Chapter 25: REGRESSOR
I USED to ride cars like this when I was married to Yun Yuhyun.
An Baekya didn’t want to think about his future— no, former husband— but he couldn’t help it.
After all, the man sitting in the backseat next to him looked exactly like his husband.
No, Yun Yuhyun won’t be my husband this time, An Baekya reminded himself. We’ll end up killing each other if we get married again.
"Let’s go to the hospital first, An Baekya."
Oh.
To be honest, An Baekya was a little touched that Yun Dujun didn’t bat an eye when the backseat became dirty because of him.
I also stink, but Yun Dujun-nim doesn’t appear disgusted.
Well, to be fair, the Alpha had always been emotionless if there were no cameras around.
Plus, he didn’t care about me or Yun Yuhyun back then.
"Do you have something you want to say?"
Oh, I got caught staring.
Fortunately, An Baekya had something to say anyway.
It’s time to be in my actor mode again.
"Sir, a handsome hyung-nim tried to save me earlier, but my uncle hurt him," An Baekya said, his voice cracking. "Do you think someone brought him to the hospital? I want to see him and thank him for trying to help me..."
"Don’t worry— I’ll let you meet that person soon," Yun Dujun promised. "Let’s worry about you first."
Heh.
An Baekya smiled and nodded shyly, but he was smirking like an old man inside.
Operation: Be a Cupid to my fathers-in-law begins now.
***
WHEW.
It was a long day.
First of all, it wasn’t Yun Dujun who personally accompanied An Baekya to the hospital.
My former Alpha father-in-law went to check on my former Omega father-in-law.
Han Myung, Yun Dujun’s personal bodyguard, accompanied An Baekya instead.
Of course, the two of them had already prepared a story in advance.
"This uncle is looking for someone in the neighborhood when he heard my cries..."
An Baekya was a good actor, so the doctors who saw the bruises and cuts on his body— which were obvious signs of abuse— immediately called the police, then social workers who were in charge of violence against children.
The officials took pictures of his injuries, and then they interviewed him.
Of course, he ’innocently’ told the authorities that it was ’normal’ for his uncle to beat him because he was a ’bad boy’ for asking for food when they didn’t have money.
The devastated look on the adults’ faces made him realize one thing.
I’m so gonna be transferred to a foster home.
An Baekya’s main goal was to get out of his shitty home and avoid getting sold to his rich relatives.
And that was why he sprinkled a bit of exaggeration in his statement.
"My uncle beat me up earlier because I didn’t want to go with the ahjumma that he wanted me to go with. He said I’m already a ’sold product.’ I don’t know what it means, but my uncle said I can’t escape. That’s why he tied me to the doghouse with a leash."
That was when An Baekya gained the key to his freedom.
Freedom from my bastard relatives.
***
THE NEXT thing An Baekya knew, he was already wearing clean hospital pajamas.
Earlier, some nurses gave him a bath after cleaning his wounds.
No, this is not the protocol. I saw Han Myung-ssi talking to some people earlier. Maybe I’m being given special treatment?
Anyway, after that, Han Myung escorted him to a private room.
"Please wait for Yun Dujun-nim here," Han Myung said in a gentle voice. "My boss has just something important to take care of first. If you need anything, I’m just outside."
After that, the ahjussi had already left the room.
What’s going on?
An Baekya soon found out what was going on when he found out who the owner of the room was.
Oh.
It’s my Omega father-in-law.
An Baekya sat on the chair next to the bed and watched the sleeping Bae Wonyoung.
My Omega father-in-law looks exactly like he did in the photos.
It was just weird because he couldn’t help but see Bae Wonyoung as a ’child.’
I mean, I was already in my thirties when the ’novel’ ended. But if my calculation is correct, then my Omega father-in-law is only in his late twenties.
The adult An Baekya was probably older than the current Yun Dujun.
They’re just kids.
Of course, that was just an exaggeration.
But since this is already my ’second life,’ doesn’t that make me way older than my fathers-in-law?
An Baekya’s idle thoughts were interrupted when Bae Wonyoung opened his eyes.
He was caught off-guard, but he quickly switched to ’actor mode’ and acted like a scared, innocent child.
"Y-You’re awake, sir..."
Why is Bae Wonyoung-nim looking at me like that?
An Baekya got nervous because his Omega father-in-law was looking at him as if he were observing him.
Why is my acting not working...?
"An Baekya, you called me ’Father-in-law’ earlier."
Oh.
That’s why.
Even so, An Baekya continued acting innocent.
"I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir. D-Did I misspeak earlier? I don’t remember..."
"You’re An Baekya— a former child actor, and the main character in Chained to You."
Tsk.
An Baekya clicked his tongue internally when Bae Wonyoung dropped that ’bomb.’
His Omega father-in-law even clutched his chest tight as if he couldn’t breathe.
"My future son-in-law."
An Baekya still tried to play dumb at first.
But when he saw how serious Bae Wonyoung looked, he decided to drop the act already.
"Ah, fucking hell."
Bae Wonyoung looked shocked when he cursed.
I’m sorry, Father-in-law, but you just have to get used to my dirty mouth.
Moreover, Bae Wonyoung said something that he didn’t like.
"Father-in-law, please don’t jinx me," An Baekya said in a cold voice that definitely didn’t suit his baby face. "I’d probably end up killing Yun Yuhyun, that son of a bitch, if history repeats itself."
"Hey, I’m Yun Yuhyun’s mother."
An Baekya was confused as to why Bae Wonyoung was stating the obvious, and then he realized that he had called Yun Yuhyun a ’son of a bitch’ earlier.
Oh.
"I’m sorry, Father-in-law," An Baekya said, embarrassed. "I’ll die if I don’t curse..."
"Yeah, I can tell."
"Huh?"
"Are you a regressor?"
"Ohh. Father-in-law, you know some fancy terms, huh?"
"It’s a famous fantasy trope from my world," Bae Wonyoung said. "A regressor is a character who goes back in time to a younger version of themselves, and is granted a second chance to change their lives while carrying knowledge and memories from their ’future.’"
His Omega father-in-law was spot-on with his explanation.
But that wasn’t what caught An Baekya’s attention.
And caused him confusion, at that.
"From your ’world,’ Father-in-law?" An Baekya asked carefully. "What do you mean by that, sir? Obviously, Father-in-law had regressed, too. But why do you talk like you came from a different world?"
"I did come from a different world before I returned here," Bae Wonyoung confirmed. "I came from a world without Omegas and Alphas."
What the fuck?
That’s different from what the ’book’ has told me...
***
Please ADD <I’LL RAISE MY FUTURE OMEGA SON-IN-LAW> to your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :>