NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1 - Protect the main character.
Many new students were sitting in the huge schoolyard.
Nestled among them, I was able to comfortably pass the time.
“…Hey you! Wake up!”
“Aah!”
“I know the principal’s speech is boring, but as a student of this academy, you need to set an example.”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
Everyone else had suffered the area-of-effect sleep attack called the welcoming speech, but I was fine.
“……”
[Reader, a teacher is coming!]
“I’m not sleeping, teacher.”
“Oh, I see…Sorry…”
The teacher who had approached me looked puzzled and turned away.
She looked confused, thinking I was surely snoring.
This face really comes in handy at times like this.
My narrow eyes make it hard to judge whether I’m asleep.
Hehehe.
[…You do remember what you’re supposed to be doing, right?]
“Of course, Author. I remember.”
Of course, I wasn’t sleeping.
I was just goofing off.
The simple question is what action I was taking.
I was looking for someone.
[Ugh, today’s chapter was tough to make…Reader, comfort me…!]
“You’re the only one who could have created a world like this, Author. I think it’s amazing.”
Yes, only you could have.
The one who forcibly threw me into this novel.
Why are you just writing web novels when you have such power?
If it was a completed or popular novel, I could understand. There were many like that.
I could have reluctantly accepted it.
But throwing me into a novel you haven’t even written yet, what is that about?
And why did you throw a guy into a female character?
[Hehe, such praise…]
It’s not praise.
I let out a small sigh and refocused my scattered attention from inwardly blaming the Author.
Yes, what can I do? It’s already happened.
The Author created this world and started the series.
In the end, web novels are told from the main character’s perspective, so I have to be around him.
To tailor the story to the Author’s tastes.
What if the Author gets tired of writing the novel and leaves, or the main character, Yu Siwoo, gets seriously injured in some incident and can’t continue the story?
…I don’t even want to imagine it. Who knows what could happen?
In the end, there’s only one way for me to survive.
While guiding the Author, who is a hopeless case, and protecting the not-yet-grown main character.
I have to defeat whatever evil forces arise, whose identities and settings probably haven’t even been determined yet.
The difficulty level is ridiculously high.
“…Found him.”
[Oh, really?! For real. There he is.]
After staring at the backs of the students’ heads for a while, a familiar head appeared.
Yes, that head.
There’s no mistaking it.
Why? Because even the back of his head looks handsome. Damn.
Why is such a good-looking guy the main character…I guess it’s because he’s handsome, right?
The world is absurd.
Oh, he’s looking this way.
I naturally turned my gaze towards the principal.
Whether the new students are spaced out or not, he keeps giving his speech in the same manner.
Are all principals like that in every world?
[Reader, you can look again. He’s facing forward.]
“Thanks, author.”
I looked back at Yu Siwoo.
Yes, that boy is the main character.
No matter what happens, that guy can’t get hurt.
If he does get hurt, it has to be within a manageable range.
But if I approach him looking like this, I’ll naturally be rejected.
[Hmm, what to do…]
From the start, I can’t act like other web novel main characters.
Steal all the talents/abilities?
I doubt I even have any talents. They probably weren’t set in the first place.
Ask for help from another important character?
Ha, from what I’ve seen of the Author’s tendencies these past few days, it doesn’t seem like they’ve thought of that.
A major world-shaking event for the story?
…There are no important characters or talents, so what major event?
It’s literally just a live writing session.
The Author said they are writing using the world as inspiration.
Whether this is a world the Author created or just observing a created world,
I’m not sure. And it doesn’t really matter if I find out.
[Should I stick with this? Hmm, but I like this way too…]
In the end, there’s only one thing I have to do.
Guide this unpredictable world in as safe a direction as possible.
A happy ending and not a painful death.
To do that, I’ll have to observe the main character first.
I envy those other web novel main characters.
They remember all the novel’s contents and steal tons of talents/abilities.
They know all the characters’ secrets, too.
Then, they help solve things and instantly become friends with everyone.
But me?
I ended up in the same situation of being inside a novel, so why is my experience so different?
Ending up as a girl just staring at the backs of guys’ heads.
[Ugh, I’m stumped…Okay, I’ve decided!]
“Decided what exactly?”
I snapped at the Author in annoyance.
They’ve been muttering to themselves this whole time when I was trying to ignore them.
It’s really tough when the only other noise is the principal’s sleep spell.
[Well! Reader, what comes to mind when you think of the beginning of an academy novel?]
“The beginning of an academy novel?”
[Yes!]
Are they thinking about how to proceed with the plot? Asking for my help?
I listed a few storylines that came to mind.
“Hmm, choosing weapons? A duel?”
[Ehehe, those are good too! However, incidents often occur right at the entrance ceremony. So I thought I’d try that!]
“…Huh?”
Wait a second.
What is this person saying right now?
Not noticing my reaction, the Author continued with a bright smile.
[You see, there are two types of entrance ceremony attacks. Monster appearances and evil organization attacks!]
“Hold on a moment, Author. Let’s have an in-depth discussion.”
[But I figured having an evil organization attack right at the start would be too soon, so I decided to have a monster appear!]
Cold sweat dripped down.
This is bad.
“Um, when exactly is this monster supposed to appear…?”
[For impact, after the principal’s speech ends and the applause dies down, the ceiling will break open!]
Oh, come on.
Can’t we just have a normal start for once?
The novel only started yesterday!
Not understanding at all, I protested to the Author.
“You’re saying a monster can just appear in the city? Say something that makes sense.”
[Oh right, in the city…Hmm, then the monster that was illegally raised by a corporation subcontracted by an evil organization accidentally escaped!]
“…”
This makes no sense.
What organization, evil or not, has subsidiaries like a corporation?
A subcontractor of a subcontractor?
The Author’s determination to have an event at the entrance ceremony seems firm.
“After the principal’s speech ends and the applause stops, a monster will attack from the ceiling…”
[Yes, impactfully appearing, the main character will coolly defeat the monster and show his presence! How’s that?]
“Well, it’s okay, I guess…Are you really doing this?”
Yes, I guess it’s fine.
It’s an impeccable novel plot.
A device to subtly show the main character’s strength.
The main character cooly handles the threat when the other students are fleeing in a panic.
This incident naturally explains how the main character is stronger than his peers.
A perfect plot.
As long as I don’t get caught up in it!
“You definitely said the main character isn’t a returnee, reincarnator, or transmigrator, right?”
[Yes. There have been too many of those recently, so I wanted to try an orthodox main character!]
Why does this person insist on being a hipster in situations like this…!
You could have normally made him a returnee/reincarnator and said he vaguely remembers things. That’s a perfectly good, easy setup!
What if the suddenly overwhelmed main character just flees in panic?
“…marks the end of the principal’s speech. Everyone, applause!”
It’s too late now.
According to the Author, this place is about to become pandemonium.
Even if I warned that a monster was coming now, no one would believe me. I’d be lucky not to be treated as a crazy person.
Somehow, I need to discreetly let the main character know about this…
[It’s starting, it’s starting! I’m so excited!]
“Kyaaaaaaah?!”
“A, a monster! Level 3!”
“A level 3 monster at the school…!”
“Everyone evacuate, quickly!”
“…Level 3?”
[Uh, I thought it was good foreshadowing…Like later, I can put another character saying, ‘Did he really take care of that monster?’]
You really are peculiarly detail-oriented in the strangest places.
I suppressed the urge to make that sarcastic remark. The level system was hastily made. How strong could a level 3 be?
It’s probably some ad-hoc ranking system used by people in the field.
Still, suppose this threat was brought up to show the difference between an ordinary student and the main character. In that case, it surely can’t be an easy opponent at this stage…Oof.
I used my threads to deflect a chunk of concrete sent flying by the rampaging monster.
That was a close one.
[Reader! Are you okay?!]
“I’m fine…But I can’t use this glove anymore.”
I tossed aside one tattered half-glove with its threads all frayed and loose.
I’ll have to get a new one later.
“More importantly, I need to find where the main character is and what he’s doing…”
“Kuwaaaaaaaa!”
Startled by the roar like a movie monster, I looked at the monster writhing in pain, its mouth area slashed and bleeding.
Whoa, when did the main character go over there?
I didn’t even notice. He is incredibly fast.
The monster was already screaming with bloody wounds around its mouth.
[Hehe…I missed the main character’s exploits while watching you, Reader…]
The teachers who evacuated the nearby students joined and brought down the monster.
So that’s what the teachers were doing.
Yes, it makes sense that newly enrolled students wouldn’t be stronger than teachers yet.
In an academy novel, they’ll probably surpass them within a year, but still.
By the way, when did he even get over there?
He was standing quite far from his original spot.
As if he knew the monster would come to that location.
…The main character’s famed intuition, perhaps?
Well, the better for me.
“Don’t cry, Author. I saw it, so I can explain in detail.”
[…Really? You’re the only one for me, Reader!]
Hah.
It felt like caring for a child.