Chapter 4: Nothing Happened (part 1)

April marked the warm embrace of spring, a season when new life began to sprout. 

It was also the beginning of a new chapter for us at Hoshizora High School, as we met new faces and created fresh memories.  

A student stood on the podium, his voice resonating like the sound of a jade marble rolling in crystal-clear water.  

“Starting here at Hoshizora High School, we embark on a journey filled with warmth and new beginnings,” he began. “Though the first steps may feel unfamiliar, remember, we’ve all endured the cold winter and have arrived here together…”  

As the freshman representative’s speech dragged on, I couldn’t help but yawn from sheer exhaustion. The student next to me nudged my side and whispered, “Yo! Are you new here?”  

I turned to see a man with a broad grin looking at me.  

“Can’t you tell just by looking?” I replied casually.  

Unfazed by my indifferent response, he continued in a friendly tone, clearly intrigued by me.  

“Of course! The main building is new, too!”  

“Is that so?”  

“You’re so cold, man! Anyway, the name’s Kiba Sojuro.”  

I knew who he was. He was set up to be Ryunosuke’s friend—a sociable and dependable guy. His speech was a bit clumsy and peculiar, but he wasn’t bad. In fact, he often acted as Ryunosuke’s protector, taking charge in battles, which were rare in love comedies but still memorable.  

“Nice to meet you. My name’s Kim Hyunjin,” I replied, turning back to the front.  

Sojuro, however, wasn’t done.  

“Oh, that’s unusual! You’re Korean, huh? Nice to meet you, Kim. By the way… don’t you think the freshman speech is a bit long?”  

“Well… it is a little drawn out,” I admitted.  

“If it’s meant to be a welcome ceremony, I guess it makes sense. But still, isn’t this too much?”  

“Can’t argue with that.”  

“It’s unbearable! Someone should do something about this. You know, make a bold move to liven things up!”  

“You’re surprisingly energetic,” I muttered.  

“Huh? What did you say?”  

“Nothing. Just a joke. Anyway, does it really matter who’s speaking up there? Time will pass regardless, so there’s no need to draw attention to yourself like that.”  

Sojuro paused, crossing his arms as he considered my words.  

“You’re probably right,” he conceded.  

“Exactly. Just sit back and listen quietly. It’ll be over before you know it.”  

“Hmm… I guess so.”  

Despite agreeing, Sojuro barely lasted a few more minutes before he began nodding off. 

I wasn’t far behind.  

***

A month passed since the entrance ceremony.  

If I had acted like Kurosawa from the original story, my reputation would’ve taken a nosedive. Thankfully, I exercised caution, avoiding reckless behavior.  

However, no significant incidents had occurred.  

Why hasn’t anything happened? Every day, I found myself wondering the same thing. In love comedy settings, events usually unfolded rapidly, yet everything remained uneventful.  

Perhaps I was missing something, an unseen event happening elsewhere. The protagonist’s perspective was always different from mine.  

Even though I shared the same class with Kiba Sojuro, whom I had briefly met at the entrance ceremony, the main character, Natsuki Ryunosuke, was also in my class.  

Seeing Ryunosuke in person felt surreal, especially since nothing had occurred despite his presence. The protagonist of a love comedy was supposed to attract events naturally. His face alone seemed destined for dramatic moments.  

Yet, the days dragged on uneventfully.  

***

One day, while lost in thought, Amelia tripped and let out a startled cry. Before I even realized it, my body reacted instinctively.  

In one fluid motion, I sprang from my seat and caught her just moments before she hit the ground. I wrapped an arm around her waist and steadied her.  

“Are you alright, my lady?” I asked, leaning closer to her ear.  

Amelia’s face turned crimson as she stammered, “Th-thank you! I’m fine!”  

She scrambled out of my arms, clearly flustered. Around us, the other students erupted in applause.  

“That was amazing, Kim!”  

“Kim saved me the other day, too!”  

“Don’t get too cool now, my dude!”  

Fortunately, there wasn’t any noticeable discrimination against me for being Korean. The cheers felt genuine, though I couldn’t help but notice something strange. 

My reflexes and reaction speed had become… almost superhuman.  

In the original story, Shingo Kurosawa was the protagonist’s flirtatious, mischievous friend. Since I didn’t emulate his behavior, my reputation in class was far better than his.  

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Get More Chapters on Patreon: From now on, FSM Level 2 will become the CN WN Bundle. The price will remain the same which is $10. Also, the price for the KR WN Bundle will also be decreased to $10 to match this bundle.

With this I have gotten rid of the level system. The reason I am doing this, is because I plan to add more chapters to the $5 Patron tiers. Previously the readers got 2 advance chapters when they became a $5 Patron, but now I’ve increased the chapters they will get to at least 5 chapters and more. So the current updated tier system will work like this: 

The Individual Tiers ($5) will give you access to 5 chapters or more.

The Bundle Tiers ($10) will give you access to all the chapters of CN or KR webnovels.

The Supreme Patron ($30) will give you access to all the webnovel chapters on Goblinslate.