Chapter 20 : School is a fucking spectacle #15 - No Kidding, I’m an Extra

ㅡPapat! "Help!!!!!" I dashed through, practically broadcasting my need for rescue! If I could, I’d plaster a banner overhead—or even launch a blimp. "Stop right there!" Behind me, Ryu Cheon-hwi was pursuing with a frightening intensity. My plan was to shout as loudly as possible, drawing attention to ensure a favorable outcome. In situations like this, my instinct is to yell and alert everyone around me. Yet, none of these so-called hero trainees are stepping up to help! Aren't you supposed to be heroes against injustice? And then! ‚Swaaash! "This guy’s freakishly fast!" It goes without saying, but Ryu Cheon-hwi seemed skilled in manipulating magic. His speed was impressive. Even at full sprint, I couldn’t widen the distance. Actually. If he really wanted, couldn’t he catch me right now? "Annoying little brat! Shut up!" It seemed like he couldn’t catch me precisely because I was making such a racket, so I decided to yell even louder! "Kyaaaaaa!!!" I am a strict adherent to my principles. In extreme situations, I scream so loud it could be heard even in space. Adhering to such principles is why I’ve managed to avoid serious trouble throughout my life. Make a scene first. Then you’re less likely to get beat. "You damn noise-maker! Shut up!" "Would you be quiet, huh?! I was practically serenading you! We were made to be loved!" "I’ve had enough of your nonsense!" "Sihoo! If you’re around, help me out! Your friend’s about to get screwed!!!" "You pathetic worm, who can’t even fight alone, dared insult my father...!" If he was so pissed about insults to his dad, he shouldn’t have picked a fight in the first place! In my philosophy, if you pick a fight first, it’s like inviting insults to your mom and dad. How dare you pick a fight without that determination? Get lost! I'll make sure you realize that truth! As I continued to run. "Geun-cheol! What’s going on!!!" A spirited, huh? Spirited? "Sihoo?!" I heard Sihoo’s voice! I thought he had taken the day off, but he must’ve heard while coming in late! I’m saved! Ryu Cheon-hwi can only be handled by Sihoo! "Help! Ryu Cheon-hwi’s trying to kill me!" "Ugh...!" Hearing me, Sihoo frowned, and in that moment. ‚Fiash! "Huh?" Sihoo suddenly zipped past me, a fierce gust of wind blowing in his wake. This speed? It’s astounding. "Geun-cheol. Stay behind me." "Uh... okay..." "I’ll protect you." I hid behind Sihoo’s back, which was even smaller than mine. "No back appears bigger than this small one!" Ryu Cheon-hwi paused his pursuit to glare at Sihoo! "Lee Si-hu. You intend to interfere again?" "Cheon-hwi? Are you trying to fight Geun-cheol again? I told you, friends shouldn’t fight." "Who’s claiming to be friends?" "Even if you say that! You shouldn’t fight at school!" "He insulted my father." "That’s..." "Ha. It’s pointless to explain to an outsider. Regardless, I’ll show you what stopping me means, Lee Si-hu." Srrrrk. The cringe-inducing Ryu Cheon-hwi drew his sword...! Wait! Is this really Korea? What kind of kids draw swords in school brawls! Is this Daerim-dong or what? "Ah, damn! This again! If you want to fight so bad, I’ll take you on!" ‚Whoosh! Simultaneously, Sihoo also drew his sword! What a sight! "Sihoo! You truly are my best friend!" "It’s dangerous, so stay back, Geun-cheol! I’ll handle him! Quickly, go find the instructor!" "Got it!" As I backed away. —Boom! Sihoo and Ryu Cheon-hwi clashed. "Wow!" The fight was awe-inspiring. Their blades whirled at high speed, slicing through the air. —Boom! —Crash! Rough sounds and shattered magic particles spread around. —Boom! Magic clashed brilliantly, producing dazzling light... No, this isn’t the time to watch the battle! I must alert the instructor to get Ryu Cheon-hwi expelled! A place for rebels like him isn’t school but prison...! Anyway, I need to find an adult immediately! "Instrucctoorr!!! Instructor!!! There’s been an attempted murdeeerrr!!! Aahhh!!!" I hollered at the top of my lungs at the nearby building in a chaotic uproar! Adults only move when a commotion breaks out! Students filming Sihoo and Ryu Cheon-hwi’s duel started pointing their cameras at me instead. "That guy’s nuts! He’s a total psycho!" "What’s with him?!" "Ew... my ears!" "Have you seen someone with a voice that loud!" "Is he a master of sonic attacks or something!" These crazy kids are recording instead of stopping the fight! "Instruct-" Just as I was about to shout again. "Quiet. I’m here now." A low voice suddenly spoke by my ear. "Stop it, you foolish boys." And with that, the fight ended. "...!" "Gasp!" Instructor Lee So-ra had suddenly appeared, stepping between the two combatants, and had grabbed both of their blades with her hands...! "Ryu Cheon-hwi? Lee Si-hu? So eager to fight while ditching class? Were you trying to see who could cut more classes?" "In-Instructor! This...!" "Let go, let go!" "We’ll continue this discussion in the cadet counseling room. Follow me." —Swoosh! As Instructor Lee So-ra grabbed the wrists of Sihoo and Ryu Cheon-hwi, the two were helplessly dragged away. The disparity in strength was astounding; it was as if infants were being towed by an elephant. No, wait! I can’t just let Sihoo be taken away like this! "Instructor Lee So-ra! Please wait a moment!" "Kim Geun-cheol?" "Sihoo is innocent! Ryu Cheon-hwi is the one at fault!" "What are you snitching about now?" "Shut up, you troublemaking punk! Swinging a sword in this sacred school?" "That’s—" "Quiet." A terrifying voice. "..." Looking at Instructor Lee So-ra's stern eyes, my excitement quickly dissipated. "I said I’m here to listen to what happened. Kim Geun-cheol, you come along too." "Understood!" And so we were led to the cadet counseling room. * * * And so began the recounting of the incident. "Sihoo did nothing wrong. He only got involved to save me," I started, meeting Instructor Lee So-ra's eyes with intense sincerity and conviction. "Geun-cheol..." Now holding the floor, I continued passionately, locking eyes with Lee So-ra. "Silence! You dared speak of my father!" "Ryu Cheon-hwi. If you interrupt again, I'll have to take physical measures. It's Kim Geun-cheol's turn to speak." "Ugh!" With a warning, Ryu Cheon-hwi backed down. Such was the weight in Lee So-ra’s voice. She was genuinely terrifying. More so because she seemed like someone who could casually kill a person. "Kim Geun-cheol? Continue." "Ah! Yes!" I proceeded to recount everything to Instructor Lee So-ra. The root of the issue: it all began when he kicked my back. So I retaliated with a barrage of insults, leading to today's events. "Hmm, insulting his father, was it?" "Yes. I openly insulted Ryu Cheon-hwi’s father." "Insulting parents... I can’t quite grasp that. It's one thing to fight, but insulting someone's father?" Rubbing her temple, Lee So-ra seemed baffled. It was natural. She was an adult from a generation far removed from ours, where such crude banter was not the norm. To her, insulting parents was likely the worst imaginable act. "Yes, he disparaged my father." "Ryu Cheon-hwi? Do you always speak informally to your superiors?" "He insulted my father... deeply." "I’ve heard. And that’s why you attacked him." "Yes." Once Ryu answered, the instructor shifted her gaze back to me. "Anyone would struggle to tolerate their parents being insulted, don't you think? Kim Geun-cheol." That, I had to agree with. It was, undeniably, the common sense response. In Confucian-influenced Korea, such an act felt horribly absurd. "Instructor Lee So-ra, it’s true I insulted Ryu Cheon-hwi’s father. I won’t justify it. But that was because he kicked my back for no reason." I nodded as I replied. "So I won’t compromise. This is a matter of pride. A man’s pride." "Oh?" "Even if I'm weaker than Ryu Cheon-hwi, I can't bow to injustice. He picked a fight for no reason? Anyone like that deserves to hear insults about their parents! That’s why I didn’t hesitate to insult his father!" Rising from my seat, I shouted with confidence! I stand firm! Unwavering in my beliefs! "That is my principle as a man! If you've done something to deserve an insult, then be prepared to receive it! If you provoke someone without reason, you should hear insults about your parents!" "G-Geun-cheol! Calm down!" "It’s fine, Sihoo. I have to say what I must." I relayed my conviction entirely to Instructor Lee So-ra, who watched with an intriguing gaze. "And Ryu Cheon-hwi is still a minor! As he’s not an adult, he can’t be fully accountable! Hence, it’s the parents who should be reprimanded! Isn’t a child’s behavior the parents’ responsibility?" "You..." Still unaware of his wrongdoings, Ryu Cheon-hwi flushed with anger. "Ryu Cheon-hwi!!!" —Snap! I pointed at Ryu Cheon-hwi dramatically and shouted! "You kicked my back for no reason on the first day! Why did you do that?!" "Because you were being annoying!" This brat needs to learn a lesson! "Annoying? All I asked was for you to take your foot off my chair! Do you really believe that’s justifiable? That you’re so entitled?" "That’s..." "Is that how people should treat each other? Just because you were a little annoyed, it’s okay to kick someone? And a stranger, no less?" "..." "And after all that, you swing a sword just for a slight on your father? Is that the action of a rational human being? A person with common sense wouldn't do such a thing!" At that point, Ryu Cheon-hwi merely glared, unable to retort. "The reason I insulted your father is exactly that! Your actions, they make me question the upbringing by your parents! If they taught you basic decency, you wouldn’t behave like this!" "...!" "Your behavior has tarnished your father’s name! So be mad at yourself, not me! What kind of education did those exalted parents give you?!" With Instructor Lee So-ra present, there’s no way he could hit me, so I said everything I wanted! It’s the thing I love most in the world! "When I see someone like you, I can’t hold back my urge to throw insults...! You’re someone who doesn’t even realize what you’ve done wrong. The thought that it’s okay to hit someone for no reason—that’s what I can’t comprehend. So as a man, I will never compromise! You deserve to hear insults about your parents!" "You... you bastard...!" "This is a matter of pride! If I encounter someone like you, I will lash out with all the insults in the world, regardless of whether you're stronger than me or not! Wrong is wrong!" At that, Ryu Cheon-hwi began to tremble. "...!" Actually, he had already started shaking earlier. "If that’s the case, then what about your own parents!" The trembling boy slowly opened his mouth. "What?" "Did they teach you... to repay unprovoked trouble with insults to parents?" No, they didn’t. "I don’t have parents." "What...?" "I don’t have parents. They're both deceased." As I said that, "...I see." Ryu Cheon-hwi suddenly covered his face with his hands and bowed his head. Is he planning to mock me? Yet, the expression on his face wasn’t one of ridicule. He looked rather grave, as if he were contemplating something deeply by himself. What’s with this guy? "I’ve heard you out, Kim Geun-cheol." "Yes. I’m finished." "I understand your perspective too, Kim Geun-cheol. Yes... a man’s principles. Such manly principles are important. A commendable unyielding principle... while the parental insult was questionable, one can’t argue with having such steadfast beliefs." Did she approve? "Next, Lee Si-hu? Anything to say?" "I, I’ve nothing to add. It’s just as Geun-cheol said..." "Sihoo was only trying to help me." "Understood. Now, Ryu Cheon-hwi? Say your piece." All eyes turned to Ryu Cheon-hwi, who had his head down.