6 – The Nameless Extra (1)
Lately, the condition of the extra next to me is strange.
…
Square. Square. Square.
“…”
Square. Square. Square.
“…”
The sharp tip of the pencil scratched the smooth surface of the paper, creating a pleasant sound. With each stroke of the pencil, beautiful letters appeared on the blank white page. After erasing the graphite dust behind the dotted periods, a subtle fragrance emerged, soothing the mind. While studying may be tedious and laborious for others, for me, it was a form of meditation that calmed my restless heart. And because I needed that kind of meditation now more than ever, I continued to move the pencil.
Square. Square. Square.
“Phew…”
I exhaled a deep sigh to clear my mind of distractions and turned to the next page of the book. There, complex and intricate formulas regarding summoning magic were written in a messy manner. The moment I saw them, my hand, which had been moving without hesitation, came to a halt. However, the scholar facing the century’s puzzle felt no despair. Instead, something akin to excitement and anticipation welled up inside.
Yes. With this, I can focus without any stray thoughts. Unlike other subjects that I had become somewhat familiar with, summoning magic was unfamiliar in its very principles, leaving no room for unnecessary thoughts. With a smile of determination, I began to approach those formulas.
Mana. Anti-mana. Distance to the target. Form. Lucard Index. Various concepts filled my mind, and the floating particles in my heart were swept away in an instant. The purified mind was left with nothing but pure academic enthusiasm, and the lines that ran across the paper began to look incredibly neat. Soon, even the faintest surrounding noises subsided, leaving only the sound of the pencil moving.
Square. Square. Square.
“…”
Square. Square. Square.
“…”
Square. Square…
“…Sigh.”
Thud.
…
Damn it…
However, that composed state of mind crumbled beneath the indifferent sound of a yawn coming from the neighboring seat. I pressed my lips tightly as I looked at the graphite dust flowing between the broken pencil lead.
No. Don’t waver. Stay focused. Concentrate.
Alright. Let’s start again. Assuming a constant concentration of mana in the air, the amount and formulas required to manipulate wood, rocks, and iron can be obtained by referencing Dr. Hegel’s magic chart. Actually, I’ve already memorized it, so there’s no need to look, but…
“Ah…ahh…”
…for accuracy’s sake, let’s unfold the pages first…
“Ah…ahh…hmm…”
…
Oh, for real.
Unable to withstand the incessant sounds of yawning, I eventually put down the pencil and bit my lip. The once shattered composure didn’t return easily, and seizing that opportunity, various distractions began to rampage in my mind again. Even though I tried not to show it, irritation kept building up, and my lips trembled so much that I could feel it myself.
Now, uncontrollably, my nerves sharpened, and if I didn’t at least glare, it felt like my head would explode. Helplessly, I turned my gaze to the side, targeting the unnamed extra, the culprit of all this chaos.
“Uh…uhh…”
Once again, that peculiar, slow, calm, and leisurely yawn echoed. Once you heard it, it clung stubbornly to your ears, as if it wouldn’t let go unless a powerful sneeze followed. But the owner of that unique yawn was an utterly unremarkable man, to the point where even calling him ordinary would be embarrassingly redundant. To put it nicely, he had a neat appearance without any outstanding features, and to put it bluntly, he had a face without any noticeable traits. If I were a writer, he seemed like a character I wouldn’t waste ink to describe unnecessarily.
In short, he was just an ordinary extra.
Really, just an ordinary extra.
The one whose name I didn’t even know until recently. Just an extra.
I muttered the word forcefully once again.
Just an extra.
“…?”
At that moment, he suddenly turned his gaze towards me. Startled, I quickly pretended to be engrossed in my book again. This time, instead of a yawn, I heard laughter that seemed to suck the air out of the room.
“hehehe…”
“Ugh…”
It seemed like he caught on that I had been staring at him until just now. How did he know? Perhaps he had already noticed or was there something glaring on my face? Either way, it was an awkward situation.
No, the real awkwardness was the current situation.
In fact, I had been somewhat aware of the guy sitting next to me for quite some time. About a week after I possessed her, I noticed the intense gaze directed at me from the adjacent seat. Like observing me, that gaze, from head to toe, continued for over a month.
But back then, I just brushed it off as something insignificant. It could be a minor detail not described in the novel. And it wasn’t that strange for a commoner sitting next to a noble lady to receive a gaze mixed with fear and reverence, right?
So, I ignored it for a while. There was nothing to gain by getting acquainted, and I assumed Yuna would handle it. Well, there was a very, very small reason related to my somewhat increased fear of interacting with people during my reclusive life, but anyway, I deliberately ignored him like a cold-hearted antagonist. He, in turn, did nothing besides staring, and I thought that was enough.
But one day, right after Professor Edman’s imperial history class, as I stood up to quickly review my notes…
He proved that he was not just an ordinary extra.
And how he proved that was…
…
“Ugh…”
Thud.
This time, the entire pencil lead snapped, rolling under the desk. But I didn’t even think about finding a new pencil; I just froze. Even now, thinking about that moment made me feel dizzy, and my ears seemed to get warm.
“…?”
As I kept breaking pencils, I felt the gaze from the side again. Worried that my face might have turned red, I turned my head slightly, covering my face with long hair like drawing curtains. Then, I began to ponder the question that had come up dozens of times, chewing it over again…
Does touching me bring in sponsorship? And in my name? It was still an unbelievable story, and I had no intention of believing it. Why would they sponsor someone like me? I’m not even… anything like that. Why would they receive sponsorship by touching me?
I hesitantly tried to recall multiple times, but there didn’t seem to be such a bizarre episode in the original. No, in the first place, there was not a single line about the extra sitting next to the antagonist lady. There was no mention of a character named Ellen or Elone, and there was no boring and irrelevant episode about her getting involved with a commoner in the original!
I clenched my fist, burning with anger, alone. Let’s say that this variable arose because I distorted the character from the original. But it hadn’t caused any noticeable changes yet, and above all, extras usually don’t get involved with the main characters in these cases. Like a prince surprised by the rebirth of the antagonist lady or the protagonist approaching for friendship even now. They at least have some information about my personality, but this extra, without any information, is just… just…
How should I handle this?
I turned my gaze once again to steal a glance at Ellen’s face. Underneath the ordinary, jet-black hair resembling the night sky and the unremarkable, thick, sharp eyebrows without a hint of individuality, there were deep, vivid blue eyes that sparkled like the endless galaxy. I scrutinized that plain face carefully and then turned my head back towards the desk. Suddenly, a sigh escaped my lips for no apparent reason.
“Hmm…”
I felt a bit unjust all of a sudden. Here I am, pondering and struggling with my thoughts, and that foolish guy probably isn’t thinking about anything, right? After that day, I had been on guard for a while, expecting him to concoct some malicious plan, but surprisingly, nothing happened at all.
Even the frequency of his piercing gazes decreased, and instead, he seemed to steal glances from my direction more often. It felt extremely unfair that it had turned into a picture where I seemed to be more concerned about him. And, very occasionally, I even felt a slight sense of disappointment.
“…”
No. I’m not disappointed at all. It’s actually better this way. The unpredictable variable disappears on its own, which is a relief for me, right? I shook my head, reaffirming my thoughts.
Yeah. I’ll just ignore it and go on. If I continue like this, we’ll naturally drift apart after a month when we change seats again, and I can focus on my studies as planned. Then both of us can have a happy ending. With that resolution in mind, I clenched my fist.
“Yuna?”
“Uh… Yeah? Yeah?”
However, as soon as I heard his voice, my determined resolution faded away, and I turned my gaze towards him, stammering a bit. Ellen opened his mouth with an indifferent expression.
“They say the next magic class will be held as an outdoor practical lesson. Shouldn’t we change into our practical uniforms?”
“Oh… Yeah. Right. Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Ellen gave me a fleeting smile and quickly walked towards the changing room. I watched his retreating figure, and without realizing it, I expelled the tension I had been holding with a sigh.
Maybe I should have just ignored it. No, if I did that, he might have approached me more persistently. And it’s more natural this way. It must be, right? I raised my head to confirm my own doubts.
Then, as usual, the classroom appeared, peacefully flowing in its ordinary way. Good. It was natural. Just as I was about to smile at myself for self-reflection, I suddenly felt a gaze from the corner of the classroom directed at me. Glancing in that direction, I saw some noble youths squinting at me.
A few months ago, they were blindly following me. Well, followers of the villainess, to be exact. Once they were fanatical devotees swearing unconditional loyalty, but recently, we naturally drifted apart, and we didn’t even exchange greetings anymore. It was fortunate for me. Being with them would only bring me closer to the bad ending.
Well… it’s not like I have anyone to have a conversation with now. In fact, I hadn’t devised a clear plan on how to deal with them yet. Keeping a distance is fine, but I also felt that completely ignoring them might not be the best solution.
And come to think of it, there’s a lot to worry about. I have to catch up with my classes, settle my human relationships, and deal with the newly emerged variable.
Living as a possessed individual in this world was more exhausting than I had thought.
“Sigh…”
By the way, outdoor practical training…
As I recalled that word, unpleasant memories from my school days surged up, accompanied by a vague sense of unease. It felt like things wouldn’t end smoothly. I tried to cover the scars within my heart that replayed like a nightmare, earnestly repeating just one wish.
Please. Let the teacher not say that one thing.