Chapter 17 : School is a fucking spectacle #12 - No Kidding, I’m an Extra

Nevertheless, the end of the school day inevitably arrives. It's the most enjoyable time of the day. “Oh man, hey. School's finally over. Trying to shove all that useless knowledge into my head felt like I was going to die.” He spoke this way to Si Hoo, who was walking beside him, while gazing at the sunset. “Hahaha, still, we should study hard in this area too. Even as heroes, if we don’t study, we might be regarded as fools later on, you know?” “That’s true. It’d be pretty embarrassing to call yourself a hero but not be able to handle high school-level studies.” In essence, Ares Academy is like a high school. If they don’t receive high school-level education here, Korean heroes would practically have an educational background equivalent to that of a middle school dropout. That’s intolerable. Would Koreans acknowledge such a thing? “But I think Geun Cheol isn’t that great at studying.” “Heh heh heh, this guy really underestimates me, doesn’t he?” Truthfully? I’m actually twenty-four. I’ve already gone through my high school days. It’s just learning what I’ve already learned, so how could I not get good grades? I’m not worried about that. If I don’t perform well, then I’d really be a fool. A complete fool. I’m that confident. “Don’t worry. I’m fairly good at studying. Anyway, Si Hoo. Let’s head straight to the training ground. If we go late, it seems like there won’t be any spots available.” “There aren’t any spots?” “Yeah. There are a lot of people.” “Should we run then?” “Sounds good!” ─Whoosh! He sprinted alongside Si Hoo under the setting sun. But Si Hoo, this guy… He really is fast. As someone who adeptly handles magical power, his stamina simply cannot be compared to mine. As expected of the protagonist. Yet, Si Hoo adjusted his pace to match mine. Typically, when a normal high school kid gains superhuman running ability, they would indulge in pranks by smacking a friend on the back and then dashing off at high speed. He really is kind, isn't he? "Ah, we're here. It's my first time coming here." "For me, it’s just the second." Anyway, we arrived at the training ground with Si Hoo. Fortunately, there were still spots available, and we picked one we liked and went in. Wow. This is where I defeated those seniors. I’m so proud of myself. By the way, isn’t there going to be any quests these days? “So, this is the training ground? Oh, look, there’s a kiosk here.” “Let’s press that first and get started. Only then, the system indicates it’s in use and closes the door for privacy.” “Is that so?” ─Beep. Si Hoo immediately pressed the kiosk to log in. From here, let’s get a lesson from Si Hoo on using magical power. “Oh… But it seems we’re all alone here.” “What?” “It feels a bit strange, should I say? Haha.” “What are you talking about?” “Uh?” What’s with this guy’s creepy talk? “It’s my first time coming to a place like this with a friend. Feels like we’re in a karaoke room. Ah, but I’ve never been to one either.” “Uh… yeah.” It can feel like that the first time you go to such a place. Wait, you’ve never been to karaoke? I should ask you to go sometime. But this isn't the real Earth, right? Would they even have songs I know? “Anyway, Si Hoo, can you watch me use this magical power?” “I’m not sure how well I can help, but I’ll do my best to watch carefully. Give it a try.” “Alright! Watch closely!” ─Whoosh! I immediately took a stance, imagining the sensation of infusing power into my legs as I tried to feel my body. Should I say that Instructor Lee So Ra opened my meridians? Experiencing the sensation of magical energy piercing through my muscles, I felt like I was starting to get a faint sense of it. “You’re not going to scream in pain again, are you?” “I won’t. Don’t worry.” But if it comes, I’ll scream loudly enough to summon Angel Leona. “If Geun Cheol screams here, the training ground might collapse.” “Am I some kind of monstrous bird? Enough to collapse a building. Do I look like a monstrous bird to you? Huh?” “A, a monstrous bird...! Haha, monstrous bird. What’s with using the term monstrous bird.” “A scream always sounds like a monstrous bird.” “You know it best. Let’s get started then.” “Yeah, sure.” ─Slowly. Carefully. I infused magical power into my legs to avoid cramping. “Oh. It’s moving a bit.” “Is that true? Magical power is moving?” “It feels like it’s moving downwards towards your legs. Seems like you’re doing well.” "Such words really boost my motivation! Watch this!” Adding a bit more strength…! “Yeah. Like that. It's slowly moving down. Geun Cheol, how does it feel?” “I think I’m starting to feel something.” But it’s not a cramp or anything. “It’s something akin to a force.” It feels like a liquid of a slightly different temperature flowing through the veins. It doesn’t feel bad. Instead, it feels like my legs are cooling down. “Oh. It stopped. It went back.” “Ah, this is tough.” “Still, for this much, seems like you have talent?” “What? Really? Not kidding?” “It moved, didn’t it? Keep doing it, and it’ll come along soon.” “Okay!” This is how it should be done! “Wow, but Si Hoo. How do you handle magical power so well? Did you awaken a long time ago?” “Hmm… In a way, yes?” “Did you receive education at home? Or self-taught?” “Well, I’m not really sure?” Sensing that he was maybe trying to sidestep the question, I decided not to press further. He must have his reasons. “Is that so? Anyway, let’s continue?” “Yeah. Wait a moment. I’ll help a little.” “Oh.” ─Swoosh. Si Hoo extended his hand and touched my thigh. I’m someone who can’t stand it when someone touches my thigh, it tickles me so much… But I can’t show my weakness just because a guy touched it! Enduring it with all my might, I felt the touch of Si Hoo’s hand on my thigh. His intention must be to help me feel something like magical power. “Here. Imagine the magical energy sliding down like this.” “Ugh…!” And so, I spent time training with Si Hoo. * * * "Look at the moon up there, the moon. It’s the dead of night. Talk about vibes." "Heheh, don't change the subject. The scream you let out when things ended was something else." "Hey, seriously, don’t exaggerate, don’t. You’re just an overreactor, always exaggerating." After doing some magical power training with Si Hoo, we concluded with a session capturing and defeating holographic monsters. Si Hoo fought brilliantly. This guy’s a total combat expert. But I didn’t perform as well. I slipped up at the end and got hit by a beam, and it just made me scream out loud. It didn't really hurt, but it startled me and felt frustrating. It was just like when I used to play games like Ao Oni and end up screaming. "Everyone screams to that extent." "Everyone except the screamer Geun Cheol, that is." "This kid really doesn’t know anything, huh." Anyway. "Well, let's move on from that. Thanks for today's training." "No need to thank me. I didn’t have much to do after school anyway. I just came out for some fun." "Thanks for saying so, Si Hoo. Anyway, I really appreciate it today, so how about I treat you to some chicken?" "What...? Chicken?" I should be saving money, but if I don't treat him now, there won't be another chance. I'll start saving from tomorrow. "Yeah. Let's order a half-and-half and eat it at your room." "What, what?" Si Hoo seemed a bit scrawny, so I figured one chicken should be enough to share between us. "Wait! My room?" "Screw it, let's go quickly. I'm starving. If we're late, the dorms will close. I already got penalized by that foreign lady." "It's not even 10 yet!" I headed off swiftly, tapping on the delivery app. What should we order? Let’s choose something cheap. And from a place with low delivery costs. Si Hoo was chattering beside me, but nothing could reach my ears as I browsed for chicken. Scrolling through prices, I found a decent place! "Alright! Berry Al's Chicken! This is it! A half-and-half for only 13,000 won!" I promptly placed the order to be delivered straight to Si Hoo's dorm room, and before we knew it, we were standing in front of his room. We'll go in, eat some chicken, and then I'll head back to my room to sleep. "Hey! Si Hoo! Let’s go in!" "..." But then I noticed Si Hoo behind me, his head hanging low. What’s up with this guy? Tired, maybe? "Si Hoo? I said let’s go in." "...Wait." "What?" "Wa, wait!" Wait for what? "You just wait here for a moment, Geun Cheol!" "Wait for what?" "I'll tidy up the room and open the door!" "What?" Is this guy really this meticulous? He actually cares about stuff like that? "Hey, hey, don’t act up. What’s there to wait for? Let me in, I’ll help tidy up. Just open the door and let's go in." "Just wait a bit longer!" "Damn it!" In a sudden burst, Si Hoo grabbed my wrist with surprising force and, like a strand of hair being sucked into a vacuum, slipped right into his room! ─Bang! And the door shut violently. "What the heck is this guy's deal?" Why is he so meticulous? "Is this something guys should really care about? I said I’d help clean up, and he’s acting all embarrassed." It was a bit odd, but thinking back to my time in the military, there was a senior who acted similarly. He wouldn’t let anyone touch his belongings or locker, and even when things were messy, he wouldn’t let anyone clean up. He had a bit of a paranoid streak, but unlike other seniors who’d come over to mooch snacks, he never touched other people’s stuff, which was kinda nice. Looking back, such memories feel hardly nostalgic. So, as I waited for Si Hoo. ─Creak. The door slowly opened, and Si Hoo poked his head out slightly. "Huff... Huff... Come in now. It's okay." Judging by the red face and heavy breaths, he must have cleaned up with some vigor. "See? I said I’d help! Anyway, I'm coming in, alright?" "Yeah..." I opened the door and stepped inside. The layout was exactly like my room. I expected it to be a pigsty since he was tidying, but it wasn’t anything special. I hardly see what there was to fuss over. “It’s actually pretty neat.” “Th-that’s because I just cleaned up.” “Seriously, though, why do guys care about room conditions? Never seen anyone care about that before. Are you actually a girl or something? Huh?” “Wh-whatttt?!” “Whoa, damn! You scared me!” Damn, I was startled. Why is he overreacting so much? “There’s no way! A girl, really? You think I’m a girl? No, right? What kind of girl?” Si Hoo vehemently denied, his face red with embarrassment. "Got it, got it. My bad. I won’t say it again. I'm saying it because you’re reacting like this." Hmm. Seems he really dislikes being called something akin to a girl? Ah, I think I get it now. Si Hoo looks soft and is on the smaller side. Plus, with his slightly androgynous look, he probably got teased for looking like a girl growing up. Come to think of it, even his voice is a bit high. That must be what’s going on. I'd better avoid mentioning that again. "Yep." I’m someone who figures these things out easily, right? Am I ridiculously smart and a master of human relationships? From now on, mentioning anything about Si Hoo being like a girl is off-limits. "Anyway, there’s no need to fuss about cleanliness among friends." “U-uh… sorry. It’s just showing a messy side to others has always been kind of difficult for me, even back in the day…” “That can happen.” Next time, I should guarantee him some cleanup time. So as I got comfortable inside and settled on the bed. “Wow. This bed is nice and soft.” “The, the bed…” I noticed the trash bin was overflowing in the corner. Did you toss all the trash in there? But what is that stuff? "Hmm? Aren't those bandages?" "Gah...!" At the top of the trash can, there appeared to be used bandages. "Why'd you throw away bandages? Did you hurt yourself?" "Ah...! Th-those are!" "What is it?" "Oh! I was organizing the first-aid kit, and they seemed a bit old, so I tossed them." "First-aid kits are essential." Maybe I should get one for myself too. It's definitely something useful to have around, especially when training and such might lead to injuries. "Anyway. Hey, can I turn on the computer?" "Ah, yeah. Let's do it together." "Alright." I immediately got up from the bed and turned on the computer. Is this what it means to be truly innocent? Showing your computer to someone so openly? For me, there's not a chance that I'd ever show the inside of my computer or phone to anyone, friend or not. Being cool about it like this strikes me as intriguing. "Hey, I noticed those wiki entries on monsters are well-organized. I’ve been reading them as a study tool, and they’re actually really useful." "Yeah, that's important. I review and learn from them too." "Ha. Having good training really makes a difference." While I was using the computer with Si Hoo: ─Ding-dong. The chicken arrived. "Alright." I quickly went to get the chicken. Opened the door and received it from the delivery guy, then returned to the living room. "Hehehe! Hey! The chicken's here! Let’s eat!" "Ah... Heheh. This is my first time having chicken with a friend. It looks delicious." This guy clearly seems to be in a good mood. Well, anyone sitting before chicken in good spirits can’t be a bad person. "Everything's a first for you, huh? Since I'm treating, have a seat." As I opened the chicken and grabbed a drumstick, Si Hoo sat across from me and picked up a leg as well. "Chomp." Watching him take a bite, I took a bite as well. It tastes damn good. Honestly, this beats that miser any day... Chicken is the ultimate food. Go disappear until tomorrow's lunch, mister miser. You're utterly useless. "Hey, right, Si Hoo. Have you ever been to the bathhouse upstairs?" "What?! A b-bathhouse?!" Whoa, that startled me. Why's he reacting so surprised? "Yeah. I heard it's quiet at night with hardly anyone there? Want to go after we eat?" "No! Why do you keep asking to go to the bathhouse together?" "Something wrong with that?" "I find it kind of embarrassing...!" "You're such a prude." I’ve never met anyone like this before. "Seriously, what's there to be embarrassed about among guys? Just eat your chicken." "Okay..." Wow, but this chicken really is super tasty. What’s the name of this place, Berry Al Chicken? Just realizing now, what’s up with the name? Seems like the owner of this place has a questionable sense of naming.