WHAT HAPPENED NEXT- »
Nayun's hands were trembling as she was anticipating her friend's response but instead of the awaited rest of the story, a stuttering mess responded to her half asked question.
« I- I mean… It's kind of complicated- »
Really, he didn't ask for any of this, so why did he have to suffer like that?? He couldn't possibly respond to her because if the screen gave him a chance to not give away the continuation, why would he tell it now-
As he opened his mouth to stand his ground, he was interrupted by none other than Yeonha who he thought was going to defend him but the words he heard escaping her mouth left him speechless.
« Excuses, excuses but don't leave us on a cliff-hanger!! »
At this point, everyone in this room was looking at him with a pleading gaze asking him to narrate the rest of his story. Even Jonghak looked at him with a not-so-subtle anticipating glance!
[ Yes and no this is not happening today, I want to leave reactions for later- ]
The annoying voice was back… What a great timing…
« NOT AGAIN »
[ Yes again so we're getting a new person to react this time around! ]
That did get the cadets' attention this time. Nayun loosened her grasp around Suho's collar but not enough to completely free him while she oriented her attention to the direction where the voice came from.
« And? »
[ Nothing else--just someone? ]
« There sure is a catch but go ahead. »
It was dark.
That was the sole thought that came to his mind at the instant he opened his eyes.
Something felt off with his body just when he started to wake up. Did he get knocked out?
No that couldn't possibly be the case. At least, he hoped so-
His bones ached and on a more serious note, there's definitely something that changed in his surroundings or with him.
He was on a rather comfortable platform that seemed to be of a bigger size than his body and that was, in fact, NOT a good sign.
He tried to stand up and—
Yeonha saw how Suho was struggling to find an appropriate response to them, she decided to stop his already overheating brain and let him be when she heard a faint rustling sound from behind her.
Drove by her insatiable curiosity, she turned her head and when adjusting her eyes to see what made the sound, she spotted a black silhouette on one of the seats behind them and couldn't help the wide smile stretching her mouth and the very audible cooing that came after.
« OH MY GOD! »
Her excited squeal grabbed the others' attention and as Jonghak was about to ask her what gave her the genius idea of making their ears bleed, she grabbed the small creature in the speed of light and put it on her lap to take a closer look at it.
It was actually a small black cat looking more than terrified after what just happened to it.
He knew something was weird! He became a cat… Of all the other things he could have transformed into, it had to be that defenceless small feline and no—he's not slandering cats or cat lovers, okay?
After regaining his composure (is it possible to say that as a kitty?), he looked at what grabbed him or for more precision who actually could grab him so fast to possibly make him that dizzy.
He glanced up lazily at his aggressor and flinched upon realising who it was. For further confirmation, he turned to his right and left sides since he heard familiar voices coo at him and flinched.
It was the very same Yoo Yeonha, Shin Jonghak, Kim Suho, Chae Nayun and Rachel Elizabeth Louis he knew.
The girls were looking at him with adoring eyes while Suho and Jonghak wore sceptical expressions. Yeah, he didn't like being the centre of their attention.
Nayun released Suho's collar and he sighed in relief? Why did she do it in the first place??
WHAT DID HE DO TO DESERVE WHATEVER THIS KIND OF TREATMENT WAS CALLED-?
« Where did it come from? » *Rachel*
« Maybe it was there from the start and was sleeping the whole time? » *Nayun*
« What the heck is this thing doing here anyway » *Jonghak*
Yeonha and Nayun rushed to cover the kitten's ears and gasped casting him dirty looks.
« You're not supposed to call it like that when it's here! » Said Yeonha and clicked her tongue.
« Just so you know, its presence is way more appreciated than yours. » Nayun shook her head after her snarky remark.
« Wow, a discovered kitten gathered more support in 10 seconds than me in this whole weird event- Maybe you're the ones acting crazy over this cat! » *Jonghak*
« Skill issue, leave the cat out of your insecurities. » *Rachel*
« And you should stop insulting me out of nowhere! » Protested Jonghak.
« Let's all just calm down, there are no reason for us to start anything bad here uh- »
Suho didn't even have the time to continue whatever he came up with to calm this weirdly messed up situation when the object of the dispute was shoved in front of him. He did have to admit that it did look cute aaaand he was distracted from his initial motive, just like that. Great tactic, a outstanding one at that.
« Don't tell me he's as affected as you three about this kitty… »
« You're just jealous hmph- » *Nayun*
« …Whatever makes you sleep at night. »
What was this bizarre interaction he just witnessed…? Can someone please explain to Hajin what's happening with his precious characters to be so familiar with each other like that!
[ Am I interrupting something? ]
« Just when we thought you disappeared… » *Yeonha*
[ Glad to be back—Anyway! The cat will be reacting with you for this scene so take care of it! ]
« This is getting strange… » *Nayun*
« I made up my mind that it was weird since the third chapter you're late. » *Rachel*
Wait a second! What did they mean by that?! He didn't write anything like that in his novel or was he getting memory losses? No it can't be it, the plot would be way more different if it actually happened and what chapters were they talking about?
You know what.
Whatever.
It's not like he had much of a choice.
Hey, does that sentence ring a bell to you? He's already getting in the mood! Truly worthy of an author. I salute your dedication.
« I wonder what that cat has to do with Hajin. » *Suho*
What? Why bring his name in this conversation!
« I don't care as long as I can pet it. » Declared Yeonha.
Nayun and Rachel only nodded as Nayun proceeded to pat the fur ball along Yeonha.
« A true mind-set. » *Nayun*
' Unfair. ' Thought Rachel. She lightly tapped Suho's shoulder.
« Can we switch places? » Her hopeful eyes didn't leave him much of a choice just as he sighed in resignation and stood up to fulfil her request. It didn't take her more than a second to take his place and start patting the cat at her turn.
Meanwhile in someone else's point of view:
Did god hate him that much? Is it the co-author acting on his own again? What is happening here!
STOP PATTING ME!
Before any more complaints could come up to his mind, the screen showed a familiar inscription.
[ Processing information… ]
[ 15%... ]
.
.
.
.
.
[ 100%... ]
Then the screen lightened leaving a white light engulfing the room. A familiar scene played on the screen.
I have a bad feeling…
Cube had a variety of artificial terrain created to allow for more efficient training: mountains, hills, limestone caves, volcanic caves, etc. Each environment had its unique puppet monsters, and naturally, there were also artificial Dungeons created with cutting-edge magic technology.
Huh? What is that?
« Don't tell me we're getting another lesson! » *Jonghak*
Another lesson? Does he mean the fact that he's getting another class he already took or that this already happened to them in some way? Hajin hopped it'd be the first hypothesis that ends up being true.
« I won't complain for once~ » *Nayun*
« What changed this time? » *Suho*
I don't remember my protagonist to be this dense.
Nayun was caressing his fur with a manic smile. Wasn't it quite obvious?
« Ah I see it now… sigh »
"Today's combat training is a bit special."
Nayun narrowed her eyes at the screen.
« Nevermind. I know I'll hate what is coming next. »
« Oh~ Why the change of heart?~ » Yeonha gave her an amused side glance.
Jonghak glared at the displayed scene.
« Ah. I remember what happened too. That idiot is the worst. »
« It almost feels like you're the one who was attacked. » Commented Rachel sarcastically.
« Ha. Ha. You're really funny huh? Maybe that cat gave you a boost in confidence I don't know about. »
Please, the cat is kindly asking you to not bring him in your argument.
Hold on! When did Rachel and Jonghak become so sibling coded- Someone has to explain to him what he missed and why did the screen just display a scene that happened months ago.
It didn't look like a simple camera footage though. It was like a memory. A kind of image from someone else's point of view and their thoughts were heard progressively through the souvenir and taking note that it looked familiar wasn't such a good sign for Hajin…
He's starting to grasp on the situation he was put in.
Just like Kim Soohyuk said, there were two classes participating in today's combat training. We were gathered outside of an eerie cave. The black tunnel-like entrance seemed to ooze ominous energy.
…
Am I dreaming?
Yes. It must be that. I'm having a nightmare and can't find a way out. There is no other explanation for this.
Sigh…
Who was he trying to convince.
The screen displayed his own memories for all to see. He didn't agree to that!
He'll sue the person responsible for this invasion of privacy, they're still getting copyrighted too!
He's in big trouble.
And indeed, the cave was full of traps and puppet monsters. Among them would be real monsters and lethal traps set up by Djinns.
What will I do if they discover the truth on this mess?
Wait.
They mentioned something about him maybe being here the whole time but asleep. Does that mean this mascaraed was going on for a while?
I could already feel myself trembling.
Okay, that was embarrassing to hear his own thoughts and them being about him scared didn't do anything better. He crawled in someone's arms without knowing and heard praises directed to him. It seemed like three of his characters didn't seem to care about what was happening on the screen but directed their entire attention to him… Why?????
Nevermind, it may not be such a bad idea to have them distracted.
« I don't hear Jonghak saying anything about Kim Hajin this time around~ » *Yeonha*
…
« Because I figured he's just a lucky scaredy cat. » He stated with crossed arms around his chest like it was the most normal thing ever.
…
Hajin casted him an offended look.
Hello? The one you're calling scaredy cat is the author of your world and the one who created you!
Would showing some respect kill you?
Not like he could tell him that and no, it's not because of his current circumstances.
"Today, you'll be entering this cave with another class. As a joint training exercise, a team from each class will join together to form a single team."
« I finally remember! The accident with that blond boy and Nayun! » Exclaimed Rachel.
« I thought it was obvious from my reaction… » *Nayun*
« The thing is that I don't really care about you so I didn't notice your reaction. »
« Can't you at least look a little ashamed of what you're saying considering your rank?? »
« No one will believe you if you tell them that the British princess just disrespected you. »
It seemed to take a moment for the information to sink in Nayun's brain and Hajin gulped.
Were these two going to fight again?
« True, true and can't really blame you since the feeling is mutual. »
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE--
The name of this training was Mock Dungeon Trial. Cadets would form a team of eight and experience an artificial Dungeon.
« Can we skip the instructions? » Asked Suho. You can tell from his expression he had dealt with this for a while now.
« I dunno but it's not like we can ask them to skip these. The only time they respond is when they want or something important is happening. » *Nayun*
« I don't know about y'all but I still want to try. » *Jonghak*
« You do it alone. Don't bring us in your ridicule. » Responded Yeonha in the calmest voice Hajin ever heard coming from her mouth.
What changed here really?
He could have sworn that Yeonha had a great crush on this guy so why did it feel like she was harassing him in some way…
« You wound me! »
« I recall telling you guys to stop with sarcasm, that thing is and will remain my speciality… » She deadpanned.
That was so out of character of her!! How did the relationship between so many of them change?
Two hundred cadets would be inside this massive grade artificial Dungeon, so one could only imagine just how large it was.
« Please, someone try to get us skip the boring details of Hajin's life! »
He didn't need to feel offended when it came to Nayun but why did he feel a sting to his heart. Surely, it was just his imagination. Yes, phantom pain.
« If you take out all the boring parts you won't have more than an hour to see. » *Jonghak*
Rude.
"Now, get in your usual teams."
I looked for Yoo Yeonha, who was staring at the cave entrance nervously. The fact that Yoo Yeonha was nervous showed how threatening the Dungeon's entrance seemed.
The other cadets turned to Yoo Yeonha. The latter felt a shiver run down her spine at the number of eyes set on her.
« I didn't expect you to be scared~ » Admitted Nayun with the widest grin she had since quite a while.
From Hajin's pov you could see the vein bobbing on the purple haired girl but was laid in the shadow compared to the huge blush creeping at her neck. He smirked at the reaction.
« Keep on the teasing and you won't be able to see the sunlight ever again. »
« No, seriously, be more scared so I can win this competition. » Rachel seemed a bit too serious for the discussed subject.
« He will NEVER be yours! » Bit back Yeonha.
« That's what we'll see! »
They might have sparred with real sword and it'd not change a single thing in this conflict from how tense the air was between these two.
« Do you think I could slice the tension with my sword? » *Suho*
« I wanna see too honestly. » *Jonghak*
« Don't you dare interrupt their dispute! The single thing missing is the popcorn and we have a great k-drama to enjoy! » *Nayun*
« F__k you and your priorities. » *Jonghak*
"I'm shaking."
"Me too. Look, I have goosebumps on my arms."
Jin Hoseung and Hazuki approached, making a fuss. Other cadets also found their teams, and 200 cadets quickly formed into 50 groups.
« Who are these extras?? » *Jonghak*
« Ah we've come such a long way. » *Yeonha*
« What do you mean? »
« You stopped calling Hajin an extra now, you can call that progress in some way. » *Rachel*
« I hate you.. »
Did Jonghak use to call him extra at some point? He didn't remember that detail.
"Next, we'll announce your team pair. For the record, the cadet with the highest grade was chosen to be the team leader."
Kim Soohyuk pressed his smartwatch, projecting a hologram of the team list.
===
[Team 1]
Veritas class – Team Kim Suho
World class – Team Jo Yoon-Ah
===
Kim Suho became teams with a girl named Jo Yoon-Ah. On a side note, Jo Yoon-Ah was a generic filler character, whose sole role was to act haughty in front of Kim Suho before coming to realize his greatness.
« Isn't "acting haughty" an understatement? She acted tougher than what Hajin just said- » *Suho*
« Either you're a drama queen or something happened again with the co-author. » *Jonghak*
« Why is the first option an option?? »
« Who are you to tell me what I should say huh? »
« Stop your nonsense you two. It's likely that the co-author had something to do with that. » *Yeonha*
Hajin was left livid and stiff.
He was panicking. Were they just casually conversing about the existence of the same world's co-author he knew?
How did they find out? Did they just piece things together with fragments of his memories they saw?
Breath, breath, breath, he has to breath to calm down.
There's still a chance they don't know about him being their creator and the original author of their world.
His thoughts came to a halt when someone very close to him started to talk louder.
« LOOK. You just scared the cat with your stupid argument! » *Yeonha*
« How does it have anything to do with us?! » *Jonghak*
« Is it that complicated for you to just shut up for once?! » Nayun smacked his head.
« OUCH- »
But would the co-author allow it?
« See, I was right. » Said Jonghak with a sulking face.
« Don't pout like that… Grow up, you're not a child anymore. » *Rachel*
The side eye she received spoke loudly.
I approached Jo Yoon-Ah.
[Jo Yoon-Ah — Has a worse personality]
Thankfully, that was the only change. I prayed for Kim Suho who would suffer under her torment.
« Hajin, what do you mean thankfully?? Is my suffering nothing to you? » That was the first time Hajin ever heard Suho whine like that. What came up to him to be acting like that?
« Ha- It seems being his favourite character can't save you from his cruelty~ » Sing-sang Nayun like she just drank a fresh glass of water after an eternity. Suho stared at her outraged. It felt like he was stabbed in the back.
« And you're enjoying it?- »
« In fact, she's not the only one. » Yeonha said earning nods from the rest of the group.
Can I dig a hole and spend the rest of my life in it?
How did they come up with this "favourite character" story?! Who told them those things??
If it wasn't for the black coat wrapping him, he would have been redder than Nayun after he saw her with short hair from the bet they had.
===
[Team 2]
Veritas class – Team Shin Jonghak
World class – Team Kaine
===
I didn't know much about Team 2. To be honest, I had never heard of Kaine.
« HA- He so didn't care about you he doesn't even know the person you're teaming up with- » Snickered Nayun.
« SIGH Shut up! I don't care too! » *Jonghak*
« Right~ » *Yeonha*
===
[Team 3]
Veritas class – Team Chae Nayun
World class – Team Sven
===
"Hu..."
« He knew beforehand that bastard- » She said through gritted teeth.
Hajin shivered, he could feel the anger in the brunette's voice…
Was she aware of other things he did too?
Team 3, which was formed just like in the novel's scenario, was the team to watch out for.
« I bet he only created this event especially for you Nayun. You should feel grateful~ » *Rachel*
« The heck did you just say to me!? »
« You heard me except if you're losing your hearing now. »
« Ouch Savage… » *Suho*
'Sven' was a dangerous character. On the outside, he was an international student from Germany who had a crush on Chae Nayun.
Was I the sole one left in the dark? »
« If we take Hajin's words literally, yeah kinda. »
He was so focused on the screen and what other details this shit might reveal about him that he didn't realise Rachel lifted him and put him in her laps to scratch his chin.
' I think there's something wrong with this cat… He doesn't react that much… Sort of reminds me of Kim Hajin. '
Unaware of the blonde's thinking, Hajin went on finding a different pose.
Hey, if he's here for too long he should at the minimum stress in a comfortable position.
Sven was a star student in his country, who had walked on the path of an elite since he was young. On his plane ride to Korea, he likely imagined himself to be on the top of Cube's rankings.
« Bro the arrogance- » *Jonghak*
« It's still a too light of a word for this dude. » *Yeonha*
I didn't know my characters were so open to criticise other people… I should keep that in mind…
But unfortunately, Cube was filled with heaven-defying characters. Sven couldn't come close to their talents, and now he was struggling with an inferiority complex and a sense of defeat.
« Oh look, a second guy with an inferiority complex. » *Nayun*
He knew where this shit was going.
« Who's the first one?? » *Jonghak*
« You duh- NO NO BACK OFF- »
Did everyone forget about their crush in this effing room or what!?
His pent-up frustration would explode during this Dungeon trial.
The result?
Sven would come to sell his soul to a Djinn.
« So weak… There are so many other ways to become stronger. » *Rachel*
« I know right? » *Yeonha*
« The question is will he get close to Suho's level with the usual method? » *Jonghak*
Nayun rolled her eyes.
« Not even in his dreams- »
« Even I can tell it. » *Suho*
« We're speaking of the protagonist here, have some respect please. » Yeonha closed one of her eyes as if to make sure everyone agreed with her statement as she held one of her fingers in a warning manner.
Hajin waited but he couldn't notice any reactions from the cadets when-
They all burst out laughing. What was funny in what she said? Hajin felt so out of place than usual. He was sceptical about the fact he didn't understand his own characters right now.
God, how he hated inside jokes.
« I- gasp I think we should get a little serious here he- » *Yeonha*
« A-ah right… »
But that wouldn't happen today. He would only choose to form a contract after struggling with the decision for a day.
« Now explain to me how such a simple easy scene messed up so bad?? » *Nayun*
« You look surprised… » * Suho*
I thought she was pissed…
« I mean, I freaking suffered! »
« Like everyone else in this room so get in the line. » *Rachel*
What did I even do to you! Then he remembered and shut his thoughts after that… He didn't really give these kids an easy life huh.
...At least, that was what was supposed to happen.
« No wAy- I cOuld hAve nEvEr guessed! » *Nayun*
Dang it.. He could only imagine how hard his life would be if she knew that every misery happening to her was intentionally caused by him for plot purposes.
But my laptop was clearly alerting me of a change in his setting.
[Sven – Mental weakness intensified. Significantly increased chance of falling to a devil's servant during the Mock Dungeon Trial.]
« I don't like this co-author one bit. » *Suho*
« I hate him. We're not the same. » *Nayun*
« You're all being dramatic like the world is against you… » They shot Yeonha sceptical looks in response which she received with an apologetic smile.
« Maybe because it IS the case? » They retorted in unison.
The key word was 'during'. It meant that the incident would happen today.
« F_ck you. » *Nayun*
Ugh- I'm not the one responsible for all these modifications! I didn't write the events like that and things would be way easier if it was just my original version!
This was a very serious problem.
I stared at Team 3.
It's true that when we see things like that, it might come as weird- To all the gods out there, please don't make him appear so odd to his own characters…
"H-Hello, Nayun. I saw you in the hunting club."
Coincidentally, Sven reached his hand out to Chae Nayun at that moment. His eyes were full of affection, but Chae Nayun replied with an apathetic look.
"Ah, yes, how old are you?"
"I, I'm the same age as you."
« Wah so cold hearted~ » *Yeonha*
« What do you mean cold hearted! You know how things turned out a-and he was creepy just by first impression! » *Nayun*
« Don't worry, she's merely playing to get some reaction out of you. » *Rachel*
Nayun shot her a nasty look.
« Tsk- »
Okay so the crushes aren't crushing, the teasing isn't teasing, the characters aren't charactering and the personalities aren't personaliting-
What was he supposed to do with them now?
Other teams were being announced in the meanwhile, but my entire attention was concentrated on Sven. I wanted to advise Chae Nayun to not treat him so rudely like she normally did with others.
« I'm not rude to anyone! »
« Whatever makes you sleep at night dear… » Deadpanned Yeonha rolling her eyes.
« HEY-- »
« Now, now off with that. » *Rachel*
"Team 8. Veritas class, Team Yoo Yeonha. World class, Team Jayden."
At that moment, Team 8 was announced.
I felt like I had heard of Jayden before. I immediately looked him up on my settings book. Because he didn't play an important role in the story, there was only a quick summary of his character.
[Jayden]
A typical strong in front of weak, weak in front of the strong character. About 7.5/10 in potential. Strong enough to get scouted by Essence of the Strait.
« Make up your d_mn mind, is he strong or weak?? You can't say he's both. » *Jonghak*
« He technically can- » *Yeonha*
« He's just weak but seen as "strong" » *Rachel*
« Now, that's a good response. You should learn from that. » *Jonghak*
« F_ck you. »
"Hello~ Haha."
Jayden approached us with a hearty laugh. He had a generic Western look with deep brown eyes and a tall nose.
« Cough You can't tell me there isn't something going on when he describes every man or woman like that- » *Nayun*
« You just unlocked a memory I would have wanted to bury alongside me in my grave… » *Jonghak*
« Which one was it this time? » *Yeonha*
« That one time we came to the conclusion that Hajin was bi… »
Wait a minute- WHAT.
WHERE DID THIS SHIT COME FROM!
He could feel his face getting hot. How dare they gossip about him in his absence like that!
He rose from his place on the princess' lap as he made his way to Jonghak trying to scratch him surprising Nayun and Yeonha from the rash motion but the cat didn't have that much strength since he was taken in the boy's arms holding him still to prevent any rushed movements.
Maybe I should have stayed with Rachel… I'm regretting my birth.
Rachel glared at the yellow eyed boy who averted his gaze as to not make eye contact with the British princess.
« This cat doesn't have any taste. » *Rachel*
Please Rachel, take me back! I swear I didn't do it on purpose!
At the same time, an alert popped up on my laptop. Jayden's setting had also been changed.
« In a good or bad way? » *Suho*
« From what I can recall, the expedition was not that bad so I think in a good one. » *Yeonha*
[Jayden – Potential increased from 7.5 to 8.]
« Called it! »
His potential had increased by a whole 0.5 points. Potential was a number I assigned to characters to easily estimate their overall potential. It wasn't a number that was a part of this world.
The text just showed "I" did any of the cadets notice?
« I knew this shit was weird but I still can't get over his luck tsk- » *Nayun*
He breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe for now.
« He has a better luck than the protagonist himself even I am jealous. » *Yeonha*
Oh, so they also knew about that? How much more did they figure out about him?
Obviously, Kim Suho's potential was 10 as a main character's potential should be, while Chae Nayun's was 9.5.
« I wanna see his too! » *Nayun*
« Sigh We don't have another author for that unfortunately... » *Rachel*
« Does someone has a way to get the number of "The Novel's Extra"? » *Yeonha*
« Would have contacted them way earlier if I knew how to get that- » *Jonghak*
« It still feels weird with this whole novel existence… » *Suho*
What was this novel? He didn't hear of it… But the name did appear suitable for a certain thing which he can't put his finger on unfortunately.
He gave up thinking if you can't tell :]
Even if one worked their entire life, it was impossible to catch up to this 0.5 point difference. This showed just how important the potential rating was. And now, Jayden's potential had increased by a whole half a point.
« He made it too complicated for his own sake… » *Nayun*
« If it was easy it would be far-off something he'd write. » *Rachel*
"You must be Yoo Yeonha! It's great meeting you. I've heard a lot about you!"
"Ah, yes, nice to meet you."
« I can feel the warmth emanating from your words. » Commented Jonghak with raised eyebrow.
« Ugh shut up- You have no right to criticise when you're monopolising the kitty. » *Yeonha*
Jayden held out his hand. I wondered if Yoo Yeonha would shake someone's hand in her first meeting. My question was answered in the next moment, as Yoo Yeonha readily took his hand.
« I guess he's the kind of person to overthink things… »
"Next to me in order is Kim Jingyu, Oh Soojung, and Lee Shaung."
"This is Jin Hoseung, Hazuki, and Yi Hajin."
"...?"
He heard a stifled laugh coming from his left and could already tell who it was by the sound of it.
« BAHAHA- You were all judging my temperament with him earlier when you're as bad as me- »
« He deserved it! »
HEY HOW SO!
He felt his back shaking from the movement behind him. Turns out it was Jonghak's chest moving from all the laughter he was trying to hold.
For a moment, I doubted my ears. Who's Yi Hajin? Was she doing this on purpose? I'm Kim Hajin.
« I'm afraid it looks like she knows who you are Hajin. » *Rachel*
Suho shook his head at his friends' amusement on the situation.
« I must admit it's somehow funny- » *Suho*
Not him too… Even a saint character like Suho gave up on him like that? He should smack the head of his past self to make more characters like Rachel… The outcome wouldn't have been so bad if everyone acted like her.
He had to make a report or some kind of shortened version on what happened with his characters with this unplanned scene.
Okay so first, they seemed to have reacted to some of his memories and were more aware of the circumstances concerning this whole novel circumstances.
Second, they used the uncovered information to resolve their different and had way less tension going on between them.
Third, they were now acting out of character.
In any case, Yoo Yeonha talked to Jayden affectionately while his teammates also listened in.
« Oh creepy- » *Rachel*
« I feel my skin physically recoil from the thought- » *Nayun*
« Come again. I dare you. » *Yeonha*
He lifted his eyes and gazed with his typical monotonous face at the interaction as he caught sight of the shuddering Nayun on his left and the menacing girl sitting one seat apart from him.
These two were now conversing and bickering like an old couple. Yeonha is even getting comfortable with revealing her true opinion of Nayun and the latter seems to not mind the threats and intimidating!
Sigh.
No matter how much I think about it, I still can't get used to the fact these are my characters and they're acting like that ignoring all the trust issues and backstory I created to install some tension between them.
Unbelievable. Utterly disappointing and eerie.
I had no way of knowing whether she had already determined Jayden to be someone with potential and was managing her image, but it was an interesting sight nonetheless.
« He's enjoying your fake mask totally being aware of your real personality he~ » *Nayun*
« It's not like he enjoys either of our company … » *Yeonha*
"I'm a sharpshooter. My main weapon is a bow."
"Mine's my fist."
"Mine is a shield."
« Such useless variety if you're weak anyway. » *Jonghak*
« Someone's being a little bit overly confident here. » Remarked Suho.
« I was hardly stating fact, didn't know it was illegal now. »
« Ouch- Your words wound me- » Responded boy with a dramatic outraged display.
Yes, they definitely became too cosy with each other.
Turns out Nayun and Yeonha aren't the sole duo getting easy with one another. Weren't they supposed to be some kind of rivals??
Kim Jingyu, Oh Soojung, and Lee Shaung introduced themselves. Hazuki, Jin Hoseung, and I then introduced ourselves.
"Swordsman. Typical, right?"
"I use an axe."
"...I use this."
I held up the training handgun.
« I don't know if it's either he wants to attract attention to himself or he can't help it because of the situation. » Rachel pursed her lips.
Your words hurt me Rachel-ssi. Why was the first option even an option! He'd have known long ago if he was an attention seeker.
« Considering Kim Hajin's personality and all the information we acquired about him- »
Yeonha's sentence was interrupted with Hajin's thoughts. Poor boy was overheating with all this
Just on how much did they stumble to claim knowing him personally?
Maybe he had too many questions for his own good. However, he deserved answers!
« --I'd say the second option. »
« Right, he avoided the main casts what were we thinking? » *Nayun*
Although I had my Desert Eagle, which was a much better weapon, cadets were prohibited from using personal weapons in exams to test their pure abilities.
« Wouldn't change anything either option. He'd be a weakling even with his other gun. » *Jonghak*
« Would you mind not dissing him like that? » *Yeonha*
« May I remind you this weakling knows more about you than yourself. » *Nayun*
« Ugh- Always a way to defend him- » Hajin could feel the exasperation in the boy's voice.
He didn't know Nayun was now on his side. It felt odd to have her backing him up!
Oddly enough, the arms wrapping him were not so comfortable now- He couldn't move so he started to wiggle and managed to get out of the embrace. He carefully settled on the nearest person he could find which appeared to be Nayun that quickly took him in her arms ignoring his numerous protests and hisses.
He was beginning to regret his decision. Was it too late to go back to Rachel, Yeonha or Suho?
Anything would be a better option than being strangled like that!
Of course, I had my Desert Eagle stored in a convenient place - inside Stigma.
Since I could use Stigma's magic power as I willed, creating an extradimensional space to store the Desert Eagle wasn't hard to do.
Hajin looked around him to discern the cadets' expression but nothing could be read on their faces. So they did know about his stigma.
Another thing to add to his report. Why did he feel like it'll turn out to be a long list?
"Ah, you're that guy. The guy who chose a gun. I heard about you."
"It feels strange seeing you in person."Told I wasn't the only one finding gun boy strange. » *Jonghak*
« Yeah, y'all are just acting like saints hmp. » *Nayun*
Maybe Nayun wasn't that much on his side after much consideration.
The three people's eyes kindled with interest, but as the target of their interest, I couldn't say it was a pleasant feeling, as their eyes seemed to say, "I'm at least better than this guy".
« I'm sorry for calling you arrogant when I can clearly see these losers acting superior. » *Nayun*
« Nah I can understand. » *Jonghak*
"Are you wasting your Gift? Or is your Gift not good enough?"
Now that I think about it, that was so rude of him.
« Coming from him, really insulting. » *Jonghak*
Hajin wanted to see their reaction to him getting intimidated for his gift but they all wore unreadable expressions.
« I just found a second arrogant guy. » *Nayun*
« Can you quit it already? » *Jonghak*
« What do you think?? » *Rachel*
« It still is too much of a waste… » *Yeonha*
« He can choose any gift he wants but is too weak to wield any other weapon than a gun… » *Rachel*
« I won't complain, he's better off like what he currently is. » *Jonghak*
« Yeah stop the recruiting session, I don't want someone else getting even more powerful, we have Kim Suho for that tch- » *Nayun*
...But that was still better than brute honesty. I turned towards the source of the voice. As expected, Jayden was smiling slyly.
« So he wasn't so kind despite his appearance… » *Suho*
« He pisses me off- » *Nayun*
« What were you two expecting from someone who had a promising gift upon meeting someone who appears useless? » *Yeonha*
Just so you know, I'll remember that!
Yeonha glanced at the glaring cat and decided to steal it from Nayun while she wasn't looking which was followed by an outraged "Hey" and was obviously ignored.
I'm getting tired of being taken and shared between so many people. Do these guys think about the cat's opinion before doing all this?
At least, it was better than to be squished with the pressing depending on every reaction Nayun had.
No one in my team, if it was only in name, defended me. I didn't expect much from Yoo Yeonha, but Jin Hoseung and Hazuki didn't say anything either.
« Pfft- He's realistic- He didn't even expect anything from you at this point hah- » Nayun was trying her hardest to stifle her laugh the best she could unsuccessfully.
« I doubt he'd ever expect any one of us in this room to defend him- »
*Cough*
« --Except for maybe Rachel and Suho. » Yeonha looked at them with apologetic smile.
« I wouldn't do it either way. » *Jonghak*
« Don't hide it. It's obvious you're a little hurt from this fact~ » Yeonha brought closer her thumb and index finger together in the small motion.
You can say Jonghak was not pleased with her comment as he looked away hiding his face but was not quick enough to hide the red shade appearing on his cheeks.
What the f_ck?!
OOC ALERT STOP WHY WAS IT HAPPENING TO HIM!?
It was a bit disappointing, but I understood why. The rumors about me going around Veritas class wasn't at a joking level.
At the mention of the rumours, Hajin could feel the air becoming heavier by the second while a sense of guilt crossed his characters' faces.
It looked like they felt guilty about something but why?
Things like using my position as Cube's cadet to blackmail or rape a girl, all the while staying quiet at Cube since everyone else was stronger, and going to Seoul every weekend enjoy women and drink alcohol...
I was practically a societal evil.
« Is it just me or since we discovered more facts about Hajin, these rumours seem even more ridiculous? » *Rachel*
« That's precisely impossible for him to do those sort of things… I just can't see it happening. » *Suho*
« Yeah because the source didn't check the credibility of their rumours. » *Nayun*
Jonghak received four pair of glares directed to him to which he shrugged and responded:
« It's not like anyone would figure it out- »
He was stopped middle sentence by a hiss coming from a certain cat.
« Pff- Look, even the cat is reprimanding you- »
And I take it personally.
And after today, these rumors would surely spread to other classes. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Well, at least my SP would go up a lot.
« Always talking about SP… » *Suho*
« I mean; he's looking at the good in his doomed situation. » *Yeonha*
« Still not enough to excuse his obsessed _ss » *Nayun*
His characters were really scolding him?
"Everyone, get ready."
Team assignment had ended before I noticed, and cadets quickly began to move at Kim Soohyuk's words.
"Go in one by one starting from Team 1."
"Let's go!"
Kim Suho shouted valiantly and took lead. Jo Yoon-Ah followed after him with an annoyed face.
« Oh~ I bet you had a lot to deal with. » Jonghak snickered.
« Sigh Don't remind me please, it was the worst… » He looked more than defeated…
"Yoo Yeonha-ssi, I heard you were number one among this year's supporters."
"Haha, really? I heard a lot about Jayden-ssi. I think the instructors balanced the teams wrong. We're too much at an advantage."
« The humility in your speech… » *Jonghak*
Yeonha clicked her tongue in response.
« Don't act like you're any better. »
"No, that's just how teams are. When there's one exceptional person... I'm sure you know the rest. It's easy to see that Yoo Yeonha-ssi has a baggage to carry."
The audacity he must have… How didn't he get irritated upon hearing the shit coming out of this guy's mouth.
« Isn't he the perfect boot-licker? » *Jonghak*
« I know where you're coming from and I must say you're right. » *Rachel*
« Even the princess is with you on this one! » *Nayun*
Meanwhile, Yoo Yeonha and Jayden chatted. Even from my perspective, Jayden did a good job not going too far and keeping Yoo Yeonha pleased. He was a good talker unbefitting of a high schooler. Maybe I should have approached Yoo Yeonha the same way.
« Would it change something? » *Suho*
« Nah- I already had my first impression of him. No way I'd come back on my words. » *Yeonha*
« Not what you were saying earlier-- » *Rachel*
Nayun and Hajin were left speechless.
« Where did that popcorn come from?? I thought it was out! »
« Shh- That's for me to know and for you to not find out. »
Turns out she stuffed the snack in the blonde's mouth to shut her up. She wasn't complaining and listened to what happened next.
"Team 8, enter."
Kim Soohyuk signaled our team's turn.
**
The eight of us walked through the cave. The formation was perfect. Three warriors in the front, supporters in the second row, sharpshooters in the third, and a single warrior in the final row.
« Can he stop talking about everything and nothing at the same time? »
« That is not Hajin's speciality I'm afraid. »
After walking for a while, we arrived at a fork. There were eight paths to choose from.
"Which path should we take?"
Yoo Yeonha spoke to me for the first time today.
« It's not good to use people Yeonha~ » Cheerfully sing-sang Nayun.
« It's not good to resent people without an explanation Nayun~ » Retorted Yeonha.
Ouch- I gotta admit it was a good one.
"Jingyu, what do you think?"
Jayden also asked his sharpshooter. Once again, sharpshooters often acted as pathfinders.
« Is he that desperate to consider Hajin a talentless cadet? » *Rachel*
« He doesn't have 1% of talent either! » *Nayun*
Why couldn't you just say that I had talent instead of agreeing with his ideology?
"I don't know."
"Take the sixth path."
« Of course, he already knew where to go! » Jonghak and Nayun grumbled in discontentment.
I walked up and stood in front of the sixth path. However, the sixth path would likely be difficult. In truth, the difficulty of the paths was in order.
In other words, the sixth path had a level 6 difficulty.
« Speaking of cheating abilities… He didn't try to tell us that but just kept the info to himself, selfish! »
« We could have avoided big catastrophes if it wasn't for this gatekeeper! »
Come on, he didn't ask for that!
But Chae Nayun should have chosen this path, so I had no other choice. If Sven contracts a Djinn here today, Chae Nayun wouldn't be able to handle him alone.
"Let's take the sixth path."
« Aw he's thinking about your well-being! » It was obvious that the enthusiasm was more than faked. Nayun stared at Yeonha in exasperation.
« Is it too late to never meet you in this lifetime… »
« I'm afraid you're a little bit late for that. » *Suho*
No matter what, I couldn't lose a righteous character with a 9.5 potential. Not only would the future story become a mess, it would also be a huge loss for this world.
« Nevermind. He just wants to keep you because of your potential… » *Yeonha*
That was!- true he can't deny the truth.
If he got rid of Nayun, the whole plot would get destabilised. He had to take account of the future events awaiting some particular characters' intervention to get cleared.
"Huh? Who are you to tell us where to—"
"Just do as he says."
« So you trusted him that much huh? » There was a hint of teasing in Rachel's words.
« Of course, how would I recruit him if he didn't believe I trusted him hmm? »
Guess the tension between Rachel and Yeonha wasn't entirely gone. It just so happened they took some temporary break in the war they declared to each other.
Yoo Yeonha interrupted Jayden. It was nice to know I was trusted as a pathfinder.
« He was soo touched by your gesture~ » *Jonghak*
« No way, I couldn't tell. » *Yeonha*
"He might look like that, but his eyes are exceptional."
« Doesn't this work both as an insult and a praise? » *Jonghak*
« … » Yeonha sighed, she couldn't do anything okay! It was in the past! « Just shut up. »
"Look like what? Do you have to put it that way?"
"...I'm praising you."
*Cough*
Her eye twitched. Why were they so fixated on her mistakes all of a sudden?
« CAN YOU STOP IT NOW- »
Little note: Guess who coughed? (you won't get the response unless you ask hehe >:D)
In any case, our team walked into the sixth path.
The path was completely silent with only dry wind from the entrance hitting our back. After ten minutes of walking in high tension...
We finally discovered a target.
"In front, there's a monster."
« Are we going to react to what happened in that dungeon? »
Good question…
[ I don't know… ]
« Why do you appear NOW exactly? »
… He didn't like to be the only one in the dark. It appeared like this system had a personality and responded to questions at some extent.
« They ran away again- »
Flashing its terrifying eyes and flickering its tongue was a monster known as the Salamander. By the size of its body, it seemed to be low-intermediate rank at best. But monsters that could wield the four elements (water, wind, earth, fire) were tricky to deal with, and Salamanders used the most destructive element, fire.
"You can see it?"
Yoo Yeonha asked.
"It's a Salamander. That should be the switch."
« I bet someone's not going to believe him. » *Nayun*
« Bingo. » *Yeonha*
He won't lie, things were getting boring.
Once we defeat the Salamander, the scenery should change. A Dungeon was an extradimensional space created with magic power. It might look like a cave at first, but once the switch was pulled, the interior could change completely. More often than not, a Dungeon's switch was a specific monster.
"...You can really see? I don't believe you."
Jayden muttered in doubt.
« Called it! »
« Shut the f_ck up. »
"I'm telling you about it because I can see it. Just listen to me, jackass."
He was starting to get on my nerves.
« Ooh~ We're getting a pissed Hajin! » *Nayun*
« You mean something less boring than a weakling having trust issues. » *Jonghak*
"What did you say?"
« Here we go again. Just get on with it, what Hajin says is always true, don't question something too hard for your brain to process. » *Nayun*
"...Tsk. Quiet, both of you. Get ready for battle."
Yoo Yeonha sighed audibly as she held up her whip.
…
Wait, did it end?
It almost felt like a novel chapter to Hajin's opinion.
Does it normally work like that for the- Eek! What the heck is that?!
« I didn't see the time pass? » It felt weird to Nayun. It usually took them way longer to react or did something change this time? Perhaps the break they took changed the set up.
« Maybe it wasn't as long as the other we reacted to? » *Rachel*
« OR something changed this time around? » Yeonha looked like she was up to something especially with that kind of expression.
« What is it this time? » Jonghak knew Yeonha figured something out by the glint in her eyes. No other explanation for this.
« What else could I be talking about apart from that cute kitty! »
Now that she mentioned it, the act did play a certain role in distracting them for half the time they were here and—wait where is it?
« Hey, have you seen the cat in question?? » Rachel looked around clueless of its current position.
« But it was on my lap just a moment ago! » Yeonha's voice sounded helpless as they all started to search for the fluff ball when a mewl was heard.
The sound came from the searched cat admiring Suho's hand while the poor one was left confused on the situation. He peeked at his friends succeeding their perplexed gazes and hurried to shake his head mouthing a big "No".
« I didn't do anything I swear!! »
Notes: