Regression Guidelines For the Supporting Character

Kwon Taehyuk, who had arrived early at the stadium, was checking his equipment in the waiting room.
“Um, Guildmaster Kwon?”
A staff member entered the room looking concerned.

“There’s one hour and ten minutes left until the match begins, but your opponent hasn’t arrived yet…”
At those words, Kwon Taehyuk turned his eyes to the wall clock.
It was already past 7:20, approaching 7:25. If things had gone according to schedule, Cover should have been here by now.

Though Cha Seohu had already warned him he might be late, Kwon couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. Suppressing a sigh, he turned to the staffer.
“Just continue waiting. If the opposing Hunter makes contact, let me know immediately.”
“Understood.”

The staffer left with a troubled expression, but knowing there wasn’t much else to be done, he didn’t push further.
As soon as the staff’s presence faded, Kwon pulled out his phone. As expected, there were still no new messages.
‘If Cover can’t make it, Cha Seohu should’ve sent some word.’

He didn’t trust Cover—he was too unpredictable. But Cha Seohu was different.
He had promised in a message yesterday that he would contact him if anything changed. And Seohu wasn’t the kind of person to break a promise for no reason.
Kwon thought he’d wait a little longer. If it still felt off, he’d try calling Seohu directly.

Just then—
“Kwon Taehyuk-ssi.”
The door to the waiting room opened again. A visitor entered, someone Kwon recognized immediately.

“Apologies for dropping in like this. I ran into a Yesung Guild member on my way to the audience seats, and they brought me here…”
Ryu Sunghyun stepped in with an awkward smile. Kwon Taehyuk gave him a brief shake of the head.
“It’s alright.”
“Well, since I’m here, I was hoping we could talk for a bit.”

“Sure. But the match is about to start, so we can’t take too long.”
“I understand.”
With that, silence settled between them.

Ryu Sunghyun stood by the door, while Kwon Taehyuk calmly buttoned the cuffs of his shirt. The air between them was tense.
Though they’d encountered each other more frequently thanks to Cha Seohu and Cover, the two weren’t close.
Kwon Taehyuk was the Guildmaster of Yesung, Korea’s number one guild. Ryu Sunghyun was the Vice-Guildmaster of a small guild. Even if they were both S-rank, there hadn’t been much reason for them to cross paths.

Even setting that aside, their personalities didn’t match.
Kwon Taehyuk was the type to step in and help those weaker than him. Ryu Sunghyun only cared about those within the lines he personally drew.
Kwon was too rigid, someone who didn’t know how to be flexible. Sunghyun smiled kindly but was cynically cold underneath.

If not for recent events, they would’ve remained distant figures to one another, barely acknowledging each other’s existence.
The first to break the silence was Ryu Sunghyun.
“I heard on the way here that Hunter Chae Juwon is also waiting. Is he participating in the match too?”

“He reached out when he heard about the ranking match. Suggested that we host a third-place match once second place is decided. I agreed—it’s a decent idea for the audience.”
Chae Juwon was the current third-ranked Hunter.
Regarded as the strongest A-rank, he was known for his dense aura and refined combat instincts. He’d held that third-place spot for a while now.

If Ryu Sunghyun were to join the rankings, that third spot would surely change hands—but he didn’t seem particularly interested in interfering.
“…And what about Cover? Has he arrived?”
“The staff who came just now said he still hasn’t, so I assume that hasn’t changed.”

Kwon, still focused on his sleeves, finally turned to look at Ryu Sunghyun.
Had he come just to ask that? To check whether Cover had shown up?
‘They seemed close.’

Regardless of whether it was Seohu’s idea or not, Cover had stepped in to help the Circle Guild during a desperate moment. That’s why Sunghyun had taken care of him too.
Cover had been missing for ages, and now suddenly showed up for the ranking match. It made sense that Ryu would come looking for him.
“Cha Seohu contacted me yesterday. He said he might be late, but he’ll definitely participate. I’m trusting him more than Cover.”

Ryu blinked quietly.
His expression remained the same—gentle, smiling—but something behind that smile had changed.
“…If he contacted you yesterday, then I guess Cha Seohu must’ve activated the phone I gave him.”

His soft voice rippled through the waiting room. Beneath his chocolate-colored hair, his eyes stared directly at Kwon.
“I tried calling him yesterday, but the number was disconnected. He must have changed it.”
The more Ryu spoke, the more Kwon’s brow furrowed.

Suspicion clearly rose in Kwon’s expression, but Ryu continued unfazed.
“His new number…”
“……”

“Could you tell me what it is?”
That was the moment Kwon’s bad feeling was confirmed.
Among everything Ryu Sunghyun had ever said to him, this was the most polite request—and the most irritating one.

Kwon’s lips curled into a cold, tense smile.
“I don’t feel comfortable giving out Cha Seohu’s number without his consent.”
It was a clear warning to back off. But Ryu didn’t flinch.

“It’s fine. If it’s just me, I doubt Cha Seohu would mind.”
Kwon narrowed his eyes.
If it’s just you, he wouldn’t care?

Who the hell do you think you are?
It hit him then—Ryu Sunghyun hadn’t come here for Cover.
He came for Cha Seohu.

He wanted Seohu’s number.
So he could call him. Check in. Ask what hotel he was staying at.
He came to this waiting room specifically to see if Kwon had the number. To ask for it.

Unbelievable. He felt like he didn’t recognize the man standing in front of him.
Was this the kind of person he was? Someone who could smile so sweetly while scheming for his own ends?
“……”

“……”
Neither man backed down—Kwon, unwilling to speak, and Ryu, unwilling to leave.
The razor-sharp tension between ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) two S-ranks silently filled the waiting room.

And all of this happened at the exact moment Cha Seohu was being kidnapped by Eun Woojeong.
***
Splash.
The sound of water crashing down was followed by a freezing sensation pouring over my head.

Still half-asleep, I dreamed for a moment that I was sinking underwater. The cold, dark sea swallowing me whole.
But the dream didn’t last long. My senses snapped back to full clarity almost immediately, the discomfort forcing me awake.
“Urgh…”

A groan escaped from somewhere—turns out it was from my own mouth.
Something wet trickled down my cheek.
I raised my hand to wipe it away, but something had both my arms tightly restrained.

The suffocating pressure made me open my eyes. I blinked twice, shaking droplets from my lashes, and looked down at myself.
Chains—bright silver—were wrapped tightly around my upper body.
My legs were unbound, thankfully. But I knew too well that these chains could be summoned with a flick of his fingers. That wasn’t reassuring.

“You’re awake?”
A voice I already hated rang out from above.
I leaned against the wall and looked up to see Eun Woojeong sitting in a chair, holding something in his hand.

“Pretty potent stuff, that powder. But you woke up quick. Strong willpower?”
I recognized what he was holding: the cap I’d been wearing.
Even without checking a mirror, I could tell my mask was gone too.

‘Fuck…’
I cursed inwardly.
This was bad. Really bad. If anyone else had done this, I’d just kill them without hesitation.

But Eun Woojeong… he wasn’t someone I could touch. If I killed a “main character” chosen by the system, who knew what would happen?
‘What are the chances he sees my face and figures it out?’
I stared at him, staying calm and collecting my thoughts.

He already knew that Cover and Cha Seohu were connected. That didn’t matter anymore.
What did matter was keeping him from realizing they were the same person.
Even if he saw my face, it was unlikely he’d guess it. No one would believe a B-rank Support could turn into an S-rank DPS.

Eun Woojeong waved the cap dramatically and met my gaze.
Then, as if disappointed, he muttered,
“…Not much of a reaction. Honestly, I expected more. Maybe not tears and screaming, but at least a little shock.”

“Kinda weird to kidnap someone and not remove their disguise, don’t you think?”
“You’re no fun. If you’d reacted the way I liked, maybe I would’ve let you go.”
Bullshit.

His head tilted, still hiding behind that damn mask.
“You’ll laugh, but… seeing your face actually surprised me.”
“Why.”

“Cha Seohu. You look just like him.”
My hands, bound behind my back, twitched slightly.
I kept my gaze level, hiding any tension, as Eun Woojeong casually shrugged and continued.

“I understand now why you tried so hard to hide your connection to him.”
“What?”
“I mean, this is… y’know…”

“What?”
This conversation was going off the rails. I had no idea where he was going with this.
As I frowned in confusion, he sighed like he was being playful and said—

“You two are related, right? Like… family?”
“……”
My mind went blank.

What the fuck did I just hear?
“…The fuck did you just say?”