A cheerful sound echoed through the classroom: "Smile," followed immediately by the click of a camera.
With it, dozens of startled gazes turned toward Do-young. The looks were a mix of shock and disbelief, as if they had just seen an alien. Most people might have faltered under such scrutiny, but Do-young's expression remained perfectly calm, almost nonchalant.
"Oh, silent… didn't switch to silent mode," he muttered, fiddling with his phone, seemingly absorbed entirely in the device.
At that moment, the classroom erupted in commotion, wondering what had just happened.
Something began to flash across Do-young's eyes.
It started with a cluster of question marks:
[?????????????]
What the…?
Then more messages started scrolling up like a chat window:
[Why is Cha Do-young acting like that all of a sudden???]
[What is this lolololololol]
[Lol what the f*** is this]
[Is this a character break??]
[So this is what they meant by Cha Do-young has changed? lololol]
[Shouldn't we investigate the hospital where he was admitted? Seems like a medicine freak lol]
[Why did the author suddenly make this kid a maniac?;;;]
Do-young couldn't suppress a gasp.
'What is this?'
These aren't comments?
Now he could even see "comments"?
This was a variable beyond anything he could have imagined.
Wait… this isn't just "I'm inside a webtoon world." The actions I take are being published in real-time?
Could it be that everything I've done since waking up here…?
A chill ran down his spine, and his head started pounding from trying to process this impossible situation. Yes, he knew he was in a webtoon. But this was different. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people were watching the actions of a comic character—albeit a supporting one.
Then, as he lifted his hand to steady his dizzy mind, the avalanche of comments, which had been rising frantically, suddenly vanished as if pushed aside.
Huh? What now?
Do-young looked down at his hand, letting out an exasperated sigh. Couldn't they come back? He waved his hand in the air, but nothing happened.
At that moment, a thought struck him like lightning:
'The photo I just took… was it published?'
People were stunned.
Actions he wouldn't have done as the original Cha Do-young were now entering the story.
This was perfect news for Do-young, who had decided to try steering the story in a new direction. If he wielded the narrative center, the "system" he feared might react… surprisingly, it remained quiet.
'This is probably within acceptable limits.'
He had no idea where the "line" he shouldn't cross lay, but that didn't matter.
Some of the viewers' comments had questioned whether the character was breaking, or whether the story was going off the rails—but for Do-young, this was literally a matter of life and death.
Honestly, "staying true to the character" was a luxury he couldn't afford. To survive, changes were necessary. He couldn't just remain meek.
While the main characters lived peacefully, Cha Do-young wanted to survive.
[A notice to those expecting a dark story: Sorry, but this work's genre will now shift to Cha Do-hee's heart-fluttering, sweet love story.]
Do-young posted this internal notice to no one in particular:
'I'll try my best not to let the story get too wild.'
…he prayed.
Though lifelong non-religious, he reached out to every deity, including the "author," for help. Meanwhile, his phone vibrated. The timing was so perfect it felt like divine intervention.
Seeing the name on the screen, "♡My Doppelgänger Do-hee♡," he completely lost his composure.
'When did she take my phone… and how could she do this…'
Changing it could wait. First, he had to answer the call.
"Hello?"
Oppa! You promised to call when you arrived! We made a pinky promise! You wouldn't ignore me, right? You haven't arrived yet? Are you hurt? Is the driver there? Do you want to go to the hospital? No… where are you? Should I come?
…Sorry, but can I just check if your ears are bleeding during this call?
Do-young swallowed the words that nearly reached his throat and tried to calm Do-hee down.
"…No, calm down. I've arrived. I was just about to call."
If he didn't appease her, she could storm in at any moment. Realizing the call would take a while, Do-young briskly moved toward the classroom door.
No sooner had he stepped out than the classroom erupted in chaos: "Whaaat!?" "What's happening?"
But Do-young, dealing with the talkative Cha Do-hee, didn't have a moment to care.
'They'll come to me when they're ready.'
He meant the original masterminds who drove Do-young to the brink in the original story.
No need to chase after them himself.
Judging by the atmosphere, they weren't even in his class. They were just small-time goons going along with the vibe.
'I'm not "the guy who bullies Cha Do-young,"' he thought. He had neither the energy nor the reason to look for them. So he decided to wait leisurely.
Sitting at his desk, which he had cleared of trash, he noticed persistent glances from others throughout the day. Pretending not to notice worked at first, but eventually, they finally approached.
They didn't even call his name. A sharp "Hey" caught his attention, and he nodded, understanding it meant he should follow.
Ah, maybe they had some secret "friendship hideout." Suppressing a smirk, Do-young stood from the creaky chair.
During cleaning time, behind the dim garbage incinerator:
'Classic, just classic,' Do-young admired silently.
Following these kids was purely strategic, just like taking photos of the vandalized desk—evidence gathering.
He recalled the small recorder tucked neatly in his uniform pocket and forced himself to hide any mischievous expressions.
Since he had only recently entered high school, he also wanted to gauge the extent of their bullying. Even if he didn't yet have enough to act decisively, a small level of harassment was fine.
Though he was in a world filled with sensational manga elements, he also knew the "Devil's Editing" cheat well.
What's "Devil's Editing"? It's the act of cruelly twisting the lives of children at will.
Sometimes, he was fully prepared to use it.
'Go ahead, make trouble as much as you like.'
With that mindset, he faced the three kids.
As expected, they seemed irritated because he hadn't been in school for several days.
The one cornering him against the wall was Ji Dong-kwon, and beside him, smiling while fiddling with his phone, was Cheon Young-ho.
But to Do-young, the real threat was slightly apart from them: Ha Sang-woo, daring enough to smoke inside the school. His sharp features and typical "rich villain" vibe were obvious from years of observation.
As he thought this,
"Hey."
Ji Dong-kwon called Do-young.
"No answer?"
"Why not?"
"Why?"
'Answer me,' the gesture implied.
Dong-kwon laughed incredulously, then froze, threatening, "Are you crazy?"
Do-young merely blinked. Normally, Dong-kwon would have trembled, but seeing no reaction, he visibly panicked.
Do-young frowned slightly. Something seemed… flimsy.
Anyway, this kid was just a minor thug. Compared to his own readiness for battle, the others' attempts were negligible.
At that point, Cheon Young-ho rested a hand on Dong-kwon's shoulder and smiled mischievously at Do-young.
"Why didn't you come to school?"
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