Wanna Die?

The extra's name was Jung Hyunwoo, just like mine. I had a faint recollection of this Jung Hyunwoo's life from the novel, but I couldn't tell if he was a character who had existed from the very beginning. His appearance was almost identical to my past self, and his circumstances were nearly the same too. The only difference was that while I had a younger sibling in the real world, I was completely alone here. Maybe the author created this character specifically to torment me.

The author's reply suddenly flashed in my mind. Did "try it yourself" mean I was supposed to literally enter the novel? Did it mean I had to resolve all the slander and criticism I had so verbosely hurled at the author and his work?

"How the hell am I supposed to do that...?" It was a bit rich of me to say this after leaving those comments, but even I knew most of what I wrote was complete nonsense. I had only written those wild rants because I was pissed off at how the author treated striking like complete ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠garbage...

"But well, I guess I should be grateful." I was a bit bewildered, but I wasn't particularly angry. Putting aside the fact that the author had possessed me into his work without my permission, just having my paralyzed legs fully functional again made me want to bow down and worship him.

"Thanks, Mr. Author." I didn't know how this happened, but I had to figure out how to live this newly granted life. Was the stock market here similar to the real world? If so, maybe I could make a fortune off that and just live a lazy, comfortable life. Or should I stick to fighting? With my skills, I should be able to make a decent living here. Even if this was a pseudo-fantasy web novel, surely it wouldn't be easy for anyone to beat a former MMA fighter.

"...Yeah, right. What do I know about stocks? Of course I have to fight." Remembering the time I lost half my life savings investing in some sketchy stock, I naturally leaned toward martial arts. Honestly, if I just rebuilt my body, I could jump straight into the pro scene without any issues. Becoming a UFC champion was no longer a pipe dream. I was currently eighteen. Ten years... no, five years would be more than enough to enter the UFC and claim the championship belt.

Bzzzz—

While I was lost in thought, my phone vibrated. "It's eight o'clock." It was my school alarm. Did I really have to go to school at my age? Still, if I had to play along with the author's intentions, going was the right move. From what I recalled, Seo Yeonha and I went to the same school, so if I wanted to get involved with the protagonist, I had to show up.

I briefly considered dropping out to train on my own... but what if a stray bolt of lightning struck me down? If some crazy bastard could possess a real person into a novel, there was no reason he couldn't summon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a lightning bolt. Thus, I decided to head to school for now.

"But wait, I don't even know the way to school." My name was Jung Hyunwoo, I had no family, I attended Hohyeon High School, and I had a decent inheritance left by my parents. That was the extent of my memories. "If I go outside, I'm bound to see a kid or two wearing the same uniform." I washed up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first, then opened the refrigerator. I needed to eat something before heading out.

"...What is this?" But the fridge contained nothing but chicken breast and eggs. Not even a speck of common kimchi, let alone any sauce. I searched for a rice cooker or instant rice, but they were nowhere to be found.

"Are you kidding me?" Even during my active fighting days, I didn't eat like this on a regular basis. This was practically dietary torture. Cursing the author to high heaven in my mind, I choked down five boiled eggs and left the studio apartment. I feel like throwing up. I carefully followed a female student in the same uniform whom I spotted along the street.

Today was the first day of the new semester at Hohyeon High School. The sweet summer vacation was over, and it was time to begin the hellish grind of studying. Most of the students were already in the classroom, raising the decibel level as they chatted about what they had done over the break. Amidst the noise, only one person—Seo Yeonha—sat at the very back, lost in her own thoughts.

I want to make friends too. Her stunning looks, her tall stature for a girl, and the intimidating aura of the word "boxing club." Combined, these factors ensured that no student ever dared to strike up a conversation with Seo Yeonha. Still, when classes were assigned at the start of their second year, a few brave souls had approached her.

Seo Yeonha had never made a single friend in her entire life. She had no idea how to respond when a classmate approached her in a friendly manner. Her father had taught her that it was better to just give a bright smile rather than say something useless. He claimed that since she inherited his good looks, she should use that method if she found conversation too difficult.

But it didn't really work. In fact, it had the exact opposite effect. Yeonha thought she was smiling warmly, but to others, it apparently looked like something else entirely. Her classmates assumed they had offended her, and from then on, they never spoke to her again.

I want to talk about boxing with a friend too. Yeonha had spent half her life doing nothing but boxing. The sweaty, gritty conversations she had with the older guys at the gym were getting old. She wanted to chat with boxing newbies her own age. If they were willing, she was even prepared to teach them herself.

Sigh... But that was only possible if someone approached her first. Yeonha was not the type to initiate conversations. Despite her superior looks, her personality was practically that of a total loser. Resigned to the fact that she wouldn't be making any friends today either, Yeonha was busy contemplating which gym regular she should beat up later.

"Hey, Seo Yeonha."

"?"

Just then, a swaggering male student approached her. "I heard you've been boxing since you were a kid?"

"!!!"

Yeonha's face lit up. Thinking she might finally make a friend who shared her hobby, she looked up at him with her signature "bright smile."

"Uh... are you mad right now? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"!!!"

She shook her head vigorously. She truly couldn't comprehend why everyone reacted this way whenever she smiled.

"Oh, you're fine? I thought you were pissed. Well... the reason I'm asking is because I actually learned some boxing over the vacation too."

"!!!"

Yeonha's face brightened even more. A boxing newbie friend, the very thing she had been yearning for! She had already formulated a training regimen for him in her mind. The moment school ended, she would drag him to the gym and start him off with five thousand jump ropes. With that resolve, she eagerly awaited his next words.

"And I think I've got a real knack for it."

"..."

She almost scoffed, but Yeonha held it back with superhuman patience. It was fine; that kind of baseless confidence was something every boxing novice went through. However, she absolutely could not tolerate what came next.

"So, I was wondering... do you want to spar with me sometime?"

"...What?"

"Oh! You finally answered. I know you've been boxing for a long time, but since you're a girl, wouldn't we be on a similar level?"

"..."

"I'll go easy on you. I usually lose control when I spar, but... since it's you, I'll hold back."

"...?"

Bullshit. Absolute bullshit. A guy who had trained for a month at most wanted to spar with her, who had been training for nearly ten years? Did he have a death wish? And he even had the nerve to provoke her by saying he'd "go easy" on her... Yeonha felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to murder him.

"What's your name?"

"Are you down to spar? Man, it's a bit hurtful that you don't even know your classmate's name."

"Your name."

"I'm Le—"

Rattle—

Just then, the back door slid open, and someone walked into the classroom.

"Hey, transfer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠student. You shouldn't follow random girls around like that. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Uh-uh, you should call me 'Senior'."

"...Yes, Senior."

You have a yellow name tag, which means you're a first-year. Why the hell are you acting like my senior? Are you out of your mind?

I had almost gotten into deep trouble on my way to school after getting caught by the female student I was following. Fortunately, I managed to cover my name tag and lie that I was a transfer student to barely escape. And now, I was scanning through all the second-year classrooms to find my seat.

Why is it so quiet in here? When I stepped into Class 1, the last remaining classroom, it was unusually silent compared to the others. And everyone was staring at me. How embarrassing. I was about to give a bright greeting, thinking the original Jung Hyunwoo might have been a popular kid, but within three seconds, the gazes fixed on me shifted elsewhere.

At the very back by the window, a girl with model-like proportions and idol-level looks was facing off against a male student with an eyesore of a half-dyed head of hair. All the students' eyes were glued to them.

That's Seo Yeonha. I knew it the instant I saw her. She was easily the most beautiful person I had seen in this school. It couldn't be anyone else. Awkwardly lowering my half-raised hand as if nothing had happened, I searched for an empty seat.

Ah, that's my seat. The only desk without a bag on it was the one the dyed-hair kid was leaning on. It was right next to Seo Yeonha. I didn't really want to interact with a guy like him, but I wanted to sit down. For some reason, my body had been feeling exhausted since earlier.

"That's my seat. Move."

"Jung Hyunwoo? Who the hell do you think you are, picking a fight out of nowhere?"

"No, it's my seat, so I'm going to sit in it..."

Picking a fight, my ass. You're the one sitting in my seat; aren't you the one picking a fight with me? Looking at his name tag, his name was Lee Jeongho. He was another character who had never appeared in the novel. In other words, an extra.

"Sorry, but could you move? My legs are a bit sore."

"...Tsk."

Thud—

Jeongho, clearly irritated by something, deliberately shoved his shoulder into mine as he stood up. The impact knocked my bag out of my hands, sending its contents spilling all over the floor.

"...Hey, you crazy bastard."

"What? Did you just swear at me?"

Of course I swore at you. Who else would I be swearing at?

"Pick that up."

"Why should I?"

"Because you bumped into me and dropped it."

"Wanna die?"

"What kind of nonsense is that all of a sudden?"

Jeongho raised a clumsy guard and asked if I wanted to die. I was genuinely, incredibly dumbfounded. I had simply asked him to move out of my seat, and he got angry all by himself, caused this mess, and now he was raising his guard to start a fight? Was this even realistically possible?

Ah, right. This is a web novel. The moment I remembered I was inside a novel, my mind instantly calmed down. With the patience of a Buddhist monk, I sat down and tried to de-escalate the situation.

"I'll let it slide this once. Just go back to your seat."

"Let it slide?"

"If I hit you, you'll die."

"Ha!"

I had said it out of genuine concern for him, but he seemed to think I was just trying to bluff. Jeongho threw a lead jab with his raised guard. It was an utterly ridiculous situation, but then again, didn't this happen quite often in reality too? Guys trying to show off in front of a girl. It seemed Jeongho wanted to act tough because Seo Yeonha was sitting right next to us.

"Tsk."

But you have to pick your targets wisely.

Sway— Crash!

"...Huh?"

I didn't even need to stand up. Remaining seated, I dodged his pathetic jab with a slight slip of my head, grabbed his arm, and pulled him down, sending him crashing to the floor. Jeongho sat there, clutching his bleeding nose, completely bewildered by what had just happened.

"Oops, my bad. I went a bit too far. Jeongho? Let's go to the nurse's office together—"

Rattle— Slam!

Before I could even finish my sentence, Jeongho threw open the back door and bolted out. There was really no need for an ordinary person to feel embarrassed about losing to a pro... I'd have to apologize to him later.

"Sigh... Hm?"

Since it wasn't really my fault, I just sat there quietly, but the entire class's attention was now focused on me. It wasn't the curious gaze they had directed at Yeonha and Jeongho earlier; it was a look of sheer terror.

"Hey, guys?"

"Eek!"

The moment I spoke, everyone instantly whipped their heads back to the front. So this is what it felt like to be an outcast.

It's not like I was planning on having a normal school life anyway... I'm fine...

Muttering to myself that I was perfectly fine, I gathered all the spilled contents of my bag and slumped face-down onto my desk.

Tap, tap.

"Huh?"

"Have... Have you ever learned boxing before...?"

It was Seo Yeonha, sitting right next to me. She had slumped down onto her desk in the exact same posture, poking my forearm as she spoke.