Grab the Regressor by the Collar and Debut!

Chapter 345. Admiration and Salvation (4)

To emphasize once more, none of this was part of Joo Eunchan’s plan.

‘I just… wanted to grab a fish cake on the way back.’

There’s a common misconception about him because of his mature appearance—people tend to forget that Joo Eunchan, despite how he looks, ranks high among Kairos’ most curious, trouble-prone members, with a personality much like a big, mischievous cat. Whenever Kairos’ fans, the *Destis*, talk about the group’s antics, there’s always a sentence they start with as if it’s written in stone:

—In the beginning… there was Seo Joo-dan.

Unlike Kang Hajin, who seems like he’s causing chaos but always has a plan to clean up afterward, Eunchan was different. He and Dan Haru—at least Haru before his rebellious phase—acted on impulse, driven by curiosity or competitiveness. More often than not, they’d realize too late that they’d caused a mess.

You’d think he would’ve learned by now, given how many similar situations he’s been in. But the problem was that his hyungs always cleaned up the mess for him, saying kids are supposed to make mistakes as they grow. (Kang Hajin blamed Lee Yugeon for Eunchan’s lack of self-discipline and shifted the responsibility of raising him to Yugeon.)

And because of that―

“I’m in trouble…”

Back to the present.

Joo Eunchan was lost.

Here’s a summary of how it happened:

—”I’m going to the bathroom. Don’t wander off and wait here so we can go back together.”

Step 1. After the fansign event, Eunchan and Haru were still in a weird place. Eunchan, annoyed by Haru’s curt tone, felt as if he was being treated like an annoying younger sibling.

—”I’m not a kid. I’ll go ahead on my own.”

Step 2. Out of spite, Eunchan declared that he’d head back alone, hoping Haru would show some concern and say something like, “I’m just worried about you.” But Haru, displeased, simply turned away with an indifferent “Do whatever you want.”

Step 3.

“Where am I?”

He was lost.

It was only now that Joo Eunchan began to realize that he had no sense of direction.

More accurately, in crowded places, too many things distracted him, making it difficult to find his way. While society might label this as being directionally challenged, that wasn’t what mattered right now!

“My phone… Ah, I left it behind.”

He had handed his phone to the managers, as they always did before a shoot. He considered asking for help from the sound director via his mic, but he remembered that he hadn’t even put it on before leaving.

He remembered what the opening location looked like, but Eunchan, not having much experience in amusement parks, had no idea how to get back.

‘What should I do?’

Should he ask someone for directions?

While contemplating this, the biggest problem was that Eunchan kept walking. Yes, he was still walking.

Despite having no idea where he was headed, he continued walking. The basic rule when lost is to stay put and wait for help, but Eunchan—unaware of the rule—kept moving.

This was the innocent attitude instilled in him by a life where someone always found him before he ever had to wait.

‘Haru… must be worried. Or maybe not?’

As Eunchan walked, he thought about Haru. He was curious about how Haru would react when he realized that Eunchan had disappeared despite confidently declaring that he could find his way back alone.

Would he be worried? Or would he just think Eunchan was pathetic?

By the time he was hoping Haru wouldn’t think poorly of him, someone grabbed Eunchan’s shoulder with a hurried breath.

“……!”

Eunchan was startled.

It wasn’t just a mild surprise—he felt a sharp, instinctual fear, as if his life were in danger. His heart raced, his vision blurred, and for a moment, he felt as though everything around him was hostile. The sensation of a stranger’s touch on his shoulder made him freeze, his breath catching in his throat.

However, this feeling was fleeting. Eunchan, not fully aware of what had just happened, dismissed it as simple surprise.

He didn’t have time to think deeply about it because—

“…What?”

“You! You said you could handle this on your own!”

The person who had grabbed him was Dan Haru, drenched in sweat, his voice shaky as if he was on the verge of tears. Even the usual “hyung” was gone from his speech. It was the same expression Taehyun and Yugeon used when scolding Hajin—an expression showing he was genuinely upset.

“You scared me!”

At Haru’s words, Eunchan was even more shocked. Haru hadn’t just been mildly concerned; he had genuinely believed something terrible had happened. Given recent events, it made sense for him to think that way….

For a moment, Eunchan understood why Haru was being so overprotective, yet he still didn’t fully get it. Instead of questioning it, Eunchan instinctively pulled Haru into a hug.

“I’m sorry. It’s my first time here, so I got lost…. It was hard to ask strangers for directions. You must’ve been really worried.”

Despite being the one who was lost and startled, Eunchan comforted Haru, who was trembling slightly in his arms. Though Haru wasn’t crying, it was clear he had been really shaken. Even as Eunchan patted him on the back, Haru’s trembling didn’t subside.

Thinking for a moment, Eunchan waved the yellow cat-shaped balloon in front of Haru’s face.

“Haru, look. I bought this because it reminded me of you. Isn’t it cute?”

“…….”

“Also, do you want some cotton candy? I ate a lot of it on the way, so there’s not much left, but….”

Eunchan tried his best to soothe his younger brother. Sensing an opportunity to reconcile, he instinctively felt that this could be the moment.

Even though they hadn’t really fought, Eunchan knew that Haru was emotionally upset, and that was what mattered.

“…Are you really an idiot? You got lost and yet here you are happily eating junk like this….”

Haru’s tone was harsh, but to Eunchan, it didn’t feel as cold as it had before. Though Haru’s words and behavior had changed drastically after his hospital stay, Eunchan, having gone through his own adolescence, could understand it somewhat.

What mattered most to him was that Haru was no longer avoiding him.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll go with you.”

“So, if I’m not with you, you’ll get lost again? Learn to find your way on your own.”

“Got it. I’ll work on that.”

Eunchan smiled brightly. He noticed that a few people around them had started to recognize them. When Eunchan was walking around alone in his uniform, they weren’t sure, but now that Haru was with him in a matching uniform, it became clear.

Though Eunchan could handle himself in a crowd, he didn’t want to be swarmed by fans. He handed his camera to Haru and grabbed his brother’s hand.

Just like how his hyungs had held his hand when he hadn’t fully calmed down after being scared.

“Should we run? Do you know the way?”

Haru, holding his hand awkwardly, nodded. Receiving a positive response for the first time in a while, Eunchan beamed with boyish excitement.

“Then let’s run!”

Not knowing where he was going, Eunchan began to sprint.

The shadow of someone matching his pace just behind him was a welcome comfort.

—

The moment they returned, the two of them got scolded, hard.

“It’s barely been any time since the last incident! Do you two want us to assign you guards who’ll follow you to the bathroom and everywhere else? Is that what you want?”

“We’re sorry….”

Kwon Wook reprimanded them sternly. Normally, he never raised his voice and acted like a caring elder brother, but today he was different.

However, Eunchan didn’t feel upset. Kwon Wook had taken them aside to scold them in private, away from the other staff, showing that he still cared about them. Eunchan understood that Wook was only angry because he was worried about them.

“Go apologize to the crew yourselves. Your hyungs already handled things while you were gone, so make sure you thank them, too.”

“Yes.”

“Haru, you too. I know you’re worried about him, but leave that to us. What if something had happened to both of you? What then?”

“…….”

Kwon Wook didn’t let Haru off the hook either. The rebellious Haru just nodded, but the look on his face screamed, ‘How can I trust you guys?’

It was frustrating for Wook, but considering recent events, he couldn’t deny it. He just sighed and waved them off.

“Be careful during the shoot. Eunchan, even though you took the cast off, your hand still hasn’t fully healed, so watch yourself. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Go on, then. The PDs are waiting.”

With a nod, Eunchan led Haru back to the set. They bowed and apologized to the directors and staff for causing trouble. Most of them had worked with Kairos since the *

Miro Maze* days, so they seemed to take it as a lighthearted incident.

So much so that Eunchan’s personal PD came running up to him, asking:

“Eunchan! The GoPro!”

“Huh?”

“Did you have it on? Were you recording? Please tell me you were recording…!”

The passion to turn everything into usable footage was burning in her eyes.

—These people are the kind who’d even record a scene of stopping the shoot because it’s too difficult. They’re completely obsessed with getting footage.

It reminded Eunchan of something Hajin-hyung had said once about the mindset of “those broadcasting people.” Eunchan told the PD that he had, in fact, been recording, and she clapped her hands together in a mock prayer, as if she’d just won the lottery.

“Oh, Eunchan’s here?”

“Eunchan and Haru are back. Looks like we can get started again.”

“Good thing Haru found Eunchan. That could’ve been worse.”

After apologizing to the staff, Eunchan and Haru made their way to the bench where the other members were waiting. Siwoo, Doha, Yugeon, and Taehyun welcomed them with smiles. Eunchan bowed his head sheepishly.

“Sorry for worrying you. I didn’t even realize how far I’d wandered off…”

“Eh, it’s fine. It happens.”

“We’re used to it by now.”

“Just attach a GPS tracker to Eunchan’s hand or back.”

Surprisingly, the hyungs were more understanding than Eunchan had expected. Given everything that had happened recently, they were treating him with more care than usual. They didn’t even offer any warnings or advice about being careful next time.

“We divided into teams and mapped out the route while you were gone. We’ll start shooting again in about ten minutes, so from then on, we’ll gather invitations in our teams. You and Haru are with Hajin-hyung.”

“Got it. Uh… where’s Hajin-hyung?”

“There he is.”

Eunchan turned in the direction Siwoo pointed and saw Kang Hajin, tidying himself up as he approached. The moment Hajin laid eyes on the two of them, his face twisted into something strange as he wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders.

“Haha, my little troublemakers. Enjoy getting lost?”

“Why are we troublemakers?”

“You keep making me chase after you, that’s why.”

“Hyung, you’re talking weird.”

“Haha, I’m sorry if I sound strange.”

Eunchan apologized again, telling Hajin that they had already apologized to the other directors. This time, Hajin just laughed, saying everything was fine.

But even Eunchan, who usually wasn’t great at picking up on subtleties, started to notice something was off.

“Hyung, why do you keep saying it’s fine? You’re making me nervous…”

“Huh? No, really, it’s fine. Getting lost isn’t a big deal.”

As Hajin said that, he placed the pamphlet he’d been holding on the table. It was the Dreamland map Siwoo had marked with stars earlier. Eunchan’s eyes naturally drifted toward the map.

The cute, round handwriting—presumably Taehyun’s—led Eunchan’s gaze to the section of the map that showed their assigned rides and the rewards.

“…?”

At first, Eunchan didn’t think much of it, but as he followed the black-marked route, his expression grew more confused. The rides they had to tackle had stars marked next to them—each of them with a score of 15 out of 10. And it wasn’t just one or two. It was several of them.

“Hyung, what do these stars mean…?”

“Haha, what’s the big deal about getting lost? I’m really fine.”

“Hyung…?”

“Even though you and Haru disappeared and now our team has to complete all the hardest missions in the park! I’m really okay! Hahaha! I’m totally fine, I swear!”

“…….”

Sorry… really, I’m sorry….

And so, with a wave of guilt hanging in the air, Kairos’ Dreamland adventure officially began.