Play Dead V

"Hello, I'm the club president, Oh Hanhyun. I cannot believe it after seeing so many applications, but… it's true. Who knows such amazing cadets will join?"

Oh Hanhyun has an average height and a gentle impression. He looks around while scratching his neck, finding himself surprised at seeing famous faces in his club.

As the president of the Travelling Club, he is happy to know that such young spirited kids even to this day still possess a spirit for adventure.

"First, I'll give a short introduction about the traveling club."

He bashfully smiles and takes out a piece of paper from his pocket. He reads his prepared speech with neither reckless passion nor boring dullness, just enough to make the orientation engaging. His timidity doesn't seem so obvious, but I detect a hint of nervousness from his little actions like not maintaining eye contact and rubbing his fingers on the copy of his speech.

"Cough," He fakes a cough to gather our attention. "Once or twice a month, we will take a trip out of Cube to simply relax. Training during trips will be strictly forbidden. It's also why our club is nicknamed Healing Rain."

Healing Rain? Yep, we are doomed. I think the 'Trouble Magnet' club is more fitting.

"Cough." After clearing his throat once more, Oh Hanhyun puts the paper away containing his speech which I assume should have more words than what he intends. Judging from the shadow's fine print, I can tell that he must be putting a great effort into making the Travelling Club's first experience to be more exciting.

I maintain my focus and continue observing the people around me. It will not hurt to be on the tip of my toes. After all, the first confrontation in the novel will happen today.

"Today, we'll take a short trip to Seoul for orientation." Oh Hanhyun happily announces as he shows a cheeky grin, his teeth showing.

It is a big day for the insignificant me.

***

"We usually have a theme for each trip, but today will be an exception since it's orientation. We'll split into pairs."

Kim Hajin already knows the pairing— Kim Suho and Chae Nayun will go together as they are the original pair that he intends to pair in the novel from the beginning. He waits in the background while he lets the president of the Travelling Club do his thing.

"Then we'll start by drawing lots." At Oh Hanhyun's cheery call, someone excitedly walks to him and draws lots for herself.

"I'll go first." It is Chae Nayun.

Drawing lots is completely based on luck, but not for Hajin. He can clearly see the contents with his gift, [Observation and Reading]. He doesn't even need to ponder on who to pick. "Hyon Hyung… That's a sensible choice. Extras should stick together…" He silently decides on who to pick.

Surprisingly, [An incredible luck applies!], it seems the world has other plans for him.

"Oh~ Kim Hajin, is it?" Chae Nayun raises her lottery result and calls Kim Hajin.

National Weapons Museum.

After switching their buses three times, they finally are arriving at their destination.

At the National Weapons Museum located in Seoul, all sorts of artifacts are displayed for all to see. Rather than showcasing the long history of humanity and Korea, it is more apt to refer to the displays as weapon exhibitions considering that each artifact possesses unique might to each of their own.

Hajin is in a daze. Inside his head, he battles an internal debate for the recurring changes such as the different pairing for this particular event.

"Kim Hajin-ssi? Are you ok?" Chae Nayun asks him respectfully, worriedly, and clearly, her show of concern is unnerving.

"Do you even know me?" Well, Hajin as the author knows her, but not the other way around, so it is a source of perplexity for him as to why Chae Nayun is so receptive to him. Does Nayun know Chundong perhaps? It is doubtful, but just what is the reason for Nayun's friendliness?

Hajin tries to tilt his head away as he finds Nayun's mug to be too close to his face. "Personal space, woman… Please go away…" Scarily, it looks like Hyon Hyung's way of speaking is rubbing off on him. In the end, Hajin assumes that it is just Chae Nayun's natural friendliness and that is why she is so receptive to him.

Still.

'This is wrong.' Hajin realizes. From the beginning, everything has been wrong, and the focal point is Chae Nayun's change.

When he sees Chae Nayun standing there on the stage of the Agent Military Academy's Graduation for ranking second next to Suho, and quickly changing her weapon to a sword so much earlier— Hajin immediately knows how different this world than he assumes it is meant to be.

No. That is too much. Kim Hajin is not even the creator of this world. He surely cannot know everything about this world despite having the 'Observation and Reading' Gift. In his own mind, Hajin feels like he is in a sick game with a mad entity who puts him in a world reenacting his own novel.

Hajin bitterly grinds his molars recalling a particular memory. It is too sudden. Yesterday, he received a disturbing notification from the co-author AKA the entity who is responsible for his situation. It is quite an irresponsible and insane message.

'If you are reading this, then I am already dead… Please save the world… Sincerely, the Co-Author.'

If not for the littlest bit of sanity in Kim Hajin, he might just as well go commit suicide and see if he is dreaming.

"Miss Chae Nayun… What is your motivation for picking up the sword?" Hajin turns his head to his companion while they walk in pair at the museum. From time to time, Hajin glances at the displays from the sides.

Nayun tilts her head in confusion, thinking long and hard about an appropriate answer. "It is complicated... At first, it is because of a certain someone so that I can become stronger. So that I can protect the people I love. And then tragedy strikes… I realize I have to do it for revenge… And then more complicated stuff follows… The truth is… I kind of forget why am I even picking up the sword?"

What is she even talking about? Hajin is verily confused. "I mean… Don't you use a bow back in the Agent Military Academy?"

"Ah~ That…" Nayun gives a look of enlightenment. "Well, someone has told me I suck at using the bow…" She tilts her head in wonder, realizing there is actually a clear cause why she picks up the sword. She feels momentarily embarrassed for the messed-up answer she gave previously. "Sorry for the rather philosophical answer... I can be an idiot sometimes..."

"Eh?"

Kim Hajin has a look of profundity.

Someone has told her she sucks using the bow. So she changes her weapon? Hajin knows how good Nayun is with the bow, despite being more talented with the sword, so it is very baffling to Hajin. More questions sprout at the back of his mind.

While Hajin is depressed, and assailed by paranoia, Nayun is having quite a good time.

Chae Nayun. The Regressor. She is feeling very happy right at this moment. To be in the company of the person she likes, but does not (?) hate yet… is a moment she wants to last forever. But. Nothing lasts forever. Still, she is enjoying Hajin's bafflement too.

For now, Nayun will enjoy what she can enjoy.

For this reason, she feels shame for giving such a philosophical answer like the reason she picks up the sword is so that she can protect when in fact, she cannot protect anything.

Unbeknownst to Nayun, Hajin is experiencing a similar level of turmoil. "Who is it? Who told her she sucks at using the bow?" Funnily enough, the truth is quite ironic.

Kim Hajin's imagination is working wonders. If there is a Queen of misunderstandings, then he might become the King anytime soon. It is too out of character of him as he is quite a mature person, and doesn't believe in unconfirmed information.

However, right at this moment, he is feeling an inkling of fear. What if the co-author is with him right now? Wandering from behind the scenes, enjoying his current life from the front seats like a voyeur, and playing him like a fiddle…

At first, because of powerlessness, Hajin has no choice but to comply with the Entity responsible for his current situation. He has to stick to the main story to survive and possibly go home to his original world.

But what if… What if? What if this is all just a sick game, someone else's entertainment, and something others just peruse to enjoy themselves and past time?

"Hajin-ssi? Are you alright?"

Hajin widens his eyes as he finds himself standing in the middle of the pathway, and a kid just below him. He seems to accidentally bump into the boy.

"I… I dozed off. I am sorry, kid…" He helps the little boy to get up. "Where is your dad? Or mom?" He gently asks the boy.

"I… I…" The boy is on the verge of crying, but Hajin quickly appeals to him.

"Hey, what is that?" Hajin points at a display and distracts the kid's mind.

"Huh?" The little boy looks at where Hajin is pointing at.

In a basic display, there is a sword with a weird shape.

Separating from its main body are seven branches.

"That is the famous Seven-Branched Sword. The king of Baekje who is the ruler of the most powerful kingdom before Korea's unification bestows this iron sword on the Japanese emperor. It is a historical weapon that you can only find in the final room of the Wiryeseong Dungeon." He narrates eloquently, displaying an intelligence that amazes everyone who hears from him.

Chae Nayun smiles at the sight of this. These are some of the few faces of Hajin that she knows.

***

"Oh, my— what the fu—"

Ouch. Just ouch. What kind of rotten luck is this?

"Stop kicking the back of my calf, woman!"

I cry pitifully to her, but she is hearing none of it. Yoo Yeonha continues to attack me. Of all people, why should I pair with her? This is just the worst! I have to find Nayun or Suho… If the crisis occurs just like in the novel, then my life might be in danger. I am defenseless! I mean, I have become stronger, but I am not confident enough to live and tell the tale... if a Djinn is to set his eyes upon me... I am dead!

And then again, I might even die much earlier than I imagined.

"Oi~! Stop stomping on my foot! Are you a sadist!?"

Yoo Yeonha becomes more and more aggressive in her attacks until finally, she manages to blow off all of her steam. "You bastard! I cannot give you my stock! I will just pay you with money!"

"What? Stockings? I am not a pervert..."

"You!? It is the stocks! Even 1%, I will not give it to you!"

"So stingy. Why?" I ridiculously try fighting back. Definitely, the weakness of a Mountain Tyrant should be enough to buy me Essence of the Strait Guild's stocks. "Are you cheating on me?" I provoke her sensually.

"You crazy bastard! Cheating on you? This is sexual harassment!"

"Do you know what is sexual harassment? Stepping on my foot, your foot fetish is getting too out of hand."

I definitely am not saying it that way on purpose, so that gossipers and onlookers watch in interest at what appears to be a lover's spat. Wait… I can capitalize on it.

"D-darling… You are making a commotion…" Strangely enough, I am stuttering, but that is enough to elicit a weak male persona.

Yeonha is speechless but explodes after a microsecond of internal turmoil. "How shameless can you get? I cannot give you any of my stocks, because I am just starting with the Guild. I don't want to ruin myself. I cannot also buy the stocks of others. The Guild needs its investors while our worth is still going on an upward trend… I don't really see you as a reliable investor…"

I must say, Yeonha's attitude is very uncharacteristic of her from how I remember the Yoo Yeonha of 'The Novel's Extra' and it seems this change will only continue to get worse… Well, her opportunistic but dignified principles are still the same, but since when does she become so violent?

Speaking of getting worse, Kim Suho's change in mentality while not obvious is also starting to bother me. As I am his apprentice, I should be able to tell that much. I feel guilty. Perhaps, is my presence ruining them?

"Sigh…" My sigh is for a different reason, but Yeonha immediately reacts to it.

"I am a person with dignity, so I won't cheat you. Your information is at least worth billions of won, so I will pay you. If you choose to make a dissertation out of it and apply for intellectual property, then you can make more money. Sucks to be you. But thanks to you, the Guild has one more passive income…"

I am not one second regretful to selling her that information. I am not smart enough to write a dissertation. Heck, I am not Kim Hajin who has the benefit of seeing through the essence of the world.

"Fine," I tell her. "I am going to use that money to buy your guild's stock though…"

Yeonha frowns at my words. "Don't you dare interfere with my Guild's operations… And no one is going to willing to sell, so give up..."

"Nah," I immediately cut her off. "I won't use my voting rights whether I make it big in your Guild or not as an investor. Just think of me as a secret investor or something…"

— BOOM!

All too abruptly, a thunderous sound reverberates around the surroundings. Everyone grows deadly silent. Whatever that is, it triggers the alarms from the museum. The color of red flickers as the alarm blares noisily and reinforced mechanical gates shut off in partitions within the museum.

"Oh bonkers," It is already happening. "Uuh… Milady, Yoo Yeonha… Can you please protect me?"