The Academy's Time Stop Player

Time passed swiftly like flowing water.

Only two weeks remained until the final exams.

During those two weeks, the students were diligently preparing, diving deep into their notes and frequenting the practical labs.

Hajoon was no exception. He too was surprisingly focused in prepping for the finals. Of course, he had his reasons.

At the very least, he wanted a relaxing holiday without attending extracurricular classes during the break. That said, he didn't feel the need to go overboard with his studies like he did for the midterms.

The score Hajoon aimed for was nothing extraordinary, just average like the other students. As long as he secured those scores, he wouldn't need any additional lessons during the holidays.

And so, time moved on. It was Monday morning, approximately four weeks after both the written and practical exams had ended.

The day of Rokia Academy's traditional end-of-semester festival, a major highlight of the first term, had finally arrived.

“Yawn~”

Due to the festival, the campus park was bustling with activity. Various food stalls were set up, and even outsiders, who usually weren't allowed inside the academy, roamed freely, enjoying the festivities.

In the midst of it all, Hajoon sat leisurely on a bench at the park's center, yawning. He was contentedly observing the festival-goers without any particular thoughts.

For Hajoon, the festival wasn’t any more special than any other day. After all, with events scheduled during the festival, it wasn’t like he could fully relax and enjoy it.

Nonetheless, he did think about indulging in some food from the nearby stalls.

However, it seemed the stalls were still in the midst of their preparations given that it was still morning.

'I guess they'll open around 9?'

Given that it was currently 8:30 AM, the stalls would probably start selling food in about 30 minutes.

Later, he thought of grabbing some food and exploring the festival.

After all, the festival was considered a signature event of the academy, filled with various activities. However, only students affiliated with Rokia Academy could participate.

For reference, Hajoon had no intention of participating in any of the events. He didn't want to tire himself out by getting too involved.

Among the events were 'Dungeon Speed Runs' and 'Duel Competitions'. Unless one was out of their mind, there was no reason to join such taxing events, especially when there were rumors of covert villainous participants.

'So troublesome...'

Naturally, the villains from the Villain Alliance wouldn't remain idle during a festival where commoners could easily access the academy.

In the game’s festival episode, these villains always made an appearance to cause havoc. The real problem here was that Hajoon couldn't predict which villain would infiltrate this festival.

Simply put, the villain that appeared during this festival episode changed based on the chosen playable character.

In Hajoon's recollection, during Han Siyoung's episode, it was the A-rank villain, the Puppeteer, and during Anna's episode, it was a new A-rank villain named Terrorboom, who had explosive abilities.

For this reason, Hajoon had trouble predicting the villain that would appear next.

If he could identify the upcoming villain, he would be able to easily catch them.

"Hmm..."

Lost in thought, Hajoon crossed his arms.

He was pondering how to apprehend these rogues causing terror. Naturally, he wanted to catch them before their deeds began, but finding them among this crowd was as challenging as plucking stars from the sky.

There was also the option of capturing them after they had carried out their terror, but he decided to save that as a last resort and search for another way.

Just then, a suspicious-looking girl wearing sunglasses, a mask, and a hat to hide her face started approaching Hajoon.

At a glance, she seemed quite suspicious.

It was Yoo Seolah.

"Ah! Hajoon!"

"Ah! It's Hammer Oppa! Hammer Oppa!"

"Shush! Soona, that's supposed to be a secret."

For the record, Yoo Seolah was with her younger sister, Yoo Soona.

Although Yoo Soona, who had a leg disability, was in a wheelchair, she was still accompanying Yoo Seolah.

Come to think of it, it's been a while since he'd seen her.

"Oppa! Have you been well?"

"Yeah."

Yoo Soona, with her innocent smile, seemed incredibly polite and sharp for an 8-year-old.

Well, being Yoo Seolah's sister, it's to be expected.

"Oppa! If you're free, come play with us!"

"Uh?"

At that suggestion, Hajoon showed a slightly reluctant face, expressing his feeling of inconvenience.

Honestly, he just wanted to sit on the bench and rest.

And Yoo Seolah, who had known Hajoon for quite some time, could read his expression.

After seeing his face, she gently consoled Yoo Soona, "Soona, it seems Hajoon is very busy today."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'd love to play, but I'm too busy."

Hajoon shamelessly responded to Yoo Soona, leaving Yoo Seolah somewhat flabbergasted.

Maybe she should have just let him be?

"Cough, anyway, Hajoon. Are you sure it's okay to show your face like that?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

For reference, Anna, Liam, and Haruna Ruel, including Yoo Seolah, had also concealed their faces suspiciously.

With this festival, the academy allowed not only general visitors but also broadcast reporters.

They entered the academy and interviewed any prominent students they could find. These students wanted to enjoy the festival without being recognized, hence they hid their faces.

However, Hajoon didn't need to.

Perhaps this was one advantage he had over the others?

While the name Kim Hajoon was well-known, his face wasn't.

Though no matter how much they hid, children would inevitably get recognized.

Though it was a festival, Kim Hajoon had no intention of accompanying the kids.

"Ah, but you're participating in the tournament, right?"

"...Huh? No."

"What? That's strange. I saw your name on the list of tournament participants, Hajoon."

What was she talking about?

I never applied.

At that moment, a young man, whose face was hidden behind sunglasses, a mask, and a hat, approached Hajoon and Yoo Seolah. The blonde hair peeking out from his hat gave away his identity.

It was Liam Martel.

"Hey! Hajoon!"

What's with this weird greeting?

With an annoyed look, Hajoon watched as Liam approached. Liam, getting closer, playfully lifted his mask a bit and flashed a cheeky grin at Hajoon.

"You're entering the tournament, right? I knew you would, so I registered you in advance. Let's have a proper match this time."

"...What?"

"We should fully enjoy the festival, don't you think?"

Hajoon stared at Liam, incredulous.

So, it was this guy who had audaciously signed me up for the tournament?

I was genuinely at a loss for words.

Who does he think he is, registering on my behalf without even asking?

"So, you're saying you submitted my application?"

"Yeah. Why? Oh! Didn't you want to participate?"

"Why would you think I'd want to?"

"Ah, um...hahaha!"

Liam's awkward laughter ensued.

Feeling increasingly irritated by Liam's antics, Hajoon's temper began to flare.

"Uh, I think... I'll take my leave now."

"Bye, see you later!"

Sensing the tension, both Yoo Seolah and Yoo Soona discreetly began to distance themselves. All the while, Liam, still apparently oblivious to Hajoon's growing anger, continued to laugh awkwardly.

Finally losing his patience, Hajoon shouted, "This is Liam Martel!"

"...What?!"

Immediately, murmurs rippled through the crowd, and all eyes turned to Liam.

Journalists, who were broadcasting from a distance, perked up and started pointing their cameras towards them.

The commotion escalated rapidly.

"Wow! It really is Liam Martel!"

"Hey, it's true!"

"Turn the camera that way! Quickly!"

In an instant, a swarm of people began crowding around Liam. Looking somewhat bewildered, Liam turned to find Hajoon, hoping for some support.

But when had he disappeared? By the time Liam looked, Hajoon had been long gone from the spot.

"Ah, this is a mess."

“If you want to enjoy it, do it properly. Why did you have to mess it up?”

Shortly after, Hajoon headed directly to the coliseum-style building where the fighting tournament was taking place, intending to cancel his participation.

However, upon being informed that the brackets were already set and withdrawal was impossible, he could only exit with a dejected stride.

“Ugh… Damn.”

Taking a seat on a nearby bench, Hajoon buried his face in his hands, weariness written all over his features. The mere thought of having to participate in that bothersome tournament drained his enthusiasm for the day.

But what was done was done; there was no turning back now.

He let out a tired sigh, gazing up at the sky, lost in contemplation.

Isn't it said that when it rains, it pours?

Ding-

“…Huh?”

A cheery sound he hadn't heard in a while played.

Immediately, a series of system notifications appeared before Hajoon's eyes.

[Penalty awarded due to altered future.]

[Episode difficulty increased.]

[Episode 1-3 'Festival' will undergo significant changes.]

[Sub Quest]

Playable Character: Kim Hajoon (Liber Laphilton Phil Ehrman)

Objective: Find the hidden villains in the festival. (0/4)

Reward: 3,000 Experience Points

“…What?”

Ha-joon’s brows furrowed at the sudden appearance of the penalty and quest notifications.

Damn, what a day.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, having a rough idea what the numbers (0/4) next to the quest signified.

'Four villains hiding? Not just one?'

Typically, depending on the character being played, only one villain would appear. But now, likely due to the penalty, four of them were lurking around the festival.

Finding the situation almost laughable, Hajoon couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

“How am I supposed to find these four…”

As he was letting out another weary sigh, he noticed a girl with an unfamiliar face approaching from a distance. The girl, dressed in ordinary jeans and a white tee, had black hair and a face that resembled a doll.

Right then.

Ding-

“Huh?”

[Sub Quest]

Playable Character: Kim Hajoon (Liber Laphilton Phil Ehrman)

Objective: Find the hidden villains in the festival. (1/4)

Reward: 3,000 Experience Points

“What’s going on?”

The quest counter had changed. Precisely, from (0/4) to (1/4).

Immediately after, the very girl he had just noticed came and casually took a seat next to where Hajoon was sitting on the rather spacious bench.

While the size of the bench might have justified the seating, Hajoon couldn’t help but stare intently at the girl, especially considering the change in the quest counter.

Perhaps sensing his gaze, the girl’s face turned from neutral to a shade of surprise and unease. She even began to tremble slightly.

Taking a moment to think, Hajoon recognized that he hadn't seen her face before. Thus, he had one suspect in mind.

Continuing to study the girl, his expression darkened, and he finally asked in a stern voice, “Are you, by any chance, the Puppeteer?”

“…?!”

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