Chapter 6 : School is a fucking spectacle #1 - No Kidding, I’m an Extra

I thought I was flying, damn it! Why is that voice so loud, huh?! "What?! Am I actually flying?!" ―Screeee!! My body really was airborne! ―Crash! "Aaaaahhhhh!" The moment my back collided with the window, the breath was knocked out of me! Damn it! It hurts so much I could die! Is this some kind of car accident?! "Ow, damn!" "What on earth is all this commotion, Kim Geun Cheol!!! Can't you stand up properly?!" The chairwoman, who had stood up at some point, reprimanded me with eyes blazing like fire. Why were all the women around here so terrifying? The instructor and even the chairwoman—they were so scary I felt like I might die. "Oh no! Chairwoman! This isn't—!" So I began to tremble, desperately pleading. "What kind of excuses are you making, Kim Geun Cheol!!! Stand up immediately!!!" "I want to stand up, but—aaahhh!" ―Whooosh! Caught in a relentless wind, I couldn't stand up because of the pressure! Help me stand up! Please! "Please stop the wind! I can't get up!!!" "Hmm? Ah. Perhaps I was too harsh. Now, get up." "Yes... I've gotten up." ―Phew. Finally standing. What an eventful person. Is the window okay? Seems fine. Is that why it's bulletproof? "Sit down. Kim Geun Cheol." "Yes..." Naturally, I entered the chairwoman's office and sat down. It's truly nerve-wracking. If I get beaten here, I won't be able to tell anyone. "Why have you come to see this chairwoman?" "It's..." "Speak up clearly!!!" "Yes! I've come to apologize!!! I'm sorry!!!" ―Whoosh! I stood up abruptly and bowed at a 90-degree angle, apologizing very politely, with both hands clasped together. "I'm sorry for swearing in front of everyone on the entrance ceremony day! I was so nervous that I was startled and shouted reflexively!" Even as I spoke, I felt self-conscious. Can I straighten up now? Trying to sneak a glance forward with squinted eyes— "Oh, is that what it was?" A noticeably softer voice reached me. "Well, you did well to come. If Kim Geun Cheol hadn't come to apologize, the chairwoman might have held a grudge! Hahahaha!" "Haha... Of course, I should apologize. I behaved poorly." "You're well aware!" ―Bang! Huh? ―Bang bang! "Uh, uh huh?! Oh...!" At that moment, I couldn't understand what was happening to me. Barely grasping the situation, I realized— "Very praiseworthy! Kim Geun Cheol! Yes! You've apologied, so it's fine! Boys can do that sometimes! The chairwoman has forgiven you completely!" Unnoticed, the chairwoman had moved next to me and was now giving my back a good pounding, no, a real thumping. ―Bang bang! "Oof!" "What? Oh no! Kim Geun Cheol! Are you alright?!" Ugh! "Pull yourself together!!!" * * * "Ugh." It was truly a dramatic day. I was shocked at being sucked into a game world after fainting while playing a game, and from the entrance ceremony to the end of the school day, nothing went as it should. ―Thump thump! I'm mortified beyond belief! "Aaaahhhhh!" No matter how much I kick the blanket, this burning feeling doesn't go away! One humiliating experience after another...! I can't get my head straight! How am I going to survive from now on? "My back hurts like hell, damn it...!" When the chairwoman shook me after I hit the ground like a basketball, I thought she was trying to tenderize my meat or something. Even though she muttered something like wondering why the basketball didn't bounce back, nothing she said registered properly. It hurt too much. The important thing is that I was carried back to the dormitory on the chairwoman's back. "..." I can't forget the stares of the other students who saw me being carried by the chairwoman...! "S-stat sheet!" Kicking the blanket while ruminating on my shame, I opened the status window to try and shift the paradigm. ――――――――――――――――― [Status Window - Kim Geun Cheol] [Rank: F] 「 Strength: 13 」 「 Agility: 12 」 「 Stamina: 12 」 「 Endurance: 10 」 「 Magic: 10 」 ――――――――――――――――― Of course, there's no change. "Give me a quest, damn it!" I don't even fully understand my current situation, and without timely quest prompts, I'm left confused. "Quest, appear!" Yet, no quest window appeared. "Sigh." Is there any choice? Lying on the dorm bed, I took deep breaths to calm my mind. What am I supposed to do now? It seems like I'll really have to live an academy life that I didn't choose, but how am I going to endure it? There's no guideline, is there? "Will I be able to get along here?" From what I know, this game focuses mainly on academy life, but its essence lies in combat. It's a world where you battle fiercely against monsters, villains, and the like. If I'm to live here... I have no choice but to fight. But can I really wield a sword against such creatures? I'm not going through military service again; that's not an option. No, scratch that. Losing my mind has me thinking absurd thoughts. "Alright." I've endured the hellish cold of that forsaken land during extreme military service. There's no way I can't survive in a den of rookies like this. I believe in myself. With stats to improve, I might get stronger through training. Given that I'm inside a game, there's no other choice but to comply with what it demands. That would likely be the best way to eventually get home. "Phew." I got up, took off my clothes, and headed straight for the shower. "What the...?" Bruises on my body! The places where the chairwoman smacked me had turned black and blue! How could she beat a kid like this?! Fueled by anger, I screamed while washing off, then sat at my computer. Firstly, I need to gather information. "Hmm... monsters? Yeah, let's learn about them." Searching led me to a video site similar to YouTube. Upon searching "monsters," countless videos popped up. I clicked on one. "Oh." I was genuinely impressed. -ROARRRRRRR! -Turn right! I'll handle the front! Superhumans were confronting a gigantic monster in the video. It resembled no creature on Earth—more like what you’d see in a movie. "That's real, huh?" A superhuman, deftly dodging the monster's attacks with a sword in hand and drawing its attention, was accompanied by magical projectiles from the back destroying the creature's eyes. ―Zap! Simultaneously, a superhuman leaped onto the monster to slash its throat... Such breathtaking intensity. It was awe-inspiring. "Will I do this after graduation?" Receiving specialized training to fight such beasts. "This is serious manual labor." What's the daily wage? "Oh." Pretty strong, huh? Well, if superhumans risk their lives, the pay wouldn't be cheap. Regardless, the video was entertaining. It felt like watching a well-made sci-fi action film, even though it was a regular monster hunting video. ―Click. I continued to browse the video site. "This world is quite convenient." For someone lacking essential knowledge about this world, each video here is like a study guide in and of itself. In any case, I have to partake in academy life. Grumbling, sulking won't get me anywhere. I've got to do what needs to be done. I need to blend into this world to find other paths. "Ah, damn, I'm starving." Can I order delivery? Seems like I can. Feeling drained. Time to eat and sleep. * * * Understandably, students' right to sleep should be protected. Forcing kids to wake up early is akin to abuse. I vividly remember resisting that abuse by sleeping through morning classes all through school. Those were truly happy times. "Why do we have to be at school by 8?" Give me a break. Perhaps I was still tired from yesterday. Forcing my eyes open, I barely managed to get up. After preparing, I opened the classroom door and headed to my seat. "What's this?" Someone was already dozing off. In my seat behind me. Specifically, he was sleeping comfortably with his legs on the desk, hands supporting his head, complete with a sleep mask and earphones. It was such a perfect sleeping posture that I couldn't help but marvel. The problem was that his foot was resting on my chair. Damn it. And what's with this kid's sky-blue hair... Anyway, I lifted his eye mask and addressed him. "Hey, move your foot." The guy's quite handsome, isn't he? "...?" He frowned slightly, gesturing for me to leave. What's this? I told you to move your foot, damn it. "Hey. Move your foot, will you? It's touching my chair." ―Tap tap. I nudged his leg, and he finally moved it slightly. Contrary to his appearance, he was reasonable. Yeah, resolving things verbally is best. "Good." Settling back into my seat, suddenly, ―Bang! "A shock to the back!!!" The bastard kicked my back!!! "You damn jerk! You little punk, are you trying to get—" "Piss off." "What did you say?" Looking back, he was glaring at me with those words. "Piss off." His voice was so cold it even exuded a murderous intent. What the hell? Is this guy picking a fight on the first day? Out of habit, I checked his name tag. Ryu Cheon Hwi. Ryu Cheon Hwi? If that's his name... he's the top student. And wasn't he supposed to be the protagonist's rival position? Ah! It's him! "Piss off." Like a broken record, or a faulty radio, he kept repeating the words. I'm not taking this lying down, not on the first day from someone like him. Just then, ―Ding. ――――――――――――――――― 「Quest Triggered」 「Subdue the Hostile Student」 「Reward: 2,000 Coins」 ――――――――――――――――― 2,000 coins?! I can't pass this up! Especially when I'm pissed off first thing in the morning by this kind of provocation? He does look strong, but as a protagonist's rival, he's bound to be formidable! Yet avoiding this fight and reward isn't an option. I don't know what coins are used for, but accumulating them can't hurt. Besides, a fight among students? Whether they're superpowered or not, there's always a way to win. ―Thunk! I sprang up instantly. With such force, my chair toppled over. Despite that, he just continued staring at me with a bored expression. Legs still propped on the desk. "Take out the earphones." ―Tap tap. As I knocked on his ear, he removed the earphones and asked. "Who do you think you are?" "Your dad." "What?" His eyes filled with disbelief for a moment. "I'm your dad. Hey, look at this." ―Swish. I plucked a hair and waved it in his direction. "I pulled this from your dad's balls. Pretty long, huh? Swish, swish." "What nonsense is this...?" "Take it." ―Whoosh! I blew the hair towards him like an old sage, and it hit his incredulous face. "You can't be serious, mocking me? If you're going to disappear, go tell that to your dad! On the first day, are you pulling this crap, you little punk? Did your dad die? Is your dad dead, huh?" At that taunt— "You dare?" ―Creak. He finally stood up, speaking in a menacing tone. ―Swish. He drew the sword he had at his side. Uh. Uh? "You drew a sword?" "Dare? Someone like you?" "Hey. Hold on a minute." ―Click. As he took a step forward, leaking murderous intent— "S-somebody! Help! Damn it! Somebody save meeeeeeeee!" This, this bastard really drew a sword at school!!!! "A superhuman murderer!!!" I screamed, sprinting out of the classroom to escape.