Just Live However I Damn Well Please!
“What’s your name?”
The nameless girl leaned in close, scanning my name tag.
Her black wavy hair cascaded like a waterfall, her curves rivaling even Chae Serin’s, and that beauty mark right under her eye like a perfect punctuation.
For an extra, she exuded way too much allure.
The faint shampoo scent hit me like a wave, nearly clouding my mind, but I wasn’t about to fold that easily.
“What’s with the sudden interest?”
“Just wanna get friendly~?”
The conversation felt utterly baffling.
Was I still reeling from fantasizing about dating an S-rank beauty from the province? This reality just didn’t compute.
Something’s off about the vibe here.
The whole class was staring my way, and the room had gone dead silent in seconds.
This is definitely a test.
They had to be probing my character! Seeing how much of a rude punk I really was.
One wrong word, and those hungry hyenas huddled over there would tear me apart, chew me up, and spit me out.
No chance in hell.
“Class is starting soon.”
Avoid, avoid, avoid.
I knew avoidance types were frustrating idiots, but this situation screamed suspicion.
This girl had been chatting with Chae Serin just moments ago, shooting glances my way like she was spying.
“Hmm~ Can I come find you later, then?”
She thrust her name tag—pinned right on her chest—toward me, leaning in even closer.
Staging something this erotic to test my endurance? Crafty.
She’s more cunning than I thought.
Who knew Extra No. 1, absent from the original story, would have this much pull?
I couldn’t help but glance at her tag before turning away.
Not because I wanted a closer look at that area. I just needed her name to shake her off.
“Pfft, guess I’ll swing by later~?”
Kim Minji.
The girl with the most common name ever giggled at my ironclad reaction and sauntered back to her seat.
Once she was gone, the classroom erupted back to life.
“What was that? Something happen?”
Its rightful owner finally returned, glancing around.
“Nothing worth mentioning.”
I brushed him off casually.
“While you were gone, some girl almost stole your seat.”
Someone plopped onto Lee Wooju’s desk, peering down at me.
He pinched Wooju’s cheek lightly as he addressed me.
“Nice to meet ya. Think of me as Wooju’s big bro figure? Truth is, I don’t have many friends, so I tagged along. Take good care of our Wooju, and hey, befriend me too while you’re at it~”
Slick and sly.
So that’s what he looks like.
His tag read Kim Taeyang.
“Yeah, likewise.”
I gave a curt reply to his flashy intro.
“Tch, cool guy vibe, huh?”
Kim Taeyang seemed tempted to mess with me more, but—
Ding-dong-da-dong~
The bell rang, and he retreated to his seat with a regretful grin.
“He’s a bit loud, right? But he’s fun once you get to know him.”
Lee Wooju caught my annoyed look and tried to spin Taeyang in a positive light.
“Yeah, seems that way.”
I flipped open my textbook silently, and Wooju didn’t push further.
Kim Taeyang.
Social butterfly or oblivious clinger—take your pick.
In the original, he’s Wooju’s best friend, but he’s also a sweet-potato plot device, stirring up drama.
Not that he means to use Wooju, but situations snowball anyway.
Misunderstandings flare, they nearly cut ties, then patch up at the last second—that kind of arc.
That damn mouth of his.
To keep his bright, upbeat persona, he charms with witty banter, but slips sometimes lead to messy misunderstandings.
His loose lips nearly tanked Chae Serin and Wooju’s relationship once.
Yet readers adored him.
Why? He nailed the raw realism of high school guy fights.
Petty squabbles over nothing, makeup friendships, loyalty over girls, even self-sacrifice.
When Baek Haon pulled villain stunts in the original, Taeyang covered for him.
Prime bro code.
Ah, Kim Taeyang, you’ve got what it takes to be a marine.
I liked him personally too.
Getting close wouldn’t hurt me, but it means sticking with Wooju too.
Truth be told, even having him sit next to me right now was killing me.
Every word I said could derail the plot. Couldn’t risk jailbait ending...
Plus, if Chae Serin saw us buddying up, her view of Wooju would sour for sure. Caught between a rock and a hard place.
“Haa...”
Just reliving high school once, and I had all these chains. Middle school, reforming delinquents, was way chiller...
Deep down, I just wanted to live freely, as the mood struck.
Wait—no? I’d transmigrated into my fave novel; shouldn’t I savor a reality beyond the original?
Or nah, that’d stress me to death before the ending.
Right?
Right?
Right?
Who knows.
Why the hell am I craving a smoke I don’t even dodge anymore?
Who knows.
The second class ended, I bolted from the room like a fugitive.
Okay, fine—those crazies creeping toward my desk before the teacher even left gave me chills.
“This is insane.”
Wherever I wandered in school, eyes locked on. Hallway loitering? Whispers. Grabbing water? Whispers.
“Whisper whisper whisper.”
“Cut it out.”
Where could I hide? Only one study buddy: Seohwan.
“No way—you’re enjoying this, right?”
“Enjoying what? Figured sharing the hate with you would hurt less.”
“You’re crazier than I thought, asshole.”
I tried plopping next to Seohwan, but even that was a no-go.
Central classroom drew even bigger crowds than my own.
“Man, worse than when those punks from other schools swarmed to fight you.”
“Tell me about it. They here to throw down?”
“Doubt it. Now scram—you’re turning me into the zoo monkey too.”
“Real dick’s right here.”
Yeah, Seohwan wasn’t wrong.
Crashing someone else’s class was a nuisance anyway.
Couldn’t disrupt friends grinding on studies.
“Haa... Guess that’s the play.”
I sighed deep and waded into the crowd’s heart.
Like Moses parting the sea, they cleared a path as I moved.
Is this that new-wave bullying...
Nearly teared up three times that day.
Kids these days are terrifying.
One delinquent stint, and the whole school unites to ice me out.
Like shunning a COVID Chinese guy.
Next break, flee to my sanctuary.
“Wait, did he ditch me?”
Kim Minji puffed her cheeks, plopped in Haon’s empty seat, sulking.
“Haha, he’s got his reasons.”
“Reasons my ass. Wooju, right? You close with Haon?”
She probed Wooju wistfully, but—
“Nah, barely talked.”
Wooju’s sheepish smile crushed her hopes.
“Haa... That bitch Chae Serin... Can’t she help her friend score a boyfriend? Right?”
“Uh? Yeah...”
“What’s with that reaction?”
Minji eyed Wooju’s sudden stiffness.
“Hmm, ahem...”
“...Why stare like that?”
“You’ve got a thing for Serin, huh?”
One line from Minji, and—
“Wha—what? No way!”
Wooju’s milky-pale face turned beet red.
“No kidding? Just testing~”
“I said no... On day one?”
“Hmm~? Dodging me now?”
“Not that...”
Wooju’s squishy charm amused Minji. If she hadn’t spotted Haon first, she might’ve crushed on him too. But.
Cute types don’t do it for me in guys.
Glancing around for Serin, she whispered to Wooju.
“Wanna make a deal?”
“...Deal?”
“Yeah. You snag info on Haon, I spill on Serin—favorite foods, style prefs, all that.”
Wooju pondered.
Can I even chat up iron-wall Haon? Taeyang could help, but... that’d mean admitting I like Serin...
A beat later—
“Three.”
Minji flashed three fingers in his face.
“Two.”
They folded one by one.
“One.”
“I’m in.”
“Sweet~ Business partners now?”
Minji patted his shoulder, satisfied, and returned to her seat.
He’d planned to refuse—selling out for gain felt slimy.
But.
Her pressure yanked his true feelings out.
Not hard, right? Desk mates—can’t even befriend him, how make other friends?
Wooju brainwashed himself: not selling info, just making friends.
Bold as brass, he tried Haon the second he returned.
“Prep for class.”
Ice-cold shutdown.
Am I overthinking, or...?
Every time Wooju chats me up, I snap cold on instinct.
He seems innocent, just wanting to bond with his desk mate—feels kinda guilty treating him like shit.
But.
I’m the punk delinquent rumor mill anyway. Doesn’t matter, right?
Leaning into society’s script felt right. Easier plot progression, smoother school life.
Safer than buddying up and screwing things over.
Class had its share of aloof jerks; time would make me the ignored loner.
Spotlight fades after a week anyway.
But...
“Haon, where’d you learn to work out?”
“Always been a good student?”
“PC bang with Taeyang after school?”
These maniacs started passive day one, but now? Full throttle.
They assumed I was the quiet type needing their care—mission accepted.
Total miscalculation.
Did they even hear the rumors? How else explain this comfy vibe?
No matter how rude I got, how hard I flailed to solo it.
Impossible in this space.
Lunch was the same.
Even eating—Taeyang and Wooju trailed, critiquing today’s sides right in front of me.
Aaah, just give up thinking.
One solution popped up.
Beat the original’s hero black and blue, revert to irredeemable Baek Haon!
No one’d approach then, right?
Instant solitude!
Solo meals, solo moving classes, solo soccer in PE!
Jail ending finale!
…
“Don’t wanna...”
“Huh?”
“Haon, you okay?”
My mumble drew worried stares from the “friends.”
You punks... I just imagined thrashing you, what’s with those eyes? Swallowed rice and tears together.
Fine, since it’s come to this—Plan B.
Not trash route. Ally helping the story along.
Couldn’t shake them anyway; half-assing might blacken me via plot preservation.
Yeah, whatever...
This way’s comfier for my heart, theirs too.
If it goes south...
I glanced at Wooju.
“Don’t hate me.”
“Huh?”
“Done eating? Let’s go.”
If this world’s end is fixed, my meddling won’t change their fates. Ally role? No way I turn original-transcending trash.
Mind settled, peace washed over.
Not the guy to vanish from Wooju’s side—but his helper!
“Ah, fuck. You blind or what?”
“Sorry. You okay?”
“Sorry? Fuck, know how much these clothes cost? You ruined ’em! What school you from?”
Some psycho was picking a fight with our Wooju!