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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Since It's Come to This...
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1. Since it's come to this...
"Who the hell are you?"
I asked the mirror. But no answer came back. My words and his response happened almost simultaneously.
"Where you from?"
He clamped his mouth shut. Glaring at me like he was trying to rile me up, his lips twitched. It felt like he was just mimicking me, and it was starting to piss me off a little.
A massive fist, thick forearms, the pounding beat of my heart—it felt like I could smash anything. My limbs trembled from the robust body and overflowing power.
That's when someone called out to me.
"Johnson, hurry up and change. We gotta be out on the field in ten minutes."
A voice calling not me, but Black Johnson. I checked who it was.
A stranger. A sturdy guy with glasses, someone I'd never seen before today, acting like he knew me.
'I'm Black Johnson Anaconda right now.'
I'd fallen into a novel. No idea why. Nothing came to mind.
In the blink of an eye, I was in the body of the male side character Black Johnson Anaconda. The only people who'd call this body were Academy cadets, naturally.
This was the changing room. Everyone else had already suited up. The vibe said I needed to hurry. I grabbed the gym uniform hanging on the rack.
They all shot me uncomfortable looks, like they were blaming me for holding things up. Ignoring the stares as best I could, I scanned the design of their gym clothes.
Familiar. The description flowed into my head.
'White base with red, blue, and black mixed in just right... It's styled after the Korean flag, the Taegukgi.'
I got the situation. Just put on the one hanging in front of me.
"Okay, I'll change into the gym uniform."
I nodded with a casual reply. But completely different words came out of my mouth. The weird speech pattern made the atmosphere awkward. It was a bit off from how it read in print.
I stripped off my uniform. Standing in front of the mirror again in just my underwear.
Muscles packed everywhere, a hefty package straining against my briefs—the fact that I'd possessed a black character hit me skin-deep.
I wasn't the only one marveling at Black Johnson Anaconda's body. The other male cadets in the changing room snuck glances at my crotch and let out sighs.
"Damn, that's huge. He even human? It ain't hard or nothin', right?"
"Shit, all black guys like that?"
"Standin' tall in the boys' locker room? Bullshit, no way."
A few male cadets were whispering. They probably thought they were far enough away to trash-talk, but I heard every word crystal clear. Sounds I'd never catch normally, but Black Johnson's body made eavesdropping a breeze.
The gap was genetic-level. Any average dude would feel crushed and defeated by that size. It was just nature's way.
But that's that, and this is this. Even if I'd become black, no reason to put up with outright staring.
"Y'all stares too much pressure. Embarrassin', yo."
I didn't hold back and snapped. The massive physical difference gave me a surge of courage. First-year guys and Black Johnson? Like kids vs. an adult.
Of course, it got auto-filtered. My body softened my inner thoughts before they came out. Probably Black Johnson's personality at work.
"Ah, sorry."
The glasses guy who'd called me first apologized right away. He'd been peeking while pretending not to.
'Well...'
Ignoring my junk was damn near impossible. It was that impressive. My brain had already clocked it.
The apologies ended there. The whisperers behind didn't say shit to me. I wasn't itching to force more either. In a different way from Black Johnson, I halted the drama.
'If pickin' good or evil, he closer to good.'
Black Johnson helps the protagonist Lee Do-jun stop world destruction. Not a villain, but an ally who shares everything with him.
Excluding the heroines, he was the one true comrade. Lee Do-jun's one and only friend, you could say.
'Problem was the heavy NTR vibes he gave off.'
Lee Do-jun might see him as a friend, but as a reader, I didn't. Black Johnson created a dangerous aura rivaling the villains.
'And he actually pulls shit off.'
Alpha male stealing the heroines. From a reader immersed in protagonist Lee Do-jun, he was just kill-on-sight material.
I slipped into the gym uniform. The standout physique made even the baggy fit look good. Tall people really got it made.
With me last, Class A finished changing. We headed out to the field.
The Korean Hero Academy, aka the Academy, hero training ground. Built on an artificial island off the East Sea. The whole island was Academy turf.
Cadet training was mostly live combat. Protagonist monologues it's like 80% practical, 20% theory.
The hero of Taming the Worst Spirit, Lee Do-jun. Grabs an evil-attribute spirit and becomes the story's core. Battles to tame the bitch-ass spirit and avert doom.
I scanned for Lee Do-jun, hanging back from the group. Could've spotted him in the changing room, but adapting to the situation had me forgetting the protag.
'There he is.'
Glanced back to confirm. Lee Do-jun trailed at the edge of the male cadets. Not quite friend distance, but close enough to fake it—masterful subtle positioning.
'Tsk tsk, novel description off.'
His inner monologue claims he's hot among losers, mid among winners. Nah, not even close. Below average fit better.
Shaggy hair, half-hidden eyes, small build. Zero masculinity. Seeing my changing room bod made the contrast starker.
'...Black Johnson's body ain't half bad.'
While eyeing Lee Do-jun and walking, I spotted a group on the open field. Female cadets with ponytails for combat prep. Plus Class A homeroom teacher.
"Hurry up!"
The girls who'd come out first looked our way. One scowled hard and yelled. A female cadet barking at the guys in a sharp, clear voice.
Knew who it was instantly. Familiar scene from the book flashed by. Not imagination—info flowed like video.
Kim Sang-hyuk's crew tripped me, and I went down like a clown. Too embarrassed to look up. Then a sharp voice rang out. The scolding tone made even that smug trash Kim Sang-hyuk mumble and shrink. Cocky bastards turn pathetic before real geniuses too. He tucked tail and bolted. The girl who showed up like a prince on a white horse brushed off her hands like it was nothing and helped me up. First impression was fierce and sharp, but she's not. Thought negative at first—my bad bias. Straightened out now. Sleek legs toned from training. Minor scars like badges of honor, slightly red skin probably from her fire spirit. Long red hair down to her waist, flickering like flames—
Vivid as video, but felt real. Emotions from that moment hit fresh. Truth dawned quick.
'This is Lee Do-jun's POV.'
Playing back from his view. Felt his thoughts and monologue in his voice. Like novel and movie at once.
'Dokgo Hwaryeon.'
One of the heroines. Hot-blooded fire-attribute girl who never stops grinding.
Ideal type protagonist Lee Do-jun purely admires. Trains to be as bold as her. Perverted fantasies his solid motivation.
'Since I'm stuck in this world, might as well snag the heroines if I can...'
Novel heroines, pretty as expected. Shone brighter than other girls.
Charisma oozed. Dokgo Hwaryeon drew every cadet's gaze.
'That's why she keeps gettin' kidnapped or groped.'
Unlike other heroines, she gives clear feedback. Basic shoulder ride for harassment, snaps arms or legs once it gets physical.
Author's trash. Drops NTR bait without the tag. Irresponsible fuck not worth calling author. Straight-up bastard.
NTR-drifting hacks ain't authors. Motherless orphans. Deserve reader knives, no complaints. Sins that deep.
'But that's not all.'
Reason I couldn't mess with Dokgo Hwaryeon? Protagonist Lee Do-jun. Or rather, his evil-attribute spirit.
It feeds on his emotions. Raw lust prime chow.
Edgelord delusions from bullying, dirty subconscious fantasies at heroines—they power up the evil spirit.
'Sneaky NTR hooks make Lee Do-jun think negative.'
Demonis, the evil spirit—all its lines target readers. Author feeding NTR angles to POV-immersed fans nonstop.
'Can't let it rampage.'
No room for error. Lee Do-jun hits defeat-maso angle? Disaster. I didn't finish it anyway.
Once it went full NTR novel, hate comments exploded. Skimmed after, barely know the end. Vaguely.
'But if not heroines, other characters?'
Side ladies okay to touch?
Glanced at Class A homeroom Ryu Ji-ah, licked my lips. In the novel now—might as well enjoy since it's come to this...