding the birthday cake, smiling brightly as if it were his own birthday.

So, once again, let’s examine the relationship between Joo Eunchan and Dan Haru.

This time, from Dan Haru’s perspective.

“Dan Haru.”

“…Don’t call me that.”

“What else should I call you? Am I supposed to be Hong Gildong? Can’t I call you by your name?”

To “Dan Haru,” Joo Eunchan was, in the simplest terms, a good hyung.

A bit more specifically, a close hyung with whom he really wanted to debut.

And if you dig even deeper, Joo Eunchan was the only hyung Dan Haru, the loner, could call a “friend.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Then what, should I call you Mr. Dan?”

“I’m not *that* Dan Haru!”

But this is from Dan HaruB’s perspective.

The Dan Haru who grew up in a wealthy family, pure and untainted, loved and nurtured so much that he could always express his affection openly.

No matter how much he tried to act or imitate, the Dan HaruA in front of us could never fully replicate him.

Dan HaruB’s precious hyung.

So, what is Dan HaruA’s perspective?

“I’m not… him.”

“…….”

“I’m not him.”

Now, let’s switch perspectives once more.

Joo Eunchan.

Dan HaruB’s precious and close hyung.

Raised in a wealthy family, always confident and never having to watch his back,

Nurtured with great love and care, able to freely give and receive affection.

No matter how much he was “programmed” and “set,” Dan HaruA could never fully imitate him.

“I’m not… him….”

Joo Eunchan.

Dan HaruA’s very, very old role model.

The emotions in Dan Haru’s gaze as he stared at the photo of himself and Joo Eunchan were a complex mix of deep and conflicting feelings.