Chapter 33 : Running with Si Hoo #4 - No Kidding, I’m an Extra

"Ohhh!" It was a truly astonishing spectacle. The suit-clad lance-wielder leapt vertically into the air and then propelled himself forward like an arrow. -BANG! His lance exuded a chilling blue aura that was enough to give anyone goosebumps. Is this the level of an active hero? The conclusion was obvious. "Screeeech!" A moth monster, the size of a medium car, was pierced in an instant. From that point, Sihoo, who was fighting diligently, began to retreat. He then noticed me and charged towards me with a fierce intensity. "Hey! Sihoo!" "Geun Cheol!" "Whoops." "Why did you stay here when I told you to run! I said I might get hurt!!!" Sihoo, furious, jabbed his finger into my chest as he yelled. "Hey, hey. Calm down." "Calm what? Geun Cheol might have died!" "But I'm alive, aren't I? I just took down an F-rank monster and came up to assess the situation. Relax. I'm not a child. Do you think I'd just let myself die?" "That's true, but...! Phew! Anyway, Geun Cheol, be careful! People without training can easily die!" "Yeah, yeah. I know my life is precious too, so calm down. Okay?" Of course, I need to be cautious. As I reassured him, signaling my understanding, Sihoo looked at me and sighed. Such a worrywart. "So, Geun Cheol, you killed a monster?" "Yeah! I took one down! Wow! It was a truly heroic feat!" "Could you stop lying for once...!" "I'm not lying! But the truth is, I isolated one and took it down. Listen, Sihoo, I think I've reached the level of a sword energy merchant." "Sword what?" Sihoo tilted his head in confusion. "I can use sword energy. That's how I defeated it." "Geun Cheol using sword energy?! That's a lie! Liar Geun Cheol!" "No! It's true!" Overly shocked, Sihoo shouted in disbelief. "Then show me!" "Right now...! I'm out of mana, so it's tough! I'll show you next time!" "Seems doubtful. For weak Geun Cheol to emit sword energy, he’d need at least another month of practice." "Ah! You’ve been living in deception! Can't you trust a friend?! Want a cafeteria bread bet?" To deliver immediate justice, I grabbed Sihoo's shoulder and shook him! "Alright, alright! I believe you! It was a joke, just a joke! Aha! Ahahah! Don't grab my shoulder!" So, while bantering with Sihoo on the rooftop, we watched a hero demolish the monster. Truly overwhelming skill. "Sigh... Geun Cheol, he seems to be 'Lancer'." "Lancer?" "It's his moniker." Why such a death-flag sounding nickname? "A hero who wears a hyper suit and uses a cavalry lance. Kind of famous." "Oh... I see." I should look into this later. "Anyway, Geun Cheol, the soldiers and heroes are here now, so it's okay. We should start heading back soon." "Oh right! Sihoo! That thing!" The girl from earlier! "I saw a girl earlier!" "What? A girl?" I quickly explained to Sihoo what had just happened. A blonde girl had suddenly appeared, and while trying to rescue her, she vanished without a trace. "What... A girl just walking around calmly when a monster appeared… It doesn’t make sense..." "Isn’t it strange?" No matter how you look at it, she was an enigmatic girl. Blonde with red eyes. "And beyond that, she disappeared all of a sudden." "Hmm. That's certainly strange. Vanishing like that… Ah. Geun Cheol, could it be an illusion you got caught in?" "No. It wasn’t an illusion. I'd know if it was." "True. If it were an illusion, I would’ve heard you screaming." "What? You punk!" "Just kidding! Anyway! If she disappeared like that, she might be an Awakener. Even kids can awaken." Could that be it? "That seems plausible. Anyway, Sihoo, I'm still uneasy, so let's search a bit more. We need to rescue the child wandering on the battlefield." "Wow, Geun Cheol. You're so righteous." "It's only natural." "Yeah! If a child’s isolated, it’s only right to save them! Even if it’s a bit suspicious, let's find her, Geun Cheol!" -Smile! Sihoo said this with a refreshing smile. He really has a great personality. With Sihoo, I had no doubt he’d help rescue the civilian girl. "Let's go!" "Geun Cheol, that phrase is so outdated." "Then, smoothly?" "That's not any better!" Ah, these high schoolers today, so picky, seriously. Anyway, I searched the surroundings with Sihoo, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. I feel like I won’t be able to stay calm until we find her. "Geun Cheol, don’t worry too much. The soldiers are already here, right? They must have dealt with all the F-rank monsters." "That'd be a relief... But those soldiers are reassuring." They were armored infantry in power suits. If the monsters were susceptible to modern weaponry, they’d be riddled with bullets in no time. "How do they even use jetpacks?" "They're Defense Force mobile infantry. Usually, they use jetpacks to get on rooftops, set up anti-tank weapons, and man machine guns. They also support infantry." "That's perfect." As we continued searching, "Sigh." Sihoo sighed. "But what is this?" "What." "We finally get to hang out, and then a gate appears. Bad luck." "Why worry about that? We can just come out again next week." "Huh?! Next week?!" Why the surprise? "Oh! Right! I'm free next week too!" "Yeah. Let’s come back then. We need to do more searching anyway." "Hehe! Let’s do that then!" So, with that, Sihoo and I continued looking for that blonde girl. But we found nothing. Despite our efforts, we couldn’t spot even a shadow. As we kept searching, the sun began to set. Not only that. "Ah, there! Cadets!" A soldier with the rank of second lieutenant approached us and called out. "Yes? What do you need?" "You're the cadets who engaged in battle, right? Can we have a quick chat?" Looking at Sihoo's face, he seemed to understand. "Let's go, Geun Cheol. In times like this, just give a simple account of what happened." "Oh? Is that so? Then we can leave the search to the soldiers." "Hmm... I guess we should? It's getting late, after all." We still hadn’t found what we were looking for. It was getting late, and it would be difficult to continue searching at night. We should let the soldiers handle it. Although I was worried, the soldiers were likely more adept at searching than we were. After giving our statement to the soldiers, it was completely dark. "Ha, it's already gotten dark." "Indeed." We had planned to play a game of billiards and grab some Chinese food with Sihoo, but it was getting too late. "I wanted to play some billiards, but it's nighttime. We'll hit the billiard hall next time. If we're late, the dorm supervisor will dock our points." "Yeah. Oh, but I'm looking forward to the billiard hall. It'll be my first time." "Yeah, like a newbie for everything. Oh, right. Sihoo." Should I ask him now? "Tired from all that fighting?" "Um...? No, not at all?!" -Whoosh! Sihoo's face turned crimson. "You're going to suggest going to the bathhouse again, aren't you, Geun Cheol!" "We have one in the dorm anyway." "N-no way! I'm not going! How could I even go there!" "Why not?" "It's just that...!" "Sihoo." I looked straight into Sihoo's eyes and spoke. "I've said it before, but even if you're worried about something... you don't need to stress about it around me. We're friends." "So...!" "You don't need to sweat the small stuff with me. We’re beyond just friends; we’re a 'Brotherhood'." "Brotherhood?!" Exactly. Sihoo and I are soul brothers, connected at the core. "Sihoo, you and I are already connected at the soul. What did we do today? We fought monsters together, right? That makes us comrades, comrades. In other words, double the brotherhood." "U-ugh...!" At the mention of brotherhood, Sihoo blushed, lowering his head. Given Sihoo's complex about his feminine appearance, calling him a man's man was the highest compliment. "So, shall we hit the bathhouse together?" "Was that all just for this?! No, no way! Go to the bathhouse by yourself, Geun Cheol!" "Dammit, a wound to my heart." "A real man's man shouldn't get hurt over that...!" "Right, fair enough." Well then. Let’s head back home. Today's plan to take him to the bathhouse was a failure. * * * Back in the dorm, Lee Sihoo sighed as he removed his clothes. "Sigh." Despite sighing, a smile lingered at the corners of his mouth. Today was his first time hanging out freely on the streets with a friend. It was such an enjoyable day that just thinking back on it brought him joy. Kim Geun Cheol, his dear first friend, was someone just thinking about could make him smile. A friend who treated him normally without a care. Though he had made friends before, they never quite clicked. In comparison, Geun Cheol was... a perfect match. "Hehe." Thinking this, Lee Sihoo began unwrapping the bandages around his chest. -Sway. -Swaying gently. "..." His emotions became complicated all at once. The joy he felt moments ago faded. Naked, Sihoo stood in front of the full-length mirror, looking at his body that was becoming increasingly feminine. Just a year ago, he had no noticeable curves, but lately, his body had been growing. His chest was swelling heavily, and his waist was narrowing, making his hips and buttocks larger to an embarrassing degree. As if he were a woman. As if he could not live as a man. "I mustn’t let anyone find out I'm a girl..." She whispered quietly as she grabbed her swollen chest. Even though she wrapped it in bandages to hide it, if it grew any bigger, it would be impossible to conceal. They were already quite large. Bruising her pride, when last measured, they were a G cup... An unimaginably large size. If discovered, "Would people be angry for being deceived?" The thought brought a sense of melancholy. She felt guilty. Geun Cheol treated her sincerely as a friend, with no reservations, and yet she was hiding an enormous secret from such a treasured friend. "Ugh." A twinge of pain shot through her heart. She hadn’t realized it would be so difficult to deceive a kind friend who treated her with genuine care. Guilt. It was guilt. The guilt of deceiving a friend poked at her like needles. "I'm sorry, Geun Cheol..." She couldn’t possibly go to the bathhouse with him. Of course, she wanted to go as friends, but the genders were inherently different. Even if she could hide the lower half with a towel, she couldn't conceal the large, swollen breasts. Thus, she would live a life of deceiving her friend forever. -Ssshhh. Feeling melancholy, Lee Sihoo showered under the hot water. "..." Her family was strict. She was to live as a man. It had been decided from the start. Live her entire life hiding her gender, as dictated by her family. Even if it came to marriage, the same applied. It would be an arranged marriage with a predetermined partner. The partner, of course, being a woman. Though it would only be a marriage in name, the continuation of their lineage would be through another family member. After all, a woman and a woman can’t produce a child. She would merely live, pretending to be a man. -... After showering, she dried off adequately. The feeling of large breasts through the towel unsettled her. She had no energy for doing more. -Thud. Lee Sihoo threw herself onto the bed, still unclothed. "..." The life of living as a man. "...I don't like it." She hugged the blanket tightly, rubbing her face against it. Maybe it was okay when she was younger. But, in the end, she constantly feels like she is a woman.