[The Cowardly Extra]

My school days.

Seong Sihyeon’s voice remained perfectly calm.

Kang Guhan’s eyes twitched.

To Kang Guhan, who raised his voice in a threatening manner, Seong Sihyeon replied with a calm, composed tone.

Twitching, Kang Guhan curled his lips into a smirk and shouted.

At the end of his sentence, he held up the illustration he had torn from the booklet.

An illustration of a young girl, scantily clad, twisting her body with a flushed face.

In truth, one might think it’s not a big deal.

But atmosphere is easily contagious.

At the words of Kang Guhan, the charismatic force of violence, the sycophants trying to curry favor with him burst into laughter.

Some female students were genuinely gagging, as if they were truly grossed out.

And then.

Scrape.

Seong Sihyeon stood up, snatched the illustration, and spoke.

Seong Sihyeon scanned the faces in the classroom, one by one, as they looked at him with expressions that said, "How dare you oppose Kang Guhan."

Seeing his classmates avert their eyes, Seong Sihyeon spoke.

The male student whose name was suddenly called jumped in surprise.

He could have argued that rank didn't matter, but having been suppressed from the start, he couldn't say a word.

Seong Sihyeon looked around the classroom again.

As I said, atmosphere is contagious.

Before long, the giggling stopped, and an atmosphere formed where everyone was just watching the confrontation between Kang Guhan and Seong Sihyeon.

Kang Guhan clicked his tongue as if things weren't going according to plan, then suddenly grabbed Seong Sihyeon by the collar.

Who could it be?

I knew the answer.

It was Drae.

Kang Guhan let out a scoff and released his collar.

Muttering a threat, Kang Guhan led his gang and slouched out of the room.

As he did, Seong Sihyeon’s eyes looked toward the dejected Han Siyoung with concern before he sat back down in his seat.

Raeband whistled.

The scholar’s eyes looked at Seong Sihyeon with a gaze filled with favor.

A loser looks like a loser no matter what they do, but if a high-achiever enjoys a culture that doesn't seem to fit them, it’s viewed favorably for that very reason.

As the scholar said, some male students looked at Seong Sihyeon’s back with eyes full of newfound familiarity.

Kaits said indifferently.

What he said was also a truth of the world.

There is no one who feels nothing in the face of humiliation.

Seong Sihyeon, who had seemed fine, couldn't focus on the problem on his desk at all.

He couldn't move his mechanical pencil; he just stared at it, eyes wide open.

And then...

Tap.

Someone tapped Seong Sihyeon on the head, and he turned around roughly.

Drae was blinking his eyes with a surprised expression.

Drae also looked at the faces in the class, but they were as confident as if they had done nothing wrong.

It was understandable.

Drae was only scary to Kang Guhan. To his classmates, he really didn't do anything.

To some, Drae was a grateful person who stood up against the evil that was Kang Guhan, but he was just a guy who had a powerful trump card but wasn't scary.

In short, the perception that he was "easy" was ingrained.

Seong Sihyeon looked at Han Siyoung for a moment, then dragged Drae up to the rooftop.

Drae sat down next to Seong Sihyeon, who had slumped onto a protruding structure.

Then, resting his chin on his hand, he asked.

Seeing Drae ask as if he truly didn't understand, Seong Sihyeon laughed.

He seemed quite shocked; his words were weak yet rapid, like a rap.

It was closer to talking to himself than speaking to someone else.

Nevertheless, Drae understood every word and asked.

Seong Sihyeon groaned, "Um..." as if he hadn't expected to be asked.

Drae’s voice was filled with disgust.

Even Raeband tilted their head, as it was a topic they didn't know well.

It was only natural, as they were well-versed in matters related to the world or the salvation of people, but not particularly knowledgeable about otaku culture.

Seong Sihyeon fell silent.

Lost in deep thought, he slowly opened his mouth.

Seong Sihyeon, speaking as if making excuses, laughed self-deprecatingly.

Seong Sihyeon froze.

And then, he nodded.

Seong Sihyeon’s voice trembled.

The story he had just told, unlike the usually logical Seong Sihyeon, was incoherent and unorganized—nothing more than an outpouring of emotion.

Seong Sihyeon, who couldn't stop even though he knew it himself, hung his head low.

His voice was now completely choked up, and he couldn't bring himself to lift his head.

Drae closed his eyes and made a troubled expression.

Then, struggling as if he didn't know what to say, he went "Ah!" and spoke.

But Seong Sihyeon’s trembling had stopped.

At Drae’s remark that there isn't a single normal person, Seong Sihyeon thought for a moment and laughed.

At the mention of a curse, Seong Sihyeon blinked, and Drae shrugged his shoulders.

Drae didn't offer any more words of comfort.

About a minute passed.

There was no more wavering in Seong Sihyeon’s eyes.

It would have been nice if the conversation had ended warmly like this, but they also had to talk about the future.

Seong Sihyeon said in a reluctant voice.

Drae blinked.

Seong Sihyeon’s voice was cracked, as if he didn't want to talk about it either.

Seong Sihyeon slowly nodded.

Drae groaned.

Then he said.

Drae’s words were in a calm tone, as if he were angry, but there was no anger or urgency on his face.

At Drae’s attitude, which seemed to be merely stating a fact, Seong Sihyeon nodded.

Kaits and his group recalled Suryeon’s confession, and Drae said.

The uncomfortable talk of suspicion seemed to be over.

They could talk about the details at the dojo or in the chat.

The two seemed to think the same, as they began a pleasant conversation.

The scene blurs as the two discuss future plans and chat, and the scenery ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠changes.

Han Siyoung is sitting on the bed, swinging her legs, and Drae is sitting on the floor, looking up at her.

Without responding to Drae’s words, Han Siyoung said.

It was an unexpected surprise attack.

Han Siyoung muttered blankly.

It should have been a topic Han Siyoung brought up first. She wore an expression full of guilt and anxiety.

Han Siyoung, trembling, said.

Sob, sob. Her sobbing leaked out.

It was a longer cry than expected.

Drae ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠looked at the ceiling, looking troubled.

Han Siyoung, sitting on the cot, muttered.

It was truly out of the blue.

Even Kaits and his group, who were watching, tilted their heads.

Drae blinked his eyes.

Han Siyoung glanced sideways with her head bowed.

Raeband clicked their tongue.

It was a feeling mixed with resentment, anger, and resignation toward her boyfriend asking to break up first.

Usually, an experience like this wouldn't end as a good memory.

Drae said, looking troubled. Raeband thought he did the right thing.

She was just temporarily out of her mind due to guilt. It might be more appropriate to call it self-abandonment.

What made this situation even more unfortunate was that Drae, who spoke without hesitation in a way that shattered her girlish heart, didn't seem capable of comforting her right now.

At that moment, Drae suddenly closed the distance.

While Han Siyoung was too shocked to speak, Drae asked in a sticky, gloomy voice.

And his palm wrapped around her shoulder.

Raeband opened their eyes wide and was horrified, thinking, That, that fucking bastard. Does he really mean it?

They knew he was a fucking bastard, but wasn't he not that kind of fucking bastard?

Han Siyoung tried to push him away roughly, and they ended up rolling on the floor together.

Han Siyoung, who somehow ended up on top of Drae, turned red and struggled to get off, and Drae placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair wildly.

Even in the midst of this, Han Siyoung, perhaps still angry, punched him in the chest.

What is this. She has energy. Drae, who laughed, said "Up we go," lifted Han Siyoung, sat her next to him, and smiled.

Drae patted her shoulder and smiled.

Her eyes welled up as if she were about to cry.

The narration flows.

She wouldn't show it to me even if she died before, but now she shows it willingly.

There was a small, dark-skinned man who looked dead, and I wondered why she liked him.

Tap.

Han Siyoung, who hit his shoulder with a fist that didn't even feel like a punch, laughed.

Seeing Han Siyoung bow her head as if shy at those words, Drae lifted his smartphone and said.

The scenery blurs.

Raeband was gaping, filled with admiration.

Flip, flip, flip.

The scenery changes like turning the pages of a book.

The scholar’s voice rings out.

In the momentarily frozen world, the scholar said.

After a moment of silence, Kaits asked.

At his remark, Raeband looked at him.

The scholar’s face was full of resolve.

Kaits stared at him intently.

I had thought it might come to this, and so I had already set an appropriate time to send him to the "World of Outsiders."

But not now.

Laughter.

At the laughter of an existence that differed in "stature" from birth, the two, excluding Kaits, stiffened.

The God of Records, the god who gave this authority, did not answer Kaits’s calm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠words.

He merely conveyed his intentions and opinions through the "narration".

At the god’s words, which sounded as if he were listening to them, the scholar twisted his face.

This is the time to cut it off.

I want to stop when the good side of the person named Drae is highlighted and they are immersed in their friendship.

And then, I will punish the evil, and after seeing Drae’s skills, if he is suitable for the criteria of a comrade, I will acknowledge him as a comrade.

Laughter again. Kaits and his group felt unpleasant.

Raeband shouted, and then...

Leaving Kaits and his group in confusion, the God of Records giggled.

The voice rang out, broken and intermittent.

Unlike the two who gritted their teeth in unpleasantness, Kaits raised his voice in affirmation.

To that answer, the God of Records, who had only spoken his own intentions unilaterally, responded to the conversation.

The memories of other characters.

In other words, the story would begin from the perspectives of other characters, not just Drae’s.

Actually, it was like that before, too.

The perspective on the crisis of Seong Sihyeon and Han Siyoung was a story that couldn't be known just by looking at Drae’s memories.

It seemed the God of Records was serious about directing these memories, enough to give a taste of others' memories in advance.

Kaits didn't agonize over it.

The intuition of a reincarnator told him.

This was a gain for both the God of Records and himself.

Immediately after.

The background, which had been slightly dark, turned pitch black.

Nakamura, one of the executives at the main branch, leisurely drinking black tea, wore a satisfied smile.

Soon, the difference in capability between the Shin Jin-pae and himself would be revealed.

Nakamura did not doubt that he was the superior man.

Clack.

Nakamura’s words were cut off by a sudden visitor.

Who would open the door without even knocking?

But he soon erased his unpleasantness.

His superior.

Shin Jin-pae was standing there with his usual face.

Without answering, Shin Jin-pae slithered over and sat down on the empty air in front of Nakamura’s desk.

Nakamura was inwardly impressed, knowing what Shin Jin-pae was doing.

It was proof that Shin Jin-pae was not only strong in power but also excellent in power control.

It was several times more difficult than just blindly emitting power.

Just as he was breaking into a cold sweat at the director’s level, which was beyond his imagination.

It was the moment Nakamura’s face twisted at the remark he couldn't let slide.

Nakamura was silent, and Shin Jin-pae frowned as if trying to recall a memory.

Shin Jin-pae smiled under Nakamura’s disbelieving gaze.

Quiet eyes looked at Nakamura.

A word came out of him, and Nakamura’s body stiffened even further.

Shin Jin-pae’s story had begun.