Chapter 3 – Side Characters Don't Learn From Their Mistakes
It's been two years since that fatal day.
Of course, there were some side character events here and there during that time.
Like getting scolded by my parents after the incident with the main character.
And the rumors.
Oh, the rumors—
They spread across the towns and throughout the entire kingdom.
Apparently, some noble kid got absolutely humiliated and knocked out cold for 24 hours…
…after being "inappropriate."
Of course, that wasn't the full story.
Because I made sure Dyson Deli got glazed in the newspapers.
I personally spread rumors about him:
"The next genius of the kingdom."
"He saved two girls in danger."
"He sent a kid flying 100 feet and made a crater."
"Knocked him out for hours."
And you better believe I added more glaze:
"His aura was menacing."
"Comparable to the Greatest Hero of All Time."
"At the age of five."
Even grown-ups were afraid of him.
The newspapers over the last two years?
Full Dyson Deli coverage.
So much glaze. So much aura. I love it.
Because main characters should get glazed.
And side characters?
We're meant to get ridiculed.
That's just the law of this world.
And Dyson Deli?
He is the ultimate aura farmer.
⸻
My parents haven't trusted me ever since that humiliation.
They've been harsher.
They lecture me more.
Honestly?
I don't trust myself either.
Side characters don't learn from their mistakes.
We repeat them.
And of course—I planned to.
Side characters always come back and repeat their mistakes…
…but only after their training arcs.
At 7 years old, I needed more events.
Events with main characters.
But for now, I must continue training—for the next time we meet.
I must play piano.
I must cook.
If I fail at these, I'm not even a side character.
I'm a fake wannabe.
True side characters master random skills during their training arcs.
⸻
Today was the first day my piano instructor was coming over.
A fellow side character.
Because side characters don't get trained by main characters.
We get trained by the most random nobodies available.
His name?
Joseph Token.
A side character name if I've ever heard one.
"It's a pleasure to be working with a fellow side character," I told him.
"My pleasure. I love teaching fellow nobodies piano," he replied.
This piano guy…
He's the best side character I've met so far in this world.
He is a peak side character.
Only peak side characters can understand each other.
"Yes, thank you for your time," I responded.
Side characters must always be nice… to other side characters.
"No problem, friend," he said.
Side characters are friends only with other side characters.
And if two side characters interact for more than 10 seconds, they become friends.
It's the Side Character Law.
"Now let's get started," he continued.
I was ready to train… for my revenge.
He showed me the proper hand stance and told me all about the keys.
Of course I absorbed all that knowledge.
But side characters don't learn instantly.
They must trial and error… a thousand and nine times.
So when he asked which key this was—
It was clearly E.
I said A.
Reasoning? Because A is for Aura.
And side characters' first answers are completely off.
I kept repeating the same mistakes, and didn't get a single note right for 1,001 attempts.
But this piano guy…
"It's okay. It took me 2,004 attempts to get a single note correct."
He outshined me.
This… is a stain on my reputation.
I must be the Peak Side Character.
So I decided to get 5,000 notes wrong in a row to impress the piano guy.
Side characters rival each other to see who can do worse.
"What's this note?"
"That must be B."
"Incorrect. It's D."
Of course, my growth had to be slow.
After every 1,000 wrong answers, I must get one note closer.
That's side character development.
⸻
4,000th Incorrect Answer.
"This is truly incredible. You impressed me."
This may be a world record, in fact.
Surpassing even legends like Dayana Dogi.
Dayana Dogi.
The peak pianist in this world.
His character development?
• Started piano at age 1.
• Couldn't play a song until age 11.
• Could only use his right hand until age 15.
• His left hand was terrible until 25.
• Created his first song at 30—and it was absolute trash.
• Placed 2nd in a piano tournament at 40.
• Ranked Top 100 Pianists at 56.
• Became Number 1 at 92.
His growth is truly incredible.
His work ethic?
He is the pinnacle of Piano Side Characters.
With 3,789 incorrect notes in a row.
And I surpassed one of his records.
But I must surpass more.
4,999 incorrect notes in a row.
This is the 5,000th.
"Which note is this?" he pointed to the D note.
"Hmm… Hmm… Maybe E. No, it must be D."
Side characters must always hesitate before getting the correct answer.
That is True Development.
For the first time in the last 10 hours, Piano Sensei said the words:
"That is correct."
A word side characters only hear once every two months.
"I finally did it," I said out loud.
Side characters must always cherish and celebrate their major achievements.
"Yes, my friend. You have."
Other side characters must respect fellow side characters' achievements.
"We must continue forward tomorrow. You have the potential to become even greater than Dayana Dogi. Now you just have to work for it."
Piano Sensei is truly amazing.
He knows potential when he sees it.
That's a real eye of a Side Character Sensei.
"Yes, I understand, Sensei."
A lower-ranking side character must always respect his superiors.
That is a must if I am to become the Peak Side Character.
"Good. I'm looking forward to our meetings."
"And I'm always looking forward to learning with you."
"For the next 3 months or so, we're reviewing every note again 5,000 times, so you can improve on perfecting the art of knowing notes."
Yes.
We must first master the basics of piano.
Learning the notes.
"Yes, I will do my best," I stated.
⸻
We lived in a white mansion, with a massive garden out front.
Servants worked here too.
But they were true NPCs—
They did absolutely nothing and had no personality.
Just stood around like background props.
As they should.
And of course.
To learn how to cook.
I needed to go up to a NPC servant.
Even I am scared of these guys.