- The author wrote this while slightly out of their mind.
Even the author doesn't know what on earth this writing is about.
Even the author doesn't know why they wrote it.
It is a bundle of clichés.
- Please read this lightly... It's a total mess with absolutely no plausibility anyway...
I intentionally left the part where the female lead's real name appears blank. You can insert your own name as you read...
-TRIGGER WARNING! Since this is based on internet novels that were popular in the early 2010s, there may be scenes reminiscent of school violence.
How to Survive as an Extra
: One day, I became an extra in a novel.
W. Geuppeum
"……reading…,"
"…uh…, …yeon…,"
"I...l-eo-na..."
"……OOO!"
When I snapped open my eyes, the face filling my field of vision was Park Jimin's, beads of sweat glistening on its forehead. Before I could even fully clear my half-asleep mind, the moment I realized I was conscious, my body began to tremble. My teeth chattered involuntarily.
"Kim Yeon, OOO!! Are you okay? Are you feeling better?"
"…jimin park?"
"Your legs, your legs... will you be able to walk?"
"…I don't know…,"
It's cold... My arms and legs had long since stiffened from the cold wind of the early autumn night. As I wrapped my arms around my chilled body, my movements sluggish from the cold, Park Jimin hurriedly covered me with the jacket he was wearing. It felt so warm it was practically burning, and it was only after being covered by that jacket that I realized just how low my body temperature had dropped. I really almost died.
Kim Seokjin lowered his gaze after confirming that the trembling in his body had noticeably subsided compared to before. His socks and sneakers were constricting his swollen ankle so tightly it was pitiful. They say seeing a wound hurts more than seeing it, and the moment I checked the injury firsthand, my ankle began to throb. "Can you walk?" Park Jimin asked. I shook my head violently. "Walk? The moment you put that foot on the ground right now, you might shed a tear from the pain. Absolutely not." At my words, Park Jimin acknowledged it and slowly placed his hand on my ankle.
"…eww,"
"it hurts?"
I nodded, and Park Jimin, who seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, said, "Just bear with it for a bit," and carefully, yet quickly, took off my shoes. Even my socks. A sudden throbbing pain shot up my ankle, and I let out a groan as I bent over at the waist. …It fucking hurts! A cold breeze brushed against my aching ankle. Is this what it feels like to have your bones freezing? I really didn't need to go through this beforehand.
"Can you ride uphill?"
"Well… my leg, ugh,"
Not only was the leg with the sprained ankle in a bad state, but the other leg was also in a condition that could hardly be called intact, even by the nicest word. There were scratches all over, and a pretty severe tear was visible as well. "Wow, is that my blood?" I asked, looking at the drops of blood dripping onto the fallen leaves. Park Jimin chided me, asking if that was important right now. "Right, it's not important..." I muttered, putting strength into my arms and lifting myself up. I plopped down against Park Jimin, who was crouching with his back to me, and he effortlessly lifted me up. "It's okay to move around this much, right?" he asked as he walked cautiously, and I nodded. Thanks to his cat-like gait, my ankle never dangled and caused pain by mistake. It was around that time that I thought, "I'm alive." And at the same time, as I rubbed my stiff neck and lifted my head...
"…What is all that…?"
"……hmm,"
My jaw dropped. The reason was that the sight unfolding before me was so… like something out of a drama.
"…Are you kidding me?!"
"Ow! My head, my head, my head! Wait, let's talk, let's talk! Don't hit me, ugh, don't hit me!"
"What on earth is all that!!"
"I didn't do that! Argh! You're damn strong...!"
Explain it right now—!!!
Okay, let's just say there are police officers and paramedics. But no matter how much I think about it, those people over there in splendid suits don't look like police officers or paramedics. And those burly men staring at Park Jimin and me from over there... are they gangsters? In any case, it seemed almost certain they weren't police. Anyway, the fact that I was the one all eyes were on made me feel incredibly ashamed.
I wished it had ended there, but seeing the lights pouring down from above, I looked up at the sky, thinking, "Surely not." As the saying goes, "Surely not" is what kills you; I even heard an unfamiliar noise. The bright lights adorning the night sky were not just the moon and stars. Making a loud "dudududu" sound as they filled the skies above Jeju Island, well, anyone could tell they were helicopters.
"Send the stretcher, quickly!"
"Students! Wait down there!"
"Help me come up!"
My grip on Park Jimin's shoulder tightened. The sweatshirt he was wearing was crumpled miserably in my hand. I was so embarrassed that I almost cried. Watching the Eunhabyeol High School students lurking over here like meerkats, my ears burned red with shame.
"…Let me tell you in advance, I definitely tried to stop it."
I squeezed my eyes shut as I listened to Park Jimin's excuse that wasn't really an excuse. I felt like just staying stuck down there would be a hundred times better for my mental health. Fuck...!
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With the so-called 'Kim Yeon-ju Rescue Incident' successfully concluded, I was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital to treat the various injuries sustained from rolling down the mountain and my ankle. Naturally, I didn't forget to glare fiercely at Park Ji-min, who remained in the guardian seat.
"Are you kidding me?! It's not like we're filming a movie—"
"…No, because we are worried,"
"Would it hurt you to look for me in a normal way?! It's not like I got lost on Mt. Halla or Mt. Jirisan; I was just stuck in the hill behind my neighborhood, so what…! You basically went around advertising to everyone that I’m missing!!"
"……."
"If I had known this would happen, I would have just crawled out on my own to escape…!"
Jeon Jungkook looked at my leg, heavily bandaged and trapped in a cast, and gave me a look that said, "With that leg?" I thought I had just sprained it, but apparently, it was a fracture. Not only that, there was a shallow crack in my ribs, and my back, which I hadn't even realized was in pain, was a wreck from rolling down the hillside. Actually, things like how many weeks of recovery it would take weren't important to me.
"What about Yeoju and Yujin?"
"The homeroom teacher sent them back to the dorms, so they couldn't come, both of them. Kim Taehyung... well, he said he was staying with Kim Yeoju."
"…But how did you guys get here?"
"……."
"Okay, let's leave Park Jimin aside. What about you two?"
The things that had been checking on me just moments ago, wondering if my wound had burst open or if the cast was uncomfortable, turned their gaze away one by one. Some awkwardly changed the subject, saying, "Hmm... it's almost twelve," while others needlessly picked up an empty vase only to put it back down. Seeing that, I thought, "Again!" A creeping sense of anxiety began to rise up my spine. "...How did you get here?" I grabbed the arm of Kim Seokjin, who was closest to me, and asked again with wide eyes; the answer I received was enough to shock me.
"…I’m the one who called the helicopter and ambulance, so I’m taking care of the aftermath as well…”
"…what?!"
"I'm the one who suggested it, but Jeon Jungkook is the one who called! Park Jimin called the police, and Jeon Jungkook called the security company separately. I'm not the only one who did that, okay?"
"Hey, that's unfair—"
"You said you wouldn't say anything—"
I can't be the only one to die.
I clutched the back of my neck as I watched them start bickering amongst themselves. Oh my, my head hurts...!
Don't be like that. I did it because I was worried.
Kim Seokjin spoke to me as I lay face down on the bed. His voice was so dejected it sounded pitiful. I rolled my eyes and glanced at them, seeing that they all looked strangely downcast. ...Did I say too much? I wondered.
They said three hours. That was the time it took them to find me on that small hill behind the house. Well, as for me, having practically passed out after rolling down the slope with my whole body, I didn't really feel the passage of time. However, it wasn't that I couldn't understand the anxiety of those who realized I was missing while fully conscious. I could understand why they went to such lengths—using helicopters and security firms—which seemed like total overkill to someone like me who had lived such an infinitely ordinary life, knowing that was the fastest way to find me. And I knew that all of these actions stemmed from their concern for me. Well, I wouldn't want to go through this twice, but still—
"You're right, I should have said that first."
"……."
"thank you."
"……."
Still, try to hold off on the helicopter next time.
Jeon Jungkook grinned, his face brimming with mischief as he acknowledged it. As for the expressions on the other two's faces, well, needless to say!
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After receiving proper treatment—which had been closer to first aid—and undergoing a few tests to check for any abnormalities elsewhere in my body, time had flown by. On the third day of the school trip, having spent my time on a slightly different schedule than the other students, I hurriedly picked up my regular clothes and put them on instead of the hospital gown I had been wearing all night. After all, I had to get home. Although one of my feet was fractured, it wasn't to the point where I couldn't move at all; since I was in a condition where I could move around as much as I wanted with crutches, it was a huge relief that I had avoided being confined to a wheelchair.
"Ah, I wanted to go to the museum too. That's a shame."
At least speak with some soul.
Park Jimin giggled. Given my physical condition, I needed someone to support me. Park Jimin did not miss the opportunity to take advantage of the last day of the school trip to skip the entire schedule. Judging by the broad smile on his face as he carried me on his back, I could tell that he was not saying it out of genuine regret.
It feels heavier than yesterday.
"…It’s probably because of the cast?"
"But your face is too shiny for that."
I had nothing to say, so I clamped my mouth shut. Fine, let me be honest. Compared not only to the past two days of the school trip but also to the four months of life in the novel, my time in the hospital—a mere 12 hours—was… heaven. I ate well, played well, and rested well. And I did it in a private room. With abalone porridge served as a special meal and a TV connected to every kind of cable, I couldn't help but feel at ease. It was all thanks to having Park Jimin, the son of P Corporation, as a friend. Anyway, it was inevitable that my face had become smooth and shiny after spending that time that wasn't exactly healing. …But what time is our flight? Park Jimin giggled again at the way I stammered out the question.
Finding someone at an airport, which is bound to be crowded at any time, is generally quite difficult, but the difficulty becomes significantly easier when you are looking for a group. That is why Park Jimin and I were able to spot the group of Eunhabyeol High School students in one go without getting lost; of course, it wasn't just the simple fact that they were all wearing uniforms, but also... the fact that the faces in that group were handsome enough to put celebrities to shame. It seemed like half the people in the airport were staring at them. I trust that you all know who they are by now.
"…! Yeonju, Yeonju!!"
The moment Park Jimin put me down, a heavy sensation struck my solar plexus, and I let out an unsightly groan. Fortunately, having avoided landing on my butt in the middle of the airport, I gently stroked the head of Kim Yeo-ju, who was dangling from my stomach and looking up at me with teary eyes. "Did you enjoy your sightseeing?" It wasn't a question I asked specifically to get an answer, so before Kim Yeo-ju could open her mouth, I waved to Lee Yu-jin, who was belatedly running toward us. "Yeon-ju...!"
"I'm feeling a bit better... gasp, a cast?!"
"…!"
"Uh, this is..."
"Severely injured..."
"Uh, uh, uh, what do, what do I do!! Did you hurt your ankle?! Does it hurt a lot?! I, I shouldn't have clung to you..."
"No, no, it's not that bad..."
Kim Yeo-ju looked up at me with trembling eyes, appearing just on the verge of panic, so I couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. Eventually, I had to desperately explain that although my ankle was fractured for about five minutes, it wasn't that serious; I would need a few follow-up visits, but since I had a cast on, it wouldn't get any worse; the rest was just minor bruises that had been treated long ago; and now, having taken sufficient rest during the remaining time, my body was in perfectly fine condition.
"That's such a relief... I, I thought it was serious... I was so worried that I only slept seven hours yesterday..."
… I did wonder, "Isn't 7 hours considered deep sleep?" but I decided to let it slide. Right, if someone who usually sleeps 9 hours only got 7, that's less sleep, isn't it? Anyway, that is how I was able to wrap up the touching reunion with Kim Yeo-ju and Lee Yu-jin. No, I thought I had finished, but it wasn't the end. That is, when I realized that the students of Eunhabyeol High School were looking this way, I realized that I would have to repeat everything I had said so far over and over again.
A few people who had heard at least a rough account of what happened last night were the first to ask worried questions. To their inquiries—"I heard you got hurt, are you okay?"—I repeated like a parrot the answer that I had received treatment and only needed to visit the hospital a few more times. However, once the question "I heard you got hurt, are you okay?" began to exceed thirteen times, I stopped answering. I kept it to just a single word: "I'm fine." Roughly twenty-six times? And when I finally uttered the words "I'm fine" for the twenty-seventh time, I had to hear that even someone who was undoubtedly a very unexpected person had expressed concern.
"…Yeonju!"
The very first thought that crossed my mind as I reflexively caught Kwon Yeon-hee, who had suddenly thrown herself into my arms, was this: "...What is this? Why is she acting like this?" Before I could even ask why she was acting this way, Kwon Yeon-hee lifted her head from my embrace and screamed, "I'm so sorry!!" Putting aside the fact that everyone's eyes were fixed on us, I couldn't help but make a strange face because I simply couldn't understand the situation. As for the reason—well, as everyone knows—it was Kwon Yeon-hee who had pushed me down that mountain. Recalling dozens of hypotheses flashing through my mind, I thought: Was she actually a bit out of her mind last night? Was she in a state where she couldn't think rationally, so she pushed me in a fit of rage? And that is why she's saying she's sorry for pushing me down the mountain—
I left you behind…! Ugh, I thought I’d be able to find my way again, but the mountain was too dark. So…,"
"…hmm…,"
"I'm sorry...! When you tripped and fell, I shouldn't have gone back to get someone! If I had just stayed there with you, we could have found you sooner...,"
"No way!" The reactions of those around Kwon Yeon-hee changed as she rattled off words, her eyes red and looking as if she were about to burst into tears. "So that's what happened... She ended up like that after falling down the mountain? Ouch, that must hurt. But that's not Yeon-hee's fault, is it? Well... right? But why is Yeon-hee apologizing..."
Kwon Yeon-hee must have staged this ridiculous play exactly because she wanted a situation like this, right? Or perhaps, wondering if this scene was also one of the ones in the novel, I stood there blankly for a moment, doing nothing. If it were a scene from the novel, I would have been spouting some strange lines or taking some action. Confirming that the silence between Kwon Yeon-hee and me was growing longer while the whispering of the people around us was growing louder, I finally smiled and placed my hand on Kwon Yeon-hee's shoulder. So, it's not a scene from the novel after all? Then—
"I'm fine, Yeon-hee. You were really surprised too, weren't you?"
"Huh? Uh-huh..."
It's okay. It's not your fault. My footI stumbledI just fell down, right?
If they wanted to make it my fault that I rolled down the mountain, I could have gladly pretended it was my fault. At least it was undoubtedly a much better choice than stupidly screaming, "What are you talking about? Didn't you push me?" Kwon Yeon-hee's expression froze for a moment. However, since she composed herself just as quickly, I was the only one who saw that frozen look for a brief moment. But did she really think I would fall for such a stupid provocation, knowing I was possessed? Just how stupid does she think I am? Anyway, having shown a reaction that was undoubtedly the exact opposite of what Kwon Yeon-hee had hoped for, I—to Kwon Yeon-hee, who gave a reluctant "Uh-huh..."
"Don't blame yourself too much, okay?"
I hugged her tightly. With all my might. Perhaps moved by the sight of me gripping her so tightly, Kwon Yeon-hee let out a grinding sound of her teeth. I didn't bother to add a warning not to grind her teeth carelessly, considering how expensive dental implants are these days. After all, I didn't want to make a fool of myself by having my hair pulled right in the middle of the airport.
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"Just because of that, are you going to leave it as it is?"
The school trip ended safely. I did wonder if it was right to use the word "safely" looking like a broken bone with a cast on, but the fact that I arrived home alone seemed sufficient to describe it as having ended safely. Of course, it wasn't my intention to enter the house with three guests trailing right behind me.
As soon as the three unwanted guests arrived at my house, the first thing they did was gather in the living room and harass me like a mouse, demanding that I explain in detail, from A to Z, what had happened at the courage training center. Because I didn't want to make a big fuss, I vaguely explained at the hospital that I had argued with Kwon Yeon-hee, and that she had pushed me in a fit of anger, causing me to tumble down the mountain. However, when words completely different from my account came out of Kwon Yeon-hee's mouth, they finally realized that I was hiding something. Of course, that didn't mean I intended to tell the truth. That was the reason I rattled off excuses I had prepared in advance with the intention of glossing over the situation, but, well, I suppose you could say that not a single one of them worked.
So, ultimately, the words that came out of my mouth were about what happened that evening, excluding the very minute details; however, I wasn't so blind as to fail to distinguish between the hospital explanation that "Kwon Yeon-hee pushed me in a fit of rage" and "I don't know what I did wrong, but Kwon Yeon-hee has taken a grudge against me, and as a result, she pushed me." In fact, when I remarked that it seemed like she had pushed me down the hillside with quite a deliberate gesture, the three uninvited guests clenched their fists, expressing with their whole bodies, "I'm pissed off." Honestly, when we were deliberating on how to deal with Kwon Yeon-hee next, I desperately wanted to participate actively. However, the answer that came out of my mouth was not agreement to the plan to assassinate Kwon Yeon-hee, but simply, "Just leave her alone."
"How can you tell me to just let it go after that happened to you? You said you pushed me, and on purpose at that!"
"Oh man, I mean, I'm not saying you should just blindly put up with it; there are reasons of your own..."
"You didn't think it would be okay since you'd just return to the real world if you died anyway?"
The reason I fell silent at Kim Seokjin's words was that what he said hit the nail on the head. To be precise, it wasn't that I hadn't considered the possibility at all. After all, for me, this wasn't reality. If that were the case, wouldn't I return to my original world if I died in this novel? It was a simple assumption, and in a way, a plausible hypothesis. But you see,
"You think it's okay to die, so that's why it doesn't feel like a big deal to you, even though you almost died."
"……."
"…If only you had thought about us even a little bit…! No, never mind. Let's stop."
"I'll be going first." No one stopped Kim Seokjin as he packed his bags, opened the front door, and left. It was as if the chilling silence that had settled down was holding each of them captive. The sound of the door lock engaging was heard.
But you see, I felt a bit wronged. I mean, even though I wondered if I could return to reality if I died, the reason I didn't take any action directly related to death, like suicide, wasn't simply because I was a coward. Oh, of course, I do lack the courage to jump off a skyscraper or stab myself with a knife—I really don't have it, but...!
"…Oh, my head…."
I swear, I’m not trying to brush this off lightly just because of thoughts like that! Ugh, would it hurt you to just listen to me until the end? My head was throbbing, so I slumped onto the sofa. Burning with rage, I glared furiously at the front door that Kim Seokjin had just stormed out of. Frowning in injustice, I snapped my head toward the two of them sitting on the living room floor, nervously glancing around. Seeing them flinch in surprise at our eye contact, it was obvious exactly what they were thinking.
"I'm telling you in advance, I didn't think that. Just jump to conclusions."
I ran my hand over my dry face several times. I was organizing my thoughts when it was Park Jimin who spoke first. "Then what were you thinking?" His voice, as he asked for the reason, was strangely dejected. The moment I heard it, I knew he shared the same thoughts as Kim Seokjin. I mean, that his dismissive attitude toward the near-death experience stemmed from that utterly frivolous thought of "If I die, it's over"—that stupid! unfair thought! Enraged, I screamed. "Ah!! Whatever it was, that wasn't the reason!!"
"The reason I told you to just leave Kwon Yeon-hee alone was, I mean, because she called me by my proper name! I didn't even think about death or anything like that!"
"……."
What does it mean that I called you by your name correctly?
"Before Kwon Yeon-hee pushed me, she said something along the lines of, 'Does it matter if you just aren't here?' But she definitely called my name, OOO."
"…Is that a reason?"
"Fuck..." I muttered softly. "What am I supposed to do with these idiots? That's why they sit there with the weird misconception that I treat my life as light as a fly's." Ruffling my hair wildly in frustration, I sprang up and spoke.
"'OOO'!!! I'm telling you, you called me OOO?"
We call you that too.
"…At school, they call me Kim Yeon-ju, though."
"Right!! At school, I'm Kim Yeon-ju,"
"……."
"……."
"But I'm telling you, they called me OOO?!"
"…!"
"…!"
I let out a sigh as I watched the two idiots' faces turn to shock. Oh, my fate...
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