(Transted/Edited/Full Proofread: Snow) (Thanks for the attention :D, here's an extra chapter as thanks!)

  As is typical of Japan, even after school, the school is bustling with students enjoying extracurricur activities.

  Teil sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he continued walking through the halls.

  It was always like this. The feeling of standing in the same space as everyone else yet never quite belonging.

  Outside, the sun cast long golden streaks across the schoolyard.

  Taeil envied the students running about.

  ‘I want to be like them—just blend in without thinking or worrying about anything.’

  But he knew better.

  Even if he tried to join in, he wouldn't truly fit.

  Friendships, after all, were built on shared experiences, a sense of community, or at the very least, common interests.

  And Taeil? He had none of that here.

  Sure, people liked to say "boys are the same everywhere," but that was a lie. If that were true, there wouldn’t be cliques. There wouldn’t be outcasts. There wouldn’t be bullying.

  Maybe if he had grown up in Japan since birth, things would be different.

  But no—Taeil wasn’t really Shin Tae-il, the pseudo-Korean who immigrated at five years old.

  He was Shin Tae-il, the native Korean who had lived 22 years in a different world before waking up here.

  And that difference mattered.

  His past life’s experiences, his common sense—they all cshed with this world. Even now, he struggled with Japanese history csses. And while he could speak fluently, his thought process never quite aligned with those around him.

  He was an indoor person. He didn't do sports. His hobbies were composing music and pying guitar.

  Yet, ironically, he had no interest in joining the school band that was supposed to be his people. He knew what would happen. He’d just be an outsider in yet another space, an uninvited guest to their picture-perfect youth.

  At this point, he even considered joining the otaku club.

  Then he scoffed. "No, what am I even saying? Otaku? Seriously?"

  Honestly, it was probably easier to get along with girls. At least they had an interest in the Hallyu Wave.

  Taeil recalled the girls in his css chatting about idols and actors, their voices animated with excitement.

  It made sense. Show Band’s historical setting was around 2020—by then, K-pop had already deeply embedded itself into Japanese pop culture.

  In the original work, Korean idols and music are frequently mentioned.

  Iris, known for her impeccable fashion sense, often wears outfits inspired by actual styles seen on Korean female idols and actors.

  "If it's just a hobby, then it's easier that way..."

  The Korean idols in the world of Show Band closely resemble the ones Taeil remembers from his past life. If he wanted to, he could easily strike up a conversation with the female students.

  But he didn’t.

  He was tired of making friends who didn’t truly understand him.

  At the beginning of the semester, several female students had approached him out of curiosity after learning he was Korean.

  That interest didn’t st long.

  Those who had initially been fascinated by him simply because of his nationality—and even those who teased him about it—quickly lost interest once they realized he had immigrated at a young age.

  "If you take away the fact that I’m Korean, do I have nothing else to offer?"

  Absent-mindedly, Taeil gnced at his reflection in the window.

  Compared to the female students who adored Korean idols, his appearance likely didn’t stand out. Their standards were set by celebrities—actors and singers in the top one percent of beauty.

  "But with this kind of face, I wouldn’t exactly be called ugly, right?"

  Still, any confidence he had in his looks slowly withered.

  As each day passed, he felt more invisible.

  At first, he welcomed the indifference. Given Japan’s strict social hierarchy and bullying culture, it was better to be ignored than targeted.

  But now, he feels differently.

  Anyone would want to experience the kind of youth that only comes once.

  "What even is youth...?"

  "Excuse me!"

  Lost in thought, Taeil looked up.

  A voice—familiar yet unfamiliar—reached his ears, light and pleasant.

  ‘Her voice is really nice. I’d love to hear her sing sometime…’

  Scanning the hallway, he finally spotted the speaker. When their eyes met, she smiled brightly.

  "Hi!"

  A girl—somehow familiar—walked toward him, her cheerful expression paired with a backpack slung over each shoulder.

  She was breathtaking, her figure reminiscent of a gravure model. Her long, flowing hair reached down to her lower back, swaying slightly with her steps. The sleek bck sailor uniform she wore suited her perfectly.

  Taeil was a little awestruck.

  How could someone so petite have such fwless proportions?

  Before he could think too much about it, she stopped in front of him, eyes gleaming with mischief.

  "Hey, can you help me out?.”

  The beautiful girl csped her hands together, her eyes shining as she asked for a favor.

  Taeil, once again, was reminded that—whether he liked it or not—this world was inside a manga.

  "You need help?" he asked.

  "It’ll take just a little effort!" she replied cheerfully.

  She pointed down at her feet, where a rge box full of papers rested.

  Then, with a pyful grin, she stuck out her tongue.

  "The teacher asked me to move this to the old building’s machine room. But, well… it’s a bit too heavy for me to carry alone."

  "Yeah, I see."

  Taeil crouched down and carefully lifted the bottom of the box.

  The weight surprised him—it was way too heavy for a schoolgirl to carry on her own.

  "Wait… you brought this all the way here by yourself?."

  "Yep! From the staff office," she said proudly.

  "From the staff office?" Taeil repeated, blinking. "By yourself? All the way here?."

  He was genuinely shocked. The teachers’ office was at the far end of the hallway on the first floor of the main building. She had carried it all the way to the opposite side of the school without breaking a sweat.

  In response to his disbelief, the girl raised her pale arms and bent them at right angles, mimicking the cssic bodybuilder pose.

  "See? I may not look it, but I’m actually pretty strong," she said with a smirk.

  "...I see," Taeil muttered absentmindedly.

  For some reason, she looked a little disappointed at his reaction.

  "What, that’s it? Usually, when I say that, people tell me to quit joking around."

  "We’re not close enough to joke around," Taeil replied bluntly.

  "Ahh. That’s cold."

  Yet, her bright smile never wavered.

  ‘Well… it makes sense. In the original story, she never lost an arm wrestling match.’

  Shaking off his thoughts, Taeil bent his knees and adjusted his grip on the bottom of the box.

  "Can we lift it together?" she asked.

  "Uh, yeah."

  She crouched down beside him, mirroring his stance.

  "One…"

  "Two…!"

  They lifted the box at the same time.

  Taeil’s gaze was fixed downward, focused on the weight in his hands.

  But as they stood up, he caught an unexpected, almost ghostly movement in his peripheral vision.

  Something soft and… prominent swayed in front of him.

  His brain short-circuited.

  Instinctively, he squeezed his eyes shut.

  And then—he regretted it instantly.

  ‘Damn it! Closing my eyes only made the image even clearer!.’

  Before Taeil’s eyes, a hill containing the truth of the world swayed like something straight out of the Garden of Eden.

  It was a sight no different from poison to a teenager in his prime.

  "What’s the matter?"

  "Oh, nothing. Let’s just move the box quickly," Taeil blurted out, averting his gaze.

  A few minutes ter, his fingers were starting to ache from holding the weight, but more than anything, the situation itself was painfully awkward.

  Especially when facing her—the girl who radiated the unmistakable aura of a main character.

  Arisugawa Iris.

  The true and illustrious protagonist of Show Band.

  Perhaps one of the st people he should ever get involved with.

  "My name is Iris. Arisugawa Iris. And you?"

  "Taichi. Just call me Taichi."

  The response slipped out reflexively.

  Iris blinked in surprise at how quickly he answered.

  Using his real name would draw too much attention, so Taichi it was.

  It was the alias Taeil often used whenever he wanted to fly under the radar.

  But Iris, misinterpreting his quick response as some kind of bold confession, let out a small ugh.

  "Ah, I see. Sorry, but I don’t accept confessions," she said, fshing a knowing smile.

  "Okay. I don’t know where the engine room is, so just give me directions," Taeil replied ftly, ignoring her words.

  The original story hadn’t even started yet, and he really didn’t want to get tangled up with her so soon.

  Sensing his impatience, Iris pouted slightly.

  "What the heck, that’s so harsh. So I was just imagining things? That’s all?"

  "Exactly. Now, can we just get moving?"

  What a peculiar girl…

  As they walked toward the engine room, Iris stole gnces at him, careful not to be obvious.

  A few moments ago, he had looked thoroughly flustered when picking up the box, but now he was oddly composed.

  ‘So that wasn’t it?’

  A male student who kept turning his head away to avoid eye contact.

  And yet, despite his best efforts to appear indifferent, his face was an open book—his emotions id bare.

  She had encountered plenty of boys who were too shy or too smitten to look her in the eye, but this was the first time she had met someone who seemed this awkward.

  ‘Is this one of those "You’re the first person to ever treat me this way!" situations?’

  She smirked.

  ‘Huh. Could this be a new method of seduction?’

  It sounded ridiculous.

  But at the same time… strangely pusible.

  Carrying the box alongside him, Iris kept a close eye on Taeil.

  Two people. Two completely different thoughts.

  Different dreams.

  Whatever their pns were, both Taeil and Iris wanted to finish the task as quickly as possible.

  Taeil, however, was restless.

  The fact that he was alone with Iris made him uneasy.

  In the original story, Iris was such a dominant presence in Show Band that fans often called her a "walking sex doll."

  In Japan, her character was well-received, but in Korea, she had sparked heated debates over whether the series was pushing the limits of its 18+ rating.

  If the author had meticulously crafted scenes that emphasized her curves—highlighting her chest, thighs, and lips with deliberate, tasteful framing—then the Iris standing before Taeil now was like a living, breathing, 3D version of those very panels.

  On top of that, she radiated an unidentifiable but dangerous kind of pheromone, making Taeil’s situation even more unbearable.

  ‘If I face her head-on... I might just lose my dignity as an adult.’

  So, he kept his head down, eyes locked straight ahead, doing his absolute best to avoid looking at her.

  And thankfully, his strategy worked.

  By some miracle, they arrived at their destination faster than expected.

  "Hold on a sec, I’ll open the door. You can head in first," Iris offered.

  Taeil simply nodded.

  Though he had compined about the weight earlier, the truth was, it wasn't something he couldn’t handle.

  As Iris let go of the box, Taeil adjusted his grip, pressing it against his chest.

  "Ugh. This thing is really damn heavy..." he muttered under his breath.

  Iris, now fiddling with the keys, groaned as she tugged at the iron door.

  With a final pull, it creaked open, releasing a stale, musty odor.

  Taeil took a deep breath, the scent of dust and aged paper filling his lungs.

  “Where should I put the box?” he asked.

  "The teacher said anywhere is fine," Iris replied. "But if you leave it there, wouldn’t it be better to pce it somewhere visible? How about over there?"

  She pointed to a cluttered desk piled high with papers.

  Taeil eyed the precarious stack.

  "Up there?" he asked, skeptical.

  "Just wait a moment. I’ll clear a spot for you!"

  Without even checking what the papers were, Iris swiftly swept them aside, creating a space on the desk.

  She cpped her hands together, satisfied.

  "There! All set!"

  With a slight grunt, Taeil shifted his stance, carefully lifting the box onto the newly cleared surface.

  The moment the weight left his hands, a wave of relief washed over him.

  At the same time, a sharp pain fred in his fingers, the lingering strain tightening his skin.

  Shaking out his reddened hands, he exhaled.

  "Thank you!" Iris beamed. "Thanks to you, that was so much easier!"

  Her voice was bright, energetic—surprisingly lively for a Japanese girl.

  Taeil’s response, in contrast, was... lukewarm at best.

  "Oh. Uh... okay..."

  Iris’s eyebrows twitched at the overly dry response.

  A pretty girl just thanked him, and this was all she got?

  ‘This is really weird. Normally, guys would be staring at her in an obvious manner.’

  Yet, the boy in front of her barely even blinked. Instead, he was doing everything he could to avoid looking at her.

  Was this some kind of strategy?

  Or was he really... ignoring her?

  ‘Me? The world-famous Arisugawa Iris? Ignored? By a guy my age?’

  Iris narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

  If she told her friend—who was probably still covered in paint in the art room—she would die ughing.

  ‘The great Iris? Rejected? Hah! I’ve lived long enough to see everything!’

  No, this couldn’t be happening.

  Iris was used to attention.

  She always acted bright, pyful, and innocent, but deep down, she understood exactly how the opposite sex saw her.

  She just chose to py along. To use it to her advantage.

  Yet here was this guy—this Taichi—acting as if she were invisible.

  It wasn’t just humiliating.

  It was... annoying.

  ‘How dare you, of all people?’

  It was a childish thought, sure. But for Iris, this was more important than anything else.

  ‘Is he really not interested?’

  A slow smirk spread across her lips.

  She feigned a stretch, arching her back just slightly—enough to push her chest forward, tilting her shoulders inward to emphasize her curves.

  "Ugh!"

  Taeil immediately averted his gaze, his face turning bright red.

  Iris’s eyes gleamed.

  ‘Huh? So he does react.’

  Holding back a ugh, she rested her chin between her index, middle finger, and thumb—posing in an exaggeratedly seductive manner.

  "So, Taichi... are you the type that isn’t interested in women?."

  "W-what are you talking about?!" Taeil stammered, his voice jumping an octave.

  Iris giggled, enjoying his flustered reaction.

  "Noooothing~," she teased. "Thanks for helping me today, Taichi."

  Taeil exhaled sharply, rubbing his ear for no reason—perhaps to distract himself.

  Hearing someone call him Taichi again after so long...

  For some reason, it tickled.

  Maybe it was because Iris’s voice was so sweet.

  After all, her vocal cords belonged to a famous voice actress—one who not only sang but also performed in musicals.

  It was the voice Taeil had longed for.

  The voice he wanted to hear live, singing songs from Show Band.

  The voice he dreamed of standing beside, performing a song he wrote.

  But just as that dangerous desire began welling up—

  Vrrrrr.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket, cutting through his thoughts.

  It was a message from Ayane.

  [Ayane]: Shin-chan! [Ayane]: I just finished my disciplinary committee meeting! I'll wait for you in front of the school gate! ╰(°▽°)╯

  Taeil let out a breath and replied with a simple, [On my way]

  "Who was that? Your girlfriend?."

  Iris’s pyful tone brought him back to reality.

  "Just a friend," he answered, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

  "She finished up some stuff and wants me to meet her at the school gate."

  Taeil adjusted the frayed strap of his bag.

  Iris tilted her head.

  "Really? I was going to buy you something as thanks. If it’s not rude to your friend, can I tag along?."

  "It’s fine. I didn’t do it for a reward."

  Taeil turned away, ready to leave.

  But then—

  "Oh, right."

  He hesitated, gncing back over his shoulder.

  For the first time, their eyes met.

  Iris’s smile was both innocent and unreadable.

  And in that moment, as the setting sun bathed her in golden light—

  She was beautiful.

  The kind of beauty that any man would fall for.

  ‘What are you doing? Get a grip, idiot!’

  Taeil mentally smacked himself, shoving his feelings down.

  And then, in a moment of weakness—not as Taeil, but as a fan of the original work—he blurted out:

  "Next time, when you have to move something heavy… just ask someone for help. Don’t do it alone for no reason."

  Iris blinked.

  "Oh? You're a gentleman..."

  "If you ask, there are plenty of people who’d help you. You don’t have to do everything yourself. The world won’t always understand you anyway."

  His voice softened.

  "That’s just my experience."

  With that, Taeil lifted his left hand in a casual wave and turned away for real this time.

  As he walked off, he muttered in Korean, words meant only for himself.

  "Oh, seriously. What the hell is this…?."

  What was he even doing?

  Spouting lines like a character in an anime.

  Even though this was just a manga.

  "I got so emotional when I met the original protagonist."

  Taeil sighed, running a hand through his hair.

  "I have to be careful next time…"

  He made a silent wish.

  A wish that would never come true.

  "I hope we never meet again."

  And if we do—let it be nothing more than a brief greeting.

  Taeil prayed.

  He prayed to every god he could remember.

  And yet, deep down, he knew—

  Fate wouldn’t be so kind.

  *********************

  Again.

  Iris, watching Taeil leave, leaned against the window.

  Through the gss, she saw his figure disappear toward the main building, shoulders stiff, steps slightly hurried.

  "Huh…?"

  She murmured.

  She had never considered the idea before.

  In her world, competent people naturally carried the weight of others’ expectations.

  People relied on them—without question.

  And they fulfilled those expectations.

  It was simply how things were.

  Yet here was a boy, speaking as if he understood her.

  "Don't do it alone"

  He said it with such certainty.

  As if he knew everything about her.

  Iris’s fingers tapped against the gss.

  ‘What, are you actually my secret fan?’

  The thought amused her.

  She remembered that friend—the one who had stubbornly created a fan club for her, despite her protests.

  Had he joined it too?

  Was Taeil just embarrassed?

  Afraid of being found out?

  That expnation made a lot of sense.

  Iris chuckled.

  Yes.

  Thinking of him that way, Taichi was actually kind of cute.

  But then—

  Her gaze dropped to her own reflection.

  Her lips twisted.

  "Nobody knows..."

  Not really.

  Slowly, her fingers gathered over her face, pressing down on her dimples—forcing the corners of her mouth into a smile.

  A forced, ridiculous smile.

  Even her striking beauty couldn't mask how unnatural it looked.

  Iris quickly curled her fingers, covering the lower half of her face.

  Now, only the charming part of her smile remained.

  "Taichi. Taichi. Taichi..."

  She whispered his name, testing the sound of it on her tongue.

  Whatever this was—

  She had a feeling she’d just fallen for a new kind of trick.

  And she didn’t mind at all.

  Thus, let us find more.

  About a boy named Taichi.