Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 338 First Strike Wins (Part 5)

Kairos’s first pair matching was anything but smooth, thanks to the two eldest members, Hajin and Siwoo, who were deeply immersed in their characters. Hajin, who seemed determined to play the troublemaker, and Siwoo, who simply chose whatever seemed most fun at the moment, bounced unpredictably like a pair of rubber balls.

The interesting part was that the other members weren’t to be underestimated either.

With Yugeon, who was tempted by the gold rings, and Doha, who seemed to be enjoying his “World’s #1” concept more than expected, the pair matching process for Kairos turned into utter chaos.

—

[Real-time Kairos Pair Matching Status LOL]

First Impression Pairing

Hajin → Haru

Siwoo → Taehyun

Doha → Taehyun

Taehyun → Doha

Yugeon → Doha

Eunchan → Haru

Haru → Eunchan

Only Doha-Taehyun and Eunchan-Haru didn’t go down in flames LOL

They ended up doing rock-paper-scissors, and Hajin-Yugeon became a pair. This is the first time Siwoo has faced such a shock LOL.

– Siwoo really seems genuinely shocked. It’s hard to laugh knowing this might be the first time in his life he’s been rejected…

– Hajin and Yugeon becoming partners but looking super uncomfortable is hilarious LOL. Ultimate Otaku meets Ultimate Muggle LOL.

– I haven’t watched it yet. Is this the final pairing?

└ Nope, they’re supposed to have some time to get to know each other and then switch partners again LOL.

—

BaddieKiz @BaddieKiz

Are they serious?

Kairos Pair Switch

They’re using a mailbox to switch partners, and the guys are literally doing circus tricks to prevent each other from putting notes in LOL. Is this even real?

(Video of Hajin kicking Siwoo’s mailbox away.mp4)

(Video of Doha throwing Taehyun’s mailbox onto the set, only for Yugeon to snatch it back.mp4)

(Video of Siwoo and Taehyun wrestling in front of Haru’s mailbox.mp4)

(Video of Eunchan, looking lost and saying his hyungs have gone crazy, amidst the chaos.mp4)

Shared 1,030 Retweets 573 Likes 1,344

—

Kang_HD @kang_HD

Kang Hajin’s footwork only shines in moments like this LOL.

—

BaddieKiz @BaddieKiz

Are they serious?

Kairos Pair Switch

Shared 1,777 Likes 1,948

—

ppyoppyoS2 @ppyoppyoS2

Meanwhile, our Haru…

He quietly slipped a note into Eunchan’s mailbox while the others were causing a ruckus…ㅠ

(Close-up of Haru putting a note into Eunchan’s mailbox.jpg)

Shared 783 Likes 1,999

—

[I laughed so hard my head hurtsㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

I knew they were close, but I’ve never seen them go this all out to mess with each other before LOL. I nearly died when Siwoo and Taehyun were playing cat and mouse with the notes LOL.

– Wait, Siwoo and Taehyun were playing cat and mouse? What happened? I haven’t seen it yet.

└ Taehyun stole Siwoo’s note and bolted, so Siwoo started chasing him at full speed LOL.

└ ? Isn’t Seo Taehyun’s 100m time like 18 seconds?

└ Exactly LOL.

└ He caught him in less than 3 seconds LOL.

– And did you see how the hyungs felt bad when the younger ones weren’t getting chosen, so they subtly changed the matching results? They’re a bit crazy, but they’re such caring hyungs…

└ The problem is that their craziness is causing extreme distress to the younger ones…

The 30-minute variety show headed toward its chaotic conclusion.

The members gave their all in finding their partners, whether for the gold rings or to avoid the solo trip to Jeju. Although the Jeju trip was only decided at the final matching, none of them could relax.

The matched pairs had 10 minutes to talk and decide whether to stay together or switch partners for the next round.

The solo member also got a chance to talk with one of the paired-up members for 5 minutes, turning this chaotic partner matching into an intense political battle.

The production team packed in all the scenes teased in the trailer, showcasing the effort they put into the tight and fast-paced editing.

—

– But there’s not much time left. Is it going to end like this?

– There might be a second episode… There are too many loose ends.

– Are they really just going to end it with partner matching???

—

As the timeline’s progress bar passed the two-thirds mark, the members were so deeply engrossed in their skits and partner-switching shenanigans that the whole scene looked like a nature documentary on animal behavior. The brief moments where pairs played games or missions to win snacks for their chat time were quickly skipped over, as they weren’t deemed crucial to the flow.

Despite this, the episode was so packed with content that most Destis were eagerly waiting for the final scene, feeling satisfied with the entertaining chaos.

—

The camera captured Hajin, who had been left solo in the previous round due to Doha’s betrayal, now sitting in the solo tent, deep in thought.

Now fully engrossed in the partner matching, Hajin chose Siwoo as his next chat partner, forgetting about the nickname gimmick entirely. His expression was more intense, showing the calculating look he often had when thinking things through.

A few moments later, Siwoo, who had been paired with Eunchan, entered Hajin’s tent.

From the start of the variety show, Hajin and Siwoo’s interactions had been edited to seem like they were cautiously circling each other without ever fully committing. The production team set the tone as if this conversation was an extension of that subtle tension.

The atmosphere took a sharp turn as Hajin leaned forward and began to speak, shifting from the chaotic partner matching to a more serious tone.

ajin: …Come on, hyung.>

The previously light-hearted background music quickly changed to a tense thriller soundtrack. The close-up shots of Hajin and Siwoo’s expressions made it feel like a drama.

The scene suddenly rewound, taking the audience back to the very beginning.

To the moment when the memory-lost members first woke up and heard the initial instructions.

—

– You’ve crash-landed in an unknown parallel world….

– Dear protagonists.

– Dear protagonists.

– Dear protagonists.

(…….)

—

Indeed, the term “main character” had never been explicitly mentioned in the initial broadcast. The camera then returned to Siwoo, who, after a moment of contemplation, glanced up at Hajin. Hajin caught his gaze and raised an eyebrow.

Hajin smirked, pulling something out of his pocket and placing it on the table. Initially showing only the back of the card, he then flipped it over to reveal its contents to Siwoo.

—

<‘Kang Hajin’s’ role is ‘the male lead’s first love.’>

—

The camera zoomed in on the card’s text.

As Hajin and Siwoo’s gazes met, the background music reached its climax.

The confident tone in Hajin’s voice as he questioned Siwoo about being the main character led directly into the closing credits of *Today’s Kairos Season 2, Episode 1*.

—

– ???

– What?

– What was that?

– What… was that…?

—

As the comment section descended into confusion, the title card for the episode finally appeared on screen, reminding everyone of what they had just watched.

The perfect ending to leave the timeline on the edge of its seat.