Extra simply wants to live in Novel

"In the end, it's not what you reveal that matters, but what you choose to keep hidden."

– Fyodor Dostoevsky

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A blue-haired young man walked into the hospital with purposeful steps, trying to remain calm as he passed through the busy hallways. He briefly greeted the patients and family members with a warm smile, doing his best to spread some comfort.

As he walked forward, the recent battle against the Djinn returned to his mind. His words echoed in his mind, bringing back shared memories. He needed to strengthen himself, that was for sure. The threat was real, and the feeling of vulnerability was an uncomfortable reminder of his current weakness.

When he reached Oreki's room, he didn't open the door, observing in silence. He was sitting on the bed, concentrating on a breathing technique. Oreki's discipline and control were impressive, although he didn't fully understand the nature of the technique.

"This is... different from what I do," he thought, remembering the peculiar skills Oreki had demonstrated during the fight. His skills made him curious.

A few seconds passed before Oreki noticed his presence. He turned around with a slight start, surprised by the intensity of his gaze. A nervous laugh escaped his lips as he commented:

"Kim Suho, you'd do well as a well-mannered ghost."

Kim Suho smiled genuinely, acknowledging Oreki's relaxed attempt.

He approached the bed respectfully, not wanting to interrupt his recovery process. Oreki seemed much more revitalized since the Djinn's attack, his calm expression showing that the fight hadn't even affected him.

He sat down on the chair next to the bed, trying to keep the conversation light at first. "How are you feeling, Oreki?"

"I'm fine. The broken bones have healed, my mana has completely recovered, and I don't have any scars."

"That's good to hear," Suho said, genuinely happy with the news.

Even though he didn't want to belittle him, he could tell he was weak. Weaker than a normal cadet should be.

"What about you? How's your body, Kim Suho? Nayun told me a little, but nothing too detailed." Oreki asked.

"Hm? It's okay." Kim Suho looked at him, a little confused by the question.

"Your gaze doesn't seem to agree with that. That skill you used must have drained a lot of your energy. You seem to be falling apart."

Suho's eyes widened in surprise. He was sure that, on the outside, he appeared to be fine. But despite that, he let out a light, sincere laugh.

"Haha. Your observation must be impressive to have noticed that. I tried hard to appear fine."

"It's a cool skill of mine."

As they talked, he felt a mixture of admiration and concern for Oreki. He was more perceptive than he imagined, and that quality could be a powerful weapon, as long as he learned to use its strength.

However, Suho's thoughts kept returning to the confrontation with the Djinn. The battle had been intense, and his final words still echoed in his mind. He was restless. The vulnerability he felt wasn't just physical; it was mental. The idea that an enemy knew his secrets. That he knew about his past life. It kept him in a constant state of alert.

"So, what's your real reason for coming to see me?" Oreki's face remained calm, but his tone of voice said he expected something more.

This was a good time to talk about the Djinn.

Suho's face began to grow serious. "Oreki... about the Djinn..."

Oreki nodded, his face becoming serious. "Yes, I know. From what little we've seen of his personality, he'll definitely come back."

Suho frowned, worried. "This puts us in a dangerous position. We need to find a way to protect ourselves and others as well. The Djinn could use this information against us."

Oreki nodded, his eyes showing that he was prepared to protect. But Suho could see the shadow of concern on his face. He was just as worried as Suho, maybe even more so.

"We need to take care of this. I don't know what memories he saw of you, but I can tell you that mine are... worrying."

"Worrying... that's strange." Kim Suho thought. Oreki is someone who seems to think before he speaks; he wouldn't say such things so casually.

"My memories can also be considered... worrying. So we should prepare to take care of him when he shows up again."

Oreki looked around, as if he was thinking about something. Until he looked at me deeply, saying hesitantly: "It would be better if we knew the memories he saw of both of us... you know, so we can prepare for when he comes back." He stopped talking, but quickly finished the sentence: "Of course, if you're willing to share."

Suho stopped, not knowing how to respond. He was undecided if it would be a good idea to reveal my secrets.

He retreated a little, undecided about what decision to make.

They stayed there for a good few seconds, without saying anything to each other. With both of them wondering if we should talk about it.

Oreki scratched his head and decided to break the silence: "Never mind, it seems that our secrets shouldn't be spoken lightly."

"Yeah, yeah..." The atmosphere was uncomfortable. They knew that if they told each other their secrets, they could prepare themselves better. But they weren't confident in saying it.

A doctor entered the room, carrying a piece of clothing in his hands, saving them from this embarrassment.

He was already an elderly man, around 60 years old. He seemed to be someone who was quite healthy and exercised, as his posture indicated. He had a few wrinkles on his face and was tall, not as tall as Kim Suho, but still tall. His white coat and serene face made him exude professionalism and experience.

When he looked towards the two young men, he briefly focused on Suho, but then addressed Oreki.

"Brat. I have good news for you."

"Brat...?" Suho was caught off guard by the contrast with his appearance.

"Speak old man. I'm all ears for this good news."

"You've been discharged, get out and never come back." The doctor seemed very happy to 'expel' Oreki.

"God hear you. I'm tired of seeing your face. Tell the nurse I sent her a kiss." Suho's memory companion quickly got out of bed and grabbed the clothes from the doctor's hands.

"Come on, Kim Suho, what are you waiting for?" Oreki, already by the door, hurried him to leave.

"Ah, I'm going." He got up and headed towards the exit, passing by the doctor and thanking him for everything.

"Irritating brat."

Those were the last words he heard from the doctor before he closed the door behind him.

Once outside the room, they were immediately hit by the movement of the hospital. The smell of disinfectant mixed with the aroma of coffee from the visitors reminded him of the constant tension of the place, a sharp contrast to the silence of Oreki's room. He walked beside him, visibly more revitalized.

As they moved through the corridors, he noticed how Oreki was greeted by several patients and staff. A young nurse with a warm smile waved at him. "You recovered quickly, young man! I hope I don't see you here again any time soon."

Oreki replied with a slight smile. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to avoid frequent visits."

Suho watched this exchange in surprise. He really did have a way of captivating people, something he hadn't expected from someone so reserved.

They continued on their way, passing an elderly patient who was sitting in a wheelchair. He reached out and shook Oreki's hand tightly. "Thank you for keeping me entertained with your stories, young man. I'll miss you."

"Me too, sir. I hope you recover soon," Oreki replied sincerely, which only reinforced the perception that there was more to his personality than they realized.

As they approached the exit, Suho's thoughts returned to the awkward moment in the room.

"You've made a lot of friends here, huh?" he commented, trying to keep the conversation light.

He shrugged. "It's easy to make friends when you can't move around much. Talking is a good distraction."

Standing at the hospital entrance, they finally breathed in the fresh night air and saw the beautiful moon shining brightly in the sky. The silver light softly illuminated the room, giving a sense of tranquility that contrasted with the internal tension Suho felt.

He turned to look at the person beside him. "Oreki."

He took his eyes off the moon and looked at him, waiting for him to say something.

"I hope we can trust each other from now on." His words came out heavy. He needed to know that he could count on Oreki, just as he could count on Suho.

Oreki remained silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on Suho. Then, a slight smile curved his lips, and he let out a short, satisfied sigh through his nose before answering, with a touch of irony: "Believe me, I want that too."

It was possible to feel a connection there, something deeper than the simple camaraderie they had developed during the battle. They were entering a new phase, one of mutual trust and understanding. The threat of the Djinn loomed over them, but knowing that they were not alone made the burden a little lighter.

They walked together towards the portal that would take them to the Cube, in silence, but with a new sense of confidence.

***

"Home sweet home, how I missed you." Closing the door behind him, he felt a sense of comfort upon returning to this room.

There really is no better place than his resting place.

Having spent so much time in the hospital had somewhat disrupted the routine he had planned after the incident at the museum.

Oreki walked over to the couch and sat down to rest his tired mind.

His plan to make Kim Suho connect with him had worked. His interactions with the other patients had also worked, even though they had left him extremely tired. His tests with Corporeality had also worked, and his evolution was impressive.

"Evolution... it still bothers me." He muttered.

In the mood to train, he got up from the couch.

The curtains were half-open, allowing the soft moonlight to illuminate the room. He sat in the lotus position, focusing his mind on the energy around him. With his eyes closed, he began to breathe deeply, tuning into the subtle pulse of his mana.

As his hands rested calmly on his knees, he visualized a halo of ethereal energy surrounding him. With each breath, he felt the energy grow and gather around his hands. Concentrating, he began to slowly shape the energy, directing it to form simple patterns in the air.

Squares, circles, arrows, and more.

The softness of the room contrasted with the bright energy of the mana he was manipulating. The moonlight danced on the magical particles as it attracted and repelled the energy. It was a silent spectacle, where his skill manifested itself in the harmony between his mind and the mana around him.

9:40 PM

He sighed tiredly, "I've improved. Maybe I have a talent with mana? Haha, that would be nice."

That's when the voice of the 'other me' made itself heard in his mind with a greatly sarcastic tone: "Talent? If I really had talent, I could do more than that."

Oreki frowned, the inner voice creating a slight tension in his relaxation. "Don't you have anything to do besides irritate me?"

The laughter of the "other me" echoed in Oreki's mind. "Of course not, idiot. I'm 'stuck' here. What do you want me to do?"

Oreki clicked his tongue in irritation. "TSH. Annoying." Oreki lay down on the floor to regain some strength. "Hey, mental freak."

"Say, you worthless human."

"What the—. Are you playing chess?!" Oreki, somehow, managed to 'understand' what was going on in his mind.

"Yes. Isn't that obvious? I have some minimum control inside here."

Oreki is incredulous. "Okay, never mind." Oreki lets out a tired sigh. "What would you be?"

"Hmm." The 'Entity' grumbles as it moves a piece. "You could say that I am a manifestation of a part of you, born specifically from your maximized Perseverance."

Oreki let out a tired sigh, trying to divert his focus from the entity's disturbing presence. "So, you are a manifestation of my perseverance, huh? And you're playing chess while I'm here trying to relax?"

The entity, with a tone of disdain, moved another piece. "Yes, and I must say that your chess skills are not at all impressive. But who am I to judge?"

Oreki slowly stood up, his mind still in a haze of tiredness. "What exactly do you want from me?"

The entity paused the game, its voice carrying an enigmatic tone. "I want you to use your potential more effectively. What are we doing here if not underutilizing our capabilities?"

Oreki ran a hand over his face in frustration. "And what do you suggest? That I go and become a master of mana control in a day? You know that takes time."

"Time, yes," the entity replied with a wry laugh. "But do you have all that time to waste? Enemies and surprises will come, and you know it very well. If you are willing to embrace your limitations and allow me more influence, I can help you achieve faster results."

Oreki looked at the mana particles still glowing in the air. "And what do you gain from that? Why worry about my evolution?"

The entity seemed to think for a moment, his voice becoming more distant. "Because our existences are intertwined. Your success is my success. And your failure is my failure. Watching you grow and surpass your own limits is, in a way, rewarding."

Oreki walked to a window and looked at the moon. "So, you want me to improve as quickly as possible."

"Yes, but not only that," the entity replied, moving another piece on the chessboard. "I want you to start exploring unconventional methods. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. After all, you'll never know what you're capable of if you don't challenge yourself."

Oreki shook his head, trying to absorb the words. "Okay, I'll consider that. But if you give me more useful advice instead of just teasing me, maybe I'll take it more seriously."

The entity laughed, a low, echoing sound. "You're finally starting to understand. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to discuss your failures and successes. Now, go and do something useful with your time."

Oreki gave one last look at the moon before leaving, his mind spinning with new possibilities. "Okay, I'll try harder. Thanks for... some kind of advice."

No answer came.

He stood up and began to pack some things for his next training session. He'd discovered a short-distance training room a while ago.

He'd figured it would be there, but he'd never looked for it. It was the first time he was going.

With everything ready, a bottle of water, a towel, and an energy supplement he had bought on the way back, he left the room and headed to his next training session.

Wearing light training clothes, he walked through the corridors lit by soft lights. His steps were calm. When he reached the training room, he felt the change in the atmosphere. The door slid to the side, revealing the futuristic space in front of him. The ambient light automatically adjusted to the presence of someone, creating a welcoming environment.

Just like the shooting range he was used to going to, there were several booths for the cadets to enter and train, allowing for greater concentration.

Finding an empty room, he entered it, with its door sliding to the side as he approached his smartwatch.

The training room was spacious and minimalist. The walls were covered with a holographic material that projected moving images, imitating dynamic battle scenarios. The ambient lighting adjusted automatically, creating a focused and immersive atmosphere.

The floor was made of a special compound, equipped with touch-sensitive sensors to accurately capture the practitioners' movements. In the center, a holographic holomannequin waited, ready to challenge the trainees.

[Choose your training difficulty.]

[You can choose between level 1 and 9.]

A robotic voice reverberated through the room.

"It seems to use the same system as the shooting range. Level 1 should just dodge, 2 should defend yourself, 3 should start attacking but at a less aggressive level and increase the aggressiveness and strength as you increase." He deduced the difficulty of the levels.

"Level 3." He didn't know if his current strength level would support this fight, so he started at a low level.

[Choose the number of holograms you want.]

[You must choose at least 1 and a maximum of 10.]

It makes sense, the heroes won't just fight against just one being.

"1 hologram"

[Confirmed.]

"Time to f..."

As he began to prepare himself, the hologram ran towards Oreki at high speed, preparing a punch.

He was caught off guard, but managed to dodge it by a hair's breadth thanks to his improved perception and speed.

Driving to the right, throwing his bag to the side, he adjusted his stance, and prepared the CC.

The holomannequin advanced with a rapid combination of attacks, challenging him to react with precision. Oreki blocked and dodged with fluid movements, demonstrating a notable improvement in his dexterity in just two weeks of training and increasing his stats.

"Great, my change of speed and dexterity in my movements have improved significantly. Time to counterattack." He was happy and excited about his visible improvement.

With the LOA activated, he found a gap in the hologram's sequence of blows. He ducked under a high kick and, taking advantage of the opportunity, turned his torso and punched the hologram in the side of the belly, making it flinch.

Without wasting any time, he raised his arm and landed an elbow on the back of the hologram's neck, which disappeared in a flash.

"Uhhh, that was great. My skills have improved a lot since the last shadowbox. CC has made an impressive improvement—body awareness, sense of distance, movement, breathing... Everything has improved." Oreki smiled with satisfaction and decided to increase the difficulty for the next round.

Before starting the training, he spotted a shelf full of weapons to train with.

"Well, I was already planning to use other weapons." Oreki thought for a while and approached, wanting to use a weapon.

Swords, spears, halberds, daggers, scythes and several others flashed across his vision.

"Daggers... Nariyuki used daggers." He picked up two daggers to train with.

Preparing himself mentally, he changed the level to 4 and prepared himself as best he could.

Time for training.

***

Heroes' Tower, located in the heart of Seoul.

On the 103rd floor of this Hero Association headquarters, Yun Seung-Ah was reading the records of the recent unauthorized incident. The video she was watching was filmed by the museum's camera. Naturally, it contained the battle between the Cube cadets and a Djinn.

Although she was a little hesitant, knowing that she might get into trouble if they found out, the words she heard from an agent of the Hero Association encouraged her to move forward.

"How did he manage to do that?" she muttered to herself, confused as to how someone could use so many elements consecutively.

"But this person..." Her eyes fixed on the young man in the video. He was handsome, in her perception, with calm green eyes and a confident posture. In the video, he was talking to Kim Suho. When the Djinn appeared, he remained calm, as if he had already expected it.

A few minutes after the Djinn's arrival, the green-eyed young man acted, imbuing his bullets with what appeared to be the lightning element, almost unnoticeable in the midst of combat.

When he fired, the bullet passed between the Djinn's transformed arm and Kim Suho's sword, striking the enemy with an electric shock. This was a feat that should have been impossible with a conventional firearm, much less coming from a cadet with a firearm.

"Hmm." Yun Seung-Ah was impressed. But what surprised her the most was the use of multiple elements by a cadet that made her even more intrigued.

"He didn't catch my eye at first, but now, Oreki Houtarou, you've definitely caught my interest."

Thud!

The door opened abruptly, and Yun Seung-Ah turned around quickly, her heart racing. Standing before her was Aileen, the Association's executive.

Despite her petite build and standing only 1.53 meters tall, Yun Seung-Ah knew that a 10 meter tall giant resided within this woman. Her short, dark hair framed a delicate face with large, expressive eyes. Aileen looked like a porcelain doll, with fair, smooth skin. Her expressions were captivating, and her presence, though small, did not go unnoticed.

However, the expression on her face was one of pure severity.

Yun Seung-Ah's face paled as she jumped in horror.

"Ir—Elder Sister?"

"I knew you were here. "Leave now," Aileen ordered, her voice thick with magical energy.

"Wait, I can explain, I just—"

"Shut up and follow me." Aileen's tone was relentless, leaving no room for argument.

Before leaving, Aileen cast a quick glance at the television. As she did so, she saw Oreki taunting the Djinn and narrowly dodging an attack from the creature, a maneuver that demonstrated courage, skill, and a good dose of recklessness.

Aileen watched the scene with a slight arch of her eyebrow, a slight interest passing over her face. Although she was rarely impressed, the young man's boldness and skill made her curious.

Turning her attention to Yun Seung-Ah, she said in a slightly less severe tone, "This boy… he's something."

Yun Seung-Ah, still apprehensive, nodded quickly. "Yes, he is."

"Now, come with me," Aileen ordered, the sternness returning to her tone. "We have much to discuss regarding unauthorized intrusions."

Yun Seung-Ah didn't want to follow her, even if it cost her life. But her body seemed to have a will of its own, moving under the influence of Aileen and her "Spiritual Order." It was a powerful ability, but it came at a high price, both in magical power and in her body.

"Elder sister, I'm a hero too! Please take that into consideration!" She begged, trying anything to avoid her punishment.

Her ability was honestly very deceiving.

"Only the Heroes of the Association are allowed to enter here."

"I know! I'll leave by myself, so let me go!"

"You better hurry up before I throw you out the window."

In the end, Yun Seung-Ah was thrown out of the registration room.

"You have two choices. One, be punished. Two, help me with a certain thing."

"I'm sorry. Please let me go this time. I don't want to do this either."

Only the video Yun Seung-Ah was watching was left playing in the empty room.

"Save me!"