Regression Guidelines For the Supporting Character-Chapter 309

At least the matter with the ads moved quickly.

I didn’t really do anything—once I filled out the paperwork Park Minhyuk told me to submit, a reply from the state arrived at the Association not long after.

“They say they’ll take down all the ads today.”

Having stepped out for a moment, Park Minhyuk returned to the conference room and delivered the result.

“What will you do now?”

“Well, for now we’ll head back to Yesung Guild.”

Of course, that was a lie. Better to say that to someone from the Association.

As I expected, Park Minhyuk exhaled with a slightly relieved look.

“Yesung. Understood. From now on, please pick up when we call.”

“Hey. My time is expensive.”

Propping my chin on my hand, I grinned.

I could feel that he wanted to keep me tethered to the Association, but was being careful in case poking me just made me run again.

Well, good outcome. If the Association tiptoes around me, that means fewer hassles.

'More importantly... how should I go to the District?'

Honestly, getting into the District itself would happen right away without issue.

But after that, I couldn’t guarantee anything. It was hard to predict how the Director or the brothers would react.

'Since I have Cha Sahyeon, even if they try to confine me, we can probably escape...'

But that would be about the same as losing the most useful refuge available to me right now.

'First, I need to feel out what the mood in the District is like.'

Like everywhere else, their tracking of me should’ve cut off at the moment I fell from the top of the hotel.

Even if the Director had someone tailing me, they wouldn’t be able to follow Cha Sahyeon’s shadow skill.

'Wait—who was assigned as my watcher? It’s been quite a while since I left the District, and I’ve never run into them even once.'

...Well, of course I wouldn’t. They’re a watcher; they wouldn’t meet me.

If it were Kwon Seoyul or Hyun Dowoon on watcher duty, they would’ve interfered ages ago. Same for Kang Haeil.

'Ugh, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.'

A chill crawled over my skin.

I raked a hand through my hair and thought:

'First, let’s get out of the Association... then head back to Yesung Guild.'

If I obediently went into Yesung Guild, the Association would probably ease off their suspicion a little.

After that, I’d contact Hyun Dowoon by phone. Before I turned my phone off earlier, I’d seen missed calls and texts from him.

Even if he used his skill, he wouldn’t be able to pin down my location, so he’d have left messages. Since I showed up in Seoul, the Association found me, so he likely didn’t need to use the skill.

Which meant there was a good chance he was tracking my location in real time now and waiting for my call.

'I’ll reach out to Hyun Dowoon, check the internal mood in the District, and if it’s not bad, we’ll use Cha Sahyeon’s skill and slip in at night.'

Good. A rough plan set.

I stood up without hesitation.

“We’ll be going. You don’t have anything else, right? Even if you do, call me later—I’m leaving now.”

“You don’t even answer your phone... ha, fine. Go for today. We’ll need time to process that information of yours anyway.”

Looking exhausted, Park Minhyuk flapped a hand at us. A shooing gesture to get lost.

The fact that he let us go so easily almost made me want to stay and needle him, but now wasn’t the time. I took Kwon Taehyuk and Cha Sahyeon and got back into the car parked in the Association lot.

“We’ll return to the guild.”

Without me needing to explain, Kwon Taehyuk—who had more or less grasped my plan—spoke evenly. Meanwhile, I turned my phone back on.

The moment it powered up, a flood of notifications crashed in like waves.

I was scrolling to find the messages from Hyun Dowoon when—

Bang!

With an ear-splitting blast, the car jolted violently. From the driver’s seat, Kwon Taehyuk slammed the brakes, and beside me, even in a child’s body, Cha Sahyeon grabbed me hard as I lurched.

Screams erupted from all around. Coughing once, Kwon Taehyuk checked me first.

“Are you all right?”

I gave a short nod and looked out the window.

We had just cleared the Association’s front gate; the front bumper was crumpled like paper. Through the gray smoke rising from the car, I saw a tall man.

A face emerged through the wavering exhaust. My throat worked as I swallowed.

A massive frame and build. A blank face. A long knife scar slashing over the right eye. Heterochromatic eyes staring at me.

'Mook Jeongho.'

Ignoring Kwon Taehyuk as he climbed out of the driver’s seat, he stared only at me and spoke.

“Cha Seohu, the Director is waiting.”

He wrecked someone else’s car, and that’s his first line? The worst.

Clicking my tongue, I scooped up Cha Sahyeon and hurriedly got out. Sitting there would be asking to get blown up.

“Stand back.”

Blocking me with his body, Kwon Taehyuk glared coldly at Mook Jeongho. Two blades materialized and spun in lazy orbits nearby.

I couldn’t tell if he was protecting me or just pissed his car got wrecked.

'More importantly, this spot is terrible.'

There was a reason he’d only summoned two weapons.

For a mess like this to break out at the Association’s front gate—by now the news would have reached Park Minhyuk. He’d be sprinting over, clutching his neck.

We had to settle this before the Association stepped in and made it more complicated. I caught Kwon Taehyuk’s arm, asking him to hold for a moment, and asked Mook Jeongho:

“Are you the one assigned as my watcher?”

He answered not with a reply but a notice.

“Five minutes to comply. Failure to obey will result in forcible escort.”

“How generous—five whole minutes. I’m moved to tears.”

Headache or not, in this situation it was best to go first and check the mood later.

'At least he came alone. Let’s clear out before this gets worse.'

I absolutely did not want to see a repeat of last time, with the District brothers swarming the Association and causing a scene. Just thinking back on it gave me goosebumps.

Swallowing a sigh, I nodded.

“I’ll go.”

“Hunter Cha Seohu.”

Biting his lip, Kwon Taehyuk looked back at me. His face asked if this was really the best option.

“It’s not the best, but we should avoid the worst...”

If he’d dropped from the sky and crumpled their front bumper before this, maybe. But now there was no other way.

Hearing my answer, Mook Jeongho spoke in a flat voice.

“Understood. Get on my side.”

...Huh?

It wasn’t the line I’d expected, and I blinked.

Given his usual way of speaking, it should’ve been something like We move now or Transfer to the prepared car immediately.

'Wait. Why is he putting on leather gloves?'

His gaze slid from me to Kwon Taehyuk. He pulled out leather gloves and tugged them on. A slow leak of killing intent—no, killing intent?

A bad premonition prickled.

Faster than me, Kwon Taehyuk sensed it and summoned two more blades.

“Hold on! Stop—ugh!”

I was shoved roughly backward before I could finish. The moment Kwon Taehyuk pushed me away and retreated, the ground split with an explosion and shards flew.

Moving nimbly for such a massive body, Mook Jeongho yanked out the fist that had shattered the pavement. With every clench and flex, tiny fragments pattered from his leather gloves.

After briefly eyeing the dodging Kwon Taehyuk, Mook Jeongho moved again.

At the same time, Cha Sahyeon wrapped my waist tight in shadow and whisked me a good distance away, and Kwon Taehyuk and Mook Jeongho fully collided.

Rumble!

The ground cracked and split as gray smoke billowed thick. Blades scythed through the haze and slammed down.

“A—a madman’s attacking!”

“Security team!”

Civilians and Association staff who’d been watching in a hush started screaming as Mook Jeongho truly went wild.

“What is going on?!”

Even I was thrown by the sudden, unexpected fight, staring blankly—when a familiar voice came from the Association building.

Sensing the deafening noise and the wild, clashing auras of two S-ranks, Park Minhyuk came sprinting, out of breath.

Barely fifteen minutes after we’d parted, we met again. Eyes wide, he looked back and forth between me and Cha Sahyeon standing a ways away, and Mook Jeongho and Kwon Taehyuk thrashing each other with enthusiasm.

Park Minhyuk clutched his head as if a migraine had flared. A vein popped on his forehead.

“Ha... fuck.”

“Gasp. Did you just swear?”

“What on earth is this chaos? How do things get to this state in under thirty minutes?”

“Why are you asking me...? The one causing the incident is Guildmaster Yesung.”

Sure, I’d pranked Park Minhyuk a few times and caused some trouble, but this time I was ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ innocent.

I really was trying to slip quietly into the District and do my job.

At my retort, Park Minhyuk looked like he was about to lose his mind, dragging up a deep, ragged sigh from his gut. Then he raised his aura.

Multiple massive tree trunks erupted from the ground beneath his feet like snakes and shot toward the battling Kwon Taehyuk and Mook Jeongho.

I didn’t even have time to admire the long-missed sight of Park Minhyuk’s skill.

'The Association’s front gate... the ground’s completely wrecked.'

What Mook Jeongho had already smashed to the brink, Park Minhyuk’s skill now finished off, flipping it entirely.

'Is this going to be okay?'

The moment that thought crossed my mind—

I saw the Association President, Choi Gyeonghui, running up with the security team.

She took in the three S-ranks brawling, me, and the ground turned into a true disaster—and her jaw dropped.