How to Survive as an Extra

Chapter 55

There are approximately 60,000 students enrolled in Seoul’s 4th Scholastic District.

About 20,000 awakened beings commute daily to this selfish scholastic district where only students, teachers, and facility staff are allowed to reside.

Excluding holidays, most streets are so quiet they are boring, but today, millions of people have set foot in every corner of the streets.

And that included non-awakened beings.

”Alright, alright, please don’t push! The opening ceremony will be in one hour...!”

”Excuse me, student, which way is the Golden Meister Academy?”

”No, I told you, alcohol will be sold after the opening ceremony!”

This strange phenomenon of the central plaza of the 4th Scholastic District being so crowded that there was no room to stand.

”Did you hear that the direct descendant is representing the students at the opening ceremony?”

”What are you looking for a hotel for in the 4th Scholastic District? There are no lodging facilities for visitors here. In the first place, entry is restricted after 10 PM, so you have to leave before then.”

”Don’t you think Hero Prep will win again this time? What do you think, student? I’m going to make a killing with the emergency fund I secretly saved from my wife this time...”

The festival of Seoul, and the festival of the awakened.

No, perhaps a global festival.

Today, a Wednesday in early May.

The Spring Scholastic War had begun.

”Mooom! Dad! Waaaah!”

”A pickpocket, a pickpocket! Someone touched my bag!”

”What are you staring at! ...No, that bastard shoulder-checked me first!”

In the midst of the chaotic plaza where the opening ceremony was being held.

With the executive committee armband on my arm, I was pestered by all sorts of eccentric visitors throughout the opening ceremony.

Cooperating with Dispel to find the families of lost children, arguing with drunks who were already intoxicated, and running through the alleys with a dim-eyed elderly person who had come to see their grandchild—it was a tough job if there ever was one.

It was only after the opening ceremony, which had gone on for half a day, that I could finally catch my breath from this unexpected hell.

”It’s a day that stinks of youth like crazy.”

I had volunteered for the executive committee to move around freely, but it felt like I was going to collapse from exhaustion before I could even get started.

Furthermore, I had training with An Hwigom at dawn, so my situation was not entirely relaxed.

”Maybe I should have just participated in the games. I would have been guaranteed enough rest time.”

I soothed my disappointment and headed to the designated rest area for the executive committee volunteers.

There were students there who, like me, had just finished their shifts. Among them, I happened to spot a familiar face.

”Ji, Ji Seokhyeon? What are you doing here?”

It was a guy who was gulping down water, his face clearly showing signs of fatigue.

It was Gwon Chihun.

I never thought he would be on the executive committee.

He did not have much influence in this episode, so I had not paid him any mind...

He was a guy who stood out for his unexpectedness in many ways.

”As you can see, just volunteer work.”

”Hmph, you’re hilarious. You ran away because you didn’t want to be made fun of by the others, didn’t you? What else would you get but ridicule if you participated in the games with your physical abilities?”

This bastard, the moment he saw me...

”Then why are you here?”

”Me, of course... Well, just...”

Gwon Chihun trailed off.

It was not that he had nothing to say, but rather that he seemed to be holding his tongue.

From the looks of it, it was clear that he had given up on the Scholastic War to catch the thief.

As a member of the executive committee, he would be able to receive real-time updates on all the major and minor incidents occurring within the 4th Scholastic District.

Should I say this was an uncharacteristic decision for him?

Not bad at all.

I nonchalantly grabbed a water bottle next to Gwon Chihun.

Then I took a sip, looking around.

There were students who had gathered simply for volunteer work, but there were also many who had applied to catch the thief, like Gwon Chihun.

Among them, the uniform that stood out was, of course, that of Saint Sienna Magic School, or Sienna for short.

Sienna was an academy that emphasized the light attribute and was treated as a top-tier medical school.

Sienna graduates were known to have a reputation for being excessively arrogant, and the members themselves were famous for having considerable pride.

However, the problem was that they were always second to Hero Prep.

Sienna, composed of students with the rare light attribute, was not pleased with being evaluated as inferior to Hero Prep, despite being an indispensable existence in the world of the awakened.

Their stance was that Hero Prep’s Support Division did not specialize in teaching the light attribute, so what was it that made them inferior to Hero Prep, where a family’s name had more influence on admission than skill?

In fact, the Sienna student I saw before me was also looking at me and Gwon Chihun with a displeased expression.

Sure enough, a Sienna student soon broke the silence of the rest area.

”I wondered what you were, wearing a cadet uniform, but you’re just an Investigation cadet leeching off Hero Prep’s Combat Division.”

His tone was sarcastic.

His tone was emphatic, as if to make sure everyone heard.

In a word, it was enough to provoke Gwon Chihun.

”What? Then what kind of bastard are you?”

”At least I’m not a sidekick like you guys. An Investigation Division in a school that’s supposed to produce heroes? That’s practically a modern-day Eumseo System.”

”This bastard...!”

Gwon Chihun became agitated as if he would rush at him at any moment.

I stepped in front of him just in time.

”Calm down. Violence outside of school grounds is a headache.”

”That bastard is disrespecting the Investigation Division right now! Aren’t you an Investigation cadet too?”

So now you acknowledge me as part of the Investigation Division?

”That’s right, and because I’m an Investigation cadet, I know better. There’s nothing to be gained from responding to such a low-level provocation.”

”I have my pride, my pride! The most important pride as an Investigation cadet!”

At this point, I realized it was impossible to dissuade him.

In the first place, a guy with the blood of an investigator running through his veins was not going to stand by and watch the Investigation Division be insulted...

”Pride... You say something interesting. Then prove that pride. Didn’t you guys apply for the executive committee to catch the thief anyway? ...Well, I’ll probably catch the thief first.”

”That bastard is really...!”

”I am Shin Ujae of Saint Sienna Magic School. Stop with the ’this bastard, that bastard’ like an uneducated fool.”

I calmed Gwon Chihun down again and spoke to the young man of my age who had identified himself as Shin Ujae.

”Wait a moment, I believe your words and actions are instigating an unnecessary conflict. What is the reason for insulting us to this extent?”

”The reason for insulting you? Who would dare insult the cadets of Hero Prep, the nobles of this field? On the contrary, it would be the deep-rooted evil families like your friend’s who disrespect and slight others.”

”...”

”Hero Prep’s Investigation cadet Gwon Chihun, according to the embroidery on his outerwear, is part of the worst group in the awakened world, leeching off Dispel without any skill. I’m sorry, but I hate guys like you who live in luxury just because of their bloodline. Especially those Gwons.”

Shin Ujae.

A character whose name sounded familiar for some reason.

From the way he spoke, it seemed he held a grudge against Gwon Chihun’s family.

More importantly, I never thought I would face the class conflict of awakened society so directly...

It was incomparable to what I had experienced within Hero Prep.

As Shin Ujae said, Hero Prep was an academy that was difficult to enter without a family background.

On the other hand, Sienna was a place where one could enter based on skill alone, without any restrictions on background, which was why they were always at the forefront of the conflict with Hero Prep.

Especially against the Investigation Division, which had the least influence.

If Shin Ujae indeed held a grudge against Gwon Chihun, then there was no room for me to intervene in their fight.

Especially since his family was treated as such from the very beginning of the lore.

A deep-rooted evil family with no ability.

However, an insult to his family was Gwon Chihun’s reverse scale, as he could not be unaware of the public perception.

Even if dozens of people were watching in the rest area, it would not have been strange for him to lose his temper and go on a rampage.

”...Let go.”

It certainly would not have been strange, but...

Gwon Chihun continued in a voice that had calmed its excitement.

”...Wanna bet?”

”What?”

”I’ll prove it to you as much as you want, the pride I have. If I catch the thief first, you will give me and my family a sincere apology.”

”Fine, I accept the bet. But I don’t want anything in particular. I’ll be satisfied if I can prove your family’s and your incompetence by catching the thief myself.”

”I like that it’s clear.”

”I should be the one thanking you for giving me this opportunity.”

”You quack bastard...!”

”You damn cop...!”

Gwon Chihun, unable to contain his anger, stormed out of the rest area loudly.

Shin Ujae sat back down in his seat with an expression as if he had stepped in poop.

Having naturally become the center of attention in the rest area, I stared at the muted TV with an awkward expression.

The Spring Scholastic War was already being broadcast.

Just then, the face of Lee Eunho, who was performing well in the game, was highlighted.

”...”

Shin Ujae.

Now I remembered who he was.

***

An academy’s indoor gymnasium that could easily seat 30,000 people.

Right now, a dodgeball game with the pride of each academy on the line was in full swing.

”Don’t lose to those Meister bastards!”

”Yeah! This is our chance to teach them a lesson!”

The ongoing match was between Golden Meister Academy and the Public Investigation Academy.

”Don’t give a single point to those Investigation Academy bastards!”

”Let’s protect Meister’s pride!”

The stadium was filled with enthusiastic cheers and shouts, but in reality, what the audience was waiting for was the next scheduled match.

The match between Hero Preparatory School and the prestigious Hunter academy, Bloody Espers.

”To think I’d live to see the biggest rival match of the Spring Scholastic War...”

The rival match between the two academies, whose combat abilities were second to none, was guaranteed to be a hit no matter the event.

So many spectators flocked to see it that even the tickets for the matches before and after were nearly sold out.

However, I had not come here just to leisurely watch the game.

My purpose was actually to meet Do Minyeong, who would be participating in this match.

Do Minyeong, who had considerable recognition as the direct descendant of the Sword Saint, would not likely be excluded from a team event.

I wandered around the inside of the gymnasium in search of Do Minyeong.

There was no way a loner like her would be waiting in the waiting room with the other cadets.

She was probably killing time in a place that looked less lonely, where it would not be strange for her to be standing alone.

For example...

”This is unexpected. You’re getting a drink from a vending machine.”

...like a beverage vending machine in a quiet corner.

”...It’s because I’m not using points. But... what’s with that armband?”

Do Minyeong, who had been tilting a can to her lips next to the vending machine, asked.

I approached her and answered.

”Volunteer work.”

”Aren’t you just pretending, with some ulterior motive?”

”If anyone heard you, they’d think I was always up to something suspicious.”

”You can’t say that’s not true.”

Was that really my image...?

Do Minyeong took another sip of her drink and continued her questions.

”So, why are you wearing the armband? Surely you didn’t apply for the executive committee because you were afraid of being embarrassed. ...Are you trying to catch the thief by any chance?”

”That’s right, I thought it would be fun. Curiosity and interest, you could say.”

”That’s a lie.”

”Huh?”

”At least the you that I know... wouldn’t move for such a trivial reason.”

Do Minyeong averted my gaze and swallowed her drink, as if she herself thought her words were awkward.

...Could it be that she was conscious of me?

I did not know in what sense she was watching me, but it was a slightly unwelcome situation.

Until I could develop the strength to stand on my own, I had to minimize the influence the character Ji Seokhyeon had on the main characters.

”I don’t know what you’re talking about. Anyway, it’s true that I’m trying to catch the thief. ...Although I haven’t even found a clue yet.”

”A clue? Are you talking about the mission?”

”Yeah, the thief has to steal ’something’ according to a set directive during the four-day Spring Scholastic War... So far, only mundane lost and found reports have come in.”

Wallets that were unlikely to be found, or clothing items like hats and outerwear.

I continued.

”According to my investigation, in last year’s Spring Scholastic War, in order of the founding year of each academy...”

But Do Minyeong cut me off.

Very naturally.

”They stole the symbolic items... I think I heard that.”

From the surprised look in her eyes at the same time, it seemed she had blurted it out unconsciously.

She had clearly been obsessed with the idea of the thief since the opening ceremony.

”Don’t tell me... Are you interested in Catch the Thief too?”

”...W-Well, because it would be helpful to the other cadets.”

”What a noble spirit of service. To think the direct descendant, who is busy being dragged around here and there, is also worrying about the thief.”

”If you’re going to keep being sarcastic, I’ll report you to the General Student Council. That there’s an executive committee member wandering around, having forgotten their duties.”

”You can report me if you want to regret it.”

”What are you talking about?”

”I have a clue to the clue.”

”Do you know that you sometimes say things that even you can’t understand?”

Do Minyeong finished her words with a look of exasperation.

Well, even I had to admit it was not something that could be understood at first listen.

”I mean, I may not know what the thief is stealing, but I know where they will steal it from.”

”How in the world?”

”The modus operandi of the thieves in the past Spring Scholastic Wars.”

”...?”

”For the last five years, the location where the first crime was committed was always a place where people’s eyes and attention were focused. In last year’s case, it was the rival match against Bloody Espers held at Hero Prep. At that time, a giant flag with the Hero Prep crest was stolen.”

”If that’s the case...”

”Yes, it means there’s a high probability that the crime will be committed here.”

Do Minyeong was lost in thought for a moment.

A serious expression that made one feel solemn just by watching.

At that moment, an announcement came over the public address system.

─This is an announcement from the management. Golden Meister Academy’s player number 189, Kim Cheolsu. The game is scheduled to resume shortly, so please return to the field. I repeat. Golden Meister...

An announcement that suggested a substitute player had left their position.

As soon as the announcement ended, I casually opened my mouth.

”What if the thief is stealing a student?”

”On what grounds?”

”Just a hunch.”

”You know you’re talking nonsense, right?”

”Of course, I’m kidding. ...Anyway, you’ll be busy focusing on the game, so leave catching the thief to me. It’s our Hero Prep that gets the points no matter who apprehends them.”

”...”

Do Minyeong made an easy-to-read expression.

A face that wanted to track down the thief right away.

However, it was a difficult thing to disappoint the many people who had come to see the ’direct descendant.’

Although she was in a position to be pointed at for her lack of talent, the fact that she was the most famous person on earth as long as she carried the blood of the Sword Saint would not change.

Do Minyeong would probably move intermittently to find clues about the thief in a rest that was not much of a rest.

Unlike the original story, I did not know how effective it would be without Lee Eunho’s help.

As if to add fuel to her hesitation, I turned my back with a nonchalant smile.

”Well, if you’re curious about the investigation process, you can ask anytime. ...It would be even better if you helped.”