The Regressed Extra Becomes a Genius Chapter 147

Friday night.

Right now, just before the weekend that everyone looks forward to.

I was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep.

But strangely, sleep wouldn’t come, and all I felt was emptiness and a gloomy mood.

Maybe I’ve developed insomnia.

Lately, I haven’t been sleeping well.

I let out a scoff at the ridiculous thought and casually glanced at my smart student notebook.

A message from Choi Seo-yoon had arrived three minutes ago.

[Are you sleeping, sunbae?]

[You must be busy these days.]

“……”

I hesitated over whether to reply, then gave up.

I felt weird.

Since what happened at the fireworks festival, I’d been avoiding her, subtly.

It’s not like I was obviously dodging her, just enough that she wouldn’t notice…

It’s not that I started to dislike her or felt uncomfortable around her.

It’s just that whenever I saw her, I felt strange.

My head would get all jumbled, and I’d end up avoiding her without realizing it.

And I’m not clueless.

The way Choi Seo-yoon’s been acting around me lately—her friendly attitude, the way she looks at me.

It would be strange not to notice.

Maybe it’s cowardly of me to avoid her like this, but I couldn’t think of another way.

At the same time, a bunch of questions started to rise.

Is it even okay for me to build a relationship with someone in this world?

A world where the future is uncertain.

A world that could reset with Lee Seo-jun’s death.

A world that might be destroyed altogether.

A world where I don’t even know if the people around me are real or fake.

Can I even afford to get attached to someone?

And if the world really resets because of Lee Seo-jun’s death—

Would I be able to endure that?

All those tangled thoughts made me feel even more depressed.

Some people might say I’m getting all philosophical.

Others might mock me for being overly dramatic, like a teenager going through a phase.

But I still remember the world I originally lived in, clear as day.

My parents, my family, my friends.

The world where there was no such thing as magic.

I graduated from homesickness back in the first round, but after all that’s happened recently, I can’t help but think back to those memories.

“Hoo…”

As I sat on the bed with a gloomy expression, Gretel stirred from her sleep and came up to me.

“Nnngh…”

She hugged me with a sleepy voice.

I gave a faint smile and gently patted her back.

Gretel fell asleep again.

I carefully laid her back down on the bed.

“…Should I go get some fresh air?”

Yeah, maybe that would help.

My mood’s all over the place anyway.

And tomorrow’s a holiday, so it’s fine if I sleep a little late.

So I stepped outside and walked through the park—and that’s when I saw a familiar face sitting on a bench.

“Kim Sunwoo?”

It was Lee Seo-jun.

“Lee Seo-jun, what are you doing here?”

“Just… my head’s a mess, so I came out for some air.”

I let out a short laugh.

A messy head, huh.

In the novel, there was never a scene like this.

Moments like this make me want to believe this world is real.

“What’s bothering you?”

“…A bunch of stuff.”

I bet it’s about Lee Yoon-kyung.

I sat down next to him.

“Is it because of Lee Yoon-kyung?”

At my blunt question, Lee Seo-jun’s expression stiffened a little.

I had already seen her on the Ghost Island, so there was no need to pretend I didn’t know.

“What, are you reading my mind?”

“It’s written all over your face.”

“……”

I stared up at the night sky and spoke.

“Lee Yoon-kyung… she’s probably your mother.”

Lee Seo-jun gave me a puzzled look.

“Based on what?”

“I have a really good gut feeling. I just know. And the two of you look so alike—it wouldn’t make sense otherwise.”

“That’s it? Then by that logic, there’s someone who looks just like you too. Kim Jinwoo the mage. Does that mean you’re family with him?”

Huh? When you put it like that, I’ve got nothing to say.

“Come on, you and I aren’t the same. I’ve got a common face. You don’t.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? At least give me a logical reason.”

“Sigh… think what you want.”

Then Lee Seo-jun fell silent for a moment before speaking again in a cautious voice.

“And that person… she supposedly died in 2009. The timing doesn’t work for her to be my mother.”

I paused in thought.

How much of a hint could I give him?

After going through the first round, I didn’t want to just sit back and wait for the original story’s ending.

Maybe I could bring the ending forward by getting involved.

“She died in 2009, sure. But it’s not impossible for you to be born in 2015.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Mystery.”

Lee Seo-jun frowned at my reply.

“Mystery makes the impossible possible.”

“You’re saying Mystery got involved between me and Lee Yoon-kyung?”

“I’m only talking about a possibility.”

Lee Seo-jun fell into thought.

This was as much of a hint as I could give for now.

Acting like I knew too much wouldn’t be good either.

“…Mystery, huh.”

He seemed deeply troubled by what I’d said.

It was a somewhat convincing theory, so it must’ve made his thoughts even more tangled.

“Lee Seo-jun.”

He looked at me.

I spoke to him in a calm voice.

“You want to know who your parents are, right?”

I met his gaze directly.

“Let’s find out together. I’ll help you.”


Last weekend was pretty rough for Lee Seo-jun.

With all the questions surrounding Lee Yoon-kyung, he couldn’t focus on anything.

He figured the best person to ask was Choi Ilhyeon, but he had no way of contacting him.

Kim Sunwoo didn’t have his contact info either, so there was nothing he could do.

In the end, Lee Seo-jun waited for today.

And on Monday at 8 p.m.—

After finishing all his classes and personal training, he headed to the third floor of the multipurpose training center, to the “Live Combat Instruction Room.”

As he reached the third floor, a loud booming sound echoed from the distance.

He walked in the direction of the noise.

Looking through the window, he saw Kim Sunwoo and Choi Ilhyeon engaged in a one-on-one battle.

And watching that fight, Lee Seo-jun momentarily forgot why he had come here, his attention completely absorbed.

Whoosh!

Kim Sunwoo had been fighting using only martial arts.

It seemed he had been instructed not to use manifestation-type magic.

But his movements were incredible.

His overall strength, stamina, and reflexes had all improved since their last match during the team captain match.

What was going on?

Had he really grown that much in just a few weeks?

Or was that not even his real strength back then?

Whatever the truth was, it gave Lee Seo-jun an eerie feeling.

Kim Sunwoo was definitely special.

Even the conversation they had on Friday had felt oddly significant.

Why didn’t he show this kind of skill back in first year?

He really was a mystery.

While he was lost in thought—

“You came?”

A voice snapped him out of it.

Kim Sunwoo stood in front of him, wiping sweat and drinking water.

“What, is that you, Lee Seo-jun?”

Choi Ilhyeon’s voice came from behind.

Lee Seo-jun stepped inside and gave a respectful bow to Choi Ilhyeon before speaking.

“I came because I have something to ask.”

Choi Ilhyeon seemed to ponder for a moment before answering.

“You’re here to ask about Lee Yoon-kyung, aren’t you?”

At that, Lee Seo-jun looked a bit surprised.

He glanced at Kim Sunwoo.

Kim Sunwoo gave him a nod as if to say, Go ahead and ask.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“…You must’ve seen something on the Ghost Island.”

“Yes. And I saw you there too, Sir Choi Ilhyeon.”

“Knew it. But what now? I don’t have anything to tell you.”

Choi Ilhyeon spoke lazily, picking at his ear, which made Lee Seo-jun frown.

“Why not?”

“I don’t really want to talk about her. Not exactly the fondest memories. And I’m not obligated to tell you anything.”

“……”

Lee Seo-jun was silent for a moment, then spoke again.

“So I am connected to her in some way.”

Choi Ilhyeon rubbed his chin and muttered quietly.

“…Yeah, you are.”

After that, Lee Seo-jun laid out everything he had investigated and deduced.

The date of Lee Yoon-kyung’s death, the possible involvement of Mystery, and his questions about his family.

After hearing everything, Choi Ilhyeon looked slightly surprised.

“…You really dug deep. Your deductions weren’t bad either.”

After some hesitation, he spoke.

“But I still can’t tell you anything. That old man might actually kill me if I do.”

Then he added:

“Instead, I’ll tell you this.”

He looked Lee Seo-jun straight in the eyes.

“Lee Yoon-kyung is your mother. And Mystery…can even bring the dead back to life.”


After finishing our conversation with Choi Ilhyeon, Lee Seo-jun and I walked down the now-darkened corridor.

“Turns out your deduction was right. That the person was my mother, and that Mysteries were involved.”

“See? I told you so.”

“Thanks to you, it feels like I’ve made some progress.”

Lee Seo-jun murmured with a faint smile.

“By the way, what Mage Choi Ilhyeon said… does that mean my mother… in other words, Lee Yoon-kyung, came back to life?”

I didn’t respond to Seo-jun’s question. It was still too early to reveal what I knew.

“Then… does that mean my mother is still alive? If so, where is she, and what is she doing now?”

“I don’t know. But don’t jump to conclusions. You have to keep your options open.”

“That’s true.”

Lee Seo-jun nodded.

“By the way, you don’t have a family either, right?”

“Huh?”

“I heard it somewhere before.”

Since it was something most people who knew me were aware of, I wasn’t too surprised.

“……Don’t you wonder about your family?”

I paused for a moment, thinking about Seo-jun’s question.

I do wonder.

My real-world parents… are they doing okay?

“Not really.”

“Why not? Seems like something you’d be curious about.”

“I’m not curious.”

“Come on, you helped me, so I wanna hel—”

“I said I’m not curious.”

When I cut him off bluntly, Seo-jun looked at me with a strange expression.

“Well, okay.”


Saturday, 5 PM. The promised day with Han Se-yeon had finally arrived.

I headed to the location she had sent me so we could enter together — her officetel.   *Its like an office combined with a hotel.

When I rang the bell, Han Se-yeon greeted me warmly.

“Jinwoo!”

She smiled brightly like she hadn’t seen me in ages and walked up to me.

I couldn’t help but think it was a shame I didn’t usually get to see her in such comfy home clothes.

“What are you calling me over to your place for?”

At my words, she laughed.

“There’ll be people watching us. Gotta make a good impression. Gotta set the scene.”

Was that really necessary?

Then Han Se-yeon looked me up and down, slightly surprised.

“……Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“You seem taller.”

“Oh, my height?”

I had anticipated this kind of comment and prepared an excuse.

“I went through some special training. Improved my frame. Combat correction training or something…”

“That’s a thing?”

“Yeah, there are all kinds of magic training methods.”

Though honestly, it does exist — it’s just not that dramatic in effect.

“Never heard of that before.”

“Feel free to look it up.”

Han Se-yeon stepped closer, suspicion in her eyes.

“Can I touch your hair?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

She reached out and touched my hair, then gave it a slight tug.

“……It’s real.”

Then she stood on tiptoe and brought her face close to mine.

“Eh?”

I was startled by how close her face suddenly was.

Sniff sniff

She sniffed my hair, then leaned back.

“……Doesn’t even smell like dye.”

Well, of course not. I changed my hair color using the point shop. No way she’d figure that out.

Still, this situation is kind of embarrassing. Glad I washed my hair properly.

“Hmm. What the heck…”

Han Se-yeon rubbed her chin and stared at me.

“Can I touch your beard?”

“Nope.”

“Then take off your glasses.”

“Nope.”

“Tch.”

She looked disappointed.

“What are you trying to figure out?”

“……Nothing. Oh! Jinwoo, here.”

She handed me a paper bag.

“It’s a clothing gift. I picked it out myself — thought it’d suit you. Wear this to the party.”

“Another clothing gift, huh.”

I took the clothes from her.

As expected of Se-yeon, it was a high-quality suit.

There were also accessories like a watch and shoes. And even a potion. Not a top-tier one, but definitely expensive if sold on the market.

I thanked her and downed the potion like candy.

My mana increased slightly.

After changing into the new clothes, Se-yeon and I arrived at the party venue together.

The place was the Gi-hyeon Foundation for Culture and the Arts.

While not as massive as the Hanseong Group, Gi-hyeon Group was still one of the top conglomerates in Korea.

Judging from the scale, it didn’t seem like it was as big of an event as the Pioneer’s Night Se-yeon had mentioned before.

Now that I think about it, I remember there was some incident at a past Gi-hyeon Foundation event.

Was that today, maybe?

“Let’s take a look around.”

Se-yeon grabbed my arm and led me inside. Various artworks came into view.

I wasn’t particularly interested in the art itself, but watching Se-yeon enjoy it made it worth it.

A few people who recognized Se-yeon came over to greet her. Then they looked at me with puzzled expressions, clearly wondering who I was.

Every time that happened, Se-yeon introduced me, and surprisingly, some of them recognized me.

“Oh~ You’re Mage Kim Jinwoo. You were briefly quite famous, weren’t you? Solved a bunch of incidents.”

[You have unlocked the achievement ‘Cultural Life.’]

[You have received 2,000 points as a reward.]

And just like that, I randomly unlocked an achievement.

As I chatted with Se-yeon over some bland low-alcohol drinks, a familiar face appeared in the distance.

“Se-yeon.”

“Oppa?”

It was Han Se-jin. He looked at me.

“Ah, Mage Kim Jinwoo! Haha, I remember your name. Been a while.”

He reached out to shake my hand, and I shook it back.

“You came with Se-yeon?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I didn’t see any reason to hide it, so I answered honestly.

“Hmm. Se-yeon usually doesn’t get along this well with someone unless it’s business.”

Han Se-jin said with a laugh, and Se-yeon interjected.

“What are you even talking about?”

“Ah, Se-yeon, come with me for a bit.”

“Huh?”

“There’s someone you should meet.”

At his words, Se-yeon looked at me.

I nodded, telling her to go ahead.

“Sorry. I’ll be right back.”

With that, Se-yeon disappeared somewhere.

I nibbled on some food while scanning the surroundings and eventually sat on an empty bench.

“Already tired.”

Just then, someone sat down next to me.

A beautiful woman in a suit, with red hair tied back. She looked like a mixed-race woman — probably half Korean and half white.

And that red hair… the gloves on her hands too… she reminded me of someone.

“What are you looking at?”

The woman looked at me.

That sharp personality — just like in the original.

“Nothing. Your hair color is beautiful.”

“……Hmph.”

She didn’t seem offended by the compliment, and smiled faintly.

I used “Character Insight” on her.

━━
Name: Elin
Age: 26
Race: Human
Status: Calm
Mana Rank: S-
Interest Level: 0
━━

…Just as I thought.

I was right.

Elin.

The sole survivor of the Rune Clan, which was wiped out by Jaun.

Comments

  1. JRZTT 1246 Avatar
    JRZTT 1246

    OFC, she was from rune clan, I knew it. 😛
    BTW, not a fan of female in this story. I feel like they were too pushy and force themselves into MC personal space.
    I thought I’m fine with them at 1st but then there are breathing close to mc neck that make him feel tickle, asking if he sleep yet. IDK, felt really stalking/Yandere behavior. Then the smell hair thing was so creepy, I was like the puck girl, that cross the line.
    While we know she didn’t mean in sexual way, but suddenly do that would normally creep people out. If male done it, they would be sent to jail right away.
    Not gonna hate this story because of it but wish they have more respect for MC space and we need more Lee Seo-Jun

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