A righteous, hard-working man from a common background, yet blessed with extraordinary character and talent. A genius who made a name for himself at the military academy, possessing a sense of justice and all the other qualities befitting a hero. He also carried a secret he had never revealed to anyone.
Then there was the fourth-generation heir to the Taesung Group, one of the greatest chaebols in Korea, a conglomerate that contended for the top spot. As a child of privilege, he was a narcissist and an elitist. His personality, coupled with a deep-seated inferiority complex toward Park Jihun, would eventually drive him to villainy. ‘I have to be the best. I cannot tolerate anyone being above me.’ That obstinacy was the engine of his confrontation with Park Jihun.
Those were the two main characters of my novel.
The novel had countless other characters, of course; writing them all down would have been impossible. My world contained billions of people. Unless a character had an important role—a heroine, a helper—giving them a name was unnecessary.
Why was I thinking about all this?
—Korean Hunter's Association’s Hwarang Academy Seoul Branch Graduation, Class of 2024, Rank 1 Cadet, Park Jihun.
Because the story from my novel was unfolding right before my eyes.
Called to the dais, Park Jihun walked up, his face stiff with nerves. We were in a cavernous, temple-like auditorium, packed with three thousand cadets and thousands more spectators. Every single gaze was fixed on him.
“So that’s Park Jihun? Wow.” Several women watched him, their faces a mixture of admiration and adoration.
“...This is why they say a Gift is all that matters. Who cares how hard you work? People like him always end up taking first place.”
“The guy totally lucked out with his Gift.”
And naturally, he was the target of jealousy and envy from the other teenagers.
“I hear his grades are the highest in the last decade.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard of him. They announced his Gift, didn’t they? What was it again... Blade Sovereign?”
In the VIP seats, associates from various guilds, here to witness the best cadet in recent history, watched with keen interest.
They were looking down from the highest tier of the auditorium, a kilometer away at least, but I could hear their voices. As long as I looked in their direction, their words reached me with perfect clarity. It wasn't just their words; I could see their faces as if I were standing right in front of them.
Perhaps this was my ‘Gift.’
“Yes. When it comes to the sword, he’s said to possess the world’s protection.”
“Hm... a rather vague description, but I suppose that’s typical of academy intel.”
“We called dibs on that kid, so don’t even think about it.”
I recognized one of the faces in the group. Choi Hayun. She was an important ally to the main character, one of the heroines who almost became his lover. I’d put the novel on hiatus just as things were heating up between them—in truth, just as things were heating up with several heroines—so they never officially became a couple.
“Dibs? What dibs? There’s no such thing when it comes to cadets.”
At another guild associate’s dismissive words, Choi Hayun offered a sweet, cutting smile.
“Is that why ‘Azure Dragon Guild’ can never seem to escape second place?”
I knew that face. Surprisingly, she looked just like my first love from college. It was probably because I’d been thinking of her when I created Choi Hayun’s character. My first crush, to be exact.
“...Should I take that as a challenge?”
“I’m kidding, of course. Besides, we still have three years before we can legally scout any of them.”
“...You know contacting them before graduation is illegal, right?”
“Only if you get caught.”
Choi Hayun and the man glared at each other. Their staredown seemed to ignite a tension that spread throughout the VIP seats.
And just like that, the fight for Park Jihun had already begun.
—Class of 2024, Rank 2 Cadet, Lee Minjun.
Meanwhile, the novel’s other main character rose to his feet.
He was the scion of the Taesung clan, with looks that rivaled even Park Jihun’s.
The audience stirred, just as it had for Park Jihun. But this time, the murmurs held no trace of envy or jealousy. There was only admiration and adoration. For Park Jihun, they thought, ‘Why is he better than me?’ For Lee Minjun, it was, ‘He was born better than me.’
As if to showcase his noble bloodline, Lee Minjun ascended the stage with perfect composure.
Park Jihun and Lee Minjun.
Standing side by side, the two rivals locked eyes. Sparks seemed to crackle in the space between them.
Without a shadow of a doubt, these were the characters from my novel.
But I wasn't on that stage. I was in the farthest, highest seat in the entire auditorium. I wasn't a standout, just another face in a crowd of three thousand. No guild associate was looking my way.
“Hajin, what’s your rank? I’m 2900,” a boy next to me who resembled a piglet asked. His nametag read ‘Song Daewon’. That meant he had a role to play eventually. Though he could never be a Hero due to his abysmal physical abilities, his Gift was exceptional for information gathering.
I didn't know who I was. I didn't even know why my name was Hajin.
If I had to be a part of this world, shouldn't I at least be one of the two on that stage?
“Hey, c’mon, if you don’t even know that...”
But I didn't know. This world was the novel I wrote, but I was inhabiting the body of a character I had never created. I was just another cadet at the Hwarang Academy, the most ordinary, most disconnected character imaginable—the kind whose name would never appear anywhere in the story. In other words... I was an extra.
No, I was a speck of dust.